Just over a year ago, Activision released Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, which went on to become a certifiable cultural phenomenon. The reason for its success was twofold: a great game that could appeal to both adults and kids alike, and (perhaps more importantly) its interaction with physical collectible toys that monetized the game in an incredible way. To put it plainly, it was a game that kids and parents could legitimately enjoy together (which attracted the parents), and it was tied in with awesome collectible toys (which attracted the kids and collector-types). Now, one year later, Activision has taken Skylanders forward with Skylanders Giants, introducing a new story and new character figures. Read the full story

I’m a massive fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. My wife may claim that she’s a bigger fan, but I was a fan first, so nyah nyah to her. I fell in love with Assassin’s Creed while playing as Altair, up until the penultimate battle which will forever be ingrained in my memory as complete and utter bullshit. While I still love the first Assassin’s Creed, I could not imagine going back and playing it again after having played Ezio’s games. The level of improvement in the free-running mechanics, world interaction, travel, and more was simply stunning. Three games were released on the Assassin’s Creed II engine, and each of them seemed to feature some form of improvement over the last while working within the same development environment. Assassin’s Creed III, then, with its new engine, must be as much of a revelation now as Assassin’s Creed II was when it was released, no? Read the full story

A week has passed since NinjaBee released the Sugar, Spice and Not So Nice DLC for A World of Keflings. Not content to leave another year before a follow-up, The Curse of the Zombiesaurus, A World of Keflings’ third proper DLC, is available today on XBLM. Developed in secret alongside its fellow DLC Theme Contest alumnus, The Curse of the Zombiesaurus brings the Graveyard DLC theme to (forgive me) life for 320MSP, keeping the price of A World of Keflings DLC consistent straight from the start. Is the quality just as consistent? Read the full story

I’ll be honest here and say that I’ve never played any of the Zone of the Enders games. I’ve heard about them, and I understand that they have a cult appeal, but I’ve simply never gotten around to it. I find this particularly odd, because I do enjoy the concept of mechs, but there’s nothing to be done about it now. Except play the upcoming Zone of the Enders HD Collection, of course. Due out this month, what better way to play than with the newly detailed (plus or minus two weeks) Limited Edition? Read the full story

I know this is a little late (what’s two weeks between friends?), but here it is anyway. If you haven’t read our PAX Prime coverage of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, then what the hell are you waiting for?! Get on it, and get excited about this game. You know what’ll help you get even more excited? Limited Edition details. Announced two weeks ago, the Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Limited Edition will be available on February 19, 2013, and includes the full copy of the game, the official soundtrack, a limited edition 2-sided Steelbook, and an exclusive high-frequency (?) katana blade plasma lamp.

No pricing has been announced, but who doesn’t want a sword lamp?

Nearly one year ago, my avatar embarked on a new adventure within the Kefling kindgoms; an adventure of epic sci-fi proportions that introduced new elements to A World of Keflings, and treated me to a veritable plethora (I love using that word) of sci-fi pop culture references. It has been almost a full year since the last A World of Keflings DLC was released. Granted, the recently released Avatar FameStar update does include the new weekly Rockstar challenges that could be considered DLC, but it’s more a short weekly play session than a brand new story in a brand new kingdom, so I don’t count it among the ranks of proper A World of Keflings DLC. Today, NinjaBee has released their second full-fledged DLC adventure for A World of Keflings: Sugar, Spice and Not So Nice. Read the full story

There were rumors swirling around a couple of months ago about ToeJam & Earl making their way to XBLA and PSN as part of an upcoming SEGA Vintage Collection. Today, those rumors have been officially confirmed. SEGA Vintage Collection: ToeJam & Earl will include the original classic, ToeJam & Earl, and its lesser known, but still wonderfully entertaining sequel, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron. The titles will be provided in a bundle on the XBLM for 800MSP, and available separately on PSN for $4.99 each. The collection releases on November 6 and November 7 on PSN and XBLM, respectively.

GOTY.

Transformers Prime has been a big hit for Hasbro and The Hub Network. Now, that success is making its way to the Wii U (and other platforms) in time for the new console’s launch. Based in the animated Transformers Prime universe, Transformers Prime for Wii U will put you in the roles of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Arcee, Ratchet, and Bulkhead as you battle to save the Earth from Megatron and his new plan for domination. Along with the single player campaign, Transformers Prime contains a multiplayer mode that allows players to select from eleven Transformers across both Autobots and Decepticons. Read the full story

I have a feeling October is going to be one of the best all-around months for gaming this year in terms of quality experiences. Not least on that list is Ubisoft’s upcoming PlayStation Vita title, Assassin’s Creed III Liberation. The first full-featured Assassin’s Creed experience on a handheld device, Liberation takes place during the same time as Ubisoft’s other shanking simulator, Assassin’s Creed III. Take a look at this newly released developer diary for Liberation, and get even more excited for what is sure to be one of the must-have titles for the unfortunately floundering PlayStation Vita: Read the full story

Recently, it seems to me that each time I gaze at my handsomely bearded face in a mirror, I become more and more unrecognizable. Not because my beard is taking over my face (it needs a bit of a trim), but because I am undergoing a confusing and frightening change. I’m not talking about puberty, either. I’m talking about my growing fascination with, and enjoyment of, stealth gameplay. I’ve mentioned before, quite vociferously, that stealth gameplay is not my forte, nor is it something I enjoy being forced into. Then came Mark of the Ninja, and I found myself sincerely enjoying a stealth title’s gameplay and mechanics. If I was surprised by my enjoyment of one stealth title, imagine how my world must have turned upside down when I found myself enjoying yet another stealth title less than one month later with Dishonored. Read the full story