Shacknews

2006

• November

• Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Review

  With its world-tilting gameplay, Sega's Super Monkey Ball series of 3D platformers is a perfect candidate for Wii, and designer Toshihiro Nagoshi and his team at Sega's Entertainment R&D1; one have come through with a new iteration of the game for the Wii launch. Here's our review.

  November 20, 2006

• Wii & PS3 Motion-Controlled Racers

  With the Wii and Playstation 3 both available, Chris checks a foursome of motion-controlled racing games.

  November 19, 2006

• Wii Launch Coverage

  A trio of articles about the Nintendo Wii ahead of its November 19 launch:
  - Wii Software Update and Virtual Console Hands On: checking out the online network.
  - More Wii Unpacking: answering your questions.
  - Unpacking the Wii: out of the box functionality.

  November 18, 2006

• Playstation 3 Coverage

  A trio of articles about the Nintendo Wii ahead of its launch:
  - More PS3 Unpacking: looking at some more system options and features, as well as the PlayStation Network.
  - Unpacking the PS3: initial impressions of the hardware's features and functionality.

  November 16, 2006

• Crackdown Co-Op

  Chris goes hands-on with the Xbox 360 action game Crackdown, checking out both singleplayer and co-op game modes.

  November 13, 2006

• Small Arms Preview

  Chris offers his impressions of the Xbox Live Arcade brawler Small Arms.

  November 9, 2006

• Gun Pey Preview

  Q Entertainment is gearing up to release a new puzzle game for PSP and Nintendo DS, Gun Pey. Chris got to play the game on both systems.

  November 2, 2006

• Kudo Tsunoda Interview

  While visiting EA's Chicago offices, Chris got to sit down with general manager Kudo Tsunoda and ask him about the company's recent projects like Fight Night Round 3 and Def Jam: Icon.

  November 1, 2006
• October

• Def Jam: Icon Preview

  Following up on its well received Fight Night Round 3, EA Chicago is currently working on the third entry in the Def Jam series of hip hop fighting games, Def Jam: Icon. Chris got to check out an early build of the PS3/Xbox 360 brawler.

  October 31, 2006

• Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Interview

  David asks lead level designer Thor Frølich about Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, a third person co-op action game being released by Eidos next year.

  October 27, 2006

• Playstation 3 Game Impressions

  The launch of Playstation 3 is almost upon us. Chris attended a Sony press event, and got to go hands-on with several upcoming games: MotorStorm, Untold Legends Dark Kingdom, Genji: Days of the Blade and Resistance: Fall of Man, Lair and Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII.

  October 25, 2006

• GamersBet Q&A;

  David asks Viktor Palmer of GamersBet.net about this Xfire plugin which allows you to bet real money on competitive multiplayer matches.

  October 25, 2006

• Threewave Software Interview

  Chris talks to Threewave CEO Dan Irish about his company's plans to make ad supported games.

  October 18, 2006

• Tony Hawk's Project 8 Preview

  Another year, another Tony Hawk game. The last couple of years there's been a lot of crazy feature and story additions to the series. For Project 8, Neversoft has gone back to basics. Chris tells you if that is a good thing or not.

  October 18, 2006

• Phantasy Star Universe Preview

  Want to know how Sega's online RPG Phantasy Star Universe is shaping? Check out David's impressions of the Xbox 360 build.

  October 17, 2006

• Sid Meier's Railroads! Preview

  David goes hands-on with a final build of the strategy game/management sim Sid Meier's Railroads!, a spiritual successor to Railroad Tycoon.

  October 16, 2006

• Digital Distribution Feature

  Digital Distribution is hot hot hot. But with success (Steam) also comes failure (Triton shutting down). Chris takes a look at the new way we can get our games.

  October 16, 2006

• Scarface: The World is Yours Review

  Take Grand Theft Auto gameplay and mix it with the Scarface license. A great match? Chris finds out in this review.

  October 10, 2006

• Battlefield 2142 Preview

  DICE is soon launching the fourth Battlefield game in five years. Is the formula still fun? Marek Bronstring investigates for us.

  October 10, 2006

• Sid Meier Q&A;

  Even if you're a casual game fan, it's highly likely you'll have heard of Sid Meier. Pirates!, Civilization and Railroad Tycoon, all are incredibly popular. David had the opportunity to ask the famous designer about his work and the game industry.

  October 9, 2006

• F.E.A.R. Extraction Point Q&A;

  Though perhaps not a mega hit commercially, F.E.A.R. was one of the better action games released during 2005. Soon, the nightmare continues with the expansion pack Extraction Point. David chats with producer Tim Hall about the new content.

