Nintendo at the L.A. Auto Show!

This is the time of year where real MEN come out to enjoy the hard sounds of engines revving and tires screeching! The burning smell of exhaust and new-car fuels the muscles of a total road warrior! Oh yeah. It’s that time of year. Where people like us charge right into the L.A. Convention Center, walk past all those men, and drool at the Nintendo booth! Yaaaay (throws confetti)! Nintendo made a very unusual appearance at the Auto Show this year to unveil a project they’ve been working on with West Coast Customs. Not too many details were given, but we arrived at the show seeing two vehicles covered with a sheet. Oh yeah. Let’s see them.

Reggie Fils-Aime (President and COO of Nintendo of America) took the stage and started to talk briefly about the Mario Kart franchise. Mario Kart has sold over 80 million copies around the world and plans to launch its latest installment on December 4^th with Mario Kart 7. To promote the new game, Reggie said Nintendo had an idea for a couple custom vehicles and approached West Coast Customs to see if they could help make their idea a reality. They took the sheets off the mystery vehicles and BAM! They exploded. Nah, wishful thinking. I enjoy epicness. Close though! The two cars were fully functional life sized versions of Mario’s Standard Kart and Luigi’s Bumble V Kart! Oh yeah. They looked mighty hot.

The CEO of West Coast Customs (Ryan Friedlinghaus) was then invited on stage to explain the cars and talk about how they’re totally race-able! He found out when one of his employees totally PWND him the night before the presentation. The presentation was short but we didn’t mind. It was time to get a closer look at the cars and get some sweet hands on time with Mario Kart 7!

Nintendo was doing the same thing they’ve done with the last few conventions where the 3DS was present. The consoles are chained to a crew of Nintendo gals whose job it is to let you play, tell you about the game, and distract you enough so you don’t steal it. My crew and I started a game with a few of the Nintendo girls and got in some 8 player action (the ‘giggity’ is way too obvious here and I’ll have no part of it)! Mario Kart 7 allows you to customize everything. You can choose what kind of glider you want, tires, kart, etc. Every choice obviously has a give and take as you watch the kart’s statistics fall in certain categories as you’re deciding what parts to use. This gives the series a bit more of a “hardcore” approach, but for many of us who love Mario Kart, this is a good thing.

The gameplay is just as solid as ever with a ton of new tracks and a few new power ups. The new powerups Nintendo was really boasting at the event were the Super Leaf, Fire Flower, and Lucky 7. The Super Leaf gives your cart a Tanooki Tail (possible cross advertising for Super Mario 3D land?). This allows you to swat away hazards on the road. The Fire Flower gives you the same power here as every other Mario game it’s featured in, but this time you can throw fire at other racers instead of Goomba AIs. The Lucky 7 is the most intense one. This will spawn 7 items around your kart just waiting to PWN someone on your command.

The game will also feature Nintendo Wi-Fi play and take advantage of the 3DS StreetPass functionality. If you walk past someone else who’s carrying a 3DS, the systems will automatically trade scores and win/loss records.

Overall, the show was short but plenty fun. We got to see the karts for real! After many years of racing these puppies digitally, we finally got to stand right next to one. The game itself is shaping up to be the best Mario Kart so far. Our very own Landon Dastrup commented, “It takes everything they did right with Mario Kart DS and improves it.” Make sure to check out all the pictures from the event by clicking on our new “Event Pics” section on the sidebar. Don’t forget to come back in a few weeks for our full review on Mario Kart 7.

Mass Effect Multiplayer Announced

That's right. From the mouth of the man himself, Casey Hudson, a multiplayer experience for all who will play Mass Effect 3! It is a four player co-op experience that if played, will boost the chances of Commander Shepard kicking Reaper butt cheeks! If ignored, and a player opts not to play the multiplayer, it will not negatively affect the single player campaign. So it's a win-win on all fronts!

The co-op missions are mostly about capturing and defending key positions around the galaxy in aid of the galactic war. Players will have the choice of selecting a variety of Alien races, and corresponding classes, and teaming up with buds to kick ass. Characters chosen on the multiplayer will have their own leveling aside from the single player, and moral choices from ME1 and 2 will not impact any element in the Multiplayer. The multiplayer is being handled by Bioware's newer crew in Montreal, and will not take away from the single player.

