Pokemon Black and White

Game Review

Game Review

With many new features and new Pokemon, Nintendo is releasing the fifth generation of their hit franchise, Pokemon Black and White version. Pokemon Black and Pokemon White are the brand new Pokemon games that were released in Japan on Sep. 18, 2010 and will be released in the U.S.A. Team Plasma isn’t evil like the old Team Rocket, they are trying to stop the slavery of Pokemon. 

Pokemon Black and White is arriving in early March with a brand new area, Unova, and lots of new pokemon to catch and train. Black players will have access to the legendary pokemon, Zekrom, while White players will see Reshiram in their game.

Unlike previous pokemon games, which were set in Japan, Black and White puts you in a replica of New York, including the famous Brooklyn bridge (which is called Skyarrow Bridge in the game). Battle animation is more dynamic and cool and you can have double battles against wild pokemon too! As Pokemon Black and Pokemon White near their March 6 release date here in North America, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are trying to generate buzz by throwing another character distribution event, this time for Celebi.

By receiving this special Celebi in one of the older, already-released versions of Pokemon, you can transfer the creature into either of the new, forthcoming versions and have a chance to capture the tricky fox Pokemon, Zorua. 

The Pokemon Company recently ran a similar giveaway event in which players could acquire the Legendary Trio Pokemon - Raikou, Entei and Suicune, which was how you could collect Zoroark from Pokemon Black and Pokemon White.

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Feeling lucky "Powerball jackpot" Reaches $126 Million

Game Review

Game Review

Are you feeling lucky? Cross your fingers this weekend and a take a chance at the Powerball jackpot! The Arizona Lottery Powerball jackpot is at an estimated $126 million for Saturday night’s drawing, according to Lottery officials.

Last time the Powerball jackpot reached above $126 million was June 2, 2010 when a winner in Ohio won an estimated $260 million, according to Jennifer Adler of E.B. Lane public relations. Adler said the last Arizona winner was a woman from Fort Mojave who won an estimated $95.3 million jackpot in December.

The jackpot for Saturday night's Powerball drawing has reached $126 million after no tickets matched all the winning numbers on Wednesday. The cash option is worth $61.9 million. The winning numbers selected in Wednesday's drawing were 9, 13, 21, 23 and 48. The Powerball was 48 and the Power Play number was 2.

Powerball drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday nights at 10:59 p.m. on New Jersey Network. Meanwhile, tonight's Mega Millions drawing jackpot is $52 million with a cash option of $32.1 million. Two tickets sold Tuesday matched five numbers, but not the Mega Ball. Those tickets were sold in Arizona and Texas.

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'Dead Space 2' Review

Game Review

Game Review

I don't think two simple words have ever accurately summed up the experience of playing a game quite as apt as those two. Dead Space 2 is the sequel to the hit horror game Dead Space (duh!). The game, much like its predecessor, does an amazing job with the atmosphere. The controls play the same as the first game did, with very little in the ways of improvement. The HUD has a slight redesign to some elements, so for those who played the first game more recently, jumping into DS2 will have about zero learning curve.

It's also interesting to see the ways the technology in the game world has changed. The game runs a good lenght, with most finishing the game somewhere between seven to nine hours. The games conlcusion is fitting as well, both closing the chapter of Clark's adventure and leaving things open for a follow up (as all games these days must do).

With so few horror games out, this series still does a great job balancing the intense action with creepy atmosphere that the genre needs to maintain. Three years after the first game, "Dead Space 2" reacquaints you with engineer Isaac Clarke -- who has apparently lost his mind. Players then control Isaac's straitjacketed body and flee the asylum as its residents turn into horrible monsters and take chase.

In "Dead Space," Isaac was essentially his companions' slave as they'd send him off to do every little errand while they sat in a cozy control room somewhere. Fans of the first game will either be annoyed or thrilled to find that "Dead Space 2" has changed quite a lot of gameplay mechanics while sticking to the core gameplay that initially attracted fans. The levels are darker, the flashlight is brighter, and most of the annoying mini-games (like the asteroid shooting game from "Dead Space") are gone.

