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Turbo The Movie First Trailer

Tim Grube — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:16:32 -0500

The first trailer surrounding Turbo The Movie, a Jarrett Lee Conaway film.

Turbo The Movie: A Film By Jarrett Lee Conaway

Tim Grube — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:14:23 -0500

Jarrett Lee Conaway has made his rounds across the videogame and film industry. He previously worked here at Gaming Horizon Inc. as an Executive Editor back in the days of PSX Network when we were part of IGN.com Affiliation Network and now he is about to graduate at the University of Southern California. So what is this all about? Well, he has completed one of the best (I think so atleast) short film surrounding videogames ever to hit the "small" or even "big" screen.

Entitled, TURBO, is a high-adrenaline short film in the tradition of The Karate Kid and Tron. It tells the story of Hugo Park (Justin Chon, Twilight) a misspent youth whose only outlet for angst is a 4D fighting video game called Super Turbo Arena. When Pharaoh King (Jocko Sims, Crash the Series), the Michael Jordan of cybersports, announces a tournament to determine who will join his pro team, Hugo's sets his eyes on the prize. But Hugo isn't the only gamer who wants fame and glory.

If Hugo wants to win he's going to have to beat Shamus (David Lehre, Epic Movie), the all time Turbo champ at the local Pandemonium arcade, and Ruse Kapri, a feisty prep girl that knows how to win. Realizing he can't win on his skill alone, Hugo turns to his brother Tobias, a former kickboxer whose last match left him confined to a wheelchair. Together the two will mend old wounds and see if a washed up street fighter can teach a troubled teen how to become a virtual gladiator!

Also, there will be a public screening on May 2nd at the Norris Theatre (at the University of Southern California). at 3PM. First come first serve. Turbo will be sold afterwards, for $10 or less. The price has not yet been determined.

Visit the website by clicking here.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Destroys Sales Records

Zach Lott — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:55:34 -0600

Over at Capcom's website, John Diamonon has revealed in a blog post that Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix may very well become the highest-grossing digital game ever made, having already sold over 250,000 units since its release in late November.

Diamonon mentioned in his post that the game has "shattered" day one and week one sales records and is on pace to break the 30 day sales mark.

The game has been reviewed very well and has garnered praise for its music and artwork, the latter of which, interestingly enough, almost got the game cancelled at one point for a perceived lack of quality. You can download it either through the Playstation Store or Xbox Live Arcade.

Capcom announces dates for Super Street Fighter II HD for XBLA, PSN

Zach Lott — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:10:06 -0600

Capcom announced today the release dates for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix - November 25 for the PSN version and November 26 for the XBLA version.

Also announced was that various Street Fighter-themed DLC will be released for various XBLA titles while another "little surprise" will be coming for PSN later in the year. In addition, a downloable album of hip-hop music inspired by Street Fighter will be made available for PS3 owners when SSFIITHDR is released.

Super Monkey Ball On iPhone Sells 300k

Zach Lott — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:32:02 -0500

It has been just a month since the launch of the iPhone's new App Store gave people yet another new version of Super Monkey Ball, but sales for the game are already flowing in, as it has sold 300k units, according to the Wall Street Journal.

This is big news for proponents of game development on the iPhone, who have argued that the system is capable of competing with the DS and PSP for market share of the handheld gaming industry.

"That's a substantial business. It gives iPhone a justifiable claim to being a viable gaming platform," said Simon Jeffery, president of Sega of America. Sega grossed nearly three million dollars from the game by selling it for $9.99.

Keep your eyes open for news on the performance of other iPhone games, as their success (or failure) will have an interesting impact on whether or not the iPhone will truly emerge as a third viable handheld.

iPhone Monkey Ball Earns $63k in One Day

Aaron Dunlap — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:38:44 -0500

The iPhone 2.0 software update isn't even "officially" out yet, but Super Monkey Ball, the most anticipated iPhone game has already sold over 9,000 units.

The App Store was only available this morning via workarounds (it's now available through iTunes directly), so there's been a less-than-24-hour window where apps can even be purchased.

The Monkey Ball game is currently the #1 download at 9029 downloads as of this writing.

According to Apple, when you sell an application in the App Store, you get to keep 70% of the price. Assuming SEGA gets the same deal, that means for every $9.99 unit purchased, they get $6.99. Multiply that by 9,029 and you get $63,112.71.

Not bad for single-day sales for a downloadable title when the software that supports it isn't even officially available. Imagine how the game will sell after tomorrow when everybody and their brother gets an iPhone 3G with the App Store already installed.

GB Review: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

Eric Jonathan Smith — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:07:23 -0500

A multitude of variables including dozens of Nintendo-themed stages, endless supplies of rule-changing items, and the best character roster in the series yet adds great depth and longevity to Super Smash Bros. Brawl's gameplay. The online component works well despite some omissions, and with fun inclusions like the story mode, sticker and trophy collecting, and custom stage-building, there is nearly a bottomless well of activities in Brawl. It's needless to say that the game will be played feverously up until the next title in the series and anyone who was even remotely touched by Nintendo in their lifetime would find something to enjoy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Click here for an explanation of our review and scoring format.

Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series presents an interesting juxtaposition. As a casual fighter featuring some of Nintendo's biggest and best-selling franchises, it's ironic that Smash Bros's popularity can overshadow even the characters represented in it. Though the situation may seem strange, its appeal to the Nintendo faithful is anything but. The roughly six years since Super Smash Bros. Melee have done nothing but keep anticipation and expectations high for the next installment and the result--Super Smash Bros. Brawl--will not disappoint.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl can be compressed to a single rule: to knock your opponents off the sides of the screen. You accomplish this by beating your opponents to a pulp to raise their damage percentage. The higher their percentage, the farther they fly, best done with the namesake smash attack. It's really that simple. But just because the concept is simple doesn't mean it's simple in practice.

Something is wrong with this picture.

Like its two forebears, Brawl's biggest draw is its four-player multiplayer. While on the surface Brawl may not look too different, a closer look reveals a huge expansion of options. A record 35 characters are selectable, spanning Nintendo greats like Mario and Kirby to lesser-knowns like Mother 3's Lucas. However, the more notable addition to the roster is that of Metal Gear's Solid Snake and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog, who fit surprisingly well within the rest of the all-Nintendo cast.

To match number of characters, there are a few dozen stages to select from, the vast majority of which include interactive elements that make each stage resemble a playground more than a standard fighting environment. For example, the recreation of the 75M stage from the original Donkey Kong features numerous elevators, ladders, and a giant, pixelated Donkey Kong who throws springs, which not surprisingly, are very dangerous when hit. Add in a huge list of variable-changing items like ray guns, explosives, and the all-important Smash Balls which enable character-specific finishing moves and you'll never encounter the same match twice.

The Luigi boogie.

When the standard environments aren't enough, Brawl also offers the option to create custom stages. While the options are limited to three stage sizes, three backgrounds, and only a small number of blocks and other architectural variables, it's still a great option that will spark the minds of the creative. Created stages can also be sent to friends online, but unfortunately cannot be used in online multiplayer.

The biggest addition to multiplayer is without a doubt the online component. Though you have to enter Brawl-specific friend codes, doing so grants you access to the best online experience Brawl offers, allowing you to play with as many characters, stages, and options as you have unlocked in the offline game. However, Brawl doesn't include the standard features of most online games: leaderboards and voice chat You can play with random opponents, but this option limits you to two-minute matches. The matches aren't always lag-free but for the most part the game runs smoothly - an impressive feat considering the intense four-player action occurring online. Overall, online battling is a great addition to the game's value, even if it may be a little bare bones.

Traitor.

However, multiplayer is only part of Brawl's deluge of content. Brawl retains the standard single-player modes of the series' past, such as classic mode, which best mirrors the single-player stage progression of classic fighting games. The biggest addition to single-player content is the Subspace Emissary, a massive and optional co-operative story mode that builds on the adventure mode from Super Smash Bros. Melee and runs with it. Featuring a ridiculous story that barely manages to tie all these Nintendo characters together, the Subspace Emissary most resembles a 2D side-scroller of the past, only with the Smash Bros. rule-set. It is lengthy at about eight to ten hours, but at some points it can be repetitive and difficult, though frustration won't last long in light of a fair continue system.

Brawl maintains the franchise's simple control premise. All character moves are tied to one button each for special moves and normal attacks. Pressing either up, forward, or down in conjunction with one of these will result in character specific specials with the special move button and the smash attacks with the normal attack button. Smash Bros. does not wear the complexities of other move-based fighters like Street Fighter or Tekken but comparing it to those straight fighters is not entirely fair in respect to its less serious atmosphere of random items and non-static stages, which are essential to the experience.

I hope this is as painful as it looks, Little Lucas.

