The RED Games Couch

It seems that Nintendo is continuing their move to give some love to hardcore gamers. I've got the goods on the Wii Zapper, hot off the digital email press:

Nintendo announced today that the Wii Zapper(TM) interface for the hit Wii(TM) home video game system will come packed with Link's Crossbow Training(TM). The software is based on the hugely popular Legend of Zelda(R) series and provides a perfect demonstration of the way the Wii Zapper could be used in other games. The Wii Zapper casing houses both the motion-sensitive Wii Remote(TM) and Nunchuk(TM) controllers in a single unit for precision targeting. It goes on sale Nov. 19 at an MSRP of just $19.99.

"The Wii Zapper combines our remarkable controllers into one housing with a classic style reminiscent of arcade-style games," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Both veteran and first-time players will find it brings a whole new dimension to games where targeting is key and provides even more exciting game-play experiences."

Link's Crossbow Training drops players into a world in the style of The Legend of Zelda(R): Twilight Princess. Players assume the identity of hero Link, who progresses through a series of tests to perfect his crossbow marksmanship. Start with stationary bull's-eyes and graduate to moving targets before defending Link against all kinds of enemies.

Third-party publishers have lined up to support the Wii Zapper. EA's Medal of Honor Heroes(TM) 2 lets players take World War II into their hands with the Wii Zapper. The game features an all-new Wii-exclusive Arcade Mode that offers accessibility to gamers of all skill levels, a full single-player campaign and support for up to 32 players in multiplayer. Capcom's Resident Evil(R): The Umbrella Chronicles reveals the back story behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation by exploring locations from Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 and 3, as well as new never-before-seen locations like Umbrella's stronghold. One or two players use the Wii Zapper to take aim against a horde of zombies in first-person perspective. SEGA's Ghost Squad(TM) lets players replicate the arcade light-gun experience at home with the Wii Zapper.

I thought that title would stir up a few people ;-) I've been playing Metroid Prime 3 Corruption for the past week and couldn't help draw some comparisons between this game and the upcoming Microsoft flagship title.

First off, I am NOT a Nintendo fanboy which is why I was really surprised with how good this game really is. I've always liked Metroid games, but I had no idea that I would enjoy this one as much as I have. The Wii controls are very easy to "get" and are nearly perfect for this game. Also, it's probably one of the best looking games available for the Wii, which is why I started comparing it to Halo.

The environments and aesthetics (design) sorta reference Halo and previous Metroid games. I don't think it's a coincidence either. All I'm sayin' is Metroid 3 is clearly gunning to build a Halo-like franchise on the Wii and this is a great start. It's fast-paced, smart, interesting and most importantly, fun to play.
 
If you haven't played it yet, go check it out. It's probably the best FPS you can get for the Wii right now.

If you have played Metroid Prime 3 or are currently playing, I'd be curious to read your thoughts.

RGG

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!! Do you agree, disagree, don't care? POST BELOW

Check out this tasty new, custom axe for you hardcore Guitar Hero fans! This is no plastic toy controller. In fact, it's a real guitar that has been gutted and converted into the new limited edition AG Riff Master Guitar Controller.

Here are the offical details:

Art Guitar introduces the limited edition AG Riff Master Guitar Controller, the first genuine life size guitar modified for play with guitar-based games on the Playstation2 computer entertainment system.

I hopes of drawing some attention to the military game that's NOT Call of Duty 4, EA is hosting Operation Live Jump on Xbox Live.

I've played the demo that was released on Xbox Live for a couple of days and it's a pretty solid game. I especially like the idea of parachuting into a battle map and approaching it from different areas. It really makes you want to play it over and over, just to see how challenging the various areas are.

One time, I landed inside the open tower of a building and took out Nazis as I made my way down the stairs. It was cool because I could help my boys out by picking enemies off from the tower. If you haven't downloaded it yet, it's worth checking out! Here are the details on the tourney:

Get ready to get airborne! Electronic Arts Inc. today announced Operation LIVE Jump, a special Xbox LIVE launch weekend for Medal of Honor Airborne beginning on September 7, 2007. The weekend activities, exclusively for Xbox 360 gamers, include a Xbox LIVE Leaderboard tournament to see who has the best skills, a 72-hour ‘Play & Win Sweepstakes’ where every hour a winner is awarded a special prize, a multiplayer showdown where you can play against the developers of Medal of Honor Airborne, and more!
 

