The Smashing Pumpkins’ “G.L.O.W,”“1979” and “The Everlasting Gaze” Available Tomorrow

SANTA MONICA, CA – December 3, 2008 – Legendary multi-platinum recording artists The Eagles, Nirvana and The Smashing Pumpkins, all featured in the on-disc set list of Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero® World Tour, are returning in December with exclusive downloadable content for the game. Additionally, fans will be in for a treat just in time for Christmas with three free Reggae Rock tracks from Pepper, Slightly Stoopid and Expendables.

The Smashing Pumpkins, one of rock’s defining and most acclaimed bands who have sold over 30 million albums, return to Guitar Hero World Tour, tomorrow December 4th, with a three-song track pack featuring the recently released single “G.L.O.W.,” “1979” and “Everlasting Gaze.”

Featuring the stylistic melodies of Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, the pioneers of alternative rock, Nirvana, make their Guitar Hero® downloadable content debut with the Nirvana Track Pack. Featuring the final single released by the band, “You Know You’re Right,” along with “Negative Creep,” off the band’s debut album Bleach, and the smash hit “Sliver,” the Nirvana Track Pack will be available for Guitar Hero World Tour on December 11th.

After delivering the timeless rock ballad “Hotel California” to the on-disc set list of Guitar Hero World Tour, The Eagles will thrill the Guitar Hero audience once again on December 18th with three chart topping hits. From the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees’ seventh studio album and first in 28 years, Long Road Out of Eden, “Frail Grasp on the Big Picture” is joined by two classic tracks that climbed to the top of the Billboard’s Hot 100, “One of These Nights” and “Life in the Fast Lane.”

Rounding out the downloadable set list for Guitar Hero World Tour in December are three free Reggae grooves. The Reggae Rock Track Pack is comprised of “Jimi” from Slightly Stoopid, “Your Face” from Pepper and Expendables’ “Sacrifice.” The free tracks will be available for download on December 23rd.

The Eagles, Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins Track Packs will be available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 440 Microsoft Points and on the PlayStation®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system for $5.49. The songs in each Track Pack will be released as downloadable singles for Xbox 360 for 160 Microsoft Points, PLAYSTATION 3 system for $1.99 and Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection for Wii™ for 200 Wii Points. The Free Reggae Rock Track Pack will be available for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 and as singles for Wii.

Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero’s signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless controllers with new revolutionary online* and offline gameplay modes including Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands,” which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online. The game features a slick newly redesigned guitar controller, drum kit controller and a wired microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock ‘n’ roll anthems. Music creators are also able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunesSM where other gamers can download and play an endless supply of unique creations.

Guitar Hero World Tour is now available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, the Wii home video game system from Nintendo and the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. The game is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. For more information on Guitar Hero World Tour, please visit worldtour.guitarhero.com.

Technorati Tags: Hotel California, Guitar Hero, New Music Downloads, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, The Eagles, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins

I’m all into the first person shooters these days. While I’ll pretty much play any shooter, the better the story and gameplay is the better the shooter. That’s pretty much any game, though. I was looking forward to playing, “Far Cry 2″, which was released by Ubisoft in late October. It wasn’t because of the Far Cry name. In fact, “Far Cry 2″ bears very little resemblance to its predecessor. It’s pretty much a Far Cry title in name only. This isn’t a sequel to the original Far Cry. It’s another take on first shooter concepts, that just happens to have the name Far Cry attached to it.

I played for close to 30 hours. By that point, I felt I had explored enough of the game though there was still a chance for more game play. I wasn’t looking to rush through this game and truly, you can take it at your own pace. That’s part of what makes this an “open-ended” gameplaying experience. I didn’t venture too much into the online playing realm. I don’t always play well with others, but for those that do, the opportunity to play with as many as 16 other players is there. I could see the potential for online play in this game, considering you already have NPC allies that work with you, to help you through the game.

What really appeals to me the most about “Far Cry 2″ is the beautiful scenery and what seems like endless opportunities for gameplay and the ability to explore. You sort of dictate what you do and where you go, though your mission is guided by the various quests you go on. Of course, you’ll need to use your adept skills to navigate through a war torn nation in Africa, while building up relationships and playing the various factions against one another. While this concept has been done, I don’t believe it has ever been done quite like it has in “Far Cry 2″.

