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Digital Spy's Matthew Reynolds rounds up the latest gaming gossip.

'Final Fantasy XIII-2' DLC wishlist: Five opponents we want to see

Tuesday, February 7 2012, 11:49 GMT

Starting this week with Lightning, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is to offer downloadable content that sees players face off against characters and monsters from the series' past. With such a huge range of characters and monsters to choose from, we narrow down the five encounters we'd love to see added to the time travelling role-playing game.

> Read our review of Final Fantasy XIII-2

Ultima Weapon

Ultima Weapon is best known for being its globe-trotting, town-destroying appearances in Final Fantasy VII, but it's a mainstay of the series since Final Fantasy II. It's usually paired with fellow superboss Omega, and since it has already become available as pre-order downloadable content, the arrival of Ultima Weapon shouldn't be too unlikely.

Malboro

Despite appearances by Tonberry and Cactuar in Final Fantasy XIII-2, there is no mention of fellow reoccurring monster Malboro. Arguably the most annoying returning creature to fight in the series, it drenches party members in a horrible ink and causes all kinds of status effects. Since few monsters do that in the game, such an encounter would be a fresh challenge.

Ozma

Ozma was one of the more bizarre superbosses in the series, showing up as a hidden extra in Final Fantasy IX in the Chocobo Sky Garden. A floating sphere of energy, Ozma was immensely powerful and required plenty of preparation and practice to defeat. We'd certainly love another opportunity to square off against him / her / it.

Sephiroth

Sephiroth is certainly Final Fantasy's most renowned enemy , no doubt thanks to some character-killing antics and one of the most memorable boss encounters of all time. But as much as we'd love to see this happen, future DLC probably won't focus on individual characters from previous Final Fantasy games. That said, he did feature as a colosseum battle in Kingdom Hearts (twice!) so it's not completely out of the question...

Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh would be a perfect fit for a colosseum battle. Perhaps the most prolific reoccurring character in Final Fantasy history, his comical, villainous personality would fit right into Final Fantasy XIII-2's world, and his part-time hobby as sword collector could make for some great bonus weapons. Plus, he was apparently going to feature in Final Fantasy XIII as a fal'Cie, so perhaps some of the leg work has already been done.

What would you like to see as Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC? Add a comment to the space below!

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Games out this week: 'The Darkness II', 'Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning'

Monday, February 6 2012, 08:00 GMT

By Matthew Reynolds, Gaming Editor

After one hefty role-playing release this month in Final Fantasy XIII-2 comes a new challenger in the form of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Meanwhile, the critically-acclaimed The Darkness receives its long-awaited sequel.

The Darkness II

Release date: February 10 (UK), February 7 (North America)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Continuing the story of mobster Jackie Estacado and his demonic powers The Darkness, this upcoming sequel features the same blend of conventional weaponry and supernatural powers, set against a darkly comic backdrop. The Darkness II also contains a brand new story-driven co-op mode, which sees up to four players partake in Left 4 Dead-style hi-jinks with individual Darkness-infused weaponry.

> Read our review of The Darkness II

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Release date: February 10 (Europe), February 7 (North America)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

This role-playing game comes from a high pedigree, with a story written by 25-time New York Times bestselling author R.A. Salvatore, art by Spawn's Todd McFarlane, and a world designed by Elder Scrolls series lead designer Ken Rolston. Expect a massive open world, diverse combat and a range of levelling and experience systems.

Also out this week:

House of the Dead 2 (PSN) - February 7
Bullet Asylum (Windows Phone 7) - February 8
Shank 2 (Xbox Live Arcade, PSN) - February 8
Catherine (Xbox 360, PS3) - February 10)
Grand Slam Tennis 2 (Xbox 360, PS3) - February 10
Pac-Man Party (3DS) - February 10

What games are you purchasing this week? Add a comment to the space below!

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Retro Corner: 'Super Smash Bros'

Saturday, February 4 2012, 08:00 GMT
By Mark Langshaw, Entertainment Reporter

First Released: N64 (1999)
Now Available On: Virtual Console (1000 Nintendo Points)

Nintendo has always had one of the strongest character rosters in the world of video gaming, so the first time they joined forces was something of a big deal. Super Smash Bros actually began life as a low-key affair intended for release in Japan only, but its phenomenal success in the territory led to a worldwide launch and the start of what would go on to become a tradition for the gaming giant.

