What the hell happened? After last week’s flurry of releases, we suddenly slowed down to near summer lull levels. Not to say that there’s nothing of note coming out this week. Just that the degree of the game’s “note-ness” is entirely debatable.

Remember. Release dates are quite literally made at the whims of the publisher.  The following are subject to change without any warning.

Honorable Mention

The Gunstringer (Xbox 360 Kinect)

Tuesday September 13, 2011
Well I’ll be damned! Someone has copied Child of Eden, and from the looks of it, it didn’t just stop there either. Gunstringer looks to borrow a little something from about three games that I can think of but at least has the decency to add its own spin along with new take on using the Kinect.

In Gunstringer, you play as the eponymous, skeletal cowboy out to take revenge on the folks who done him (it?) wrong. They include a samurai cowboy, a voodoo priestess cowboy, and quite possibly the most treacherous of all cowboys known as Wavy Tube Man. You know. Typical cowboy stuff. You control Gunstringer with both your arms held out in front of you like you’re about to play the piano. Your left hand moves him left and right as he automatically walks forward on rails. Flicking your left hand makes him jump over stuff. The right hand controls Gunstringer’s aim. In Child of Eden style, your aim creates lock-ons for Gunstringer, and flicking your right hand above your shoulder lets Gunstringer fire at those locked-on targets. You don’t have to use the typical gun gesture for your right hand, but that just seems like a waste if you don’t. gunstringer gets to learn a couple of other gesture based moves as he progresses like the Ground Slap which is sends a hand crashing down on the enemies from the sky. All the while a narrator describes just about everything you do a-la Bastion.

As much as Microsoft tries to tout their Kinect sales, they most certainly haven’t convinced the hardcore crowd of the Kinect’s usefulness. Gunstringer by itself won’t change their minds, but it might just prove that Kinect’s uses can extend beyond dancing and exercise games.

Supremacy MMA (Xbox 360, PS3)

Tuesday September 13, 2011
Mixed Martial Arts’ rise in popularity have only recently spawned off video games, but so far, those affairs have been of the simulation sort on the fighting game spectrum. Supremacy MMA looks to be the Mario Kart to the UFC series’ Gran Turismo.

Discarding any official branding and televised presentation, MMA plays utterly, utterly dirty. In the official ring, referees supervise the fights, but MMA seems to have taken these guys out of the equation allowing fighters to brutally injure their opponents. Submission holds tend to end with one guy’s limb in all the wrong places. Strikes spill plenty of blood on the mat and can even break a knee if placed just right. Even the setting joins in on the dirty side. Matches take place in areas more akin to an underground fight club including cages, bloody mats, and even a strip club.

Perhaps the biggest change comes in the controls. The previous MMA games utilize controls that require tutorials after tutorials to just get a feel of it. MMA hopes to bypass that issue with a more friendly control scheme allowing people to jump in and make cool, and occasionally wince inducing, moments happen.

The arcade vs. simulation spectrum has always fascinated me, and this marks the MMA fighting game genre’s entrance into this little war that has went on in the video game world since its inception. Supremacy MMA sounds like it will be the MMA game that the casual MMA fan can get into without having to worry with things like rules and regulations inherent to the sport. It will probably turn off the more hardcore fans, but MMA might be the gateway drug that entices the casual fan to become a hardcore one.

White Knight Chronicles II (PS3)

Tuesday September 13, 2011
White Knight Chronicles didn’t exactly rock the world did it? Despite having a strong showing when it was first revealed, the finished product ends up being an average action JRPG, but oddly enough, that hasn’t stopped Level-5 from making a sequel.

Like the Mass Effect series and only a handful of other RPGs, White Knight Chronicles 2 allows you transfer your save file from White Knight Chronicles 1, but unlike those other mentioned series, Chronicles 2 takes this whole save transfer thing to a whole new level. Namely, it requires you to transfer your Chronicles 1 save file. Without it, you can’t play Chronicles 2. Level-5 figured it might rub some the wrong way and packed in the original White Knight Chronicles with Chronicles 2. Moreover, the included version will be a refined version with gameplay tweaks and changes that theoretically should address most of the complaints people had with Chronicles 1 like a faster battles and the ability to customize your own Incorruptus. When summoned, an Incorruptus transforms the summoner into a 15-foot knight making it possible for you to take on some of the bigger enemies that roam the world.

