Pac-Man CE DX is utter insanity!

Not sure if you guys and girls have heard of Namco's most recent downloadable release, Pac-Man CE DX. If not, it's pretty freakin' incredible.

The game mixes up the format quite a bit; As Pac-Man passes sleeping ghosts, they awaken and follow him in a snake-like fashion. As you navigate through each grid, you'll collect pellets and fruit pieces to unlock new grid sections. Once your trail of ghosts gets long enough, gobble up a power pellet and each the entire row in one foul swoop.

The gameplay is insanely addictive, so much so I've been playing nonstop. The above video is my personal playtime, and current high-score. Can you do better? Let me know!

Obama, Bush and Palin join NBA JAM roster

The NBA Jam series has never been a stranger to hosting celebrity players mingling with the game's impressive list of NBA talent. Since the Jam franchise hasn't seen a release this decade, EA Sports knew they needed to add some current newsworthy heavy hitters to the mix.

The company has announced a whopping list containing just some of the special celebrity and political figures featured in the game; George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, John McCain, Sarah Palin, The Beastie Boys.

Not a bad list, eh? Discover all these and many more in NBA Jam, on sale today for Wii and later this holiday for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Vooks

Sonic 4: Mad Gear Zone trailer

SEGA is revealing more and more of the ever-alluring retro goodness that is Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. The game, set for a staggered console release starting October 11th on WiiWare, is looking better and better by the day.

Check out the latest gameplay trailer, featuring the game's Mad Gear Zone. No relation to the Mad Gear of Final Fight fame. Enjoy!

Eye Pet Review

Monkey around with Move.

Cats, dogs, dolphins... unicorns. You name an animal (real or not) and odds are there is a pet sim for it. But until Platypus Wrangler is released, Sony has put together what may be the most immersive pet sims to date.

I speak of course, of EyePet.

*Warning: Real pets will be jealous of how much attention you give the EyePet.*

EyePet is one off Sony's brand new PlayStation Move titles. The Move control scheme allows PS3 gamers motion controls using the Move controller and the EyeToy (the PS3's USB camera) to track player movements. This new level of interactivity allows you to... well... interact, with the EyePet.

The EyePet itself is nothing short of adorable. It's a small, fluffy, simian creature that will steal the thunder of real household pets everywhere (for a time). It coos, purrs, yips, laughs, and responds to player stimulus. And you can customize it from fir (or feather) length and color to adorable outfits. But how does it work?

Pimp your EyePet.

Unlike other Move titles (which only use the EyeToy to track the controller) EyePet uses the camera to show players on their TV screen. The EyePet itself is then layered over the screen image, making it look like the little scamp is in your living room (or whatever room you are playing in). The effect is nothing short of charming, but there are a few catches.

One hurdle in the EyePet experience is the setup. Before being introduced to your Pet you have to watch a tutorial on how to rearrange your room for playing. In a nutshell, you need to clear the room of any clutter (toys, coffee tables, etc.), achieve mid-level lighting, and place your EyeToy about knee high off the floor.

It's not a huge inconvenience, but if you had to move a couch everytime you wanted to play Call of Duty it would dampen the experience a smidge.

Another obstacle is the video quality of the EyeToy itself. If you watch an EyePet commercial you'll notice that it's shot in HD, showing a pristine clarity between players and their EyePets. This illusion sadly isn't replicated in-game. The EyeToy is a USB camera after all, and its grainy footage clashes with the digital bliss of the EyePet itself.

I don't know what camera they're using, but it's not an EyeToy.

Interior decorating and oversold camera quality aside, there's a lot to like about EyePet. For starters, the Pet itself repsonds to all kinds of stimulus. Clap and it looks to you. Wiggle your fingers on the floor and it will pounce. Reach out to pet it and you can see its fur respond accordingly to your carresses.

Let me put it like this. At one point I was petting my EyePet slowly trying to get it to go take a nap. My dog Gucci saw me making pat motions to the air and came over to investigate. As soon as Gucci entered the frame my EyePet became startled and quickly jumped out of Gucci's way. That's some impressive tech.

Another level of immersion comes from the use of the Move controller. Selecting a toy like the glove and ball replaces the controller (as it appears on the screen) into said toy. So on-screen, it looks like the player is actually holding a cartoon baseball glove. It may not sound impressive, but seeing it in action sparks your imagination regarding the potential of Move.

