The game stars Captain Smiley, a comic book hero with a failing franchise, and his assistant “Star” who is literally a foul-mouthed star attached to his chest. After his series is cancelled, Twisted Pixel funds his return to a solo comic by building him the Comic Jumper. The Comic Jumper is a machine that allows Captain Smiley to jump between other comics and essentially become a hero for hire.

Each set of levels (3 on average) brings a differing art style and character design to Captain Smiley and star. From Silver Age Comics to Conan The Barbarian-style fantasy, to Manga. Twisted Pixel have managed to nail not only the art style of the different genres, but the characters as well. All of the characters reek of the era and style of comic that they come from, be it the woman’s lib villainous or the cutesy Shojo Manga characters. The dialogue  in the game spends most of its time making jokes about everything, from comic books to video games (including Twisted Pixel mocking its own past IP’s). Everything is fair play, and the banter is absolutely fantastic and thoroughly hilarious.

The game play itself is fun and intuitive. During the melee sections of the game as you beat up enemies they can fly into various bits of scenery. Along with the melee there is quite a bit of shoot-em-up game play with very tight controls. However, if there is one weakness in the game it’s the difficulty curve. You will often find yourself overrun with enemies and will have to prioritize your targets with a touch of finesse. The upside is that you have unlimited lives; however, at the end of the level, the less times you died – the more of a bonuses you’ll receive.

Between levels, you spend time in Captain Smiley’s base which is populated by the bosses you have vanquished. Be sure to stop by and chat with them between levels for the bonus cash and the banter. In the base you’ll find your trophy case (Achievements), two arcade machines which allow you to purchase The Maw and Splosion Man without leaving the game, and a shop. The latter is the most important thing in the base besides the Comic Jumper.

At the shop, not only will you be able to purchase upgrades with the money you’ve accrued in your adventures, but its where you purchase all the extras. These range from comic book covers to character models, to profile pictures, a premium theme and two levels for ‘Splosion Man. The best part about that is you dont have to pay Microsoft Points for these extras –you just have to save up enough, and you’ve got free DLC and a premium theme. This is an innovation that I think more titles need to use.  The downside with the shop is that there is a brief animation for each purchase, and while its not an issue the first few times, when you’re unlocking 160 of something at once it becomes a bit tedious.

The game on the whole is really fun, though a bit frustrating, and mostly in a good way. Between the gameplay, hilarious dialogue, extras for your dashboard, and the in-game DLC (You can’t just download them from the marketplace – you have to get them in the game), Comic Jumper is a must-buy on the XBLA.

Be sure to pick it up when it drops Wednesday October 6th. The game will cost 1200 MSP, and its part of the XBLA’s first Game Feast.

I had the chance to spend some time checking out the sequel to it at PAX Prime 2010, and there are some stellar changes from the original GW game play structure. The world of GW2 is vastly different to GW1 when it comes to how the player can interact with others. Check past the break for more of my impressions.

As the starting area progresses, your character is woven into this grander story of the world, and the typical training area tasks are long gone. They have been replaced by immediately more epic adventures and quests. The quest I remember most was defending a stockade from centaurs who were periodically attacking it from all sides. The game takes a page from more of the action oriented titles and starts you off with some higher level spells and abilities to show you the ropes, then strips them from you as you enter the real world.

Once you enter the real world you will notice the biggest change. Along with your normal hub quests, there are dynamic events and randomly generated quests that litter the landscape. The game announces this to you by way of a message that says “A Quest has been located nearby.” I was surprised by this as I exited the town to complete one quest, and as I ran back in I was alerted to a random quest because a farmer that I had passed on the way out was yelling about rabbits devouring his crops. He was tending the farm when I left and now the game decided to throw this in for any passerby that came along. The developers said this was one of the dynamic events on a smaller scale. Each of these events has an effect on the world. On the larger scale if you’re wandering across the land and you see a town or building being over run by enemies, you can choose to help out or keep walking. If you keep walking the enemies will take over and if you want access to the shops and quest hubs, you will have to band together other players and take the town back.

