• Choose your dinosaur
• Select between 25 different species including ravenous predators, cunning scavengers, horned territorials, mighty tanks and peaceful herbivores.
• Challenge other dinosaurs!
• Experience an exciting and accessible combat system based on dexterity that rewards speed and accuracy, not luck, in battle.
• Fully customizable dinosaurs
• Unlock and equip your dinosaur with special attack and defense features.
• Add spikes, feathers and bones to your dinosaur and then change their color and stripe patterns!
• Three exciting game modes!
• Play solo in Adventure and Quickmatch or take on up to six of your friends in Multiplayer Tournament!
  

CVG has reported that Rocky and Bullwinkle and Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 are amongst a list of titles making its way to Xbox Live Arcade in the next few weeks.

The highlights of the titles includes Assault Heroes and Doom that are both available for the reduced cost of 400 Microsoft Points each.

Hit the jump for the full list.

Excerpt:

· “Assault Heroes” (Sierra Online). Become the only surviving member of an elite special forces unit searching for a secret underground lab. Play the mission alone or fight side-by-side with a friend in the two-player cooperative mode. The winner of IGN’s Xbox LIVE Arcade game of the year for 2006, “Assault Heroes” will be available for 400 Microsoft Points.

· “DOOM” (id Software). Originally released in 1993, “DOOM” introduced millions to the white-knuckle excitement of the first-person shooter (FPS). Relive the classic demon-blasting action with up to four players over Xbox LIVE*, complete with 5.1 surround sound and smoother graphics. “Doom” will be available for 400 Microsoft Points.

· “Rocky and Bullwinkle” (Zen Studios Ltd.). Here’s something you’ll really like! Based on the highly popular US cartoon series of the same name, “Rocky and Bullwinkle” on Xbox LIVE Arcade is a fast and fun party experience packed with over 100 micro-games and decked out in authentic retro art style. All your favourite characters are coming straight out of Frostbite Falls and into your living room: Rocky, Bullwinkle, Boris, Natasha, Dudley Do-Right and many more. Plus, players with an Xbox LIVE Vision camera can control 25 of these games using fun gestures. Gee whiz, Rocky!

· “Shotest Shogi” (AI Factory Ltd. and Rubicon Development Ltd.). Experience a new kind of shogi, Japan’s top board game, which encourages complex tactical play and strategic sacrifices. Set in an elegant Japanese room, this beautifully rendered game features 16 challenging artificial intelligence opponents as well as an online multiplayer mode*. For beginners, “Shotest Shogi” on Xbox LIVE Arcade also offers an advanced tutorial that guides and tests players as they progress through the game.

· “TiQal” (Slapdash Games). An addictive new puzzler, “TiQal” takes players on an epic journey to save an ancient Mayan village. Players demolish enemy block walls by matching squares of the same colour and building them up to unleash massive combo points and mind-blowing power-ups. Partner with a friend over local or Xbox LIVE* co-op play to rescue the village, while enjoying sumptuous graphics, exciting sound effects and an awe-inspiring musical score.

· “Wits & Wagers” (Hidden Path Entertainment LLC). Party and trivia fun! Even if trivia isn’t your thing, the first trivia and party game to hit Xbox LIVE Arcade is one in which players can win by making educated guesses, playing the odds or just knowing the interests of other players, whether they are local or online. Break out the Big Button Pad controllers or play couch vs. couch on Xbox LIVE for a trivia party extravaganza.

· “Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3” (Capcom Entertainment Inc.). Xbox LIVE Arcade’s “Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3” revives one of the most popular arcade shooters with an all-new adventure. Battle solo or recruit two other specialised commandos to conquer the evil tyrant, General Ratiev. Players can play as Codename Wolf, Coyote or Fox to take on waves of soldiers, rescue POWs and blow up armoured vehicles through a variety of dangerous battlefields.

Sega has published new screenshots of Valkyrie of the Battlefield for the Playstation 3. The game is developed from the team behind Sakura Taisen and Shinobi with an unconfirmed release date at this time.

Hit the link to view more images.