Super Smash Bros was a four-player fighting gaming for Nintendo 64 that brought together characters from Nintendo's bestselling properties. The combatants were Mario, Donkey Kong, Fox McCloud, Kirby, Yoshi, Link, Samus, Pikachu. Four additional characters could be unlocked by completing the game on the higher difficultly settings - Luigi, F-Zero's Captain Falcon, Earthbound's Ness, and Jigglypuff of Pokemon fame.

Gameplay marked a departure from traditional fighting games. Characters had no health bars, so the object wasn't to achieve a knock out. Instead, players had to knock their opponents off the stage, and this grew easier as they took more damage. Levels were usually a series of suspended platforms, and dropping off either side spelt a lost life.

All of the characters were aerodynamic to some degree, so leaping back to safety when another fighter had thrown you from the stage was possible providing you hadn't taken too much damage. Some characters were more efficient at this than others. For instance, Kirby and Jigglypuff could hover for short time, while Donkey Kong's sheer bulk didn't exactly work in his favour.

The absence of complex special moves also distanced Super Smash Bros from its counterparts in the fighting genre. Virtually all of your character's attacks could be pulled off using a singled button in combination with a direction on the controller. It was also possible to pull off blocks, throws, and special powers, though these were also activated with a single button tap.

Single player mode was a gauntlet run against a specific set of opponents, some of them non-playable characters, including Metal Mario, Giant Donkey Kong and the Master Hand. There were also some bonus games thrown in for variety. Target breaking and platform hopping were the order of the day here, and player had to call on their character's powers to rack up a high score.

Multiplayer offered just as many kicks, particularly if you had four controllers and enough friends to take advantage of them. There were a range of victory conditions to choose from. Players could either choose between a time limit or a finite amount of lives, and take part in team battles or one-on-one. For many fans and critics, the multiplayer portion of the game was its greatest triumph.

Super Smash Bros was a commercial success, selling 4.9 million copies worldwide, but it almost didn't make it outside of Japan. The project came about when HAL Laboratory's Masahiro Sakurai approached Nintendo's Satoru Iwata with a concept for an original fighter. He created a prototype for the game without authorisation, but didn't present it to developers until he was certain it was balanced.

Super Smash Bros had a modest budget and little promotion, yet still managed to move 1.97 million copies in Japan. It success in the territory let to its release in other regions, where it was equally popular. In North America the game sold more than 2.93 million units

The crossover fighter has become something of a tradition for Nintendo in much the same way as its Mario Kart and Mario Party series. Sequel Smash Brother Melee was released for the GameCube in 2001, and this was followed by Smash Bros Brawl for the Wii in 2008. The Big N is expected to dish out additional helpings of Smash Bros on both the 3DS and Wii U, though specifics are yet to be confirmed.

Seeing such memorable characters knock the stuffing out of each other using their iconic abilities is what made the original Super Smash Bros something special, and it hasn't lost its novelty over the years. While its sequels offer a more polished experience, they can't match the original for nostalgia.

Do you have any fond memories of Super Smash Bros? Write a comment below.

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Double Fine interview off-cuts: Tim Schafer on studio creativity

Friday, February 3 2012, 12:30 GMT
By Matthew Reynolds, Gaming Editor

Earlier this week we spoke to Double Fine's Tim Shafer about his new Kinect project Double Fine Happy Action Theater. As well as discussing Kinect development and kids freaking out on camera, we asked about the studio itself and how it has been transformed in the past 18 months, allowing it to produce more creative releases.

Double Fine has gone from being a rather elusive studio to quite a prolific one in the past year or so. What sort of changes have you made to make this happen?
"Well we split the big team into several smaller teams, with a lead on each team. We tried to promote... our art director on Brutal Legend, Lee Petty, he [ended up doing] Stacking, and then our lead animator did Costume Quest, and our lead programmer did Once Upon a Monster, and our lead designer did Iron Brigade.