Arenanet has also made sure that other players cant impede your quest progress. GW2 has a mechanic in it that gives all players who are currently actively working on a quest (Killing x creature, collecting x thing) credit for what other players near them are doing. For example the dynamic quest with the farmers crops. As I was getting rid of the rabbits, other players starting to work on the quest at the same time. Instead of not being able to complete the quest because of their intervention, they immediately received credit for the 5 rabbits I had already taken care of and I received credit for the rabbits they went after. The XP is also given in full to all players who participate. A griefer is no longer able to steal XP and Gold by last hitting an enemy. If you land a few hits on a creature someone else is attacking all parties get full xp from the kill.

As the game progresses the open world aspect is interspersed with plot pieces where your character is directly involved. Remember again that the choices you make effect your story. As a member of nobility my story revolved around meeting someone at a ball, as I was entering it the noblemen and women behind me were attacked by bandits. The choice had to be made again whether to continue inside, or turn and fight.

The point was pressed time and time again in the demo that Guild Wars 2 is all about choices. The choices you make have an impact not just on yourself but the world around you. Ultimately the question is will the player be a paradigm or a pariah. A hero to the people, or someone who wanders by because it isnt their problem. With each choice there are consequences good or bad, and its up to you to decide how the world plays out, both in your personal story (the instances essentially) and the story of the world around you.

The world of Guild Wars 2 seems completely alive and organic. It is an ever changing and breathing world. Arenanet have also stayed true to their subscription-less business model. When asked why they did that, the developers simply stated:

“As gamers, we dont like to have to continue to pay for something we’ve already bought. Because of this, we dont want to charge the players to play a game they’ve already given us their money for.”

If Arenanet continues this model, and their support for Guild Wars 2, I feel that they can bring back gamers like myself who have given up on MMO’s long ago. Keep an eye out for it, as a date hasn’t been announced yet, but expect it to drop late 2010 or early 2011.

“APB has been a fantastic journey, but unfortunately that journey has come to a premature end.Today we are sad to announce that despite everyone’s best efforts to keep the service running; APB is coming to a close. It’s been a pleasure working on APB and with all its players. Together we were building an absolutely amazing game, and for that, we thank you. You guys are awesome!

From all of the Realtime World staff we thank you for your continued support.
The servers are still up, so join the party and say goodbye!”
- Ben ‘APBMonkey’ Bateman (Community Officer)

“Press F to apply for Jobseekers Allowance.”- Ben Hall (Development QA)

That was posted on their blog along with other well wishes and apologies from the team. It appears to be as much a surprise to the RTW staff as the player base as only yesterday they were announcing an update. It makes one wonder what had happened in the span of 24 hours to change the game from being updated to shutting down. Perhaps we will never know. All I do know is if you have APB and you enjoy it, make sure to get your licks in before its locked up.

[Thanks go to my friend "ShyGuy" for the tip.]

Hit the link to read the full review, and to find out just how Uber managed to fit bacon into their new game.

In crossfire mode, you play the part of one of 6 classes who have the main goal of protecting their money ball while assaulting enemies. While this may sound simple at first, it quickly escalates because to take out the money ball, you must first escort your team’s bots to the enemy base. Now think of doing this while not only dealing with the other team assaulting you, their turrets shooting at you, them spawning their own class specific bots, and more. But you have to avoid being hit by enemy triggered traps and hazards. While it sounds chaotic on paper, it plays out beautifully.

In Blitz Mode’s most basic form you must defend your money ball from escalating waves of bots, all while upgrading your turrets and your character. The bots start directly in front of the base and in the later levels come from all sides. Now while this sounds like your standard survival mode found in many FPS’s these days, with its 5 different modes it stays fresh and becomes a game of figuring out how to take a team of four people and make sure they are properly equipped for any situation.

Outside of actual gameplay there are protags to unlock which just add a nice aesthetic when you get that kill on an enemy and they see your name. Its a sign that says “This is what Im good at.” There are also custom classes to unlock which allow you to choose your own personal endorsements so that you can create the right clone for the right job.

