Gamercide News

Developed by: Valve Corporation Published by: Valve Corporation Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3 Players: 1-2 Rated E10+ by the ESRB Not only is the cake not a lie, but you can have seconds! Portal 2 is the sequel to the massively successful Portal, which quickly ascended to cult status, with many of its elements becoming memes that can be found on practically any gaming forum today. But does it live up to the charm and originality of the first game? Short answer: YES. Portal 2 is every bit as good as the first, and better in almost every way. From beginning to end, it had a much more cinematic feel to it, with more characters involved and much, MUCH larger set pieces than th…

Category: Games Released: September 6, 2009 Seller: Victor Alonso Padilla Gonzalez (Happy Nutz Studio) Current Version: 1.0 (iPhone OS 3.0 Tested) File Size: 9.3MB Current Price: $0.99 Rated 4+ The Breakdown Popnus is a match 3+ style game with a twist. You are free to move the pearls wherever you want. This allows you to setup your own strategy of how the pearls disappear. The Important Stuff This game plays very similar to Bejeweled or even Hexic, but allows for a TON more freedom in movement than those games. You can not only move your nus (pearls) up, down, left, or right by one space, you can pretty much move them anywhere on the board. This freedom of movement gives…

Developed by: Harmonix (PS3/360); Pi Studios (Wii) Published by: MTV Games Distributed by: EA Distribution Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii Players: 1-6 Rated T for Teen by the ESRB The Breakdown Take the already popular Rock Band and mix it with one of the biggest bands in the world, The Beatles. Throw in a developer that absolutely loves The Beatles and you will get The Beatles: Rock Band. The Important Stuff Let me preface this review by saying this, it will be a little skewed because I am a huge Beatles fan. From the beginning intro video, all the way through to the very end of the story mode, you can tell Harmonix has the same love for the group as any Beatles fan does.…

Category: Games Released: August 10, 2009 Seller: Blue Fang Games Current Version: 1.05 (iPhone OS 3.0 Tested) File Size: 15.2MB Current Price: $0.99 Rated 9+ (Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence) The Breakdown Lion Pride is a line drawing management game in which you play as a pride of lions that must hunt different types of prey to stay alive. Miss your prey and your entire pride could die. The Important Stuff This game plays a lot like most management style games, but the added twist of playing as the lion pride is quite refreshing to see. The prey types of warthogs, antelope, zebra, and cape buffalo all require different strategies to take down. As your intend…

Developed by: Ice-pick Lodge Published by: bitComposer Games, Viva Media Platform: PC Players: 1 Rated T by the ESRB Cargo takes place in a vibrant world where a well meaning but incompetent group of mechanical gods have flooded the planet and broken gravity. This has resulted in humanity being on the verge of extinction, and has left a random assortment of their objects orbiting the earth. The very Gods responsible for humanity's demise have decided to replace us, and all our rubbish, with a new form of life called 'Buddies' . Buddies only have one purpose and that is to have fun. This is where you come in. You are piloting a blimp searching for salvage when you crash in…

Developer: Zen Studios Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Distributor: Microsoft Game Studios Platform: Xbox 360 (XBLA) Mode: Single player, Multiplayer I’m going to be honest I've never been a huge fan of pinball. I have never been good at it, no matter how hard I try. However, there was something about Pinball FX 2 that caught my eye. Be it the colorful tables, the licensed characters, or hope that this could be the pinball game that finally breaks me out of my funk for pinball. Did it succeed? Read on and let's find out. Pinball FX 2 really isn't a game unto itself. It is a free base of the game that allows you to try each table before you buy them. This sounds weird,…

Zen Studios has maybe the best pinball simulation game on the market today with Pinball FX2. In my previous review I mentioned that the upcoming Fantastic Four table. With its release, do we get another great addition to the already stellar table lineup? Keep on reading comic fans and let's find out in Gamercide's first "Quick Review" As with all the other tables, Zen Studios has done a great job capturing the feel of the Fantastic Four comics. Artwork for the table is colorful and quite impressive for a pinball game. Each character is represented in great detail and put their powers to good use as you play through the missions. Voice work is very well done, as is the ca…

Developed by: ReLogic Published by: Jeremy Guerrete Platforms: PC Players: 1/up to 8 Terraria is an 2D open ended world builder game, where players are free to create what they like. The game supports both single and multiplayer modes. Players enter the world with naught but the clothes on their back and some copper equipment, and are left alone to make a world for themselves. Players first create a character and are able to modify the colour of each of the basic components of their character. This character and its inventory stay persistent across all worlds, both single and multiplayer. The playing area, a “world”, can than be generated completely at random. Up to five …