Brawl also features four different controller options. You can use the Wii Remote, the Wii Remote plus the nunchuk, the Classic Controller, or a GameCube controller. The latter is definitely the best choice as not only will it be a natural fit for series regulars who have spent the last 6 years playing Melee but most of the other control types have issues, especially the Wii Remote due to its lack of having a sufficient button count to be a well-rounded choice. Nonetheless, it is possible to play with all of them, which is a testament to how fundamentally simple the game is.

While the graphics are only marginally better than Melee's, Brawl still sports some great visuals. Star Fox's Lylat Cruise stage, set on a space cruiser speeding through a detailed vista of asteroids and ships straight out of Star Wars, is especially impressive even more so considering that it and the rest of the stages feature no slowdown. As heavy as the action can get, the game runs at a silky 60 frames per second. However, sometimes the graphics can be a distraction. It is all too easy in a particularly hectic fight to lose sight of your character. This can be exacerbated in stages like Earthbound's New Pork City, a massive environment with an almost nauseating purple color scheme that makes it hard to discern the fighters when the camera is fully zoomed out. Add that to the standard flashes and zooms of character specials and items and it's guaranteed to cause an errant death or two.

This'll only take a moment.

Super Smash Bros. has never sounded better than it does in Brawl. Sure, the sound effects are fine if not recycled from the previous games and feature appropriate nods to low-fi Nintendo cues past and present, but the true treasure is in its gaggle of music. Arranged by notable industry composers like Kingdom Hearts' Yoko Shimomura, No More Heroes' Masafumi Takada, and with a main theme composed by Final Fantasy maestro Nobuo Uematsu, Brawl's soundtrack features over 200 tracks from a sizeable chunk of Nintendo's back catalog. A feature called My Music also allows you to customize the frequency of what tracks you want to hear. Sadly, tracks are tied to specific stages, so you will not be able to use Solid Snake's theme on a Mario universe stage, for example. Though it's hardly a deal-breaker, this lack of customization is disappointing in a game overflowing with personalization options.

Brawl's biggest snag is that getting maximum enjoyment from it will require prerequisite knowledge and experience with Nintendo's characters and history. If the understanding of the absurd gravity of Link fighting Fox McCloud amidst the sewers of the original Mario Bros. game is lost, then these characters might as well be anyone else. Brawl has no shame in flaunting its appeal as a Nintendo self-promoter.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl to Include Virtual Console Demos

Shiva Stella — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:05:32 -0600

Nintendo has confirmed that its hotly anticipated Super Smash Bros. Brawl (recently given a perfect score by Famitsu) will contain several demos of Virtual Console titles, including:

Ice Climber (1986, NES)
Super Mario Bros. (1987, NES)
The Legend of Zelda (1987, NES)
Kid Icarus (1987, NES)
Kirbys Adventure (1993, NES)
Super Metroid (1994,Super NES)
Lylat Wars (1997, Nintendo 64)

Some of the demos will only be available for a limited time, though the full versions will be up for purchase via the Wii Shop Channel.

Super Smash Bros. Coming To Wii Virtual Console?

Solomon Lee — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:53:23 -0600

According to CVG, rumors are circulating on the possibility that the original Super Smash Bros. may be coming to the Wii's Virtual Console. The release date is expected to coincide with the release for the upcoming Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii.

Smash Bros. Brawl has recently received a favorable review from the popular Japanese gaming magazine, Famitsu.

Nintendo has not issued a comment in response at this time.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Japanese TV Spot, Isn't it hip?

Shiva Stella — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:33:20 -0600

Here's a fun watch for Super Smash Bros. Brawl fans, as it's the Japanese TV spot for the very hotly anticipated (and perfectly scored by Famitsu) Nintendo Wii game. Take a peek below. The game was recently delayed to March 9 for the US.

Famitsu Scores Super Smash Bros. Brawl a Perfect 40

Shiva Stella — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:02:16 -0600

If you're one of those "Famitsu is god" gamers who keeps a close eye on what the most popular Japanese gaming magazine is playing (and scoring), then here's a tidbit for you.

Apparently Famitsu reviewers really, really like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, as they scored it a perfect 10 across the board - that's 40/40 points. In other words, Super Smash Bros. Brawl has just become the beacon of perfection for all Wii and non-Wii games alike, topping even the likes of Super Mario Galaxy at a cozy 38/40.

I bet that'll sell some Wiis, delay or no.

Here are comments from the four Famitsu reviewers as translated by 1up (I assume):

"This time around even the 1P mode is massive. Adventure Mode will entertain you for quite a long time, and the story's presentation is excellent. In versus mode, the Final Smashes add more uncertainty to battles; you can have a wilder match than ever regardless of skill. Hats off to the ample control and sound options as well."

"Final Smashes-one of the new elements to the game-dazzle, exhilarate, and heat up the battles more than ever. The content-rich 1P mode is aces, too. Movies and action in 'Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary' move at a good clip; I completely lost track of the time. Loved it!"

"Compelling presentation and gimmicks, plus dynamic and subtle character motions. You have GOT to see these over-the-top Final Smashes. Lots of versus stages, and the 1P mode is very fulfilling. A stage editor and the ability to browse detailed game data are also pluses."

"The all-stars in this roundup bound across the screen with polish. The game comes complete with a mode that will suck you in even if you're by yourself, and more than enough hooks to stir up the collector within you. This is a supreme game that oozes superior technology, sensibility, and effort. Each play yields new discoveries, and each versus battle offers welcome doses of joy and dismay."

You can view the latest Famitsu scores at the jump.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii, Nintendo): 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 - (40/40)
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3, Sony): 8 / 8 / 8 / 7 - (31/40)
Drift Nights: Juiced 2 (PS3, THQ): 7 / 7 / 7 / 6 - (27/40)
Kawaii Koneko DS (NDS, MTO): 6 / 6 / 6 / 6 - (24/40)
The Sims 2: Survival (NDS, EA): 7 / 7 / 7 / 7 - (28/40)
Brickdown (SuperLite 2500) (NDS, Success): 8 / 8 / 7 / 6 - (29/40)
Joshikousei Nigeru! Shinrei Puzzle Gakuen (NDS, Success): 6 / 6 / 6 / 6 - (24/40)
Hijouguchi: Exit DS (NDS, Taito): 9 / 8 / 8 / 8 - (33/40)
World Soccer Winning Eleven Ubiquitous Edition 2008 (NDS, Konami): 9 / 8 / 8 / 9 - (34/40)

Smash Bros. Brawl Delayed

Solomon Lee — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:32:32 -0600

Nintendo has announced that Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii has been delayed and is now scheduled to be released on March 9.

"Due to delays in the completion of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we've had to change the release date of the game to Sunday, March 9th," said game director, Masahiro Sakurai. "I deeply apologize to the people who have looked forward to playing the game for so long and ask that you hold on just a little longer. Thank you for your patience."

As the old saying goes: Patience is a virtue, right?

[GOTY] Best Adventure Game of 07: Super Mario Galaxy

Solomon Lee — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:00:36 -0600

Our Review (*****)

Why It Won: Super Mario Galaxy is, quite simply, the best Mario platformer to date. Since Mario 64, many fans have eagerly anticipated Marios next 3D adventure as Super Mario Sunshine essentially received mixed reactions and reviews from the media and gaming community. Mario Galaxy is a testament to the lasting influence that Mario still has in the gaming industry today and considering the red plumbers history, this is no small feat.

Mario Galaxys innovative gameplay, breathtaking visuals and epic soundtrack provides an immersive experience for both casual and hardcore fans alike. With numerous galaxies to explore, planet-sized bosses to fight and 120 stars to collect, the gameplay feels refreshingly new and manages to retain the nostalgia charm of earlier Mario titles. Each and every galaxy is unique with its own puzzles and challenges that theres rarely a dull moment. The orchestral soundtrack manages to effectively transcend the players experience of seeing Mario soar into outer space with a sense of awe and wonder.

After the first few hours, it is evident that Mario Galaxy is extremely polished. So much attention to detail is visible in the character designs and environments that even the most casual observer would stop to take notice of this game. The controls involving the Wii remote and nunchuk are intuitive and manage to blend seamlessly with the overall gameplay for a smooth but enjoyable Mario adventure.

Why You May Disagree: One of the issues about this game involves the use of Marios transformation powers. When flying in a Bee Suit, you easily lose your powers simply by touching water if your flight gauge meter is empty. Similarly, certain areas can only be reached by utilizing one of Marios special powers that once lost, creates repetition in forcing you to go back to snag the necessary power-up to attempt the challenge again. Furthermore, additional quests such as collecting 100 purple star coins and the fact that certain galaxies need to be revisited often feels like a chore.

What we say: These issues raised with the game are minor as Mario Galaxy is the best Mario platformer to be released in a long while that exceeds expectations. Even after the game is completed, youll want to revisit the game just to explore the different galaxies, collect more stars, retry the mini-games and bask in the stellar soundtrack one more time. Mario Galaxy effectively demonstrates the real potential of the Wii system and what a truly innovative platform game should be. Period.

