Metal Slug XX brings more run and gun to your PSP
Atlus doesn’t know when to quit. Not satisfied spoiling us with hardcore ridiculousness like Demon’s Souls and tons upon tons of Shin Megami Tensei games, they deem Feb. 23 the time to bestow Metal Slug XX for PSP upon us. A port of Metal Slug 7 for DS, Metal Slug XX (pronounced “double-ex”) heralds the return of multi-player through the PSP’s ad-hoc connection. Because who wants to run-and-gun solo? That’s just silly.
But the Metal Slug series has always been silly, and this one looks to up the ante with a nice, big cast (Marco, Tarma, Fio, Eri, Ralf, Clark and a purchasable Leona), seven levels in the main campaign and — in a series first — more than 70 missions worth of bonus content. For only $20 that sounds like quite the steel. Er, steal. Ha, like metal? Get it, Metal Slug?
Ugh.
Twin Blades: The Reaping Vanguard Heading To Xbox on Xmas
What better way to celebrate the yuletide cheer than by severing undead heads? Press Start Studio, an independent game developer out of France, is bringing its Twin Blades : The Reaping Vanguard to the Xbox Live Arcade Indie Games platform on Christmas Day for just 240 MSP.
Twin Blades: The Reaping Vanguard is a frantic 2D run-and-gun action shooter set in a medieval-fantasy zombie-filled universe featuring stylized manga-like graphics. Players take control of the a scythe-waving nun with a mission to clear the city of all its undead inhabitants. But the big blade isn’t the only weapon in her arsenal: she carries a number of ranged weapons, too. The game features:
- Ranged weapons ranging from machine gun to explosive nukes
- Upgradable skills which can be bought and trained
- 7 different kind of zombies, mind the grabbers!
- 5 cool musics and exclusive sound effects which will immerse you into the epic slaughter
- A local Challenges & High-Scores system which keeps track of players’ progress
Earthworm Jim Crawls Onto The iPhone and iPod touch
Fifteen years ago, David Perry, Tommy Tallarico, and Doug TenNapel created video game gold when they melded their magic to produce Shiny Entertainment’s Earthworm Jim, an instant classic of the 16-bit era that featured tight action, remarkable character designs, absurd humor, and an incredible soundtrack. Although the sequels didn’t quite live up to the original’s lofty standards, Earthworm Jim is still beloved by many.
Those looking for a fresh series entry will have to make due with Gameloft’s recently released Earthworm Jim remake for the iPhone and iPod touch ($5), which retains all of the original’s charms, plus a nice new coat of paint that brings the visuals into the 21st century. I had a chance to get hands-on with the game before its release, and I have to say that I was quite impressed with how the 2D animation, music (you can now add tunes own from your music collection), and sound were just as how I remembered them as a kid. The only potential negative? Working with a virtual D-pad on the Apple platform has historically produced some control issues (see Alive 4 Ever and Magical Drop Touch). Still, the game looks extremely promising, so check back for a full review in coming days.
Capsized: New Physics-Based Shooter Coming to Steam and XBLA
Alientrap Software, developers of the freeware first-person shooter Nexuiz, has taken the wraps of its next project, Capsized, which is slated for Steam and XBLA releases in 2010.
Not much is known about the game other than the fact that Capsized is a run-and-gun shooter that utilizes physics based gameplay. As you can see in the video, the engine allows for unique movements when a character fires his jetpack or weapon. The game will focus on fast-paced action along with physics based puzzles, as you attempt to escape an alien planet.
I’m particularly digging the visuals, which seem to offer an original take on Metal Slug’s super-deformed, semi-cartoony graphical style. We’ll continue to dig deeper for additional information to share in regards to this promising new action title.
Review: Contra (NES)
Nowadays, when folks think of Konami, their minds invariably drift to the wild and wacky adventures of one Solid Snake, as he stealthily makes mincemeat of all manner of sci-fi/supernatural/G.I. Joe-level paramilitary freaks. But if you were to hop into the Way Back Machine and touchdown in the late ’80s/early ’90s the Konami name was associated with another kickass military-themed series: Contra, one of the early (and best) entries in the run-and-gun genre.
The ’80s were filled with such anti-drug slogans as “Just Say No”, “Crack Is Wack”, and the like, but Mrs. Reagan, and dozens of PSAs overlooked Contra’s shoot-everything-that-moves gameplay that had millions of kids strung out and looking for their “just a few minutes, ma!” fix. Bedrooms and living were just really tidy back alleys, really.
Contra’s premise is remarkably simple: two buffed soldiers named Mad Dog and Scorpion are dropped onto a small, alien-infested island that has the most bizarre climate known to man (it somehow pulls off being both tropical AND polar) to regulate in the name of the third rock.
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