You are more fully immersed in this game, because it’s fairly realistic. You choose who is your ally, who you betray and who are your enemies. Your actions affect the characters you play with and you also have the ability to change and affect your environment. Ultimately, what you choose to do has the potential to change the world. While you have the chance to interact with a variety of colorful characters, those anticipating another “Far Cry” or an extension of the original game are set to be disappointed. The characters are all different, there are no feral instincts and you won’t be taking on any funky creatures.

Story:
You are a mercenary in a war-torn, Central African nation. At the beginning, you get to choose from a series of characters. These men are of varying ages, heights, builds and experience levels. You can choose based on these features, as well as physical attributes. Once you choose your character, you are immediately brought into the game. You have been hired to eliminate “The Jackal”. The Jackal is playing both sides of the conflict by selling arms to the two, most powerful warring factions, the UFLL and the APR.

You arrive in Leboa-Sako, and are immediately thrust into the harsh environment when you are taken by a cab/jeep to your hotel. Upon arrival, you contract malaria. After passing out, you find yourself in your hotel room. The Jackal is there. He threatens to kill you, but points out your failure to kill him means you can no longer work for the people who hired you. You’ll have to choose a side. The Jackal could kill you, but instead he lets you live.

You pass out and don’t wake up again until the ceasefire has ended and all chaos has erupted in your hotel. You pass out again mid-escape and are revived from an unnamed faction leader. He gives you some missions to complete, and for a short while, you must complete said missions in order to accomplish your goals. Eventually, you meet Reuben Oluwagembi, a journalist writing about the conflict.

Reuben has you find various hidden tapes featuring an interview he did with The Jackal. If you find those and you also find the malaria medicine, you have the ability to choose your missions and you now have ultimate control over the game. I see the initial, guided gameplay as your tutorial and then you decide what to do, who to help, who to trust and what your mission is. Of course, you still haven’t given up on tracking down The Jackal. That is the ultimate goal and one you shouldn’t forget.

From there, you work with the various factions, playing one against the other, getting betrayed, facing illness, and ultimately finding out the Jackal’s true purpose. Despite the open ended play, there is an obvious story and point to the game. You will follow the story through to the end, but how you get there ultimately depends on you and what missions you take. You can also dictate various parts of the story by changing the environment around you, though the story seems to follow the same path, no matter what you do, and what you decide on an individualized basis.

Enjoyment/Fun Factor: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Features:
The greatest feature is the entire system developed specifically for “Far Cry 2″. It’s called Dunia and is the entire engine that powers the open-ended gameplay. Thanks to Dunia, your environment is realistic with a night and day cycle in real time, exceptionally cool special effects, environments that you can change in various ways, from total destruction to mild annihilation, A.I that appears unscripted when it comes to NPC enemies, a dynamic audio track with an innovative music system, and realistic weather patterns/storms. These are the things that boost the reality of this video game. Ubisoft went out of their way to develop this unique engine with quite a bit of success.

One other cool thing about “Far Cry 2″ is the unique, Map Editor. The editor was designed so that you can use it easily, efficiently and to aid you through your missions. You can make the terrain on your map higher or lower, you can add textures to the map and you can even include specific landmarks or built pieces to pretty up an area. With the map editor, you can use bridges, buildings, specific pieces (like barrels, etc.) vehicles, and pretty much any other object you can think of, excluding weapons. This allows you to more easily store your maps at a smaller file level.

One feature that really isn’t a game feature, but makes game play enjoyable is the realistic setting. From what I’ve seen of Africa, the atmosphere and environment for “Far Cry 2″ are spot on. There are intricate jungles and a vibrantly constructed savannah with a variety of herbivores to compliment this unique setting. You can travel throughout the land in a variety of vehicles, though you start out with a pretty crappy car. One of the biggest parts of this game is the traveling you’ll do between safe houses, towns and guard posts. You’ll also get to use a variety of weapons. One of my favorites is the flamethrower, though the grenades and moltovs are quite helpful in blowing up the enemy!

