Powerup Gaming

First Images of Perfect Dark on XBLA

2009-06-06T22:34:00.003-05:00

One of Microsoft's quieter E3 announcements was confirmation that Perfect Dark would be released over Xbox Live Arcade later this year. Now they've quietly released the first images of what it'll look like, with a few pictures popping up on the Xbox Live Marketplace website.

As you can see, it looks like Perfect Dark, but now lacking that trademark Nintendo 64 blurriness. That would be because this XBLA port will have the added benefit of running in as high as 1080p resolution, and at 60 frames-per-second. If a Nintendo 64 so much as tried to imagine what a game running in 1080p and 60fps would look like, it would burst into flames while its death shrieks cut through the dead air.

Unfortunately, we're all going to have to wait a little while longer to revisit Joanna Dark's first adventure (which will now also come with Xbox Live multiplayer), as the game isn't set to launch until winter. Check out a couple of other pictures below.

*Original report from 1up.com*

Full Guitar Hero 5 Artists List Revealed

2009-05-31T20:57:00.003-05:00

We know Guitar Hero 5 is coming this year, and now Activision has revealed the full list of artists that'll be included in the latest installment of the music game franchise. The enormous list comes by way of their official Guitar Hero 5 website (via VG247), and although it doesn't offer any specific songs from each artist, it does offer an idea of the amount of variety to expect.

A lot of the names will be familiar to anyone who has played any kind of version of Guitar Hero or Rock Band before, but there's also a pleasantly large inclusion of fresh artists who've never been featured in a Guitar Hero game. A couple of these have been revealed before, but Elton John, Gorrilaz, Iggy Pop, Johnny Cash, Public Enemy, Stevie Wonder, The White Stripes (along with Jack White's other group, The Raconteurs), and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers all particularly stand out. (But what, still no Eric Clapton?)

Check out the full list of all 84 artists below (85 were previously promised, so we suppose they count Zakk Wylde being featured with Public Enemy as two?).

* 3 Doors Down
* A Perfect Circle
* AFI
* Arctic Monkeys
* Attack! Attack!
* Band Of Horses
* Beastie Boys
* Beck
* Billy Idol
* Billy Squier
* Blink-182
* Blur
* Bob Dylan
* Bon Jovi
* Brand New
* Bush
* Children Of Bodom
* Coldplay
* Darker My Love
* Darkest Hour
* David Bowie
* Deep Purple
* Dire Straits
* Duran Duran
* Eagles Of Death Metal
* Elliott Smith
* Elton John
* Face To Face
* Garbage
* Gorillaz
* Gov't Mule
* Grand Funk Railroad
* Iggy Pop
* Iron Maiden
* Jeff Beck
* Jimmy Eat World
* John Mellencamp
* Johnny Cash
* Kaiser Chiefs
* King Crimson
* Kings Of Leon
* Kiss
* Love and Rockets
* Megadeth
* Mötley Crüe
* Muse
* My Morning Jacket
* Nirvana
* No Doubt
* Peter Frampton
* Public Enemy Featuring Zakk Wylde
* Queen & David Bowie
* Queens Of The Stone Age
* Rammstein
* Rose Hill Drive
* Rush
* Santana
* Scars On Broadway
* Screaming Trees
* Smashing Pumpkins
* Sonic Youth
* Spacehog
* Stevie Wonder
* Sublime
* Sunny Day Real Estate
* T. Rex
* The Bronx
* The Derek Trucks Band
* The Duke Spirit
* The Killers
* The Police
* The Raconteurs
* The Rolling Stones
* The Sword
* The White Stripes
* Thin Lizzy
* Thrice
* Tom Petty
* Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
* TV On The Radio
* Vampire Weekend
* Weezer
* Wild Cherry
* Wolfmother

*Original report from 1up.com*

How to Use the Spy's Dead Ringer

2009-05-24T17:32:00.006-05:00

Sniper's "Jarate" is Last Team Fortress 2 Unlock

2009-05-22T17:11:00.006-05:00

Valve has revealed the final weapon unlock for the Sniper vs Spy update coming to Team Fortress 2. Using the ancient art of "Jarate," the jar of urine that the Sniper keeps while he stakes out a position can be thrown like a grenade. Enemies take 35% more damage while splashed (due to losing the will to live), and enemy Spies can't cloak while covered. But the splash effect wears off naturally, or can be washed off by jumping into water. If you'd rather help your team, you can throw it at a teammate on fire to put them out.

