According to details, Grease: The Game, lets you play with as many as eight players. Rather than creating a new story, players get to explore mini-games which bring the movie environment to life. Naturally, this is more of a game for families and party play as opposed to something a hardcore gamer would prefer.

The mini-games included in Grease allow people to sing the movie musical songs, dance the hand jive, compete in sporting events to win that letter jersey, to enjoy graduation as only a Rydell student can, and to race down Thunder Road. When playing the Wii version, Grease is compatible with the Wii Balance Board. It is also compatible with the USB Nintendo microphones, which allows players to get into teams for Party Mode. In Party Mode you sing and dance in an attempt to dominate the Rydell High Musical scene. Story Mode allows players to fix up Greased Lightnin’ or to dance their way into Sandy’s heart.

The DS version is going to require proper rhythm skills from each player, as they will be forced to tap the best of the ten included Grease songs, following the Rydell High gang on their travels through school. A special treat for younger kids, come with the DSi camera function which allows you to put your face on your favorite Grease character.

Grease: The Game will be available in stores this August.

Technorati Tags: Grease, The Game, Video Game, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, 505 Games, Screenshots, Details

As the next chapter in the Dream Chronicles saga, Dream Chronicles: The Book of Air re-immerses players like never before. Innovative new game play elements add new dimensions to the experience and allow players to freely explore the world of Dream, use magical abilities to unravel puzzles, and learn even more about the mysterious story of a fairy realm.

Technorati Tags: Dream Chronicles, The Book of Air, Screenshots, Casual Gaming, Play First, PC Game

The following games are currently in development for Ubisoft.

Hollywood 61 (code name): Live the thrill of mastering tailor-made mind games and become the obsession of a criminal mastermind in the first interactive 3D movie. Solve the deadly mystery with 150 classic and 3D puzzles.

Battle of Giants™: Dinosaur Strike: 150 million years ago, Nature’s fury was unleashed, forcing Dinosaurs to fight for their survival. Dive into spectacular battles and deal powerful blows to your worst enemies. Master your fierce dinosaur and rule the cataclysmic Jurassic world!

Driver® Renegade: The first and exclusive action driving game on Nintendo 3DS that lets you experience the intensity of urban car chases. As former cop John Tanner, you work outside the law to fight crime in the gritty streets of New York and defeat the 5 crime lords who own the city.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory™: Sam Fisher, the renowned secret agent is back in this redesigned version of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. Experience one of the most acclaimed games in the Splinter Cell franchise for the first time in 3D.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon™: Lead the Ghosts, the most elite special forces unit in the US Army, across multiple tactical missions to prevent a war from breaking out.

Assassin’s Creed™ Lost Legacy: Driven by curiosity and a desire to understand the origins of his Order, Ezio Auditore travels East in search of the lost castle at Masyaf, the ancient seat of the Assassins.

We will be offering more information, trailers, and screenshots as they become available.

Technorati Tags: Assassin’s Creed Lost Legacy, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, Driver Renegade, Nintendo 3DS, Ubisoft, Hollywood 61, Battle of Giants, Video Games

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved gives each player multiple ways to get involved including:

Using a Personal Trainer
Taking a Fitness Class
Playing Mini-Games with Friends and Family

The result is a game that is a fitness program that is fully designed by your goals and abilities. The game changes and evolves as the player becomes healthier and evolves, as well. The result is a highly motivated and well challenged player.

Additional Information Via the Press Release:

Players will also have the opportunity to work out with some of the best personal trainers in the industry in the comfort of their own homes without the cost of a gym membership. Michael George, Los Angeles–based celebrity fitness trainer and Michelle Bridges, trainer for all five series on Australia’s “The Biggest Loser,” will both offer workout classes at launch. There are also a variety of fitness class options, including yoga, Pilates, martial arts and boxing. In addition, Your Shape™: Fitness Evolved will also offer a wide choice of mini-games including dancing, ball games, balance games and hula-hoop. The mini games support turn-based multiplayer mode so players can challenge friends and family.