Developed by: Cold Beam Games Published by: Cold Beam Games Platforms: PC, PS3 Players: 1-2, online and offline Rated E for Everyone by the ESRB Beat Hazard in itself was an extremely fun music visualizer slash space shooter often compared to Geometry Wars. Rightly so, as the basic gameplay is much the same, with the onslaughts of enemies coming at your omnidirectionally firing ship, equipped with devastating, screen clearing bombs. The twist is that the gameplay is powered by your music. Your firepower is immediately influenced by the intensity of a song, while enemy and boss spawn patterns are determined by various factors throughout the entire song. Every song generate…

With the release of another Marvel character themed table for Pinball FX 2, Zen Studios has brought us another amazing table to their pinball simulator. This time Captain America gets the royal treatment with a World War II themed table that doesn't disappoint. Every detail of the table is well done and screams Captain America. Bright colors and array of different lights, bumpers, and spinners all animate to bring the table alive. You'll see Cap standing guard over the table and the villains coming and going as necessary. Voice work and animations are solid and the missions available are extremely varied. Whether you are searching for Bucky and the Howling Command…

Ms Splosion Man Developed by: Twisted Pixel Games Published by: Microsoft Games Studios Platforms: Xbox 360 (XBLA) Players: Single and Multiplayer With a spray of champagne and a stray celebratory bow, Ms. Splosion Man opens with the accidental creation of the Ms. while the scientist are carelessly celebrating their successful capture of her male counterpart. The second game in the Splosion Series created by Twisted Pixel, Ms. Splosion Man runs on the famous Beard engine, making it quick to pick up for fans of the original and easy to learn for newcomers. Ms. Splosion Man pays homage to classic arcade and console games such as Sonic, Mega Man, Super Mario Bros. 3, and of …

Developed by: Nitro Games Published by: Paradox Interactive Platforms: PC ESRB: T for Teen Note: Check the bottom of this page for a short update on the state of the game. Pirates of Black Cove is difficult to classify. Players sail around the Caribbean gathering and completing missions on both land and sea, in an aim to gain access to a Forgotten Isle and defeat the Pirates of Black Cove. Part role playing, part strategy, this game is a casual one. When first starting a game, players can choose one of three playable characters. These characters, each with different stats, level up though the game and earn abilities. The character you choose is playable on land, where the…

Developed by: Straandlooper, Telltale Games Published by: Telltale Games Platforms: PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad Players: 1 Rated M for Mature by the ESRB After the cliffhanger of an ending from the first game, Detective Inspector Hector is back at it again. Going in to confront the terrorist, Hector finds himself staring down the barrel of an automated sniper rifle connected to a laptop, from which the terrorist's voice is coming. The terrorist was never there to begin with. Now Hector has to find a way out of his precarious situation and track him down. Hector: Badge of Carnage - Episode 2: Senseless Acts of Justice has Hector once again trying to figure out just what's going …

Twisted Pixel and Zen Studios have teamed up to bring us another table in the number one pinball simulator on gaming consoles, Pinball FX 2. Ms. Splosion Man graces us with her presence in this latest release. Does it live up to the standards set by Marvel and the other Zen Studios tables? Splode on through and let’s see. Big Science labs is the setting for this latest entry and much like the 2 games in the series, none of the experiments are going quite as planned. With Splosion Man captured, she will have to utilize all the gadgets in the lab to save him from the Mighty Eternal. Much like the full non-pinball game, the main goal of the table is to 'splode' as much as …

Cutting fruit. Sounds simple right? Well, when put in game form it becomes an astonishingly addictive concept. You are a ninja whose sole purpose is to cut fruit. Previously it was limited to the mobile market. Deft finger flicks would allow you to slice through fruit and avoid bombs. Can Halfbrick bring this same game play to Kinect? If you've played the mobile version, you know the deal here. Fruit is thrown up on the screen and you have to use your hands to slice it. Slicing multiple fruit at once gives you multipliers and you gain more points. Occasionally, game ending or point sapping bombs will be thrown across. Don't slice those. "Slicing" may be a bit generous her…

BloodRayne hasn't had the best track record. A couple of lackluster action games from the last console generation probably doesn't have many excited for this new iteration. Will the drastic departure from the original's style be enough to win over new fans? Let’s delve in to this 2D blood fest and see what we get. When WayForward announced they were working on a Bloodrayne title for XBLA, it was a pretty big shock. Their last game, A Boy and His Blob was really. A button dedicated to sucking the blood out of your enemies is a HUGE departure from the dedicated button for hugging. I've never been a fan of the Bloodrayne series, but I think I've been converted after this one…

