I love the lull of December. How there isn’t that many games to write about. How it gives me time to play catch up, however futile that attempt might be. That said, this December has been the weirdest one to date. This is the second week now that something of note is actually coming out, depending on how you want to look at it that is.

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

The Walking Dead (Xbox 360, PS3)

Tuesday December 11, 2012

One day, you wake up and the world has gone down the crapper. The dead roam the streets, outnumbering the living. Would you know what to do? Would you know who to trust? Who to save? When to chop a dude’s leg off with a fireaxe? These are all very important questions that you need to be prepared for before the occasion lest you be zombie food. What better way to do it than from an interactive media like a video game. Like Telltale’s adventure game The Walking Dead.

Let the tale of Lee Everett, a convicted criminal who wakes up into this zombie infested world, be your guide as he bashes the heads of a bunch of zombies while navigating the social circle of a group of survivors. Originally, his tale was told in five separate episodes with about two months in between episodes. Lucky for you, Telltale has compiled all five episodes into one disc so you don’t have to wait too long to find out what happens next, although from what I hear, you really don’t want to know what happens next.

Most would pigeonhole The Walking Dead game as a point and click adventure game where the pointing and clicking tend to be time sensitive, but the non-existent genre, interactive TV show probably fits the bill better. Every so often, you have to make choices for Lee, and these choices play a huge role in what other characters think of you, which can have consequences down the road. These choices may not have an immediate effect to the story, but suddenly zombies have broken through your barriers and managed to get a hold of two other survivors. Who do you choose to save? The guy you disliked but might be useful down the road, or the chick you’ve taken a liking to but so far have been deadweight for the group? Decide quickly before you lose both. Did I mention that inaction is a choice too?

Originally, this game was scheduled to come out last week, but at the very last minute, it was pushed back to this week. So what happened? Shipping mix-up? Maybe. Last minute polish? With only a week and without telling anyone about it until the last minute, unlikely. Winning Game of the Year from the VGAs last Friday? Coincidence? I think not.

 

Coming This Week

Tuesday December 11, 2012

007 Legends (Wii U)

Turns out I haven’t gotten around to writing about this game yet. Woe is me. 007 Legends came out for the other HD consoles back in October 16th . . . straight into the gaping maws of critics garnering a Metacritic score of 45 (Of the 49 reviews gathered, 32 of which are below 45). Once again trying to capture the magic that was Goldeneye on the N64, this first person shooter tries to tie together six classic James Bond movies into one overarching story, so somehow, Goldfinger’s plot magically ties in with the North Korean guy pretending to be a white guy’s plot to lead North Korea to utter domination of South Korea with a laser gun from space. And also, all the Bonds are Daniel Craig. If IGN is willing to call this “an abhorrent ‘tribute’ to the history of (James Bond),” I can only imagine what the rest of us would call it.

Boulder Dash-XL 3D (3DS)

If there’s a better way to use the 3DS’s stereoscopic upper screen other than to make a two-dimensional puzzle game staring Ultraman junior collecting gems in a mine full of deadly falling boulders, please send your suggestions to the publisher Solutions 2 Go, who thought the world deserves a retail 2D puzzle game in unnecessary 3-D.

Top Trumps NBA All Stars (3DS)

When you can’t make a game with realistic graphics and HD sweat, you’ve got one option. Sim it! Top Trumps NBA All Stars takes the simple game of basketball and reduces it to a game of cards. In case you’re wondering how this game is played, ever played War with playing cards? Congratulations! You’ve played Top Trumps.

 

Late to the Party

• Jeopardy (Wii U) 12/14/2012
• Wheel of Fortune (Wii U) 12/14/2012
• Firefighter 3D (3DS) 12/14/2012
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 (3DS) 12/14/2012