Boom Boom Rocket Banging it’s way onto Xbox Live Arcade Tomorrow

From the press release:

Boom Boom Rocket Brings Rhythm to the Night on Xbox Live Arcade

A new original title rockets onto Xbox Live Arcade from Bizarre Creations (the creators of the critically acclaimed “Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved”) and publisher Electronic Arts. “Boom Boom Rocket” will be available for download on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360 beginning Wednesday, Apr. 11, at 0900 GMT (2:00 a.m. PDT).

The addictive and original “Boom Boom Rocket” is the first music-rhythm game to appear on Xbox Live Arcade. Players trigger rockets to the beat of the music while traveling through a 3D cityscape. The better the player times the explosions, the more spectacular the fireworks effect. The fireworks are choreographed to 10 original tracks created by Ian Livingstone, who recently scored “Batman Returns” and “Project Gotham Racing 2.”

“Boom Boom Rocket” will be available for 800 Microsoft Points and will first launch in the U.S. Canada, and Europe. The title is rated “E” for Everyone (except in Germany, where it currently is unrated). The game also will be available in the near future in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore Australia, and New Zealand.

Game Features

* Two single player gameplay modes – Normal and Speed
* Two single console multiplayer head-to-head modes – Battle and Endurance
* Practice Mode
* Freestyle mode – No target line or scoring, just mash buttons to create cool fireworks shows
* Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points

More information is available at http://www.xbox.com/games/livearcade.

Source: http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2007/04/10/543958.aspx

SOE Announces MORTAL KOMBAT II will be available for download on the PSN April 12th

From the press release:

SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES MORTAL KOMBAT® II IS SCHEDULED TO HIT THE PLAYSTATION® NETWORK AS A DOWNLOADABLE TITLE ON APRIL 12

WHAT:
Get ready to re-live all of the classic arcade action that made Mortal Kombat® II a beloved classic. Brought back and available for download exclusively on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, re-experience the classic head-to-head fighting game featuring classic characters such as Sub-Zero or Goro. Players will fight their way through the Outworld and defeat Shang Tsung or battle hidden characters including Jade and Smoke!

ABOUT MORTAL KOMBAT II: Replay All The Favorite Characters or Unlock Hidden Ones – Choose to be 1 of 12 characters; freeze enemies as Sub-Zero or possess Raiden’s god-like thunder powers! Unlock hidden opponents with Mortal Kombat knowledge and skills.

Head-to-head Combat in 10 Unique Levels – Use an array of combos to crush enemies before they crush you! Take the fight to one of 10 unique levels. Uppercut enemies in The Dead Pool to a nice acid bath or knock enemies into a pitfall in The Pit!

Control Enemies’ Fate – Select which combo move to perform at the end of a match to determine one of three special endings (Fatality, Friendship or Babality)

Multiplayer Action – Play online against other players through the PLAYSTATION® Network. Track wins and see how players are stacking up against each other through dedicated leader boards.

For more information visit www.station.sony.com

WHEN:
Mortal Kombat® II is scheduled to launch on April 12, 2007, on the PLAYSTATION Network for the suggested retail price of $4.99

Awesome news! I can’t wait to buy this game. It’s been years since I played it.

The Tech Behind Heavenly Sword

From GamePro’s Heavenly Sword Week, Day 2 comes more info about this awesome looking title. The article focuses on a little on story, art, and more importantly, uses of the Cell processor. Pretty cool stuff, check it out…

The PlayStation 3 needs a hero, and Heavenly Sword may be just the game to do the job. The game’s development history has been cloaked in secrecy, but a short playable demo turned heads at last year’s E3 2006. Luckily, we convinced the folks at developer Ninja Theory to grant us an exclusive look at one of the most hotly anticipated games of 2007.

Set in a fantasy world that blends aesthetics from both ancient Europe and Asia, Heavenly Sword pits Nariko, a ferocious warrior with crimson hair, against the legions of a genocidal invading King. The titular Heavenly Sword was once in the possession of a god-like force, but has since fallen to the mortal world. Although the sword is a gift to effect massive change, this blessing comes with a sacrifice: those who carry the sword sign their own death sentence. In fact, Nariko has only hours left to live when the game opens.
They Shall Drown in Lakes of Blood

The visuals in Heavenly Sword are downright delicious, with dreamy twilight lighting, expansive vistas, and waterfalls that look vastly superior to the ugly tumble of particles in other games. Nariko’s clothing and scarlet mane respond to gusts of wind as well as her never-ending flips and spins. What’s more, Heavenly Sword is the first PS3 game to really stress the console’s much-hyped Cell processor. In Heavenly Sword, the Cell enables incredible numbers of enemies to be on screen at one time. The trick is that Cell treats entire regiments as a single unit of artificial intelligence when they are at a distance; as they draw closer, Cell gradually divides the army into smaller and smaller groups, so they eventually become individual troops with unique fighting styles and tactics. The Sixaxis motion sensing responded respectably, but it wasn’t an central part of the action just yet, a fact that may change as the game progresses.

