Gamernode: Latest Game and Console News

Atlus announces, dates Persona 4 for North America...

The next entry in the popular Persona series will be on Japanese store shelves in in just a few days, but little over a half-hour ago, Atlus announced that the PlayStation 2 game will be coming to North America this year, as well.

On December 9th, the previously Japan-only RPG will be hitting western shores. What's more is that every single copy of the game will ship with a soundtrack CD, and will cost just $39.99. From the Press release:

"Experience a thrilling murder mystery RPG set in the Japanese countryside. A mysterious chain of deaths remains unanswered and only you and your team of gifted supernatural sleuths can uncover the truth.

Develop strong friendships to aid you in battle, take direct control of your party in combat, acquire and fuse Personas, craft weapons, sign up for part-t...

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New DC vs Mortal Kombat video, podcast

As E3 and Comic-Con approach, one guilty pleasure I'm looking forward to seeing (and trying, Midway?) in action is the upcoming DC vs Mortal Kombat game. Last night, SpikeTV revealed exclusive gameplay clips and information for the game, showing two new characters, and a sampling of the types of moves some of DC's finest will be using. (And some that MK's combatants will use, for those of you curious if your favorite moves will make the cut.)

With the video, we learn several attacks for the DC characters.

Superman: Seismic-toss, ice breath, groundpound, laser eyesBatman: BoomerangFlash: Whirlwind spin, teleport (by running off screen one way and returning from the other, basically running around the world)

In addition, there's a really cool moment where Superman tackles Shang Tsung through ...

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Review Rewind: 6/29 - 7/5

It's Review Rewind time at GamerNode!

Every Saturday, we'll be bringing you up to speed with the site's review content for that week, highlighting all of the games we've covered with short snippets and scores, and maybe even a few dancing girls and a fireworks show.

Well, we'll have the first two at least.

Just in case you found a way to miss something (shame on you), the Review Rewind has got you covered.

6/30

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (NDS) by Demetri Kouvalis. 9 out of 10. "A great addition to the Final Fantasy Tactics family. Gaming on the go never felt more fun than having an army of sprites fighting on your side."

Supreme Commander (360) by Eddie Inzauto. 6.5 out of 10."A passable RTS, but one can tell that there is something better hidden beneath the unintuitive g...

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Aaron Greenberg calls the Wii "a novelty"

Ahh, industry figures taking jabs at rival companies' products like basement-dwelling fanboys never gets old, no matter which side it's coming from. This time around, Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft director of product management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, has some unflattering words for Nintendo's little white box, the Wii.

In an interview with Gamasutra, he claims that it is little more than a starter console and novelty for non-gamers, and that Wii owners "are eventually going to want to graduate to an Xbox 360 experience." Greenberg says:

"Everyone says that eventually the novelty will wear off, right? I think that a lot of the people that are buying that console today are not people that have generally bought consoles in the past, right?

You see they're not buying games on it, right? They'r...

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Diablo 3 isn't about griefing, says Blizzard

Over at the World of Warcraft forums, Blizzard poster Bashiok has chimed in on a discussion about player killing (PK) options in the recently announced Diablo III, saying that Blizzard will do their best to discourage unprovoked betrayal and griefing of party members in the sequel.

The main focus is intended to be on cooperation and working towards common goals, although that won't necessarily rule out all PvP options. Bashiok explains:

"We're - in general - not big fans of griefing for any game. It's really only "fun" for one person, and that definition of fun isn't generally something we're going to want to encourage. It's far more positive to encourage and support meaningful and skillful options and systems within a game, than a mechanic for people to instantly turn against one another f...

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Is that an NES...inside a cartridge?

If I was only allowed to use the word "awesome" once a month, then this story would definitely get the nod for July, even though we're still only four days in.

Benheck.com forum user darkeru has managed to take the guts of a Nintendo Entertainment System and stuff them all into the shell of a game cartride.

He even added a small LCD screen, and is running the entire unit on three n-cell batteries. As for games, this baby comes with 99 of them built in, including Super Mario Bros. (pictured below).

Unfortunately, the mod won't be distributed to stores, so the rest of us will have to be content to live vicariously through its creator.

[via benheck.com]

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Nintendo not training any more brains

It looks like Nintendo won't be brining any additional Brain Training games to the DS anytime soon, especially since the first two games are still selling very well.

Talking to UK game mag MCV, Nintendo marketing director Dawn Paine said that the Big N has no current plans to expand the series.