New Sega Superstars Tennis Screenshots

Solomon Lee — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 01:07:40 -0600

Sega has released a slew of new screenshots of Sega Superstars Tennis for the PS2, DS, Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3. The game is scheduled for a Spring 2008 release.

Check the link to view more images.

Spike VGA 2007 Award Winners

Tim Grube — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:47:04 -0600

The 5th annual Spike Video Game Awards show doesn't air till tonight at 9pm EST, but the winners have "somehow" made its way into my inbox this morning. The show is being held in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Resort and Casino. I honestly thought Halo 3 would hit the Game of the Year, but I never expected Skate to be in the best Sports game category.

But anywho, check out the full list below!

GAME OF THE YEAR
BioShock

STUDIO OF THE YEAR
Harmonix

BEST SHOOTER
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/ Infinity Ward)

BEST RPG
Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios/ BioWare)

BEST MILITARY GAME
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/ Infinity Ward)

BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME
Skate (Electronic Arts/ EA Black Box)

BEST HANDHELD GAME
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo/ Nintendo)

BEST GRAPHICS
Crysis (Electronic Arts/ Crytek)

BEST GAME BASED ON A MOVIE OR TV SHOW
The Simpsons Game (Electronic Arts/ EA Redwood Shores)

BEST RHYTHM GAME
Rock Band (MTV Games/ Harmonix)

BEST DRIVING GAME
DiRT (Codemasters/ Codemasters)

BEST ACTION GAME
Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo/ Nintendo)

BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME
Madden NFL 08 (Electronic Arts/ EA Tiburon)

BEST SOUNDTRACK
Rock Band (MTV Games/ Harmonix)

BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY
The Orange Box/ Portal (Valve/ Valve)

BEST XBOX 360 GAME
BioShock

BEST WII GAME
Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo/ Nintendo)

BEST PS3 GAME
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Sony Computer Entertainment/
Insomniac Games)

BEST PC GAME
The Orange Box (Valve/ Valve)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
BioShock

BEST MULTI-PLAYER GAME
Halo 3 (Microsoft Game Studios/ Bungie Studios)

MOST ADDICTIVE VIDEO GAME FUELED BY DEW
Halo 3 (Microsoft Game Studios/ Bungie Studios)

New Smash Bros. Brawl Screens

Solomon Lee — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:42:53 -0600

Nintendo has released some new screenshots featuring Wario pummeling his foes in battle and displaying his trademark anti-hero antics. Hit the jump for some highlights or visit the link to view more images.

CBS GameCore's Holiday Gift Guide 2007

Tim Grube — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:40:30 -0600

Our good friends over at CBS GameCore just posted their annual holiday gift guide that features everybody's top 5 along with the top 10 overall listings. Some of the games in the top 10 include:

What are your picks for this holiday season? Post them in the comments of this story! For the time being, head over to GameCore's website for the full listings.

Fresh Super Smash Bros. Brawl Media

Shiva Stella — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:20:01 -0600

Wait. I'm confused.

Nintendo has published some new media goodness for its Super Smash Bros. Brawl, currently being developed for the Wii console. Check out the images at the link or view some highlights at the jump. Which is the real Snake...?

On a P-Wing and a Raccoon Tail: Super Mario Bros. 3 Revisited

Eric Jonathan Smith — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:20:00 -0600

There's no doubt about it - Super Mario Galaxy is the finest Mario game in years. It's easily the best out of the current three 3D Mario platformers, evolving beyond the genre-defining nature of Super Mario 64 and the uh...water-spurting innovations of Super Mario Sunshine. However, the game pays tribute to more than just Mario's 3D outings.

The first time a third Mario game was the best of its series happened way back in 1988, with the release of Super Mario Bros. 3. Yes, 1988 - it's not often known that the game was originally released that year in Japan. Americans likely had to wait due to Nintendo not wanting to cannabalize sales of the then newly-localized Super Mario Bros. 2, released the same year. After the seminal preview in 1989's abysmally cheesy cult film The Wizard, Mario 3 finally hit US stores in February 1990. It was worth the wait. Featuring huge stages and innovations, like the ability to fly, Super Mario Bros. 3 was all a pre-pubescent mind could hope for - and more.

My memories of Mario 3 fresh in my mind due to the Mario high I achieved from Galaxy, I decided to revisit this nearly two-decade old title to see just how well it held up. While the game has seen resuscitation on the Wii's Virtual Console, I already had my Super NES hooked up so I settled for my old Super Mario All-Stars cart - you know, the one with Super NES enhanced ports of Marios 1-3 and the suicide-inducing Lost Levels. Once I found the cart in a bin amidst the gutter trash of my Super NES collection (the Beethoven movie game? seriously?) I popped it in my 16-year-old console and flipped the switch. Nothing happened. I calmly removed the cartridge and gave its pin connectors the long and hard blow usually reserved for NES carts. Worked like magic. I selected SMB 3 with haste, my only lament being that I didn't have the original SMB 3 Nintendo Power Strategy Guide at my side like I would have if I were still that fat nine-year-old kid.

Once I breezed through the first of the eight worlds, its king once more grasping the magic wand serving as a thinly veiled plot device for his impotency, I realized the most simple and perhaps most important of Mario 3's traits: it's still fun. Fun in the good, "I can't wait to play more" kind of way. Yeah, I know, right? I can see you from here, you two distinct camps: the one that grew up with the game and who slapped their collective foreheads at how obvious this statement was; the other, well, that's anyone who hasn't played this game. It really is a game that can be enjoyed by anyone and that's due to how it controls its fun: by keeping a challenge level that's fairly high but rarely frustrating.

It's a well kept secret that these old 2D Mario games aren't actually cakewalks; one can easily assume that the 'kiddy' graphics equate simple gameplay. This isn't a challenge in the vein of Castlevania or Ninja Gaiden where simple mistakes punish you; Mario 3 is particularly lenient in its distribution of 1-ups and controls precisely enough such that any mistake you make you will feel is your fault and not because of an untimely placement of a floating Medusa head. And with the exception of one fortress level in world eight whose design is vague and aggravating, most of the hurdles in the game are easily conquered through an abundance of power-ups and other tools that allow you to take them head-on without fear of repercussion.

Somewhere around world three, something about Mario 3's design hit me again. There are these little bridges that, if you're lucky and they are accessible, allow you to skip ahead a stage. Huh. Is that even a big deal? I was intent on playing through the entire game, level by level, so I didn't take advantage of this shortcut. I was making the game a linear one by choice. But then I beat the world, in turn receiving a letter from Princess Toadstool/Peach, with some item attached to it. Great. Just some other useless item to fill up my inventory, along with the other stuff she's given me like that item that lets me skip a stage...huh? Bam. Those shortcuts on the map, the little cloud item that lets you skip an entire stage of your choice, P-Wings that allow you to fly infinitely over an entire level, those confounded warp whistles - all of these serve to give Super Mario Bros. 3 the most basic sense of open-endedness. Just like in more modern games like Grand Theft Auto where there are multiple ways to take on any mission, in SMB 3 there are often multiple ways to take on each stage, and that in turn keeps the game's replay value high and its appeal fresh. This is in the most basic sense of course - but it remains to be said that Mario 3 gave you the choice to use these items before a stage begins to give you the advantage you want.

As a whole, Mario 3's worlds cover all the bases of classic gaming stage cliches: the desert stage, the ice stage, the water stage, the lava apocalypse stage. In fact, these may be some of the lowest points of the game; the desert world in particular is somewhat of a drag. But the moment you start thinking that way, the game does things. It tweaks its design ever so slightly that you'd swear the game was channeling your own emotions. Take the desert world, as said. In the middle of the world, after being subjected to mostly the same challenges from the first world only with a different aesthetic, you're hit with a whammy of a stage: an escape from an angry and vengeful sun. But that's just one example. It's nothing to say of Giant Land, a world made up of super sized enemies, or the sheer variety of offensive options Mario has available, from the legendary Tanooki (Raccoon) Suit, the hardware-tossing Hammer Bros. Suit, and the ultra-pimp and ultra-rare Kuribo's Shoe. This variety present within Super Mario Bros. 3's stage design and gameplay twists complement the game's aforementioned open-endedness perfectly.

For a game that's as easily gushable as Super Mario Bros. 3, it might be better to turn attention to the game that has as good a chance as any to be just as praise-worthy twenty years down the line: Super Mario Galaxy, of course. While the approach to its challenges is decidedly more linear than Mario 3's, Galaxy is no slouch when it comes to variety and fun. But a week, or even a year, is no accurate judge when predicting the real impact Galaxy will have on making a lasting impression. However, most of that generic "wonderment" that Disney likes to cash in on from week-long all-inclusive family packages to Disney World is present in a positive fashion in Galaxy. Make no mistake - now is the perfect time to join the Wii nostalgia wagon for that once in a lifetime chance to download Super Mario Bros. 3 and buy Super Mario Galaxy to see just how well one complements the other. I say this not as paid PR for Nintendo (trust me, I'm not), but as a gamer who understands the decades of Mario history. You won't regret it.

