via IGN


The sequel to Code Lyoko is on track for a June release, and The Game Factory has decided to spruce up its title a bit with more capital letters and periods. Previously known as Code Lyoko 2, the adventure game shall henceforth be known as Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A. Based on the fourth season of the Code Lyoko anime TV show, the developers have altered the look of the characters from the first game to a super-deformed style.

"Responding to the success of the first installment, we felt compelled to give fans a new take on interacting with their favorite characters," said Leah Kalboussi Vice President North America at The Game Factory.

Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A. features:

• Control with your stylus fully-customizable characters with upgradeable attacks, powers, functions and virtual items (firewalls, viruses, bugs, programs...)
• Fight your way through the Digital Sea and battle more enemies using subterranean vehicles ( Navskids)
• battle against your friends in 4 different multiplayer modes : normal, handicap, bet, & challenge
• play with the four Lyoko warriors and experience a unique, real-time and turn-baseD interactive battle system (?)
• Defeat X.A.N.A's minions in 100 different Battle Arenas

Screenshots ...

via Computer and Video Games


Square Enix has confirmed that both Space Invaders Extreme and Arkanoid DS will be released this summer in all PAL territories, including Europe.

Developed for DS and PSP, Space Invaders Extreme promises to take the essence of the original game and splash a contemporary coat of paint all over it, whilst simultaneously adding new power-ups and Nintendo Wi-Fi connection functionality.

Comparatively, Arkanoid DS is an update of the 1986 original, including different modes of play and unique challenges, which reward the players with points that can be spent on new game backgrounds, blocks and sound effects.

Unfortunately, NGamer wasn't too impressed in its import review, awarding it only 35 percent and calling it "A horrible, horrible little game, devoid of any redeeming features whatsoever."

We can only hope they've made a few tweaks for the PAL release. Like starting again, perhaps? ...

via Computer and Video Games


Square Enix has confirmed that both Space Invaders Extreme and Arkanoid DS will be released this summer in all PAL territories, including Europe.

Developed for DS and PSP, Space Invaders Extreme promises to take the essence of the original game and splash a contemporary coat of paint all over it, whilst simultaneously adding new power-ups and Nintendo Wi-Fi connection functionality.

Comparatively, Arkanoid DS is an update of the 1986 original, including different modes of play and unique challenges, which reward the players with points that can be spent on new game backgrounds, blocks and sound effects.

Unfortunately, NGamer wasn't too impressed in its import review, awarding it only 35 percent and calling it "A horrible, horrible little game, devoid of any redeeming features whatsoever."

We can only hope they've made a few tweaks for the PAL release. Like starting again, perhaps? ...

via Computer and Video Games


The United States military has adapted the motion-sensitive Wii Remotes to operate bomb-defusing robots in war-zone situations, it's emerged.

The Packbot, which looks a lot like Johnny-5 in Short Circuit and is made by iRobot in Burlington, Massachusetts, disposes of bombs, finds explosives and locates landmines for soldiers in the field.

It's also controlled by the Wii Remote. "Wiimotes are more instinctive, allowing users to focus on data processing," US Department of Energy scientists told New Scientist.

Unfortunately, there's no word yet on whether we can see a home edition from the US Government, ala America's Army. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Microsoft has finally put a date on its promised Xbox Live Marketplace demo of Ninja Gaiden II, which will apparently be hitting its servers some time in May.

The demo was announced at the company's Game Developers Conference keynote last month, but all we've got since is a video of some bloke playing it.

Supposedly, according to the website blurb, the demo comprises of a single level which has you "guide Ryu on his mission to avenge his clan," which could be any of them really. Thanks for that, Microsoft. ...

via Games Industry


Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 was the top-selling game in Australia for the week of March 17 - 23 according to data released by GfK Australia.

The Xbox 360 version of Ubisoft's game debuted at number one - the PS3 version did not make it into the top ten.

The prior week's best-selling game, EA's Army of Two, dropped to the fourth spot. Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii captured the second position.

The complete list is as follows:

1. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (Xbox 360)
2. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
3. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS)
4. Army of Two (360)
5. MX vs. ATV Untamed (PS2)
6. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
7. Army of Two (PS3)
8. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
9. The Simpsons Game (DS)
10. Brain Training from Dr. Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain? (DS) ...

via Computer and Video Games


Analyst Billy Pidgeon with IDC tells Next-Gen that in the wake of the Wii's success and the explosion of casual, community gaming, the PlayStation 3 could be the last of the state-of-the-art consoles.

At launch, researchers estimated that Sony lost around $240 per 60GB PS3 sold. A pricey Blu-ray drive, state-of-the-art GPU and multicore Cell processor drove costs to new heights. Xbox 360's per-unit loss wasn't much better at launch at around $125 per console, according to estimates.

And then the Wii, with its cheap "GameCube 1.5" technology came along, albeit with motion sensing, showing that Nintendo could sell a console at no loss, attract a massive following and be profitable from the start.

"I think the results of this cycle will have a strong influence on the next cycle, in that cheaper consoles will be expected," Pidgeon says, alluding to the success of the $250 Wii. "Microsoft and Sony will attain successful business on this generation, but catering to the early adopter hardcore gamers with a technology leader strategy will be difficult in 2011.

"...Third party publishers are already looking for ubiquitous platforms to reach the market increase achieved by Nintendo and Guitar Hero," Pidgeon says. "The platforms of the next cycle may not be a console at all, but software distributed by network to convergent devices like PCs, set top boxes and smart phones."

He adds, "I would have dismissed this idea as unachievable last cycle when only Xbox could provide a promising connected console experience, but it is entirely possible that the PS3 is the last bleeding edge console hardware we will see."

Further analysis of the Wii's effect on the next console cycle can be found in the Next-Gen feature, "Wii the Death Knell of the Bleeding Edge Console?" ...

via Computer and Video Games


Tom Clancy's EndWar, for anyone just stumbling out the desert, is Ubisoft's console RTS that's employing voice control to command troops in-game. Judging by a recent video, it's a feature that may even work.

But we'll make the judgement call when we experience it first-hand. In the meantime our inner Clancy fan's being entertained by a new EndWar trailer that features gameplay and cinematic footage. Watch it via the player on the right.

Ubisoft has massive confidence in EndWar and reckons it's the game that'll define RTS on console.

"We are to the RTS genre what Knights of the Old Republic was to the RPG genre, or what GTA was to action-driving", creative director Michael de Plater boasted to us a while back.


Video here ...

via Computer and Video Games


UK developer Introversion's confirmed rumour that its strategy game Darwinia is heading to Xbox Live Arcade.

And going a step further, it's revealed that its multiplayer focused spin off from Darwinia, Multiwinia, is heading to XBLA too.

Both titles are scheduled to release this autumn and will be bundled together in a package called Darwinia+. Pricing's not yet confirmed.

"When we first started Introversion back in 2001, the idea of developing our games for a console seemed an impossible challenge, and whilst we have built a fantastic community around our PC games, and will continue to support that, it has always been our dream to take the next step and produce a console title", Introversion's creative director Chris Delay has said.

"Multiwinia is the natural conclusion of what we started with Darwinia way back in 2002 and with the launch of Live Arcade, Microsoft has presented us with a fantastic opportunity to get onto a rung of the console ladder. We're really looking forward to introducing Darwinia+ to a whole new audience."

Darwinia's a quirky strategy game that chucks you in the midst of a virtual theme park, where dodgy computer viruses threaten the lives of the world's digital inhabitants. Multiwinia plays on similar themes but is multiplayer. ...