Sea Journey 1.0 - Fight Hot Sea Battles in a Fancy Match3 Game

DivoGames company presents Sea Journey v1.0, an exclusive game that goes beyond traditional notion of casual games! Sea Journey invites you to the fascinating world of watery waste, fresh breeze and hot sea battles. If you are discontent with ordinary casual games, if you want something more exciting, challenging and full of profound meaning, Sea Journey is just the game for you. Match3 games have never been so thrilling and absorbing.

You play as a young captain of a merchant ship. Your father was a pirate, but he disappeared many years ago, and you do not know anything about him. You carry on your trade and yearn after adventures, but one day strange things begin to happen The ship is attacked by pirates! Thanks to your prudence several cannons have been mounted on your ship. You win the battle and get a mysterious talisman. Besides, there is a letter addressed to the pirate captain. A certain old corsair asks him to come to the island and get an important task. That is the beginning of your breathtaking adventures! Your crew sets black sails and heads for the island pretending to be pirates. From now on you take the path of battles, mysteries and dangers of Sea Journey.

The gameplay of Sea Journey is quite original, combining traditional match3 with tactical tasks. The playing area is divided into two parts: a match3 field and a visual sea battle above it. As you put matching items in a line, they blow up and affect the course of the battle or give you some profit. For example, a line of cannon balls lets you have a cannon-shot at the enemy; wheels increase the maneuvering ability of your ship in the battle, thus reducing the enemy's shooting accuracy; various gems designate special features, five for each type of ships; coins let you buy new ships, and scrolls give you extra experience for ship upgrade. You and your enemy have 3 moves every turn, but if you match 4 or 5 items, you get extra moves. Sea Journey requires not only moving items, but also working out a tactical plan. However, you can get useful tips that help to choose what matches are the most beneficial.

The battle is depicted in detail and looks very spectacular due to advanced graphics. Epic music and solemn choir along with real-life sound effects makes the action immensely impressive. The battles are set in various places, so you can enjoy lots of magnificent views such as storms, sunsets, volcanoes and harbors. There are 4 types of ships: trader, pirate, guard and phantom; each type has its peculiar characteristics. When you get more than one ship, it is up to you to decide which one is more suitable for a certain mission. All in all there are 50 levels in Sea Journey, and as you upgrade your ships and improve their capabilities, your adventures get more dangerous and difficult. Besides fighting with other ships, you can attack enemy forts. By the way, besides the main action, you can enjoy seven fabulous mini-games, which also bring you a good round sum. The last level is set in volcanic orifice: after getting through the raging fire and incredible nervous tension, you!
will find out something really precious.

Features:

- Addictive Match 3 Gameplay
- Challenging plot
- Advanced graphics
- Spectacular sea battles
- Amazing power-ups
- 7 fabulous mini-games
- Adventurous atmosphere

Pricing and Availability
Sea Journey 1.0 runs under Windows 98/2000/XP/Vista. A single-user license costs $19.95. Further information on the product, as well as the free trial version is available here

Final Fantasy XIII - No UK or US release before 2010

Square-Enix has been extremely tight-lipped about Final Fantasy XIII. Aside from the odd scanned Famitsu page or brief recut trailer, very little is known about the new game other than the fact that it features some gorgeous graphics and will hit the PlayStation3 and Xbox 360 simultaneously in the West.


One disappointing new detail has been confirmed, though: Square Enix president Yoichi Wada has gone on the record to say that the long-awaited game won't be coming to North America or the UK until April 2010—at the earliest.

Wada spoke with Reuters, where he said that "Overseas launches of the latest Final Fantasy game will come in the business year from April 2010 or later." The game is still currently on track to be released in Japan during calendar year 2009. Plans to simultaneously release the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game in the West also appear to be on track, which will certainly affect the ultimate drop-date of the software elsewhere in the world, as the game remains a PlayStation 3-exclusive in Japan.

With only a few noteworthy JRPGs on the horizon, namely Star Ocean: The Last Hope and White Knight Chronicles, it seems that fans of the genre will simply have to sit and wait as the Japanese enjoy an early release. Though for those who have been following the franchise for some time now, that will hardly be anything new.