Play Super Smash Bros In Flash

Tim Grube — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:20:00 -0600

So are you addicted to Super Smash Bros? Well, I just got a tip from one of our readers informing us of a clone that was built in flash and is available for free to play on online by Cleoud 9

Game Description:

Its Super Smash Bros. on your PC! Play as 28 different characters in Multi-man Melee, Target Test, Adventure, Classic, All-Star and more! Have fun!

Game Instructions:

I recommend a decent computer to run this game. Controls: O to jump, P to attack, Arrow keys to move

Click the read more for a direct link to the game!

GB Review: Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

Eric Jonathan Smith — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 02:24:50 -0600

Blast off into space in Mario's latest and greatest adventure.

Super Mario Galaxy is the game that Wii owners have been waiting for: it delivers on all fronts and has been worth the wait. This is quite simply one of the best games Mario has been in - 2D or 3D - and given his impressive resume, this is no light statement. This is a game anyone can pick up and play and if you've been on the fence about Nintendo's waggle machine, it's as good of a reason to pick up a Wii as you are going to get in the near future.

Click here for an explanation of our review and scoring format.

The purity of something is most often measured in physical and quantitative terms. Say, for example, the number of carats in a diamond and the percentage of fat in milk. These are real, concrete objects that are easily compared to other similar objects of varying purity. But how then does one measure the purity of the abstract and metaphysical? Only by comparing the feelings and memories of emotions can we assign values to concepts like love and hate. Pure love may be reserved for that special someone; pure hate, that school administrator who seemed bent on making your life a living hell. These opposites can be measured against one another to form some kind of personal, pseudo-numeric value.

Fun is another one of those vague, almost existentialist concepts. Logically, fun can be examined against its opposite, boredom. The purest of fun experiences then, is one devoid of boredom. Normally, a fun experience is restrained to the layered abyss of memory in your brain, there to reside until it is called upon in a melancholy time of need. Your least bored memory could therefore be the one of purest fun.

Er, well, that's how it used to be anyway. The purity of fun has a new benchmark - and its name is Super Mario Galaxy. Super Mario Galaxy sees Mario return to top form in the three-dimensional realm. As can be immediately concluded from the title, this game has Mario soaring in the cosmos attempting to - what else - save Princess Peach from the clutches of Bowser. Along the way he'll defy gravity with the help of a seemingly Peach replacement space "princess" named Rosalina. Rosalina and her gaggle of star people called Lumas inhabit the hub world that Mario will use to explore the galaxies that make up the gameplay of Super Mario Galaxy.

The core gameplay within Galaxy has not changed since Mario 64. If you have any previous experience with the Nintendo 64 title or its sequel, Super Mario Sunshine you will be able to pick up the Wii Remote and Nunchuck and jump, triple jump, and wall jump like it was old hat. Stomping on Goombas and Koopa Troopas is as visceral as ever thanks the to tight, responsive controls.

The genius of the game, however, is in how effortlessly it challenges your expectations of the familiar. This comes in the form of the game's main "gimmick": the planetoid structure. Most galaxies are made up of a myriad of planetoids. Some of these spherical (or not-so-spherical) wonders are so small you can jump clear around them; others so large they constitute an area parallel to the size of the worlds present in Super Mario 64. With a waggle of the Wii Remote, Mario can launch himself from planetoid to planetoid in the race for stars. For some individual stars, you can realistically tread on nearly a dozen planetoids, each with their own bite-sized objectives to complete before moving onto the next. And to make something perfectly clear: just seeing Mario flying through space from one planetoid to the other is satisfying and fun in and of itself. Not only does it showcase the scale and scope of the levels, it also often centers on one of the subtle ways in which Nintendo has utilized the Wii Remote in the game by using the Remote as a pointer to collect Star Bits, little candy-like items that serve as both currency and ammunition. Whether flying through space or even on a planetoid, subtle touches like the collecting of Star Bits gives Galaxy that extra bit of polish that separates it from its ilk.

But that's not to say the entire game is composed exclusively of planet-hopping; the game displays a staggering variety of ways to collect stars. Familiar underwater stages are present along with new ones such as the beehive-themed galaxy. Speaking of bees, variety abounds in Mario's multitude of powers such as the new Bee Suit or the classic Fire Flower. You will never collect a star in exactly the same way as the other. That is, with the exception of the awful Purple Coin stars, where you have to hunt down 100 purple coins in order to collect your celestial prize. These kinds of item collecting quests are by and large absent in Galaxy and for good reason - their slow pacing and repetitive nature are, well, boring. Thankfully, you can avoid the Purple Coin quests if you just want to beat the game normally.

Mario Galaxy has enough guts to visually impress, despite being on the "underpowered" Wii. As Mario flies from one planetoid to the other he dives under spewing lava or by giant toy robots. Despite the aesthetic variety, this game is so stylistically coherent that you won't notice it doesn't have the pure polygons of an Xbox 360 or PS3 title. Some subtle light bloom completes the game's soft, rounded look. The game also runs at a constant 60 fps with no slowdown. Audio is no slouch either; some of the game's music is orchestrated, but all of it sounds either majestic if not uncharacteriscally epic for a Mario game. Some classic themes can also be heard as well. Touches of fanservice abound in Galaxy - musical cues are just one example.
Super Mario Galaxy is quite frankly the best 3D Mario platformer yet - and by extension, one of the best ever crafted. It is so easily accessible and so varied that the fun you get out of it will have as varied a definition as the planetoids you'll traverse along the way. Mario himself has a history of establishing genre standards, paving the way for imitators but the utter uniqueness of Super Mario Galaxy's structure is one reason why this is one polished diamond that's sure not to lose its purity any time soon.

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: Nov 12, 2007
MSRP: $49.99
Everyone
Winner of GameBump's Best Adventure Game of 2007

First US Consumers Line up for Super Mario Galaxy

Shiva Stella — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:05:14 -0600

And the winner is... Julio Sarmiento. And Mario, of course.

Nintendo has published a few images of some of the first consumers to pick up Super Mario Galaxy at launch from the Nintendo World store in New York. Here's the excerpt published Nov 11, 2007:

Kicking off the holiday shopping season on the evening of Sunday, Nov. 11, a multitude of Nintendo fans lined up at New York's Nintendo World store to be the first in the country to buy Super Mario Galaxy, the highly anticipated new game for Nintendo's Wii system. True to its heritage, Super Mario Galaxy continues the legacy of fun and joyful Mario games. Every few years, a Mario game sets a new standard for the video game industry. That new era began tonight.

Have a peek at two others at the jump. To those who picked up the game: what do you think?

Parker Higgins, of New York, dressed as Nintendo's Mario, waits to be among the first in the U.S. to purchase Super Mario Galaxy for Wii, early Monday, Nov. 12, 2007, at Nintendo World store in New York.

Aaron Lunning, 11, of New York, reacts as his mom Rachel Cohen-Lunning is among the first in the U.S. to purchase Super Mario Galaxy for Wii, early Monday, Nov. 12, 2007, at Nintendo World store in New York.

Nintendo Invites YOU to Stand in Line for Super Mario Galaxy

Shiva Stella — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:00:00 -0600

You know you want me.

Nintendo has issued an invitation to all North American gamers residing in the New York area to stand in line at the Nintendo World store to be the first to purchase Super Mario Galaxy at midnight.

Activities are planned to begin at 8pm Sunday, Nov. 11 and include kiosks displaying the game (so fans can play it immediately prior to purchase), a DJ with dancers, prizes, a velcro wall, and a bungee run. Gamers of all ages are encouraged to join the festivities, especially if they're dressed up in Nintendo costumes.

Here's the address for the Nintendo World store:

Nintendo World
10 Rockefeller Plaza (between 48th and 49th Streets)
New York, NY 10020

Mario will be waiting.

Here's an updated score listing.

Xbox 360 Slightly Surpasses PS3 Sales in Japan, Both Owned by DS

Shiva Stella — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 10:13:53 -0600

Media Create has posted the latest sales figures for the week ending November 4, and (surprise!) the Xbox 360 has pulled ahead of the PlayStation 3 by a close 200 units, although both consoles and the Wii are still being (pardon the colloquialism) royally spanked by the Nintendo DS - someone explain that one to me.

Here's the chart for hardware sales, Oct. 29-Nov. 4 as courtesy of Media Create and Next Gen.

Nintendo DS - 78,599
PSP - 59,714
Wii - 37,617
Xbox 360 - 17,673
PlayStation 3 - 17,434
PlayStation 2 - 10,209
Game Boy Advance SP - 206
GameCube 155
Game Boy Micro - 113

View further details and software sales at the jump.

