Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. Children of all ages. Gather round and let me tell you a tale about this week’s pick.

LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures. And while the game itself released on multiple platforms, in particular, this week’s pick focuses on the Nintendo DS version.

While many people look at this game as a poor attempt to capitalize off of the LEGO Star Wars franchise, it is anything but. With a LEGO Batman title already in the works, it’s obvious - at least to myself - that they are likely doing fairly well in the marketplace.

But, that is beyond the point here. The outlook for today is on the game itself. And while it does have a few weaknesses, they are greatly surpassed by it’s strengths. Graphics for the game are dead on, smooth and bring to mind memories of playing with little LEGO people as a child.

The story itself is well known to almost everyone who has seen the movies. As with the LEGO Star Wars series, they movie levels are broken up into six levels each, making for a total of eighteen levels in all, with mini-games and bonus levels strewn throughout. The content for this game, especially on the DS, is amazing in it’s expanse. Each level can take nearly half an hour to beat; longer if you chose to collect every coin and find every secret.

The sounds and the score for the game are dead-on from the crack of the whip to the iconic Indiana Jones theme music. Anyone who liked, or as is the case with myself - loved - the music from the movies will definitely enjoy the soundtrack from the game.

As for gameplay, at times it feels like you’re back to playing LEGO Star Wars, but the introduction of new items such as the whip, the shovel, a monkey, and such in replacement of the Force brings fresh challenge to the game. Another point that this game shares with it’s LEGO brethren is that as you play through the levels, you can unlock and then buy new characters with which to replay the levels in free-play mode. Coupled with the fact that you can create your own character for the same purposes add a little bit of excitement to the package as well.

Also, you may find that the puzzles in this game are more challenging and therefore much more rewarding to solve. From actually blowing into the microphone to put out torches to disarming opponents with your whip to make them more susceptible to unarmed combat, or even deciding to pick up an item dropped by an enemy to help you on your quests will all be new experiences to delve into.

While I didn’t have any real complaints with this game, there were a few points where I felt they could have made it slightly less one-sided; as in an enemy on an unsurmountable ledge with a pistol and you’re only armament being an out-of-range whip while trying to solve a particularly difficult puzzle was a little frustrating. But such setbacks really don’t delay the games progress or dull it’s enjoyment factor nearly at all.

All in all, I give this game a 9.5

Graphics - 9.5
Sound - 9.5
Story - 9.5
Gameplay - 9.5
Replay - 9.5

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From the launch of the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), gamers all over the world have held their breath while waiting for the next system. And while, like any major system or game developer, they’ve hit a few bumps in the road, the quality is still impressive.

This year, E3 brought some news for Nintendo. While not quite as groundbreaking as Miscrosoft or Sony reveleations, news it still is, and I’m here to tell you all about it.

So, lets start of with our customary list of new games to hit the Wii and the DS in the future, shall we?

1. Mega Man 9 - Wii
2. Neopets Puzzle Adventure - Wii
3. Spyborgs - Wii
4. Dragonology - Wii/DS
5. Wizardology - Wii/DS
6. Defendin’ De Penguin - Wii/DS
7. Ford Racing Offroad - Wii
8. King of Clubs Mini-Golf - Wii
9. Purr Pals - Wii
10. Solitaire & Mahjong - Wii
11. Bangai-O Spirits - DS
12. Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers - Wii
13. Gravity - DS
14. Pet Vet: Down Under - DS
15. Secret Files: Tunguska - DS
16. Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals - DS
17. Ultimate Band - Wii/DS
18. Monster Lab - Wii
19. FaceBreaker K.O. Party - Wii
20. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Wii/DS
21. MySims Kingdom - Wii/DS
22. SimCity Creator - Wii/DS
23. Skate It - Wii
24. Zubo - DS
25. Away: Shuffle Dungeon - DS
26. Babysitting Mania - DS
27. Cooking Mama: World Kitchen - Wii
28. Major Minor’s Majestic March - Wii
29. Marker Man Adventures - DS
30. Our House - Wii
31. Wonderworld Amusement Park - DS
32. Touchmaster 2 - DS
33. Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness - DS
34. Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility - Wii
35. Animal Crossing: City Folk - Wii
36. Chrono Trigger DS - DS
37. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen - DS
38. Final Fantasy IV - DS
39. Age of Empires: Mythologies - DS
40. Deadly Creatures - Wii
41. de Blob - Wii
42. LEGO Batman - Wii/DS

So, as you can see, there’s a slew of new titles set to hit the Wii and the DS in the near future for everyone to look forward to. But in other news we’re looking at a much bigger piece of news for the Wii. A piece of news that most people had been expecting to be more in line with a Microsoft or Sony release.

