Last week Nintendo brought 50 tons of sand to New York City’s Times Square to turn the famed Military Island into Wuhu island, the setting for their next big Wii game, “Wii Sports Resort.” While it wasn’t exactly like staying at a tropical resort, they had all their bases covered; steel drums, tropical drinks, a pool (albeit very small), and lots of screens to play the game on. While we were there Sir-G had a chance to speak with the Nintendo Treehouse’s Bill Trinen about what the expect from “Wii Sports Resort,” what game him and the rest of the crew in the Treehouse are playing, and what non-Nintendo game he’s playing. Unfortunately, he remained tight lipped about if he ever managed to avenge his loss to Reggie at E3 in “Wii Sports Resorts”’s the 3-point shootout. The truth will come out someday.

“Def Jam Rapstar” is going to be big. At first glance it may just appear to be another music game, just with hip-hop instead of rock music, but it’s really a whole lot more. “Rapstar” may take a few ideas from fellow rhythm game “SingStar,” but, the thing is, there’s an inherent level of competition built into hip-hop, that is going to work exceptionally well in video game form. Add to that the very well designed online community centered around uploading performance videos from the game, and “Rapstar” ends up being one of the most unique (and fun) rhythm games to hit the stores in a long time. Yeah … the kids are gonna love this one.

There were bundles of goodness at the EA event last week in New York City, and today we bring you one of those bundles – a first look at the re-vamped “Madden NFL 10″ for the Wii. This year’s version sports an all new visual style, differentiating the Wii version from it’s PS2 brethren of past years. It reminds me of the glory days of “NFL Blitz,” but this isn’t an arcade experience, as you get your full “Madden” simulation complete with a couple of distinct nuances that EA thinks will make this title a must have. EA is focusing a lot of their development on the Wii this year, and its looking like it’s well worth it. Check out this interview for what to expect.

Davedagamer checked out the newest Harry Potter game last week at EA’s preview event in NYC. He had a chance to see what the boy-wizard Harry Potter was up to in his latest movie and book based game, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” which is coming out for pretty much every system possible. Check out what Dave found out about the game from its lead designer, and what you can expect to do on this trip to Hogwarts, when the game is released at the end of June.

The fine folks over at IGN Nintendo managed to get an updated hands on with the new Dead Space incarnation for the Wii. I really enjoyed the original game on Xbox 360 and feel it is better than RE 5 in so many ways. The last time I gripped a controller with fright was in RE 4. The guys over at EA nailed everything that makes a horror game good. That’s why I am looking forward to this prequel of sorts for the Wii. And the fact that it’s an on rails shooter is something I don’t mind since the first game is still fresh on the market. From the video, one can definitely see that they have managed to some how pull of visuals almost close to what was on the Xbox and PS3 versions of Dead Space. That will make any fan of the game a happy camper. EA promises some new and interesting gameplay mechanics to add to the game to set it apart from the other version as well as retaining all that made the game good and scary. Either way, after seeing some new gameplay, I am pretty convinced this will be a good addition to what looks to become a very good franchise.

The original “Tenchu,” way back in 1998, was an influential step towards what the stealth genre has become today. While it may not have been as innovative as other titles, like “Metal Gear Solid,” it created an engrossing stealth experience on par with that of franchises with much larger budgets. Sadly, after the original, the franchise fell into the hands of different developers, and over time have strayed further away from what the core “Tenchu” experience was all about. “Tenchu: Shadow Assassins” does away with that trend and finally falls back into the hands of original developers Acquire, and the result is a thrilling journey through the “Tenchu” universe that brings back memories of the series roots.

“Shadow Assassins” has players taking the role of Rikimuru and Ayane, both of which have graced the “Tenchu” universe before. The game takes takes place in feudal Japan and has the two protagonists working for Lord Gohda, and taking upon them whatever tasks he needs of them. When Lord Gohda’s daughter is kidnapped, hell breaks loose within the Gohda dynasty, and he sends the two out to find his daughter and get to the bottom of the kidnapping.

