Nintendo's newest spokesman may not be as funny as Sony's Kevin Butler, but darn it if he isn't more adorable. Nintendo has hired Uggie, the Jack Russell pictured above, to promote Nintendogs + Cats for 3DS. The gig should be simple after Uggie's previous role in The Artist, 2011's silent, black-and-white film from Michel Hazanavicius.

Nintendo may not know what it's getting into with this dog. The kind of personality it takes to star in a silent period piece about tap dancing won't be the easiest to work with on a managerial level, and Uggie and his owner, Omar Von Muller, will probably require trailers stuffed with Milkbones and bitches. Probably.

Not only can you download Vita games early, you can buy boxed copies of first-party titles early as well. GameStop currently has copies of Little Deviants, Uncharted, Hot Shots, Wipeout 2048, and ModNation Racers in stock online right now. They ship within 24 hours, the site notes, or you can use the site to check for stock at your local store.

The Vita hardware will officially be available February 15 in the First Edition bundle, but it's possible you already have a Japanese unit, in which case you should be able to play these cartridges.

• IGN (90/100): "Its random technical hiccups and inconsistent art style certainly holds it back from even higher levels of greatness. But no matter what you're looking for, whether it be amazing gameplay, immersive storytelling or perhaps a riveting new world to explore as you fully customize and re-customize your character at will, Reckoning has it all."
• Escapist (80/100): "Reckoning surprised me with its energetic combat, rich story, and dazzling visual style. The weight of all its parts threatens to pull it down, but the rigid skeleton holds strong. ... Don't pass on Amalur just because it's a new IP from a new company. Fans of RPGs with a focus on action won't be disappointed."
• Giant Bomb (80/100): "But it's hard not to be at least a little disappointed when you start seeing the various spots where the game doesn't live up to the high bar set by its best content. If you finish it fast enough to prevent those doldrums from setting in, you'll have a much better time than the person who digs through every nook and cranny to finish every single side quest."
• Eurogamer (80/100): "It's an unglamorous kind of success story, admittedly. And perhaps it's worrying for 38 Studios that the bland fantasy world it's hanging its future on is the least enticing aspect of its debut game. But it's not all elbow grease - Kingdoms of Amalur adds a splash of color and a lick of polish to the open-world RPG, and they couldn't be more welcome."
• Edge (60/100): "At its heart, Reckoning is an interesting tale about disrupting cyclical fate – ironic, considering the game's largely repetitive nature – and when the story gets to shine, 38 Studios and Big Huge Games' friendlier design presents a welcome change of pace."

Activision and Double Helix have announced a video game adaptation of Battleship, the Hasbro Studios/Universal Films adaptation of Milton Bradley's Battleship. Set for an April European release and a May North American release, Battleship will combine aspects of the classic board game with FPS gameplay. It will be available on PS3 and 360, with "uniquely designed versions" released for the Wii, DS and 3DS.

The player takes on the role of demolitions expert Cole Mathis, who somehow finds himself in charge of an entire naval fleet and must use said fleet to defend the Hawaiian archipelago from underwater space aliens. This is a separate storyline from the film -- however, given the abundance of extraterrestrials and a severe lack of white and red pegs, we figure it's still set in the movie's universe. Gameplay is split between FPS sections and a "Battle Command" map, which is somewhat akin to the classic Battleship grid we're all familiar with. Here's hoping for Electronic Talking DLC on day one.

Continue Reading

You'll have to search for them, but you can download five PlayStation Vita games through the PS3's PlayStation Store. The selection of early, hidden releases includes Uncharted: Golden Abyss (which is not discounted at all at $49.99), Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational for $35.99, Wipeout 2048 for $35.99, ModNation Racers Road Trip for $26.99, and the PSN-only Super Stardust Delta for $9.99.

Sure, you probably don't have a Vita yet, but don't let that stop you from building up a library. Then, when the system does arrive (or if you have one right now!) you can use the Content Manager Assistant to transfer the games to that huge memory card you'd better buy.