During game play in both Blitz and Crossfire mode, when you kill bots, enemies, or are shooting the mascot, endorsements, money and power-ups will drop out of them. Money is used for turrets, upgrading skills, and spawning your class specific bots, it also adds to your cumulative total use to unlock custom classes. Endorsements give you that little kick that you may not have due to not having the speed or juice endorsements. Finally the rarest (Estimated drop rate of 1:10,000) power up is bacon. Bacon gives you level 3 endorsements for every endorsement in the game. It literally makes you better at everything.

Audio-wise, the game feels like a sport complete with an announcer giving the play-by-play on the action and a full swelling musical build-up throughout every match. Every character sounds unique and the music is completely fitting for the game.

If there are any problems with the game it comes from connectivity issues. As of right now, if the host leaves a game and another isn’t found, you are completely kicked out of the lobby and separated from your party. There are also a few minor bugs throughout, however the devs have personally told me, and the members of their forum that they are tracking all bugs that they are informed of and plan to fix as many as possible in a future update.

Seeing as this is Uber Entertainment’s first outing, it is more than stellar work, and if the biggest complaint about the game is that “rejoining the party is tedious when we’re separated” then they’ve done something right. I suggest that everyone reading at the very least gives the demo a try. I think if you play it, you’ll pick it up immediately. And if you’re playing and get flattened by a gunner named ZeroHourHero… well, I apologize, but I’m just doing my job.

Grab Monday Night Combat on Xbox Live Arcade for 1,200 Points, and be sure to follow Logan on Twitter, @xshadowstormx.

The first time a power-up is obtained; there is initial curiosity as to what kind of ability the game is placing into your hands. While questions players might have can be answered by the various instructional in-game videos that appear prior to certain races or sections, many will just jump right in haphazardly. The most important factor when it comes to the power-ups though is whether or not they make the player feel powerful when they get picked up and in a roundabout way, each one does. Shunts, boosts and even the shields can all be utilized strategically out of the sheer fact that Blur allows for three power-ups to be held at any given time. What initially seems like merely a blatant, raucous attempt to outshine other racing titles turns into a tactical face-slapping as you realize that combinations used in concert can enable you to make it to the front of the pack faster. Moreover, the ability to deflect opponent launched assaults by properly defending with an appropriate power-up at an apropos time can make a skilled player in even the most mediocre vehicle a force with which to be reckoned.

No doubt there will be more than enough vehicles for even the pickiest player to get their race on with, but that also runs parallel to how many fans a gamer is capable of garnering. As each race tosses a few fans at anyone based on how much damage they do, how well they drive and even what place they finish – it is unavoidable to finish any race without adding a few new screaming fans to your little section of racetrack. Seemingly catching a severe case of Modern Warfare 2, there is little doubt that Bizarre Creations set out to create a game that would keep players coming back and by incentivising the leveling system. Each new level unlocks new vehicles and mods to improve various aspects of your vehicular experience. The customization ability is merely a cherry on top of an already packed plethora of racing types.

Races are genuinely fun as using power-ups amongst crowds of AI controlled vehicles never gets old nor does the more specific racing types. Checkpoint, a single, timed event places the player in one of the race courses that they may or may not have become intimately acquainted with during their time in the specific racing ladder. Players must reach the final checkpoint before the timer hits zero, but are aided along the way by stopwatch icons to give them a few more precious seconds or boost power-ups in the hopes of reaching their goal in the nick of time. The most problematic type though stems from the one on one race at the end of each racing ladder.

Each ladder is divided into the varying racing types combined with an overall set of goals that must be accomplished before the ability to take on you rival in that particular section is unlocked. The objectives could range from collecting a certain number of fans to deflecting an attempting power-up attack – but the end result is always the same – taking on another vehicle head-to-head. While this seems to work in theory, it is without a doubt the biggest failing on the part of Blur. As the majority of the game experience is centered on racing other vehicles en masse either single player or online, it seems like a strong divergence to force a match against a boss character for the sake of progression. Understandably, the design prospects surrounding this decision for the sake of creating compartmentalized experiences within the overall game, but seem to break the pacing in a way that at times feels frustrating and unrecoverable. Adding to the mess is that Blur forces a particular car to be used by the player during these respective races, arguably contributing to the ‘challenge’ of the event. But this just seems to hinder the player, making it feel as though the game is outright screwing with them as they struggle to learn the feel of a new vehicle. Suffice to say, expect several replays.