The EyeToy does more than put players on the screen too. For example, players can teach their Pets to draw in one of two ways. You can draw on the screen with the Move controller OR you can actually draw on a piece of paper, hold it up to the EyeToy, and watch as your pet attempts to replicate your art. I know it's a simple scan process, but the sense of immersion is pretty awesome.

And that's just a piece of the pie. You can draw things like simple cars, which turn into in-game items after your pet draws them too. Draw a car, your pet copies it, then you can drive it around and watch your Pet chase it. It's no Gran Turismo, but again the tech is impressive.

To progress through the game you need to complete the Pet Program. The program gives you 4 objectives to complete a day over the course of 15 days. These can be sports challenges (like knocking down a set number of pins in bowling) or photo challenges (taking a pic of your pet doing a specified activity).

Helping your EyePet hatch is a pretty magical moment.

As you progress you'll also need to do other pet related tasks. Bathing, feeding, and medical check ups are routine and make use of the Move controller. When bathing your furry friend, the Move controller can be a water hose, a shampoo bottle, and a hair dryer. Sure these tasks become a little tedious, but the cuteness and adoration of your EyePet as you clean its stink away make it all worth it.

Tying this whole package together is a tutorial character known as The Professor. Giving regular updates in his worst Doc Brown impression, The Professor is a tough pill to swallow. Kids may appreciate his corny humor as he walks them through the game's various functions, but as an adult gamer (one who LOVES SpongeBob mind you) the frequent input from The Professor was annoying. Luckily, his presence diminishes as you progress through the game.

The Game (7/10)
EyePet works on two levels, as a pet sim and a tech demo. Moreso as a tech demo. The Pet is a real charmer but sadly, after a week it seems to go the way of the Tamagatchi. It's hard to come home everyday and stress over feeding your EyePet when you're real pet needs some TLC.

I put EyePet to the test and let my 4 year old nephew take a turn. In two minutes he was over the wonderment of being on the TV screen and the cuteness of the Pet, proceeding to try and hit it with the controller. Granted the opinions of a 25 year old and a 4 year old make for a weak demographic study sample, but I'm a 10 year old at heart.

The Time (8/10)
EyePet can be knocked out easily in a week, faster if you don't mind piddling with your PS3's internal clock. And the daily tasks of Pet maintenance don't eat up a lot of time either... in theory. Sometimes you'll jump into the game for a quick feeding and you'll see that you're pet needs a bath, or a checkup, or wants to play, or all of the above. At that point the pick up and play factor takes a backseat to human emotions.

The Verdict
The gist? EyePet is a functioning and immersive pet sim, but the wow factor has about a week of longevity. My time with my EyePet has me excited for the possibilities of Move. But other than as a showpiece to friends I don't plan playing through the Pet Program again anytime soon.

I remember when all my friends had Tamagotchis and I had to have one. It (who I named Iggy) was super cool for like a week and then I lost it somewhere in my room. For two months I would wake up in the middle of the night as my lost Tamagotchi beeped in hunger. I never found it, but the beeping eventually stopped and I can only assume the worst.

EyePet is a technologically advanced Tamagotchi that at times can wow players with its immersive gameplay. But I can't promise that it won't suffer the same terrible fate as poor, poor Iggy.

Some people just can't take criticism.

Tokyo Game Show 2010 brings big gaming announcements

This year's Tokyo Game Show is wrapping up, but the convention brought with it quite a bit of mega-sized video game news. Here's a run down of the big announcements:

-Capcom announces Devil May Cry reboot, simply dubbed DmC.
-Team Ninja announces Ninja Gaiden 3, as well as Ni-Oh.
 -EA shows off new horror action title Shadows of the Damned.
-Dead Rising: Case West announces as Xbox 360 exclusive epilogue.
-EA displays new My Garden video game for the Nintendo 3DS.
-Steel Battalion coming to Xbox 360 as a Kinect shooter.
-Grasshopper Manufacture readying bloody action title "Codename D" for Kinect

Are you excited about any of these big announcements?

PlayStation Move released today

That's right folks. Sony's motion controller for the PS3, the PlayStation Move, is now available. For $49.99, you now can enjoy motion controlled action on the PS3. You can also get the optional PS Move Navigation controller for $29.99 (pictured above). Now it seems the console really does everything.

Will you be taking part in the Move?

PS3's Move kills Wii's Mii? Never!

