Rainier's Articles


PSP Preview - 'Tekken: Dark Resurrection'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Post - E3 2006

Genre: Fighting
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Namco Bandai
Release Date: Q3 2006

This year's E3 featured an astounding number of PSP titles that were just plain fun to play, which is something that the handheld console has been lacking until now. Tekken: Dark Resurrection was among those titles, and it was perhaps the single game I put in the most time with during E3. While it is largely a straight port of the limited arcade release by the same name, T:DR is certainly more portable than an arcade machine.

The most important facet of any fighting game is

'Electroplankton' (NDS) - Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2005 May 18th

In Electroplankton, art and music collide to create a wildly fresh interactive audio experience. In this freeform title featuring the striking visual style of Japanese artist Toshio Iwai, players poke, rub and draw on the touch screen to stimulate odd aquatic creatures and create their own music. Each of the 10 different types of Electroplankton features a completely different sound style, ranging from haunting melodies to head-nodding beats to funky Mario theme remixes. One Electroplankton even acts as a sampler, allowing players to record up to four sounds and layer them over drum loops. Players create new sounds and experiences

'Mario Baseball' (NGC) - Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2005 May 18th

Continuing the tradition started by such games as Mario Power Tennis and Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Mario Baseball brings a new brand of fun to the world of baseball. The game combines an intuitive hitting system with easy-to-learn fielding and pitching controls – making it an arcade-like experience that will appeal to baseball novices and hard-core fans alike. Players can try their hands at Challenge Mode, where they must wander the land clearing baseball-related trials. Or they can sit down for a game in the Toy Field, where they hit balls at circles in the outfield to earn coins and

The Matrix Online For PC 2004

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2003 May 14th

Warner Bros. Studios and Ubi Soft® Entertainment, one of the world's largest video game publishers, will co-publish The Matrix Online, the first massively multiplayer online game based on Warner Bros. Pictures' vastly influential Matrix property.

Under the terms of the worldwide exclusive deal, Ubi Soft will distribute and manage the live game operations of The Matrix Online, while Warner Bros. Studios will oversee all story and content development. Both companies will supervise ongoing game development and marketing activities for the game. Following the beta test in 2003, The Matrix Online is expected to launch in 2004.

Set in a virtual, persistent online

PS3/X360 Preview - 'Army of Two'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Post - E3 2006

Genre: Action
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Montreal
Release Date: 2007

We live in perilous times, my friends. These days, the game industry is either all about the single-player experience, or the dynamics of (God help us, sometimes massive) multiplayer. Remember back in the day, when it was only about two people? In games like Streets of Rage, Contra and Final Fight, you had to help out your partner every step of the way, or face mutual destruction. These days, we're lucky to get a "cooperative mode" in the games of our choice.

Enter Electronic Arts, who wants

'Mario Kart DS' (NDS) - Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2005 May 18th

Time to race...no wires attached. The acclaimed Mario Kart series has gone wireless, letting players race and battle with up to eight karts at once, regardless of whether everyone has a game card. An all-star cast that includes Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario, Bowser and Toad will round out a truly all-star lineup of more than 30 courses drawn from every Mario Kart game. That's right – players will tour courses from Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Super Circuit and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! , not to mention brand-new tracks and arenas. With all the

'Ridge Racer 7' (PS3) - Features & 18 New Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under Tokyo Game Show - Tokyo Game Show 2006 Day 1

Drift around corners at speeds over 160 mph taking the lead as Ridge Racer 7 brings gamers a driving experience unlike any other.

With a new platform comes new territory as RR7 promises to reinvent itself, allowing players to choose from 40 different machines and over 20 courses. With reversed courses, the total grows to 40, most in the series ever! Players can further enjoy the drift racing experience by taking part in the new customization mode, opening up the experience with up to 200,000 customization combinations. With full support of Sony’s new network service, Ridge Racer fans have an entirely

Metal Gear Solid 3 Will Be Available Exclusively For PS2

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2003 May 14th

Electronic Entertainment Expo Booth #900--Konami of America, Inc., a subsidiary of Konami Corporation (NYSE: KNM - News) and Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. today announced that Metal Gear Solid®3: Snake Eater, the third installment in Konami's multi-million selling stealth/action series will be available exclusively on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system in 2004.
Developed by legendary videogame producer Hideo Kojima at Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, Metal Gear Solid®3 will raise the bar for quality graphics and gameplay.

Metal Gear Solid®3: Snake Eater was unveiled to audiences for the first time worldwide at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2003 in Los Angeles, California via

Wii Preview - 'Red Steel'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Post - E3 2006

Genre: First-Person Shooter
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Paris
Release Date: TBA

Nintendo has been pimping Red Steel unusually hard for it to be a third-party title, especially a third-party FPS with a Western developer. It's because Red Steel embodies Nintendo's promise that the Wii's games are going to cater to every possible type of gamer, including the aggressive, predominantly male demographic of FPS fans that felt distinctly ignored by the GameCube. Red Steel is not just an FPS, either, but almost a tech demo that shows third-party developers just what kind of an experience they can create

Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand (GBA) Announced

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2003 May 14th

Konami of America, Inc., a subsidiary of Konami Corporation (NYSE: KNM - News), today unveiled a revolutionary new action title for Nintendo Game Boy® Advance.

Launching in September 2003, Boktai(TM): The Sun Is In Your Hand is the first videogame ever that incorporates natural sunlight into gameplay. Developed by Hideo Kojima, the creator of the internationally acclaimed Metal Gear Solid® game series, Boktai features a uniquely designed built-in solar sensor on the Game Boy® Advance cartridge that absorbs sunlight to influence the outcome of the game.

"Boktai represents a watershed moment in game design and marks the next step in