The Weekly Release

[bapenguin]

Another week, another Weekly Release. The games are starting to pick up again with a few big releases this week. The short but sweet Black hits PS2 and XBox this week. Also hitting PS2 this week is the Jack Bauer screaming simulator, 24: The Game. A SWAT4 expansion pack comes out this week as well. Not too much on DVD, but in the theater Ultraviolet opens up. It's directed by the same guy that did Equilibrium (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238380/), so it has potential.

Monday
24: The Game (PS2 (http://www.gametab.com/ps2/24.the.game/4183/))
Black (XBOX (http://www.gametab.com/xbox/black/3946/), PS2 (http://www.gametab.com/ps2/black/3947/))
Super Princess Peach (DS (http://www.gametab.com/ds/super.princess.peach/4953/))

Tuesday
Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach (PC (http://www.gametab.com/pc/dungeons.&.dragons.online.stormreach/3191/))
FIFA Street 2 (XBOX (http://www.gametab.com/xbox/fifa.street.2/5114/), GCN (http://www.gametab.com/gcn/fifa.street.2/5115/),PS2 (http://www.gametab.com/ps2/fifa.street.2/5116/), DS (http://www.gametab.com/ds/fifa.street.2/5117/), PSP (http://www.gametab.com/psp/fifa.street.2/5118/))
Final Fight: Streetwise (XBOX (http://www.gametab.com/xbox/final.fight.streetwise/4187/), PS2 (http://www.gametab.com/ps2/final.fight.streetwise/4188/))
Generation of Chaos (PSP (http://www.gametab.com/psp/generation.of.chaos/5132/))
Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, The (PC (http://www.gametab.com/pc/lord.of.the.rings.the.battle.for.middle-earth.ii.the/4483/))
MLB 06: The Show (PS2 (http://www.gametab.com/ps2/mlb.06.the.show/5134/), PSP (http://www.gametab.com/psp/mlb.06.the.show/5135/))
MX vs. ATV: On the Edge (PSP (http://www.gametab.com/psp/mx.vs.atv.on.the.edge/5136/))
Sims 2: Open for Business, The (PC (http://www.gametab.com/pc/sims.2.open.for.business.the/4612/))
Street Supremacy (PSP (http://www.gametab.com/psp/street.supremacy/5133/))
SWAT 4: The Stetchkov Syndicate (PC (http://www.gametab.com/pc/swat.4.the.stetchkov.syndicate/5131/))
Ys: The Ark of Napishtim (PSP (http://www.gametab.com/psp/ys.the.ark.of.napishtim/3176/))

Wednesday
Scratches (PC (http://www.gametab.com/pc/scratches/5137/))

DVD
Walk the Line (http://www.imdb.com/rg/REC_NEW_WALK//ra/us/td/B000E8QVWY/)
Pride and Prejudice (http://www.imdb.com/ra/us/td/B000E1ZBGS/)
Ultimate Avengers: The Movie (http://www.imdb.com/ra/us/td/B000CEVC9M/)
Lady and the Tramp: 50th Anniversary Edition (http://www.imdb.com/ra/us/td/B000B8QG4A/)
Dog Day Afternoon: SE (http://www.imdb.com/ra/us/td/B000CNESTE/)

Theater
16 Blocks (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450232/)
Block Party (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425598/)
Ultraviolet (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370032/)
Aquamarine (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429591/)

[Royal Fool]

Also hitting PS2 this week is the Jack Bauer screaming simulator, 24: The Game.

Haha. :)

(This message has been artificially lengthened)

[Inglorion]

Wednesday
Scratches (PC (http://www.gametab.com/pc/scratches/5137/))I tried the demo and there are good reasons to anticipate Scratches. :)



(This message has been artificially lengthened) :rolleyes:

[fitbabits]

Black is a rental for me. 16 Blocks is on my 'must-see' list, as is Ultraviolet (for different reasons). Saving my pennies for next week and the beginning of the Xbox 360's 'killer app' season (GRAW, Oblivion, etc.).

