Here’s what’s been happening in the gaming world the last two days.
http://www.2ksports.com/swf/Player.swf?id=195
Yesterday, I sat down with the folks from 2K Sports and played a bit of MLB 2K9. It pretty much rocked my face off and I’m not a big fan of baseball games. The pitching mechanics have been reworked and you no longer have to deal with the 3-step process of pitching. Use the left stick to aim and follow the diagram on your screen for a different pitch using the right stick. No more meatballs if you screw up the process. If you insist on using the old style then you change it in settings. The swinging mechanics have also changed and for the better IMO.
The trading card system is pretty cool and now you can earn opposing players cards by completing certain tasks. Basically, you don’t have to switch teams just to earn other player’s cards. Living Rosters is also present on MLB, so stats and major changes in the league are updated within 24 hours. It’s all gravy.
The demo is out now for Xbox 360 and it’s hitting the PlayStation Network Store tomorrow. It hits retailers on March 3.
THQ’s 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand starting shipping yesterday and reviews so far seem pretty decent. It’s averaging a 7 or 8 out of the 10. You might want to Gamefly it before buying, though. You can play with Curtis Jackson himself on March 1. Check here for details.
Atari’s The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena has been dated for an April 7th launch and the demo should be hitting both Live and the PlayStation Store next month.
Square Enix’s Star Ocean: The Last Hope was released yesterday for Xbox 360. If you were into the first one then you’ll probably try this one out, too. I never played, so does anyone want to fill me in?
Everyone’s favorite video game fantasy girl got herself a special DLC for Xbox 360 yesterday. The Beneath the Ashes pack for Tomb Raider: Underworld is going for 800 MS points.
Offering a new adventure specifically designed to extend the Tomb Raider: Underworld™ experience, Tomb Raider: Underworld™ – Beneath the Ashes sends Lara back to the remains of Croft Manor where she uncovers a massive series of never-before-seen caverns and age old crypts used by her father to protect and hide a deadly source of power. In addition to an entirely new area to explore, the pack will also contain six new costumes and deliver an additional 125 achievement points.
A second DLC, Lara’s Shadow, will be out sometime next month.
Don’t worry Wii owners, I didn’t forget about you. Capcom started shipping Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop yesterday. Now you can flail around while killing the undead. Sweet.
Rockstar just announced the South Central DLC for Midnight Club: LA on Xbox 360 and PS3. So there’s two actual expansion packs here. The Free South Central Map expansion includes four new neighborhoods increasing the total map size by a third. The premium South Central pack includes new whips, parts, music, vinyls, hydraulics and some other stuff. That will be $10 for PS3 and 800 MS points for the 360.
South Central Premium Upgrade features:
· Nine new vehicles:
Luxury: 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG “Black”
SUV: 2008 Range Rover Supercharged, 2008 Range Rover Sport Super Charged
Lowrider: 1955 Chevy Bel Air, 1963 Buick Riviera, 1964 Chevy Impala, 1965 Chevy Malibu
Muscle: 1970 Chevy Chevelle, 1966 Pontiac GTO· 26 new races
· 12 new battle maps
· 10 new delivery missions
· 100+ new red light races
· New rims
· New body kits for each new car
· New vinyl pre-sets
· Hydraulics/Airbags unlocked on all new cars
· New music
· Price: $9.99 for PLAYSTATION 3 and 800 MS points for Xbox 360
And I think that about wraps it for today.