Tuesday, February 14, 2012

New Releases for 02/14/12

SECKMANS SELECTIONS

Goodness, I've been working on this post for DAYS! This week's releases are massive in quantity, so I hope you've been saving up. We see not only the release of the PSVita (one week early!), but a slew of games to go with it, including UNCHARTED: GOLDEN ABYSS! There's also a good number of movies coming out...including the "I can't believe the Green Lit a sequel" Human Centipede II. Hope you don't have a week stomach. If you do...then watch a couple of Murder She Wrote movies, cause a 4 movie collection has been released! Anyway, here's a look at some of the things coming out the week of February 14, 2012!
VIDEO GAMES

Claim your PS Vita week before the official release date with the PlayStation Vita First Edition Bundle. For a limited time, get the PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi system plus a 4GB memory card, a limited edition case, Little Deviants, and pick up your system one week early.
Design features touchpads at the front and rear.
PlayStation Vita is designed to blur the lines between interactive entertainment and reality in a variety of ways. Reaching beyond the capabilities of every handheld gaming console that has come before it, in this model of Vita players have access to a vast amount of content via improved Wi-Fi, allowing for maximum connectivity wherever you go. Its 5-inch OLED front multi-touch display brings brilliant images to life and allows for a new touch driven navigational system, while the additional multi-touch pad on its back surface will allow users to interact with games and characters that they encounter within them with a simple movement of their fingertips. The real world and the game world are seamlessly merged with front and rear camera enabled augmented reality. Additionally, services created specifically for Vita will be available on PlayStation Network. These services are designed help users take their gameplay, as well as interaction with other gamers, to new levels.
Additional features include: dual analog stick controls, a 4 core CPU, system-specific flash card media support for game and media saves, mobile PlayStation trophy support, built-in three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer and GPs functionality.


Uncharted: Golden Abyss is a single player Adventure game that brings the trademark active gameplay of the Uncharted series to the small screen like never before. The most prominent of the launch title for the Sony PlayStation Vita handheld Golden Abyss features an all-new story revolving around the adventures of treasure hunter Nathan Drake, as well as controls optimized for play on the PS Vita. Features include: a combination of touch pad and motion-sensing controls, as well as Adventure and Puzzle-solving gameplay.

In addition to the standard analog stick controls found in Golden Abyss, PlayStation Vita's innovative control set brings a fresh feel to the well-known acrobatic and puzzle-oriented gameplay of the Uncharted game series. Using the handheld's front and rear touch pads players can more fluidly move laterally, or up and down a wall that Drake must explore. Touch functionality is also used to make charcoal rubbings of found relics, as well as arrange puzzle pieces into the correct configuration for puzzle-solving. Similarly, touch screens can be tapped to move Drake across non-continuous surfaces such as handholds at irregular increments, dilapidated bridge planks and tricky river crossings. Tapping is also utilized as a fast means of switching weapons in combat situations. In addition to this, the motion-sensing controls of the PS Vita's internal gyroscope allows players to balance Drake as he crosses slippery logs, and serves as an aiming method when shooting at enemies. In the latter situation, just point the Vita in the direction you want to shoot, line up you target and pull the trigger.
Amazing visuals for a handheld!



The over-the-top Hot Shots Golf franchise is back with a bag full of PlayStation Vita features that will have players hitting the links like never before. These features begin as soon as an in-game golfer is selected, dressed for the part and is lined up to tee off.


Use tap functionality to look down the fairway to get a better look at the pathway to the green, and when ready, place the golfer in the best position and at the best angle to take a shot using PS Vita pinch and front touch pad functionality. Once off the tee players can simultaneously maneuver their golfer and line up shots with a combination of the front sticks and the rear touch pad. Need to check your form with a different view of the shot? Players can easily change the camera angles of their golfer with an augmented reality feature. And mastering the PS Vita's motion sensing capabilities will allow for the addition of extra power on shots with a flick of the device. Points for success in a round can be used for in-game purchases, including new available golfers, new outfits, and even new clubs. Multiplayer support allows up to eight players locally, while literally dozens of players can compete on the same hole in play through PlayStation Network.



