GadgetReview

Target, via Amazon has the Rock Band Videogame for all systems for $19.99 + $2.86 S&H = $22.85 shipped! This game is world renowned and lets you play with your friends – you’ll need to buy your own instruments though since this is JUST the game.

Remember just a year ago, when Wiis were almost impossible to find in stores and you could make a pretty fair chunk of cash by selling one of these hot little properties on eBay?  Well, a year makes a pretty huge difference, and now, there’s a Wii in most every home that wants one.  Of course, this has posed a whole new problem for Nintendo.

The company that could do no wrong just this time last year, is now facing–get this–a forty percent drop in quarterly revenues, and no immediate indication that things will get better.

Admittedly, there were only so many units they could ever sell, period–who really needs TWO Wiis?–but Nintendo exec Satoru Iwata thinks he’s got the answer: it’s all about the games.  People are starting to realize that there aren’t a whole lot of good, high-demand games for their system.  After all, you can only play so many Wario Ware titles before you start to lose the point.

But I’m with him on that one–the Wii needs more games. And not just big mini-game collections, either, but actual GAMES.  They’ve got a great platform, if only they’d do something with it.

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Hard to believe, but the launch date for DJ Hero is less than 24 hours away.  Be prepared to drop some serious cash, though, since the normal version starts at $120, while the Eminiem/JayZ Renegade version will cost you $200.

IGN already knocked out a review and gave it a 9.0.  Check the video below.

Update: Order it from Amazon and use this coupon to save $10 at checkout: DJHERO10

Playing Road Rash many years ago, I can still clearly remember how violently visceral it was.  Smashing people in the face at high speeds with chains couldn’t easily be outdone in those days.

With brutal violence playing a major role in today’s video games, I had recently played Road Rash 1, 2, and 3 through the Sega Genesis Collection for the PSP and can say that they seemed pretty tame at best.

While nothing is confirming the video exactly, it looks awesome and the sense of speed is really captured to great effect.  I’m hoping we soon see a leak of a new Desert/Jungle/Soviet/Nuclear/Future Strike game!

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Well it’s August 18th and I have yet to see the Madden 2010 companion app that I spoke of last week.  In it’s temporary place is the Unofficial Madden Player Analyzer.  Having been out for some weeks now, it is the first app to come up when I searched the word “Madden”.  At $0.99, the UMPA is quite comprehensive in showing the collecting stats for over 2,000 players that appear in this year’s Madden 2010.

For Madden enthusiasts, this could be a great itch scratcher for when you can’t get your mind off the game.  At the current time there are only 13 reviews, but they’ve all raved on how cool it is and a steal for the price.  Available now in your friendly neighborhood App Store.

To help everybody get excited for the August 14th release of Madden 2010, a quick news bit about a companion iPhone app should do the trick.  I just watched the IGN review of Madden 2010 and was tickled to learn that EA will be releasing an iPhone app that will let you manage your online franchise mode on the go.  As with fantasy football, Madden can be an all consuming hobby so I’m thinking this should be a pretty big deal.  Details are scarce at the moment with no price (fingers crossed for free), or release date confirmed.  Let’s hope it releases by the 14th so we can get using it.

**UPDATE**

The Madden 2010 Online Franchise Companion App will be available in the App Store on Tuesday August 18th for FREE!

Is it me, or has the whole Fight Stick pheneomenom caught on like a bad case of the herpes?  I can recall playing fighting games on my early gen consoles with these things and only accomplishing one thing: getting my ass thoroughly kicked.  You just can’t keep up with the button mashing and short stroke of a game pad.

But apparently all my whining is falling on deaf ears.  Why?  Because true hardcore fighting game fans love the Fight Stick regardless of its play action, because it’s a true ode to the days of arcades.  Plus it makes for a killer collectible, that is assuming you’re super into video games.

Available at Comic Con only, Mad Catz and Capcom will sell a very limited edition Street Fighter IV Tournament Edition Fighting Stick.  It’s oh-so retro artwork will be adorned to only 500 units – 250 for the Xbox and 250 for the PS3 – and cost attendees of the conference $179.99.  If you can’t get your hands on one of those you can always opt for the game pad version (1000 units), which isn’t nearly as cool (or valuable) but will cost only $49.95. …Continue reading: Mad Catz Street Fighter IV Collectors Edition Fight Stick Only Available At Comic-Con

DJ Hero has long alluded the general public, but in these past few weeks Activision and the creative minds of Free Style Games have been kind enough to trickle out some info.  Today, they showed off the game and controller in all its glory and I was there to catch it on video.  After seeing DJ Hero demoed in the flesh I can honestly say that the game will be a ton of fun.  My friend Ryan has played it and according to him it ain’t easy.  In fact, one of the founders of Free Style Games, whose seen playing in this video, scored less than 75% when they had their launch party at the Wiltern.  The official launch date of DJ Hero is October 27th and it will cost $119.99.  You can preorder it from Amazon now.

[Thanks, Ryan for the E3 passes]

I’ve been searching high and low for some DJ Hero in action.  Now, I’ve finally found it.  In the video below you’ll see the people from Free Style Games in a multiplayer mode that pits a DJ against a guitarist – yes, you can use your Guitar Hero guitar in DJ hero.  It’s a bit difficult to workout just what the DJ player has to do, but you’ll get the general idea.

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Bioshock 2 will be one of the biggest games this holiday season.  The first Bioshock was a totally amazing play that was so well rounded it caught many by surprise.  Here’s a new 9 minute video walkthrough by one of the games designers.  Enjoy!

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