"The idea behind More Brain Training is that people can move across to it once they have played the first one, and vice versa, and are looking for new challenges and training exercises. Given that both titles continue to perform well, there are no plans for any more titles in the series."

I can't say that I really care much about Brain Training either way, but I guess this means I should cancel my plans to interview Nicole Kidman at the recording of the next commercial for the series, huh?

[via CVG]

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Second chances: Virtual time machines

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that, at one point or another, everyone has wanted a second chance at something. It may have been simple, like a mulligan on the 18th hole of last weekend's golf outing, or it may have been something far more consequential, like another chance with your ex-girlfriend from years ago. In any case, it is usually something irreversible and lost to the past.

But what if we had that second chance? What if we had the power to go back and take another shot whenever we felt we could have done better? Speaking for myself, I know that I would certainly try many things a second, third, and even fourth time -- maybe more.

I'm sure many gamers have similar feelings, so click through to see how videogames give us... 

Second chances

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Wii Fit flops in Japan. Gamers quit after buying

One of the reasons health clubs stay in business is by signing up people to yearly contracts.

What they know and the general public doesn't know is that a great majority of people who do sign up only attend about 57 days out of the full year while some drop out completely, thus affording more space in the gym for more people to sign up and fail to show.

It seems that Wii Fit, at least in Japan, is taking on similar characteristics in consumer behavior. According to ITMeida of Japan, a poll was taken by a group of 1000 gamers that showed a staggering amount of people not using the Wii Fit game shortly after purchase.

The question presented to the gamers was:

Do you use Wii Fit faithfully everyday?

- 22% - I record my progress faithfully everyday - 6% - Maybe once every two or three days...

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Day of Defeat: Source update, free-to-play weekend...

Valve released an update to Day of Defeat: Source, which coincides with a free-to-play holiday weekend to all Steam users.

The update, dubbed the Palermo Update, features a new community map (Palermo), Steam Community integration, 51 new achievements, player statistics and a freeze-death cam.

Additions like player statistics showcased in the Steam Community and achievements, as well as the freeze and domination cameras, were previously featured in Team Fortress 2. These new additions join the new map Palermo, which contains five capture points for enemies to combat over.

For more details on the Palermo update, continue reading below.

Palermo:

Introducing Palermo, a new Day of Defeat: Source map from Magnar "insta" Jenssen. This map's design was inspired by the Italian port city of the same nam...

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Best Buy ad shows 360 price drop

Microsoft's Xbox 360 is old enough to stand on its own feet, feed itself, and at this point even have a crush on the young girl next door. So don't you think it's time for a price drop? Even though Microsoft hasn't announced it to the public yet, plans to lower the Xbox 360 base price is expected, some analysts say.

The 20 GB Xbox 360 formerly known as "Pro" looks like its price will be going down by fifty bucks, from $349 to $299 according to a Best Buy employee who used his phone to give us this blurry picture. The ad, photographed off-screen from the Best Buy computer system, is said to run the week of July 13th. That matches up with previous price drop rumors from Kmart and an unnamed "major retailer." Could this just be a one week promotion or is there a whole other SKU involved, in w...

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New Halo game to be unveiled at E3?

Many people are saying that this year's E3 wont be as spectacular as previous ones because for one reason or another many developers and publishers are staying away from the convention this year. One company that we know will make a presence however is Microsoft on the sides of development and publishing. Since late Spring the internet was able to uncover most of the E3 2008 lineup that Microsoft has been planning to show except for two titles that still remain a secret to date.

Speculation has risen that one of these two new games is a new Halo game. Whether this new Halo game is the one Peter Jackson was supposed to be manning, or the rumored 3rd-person prequel is still anyone's guess. According to a rumor on Sarcastic Gamer, the fourth installment is already in development:

"A very good ...

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You want Goldeneye on the Wii? So did this guy

It's pretty clear that members of the gaming community need more Goldeneye in their lives. There has been significant demand for the game to be re-released, be it on Xbox Live, Wii Virtual Console, or even in a Source Engine mod.

Well, one determined Wii owner has managed to get the game running on the Virtual Console's Sin & Punishment emulator, and has posted his accomplishment for all to see. Here it is:

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New PS2 coming to Europe and India this fall

Apparently working its way west, the new model PlayStation 2 that hit Japan last November will be coming to the European and Indian markets by late October of this year. It will precede this year's Diwali festival, which takes place on October 28th, said SCE India manager Atindriya Bose.

The new model will be slightly lighter and slimmer than existing PS2 consoles, and will also do away with the bulky external AC adapter of those models. It will cost 6990 Indian Rupees ($163), which is the same price as the systems that are currently in stores. Pricing has not yet been announced for the European release.

