EpicBattleAxe » Handheld

Life left in PSV-marketing?

"Bashing Axe" Tim — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:51:39 +0000

The New York Times has revealed that Sony is going to throw a little bit of money against their marketing of the PS Vita. The Big S is going to spend $ 50 million dollars on the promotion of their latest handheld. But to be honest, how many ads have we seen for this thing in the first place?

I’m asking you guys out there. Is this to little, to late?

Source: Gamespot

More New, More Flat Mario Title Headed to 3DS

"Viking Brent" Adams — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:37:32 +0000

Despite the latest Nintendo handheld being marketed largely around its 3D capability, lets face facts: Mario kicks maximum ass just fine in two dimensions; and he’ll be doing so again shortly.

During yesterday’s investor presentation by Nintendo President Saturo Iwata, we learned that Big N is “planning to release a totally new side-scrolling action Super Mario in 2D as a key title for the Nintendo 3DS in the next fiscal year.”

No further details were given but the timeline would fall sometime between March this year and next. Personally, we’ll take side-scrolling Mario anyway, anytime we can get it.

Source

Rayman Origins PS Vita and PC Release Dates

"EpicBadAxe" — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:55:23 +0000

That’s right – the highly acclaimed reboot of the Rayman series from 2011 is officially coming to the PC. Rayman Origins will hit the PC on March 29th, shortly after the game releases for the PS Vita (Feb. 14th in NA and Feb 22nd in the EU) and Nintendo 3DS (March 20th in NA and March 16th in the EU).

Personally, I have been holding out to play this on the Vita. How about you? With the ubiquitous release of the game this spring, will you be playing Rayman and, if so, on what platform?

Pokémon + Nobunaga’s Ambition = WTF?

"TheAxeWielder" — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:43:17 +0000

As Mr. Michael McWhertor, my colleague on the new blog Side Mission points out, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo and presumably dozens of other pocket monsters are transporting back in time to feudal Japan for a bout with Nobunaga’s Ambition. Gotta catch em’ all! – Crazy cross-overs that is…Full details here.

10 New PS Vita Trailers

"EpicBadAxe" — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:37:46 +0000

Are you as psyched for the PS Vita as I am? (No way, ’cause I’m TOTALLY psyched!!!) Here’s 10 new Vita trailers for you to perv including Escape Plan, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Little Big Planet Vita! Who’s gettin’ one?

R.I.P GamePro

"TheAxeWielder" — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:14:15 +0000

EBA Keith just pinged me with a reminder that as of noon today GamePro will be no more. In case you didn’t know, the once industry-dominating-mag and associated website that has managed to hold on all of these years is officially shutting down.

Here’s what the special message at the top of the official GamePro site reads at the moment:

“Thank you for your loyalty, support, and participation in the GamePro.com community. At noon on December 5, 2011, the U.S. version of GamePro online will shut down as an independent site. GamePro will become part of PCWorld.com (http://www.pcworld.com/gamepro) offering gaming news, reviews, and how-tos from the PCWorld team. Thank you to the entire GamePro staff for their hard work and dedication.”

Obviously, this is a sad day for anyone (like me) who valued GamePro at any point in their lives. I fondly remember getting each edition of the mag back in the day and even watching that amazingly goofy television show hosted by J.D Roth. Anyway, this is a great time to discuss your GamePro memories with your fellow gamers as we remember one of the longest-running and most influential brands in the industry.

What are your favorite memories of GamePro? Did you have a favorite magazine cover? How do you think online blogs have impacted brands that were founded in print?

Let’s discuss in honor of the once-mighty mag.

SupaBoy Looks Supa

"TheAxeWielder" — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:23:07 +0000

Our former “Princess of the Axe” Jessica Conditt (who now writes for Joystiq) posted a super story on the SupaBoy, a handheld device that’s basically a SNES you can fit in your pants (and, I don’t know about you, but I LOVE anything I can fit in my pants…).

As you can tell by the pic, the $80 product features a 3.5 inch screen and plays full-sized Super Nintendo and Super Famicom cartridges anywhere you choose to take it (except under water I’m guessing), which is pretty bad-ass if you ask me.

As Jess points out, the battery life is stingy (2.5 hours), but the SupaBoy does double duty as a home console by providing VGA out to connect to a TV.

Looking to impress your SNES-loving friends? You can find out more about the SupaBoy right here.

3DS Firmware Update Delayed

"TheAxeWielder" — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:50:23 +0000

As the month of November comes to a close, you’re probably wondering where the “November Update” for your fancy Nintendo 3DS is. Ya know, the one that is supposed to deliver 3D video recording via the Nintendo 3DS Camera, new game content in StreetPass Mii Plaza, and the ability to transfer downloaded software and data between Nintendo 3DS systems.

Well, a post on Nintendo’s official website informs us that the system update is in the “final stages of internal testing” and will now be available by December 8.

So, uh, looks like that “November Update” is now a “December Update”.

Of course, we’ll keep you posted if anything should change, but it looks like 3DS owners will finally get the firmware update in just over a week.

The Dark Meadow On Sale for .99 Cents

"TheAxeWielder" — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:07:20 +0000

If you’re and iOS gamer looking for a great way to spend a dollar over the holiday weekend, you’ll be happy to know that beginning today and running through Sunday, 11/27, one of the App Store’s best-looking and best-selling games, Phosphor’s The Dark Meadow, will be on sale for just .99 cents on both iPhone and iPad.

Here’s a brief description:

A dark fairytale of intrigue and mystery, where the sins of the past must be paid for… So sets the stage for The Dark Meadow — a visually stunning world of deep exploration, gripping story, and heart racing combat, created with the unrivaled power of the Unreal Engine 3

That’s pretty much all you need to know, unless you wanna know more about the game itself, in which case I advise that you head on over to the game’s official website, which certainly sheds some light on The Dark Meadow.

Sony’s PS Vita European Launch Lineup Confirmed

"TheAxeWielder" — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:10:55 +0000

As any gamer knows, awesome hardware is only as good as the software that it runs, and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe recently revealed its launch lineup for the highly-anticipated PlayStation Vita, due for release on February 22 2012, in an effort to do some convincing.

At a preview event held in London, SVP, Worldwide Studios Europe Michael Denny, highlighted the message that PlayStation Vita is a state-of-the-art portable device, with games at its heart, by announcing the full range of PS Vita launch titles, including two new 1st Party titles, Unit 13 and MotorStorm RC, as well as unveiling a range of augmented reality experiences for PS Vita. Commenting on the announced software line up, Denny called it “one of the best launch line ups of any games console, ever launched.”

SCEE PS Vita titles confirmed as available at launch on February 22 2012 are:

Uncharted: Golden Abyss
WipEout 2048
Reality Fighters
Little Deviants
ModNation Racers: Road Trip
Everybody’s Golf
Escape Plan
Top Darts
Hustle Kings
Unit 13
MotorStorm RC

Of course, the list will be reinforced by 3rd party offerings which will launch alongside the console in February. While the North American launch lineup will most likely be very similar to the list you see above, we’ll bring you official details on that front as soon as we get word.

So, which PS Vita launch title are YOU looking forward to the most?