The king of music-puzzle games returns with its first, all-new installment in over 5 years. Lumines for PlayStation Vita marks the return of Q Entertainment's landmark puzzle series, bringing together addictive block-dropping puzzle action, an all-new 3D graphics engine, and some of the most significant names in electronic music history.
It's like musical tetris on Exstasy! One of my favorite games on the PSP ~Matt


The highly acclaimed fighting series adds 12 new legends to the robust Marvel vs. Capcom 3 lineup, bringing the total overall roster of characters up to 50. This includes zombie-slayer Frank West on the Capcom side and cosmic defender Rocket Raccoon from the Marvel Universe. The new character options also include Phoenix Wright, Vergil, Nemesis, Strider and Firebrand from Capcom and Nova, Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider and Hawkeye from Marvel.
The PS Vita version of the game is virtually identical to the console versions,
while incorporating the handheld's touch controls and portability.


Michel Ancel, celebrated creator of Rayman, Beyond Good & Evil and the Raving Rabbids returns to his roots to bring us Rayman Origins: a high-definition, 2D side-scrolling, platforming adventure! Play Rayman Origins and discover or rediscover the magical universe and legendary 2D gameplay that captured the hearts of millions of fans. Also available on Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and the X-Box 360!


Little Deviants is an Arcade style mini-game collection focused on the Little Deviant characters ongoing attempts to escape from their robot enemies. The games in the collection are especially designed to focus players' attention on mastery of the various controls and features of PlayStation Vita, including front and rear touch screen input, tap and drag input, and motion sensor and rear camera functionality. The game contains more than 30 mini-games/levels, an online leaderboard, and local eight player multiplayer support through a single handheld.

Over 30 games/levels
A variety of game genres.



Experience the excitement and the magic of Michael Jackson's iconic music videos and short films in the palm of your hands in spectacular high definition graphics and sound. Michael Jackson The Experience for PlayStation Vita invites players on a spectacular interactive journey through 15 of the King of Pop's most legendary hits. Built for the PlayStation Vita and true to Michael Jackson's groundbreaking and visionary work, Michael Jackson The Experience introduces a brand new way of playing rhythm games, an experience as close as it gets to dancing on a portable console.

Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom is a Samurai Romance game set at the end of the Edo period of Japanese history - a period that witnessed the decline of Shogunate as the ruling of power in Japan. One of the few example of the Japanese sub-genre of Otome, which centers on story-driven romance from a female perspective, the game features a unique blend of adventure and decision-dependant gameplay. In Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, a young woman by the name of Chizuru comes to Kyoto in search of her missing father, and soon encounters danger and the Shinsengumi in quick succession. When it becomes clear the Shinsengumi are also searching for her father, Chizuru is put under their protection. But odd things are afoot in Kyoto-possibly even supernatural happenings.

Key Game Features
One of North America's First Otome Games - Experience a historical fantasy adventure while pursuing a relationship with one of several male love interests in a game specifically created for a female audience.
Experience a New Kind of Adventure - Enjoy a visual novel filled with beautiful illustrations and changing character portraits. Examine character biographies, check your story progress, and replay scenes you've already watched.
Choose Your Own Fate with Multiple Endings - The story is told through the eyes of Chizuru Yukimura, but the player will be presented with a number of decisions she must make.
Introduction to the Hakuoki Franchise - Hakuoki is a series that enjoys major popularity in Japan among the gaming populace, selling over 500,000 copies across all platforms.

Anime style stills from the game

Limited Edition Bundle

Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom for PSP in UMD format
A Soundtrack CD with music from the game
A 72-page artbook with beautiful, full-color art