"And so, it was really about these people who had been in the industry a real long time, and they had a lot of creative ideas of their own, and we wanted to give them the chance to express them in the sort of environment where instead of being on their own, totally independent developer, they get to use the studio at large and exchange ideas and things like that. [Double Fine Happy Action Theatre] has been unique in the sense that this project started because it's the first idea of mine that I pushed through the development project.

"This is the first game that I've come up with since Brutal Legend. And it's not even a game. Did I say game? It's a toy. And it's been towards my goal of making Double Fine a creativity machine. What we're working on is a creative process, and multiple steams of the creative process, where each of these people are pursuing an idea and I'm helping out where I can with the dialogue... mostly I'm just helping out to make sure they have what they need to make their ideas come true."

And that's something you'll continue doing, breaking down into smaller teams that could be more creative?
"Yeah, you never know, I mean we could all Voltron together again to make one big game together, but so far it's been a great way to explore different ideas and different things like Happy Action Theater or Once Upon a Monster. You know we've never done a licence before, working with Sesame Street was a big departure, so we could test that out and see what that's like. We could do mobile games, we could do Kinect games, try out different kinds of things and express every idea we have."

So far Double Fine has yet to produce any sequels, you've only done original stuff.
"So far, yes. We've always done a new game."

Do you think you'll continue making new products, or are you tempted to go back and revisit one of your earlier games?
"I'm not against doing a sequel, it's just that if you do a sequel it takes the place of doing a new game. So if I did a sequel to any of the games I had before, it would have prevented one of the [new games]... if I did a sequel to Full Throttle there wouldn't have been Grim Fandango, and so on and so on down the line.

"It's hard. But now we have multiple projects, we have multiple teams, one of us could be working on a sequel and one of us could be working on a new game. It opens up a lot of possibilities."

Is it difficult to [do that], because I imagine fans would want to see more of a certain game? Is it difficult to go against that pressure and create new content instead?
"It's not that we don't have a choice! I mean I get a lot of, on Twitter or whatever, daily questions about Psychonauts 2. And I would love to do Psychonauts 2, I've actually pitched that to publishers several times and no-one has taken the bait so far.

"So it is hard because fans often don't know how the business works, with the difference between a developer and a publisher, it's hard to explain that. I'd love to do that game, but I'd have to convince someone to just give me a few million dollars, that's all."

I suppose downloadable platforms help as well [in releasing these smaller, original projects]?
"Publishers often don't want to release anything new, I mean they're scared of new IP, and Double Fine specalises in new IP. That's always been our challenge, is getting a publisher to invest millions of dollars in something brand new like Brutal Legend.

"It has helped to have games that are smaller, like digital download games are smaller so the budgets are smaller, so Happy Action Theater the whole reason it got made was that I was asking for very little money to get it made. And once it proved itself and everyone saw the power of it, more money was invested in it, but the original thing that we were asking for was very small."

> Double Fine Happy Action Theater interview: Tim Schafer talks Kinect

Double Fine Happy Action Theater is out now exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points (£6.80 / $10).

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Games out this week: 'Final Fantasy XIII-2', 'Soul Calibur V'

Monday, January 30 2012, 09:00 GMT
By Matthew Reynolds, Gaming Editor

A busy February kicks off with a number of anticipated titles, including new Final Fantasy and Soul Calibur entries and the re-release of classic Metal Gear Solid games.

Final Fantasy XIII-2

Release date: February 3 (Europe), January 31 (North America)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3

This direct sequel to Final Fantasy XIII sees Lightning go missing and her sister Serah travel through time to save both her and the fate of the world. Expect a more open adventure, side quests and the addition of monster allies in battle.

> Read our review for Final Fantasy XIII-2

Soul Calibur V

Release date: February 3 (Europe), January 31 (North America)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3

Set 17 years after the events of the fourth instalment, Soul Calibur V tells the story of Patroklos, son of Sophitia Alexandra, whose family's destiny "intertwines with the Soul swords". It also features a cameo from Assassin's Creed character Ezio.