Regardless of the boss races, there is a lot of fun to be had with Blur pending that you are focused more on fun as opposed to winning. Winning certainly isn’t impossible, but it is exceedingly difficult to recover at certain points in the single-player races and will result in failure or placing third, causing the more competitive minded gamers to retry the racers in an addictively OCD fashion. Such a tenet shines brighter than a pair of oncoming headlights in multiplayer, but definitely holds the game back for those who wish to play Blur entirely solo. Nevertheless, when not racing against the computer and locked in a struggle for first place against other human-controlled vehicles, that is without a doubt where Blur stands out. Failing to distinguish between this principle could certainly frustrate many of the more competitive players who feel another victory is significantly more important than simply having a good time.

More or less, Blur is a great racing game with a lot of potential as a prominent series if Bizarre Creations accepts some creative criticism from both designers and the gaming community alike. Marketing itself as a replacement for Mario Kart is a high-handed shot to take, but still a bit impromptu as it is the first iteration in what could possibly end up being a very engrossing franchise for the players who grew up firing red, blue and green shells at fellow gamers. Despite the similarities in design choices as well as the somewhat kitschy marketing, Blur is worlds apart from many of its contemporaries and offers something different amongst a relatively unchanged canvas.

Sony is slowly coming to grips, admitting that the PSP Go may not have been the best move they’ve decided to ever make. Opening acknowledging that not just gamers but consumers still have a decidedly strong preference for physical media as opposed to digital, they have seeming stepped up efforts to create a resurgence for the perennial handheld better know simply as the PSP. Giving the laudable Kevin Butler a wise-cracking, younger sidekick to serve as the “VP of PlayStation Portable” will no doubt to remind many in and outside of the gaming community why exactly they thought the portable system was viable and fun (which it still is on a wickedly significant level) in the first place. Regardless of the battle against piracy that has embroiled Sony in a proverbial arms race, the PSP is still the best hope to continue mobile utilization of the PlayStation Network along with the relatively impressive back catalog of PSP titles that can be obtained on the cheap. As one of the few people who feel the PlayStation Portable is the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ in comparison to the Nintendo DS, DSi, DSi XL and even the upcoming 3DS playing the part of the ‘Shiny Red Ball’. While both are exceedingly good at what they do, the PSP can do just a bit more than play games and it’s nice to finally see Sony invest in reminding everyone of that.

4. Gran Turismo 5

Not having gotten a hands-on preview yet, it would be completely asinine to say that this is the killer app racing game for the Sony PlayStation 3. Unsurprisingly, it looks pretty damn amazing, which it should when the development cycle of this singular title has been enough to supersede the time it took to create Forza 2 and Forza 3. The expectation for the game is pretty high as it is and it is quite laudable that Sony has gone balls out when it comes to their perennial racing series. It’s slick, sexy and it appears to be in a position to really give Forza 3 a run for its money.

3. Kevin Butler

Kevin Butler seems like the kind of man of which legends are written. Strutting on to the stage, he immediately seized center stage like a man who had done it countless times before. No hesitation was detectable as his confidence surged from the stage into the audience before letting uttering a jib or two at the expense of Microsoft. More showman than anything, he is Sony’s “VP of Everything” and that is exactly what makes him the figurehead that gamers, regardless of console affiliation, can relate to. Nintendo has Reggie, Microsoft doesn’t really have anyone that could be called a figurehead, but Sony has Kevin Butler and at that moment during the E3 Press Conference, that is all that mattered. Not inclined to ask gamers who they are, he told us what being a gamer was with such tirades as, “Owning a giant television in a one-room apartment” before going on to remind us of the “trophies we’ve stayed up all night earning that aren’t real, but they are”. Without a doubt, Kevin Butler took his larger than life persona that we’ve all only been privy to in commercials and injected his over-the-top attitude into that Sony press event. What seemed like just another occasion in that moment became something that struck gamers as an event that seemed like Sony, for the first time in a long while, was getting what it was to be a gamer again. In no uncertain terms, when Sony could have peaked halfway through their presentation, Kevin came to the rescue and pushed it into the stratosphere just to remind us what it is to be a gamer.

