This month features a remake of a Jrow favorite, a couple of FPS shooters and the debut of the Nintendo 3DS.
Beyond Good & Evil HD (TBD on PSN, 2nd on XBLA)
Jrow’s Take: One more time. Beyond Good & Evil is a personal favorite of mine from the previous generation of consoles. With its blend of Zelda-like action-adventure, stealth and a government conspiracy story, BG&E really was a great package. It’s not a lengthy game, but it’s a solid quest that never felt slow throughout the process of everthing, even down to using Jade’s camera to take pictures. When it released on GCN/PS2/Xbox, it got lost amongst the buzz of the new Prince of Persia game and some other releases as it hit the bargain bin too soon. This re-release is likely a feeling-out process of whether development on BG&E2 should continue on or if the project needs to be scrapped. I think this is going to be a great adventure for
$15 $10 on XBLA and PSN, so definitely check it out! I’ll be sad if none of my podcasting fellows consider purchasing this.
Amuro’s Take: This is a game I completely missed out on back on PS2, and only ever heard good things about it. Always felt kind of bad about that, but I’ll consider throwing down $15 $10 if only in the hopes that Jrow gets that BG&E2 he’s been wanting for a while now. That is, whenever they decide to release it on PSN.
March 6 – Pokemon Black & White (Where else? DS!)
Amuro’s Take: Yep, I’m getting this. Heart Gold did a lot in the way of getting me back into Pokemon, and Black and White look like a big step into new and uncharted territory for the series. Fully animated sprites and three on three battles are just the tip of the iceberg. The fact that you are restricted to the new roster of 150 pokemon until you complete the game makes it truly feel like a new experience. Get ready to define loneliness once more when Black and White hit.
Jrow’s Take: Though not a 3DS title, as I get ready to purchase the 3DS (more on that later), I think it might be a great time to finally get back into Pokemon after a 10+ year hiatus. I admit I haven’t followed Pokemon too much after Red & Blue, but I do know of some of the things that have been put in Pokemon since, like Wi-Fi multiplayer, the new 3-on-3 battles Amuro just mentioned, etc. If I do get this, I think my aim will be more toward building a strong team rather than collecting all 649.
March 15th – Homefront ( PS3, 360 and PC), Okamiden (DS)
Amuro’s Take: While I enjoyed Resistance’s alternate reality take on history, that was mainly because of aliens and sweet alien weapons in a 1950’s setting. For Homefront, I don’t know if shooting Koreans in the face is enough of a draw to earn a purchase from me. On the other hand, Okamiden comes out on the same day, and as the sequel to the PS2 (and Wii…) classic, I’m excited. For one thing, just look at it! It’s so CUTE! Also, as a game that relies so heavily on the celestial brush mechanic, where you literally use a divine art tool to alter the world and create miracles, the DS and its stylus seem like a perfect fit.
Jrow’s Take: It is a resistance-style FPS shooter as the Korea’s People Army invades the USA in 2027. Kaos did Frontlines: Fuel of War previously on the 360, and it seems as if that particular engine has been revamped. Frontlines wasn’t bad; it just wasn’t Call of Duty. The idea of America suffering a seemingly great decline and in an almost down and out-like state seems intriguing to where I’d like to play a demo of it and see how it controls and what approaches the story can possibly take. We don’t know what’ll happen 16 years from today, but we do know Homefront will be out real soon.
March 22 – Playstation Move Heroes (PS3), Crysis 2 (PS3, 360 & PC), Dissida 012: Duodecim (PSP)
Amuro’s Take: I’m not big into FPS games, so Crysis doesn’t appeal to me much, but Playstation Move Heroes might be a good excuse for me to buy a move controller since it comes in a bundle. The game I REALLY have my eye on is Dissidia Duodecim, the prequel to the first Dissidia Final Fantasy game. I put over 230 hours into the first game, and with the addition of new characters and story, it looks like I’ll be grinding my way up to lvl 100 with everyone all over again.
Jrow’s Take: Crysis is a beautiful girl, but in my time playing the demo from Crysis 2, I never felt a connection with her. There’s definitely some neat stuff going on with the nanosuit, and of course on PC it’s going to be the gold standard for gaming rigs, but it just doesn’t click with me. I’m not a PC gamer past Bejeweled 3 and Wheel of Fortune on Facebook, so that might be the core reason why Crisis doesn’t resonate with me. // Move Heroes is priced appropriately at $40 since, while it puts Jak, Ratchet, Sly and their sidekicks in one adventure, I can’t imagine it being a lengthy adventure or giving much mileage in replayability. // Duodecim only interests me slightly.
Nintendo 3DS (27th)
Amuro’s Take: The 3DS is most certainly a game system that I’m interested in, as it’s the essentially a more powerful DS with a bigger (and 3D) top screen, an analog slider, and more multi media functions, but to be perfectly honest, the launch line up just isn’t there. My main reason for buying a 3DS, Mega Man Legends 3, is still a ways off, so I most likely won’t be getting one of these until much farther down the line. Besides, Pokemon Black and White are regular DS games. Those will be keeping me more than busy for a long time, and I DON’T need a 3DS for that.
Jrow’s Take: Much buzz has been made about Nintendo’s next handheld system. If it does indeed take off, it can be an important step for 3D not just in gaming, but around the entire media spectrum. The launch lineup is at best ok (Super Street Fighter IV leading the way), which is disappointing since it would’ve been great to have had Star Fox, Zelda or Kid Icarus debut with the next generation handheld. The whole feature set has me anxious for the next level of Nintendo DS gaming, and I’m hopeful of some good early weeks for the Game Boy virtual console.
March 29 – Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12
Amuro’s Take: ZzZzZzz
Jrow’s Take: Let’s just walk around the Tiger jokes and focus on the real star of this year’s Tiger Woods game – Augusta National. Arguably the best tournament in one of the most beloved golf courses in the entire world, The Masters truly is a tradition unlike any other. Not only will EA Sports bring us the course, the presentation will also be there as Jim Nantz does commentary as you approach (and try to survive) Amen Corner.
Other Notable Games:
Fight Night Champion (1st)
MLB 2K11 and MLB 11: The Show (8th)
Lego Star Wars 3 (22nd)
NASCAR 2011 (29th)