BUZZKILLER'S DOMAIN

Nathan Fouts of Mommy’s Best Games is hard at work on a new game called Grapple Buggy. Set to arrive on Xbox Live Indie Games in 2010, Grapple Buggy embarks you on a quest to save the planet by finding a new fual source. The catch is that this fuel source is on another alien planet. Both the human government and the alien government send a lone representative to explore this new world. Of course you also have this cool new buggy to travel in which features technology from both governments. So who will you side with?

Grapple Buggy is a game of exploration as you make your way around the alien world, solve plenty of puzzles, and avoid plenty of enemies as well.

Check out the new trailer below.

Wolfenstein (Activision, Raven Software $59.99)

OSA Secret Agent William “B.J.” Blazkowitz is back and he’s once again taking down the Third Reich in the latest Wolfenstein adventure. The Nazi’s are out to harness the power of Black Sun energy for world domination, and it’s up to you to stop it. Use an arsenal of weapons as well as Veil powers to stop the Nazis once and for all. Wolfenstein also has multiplayer as well.

CLICK HERE for the full review.

Who here remembers what happened in video game history on August 14, 1989? I’m sure by the title of this week’s edition of The Weekly Buzz would’ve tipped you off. On that date the Sega Genesis was launched here in the states. A new evolution in gaming kicked off with the 16-bit era. This was the era where words like “fanboy” and “console war” officially became popularized. It was an era that featured “The Plumber vs. The Hedgehog” in a no-holds barred battle for your gaming dollar. For me, the Sega Genesis was my console of choice during those days leaving me fond memories of one of the greatest gaming consoles of all time.

Arcades still reigned supreme during the days of the Genesis due to the fact that there was no online gaming. Sega would put out ports of some of their most popular arcade games like Altered Beast and Golden Axe. Sure they weren’t arcade perfect, but I enjoyed playing these games in the comfort of my own home instead of driving to the local arcade. While arcade ports were great, it was the arrival of a blue hedgehog in 1991 that changed gaming as I knew it at the time forever. Sonic the Hedgehog definitely gave a certain plumber a real run for the money with it’s fast-paced gameplay and introduced the world to Blast Processing. Not only did Sonic become the new official mascot for the company, but the sequels (Sonic 2, 3, and Sonic and Knuckles) increased the Genesis’ popularity with the gaming audience.

I remembered when Sega 1-up’d the competition with the release of the first Mortal Kombat. While the Super Nintendo had a major graphics edge over the Genesis version, Sega fans could still hang their hat on the fact that with a little code called “ABACABB” they would have the “real” game. This code gave Sega Genesis players the full Mortal Kombat experience with all the blood and fatalities unlike their sweat-filled competitor. Even Mortal Kombat II also had a code called “DULLARD” to give us the real experience even if the graphics were not up to par. Now you know why I say that gameplay will always trump graphics in any game.

During the Genesis’ later years, the console became more bulky with the additions of the Sega CD, and the dreaded 32X (yes, I owned one). The only thing I can think of is that fact that Sega was trying to hang on while others were moving on. Games like Sonic CD, Star Wars Arcade, and even the popular cheesy game known as Night Trap kept players playing, but we all knew that the party had to end. Cartridges were now officially considered obsolete compared to CDs due to overall quality. The launch of the Sega Saturn marked the end of an era for the Genesis.

These days the Sega Genesis’ legacy still continues. You can still play some of the most popular Sega Genesis titles on Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. This compilation disc gives us all the classics and raises that nostalgic factor of what gaming was like during the early ’90s. Even after 20 years, I can still recall playing NBA Jam with characters like George Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic and even former U.S. President Bill Clinton. I still remember playing great games like Earthworm Jim, Gunstar Heroes, Streets of Rage 2, Phantasy Star II, and even Street Fighter II and it’s many other versions. These days it all lives on with my Xbox 360. Happy 20th Anniversary Sega Genesis. You still do what Nintendon’t!

Little Racers (Milkstone Studios, 240 Microsoft Points)

Little Racers is reminiscent of old school classics like Super Sprint, Championship Sprint. Race your car on a top-down 2D track. Race in quick races or in a championship series.

CLICK HERE for the full review.

I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1 (Ska Studios, 80 Microsoft Points)

Ska Studios (The Dishwasher Dead Samurai, ZP2K9) made a game and it has zombies in it! This game is a combination of both Smash TV and Geometry Wars. Use an arsenal of weapons to destroy the undead and a variety of other enemies. Features great gameplay and a hilarious original song that plays throughout.

CLICK HERE for the full review

In this latest video, the crew at TimeGate Studios talk about the Dynamic Combat Missions (DCMs) that arew available to you in Section 8. These missions can involve escorting a VIP to a specific location, planting a bomb, and so much more. The best part is that these missions are completely unpredictable and can come up at any time making each time you play the game different from the next. This video also talks about some of the deployables to help aid you in combat including tanks, turrets, and even the combat mech.

Get ready to “drop in” to the battle when Section 8 deploys on the Xbox 360 and PC on September 1.

Madden NFL 10 (EA Sports, $59.99)

This game is definitely more than just a $60 roster update. It may have taken five years, but Madden NFL 10 has surpassed the benchmark of football video games known as NFL 2K5.

CLICK HERE for the full review

Trials HD (RedLynx Games, 1200 Microsoft Points)

Trials HD is Excitebike for a whole new generation. Race against the clock and your friends on makeshift tracks. Also contains a full level editor to make your own tracks. A great game worth downloading.

CLICK HERE for the full review.

Veks and Silence (Edible Entertainment, 400 Microsoft Points)

Zombies have invaded the city and it’s up to video game hero Silence to save the day. It’s 13 levels of absolute blood, gore, and absolute mayhem.

CLICK HERE for the full review.

Nebulon (Dark Omen Games, 200 Microsoft Points)

Nebulon looks, feels, and plays just like Geometry Wars but with a twist. A fun game to play , and a good solid effort on Xbox Live Indie Games.

CLICK HERE for the full review.