The games of summer 09

Scribblenauts – DS
Release date: September 15

Let us illuminate you on why the very thought of Scribblenauts is badass. What you have is a puzzle/adventure game, in which every word you type will manifest that object (noun) in order to complete the puzzle. Think about that. Say you need to retrieve a star from the top of a tree. How do you get it down? Type “chainsaw” and you can saw it down. How about “beaver” and chew it down? Or “trampoline” and jump to it. And that’s the simplest example.

Not only that, but we’ve seen video of the sandbox play on the title screen. We’ve seen a kraken fight God. Yes, God. We saw God get killed by the Grim Reaper. We saw KEYBOARD CAT. Add to that a custom level editor enabling you to upload levels for others to nab and you have a create-a-game that’s easier and more accessible than LittleBigPlanet. How cool is that?

WHAT ELSE?

The Beatles: Rock Band – 360
Release date: September 9

Have you heard of a tiny British band called The Beatles? Some teeny-bopper band that grew to help change the zeitgeist of the music landscape with each additional album? Arguably one of the greatest bands ever? Yeah, they get their own Rock Band game which might just bridge a 40-year generation gap.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade – Wii
Release date: September 8

Developed by Vanillaware, the cats who made the gorgeous 2D RPG Odin Sphere, Muramasa will destroy your eyeballs because it looks that damn good. As a 2D action-RPG, you’ll fight a bunch of baddies and grin like a gosh-dern fool the entire time. It’s already out in Japan and we hear nothing but great things.

Halo 3: ODST – 360
Release date: September 22

Play as a number of Orbital Shock Drop Troopers in the follow-up/prequel to Halo 3, the biggest game like EVER. Actually, gameplay’s a bit different this time. You play in a kind of open world environment with a large map to navigate and Covenant to dodge. During your adventure, you trigger playable flashbacks with other members of your crew. Other features include the Horde mode-like co-op Firefight mode and every Halo 3 map ever for XBL. Add to that a Beta key to the multiplayer for the cryptic Halo: Reach and you have one HALO a package. Wakka wakka!

DON'T FORGET

Bayonetta – 360, PS3, PC
Release date: September 1

As GR Senior PS3 Fanboy Mikel Reparaz says, “Bayonetta’s hacky-slashy-shooty-crazy action looked strikingly like what we’d already seen in Devil May Cry 4, but what keeps Bayonetta from just being Dante with a nicer ass are the moments when she goes from merely “over the top” to “balls-out ridiculous” (or maybe it’s “tits-and-ass-out ridiculous”). Sold!

ONE MORE

Shadow Complex – Xbox Live Arcade
Release date: July?

Epic Games’ Metroidvania/Contra next-gen 2D shooter looks unbelievable. You start out looking for your girlfriend in the woods and then suddenly find yourself in an underground fortress with ridiculously over-the-top ultraweapons and supersuits aiding your adventure. Its seamless map looks about as big as Symphony of the Night and the game even rewards you with XP for exploration.

Jun 19, 2009

A look back at every game with Marvel’s feral fighter

Batman’s best and worst games
Holy retrospective! We look back at every game featuring The Dark Knight

It floats in water