JOE’s Gaming Round-up features the return of Pokémon, St. Patrick’s Day-themed Angry Birds and a Devil May Cry feature film.
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 there’s anything you think we’re leaving out, or would like us to shine a spotlight on, feel free to leave a comment below.
News
Devil May Cry movie in the works
Which Hollywood A-lister wants to don a straightened silver wig?
Capcom fans were outraged last year as a new Devil May Cry reboot was announced, offering a teenage emo replacement for the undisputably cool Dante. Whether or not that dubious decision marks the end of Dante’s console exploits is uncertain, though DMC purists may feel placated that Screen Gems have picked up the theatrical rights to Dante’s story and Hollywood debut.
Screen Gems, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, have hired Kyle Ward (of the mooted Bruce Willis Kane & Lynch adaptation) is to pen the script, while Screen Gem’s efforts in bringing fellow Capcom series, Resident Evil, to the silver screen have earned $580m in box office receipts. Just a shame those movies were completely awful, then.
Angry Birds receiving St. Patrick’s Day update
Why so angry after nearly 100m sales?
With close to 100m copies downloaded, the phenomenon that is Angry Birds continues, with the latest announcement that Rovio’s mobile juggernaut is to receive a St. Patrick’s Day update.
The trend of giving the game themed updates will continue after the developers included Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day updates for fans. A special Rio version is set for release in April to coincide with the launch of a new 20th Century Fox CGI movie.
Rovio chief Peter Vesterbacka told an audience at the Game Developer’s conference in San Francisco that the St Patrick’s Day update will be “very green” and feature “more pigs than ever”. Is it just us though or is Angry Birds starting to get a little overexposed and dare we say it, irritating?
Purchase/Download of the Week
Beyond Good & Evil HD (Xbox Live Arcade, 800 MS Pts)
Seven years ago Beyond Good & Evil stunned gamers and critics alike, becoming arguably the sleeper hit of the last generation, revered in many circles but never reaching the sales figures it deserved.
This week, gamers that never got the chance to test out the cult classic get their chance with Beyond Good & Evil HD, an Xbox Live Arcade (joining PSN later) remake with 1080p visuals and polished textures. Heartily recommended.
Friday Releases 04/03/11
It’s not New York, it’s Black City. Jeez…
We’ll hold our hands up on this one – we love Pokémon. Every from the TV show (that theme music!) to Ash Ketchum to the sorely underappreciated Buizel, it’s not only a much-loved multimedia franchise, but it’s very roots are embedded in deep RPG gameplay mechanics. We’d probably go as far as to say that it’s the only relevant JRPG left on the market.
Those hoping for a revolution to the overly familiar Pokémon titles of remakes of old will be delighted to hear that Black/White features exclusively all-new Pokémon for your first playthough, in addition to gorgeous quasi-3D graphics. If Professor Layton & The Spectre’s Flute doesn’t get released, consider this the last swansong of the Nintendo DS.
Xbox 360
Beyond Good & Evil HD (XBLA)
Fight Night Champion
Playstation 3
Fight Night Champion
Hyperdimension Neptunia
Wii
dood’s Big Adventure
uDraw Game Tablet
Nintendo DS
Busy Scissors
Pokémon Black/White
PSP
None
PC
Rift
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Retribution
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