A while back we fell into this curiosity from obtaining Zuma (and that’s thanks to Hawty McBloggy), then looking into other games that were made by PopCap. No one ever told us about Plants Vs Zombies. Maybe they could have saved us from getting ensnared. But we checked it out. Bam. Hooked.

Since that initial PvZ binge, we found out there was rumor of it making it to XBLA. I’ve been waiting so long to finally hear that it’s made it and was still asking about it when it launched on the iPhone (That’s a link to the iTunes Downloader…). But now…IT HAS!
The official release date has not been declared (Early September…see below Dtoid article), but Aug. 1st they should be clarifying that for us. I’m a bit bitter for the wait, but it seems they are trying to sugar-coat it by adding Co-op and Vs. modes. That is a sweet deal, I’d say.

And, If you can’t get enough PvZ until it comes to the Marketplace, go here for more Plants Vs Zombies fun! (You can even make your own Zombatar!)
You can also get it on Steam for $9.99 as well.

Now it’s time to get it stuck in YOUR heads…again.

Related Articles:
Geek.com
DToid
Play.tm

“The Rookie” by Blazen Drifter on 07.20.2009

“Flame” by duva123 on 05.30.2009

“Renegade” by DomDaBomb1997 on 01.31.2009

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Good stuff Pieisgood123456. Good stuff, indeed.

If you haven’t pre-ordered yet… You better get on that…

“Fire and Sunset” by FlameA24 on 04.18.2009

“Frontier” by COL0NEL SANDERS on 02.21.2009

“Covenant armada” by Kapura on 10.07.2009

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The game starts off with your usual training levels and dishes out some back story so you know why you end up in Paris fighting against the Nazis. Sean is the main character and you learn a little ways into the game he has a bit of a sordid past. After the opening level, the training wheels are kicked off and you join the French resistance movement. That is where the real fun begins, and by that I mean running around Paris blowing up Nazi stuff. Of course you can steal their cars too if you want, but until you get the garage unlocked that is a moot point.

Some of the game just felt…wrong. It felt unpolished and occasionally you would hear dialogue that just seemed out of place. Then again, writing dynamic dialogue for games is nothing short of an art form that few games ever really get correct. Other than that, my only beef was with the driving. I know I am driving a 1940’s car, but the handling of those things was atrocious sometimes. I often found myself making good use of the perk that lets you call in a resistance member to deliver your car to you. Always called in a race car since they seemed the easiest to drive. That or the Gestapo cruiser, not much beats hood mounted machine guns.

Blowing stuff up. That and the unique way of displaying whether the Nazis or the resistance controlled an area of Paris. Nazi control always equals a washed out environment in terms of color. A few things retain color meant to draw the eye and the like. The resistance owned areas are vibrant and rich with color to show that the people support the resistance and are rallying against Nazi occupation. It was an interesting concept to use in a game, and worked well with the overall story.

The game is fun, open ended, and you get to blow things up while liberating Paris from the Nazis. I’d have to recommend this as a rent to anyone wanting to try it out and maybe go buy it used if you want to own it. On the other hand, there is a download token for a special code that unlocks the Midnight Show. This little tidbit removes the bras and the pasties on the dancers in the gentlemen’s club that you end up in after the initial level. Basically boils down to this. Don’t care about owning a game you can see boobs rendered in all their pixel glory, rent or buy used. Anyone in the other category, go pick it up new since the usual DLC code rules apply.

The Saboteur was a fun game, good story, and had that interesting way of displaying occupation of Nazis versus resistance. I won’t knock it for anything, but it does few things original overall. The game does offer up plenty of Nazis to mow down and things to blow up. In fact a majority of the missions will have you employ your arsenal of explosives in order to finish it. Combine that with the perk system that lets you upgrade Sean’s abilities and various weapons/explosives and he will end up a one man reign of terror for the occupiers.

Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3

AMMIH Rating: 3/5

SMS (Sicky’s Motion Sickness) Rating: 2/5

Coming from those who created Project Gotham Racing and Geometry Wars is BLUR, an action-packed arcade racer that just keeps the thrills rolling.