ADVENTURE MODE: Single Player

Zack’s House – Up to 4 Players can play cooperatively in the games first level which has a game play tutorial. Users will survive by getting their characters primary melee weapon. Zack - Axe, Carrie - Hand Saw, Andy - Plunger, Jennifer – Kitchen Knifes. Players will also be able to play with secondary weapons like Grenades, Molotov Cocktails, and Boom Box. Not to mention being able to pick up and defend themselves with physical objects within Zack’s house. (Example: Tables, chairs, power tools, toy balls, lamps, and random furniture.)

VERSUS MODE: Same System Multiplayer

Gym: Deathmatch - Up to 4 Players play Free For All Deathmatch in their High School Gym on 1 Xbox 360. Players get to use Primary weapons like the Rocket Launcher, Flamethrower, Glue Gun, CD Launcher, Cluster Grenade Launcher, Gatling Gun, Nail Gun, Shotgun, and Railgun. Plus players can get a competitive edge by picking up secondary weapons like the Molotov Cocktail, Grenades, Boom Box, HoloBuddy, Invincibility and the Exploding Monkeys.

XBOX LIVE: Online Multiplayer

Gym: Deathmatch – Identical to the Versus mode but it can be played through Xbox Live.

Cemetery: Capture the Flag – Up to 12 Players can play Capture the Flag through the Xbox Live network. Players get access to nearly all of the games Primary weapons including the Rocket Launcher, Flamethrower, Cell Phone Taser, Glue Gun, Bee Miner, CD Launcher, Radioactive Flashlight, Cluster Grenade Launcher, Gatling Gun, Nail Gun, Shotgun, and the Railgun. Plus players can get a competitive edge by picking up secondary weapons like the Molotov Cocktail, Grenades, Boom Box, Tennis Turret, HoloBuddy, Invincibility, Bouncy shoes and Monster Amulets. And in addition players will have access to 2 player controlled turrets per base and one 4 Man Hoverboat vehicle with Turret per base.

World War II games come and go, but Eidos Interactive has decided to go into a new direction with their latest work, Battlestations: Midway. The game combines strategy and action to fulfill fans of both genres. In the game, players go through a variety of battles across the Pacific Theater from Pearl Harbor to the Battle of Midway. The question is: does Eidos pull off the unique World War II title or is it just another has-been?

Battlestations: Midway is unique in that it allows you to play in a variety of fighting styles through the same broader storyline. In the game, players are given the opportunity to command submarines, fighter planes, dive bombers, aircraft carriers, cruisers, battleships, destroyers and more. The full variety featured in the game along with the ability to switch between various vehicles on the fly makes Midway an interesting play.

Overall the game features 60 vehicles to man and all of them are very different and, most importantly, feel differently. One nice touch is that the developers nailed the controls; whether steering planes, boats or submarines, all are very different. For example, the PT boats and destroyers are fast and move well in the water, while carriers are difficult to turn and slow. The controls for the action are terrific and just as good as you’d find in a straight World War II flying game.

That’s only half of what the game features though as there is a full strategy element in Battlestations too and this is where the game goes one step further. Players have to make decisions and command waves of forces on the fly and this creates a strategy to the entire experience. You’ll take control of a tactical map where you’ll direct ships and planes into and out of battle. Strategy goes beyond just telling forces what to do though as there’s a full micromanagement option in the game where you’ll have to delve into controlling weapons, damage and more. This game goes beyond just straight action and simple strategy which for some is a good thing while others it may be a downside. The nice aspect of this is that the game gives you free reign to control everything that happens on-screen.

With all the strategy and vehicles at hand, thankfully Midway features a solid tutorial to walk you through every aspect of the vehicles and weaponry at your disposal. That was important to include as the controls for each vehicle takes some getting used to, but after taking on various plane, ship and sub challenges you should quickly become a pro. It goes one step further though as the tutorials will delve deeper by teaching players how to attack specific enemies and direct squads.

If that’s not enough, Battlestations Midway features a full online mode too. There’s a wide variety of maps available. Most feature a combination of planes and ships, although some are focused specifically on certain vehicles. Although bare bones, online is pretty engaging and allows up to eight players to go at it at once.

While Midway has some solid merits, the game features major issues too. One such problem is the dialogue and voice-acting in the game. The single-player storyline is poorly executed and more often than not the voice-acting doesn’t sync up with the action on-screen. In fact, I felt the voice-acting didn’t really even match up well with the characters in the storyline. Even worse than that is the constant repetition from players in battles. 

