Some of my fondest gaming memories have come from Total Carnage, Robotron: 2084, and other similar multidirectional shooters. As a result, I’ve got fairly high hopes for the upcoming downloadable game, Rocketmen: Axis of Evil (800 Microsoft Points), which is headed to Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network next Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

Like any good arena shooter, Rocketmen will feature co-op for up to 4 players (both on and offline). You’ll also be able to customize your character’s appearance, weapons, and abilities, with multiple races and classes to choose from.

Last, but certainly not least, the visual style of Rocketmen is looking freakin’ sweet from where I’m standing (er, sitting). Graphics may not be the deciding factor in whether or not you purchase this game, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Anyone else interested?

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Nintendo may have started the craze with the N64, but fans of all consoles these days seem to get excited over the idea of owning a multi-colored variety of them — even if they are the same in every other respect. Mysterious to me too, but that’s consumer behavior for you. 

Anyway, Kotaku is reporting rumors swirling around Sony, which say that white PS3’s will be available in March of this year. Their reasoning? Circuit City employees are claiming to have received shipments of new PS3 stock, with an all too familiar model number of CECHH01 — which was filed with the FCC back in January as a white 40GB PS3. It would appear that they will be stashed away, until current Spider-Man 3 bundles have vanished, and will retail for $399 as usual.

Just what is our fascination with multi-colored consoles in the first place? Xbox 360’s want to be black, and now PS3’s want to be white. Talk about an identity crisis. Who’s standing up for the primary colors of red, green, and blue? This is an outrage, and we demand an answer.

[Thanks, Adam!]

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According to the latest issue of Famitsu, the game known in Japanese arcades as Initial-D Arcade Stage 4 will soon be making its way to PS3 in the form of Initial-D: Extreme Stage. Tearing through mountain roads with J-pop blasting in the background on PS3? Yes, please.

The game is set to receive a visual upgrade, updated single-player mode with more than 20 rivals, and *drumroll* competitive online play. It will not, however, include the full-size Sprinter Trueno GT-Apex AE86 that I was hoping would stay intact from the arcade port. Why do they always have to leave stuff out when they bring it to home consoles?  You can check out the first images in the Famitsu scan in the gallery below. 

[Via Akayuki] 

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If there’s one thing that gaming journalists and bloggers bet their reputation on, it’s the familiar acronym for non-disclosure agreements, otherwise known as the dreaded NDA. However, the Internet is serious business, and some people view such legalese about as threatening as the removal of mattress tags — illegal and punishable by law, but best left to the renegades. To them, some secretive information is just deemed too juicy, and worth any risk involved.

As CVG is reporting, that appears to be the case with at least one beta tester, who leaked several screens from a purported test meeting regarding Home. But the disclosures don’t end there. Also floating around the bowels of YouTube are videos, showing the service in action. Judging by some of the comments on the screenshots mentioned above, the areas of Home must be Arctic in nature. How else can one explain the frequent use of the term "freezing?" Also, betas.

All jokes aside, Home sounds pretty good in theory. Even if some of us aren’t entirely sold on the idea of creating virtual apartments for friends to peruse, you have to give Sony the approving nod for at least attempting to 1up the 360’s excellent Live service — Nintendo gave up from the start, which can only be described as disappointing. Now if only we could get less leakage, and more releaseage (made up or not, the word fits marvelously).

We’ve heard that Home has been in development since 2005 Sony, and PS3 owners want more toys to play with on their Blu-ray beast — before Microsoft ups the ante again on you. Put us all in the beta if you have to. Just get the polished version of this thing out the door, and soon.

[Thanks, Justin!] 

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It seems like every attendee of the 2008 Game Developers Conference came home with some kind of sickness. I feel bad for the rest of the team as well as for my journo peers. But I managed to steer clear of the "handshake hiv" by using tried-and-true self-developed event solutions like drinking only orange juice-based cocktails and opting for the "fist pound" rather than the slimy handshake. Also, pancakes.

The PlayStation Blog was also there at GDC, partying hard, and now it looks like they caught the bug as well. This week’s PlayStation Network update reeks of the popular "I’m too sick to do anything" flu attitude. Suck it up!

Aside from the Scurv Dogg PAIN character add-on ($.99), a Nine Inch Nails Rock Band pack ($5.49), and a Guitar Hero III No Doubt pack ($6.25), we’re left with a ton of videos and trailers. Well, there is a Rocketmen: Axis of Evil wallpaper and a new PAIN theme. Woo.

Videos:

• Lost Planet Trailer 2 (where’s the demo?)
• Condemned 2: Bloodshot Trailer 1 (hot!)
• MLB 08 The Show My MLB Music Video
• MLB 08 The Show Blog Video
• NBA 08 Amare Stoudemire Bio
• Star Trek Teaser Trailer

Finally, the PlayStation Store for PC has trailers of Patapon and Secret Agent Clank.