The weirdest, though most fascinating part of “Far Cry 2″ has to be the restoration of health. When your health is low, you may get the occasional shot to jolt you back to life, but in most cases, you will be required to perform surgery on yourself. The images, as you poke items into bullet wounds to pry the bullets out are quite graphic for a video game. I can see why “Far Cry 2″ received and deserves its M rating. You also might just have to murder a buddy NPC, in the event he’s already dying. You can choose to save them if you have an injectable syrette, or kill them on the spot, if you don’t.

To continue reading this review, Go to Page Two…

Monday, November 24, 2008 - Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm for HUDSON SOFT, today released new screens for Pit Crew Panic!, an upcoming “panic-action” game for WiiWare. This unique game is full of frantic fixing as the player’s all-female pit crew repairs a variety of bizarre “WHATSITS” as fast as they can.

For those having trouble finding work in the current economy, why not join the pit crew where there’s plenty of wacky jobs to go around! Players can race against the clock by themselves, or play with friends to see whose team can fix the majority of that giant wedding cake! Inspired grease monkeys can even play online and see whose girls can out-fix the opponents on an aircraft carrier, a bridge, a backhoe and many more crazy “WHATSITS”! If a pit crew is up for the challenge, they can team up for 2 vs. 2 or 3 vs. 1 action to see which team can fix the most broken parts on each object.

To help the crew fix each object more quickly, players can use the Wii Remote just like a screwdriver, wrench, or other pit crew tools. There is also a handy tutorial to help players figure out not just how to play the game, but also how to go as fast as they can when fixing all the wacky “WHATSITS” in the game! There’s no shortage of crazy tasks that need to be conducted in Pit Crew Panic!

Pit Crew Panic! is rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

For more information on Pit Crew Panic! please visit http://www.HudsonEnt.com

About Hudson Entertainment, Inc.
Hudson Entertainment is the North American publishing arm of Hudson Soft, an international provider of games and entertainment content founded in 1973. Hudson Entertainment focuses on four key businesses: mconsole games, digital download content, mobile games, and music. Hudson introduced best-selling videogame franchises including Bomberman, Bonk, and Super Adventure Island. Hudson’s mobile division is a leading supplier of games and personalized content. Through numerous partnerships with record labels, Hudson has become a leading provider of hip-hop ring tones and mobile content. For more information on Hudson Entertainment, please visit www.hudsonent.com.

Hudson Entertainment, and Hudson Soft and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Hudson Soft. Pit Crew Panic! Is a trademark of Hudson Soft.

Technorati Tags: Hudson Entertainment, Video Games, WiiWare, Pit Crew Panic, Screens, Digital Download, Press Release

“The App Store is off to a solid start with thousands of successful game apps launched since July,” said Brian Greenstone, President and CEO of Pangea Software. “With so much competition, I’m honored that consumers have chosen to make our titles the top sellers for the iPhone and iPod touch. Our games are well on track to outperform our expectations for the year.”

The unique games offered by Pangea Software have truly captivated audiences across the globe by offering the most diverse game play available for the iPhone and iPod touch. The Pangea library of games now includes a selection of five innovative applications including the extremely addictive Enigmo, a physics based puzzle game named as a “Showcase Winner” at the Austin Independent Games Festival and voted “Best iPhone Game” at Apple’s 2008 World Wide Developer Conference. Other popular games include Cro-Mag Rally, Billy Frontier, Bugdom 2, and Nanosaur 2: Hatchling.

For more information about Pangea Software or its products please visit: www.pangeasoft.net.

To purchase applications by Pangea Software, please visit the App Store at: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist?id=281736538.

About Pangea Software:
Founded in 1987 by Brian Greenstone, Pangea Software, Inc. is a versatile and progressive software developer that is independently owned and operated. Based in Austin, TX, the award-winning Pangea team is focused on creating original titles for the Apple/Mac platform that are fun for the entire family.

