The hapless townsfolk have all hidden inside their homes, and the scared shopkeepers all flips their signs from open to close as the three gunmen approaches each other in front of the clock tower at high noon. That’s right. November is upon us once again. This week, we’re getting Call of Duty’s 2011 edition of Call of Duty. We’re also getting the sequel to Oblivion, and Nintendo releases a fairly unorthodox take on their mascot. In other words, we’re getting nothing but sequels this week. Unless you’re willing to look beyond the triple-A releases.

Remember. Release dates are quite literally made at the whims of the publisher.  The following are subject to change without any warning.

 

Releases To Watch For This Week

Oh I’m sorry. This is a MW2 screesho… or is it?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS)

Tuesday November 8, 2011
Somewhere down the line, some poet or famous literary figure will have to coin a new phrase somewhere along the lines of “Death and taxes and Call of Duty.” Modern Warfare 3 marks the sixth Call of Duty in six years for the Xbox 360. Thankfully much has changed since Call of Duty 2, but whether or not much has changed since the last one remains to be seen.

Normally, I’d start with the single player content, but who are we kidding. We’re talking about Call of Duty here. Let’s just skip that, and move on to the multiplayer. The biggest shake up to the Call of Duty multiplayer formula happens in the killstreak system. Sort of. First of all, they changed the name to Pointstreak because fulfilling objectives and assisting in kills also count towards a players Pointstreak. Second, MW3 gives you three types of Pointstreaks, or Strike Packages as it is called. Assault works exactly like before. Build up your Pointstreak, and you get some kickass very offensive oriented rewards like the Predator Missile, the Sentry Gun, and Attack Helicopter among others. Support works the same way, but their rewards tend to be of the support nature like the Counter UAV, a SAM Turret, and the Ballistic Vests, which can be distributed to your teammates giving them additional damage resistance. The Support Strike Package has the unique ability of retaining Poinstreaks after death bucking everything we know about how these streaks work. Specialists does away with these rewards altogether. Instead, every two points gives them an additional perk, selected before the match, on top of the standard three they already have. Get up to eight kills though, and you unlock all 15 perks. Can you imagine a guy with who can reload faster, scavenge weapons, take less explosive damage, become undectable by UAV, have an increased hip-fire accuracy, make no sound when walking or running, and then some? Good luck dealing with that guy.

On the new game mode front, two of them seems to be the most talked about. Kill Confirmed takes a page out of the Headhunter multiplayer variant from Halo: Reach. Namely, killing enemies doesn’t count until you pick up the dog tags that they leave behind. Unless of course a teammate of theirs picks it up before you do. Because every multiplayer mode must have Horde Mode now, Survival mode lets you and a your buddies hole up against waves of enemies, which include, and probably not limited to, regular soldiers with guns, attack choppers, and the dreaded Juggernaut. Thankfully, killing enemies gives you money, which gives you better guns, your own squad of AI controlled soldiers, and even air support.

Seriously. Nobody plays Call of Duty for the single player. If you must know if this brings an end to the Modern Warfare overarching storyline, then yes, it does. I’d tell you how, if I can even remember, or even care, how the storyline goes.

 

LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, 3DS, DS, PSP)

Friday November 11, 2011
Ever feel like the Harry Potter universe got kind of… depressing near the end? Nothing a little LEGO-ification can’t fix. Continuing LEGO’s marriage unto every popular franchise in existence, we’re still waiting for LEGO Pokemon by the way, LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7 retells the harrowing tale of Harry Potter versus puberty. Oh, and some evil wizards are involved somewhere in there as well. For the first time in the LEGO game series, LEGO Harry Potter’s Hogswart uses the open world structure instead of the linear levels of past LEGO games. Beyond that though, little has changed, which unfortunately might be reason enough for many to skip out on this title given the behemoth nature of the other releases coming out this week, but someone has to think of the children.

 

Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Sunday November 13, 2011
You young whippersnappers have probably never heard of Super Mario Land, and in this case you don’t need to. Despite the “Land” moniker, Super Mario 3D Land doesn’t hearken back to the Super Mario Land series that came out for Game Boy over 20 years ago (insert “I’m old” jokes here).

Despite being a full on 3D Mario platformer, Super Mario 3D Land feels more like your old school 2D platformer but expanded into 3D. First off, the design of each level tends to be very linear, which even Nintendo guru, Shigeru Miyamoto has pointed was by design to evoke classic 2D Mario in a video interview. Some Levels even has you traversing it from left to right all the way to flagpole which marks the end of the level a la the original Super Mario Bros. Second, the amount of throwbacks to Super Mario Bros. 3 almost makes me wonder why they didn’t just call this Super Mario Bros 3-2 Final Fantasy style (Maybe that would’ve been confusing or something.) From the leaf that puts Mario in a Tanooki (Although to be fair, the leaf in SMB3 gives Mario the raccoon suit.) all the way to the various airship levels that seems to have been sprinkled throughout the world all points to the developers desperately trying to make you pine for the good ol’ days of SMB3.

If all this feels like Super Mario 3D Land could also have been titled Mario: Nostalgia Edition, I’m pretty sure that was on purpose. For many young’uns out there, these nods will unfortunately be lost on them, but for them, Super Mario 3D Land should be ample proof to them that Mario is still the king of platformers in general if my playtime at PAX is any indication.

 

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Xbox 360, PS3)

Friday November 11, 2011
The open world RPG genre do have other players other than The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, but from the sound of it, Oblivion just ended up being all anybody cares about in this genre. That should explain the fervor behind its sequel The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Back in the lands of Tamriel, two hundred years have passed since Captain Picard got ganked in some dingy basement. Meaning, the events of Oblivion has become a distant memory. Besides, most people on Tamriel are more worried about the dragons popping up all over the place not to mention the prophecy of a dragon god destined to destroy the world unless some strapping hero who just happens to have been born with the ability to wield some of the powers of the dragon would come forth and stand against it. That would be your cue.

In Oblivion/Fallout 3 fashion, Skyrim plays in first person, and you’ll be able to wield weapons, magic, or both at the same time. Unlike Oblivion though, Skyrim takes place in the mountainous region of Skyrim. Instead of the green rolling hills before, the prevailing colors of Skyrim looks to be that of the white snow with the occasional brown earth. As for the skill system, every skill in the game can be improved by using said system. If you wish to be a dual wielding badass, just keep dual wielding, and that skill will level up. The same goes with the various magic types. Just use them often enough, and you’ll get better at them. Eventually, you get to unlock perks for that skill as well. For example, one such perk for bow and arrow lets you zoom-in and slow time while using the bow. Cool huh?

This being an open world RPG, Bethesda has gone to great pains and made even the cities tinker-able. A specific town’s food supply can be screwed over if you were to say burn a bunch of farms nearby. That goes double for the town’s supply of arrows or ingredients. Destroying nearby structures can actually affect a town significantly, so behave yourself while in town. Oddly enough, you don’t have to worry too much about killing random people though. A little thing called the Radiant Story system ensures that the side quests you come across isn’t tied to any specific person or place. Instead the game procedurally works with the current game state and somehow dish out the side quests to you somehow. It even tracks the stuff that you’re not doing in the game and offers up quests that pushes you towards that. I wonder how it works if you killed everybody in the world though?

As my little synopsis above points out, dragons will play a big role in Skyrim. Your character inherently can speak with dragons so long as they don’t try to kill you first that is. You can even shout something in the dragon’s tongue, which is basically dragon magic that has different effects like freezing targets. Eventually, you get access to a shout that can summon a dragon to aid you. You may want to keep that one handy when dealing with the various dragons that roams the world and can randomly engage you in a classic mano-a-dragon…o battle. Hope you got fireproof skin.

All in all, this week will truly divide people between those who want to be the best virtual marksman and those who want to beat up dragons. Both require hours upon hours of dedication, if my gameplay clock of 120 hours in Oblivion is any indication, and neither looks to come up short of its promise. Try not to burst a vein in thinking this out.

Honorable Mention

Cave Story 3D (3DS)

Tuesday November 8, 2011

If you need even more proof that the indie scene can indeed create a hit, Cave Story should be the poster boy of proof. Created entirely by Daisuke Amaya over the course of five years and released over the Internet in 2004 for the PC, Cave Story slowly gained popularity. In fact, it gained enough popularity to catch the attention of Nicalis, an independent game developer, who proceeded to work with Amaya to port it over to the WiiWare back in 2010. NIS also got in on the action as well with this 3D remake.

Starring an amnesiac boy who woke up in a cave, he stumbled upon a village of rabbit like people threatened by a maniacal scientist. In classic video game mode, the outsider becomes their only hope for salvation.

Cave Story plays out on a 2D plane despite the 3D makeover, and pays homage to classic 2D games like Super Metroid and Castlevania. So much so that you even have missiles and weapons that can be used to open new areas of the world. Cave Story also has a reputation for being rather difficult, which also fed into its popularity amongst the hardcore. If the 3D look feels distracting, Cave Story offers up Paper Mode, which switches the game’s look back to the classic game’s graphics.

The 2D platformer may not be the current hotness genre wise, and especially not this week, but for a game that manages to rise from such humble beginnings all the way to actual commercial release doesn’t happen everyday. Something about it has to be special enough that a game company, you know those heartless bastards who thinks of nothing but profit all day long, will actually take a chance with a commercial release. The only other explanation I can think of involves dark rituals and deals signed in blood.