[Buddha Lotus]

Newsradio 3rd season on DVD as well

[KidCactus]

Strange that neither IGN or Gamespot have reviewed 24 yet.

[Borys]

Nothing worthy of my $$$ except Black.

[KidCactus]

I tried Black last week, and it's very annoying that you have to restart the whole level if you die.

[Scaryboy]

I haven't read it yet so I don't what what the issues are, but Edge reviewed 24 last month and gave it 6/10.

[bean19]

Kid Cactus - It just releases today, so they just haven't done an early review. Most reviews don't come out until the evening of the day of release.

I'm considering the Sims expansion. . . I have bought one Sims expansion before (actually 3 of them bundled), and I had huge buyer's remorse.

This seems like it actually adds some new gameplay and not just a slew of new emotes and items, so it MIGHT be worth my time.

[Cubfan]

I'll likely rent Black at some point, I just don't see any compelling reason to purchase it. Will probably rent Super Princess Peach at some point as well.

[MSUStud911]

Ultimate Avengers came out last week. It's a pretty good watch, especially when the Hulk gets involved.

I'll probably be picking up the SWAT 4 expansion and Super Princess Peach as well this week.

[Rirath]

Black is a rental for me. 16 Blocks is on my 'must-see' list, as is Ultraviolet (for different reasons).

Hadn't heard of either, but 16 blocks looks pretty dang good. Ultraviolet looks enjoyable for what it is, though I'm all but positive it'll get SLAMMED by the critics. Too bad neither is out today, could use a good flick this afternoon. :(

And despite the flaws, I WILL be playing Black... after Grandia III.

[bean19]

You guys really think Black won't make it to the X360 or the PC?

It looks decent, but I'm not a big fan of console FPS (except for Halo - which had a phenomenal story for the first one), and certainly not one that is for the old systems.

PC spoils FPS games for me. I expect incredible control and graphics from FPS games and the Xbox and the PS2 just can't meet my standards for this genre.

Grandia III is pretty freaking awesome though. I love the battles, and I haven't gotten far enough in to encounter the slow/bad story that all the critics complain about.

I love Yuki, Miranda, and Alonso, and hate the meek elf bitch. . . funny that the spunky male youth cliche in JRPGs always entertains me, but the simpering damsel-in-distress cliche always leaves me cold. One of the ways that Final Fantasy and Shadow Hearts distinguishes themselves from other JRPGs is by having really strong female characters. They are still very feminine in that their point of view is much more emotional than that of the male characters (though the men tend to be somewhat effeminite in their viewpoint sometimes as the designers try to tell an emotionally involving story), but they aren't the fragile little flowers that populate nearly every other game in the genre. . . Shirley in Tales of Legendia, the blonde haired girl in Skies of Arcadia (forget her name), and the "angel" girl in Disgaea. . . though I liked her as she was a charicature of the cliches.

Whenever I see a blonde haired girl in a J-RPG, I am immediately worried that they are going to be shy, emotional, sniveling chits.

[Rirath]

funny that the spunky male youth cliche in JRPGs always entertains me, but the simpering damsel-in-distress cliche always leaves me cold.

Agreed, but seriously... Alfina can absolutely rock if you train her up right. She's not just a healer, she's got powerful attacks and she's just fun to play as. And honestly, she's one of the cooler "white mage" types I've seen in awhile.

But, just in case you've missed it:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/02/22

[Heretic Machine]

I'm probably going to go out and see Ultraviolet, Saturday during the day. Or I might wait until next week and hit it on Tuesday or Thursday, which are my days off. Black sounds pretty crappy, with the whole "start the level over if you die" thing. I hate games that do that. Hell, I hate games that don't make LIBERAL use of checkpoints. Some people may like that form of artificial difficulty, but not me. Nothing else looks interesting either, game-wise, but I'm considering picking up Ultimate Avengers on DVD.

I think I may end up grabbing something cheap for my PC when I go out to see Ultraviolet, as there is an EB and a Gamestop in close proximety.