> Read our preview of Soul Calibur V

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection

Release date: February 3 (Europe), November 8, 2011 (North America)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3

The classic stealth franchise sees a high definition re-release on Xbox 360 and PS3. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and PSP offering Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker make up the bulk of the package, while there's also MSX titles Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2.

> Read our review of Metal Gear Solid HD Collection

Also out this week:

Double Fine Happy Action Theatre (Xbox Live Arcade)
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (Windows Phone 7)
Rhythm Party (Xbox Live Arcade)

You can keep up to date with upcoming releases with our gaming release diary. You can also find out the latest gaming news and updates through our Twitter account at @digitalspygames.

What are you looking to buy this week? Add a comment to the space below!

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Retro Corner: 'Puggsy'

Saturday, January 28 2012, 08:00 GMT
By Matthew Reynolds, Gaming Editor

First released: Mega Drive, Amiga (1993), Mega-CD (1994)
Now available for: N/A

Puggsy, a bright orange alien who crash landed on a raccoon-infested island, wasn't one of the most memorable platforming mascots from the 16-bit era. And unlike other platformers of its time, Puggsy was less concerned with speed and precision than with objects that would help you make your way through the adventure.

While there were dozens of objects available, they all shared similar properties as keys to stack on top of each other to reach higher ledges or for sheer novelty value, but all were useful in their own way. It was all governed by a physics system, with each object given its own shape, weight and buoyancy, reacting differently to slopes and water.

It made for unique but occasionally fiddly gameplay, especially when climbing ledges (using it to bounce from the arms and over) and across large distances, especially in a stack that would easily topple over.

It wasn't a pure puzzle platformer, though. Stages were vast and filled with hidden nooks and crannies, and of course, roaming enemies, which could be defeated with traditional head bounces or firing weapons and throwing objects. The island location was also a vast place to explore, and while it featured all the usual platforming tropes of sandy stages, forests and mechanical bases, the excellent art style and slightly dark tone provided a wonderfully adventurous feel.

Puggsy was also famed for its secrets and branching stages. Certain levels had hidden exits that led to additional routes on a map, allowing you to bypass stages and boss encounters. Secret areas featured nods to Puggsy's demoscene past, as well as a cameo from fellow Psygnosis title Wiz 'n' Liz. Elsewhere, an infamous lighthouse had you organise children's building blocks to spell out different words for cheats and unlockables.

While the Mega Drive and Amiga versions were similar in terms of visuals and content, the Mega-CD edition featured bonus FMV sequences, new bosses and an additional nine levels. A SNES version was also completed but never saw the light of day, with developer Traveller's Tales hoping one day to track it down and release it on the public domain.

Puggsy unfortunately didn't gain much in the way of sales or critical acclaim, but it's a fondly remembered adventure that pushed physics gameplay long before it became the norm today. It's also one of the first outings for one of today's successful developers, TT Games, creator of the best-selling LEGO series. We'd like to think its fondness for collecting bricks and items perhaps stems from this quirky platformer.

Do you have many fond memories of Puggsy? Add a comment to the space below!
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Games out this week: 'Resident Evil Revelations', 'Puddle'

Monday, January 23 2012, 08:00 GMT
By Matthew Reynolds, Gaming Editor

The first major release of the year makes its mark on Nintendo 3DS, while consoles see a novel award-winning puzzle title.

Resident Evil Revelations

Release date: January 27 (Europe), February 7 (North America)
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS

Set between Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, Revelations sees Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield investigate bioterrorism threats across Europe as the series returns to its survival horror roots. It will also be playable with the Circle Pad Pro add-on.

Read More...

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Retro Corner: 'Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf'

Saturday, January 21 2012, 08:00 GMT
By Mark Langshaw, Entertainment Reporter

First Released: Mega Drive (1992)
Now Available On: PSP (as part of the EA Replay Collection)

Modern military simulations are about as close as most people would want to get to the frontline, but there was a time when they were more humble affairs. Electronic Arts' 1992 Mega Drive hit Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf may not look like much alongside Battlefield 3, but it was about as realistic as console warfare got back then.

