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Tuesday, September 15, 2009 Shipping Announcements

by Rainier on Sept. 15, 2009 @ 3:12 a.m. PDT

Another day, another batch of games shipped to stores. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are announcements for:

  • Red Faction: Guerrilla (PC)
  • NHL 2K10 (PS2/Wii/PS3/X360)
  • Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (NDS/PSP/PS2/Wii/PS3/X360)
  • Need for Speed SHIFT (PSP/PS3/X360PC)
  • Scribblenauts (NDS)
  • NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 (NDS)
  • NHL 10 (PS3/X360)
  • Toy Story Mania! (Wii)
  • Batman: Arkham Asylum (PC)
  • Wet (PS3/X360)

We will update this throughout the day when new announcements become available. Read more for details ...

NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 (NDS)

The latest installment of the popular 3D pocket-fighting series features more Naruto Shippuden content than any previous Naruto video game, offering fast-paced 3D fighting action and an engaging storyline based on the Naruto Shippuden animated series.
 
"Ninja Destiny 2 brings frenetic 3D combat to NDS in a compelling package that has something for everyone," said Laura Yoshioka, director of consumer software at TOMY Corporation. "The game offers players a completely new way to experience the Naruto Shippuden arc, whether you're a devoted follower of the franchise or completely new to the series. Long-time fans will be excited by the enhanced 3D fighting capabilities and the exclusive unlockable characters we've added to our roster, many of which have never before been playable in North America."
 
After two and a half years of training with one of the legendary Sannin, Naruto returns home to the Hidden Leaf Village armed with his largest arsenal of ninja skills yet. During his absence, his friends have become more powerful and together their skills will be put to the ultimate test. Ninja Destiny 2 boasts a list of 34 playable characters featuring legacy and Shippuden characters with all-new attacks and character specific cinematic jutsu moves. The all-new Quest Mode allows players to become their favorite ninja and travel through challenging mazes to battle and defeat opponents and improve character performance by leveling up. Ninja Destiny 2 also boasts a revamped Story Mode and wireless multiplayer battles.
 
Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2, rated "T" for Teen with Cartoon Violence, is available on NDS for $29.99 SRP.

NHL 10 (PS3/X360)

NHL 10, rated E10+, delivers a new, physical brand of hockey to match the physical and emotional intensity real-world players endure in pursuit of the Stanley Cup®. New gameplay innovations include first-person fighting, all-new board play, Battle for the Cup and Be A Tough Guy modes, and spectacular new ways to score. NHL 10 features more than 200 gameplay refinements that replicate the skill and finesse of hockey and deliver the most responsive and authentic action ever for the series.

A new first-person fighting engine enables players to trade punches with an NHL tough guy. Feel what it’s like to be on the ice in the skates of an NHL player to throw and dodge punches. 

Winning one-on-one battles for possession of the puck along the boards is now a test of will and skill. Utilizing an all-new board physics engine, players can use their body to shield the puck on the boards and then kick-pass it to teammates. Experience the emotion and drama of NHL playoff hockey in Battle for the Cup. Play with injuries, intimidate the opposing team, line-match to shut down superstars all in front of frenzied towel waving crowds with storylines that carry across the entire series. Plus, all-new interactive crowds bring the emotion of playoff hockey to life with towel-waving fans, glass bangers and crowds that react to the action on the ice. Players can one-time loose pucks, score from their knees, knock pucks out of the air and lift a leg to fake a shot on goal -- just like real-world players.

 Prove you are tough enough to quiet the crowd, silence the opposition and survive a playoff run to lift the Stanley Cup in NHL 10.

Toy Story Mania! (Wii)

The newest title from Disney Interactive Studios brings classic Disney•Pixar Toy Story characters together as they stage their own fun-filled carnival, featuring familiar and one-of-a-kind midway-inspired games, alongside bonus unlockable levels in 3-D. 

"Toy Story Mania! is the first video game to be directly inspired by a Disney attraction," said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. "Developing this game was truly a collaborative effort between Disney Interactive Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Imagineers and the Disney Parks team. As a result, the end product fully captures the essence of the attraction and delivers a new fun-filled experience appropriate for all members of the family."

Toy Story Mania! features multiplayer competitive and cooperative modes supporting up to four players to provide hours of fun. Ten fast-paced shooting galleries are featured, including some adapted from the theme park attraction and others that are original. For example, the attraction's popular Pie Toss game is represented in the game's training level, and five additional levels based on the theme park experience are available as unlockables in story mode. Players can also team up to unlock Easter eggs and collectibles.

Toy Story Mania! also shares another feature with the theme park attraction—and now the movies that inspired it—with bonus unlockable 3-D gameplay, lets players experience parts of the game in eye-popping 3-D! Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are heading back to the big screen—this time in Disney Digital 3D; the exclusive double feature hits theaters this October.  And Toy Story 3, a brand new 3D adventure is slated for June 18, 2010.