Technorati Tags: iPod Touch, iPhone, Pangea Software, Videogame Downloads, Apps Store, Press Release

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– A new software title for Nintendo DS™ turns the world’s best-selling portable video game system into an interactive cooking coach, complete with tasty recipes and video demos. Personal Trainer™: Cooking for Nintendo DS contains more than 240 dishes from dozens of countries around the world. The DS Chef, a friendly electronic cooking instructor, walks users through each step to make sure every dish comes out perfect and delicious.

Personal Trainer: Cooking even includes videos of various cooking techniques, such as how to properly julienne vegetables. The touch screen interface helps budding chefs check ingredients on an electronic shopping list they can take to the grocery store. It also lets them search recipes based on ingredients, number of calories or cooking time. When a user’s hands are too covered in the business of cooking to use the touch screen, the voice-recognition feature comes in handy: Just tell the DS Chef to move on to the next step or repeat the last one.

“Personal Trainer: Cooking is the first in a new line of Personal Trainer titles from Nintendo designed to help users enrich their lives and learn new skills in fun and interesting ways,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Whether you’re cooking for yourself, your family or your friends, everyone in the household benefits from these tasty recipes for months and years to come.”

Personal Trainer: Cooking also builds on the social aspect of food as well. Roommates can try out recipes together, or parents can involve their children in preparing dishes for the family. With a tap, users can even scale the quantity of their recipes based on the number of guests they expect.

Users can customize their favorite recipes. For instance, if a user thinks a recipe tastes better with a pinch of oregano, he or she can jot that note directly onto the recipe using the Nintendo DS stylus and touch screen, and it’ll be saved for the next time the dish is prepared.

In 2009, Nintendo will build on its Personal Trainer series with Personal Trainer: Math and Personal Trainer: Walking. For more information about Personal Trainer: Cooking, visit www.PersonalTrainerCooking.com.

About Nintendo:
The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.8 billion video games and more than 480 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii and Nintendo DS, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

Technorati Tags: Nintendo, Personal Trainer, Cooking, Nintendo DS, Video Game, Press Release, Launch

My Stop Smoking Coach with Allen Carr a First for Nintendo DS(TM)

SAN FRANCISCO – November 19, 2008 – Today Ubisoft announced that My Stop Smoking Coach with Allen Carr is now available on store shelves. Designed exclusively for the Nintendo DS(TM) system, My Stop Smoking Coach with Allen Carr provides players with an entertaining, interactive method to quit smoking.

Based on the method outlined in the international best seller, Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking, My Stop Smoking Coach with Allen Carr removes the smoker’s belief that smoking provides any genuine pleasure or crutch, and takes away the feeling of deprivation, therefore ridding the smoker of the fear of stopping.

My Stop Smoking Coach with Allen Carr is the latest title to be released under the “My Coach” brand, part of Ubisoft’s Games for Everyone division. Made up of a series of games that foster self-improvement while entertaining players at the same time, other titles in the brand include My Weight Loss Coach (for Nintendo DS), which helps players maintain a healthy lifestyle, and My Fitness Coach (for Wii(TM)), a game that allows players to create, engage in, and track their own fitness program.

My Stop Smoking Coach with Allen Carr is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $29.99. It can be purchased anywhere video games are sold.

For more information, please visit www.mycoachgames.com.

Technorati Tags: My Coach Games, Smoking Coach, Nintendo DS, Lifestyle Games, Gaming, Stop Smoking, Screenshots, Ubisoft

Cambridge, MA – November 18, 2008 — Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game development company, andMTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced Rock Band® Track Pack Volume 2 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the Wii™ home video game console from Nintendo has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Pricing for the game is $29.99 MSRP for all platform versions.

Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 features 20 amplifying tracks recorded by some of the most popular rock artists in history from Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mötley Crüe to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Duran Duran. Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 can be played as a standalone game for all console versions using Rock Band and Rock Band 2 peripherals. Fans who buy the track pack for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system can also export all 20 songs to their console for play with Rock Band and Rock Band 2 using a free offer from Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network or the PlayStation Network.[1]

Rock Band 2, currently available for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system, has received numerous Editor’s Choice Awards and a combined metacritic score of 92. Rock Band 2 has revolutionized music gaming with the ability to export most of the songs from the original Rock Band disc[2], Online World Tour, daily Battle-Of-The-Bands Tournaments, Auto-Calibration to eliminate TV lag, wireless drums with quieter, velocity sensitive drum heads, support for up to three cymbals (sold separately), No Fail Mode, and a real Drum Trainer. Rock Band 2 will be available for the PlayStation 2 system and Wii in December 2008. Rock Band is currently available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and PlayStation 2 system and Wii.

