Girl Gamers Australia brings you regular video games news, views and reviews, all written by women gamers based in Australia. We cover any relevant Australian video games news and are the largest female gamer network in Australia.


Thursday, March 13, 2008

Upcoming Games we think look cool

Xbox 360 or PS3
Whatever your preference the following titles are mostly out on both formats, in some cases other formats too, but we're just going to look at the two big girls in this instance.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2

As shooters go Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas is a lot of fun. If you've never had the joy of taking this title online with friends, you really should, or better still, get this new version. They've spruced things up here and added funky things like silencers into the mix. If you're looking for a top shooter, generally the Tom Clancy moniker is one to look out for. [Also out on PC for you PC gamers].

Condemned 2
If you picked up an Xbox 360 at launch, you may well have found a copy of Condemned on your launch purchasing list (it was on mine). This creepy psychological thriller was pretty cool and featured nice graphics, fairly gripping story and some good characterization. Condemned 2 is said to have all of that and more. Assuming it's moved along technically, this is one to watch. It's out on Xbox 360 and PS3.

Grand Theft Auto IV
I'm personally a little over this whole GTA thing, but if like a kazillion other gamers out there this is your cup of tea, you're not going to want to go past this one. GTA IV releases April 29 and is set to bust sales records. GTA IV focuses on the character of Nikolai 'Niko' Bellic, an Eastern European who's arrives in Liberty City (loosely based on NYC / New Jersey) in search of the American Dream and his cousin Roman. Of course being GTA it isn't all picket fences and poppies, Niko gets pulled into his cousins problems... cue the baseball bats, guns, hookers and blood money.

LittleBigPlanet
This is a PS3 exclusive title and one we're really excited about. Here's hoping Sackboy and co can pull this off! LittleBigPlanet is essentially a mix of platformer and world building. By jumping, pushing, grabbing, running and flying you'll be able to move about the world solving puzzles and making environments. The cool thing about LittleBigPlanet is the ability to share "patches" )environemts you create) with other players around the globe. As well as this cool feature everything is also highly customizable. It sounds awesome, here's hoping it is.

SEGA Superstars Tennis
Alrighty so this is out on every format under the sun (360, PS3, PS2, Wii and DS) and rightly so. If this is half as much fun as it looks this is going to be a cracker! Featuring memorable SEGA characters including Sonic The Hedgehog, AiAi from Super Monkey Ball fame, Ulala of Space Channel 5 and Amigo from Samba De Amigo, this is going to be some mad arcade tennis. Assuming the ball physics are well done, this is a must have title and on almost all formats, anyone can get it.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
This is out on every format (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2) so everyone will be happy. If you've ever fancied playing Darth Vader's "secret apprentice" then this is your opportunity. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed features new gameplay mechanics that will let wood break like wood, glass shatter like glass, plants on the planet Felucia bend like plants on the planet Felucia would-apparently. All the cool physics stuff aside this is a Star Wars game that looks really cool, that's all you need to know, but if you're still not sure, check out this trailer.


Nintendo Wii
No More Heroes
This looks awesome. The game has been out in the US for some time now and has garnered fairly good reviews. You play Travis Touchdown, an anime fan who finds himself at the bottom of an Assassins' organization. Travis will have to prove himself worthy and defeat 10 other bloodthirsty killers - all with deep stories of their own - to make his way to the top of the assassins league. It was made by the folks behind weird GameCube title Killer7 and more recently DS title Contact (which we didn't like, but there you go).

Puzzle Quest
If you missed this on the DS and XBLA, it's also made its way to the Wii (in the US already) and it's a lot of fun. Essentially a puzzle game mixed with fantasy RPG elements. The cool news for PS2 owners is that it's also making its way to the PS2 (and is long out on the PSP). If you're looking for some addictive puzzle fun, check this one out.

SEGA Bass Fishing
Yes! It's the Dreamcast classic making it's way to the Nintendo Wii. If you haven't played SEGA Bass Fishing the premise is fairly simple, you try and catch fish with various lures etc. What set SEGA Bass Fishing aside was the cool fishing rod controller you could play it with on the Dreamcast and the Wii is no different. SEGA Bass Fishing Wii comes boxed with a funky fishing rod accessory that you clip your WiiMote and Nunchuk into. Awesomeness.

The House of the Dead Compilation
Another Dreamcast classic reborn on the Wii and with the Wii Zapper in hand, this should be a hoot. House of the Dead is essentially a light gun game with zombies and monsters. Great in single player and even better in co-op, you might want to purchase an additional Wii Zapper for this one. It also features the Wii exclusive 'Extreme Mode', opened after beating the game and brings a new level of intensity to the game.

Secret Files Tunguska
Not a huge seller when it previously released on the PC back in 2006, but we're including it because it's a point and click adventure and we think [hope] this style of game will work really well on the Nintendo Wii. Secret Files Tunguska is a third person title set around the mystery of the Tunguska Event of 1908 (you've probably seen images of the trees laying flat, like a nuclear explosion had happened, but is now thought to be a meteoroid / comet air blast). The other reason we like this is the lead protagonist is female, which makes a nice change. It's also releasing on the DS.

Mario Kart and Wii Wheel
Of course Mario Kart has to be on the list. With the news that you'll be able to use any control method you like, Mario Kart is sounding better than when it was originally touted as just using that dang wheel it comes with. Mario Kart Wii is one highly anticipated title and if you've got a Wii you're going to want this. The release date for Mario Kart Wii was just announced as being April 10 Japan, April 11 EU, April 24 Australia and April 27 USA. Shocking, Nintendo releasing something in the USA last, wonders never cease.


Handheld Gaming - PSP and DS
God of War: Chains of Olympus
Not a big fan of the PSP, sure I have one, but I never use it. Of course all that might change when I get Patapon, but I digress. We covered God of War: Chains of Olympus some time ago and fairly negatively given the immaturity level of the 'sex scene' we'd spotted. That silly addition aside though, this title is getting great reviews and if you were a fan of the God of War titles on the PS2 and you have a PSP, well there's really no choice but to give this a purchase.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village
In the curious village of St. Mystere, townsfolk speak to each other in riddles, lock their doors with sliding puzzles and hide their secrets within brainteasers. And if that doesn't sound cool enough already, meet Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke (yeah we know, where's the female character) as they try and find hidden treasure, the clues of which are revealed when Baron Augustus Reinhold passes away. You can play a demo level of this game HERE.

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