Some of my fondest gaming memories have come from Total Carnage, Robotron: 2084, and other similar multidirectional shooters. As a result, I’ve got fairly high hopes for the upcoming downloadable game, Rocketmen: Axis of Evil (800 Microsoft Points), which is headed to Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network next Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

Like any good arena shooter, Rocketmen will feature co-op for up to 4 players (both on and offline). You’ll also be able to customize your character’s appearance, weapons, and capabilities, with multiple races and classes to choose from.

Last, but certainly not least, the visual style of Rocketmen is looking freakin’ sweet from where I’m standing (er, sitting). Graphics may not be the deciding factor in whether or not you buy this game, but it certainly doesn’t injured.

Anyone else interested?

Via Destructoid

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Nintendo might have started the craze with the N64, but fans of all consoles these days seem to get excited over the idea of owning a multi-colored variety of them — even if they’re the same in every other respect. Mysterious to me too, but that’s consumer behavior for you.

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According to the latest issue of Famitsu, the game known in Japanese arcades as Initial-D Arcade Stage 4 will soon be making its way to PS3 in the form of Initial-D: Extreme Stage. Tearing through mountain roads with J-pop blasting in the background on PS3? Yes, please.

The game is set to receive a visual upgrade, updated single-player mode with more than 20 rivals, and *drumroll* competitive on the internet play. It won’t, however, include the full-size Sprinter Trueno GT-Apex AE86 that I was hoping would stay intact from the arcade port. Why do they always have to leave stuff out when they bring it to home consoles?

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If there’s one thing that gaming journalists and bloggers bet their reputation on, it’s the familiar acronym for non-disclosure agreements, otherwise known as the dreaded NDA. However, the Internet is serious business, and some people view such legalese about as threatening as the removal of mattress tags — illegal and punishable by law, but ideal left to the renegades. To them, some secretive information is just deemed too juicy, and worth any risk involved.

As CVG is reporting, that appears to be the case with at least one beta tester, who leaked several screens from a purported test meeting regarding Home. But the disclosures don’t end there. Also floating around the bowels of YouTube are videos, showing the service in action. Judging by some of the comments on the screenshots mentioned above, the areas of Home must be Arctic in nature. How else can one explain the frequent use of the term “freezing?” Also, betas.

All jokes aside, Home sounds pretty good in theory. Even if some of us aren’t entirely sold on the idea of creating virtual apartments for friends to peruse, you’ve to give Sony the approving nod for at least attempting to 1up the 360’s excellent Live service — Nintendo gave up from the begin, which can only be described as disappointing. Now if only we could get less leakage, and more releaseage (made up or not, the word fits marvelously).

We’ve heard that Home has been in development since 2005 Sony, and PS3 owners want more toys to play with on their Blu-ray beast — before Microsoft ups the ante again on you. Put us all in the beta if you’ve to. Just get the polished version of this thing out the door, and soon.

[Thanks, Justin!]

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It seems like every attendee of the 2008 Game Developers Conference came home with some kind of sickness. I feel bad for the rest of the team as well as for my journo peers. But I managed to steer clear of the “handshake hiv” by using tried-and-true self-developed event solutions like drinking only orange juice-based cocktails and opting for the “fist pound” rather than the slimy handshake. Also, pancakes.

The PlayStation Blog was also there at GDC, partying hard, and now it looks like they caught the bug as well. This week’s PlayStation Network update reeks of the popular “I’m too sick to do anything” flu attitude. Suck it up!

Aside from the Scurv Dogg PAIN character add-on ($.99), a Nine Inch Nails Rock Band pack ($5.49), and a Guitar Hero III No Doubt pack ($6.25), we’re left with a ton of videos and trailers. Well, there’s a Rocketmen: Axis of Evil wallpaper and a new PAIN theme. Woo.

Videos:

• Lost Planet Trailer 2 (where’s the demo?)
• Condemned 2: Bloodshot Trailer 1 (hot!)
• MLB 08 The Show My MLB Music Video
• MLB 08 The Show Blog Video
• NBA 08 Amare Stoudemire Bio
• Star Trek Teaser Trailer

Finally, the PlayStation Store for Personal computer has trailers of Patapon and Secret Agent Clank.

PSN, you need to drink your juice and get plenty of rest, because this update sucks!