Every gaming blog I’ve seen has tried to come up with a way to describe this game by combining two games to create this “love-child” of sorts. Well I’m going to complicate it even more…

I’m going to call out four games that are could be involved, which would mean that this is the grandchild of previous generations. Let’s say Twisted Metal and Wipeout got together, then the other tree is PGR and Mario Kart. So we’ve got a mix of genes that infused to make this sweet gem of Arcade Racing mayhem. The most prominent showing would be PGR and Wipeout, which give the main feel of the game. The multiplayer’s Motor Mash/Mosh (whatever you want to call it) shows the Twisted Metal attributes, while, really, the only thing Mario Kart-ish to me would only be the commercial aired close to it’s release…

Career- I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the Career mode. Bizarre Creations throw in a great system to get things rolling. There is a progression system much like Modern Warfare, but instead of Experience they give you “Fans.” As you accumulate more fans you unlock more cars available to you (and yes, the cars are licensed). They give you 9 Rivals to face throughout your career. These Rivals have a set of “Demands” you must complete before they give you a one-on-one. These Demands are set up like the challenges you have available as you progress. Rivals’ cars have special paint jobs and have a slight tweak making them a tiny bit better than one of the cars you unlock for yourself. Defeat your Rival in their one-on-one and you gain their car.

MultiPlayer- This is where Blur shines through. On the MP side of Blur you are given 9 gametypes to stir it up in.

1. Driving School- This is meant for the beginners, just to show you the ropes. Only players leveled 1-10 are allowed in.
2. Skirmish Racing- Racing events for 2-10 players. Skirmishes are good for a balanced run, a good race with a good walloping from time to time.
3. Powered-Up Racing- Want to get down and dirty? This is the way to do it. This is pure chaos in the track. Powered-Up is the way to go when you want to get plenty of action and fans. From 4-20 players, you know you’re in for a crazy time.
4. Motor Mash- Basically, you’re thrown into an open field or a close street course and then it’s all out war… Weapons are strewn all over the map and it’s Twisted Metal… BLUR-style.
5. Team Racing- 20 players, 2 teams. The teams are allotted one of two colors so you can tell them apart and points are given for position finished. The team with the most points wins.
6. Team Motor Mash- Just like Team Racing, but Motor Mash instead.
7. Hardcore Racing- You a big fan of PGR, but don’t like getting blown up? This is the playlist for you. All racing no weapons.
8. Community Events- These are Popular user created “custom” events.
9. World Tour- Random car, random track, and random gametype… a complete mix of everything Blur Multiplayer has to offer.

Pitted against random opponents in many different play styles you race, blast, and boost your way through numerous tracks and countless hours of fun.

Blur also has a social twist to it. Bizarre has incorporated Twitter and Facebook into the game so you can let everyone know how you’re standing in leaderboards and Multiplayer Rank.(Make sure you enter your accounts in through the option menu, though.) You can also challenge your friends to try and keep up. If they accept the challenge and beat it, they can send it right back to see if you can best the new score. The Friend Challenge can even be edited to make it tougher on them. Speaking of leaderboards… Blur has a stat tracker built in to keep things up-to-date. Link up your account online here to let your friends (and the rest of the world) know haw awesome you are at this game.

The good- This game has so much potential for replay it’s scary. I’m sure I’ll hit it through at least twice for career mode, but the multiplayer will get may too many hours of my time. Every time you level up in rank it’s always exciting to get that new unlock. Then, you just can’t wait to see what’s next.

The bad- There have been way too many reviews I’ve seen that complained about the Career mode being a breeze from the start, then becoming the most frustrating racing game ever. I have seen this for myself. It can get rough (but I don’t think it’s as bad as they’ve made it out to be). Multiplayer can get that way too, especially if the people you play with/against have mastered the tracks and have an ungodly knack of nailing you with a reverse fired weapon from a crazy distance.