[Grimgrock]

I'm probably going to cancel my pre-order for Black now that I am hearing more and more about it. If the demo didn't tell me what I was in for, the "start the whole level over when you die" thing has me convinced. That said, PD:0 has almost the same aspect, with a save point half-way through; at least for the parts of it I've reached.

[Fyd]

I tried Black last week, and it's very annoying that you have to restart the whole level if you die.

Yes its annoying, there is no save point or anything similar, you die and you must start the level, the game has only 6hours.....except kill enemies, this game dont have anything special

[HardScores]

I'd recommend MLB 06 if you are a sports player. Easily the best baseball game out there, since last year. GoC is by Nippon Ichi and thye have assured me it's awesome and a lot like Dragon Force. I'd try D&D but I just started playing Guild Wars on preperation for the expansion and I remembered how awesome it is... and free to play.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

I hate games that do that. Hell, I hate games that don't make LIBERAL use of checkpoints.


Well any game that's liberal with its use of checkpoints obviously isn't CONSERVATIVE enough with our tax dollars, so there. :p




I'll probably pick up Super Princess Peach at some point, but the rest of this list gets a big MEH from me.

[EternalGamer]

Princess Peach will serve as a great warm up act to the new Super Mari Bros, next month. It's getting all around great reviews with the only negative being the "easy" difficulty, which is fine by me. I am no longer engaged by games simply because they require me to repeat my actions a hundred times until I "get it right." Original and creative design is a much better way to engage players than forcing them to pay attention to the game they are playing simply by making it hard to progress if they don't.

Dan

[crashedout]

Ultimate Avengers came out last week. It's a pretty good watch, especially when the Hulk gets involved.


I have to disagree, although the hulk part was okay the rest of it sucked. Maybe if you are a fan you will put up with the crappy animation, plot and character development. Only rent...don't encourage Marvel to keep putting out this crap.

[Spigot]

I'm renting most of the titles this week. I'm sure Black would be more entertaining on the PC but I know it'd probably kill my PC, so I'll just rent the xbox version.

Super Princess Peach looks fun, but I'll rent it. I'd like 24 to be good, but again, I'll rent it.

What is that Scratches game? FPS? Adventure? Japanese Dating Sim? Silly Gametab and their lack of reviews or summaries.

As for the movies, I'm definately going to see Ultraviolet in theatres. I keep missing the big action movies in theatres, which sucks. I like DVD's as much as the next guy, but some movies deserve to be seen on a big screen, not my crappy 27" TV.

And what's that Aquamarine movie? I mean, it looks like Splash for tween girls. Yawn.

[Abash Alarmist]

Nothing from me this week. Stil trying to save up enough money for a car, and I still have a huge backlog of a number of games: Beyond Good and Evil, Resident Evil 4(I hate regenerators), Dragon Quest VIII (have yet to even start), Civ IV, Rise of Nations...Sigh. and also FEAR when my video card is RMAd

[PacerDawn]

Why developers are still making games without "save anywhere" or at least abundant checkpoints (I prefer a mix of the two myself) is amazing to me. Restarting from scratch is for hard-core gamers only, and of them only a certain type that like to rehash the same hour of play over and over again until they get it correct.

Most people don't have unlimited hours to play a game and have to stop at some point for bathroom, eating, bedtime, etc. How many kids out there, for example, love it when they are doing a level and their parents call them to eat/go to bed RIGHT NOW and they cannot save their progress?

Games without save anywhere features, or ways to save your progress at reasonable times, are simply not fun for me, and I avoid them at all costs.

Ultraviolet.... Milla Jovovich.... The poses they catch her in for the stills look really cool, so this might be a renter. But of course, I'm still waiting for her in the next Resident Evil (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432021/) ...

[Bydo_Empire]

Wow, Walk the Line sure came out on DVD fast. I don't feel too bad missing it in theatres if I only have to wait 2-3 months.

[Metal Jesus]

Generation of Chaos is a big PSP release this week. Turn-Based Strategy from the developers of Atelier Iris, Disagea & La Pucelle ~Tactics.

