Game Boy Advance: My Favorite Games Part 1

So in celebration of the GBA's tenth anniversary and with the 3DS further cementing the death of the Game Boy name, I decided to look back at some of my personal favorite games from the system. 

Now keep in mind that these are MY favorite games and not a top ten list or the definitive games of the system. These are just games that I personally enjoyed and spent a lot of time on. So if you disagree with my list, I don't care.

What I do care is what are YOUR favorite games of the system. So after seeing what I like, why not skip down to the comments and let us know what your favorites are? I am more than interested to see what other people's favorite games are.

I decided to split this into two so that way it wasn't one gigantic post. Look for part two in the near future.

So, without further ado and in no particular order, the my (partial) list (after the jump)! 

Game Xcape Tournaments: What's In Store

First off, I would like to thank everyone that came out to the Late Night Game-A-Thon and kept us busy all night! It was well worth it and got us some invaluable information on what you guys want from us.

So J.P. and I have been talking about what's next for the tournaments that Game Xcape hosts. We will still host our regular tournaments for the time being, but we have something bigger in store that we want to try out.....

New Video Game Releases

This is our attempt to let you guys know what is hitting this week on the Video Game front. Excuse me if I happen to miss a few titles but I will try my hardest to make this as precise as possible. If I happen to forget a game or put a wrong date, let us know and I will try to rectify it ASAP.

List after the jump

3DS: The Launch List

I know this is just a tad late....but here is the list of the launch games for the 3DS.

There are technically eighteen titles in total counting the three versions of Nintendogs + Cats, otherwise the number is sixteen.

 Figured this deserved a post of it's own rather than try to fit it in with the rest of the new release list. After this point, check out our weekly New Video Game Releases (coming later today) to see all the new 3DS games coming out, as well as the other games releasing for the other systems.

List after the jump.

Who's on Madden NFL 2012's cover? YOU DECIDE!!!

You see this bracket Madden fans? Do you know what it means? It means you have a chance to have your favorite team on the cover of Madden this year! More after the jump.

Gears of War 3 - Gameplay from PAX

I'm pretty sure you guys have checked out these previous articles about the Gears 3 beta and the unlocks you can obtain by playing. If not, check them out.

Now how about watching a guy play the Gears 3 beta and getting absolutely stomped? The mode they are playing is Team Deathmatch, but unlike hitting a certain killcount, in Gears of War 3 you are given a certain amount of tickets for your team. Every time you or someone on your team dies, you lose a ticket and once those tickets are gone, game over.

Some things you will notice in these videos, is the dynamic environments (scoreboard falls), new weapons (retro lancer), Cole's Thrashball outfit, and some of the weapon skins. I feel sorry for the last dude alive on the team. He totally gets owned.

There are two videos that show the entire match. The second one is less than a minute, but the execution at the end is sweet so make sure you check it out after the jump.

*Note: This is not me playing! Just some guy I recorded while waiting in line.

Mortal Kombat or Wow I Suck at This

I wish I could get one of these sweet arcade cabinets!

Let me start off with saying I super suck at Mortal Kombat. Don't believe me? Let me put it into perspective for you guys. The only "special" move I knew was that down and heavy punch was uppercut and that doesn't work against Goro for very long. Me and my brother used to literally mash the buttons when "FINISH HIM" popped on the screen to see if one of us might accidentally punch in the fatality commands.

So, on of the first things I noticed about this one is that it has an in game command list. So I was actually able to pull special attacks and even an X-Ray move! And yet when I beat the guy I was fighting I still managed not to get the Fatality command right! I guess old habits die hard, huh?

Check out some gameplay after the jump. Remember though, this game is rated M so kids, you've been warned.

Child of Eden: Shakycam Gameplay

Salvador

Here's a short video that showcases Ubisoft's upcoming Child of Eden using the Kinect. This game is from the man who also brought you other "music" games like Rez, Lumines, and  Every Extend Extra. 


Sorry about the terrible quality but my camera wasn't made for taking video extremely well. Video after the jump.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Preview

Salvador

Combat, hacking, stealth, and social. These are the four pillars in which Deus Ex: Human Revolution is built upon. Interested? I hope so considering that the PC version of the original Deus Ex is considered to be the #1 PC game of all time by many fans and gaming publications (PC Gamer and PC Zone). And that's for a game that came out in 2000!

For those of you new to the franchise, the Deus Ex series boils down to first person, action role-playing games set in the near future with a whole heap of conspiracy to top it all off.  

All the combat, gunplay and close quarters, is done in first person. The RPG segment comes in with the augmentations your characters receive. 

Augmentations or, augs, have a ton to do not only with the story of Deus Ex, but also with the gameplay. Humanity has taken to modifying their bodies in order to take control of their own evolution and this draws a nice rift between those for and those against human augmentation in the world of Human Revolution. 

This Director's Cut trailer pretty much sums up the world of Human Revolution in one epic five minute trailer. We all know which part Square-Enix helped out in, no?

***cough**CINEMATICS**cough***

Well that's pretty and all but what about gameplay? More on that after the jump.

Blizzard: 20th Anniversary

Salvador 

What does Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, a grandmother, Street Fighter, and Claymation have to do with Blizzard? Don't know? Well you can find out! 

Game Sponge is going to PAX!!!

