Toys for Kids & Adults

'Condemned 2: Bloodshot' announced

SEGA yesterday announcedCondemned 2: Bloodshot, a follow up to the Xbox 360 launch title,Condemned: Criminal Origins. The firstCondemnedwas truly disturbing, throwing you into a pyschological nightmare where you were put so on edge that even a slight noise or the appearance of a mannequin out of the shadows was enough to make you scream. The game excelled because of it's atmospherics, which were detailed, eerie, and yet familiar (a department store, for example).

SEGA promises thatBloodshotwill evolve the series, adding a new combat system which features a lot of hands on action and grapples. You will once again play as Ethan Thomas, disturbed ex-investigator who is called back to duty to find his missing partner. The game will debut for the Xbox 360 and PS3 in early 2008.

Read the Press Release

'Project Gotham Racing 4' trailer and details
The fourth incarnation ofProject Gotham Racingwill be hitting stores this fall, and today we have a new trailer, along with a few new(ish)PGR4details.

First the trailer:

Pretty, eh?

Now for the details

NPD: Nintendo wins April
NPD Funworld has today released its report of video game hardware and software sales in the US for the month of April. The highlights include:

• Good month overall:A 20% year-over-year increase with $838.6 million in hardware, software and accessory sales.
• Software sales = "meh": Software sales remained stagnant at $389.8 million (last year's number was $395 milliion.
• Software sale breakdown:Handheld software sales surged 61% to $141.5 million, thanks toPokemon DiamondandPearlDS titles. Console software sales, on the other hand, fell 19% to $248.3 million. Keep in mind, April of '06 braggedKingdom Hearts 2andThe Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. April '07 bragged very little.
• Nintendo games selling like gangbusters:Nintendo held the top four spots on the software sales chart withPokemon Diamond(DS, 1.045 million),Pokemon Pearl(DS, 712,000),Super Paper Mario(Wii, 352,000), andWii Playw/ Remote (Wii, 249,000).
• Nintendo hardware selling like hotcakes:Hardware sales were up 52% to $338.4. In first place was the Nintendo DS with 471,000 units sold. The Wii came in second with 360,000 units sold. The PS3 came in 7th, between the Game Boy Advance and Gamecube, with 82,000 units sold.

The only surprise I see here is the uber-low 82,000 PS3s moved number. I'm cheering for you Sony, but, egad, you have to get some games out.

Update:
Jer haswhinedasked that I point outhis prediction last monththat March would be the last time we would see the PS2 at the top of the console charts.

The PS2, with God of War II has taken its last breath, and granted, it was an impressive gasp, but I predict that the days of seeing the PS2 at the top of the hardware sales for all consoles is now over.

Hey, it beats the big wigs at Wedbush Morgan Securities and Lazard Capital Markets who predicted software sales for the month of April would be up 15 – 24%.

Read more:
Gamespot
Next Generation

'Halo 3' Beta Basics, Tips, and Hints

A lot of you may be new toHaloorHalomultiplayer. You may be confused and overwhelmed by theHalo 3demo, what with getting killed almost instantly and not knowing what does who and why goes where. See, I told you that you're confused.

It is for this reason that I humbly offer some very basic tips to get you through your first few sessions of theHalo 3beta. If you're already an expert, and have some helpful tips to add, please do so in the comments section.

• Learn your controls- If the controls don't feel right to you, ie, you need to invert the Y-Axis, then hit "Start" and push right on the Left Control Stick to enter the "Controls" menu. It is here that you can adjust your controls to your liking. Also, go into "Button Layout". Here you'll see what each button does. Be sure to note your "Reload" (RB) and the "Melee Attack" (B).
• Learn some Weapons basics- You don't have to be a seasoned pro to earn some kills, but it does help if you know what the heck your weapons are doing. If your weapon has a zoom feature, you can use it by clicking down on the Right Control Stick (R3). In general, you'll want to use long range weapons like the Sniper Rifle and the Battle rifle from a distance and weapons like the shotgun close up in order to be most effective. The first few times you play, pick up lots of different weapons and see which ones you like.
• Jump when under attack- This is one of those general multiplayer rules. If you're under fire, jump. You are harder to hit when you're jumping. If you're just travelling from cover to cover, you don't have to jump as that may make you more obvious.
• Learn to use and love your Melee attack- The melee attack (B) is basically an elbow bop to the face. If you're in close quarters with an enemy, this is a very effective attack.
• If you're not moving, you don't show up on radar- Just keep that in mind. Run to where you want to go, stop, look around, run to the next location.
• To switch between types of grenades, hit LB

- I say this because I really like the spike grenade (don't know the real name of it). If you toss this type of grenade at an enemy, it'll stick into him and blow him up.

• Active camoflauge doesn't make you invisible

- The blue orbs that you see are active camoflauge. Pick one up to activate it. You are definitely harder to see, but don't go around thinking you're invisible.

• Dual-Wielding weapons is cool

- Certain types of weapons can be dual-wielded, meaning that you can hold one in each hand. If you're holding a one-handed weapon, like the SMG, then when you walk over another one-handed weapon, you'll be prompted to pick it up with the other hand. While dual-wielding, you cannot throw grenades, so keep that in mind.

That's all of the sage advice I have for you now. If I think of anything else, I'll add to this post. Happy gaming!

A 'Spider-Man 3' walkthrough begins
I'll begin work on theLBSpider-Man 3Walkthrough and Strategy Guidefor the Nintendo Wii version of the game.

I have already played through the entire game in just a couple of sittings (neither being too long). So, expect to see a complete rough draft of the guide by the end of the week.

As for a quick review, the game was "eh". It certainly had it's high points and the web slinging with the Wii controls was fun. However, everything else about it was on the weak side, including the five and a half hour story mode. We're hoping the Xbox 360 and PS3 version will be better. We know it will be longer. Look for that guide to begin in the next couple of days.

LBSpider-Man 3Game Guide (Wii)
LBSpider-Man 3Game Guide (X360)

Halo 3 beta — between fun and meh

Okay, Mangojoyride, pervertdhermit, GabrielSaxon, and The Gurbil. I get it. You are better than me atHalo 3multiplayer. In my defense (and that's sorely lacking in-game) I have only played four matches and I am improving. In fact, I had a great match before these level sixes and sevens really took it too me…three kills in a row and I won the match! Take that.

Yes, theHalo 3beta is enjoyable, but I can't do it for more than an hour or so. I just get bored of it. I'm more of a puzzle-solving, story-driven gamer, so while this is fun, it's not my favorite. In fact the only multiplayer I've ever become addicted to isBrothers in Arms.

Here's one tip, though, that really drove me nuts. I'm an inverted Y-Axis kind of guy and I couldn't figure out where to adjust the control settings. If that's driving you crazy too, just hit Start and move the control stick to the right to open up the Settings menu. I just didn't see it there before.

Now, happy Halo-ing and look out for an ever improving LUNABEAN!

Halo 3 beta via Crackdown fixed
Now all you WATB can play your precious game.

Meet you there!

Gamertag: LUNABEAN