Apparently Japanese gamers are currently going crazy for Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, which sold 80,000 units over launch week (also the week ending Nov. 4). Here's a quick rundown of what your friends wayyyy over gaming yonder are picking up:

Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - 251,000 / New
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Xbox 360) - 77,000 / New
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (DS) - 51,000 / 193,000
Super Robot Wars Scramble Commander The 2nd (PS2) - 21,000 / New
DS Bungaku Zenshuu (DS) - 18,000 / 72,000
DS Nishimura Kyotaro Suspense Shin Tantei Series: Kyoto Atami Zekkai no Kotou - Satsui no Wana (DS) - 18,000 / 115,000
Wii Sports (Wii) - 16,000 / 2,182,000
Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day (DS) - 15,000 / 676,000
World Soccer Winning Eleven DS Goal x Goal! (DS) - 15,000 / 44,000
Pokémon Mysterious Dungeon: Time Expedition Party (DS) - 14,000 / 552,000

I definitely get why Super Mario Galaxy grabbed the top spot, but I'm clueless as to why Ace Combat 6, Super Robot Wars Scramble Commander, and Flash Focus are selling so well. Granted I'm biased against air planes...

Now in SSB: Gray Fox! That ninja is Gray Fox!

Aaron Dunlap — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:18:24 -0600

Anybody who would be excited about this should recognize the quote in the headline.

That's right, now Cyborg Ninja aka Gray Fox aka Frank Jaeger aka "I have no name" has been confirmed as an Assist Trophy character in the upcoming, hyper-anticipated, already character-stuffed Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

For those who aren't initiated, an Assist Trophy is like a Summon from Final Fantasy. For those still uninitiated, it's like a secondary character you can call on during a fight to appear, smack your enemies up with a few signature moves, then leave again. In this case, Solid Snake would be the one calling on him.

If you don't know who Gray Fox is, well, I just don't know what to say about that.

New Super Mario Galaxy Screenshots

Shiva Stella — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:40:00 -0600

Maybe I've been giving the plumber a little too much attention lately, but anyhow here's a new batch of screenshots up over at GameSpot.

Curiously the GS launch center contains new imagery and video footage (not to mention the Mario layout - look what great coding money can buy) but has yet to introduce a review. Maybe they can't put down the controller long enough to do actual work?

Hit the link to be taken to the screens. You can also visit the center here.

A Very Wii VC Update: Super Mario Bros. 3 and Something Else

Shiva Stella — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 10:55:34 -0600

To celebrate Nintendo's release of Super Mario Galaxy, the company has included one of the plumber's all-time best performances for this week's virtual console update: Super Mario Bros. 3. Just saying the name brings back fond memories of flying around in the raccoon suit with my littler brother critiquing my virtual moves (he was just mad because he always got stuck with Luigi).

The two other titles for this week include Alien Soldier (Sega Genesis) and Power Golf (TurboGrafx16). Pales in comparison to Mario but you can't win them all.

Hit the jump for a game break-down and point cost.

Excerpt:

Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Remember when no one had ever heard of a Tanooki Suit or knew that Bowser had a clan of Koopalings? The game that made these things common knowledge is also considered by many to be one of the best ever made. Bowser and the Koopalings are causing chaos yet again, but this time they're going beyond the Mushroom Kingdom into the seven worlds that neighbor it. Now Mario and Luigi must battle new enemies, returning favorites and a new Koopaling in each unique and distinctive world on their way to ultimately taking on Bowser himself. Luckily for the brothers, they have more power-ups available than ever before. Fly above the action using the Super Leaf, swim faster by donning the Frog Suit or defeat enemies using the Hammer Bros. Suit. Use the brand-new overworld map to take the chance to play a minigame in hopes of gaining extra lives or to find a Toad's House where you can pick up additional items. All this (and more) combines into one of gaming's most well-known and beloved titlesare you ready to experience gaming bliss?

Alien Soldier (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): As Epsilon-Eagle, you are an alien soldier who has been genetically engineered to produce maximum intelligence and strength. You were once a member of the criminal organization Scarlet, but when you decided to break from the group, you were forced into a showdown with Scarlet's new leader Xi-Tiger, who kills a hostage in his attempt to destroy you. Now it's up to you to take revenge against the bad guys in this side-scrolling action game! Choose from six different weapons and battle the bosses of Scarlet until you reach the final confrontation with the ultimate secret weapon!

Power Golf (TurboGrafx16, 1-3 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Power Golf sports a perfect combination of simple-yet-realistic controls and beautiful graphics. Swing away on 18 lush holes in one of three different game modes: the single-player STROKE PLAY mode and the multiplayer MATCH PLAY and COMPETITION modes. Enter tournaments as one of three different charactersbeginner, intermediate and advanced. Wind strength and the slope of the green add extra challenges to each hole. Compete against other players in the standard NORMAL MATCH or ante up one of your clubs in the unique CLUB MATCH. Up to three players can play in COMPETITION mode, and a handicap feature is included to help novice players pull off breathtaking shots just like their advanced rivals.

Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) Review Scores In

Shiva Stella — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 17:33:57 -0600

Review scores for Nintendo's Super Mario Galaxy - set to launch on November 12 for the Wii console - are beginning to trickle in, and so far the numbers look good (if you're the numbers sort, anyhow). Here's the run-down on the current scores; we'll be adjusting the story to accommodate new reviews as they're added.

Current average: 97%

100 - Deeko: "It's rare to play through a perfect game or one that nears perfection, but Galaxy definitely fits that mold."
100 - GamePro: "Super Mario Galaxy raises the bar in terms of what can be achieved on the Wii."
100 - EuroGamer: "Where Galaxy matches "Mario 64" is not quite in its quality of execution... but in its confidence and originality."
100 - PALGN: "Super Mario Galaxy is without doubt the finest game Nintendo have produced this decade."
98 - GameTrailers
98 - GameInformer
97 - IGN
97 - Official Nintendo Magazine UK
95 - 1UP
95 - GameSpot (video review here)
95 - Computer and Video Games
90 - games(TM)

New Mario Galaxy Screenshots

Solomon Lee — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:50:51 -0500

Nintendo has published new screenshots of the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii. The new screens reveal Mario and his ice sculpture transformation as well showing the red plumber battling his old nemesis, Koopa. Hit the link to find out more.

Smash Bros. Level Editor Unveiled

Solomon Lee — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:09:58 -0500

Nintendo has revealed that Smash Bros. Brawl will feature a new stage builder mode that allows you to create your own stages by selecting terrains, platforms, background music and so much more. This mode enables you to capture screens and to submit your masterpiece to the Mario factory itself via Wi-Fi connection.

Hit the link to visit the Smash Bros. Dojo site.

GB Preview: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

Solomon Lee — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:41:59 -0500

Nintendo had kept eager fans waiting for years of news regarding their next Smash Bros. game. After a long and silent period, the company had recently garnered the attention of their fans worldwide with its Smash Bros. Dojo webpage. Their latest entry, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, boasts new characters, new gameplay modes, new strategies and extra controls with the Wii and classic controller.

The veteran fighters marking their return include Mario, Peach, Bowser, Yoshi, Link, Donkey Kong, Samus and Zelda. Battles take place in castles, islands and locales that casual and hardcore fans will easily recognize. The biggest news is the addition of new characters joining the coveted fighting ranks. They include Pit from Kid Icarus, Wario, Zero Suit Samus of Metroid, Meta Knight, Ike from Fire Emblem, Solid Snake of Metal Gear Solid fame and Segas blue mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog.
Smash Bros. Brawl is similar to its predecessor in style and gameplay. As expected, all of the characters have their own strengths, maneuvers and unique abilities. You can pummel your foes in various stages and multiplayer brawls with standard, strong or smash attacks. Regular items such as crates, barrels, banana peels, gooey bombs and the golden hammer are accessible and put an interesting spin on hard-fought battles. The newest feature is the Final Smash move that allows you to unleash powerful attacks to obliterate your opponents. This special maneuver can only be performed by obtaining the Smash Ball item that randomly appears in different stages. An example is Kirbys Final Smash move where he pulls out a giant cooking pot, tosses his enemies inside and rids of them once his dish is ready.

Other game modes available are Special Brawl, Tourney and Home Run Contest. In Special Brawl, rules and character stats such as stamina, size, speed and gravity levels are customizable prior to multiplayer brawls. Tourney mode allows you to create a tournament and to pit fighters against one another for the championship title. The Home Run Contest is a timed challenge to pound and send a sandbag flying to the furthest distance inside a stadium.

The new adventure mode, the Subspace Emissary, is a side scrolling game where you can explore the history behind the characters. The game can be played either in single player or multiplayer coop mode with key events revealed in cinematic movies.

Visually, the game looks significantly better than its GameCube brethren. Character designs are extremely polished and the animation smooth with no visible slowdown. The background stages and bright colors make the game vivid and refreshingly interactive. The audio features the creative talents of famous composers that have contributed to the games overall soundtrack. Koji Kondo, Masato Kouda, Yasunori Mitsuda, Jun Fukuda and Tomoko Sasaki are enlisted, to name only a few.