  October 6, 2006

• ANNO 1701 / A.D. 1701 Preview

  It's long been a popular series in Europe, and now Aspyr Media is bringing the ANNO / A.D. strategy game series to the US. Chris goes hands-on with the new 1701 installment.

  October 4, 2006
• September

• DEFCON review

  Would you like to play a game? Indie developer Introversion Software has followed up the award winning Darwinia with DEFCON, a global thermonuclear warfare strategy game. Chris tells you if it's any good or not.

  September 29, 2006

• Sam & Max Episode 1: Culture Shock Preview

  After many years the crime fighting duo Sam & Max are finally returning to the PC thanks to adventure game developer Telltale Games. Chris had the opportunity to play Sam & Max Episode 1: Culture Shock, launching October 17.

  September 28, 2006

• Nordic Game 2006 Conference Coverage

  No it's not exactly E3. Or GDC. But the Nordic Game 2006 Conference was still a worthwhile event, with various industry people hosting workshops or giving keynotes about game development and the industry. For the Shack, Marek Bronstring attended conferences by EA Montreal's Alain Tascan (global developer hotspots), EA LA's Randy Smith (game design), Q Entertainment's Tetsuya Mizuguchi (inspiration-led game design) and academic researcher Gonzalo Frasca.

  September 28, 2006

• Sid Meier's Railroads! Q&A;

  Firaxis is finally following up Sid Meier's original Railroad Tycoon with Sid Meier's Railroads!, which is coming out later this year. Producer Q&A; Dan Magaha tells us what we can expect.

  September 26, 2006

• GUN Showdown Preview

  Chris goes hands-on with GUN Showdown, the PSP version of last year's Wild West shooter.

  September 25, 2006

• EVE Online Interview

  While at Nordic Game 2006 Conference, Marek Bronstring sat down with CCP's Magnus Bergsson to talk about the company's scifi MMORPG EVE Online, which has become more and more popular since its 2003 release.

  September 21, 2006

• Telltale Games Interview

  Recently, adventure game developer Telltale Games has expressed interest in bringing its upcoming Sam & Max PC games to console systems, notably Wii and Xbox 360. Chris chats with CEO Dan Connors for the full story.

  September 20, 2006

• Shadowrun Preview

  FASA Studio's Shadowrun has taken a lot of flak for being a multiplayer-only shooter rather than an RPG as is traditional for the property. Chris gets some hands on time with the latest build to find out if it's any fun.

  September 20, 2006

• Red Steel Interview

  Ubisoft Paris' shooter Red Steel was one of the first games revealed for Nintendo's upcoming Wii console. It's set to launch with the machine this November, and in the meantime David got some answers from creative director Nicolas Eypert.

  September 15, 2006

• CliffyB Interview

  Game designer Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski has been a well known and popular figure among gamers for years, and he's currently getting ready to ship one of his most ambitious titles, Gears of War for Xbox 360. David asks some questions about games, the industry, and of course Gears of War.

  September 15, 2006

• BioShock Interview

  Developer Irrational Games is working on BioShock, frequently cited as a spiritual successor to the classic System Shock 2. David gets some answers from creative director Ken Levine about the game.

  September 14, 2006

• Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Interview

  Besides being a well known FPS developer, Raven Software created the popular X-Men Legends action RPG franchise. Now the company is working on the followup, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and David speaks with Activision producer Matthew Paul to find out all about the game.

  September 11, 2006

• Contact Interview

  Killer7 (PS2, GCN) developer Grasshopper Manufacture is switching directions a bit and releasing Contact, a unique and somewhat strange RPG for Nintendo DS. Chris interviews project lead Tomm Hulett of Atlus, responsible for translating and publishing the game in North America.

  September 12, 2006

• NBA Live 07 Interview

  The next-gen version of NBA Live 06 managed to launch with the Xbox 360, but it did mean a pretty barebones release. This year's version should be a lot better feature wise. We find out what you can expect..

  September 7, 2006

• Battlefield 2142 Interview

  Chris interviews Digital Illusions CE producer Kristoffer Bergqvist to get some specific details regarding DICE's latest entry in the Battlefield series, Battlefield 2142.

  September 5, 2006
• August

• Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Update

  Konami is getting ready to ship Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin for Nintendo DS, a followup to its acclaimed Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. Chris checks up on the game's progress with hands on impressions.

  August 29, 2006

• Elebits Preview

  Chris goes hands on with Elebits, a bizarre interactivity-heavy game coming to Wii later this year.