While "Dead Space 2" is golden when compared to its predecessor, it's still the same game in many fundamental and unpleasant ways. "Dead Space" wanted to be a spooky horror title like "System Shock 2" and it failed miserably. "Dead Space 2" though, has come to terms with the fact that it will never be a suspenseful or scary game and has opted instead to go with the action horror/gorefest genre. 

Dead Space 2" sticks with the "Resident Evil" system of forcing tension by artificially restricting weapon usage. In terms of plot, "Dead Space 2" makes no sense whatsoever. If you're interested in playing a good, mature game and you're a fan of "Resident Evil"-style survival horror, then "Dead Space 2" might be perfect for you. 

It's not often that a video game played with a controller can be physically exhausting, but it seems that the crew at Visceral Games has made it their mission to bring that level of intense game play to consoles, and that they've succeeded. Say hello to the best survival/horror game to date.

It's a game you have to play in small doses because, as I mentioned before, it's incredibly tiring. The developers did a fantastic job never giving you a sense of security. There's not a moment in gaming more satisfying than plowing through alien opponents and being the catalyst for victory in a Dead Space objective game. If you're looking for an extremely well-constructed scare-fest, buy Dead Space 2.

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This is PlayStation phone price

Game Review

Game Review

With Sony’s PlayStation expected to come out in April, further details about the device have gradually appeared. Like the company’s forthcoming NGP, the gaming mobile appears to have dropped the PlayStation moniker, and Sony are keen to push their machine as the Xperia Play instead.

Essentially a touch-screen smart phone with a slide-out control pad, the Xperia Play is, understandably, less powerful than Sony’s forthcoming NGP, with a 1GHz processor and a screen resolution of 854x480 pixels.

The PlayStation Phone price may have been revealed by a Sony Ericsson competition giving ten of the devices away. The competition carries the following message, which was helpfully translated by 'lefantome' on NeoGAF: "Prize: Xperia PLAY; amount 10; one item value (without italian tax IVA) 499,00 €; total amount: 4999,00 €."

After seeing the mobile gaming market invaded by smart-phone makers in recent years, Sony Ericsson has now launched the first "Playstation phone," called the Xperia Play. Smart phones have encroached on the mobile gaming market in recent years—in 2009, revenue from iPhone games surpassed revenue from Sony's mobile PSP device, according to figures from research firm NPD and Flurry Analytics, a mobile analytics company. 

The Xperia Play's hardware matches that of any high-end smart phone. Games can be downloaded via the Android Market. 

In a time when many phones are focused on multitouch and motion control, the Xperia Play's slide-out keypad, featuring Sony's trademark gaming controls, may seem slightly retro. "It's almost like a step backward," says Daniel Ashdown, a mobile gaming research analyst with Juniper Research. EA Games, which released its first games for the Android platform last October, has released two new titles for the Xperia Play: Fifa 10 and The Sims 3. Accessories could allow other Android handsets to play those games.

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A Classic Tag-Team Duo Returns Primed for an Epic Bout

Game Review

Game Review

Capcom shaved the amount of "Street Fighters" down in favor of newcomers like Arthur from "Ghosts 'n Goblins" and Amaterasu from "Okami." Fans upset that "Marvel vs. Capcom 3" features only 36 characters (20 less than "MvC 2") should relax. I had no problem transposing skills I learned in "Super Street Fighter IV" into "MvC 3," removing the steep learning curve that accompanies some new fighters. 

Character endings consist of art stills with text overlays, a huge disappointment considering "Super Street Fighter IV" had fully voiced and animated conclusions (and only one less character). Fans expecting the suite of online features accompanying "Super Street Fighter IV" should regulate their excitement, because "MvC 3's" virtual arcade only has the basics like ranked and player matches, plus custom lobbies to recreate the "winner stays" arcade experience. 

"SSF IV's" successful tournament mode and multiplayer team battles are inexplicably absent. Small gripes aside, you shouldn't miss "Marvel vs. Capcom 3" if you have even a passing interest in Capcom, Marvel, the fighting genre or good games.

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