Rock Band® Track Pack Volume 2 is rated “T” for Teen with a descriptor of Lyrics by the ESRB.

EA is the exclusive distribution and marketing partner for Rock Band.

Technorati Tags: Rock Band 2, Track Pack, Volume 2, T for Teen, ESRB Rating, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, Game

First-Ever Lifestyle Game for Both Boys and Girls Allows Kids to Have Fun, Stay Organized

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - November 19, 2008 - TOMY Corporation today announced that My DoItAll is currently in development exclusively for Nintendo DS™. The first-ever lifestyle game for both boys and girls, My DoItAll is an all-in-one title that gives players the ability to have fun and interact with friends through customization capabilities, mini-games and voice over and sound effect applications. Players can also stay organized and up-to-date with a calendar and reference tools.

My DoItAll provides gamers a unique way to socially interact with friends and have fun, while staying organized on their DS handheld system. Players start off by customizing their very own avatar with a personal look and style, followed by creating a privacy protected Friend Card that includes basic details such as contact information, likes/dislikes, and personal data. From there, My DoItAll becomes a treasure chest of applications for the player to explore.

Taking full advantage of the Nintendo DS capabilities, the game also allows players to connect wirelessly with up to six friends to participate in questionnaires, plan social activities, and play mini-games. As an added bonus, My DoItAll features a voice changer that records with the microphone, as well as a sound effects machine comprised of over 25 sounds. To complete the all-in-one package, players can also manage their schedules, keep a journal, and utilize reference tools such as a calculator and world map in order to become the ultimate whiz-kid.

My DoItAll is rated “E” for Everyone and will be available on Nintendo DS in February 2009 for an MSRP of $29.99.

Technorati Tags: DoItAll, Kids, Nintendo DS, E for Everyone, Nintendo, Handheld, February 2009, Upcoming Games, Tomy Corporation

I’m not that big into the entire “hip hop” breakdancing culture. I think it’s because I can’t dance. Luckily, video games make nearly anything possible, for those who play them. Even if you can’t dance due to being in a wheelchair (like me) or you simply don’t have the right moves, you can show what your made of in video game land. The latest game to let you show off your smooth moves is a game developed by FreeStyle Games and published by Southpeak Interactive. That game is B-Boy, which is available for the Sony PSP and the Playstation 2.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect with B-Boy. It was either going to be really good or a big snooze. You don’t have to be into the hip hop culture to enjoy this game, though it does help. I like hip hop music and when I could walk, I did like to dance, so I was ready for an interesting experience when I put this into my PSP. I should mention I’m more fond of games on the consoles, so I might be biased when I say that the PSP is limited. I feel that way about the Nintendo DS and other portables. Still, for as small as the screen is, B-Boy still manages to look amazing.

Unfortunately, looking at the capabilities of something like the Wii, I feel that had this game been published on a system like the Wii, the potential for B-Boy would be nearly limitless. That being said, there is one major benefit to B-Boy on the PSP (or any non-Wii console). Anyone can play this game, regardless of ability or lack thereof. That is why a game like Shaun White Snowboarding, for the Wii, while pretty darn cool and innovative, is going to be limited in its appeal. Those of us who can’t hop up on a snowboard are going to be looking for the game on the other systems where we can play it via controller. B-Boy on PSP has this distinct advantage, because, while it’d be pretty sweet on the Wii, a wider audience can play it on PSP.

