Hello, and welcome to the second edition of The Playlist. Summer has certainly arrived; the season where the games are just as hot as the temperature, or so the publishers would like us to think. Fortunately this month that statement actually rings true. There are some very exciting titles, with plenty for fans of both old and new. As for the old, the return of Batman, the Ninja Turtles, G.I. Joe and even a certain Wolfenstein combine to make this one of the most retro gaming summers ever (It’s like I’m going through puberty all over again… – Ed.)
Now, I’m the first to admit that I’m a big retro fan; it’s why I prefer the Lamborghini Countach to the Diablo and Murcielago, and why I still have a copy of Beyond Good & Evil even though it won’t run on my Xbox 360. Classics are something I’ll always hold a soft spot for, but to see so many games developers resurrecting so many old titles, whether’s it’s giving them a superficial makeover, or rewriting a new story between some very worn bindings… well, it’s not encouraging. Granted, it works for the movie industry, but when it comes to sitting in front of my TV to play some games, I want to have my hands on something new, something fresh. What’s frankly astonishing is that new and the fresh seem to be coming through DLC content this summer. Still, that’s just my opinion, and opinions are nothing without some opposition, so be sure to check what games my TGR colleagues have their eyes on on the third page of this article. But first: The Playlist.
New releases for August 2009
Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta (360 XBLA) – August 3rd
ATV Quad Kings (Wii) – August 4th
Brave: A Warrior’s Tale (360 / Wii) – August 4th
Brave: Shaman’s Challenge (DS) – August 4th
Build’n Race (Wii) – August 4th
Daisy Fuentes Pilates (Wii) – August 4th
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (360 / PS3 / Wii / PC / DS / PSP / PS2) – August 4th
Real Heroes: Firefighter (Wii) – August 4th
Reversal Challenge (DS) – August 4th
Singstar: Queen (PS3 / PS2) – August 4th
War Leaders: Clash of Nations (PC) – August 4th
World Championship Athletics (Wii) – August 4th
TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled (360 XBLA) – August 5th
Hearts of Iron III (PC) – August 7th
Fossil Fighters (DS) – August 10th
Active Life: Extreme Challenge (Wii) – August 11th
Imagine: Soccer Captain (DS) – August 11th
Monster Mayhem: Build and Battle (Wii / DS) – August 11th
Phantom Brave: We Meet Again (Wii) – August 11th
More of August’s new releases on Page 2
What’s on the TGR playlist? – Page 3
August’s new releases (continued)
Trials HD (360 XBLA) – August 12th
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (PS3 PSN) – August 13th
RF:G: Demons Of The Badlands (360 XBLA / PS3 PSN) – August 13th
Windchaser (PC) – August 13th
Madden NFL 10 (360 / PS3 / Wii / DS / PSP / PS2) – August 14th
Shorts (DS) – August 14th
Astrology DS (DS) – August 17th
Ant Nation (DS) – August 18th
Army Rescue (Wii) – August 18th
Marker Man Adventures (DS) – August 18th
My Make-Up (DS) – August 18th
My Virtual Tutor RA: First to Second Grade (DS) – August 18th
My Virtual Tutor RA: Kindergarten to First (DS) – August 18th
My Virtual Tutor RA: Pre-K to Kindergarten (DS) – August 18th
Paws & Claws Pet Vet (Wii) – August 18th
Paws & Claws Pet Vet: Australian Adventures (DS) – August 18th
Spectrobes: Origins (Wii) – August 18th
Sudoku Ball – Detective (Wii / PC / DS) – August 18th
The Circle: Martial Arts Fighter (Wii / PC / DS / PSP / PS2) – August 18th
Wolfenstein (360 / PS3 / PC) – August 18th
Shadow Complex (360 XBLA) – August 19th
Hannah Montana: Rock Out the Show (PSP) – August 24th
Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii) – August 24th
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS) – August 24th
Batman: Arkham Asylum (360 / PS3 / PC) – August 25th
CrimeCraft (PC) – August 25th
Cursed Mountain (Wii) – August 25th
Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP) – August 25th
Dream Chronicles (DS) – August 25th
Emergency Room: Real Life Rescues (DS) – August 25th
Imagine Teacher: Class Trip (DS) – August 25th
Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming (DS) – August 25th
Monster Racers (DS) – August 25th
Surgery (DS) – August 25th
The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft (Wii) – August 25th
Wizards of Waverly Place (DS) – August 25th
Section 8 (360 / PC) – August 28th
The Clumsys (Wii) – August 28th
Also set for release in August
Contra: ReBirth (Wii Wiiware) – TBA
Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao (360 XBLA / PS3 PSN) – TBA
Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger! (PC) – TBA
Tales of Monkey Island: The Siege of Spinner Cay (PC) – TBA
The Clique: Diss and Make Up (DS) – TBA
What’s on the TGR Playlist? – Page 3
What’s on the TGR Playlist?
Chris is looking forward to returning to Samus’s prime-time.
"Fallout 3 Mothership Zeta DLC. I can’t wait to see how things unfold, although I am sad that it’s the last piece of DLC."
Jennifer Allen, Staff Writer
"I’m totally pumped for the Red Faction: Guerrilla DLC. The game fulfilled my destructible tendencies, and the new content promises to be just what my therapist ordered."
Adam Standing, Staff Writer
"I’m psyched for Batman. If that games proves to be as badass as it looks, then we could have something we haven’t had for a while – a truly good Batman game"
Mark Fujii, Staff Writer
"I’m still waiting for the PS3 version of Trine. By the time it comes out Shadow Complex may give it a run for its money."
Jeffrey Matulef, Asscoiate Editor
"I’m Batman. That is all"
Sinan Kubba, Editorial & Features Director
"Batman: Arkham Asylum is the clear choice. Plus, it makes the fact that I am almost always wearing my Batman PJs seem a bit more meaningful; I wasn’t role-playing…I was preparing!"
Joe DeLia, Previews Director
"Metroid Prime Trilogy: I have fond memories of the first one on the ’Cube, but somehow never got around to purchasing Echoes and Corruption. $50 for all three is a bargain."
Chris Poirier, Community Manager
"GI Joe… yet another game based on a live-action remake of a well-loved childhood cartoon that will probably blow more than it sucks. And sell like hotcakes."
Patrick Mulhern, Associate Editor
"Shadow Complex, Wallace & Gromit, and Contra ReBirth. Sorted."
David Taylor, Staff Writer
"I’ll be pointing and clicking through Tales of Monkey Island: Episode 2. After spending all that effort getting the Narwhal out into open waters, I must know what happens next."
Lawrence Sonntag, Reviews Director
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