Smash Bros. Brawl is shaping up to be the best fighting game involving Nintendos beloved cast of characters that fans have come to expect and more. The inclusion of new characters offers more competition, fun and excitement that will satisfy hardcore and casual fans alike. The game has been a long time in coming but will be well worth the wait.

Nintendo Announces Super Smash Bros. Brawl

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:49:00 -0500

Nintendo has announced that they are currently working on the next version of Super Smash Bros. titled, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

The game will feature Gamecube combat and not require the use of the Wii motion-controller. Already announced is the feature of a handful of playable characters including Pit from Kid Icarus, Solid Snake from Metal Gear, Zero Suit Samus from Metroid, Metaknight from Kirby and Wario. A handful of characters have been confirmed to be in the title as well including Mario, Kirby, Pikachu and Link.

One other thing to note about Brawl is that it will be fully online compatible and include a full multiplayer mode too. Although previously thought to be a launch title, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is now scheduled to release in 2007.

Originally written by Brian Mohr

Super Mario Galaxy Screens and Release Date

Aaron Dunlap — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:56:00 -0500

This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor.

At their press conference today, Nintendo announced the release date of Super Mario Galaxy as November 12th, 2007.

A few screenshots released today are below.

E3 07: DDR SuperNOVA 2 Announced

Tim Grube — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:26:00 -0500

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.

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., today announced Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2 (DDR SuperNOVA2) for the PlayStation 2 console.

"The Dance Dance Revolution franchise continues to grow its considerable fan-base, reaching a level of critical and commercial success reserved for only a handful of transcendent video game brands," said Jason Enos, Senior Product Manager at Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA2 is a tent-pole release for the franchise that has found its way from arcades to living rooms and beyond - it will be a must-have game for any DDR fan."

A release date has not yet been announced.

Super Paper Mario Gameplay Video

Shiva Stella — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 10:41:00 -0500

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.

In celebration of Super Paper Mario's impending launch we've snagged a gameplay video showcasing three of the game's more popular characters (Princess Peach, Bowser, and - of course - Mario). Enjoy. Super Mario goes Paper on April 9.

divxMovie('http://files.gaminghorizon.com/t_superpapermario.divx',true);

Konami Reveals Partial Song List for DDR Supernova

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 13:17:00 -0500

Today, Konami announced a partial song list for its upcoming PS2 DDR release dubbed SuperNOVA. The press release mentions that there will be over 70 songs on the final list, which impressively spans many genres and styles of music. Sneak a peek below at some of the songs they've revealed.

Partial SuperNOVA Song List (not including hidden tracks)

Battle Without Honor Or Humanity - By Tomoyasu Hotei
Centerfold(130 BPM move it remix) - By Captain Jack
Come Clean - By NM featuring Susan Z
Curus - By D-crew
Dance, Dance - By Fall Out Boy
Do You Want To - By Franz Ferdinand
Doll - By ÇsðüÇqÇ`
Flow (True Style) - By Scotty D. revisits U1
Fly away - By ChiyoTia
Freckles (KCP Re-Edit) - By Tiggy
Funkytown - By Lipps's, Inc
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - By Cyndi Lauper
Heaven is a Place on Earth (German Election Mix) - By Julia
Hit 'n' Slap - By Asletics
Jerk it Out - By Caesars
L.E.F. (Loud Electronic Ferocious) - By Ferry Corsten
Let's Dance - By David Bowie
Mr. Dabada (Groove Wonder Remix) - By Carlos Jean
Mugen - By ÇsðüÇqÇ`
My Only Shining Star - By Naoki feat. Becky Lucinda
No.13 - By Taka respect for J.S.B
Peace(^^)v - By BeForU
Robogirl - By The Crystal Method
Shivers(Radio Edit) - By Armin van Buuren
Shout - By Lulu
Since U Been Gone - By Kelly Clarkson
Star Gate Heaven - By SySF. feat. Donna Burke
The Other Side(radio mix) - By Paul van Dyk feat. Wayne Johnson
True Love - By Jun
Turn On the Music(Axwell Radio Edit) - By Roger Sanchez
Video Killed The Radio Star - By The Buggles
Xepher - By Tatsh

Originally written by Eric Dayday

Super Dragon Ball Z Ships to Stores

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 22:26:00 -0500

Atari has announced that they have shipped Super Dragon Ball Z for the PlayStation 2.

The latest game in the series puts players in a completely 3D fighting environment where you'll battle it out on the ground and in mid-air. The game looks to feature 18 characters including five unlockable ones like Goku, Gohan and Vegeta.

Originally written by Brian Mohr

Wii Super Monkey Ball Screens Roll In

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 11:36:00 -0500

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 original author is Evan Lahti.

Eight images from Sega's Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz have been added. The game is currently set as a launch title for the Wii, and will include some of the same simian-styled minigames and puzzle courses we've seen on other platforms.

Nintendo Produces Mario/Miyamoto Podcasts

Shiva Stella — Tue, 23 May 2006 12:21:00 -0500

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.

Those of you who missed the Mario/Shigeru Miyamoto interviews produced by GoTV have a second chance to view them, as Nintendo has made these interviews, along with their Nintendo DS Lite content focused on in other episodes, available as free podcasts. You've helped him run far, jump high, drive like a maniac and participate in more sports than you can remember. But now it's time to get personal. For the first time, the most popular video game character in the world, Mario, sits down for a one-on-one video podcast interview to discuss his new game, New Super Mario Bros. for Nintendo DS. Mario's exclusive interview is one of a series of four episodes designed to give viewers the inside look at some of Nintendo's biggest superstars. A copy of the podcast schedule follows:Monday, May 22 - The first episode to kick-off the series is an interview with legendary video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, the man responsible for creating Mario, Zelda and countless other popular Nintendo franchises.Monday, May 29 - A review of New Super Mario Bros. for Nintendo DS. The classic Mushroom Kingdom action gets revamped classic look, and Mario shows some sweet new moves.Monday, June 5 - An interview with the one - the only - Mario. What makes this guy tick? How does he pull off his cool moves? And what's the deal with Princess Peach getting kidnapped all the time?Monday, June 12 - A review of the lighter, brighter Nintendo DS Lite, which hits stores on June 11 priced as low as $129.99 at retailers throughout the United States. It has two super-bright screens to make all your DS games look good. You can subscribe to the feed by clicking here, or open the feed in iTunes by clicking here. Enjoy.

GH Preview: Superman Returns: The Videogame (360)

Aaron Dunlap — Thu, 11 May 2006 01:26:00 -0500

This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

I had some time to check out the Xbox 360 version of Superman Returns today. When the game was first announced, I was markedly nervous about the ideal. Past Superman games have been atrocious, and the character of Superman himself insinuates certain freedoms that many videogames tend to lack.

One of the things I was most nervous about was a health bar. Superman, being super, cannot be harmed. This spits in the face of the traditional "health bar" mechanic for action games, and I wanted to see the game come out around that. I suggested simply a stamina system, and maybe a meter to indicate how "heroic" you've been lately. For this, I was very excited to see that Superman Returns does indeed contain no "health" system. There is a stamina gauge, which drops as you perform more powerful maneuvers using Superman's powers of heat vision, strong wind breath, icy breath, and strength. Using any of these powers will trickle the stamina bar down, and if ever you managed to completely wipe Supes out, he wouldn't be able to use any powers until his stamina recharged itself.

A second meter appears below the stamina, something the developers call the "Metro health," or the figurative health of Metropolis itself. If monsters are attacking the city, or if a crime wave sweeps the streets, Metropolis will be in bad shape. Superman's job is to keep the city safe. Superman doesn't have to protect his own life - he has to protect Metropolis. If the city is destroyed or overridden with crime, you lose.

The game itself plays a bit like Spider-Man 2 for the Xbox and PS2. You have full roam over all of Metropolis and you can do whatever you want until you choose to start the next mission, in which case things get a bit linear until the level is beat. Between levels, you're free to fly around, wreak all kinds of havoc or help the citizens with their mundane problems.

Almost every object in the city can be picked up and carried or thrown by Superman. He can lift cars and throw them as an attack, or pull water towers off of rooftops and throw them onto fires to squelch them. One of the game's developers from EA Tiburon demonstrated the power and flexibility of this system by flying up and pulling the big globe from the top of the Daily Planet and rolling it down a street where it ultimately collided with a gas station for a huge explosion. Another visual pleaser was having Superman fly just over a street while using his air blow power at full strength; all the cars on the street started rolling and tumbling in the wind, falling over each other and creating a wake of destruction, sort of like in The Matrix Reloaded when Neo flies crazy fast down a street with the cars flying in every which way. Yes, I referenced The Matrix Reloaded in a Superman preview.

