The Sly Collection - PS3 - 10/1
Sly Cooper is a very highly reviewed game that appears exclusively on the Playstation series of consoles. Much like the God of War package they released before, they have taken the three Sly Cooper games and given them an HD overhaul. If you haven't played the series before, here's your chance to get it for a good price and experience the game in all of its glory.
Wii Party - Wii - 10/3
For those people out there who are looking for the next Mario Party game, well, this is as close as you're going to get for awhile. Wii Party is the latest collection of mini games from Nintendo, which emphasizes a more interactive party experience for its players. Players can play Hide and Go Seek with their Wii-motes, pick up the one that is making the right sound, or engage in 80 other mini games. Take a look if you were a fan of the Mario Party series, we certainly were.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Multi Platform - 10/5
A 3D Castlevania game, I must be crazy. I know, I've heard it since I began promoting this game to friends and family. Here's the big difference and why everybody should be paying attention: This one is by Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear Solid series. If anybody could pull off a 3D Castlevania game, it's this man. Watch this one carefully, I have very high hopes for it.
NBA Jam - Wii - 10/5
NBA Jam was an arcade staple in the 90's, and even those who didn't like sports games got into this over the top series, including myself. I'm not sure how I feel about motion control in the game and hope they decided to have an option to not use it, but this is your only choice if you want to play this game. Unless, of course, you pick up:
NBA Elite 11 - Multi Platform - 10/5
Why is this game on the list? Well, here's the deal. NBA Jam is also available as a download for the Xbox 360 and the PS3, but according to this entry on the PS3 blog, the only way to play NBA Jam on the PS3 (and based on the EA speak in the comments, presumably the Xbox 360 as well) is to buy this game and get download codes for it. You'll get "all the functionality of the Wii game" as well as getting the re-branded NBA Live. Basketball fans are getting a great deal, but NBA Jam fans are feeling burned on this one. Watch to see how it unfolds.
Super Scribblenauts - DS - 10/12
Scribblenauts took E3 by storm last year with a single paragraph review detailing the author's ability to travel back in time to get a dinosaur to eat the zombies that were in his way. Many of us picked up the innovative game and were left a little disappointed with its mechanics. The control was unforgiving, and everybody worked out their own toolbox of a few different words to get past every puzzle. This time around, they've added adjectives, gave it an alternate control scheme, and made it so you would have to approach puzzles differently than you would from the first one. Could be good stuff, and who wouldn't want to ride a Gentlemanly Raptor?
Medal of Honor - Multiplatform - 10/12
I've never been a fan of the realistic FPS games, but I can't deny Medal of Honor's inclusion to the list. The premise of this one is that you play as an elite solider dropped into a modern day war zone. The story is supposed to be "intense", but to give it its credit, it was developed with Tier 1 Operators giving their experiences as reference material. Something for the online crowd to keep an eye on, for sure.
Power Gig: Rise of the Six String - Multi Platform - 10/18
Power Gig: Rise of the Six String - Multi Platform - 10/18
I'm putting this one on the list because of what the implications could be. It's probably going to be one to just ignore, but Seven45 Studios is beating Rock Band 3 to the punch with their own miniature guitar, fully stringed. It's a little pricey still, but will be worth keeping an eye on to see what kind of impact it makes on the music game genre.
Fallout: New Vegas - Multi Platform - 10/19
Bethesda comes out with the next Fallout game, Fallout: New Vegas. Fans of Fallout 3 know what to epxect here already, an open world to explore with lots of quests and surprises. They've kept VATS, and included an Iron Sight mode for those who want a more realistic FPS approach. I didn't buy the last one until almost a year had passed, I'm not making the same mistake twice.DJ Hero 2 - Multi Platform - 10/19
I wasn't very impressed with DJ Hero when it first came out, and judging by the sales and clearance shelves where I see it going for $20, I'm betting most other people weren't either. It looks like this time around Activision added some real dance club tracks, and with the addition of a vocal mode, could make it more of a party game instead of a lonely sit by yourself with your $80 ($20) plastic gaming peripheral.
Force Unleashed 2 - Multi Platform - 10/26
The Force Unleashed was a great idea with excellent physics that fell short of its full potential. I had a difficult time guiding the character to do the moves that I wanted him to do, and based off of other reviews I have seen, there were some other major problems with the game play. The developers say that they have listened to the fans and have fixed the major complaints from the previous offering. I remain skeptical but very hopeful for this game to be everything we want it to be.
Fable 3 - Xbox 360 - 10/26
Screw Peter Molyneux. Personal friends will know my vendetta against him and his games, and some day I might explain it to the readership of the site, but I've sworn not to fall for another of his promises ever again. With that said, Fable 2 won XPlay's Game of the Year award, so this series cannot be ignored. Your Fable 2 character's sons are fighting for control of the throne, giving the players more places to explore, more quests to find, and more choices to make. Let's all see what becomes of this one.
Rock Band 3 - Multi Platform - 10/26
Here's the music game of my choice. Rock Band 3 ups the ante by offering the ability for up to SEVEN people to play together on drums, vocals, bass, guitar, and now keyboard. To make things even more impressive, they're offering up Pro Mode, which allows players to actually learn how to play on a keyboard or guitar. There's even a stringed full size Squier that Fender is making for the game, but there's not a whole lot of news about that yet. Keep your eyes on the rockband.com site to see when it's coming out and how much it's going to be.
Lego: Universe - PC - 10/26
The Lego MMO is coming out at the end of the month, and it looks interesting. Battle against the Maelstrom to bring light and imagination back to the Lego Universe. Players will be able to choose from different backgrounds, but will be able to choose their classes based on what kind of gear that they are wearing. Want to be a knight? Toss on some plate and go to town. I'm not sure how it's going to do against the behemoth that is WoW, but the Lego brand is very popular with all ages.
The Sims 3: Late Night Expansion Pack - PC - 10/26
My wife wouldn't let me not put this, so here's what to buy to smooth things over after spending all of your time with Fallout: New Vegas, Castlevania, and all the rest of the really good games coming out this month. According to the Mrs, you visit late night spots and can use your fame and connections to become a celebrity, partier, or even a vampire. This is a major expansion to the Sims 3 license, and if it's as good as the last one was, it will keep you busy for months.
Alright, there's our list to keep an eye on. Good luck keeping your checking account under control this coming month, and Happy Gaming!