The hip hop culture is big in the part of Michigan that I’m from (mid-Michigan, not far from Detroit), so I’m pretty much a fan of the music. I’ve seen some great breakdancing moves in my day, but never had the chance to try out the moves myself. Breakdancing really is an art form, so getting to compete as a breakdancer was quite the artistic experience. Still, for as fun as this game might seem, it suffers from one of the worst things a game like this could; slow load times. In fact, if I had to pick the biggest thing wrong with this game, it would be the load time.

Sure, we’ve seen this with other PSP games, so I was slightly prepared for this. Still, nobody wants to wait to play any game, so the load time severely prohibits the game from being something worthwhile for a wide variety of game enthusiasts. While B-Boy has other flaws that I’ll get into a little later in this review, it is the load time that bothered me the most. It is something that Sony is going to have to work on to improve upon the PSP, in order to compete with other portable game systems that don’t suffer quite as much from loading problems, though they are less graphically intensive. In either case, you have to take the good with the bad when it comes to handheld game systems. This game on the PSP is no different.

Story:
You probably have already figured out that B-Boy is about breakdancing. In this game you are both a participating dancer and a spectator of your opponent. You get to compete against some of the top breakdancers and show off your skills/awesomeness on the dance floor. Of course, the music is part of what makes this game so successful. There are some great tracks included in this game, with music from the Jackson Five, Cypress Hill, Kool and The Gang, James Brown, the Black Eyed Peas and DJ Shadow. If I had to give this title a high rating anywhere, it’d be in its intense soundtrack.

In theory, this game is great. It has cool graphics, a nice system for dancing (motion capture meets rhythmic gameplay), and a funkified, downright sweet soundtrack. B-Boy should be fly, but it is limited because it’s on the PSP. I’m not sure how the game plays out in its PS2 version, but this game truly deserves a release on something like the PS3 or Xbox 360 (though I’d much rather see it on PS3, which I believe has superior graphics/audio to the Xbox). Essentially, B-Boy is hampered by its own flaws and the failing of this game has little to do with the actual premise or execution. It has to do with the game platform.

In this out and out breakdancing competition game you’ll be learning moves like the pros. You’ll be doing steps you never thought possible! This game was developed by DJ Hooch and world famous B-Boy, “Crazy Legs”. The latter acts as the game MC/host and will be the boss you have to compete against at the end of levels. You’ll be taking on all of the best B-Boys from around the world. Not only that, but you will have the chance to build up your own breakdance crew and then battle with them against famous, real life (in game) B-Boys.

With just shy of 1000 moves (800 in some in all I believe), all of which use innovative motion-capture technology, you get to dance in a variety of settings. You can dance on the street both individually and with your crew with the goal of making your way to the B-Boy world championships where you take on the most prolific breakdancing experts in the game. You also have the ability to gain a sponsorship, as a B-Boy (in game, of course) from Adidas. Talk about an interesting form of product placement!

There really isn’t much more to the story behind B-Boy. Essentially, it’s all about breakdancing, competition and being the best. You’ll battle at 21 different real world breakdancing venues and locations. Your moves can be honed to where you can make a selection of funky, downright awesome dance combos, proving you’re the best B-Boy in PSPland. Finally, you get the chance to make your own personalized B-Boy character. As you win, you get the chance to change your outfit with the new gear you get, all courtesy of, who else? ADIDAS!

Enjoyment/Fun Factor: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Features:
B-Boy is the only breakdancing game for PSP and Playstation 2 (to my knowledge). This makes the game relatively unique. This game has features no other game out there has. First, here’s some specs on the game.

Venues/Locations you can Visit: 21

Total Number of B-Boy Rivals You’ll Challenge: 40

Wireless Functionality: Yes

Number of Motion Captured Moves: 800+

Ability for rival B-Boy Face Offs: Yes

Each dancer gets: 45 minutes per round to show off their moves

Number of Original, Licensed Hip Hop Tracks: 40+

Your gameplay begins with you watching your opponent show off his moves. Then it is your turn. Each battle features two rounds where each of you dance, so you’ll do two dances per battle and one per round. Sadly, after a while, waiting for your opponent to show their skills gets quite repetitious and boring.

While the motion capture is amazing, it significantly slows the game down and is part of what freezes up your PSP. It’s clear a lot of hard work went into developing this game. There is quite a lot here. A bit too much, actually, because the PSP just can’t handle all of the things this game was meant to do.