  August 28, 2006

• Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam Preview

  Veteran developer Toys for Bob is bringing the ubiquitous Tony Hawk franchise to Wii in downhill racing form, and Chris has a hands on report of the game as well as comments from lead designer Toby Schadt.

  August 24, 2006

• Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Interview: Ryan Payton

  Chris speaks with Kojima Productions' Ryan Payton about the studio's upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP), as well as what it's like working with acclaimed designer Hideo Kojima.

  August 24, 2006

• Earthworm Jim Preview

  Classic platformer Earthworm Jim is coming to PSP courtesy of original developer Shiny Entertainment, and Chris had the chance to go hands on with the game at a recent Atari event.

  August 17, 2006

• A Look at Video Game Animation

  To find out more about an animation studio goes about creating cinematics for video games, David got some answers from Brain Zoo Studios' CEO and creative director Mohammad Davoudian.

  August 21, 2006

• HOT PXL Interview

  Chris talks to first-time game designer Jonathan Choquel about the mini-game based HOT PXL, which is coming to PC and PSP.

  August 17, 2006

• Panzer Tactics DS Preview

  At a recent CDV press event, Chris went hands on with Sproing's upcoming online-enabled Nintendo DS strategy game, Panzer Tactics DS.

  August 16, 2006

• Thrones of Chaos Q&A;

  David interviews Colton Burgess, producer on Loud Ant's upcoming Thrones of Chaos, to find out more about this ambitious massively multiplayer game.

  August 15, 2006

• Microsoft Gamefest 2006: GarageGames Interview

  Chris speaks with Joshua Williams and Mark Frohnmayer of GarageGames about the company's recently announced Torque X engine for Microsoft's XNA Game Studio Express development environment for Xbox 360 and PC.

  August 15, 2006

• Microsoft Gamefest 2006: Microsoft's Games for Windows Plans

  Reporting from Microsoft's Gamefest event, Chris has an overview of the steps Microsoft is planning to take to revitalize and stabilize PC gaming as well as broaden its audience.

  August 14, 2006

• Chris Taylor Interview

  Chris has a substantial interview with designer Chris Taylore of Gas Powered Games, speaking about Taylor's upcoming realtime strategy title Supreme Commander as well as his history in the games industry.

  August 8, 2006

• Test Drive Unlimited Q&A;

  David asks Test Drive Unlimited producer Ahmed Boukhelifa all about this racing game that will skid onto the Xbox 360 soon.

  August 4, 2006

• Gothic 3 Preview

  Not so much makeup and dreary music, Chris instead goes hands-on with the latest Piranhy Bytes RPG which is due out later this year.

  August 3, 2006

• Silent Hill Origins Interview

  Chris had the opportunity to sit down with Konami producer William Oertel and talk about the Silent Hill Origins game for the PSP.

  August 2, 2006
• July

• Comic-Con: Activision's Lineup

  Our latest impressions of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, as well as a look at Spider-Man: Battle for New York and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam.

  July 31, 2006

• Need for Speed Carbon Q&A;

  Following our earlier preview of the game, David goes to producer Scott Nielson to find out more about EA Black Box's latest racer, Need for Speed Carbon, coming to all platforms this fall.

  July 28, 2006

• Superman Returns: The Video Game Q&A;

  David asks Superman Returns producer Chris Gray about EA Tiburon's upcoming movie adaptation, coming to PS2, Xbox, GameCube, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PSP, and PC later this year.

  July 27, 2006

• Comic-Con: Capcom's DS Lineup

  Chris previews two of Capcom's upcoming Nintendo DS games: courtroom adventure game sequel Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All, and long awaited series overhaul Mega Man ZX.

  July 26, 2006

• Ritual's Mike Russell on Piracy

  Mike Russell of SiN Episodes developer Ritual Entertainment recently aired some frustrations about dealing with pirates calling for tech support. Chris interviewed him to see what's going on.

  July 26, 2006

• Comic-Con: Nintendo's DS Lineup

  Chris goes hands on with the upcoming Nintendo DS games Star Fox Command, Elite Beat Agents, and Mario Hoops 3-on-3.

  July 25, 2006

• Scarface: The World Is Yours Q&A;

  Executive producer Pete Wanat talks to David about the Scarface: The World Is Yours videogame.

  July 24, 2006

• Comic-Con: The Darkness

  One of several games on display at the San Diege Comic-Con was The Darkness. Chris offers his thoughts on the demonstration, and also talks to the developers at Starbreeze Studios about the project.

