The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, available for download free of charge when you buy NBA Elite 11, will have online multiplayer via Xbox Live and Playstation Network respectively.

There is some good news for Wii owners.

Remix Tour mode won’t be in the Xbox 360 or PS3 versions. Remix Tour features new challenges and boss battles that only Wii owners will get to play.

EA hasn’t offered any reason as to why online multiplayer was omitted from the Wii game, considering EA’s Tiger Woods, Madden and FIFA games all managed it without major problems.

In attendance to prove their undying love for Halo Reach (or possibly just to sip on Microsoft’s free booze) was singing-sensation Pixie Lott, Amelle Berrabah of the Sugababes; sports stars Joe Calzaghe, Andy Murray and Colin Jackson; and a bevy of Big Brother and Hollyoaks faces.

Of course, the main event was the epic Halo showdown itself, which pitted 6 of the U.K’s most hardened Halo nuts against an “Elite Squadron” of celebrities, comprising of footballer Rio Ferdinand, musician Mr Hudson, rugby-man Ben Cohen, The Gagdet Show’s Jason Bradbury, and E.4 presenter Jameela Jamil — who arrived sling-bound following a particularly nasty accident.

When asked whether his team of celebs had in them to conquer the opposition, Elite Squadron leader Lewis Chapman (who fought off over 800 contestants in the weeks previous to the premiere), told the crowd he was “quietly confident” in his team-mate’s abilities – and indeed, Jason Bradbury’s enthusiastic fist-pumping certainly said as much.

Unfortunately for Chapman and his army of coseted celebs, any attempt at a workable strategy fell apart like moistened tissue paper under the ever-dominant fragging of the red team – made up of highly skilled gamers. An opening Slayer match saw the Elite Spartan Squad  lose by a significant margin, with an end-game score of 51 to 15 to the gamers.

Unsurprisingly, things soon went from bad to worse in the second round, with a shocking end-game score of 64 to 06. And if you thought that was bad, round 3 brought new meaning to the phrase “crippling defeat”, and saw the gamers utterly annihilate the celebrities with a final score of 94 to 27. Shocking.

Despite the celebrities’ woeful performances, Elite Spartan Squad team leader Lewis Chapman didn’t go away empty-handed, and, in an admirable act of kindness, the victorious red team handed over their trophy to a more-than-deserving (but utterly gobsmacked) Chapman.

With battle done, Reggie Yates announced that everybody in attendance would get to go hands-on with the game, and pulled back a colossal white curtain to reveal 40 LAN-connected Xbox 360 units, demonstrating never-before-seen Halo Reach maps.

As the night drew to a close, gamers were not only able to able to have their photograph taken with a Spartan, but were also treated to exclusive Halo Reach-themed controllers and messenger bags. As always, AceGamez was in attendance, and you can find our exclusive photos below.

Did you attend the Halo Reach premiere last night? If so, why not let us know what you thought of it in the comments thread below? We’d absolutely love to hear from you…

Halo Reach launches across Europe on 14th September on Xbox 360.

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The game’s plot takes place after a prison transport vehicle careens off the road, leaving lone inmate Murphy Pendleton stranded in Silent Hill. Gamers are promised ‘mind-bending puzzles’, as well as horrific creatures and otherworld terrors using everyday objects from wooden chairs to glass bottles to fend off their enemies.

In addition to the main storyline, players will also be presented with variable side quests along the way that can change depending on their play style – and which also reveal ‘unknown evils within the town’.

“In honoring the rich history and strong following of Silent Hill, we’re working hard to build a next generation horror game that the fans truly deserve,” said Shinji Hirano, President of Konami Digital Entertainment Inc.

“This Silent Hill introduces an all-new storyline and unique evolutions in gameplay, building on innovations and successes from over a decade of true survival horror and terror.”

Until now, Silent Hill 8 had only tentatively been pencilled in for a 2011 release, so it’s nice to have the official word from Konami.

Putting it in the esteemed company of Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid 4 and……wait, what? Nintendogs? Pokémon Black and White will inevitably be met with huge expectations when it arrives on our shores some time in the Spring of 2011.

With Pokémon titles changing very little since the original was released back on the Gameboy in 1996, it’ll be interesting to see whether Black and White will bring anything new to the franchise or whether Famitsu’s recent string of perfect scores will be once again put under the spotlight.

Released under the banner Final Fantasy: Ultimate Hits International with a  due date of December 16^th, the International version will be released at a budget price and will feature an Easy Mode option and the chance for our Japanese friends to play the game with English voice work….if they so wish.

I can’t even begin to comprehend why it has taken so long to reach Japan but it has and, well, I’m sure someone is excited about it.

]]> http://acegamez.com/092010/news/final-fantasy-xiii-finally-coming-to-japan%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6on-360.html/feed 0 http://acegamez.com/092010/blog/our-five-favourite-games-you%e2%80%99ve-probably-never-played.html http://acegamez.com/092010/blog/our-five-favourite-games-you%e2%80%99ve-probably-never-played.html#comments Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:02:05 +0000 Liam Pritchard http://acegamez.com/?p=30728 Without being in any way presumptuous, there are an array of great games out there that, for one reason or another, just haven’t been played by the large majority of gamers. Some are classics that failed to find an audience, some never got released on our shores, others were doomed to release on failing formats and some….well, some were just plain weird.