Team Fortress 2 Sniper to Gets a Bow in the Next Update

2009-05-12T19:37:00.004-05:00

One of Valve's goals with the Sniper update for Team Fortress 2 was to give Snipers the freedom to move in for some closer-ranged combat. Without knowing the full details, it's unclear if the first revealed unlockable will accomplish that. The Huntsman is a bow and arrow that lets you pin enemies against walls, with an instant crit for all headshots. Full power shots only take a single second to charge up, which is much quicker than the traditional sniper rifle and could be what Snipers needed to get involved with close range combat.

The description on the Sniper update website squashes any fears that a bow and arrow has no place in a deathmatch scenario by pointing out that bows and arrows are the sole cause for the extinction of the dinosaurs. You can't argue with that logic.

Expect more details on the other unlockables, Achievements, and new maps over the next week. No release date for the update has been announced, but if things hold true to the time frame of previous updates, we can expect this one to hit around the middle of next week.

**Original report from www.1up.com**

First Details of Bioshock 2’s Multiplayer Revealed

2009-05-09T15:11:00.002-05:00

2K Games are finally starting to talk about Bioshock 2’s multiplayer, and so far it’s all good news. In order to live up to the demands and expectations of fans of the first game, 2K Games have hired Digital Extremes to develop the multiplayer component of Bioshock 2. If the name Digital Extremes isn’t ringing any bells, they’re the development team behind the first three Unreal Tournament titles, which were lauded by critics as providing some of the best FPS multiplayer gameplay on the market. Digital Extremes have also been praised for packing their games with a ton of content, which will hopefully erase one of our biggest complaints of recent multiplayer-oriented shooters: games like Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2 have done a lot to evolve the FPS multiplayer formula, but both were downright puny in terms of the number of maps they offered. Hopefully Digital Extreme will ensure Bioshock 2’s multiplayer will be both innovative and plentiful.

Then again, judging from 2K Games’ press release, we’re not even sure yet if Bioshock 2 will have conventional multiplayer maps—the company claims the multiplayer component will “enhances the lore and fiction of the BioShock universe,” by acting as a prequel to the events of the single player game, taking place during the fall of Rapture. Players will also level up during multiplayer, gaining access to new weapons and abilities. It sounds much more ambitious than the usual, “Here’s a chunk of map from single player—first to 10 kills wins!”

Here are the key features the press release highlights:

· Evolution of the genetically enhanced shooter – Earn experience points during gameplay to earn access to new Weapons, Plasmids and Tonics that can be used to create hundreds of different combinations, allowing players to develop a unique character that caters to their playing style.

· Extend the Rapture fiction – Players will step into the shoes of Rapture citizens and learn more about the fall of Rapture as they progress through the experience.

· See Rapture before the fall – Experience Rapture before it was reclaimed by the ocean and engage in combat over iconic environments in locations such as Kashmir Restaurant and Mercury Suites, all of which have been reworked from the ground up to deliver a fast-paced multiplayer experience.

*Original report from www.gameinformer.com

Fitzgerald and Polamalu to Appear on Madden NFL '10 Cover

2009-04-25T16:26:00.005-05:00

EA Sports recently announced that the cover of Madden 10 will feature Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh Steelers Safety Troy Polamalu. EA made a few comments. "Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu are exemplary examples of the epic battle between offense and defense in the NFL," said senior product Manager Anthony Stevenson. "Madden NFL 10 showcases the "fight for every yard", and nobody fights harder than Troy and Larry, making them the perfect athletes to grace the cover."

Top 10 Best Video Game Weapons

2009-04-22T15:48:00.022-05:00

Here are what I think to be the top 10 best video games to date. It was touch narrowing it down to just 10, but I think my list is solid.