Zen Studios has had a steady stream of new tables for their really great pinball simulator Pinball FX2. As all my other table reviews has shown, even someone who isn't a huge fan of pinball and have a blast with these tables. Will Sorcerer's Apprentice keep this trend rolling? Here's the rundown of the table's story. Jake and Amanda come face to face with an Evil Sorcerer in his citadel. The kids have no choice other than to fight the Sorcerer and his summoned creatures by using their pinball prowess and a specter named Whisper. A fairly simple premise but once you get down to the pinball, things get really interesting. The table has a ton of rail chutes and ramps that ar…

Developed by: Bitfield GmbH Platforms: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later Players: 1 Rated 4+ by Apple Application Ratings. ( contains no objectionable material ) Blockado Deep Sea is the fourth and most difficult installment of the Blockado series. With the change of difficulty also comes a change of scenery. As the name would imply your puzzle solving skills are put to the test under the sea. The sea overlay and subtle ocean sounds provide a nice relaxing atmosphere to solve the puzzles in. Deep Sea builds on the Blockado puzzle solving series where you must get a treasure chest t…

Developed by: Iridium Studios Platforms: PC and Xbox LIVE indie games Players: 1 Puzzle Quest proved that adding RPG elements to a tried and true game design like a match three puzzle can turn a game into absolute crack. But what happens when you add RPG elements to a rhythm game? Sequence is a bit of an odd mix. It's a rhythm game with RPG elements such as item drops, equipment and leveling, but it requires just as much skill progression on the player's end as it does for developing your character's level. In the game you must fight a series of monsters and a boss on each of the seven floors of a tower, with your ultimate goal being to reach the top and escape. Three …

Publisher: Telltale Games Designer: Graham Annable Platform: Windows, Mac Os X, PSN, iPhone, iPad Genre: Puzzle/Adventure Release Date: June 30, 2011 Price: $2.99 -iPad, $.99 -iPhone, and $9.99 -PC The one man puzzle solving machine of the FBI Nelson Tethers, is back on the case solving puzzle-esqe crimes in the followup to 2010's Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent, Puzzle Agent 2. In this sequel, Nelson is still bothered about the unresolved case from the town of Scoggins including the still missing Isaac Davner. Nelson is determined to put all of pieces of the puzzle together and figure out what really is going on in the tiny town of Scoggins. Do you have the wits to help Nel…

Developed by: Paradox Interactive Published by: Paradox Interactive Platforms: PC Release Date: 9/13/2011 Sengoku, a grand strategy game based on the “Sengoku Jidai” or “Warring-States” period of Japanese history will be released by Paradox Interactive on September 13th this year. This first look is based of a preview copy of the game, and so will not fully reflect the final copy. During my preview session with Sengoku, I was given the chase to play through some some campaigns as various clans. This preview will detail my experience with one of them. When you first go into single player, you are greeted with a nice view of the entirety of Japan, along with the various his…

This announcement from Sony regarding the upcoming Limited Edition Black Ops PS3 Bundle might be a little late to the party considering that it launched in November 2010, but if you are still interested in the shooter and want to play it on the PS3 and have no PS3, then you might find the following details exciting. The $299.99 160 GB bundle will feature a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops, The First Strike Map pack, and is looking at a release date of May 31st. Um...thanks Sony? via Playstation Blog Click here to view the article

The Salt Lake City Tribune is reporting that the outspoken co-founder of Eat Sleep Play, David Jaffe is out of a job. Jaffe reportedly lost his spot at the company he helped he co-found in 2007, because Eat Sleep Play and Jaffe wanted to do down separate paths. Eat Sleep Play's other co-founder Scott Campbell has since confirmed this report and said that they company will now focus on developing games for iPhone and iPad. Jaffe was not the only employee to leave the company. Eat Sleep Play has also laid off 8 employees all before the launch of the Playstation brand exclusive, Twisted Metal on February 14th. via Salt Lake City Tribune Click here to view the article

The final Gears of War 3 map pack will be releasing on March 27th. "Forces of Nature" will feature 3 new maps and two remakes of old favorites. The new maps will take you to tsunami ridden Aftermath, tornado alley Artillery, and the tiny village of Cove that has been constructed by the Stranded. The remake maps will feature rain ridden Jacinto and snow storm covered Raven Down. Also included with the new DLC are four special weapons, four new character models, five new weapon skins, and two new weapon skins that are based on feedback from the Gears community. No word on a price tage for the pack, however those of you that purchased that season pass when Gears of War 3 r…

Id Software starts off its advertising campaign for Rage with the release of a new TV Spot, featuring the visceral combat the game has always showcased, to the aptly titled song "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums" by the band A Perfect Circle. The fast pace and dark tones of the song do well when used in tandem with the guns, gore, wingsticks and the Wasteland this superb trailer shows off. Also featured are rocket-launchers, some of the enemies the player will encounter in their journey (a stories-tall, giant mutant and The Authority among others), and sweeping vistas of the large gang hideouts players can discover. You can watch the TV Spot below…