Technorati Tags: Xbox 360, Game, Screenshots, Fitness, Your Shape Fitness Evolved, Kinect

This is what Activision tells us:

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a thrilling action-packed adventure set in four dramatically different universes from legendary Spider-Man lore, each with a distinct Spider-Man armed with unique skills and strengths, in one original storyline. Players will be transported to new locations never before seen in a Spider-Man game, from lush jungles and dusty deserts to various urban terrains. Acclaimed comic book writer Dan Slott takes players on a mission to contain the magical energy of the Tablet of Order and Chaos, which has been shattered and sent hurtling across parallel universes, and battle fan-favorite villains in a quest to restore the fabric of reality.

For a DS game, these graphics look pretty promising. I always lean towards favoring the bigger consoles because games, in general, (when done right) look better on bigger screens. There are a few DS games I have fun with, but I don’t have the intense interest that I do with my consoles.

The Black and White images really give the game a graphic novel, art kind of feel that adds something to the game. These were the first images I viewed for Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions and they are the ones that got me at least semi-interested in learning more. The color images are so strong in the color department that it offers this explosive contrast. It will be interesting to see how the dark and vibrant converge in the game play environment.

Overall, Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions looks like it will fill a need for those that love the DS action/super hero style games. Activision has done a nice job making sure that the graphics speak for themselves. I am not going to say this is my favorite of the DS games I am seeing, but it’s certainly not my least favorite…at least not yet.

For more info and assets, check out the game’s official site at www.SpiderManDimensions.com.

Technorati Tags: E3, Screenshots, Graphics, Spiderman, Shattered Dimensions, Nintendo DS, Activision

The game allows you to dance, but you also will be able to test your vocal skills as you sing along to all of Jackson’s best hits.

From the Press Release:

Michael Jackson, one of the most widely beloved entertainers and the most popular global icons of all time, leaves an indelible imprint on popular music and culture. During his extraordinary career Jackson sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He won 13 Grammy Awards and received the American Music Award’s Artist of the Century Award. His album “Thriller” is the world’s best-selling album of all time with more than 110 million copies sold.

“Michael always pushed every limit when it came to technology to give his fans unforgettable entertainment experiences, whether it involved his videos, his recordings or his concerts. Now, with this interactive product, we have the chance to bring Michael, the artist, into households around the world in a perfect match of Michael’s artistry and the family entertainment which he always highly valued. Kids, their parents, extended family members and friends will now have an opportunity to all come together and experience Michael’s music and dance in an innovative, exciting and fun way,” said John Branca, co-executor for The Estate of Michael Jackson.

The Michael Jackson Video Game will be available using Kinect for the Xbox 360, PS Move for the Playstation 3, and for the Nintendo Wii. The game will be available on both the PSP and the Nintendo DS handheld systems, as well. Current release is scheduled for Holiday 2010.

Technorati Tags: Michael Jackson, Billie Jean, Beat It, Music, Move, Kinect, Nintendo Wii, Xbox, Video Game, Screenshot, E3, Ubisoft

When it was sent to me for review, my first question was how this story was going to translate into game form. The answer to that question is in puzzle format. Of course, while the names and story are somewhat the same there are plenty of changes to make gameplay funnier and more interesting.

Some of the most interesting changes include Polonious masking as a green alien with a huge head and time travel being made possible. Of course, we cannot forget Claudius’ electric guitar. All of this fun stuff is wrapped around a puzzle style game. There is one main puzzle for each part of the story. In order to continue to progressing Hamlet has to solve the puzzle to move throughout the rooms/areas.

Off the bat I can give this game an A for creativity. It’s a fun game without a doubt. However, it also manages to be quite frustrating at times. The overall game is positively adorable and the story allows people to get the basics of Hamlet enough to draw interest to Shakespeare’s work. Okay, the basics aren’t truly represented but they are about as faithful to the story as a casual game like this could be. These are both incredibly positive things that make me happy that this game was created.

In the game, a time traveler accidentally kills Hamlet and has to assume his identity. The goal for the new Hamlet is to save Ophelia from Claudius. Essentially this is a puzzle game. The problem with that is there are a million puzzle games on the market. Hamlet succeeds because it has a unique storyline that puts the story on the forefront and the puzzles as a goal to continue the amusing story.