Published by Disney Interactive Studios and developed by Papaya Studio, Toy Story Mania!, rated E for Everyone, is now available at a suggested retail price of $49.99. 

Batman: Arkham Asylum (PC)

Co-published in North America by Eidos, Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the game features stunning NVIDIA® PhysX® technology that allows for the creation of incredibly realistic worlds full of interactive materials and objects.  PC gamers can experience intense realism and fully immerse themselves in Batman’s journey into Gotham City’s asylum for the criminally insane.

Batman: Arkham Asylum exposes players to a unique, dark and atmospheric adventure that takes them to the depths of Arkham Asylum – Gotham City’s psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane.  Gamers will move in the shadows, instigate fear amongst their enemies and confront The Joker and Gotham City’s most notorious villains who have taken over the asylum.  Using a wide range of Batman’s gadgets and abilities, players will become the Invisible Predator and attempt to foil The Joker’s demented scheme.

Batman: Arkham Asylum for PC is available now in North America, and will be available in Europe and Australia starting September 18th, 2009.  The game is also available for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Wet (PS3/X360)

Developed at Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M), WET throws players into a heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping adventure of double crosses and paybacks in which they’ll take on the role of problem fixer, Rubi Malone.  A gun-for-hire, Rubi agrees to fix a wealthy man’s problem by finding and bringing back his wayward son. She thinks the job is going to be cut and dry. She thought wrong.

Your mission to find the man that left you for dead will have you encountering innumerable adversaries in a variety of settings. Throughout the various cities you’ll visit – from London to Hong Kong – you’ll find yourself in spacious arenas where you will master shooting and sword play while dramatically jumping, flipping off of poles or your opponents, running on walls and sliding down ladders. Additional levels include car-hopping, Boneyard Challenges and ‘Rage Mode’, all of which add to the intense nature of this incredibly fast-paced shooter.

Featuring top-notch voice over performances from Eliza Dushku (as Rubi Malone), Malcolm McDowell (as crime lord Rupert Pelham) and Alan Cumming (as villain Christopher Sorrell) , WET offers up a perfect mix of violence and humor set against a stellar soundtrack and original score, both of which capture the game’s cool, retro-70s grindhouse vibe.

Need for Speed SHIFT (PSP/PS3/X360/PC)

Need for Speed SHIFT delivers a true driver’s experience with a stunning cockpit view, deep career mode and amazing car roster.

Need for Speed SHIFT redefines the racing genre with the combination of real world physics with perception based G-forces. The game includes a brutal first person crash dynamic to create an immersive cockpit view. When combined with the all-new driver profile, which gives each player a unique persona based on their driving skill and style, Need for Speed SHIFT is the most realistic and intensive authentic racing game ever.

Without a doubt, Need for Speed SHIFT is the first racing game that accurately delivers the physical and emotional sensation of being behind the wheel of a race car,” said Patrick Soderlund, Senior Vice President of EA Games Europe. “I’m confident this game not only reinvigorates the entire Need for Speed franchise but it actually changes the way people will view and appreciate racing games.”

Need for Speed SHIFT is available for the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP and iPhone.

Scribblenauts (NDS)

Created and developed by 5TH Cell, Scribblenauts allows players to use their imagination to create their own unique experience, allowing the game to appeal to gamers of all levels. In Scribblenauts, players use the stylus and touch screen to help Maxwell acquire the “Starite,” the prize earned from solving the puzzle in each challenge. Entering any noun that comes to mind, players can utilize it in order to reach the goal and combine countless objects to create wildly original scenarios.

“There’s never before been a game like Scribblenauts,” said Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Production and Development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “It is truly a game for everyone, as it challenges players to use their imagination and creativity to solve puzzles in an entirely new way.”

“We’re very proud of Scribblenauts and the way the gameplay captures players’ creativity and takes everyday environments and objects to a new level,” said Jeremiah Slaczka, creative director and co-founder of 5TH Cell. “With the enthusiastic response Scribblenauts has received so far, we’re thrilled to work with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in bringing the game to players everywhere.”

Scribblenauts recognizes tens of thousands of words and every level has hundreds of objects that can be used as a solution, offering extensive replay value. Players can also create and share levels with the Level Editor via Nintendo DS Wi-Fi Connection.

Scribblenauts, rated E10+, is now available at retail stores nationwide on NDS and is NDSi compatible for $29.99.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (NDS/PSP/PS2/Wii/PS3/X360)

Players will have the chance to experience Marvel's landmark Civil War storyline first hand, as they fight for their chosen side in the battle over the Superhuman Registration Act. In control of the largest army of heroes and villains ever featured in a game, players will assemble four-character dream teams, utilize their heroes' unique powers and, for the first time ever, fuse the abilities of two characters to unleash astonishing new attacks during battles.

"Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 builds on the gameplay that made the first title a hit and takes the experience to all new heights," states Rob Kostich, Head of Marketing for Licensed Properties, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Players will fight through cinematic and immersive environments, engage in graphically vivid and devastating fusions, and interact with or destroy everything in their path as they experience one of the most tumultuous political events ever imagined in comic book lore."

"Just as Civil War will be remembered as this decade's most memorable comic book event, so too will Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 go down as one of this generation's greatest Super Hero games," says Ira Rubenstein, Executive Vice President of the Marvel Digital Media Group. "The notion of heroes fighting heroes is compelling both in terms of action and storytelling, and Activision has brought it all to life in a way that's sure to please everyone who plays."

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 allows gamers to play as some of the most popular Marvel heroes and villains in an explosive action-RPG experience. For the first time, players will be able to take full advantage of the Marvel Universe by combining dynamic Super Hero powers to create over 250 unique fusions, such as a fiery tornado between Human Torch and Storm, or a powerful beam splitter between Wolverine and Iron Man. The game also features deep character customization, including upgrading abilities, powers and boosts on the fly, as well as storyline choices that will influence character stats. Gamers can play on their own or with up to three friends in co-operative multiplayer modes, allowing them to assemble unique dream teams from 24 playable heroes and villains, giving fans one of the most exciting action/RPG experiences of all time.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, rated T for Teen, is available on the Xbox 360 and PS3, by Vicarious Visions; the Wii, NDS (rated E10+), and PS2, by n-Space; and the PSP, by Savage.

NHL 2K10 (PS2/Wii/PS3/X360)

Featuring 2009 Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award winner Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals as its cover athlete and spokesman, NHL 2K10 brings the fast-paced action and fun of the NHL right to your living room while staying true to the sport.

Whether you’re a die-hard NHL fan or a casual player, NHL 2K10's pick-up-and-shoot controls, true-to-life authenticity and variety of on- and off-line multiplayer modes promise hours of entertainment. For the first time ever, NHL 2K10 for Wii will provide fans with a full-featured version of their favorite hockey game, along with a new franchise mode with full online play and numerous gameplay improvements, such as stumble shots and stick lifts. NHL 2K10 for Wii will support the Wii MotionPlus™ for precise one-to-one control and Wii Speak™ to chat with and challenge friends online, and will also offer the Wii-exclusive multiplayer mode – Mii™ Super Skills Competition.

“We’re excited about what NHL 2K10 will do this year for social gaming,” said Greg Thomas, senior vice president of sports development for 2K. "The depth of the online features in NHL 2K10 set a new standard, with virtually every game mode available across all platforms, including some that are exclusive to Wii. NHL 2K10 promises to bring fans the fun and excitement that the NHL is known for, while still staying true to hockey.”

Developed by 2K Sports’ Visual Concepts studio, NHL 2K10 is rated E10+ by the ESRB and is available now for Wii, Xbox 360, and the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2 systems.

Red Faction: Guerrilla (PC)

Red Faction: Guerrilla is a third-person action game featuring unrivaled destruction-based game-play, a story-driven single player campaign and extensive multiplayer options.

“Red Faction: Guerrilla earned wide-spread critical acclaim on the Xbox 360 and PS3 for providing a unique open-world experience packed with intense guerrilla-style combat, sophisticated weaponry and the most advanced destruction engine ever built,” said Kevin Kraff, vice president of worldwide marketing, THQ. “Gamers can expect the same top quality from the PC version, with the added benefits of DirectX10 support, bonus downloadable content and additional technical advancements.”

“Red Faction: Guerrilla’s PC debut will expose even more gamers to the Red Faction universe and further enhance the game-play experience by maximizing the PC’s capabilities,” said Rick White, producer, Volition, Inc. “The PC version features higher graphical quality through the support of Direct X10, as well as smooth, customizable controls, resulting in a visually impressive, high performance product.”

Red Faction: Guerrilla is a 3rd person, open-world shooter set on Mars, 50 years after the events of the original Red Faction®. Players take on the role of freedom fighter Alec Mason, with the newly re-established Red Faction movement, as they battle for liberation from the oppressive Earth Defense Force (EDF). Throughout their fight for freedom, players can carve their own path, wreaking havoc across the vast, open-world environment of Mars, from the desolate mining outpost of Parker to the gleaming EDF capital city of Eos. Utilizing improvised weapons, explosives and re-purposed mining equipment and vehicles, Red Faction: Guerrilla allows players to tear through fully destructible environments in a Martian landscape swarming with EDF forces, Red Faction resistance fighters, and the downtrodden settlers caught in the cross-fire. Red Faction: Guerrilla features a robust multiplayer experience, including several modes focused on destruction-based game-play.

Red Faction: Guerrilla was recently released on the Xbox 360 and PS3 and is now available on PC for the suggested retail price of $39.99.
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