Source: Ars Technica

Killzone 2 - True potential of the PlayStation 3...

We are only a month away from the release of Killzone 2 in the U.S and there is no denying that the game is producing a huge amount of buzz on the Internet. It is hoped that Killzone 2 will finally be able to show the true potential of the Sony PS3.

There is no denying that the Sony PlayStation 3 is a truly powerful system, but none of the games available has been able to set it apart from the Xbox 360 in gameplay. We did get a tease with Metal Gear Solid 4, but it still did not show the true power of the PS3.



Hopefully Killzone 2 will be able to change all that, the game has now raised the bar in the graphical and physical design of the game. Other developers will be able to see what Guerrila Games have done, and will aim to do the same, if not better.

Censor gives MadWorld on Nintendo Wii an 18 rating

The British Board of Film Censors has granted classification to Nintendo Wii-exclusive MadWorld. The game received an 18 rating, but apart from looking a bit weird on shelves between the ranks of party games and shovelware, it didn’t have too much trouble getting passed the censors.

MadWorld stands out from other Wii titles thanks to its instantly recognisable graphics. The game relies on a very limited colour palette consisting of black and white, with liberal splashes of bright red blood.

The levels of violence in the game have caused controversy in the UK, following Mediawatch-UK’s appeal to the Daily Mail, which complained that the bloody title would “spoil the family fun image of the Wii”. That isn’t to say that MadWorld is any more violent than other ‘ultra-violent’ titles out there though, it just happens to be one that the mainstream media has latched on to. Since the Manhunt 2 brouhaha kicked off over a year ago, there hasn’t been much else to whinge about.

In fact, the game is fairly tongue-in-cheek. You tear through opponents on a Running Man-esque television show using chainsaws, knives and other assorted instruments of death. Mini games are going to play an important part too, including one called Man Darts, in which you smack people at a giant darts board using a baseball bat and appropriate Wii remote gestures. The gore itself is pretty cartoony.

Nintendo has also stood firmly by the game, despite the alleged risk to its console’s image. It has also made it clear previously, that the Wii is not just for children and families, but for all ages, including the violence loving, more traditional gamer demographics. And given the number of disgruntled Nintendo fans who feel missed out by the Wii’s heavy focus on ‘casual’ gamers, Ninty needs more titles like this to prove it still knows its core audience.

The Chase Nintendo DS video game

Yesterday, while working as a delivery boy, Felix had an unplanned collision with someone on the street. That someone was Felicity - the girl of his dreams. They arrange to meet at the end of the pier for a date the following day. Here starts the fantastic tale of love at first sight, desperation, expectations and overcoming all obstacles to win the heart of the one you love.

Your date is waiting for you at the end of the pier, but first you'll have to get there! You have to get to your date before it's too late and she thinks you've stood her up. Will she still be waiting for you? Will she be impressed with your efforts? That is up to you...

Watch the video on my YouTube channel here...

The different modes in the game are:

1. Normal: a free form romp into the level
2. Race: race a love guru into the level
3. Rescue: carry a helpless animal to the end of the level
4. Vertical: Use your stylus as a grappling hook and climb to the top of the level
5. Heart grab mode: Find the 5 hearts scattered through the level

Key elements:

1. Crush meter: you have got to impress your sweetheart by collecting, hearts, flowers, coins, performing tricks and bowling enemies.
2. Rush line: Charge it by collecting fruits and jumping through hoops
3. Power-Ups:
- Time freeze: Freezes your enemy for 6 seconds
Love rush: 8 seconds of invulnerability
Newton bomb: possibility to jump very high
Choice between male and female character
Drawing of rush lines with the stylus: Using the Nintendo DS Touch Screen players can draw their own platforms and make their way through abstract landscapes representing locations throughout the city.
Horizontal and vertical scrolling
Funky and catchy music
Best love advices for the target audiences
5 different types of gameplay: normal, race, rescue, vertical, heart grab mode
40 different levels in 8 different areas: city, subway, park, fairground, construction zone, forest, sewers and beach.