The graphics are drawn in an elementary manner but they are cute enough that it doesn’t matter. They fit the story nicely, so it’s not something that you dwell on. With this in mind the visual works fine for any casual game. The audio really plays second fiddle. I know there was audio, but nothing really stands out now that I am writing about it. I don’t know if I tuned it out or if it was just that subtle. Either way, it’s nice to know that it wasn’t annoying. The average casual game forces me to turn the music off within five minutes or less.

The problem here is with the puzzles. Some of them are incredibly confusing. There is a hint system that pops into place, but that is the only form of instruction that you really receive. The immediate goal in many of the puzzles is to get from one place to another so that you can continue on your quest. Often times, you just have to click things until you can figure out what’s going on. Usually, the immediate goal is obvious. It’s finding out how to get there that makes it difficult. At times, this stretches out gameplay while you try to figure out what is going on. However, if it stretches it out only to make you decide to walk away from the game due to frustration, it seems pretty counterproductive.

While it’s somewhat disappointing that I was not able to solve all of the puzzles (I am sure that I could have if I kept playing), I was impressed with the unique nature of the game and the puzzles. So many times puzzle games can be horribly boring because they lack good stories and you end up doing the same thing every single time. Hamlet breaks away from that and will definitely have you thinking. With some of these puzzles being as hard as they are though, it might have been better to have a hint meter go off faster.

The good news here is that despite this being almost unsuccessful as a puzzle game (it takes more thought compared to your average puzzle game) the story makes it fun and worth playing. I don’t think this will be the last Shakespeare inspired puzzle game and I have to say I’m glad about that. I look forward to seeing the next game and hopefully the puzzles remain as unique, but each one is created in a logical, easier to solve (offering better instructions) manner.

Disability Note: There is little audio here and I do not recall any audio instructions so people with hearing impairments should not have any problems. People that have vision problems may be affected by color issues because there are some puzzles that rely on color picking. For people with mobility impairments, you should be fine if you can work a mouse. Most puzzles are simple point and click so there shouldn’t be any significant problems.

Hamlet is not going to be for everyone. Some people will get frustrated and the lack of instruction along with the wait for clues will be too much for them. With this in mind, I recommend trying the game out in the hour long preview to see if it’s for you. Give it a preview shot before buying this one, but make sure to at least try it because it’s worth it!

Technorati Tags: Hamlet, Casual Game, Puzzle Game, Computer, PC, Puzzles

Santa Monica, CA – March 31, 2010 – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Marvel Entertainment (NYSE: MVL) have released the first details of Spider-Man™: Shattered Dimensions, the newest entry of non-stop heroic action to star the iconic wall-crawler. The video game is scheduled for release in September 2010 and will allow players to travel through four different worlds as distinctly different versions of Spider-Man from four universes across Marvel lore, two of which are announced today: The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man Noir.

As Spider-Man, players will experience a wide variety of gameplay and dramatic environments. The Amazing Spider-Man experience delivers innovative web combat and visuals in a world that pays tribute to the classic era of the legendary Super Hero. In contrast, Spider-Man Noir features a cunning and covert depiction of Spider-Man, who utilizes shadows to perform stealth takedowns in a 1930′s-influenced, black-and-white cinematic environment.

“Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions delivers an original storyline that bridges four unique worlds,” said Rob Kostich, Head of Marketing, Activision Publishing, Inc. “Each action-packed universe will have its own detailed art design and thrilling missions, challenging gamers to use new skill sets to defeat enemies as they unlock powerful new moves and progress through the game.”

Penned by acclaimed Marvel comic book writer Dan Slott, the story takes players on a mission to capture the magical energy of the Tablet of Order and Chaos, which has been shattered and scattered across parallel universes. Gamers are challenged to battle fan-favorite villains such as the lethal Kraven and a custom, never-before-seen Noir version of Hammerhead, in a quest to restore the fabric of reality.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is developed by Beenox and not yet rated. Fans can learn more about Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and the next worlds to be revealed by visiting www.SpiderManDimensions.com.