EA Tiburon is most known for creating all of the Madden NFL titles. In fact, this is the first non-sports game that the Orlando-based studio has ever been assigned. It seems like a bit of a stretch, giving a humongous licensing deal for one of the most recognizable characters in comic book history to a studio that's never done anything that didn't include play-by-play commentary or shoe endorsements, but it seems to have paid off. The developer I spoke to said that they saw it as a challenge that keeps them working as hard as possible to make sure they get it right. For this, they recently announced that the game would not be releasing along with the Superman Returns movie as planned, but around November of 2006. If they'd gone ahead and let it launch this month just to tie in with the movie, there would just be another cruddy Superman game in the world.

Superman Returns will be available in some form or another on every game system currently available. The Xbox 360 version is obviously the best of the best, allowing for much more interactivity and powerful features, but a trimmed down version will be available for the PS2 and Xbox, and more portable-friendly versions will be released for the DS and PSP as well.

Super-Bikes: Riding Challenge Announced

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 13:13:00 -0500

Black Bean Games today announced the development of Super-Bikes: Riding Challenge for the PlayStation 2 and PC platforms. Gameplay features were not announced.

"The experience presented in Super-bikes is so close to the real thing that you can almost smell the tarmac Most people only dream of riding a superbike now the chance will be available to all!" said Marco Minoli of Black Bean. "It is very exciting to be working with a team who have such a pedigree in motorcycle games and it was clear from a very early stage that Super-bikes was something different and incredibly special"

Gaming Horizon will have more on this game as soon as it becomes available.

Originally written by Tim Grube

GH Review: Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll (DS)

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 18:26:00 -0600

This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Evan Lahti.

Following its recent tour on the GameCube, everyones favorite simian pastime has rolled its way onto the Nintendo DS, bringing all the abstract intricacies of monkey-tumbling to gamers on the go. Powered by the handhelds touch input and dual screens, players spin and pinball their way through more than 100 stages worth of twists and turns, in addition to half a dozen minigames. Wireless and download play is also onboard, but overall, gamers can look forward to the same time-honored monkey mayhem theyve experienced on consoles.

You might say that its a weird, weird world for the inhabitants of Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll. Encapsulated within tiny, unbreakable orbs, one can only imagine the dire nature of their curse; forced to weave and wander through increasingly complex geometric landscapes, making their way across narrow ridges and rails all to collect the requisite bananas to break that damned spherical spell. Though Touch & Rolls story isnt quite as compelling as I make it out to be (i.e. it doesnt actually have a plot), the quad of monkey marbles will need your help along the way to direct them through an exciting mess of 3D puzzles.

Super Monkey Ball has always been a charismatic, youthful series that weaves together a colorful aesthetic with challenging design, and the portable version is no exception. Players use the touch screen to navigate their ape-orb through mazes littered with speed bumps, chutes, stairs, and slides that seek to impede your playful journey. Though some stages replicate what weve seen on the GameCube, it doesnt make the puzzles any less worthwhile, as Sega did an excellent job relocating the core elements of the gameplay. Visually as well, everything in Touch & Roll moves as smoothly as youd expect it to on a handheld.

As the level design takes shape, Super Monkey Ball becomes a test of the players stylus-sphere coordination matched against a score of ripe puzzles. Though Touch & Roll stays in rhythm with gamings long-embossed standard of progression (levels get more difficult as you move forward); less typically, it avoids a stacking of game concepts. In other words, it doesnt meld basic elements from the first few stages together to assemble later ones. Instead, the game tests a variety of skills. Some mazes require patience and control, while others demand careful speed or timing. In one level, players straddle a beam towards the finish as a sea of magma simmers reassuringly beneath them. An assembly line of drums marches in a pattern across the already-precarious girders, forcing the player to move swiftly to avoid getting bongoed off the beam. Youll find yourself losing your balance again and again in Touch & Roll, but the relief of breaking the tape at the end of a course makes the toiling worthwhile.

In this way, the gameplay is engrossing and rewarding, and each stage presents something mind-bendingly new. Though the touch screen control is somewhat suspect (well address that in the following section), what rescues some of this is Touch & Rolls quality presentation. The bottom display gives a heads-up view of your companion an enlarged sprite that reacts to your balls speed and situation with a variety of gestures and facial expressions as you sketch across the screen. Its a nice touch that adds to the comical qualities of the game. The levels themselves look well-polished too textures feel smooth without appearing bland, and the sharp framerate brings the game to life with each rotation. Complimenting the visuals, Monkey Balls audio takes advantage of the handheld's hardware. Each set of stages has its own tune; a mix of percussions (a disproportionate amount of which are xylophones) and techno hums furthers the playful feel of the game. Along the way your monkey will chime in as well, cheering at the completion of a level or wincing in panic if its ball rolls too close to the edge.

Aside from the hundred-something courses in the main mode, Touch & Roll also features six party games. Racing, bowling, air hockey, golf, "monkey fight" and "monkey wars" are the options, but unfortunately the minigames end up being sort of a toss-up, as only a handful of them are worthwhile. The ones that are, however, excel nicely and provide a break from the later (and downright difficult) stages of the game. Monkey golf leads the pack with 18 putt-putt style courses. The interface is appealing and intuitive: your chimp stands encircled by a clock-style compass with their club pointed straight downward. Players wind back the monkeys putter with the stylus, adjusting for distance depending on how far they draw. Tracing an arc towards the bottom of the screen drives the ball off the tee and towards the cup. On-the-fly, adjustable camera angles help this mode feel engaging for the 25 or so minutes that it takes to complete.

Air hockey ranks second among the minigames, and its made interesting by a line-drawing mechanic that replaces the paddle. Similar to Namcos Pac-Pix, players etch a shape of their choice to use for each point, then grab it with the stylus to deflect the puck back and forth. A wider line will help you cover more ground, but itll break down more easily as the puck ricochets around the board. Monkey bowling, while passable, doesnt come close to its console cousin, being hampered by poor control. Each of these games is wireless-compatible, but the party gamess case isnt helped by the fact that only three of them (race, air hockey and wars) are playable via download.

If half of the minigames are tolerable, it means the other three fit into a less-desirable category. Sadly, most players will write off monkey racing, fight, and wars as mere novelties. Each of the trio is plagued by ill-conceived controls, and what little playability they provide isnt coupled with a hint of depth. Monkey wars, for example, is a curious attempt to transfer SMBs mechanics over to a first-person shooter. Players use the stylus to swim through a walled maze, collecting various food-themed items for ammunition to use against the CPUs. If youve ever played Faceball 2000 on the original Game Boy, this is the jist of what the experience feels like. But because all the actions are performed using the stylus, you can neither move, shoot, nor rotate simultaneously. I wasnt expecting a monkey-ized version of Metroid Prime: Hunters, but maybe Sega shouldve stuck with what worked on the GC.

More menacing than the minigames, however, are the main games controls. Essentially, Touch & Roll hands players a coordinate system (via the bottom screen) as the only way to represent their monkey-globes movement within the environment: trusting that a single point on a square space is sufficient to navigate every insane terrain and swirling labyrinth they can throw at you. Pointing the stylus toward the top half of the screen moves your monkey forward, the bottom half downward, and so on. Some gamers will pick up on this scheme more than others, but mentally, youre still stuck using a flat surface to dictate motion within a three-dimensional space. In later, more technical levels that require 180° turns and other sharp maneuvers, the control scheme just doesnt seem to keep up. Its not completely unsuccessful, but as the landscape becomes increasingly complex, Touch & Roll saddles you with the feeling that youre trying to wedge a square banana into a round hole.

What catalyzes the flaw is the lack of visual cues from your ball. Though Touch & Rolls environs look pretty crisp throughout, theres an important portion of your view that bites the bullet for beautys sake: your monkey. Unlike the rest of the game, simians are rendered as two-dimensional sprites. As the ball rolls on, your monkey will point themselves up, down, right, left, and diagonal variations thereof depending on which way their marbles headed. But because the characters arent polygonal, they tend to misrepresent the true direction the balls heading. A monkey could be marching straight forward while the ball is sliding subtly to the left, and so on. U-turns become especially disorienting; the camera rotates horizontally while the sprite points every which way as you spiral around. Because so many of the later levels rely on super-precise, timely movement, having the monkey work against you in this sense can add up to some frustrating falls.

Despite a tricky control scheme that doesnt hold much water as the difficulty pours on, Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll is still a worthwhile title for fans of the series or those seeking a puzzle-based romp on the Nintendo DS. The quality and quantity of the level design manages to buoy the features that sink to the bottom, forging a respectable portable experience. Each set of courses is accessible and retains its resilience with time, which balances out the lack of replay in the mostly-forgettable party games. Much like the elusive banana itself, Touch & Roll is a double-edged sword: equipping the player with a delicious, colorful core, but then burdening them with a slippery peel that theyre not quite sure what to do with. The bulk of what makes Super Monkey Ball fun is still here, and if you can grapple with some unintuitive controls along the way, give Touch & Roll a whirl.