Platform : Nintendo DS
Genre : Puzzle
Publisher : Atari
Rating : 3+

BioShock 2 - Sea of Dreams Xbox 360 PlayStation 3 and PC

BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams - Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC
Release summer 2009

There's no denying that BioShock was one of the best games of 2007 with its gripping story and unique blend of game genres. While the sequel's story is a mystery, Sea of Dreams is one of the most anticipated games of 2009.

Set in an alternate history 1960, the game places the player in the role of a plane crash survivor named Jack, who must explore the underwater dystopian city of Rapture, and survive attacks by the mutated beings and mechanical drones that populate it. The game incorporates elements found in role-playing and survival horror games, and is described by the developers and Levine as a "spiritual successor" to their previous titles in the System Shock series.

The game received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and ranks as the twelfth best video game on Game Rankings based on reviews from critics. It was particularly well-reviewed in the mainstream press where its "morality-based" storyline, immersive environment and Ayn Rand-inspired dystopic back-story were all singled out for praise.

Japanese adult video game actress talks about games

Adult video actress often say they play video games, but few really play video games. Japanese AV lady Noa, star of MAX ORGASM, does. She's hardcore, yo.

The self-proclaimed hikikomori otaku blogs about playing games — games like Fable II. She name drops Peter Molyneux, reminisces about Fable I and talks about things how "the hardware has changed... the graphics are considerably better."

When Call of Duty: World at War wasn't yet released in Japan, she bought the English language version — and then blogged about how much fun she had with the multiplay and the co-op. Two weeks after the game's Western release, she already reached Level 50 in World at War multiplayer.

She also posts about beating Way of the Samurai 3 and various Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS games she owns. Her most recent entry is about her custom character in Saint's Row 2 and other Western games she's currently digging (Fallout 3, Left 4 Dead and Gears of War 2.)

"I think because more and more Western games are getting Japanese releases, it seems like we're in an age where the game world is shared," blogs the adult video actress.

Link to her blog in japanese...

Source: Kotaku and Noa site

Video games out soon Skate 2 - Commander in Chief - Sim Animals

Skate 2 (PS3, Xbox 360) Link to gamezplay post
Electronic Arts, Black Box - $59.99

The skate sim is back with an online component that is worthy of a top spot in online extreme-multiplayer gaming.


Let's face it, there were many questions about a true skateboard sim when this game was released last year. After years of bizarro-world grinds on telephone wires and such from Tony Hawk's skateboarding franchise, would people play a "regular" skate game with true virtual physics?

All the great controls are still there for Skate 2 and a couple of new moves are thrown in, but the kicker is the new Create-a-Spot feature.

Let's say you're free-skating around one of the many environments and find some place cool to do some tricks. A couple of button presses later, and online users can join you in your choice spot and do battle in an area that is completely customizable.

See some park benches and tables strewn around? Move them to make some sick obstacles for grinds, ollies, and kick flips.

Totally awesome, dude.

For those looking for some powder instead of asphalt and concrete, Stoked, the snowboarding sim, is out for the Xbox 360 this week as well.


Commander in Chief - Geo-Political Simulator (PC)
Atari - $29.99

I don't know too much about this game, but it sure is timely.

With President-elect Barack Obama set to officially take the reins (poor guy) next week, now you can experience just a bit of the weight he is about to take on by making economic, social and military decisions to lead your people to the light. I mean, come on, things are kind of dark right now.

Choose your cabinet, make treaties and public appearances, try to get bills passed into law.

This could be fun or you could get a virtual shoe thrown at you.


Sim Animals (Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS) Link to gamezplay post
Electronic Arts - $29.99

Yet another Sim game hits shelves next week (I am waiting for Sim Money; at least I can play like I have some), with this one aimed mostly toward the kids.

Obviously, players won't be managing a city full of animals or managing the social scene at the neighborhood kennel.

What they will be doing is playing a bit of Mom Nature in the wild.

The game goes like this: With a trusty hand tool, you manipulate elements of nature to keep forests and the like working as they should. You are not causing tornadoes and earthquakes as in other Sim games, but let's say you are looking over your lands and come across some chicks in a nest in a tree. Then you see some kind of predator (a fox maybe) looking to get up in the tree for some good feasting.