  July 21, 2006

• Need for Speed Carbon Preview

  Another year, another Need for Speed game. Chris tells you what NFS Carbon is going to be all about.

  July 18, 2006

• Valve 2006 Lineup

  Team Fortress 2 lives! What else do you want me to put here, TEAM FORTRESS 2 IS BEING RELEASED. Also, impressions of Portal and Half-Life 2: Episode Two based on footage shown at an EA press event.

  July 14, 2006

• Xbox Live Arcade Summer Lineup Preview

  Microsoft is launching several Xbox Live Arcade games for Xbox 360 this summer. Chris has impressions on four upcoming titles showcased at a recent press event: Cloning Clyde, Galaga, Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting, and Pac-Man.

  July 12, 2006

• Prey Review

  It's been in development for a long, long time but Prey is finally hitting stores. Has it been worth the wait? Check out David's review.

  July 10, 2006

• Huxley Interview

  David talks to Webzen producer KJ Kang about the Unreal Engine 3 powered MMOFPS Huxley, which will be coming to PCs and Xbox 360 next year.

  July 7, 2006
• June

• The Lord of the Rings Online Q&A;

  Turbine producer Jeffrey Steefel answers David's questions about the company's second MMORPG of 2006, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.

  June 30, 2006

• Stargate Worlds Interview

  Chris talks to Cheyenne Mountain's Jake Simson about the MMORPG Stargate Worlds, which is in very early development.

  June 28, 2006

• Titan Quest Review

  Titan Quest is being released this week. Is it a Diablo 2 killer, or soulless clone? Check our review to find out.

  June 26, 2006

• Age of Conan Q&A;

  Age of Conan is an action RPG that mixed singleplayer and massively multiplayer online elements. Sounds cool? Check out this interview for more information.

  June 16, 2006

• Valve on Episode One Interview

  Chris talks to the developers at Valve Software about the creation of Half-Life 2: Episode One.

  June 8, 2006

• Battlefield 2: Armored Fury Q&A;

  David asks lead level designer Tom Galt of DICE Canada about the features and content found in the second booster pack for Battlefield 2, Armored Fury.

  June 2, 2006

• Half-Life 2: Episode One Review

  The story of Half-Life 2 continues with the release of Episode One. Chris tells you if its worth the money.

  June 1, 2006
• May

• E3 2006 Coverage

  All our E3 game impressions, and high-definition videos are linked on one central page

  May 10, 2006

• Titan Quest Interview

  Besides Diablo 1 & 2 there aren't really that many great isometric action RPGs. Iron Lore Entertainment hopes that Titan Quest will be more like those two games than the weak ripoffs we've been seeing over the years. We try and find out more about the project.

  May 1, 2006
• April

• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Q&A;

  Splash Damage is busy prepping Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo, but lead designer Paul "Locki" Wedgwood still took the time to answer some of our questions about this highly anticipated multiplayer game.

  April 28, 2006

• SiN Episodes: Emergence Interview

  Ritual is releasing the fist SiN Episodes installment Emergence soon. We ask the team all about their episodic project.

  April 19, 2006

• X-Men: The Game Preview

  The third X-Men movie is coming out soon, and Activision will have a tie-in game. Chris offers his impressions.

  April 17, 2006

• GDC 2006: Battle for Middle-Earth 2 - Xbox 360 Preview

  EA is bringing its strategy game Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth 2 to the Xbox 360, We have impressions from the build on display at the Game Developers Conference.

  April 13, 2006

• Ninety-Nine Nights Preview

  Tetsuya Mizuguchi recently showed off his company's Xbox 360 action game Ninety-Nine Nights. Chris was at the event, and offers his impressions.

  April 5, 2006

• Commandos: Strike Force Interview

  David talks to Inigo Vinos of Pyro Studios to find out more about the newly released Commandos: Strike Force, a tactical shooter for PC, Xbox and PS2.

  April 5, 2006
• March

• GDC 2006: Bigfoot Networks Interview

  Bigfoot Networks promises technology that will help reduce lag in games. How do they plan to do so? Read on.

  March 31, 2006

• GDC 2006: New. Super Mario Bros Preview

  While at GDC Chris got to check out the upcoming Nintendo DS game New. Super Mario Bros, and here are his impressions.

  March 30, 2006

• GDC 2006: Mark Rein Interview

  Epic's VP Mark Rein talks to Chris Remo about Unreal Engine 3.0, console support, next-gen development cost and more.

  March 29, 2006

• Nintendo DS Lite Impressions

  While the rest of North America waits for Nintendo's official release of the DS Lite, Chris imported one from Japan. Was the revision worth it? Chris sure thinks so.