 

Max and the Magic Marker (DS)

Tuesday November 8, 2011

Max and the Magic Marker may not have the same rise to popularity story like Cave Story did, but they both prove that the 2D platformer space still have room for success stories. Originally released for the WiiWare and PC, Magic Marker managed to gain just enough attention to warrant releases on other platforms including the PSN last week and on the IOS earlier this year. As for this week, we’re getting one for the DS.

In Max and the Magic Marker, Max came across a marker with the ability to bring to life whatever he draws. Unfortunately, the first thing he drew was a monster, and now it’s running amok in all of Max’s drawings. Max decided to draw himself into his drawings to stop the monster. You play as both picture Max and real life Max with his magic marker. As picture Max, you run and jump through over 50 levels, and as real life Max, the marker can be used to solve some environmental puzzles. For example, drawing a line will create solid platforms that picture Max can use to get around, but because of gravity, the platform must be drawn so that it doesn’t fall down and become useless to you. Time can be stopped temporarily giving you time to draw multiple objects before the physics of the world kicks in.

Why publishers decided that this week, of all 52 weeks in a year, is the best week to release a low profile indie game about some kid with a marker is beyond me. It almost feels like some sort of unresolved pathos on their behalf or something. Nevertheless if you absolutely can’t stand the other Triple-A releases coming this week, maybe a little detox with an indie 2D platformer will do you some good.

 

Raving Rabbids: Alive & Kicking (Xbox 360 Kinect)

Tuesday November 8, 2011
Hot damn, these guys don’t give up do they? After their stint on the Wii, the Rabbids look ready to take on the mini-game collection space that has opened up on the Xbox 360 all thanks to the Kinect. Just like before, the wacky Rabbids play host to a series of mini-games with the big focus being that the Rabbids will be right there alongside you through the magic of Kinect’s cameras. Some of these games include air guitar, dodging a spotlight, Whack a Mole with the Rabbids playing moles, and various others. Admittedly, the Rabbids popularity has cooled in the recent years, and coming out in such a blockbuster heavy week such as this one may not have been very smart of Ubisoft. But then again, counterprogramming tactics do work every now and again.

Coming This Week

Tuesday November 8, 2011

Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion XL (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii)

So you think the Powerpuff Girls can kick Ben 10’s ass? Thanks to Punch Time Explosion, you can prove it. This Super Smash Bros. wannabe features 26 of Cartoon Network’s pantheon of cartoon characters all dying to prove to you that they’re the most badass of them all. Happy punching.

Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey and Gallop Racer (PS3, Wii)

Ever feel like you could’ve been the world’s best horse racer if you weren’t just… you know, seven foot tall? You still could thanks to the magic of video games. Now get out there and make us proud.

Deepak Chopra’s Leela (Xbox 360 Kinect, Wii)

Fitness games want to see a skinnier gaming populace, but Deepak Chopra just wants you to be more, what’s the word, centered. That’s right, meet the first ever meditation video game. Obviously not a game, this mind-body wellness author just wants you to find inner serenity when you’re not headshotting fools. A noble undertaking mind you, but it still reeks of misplaced good intentions.

Happy Feet Two (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, 3DS, DS)

Dancing penguins. Dancing freakin’ penguins. An idea so robust that you can actually make two movies out of it and a game where your dancing skills plays an asset on top of the 3D brawler/platformer. Oh bother.

Jaws: Ultimate Predator (Wii, 3DS)

For people with shark phobias, ahem, Jaws: Ultimate Predator will either be therapeutic or an absolute nightmare. Like the PS2/Xbox game that came out five years ago, you play as the 25 foot terror of the seas itself on a killing spree around Amity Island. Happy hunting.

Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge (Xbox 360, PS3)

Is Jonah Lomu the Madden of Rugby? Is he an old, fat guy that commentates on Rugby games? Anyone out there even know who this guy is? Is this Rugby game really all that challenging? So many questions. So little explanations.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (Xbox 360, PS3)

Oh Metal Gear. How your overly chatty games have managed to capture the imagination of so many gamers kinda baffles the logical mind. Perhaps playing through 2, 3, and even the previously PSP exclusive Peace Walker might lend me some insight into this phenomena. Damn shame it doesn’t include the first one though.

Nickelodeon Dance (Xbox 360 Kinect, Wii)

Does everybody have to get in on the dance craze? You don’t see Call of Duty making a dance game out of that Ghost guy. Anyways, I hope you have fun dancing to the likes of Dora and Diego. I’ll stick with the slightly humanesque figures in Dance Central.

SpongeBob Surf and Skate Roadtrip (Xbox 360 Kinect, DS)

I never picked SpongeBob to be of the surfing and skateboarding type given how he lives under the sea and all that. But then again, the denizens of SpongeBob’s world can actually drown and all that, so who knows what logic these guys operate on.

