Finally, the player can talk back.
In a defensive style at their E3 press conference, Electronic Arts announced FIFA 13 for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 with Kinect. Like a penalty kick, you probably did not see this one coming since last year.
Coming this Fall for use with the PlayStation Move on the PlayStation 3.
Slight tweaks to the core formula prove fun, but Camelot barely volleys it over the net.
It’s much easier to consider Mario Tennis Open the latest home console iteration of the Mario Tennis series rather than the latest handheld title. Lacking the handheld games’ iconic RPG mode, the experience is more like a follow-up to the GameCube’s (and Wii’s) Mario Power Tennis. In and of itself, this isn’t a bad thing; however, Mario Tennis Open is thin on content and new gameplay enhancements don’t do much to vary up the experience from past iterations.
EA's Total Control mechanics come to Tennis.
Grand Slam Tennis began life exclusively on the Nintendo Wii. While versions were planned for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, they were delayed indefinitely, giving players the choice of only the cartoonish, less realistic version of the game. This year, EA has taken it to a new level with Grand Slam Tennis 2, which offers a much more serious game, complete with a new presentation and control scheme.
NFL Blitz fumbles the pigskin ...
NFL Blitz is a franchise with an interesting history. Going from being an actual NFL-licensed property with a relatively deep strategic angle, to an unlicensed product that seemed like it was truly gunning for ESPN’s highly-supported television drama, “Playmakers,” Blitz: The League (as it was re-branded) attempted to take a more “realistic” approach to the concept of video game football. This “realism” included bone-shattering and skull-destroying injuries that could be inflicted upon players. Despite these changes, Blitz: The League found its way into my heart very quickly, eclipsing the merits of both its arcade and home console predecessors.
Available now through Xbox LIVE for 400 Microsoft Points, exclusively for Kinect.
Two new bundles with PlayStation Move are coming just in time for the holidays.
The first bundle includes the PlayStation Move, PlayStation Eye camera, Sports Champions and Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest. It'll retail for $99.99. Sports Champions is a title in the vein of Wii Sports and allows players to compete in various challenge events like Archery, Volleyball, and Gladiator Duel. Medieval Moves is an action-adventure game in which you use the Move to sword fight, shoot arrows and fling throwing stars.
Better luck next year.
I'm not really sure how they did it. Very rarely are sequels to launch games worse off than the original, but Kinect Sports: Season Two manages to be even less compelling than its simplistic predecessor. Not only have half of the sports been done better by Wii Sports, but the other half are so shallow in their implementation, they won't garner any of your attention or time.
Good isn't always good enough.
As the owner of a brand new Kinect, I was somewhat surprised when I realized that Kinect Sports wasn't included. Being that it's clearly Microsoft's answer to Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort, it would only make sense to offer it to purchasers of the hands-off peripheral. Yet it's a game sold completely separate of the peripheral at full retail price. Because Microsoft has chosen to separate the game from the peripheral, they've forced Kinect Sports to stand as its own product. After some extensive time with the game, I'm not quite sure it lives up to its steep expectations.
Snuggle up with SSX next Valentine’s Day.
A new SSX trailer was uploaded to YouTube yesterday and while that may not be news worthy by itself there is a small bit at the end that indicates the potential North American release date.