 Build up your skills today! Prepare to parachute into battle by downloading the game demo now available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Join the 82nd Airborne on their first combat mission in WWII and jump from a C-47 into Operation Husky, a joint allied operation on the island of Sicily. For more details on Operation LIVE Jump and information on how to register visit

http://www.xbox.com/operationjump

Registration is now open and will end at 11:59pm (ET) on September 9, 2007. Terms, conditions, and official rules can be found at http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/m/medalofhonorairborne/livejump/pwrules.htm. 
 
Medal of Honor Airborne is set to redefine the series and will change the way shooters are played. For the first time in a first person shooter, players airdrop into combat and land anywhere in an open battlefield. Conflict on the ground offers unprecedented tactical choice in vertical, open battle spaces with a wealth of attack routes and flanking opportunities. Medal of Honor Airborne is the newest installment in EA’s critically acclaimed Medal of Honor franchise, credited with pioneering the WWII FPS genre when it debuted in 1999.

Get ready to start your engines! Project Gotham 4 is coming down the stretch. Here are the full details and a partial vehicle list!

Over the past few months, we’ve revealed details on the all-new career mode, the dynamic weather system, PGR On Demand, some of the exotic locales that the game will feature, including St. Petersburg, Shanghai, and Macau, and the revised kudos system. Now racing fans can catch a sneak-peak at even more of the iconic vehicles that will be featured in the upcoming racing game.

Cars

•            Ariel Atom 300 Supercharged 2004
•            Aston Martin V8 Vantage 2005
•            Austin Mini Cooper S 1964
•            Chevrolet Camaro Z28 1969
•            Ferrari F430 2004
•            Caparo T1 2007
•            Caterham R500 2000
•            Lamborghini Gallardo 2004
•            Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 2005
•            Tesla Roadster 2008
  

•            BMW F 800 S 2006
•            Honda NR750 1992
•            Honda CBR600RR 2005
•            Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 2007
•            MTT Turbine Superbike 2006
•            MV Agusta F4 Senna 2006
•            Norton 500 Manx 1962
•            Triumph Speed Triple 2005
•            Triumph Trident 2005
  

We also wanted to confirm that the game will launch on October 2, 2007 in North America with an estimated retail price of $59.99. The team is putting the finishing touches on the game to ensure it crosses the finish line at retail as the best title yet in the “PGR” racing franchise.
 

Be on the lookout for additional updates as we continue to roll out the game’s impressive new features and locations.
 

Until next time, keep your car in fifth and two wheels on the pavement!
 

This week, the gaming and sports worlds have collided in a frenzy over the release of Madden NFL 08. Madden loyalists and fans have been waiting in anticipation for tha last few months.

Me, I've been playing Madden since the very first game which was released on the Sega Genesis. I have always liked Madden, but over the past couple of years, I have grown to love the NCAA Football series a little more.

I've been playing both games for the past two weeks and comparing them as I get deeper into them. They're both great games and this shouldn't be a surprise because they both use the same game engine, however there are a few key differences that make each of them unique. 

If you haven't gotten either of these games yet, I have put together a list of Pros and Cons for each game. Hopefully if you're on the fence about picking one of these up, you'll have some insight. Or if you're dead set on buying Madden 08, perhaps this will give you some incentive to check out NCAA Football 08.

Madden NFL 08 vs NCAA Football 08 (Xbox 360 versions compared)

• Graphics: Both games look stunning and are much better than the previous versions of each game. They both use the same revamped engine which runs at 60 frames per second on the X360.
• Presentation: Madden 08 edges out NCAA in this area with the addition of Jumbotron style replays and TV style player intros before each game. However, you can't adjust the in-game camera in Madden, which is a little frustrating.
• Replays: NCAA Football 08 sacks Madden in this area. Highlight photos and video clips are automatically generated in NCAA Football and you can even watch a play that has been simulated by the CPU. For some reason, this wasn't included in Madden 08.
• Single Player Modes: Madden 08 features a Superstar Mode that lets you create a player you can train and draft directly into the NFL. But NCAA 08's Campus Legend Mode is the winner when it comes to giving you the true sense of being on the field. You begin by creating your player in High School and then playing through a high school tournament. Based on your performance, you're recruited to various colleges. However, when you get to college, you actually have to earn your spot on the field. It's pretty humbling to go through several weeks of practice and have to watch the game play out on the sidelines, but it makes you really want to work hard in practice. Campus Legend Mode is awesome!
• Online Play: While I haven't played either of these games online for a long period of time, Madden 08 definitely has more to offer serious football fans. There are your basic head-to-head online match ups, but there are now tournaments and even online leagues that you can participate in.
• Fun Factor: Maybe it's because I gradutated from a PAC-10 (UCLA) school and I am fond of my college football experiences, but I enjoy playing NCAA Football 08 more than Madden 08. The gameplay on offense and defense doesn't seem as complex and there aren't as many secondary command options available as there are in Madden 08. I guess I prefer the simple set up to the detailed Madden 08 controls and features.
• Overall: They are both good games, but I personally prefer NCAA Football 08 over Madden NFL 08. However, I think you'll love both games if you like football. The best part is they both have different things to offer true football fans.