The game, surprisingly, controls very similar to that of “Resident Evil.” Your character has many cool moves at his/her disposal, but does control like a tank. On the PSP this can become a problem, as the consoles nub can sometimes hinder your character’s already rigid movements, but it’s not something that will detract from the overall experience. Stealth is the name of the game here, and you will spend the majority of your time lurking in the shadows, darting from shrub to shrub, and slowly progressing through the water, all while looking for an advantageous position to quickly end your opponents life. Once you sneak up behind an enemy you’re given the option to dispose of them in four different ways, depending on which direction on the analog nub you press. The executions are sleek and satisfying, but it is somewhat disappointing that you aren’t given more options for extermination. There are environmental kills to mix things up a little, such as dragging enemies under water, or jamming them into a barrel, but for the majority of the time, you will be limited to four methods of disposal. Most levels have you offing a General or warlord that differs from a normal lackey at the end of your mission. The game truly stands out here as it usually offers interesting, unorthodox ways of taking out bosses using methods that you aren’t always able to do. For instance, one mission has you sneaking past a room of guards, going up in the rafters, and disposing of a warlord in the middle of the room. The warlord’s armor allows him protection from normal attacks from behind, which forces you to jump off of a ceiling beam and deliver justice from above. Another mission has you sneaking into a kitchen of sorts to poison the drink of an opposing Emperor. “Tenchu’s” constant assault of sneaking and killing can get repetitive, but if you have a keen eye, you will find more interesting ways to dispose of your enemies, other then the four main attacks.

The music in “Tenchu” is fantastic, and it’s so good that some fans may even want to look for the soundtrack outside of hearing the music strictly in game. While it may be argued that the English being spoken within the heart of Japan takes away from the story, the voice acting is still great, and really goes a long way to compliment a story that’s engaging and, at times, surprising. The graphics deliver as well, and look fantastic for a PSP game.

“Tenchu: Shadow Assasins” is a great step in the right direction for a series that has lacked the right direction for so long. You will, ultimately, get out of the game what you put into it. The game’s ten missions can be completed within 10 – 12 hours on your first playthrough. If you know the direct routes, and enemy walking patterns, you could finish much quicker, but there is a sufficient amount of content available. There are also 50 quick challenge missions for added replayability. Overall, it just great to see the “Tenchu” franchise finally go back to what worked for it so long ago. In an age where originality is consistently craved, going back to one’s roots is quite a risk. For the “Tenchu” franchise, “Shadow Assassins”’s a risk that has payed off.

[Rating: 4/5]

“Tenchu: Shadow Assassins” was released for the PSP on March 24th, 2009. A Wii version was also released on February 5th, 2009, but this review is based on the PSP version.

Alright, I had to cover this story since I live in Wisconsin and I’m a glutton for punishment (read: Brewers fan). Price Fielder, 1st baseman, and slugger extraordinaire for the Milwaukee Brewers is going to grace the cover of 2K Sports’ “The BIGS 2.” While I’m not that biggest fan of baseball games, or most sports games for that matter, I did play “The BIGS,” and it was a hell of a lot of fun. Since my boy is on the cover this year, I may have to go out and pick up a copy. Also the Brewers probably won’t be as good in next season’s baseball games as they are in this year’s.

Anyways, the game is currently set for release this summer, and will most likely see a Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii version. Go check it out TGH’ers. Fielder is the man, after all, just look at that face. If Fielder wasn’t enough for all you baseball fans, legends like Reggie Jackson, Wade Boggs and Roberto Clemente are all set to make appearances as well. Check out the trailer for 2K Sports’ “The BIGS 2″ below.

Craig’s List is a bastion of interesting … stuff. While my insomnia was inspiring me to peruse NYC’s video game related job openings I came across this casting call that some old-school Nintendo fans might find particularly interesting. If you ever thought, “Damn, I’d make a good Piston Honda” I may have found just the thing for you.

“EDP Casting is currently looking for Real People to portray characters from the classic video game “PUNCH-OUT!!”

And here’s the particulars of what they are looking for in real life “Punch-Out!” characters:

PISTON HONDA - Asian guy, preferably Japanese, late twenties to mid thirties. In good physical shape. In your submission please list your ethnicity, i.e. Chinese, Korean, etc. and please state if you have any martial arts or kick boxing experience.

KING HIPPO - Heavy set, bald, Polynesian, Samoan, Pacific Islander or Caucasian guy. 30 to mid forties

LITTLE MAC – Caucasian, 18 – 25yrs old NY native. 5″9 and under with dark hair. Real fire in his eye, young boxer type. In good physical shape. Please list in your submission if you have any boxing experience.

GREAT TIGER – Indian, Pakistani, Middle Eastern, late twenties to late thirties, fighter type. In good physical shape.

If you fit any of these descriptions, and live in the NYC area, then the opportunity for your 15 minutes of fame may be knocking at your door.

A few questions remain though … is this contracted by Nintendo for their upcoming “Punch-Out!” release or is it an outside company doing something completely unrelated? Will the new game include full motion video (which would be completely awesome)? What about Bald Bull, Soda Pop Pinski, and Doc? And, of course, what about Iron Mike?

With the endless sea of sequels and generic rehashes the video game industry is saturated with, it’s a nice change of pace to see a small developer, taken under the wing of Sega, to produce a truly unique experience. With its Frank Miller signature look, barrage of pop cultural references, and ridiculous amount of unrealistic violence, this breath of fresh air will infamously be known as “MadWorld.” This short but fun beat ‘em up is developed by Platinum Games (made up of the key members of the team that formerly worked for the creative powerhouse Clover Studios), and, depending on what type of person you are, you might either love it or hate it.