Salvador

Yes ladies and gentlemen, Game Sponge is going to PAX East 2011! What is PAX you say? Well I could direct you the the PAX site, or I can just use this quote pulled from their site:

PAX East is a three-day game festival for tabletop, videogame, and PC gamers. We call it a festival because in addition to dedicated tournaments and freeplay areas we've got nerdcore concerts, panel discussions, and an exhibitor hall filled with booths displaying the latest from top game publishers and developers. Even with all this amazing content the best part of PAX East is hanging out with other people who know their shit when it comes to games.

The important part for you guys is the exhibitor halls. Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, Bethesda, Capcom, Ska Studios, EA, Harmonix, I could go on forever! Pretty much if they put games out or deal with games, they will be there. Go to the PAX site and just check the list for yourself, because the list is too big to put here.

I will be reporting all I am able to during the show here on the blog. But keep in mind that I am just one guy trying to cover 3-4 floors worth of a huge gaming convention over three days. Sometimes my posts might not show till late in the evening (or early in the AM) depending on the availability of  a wireless connection there or how damn tired I am.

Some of the things I'm planning on looking at are the Nintendo 3DS, id's new game Rage, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and anything else I might be able to get my hands on.

Excited? I know I am. So bookmark us, make us your homepage, whatever you need to do to keep up with us and stay tuned for some exciting PAX coverage!

Gears of War 3 Beta - Dates and Beta Unlocks Confirmed!

Salvador

For those of you eager to get your hands on the chainsawing, curb-stomping, steroids fueled game that is Gears of War 3, know that the wait to get a sample of this game is not too far away. All of you eager 360 owners will get a small, FOUR WEEK taste of it, starting April 18th and lasting through May 15th.

Well, that's if you hold on to your copy of the Bulletstorm Epic Edition. 

Yes, you have to own another of Epic's games in order to access the beta. What's so bad about that? There's a reason the studio is called EPIC Games and not Good Games or Mediocre Games.

Also while playing the beta, you will have the chance to unlock some goodies for the full retail release of Gears 3, detailed after the jump.

LIke Killing Zombies? You'll Really Want to After Watching the Dead Island Trailer.

Salvador

Dead Island is an upcoming first person, open world, horror survival game from Techland. It is coming later this year for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. The game will focus on mostly melee combat and will have and RPG style skill trees and weapon customization (think Dead Rising 2).

The announcement trailer doesn't show any gameplay but sure as hell draws you in.

Since it is very much a mature title, the videos are after the jump. You little kids have been warned.

New Nintendo 3DS Features Announced

Salvador

Nintendo has revealed four major happenings dealing with the 3DS.

As you can tell from the picture above, Netflix is coming to the 3DS this summer. The movies should be in high quality (NOT HD) via Wi-Fi of course and pretty much function similar to the Instant Play features on other consoles and TV's. Now I can switch from playing Mario vs. Donkey Kong to watching The King Of Kong (If you haven't seen this, DO) all on one handheld! Productivity be damned!

Speaking of Wi-Fi, Nintendo has teamed up with AT&T to bring 10,000 free Wi-Fi spots across the US this summer. Places like malls, airports, restaurants, and the like will join in this venture so you can be playing online, using Netflix, and downloading all those games and demos in public. Granted this will probably be in more heavily populated areas where AT&T actually WORKS. Though maybe Rich can somehow get one of these......

Also, when the eShop launches this summer for the 3DS, not only will you be able to download original Game Boy games, Game Boy Color games, and DSiWare titles, but you will also be able to download Sega Game Gear games and Turbografx games as well. Bonk here I come!

And last but not least, Satoru announced a Super Mario game under development for the 3DS. The team behind Super Mario Galaxy is apparently the team in charge. Other than four screenshots, no other info was given other than a temporary logo.



Stay tuned for more announcements and happenings from GDC 2011.

Smash Bros. Brawl Tourney Pics!

This is where only the strong survive!

By Salvador



The Smash Bros. Tournament in pictures!!! I have a video that is being stubborn on the upload but once I have it I'll post it here so you guys can watch it.

If you haven't read it, check out our (semi) interview with the champ.

Pics after the jump.

New Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Gameplay

 Salvador

This is some new footage of the New Zelda game due out sometime later this year. This was shown during the keynote speech given by Satoru Iwata, the president of Nintendo, at the Game Developers Conference yesterday.

GDC 2011 kicked off today so expect big news within the next couple of days. For those that don't know, GDC is the Game Developers Conference. A bunch of the guys that make your games come together to talk about the industry, the games they're making, and the new tech and skills they have made. I'll have updates for you guys here so stay posted!

Crysis 2 Update

Salvador


Just to let you guys know, if you missed out the first time, EA has put the multiplayer demo for Crysis 2 back up on Xbox Live.

Not on Live? Don't Fret! PS3 owners will get a shot at the multiplayer demo on March 15th, a week before the game goes live

Dragon Age 2: Some Quick Updates.

By Salvador

Make sure you guys try the Dragon Age 2 Demo! Not only do you get to try the game out, but you also get some cool unlockable items for the main game when it releases.

Also, their Facebook page has another challenge up to unlock even more content for the main release. Something dealing with sharing posts.

Battlefield CGI Trailer.....Wait! That's Gameplay!?!?!

Wow is all I have to say. Now this is running on PC so the console versions might not look as good so keep that in mind. The WASD keyboard prompt at 1:54 gives that away. Trailer is after the jump.

Upcoming Games: Pokemon Black and Pokemon White

By Salvador

This Sunday will see the release of a new generation of Pokemon. At first you may think all they did was add a handful of new Pokemon, dolled them up a bit, and slapped a new color on the box and called it a day. You would be mistaken.