Cult Classic JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Gets HD Treatment

Ora vs. Muda: the eternal struggle

What kind of bizarre (nyo ho!) world am I living in that I get to blabber about JoJo's Bizarre Adventure twice in the span of a week? Last week's announcement of All-Star Battle made my pants slightly tighter, and a few days later the deal has been sealed with the announcement of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure HD Ver. 

Let's be honest here, the "HD" is just a smoothing filter processed over the original pixels, but ask me if I give a fuck. Go ahead, ask. NOPE. I don't, I'm just ecstatic to be able to play this brilliant fighting game again with a slew of new features including:

• "HD" graphics with the option of playing in the original SD glory
• Online matchmaking: choose opponents based on location, skill, connection speed, etc.
• Battle Point and Player Point fueled leaderboards
• Eight player online lobby, spectator mode included
• Save and share match replays

If that's not enough to get you excited, then you clearly never played the game the first go 'round, which was way ahead of its time in just about all respects. And if you haven't, this is a great time to play a ground breaking classic. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure HD Ver. releases for XBLA and PSN on August 21 at the very Capcom price of $20. 

 

Vampire or Slayer? Skyrim Goes Gothic in Dawnguard

Here's a look at Dawnguard, the upcoming expansion to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which looks like a whole chain of events somewhat similar to the Companions quest line, except focusing on vampires rather than werewolves. Also, horseback combat and giant fucking frost trolls. You know, Game Jam shit! 

Vampirism was a total pain in the ass in Oblivion, and I didn't think it was worth the trade off of not being able to travel in daylight without taking damage. And if you wanted to reverse the curse, you had to spend hours upon hours toiling through a quest that you may or may not have enough focus to complete. As that was a throw-in and this is an actual entire mass of downloadable content, I'm hoping it's a little better implemented and runs deeper than just faster regeneration and shit. From the looks of it, transforming into a true beast of the night is an option, which is a step in the right direction.

Shank 2: A Cut Below the First

Last year, Shank crept up on me as a wicked little downloadable title about a revenge fueled killer with a penchant for style. A year later, the understandable success of the original has spawned Shank 2, a delicious yet familiar romp around a lovely, stylized 2D world. Are there enough additions to set the sequel apart from the first?

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Retro City Rampaging Across All Formats!

Well, almost all formats.

Remember that update that Retro City Rampage creator Brian Provinciano promised us last week? It came today, and it is a good one. No longer will you be confined to experiencing the throwback madness on XBLA and WiiWare, but now also on PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Network, and of course Steam. How's that for a doozy? And the Steam version is chock full of bonus goodies that will make any multi-console owner lean toward picking up that PC copy. Feel the burn, iOS/Android gamers!

So sit back, relax, watch this latest trailer - which is another frantic ode to the 80s that RCR has just about mastered - and wait for the spring release date. Preorder that bitch right here! 

Shank 2: A Probable Get

In case you may not have heard, Shank 2 has released! As I toil away here at work, I am imagining what it would be like to put on the bandana (and chainsaw, and machete, and shotgun, and pistols, etc) again. Just the thought is making me glow like a New Jersian guido.

The original Shank was a wild romp of blood, weaponry, and style; three things that rank highly on my food chart of consumable dopeness. Look for a review up here very soon, but in the mean time you should probably play it yourself. With better visuals, more ridiculous scenarios, outrageous costumes, and tightened gameplay, I think Shank 2 will be worth your $10. 

Weekend Update: Play Uncharted 3 Right Now!

If you own a PlayStation 3, your ass should be walking down to Subway right this instant if you haven't already. All you have to do is purchase a medium drink ($1.90 in New York monies) and you will have access to Uncharted 3's multiplayer mode, no questions asked. 

Subway has recently overtaken McDonalds as the most popular fast food chain in North America, so most of you should have no problem finding a Subway restaurant to take advantage of this promotion. Each medium drink cup's code can be redeemed on a selection of Uncharted 3 multiplayer items, so stock up, just don't forget to get the damned game itself. The entire month of October to hone your Uncharted 3 fragging skills, level up, and unlock instruments of destructions. Need I say more? 

Renegade Ops: Micro Machine Guns

Avalanche Studios have a certain inclination for over-the-top action and destruction. The very first time I played Just Cause, though unrefined, I knew the Swedish developers were very capable. Their idea of ludicrous action, massive explosions, and stunt driving came to fruition in the Godlike comedic action of Just Cause 2. So here is Renegade Ops, a vehicular combat title that tries to capture the beautiful destruction of the Just Cause games while scaling down to the size of Micro Machines. John Moschitta Jr. not included.

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REVIEW: From Dust

I must admit, titles where the player is given the powers of a God and asked to shape the world how he or she sees fit were never compelling to me, regardless of how incredible the premise sounds. In what feels like the first game in which I play the part of the Almighty since I've become a mature gamer, I decided to give From Dust a Godly go of it. Does its foundation hold up to the heavy expectations heaped upon it, or is this one wiped away by a tsunami?

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Sideway is Getting Up on a PS3 Near You!

There is a distinct lack of urban underground culture games. The idea is rarely thought up, and even more rarely successful. The last game in this vein I remember is Marc Ecko's Getting Up, which was a flawed yet enjoyable bit of the city underground. Before that was the benchmark, Jet Grind Radio, which has yet to come close to being touched by anything similar. Are these the only two games that have implemented some sort of hip hop and graffiti as gameplay staples? Note: the God awful Def Jam games DO NOT count. 

Well watch out underground heads, because here comes Sideway. In clear contrast to the movie of similar nomenclature which centered around wine tasting or some shit, Sideway revolves around the big city and the lovely wall art that lives within. It looks like your classic platformer with the fresh twist of controlling a 2D character stuck in a 3D world. The protagonist - who writes Nox - has happened upon a bit of a misfortune, and now has become graffiti himself. 

Apparently, Sideway was playable at Comic Con, and I missed it. Fail. Oh well, looks like I'll have to wait until release! Rumor says it'll sell at $9.99 on PSN this Summer. For more, check out the PlayStation blog.

Renegade Ops: Things That Make You Go Boom!

What happens when you take a bucket full of Micro Machines and strap them full of high-powered armaments? Renegade Ops, the action-packed vehicle shooter that isn't nearly as mundane as its name. Created by Avalanche Studios, the boys behind the Just Cause series who know quite a bit about wanton destruction, this game knows exactly what we want: explosion porn!

Renegade Ops is not what anyone was expecting as the follow-up to the open-world antics of Just Cause 2. This title is very much inspired by the Strike series of vehicle shooters: isometric military shooting action. Every moment of the game is dripping with bullets and explosions; pewpewbangboomaction, yeah! The sights and sounds of exploding buildings and splattered soldiers in a jungle setting was very pleasing to the eyes and ears.

Controlling the little bugger took some getting used to, as the off-road jeep I was at the helm of must have been in a slippery mood. There wasn't much traction on the jungle dirt, as I imagine would be the case in real life, so battles with the more fortified enemies consisted of a lot of donuts and a lot of machine gun rounds. At the moments when I was able to sacrifice mobility for firepower, the alternate firing function planted some tripod legs into the jungle floor and let blast a thunderous single-shot cannon. Things that make you go boom!

Unfortunately, I didn't get to take any of the co-op modes for a spin, but the short single player session I had was a blast. The final product looks to span across a multitude of locations and vehicles, to keep everyone happy. As downloadable games go, Renegade Ops has as much promise as the best of them, and twice as many explosions. What else would you expect from the Just Cause devs?