Playstation Whata? Through February 12, GameStop has Nintendo 3DS systems, including the Pearl Pink version launching on the 10th, on sale for $149.99, a $20 discount. We're sure the timing of this sale is perfectly innocuous -- it's just a coincidence that a competitor's handheld gaming system will be in stores two days after this sale is over.

Alternately, you could think of that $20 as a subsidy for the Circle Pad Pro (also out this week, only at GameStop) allowing you to pick up two analog pads for the price of one.

Update: Square Enix has confirmed Sleeping Dogs, the reincarnation of True Crime: Hong Kong. The publisher sent out a new live-action trailer and notes the game will be available "in the second half of 2012." It's still being developed by United Front Games.

Original: "Sleeping Dogs" isn't lying down, shifting from trademark to passively announced title. Canadian retailer Future Shop's official gaming Twitter account posted a poster for Square Enix's Sleeping Dogs and announced an expected launch of August 2012 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. It notes the game will be available to pre-order soon.

Given the art, the game may not be a Kane & Lynch follow-up as first speculated, but possibly the reincarnation of True Crime: Hong Kong. Activision cancelled the latest True Crime installment last February, with CEO Eric Hirshberg telling us, "The finished product was not going to be at the top of that genre."

Then, last August, Square Enix picked up the rights to the game, but not the True Crime intellectual property, meaning the publisher would need to rename the game before putting it out there. It appears Square Enix is making moves to solve this Chinese puzzle box very soon.

Continue Reading

Square Enix is holding a sale this week on the Xbox Marketplace, taking half off DLC for Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Just Cause 2, along with discounts on several of Lady Croft's adventures and its associated DLC.

The highlights of the sale are certainly the Deus Ex's Missing Link DLC and co-op adventure Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light for 600 MSP ($7.50). There's also some attempted discounts on full downloads of Battlestations: Pacific, Just Cause 2 and Tomb Raider: Underworld; but chances are you can find better in your local bargain bin.

Another game worth checking out is updated original Tomb Raider: Legend: Anniversary, available in two chunks at 400 MSP ($5) apiece (caveat is you'll need to own TR: Legend since it's the DLC). So, try the first two levels before you buy the whole thing. Find the full list of discounts after the break.

Continue Reading

This is going to be really embarrassing, and potentially painful. This Sunday the Austin game collective, Juegos Rancheros, will host the Foddy Winter Olympics, featuring new and bizarre versions of Bennett Foddy's finger-twisting games.

You'll be able to face off against a friend in a race to the ground in two-player QWOP. You'll experience the climbing game GIRP turned into a Twister-like experience in Mega GIRP, a new version by Johann Sebastian Joust creator Doug Wilson that uses four dance pads for the controls. You'll also be frustrated by other Foddy creations, including Poleriders and Winner vs. Loser.

This is going to be the angriest party.

Konami's making sure NeverDead lives up to its name with the first downloadable content pack, available on February 21. "NeverDead Expansion Pack Volume 1" will let you try a new playable character and play co-op challenges with pop star Nikki Summerfield. The pack will also let you visit an expanded version of the Asylum level, with three new challenges, including taking hold of "score zones," racing across the map through a series of traps and hazards, and a mode called Onslaught, in which you unlock the zone section-by-section by defeating enemies.

The expansion will also give segmented hero Bryce Boltzmann two new costumes to dress up in, and you can see some shots of the content in the gallery below. Our NeverDead review called Summerfield a "whiny pop singer," but hey, maybe spending a little more time with her will make you see her in a whole new light.

Continue Reading

Indie Royale's Valentine's Day bundle makes no promises, unlike some people we know who promised us the moon on a string last February 14, but who showed up three hours late, drunk and with a box half-full of chocolates -- all fruit-filled. You know who you are.