The gaming industry is truly the only medium that slings mud like little girls on a playground. Sony and Microsoft bashed the Wii to hell, claiming motion controls weren't worthy of Nintendo's success. Tomorrow marks the launch of Sony's own motion controller, the Move, and based on the above ad, it looks like things are getting dirty.

Take a look above to see just what happens when you mix Nintendo's Miis with PlayStation 3's Move controller.
GameInformer

Chris Gore: Film expert, controller modder

You probably know film expert Chris Gore from his movie reviewing gig on G4's Attack of the Show. While cinema may be his forte, he's a gamer at heart.

Not content with PS3's launch controller, the SIXAXIS, Gore decided some modding was necessary to take advantage of the controller's tilt motion sensing. With the help of some super glue, Gore added a handle to the center of the controller. It's pretty badass, like a cross between Sony's upcoming Move controller and the SIXAXIS.

I'm pretty jealous of the creation. What about you guys?

Twitpic

Mega Man Meets Little Big Planet

The only thing cooler than retro Mega Man goodness is creating your own retro Mega Man goodness. Capcom has shed some more light on the gameplay features of Mega Man Universe and it has been revealed that character customization and stage creation will be a big part of the experience.

Creating your own Mega Man isn't just about the cosmetics. As you play through the game you will collect different parts to use that not only change Mega Man's physical appearance, but his abilities as well. This opens a world (or universe) of ways to play through the game, but won't this feature be wasted on having only a set number of stages? Hrmmm...


Enter stage creation. As you can see in the screenshots below, when in stage creation a grid of squares covers the screen allowing you to place tiles in each square. These tiles can be walls, ladders, enemies, obstacles... whatever your 8-bit heart desires.

Will all of this creative power be as deep as Little Big Planet? Doubtfully. Will it be everything a Mega Man fan could ask for? We hope so. Check back soon for more news on the expanding Mega Man Universe.

PlayStation turns 15 today!

Sony is celebrating 15 years in the video game industry, as the company's first console PlayStation celebrates a milestone. Released on 9.9.95, Sony's entrance into the video game industry took place at a time when Sega and Nintendo were dominating forces. Not many could have guessed that Sega would leave the hardware market behind becoming solely a publisher and developer.

Since its release, Sony has gone on to release their popular PS2 and PS3 consoles, as well as several iterations of their PSP handheld. But we can never forget that it all started with the original PlayStation.

Happy birthday PS!

Inafune's Mega Man Universe

No time for talking! Click the video above to watch Mega Man creator Inafune-san talk about his latest creation, Mega Man Universe.

Note that Inafune rocks the Abercrombie & Fitch.

Sonic Adventure Hits XBLA September 15th

Microsoft's Major Nelson is always a cheery bloke for confirming things in the world of Xbox. And his latest list of release dates should have Dreamcast fanboys dizzy with ecstasy (the emotion, not the drug... or maybe both). Sonic Adventure will be released on the XBLA September 15th for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

News of Dreamcast titles coming to XBLA and PSN has been in high circulation lately but this is the official start of the Dreamcast revival! The last (and short lived) console to come out of the Sega camp has a die-hard fan following that fell in love with its quirky, ambitious, and charming titles.

So what other Dreamcast games can we expect in the near future? The only two specifically referenced in prior reports were Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi, the prior being the only one set in stone for release. But we DC fanatics can hope all day long to see games like Seaman, Jet Grind Radio, PowerStone, Chu-Chu Rocket, and Shenmue (f#ck you haters!) in the near future.

A montage of why my high school GPA suffered.

Regardless, of what does and doesn't happen, one thing is for sure... on September 15th, we're gonna party like it's 9/9/99!

Gran Turismo 5's Massive HDD Install

These days it's not uncommon for your more massive games to include optional hard drive installs. This process saves chunks of game data to your hard drive which cuts down on how often the game will have to check the disk for information.

For example, Metal Gear Solid 4 can take up 4 gigs of hard drive space on your PS3 in exchange for faster load times. Sacrificing 4 gigs may seem like a lot of space to give up, and it is. But Kaz Yamauchi, producer on Gran Turismo 5, has tweeted that an optional HDD install for GT5 will take up 10 gigs on the PS3 of many a racing fan.

The 10 gigs will help the game run "much smoother" according to Yamauchi. The Gran Turismo franchise is praised for its realistic graphics and stellar driving experience, but it is also home to one of the most dedicated fan bases in gaming. Is 10 gigs too much to ask hardcore racing fans? Probably not. Curious gamers in general? You betcha.