I can say that the sound isn’t all bad though. The score is relatively good and features a fair amount of drama that varies depending on whether you’re fighting as the Japanese or Americans. The sound effects are also decent and feature explosions, gun fire, engine sounds and more. All of these make the battle experience a little bit more memorable. Despite those nice facts, the voice-acting really hurts the sound in this game.

On top of that, the graphics aren’t the most desirable. There is a nice amount of detail including men walking around on decks of ships, but the game doesn’t utilize the Xbox 360’s power. Sometimes the water, sun and sky look amazing, but others it is far from it and the textures are lifeless. Thankfully, the cutscenes at least look good and there is no slowdown whatsoever.

Battlestations Midway does some good things, most notably combining solid World War II action with full real-time strategy. This combination is interesting and unique, although it still doesn’t get you to overlook the mediocre graphics and sound which are simply sub par. Nevertheless, if you’re a war fan or love strategy titles, Battlestations Midway is definitely worth a spin. The only problem is that it’s more than likely going to be a hit only for hardcore gamers.

The controls are complicated, but functional. The game combines strategy and action well.

There is some nice lighting effects and detail, but the graphics are sub par.

The voice-acting is poor, but the sound effects and score are solid.

The game is fun, but at times isn’t the most engaging.

The single-player experience is solid, but online will keep you interested for awhile.

]]> Tue, 06 Mar 2007 17:57:00 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/full_auto_2_announced_for_playstation_3 http://www.gamebump.com/go/full_auto_2_announced_for_playstation_3 http://www.gamebump.com/go/full_auto_2_announced_for_playstation_3# "The destructible environments in Full Auto 2: Battlelines are both stunning and strategic, especially in multiplayer combat," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "The gameplay innovations of tactical destruction and team multiplayer vehicular mayhem combined with the tremendous power of Sony's PLAYSTATION 3 console makes this sequel truly the next generation of combat racing."

There will be 25 available vehicles for the player to choose from all ranging from classic muscle cars to SUVs. Gaming Horizon will have more on this title at next weeks E3 Expo in Los Angeles.

A developer for portable platforms since 1998, below are new screenshots and character model art from Torus Games' web-slinging action title Spider-Man: Battle For New York. The game will allow players to suit up into Spidey's familiar red and blue spandex, as well as the Green Goblin's uniform. In the latter case, playing the role of Spider-Man's nemesis will involve an escape from the organization known as S.H.I.E.LD., which would also indicate that the game's story is not tied to the upcoming film to be released in May.  

]]> Tue, 26 Sep 2006 10:18:00 -0500 Shiva Stella http://www.gamebump.com/go/lotr_junkies_rejoice_bfmeii_expansion_coming http://www.gamebump.com/go/lotr_junkies_rejoice_bfmeii_expansion_coming http://www.gamebump.com/go/lotr_junkies_rejoice_bfmeii_expansion_coming# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

Yamato Delgado dreams of playing B-Daman, the ancient sport of the B-DaWorld—and his dream comes true when he's chosen to wield Cobalt Blade, the most powerful B-Daman ever. Yamato must use Cobalt Blade to compete in B-Daman tournaments and defeat the evil B-Daplayers of the Shadow Alliance, who will stop at nothing to take over the B-DaWorld. Yamato will also meet characters both familiar and unknown on his journeys, including the warm-hearted Alan and the sinister-looking Goblin. Only a few have what it takes to become a B-Daplayer; will Yamato become the B-Dachampion?

Welcome to the strange world of Lyndbaum: a sacred land linked to four magical dimensions, from which summoners can call forth spirits called Guardian Beasts to do their bidding. Wystern is one of Lyndbaum's largest cities, often called the City of Swords because of its large population of Craftknights, who use the strength of Guardian Beasts to forge powerful weapons.

A great tournament has begun in Wystern, a series of battles that will determine the next of Wystern's seven Craftlords, who act as the city's guardians and councillors. But the tournament features an unusual rule that has everyone in Wystern abuzz: only Craftknight apprentices under the age of 18 are allowed to enter.

One of the tournament's contestants is the child of Shintetsu, a legendary Craftlord who met a mysterious fate three years earlier. The child wants nothing more than to win the tournament and uphold Shintetsu's legacy—but the tournament is only the beginning of a saga that will lead to the uncovering of Wystern's darkest secret...

