James is dead. It’s been more than a year since I left the Vault in search of him, and he had to die, separated by a piece of re-inforced glass from me.

Things were starting to look up for us, until those guys wearing demon-like armour came crashing him. It seems that their leader wanted to take over the project James was working on. Thanks to James, I managed to lead a group of scientist away from what could have been a massacre.

Our pursuers were relentless through the sewer tunnels, my only consolation from these encounters with them was obtaining some seemingly priceless powered armour. It would seem like hours had passed before our cat and mouse game through the tunnels brought us to the surface and into friendly, if not heavily armed, people.

The Brotherhood of Steel was their name, and as a reward for bringing the scientists back, I got the opportunity to go through Powered Armour 101. Sure enough, the powered armour I looted earlier fitted me like a glove, and moved even more so.

But having done so, I can’t help but feel that the end is nigh.

Hudson’s Shooting Watch is now selling at a discounted price of USD 14.90. Yup, this is the same device made popular by Takahashi Meijin a.k.a Master Higgins a.ka 16-shot!. Click here for details.

Space, the final frontier, and the Gloptians want you out of their inner system, otherwise you’ll be fired upon by their star cruiser. As the captain of your own starship, you just spent precious fuel and days getting to this star system in the first place. Do you a. leave or b. fight?

I didn’t think that Picard had fuel and a mission timer to worry about on the Enterprise, but here in Space Exploration, the latest PC game from indie developer Metal Beetle Ltd, those are two of the many other factors you have to consider on your mission to the stars.

Space…Again

The premise of the game is pretty simple with the backstory being straightforward about it. Your mission is to chart a wide area of space with various star systems in 200 days with a “sometimes” replenishable store of fuel.

As you probably can guess,  the game is turn-based and plays a bit like Star Control. Travelling from one star system to another takes up fuel and days. Upon arrival, a random scenario will trigger and it’s up to you to choose from the list of response options. This includes bumping into the odd (and hostile) Gloptian star cruiser, digging up artifacts from a planet’s surface, dealing with pirates, escort missions and many more.

It’s all about loot and getting back in time and in one piece

Some of these scenarios will award you with cargo, equipment and precious fuel, while some might leave your ship and crew in a worse state than it already is. The game has some interesting touches, whereby you can trade some of your cargo for other stuff, but these are about as random as the star system encounters.

Your score is calculated based on your success rate and the number of systems explored, but getting your ship blown up, or not reaching the starting point in 200 days will get you a negative score.

The Bottom Line

The game’s graphics are functional if not basic; one thing though, the game seems to run on a weird window size, but I guess it’s due to it being a “pre-alpha” built of the game. If you have the time, and turn-based Star Control type of games are your cup of tea, do check out Space Exploration. It’s a good pick-me-up and play for short bursts kind of game (there’s no save feature anyway).

Pros: Easy, straightforward gameplay, the kind that is hard to master though.
Cons: It’s set in space…again, like many other games before this. Scenarios tend to repeat themselves too often in between games.

You can download Space Exploration here.

I can’t help but feel a little handicapped playing Resident Evil 5 on the PS3. In a nutshell, I miss VATS. Heh. Too much Fallout 3. I can’t even aim properly with the analog stick and I hate how slow the character moves about. I don’t think I’ll buy a game where I can’t shoot properly, but hey, the demo is out, so check it out for yourselves.

Here’s a bit of trivia. The Japanese version of the game, Biohazard 5, is pronounced as Baiohazādo Faibu.

Now, while DGamer is an “online game and social networking service developed by Disney” and is included in each title Disney interactive Studio publishes for the Nintendo DS, a whole bunch of games ensure that kids are part of the target audience.

Judging by the comments from I’m gotten from my DGamer video on Youtube, I’m not sure I would like to see any kid go near the service. One comment stands out from the rest:

I met someone in Dgamer and his name is JoeyTC1996 and I swear I would be lost without him..XD He deleted me once and another I talked him out of it…I was so happy when we were friends again…But now im not allowed to message him, Plus what really sucks is that IM BANNED!! I get it back in about 3 hours though…YAY! XD.

Parents, you have been warned.

Did you know that Toploader’s Dancing in the Moonlight was actually a cover version of the song originally sang by King Harvest? I was doing some research on the song, after stumbling on perhaps the trippiest cover version (of Dancing in the Moonlight) I’ve ever heard (more on that later), when I managed find the following videos. By the way, the first line of the song is “We get it on most every night”, not “We get it almost every night”.

First up, the original version by King Harvest, it’s audio only (don’t think they had music videos back then):

Secondly, a hit cover version of the song and most likely to be hear on radio stations around the world (instead of the original version), Toploader’s cover of Dancing in the Moonlight:

Last but not least, a recently released project by Tomonao Tanaka under the name S-KLAPP, featuring Lei Lani. This is perhaps the trippiest cover for Dancing in the Moonlight I’ve ever heard, so check it out:

The single is actually available at Play-Asia. Click here for purchase information.

Remember that Alicia Silverstone movie Clueless? You do? Good! Now picture the movie as a video game instead. Baffled? Now, I’m sure you would remember Lindsay Lohan’s Mean Girls (that was the movie that got every red-blooded male noticing her). Now, picture that as a movie as well. Heh. I wouldn’t be surprised if you are feeling as baffled about it as with Clueless.

