3D Dot Game Heroes
First up this week is the PS3 release 3D Dot Game Heroes. This adventure game is an homage to pixelated retro games, and plays along the lines of an old Zelda game. The Kingdom of Dotnia is in trouble, and the protagonist, constructed from 3D pixels, must fight hordes of evil monsters and demons to save the land. The game looks like it will have lots of great genre humor, and a slick, clever presentation. Unfortunately it’s being released exclusively for the PS3, which not only makes it uninteresting to me personally, but I think is a poor marketing decision in general. If you’re somehow a classic Nintendo fan, who now has a PS3, then you should look into this one.
Skate 3
Also being released as a PS3 exclusive is Skate 3. This third game in the Skate series brings more of the Skateboarding simulation from the first two with improved graphics and more stunts to perform. The new game also features enhanced camera controls, and better team building tools, but the big gimmick is the custom skate parks, which players will be able to construct from components earned through the single-player campaign, and then share with others online.
Lost Planet 2
For the Xbox360 and PS3 this week, we’re getting the third-person shooter, Lost Planet 2. Ten years have passed since Lost Planet, and much of the snow on the planet’s surface has melted, leading to a much more varied terrain set than the first game, including jungles and rainforests. Many of the elements of the first game have been retained, like the core horror elements to the plot, and the ability to pilot mechanized armor. The new thing, other than the more variable terrain, seems to be the sheer size of the boss monsters.
Rocket Knight
The Icrontic Spotlight this week is the cross-platform release Rocket Knight, which continues the story of Sparkster from the original Rocket Knight Adventures. When Zephyrus, the kingdom of the opossums finally made peace with their warlike, pig neighbors, Sparkster retired to the countryside—leaving his old nemesis Axel Gear to the job of Rocket Knight of Zephyrus. Now, however, an army of wolves is attacking the peaceful kingdom, and the opossums and pigs must work together to defend their home. The gameplay is very similar to that of the original Sparkster games, with the biggest changes being graphical, as it is now in high resolution 2.5D. Sparkster still has his jetpack and sword, and must defeat his enemies while dodging dangerous obstacles and flying over deadly pits. The game will feature two main play modes. The normal mode will be for players who want to be able to finish at their own pace, and save their progress between sessions, while the arcade mode will be more like the original games in that there will be limited lives and no save games.
Following is a full list of this week’s announced North American releases:
PC
- Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer
- Heroes of Newerth
- Rocket Knight
Wii
- Chess Challenge!
- Dance Sensation!
- Junior League Sports
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations
DS
- 8 Ball All stars
- Chess Challenge!
- Earthworm Jim
- Flips: The Enchanted Wood
- Gamehits
- Monster Racers
- Photo Dojo
Xbox 360
- Lost Planet 2
- Rocket Knight
- Skate 3
- Things on Wheels
PS3
- 3D Dot Game Heroes
- Lost Planet 2
- Skate 3
PSP
- Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3
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