Technorati Tags: Spider Man Shattered Dimensions, Activision, Marvel, Screenshots, Trailer

Here is what Alawar has to say about the game:

When Catherine, the central character of the Magic Encyclopedia series, receives word of an attack on the Magic Academy, she sets out to save her school from a fate worse than foreclosure. Players join her as she learns about The Illusionist, a wizard that’s changed the appearance of countless objects around the world and is gathering an unstoppable army.

To defeat her nemesis, Catherine will have to figure out how to see through his illusions and even switch back and forth between reality and deception to solve puzzles. Her journey will take her to China, Egypt and the deepest ocean as she appeases a war-hungry emperor, searches for Zeus’ trident and chases down The Illusionist in a race against time.

Key features include:

* Five captivating chapters of gameplay
* 25 eye-catching locations to explore
* Over two dozen puzzles to solve
* A variety of original mini-games
* Real-time object transformations

I checked out the free demo, which you can try for yourself by clicking here. This game isn’t going to be mind blowing when it comes to innovation (if you’ve played a hidden object game then you know what to expect from others). However, it does feature extremely colorful, well designed graphics and a few hours of mindless entertainment for the casual gaming fan. I recommend you at least check out the demo.

Technorati Tags: Magic Encyclopedia 3: Illusions, Hidden Object Game, Alawar Entertainment, Casual Gaming, Find Objects, Computer Game, PC

I am the casual gamer in the house. The term casual gamer means various things to various people. What it means to me is that I watch Dom play console games all the time and I have fun doing it. When it comes to my own gameplay experiences though I feel more comfortable working with computer games and Nintendo DSi style handheld games. That being said, I vary in the type of games that I like to play. I love the Mario series, but have never really made an attempt to pick up Zelda. In all honesty, I have never really ventured too far into the RPG realm.

It’s no surprise to anyone that knows me that Glory of Heracles would be the one game to get me involved in playing an RPG. I have always been enamored with all things Ancient Greece, so this game was made for someone like me (though other people should like it, too). This particular series is one that is already established and quite popular in Japan. Nintendo chose Heracles (Hercules had this been an Ancient Roman series) to be the first US title and though none of the subsequent titles have been announced yet, I am hoping that this is just one of many that have the ability to be released here.

The story for the Glory of Heracles is pretty simple. You play as the character Heracles (though you can control his group during battles and concerning weapons and magic decisions). When the game begins Heracles has lost his memory. Despite not knowing who he is, he pairs with another immortal and together they learn that he is Heracles, the Ancient Greek hero who is also the son of Zeus. This leads to the decision to head to Mount Olympus, so that he can get some answers about what is going on!

The story is fairly lighthearted, which is not to be expected in a game with Gods and Ancient Greece, but that is really part of its charm. Originally, one might assume that E 10+ would not be an appropriate age for this type of game. However, with the lightness of the story, the battles and RPG aspects are what parents would need to worry about. Keeping that in mind this should be fine for a mature ten year old, though I wouldn’t go younger than that and I would keep an eye on the game and your child’s reaction to it (as I would any young child playing a game).

Enjoyment/Fun Factor: 5 out of 5 stars

If you have never played an RPG like Glory of Heracles you will not need to worry because every major action comes with a tutorial before you perform it and there is a help button to help you out if you’ve forgotten what to do. As far as battles go you also can automate the entire process by using the auto button. This lets the game system pick weapons, magic, or skills that each person uses during the battle. I avoided auto for the most part, except to try it out, but it’s nice to know that the feature is available, should I want to use it.

At the heart of Glory of Heracles you have a battle game. You fight your way to Mount Olympus. In the beginning, through the first two big bosses, you might get the impression that the game is going to be easy. It’s true that it is easy, especially in these areas, but I think it’s easier in the first two sections because you’re getting a chance to learn the game and become comfortable with the setup.