Whatever the case may be, here’s our list of some of the great games that didn’t quite make it with the masses….here are Our Five Favourite…

Games you’ve probably never played

#5

Guardian Heroes

Saturn

Treasure (1996)

If ever a game deserved, nay, demanded to be re-released via Xbox Live/PSN, it simply has to be Treasure’s criminally overlooked 2D side scrolling beat-em-up, Guardian Heroes. For the few that have actually played this Saturn classic, little has to be said. For the rest, well, this long forgotten gem of a game is nothing short of a genre masterpiece. Yes, it really is that good; three plains of combat, multiple path branching storylines, a battle arena for up to 6 combatants and a hidden boss in the shape of Golden Silver from Gunstar Heroes – honestly, what else could you ask for?

Picking up Guardian heroes won’t be cheap (especially if you don’t already own a Saturn), but if you can, it’s graphics and gameplay have stood the test of time surprisingly well making Guardian Heroes worth playing as much as it is owning.

#4

Voodoo Vince

Xbox

Beep Industries (2003)

An absolute gem of a platformer released back in 2003 on Xbox. While it hardly registered a blip on the majority of gamer’s radars, its genuinely funny and hugely likeable lead, Vince, made a lasting impression on the few gamers out there who actually played the game.

It may not have done anything particularly new with the platforming genre but this is a game all about mood and aesthetic. That New Orleans vive is captured perfectly with a great jazz soundtrack flawlessly complimenting the games southern charms.

#3

Shenmue

Dreamcast

Sega AM2 (1999)

While Shenmue may have gone down reasonably well with the critics, it bombed at retail. Given the mind blowing budget and the relatively small Dreamcast install base, Shenmue probably never had a chance (rumour has it that every Dreamcast owner would have had to buy the game twice for Sega to break even), but still, Shenmue and its equally outstanding sequel deserved better, and fans, well, they deserve closure. Will Shenmue 3 ever happen? Probably not, but it certainly won’t stop the Shenmue faithful from dreaming.

If you’re yet to play this absolute classic, buy a Dreamcast, get the sequel on Xbox….whatever it takes. It may split opinion, but if you’re a real gamer, then you’re gonna need an opinion either way.

#2

Oddworld: Strangers Wrath

Xbox

Oddworld Inhabitants (2005)

No wonder Oddworld Inhabitants are moving into movies. If you can make a game as downright outstanding as Oddworld: Strangers Wrath only to have the majority of the gaming public completely ignore it, you simply have to question the direction the industry is going. Strangers Wrath is a near perfect mix of creative genius and technical skill, its faultless mix of open world gameplay, first person shooting and fast paced platforming being one of the undoubted highlights of the previous generation. If only it had made the ‘moolah’ necessary to keep Oddworld Inhabitants in the videogame industry.

#1

Panzer Dragoon Saga

Saturn

Sega (1998)

With an overly long development cycle marred by numerous delays, Panzer Dragoon Saga slipped silently onto shelves as a Saturn exclusive with the console already in its death throes. Only 6,000 copies were released in the US, with even fewer making it over to Europe. This, of course, made this rare title an almost overnight collector’s item, fetching upward of £100 on eBay. However, unlike the many games out there sought out primarily for their rarity, Panzer Dragoon Saga also backs up its hefty price tag with unique gameplay that successfully crossed on-rails shooting with RPG sensibilities, outstanding production values and fantastic design. It may be 11 years old now, but Panzer Dragoon Saga is still worthy of any gamers time.

So, if you spot them, if you get the chance, we hope that, thanks possibly in part to our mild persuasion, you might just be tempted to give some of these oft overlooked classics the attention they deserve……believe me, you won’t be disappointed if you do.

Check back next week for the latest Acegamez five favourite list.

Screenwriter/Director David S. Goyer has joined the team to help with script-writing and story development.

Mark Lamia, Studio Head of Treyarch, couldn’t be happier with the new recruits.

“Oldman, Harris and Goyer are considered some of Hollywood’s finest talents and they perfectly complement Call of Duty: Black Ops’ ambitious and immersive single player experience.”

“Their contributions have helped us to push the boundaries of our story telling and character development far beyond anything we have ever attempted before in the franchise.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops is developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It will be available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC on November 9.

343 Industries’ Frank O’Conner claims that,

“We’ve created an awful lot of documentation and materials to support a feature film. We have a good idea of what kind of story we want to tell, but won’t move on it until there’s a great reason to do it. We’re in no particular hurry,”

Supposedly working from a collection of scripts from Alex Garland, Stuart Beattie, D.B. Weiss and Josh Olson, it sounds as though Microsoft are still extremely interested in making a Halo movie….just when they’re good and ready.

While I’d love to see a Halo movie as much as the next guy, it’s good to see Microsoft taking their time….and as for a Halo series? Well, that’s got awesome written all over it. There’s more than enough depth to the Halo universe and with a strong director, some decent writers and suitably adult themed tone, it could just turn into something very special indeed.

In one level set over numerous islands, Bungie had boats up and running that could transport the Chief from one location to the next.

Although technically sound, the concept was dropped after Bungie decided that it simply wasn’t much fun.

While an intriguing concept for sure, I’m not sue if boats would have suited the Halo aesthetic…..and heck, who am I to argue with the good folk at Bungie?

What do you think? Could boats have worked in the Halo series with a little more emphasis on that aspect of development or does the Master Chief have no pace out at sea?