The first thing worth talking about, because it’s the first thing you’ll notice about “MadWorld,” is the graphics. As you can tell by looking at any trailer or screenshot, there is a heavy influence from comic books, with Sin City stylistically leading the pack. Does it work? Yes. The characters and environments are so stylized due to the black and white look that you can easily tell things apart. One aspect that helps makes the graphics work even further is as you progress through a level, you’ll notice that many objects tend to say indefinitely. For example, that guy you slammed into the Rose Bud (spikes on the wall) with a sign through his head? He’s still there. The sight of an empty level transforming into a wallpaper of corpses would bring a smile to those with the right sense of humor. As a nice little bonus, surprisingly, unlike most Wii games, “MadWorld” doesn’t look terrible on a HDTV.

The game doesn’t play like your typical beat ‘em up; instead of going from start to finish, dispatching morons along in the way, most of the levels allow you to explore one big area. As you begin to scout around the level, you’ll learn where the environmental hazards are, such as flaming barrels and firecrackers, while picking up all sorts of goodies such as spiked bats to extra lives. The purpose of most of these levels is to get a certain amount of points to unlock the access to the boss. In order to get the points that you so desperately need, you have to kill people, but you need do it in creative ways in order to get the big numbers.

Let’s just take a look at one scenario. The setting is an area in the subway, and the victims are typical punks. You meet one, punch him a few times to stun him, and a get few extra points. While he is stunned, you grab a nearby tire and slam him with that making him immobile, and scoring a few more points. Taking advantage of his new disability, you grab the nearest caution sign and implant it into his skull, yup, more points. Defying medical science, he is somehow still alive, so you decide to beat the bastard even more until he is finally in his “death state,” where you properly pick him up and begin to spin, heading into your finisher. After building momentum, you toss the poor bitch into an oncoming spike-filled subway. Congratulations, you just scored a huge combo.

If you laughed at the last paragraph, you’re the target audience for this game. If you didn’t, stop reading.

For those of you that are still here, this is the type of insanity you can expect from “MadWorld.” But the theme doesn’t stop with just punks; you’ll get to kill ninjas, robots, aliens, werewolves, and zombies. Each new area offers different environmental hazards, weapons, and enemies to play with. Besides the usual “big area to explore and kill,” some levels follow a more linear and traditional style beat ‘em up layout, with the least impressive type being the motorcycle levels. Fortunately, they don’t overstay their 2-minute welcome.

Each level also has a Blood Bath Challenge, a sort of ultra-violent minigame. The most well-known of these challenges are the heavily covered Man Darts. Fortunately, there are other ones, offering up even more creative ways to kill punks, such as the Death Press (where you throw a poor sap into a certain area only to be crushed by spikes), or the Money Shot (where you stuff poor bastards with carbonated soda so he’ll fly to at a target on a giant woman-shaped cutout). These Blood Baths can end up being a little repetitive sometimes, but they are often no longer than two minutes.

Due to the nature of the beat ‘em up genre, “MadWorld” is a repetitive game. You’ll be following the same motions throughout all the stages, just interacting with different objects along the way; instead of a sign, you use a candlestick, or instead of tire, it’ll be a giant model planet. While it is a repetitive game, it is no more repetitive than other great games like “Double Dragon,” ‘Mega Man,” “Metal Slug,” or “Contra” which are considered classics. The reason “MadWorld” holds up is that these executions and kills are extremely quick, so even though you are constantly throwing guys into spinning blades over and over again, it’s all done in a few seconds. That, and, for some reason, it’s endlessly enjoyable to watch a ninja get tossed into a spike. However, if you the type that expects the game to change dramatically every few minutes, or can’t stand the idea of perfecting the mechanics, it may be best for you to avoid this one.

Since this is on a Wii, the use waggling controls (A.K.A. “innovation”) takes place instead of the ancient art of button mashing. After much playing time, I have only one thing to say: it works. I would even go so far as to compare the controls to “Mario Galaxy.” They’re very simple, and easy to understand. You press buttons to do the basic moves, such as punches, use the chainsaw, and jump. To do your defensive back flip, you just shake the nunchuk. To do the stronger attacks, you have to move the Wii remote. The controls are responsive and don’t give you any hassle, which is a pleasant break from most Wii games. The only time where you need to do specific gestures is during the quicktime events (yes, they’re here), but they only occur when you’re being held, when you are executing someone, or during boss battles. While many gamers moan about QTE, they’re kept quite brief in “MadWorld.”

