Namco Bandai
Katamari Forever (Sept 20) is the latest installment in the Katamari family for the PS3. Game highlights include new graphic modes, new tunes and more witty captions from the King of the Cosmos/Roboking. Previous fans will love it and new players will become fans of the series.
Tekken 6 (October 27) features 6 new characters, online play, 60 fps and a new story/scenario mode. The graphics are amazing and the game play is everything that you’ve grown accustomed to in your quest to become the King of Iron Fist. With a cast of over 40 characters, the replay value of this game is fun to the power of awesome.
Dragon Ball Raging Blast (Nov 10, Spike) will be a huge treat for all DBZ fans out there. The fight engine makes each battle epic just like in the cartoons many of us came to love. My favorite moment came when a projectile attack failed to hit its intended target and I leveled an office building in the background. The developers succeeded in bringing home the Dragon Ball universe with over 40 characters to choose from.
Dead to Rights Retribution (Mar 1, 2010, Volatile Games) looks quite promising. The crew made sure to let me know that this is not a sequel to the original. The unique storyline is set in a 3rd person shooter setting that promises a more developed storyline. The run & gun gameplay features duck &cover, hand to hand combat and a nice variety of guns. You are also joined in your adventure by Shadow, your friendly attack dog. Throughout the story you also get to play as your sidekick bringing a fun, new element to the game.
Electronics Arts
Need for Speed Shift (Sept 15, 2009, Slightly Mad Studios) is the 15th installment in the Need for Speed series. As I weaved my way along the bends, I couldn’t help but think to myself that this is what would happen if Need for Speed and Grand Turismo had a baby. NFS shift features tons of cars, several career accomplishments that build your racer profile as you play and a rich environment that you are subject to. It’s neat to see the dust fly up into your windshield and obscure your vision as your wheel alignment is being completely messed up as you try to steer your way back onto the road. Basic customizations, seamless offline and online play and a career profile that tailors itself to your playing style promise many hours of speed induced fun.
Army of Two: The 40th Day (Jan 12, 2010, EA Montreal) is the sequel to…you guessed it, Army of Two. Once again, the focus is on cooperative play. The environments and scenarios are well developed and help immerse you into the story. The good people at EA opted to use region-blocking in order to help prevent lagging. This should help make gameplay that much more enjoyable.
SEGA
AVP (Feb 2010, Rebellion) is a rebuild of the classic series of the same name. Suit up and choose your faction. Marines, Aliens and Predators come at you in classic space settings. A wide array of weapons and abilities promise to deliver a fun experience. The big push will be on the multi-player aspect of the game as opposed to the story.
Vancouver 2010 (2010, Eurocom) promises to bring the Winter Games home. Sports enthusiasts everywhere will enjoy the realistic detail of the environment, venues and game play.
Sonic SEGA All-Stars Racing (Q1 2010) features fast-paced racing in cars customized to fit the cast of your favorite Sonic and Classic SEGA characters and 8 player online racing.
Planet 51 (Nov 17, Pyro Studios) is being launched in tandem with the movie of the same title. This mission based game looks to enhance the movie experience by developing the story behind the scenes.