Stylus control gets sketchy as the stages get more technical. Fun but frustrating.

The monkeys may take the stage, but the well-rendered levels are the stars.

Good use of the DS' sound. Catchy jungle beats abound!

A little rollin, a little banana-grabbin...mediocre minigames rescued by a solid main mode.

The party games provide an alternative, but the 100+ courses will have you coming back.

Super Robot Taisen to Hit the US

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 09:36:00 -0600

After the announcment that Atlus was releasing Contact on the Nintendo DS comes more news from the Atlus camp. Fans of the strategy RPG series Super Robot Taisen, or Super Robot Wars, will be making its way over to these shores for the Game Boy Advance.

Those expecting to see all of the numberous anime robot crossovers, however, will be disappointed as it will be Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation set to see release. Original Generation is just as it sounds - an original story with original robots and characters set in its own distinct universe. Expect to see this title around the summer with Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2 following in the fall.

Super Monkey Ball Adventure Announced

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 17:25:00 -0600

SEGA of America today announced the next game in the Super Monkey Ball franchise and this time around it will contain a story that will develop upon the puzzle game mode. Super Monkey Ball Adventure will hit the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and PSP in Q3 2006.

Super Monkey Ball Adventure contains 50 new puzzle levels and six new party games to challenge gamers of all ages. Players can select Aiai, Meemee, Gongon, or Baby to adventure their way through five different Monkey Ball Kingdoms to complete quests by solving puzzles and ultimately uniting the feuding Monkey Kingdoms.

"Super Monkey Ball Adventure takes the franchise in a new creative direction with a Story Mode and new monkey ball abilities" said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "Now Monkey Ball fans can enjoy the mini games that made the franchise famous as well as adventure through a fresh new world that can only exist in the Monkey Ball universe."

We'll have more information as it becomes available.

Originally written by Tim Grube

X05: Superman Returns Announced

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:03:00 -0600

Electronic Arts, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics announced today that Superman Returns: The Videogame is currently in development and is scheduled for a summer 2006 release in conjunction with the release of Warner Bros. Pictures film Superman Returns on June 30, 2006.

We have assembled world class talent at EA Tiburon to deliver this blockbuster experience and we are thrilled to team up with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics and have the opportunity to demonstrate our creative and technological expertise in the action/adventure category, said Steven Chiang, vice president and studio general manager, EA Tiburon. We are creating a game that allows players to experience a real sense of flying, and master Superman's unrivaled super hero powers in order to save Metropolis. Only Superman can meet challenges of this scale.
Gerhard Florin, EAs Executive Vice President and General Manager for International Publishing continued, Bringing Superman Returns to life in a game of this magnitude that mixes the comic lore with some movie elements delivers a powerful and emotional gaming experience to consumers. X05's worldwide stage is the perfect place to announce the return of this incredibly strong super hero to the interactive space.
The powerful Superman Returns property will be rightfully brought to gamers with a strong creative vision supported by compelling new technology so they can experience The Man of Steels superpowers firsthand, said Jason Hall, Senior Vice President for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. We are excited to be working with the very talented people at EA and together we intend to give the game buying audience an opportunity to jump into the life of one of the most popular DC Comics super heroes of all time.

Look for more information soon.

Originally written by Tim Grube

Super Monkey Ball DS Announced

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:36:00 -0600

According to Famitsu and other Japanese/European publications, Sega is currently developing a Super Monkey Ball game, properly entitled Super Monkey Ball DS, for Nintendo's duel-screen handheld. The game will utilize the stylus for basic controls on the bottom screen, feature more than 100 stages, six gameplay modes, and a Wi-Fi option. Originally written by Shiva Stella

Super Princess Peach Site Launches

Shiva Stella — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 17:37:00 -0600

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.

Nintendo has launched the official site for Super Princess Peach on the Nintendo DS. The site is rather empty at the moment, but you can create your own Princess "mini-mag" if the mood strikes you. The game is slated to launch on February 27.| Super Princess Peach |

Super Mario Strikers Ready For Release

Tim Grube — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 23:55:00 -0600

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.

Nintendo informed us earlier today that they are ready to release Super Mario Strikers next week on December 5 for the GameCube. Up to four players can battle in aggressive five-on-five soccer matches and features classic Nintendo characters.

"People have described this frenetic game as soccer meets Super Smash Bros .," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Soccer remains one of the most popular sports in the world, and Super Mario Strikers gives players the tools they always wished they could unleash on their opponents."

The game rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 In Stores

Tim Grube — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 18:44:00 -0600

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.

Atari today announced the company has shipped Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 to retail outlets nationwide for the Nintendo DS.

"The release of Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 signifies the inaugural release of a Dragon Ball Z title for the Nintendo DS," said Matt Collins, Director of Global Brand Management, Atari. "We are pleased to partner with FUNimation to deliver authentic DBZ content for Nintendo's innovative handheld system, and we are certain that the unique features and thrilling battles will excite both DBZ and Nintendo fans alike."

The game is rated 'E10+ and has a suggested retail price of $29.95.

GH Review: Gunstar Super Heroes (Game Boy Advance)

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 14:43:00 -0600

This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Matthew Call.

Back in 1993 a group of game designers broke off from Konami to form their own studio. The result was Treasure, and the first game Treasure released was Gunstar Heroes for the Sega Genesis. Gunstar was a cult classic, and was widely hailed as one of the best games on the Genesis. Now fast forward to 2005 and Gunstar Super Heroes, the first sequel to Gunstar Heroes, is now available on the GameBoy Advance.

In the original game the two Gunstar Heroes defeated Golden Silver, the god of ruin, on the moon. This resulted in a cataclysm that destroyed the moon, splitting it into four different pieces which began to orbit the earth. Each of the four new moons was colonized and the earth entered into a period of unprecedented prosperity. An organization was created to watch for signs of Golden Silvers inevitable return called 3YE, also known as the Gunstar Super Heroes.

One day, a mysterious fifth moon, created by an evil Empire, appeared. The Empire, led by General Gray, wants to resurrect Golden Silver and (naturally) rule the universe. The Gunstar Super Heroes are dispatched to foil the Empires evil plans, and save the universe from ruin (pun intended).

Gunstar is a platform action game. The player runs around in a two-dimensional world, shooting and otherwise dispatching hordes of Empire soldiers and the occasional boss. The game has a wonderfully retro feel to it, and requires quick thinking as well as intense button mashing to beat. The game is incredibly entertaining, and brings gamers back to an era when games were simpler, yet fun. However, the game does have high production values. The graphics and sound are better on the GameBoy Advance than they were on the Sega Genesis in 1993, and add a nice layer of polish to the title.

Gunstar lets the player choose between two characters, Red and Blue. The characters are essentially the same but have access to a different primary weapon and have slightly different cutscenes in the story segments at the start and finish of every level. The game has seven different levels, often divided into about three separate segments. Each segment of the levels is unique and the game can be continued from any segment, instead of only at the beginning of a level. A skilled gamer can beat a level in about five minutes, making the entire game about an hour long, but most gamers will likely have to replay levels several times in order to make it past especially difficult segments or boss fights.

While Gunstar focuses primarily on platform shooting action, the game also branches out into vehicular combat with space combat and some earthbound airborne fights. Each level tends to have at least one vehicle-based fight to spice the game up. Each of the vehicular combat episodes is unique and highly entertaining. Gunstar also puts a nice variety of weaponry at the players disposal, and one of the keys to success in the game is learning when to use each of the weapons. Players also have a few melee combat moves available, such as kicks, uppercuts, and slides.

The game is short, although it does have three difficulty modes to choose from. Most gamers will want to start off on easy and move on to the more challenging difficulty levels after a little practice. On hard mode, the game is very challenging and will require a large amount of dedication and patience to complete. It would have been nice if the game had a few more levels to lengthen it a little, but the levels that are in the game are fun and varied enough to keep things interesting.

There are no multiplayer modes, so once youve beaten it there is little incentive to continue to play, although there is a high score system to keep track of how well the player does on each level. In addition, the cutscenes are slightly different on each difficulty level and reveal different aspects of the games story. A multiplayer mode and some other gameplay alternatives, like random levels, or a swap and play high score contest, would have been welcome additions.

Gunstar Super Heroes is a great game for the GameBoy Advance. Gunstar takes gamers back to an earlier era in gaming, when both button mashing and quick thinking were required to beat a game. Although the levels are short a large amount of concentration is required and it is always satisfying to conquer a difficult segment of the game. If twitchy, button mashing games that require some thinking skills are your cup of tea, Gunstar will certainly deliver. Although the game is short the gameplay is addictive, highly entertaining, and makes for a fun, albeit quick, romp into an older era of gaming.

Gunstar is addictive, old-school fun.

PSP this aint, but it looks good for a GBA title.

Again, good for a GBA title, even includes some spoken dialogue.

Rreally fun. Most fun Ive had in a GBA game.

Game is short, theres only a little incentive to play it again.