Summon Night: Swordcraft Story has been rated E.

“We are thrilled to bring the first Real-time Strategy game to the Xbox 360 and offer you the opportunity to command massive armies from The Lord of the Rings universe for the first time on console,” said Louis Castle, VP of Creative Development at EALA. “The Xbox LIVE gameplay is also truly enjoyable which features exclusive multiplayer modes. We can’t wait to see you online!”

The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360 is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB and has an MSRP of $59.99. ]]> Wed, 05 Jul 2006 13:12:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/cossacks_ii_battle_for_europe_ships_to_retailers http://www.gamebump.com/go/cossacks_ii_battle_for_europe_ships_to_retailers http://www.gamebump.com/go/cossacks_ii_battle_for_europe_ships_to_retailers# CDV Software announced another shipment today with their strategy title, Cossacks II: Battle for Europe.

In the game, players choose to play with one of nine countries including three new additions including Rhine Confederation, the Great Duchy of Warsaw and Spain. The latest title in the Cossacks series features 10 new battlefields along with four new campaigns, six new skirmish missions and three new historical battles. A few other new features to the title include the ability to go beyond battle by participating in economic, diplomatic and more roles to become ruler of Europe.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of this project. Battle of Europe has the potential to bring the experience of being an RAF flying ace to a whole new level,” says Jay Podilchuk, the Producer at Strategy First.

“We are satisfied to be working with a famous game publisher and hope to deliver an exceptional product to arcade fans worldwide. Our partnership allows us to join the MAUS Software game development expertise with the marketing and distribution experience of Strategy First,” says Dr. Juri Stern, CEO of MAUS Software.

]]> Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:24:07 -0600 Tim Grube http://www.gamebump.com/go/matrix_games_signs_battleground_europe http://www.gamebump.com/go/matrix_games_signs_battleground_europe http://www.gamebump.com/go/matrix_games_signs_battleground_europe# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

The release is scheduled for mid-December. Head over to its official website by clicking here.

Matrix Games]]> Wed, 30 Nov 2005 23:35:00 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_details_battlefield_2_special_forces http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_details_battlefield_2_special_forces http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_details_battlefield_2_special_forces# EA mentioned that the maps will take use of the new accessories. So for example, some maps will utilize the night vision goggles. The 64-player action is back, so all you multiplayer fans don’t worry! The expansion pack is set to release in fall of this year.

When Battlefield 1942 came out a few years ago, many people jumped on the bandwagon and played the heck out of it. Soon after its release, people started to hold LAN parties for the title because it was such a great game. Just imagine 32 or 64 players on one map at the same time. Electronic Arts then released Battlefield Vietnam, which is pretty much the same thing but with a Vietnam theme. Now we have Battlefield 2, which takes both of those titles’ great atmospheres and revamps them with better controls, insane visuals, and more things to blow up!



Battlefield 2 is a huge step up from Battlefield 1942. There weren’t as many vehicles or large maps in its predecessor, but Battlefield 2 features numerous vehicles and incredibly large maps. Another thing was that you had to use Team Speak or any other third-party software to talk to your friends within the game. It was quite a hassle, because you had to go to the software’s website and download the program/s and then install the package. This time, Digital Illusions decided to make communication built in. Now you can use that handy microphone and talk to any player on the server.

There are now squads which play a huge role within the game. When you join a squad, you are automatically connected to your squad mates via a VoIP channel. If you have a working microphone, this will come in handy as detailed above. The squad leader will use this to give orders because it is important to listen to the leader – he has direct communication to the commander while the rest of the squad mates do not. A cool thing about being in a squad is the fact that whenever you die and the squad leader is still alive, you can spawn from wherever he is located. So you have the action spawn points and the ability to spawn with the leader. If you want to create a squad, you can access the squad screen by pressing the home or caps-lock keys. This will show the squad menu.

