Because most consoles live or die based on third party titles, with Nintendo being the exception, it’s good to see that there is continued support for the PlayStation Vita. The latest third party announcement comes Warner Bros. Interactive, letting us know that 2011’s Mortal Kombat is coming to the handheld with some added content. According to NetherRealm’s Ed Boon, “The original game content and new features we developed for the PlayStation Vita will provide gamers with the best fighting game experience available on the new mobile platform.” Ultimately, that means they’ve shied away from the rear touchpad, but they’re adding some great bonuses to the front. For instance, want to perform that x-ray attack you’ve built up? No need to remember the combo, just tap the icon on your screen. Have trouble punching all the moves for your fatality? Just swipe the directions on the screen. Of course, purists will hate the added accessibility for “noobs,” it’s just no fun to have an actual challenge. Other additions are a greatly expanded challenge tower, adding an entire second tower exclusive to Vita that will take advantage of the touch screen and accelerometer. One example given was tilting your Vita to affect in-game gravity. So what about it, Zombietron? I know you’re getting the Vita, but I’ve heard you claim to suck at fighting games. Would these features sell you on a portable Mortal Kombat?
A few more characters have been announcedf for Street Fighter x Tekken, and two more have been teased. The latest official additions from Capcom’s side of the table are Balrog And Vega, completing the boss collection from Street Fighter II. Actually, Vega was sort of leaked a while ago, but this is official confirmation. On Namco Bandai’s side, Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law were also announced. According to the hype trailers, it also appears Ling Xiaoyu and Juri will be coming. Oddly, it also seems they’re trying to tease a pair of mascots that don’t fit the theme, Mega Man and Pac-Man. Then again, this wouldn’t be Mega Man’s first time in a fighting game, and Cole McGrath has already been announced as a Vita exclusive. So I guess it’s not that much of a stretch. But they better test Pac-Man for performance-enhancing pellets before letting him compete.
With the Starhawk public beta opening up slowly this week, starting with PS+ subscribers, it’s about time we get a release date. Seems I’m not the only thinking that as Sony has announced it will be coming on May 8th. I’ve downloaded the beta but haven’t had a chance to get started. Apparently there’ve been a slew of bug fixes since the private beta at the end of last year. If you’re at all intrigued by the game I’d suggest you try the beta as soon as you can. If it’s anything like it’s predecessor, Warhawk, jumping in late in the game will just see you getting noob-hunted by the pros.
Along with the game being delayed, the deadline for preordering Max Payne 3 has been extended. So, if you really wanted that Max statue but were thinking you were too late, you now have until April 2nd. As a reminder, the special edition includes a 10″ Max statue, bullet keychain, still-life prints, DLC, and soundtrack. The game is now set for May 15th. Here’s the teaser picture again, but ignore the dates on it since they’ve been recently changed.
It’s been so long since I’ve heard anything about Final Fantasy Versus XIII that I was starting to assume it was dead. There still isn’t much to announce, but the director, Tetsuya Nomura, has said that the next time we see it they’ll be showing a realistic demo on actual consumer hardware. Previous showings have been on dev kits with significantly more power. Of course, they haven’t actually said when that showing will happen. Frankly, if it’s taken this long to get anything running on real hardware, I wouldn’t expect to hear anything more about it for a long time. Actually, it will probably be at E3.
Also at E3 will be a playable version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. This game actually made my list of 2012 games you should expect to see pushed to 2013. But with a playable demo coming in June, I may be wrong.
Preorder bonuses have been announced for Yakuza: Dead Souls. It appears that GameStop has the exclusive bonus for the United States, including the Dentetsu Pack (8 extra weapons, 14 new guns, 8 hostess outfits, and more), the “God Bless America” Pack (extra costumes for each main character), a bonus karaoke mode, and bonus casino items. You can preorder now, but the game doesn’t release until March 13, 2012.
WarHammer 40K: Space Marine is expanding again. Next week will see the release of the Dreadnought Pack, with new maps and an all new mode. The new mode, Dreadnought Assault, puts two teams into competition for a single point in the map. If you can control the point your side will spawn a Dreadnought, a bipedal tank with way too many guns. THQ hasn’t announced a price for this pack, but they have promised more free DLC soon, with a Capture and Control mode for multiplayer.
Shank 2, the sequel to one of the best downloadable games of 2010, is coming to PSN and XBLA on February 7th. That’s one of the things I love about downloadable titles. Unlike retail releases, once a game is confirmed, it’s release window is usually very short. Building on the success of the first title, this sequel will have more precise controls, new weapons, better AI, and a co-op (online or couch) survival mode. Oh yeah, another thing I like about downloadables over retail, this one is $10.
Remember when you first started playing video games and you only had three lives. After they were gone, unless you found a way to earn more, your game was over. Which means you had to go all the way back to 1-1 and start again. Most games today have lost that penalty for failure, to mixed results. Obviously you can’t restart Skyrim from the first cutscene every time you die, but do platformers really need check points every 15 seconds? Ken Levine is an old school gamer, and he wants to bring back some element of consequence to failure in games. So what’s his plan for Bioshock Infinite? It’s called 1999 mode. More hardcore than hard, this mode will require you to make decisions with a lasting impact on your entire playthrough, forcing you to specialize rather than adapt your powers to each situation. You’ll also have to focus more on managing weapons, powers, and health – though they haven’t yet explained the mechanics behind it. You’ll also have to carry specific materials to revive you from death. Dying without the needed materials will get you a “game over” screen. Is this really going to be like collecting green mushrooms, or is it all talk about a hardcore mode that isn’t actually very hardcore? Knowing Levine, I’d expect the former. We’ll find out when the game releases, supposedly later this year.
One of the biggest announcements of the week comes from Capcom, Resident Evil 6 is coming November 20, 2012. The main antagonists for the game will be series regulars Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield. Ashley, the president’s daugher, also appears to have a role, alongside a friend with “special blood” – also a playable character and featuring a shaved head. The game takes place 10 years after the initial Raccoon City outbreak. Leon seems to be good buddies with the president, who transforms into some hideous monster after a bioterrorist attack. Meanwhile, Chris is still with the Bioterrorism SecurityAssessment Alliance (BSAA), heading to China to prevent a bioterrorist threat. The best news? They’re bringing back actual zombies! We all knew this fall would turn out to be a big season again, Capcom is just the first to clue us into how big.
All seven levels from the upcoming Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD have been revealed. We all knew the Warehouse was returning, but you’ll also be heading back to School2, Mall, Hangar, Marseilles, and Venice. Though it will likely be missing the original soundtrack, a highlight of the first game, this downloadable is expected to be $15 and should be released later this year. Here’s hoping this takes it back to when the series was fun.
That’s the end of the news for this week. If you’ve given up on Skyrim because of glitches, might want to check for the update. Bethesda has a pretty extensive one on the way. Then again, now that you have your life back, do you want to give it up again so soon? Regardless, see you next Tuesday!