fighting

Soul Calibur IV was released in late July to raving reviews from gaming media. The fourth installment in the Soul Calibur series included new characters, guest appearances from the Star Wars galaxy and finally an online component allowing players to face off on the web. A character customization element makes this game even more immersive, allowing players to build their own Soul Calibur fighter from the ground up. Beyond the normal Soul Calibur realm, Darth Vader, Yoda and a secret apprentice appear as fully playable characters which compete in the Soul Calibur IV arena.

It has been 10 long years since a Fallout title hit shelves. At 12:01a.m. this morning, Fallout 3 was released in the US by Bethesda Softworks to a frenzied acclaim by press and fans alike. Official Xbox Magazine gave it a 10 out of 10. Gamespot gave it a 9 out of 10. IGN gave the game a 9.6 out of 10. For those of you who can’t wait to get out of work to pick up your own copy, we’ve got those reviews and more details here:

Gamespot’s Fallout 3 Review for the Xbox 360 [gamespot]
OXM’s review is available on news stands, but you can find more details here. [oxm]

Nintendo has long had an affinity for attempting to make motion-sensing gaming feel real. With this in mind, motion-sensing gaming has shown that gamers want to be more than passive participants. They want to be totally immersed in the video gaming experience. Enter the TN Games 3rd Space Vest. Strap it on and a built-in air compressor controls eight pneumatic cells that produce pressure whenever and wherever your onscreen avatar takes a midgame blow. Ever wanted to know what it feels like when Master Chief takes a shot? Now you know.

Our idea here is to give you an update on the latest games and happenings in video game land. If you’re a PC user, now’s the time to pick up Prince of Persia, which dropped for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 last week. I’ve had a chance to play most of the game, and it’s great fun if you enjoy running across walls and ceilings instead of solid ground. An award is also due here for least annoying female supporting character. Princess Elika actually aides your leaps and bounds, and rarely gets in the way.

If you’re looking to download the Wrath of the Lich King when it comes out next week, it ain’t gonna happen. For those of you that haven’t taken advantage of it, you can download the full World of Warcraft client, and subsequently The Burning Crusade expansion from the WoW site. You’ll need to have a valid account, and in the case of the expansion, you’ll need to have purchased it as well.

I’m sure part of my grown-up fascination with gadgets and technology was fostered by one of the greatest cartoons to ever hit the airwaves when I was a kid. G.I. Joe not only featured outlandish plots for world domination, awesome battles and crazy characters, but also some of the coolest war machines ever to be devised by man. While I’m not really sure who funded the Joes or Cobra, their military R&D budgets had to be in the trillions of dollars.

Star Wars MMO, round two! LucasArts managed to completely destroy any redeeming concept that a MMORPG held in the Star Wars universe, with help from Sony Online Entertainment. Forget Star Wars Galaxies because a new Star Wars MMO has been announced and it’s going to take place in the time frame of Star Wars: The Knights Of The Old Republic.

Capcom has announced a new offline co-op mode that "delivers the same co-op experience as offered by the online co-op mode, only with two local players controlling the action in split screen."

On the surface, Haze does everything right. Its mechanics are rock solid, collision detection is spot on, the guns have a great feel, and there’s an attempt at a moral message to the storyline. Digging deeper, Haze falls apart and becomes nothing more than a forgettable FPS with some fun four player online co-op.

The date of 9-9-99 should ring familiar to gamers. The Dreamcast launched alongside Namco’s epic fighter Soul Calibur on that September day, setting a precedent Dreamcast developers would struggle to match for the lifespan of the console. On the Live Arcade, the game proves it has extensive legs in its gameplay, but Namco has botched this port by excluding vital features.