[absolut taco]

Finally, Dave Chappelle's Block Party. I've been missing his humor so bad I actually watched Oprah just to see him. I'll be first in (the short) line for this movie!

[DoubleUranium]

Any reviews for Generation of Chaos ?

[MSUStud911]

I have to disagree, although the hulk part was okay the rest of it sucked. Maybe if you are a fan you will put up with the crappy animation, plot and character development. Only rent...don't encourage Marvel to keep putting out this crap.

I wasn't trying to say that it was an Academy Award winner, but I thought it was a decent first effort really. I expect (based on the preview included in the extras portion of the disk) the upcoming second movie to be better all the way around.

[UnderHero5]

I don't know what you guys are talking about. Black uses checkpoints. You do NOT have to start the level over when you die unless you die before reaching a checkpoint!

Granted, the checkpoints aren't real close together. There's one every 10 - 15 minutes at most though. It's not THAT bad.

Don't dismiss the game because one person gives false information about it :p
It's not a bad game.
I WOULD consider it more of a rental though (if I was a person who rented games).
And yes, I've played it.

[Zurik]

The later half of March is gonna eat up all my money. There's Kingdom Hearts 2, Onimusha, and Oblivion.

[bean19]

The later half of March is gonna eat up all my money. There's Kingdom Hearts 2, Onimusha, and Oblivion.

Exactly!

Though for me you can omit Onimusha and insert Burnout Revenge (actually early March on that one).

Still the is the first time since December that I'll be going to the game store. I've been renting everything between now and then. These games will totally make me reach for my wallet though.

[Inglorion]

What is that Scratches game? FPS? Adventure? Japanese Dating Sim? Silly Gametab and their lack of reviews or summaries.
Bukkake sim.

Actually, it's a point-and-click adventure game. Very atmospheric. Try the demo (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/scratches/downloads.html).

[Magnanimous Gnome]

I don't know what you guys are talking about. Black uses checkpoints. You do NOT have to start the level over when you die unless you die before reaching a checkpoint!

Granted, the checkpoints aren't real close together. There's one every 10 - 15 minutes at most though. It's not THAT bad.

Don't dismiss the game because one person gives false information about it :p
It's not a bad game.
I WOULD consider it more of a rental though (if I was a person who rented games).
And yes, I've played it.


OMG, teh shill!!11!

[fitbabits]

The later half of March is gonna eat up all my money. There's Kingdom Hearts 2, Onimusha, and Oblivion.
Same for me, except replace Kingdom Hearts 2 with Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. Oh, and replace Onimusha with Burnout Revenge. Oblivion can stay, but add Blazing Angels and The Outfit to the list.

[Megalith]

Holy crap, 24 the game is out.

[bean19]

but add Blazing Angels and The Outfit to the list.

I think you are safe on the others babby, but I'd rent these first.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

Holy crap, 24 the game is out.

I can hardly believe that Black is out myself. That game was announced years and years ago. I remember seeing a preview in PC Gamer or EGM several years ago, and then suddenly it resurfaced a few months ago.

[fitbabits]

I think you are safe on the others babby, but I'd rent these first.
But haven't you heard? Us Xbox 360 owners are hurting so bad for decent games that we're obligated to buy anything that's released. You know, just because. :rolleyes:

[Magnanimous Gnome]

But haven't you heard? Us Xbox 360 owners are hurting so bad for decent games that we're obligated to buy anything that's released. You know, just because. :rolleyes:


But isn't that the case?? :D



Totally off topic, but did you ever get my PM on vegetarianism? I never heard back from you, so I wasn't sure if it was actually sent out or not.



Back on topic - Lots of releases this week - wow! I actually thought that Walk the Line came out on DVD a few weeks ago, but apparently I was mistaken. Wouldn't be the first time. ;)

[fitbabits]

Totally off topic, but did you ever get my PM on vegetarianism? I never heard back from you, so I wasn't sure if it was actually sent out or not.
Crap! Yes, I forgot all about that because I accidentally deleted all my PMs shortly after getting yours. Send me your email addy via a PM and I'll get some stuff to you! Sorry.