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is a Sports/Party game set at the 2012 Summer Olympic games in London that features a wide range of characters from both the Nintendo and Sonic game universes competing in Olympic style sports events. The Nintendo 3DS version of the game continues the feel of the earlier DS releases in series with returning real-world sports, and new events as well. The game also features expanded gaming possibilities through the unique 3DS features, and four-player multi-card multiplayer support. Also available on the Nintendo Wii!
Twisted Metal returns with unhinged car combat destruction and action movie mayhem. A PlayStation franchise exclusive since the release of the original Twisted Metal game back in 1995 for PS1, this most recent release is packed with unique weapons that emerge from demonic vehicles as players unfold the demented tale of a cast of characters, led by Sweet Tooth in story, co-op and online modes. The mayhem is ratcheted up in multiplayer modes with 2-4 player competing locally and up to 16 players online competing in a killer-take-all back and forth battle royale on wheels.
3DS port of the popular PlayStation 2 video game by Namco Bandai.
Celebrities and the rich flock to Hidden Springs in search of relaxation and escape from the mundane. Many cannot resist rumors of the seemingly miraculous healing powers that linger in the woods and waters. Some of the townsfolk who live in the woods are highly secretive and seem to have a pale green tinge to them. Is it really magic at work?

MOVIES

Dragon Age: Redemption
I'd tell you that I already pre-ordered/bought this
...but I'm sure you already knew that. ~Matt
Written by and starring Felicia Day (The Guild), Dragon Age: Redemption is a six-part series based on Bioware's Dragon Age video game franchise. Taking place in the same setting as Dragon Age Origins and during the same period as Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age: Redemption tells a story of sword, sorcery and adventure.


Murder, She Wrote: 4 Movie Collection [DVD]

Murder, She Wrote: "South By Southwest" -- November 2, 1997
(While traveling on a train, Jessica is befriended with foreign spies and is warned by the FBI to stop her own investiagtion in Agua Verde).

Murder, She Wrote: "A Story to Die For" -- May 18, 2000
(Jessica attends a writer's conference where a Russian author is found murdered).

Murder, She Wrote: "The Last Free Man" -- May 2, 2001
(A link between Jessica's family history and the death of a slave in the 1860's piques Jessicas' writer's mind).

Murder, She Wrote: "The Celtic Riddle" -- May 9, 2003
(While traveling to Ireland to attend the reading of an acquaintances' will, Jessica, along with the help of the old man's quirky family members, is soon knee-deep in murder--and discovers a mystery involving secret treasure). Based on "The Celtic Riddle" by Lyn Hamilton.

The Rum Diary [DVD/Blu-ray]

Doctor Who:
The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe [DVD /Blu-ray]

Take Shelter [DVD/Blu-ray]

Following his acclaimed debut, Shotgun Stories, writer/director Jeff Nichols reteams with actor Michael Shannon to create a haunting tale that will creep under your skin and expose your darkest fears. Curtis LaForche lives in a small town in Ohio with his wife, Samantha, and daughter, Hannah, a six-year-old deaf girl. When Curtis begins to have terrifying dreams, he keeps the visions to himself, channeling his anxiety into obsessively building a storm shelter in his backyard. His seemingly inexplicable behavior concerns and confounds those closest to him, but the resulting strain on his marriage and tension within his community can’t compare with Curtis’s privately held fear of what his dreams may truly signify. Take Shelter features fully realized characters crumbling under the weight of real-life problems. Using tone and atmosphere to chilling effect, Nichols crafts a powerful psychological thriller that is a disturbing tale for our times.

The Human Centipede II [DVD/Blu-ray]

As if the posters could GET any creepier!
If you saw the first one, then you know what to expect from this one...except this one is a WHOLE LOT WORSE. I STILL cannot get images from the first movie out of my head, and considering the director said this movie will make the first one seem like a Disney movie...I'm staying away. You've been warned.
Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury [DVD/Blu-ray]

The Dragons are back in the exciting next chapter to How to Train Your Dragon. The epic story of Hiccup and Toothless continues as they take flight in a thrilling, all-new adventure to discover an island of never-before-seen dragons. Explosive action and fire-breathing excitement collide in this exhilarating story.
MUSIC

Mission Bell by Amos Lee

I didn't realize who this was so I failed to mention it when it came out last Tuesday (02/07/12), so I'll give it a post-release mention:

 This is the seventh studio album by French electronic pop duo


And that's all she wrote!
Matt

2 comments:

CommunionNimrod said...

Oooh, I didn't realize Dragon Age: Redemption was coming out! How fun. ^_^

Christopher John (@Christopher2814) said...

Ooooh. A new chapter in the How to Train Your Dragon series. I'm on board for that!

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