You travel through towns and cities as well as through forest land. On your way you encounter fairies and people that help you along your way. The overly religious crowd may not like the idea of having to stop at temples and pray to various Gods to learn specific skills that will be bestowed upon you for use in battle. I didn’t have a problem with this and most people will be just fine with it, but it’s worth noting.

In battle you can use magic, skills, or weapons and all your options are fairly easy to figure out. If a specific magic spell or skill affects one of the creatures you’re battling in a positive or negative way you will learn about it on your screen. If it’s not going to affect them you can switch to another method before locking in your selection. You pick battle plans for all of your team and then they fight it out, one action and one defensive action per person in your entourage per turn. Skills advance as you go along and you are able to pick up different spells and weapons that help you in battle, too.

You will notice treasure chests as you wander through the various areas. A tap of the stylus on the lid will open the box and put the items inside of your inventory. Likewise, you can pick up other items that you find on the ground if they will be of use to you in some way. All in all, it’s a simple concept and while it’s easier than it could be, it does offer a few different challenges, which makes this game worth playing.

Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars

The great thing about Glory of Heracles for people that feel they aren’t competent gamers is that you can work the majority of the game using the stylus. When you lead Heracles through the forest and the various cities and areas you can make him walk by moving the stylus along the map. You just drag it ahead of him to make him run and keep it closer if you want him to walk. When its battle time you tap the option you want, whether it be auto or you choose to set up the battle on your own.

If you are feeling lazy, auto battling makes things quick and easy. It’s also a nice option when you’re just not sure what you’re doing. Of course, with the pace of the game you should do fine with or without auto. If you are not big into the touch screen you can use the control pad to work the game in the same way that you would have on any of the older non-touch screen systems.

Ease of Use: 5 out of 5 stars

The truth of the matter is that most handheld games suffer when it comes to visual quality. The graphics appear to be 2D style and while acceptable they fall on the side of generic at times. For example, when you go into most buildings it looks as if tables, chairs, and other interior designs have been pasted in to each place. This doesn’t make the game bad, but it is one of the poorer designed portions of the game. It would have been nice to see more diversity here. However, on the positive side the colors are good and the graphic detail (in terms of lack of error) is also quite impressive.

In future titles I would love to see the game developers play around more with the areas and switch things up a bit. Still, for what is here, I was never upset with the graphics. Diversity certainly would have added to the game, but the lack of it didn’t hurt it either. The best part is definitely battle mode, which produces explosions and other magic attacks that make watching and playing a small visual treat!

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars

Most games have typical game music. Battles produce the most exciting sounds and when you’re not battling there is generally music that plays throughout all of your actions. This is fine when you start playing, but it gets old rather quickly. The music here isn’t so bad, though I admittedly tuned it out and didn’t notice a lot of it after a while of playing.

The dialogue is always easy to hear, the music is typical of an RPG and the bangs and booms of battle only increase the exciting parts of the game. All in all, it’s typical handheld RPG music. It’s by no means comparable to a console game, but for a DSi game it works just fine.

Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

As I do not have a disability I just have to go off of common sense here. What I can say, before anything, is that you will have to have enough mobility to at least hold a Nintendo handheld, otherwise Glory of Heracles is not an option. If you can hold a handheld you have the ability to use the stylus or the control pad, so people of varying hand strengths can pick their options. Obviously, this game is not going to be for everyone, but if you are able to work a handheld game system you should not have any problem playing Glory of Heracles.

I initially requested to review this game by Nintendo because I love Ancient Greece. I was not familiar with RPGs and never thought I would like them. Still, I wanted to give this RPG a try. I am very glad that I decided to take the plunge. Glory of Heracles is a fun game that takes the time to walk you through all of the steps necessary to succeed. I never felt lost as everything was explained as simply as possible. While portions of the game felt a little too easy, challenges were present that make the game worth playing from beginning to end. If you like RPGs you should check Glory of Heracles. If you are not familiar with this style of game, but are curious, this is also a good choice to wet your feet with the genre. Glory of Heracles comes highly recommended!

Overall Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Nintendo DSi, Nintendo DS, Glory of Heracles, Ancient Greece, Gods, Zeus, Mount Olympus, RPG, Battle, E 10