10. Ivy's Sword - Soul Calibur Series

For those of you who have played any Soul Calibur game, you know how powerful Ivy's Sword can really be. This things looks like a regular sword, but when it's extented it turns into a the ultimate sword-whip bringer of rape. Not only is it strong but it has great range and can be used for ridiculous combos. Becoming good with this weapon makes you nearly unstoppable and a pain in the ass to play against. Plus it makes Ivy look that much hotter.

9. Torque Bow - Gears of War Series

The Torque Bow from Gears of War is a personal favorite of mine. It's basically a crossbow the shoots exploding arrows. Cool, I know. It also has a laser sight, making it even more deadly in the right hands. With it's ability of a one shot kill, it is a very popular weapon online. This weapon may sound cheap, but it very well balanced with limited ammo definitely takes skill to use. Nothing sucks more than the second or two after you get hit by a torque bow, but before it blows up. It leaves you just enough time to make you say "Oh sh--."

8. Rock-It Launcher - Fallout 3

It may look like crap, but the Rock-It Launcher is an awesome weapon. Ammo in Fallout 3 can be hard to come by sometimes, so this gun is perfect if you chew through ammo religiously. It fires almost anything: butter knifes, baseballs, teddy bears, hammers, plunger, cans, and even chunks of humans. And as everyone knows; there's nothing better than killing super mutants with teddy bears.

7. Crowbar - Half Life Series

In Half Life games, the crowbar is your best friend. It's always there for you, especially when you need it most. You receive it at the beginning of the game and use it throughout. It can be used for all sorts of stuff from breaking stuff to smashing faces. It's especially helpful when fending off those pesky head crabs.

6. Lancer - Gears of War Series

Come on. Just look at it. How could this not be one of the best weapons ever? It's an assault rifle and a chainsaw. At the same time. This weapon is effective at long to short range, making it useful no matter what situation you're in. Although I believe the chainsaw is too strong in Gears of War 2, it's still one of the best. Chainsawing your friends and enemies in half could never be more fun!

5. Lightsaber - Almost any Star Wars game

You're all probably familiar with the lightsaber. As you likely are you probably are also aware of how much it owns. It can cut through just about anything and if you have Jesus reflexes you can deflect bullets and stuff with it. When you're done just press the button and it turns off. Plus it comes in assorted colors.

4. Cerebral Bore - Turok 2

I have never used the Cerebral Bore, or even played Turok 2. But when I read about this gun I knew that I would love it. It works like this. You run around with the gun and when you see an enemy it will lock onto their head. Then just fire the gun. It shoots some little drill thing that attaches to their head and drills their brains out. When that over with, it blow up. Cool huh?

3. BFG - Doom

What does BFG stand for, you may ask? Big Fucking Gun. And it is exactly that. It is a solid metal gun that fires balls of exploding green plasma. Obviously it is the most powerful weapon in the game, and is capable of destroying nearly any player or enemy with a single hit. Many games have tried to clone the BFG, but they are just never the same...

2. Plasmids - BioShock

As a huge BioShock fan, I just had to include this one. Plasmids are special abilities that you can use for many things. Coupled with actual weapons, these can be very deadly. My personal favorites are: telekinesis, incinerate, enrage, insect swarm. Catch rockets, light your foes aflame, turn them against each other, and call your bee swarm on them. Apparently, splicers are allergic to bee stings. Who knew?

1. Gravity Gun - Half Life Series

Seriously, what can't this gun do? If you're not familiar with the gravity gun, let me tell you a little bit about it. It's a weapon that lets you pull things towards it with its special gravity powers. Once you have them hovering in front of the gun you can launch them with ridiculous force towards whatever you like. Need some cover? Just grab a barrel. Low on ammo? Just fling chairs at the bad guys. This weapon is very creative and has more uses than I can count. It fully deserves its spot at number 1.

And there you have it. My list of the top 10 best video game weapons. Think I left out an important one? Leave a comment below. Honorable mentions include: Hammer - Super Smash Bros., Nail Gun - F.E.A.R., Redeemer - Unreal Tournament, Fatman - Fallout 3, Railgun - Quake, Fireballs - Mario games, Energy Sword - Halo, Hammer of Dawn - Gear of War

Want to play one of these games? Get it for free! Check out this link.