How about using the hand tool to remove a couple of branches? Then the chicks will grow and their species will flourish.

And so forth and so on, continuing the balancing act in order to keep everything running right.

They say it's not nice to fool with Mother Nature, but when Mother Nature is doing all the fooling, things can get interesting.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

Left 4 Dead PC patch plus Xbox 360 patch only weeks away...

Though Left 4 Dead provided one of the best multiplayer experiences of 2008, it wasn't without its share of issues. Valve has taken care of a ton of them this morning with a new patch for the game currently being vaporized for absorption through Steam.

Sadly, the fixes aren't available for the 360 version of the game, though Valve says they'll arrive "in the coming weeks."

You'll find the full fix list after the break. You know, it's high praise for L4D that even its bugs sound cool. "Players can no longer grab ladders while flying through the air after a Tank punch." Is there anyone who could read that bug and not know they were in the presence of something radical?

Patch Notes:

General

* Fixed Survivors being able to climb surfaces marked for versus infected only.
* Fixed a class of SurvivorBot bugs dealing with rescuing downed players.
* Players can no longer grab ladders while flying through the air after a Tank punch.
* Shooting near a car with an alarm that has already fired the alarm will no longer make chirping noises.
* Improved loading time.
* Fixed mini-gun physics exploit.
* Fixed propane tanks (and other physics objects) causing players to fall through elevators.
* Fixed rare achievement bug issues.
* Fixed several map exploits.
* Fixed various match making issues.
* Fixed NAT traversal issues.

Versus Changes

* Added HUD elements to show status of other infected players.
* Changed color of infected player name in chat to red.
* Fixed exploit where players could spawn infected bots
* Fixed instance where a Survivor changing to the infected team would be attacked by infected bots.
* Normalized special infected melee damage.
* Made the following client commands cheat protected: "Kill" and "explode".
* Fixed exploit where infected players could run away and teleport back to gain health.
* Players can only change teams once per map.
* Players can't change teams while other players are still loading.
* Tank spawns at the same % through the map for both teams in versus mode.
* Made the Tank and Witch spawn directly on the escape route.
* Increased chance of getting the Tank or Witch.
* Fixed team swap issue.

Hunter

* Easier to pounce a Survivor who is meleeing.
* Increased Minimum damage a Hunter pounce does.

Smoker

* Fixed Smoker tongue tolerance.
* Smoker now has to be killed or the tongue destroyed for the tongue to break.
* Survivor's cannot bash someone off the tongue until the Survivor being pulled is paralyzed or hanging
* Tongue attacks that fail to paralyze or hang a Survivor will use the shorter ability delay timer.
* Fixed cases where the ability timer was not using the correct time.
* Fixed case where you could point at a Survivor but not register a tongue hit
* Fixed Smoker tongue not targeting and landing properly through PZ ghosts.
* Smoker tongue does damage every second while dragging paralyzed Survivors.

Tank

* Bashable objects now appear with a red glow.
* Tanks hitting a car with an alarm disables the alarm permanently.
* Tank frustration timer is only reset by hitting Survivors with rocks or fists.
* Reduced autoshotgun damage against Tanks.

Witch

* Witch spawns at the same % through the map for both teams.
* Avoids spawning within a certain % of the tank.
* Fixed an exploit where the Witch could be woken up and tricked into attacking Survivors.

PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii to stream YouTube - But NOT Xbox!

YouTube has announced plans that will see its content available on PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii home consoles.

The service will be provided through the YouTube TV site, currently in beta, which will customise the content and navigation tools to best suit TV screens.

"Have you ever wanted to just sit on your couch and watch YouTube on your TV?," read a post on YouTube's blog. "Well, now that's possible via YouTube for Television, initially available through the Sony PS3 and Nintendo Wii game consoles."

"The TV Website offers a dynamic, lean-back, 10-foot television viewing experience through a streamlined interface that enables you to discover, watch and share YouTube videos on any TV screen with just a few quick clicks of your remote control."

"With enlarged text and simplified navigation, it makes watching YouTube on your TV as easy and intuitive as possible."

Visit and subscribe to my YouTube channel gameboyuk here...

Source: Games Industry