My advice- Through Career don’t get picky trying to master every event the first time around… like I did. Focus on getting one thing done at a time. If an event is giving you trouble, move on to the next, unlock some better cars, then go back to it. It will keep you from getting frustrated and you might have fun through the whole thing. I know there’s a certain satisfaction with getting all the lights in one shot, but getting 1st-3rd is hard enough without trying to get the Fan Runs or Fan Demand at the same time.
When it comes to Multiplayer, don’t do it unless you’ve gone through Career first. It will give you time to learn the tracks. But, if you’re stubborn and just want to jump in to play with your friends, don’t push yourself to get first right away. It won’t happen. You get Fans and ranking for everything you do in a race. Take your time to get to know the tracks and the weapon layout. For those who played Career first, the weapon layout is different in Multiplayer… keep this in mind.

The price- Most outlets have already dropped the price of this gem since its release. I think that is because it didn’t get the publicity it deserved. Red Dead Redemption and Split/Second came out around the same time so they might have hindered Blur’s sales. It’s ranking in at $49.99 in most cases. But it doesn’t matter how/where you find it, or how much it costs, I advise grabbing it quickly. It’s worth it. I’ve added a link to Amazon below to make it easier on ya…

AMMIH Rating: 5/5 (Awesome!)
Sicky’s Motion Sickness Rating: 0/5 ( Hours of Fun!)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

“Recon: Light” by o XEROPAIN o on 06.04.2008

“Hunter BG” by Sennz0r on 03.04.2008

“Energized” by Thanotopsis on 08.09.2008

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“Awaken Hero” by GlazZz ODST on 05.21.2010

“Rejuvenation” by Commander GX on 06.19.2010

“Outburst” by FBG GHOST on 02.01.2010

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Nintendo stepped onto the stage to chat awhile, mostly about 3D. Then up out of the floor, accompanied by a smoke machine, rose the 3DS. Interesting little hand held, looks a lot like a DSi with a shinier finish and an extra camera. This little device is capable of delivering a 3D picture on the top screen, but you aren’t stuck with everything in 3D since Nintendo graciously included the option to turn it off. I like options so you get points for that, Nintendo. Soon after the unveiling of the 3DS was the first showing of the new Kid Icarus game. Needless to say there were several members of the audience a bit excited about this.

Epic Mickey had a demo shown of it along with the announcement of Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, personally excited to get my hands on both. Of course, it would be a travesty to not mention the fact that Goldeneye will be making a triumphant return to the gaming arena as a remake featuring at least eight of the original characters playable. Goldeneye will be a Wii exclusive and also answers the question why an XBLA port of the game was refused earlier on. Interesting note, a new Kirby game is apparently in the works called Kirby’s Epic Yarn. The whole world looks like it is made of various cloth as you dash about through the side scrolling action. My one question for Nintendo: why the sudden interest in the word epic? Just now noticing its proliferation amongst the internet populace?

Several other trailers were shown, Donkey Kong game, Metroid: Other M, Dragon Quest IX. Honestly the one that really caught my eye out of all of this has to be The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. That’s right, a new LoZ game is in the works. Well, some un-confirmed rumors and leaks around the net hinted at this, but having solid proof of its development for the Wii is gratifying. Seems this new LoZ game will make heavy use of the Wii Motion Plus as you actually use the nunchuk to raise your shield and defend while slashing with the Wiimote.

Sony’s end of the E3 fun was rather interesting as well. A new Twisted Metal was announced, finally a continuation of the longest running series in PlayStation history will be coming to the PS3. Tons of fans are probably grinning like idiots, or it could have been the ice cream truck they drove out on stage that did that. Playstation Move was dated and priced officially, if you want to just grab the controller itself it will set you back $49.99. The Playstation Navigation controller is priced by itself as $29.99 but you can go out and buy a bundle pack including both controllers and a sports game for $99.99 if you planned to get both anyway.

Rumors had it that PSN was going to go subscription based and this E3 has semi-dispelled those rumors. PSN will still be free but there will also be a premium version where you can get access to content early and some content that isn’t available to free members of PSN. The service will run $49.99 for a year of service, and Sony is offering up a free three months so you can try it out before you lay down the cash.