There are seven different types of soldiers you can choose from. These include special forces, sniper, assault, support, engineer, medic, and anti-tank. The special forces come armed with silenced pistols and C4 explosives. This class was the best in my opinion due to the precise weaponry and the items that you come packed with. Sniper is pretty much self-explanatory if you have played first-person shooters before. You are suited up in camouflage with a sniper rifle and this time you get claymore mines. The assault class is equipped with the machine gun/grenade launch combo and the smoke grenade. The support class is essential for any team; this is the ammo guy that supplies the ammo to you when you’re low. Engineers can fix every vehicle, weapon, and bridge there is in the game. Medic is also an essential class, because this one can heal you when you’re hurt. And finally the anti-tank class packs a deadly missile launcher that can do some heavy damage to nearby tanks. The engineer, support, and medic classes get extra points for what they specialize in. For example, if you’re in the support class, you will get points for giving ammo to your teammates.

There is a new character development feature for when you play online. Once you log into a server, Battlefield 2 will then track your stats0 throughout the game. This feature will keep track of your kills, deaths, aim, and various other items. Once you log out, you can see how well you compare. If you do well enough, you receive special items such as decals and new weapons.

When we saw the first screenshots of the game a few years back, I was quite amazed with how good it looked. Now that it is out I can say that the game’s environments, vehicles, and characters look simply incredible, however you do need a high-end system to witness all of this. The maps are huge and still comfortable even if you had all 64 players in on the same server, although if you’re playing a game with just eight people, expect yourself to be playing for quite awhile.

Now for those who don’t play online, you can now play as if you were playing with real humans. The single-player mode is quite fun. Battlefield 1942 had some “stupid” bots that didn’t know what they were doing. We all knew that and not many people played its single-player portion. Digital Illusions fixed that, thankfully. Battlefield 2 gets it right and we now have smarter bots that are team-coordinated. The commander gives the correct orders and the team actually does it. Very surprising! Hell, I wish the bots were brought into the online mode and replaced some of the humans. One can only hope.



There isn’t much to say about Battlefield 2 in this department. There are a few major gripes such as the irritating server browser. Whenever you start the game, you are first introduced to the game’s browser. This allows you to go online or play in single-player mode. The worst part of the browser is that it freezes up quite often and not to mention the lack of adding in favorite servers. There is also an annoying lag that plagues the browser when we press refresh server list.

Before the game came out, Electronic Arts announced that you would need a pretty kick-ass system to run it. Heck, you can’t even have a GeForce 2 to play this. It kind of sucks because there are tons of gamers out there who had to drop their current graphics cards just to play this. Another issue that totally irked fans was that it takes a year just to go back to the main menu. While you’re in the game, you must press escape to go back to the server browser/options. Well, as soon as you hit escape, a box comes up stating that the menu is loading. Oh c’mon now – since when do you have to wait for options screens to appear in games? All the windows have this sort of lag which slows the gamer down.

Since Battlefield 2 is an online game that requires you to team up with others, you are often joined by people who have no clue what the hell they’re doing. This isn’t the game’s fault, but rather today’s modern gamers who think team killing is the funniest thing in this world. For example, I jump in a helicopter and not knowing what kind of skills the pilot has – I’m immediately heading for a building and this guy has no intention of pulling away. So my choice is to bail or get blown into little pieces. The point is, you will come across this when you first join a server, so don’t be surprised.



Overall, Battlefield 2 is a major improvement over Battlefield 1942. VoIP is finally in the game which makes Team Speak pretty pointless now. The graphics have drastically improved along with smarter AI – to an extent. The maps are massive just like they were in its predecessor. If you want something to play at a LAN and you’re bored of Quake 3, Counter-Strike, or World of Warcraft, then this is your title. This is a great game to play as a group; it’s absolute fun when there are 64 people in a server at once. I suggest you head out to your local videogame retailer and purchase this game (and a new graphics card) today – you won’t be disappointed.

The maps are massive and the new square options are exciting. It’s very fun to play!

Very beautiful. Only drawback is you'll need a high-end system. Expect to shell out some cash

Sounds just like Battlefield 1942 with some new elements. Still very good.

The new vehicles and aircraft are fun to control. Newbie helicopter pilots annoy me.

Online play is where it's at. This will keep you busy for months.

]]> Sun, 17 Jul 2005 20:36:00 -0500 Brian Mohr http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_battlefield_2_modern_combat_ps21 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_battlefield_2_modern_combat_ps21 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_battlefield_2_modern_combat_ps21# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.