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Dragon's Dogma: The Kotaku Review GameSpot got its hands on the PlayStation 2 version of Harmonix’s Rock Band, due to ship next week, and found that it’s a very scaled back affair compared to the already released version. While it’s no surprise that online play is nowhere to be found on the PS2 port, as is the potential for downloadable content, it seems that a handful of other aspects have been left on the cutting room floor. According to the preview, the last gen version of Rock Band features a much simpler, more linear World Tour mode. Character customisation is gone, as is the dynamic of accruing cash and amassing a fan base.
Outside of online play, these aren’t the kind of core elements that will keep most players coming back to Rock Band, so I doubt these downgrades will sow much consumer rage. The lack of downloadable content may, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see MTV Games and Harmonix issue expansion packs of songs that aren’t included in the original.
Rock Band Hands-On–The PS2 Edition [GameSpot]
If you feel like your Ace Combat 6 fighter jet is giving off a bit too much of a testosterone vibe, why not take the masculinity down a few notches by adding a 16 year old anime girl to it? These soon to be released The IDOLM@STER decals for the F-117A Night Hawk feature all-singing, all-dancing fake idol Yukiho Hagiwara. Apparently, she’s afraid of chihuahuas. If that doesn’t lop the balls off your stealth fighter, I don’t know what will. Maybe a heatseeking Louis Vuitton purse.
The IDOLM@STER skin is just one of six that will be available to Japanese gamers as downloadable content on December 20th.
As some of our tipsters and commenters have pointed out, game review harvesting site GameRankings no longer displays any scores from sister site GameSpot, despite both being owned by CNET. GameRankings still features prominent GameSpot logo placement and links, but the reviews have disappeared. CNET’s other review gathering property, MetaCritic, still features GameSpot scores as part of its database. While conspiracy theories abound, it seems the real story behind the removal of GameSpot reviews isn’t as dramatic as some might think.
The remake of NiGHTS Into Dreams for the PlayStation 2 is, so far, still currently a Japan-only release. However, that will surely change based on demand for the Saturn classic, now that Sega of Japan has confirmed that the limited Christmas NiGHTS edition of the original game will be included in the PS2 port as a “Christmas Dream”, unlocked by completing the standard edition of the game.
Please register your interest for Sega of America executives in the comments, but please, no threats of bodily harm.
NiGHTS Into Dreams… “Christmas dream” Collection [Game Watch]
The latest issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine contains news on Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots that may please Metal Gear Online fans. What was once pitched as two completely separate games—one single player, one multi-player—may actually come together in a single MGS4 package. We’d been told by series mainstay Hideo Kojima at Games Convention this year that only limited online play was planned for Metal Gear Solid 4 and that Metal Gear Online would still ship separately, but it seems that Kojima Productions and Konami may have changed their minds.
Judging by the response to news that Valve was readying an official Weighted Companion Cube plush, demand for such a tchotchke is sky high. The good word from the boys and girls at Valve is that the silent star of Portal is now available in huggable polyester fibre, measuring 6″ by 6″ by 6″ (about 15 centimeters cubed for our metric friends) and can be yours for only $US 29.99.
The product frenzy doesn’t stop there, though, as Companion Cube fuzzy hanging-dice, Aperture Science mugs and Cake posters are all available in the store. Don’t forget, though, that a life-sized Weighted Companion Cube is being auctioned off on eBay, with proceeds going to Child’s Play.
Weighted Companion Cube [Valve Store - thanks, Peter!]
If you happened to miss yesterday’s episode of Attack of the Show on G4, featuring Wired Game|Life‘s Chris Kohler and yours truly chatting about the Jeff Gerstmann-GameSpot situation, now’s your chance. Notice that it’s Kohler representing with a bird shirt this time, not a Kotaku editor. Now that we’ve had ample time to process, with tempers cooled, we rapped about the long term effects of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Score-gate. I know, that doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?
This week’s additions to the Smash Bros. Dojo show that there is still some fresh content kicking around the Super Smash Bros. Brawl warehouse. A pair of new Assist Trophies were revealed this week, as was another Pokémon, and a confirmed stage from Mario Kart helped in breaking up the rather jejune updates involving menu screens. It may be an unpopular choice with some, but this associate editor certainly won’t shed any tears over Waluigi’s second string appearance in the Wii brawler.
I’m going to change into my casual cardigan and sneakers before we do this week’s Dojo Dump. Won’t you join me?
Following a Team Fortress 2 bender last night that saw me kicking insane amounts of Spy arse with my Pyro’s flamethrower skills and a tutorial on Soldier rocket-leading techniques from my roommate, I can’t imagine us doing anything but stealing enemy intelligence all weekend. I’ve also finally unwrapped my copy of Cruis’n for the Wii and Neo Geo Battle Colosseum for the PlayStation 2, which should make for so bad it’s good and actually pretty good diversions. I’ve also charged up the Nintendo DS and plan on wasting plenty of my time playing Picross. It may very well make it into my top ten of 2007. No joke.
Anyone want to get a game of TF2 on this weekend? If not, what else are you playing? Hit us square in the comments as soon as possible.