Killzone 2 DLC Price Revealed

2009-04-21T16:55:00.004-05:00

Killzone 2 fans should be happy to hear that the upcoming DLC will be cheaper than most expected. Over on the official PlayStation Blog, Social Media Manager Jeff Rubenstein made a post today announcing the official price for the Steel & Titanium DLC pack: $5.99.

The pack will hit the PlayStation Store next week on the 30th and will include two new maps to drool over. Both maps are based on locations from the single-player campaign but are still tailored for a multiplayer extravaganza.

10 Billion Covenant Murdered

2009-04-19T21:35:00.006-05:00

Halo 3 developer Bungie recently announced that over one billion Halo 3 matches have been played online since the release of Halo 3. Now, Bungie is announcing something even more catastrophic: Over 10 billion Covenant have been killed in Campaign mode. That equates to an average of over 17.5 million murders per day, which is 730,000 deaths per hour or 12,000 kills per minute. So... much...RAPE!!!

Top 10 Best Online Montages

2009-04-19T15:57:00.015-05:00

In no specific order here are, in my opinion, the top 10 best online montages.

zzirGrizz G-Shot Montage and Tutorial - This guy is lights out with the ACOG M40 Sniper, he usually doesn't even scope. Plus at the end he show you exactly how to do it.

Call of Duty 4 Doggie Treats Montage - Doggie Treats makes ridiculous shots look easy. He runs around with the sniper and takes guys out like it's an assault rifle. I wouldn't want to go 1v1 with this guy...

Angel of Evil Off Host Gears of War No Scope Montage - Angel of Evil is hands down, the best Gears of War sniper I have ever seen. He routinely no-scopes his enemies at will. You will be amazed at what you see.

Phurion and Fluxy: Halo 3 Montage (Dualtage) - This is just a great montage across the board. Good gameplay, good music, and fantastic editing. Definitely worth watching.

Team Fortress 2 Spy Montage by Tetn1s - Tetn1s shows off his sneaky spy abilities in Team Fortress 2. The other teams never knew what hit them.

Call Of Duty: World at War Headshot Montage Kar98k by boohoodman - Using the Kar98k without a scope can be very difficult and frustrating, believe me. But boohoodman pulls off headshots left and right with the thing. I can't imagine how good he would be with other guns.

xBullseyexDemon :: 1st Gears of War 2 Montage - Sniping in Gears of War 2 is different than it was in the first one. Maybe I just suck, but it seems A LOT harder. This guy is a beast with the sniper, watch for yourself.

Str8 Rippin Halo 3 Montage :: Tsquared, Snipedown, Legit, Elamite Warrior - This is a montage featuring MLG's top elite Halo 3 players. These guys are basically invincible. You won't believe some of the stuff they are able to pull off.

Halo 3 Stick Montage by -blunts- - If -blunts- gets any sticky grenades, he's probably going to get some sticky kills. Take a look at his skillz.

Call of Duty 4 Knife/Ninja Montage - This guy is crazy good with the knife in COD 4. He'll cut you up good.

How to Get Free Microsoft Points - No Credit Card Needed

2009-04-18T16:01:00.018-05:00

If you play on Xbox Live as much as I do, you'll know how much great downloadable content there is. To buy the newest maps and coolest arcade games, you'll need Microsoft Points, and I found a way to get them for free.

I know what you're thinking, "Free, yeah right" and I understand. This is exactly what I thought when I first heard about this too. But I decided to give it a shot and I have been getting free Microsoft Points since, and all without ever spending a penny.

To get started, just head on over to the Rewards site. Just click on the image you see below.

Once you've signed up you're ready to begin!

The way this works is you take surveys and answer questions. When you're done with a survey you will get a certain number of points. Each point is worth 1 dollar. When you have enough points you can order a prize. They have tons of prizes including video games, microsoft points, iPods, gift cards, and they even have custom orders if you can't find what you're looking for. Shipping is free and takes 1-5 days. Prizes such as Microsoft Points,Xbox Live codes, Wii Points will be emailed to you.

How to complete offers and get points:

Sign in and click on 'offers' neat the top of the page
Pick an offer you want to complete, free offers are completely free. You never need to spend any money.
Once you have picked an offer, click on it, and simply answer questions and fill in information.

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