No matter, let the good people at Paramount Digital Entertainment and Legacy Interactive tell you what they are up to these IPs when it comes to creating video games:

PARAMOUNT DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT AND LEGACY INTERACTIVE TEAM UP TO DEVELOP VIDEOGAMES BASED ON PARAMOUNT PICTURES’ FILMS

LOS ANGELES—July 22, 2008—Paramount Digital Entertainment and Legacy Interactive, announced today that they are developing titles based on the popular Paramount Pictures’ films, Clueless, Mean Girls and Pretty in Pink.

In Clueless: The Game, the player takes on the part of Cher trying to find the perfect boyfriends for all her pals.  Players will need to figure out what kind of guy their friends want by noticing what clothes these potential suitors wear and what sort of interests they have.  Once Cher knows what they want, she will have to pick out the right elements to make the perfect man for them.  Players will have to be quick!  Love waits for no one!

Mean Girls: High School Showdown, allows players to take on the role of a student trying to restore balance to the many cliques in their high school and to end the reign of the terrible “Plastic clique,” the prettiest girls and the meanest of the mean.  To do this, players will need to unite the cliques by using a few tricks of their own.  Players can choose to take the high road by using kind words and revealing important truths at the right time, or use the Plastic’s own evil tricks against them, by using rumors, pranks and put downs.  A mix of both might go a long way, too!

The classic 80’s hit movie, Pretty in Pink, is known as a movie that defined a generation, and now players will have the chance to relive the story in an all-new entertaining game format.  Through a series of beautifully rendered scenes, players will need to solve a variety of fun and challenging visual puzzles in order to experience the memorable story about love, friendship, the clash of social cliques and how to rise above them.  Andie, Duckie, Blane, and the rest of the unforgettable characters from both “the wrong side of the tracks” and not, return to play out the romantic fairytale love story, but this time with a dramatic difference…their fate will be put in the hands of the player.

“Paramount is focused on creating quality interactive entertainment based on evergreen motion pictures. With these games, we will not only reach the core casual games audience, but engage new audiences with our properties,” said Sandi Isaacs, Senior Vice President, Interactive & Mobile, Paramount Digital Entertainment.  “We are confident that our collaboration with Legacy Interactive will be a great success.”

“Legacy Interactive’s vision for these fan favorite films is one that seamlessly takes each story into the gaming world,” said Ariella Lehrer, President and CEO of Legacy Interactive.  “Our goal in collaborating with Paramount Digital Entertainment is to create games that longtime fans of the films will appreciate, but also games that challenge and entertain the casual gamer.”

About Paramount Digital Entertainment
Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) is a division of Paramount Pictures Corporation. PDE develops and distributes filmed entertainment across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices, videogames, virtual worlds and emerging technologies.

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands.  The company’s labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, DreamWorks, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies.  PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Legacy Interactive
Legacy Interactive (www.legacyinteractive.com) is a leading developer and publisher of casual games. Entertaining customers since 1998, the company has built a reputation for creating intelligent, realistic and engaging games for a broad audience. Located in Los Angeles, Legacy is known for its TV-branded games, such as Law & Order, as well as for its popular simulation games Pet Pals: Animal Doctor, Emergency Room and Zoo Vet.

In 2008, Legacy added movie titles to its growing game roster, including the upcoming animated children’s film Igor. Through Legacy’s popular game network at www.legacygames.com, customers can download and try more than 500 casual games plus read and write reviews and share play lists of their favorite games. Legacy’s games are distributed worldwide, in more than 12 languages, through its partners Ubisoft, Mindscape, 505 Games, and JoWood.

Check out the following screenshots from Clueless: The Game:

This is quite a surprise,  Otona no DS Kao Training, the face training game for the Nintendo DS that comes with a camera add-on is now selling at a discounted price of USD 19.90!!

I don’t know bout you, but I’m ordering it. Not everyday you have a DS game with such an add-on selling at such a price. Want to join me? Click here for purchase information.

Check out what could be the best Street Fighter III: Third Strike match/comeback ever played. The video was taken during Evolution 2004, a beat-em-up game tournament held in the States featuring Justin Wong vs. Daigo Umehara…watch the parries and be dazzled:

And now, check out of a parody of the same match, Mortal Kombat style. It’s pretty funny, but I’ll let the video do all the talking:

I also envy those gamers that are adept at beat-em-ups. In my case, it’s more of like mashing buttons rather than getting the combos right. I can’t put a finger on why, but the best game to do so (mash buttons for any hope of winning) would be Marvel vs Capcom 2 on the Dreamcast.

In any case, it would be an achievement for me to obtain a level of proficiency with Street Fighter 4. I’m just waiting for the price to go down a little (you know, hype does drive up prices), before getting the game. If you have the time, read about The Escapist article on “Race and Street Fighter II”, check it out here.

Phoenix Wright/Gyakuten Saiban fans, listen up. Fancy a private viewing of the Gyakuten Saiban Tokubetsu Hout Orchestra Concert? Well now you can, affordably too, as the 2008 Official DVD Book is now selling at a discounted price of USD 31.90, down from its original price of USD 44.90.

The DVD Book comes with both audio and visual recordings of the concert and also a booklet that contains a digest of the event and commentaries from the music producers.

Interested? Click here for further details.