Indie Royale is offering its Valentine's Bundle for pre-order at the lowest minimum price, $3.99, but is keeping the games a mystery until the big day itself. If you live life on the edge, don't read the following clues before buying the bundle:

"The games offered this time include a fantastical first-person action-adventure game (Steam for PC), an IGF-nominated puzzle adventure title (Steam for PC and Mac, Desura for PC and Linux, DRM-free PC, Mac and Linux download), a 'scorching' single and multiplayer arcade-strategy game (Steam for PC and Mac), and a world premiere on PC for a pair of retro RPG-defense games (Desura for PC, DRM-free PC download)," Indie Royale writes. On its Facebook page it added, "None of these titles have been in previous standalone indie game bundles such as Humble, etcetera!"

Pre-orders will receive the Valentine's Bundle the moment it launches, along with One Life Left's "Music to Play Games by Too."

On-rails arcade shooter House of the Dead 3 is coming to the PlayStation Network on Valentine's Day, according to the official Sega blog. Just in time for you and your sweetheart to blow apart a few zombie heads, the game will be available for $6.99. For the next two weeks following its release, a free avatar will be included with purchase, making it a little like getting a Kit Kat bar with your very own Whitman's Sampler.

PlayStation Plus members have an even better deal: They'll be able to get House of the Dead 3 for 30% off until February 28, and will also get an exclusive theme and a few more avatars with the title. And starting today, PS Plus members can download the demo of the game, an exclusive that lasts until February 21.

Robot Unicorn Attack evolved from browser game to mobile title and will now live in harmony, harmony on Facebook as Robot Unicorn Attack Evolution. The pseudo-sequel for the social network adds new control elements, new animals (PANDAS!), daily challenges, and a bevy of microtransaction options.

Players can purchase Fairy Dust, which will allow them to add "enhancements" for extra abilities and bonuses before a session. Enhancements include triple jumps, slowing the game down, blasting through a star without dash, and "Freevolution," which allows players to start the game as the panda. And, really, what game wouldn't we pay to start off as a panda in?

We should have known from its title that Gotham City Impostors couldn't be trusted to operate entirely how it promised. The Xbox Live version isn't set to launch until tomorrow, but today more than 100 DLC items are available in the Xbox Marketplace, ranging from 80 to 320 MS Points. All of the items are cosmetic and won't affect gameplay in any way, Monolith tweeted, and all of them will be unlockable in the full game.

We assume it could have been worse -- getting access to optional DLC before a game launches is better than getting access to required, paid-for DLC months after a game launches. So really Gotham City Impostors isn't such a bad guy after all ... oh. We see what you did there, Monolith.

Put on your fedora and break out the good whip, folks: Uncharted 3's 'Fort Co-op' DLC is available for download today. It focuses on evil doers Zoran Lazarević, Eddy Raja, and Harry Flynn, expanding on the events of the Janus head statue in the on-disc co-op adventure.

The DLC is included in the price of admission for Fortune Hunters -- downloading Fort Co-op separately will set you back $5.99. Joining the co-op DLC today are several skins packs for multiplayer, detailed over on the PlayStation blog. Uncharted 3's next major update, Flashback Map Pack 2 for $9.99, arrives on February 21.

---

Beneath their stoic demeanor and lust for bread crumbs, every duck hides a special ability. In fact, it's not an ability exclusive to them -- all animals in nature have the ability to temporarily rewind time. This is what Tough Guy Studios' Time Ducks has taught me.

Continue Reading

Project Ten Dollar continues unabated. All new copies of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning include something called House of Valor, essentially a DLC content pack offering seven exclusive quests and the Valor Arena where players must survive a "barbaric tournament and ultimately seize control of the arena."

Players will meet new companions and rivals throughout these quests, earning unique items and other rewards along the way. Players without a code can purchase an online pass for 800 MS Points ($10) through Xbox Live Marketplace or the PlayStation Network.

For more on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, make sure to check out the Joystiq review.

Continue Reading