Regarding the Indian gaming market, Bose said, "We feel PS2 has the potential to penetrate further into the Indian and Russian markets. Console gaming is in its nascent stage in India. These...

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Viva Pinata 2 dated and detailed

Microsoft Game Studios and Rare Ltd. have divulged some new information regarding the upcoming sequel, Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise. The candy-filled critters will find their way onto European Xbox 360s on September 5th of this year, which likely translates to September 2nd for gamers on this side of the pond.

The game will feature over 30 new species, cooperative play options, and added gameplay modes. Players will also be able to check out the wilderness outside of the confines of the garden this time around. Both an arctic and desert environment will be open for exploration, and the exotic inhabitants of those areas can be lured back to the garden using accommodations from home, such as snow and sand patches.

The first Viva Piñata game was somewhat of a sleeper hit in 2006, and the se...

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Super Mario Sluggers batting video

Namco Bandai and Nintendo's Super Mario Stadium: Family Baseball (Super Mario Sluggers in the US) has been available in Japan for a couple of weeks now, and is scheduled to hit North American shores during the last week of August.

The game promises to bring typical Nintendo mascot action, a la Mario Tennis and Mario Superstar Baseball, to the Wii. It takes a simple, pick-up-and-play approach, and makes use of the console's motion controls for pitching and batting.

The video below shows off exactly how the Wiimote input translates into in-game action behind the plate. It's nothing mind-blowing, but it is the Mushroom Kingdom on a baseball field, and if your home team is anything like mine, you might actually prefer that.                                                                        ...

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H2H: Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat

Two combatants enter; only one leaves: this is the credo of Head 2 Head.

GamerNode aims to bring the best match-ups and bitter rivalries in the videogame industry to our readers, who will be tasked with crowning a definitive champion of each contest. We may ask which of two games or companies is superior, or we may ask which of two industry figues would win in a knock-down, drag-out rumble, but whatever the stipulations, the winner is up to you. Comments will be tallied and listed in the next edition of Head 2 Head.

Round 1: Fight!

The first edition of H2H spotlights the original 2D fighting rivalry between Capcom's classic Street Fighter series and the brutal Mortal Kombat series from Midway Games

Street Fighter II molded the one-on-one competitive fighting template that would be emulated a t...

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Sony pulls 2.40 update for PS3 off servers

Yesterday it was reported all over the internet that firmware version 2.40 was crashing and freezing up PS3s after installation.

Sony has announced that it has pulled the update from its servers and will be keeping the PS3 community in the loop with "further information" as it tries to solve the issues, which Sony states, has only affected a small number of machines.

On the official PlayStation Blog, Patrick Seybold, director of corporate communications at Sony said,

"As has been reported on many gaming blogs and websites, we have temporarily taken Firmware v2.40 offline. We've received a limited number of calls from consumers experiencing an issue with installing the system software update on their PS3.

"While our consumer services department has seen a low volume of calls on this topic, w...

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Firmware update 2.40 reportedly crashes PS3s

The latest firmware update for the PS3, version 2.40, is apparently causing problems for some PlayStation 3 owners. Reports are coming in from the US PlayStation forums that the newest firmware is causing quite a few lock-ups and freezes on the game console.

The problems may be associated with the earliest versions of the PS3--a similar situation that also surfaced with the release of GTA IV where the loading screen remained frozen during installation.

One forum member described what happened after he updated to firmware 2.40. "Well, I downloaded version 2.40 put in metal gear solid 4 and i get a black screen forever..i cant even get demos to start..I got my Ps3 on Launch day..So my warrenty (sp) is out now..Any advice? I can take a vid if anyone wants."

One user said that his PS3 power butto...

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Update: Chrono Trigger coming to the DS

A rumor was circulating the last few hours about a Chrono Trigger port coming out for the Nintendo DS. With Square-Enix's tendency to release older games on Nintendo's handheld, it wasn't a completely unbelievable rumor, but still, any fans of Chrono Trigger knew better than to get their hopes up by getting excited.

Well, get excited. While there's been no official word yet from Square-Enix about a Chrono Trigger DS, a page on Square's official site popped up a short while ago, all but confirming the existence of the project. All that remains to be seen now is whether or not Chrono Trigger DS will feature new or updated features, a la some of the ported Final Fantasy titles. 

In other news, if you've been sitting on a Chrono Trigger SNES cart in hopes the prices continued to rise, you may w...

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