What Are Your Thoughts? Post Them Below!!

(Please Note: I do have to "Allow Your Comments" so don't be upset if you don't see your post show up automatically...stupid blog tools!)

An arcade classic and one of my all-time favorite games Track & Field will be hitting Xbox Live this Wednesday! Many of you may not be familiar with this ancient Olympic video game, but when it was released in teh '80s, it was one of the most popular coin-op arcade machines in the country. What made it so cool was the fact that you had to press the left and right "Run" buttons as fast as you could, to beat the other runners. This led to the first arcade "cheat" in which kids would break a penicl in half and use it as a sea-saw type of lever, that allowed you to double your button hits with each tap. Ah...the classics. I'm sure you won't be able to pull this off with the clunky Xbox controller though :-(

“Track & Field” Sprints to Xbox LIVE Arcade This Wednesday 

Get ready for hot Arcade nights! Building off of last Wednesday’s launch of “Marathon: Durandal” and “Spyglass Board Games,” August and the rest of the summer are shaping up to be scorching hot on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Perfect for whittling away the long days of summer are a bevy of unique sports games, classic and futuristic fighting games, as well as a few other surprises, all of which will be making their way to Xbox LIVE Arcade in the coming weeks. 

This Xbox LIVE Arcade Wednesday, gamers can log virtual track time and exercise their fingers and thumbs with the highly anticipated “Track & Field” from Konami. Originally released in 1983, Track & Field was an arcade smash. The updated version for Xbox LIVE Arcade features the same button mashing game mechanic as the original, and now allows for up to four player multiplayer competition on one Xbox 360 or over Xbox LIVE. Clocking in at 400 Microsoft Points, “Track & Field” will be available to download on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday, August 8 beginning at 9:00 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PDT). 

Hot August games also releasing this month: 

·         “Ecco the Dolphin” (Sega) Cool off with this fun, whimsical update of the classic undersea exploration game featuring everyone’s favorite bottlenose dolphin, Ecco!
·          “Hexic 2” (Carbonated Games) The highly anticipated sequel to the popular puzzle game “Hexic HD” will have gamers racing to solve brand new challenges, including an all new two player Battle mode.
·          “War World” (Ubisoft) A pure adrenaline rush, War World features powerful armored mechanoids battling head-to-head in all-out savage single and multiplayer battles that combine action and strategy. 

Sizzling summer launches hitting in the coming weeks:
 
·         “Geon: Emotions” (Eidos) Engage in the unique sport of Geon, where you must master a diverse range of emotions to best your opponents.
·          “Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords”
(D3Publisher of America, Inc.) Addictive and easy-to-learn, this game integrates story and character progression elements found in RPGs delivering a brand new type of game that pushes the puzzle genre to a whole new level.
·         “Space Giraffe” (Llamasoft) Created by genre-defining game designer Jeff Minter, “Space Giraffe” is a psychedelic shooter that spans 100 levels, all set against vivid, pulsating backgrounds that synchronize with any custom music selection.
·         “Streets of Rage 2” (Sega) One of the most popular side-scrolling beat ‘em ups of the 90’s gets the Xbox LIVE Arcade treatment, complete with enhanced graphics, sound,  Achievements and multiplayer modes.
·         “Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix” (Capcom) This game combines addictive puzzle action with favorite Capcom fighting characters including Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Morrigan.

The first set of downloadable cars for 'Forza 2' hit Xbox Live yesterday. Now you can add three fairly common Nissans to your garage for free. Well, free to download but you still have to pay for them in the game with credits. There is also a Peugeot 908 race car available for download, but it'll set you back 50 XBL credits. More details below:

But that’s not all. On top of the amazing content, tournaments and contests from Nissan and Xbox that kick off today, the famed Peugeot 908 race car is also now available for download too. Coming off a second place finish at the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 908 not only brings yet another top-notch racecar to the Forza universe, but it is also the only paintable racecar to be included in the game. Please visit forzamotorsport.net for a full list of available downloadable content, as well as in-depth Pit Pass reports, Auction House bid wars, tournament standings, and stat tracking.