2. Move

Both Kinect and Move have me extremely excited for what motion control isn’t necessarily accomplishing right now, but what it has the potential to achieve. While many will continue to tout motion control as merely a bandwagon, jumped on by both Microsoft and Sony, it goes without saying that sales numbers surrounding the Wii have proven that there is a decided to demand for people to flair their arms and see things happen on the screen in front of them. A regular controller is all well and good, but seeing the potential of wielding a sword and shield, playing a round of golf or even causing a ridiculous amount of havoc as Ratchet & Clank is enough to have me interested in what Move could be in six months, a year or even five years down the line. Complete immersion has always been the major obstacle standing between game developers and the ability to draw players into the worlds they’ve created. Sure, a few sore muscles, cramps or spasms might be the price to pay for discovering muscles we didn’t know we have, but if Nintendo has proven anything, it’s that there is a demand for this technology and it’s about time that we got to see Sony’s take on it.

1. Portal 2

This was perhaps the biggest surprise of the show and definitely the cliché show-stopping moment of the day as the ever-memorable voice of GlaDOS cut in over the sound system announcing that a surprise was forthcoming. A countdown quickly hailed the arrival of Gabe Newell, head of Valve, to the stage to announce that not only was Portal 2 arriving on the PlayStation 3, but a form of Steam, read Steamworks, would be as well. While there has been some speculation and suspicion surrounding the announcement as Newell has traditionally been extremely outspoken when it comes to Sony’s latest console, there is no doubt a technological impression being made by moving the Steam software into the realm of the video game console. This was welcome news though as the grueling reminder of Portal 2 being pushed back to 2011 was thrown into the face of the collective audience. Nevertheless, the prospect of Sony garnering the “most complete and best version” of Portal 2 certainly struck a blow to both Microsoft and PC owners, giving every PlayStation 3 owner something to smile about before the end of the event.

What did you think of Sony’s E3 press conference? What were the games announced that you’ve been most or least excited for? Do you think the Portal 2 release is a huge deal in addition to Steam coming to the PlayStation 3? Go ahead and let us know in the comments how you believe Sony has faired this E3 and if you think they’ll definitely be bringing a whole bunch more to the table next year.

Their next game, Journey, will faithfully continue the same artful style of it’s predecessors. However, this time around it will be going a separate way with an online experience. By traveling with strangers you’ll be able to re-shape the story. Be good to yourself and get Journey when it launches next year on the PS3.

Kinect Sports definitely has similarities to Wii Sports and Microsoft certainly isn’t trying to hide this fact. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so there would be few better ways than to set an early precedence for their new motion controlling Kinect than to release a collection of sports activities that could very well supersede Nintendo’s initial offering as well as Wii Sports Resort. Demonstrated at E3 by showing off a track & field hurdling event, players will have to run and jump in the same way real world hurdlers would while performing at an event. As no additional inclusions have been announced in regards to features or games, we can all only wait with baited breath. However, regardless of the amount of content that will be available on the disc when it arrives at retail, Kinect Sports would definitely be the title with the potential to garner universal appeal, thus making it the quintessential game resting on every Kinect owner’s shelf.