The Secrets of Cell

Heavenly Sword is one of the first PS3 games to tap into Cell’s true potential. Here are the highlights.

* Artificial Intelligence To keep up with the hundreds of on-screen enemies, Cell treats distant armies as a singlular “hive mind.” As they approach Nariko, Cell splits their intelligence across squads, and finally, individual troops.

* Graphics Wind gusts swirl Nariko’s hair and clothes, and bazooka blasts send out showers of dust and rubble. 1080p support is still a question mark, though.

* Physics When firing a cannon, Nariko can influence the trajectory of the projectile using the Sixaxis. Ninja Theory claims it needs the Cell to handle these complex calculations.

Disappointingly, Sony wasn’t yet ready to share all of Heavenly Sword’s secrets. 1080p support is still an unknown factor. Heroine Nariko herself is also an enigma. What’s her background? Where does she come from? Sony remains tight-lipped for now, but we expect to hear more details soon.

But those questions can wait for the time being. If the final version lives up to its premise and promise, Heavenly Sword will be a gift from the gods for PS3 owners worldwide. With any luck, 2007 will be the Year of the Sword.

Stay tuned all this week for more coverage on Heavenly Sword week!

Win flowers for you Mother and a Xbox 360 Elite for yourself

Is your mom a gamer? Here’s your chance to show her some Mother’s Day love and take a shot at winning Mother’s Day flowers for your mom and an Xbox 360™ Elite system for yourself!

Here’s how it works: Write an original essay about your mother (or female legal guardian) and gaming. Is your mom a lifelong gamer, or new to gaming? What games does she play? Does she support your gaming habit? Is she a n00b, or can she hold her own? Do you play together?

Your essay should be at least 250 words, but no more than 500 words, and must be received by 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time on May 6, 2007. Essays should be emailed to xlmail@microsoft.com. Be sure to use the subject line “My Mom’s a Gamer” and don’t forget to include your gamertag.

Who’s eligible to enter this contest?
You must be 13 years of age or older (if a minor wins the contest, the prize will be awarded to his/her parent or legal guardian). You must be a legal resident of the 50 United States, District of Columbia, and Canada (except for Quebec).

What are you looking for in this essay?
We’ll be evaluating the essays for creativity and originality, appeal to Xbox.com readers, and ability to effectively show respect and admiration for his/her mother/female legal guardian.

When’s the deadline?
We must receive your entry by 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time on Sunday, May 6, 2007.

Where do I sent my entry?
Send it to xlmail@microsoft.com, subject “My Mom’s a Gamer” and include your gamertag.

If I win, how will my mom get the flowers?
We’ll give you a gift certificate worth a hundred bucks to the florist of your choice.

What if I’m under 18, can I still win?
Yes, your entry can win. But we will have to award the Xbox 360 Elite to your parent or legal guardian.

How can I get more information?
Read the official rules.

Source: My Mom’s a Gamer Contest

Virgin launches Wii and PS3 radio player

Virgin Radio has launched a music player for the Wii and PlayStation 3 web browsers in the UK.

The player streams music from Virgin Radio, Virgin Radio Extreme, Virgin Radio Classic Rock and Virgin Radio Groove.

“It’s great for us to achieve another new media first and be the only UK radio station available on both of these massively popular games consoles,” said James Cridland, director of digital media, reports Radio Today.

“People are treating the consoles as part of their home entertainment media centre and now Virgin Radio will be part of that experience. This platform has great growth potential, particularly among early-adopters and the 25 – 44 audience popular with advertisers,” he added

Source: Gamesindustry.biz

Sexy New Heavenly Sword Screenshots

GamePro is doing Heavenly Sword week, in which they will be releasing screenshots for this beautiful looking game throughout the week. Here’s the first batch of screenies that they released…Enjoy!

Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta will go live on May 16th

Via Bungie.net

Multiplayer Madness!
Posted by Frankie at 4/10/2007 3:02 AM PDT

The Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta will go live on May 16th at 12:00 AM PDT and run through June 6 th at 11:59 PM PDT. That means that folks who purchased specially marked copies of Crackdown, or won a spot in the Beta through the “Rule of Three” or other regional promotions, will be able to log into their Xbox Live Gold accounts, download and play the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta and enjoy an early peek at the multiplayer aspect of the game.

If you’ve been sitting on the fence, and are interested, you can still enter the Beta by picking up a specially marked copy of Crackdown, which would ordinarily be a chore, but thankfully Crackdown is an awesome action game which might ironically distract you from the Beta I’m pimping here. Bungie is also giving out a few Friends and Family spots to valued community members, but those are few and far between, so it’s safer to assume you’re not getting in that way.

Now, I will say this again and again – the game you’re going to play one month from now, is Beta software – and while it will look somewhat close to the final game, it IS Beta – and will contain quirks, a couple of roughedges and all that jazz. But we’re pretty confident you’ll find it a dynamic and exciting taste of what’s to come in Fall.