In a shocking announcement, Steam will be coming to PS3 starting with Portal 2. It seems the bad blood between Sony and Valve has finally been laid to rest, and now Valve wants to bring the Steam platform to Sony’s console. Obviously this has Sony and PS3 owners fairly excited, for us with Xbox 360’s we will just have to keep waiting for that Team Fortress 2 update if you catch my drift.

Now, let’s get to the juicy stuff. I know it was weird for me leaving Tech Tuesday off yesterday without a video. That’s not my style. Today I promise to make it up to you by bringing you the recording of the winner of E3 in my book. Sony’s very own, Kevin Butler. This man is a gamer, and if this was all just acting. Well then he is a damn good actor. Regardless, best moment from today and has redeemed Sony for a few things in my book. Congrats Kevin Butler, you sir are the winner of E3.

Microsoft went into this year’s E3 convention with a very clear goal: demonstration of the newly named Kinetic. A large majority of their press conference consisted of showing off it’s features and a few tech demos of games that will be released for it. Even the announcer’s from ESPN’s Sports Center dropped in to announce the partnership between ESPN and Xbox Live to bring Sports Center to the dashboard, free to gold members like Last.FM, Facebook, and Twitter.

This was an interesting look into Kinetic’s capabilities and compared to last year’s E3, they’ve smoothed out a few things. The voice command inclusion should hit home with a decent sized audience. Another interesting feature that’s been added and refined is the tracking of the camera in the sense that it will actually turn and adjust itself to be able to see you. This little feature was demonstrated by a developer and her twin sister chatting in a video chat with the twin moving side to side to show it off.

Speaking of video calls, the quality of the video and sound seemed top notch though I do need to caution not to get overly excited since the whole thing happened on a fairly robust network. Actual quality with home connections still needs to be shown, but it seems like this new addon isn’t going to be a piece of expensive plastic like so many nay-sayers have voiced. One last little note on this device, there are fifteen confirmed launch games for when it hits store shelves on November 4th.

Now, Chatting away about Kinect is good and all but there are some other topics to touch on before we get to the juicy tidbits of the press conference. A teaser trailer was shown for Call of Duty: Black Ops and the game looks like it will be another solid hit under Activision’s belt. Hideo Kojima took the stage to chat a moment about handing over the torch then passed the spotlight off to his producer Shigenobu Matsuyama who then proceeded to show the teaser trailer of Metal Gear Solid Rising. Lots of dicing things up in the trailer, everything from people and cars to a watermelon. The audience was excited to see Cliff take the stage and show off Gears of War 3 and the four player co-op it will be sporting.

What had me on the edge the moment I realized where the presentation was going is when the speaker started talking about the game that redefined Xbox Live and how it is always good to know stories from the beginning. Yes, that’s right. Halo. Specifically Reach. The audience was treated to a big thank you from Bungie for helping out with the beta then a teaser trailer composed of campaign footage ending in possibly one of the best confirmations of a single player aspect dreamed up. Dog fights in space. The trailer cut off right as you can see the player shifting a craft dubbed the Sabre left and right to dodge incoming fire.

Now for that juicy tidbit I mentioned earlier. The Xbox 360 Slim was unveiled in a sneaky way. The little bugger was on stage disguised as a normal 360 the entire time. The new model looks just like the leaked pictures that surfaced a few days ago. The slim will sport an internal 802.11N wifi card and an internal 250Gb hard drive. The real kicker of all this? $299 price tag. No joke.

Oh, did I mention that retailers have already received the consoles and will be available later this week? The new console is also listed as having a custom port made for Kinect to provide connectivity and power to the device. It was expected the device would need to be powered by an adapter or by batteries, but this will alleviate that requirement. The slim still has the ethernet ports and USB ports so wired connections still haven’t been removed for those preferring ethernet cord connections won’t be left out. Check out Kotaku for a picture of the preliminary system specs.

Stay tuned for a wrap-up tomorrow so get back to grinding through your respective games. Whether that be behind the wheel of a race car or on the back of a horse. I’ll be back with some highlights of other happenings at E3.