Replayability: 3 out of 5 stars

To Continue Reading this Review, go to Page Two

You can check out the first 12 categories in our other post about the Video Game Awards.

Best Wii Game
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Publisher: Nintendo Studio: Nintendo
No More Heroes Publisher: Ubisoft Studio: Grasshopper Manufacture
Wii Fit Publisher: Nintendo Studio: Nintendo
Boom Blox Publisher: Electronic Arts Studio: EA Casual Studios

Best Xbox 360 Game
Fallout 3 Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Studio: Bethesda Game Studios
Grand Theft Auto IV Publisher: Rockstar Games Studio: Rockstar North
Gears of War 2 Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Studio: Epic Games
Fable II Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Studio: Lionhead

Best Soundtrack
Guitar Hero World Tour Publisher: RedOctane / Activision Publishing Studio: Neversoft Entertainment
Rock Band 2 Publisher: MTV Games Studio: Harmonix
Grand Theft Auto IV Publisher: Rockstar Games Studio: Rockstar North
LittleBigPlanet Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Studio: Media Molecule

Best Action Adventure Game
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc Studio: Kojima Productions
Mirror’s Edge Publisher: Electronic Arts Studio: DICE Sweden
Grand Theft Auto IV Publisher: Rockstar Games Studio: Rockstar North
Dead Space Publisher: Electronic Arts Studio: EA Redwood Shores

Best Driving Game
Mario Kart Wii Publisher: Nintendo Studio: Nintendo
Midnight Club: Los Angeles Publisher: Rockstar Games Studio: Rockstar San Diego
PURE Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios Studio: Black Rock Studio
Burnout Paradise Publisher: Electronic Arts Studio: Criterion Games

Best Music Game
SingStar Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Studio: SCE Studios London
Wii Music Publisher: Nintendo Studio: Nintendo
Guitar Hero World Tour Publisher: RedOctane / Activision Publishing Studio: Neversoft Entertainment
Rock Band 2 Publisher: MTV Games Studio: Harmonix

Best Game Based On A Movie Or Tv Show
Naruto: The Broken Bond Publisher: Ubisoft Studio: Ubisoft Montreal
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Publisher: LucasArts Studio: LucasArts
Quantum of Solace Publisher: Activision Publishing Studio: Treyarch
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures Publisher: LucasArts Studio: Traveler’s Tales Games

Best Graphics
LittleBigPlanet Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Studio: Media Molecule
Gears of War 2 Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Studio: Epic Games
Fallout 3 Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Studio: Bethesda Game Studios
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc Studio: Kojima Productions

Best Handheld Game
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc Studio: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd
Patapon Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Studio: Pyramid
Professor Layton and the Curious Village Publisher: Nintendo Studio: Level-5
God of War: Chains of Olympus Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Studio: Ready at Dawn Studios

Best Individual Sports Game
Skate It Publisher: Electronic Arts Studio: EA Montreal / Black Box
Wii Fit Publisher: Nintendo Studio: Nintendo
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 Publisher: Electronic Arts Studio: EA Tiburon
Shaun White Snowboarding Publisher: Ubisoft Studio: Ubisoft Montreal

Best Fighting Game
Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit Publisher: Atari Studio: Dimps
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Publisher: Nintendo Studio: Nintendo
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Publisher: Midway Games Studio: Midway Games
Soul Calibur IV Publisher: NAMCO BANDAI Games Studio: Project Soul

Best RPG
Fallout 3 Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Studio: Bethesda Game Studios
The World Ends with You Publisher: Square Enix, Inc Studio: Square Enix Co., Ltd./Jupiter
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Publisher: Electronic Arts Studio: Mythic Entertainment
Fable II Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Studio: Lionhead

Best Shooter
Gears of War 2 Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Studio: Epic Games
Left 4 Dead Publisher: VALVE Studio: VALVE
Resistance 2 Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Studio: Insomniac Games
Far Cry 2 Publisher: Ubisoft Studio: Ubisoft Montreal

Most Anticipated Game: Go to Spike TV to vote for your favorite!

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