Along with the news of the multiplayer, Bioware announced that a system which determines battle-readiness for facing the Reapers will be available dubbed Galaxy at War. It is a quirky way of managing player stats that will include multiplayer progression, and hints at other possible Mass Effect apps and games. Meaning the multiplayer will not be the only manner in which to raise the survival rate of the war. Again, using the Galaxy at War system is optional, and will not negatively affect the single player. It really is a WIN-WIN!

All in all, Casey Hudson assured that the best possible outcome can be achieved by just playing the Single Player campaign without further association with the multiplayer or future apps. So for all you worrywarts (DefHalan!), skipping the multiplayer will not take away from the experience.

Keep an eye, ear, sixth sense open for more details as the release date approaches! Visit Bioware.com for more news!

(Great.... Now should I be Turian Infiltrator, or Quarian Engineer? Or maybe Krogan Vangard? Decisions decisions.)

SWTOR release date announced

So after my initial outburst of geeky excitement (roughly lasting a full 15 hours), I have great news for anyone intrested in the Old Republic. Bioware has announced SWTOR's release date! North America will see it on December 20, and in Europe on December 22.

Pre-ordered copies will have early access to the game, and a color stone for a weapon. Three choices are available for pre-order: the standard game, a digital deluxe edition, and a collector's edition, priced at $59.99, $79.99, and $149.99 respectively.

The standard game will not have any extra features but is the cheapest route. The digital deluxe edition will be pre-orderable through Origin, and will include five additional items: Flare gun, holo dancer, holo cam, STAP, and training droid. The collector's edition will include: a Gentle Giant Darth Malgus statue, collectible metal case, Journal of Master Gnost-Dural, Old Republic galaxy map, Custom Security Authentication Key, The Old Republic music CD, High-quality Collector's Edition box. It will also include the five items as well as an exclusive mouse droid, and collector's edition in-game store.

All packages will include 30 day free play! Huzzah!

Visit the official SWTOR site for more details, and make sure to reserve me a copy. You heard me.

343 Announces Headlong (giggity!)

With TGS in full swing, there has been a lot of game news. Despite being in Japan, Microsoft wasted no time showing off a new Halo 2 map for Halo: CE Anniversary.

Breakneck: It was called Headlong back in Halo 2. This was one of the more interesting maps from the2004 installment. It was open enough for vehicles but closed off enough to make the Energy Sword a tool of destruction. With its multiple buildings and streets to explore, Headlong was one of the bigger maps in Halo 2. 1 Flag CTF matches would take hours, thanks to the long journey carrying the flag from one base to the other. It will be exciting to explore the riches this level offered once more.

Other maps that have been announced before are:

Timberland: From Halo: CE on PC. For many of us Halo Fans, this will be the first time playing on this map, but for some of us, it will bring back warm fuzzy moments of playing Halo: CE online with mouse and keyboard. This map was on the bigger side. It could hold 16 players nicely and had a lot of vehicles to play around with. I didn't get to play this level as much as I would have liked, so it’s nice to hear it’s coming back.

Prisoner: From Halo: CE, and one of my personal favorites, Prisoner is a very tall map with many ramps and ladders leading up to the top. The vertical gameplay made this one of my favorite Juggernaut maps. You could feel like a Predator looking down on your prey. Maybe even feeling bad about what you are about to do to them, but knowing that won't stop you. Prisoner is going to be a fun map to go back to and try out some new game-types with.

Installation 04: The new Firefight map. This area is taken out of the second level of the Halo: CE campaign. At the end of that level, you are asked to defend your position until pelicans arrive to rescue you and a group of trapped marines. It supports ally AI players that fight alongside you (a first for Firefight). So whether you are playing alone, or with friends, it will be a fun place to defend over and over again.

Damnation: Another map that I loved. With a giant waterfall flowing right into a Covenant base, and being one of the tallest maps in the game, made this a map to be remembered! It has plenty of good vantage points for snipers or close quarters for down and dirty shotgunners. This level had it all except vehicles. There was rarely a dull moment.