PSN, you need to drink your juice and get plenty of rest, because this update sucks! 

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It’s been the better part of a year since we first read EA’s announcement that they were working on a game called Mirror’s Edge, and since that time, new information on the title has been slow in coming. What we do know, is that the game’s supposed utopian city revolves around the concept of citizens relinquishing their personal freedom in exchange for what amounts to a facade — all is not so sterile and clean beneath the surface. To quote one of our tags below, "Big Brother is gonna get you!" 

At the core of this first-person-action game is movement, so if senior producer Owen O’Brien’s description sounds like Assassin’s Creed, it’s done purposely:

"The first thing we wanted to look at was just getting the feeling of movement and momentum, so walking, jogging and running — very simple things, but things that haven’t really been done well in first-person shooters. You don’t even have a gun - instead you’re told to concentrate on moving quickly, maintaining momentum through tricky environments, much as we did during the freer-flowing parts of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed.

Controls are deliberately simple: movement and view-adjustment on the analogue sticks, and then context-sensitive "up" and "down" functions on a pair of buttons (presumably the triggers - did we mention it was dark?). "Up" can be jumping, climbing, wall-running, vaulting, or grabbing hold of something above you, like a zip-line, while "down" can be used to perform a power-slide under a low object, or to break your fall with a parachute roll."

As you can see by these new screenshots, Mirror’s Edge is shaping up to be an eye pleaser. It certainly looks like its namesake, and has piqued the interest of at least one Destructoid editor. Mirror’s Edge is still without a firm release date, but we’ll be relaying new information about the game as we acquire it. 

[Via Eurogamer — Thanks, Adam!] 

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Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

Eight-directional arcade shoot-em-up Rocketmen: Axis of Evil is coming next week to Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Store. In addition to customizable characters and four-player co-op (online and offline), the game will support 1080i visuals, according to a press release.

Rocketmen was originally unveiled in April alongside Talisman. The game will come out next Wednesday (Xbox 360) and Thursday (PS3) for 800 MS points / $10. (Important note: We were debating between the current headline and “Rocketmen explode onto XBLA, PSN.” In the end, both were deemed equally pun-ful/painful and a coin was tossed.)

[Via Press Release]
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Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Online, Rhythm

How we long for a pint of Cherry Garcia right now! Next week’s Rock Band DLC brings us the sounds, colors, feelings and mind expanding experience of the Grateful Dead. Just try not to become a Deadhead kids.

Grateful Dead pack (800 MS points / $9.99)

• China Cat Sunflower (160 MS points/ $2)
• Casey Jones (160 MS points/ $2)
• Sugar Magnolia (160 MS Points / $2)
• Truckin’ (160 MS Points / $2)
• Franklin’s Tower (160 MS Points / $2)
• I Need A Miracle (160 MS Points / $2)

Videos for this week’s Rock Band DLC can be found after the break. Expect our Rock Band Weekly post here every Friday as we’ve been informed that the DLC announcements will be made at the end of the week from now on. The songs themselves will continue to be available the following Tuesday for Xbox 360 and Thursday for the PS3.

[Thanks Quastor]

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Grateful Dead six-pack

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Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Strategy

As the smoke clears following this morning’s massive restructuring efforts by Eidos parent SCi, we now know at least one franchise that has not been counted among those projects tossed into the circular file. Eidos has announced that development is underway on a follow up to last year’s Battlestations: Midway, unsurprising given the company’s known affection for sequels.

The new game, Battlestations: Pacific, is being created for both the Xbox 360 and PC. According to Eidos, the sequel will mark a return to the original’s “unique blend” of action and strategy with 28 story missions across both U.S. and Japanese single player campaigns. In addition, players can expect a “slew of new air, sea, and land units” as well, including kamikazes and other WWII-era jets, as well as five new multiplayer modes. A final release date for the game has not yet been announced, but as soon as we know we’ll pass the word along for those itching to gun down friends and family over the Pacific.

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Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, RPGs

Will the epic Japanese RPG Lost Odyssey be a one-off piece of gaming history, or is the title destined for franchising and perennial iterations? As much as we wish it were the former, a brief quote from a Microsoft exec suggests that the “odyssey” may only be getting started.

Speaking with the executive officer for Microsoft Japan’s Home & Entertainment division, Nikkei Trendy reports that the company is pleased with the sales of Lost Odyssey, and expects the popularity of the “series” to grow over time. While this could very well be a miscommunication, it’s certainly logical to assume that Microsoft would want to extend the life of one the 360’s few JRPGs.

[Via ALLRPG]

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