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Pick & Play: October 23-29

Pick & Play: October 23-29

Pick & Play: October 23-29

The first of our major contenders for multiplayer military shooter of the year (do we have a category that specific?) hits this Tuesday, coming into the week with massive pre-order numbers and little in the way of direct competition. That’s not to say that there aren’t large or highly anticipated titles coming out this week, but most of what is joining Battlefield 3 at retail doesn’t have the sort of clout to draw attention away from the juggernaut’s presence. That said, I’m personally all about the Kirby.

Battlefield 3 Battlefield 3
(PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Touting DICE’s proprietary Frostbite 2.0 engine, Battlefield 3 might sport the best technical visuals of any video game. Ever. It dwarfs even Crysis, but still promises tremendous multiplayer conflicts, in addition to the first comprehensive single-player campaign in a main-series Battlefield title. Additionally, and most exciting, its environments are highly destructible. Plus, dude, jets. You can fly ’em. As if you need me to tell you, Battlefield 3 is dropping on Tuesday, October 25.

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Kirby’s Return to Dream Land
(Wii)

Nintendo’s pink puffball returns in classic side-scrolling form. Unlike Kirby’s previous Wii outing, a yarn of which we shall say no more, Return to Dream Land allows one of Nintendo’s cutest to play to his famous strengths: power absorption and airborne mobility. The title goes the New Super Mario Bros. route and doesn’t change much of the classic formula, but it does add cinematic ultra-powers and a four player cooperative mode. Hectic? Colorful? You bet. In your hands? Perhaps. It hit on Sunday, October 23.

Dance Central 2 Dance Central 2
(Xbox 360)

The original Dance Central was the argument for the Kinect at launch. Featuring imaginative and engaging dance routines and functional body-scanning controls set to catchy and well-known music, it sold well and has now garnered a sequel. Adding more music and a simultaneous multiplayer mode, Dance Central 2 also features a practice mode that allows players to perfect that one, nigh-impossible string in the middle of their favorite track. Then again, would you expect anything less in a music game from Harmonix? Dance Central 2 is out this Tuesday, October 25.

Disney Universe Disney Universe
(PS3, Wii, X360)

Our own Amanda Kondolojy has been excited for this game since the moment it was announced. So, of course, when we had a shot at hands-on time with it, she was more than happy to oblige (Read about that here.) Donning your favorite Disney characters’ suits might sound a bit morbid, but Disney Universe is determined to keep the action lighthearted and fun. It comes out this Tuesday, October 25.

Dragonball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi Dragonball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi
(PS3, Xbox 360)

Destructible environments, fast-paced combat spread between explosive energy blasts and brutal melee, and really spiky hair. Dragonball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, for the first time, allows you to make your own spiky-haired combatant. Your own Toriyama-inspired creation? How can a DBZ fan resist? Story-wise, it’s nothing particularly new, extending through Dragonball Z up into GT, but it offers players another chance to engage in over-the-top martial arts action. Dragonball Z goes Super Saiyan on Tuesday, October 25.

Stronghold 3 Stronghold 3
(PC)

The original Stronghold came out at a time when RTS titles were a dime a dozen. It stood out for its impressive depiction of castle sieges and an altogether traditional take on medieval warfare. A sequel was released in 2005 before the series disappeared off the map. Until now. Stronghold 3 touts improved graphics and freeform building placement, continuing the story of the original with appearances by familiar characters. It will be out this Tuesday, October 25.

Pokémon Rumble Blast Pokémon Rumble Blast
(3DS)

A full-course sequel to the bite-sized Pokemon Rumble title released on WiiWare in 2009, Pokemon Rumble Blast is a full-priced cart that offers similar dungeon-crawling action-RPG gameplay, but expands its roster beyond a sampling and up to the entire spectrum of 649 Pokemon, all collectible as wind-up toy versions of themselves for you to control. Read our hands-on preview and decide if this game, released Sunday, October 23, is for you.

Back to the Future: The Game Back to the Future: The Game
(PS3, Wii)

Collecting Telltale Games’ entire five-episode adventure game series, Back to the Future: The Game’s boxed release offers ours of adventure that will make you exclaim “Great Scott!” and have you yearning to tear down the highway at 88 miles per hour. Telling an appropriately time-twisting tale for the Back to the Future franchise, the game features Christopher Lloyd reprising his role as Doc Brown. Also, though Marty McFly is voiced by a sound-alike, Michael J. Fox does make an appearance in the final episode. A true Back to the Future fan’s dream game, collected in one as of Tuesday, October 25.

DLC Slated for release this week:

  • Toy Soldiers: Cold War – Evil Empire Pack (XBLA)
  • inFamous 2: Festival of Blood (PSN)
  • Daytona USA (PSN, XBLA)
  • The Haunted: Hell’s Reach (PC)
  • A World of Keflings: It Came From Outer Space (XBLA)
  • PixelJunk SideScroller (PSN)
  • Renegade Ops (PC)

    Hidden Gem of the Week: The War of the Worlds

    Is it based on the classic 1953 black and white movie? The 2005, Tom Cruise remake? The original H.G. Wells novel? How ’bout all of the above? Drawing elements from each, but blazing its own trail, The War of the Worlds tells an original story more suited to a side-scrolling platformer in the vein of classics such as Prince of Persia and Out of This World. The developers are proud to have made a difficult game, but one that makes it clear why you have failed. That and the engaging animations, the result of traditional rotoscoping, sell an experience far removed from what gamers have come to expect of their downloadable diversions. The War of the Worlds will be out on the XBLA this Wednesday, October 26.

    By Shelby Reiches
    CCC Contributing Writer

    *The views expressed within this article are solely the opinion of the author and do not express the views held by Cheat Code Central.*

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