The guy in the red polo is clearly jealous of Mr. Yamauchi's racing suit.

We'll let you know how smooth the 10 gig install is when Gran Turismo 5 hits retail shelves this November.

DJ Hero 2 Tracklist Revealed!

I hope you like scrolling through long lists because Activision has released a doozy of a tracklist for DJ Hero 2. Releasing this October, DJ Hero 2 features artists from Afrika Bambaataa to Young Jeezy and all walks between. Real heavy hitters include Kanye West, Lady Gaga, and (brace yeself) Metallica.

Ready for that prior mentioned scrolling? Check out the full setlist below:

2Pac feat. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman - "California Love Remix"

50 Cent - "In Da Club"

Adamski - "Killer"

Afrika Bambaataa and The Soul Sonic Force - "Planet Rock"

Armand Van Helden - "I Want Your Soul"

A-Trak - "Say Whoa"

B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars - "Nothin' On You"

Basement Jaxx - "Where's Your Head At"

BlakRoc feat. Pharoahe Monch & RZA - "Dollaz & Sense"

Busta Rhymes - "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See"

Calvin Harris - "I'm Not Alone"

Chamillionaire - "Ridin'"

Chic - "Good Times"

Chic - "Le Freak"

Clinton Sparks, DJ Class, & Jermaine Dupri - "Favorite DJ"

Daft Punk - "Human After All"

Damian Marley - "Welcome To Jamrock"

David Guetta & Chris Willis - "Love Is Gone"

David Guetta feat. Kid Cudi - "Memories"

David Guetta vs. The Egg - "Love Don't Let Me Go (Walking Away)"

Deadmau5 - "Ghosts N Stuff"

Deadmau5 & Kaskade - "I Remember"

Deee-Lite - "Groove Is In The Heart"

Dillinja and Skibadee - "Twist 'Em Out"

Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden - "Bonkers"

DJ Qbert - "Super Battle Breaks"

DJ Shadow - "Midnight In A Perfect World"

DJ Shadow feat. Q-Tip and Lateef The Truth Speaker - "Enuff (DJ Fresh Remix)"

Donna Summer - "Bad Girls"

Edwin Starr - "War"

Eminem - "Not Afraid"

Estelle feat. Kanye West - "American Boy"

Flo Rida - "Low"

Flo Rida feat. Will.I.Am - "In The Ayer"

Gorillaz feat. Mos Def & Bobby Womack - "Stylo"

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat. Melle Mel & Duke Bootee - "The Message"

Harold Faltermeyer - "Axel F"

House Of Pain - "Jump Around"

Iyaz - "Replay"

Janet Jackson - "Nasty"

Justice - "D.A.N.C.E."

Justice - "Waters Of Nazareth"

Kanye West - "Heartless"

Kanye West - "Love Lockdown"

Kaskade & Deadmau5 - "Move For Me"

Kelis - "Acapella (David Guetta Extended Mix)"

Kool & The Gang - "Jungle Boogie"

Lady Gaga - "Lovegame"

Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance"

Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis - "Just Dance"

Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz feat. Ying Yang Twins - "Get Low"

Lil' Wayne - "Go DJ"

Lil' Wayne feat. Static Major - "Lollipop"

LL Cool J - "I Can't Live Without My Radio"

M.I.A. - "Galang"

M|A|R|R|S - "Pump Up The Volume"

Major Lazer feat. VYBZ Kartel - "Pon De Floor"

Malcolm McLaren - "Buffalo Gals"

Metallica - "The Day That Never Comes"

Missy Elliott - "Get Ur Freak On"

MSTRKRFT feat. N.O.R.E. - "Bounce"

Nas feat. Keri Hilson - "Hero"

Naughty By Nature - "O.P.P."

Nelly - "Hot In Herre"

New Boyz - "You're A Jerk"

New Order - "Blue Monday"

Newcleus - "Jam On It"

Nightcrawlers - "Push The Feeling On (MK Mix 95)"

Orbital - "The Box"

Pirate Soundsystem - "Bashy Bashy"

Pitbull - "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)"

Pussycat Dolls feat. Busta Rhymes - "Don't Cha"

Rihanna - "Pon De Replay"

Rihanna - "Rude Boy"

Robin S - "Show Me Love (Stonebridge Radio Edit)"

Salt N Pepa - "Push It"

Sam Cooke - "Chain Gang"

Sam Sparro - "B&G" a/k/a "Black & Gold"

Sean Paul - "Infiltrate"

Sean Paul - "Get Busy"

Snoop Dogg - "Who Am I (What's My Name)?"