Speaking of brief, the boss battles in “MadWorld” are ultimately disappointing. The bosses themselves have great presentation, showing off a fun character design, with decent writing behind them, but they don’t last long. They all follow nearly the same type of attack patterns you’d expect from a 16-bit game. These battles tend to be a mix of free form and QTE, with QTE often being a gamble, since, if you screw up, you are going to end up losing a lot of health, instead of the boss.

But the QTE and the boss battles aren’t the only things that are brief; “MadWorld” is very short. The game will take you around 5-6 hours on Normal difficulty, and each stage has a 30 minute time limit. This was a bit disappointing, because they could’ve added a lot more themes to explore and weird enemies to fight had they extended the length of the game.

In its defense though, the storyline is perfect for the genre. The main plot is very similar to Running Man, where the main protagonist, Jack, must survive a deadly game show. At first glance, you’d think “Madworld” barely has a plot but as game progresses, things definitely change a little enough to grab you. It is well paced, there are plenty of plot twists, and the dialog is great. I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say it is more than what the trailers want you to believe and Jack isn’t just there to become the best.

What would make you go back into the game after beating it? There is a new difficulty setting unlocked called “Hard” and, as a veteran gamer, I can safely say that the word is very accurate. Unlike the Normal setting, you do not have lives to help you continue on with the level (although you can score some while exploring). The enemies are much more aggressive, defend more often, and the damage is much higher than normal. You’ll need to pay attention and understand the game inside and out before jumping in. To further emphasize on the difficulty: The first level’s boss, Little Eddie, killed me in 3 hits. Remember, you only have one life.

What’s even more disappointing than the short length of the game is the miss opportunity of online potential. There are no online leaderboards, there are no online Blood Bath Challenges. In fact, there is nothing online. Even “Ninja Gaiden,” a single player game, had online leaderboards and the sequel offered downloadable replays. This would’ve been the perfect addition to a game like “MadWorld” and considering this is published by arcade expert Sega, it’s a shock that these features were excluded. The only sign of multiplayer is a series of local, split-screen Blood Bath Challenges, which are fun, but not enough in this day and age.

While “MadWorld” could stand to learn a few things from some of the other games on today’s market, those same games could stand to learn a few things from “Madworld.” Well composed music and good voice acting head up that list. Besides the graphics, the gore, the unique take on the genre, the audio in this game is incredible. The music has a hip-hop flair, but it suites the game very well. It matches the tempo and odd nature of the surroundings. The voice acting is also top notch, as each character definitely has their own personality and do not degrade themselves into crappy sound bytes.

The stars of the voice work are the two narrators of “MadWorld.” Voiced by John DiMaggio and Greg Proops, “MadWorld” is the perfect platform to showcase some awesome voice over talent, and prove that that these two guys need to be in more video games. Listening to these two babble about their cheating wives, masturbation, or their messed up childhoods, was wildly entertaining and there is no hint that they were forced to do this; it all comes out naturally because of the great chemistry between the two. Their only flaw was that they don’t have enough lines. Yes, it is repetitive, as the number of lines for a certain event can literally be counted on one hand, so why weren’t they forced to spout off even more crazy shit and pop cultural references?

Since we are on the topic of references, I’m sure that the fans of “God Hand” and Sega are curious to see if “MadWorld” contains any of them. Although I wasn’t actively looking for them, I’ve managed to spot two. For “God Hand,” one of the bosses gets her ass spanked, and for Sega, there is an F-14 Tomcat environmental hazard called the “Afterburner.” Throughout the game, there are more references, such as the Matrix when you pick up a health pill, and they are all delivered very well. You’re not only going to laugh at the violence, but what is happening in the game as well. You’ll even want to watch the ending credits.

After digesting this long review, it’s quite hard to judge “MadWorld.” On the pro side, it is one of the most unique beat ‘em ups with an incredible comic book look which is complimented by great writing. On the con side, there isn’t a whole lot of content outside of the short storyline; this is as bare bones as you can get for an acceptable modern game. The question remains: Is “MadWorld” for you? As I said before, if you enjoy short arcade-style games like “Contra” or “Metal Slug” and didn’t mind paying the full price for a Wii game, then go get it. But if you’re the type that wants a ton of different game modes, options, and online play, this may be more of a rental.

[Rating: 4/5]

I will admit that I am not much of a sports fan, but “Punch-Out!!” was always one of my favorite games. It felt more like a video game were you had to fight end bosses, as opposed to a game emulating a real life sport. After looking at these videos and reading IGN’s hands on article, I am even more excited for this new entry in the long-running franchise. Check out the videos below at what looks to be a return to glory for Little Mac. On another note… I love the animations on the characters when they get hit… especially Glass Joe’s stumbling reaction. LOL!