Battle Creek: Most people know it as Beaver Creek in Halo 2. This was a small confined space that was easy to memorize but hard to master. I played more CTF matches on this map than any other, and was the most played at all my LAN parties. I bet you can’t find a single Halo fan that doesn’t have a story on this level. I can't wait to storm the creek once more.

It was also announced that there will be two versions of each map. The Classic version and the Enhanced version. The Classic version stays true to the original map. Enhanced versions, have been changed to incorporate the armor abilities from Reach. The Halo: CE pistol will be making a comeback as well. In gametypes named “Anniversary,” the pistol will become the Halo: CE pistol with 3 shot kills. We will have a full review when Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary releases November 15^th 2011.

Persona 4 news makes me want to *bleep*

I’ve got a rager like none! And the culprit’s name is Atlus. They have never failed me. Ever. With the announcement of a Persona fighting game in the works, I have erected a giant monument of Jack Frost in my black heart.

Working together with Arc System Works- the guys behind the Guilty Gear and Blazblue series- Atlus is co-devloping a Persona-based fighter for the X360 and the PS3, and is expected to be available in Japan by next Summer. Thanks to Famitsu, Several screenshots have been released, and it’s just so erogenous! So check them out (since we don’t have any rights to post those pics on here... yet!)!

The only characters confirmed so far are the Protagonist, Chie, Yosuke, and Aegis along with their corresponding Personas. The game will include both Persona 3 and 4 characters, but hopefully will not be limited to just the two (DLC anyone?). I can’t wait to see how Atlus will play this one out! And I can’t wait to play as Yuka-tan! Heh heh heh...

The other major announcement is the remake of Persona 4 for the Vita entitled Persona 4: The Golden. The game will include a new dungeon, a new character, a new support system, and a new dialogue. It is not expected to be an FES version like what Persona 3 had, but it should be a fresher experience like the PSP version of Persona 3. It is set to hit Japan in the Spring!

I will be keeping an eye out for any more news regarding this, but make sure to check out the Tokyo Game Show for any new info!

Wayforward Brings Out the Big Sexy Guns

Wayforward is developing three games for your enjoyment coming out this season. The first game is Mighty Switch Force. Continuing the Mighty series, this game makes the jump from DSiWare to Nintendo E-Shop for 3DS. The second game is Aliens: Infestation for the DS. Having Contra style action, and Metroid style level design, makes this a game to look out for! Aliens is also coming out for the original DS so everyone can play it. No matter what DS you have, check it out! The third game they are working on is BloodRayne: Betrayal,coming to XBLA and PSN. It’s also the first time Wayforward is making a game in HD.

Mighty Switch Force is coming for download on the Nintendo E-Shop. It will be joining three other Wayforward games on the E-Shop, including: Mighty Flip Champs, Mighty Milky Way, and Shantae Risky's Revenge. Mighty Switch Force's focus is on switching between 2-D and 3-D views to solve puzzles. The run and gun action mixed with the puzzle solving makes this game a must have!

Aliens: Infestation is a Metroid style game that takes place after the second Alien movie. With over 15 characters to play, each character brings their own style of dialog into the story. It will definitely mix up the story a little every time you play. The action is going to be similar to Contra 4 with the exploration of Metroid making this game an exciting adventure for any type of gamer. This game is coming out for the DS in retail stores, so no matter which DS you have, I hope you pick it up and enjoy.

BloodRayne: Betrayal is coming to XBLA and PSN. It will be the first Wayforward game to come out for Xbox and the second for Playstation. (Wayforward also remade Mighty Flip Champs for PSN. I would suggest all Playstation owners check it out!) It has been a long journey for BloodRayne. It had two games for PS2, Xbox and GameCube. It also had three movies that I didn’t watch and heard horrible things about. Now BloodRayne's future is in the hands of Wayforward.

I trust Wayforward to do a good job. They are taking BloodRayne from a third person view to a 2-D side scrolling view. The hand drawn animations and landscapes are amazing! The action looks intense and fun. Early reviews have commented about how hard it is, but I personally enjoy having to master a game before beating it. With its Castlevania feel and fast paced action, almost like a fighting game, makes this yet another game that will be taking money out of my pocket.

Bottom line, Wayforward has three great games coming out. No matter what your favorite company is (Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft), Wayforward has a game for you. Check them all out this coming month, because they are all scheduled to release sometime this September.