  March 28, 2006

• Far Cry: Instincts Predator / Evolution Interview

  Ubisoft is releasing two new Far Cry games this week, Far Cry: Instincts Predator on Xbox 360 and Far Cry: Instincts Evolution for Xbox 1. David checks in with Ubisoft producer Bertrand Helias to see what these games have to offer.

  March 28, 2006

• GDC 2006: Scott Henson Interview

  Chris chats with Scott Henson, product unit manager for Microsoft's game technology group, asking him about Xbox Live, XNA, Xbox 360 dashboard improvements and other gaming related topics.

  March 27, 2006

• Test Drive Unlimited Preview

  Test Drive Unlimited promises Massively Open Online Racing. Is it actually any good? Chris offers his impressions of the Xbox 360 version.

  March 17, 2006

• Dreamfall Feature

  The adventure game genre isn't dead yet. Chris checks in with Ragnar Tørnquist of Funcom to get more info on Dreamfall, the sequel to The Longest Journey.

  March 16, 2006

• Driver: Parallel Lines Interview

  Reflection's last installment in the Driver series, DRIV3R, wasn't exactly good..in fact it was quite bad. David talks to studio director Gareth Edmondson to find out why Parallel Lines should be better.

  March 13, 2006

• Act of War: High Treason Interview

  Atari producer Henrik Strandberg tells us all about the upcoming Act of War expansion pack High Treason, which will add naval combat, mercenary units and more.

  March 8, 2006

• Auto Assault Preview

  Due out soon from NetDevil and NCSoft is the vehicular MMORPG Auto Assault. Chris offers his hands-on impressions.

  March 6, 2006

• BLACK Review

  David reviews the new first person shooter from Burnout developer Criterion Games. Is it the bomb, or a bomb?

  March 1, 2006
• February

• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Preview

  Bethesda invited Chris to come play the highly anticipated RPG sequel The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. How could he say no?

  February 25, 2006

• Black Interview

  David talks with Black's lead designer to learn more about this explosive Xbox/PS2 shooter.

  February 21, 2006

• Battlefield 2: Modern Combat 360 Interview

  Chris asks EA senior producer Dan Blackstone a few questions about the upcoming Xbox 360 version of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat.

  February 15, 2006

• Hitman: Blood Money Interview

  What suits Valentine's Day better than an interview about the new ways you can kill people in the upcoming Hitman: Blood Money? Pretty much nothing.

  February 14, 2006

• Interview: David Pratt of Red Cross

  The Red Cross would like game companies to stop using their emblem in video games. Chris talks to David Pratt of the Red Cross to find out more about their newly announced stance.

  February 9, 2006

• Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Preview

  David checks in with Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon to get the skinny on the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.

  February 9, 2006

• Neverwinter Nights 2 Interview

  Obsidian Entertainment lead designer Ferret Baudoin talks to David Craddock about the upcoming RPG sequel Neverwinter Nights 2.

  February 8, 2006

• First Look: X-Men Movie Game

  February 7, 2006

• Prey Preview

  Human Head Studios' Chris Rhinehart recently went on a press tour to show off his company's sci-fi shooter Prey to the media. Chris attended the San Francisco stop and you can find his impressions of the PC/Xbox 360 game here.

  February 6, 2006

• Pursuit Force Preview

  Chris goes hands-on with the PSP action racing game Pursuit Force, already released in Europe and soon coming to the U.S.

  February 3, 2006
• January

• Burnout Revenge Xbox 360 Preview

  More CES impressions as Chris takes the preview build of Burnout Revenge for the Xbox 360 for a spin.

  January 20, 2006

• Splinter Cell: Double Agent Interview

  David Craddock talks to Ubisoft's Daniel Roy and Arnaud Carrette about the singleplayer and multiplayer elements of Splinter Cell: Double Agent.

  January 17, 2006

• SiN Episodes Preview

  While at CES, Chris got to check out the first SiN Episodes episode Emergence while talking to Ritual's Tom Mustaine about this episodic project.

  January 12, 2006

• Daxter Preview

  Chris goes hands-on with Daxter, a 3D platformer for the PSP based on the sidekick character from the blockbuster Jak & Daxter (PS2) series.

  January 11, 2006

• It Came From CES

  Chris takes a look at several gadgets on display at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

  January 9, 2006

• Unreal Tournament 2007 Preview

  Besides Gears of War, Epic is also working on the next installment in the Unreal Tournament series. David talks to Epic producer Jeff Morris to find out more.

  January 5, 2006