The Black Eyed Peas Experience (Xbox 360 Kinect, Wii)

Poor Black Eyed Peas. I’m sure they were a little miffed when their songs don’t show up on Dance Central. What’s a music group to do when they can’t get their songs on a dancing game? Make your own dancing game with nothing but your own songs. That’s what!

Big League Sports (Xbox 360 Kinect)

Seriously, who knew the Kinect would actually be the new sport themed mini-game magnet that it is? Just because your mini-game collection includes the six most popular sports in the world doesn’t make you any better than hundreds of other sports themed mini-game collections out there. Congratulations Microsoft. You’ve successfully supplanted the Wii in this dubious honor.

Let’s Cheer! (Xbox 360 Kinect)

I knew that microphone in the Kinect would be trouble. In addition to being another dance games in the picle of Kinect dance games, obviously themed to cheeleading, Let’s Cheer! will also judge your “team spirit” through your chants. Now your neighbors will definitely know exactly when you’re doing your little routines. Please be courteous to your neighbors and supply them with ear plugs.

Self-Defense Training Camp (Xbox 360 Kinect)

Finally! An exercise game whose conceit I can actually get behind. As the name implies, Self-Defense Training Camp actually teaches some real life self defense techniques like a flat palm to an attacker’s nose. These techniques are interspersed between other more exercise focused moves and even includes meditative forms of exercise meant to help the user learn to stay calm under duress. Not bad.

Sledge Hammer (Xbox 360)

Because monster trucks desperately need their own Mario Kart clone, we get Sledge Hammer. Here you race monster trucks complete with weapons to blast other monster trucks off the road because big giant monster trucks aren’t weapons themselves.

Winter Stars (Xbox 360 Kinect, PS3, Wii)

One mention of your peripheral being even remotely attractive to the family crowd and everyone jumps in to make mini-game collections for it. Here we’ve got yet another collection of sports turned into a mini-game. This one goes the winter route with sports like ski jumping, paraskiing, snowboarding, figure skating, and even curling in addition to six others. Snow jackets not included.

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 (Xbox 360 Kinect)

About two years ago I bet you, my fellow readers, that this fitness series that started on the Wii and comes with a camera attachment will jump ship onto the Kinect. Pay up. As for what’s new, 2012 now includes ground exercises like push ups and crunches on top of UI improvements. Seriously though, I take checks.

Heavy Rain (Director’s Cut) (PS3)

Think of it as the Game of the Year edition of Heavy Rain, the adventure game that came out last year. On top of Heavy Rain itself, you also get the The Taxidermist DLC, a bunch of “Making of” videos, the soundtrack, and some other extra stuff. An actual umbrella or something would’ve been a nice extra, but no dice.

The Kore Gang (Wii)

How a low budget game that looks as ugly as The Kore Gang manages to get approved and shoved out the door sort of boggles the mind. Even the slightly interesting premise of a cybernetic suit that transforms to match the strength the current pilot, of whom there are three including a dog, looks rather wasted in here. If you must have a wacky adventure starring three disparate characters, try Trine.

Outdoors Unleashed: Alaska 3D (3DS), Outdoors Unleashed: Africa 3D (3DS)

Pick your poison folks. Do you want to hunt game in Africa or Alaska?

Puppies 3D (3DS)

Another Puppy simulator? The pet simulator genre must really be on life support right now to warrant another one of these.

Bakugan: Rise of the Resistance (DS)

Huh. Here’s an odd one. This RPG, based off the kids line of transforming action figures with probably a cartoon to back it up, has a pretty strange combat system. Namely, every time you fight someone, you do so through a game of tower defense with your Bakugan as the on-screen avatar that goes around building towers and even act as its own portable tower. It actually looks kind of… interesting.

DaGeDar (DS)

You know you have yourselves some really lazy guys in R&D when they best they can come up with is balls with crappy art painted on it. Or is it actually sheer genius? Whatever the case maybe, a 2D racing game surrounding said ugly ass balls couldn’t have come from anywhere else but the marketing team of said balls. I shudder to think of the day a marketing team actually learns to make a video game by themselves.

Wappy Dog (DS)

So the game industry do realize the absurdity of virtual pets, but how do they resolve this? By including a robot dog that communicates with your DS in this pet simulator. Bad game industry! Bad, Bad!

 

Late to the Party

• Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town! (Wii) 11/8/2011
• Heavy Fire: Afghanistan (Wii), Heavy Fire: The Chosen Few (3DS) 11/8/2011
• Michael Jackson: The Experience (3DS) 11/8/2011
• Pac-Man Party 3D (3DS) 11/8/2011
• Cars 2 (PSP) 11/1/2011

 

Send help… buried under pile of new releases… running out of air… sock starting to smell… plastic fumes… overwhelming senses…

 

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