JOE’s Gaming Round-up

JOE's Gaming Round-up continues with the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns, astonishing Kinect sales and another Bit.Trip title heads for WiiWare.

JOE

By Emmet Purcell

Welcome to another week of JOE’s videogame round-up. As always, we’re looking to provide you with up-to-the-minute news, download reviews, weekly charts and forthcoming release dates on a weekly basis. So if thereâ€™s anything you think weâ€™re leaving out, or would like us to shine a spotlight on, feel free to leave a comment below.

News

Kinect sells 2.5m units in less than a month

Picture these guys, but 2,499, 994 more happy customers and you’d be close

It turns out plenty of you have no qualms moving your furniture to help experience ‘becoming’ the controller for Microsoft Kinect – the Xbox 360 motion-controlled add-on has sold 2.5m units in less than a month since release. Apparently, that’s twice as fast as the original sales of the Apple iPad – though admittedly at a much lower price point.

“With sales already exceeding two and a half million units in just 25 days, we are on pace to reach our forecast of five million units sold to consumers this holiday” said a thrilled Microsoft exec Don Mattrick. Now all it needs are some decent games…

Uncharted 3 set in the African desert?

Wow, look how tall the guy on the right must be

According to Kotaku, the much-reported claims of an Uncharted 3 unveiling at the Spike VGA Awards on December 12, with a full press event the day after, are indeed true – and Nathan Drake will soon be traversing the African desert. If Kotaku’s ‘informed sources’ are to be believed, the vast expanse of the desert is the next setting for a series that has already bedded down in the Amazon and the Himalayas.

Can the relatively sparse desert inspire the same sense of awe and exploration? We’ll find out soon enough, or if Kotaku have been telling fibs in a few short weeks. If the sources are true, however, we’d like to see some of the dehydration mechanics promised but not delivered from the Africa-set Resident Evil 5.

Purchase/Download of the Week

Bit.Trip FateÂ (Wii – 800 Wii Points)

Well, it’s certainly something different

Gaijin Games’ Bit.Trip series continues apace this week with the release of Fate, the fifth WiiWare title in a franchise that only begun in March 2009. As the penultimate chapter in the six-part Bit.Trip saga, we wouldn’t recommend newcomers start from this episode, naturally, but for everyone else that has already been enthralled with Gaijin’s work thus far, this should be essential. And yes, Super Meat Boy makes a guest appearence.

Friday Releases 03/12/10

So is the new Cranky Kong the Donkey Kong from the original DKC? We’re confused

Have a look at the relatively timid release window below and we’re sure you’ll agree that World of Warcraft: Cataclysm aside, the top Christmas releases have already come and gone, especially for consoles. That is with one barrell-throwing exception – Donkey Kong Country Returns. Yes, the Ant and Dec adverts have been painful and sure, we would’ve preferred an original IP from the talented Retro Studios, but when we hear that old DK music tooting up and we see Rambi the rhino in action, it’s hard not to get excited for what is sure to be the best Wii co-op experience since New Super Mario Bros Wii brought 2D platforming firmly en vogue this time last year.

Xbox 360

Blazblue: Continuum Shift

Playstation 3

Blazblue: Continuum Shift

Dead Nation (PSN)

The Sly Collection

Wii

Donkey Kong Country Returns

Harvest Moon: Animal Parade

Super Mario Bros All-Stars: 25th Anniversary Edition

Nintendo DS

Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming