Spidey meets Sliders with Activision’s Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Spidey's going world-hopping, according to an announcement Activision made today. The company has released details about Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions, the newest Spider-Man game on the way. Instead of a single Spider-Man universe, players will be able to fight through four different worlds, each based on a different Spider-Man story/world/concept.
Activision has only revealed two of the four worlds: The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man Noir. Amazing Spider-Man is the classic four-color Spidey, with visuals based on the comic books and a world based on Marvel's Earth-616. Spider-Man Noir is a 1930's variant of Spidey, based on the Spider-Man Noir comic series. It's darker, and its art style more reflects noir films, with heavy contrasts and desaturated colors.
PAX East 2010: Retro Gaming Goodness
During PAX East, the third level of the Hynes Convention Center held two special rooms. These rooms were time machines, that took gamers back to the days when arcades were popular and game systems were cartridge-based. The classic arcade and classic console freeplay rooms were testaments to "back in the day," and brought a nostalgic tear to my eye.
The arcade room had a little of everything, from classics like Sinistar and Food Fight to obscure games like Leprechuan and Joust 2. The console room had every home system that mattered in the last 30 years, including the Atari 2600, Super Nintendo, Playstation, and Dreamcast. The room also had an NES dedicated to a Silver Surfer competition; anyone who could beat a full level of the game won some pins and a ton of bragging rights. Nobody won.
Check out the gallery of retro gaming after the jump.
Wednesday Gaming and Geek Deals
Here are some pretty sweet video game and geek deals on Amazon and ThinkGeek to help you get through Hump Day. Xbox Live points (card-only; why the online code is full price I have no clue), Modern Warfare 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, light-up Star Trek t-shirts, and more!
Amazon:
- 4,000 Xbox Live Points
- $41.54 (17% off)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3
/360
- Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3
/360
- Sonic Classic Collection
(DS) - $19.47 (33% off)
ThinkGeek:
- Star Trek Illuminated Shirt - $14.99 (63% off)
- Brick Construction Shirt - $9.99 (50% off)
- Street Fighter Action Keychain - $7.99 (38% off)
- Grue Repellent Glow-in-the-Dark T-shirt - $10.99 (31% off)
- Spycam Classic Lighter Camera - $29.99 (50% off)
Tuesday’s Trope: Chekhov’s Skill
[Tuesday's Trope is a weekly department highlighting an amusing video game trope from TVTropes. Aggrogate is not affiliated with TVTropes.org in any way. All trope examples come from TVTropes and are shared via the Creative Commons license.]
This week's trope is Chekhov's Skill, the defining trait of all Metroidvania games and most adventure games. Chekhov's Skill is a skill that you know you'll have to use eventually to proceed in the game. It's best embodied in the Metroid games, where every new weapon lets you get through a door you couldn't open, and every new skill helps you reach a ledge you couldn't jump up to. Most recently it's popped up in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, where you'll pass a ton of locked doors and hidden passages you simply can't access until later. Conversely, as soon as you pick up the skill necessary to open those doors, you know that the only way to move forward is to go back to every one of those locks and see what's behind them. Many video games love this trope, because if you can't actually use the neat crap you pick up to continue, what's the point in looking for it?
Want to write for Aggrogate?
Aggrogate is looking for writers! The site is currently a one-man show, but I'd really like to expand it. If you're interested in writing for Aggrogate, send me an email. It's great if you have writing clips or a resume, but they're not necessary. If you have a passion for gaming and want a place to express it, this could be the home for you.
It's not a paid gig, but it does come with some great benefits. Writers at Aggrogate get their own @aggrogate.com email address. Occasionally we get video games for review, so you might get a free game or two out of the deal (if you can review it). Depending on where you live, you could get invited to gaming events, conventions, and expos. Also, if you live in the New York City area, I'll buy you a beer (if you're over 21). Finally, to sweeten the deal just a little bit more, I have a code for one male and two female PAX East hoodies for your Xbox Live avatar. The first three writers to join the site get the codes This isn't a contest in any way, I just have a spare code card and I'd be happy to share it with any newcomers.
Writing for Aggrogate is a great way for aspiring writers to get started in video game journalism. It's a great deal for all of us. Aggrogate gets more writers, and you get a byline, an email address, and all the advice you can tolerate. Plus, as we grow, you'll get a handy little thing called "seniority." Drop me a line if you're interested.
PAX East 2010: Puzzle Quest 2 Preview
I got a chance to sit down at D3Publisher's booth for some face time with Puzzle Quest 2. After the entertaining but unfocused Puzzle Quest: Galactrix and the deluge of Puzzle Quest rip-off games crowding the shelves, I was worried that the genre of RPG-puzzle hybrid had come and gone. Now I'm just worried that Puzzle Quest 2 will eat up several dozen hours of my life and that I'll once again see those damn jewels shuffling around when I close my eyes.
Puzzle Quest 2 doesn't radically change game mechanics from the first game, but it does make some fascinating tweaks to the dynamics of combat and character growth. Gold and experience have been taken off the board entirely, and are instead solely given at the end of every fight. Replacing them are a fifth mana color, purple, and fist-shaped weapon points.
PAX East 2010′s Gallery-o-Swag
I hinted at this on Sunday, when I tossed up a catch-all photo of my post-con swag pile and a list of the trinkets. Now, after some time in Photoshop and tinkering with a new gallery plug-in, I bring you a close-up look at the nifty swag I got from the show. Click onward to see the full gallery after the jump.
Among the more interesting and useful items picked up were a Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands silicone iPod skin, a Dark Void action figure/mini-statue, a Gambit MIT "health kit" band-aid dispenser, and a far-too-useful-for-its-own-good Zalman bottled drink clip. There were plenty of temporary tattoos, t-shirts, and stickers in the mix, along with a handful of lanyards, rubber balls, and bags.
Gamestop’s Game Days sale has tons of mediocre deals, a few great ones
Ah, Spring. When a young man's fancy turns to love and Gamestop's bins fill up with games they just can't get rid of. Gamestop's Game Days sale lasts through April 25, and you can actually find some pretty good deals among the bins. There's the standard avalanche of shovelware, but there are still some gems to pick out for cheap.
Highlights include:
PAX East 2010: Cosplayers’ Paradise
Cons always bring out tons of awesome (and deranged) cosplayers, and PAX East was no exception. There was an impressive guy-from-Dead-Rising-2, a ridiculously awesome suit of powered armor from Fallout 3, and tons of Team Fortress 2 classes and Final Fantasy characters. Look at the full gallery after the jump.
PAX East 2010: Post-PAX Swagmageddon
I just got back from Boston with a lot of PAX East things to write up. Keep an eye here for post-PAX coverage all this week. The floodgates open tomorrow, but until then here's a round-up of the massive swag given away at the show. This doesn't count a few major giveaways over the show (The Skate 3 booth gave away PAX East skate decks), but it still shows all the stuff they were giving away at the booths. Full list after the jump!
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