Desert Strike was a Choplifter-inspired shoot 'em up in which the player took control of a lone Apache helicopter. Lead designer Mike Posehn had no prior video game experience, but he did possess a PhD in mechanical engineering, giving him a strong grasp of vehicular physics.

Thanks to what was a sophisticated camera system at the time, the game mimicked realistic helicopter movement and handling, and used 3D modelling to create impressive vehicle sprites influenced by Matchbox toys.

If Desert Strike's premise is anything to go by, Posehn's grasp of subtlety was not as strong as his understanding of physics. The game takes place against a fictitious Gulf backdrop that was obviously based on Iraq, and its antagonist Kilbaba is a thinly-disguised take on Saddam Hussein. The story saw the dictator seize control of the faux Iraq, with the US responding by sending in an Apache to take out his strategic strongholds and bring down his regime.

Dubious Gulf War comparisons aside, Desert Strike was a refreshingly tactical take on the shooter formula. Action took place from the isometric perspective, placing the player outside of the cockpit. Gameplay was mission-based, and non-linear to a degree. Players were required to take out military targets, rescue hostages, and capture enemy personnel, while keeping a close eye on their fuel and ammo supply. As both were finite, it was important to map out your route carefully, ensuring there were fuel barrels and ammo crates to pick up along the way.

Although the end result was a compelling tactical experience, Desert Strike underwent a host of significant changes during development. If Posehn had his way, we would've had an entirely different game on our hands. Its original title was Beirut Breakout, and it was to be set during the Lebanese Civil War.

The original version of the game was to include cinematic cut scenes and slightly different gameplay. A karma system would have punished players for taking out targets that damaged international relations, and missions were to be entirely non-linear. The original control scheme was poorly received during development, and Posehn was forced to alter it in order for production to continue.

Desert Strike may have differed from Posehn's original vision somewhat, but the game received rave reviews in the press - though some claimed the Gulf War parallels were in poor taste - and went on to become EA's bestselling game. It was ported to numerous platforms, including Amiga, PC, Atari Lynx, SNES and Sega Master System. The game even found its way to Sony PSP in 2006 as part of the EA Replay collection.

A direct sequel, Jungle Strike, was released for multiple formats in 1993. This was followed by Urban Strike, Soviet Strike and Nuclear Strike in the years following. A sixth title in the series was announced in the late 1990s under the working title Future Strike. The game was eventually modified and released as Future Cop: LAPD, a third-person shooter bearing no relation to the franchise.

Desert Strike remains an intriguing piece of gaming history. The tactical gameplay still poses a challenge today, and it's aged better than many games of its generation. Posehn's opus and its sequel Jungle Strike are prime candidates for rerelease via the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and Virtual Console. Isn't it about time they were readily available once more?

Do you have any fond memories of Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf? Write a comment below.

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Games out this week: 'Gears of War 3', 'Saints Row The Third' DLC

Monday, January 16 2012, 08:00 GMT
By Matthew Reynolds, Gaming Editor

Another week and another lack of retail releases, so it's up to digital platforms to pick up the slack. You can download new content for some of 2011's best games from Tuesday.

Saints Row The Third 'Genki Bowl VII' expansion

Release date: January 17 (worldwide)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

'Genki Bowl VII' adds a number of comical mini-games to the open-world title, including Sexy Kitten Yarngasm, Sad Panda Skyblazing, Apocalypse Genki and Super Ethical PR Opportunity. Season pass holders can download it for free, otherwise it retails for 560 Microsoft Points / $7 (£4.80).

Gears of War 3 'Fenix Rising' map pack

Release date: January 17 (worldwide)
Platforms: Xbox 360

'Fenix Rising' will feature five new multiplayer maps for Versus, Horde and Beast modes, new multiplayer skins and the option to 're-up' at level 100 online. Maps included will be based on locales from the single player campaign, such as Academy, Anvil, Depths, Escalation and The Slab. It will be available for 800 Microsoft Points (£6.80 / $10) or free for Season Pass holders.

© Epic Games
© Epic Games

You can keep up to date with upcoming releases with our gaming release diary. You can also find out the latest gaming news and updates through our Twitter account at @digitalspygames.

What are you looking to buy this week? Add a comment to the space below!