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It’s been the better part of a year since we first read EA’s announcement that they were working on a game called Mirror’s Edge, and since that time, new information on the title has been slow in coming. What we do know, is that the game’s supposed utopian city revolves around the concept of citizens relinquishing their personal freedom in exchange for what amounts to a facade — all isn’t so sterile and clean beneath the surface. To quote one of our tags below, “Big Brother is gonna get you!”

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You might have already heard about this and some of the other items to come out of the Destination PlayStation event, but Konami decided that they still needed to clear the air, and sent out a press release to reaffirm a few things about the Metal Gear Solid 4 release.

For starters, it’s set to arrive stateside (and the rest of the world) on Thursday, June 12th. Other than that, the game will include the highly anticipated Metal Gear On the web “starter pack,” for 16-player on the internet battles, and an added bonus for those of you who show Konami a tiny initiative via some preorder love: the Metal Gear Saga 2.0 DVD.

Hardcore and casual fans alike should enjoy the 20th anniversary retrospective that the disk includes, but we all know it’s the secret code for getting in on the Metal Gear On the web beta test for this April that everyone’s really after. Still thinking about holding off on that PlayStation 3 buy? It has to be getting pretty uncomfortable for you, by now.

Press release, after the jump:

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People often hurl accusations of console bias towards Destructoid. However, I also want to prevent any of you fine folks from thinking that we’re prejudiced towards a specific publisher. Last week, I put up my impressions of the MLB 08: The Show PSN demo. This week, I’m reporting on its competition, 2K Sports’ Major League Baseball 2K8. In case you’re confused, here’s the skinny: 2K Sports’ exclusivity deal with Major League Baseball only applies to third-party games, so Sony is free to produce their own baseball videogame.

Last Friday, numerous media outlets, including Destructoid, were treated to a conference call with Ben Brinkman, the Executive Producer of MLB 2K8. During the hour-and-fifteen-minute session, he answered a wide variety of questions, ranging from the overarching and general (“What are your biggest challenges?”) to the overly specific (“Will the PA announcer still mispronounce the Red Sox third baseman’s name as ‘You-KILL-iss’?”).

Hit the jump for all the gory details.

Via Destructoid

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Peopel frequently complained about the lack of bundles available a few years back, and it looks like the gaming industry certainly heard their cry. Not only are consoles personalized with color and sometimes even stamped with game art, but bundles have returned with a vengeance. Following the trend are these two recently announced bundles, which will both go on sale during the month of March in Europe.

One is geared directly at movies (which I find a bit odd, but when I consider it I probably watch more movies on my PS3 than I play games on it) and the other at gaming. The motion picture pack includes a 40B PS3,

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Over the weekend, we reported on a 2K Sports-Pontiac collaboration, the Pontiac Virtual NCAA Final Four Tournament. Here’s another step in our continued efforts to provide you, our loyal readers, with opportunities to prove your gaming prowess. This time around, though, the sport in question has a decidedly more worldwide flair, so you’re really going to have to be at the top of your game to compete.

Sony, EA Sports, and FIFA have teamed up to bring you the fourth annual FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC). This global gaming gauntlet takes place on the “football pitch” (see, I have the ability to do Britspeak) of EA Sports’ FIFA 08, as well as the Sony-owned cyberspace that is the PlayStation Network. This Saturday, March 1st, the sole North American live qualifier in this year’s FIWC will take place from 2 PM to 8 PM PST at the GameStop located at 1000 Universal Studios Blvd., Universal City, CA.

The day’s tournament bracket comprises 128 spots. 50 were made available through on the web pre-registration that began on Februrary 18th (it’s now closed), while the remaining 78 will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis. In other words, if you feel like you’ve a shot at winning, you better also feel like waiting outside that GameStop for quite a while. Strangely enough, this tourney seems to be the “bizarro” version of the aforementioned College Hoops 2K8 contest, which is nationwide and restricted to Xbox Live users.

In an extra-special-super-happy-fun-time bonus, Jorge Flores and Anthony Hamilton of the MLS team Chivas USA will appear from 4:30 to 6 PM to “greet competitors and spectators”. So in addition to some lawn chairs and a picnic basket, you might want to bring some stuff-to-be-signed. For more information on the FIWC, head on over to its official Web site, and tell us: will any of you L.A.-area Dtoiders be signing up to kick some ass?

Via Destructoid

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