4. Kinect Adventures

A Microsoft Game Studios original, this is a surprisingly interesting game that seems to have caught a case of Tomb Raider. Placing players on a flat-topped train car, they are tasked with collecting free-floating tokens by adjusting their bodies or flailing limbs like a wacky, wavy, inflatable arm-waving-tube-man all while trying to maintain their momentum on the track. Even cooler is that a friend can immediately jump in or out of the game just by standing in front of the Kinect camera, which places their avatar onto their own car for a level or two. Seemingly, every motion affects the in-game mechanics. Going down on a track-bound elevator, jumping will speed up how fast you descend. Alternatively, a game was shown with two player avatars in a raft, propelled down torrential whitewater rapids, collecting tokens and moving alike. Perhaps the most notable aspect is the fact that during any one of these games, at designated points that force players to jump, squat, or do any number of relatively strenuous or embarrassing actions, a camera icon will appear and take a picture of you and your friends. This would be enough for most, but they can be instantly uploaded to Facebook, just in case you weren’t already satisfied with how much of a silly ass you already appeared to be.

3. Your Shape: Fitness Evolved

Fitness Evolved shares a planar existence with Wii Fit, but only in the loosest sense of the expression. Where Wii Fit confines players to a balance board, Fitness Evolved gives players their own space on their living room, bedroom or family room floor – effectively eliminating a lot of the pains associated with the hard plastic shell of the Wii peripheral. Within the first few moments of starting the game Fitness Evolved proceeds to scan the player, creating a digital image of them to give the game a better view of their body in the game space. Regardless of how trite this might seem initially, it’s kind of cool that Kinect enables the Xbox 360 to have a HAL-9000 moment of telling a player their various vital details, such as shoulder span, all based on visual assessment. It’s admittedly a bit creepy, but nonetheless a step towards a seamless integration of games and players – significantly amping up the immersion factor. The player then proceeds to do basic calisthenics, which are kept track of complete with the amount of calories being burned as well as ensuring proper form is maintained. Immediately following, players might find themselves punching and kicking pixilated blocks before doing some Yoga. Sufficiently impressive, despite being a launch game for the console, Fitness Evolved seems more than capable of luring in those who’ve been longing for a Wii Fit experience on the Xbox 360.

2. Dance Central

If there is one thing I was always curious about growing up white and nerdy, it’s how I possess any capability whatsoever of being able to dance. But, odd natural talent aside, it’s going to be interesting to see how exactly Dance Central, created by Harmonix and MTV Games, will work. Not only does the game have a dance mode that allows players to bust all sorts of grooves all over themselves, it has a mode that is capable of teaching players how to dance. Initial terror aside, I’m not exactly certain what that all entails, but if the demo shown during the MS press conference has anything to do with it, it just might be able to help all of the kids out there who lack the gift of rhythm to finally discover what it’s like to not have two left feet. With the same people behind the game as Rock Band, Amplitude and even the first two Guitar Hero games, I’m fairly confident that this just might be one of those games that imbues geeky kids into Lords of Dance.

1. Kinectimals

Admittedly one of the most adorable things any gamer has ever seen, it’s ridiculous how cute watching a pre-teen play with a digital tiger cub could be. More than that, it’s absolute madness, but I can’t wait until Kinectimals comes out if for no other reason than to leave it running for hours on end so I can have my pet tiger running around the screen while I sit at my computer working. Claiming to offer forty different animals and over thirty different activities, it is without a doubt something that can keep a lot of people wondering until Kinect arrives in November. But, after showing the E3 footage to a few people, I’m well aware that kids this Christmas have something to look forward to – namely owning their own tiger.

So, after watching the E3 footage, what do you think? Are you excited at all for the prospect of Kinect, even if it isn’t your cup of tea? Regardless, the future potential is there and while it may not possess the overall staying power to render the control pad useless, it does seem poised to shake things up and bring a new aspect of popular culture to the Xbox 360. Let us know in the comments what you think of Kinect and be sure to stay tuned to The Naked Gamers as more news comes out of E3.

Known as Project Natal while under development, Kinect uses two cameras to sense exactly what you are doing, so that you don’t even need a controller to play games. The hardware is a small, sleek black bar that sits under or over your TV (much like the Wii sensor bar). A few games have been announced, including a Star Wars game that would have you dueling with Lightsabers.

Kinect’s price has not been announced (it is rumored to be as much as $150), nor has a release date. We will keep you updated as Microsoft reveals more about this interesting new product throughout this week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).