Snow - "Informer"

Soulja Boy Tell 'Em - "Crank That (Soulja Boy)"

Sparfunk & D-Code - "Apocalypse"

Stevie Wonder - "Superstition"

Talib Kweli - "Get By"

The Chemical Brothers - "Leave Home"

The Chemical Brothers feat. Q-Tip - "Galvanize"

The Crystal Method - "Busy Child (Still Busy After All These Years Remix)"

The Jackson 5 - "ABC"

The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Mase & Diddy - "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems"

The Prodigy - "Omen"

The Prodigy - "Firestarter"

Tiesto - "Speed Rail"

Tiesto & Sneaky Sound System - "I Will Be Here"

Tiesto vs Diplo - "Come On"

Tiga - "You Gonna Want Me"

Timbaland feat. Drake - "Say Something"

Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & D.O.E. - "The Way I Are"

Tweet feat. Missy Elliott - "Oops (Oh My)"

Walter Murphy - "A Fifth Of Beethoven"

Warren G feat. Nate Dogg - "Regulate"

Wayne Smith - "Under Mi Sleng Teng"

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix )"

Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West - "Put On"

1UP

Even more Marvel vs. Capcom 3 footage!

Just when you thought you saw all the Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds gameplay footage that you'd see for one night, I come in and give you more!

Enjoy several minutes of Viewtiful Joe, Iron Man, Thor and more battle it out as universes collide. You're very welcome.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 fresh gameplay trailer

The battle continues in Spring 2011 as Marvel and Capcom unite once again. And by unite, I mean kick the living crap out of each other. The latest gameplay trailer for Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds shows some fan favorites battling it out for supremacy.

You've got Chun-Li, Viewtiful Joe, Doctor Doom and more! What more could you ask for? Check it out above, and make sure you watch it in HD. It's that much more glorious.

Capcom USA/Europe's New President

Video game developer and publisher Capcom has an outstanding legacy in gaming's history. These are the people behind series like MegaMan, Street Fighter, and Devil May Cry (just to name a few). In hopes of continuing their legacy of greatness, Capcom has elected Kazuhiko Abe as president of their USA and European divisions.

Abe joined the Capcom family in 2003 as their General Manager of Management Planning and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Capcom Japan in 2006. As President of Capcom USA and Capcom Europe, Abe will be responsible for overseeing operations between the two offices to ensure efficient international operations.

“Abe-san has proven to be an invaluable asset to Capcom,” said Kenzo Tsujimoto, chairman and chief executive officer of Capcom Co., Ltd. “His experience of over seven years with Capcom can only benefit the operations in North America and Europe and strengthen the relationships between the Japanese and Pan-Western territories.”

In video game land Capcom is kind of a big deal and for them to have so much faith in Abe is, well, a big deal. So here's to hoping Abe can bring Capcom to the top of their game!

Capcom

Castle Crashers comes to PS3 this month

After having quite a bit of success on the Xbox 360, isn't it time for Castle Crashers to share the wealth with PlayStation 3 owners too? Apparently.

It's just been announced that the downloadable co-op sword slinger is coming to PSN on August 31st. For $15 you can finally see what all the fuss is about. Don't know much about the colorful beat 'em up? Check out a gameplay video below.



G4

New level and game details for Sonic the Hedgehog 4

SEGA and developer Dimps have been hard at work on breathing old life into the struggling Sonic the Hedgehog series. By going back to the game's original roots of 2D sidescroller, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 has its sights set on redeeming the blue hedgehog's place in present day gaming history.

As part of the re-birth of Sonic, SEGA has been releasing new tidbits about the upcoming downloadable adventure. Today, the company gave a peak at the new Lost Labyrinth level set in a dark, dungeoness setting.

SEGA also confirmed that some other big announcements are planned for the next few weeks, so stick around.
SEGA

Street Fighter: Hoff vs. Hoff Edition

If the recent Comedy Central roast of David Hasselhoff wasn't proof of the Baywatch star's growing popularity, I don't know what is! Mr. Michael Knight himself is seen in the above artwork, created by Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono, in a character selection screen from a Hasselhoff infused Street Fighter IV.

I think I could get behind this game. Except instead of Hoff vs. Hoff, I'd like a collection of his different characters battling it out. It would be a mulit-million seller.
Kotaku