The second release in the 2010 Winter of Arcade, Hydro Thunder Hurricane, may seem familiar to some out there. This is because it is a sequel to the original 1999 arcade great, Hydro Thunder, which also appeared on the Dreamcast, Playstation, and N64. Various spin offs where also made including 4X4 Thunder and Arctic Thunder. So what we have here is a good solid arcade jet boat racer that really reminds me of Star Wars: Episode One – Pod Racer, which is a good thing in my books.
Normally one of the talking points of a new Tiger Woods PGA Tour release is what new holes there are to do, but given the real life events that have occurred in the last 12 months, EA Sports probably decided it would be better to focus on other aspects of Tiger’s game. South Park had earlier hinted at a change of direction for the series, but the final product takes a more traditional approach to the Gentleman’s game (Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden).
A classic franchise returns with a long overdue refit, touch-up and tweak. From a time when point and click adventures were vogue and players thrived on the mix of puzzles and humorous narrative this series stood out and firmly lodged itself in the rose tinted memories of anybody that lived through it’s adventures.
Microsoft sure took their sweet old time in talking costs, but yesterday the New Zealand price for Kinect finally landed. If you’re wondering what the hell a Kinect is – it’s a camera that plugs into your Xbox 360, and tracks your movement as you jump about your living room (or lounge as I like to call it), waving your hands and kicking your legs. Some might call it fun.
The RRP:
- $229 for Kinect, plus Kinect Adventures
- $499 for the new 4GB Xbox 360, plus Kinect and Kinect Adventures
It’s a little hard to comprehend how much this really is. But we can try compare it to Microsoft’s competition — the other motion-controllers…
Kevin Butler, Sony Playstation VP of International Diplomacy, isn’t dodging the hard issues when it comes to the TV3 Mon-tage Advert controversy. Instead of releasing a statement that avoids addressing any questions, Mr. Butler has fronted up with a formal response to TV3’s “amazing homage” to his “marketing prowess”.
Below is a link to Kevin Butler’s response and challenge to TV3 and New Zealand as posted on the official US PlayStation blog:
The Sorbet is churning so there isn’t any reason why I can’t post this now, it might mean that there is a gap between this and next weeks podcast as I am going up to Auckland on a secret mission involving infiltrating the competition enemy. I think GaR and Wugga might be holding replacement interviews in the interim.
TV3 has responded, in a way, to mriceguy’s concerns about their advert for “Something Big on Monday Nights” looking like a direct ripoff of Sony’s Kevin Butler VP commercial. ButtonMasher contacted TV3’s Director of Marketing, and his response is summarised after the break, along with an opinion from the Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi.
The Sam & Max franchise continues to be Telltale’s longest running series – now in its third season. This review is about episode four in The Devil’s Playhouse. It’s a chilling title for a series built on the funnies, but I can assure you the comedy is still well intact. And the supernatural is ever more pervasive. In the first season we had Abraham Lincoln’s statue come to life and mind control devices. Now we have ghosts, clones, psychic toys, and beings from other dimensions.
As raised in the forum discussion last week, TV3 are obviously lacking in the original ideas department. The TV3 produced ad; “Something Big On Monday Night”, showcases a montage of clips from upcoming movies. This ad both looks and sounds remarkably similar to the one produced by Sony for the PlayStation 3, “It Only Does Everything” campaign. Imaginary PlayStation spokesperson Kevin Butler is replaced by Dai Henwood, a comedian and television personality.
After the break are the two videos…
Uncertain of his sister’s fate, a boy enters LIMBO. That is all the plot and narrative you get for the whole of your Limbo experience. But it is really all you need to know before embarking on your black and white silhouetted adventure. The opening release for this years Winter of Arcade, Limbo, has some big shoes to fill after last years Winter of Arcade smash hits, Shadow Complex and Trials HD. Well, after playing Limbo I can safely say that the high standard set for the Winter of Arcade is safe, very safe.