Chronicles 1 had a strong online player component, and many of those features carried over into the sequel. The Georama feature, where you can build your own town populated with NPCs and stores, returns giving you a nice little lobby to lounge around before you start your journeys. Speaking of which, Chronicles 2 allows parties of up to six people instead of four in Chronicles 1. Together, you’ll be able to tackle the various co-op missions or just walk around and do... whatever it is groups of online adventurers do when they’re not on missions (Cow tipping’s my best guest).

Level-5 promises that Chronicles 2 will be better than the first. Although the Japanese reviews do seem to point in that general direction, Chronicles 2 came out well over a year ago over there, Japanese taste and American taste tend to differ enough making Chronicles 2’s future our market uncertain. Nevertheless, how many games can you think of comes packed with its predecessor at normal price?

Coming This Week

Tuesday September 13, 2011

NHL 12 (Xbox 360, PS3)

Nicktoons MLB (Xbox 360, Wii, DS)

Not since the halcyon days of Space Jam did the real world of sports collided with the animated world. This time, Nickelodeon cartoon characters have invaded the MLB. Why? Damn if I know. Nicktoons MLB incorporates real players and real teams with real cartoon characters from Nickelodeon’s pantheon of cartoon characters including the likes of Ren and Stimpy, Spongebob Squarepants, Johny Phantom, Phineus or Pherb (I don’t know which is which) or both, and a bunch of others I don’t even recognize. The Xbox 360 version supports Kinect, so your TV won’t be the only thing that looks dumb in your living room.

The Penguins of Madagascar: Dr. Blowhole Returns – Again (Xbox 360 Kinect, PS3, Wii uDraw, DS)

Blowhole? Really? Anyways, prepare yourselves for three episodes worth of Penguins of Madagascar and 12 levels of action and adventure! Use your penguins’ special abilities to conquer obstacles and defeat enemies and bosses and whatnot. Bored yet? Good, now I can stop.

God of War Origins (PS3)

Before Kratos became the insufferable albino that he is in God of War 2 and on, Kratos was a relatable insufferable albino. Thanks to the PSP iterations for God of War, the number of games where Kratos can theoretically be related to exceeds the number of games where he cannot. In honor of this little fact, the PSP iterations, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta, have been ported over to the PS3 in this compilation. Beats having to get a PSP doesn’t it?

Bit. Trip Complete (Wii), Bit. Trip Saga (3DS)

Ever heard of the Bit. Trip series? Can’t blame you if you haven’t seeing how every one of the six balls hard, rhythm games in the series came out on the WiiWare service. This could very well be the most exposure the series has ever gotten. In case you’re wondering, the Wii version gets exclusive content like image and audio galleries along with a CD soundtrack while the 3DS has none of that, but hey, 3-D. Can’t get better than that right?

Deca Sports Extreme (3DS)

Because Wii Sports clones haven’t breached the 3D dimension yet, Deca Sports Extreme pioneers this unknown realm with 10 sports to choose from. Now you’ll get to play basketball, soccer, ice hockey, tennis, and more in eye popping 3-D. Just make damn sure your eyes don’t completely pop out. You really, really don’t want to have to push your eye back into your socket with a spoon like I did.

Puzzler Mind Gym 3D (3DS)

Speaking of breaching the 3-D dimension, Brain Training clones also haven’t tread this hallowed ground, but thankfully, Puzzler Mind Gym 3D will be breaking down these barriers that has been holding back the brain training genre. Truly this day will be celebrated by generations yet to have come.

Pucca Power Up (DS)

2D platformers. The ultimate retro genre, or the go-to genre for lazy developers? Judging by the plethora of generic as hell 2D platformers, including the ones licensed by TV shows (correction, ESPECIALLY the ones licensed by TV shows like this one), you may want to hitch your wagon to a different retro friendly genre.

Late to the Party

• Balloon Pop 2 (3DS) 9/13/2011
• Thor: God of Thunder (3DS) 9/13/2011

This week surely brings something for everybody doesn’t it? You’ve got a hockey game for the Canadians, a brain training game for the recently senile, a baseball game for Nickelodeon fans, and even a puppet game for fans of ventriloquism. Tis’ truly an eclectic week

If you enjoy this article, please visit our website at www.rrbgames.com.  This feature is released every Monday.