But, behold, Nintendo has announced plans for a new motion-sensitive remote to be released in conjunction with a brand new Wii Sports game - Wii Sports Resort. The new plug-in add-on is meant to make the motion sensing control even more precise. The new MotionPlus remote is capable of sensing motion on all three axis in 3-D space.

This new Wii Sports Resort game and the MotionPlus is scheduled to ship in Spring 2009.

As new news develops and more information gained on these soon-to-be new additions to the Wii and DS franchises, look for new articles to keep you posted and informed.

Until then, enjoy the read.

November 17th, 2003 was a major date in gaming history. Anyone know what happened on that day? The release of Playstation 3 in North America. Since then, it’s battled its way to the top of gamers’ wish lists around the world.

Now, in 2008, Sony has a big order to fill. That of living up to not only their reputation, but the hype surrounding their future releases.

The list of games looking at making a debut or a simple return on the PS3 is a mighty one, and we have that list right here, for your enjoyment. So, here it is.

1. Bioshock
2. Fallout 3
3. Bionic Commando
4. Dark Void
5. Plunder
6. Street Fighter IV
7. Damnation
8. Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising
9. Rise of the Argonauts
10. Pure
11. FaceBreaker
12. Madden NFL ‘09
13. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
14. Mirror’s Edge
15. The Lord of the Rings: Conquest
16. Legendary
17. Mortal Combat vs. DC Universe
18. This is Vegas
19. MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
20. Resistance 2
21. SOCOM: Confrontation
22. Free Realms
23. The Agency
24. Edge of Twilight
25. The Last Remnant
26. Darksiders: Wrath of War
27. Red Faction: Guerrilla
28. Saints Row 2
29. LEGO Batman
30. Project Origin
31. God of War 3
    

But wait!  There’s more!  The most highly anticipated games of PS3 fame are next.

inFamous

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Borderlands

Resident Evil 5

Killzone 2

So, as you can see, gaming developers and Sony Entertainment have quite the work cut out for them.

In related news, at E3, 2008, Sony had other big announcements to make regarding the future of Playstation. Starting with the unveiling of a the new PS Network they move quickly on to the PS Video Store where you can either rent or buy movies, followed by two new ways to download content to your PSP. Next up is a new feature that will allow players to “call bullsh*t” on other gamers, streaming television content, and a fistfull of PS Network games. A Sony secret revealed is an all-new Ratchet and Clank episode-like downloadable game and the news that coming this fall, all PS gamers will be getting a Gamers-card which they can use to access content from the PC, PS3, or PSP.

As you can see, this is going to be a big year for the Playstation, including a new fall-2008 PS2 bundle which will include LEGO Batman and a Justice League cartoon movie.

Hope you gathered everything you had hoped for from the article. ‘Stay tuned’ for more E3 2008 coverage, right here on Gamer Vantage.

Atone here, everybody. And today I bring you the highlights from E3, 2008.

For those of you who have been hiding under rocks and in underground caverns for the last decade, E3 is one of gamings biggest events of the year. It stands for ‘Electronic Entertainment Expo’, or more commonly - E3. Gamers around the world have looked to E3 to inform them on new, upcoming, and otherwise innovative games and hardware either in development or in production since all the way back in 1995. I don’t know about you, but back in ‘95, I was still playing Sonic 2 on the Sega Genesis.

This year, E3 took place between July 14th - July 17th and held a lot of huge surprises for everyone, but veteran gamers especially. While I can’t rightly write an entire article on every single aspect of the event, this is the first of many articles to hit back to back that will each cover a different console.

First up on our look at E3 2008 is the XBOX 360. Some of the big hits and some big changes have been announced for this and the following year. But first, lets take a look at some of the games in the works.

1. Borderlands
2. Fallout 3
3. Resident Evil 5
4. Tomb Raider Underworld
5. Just Cause 2
6. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
7. The Lord of the Rings: Conquest
8. Dungeon Hero
9. Legendary
10. Too Human
11. Mortal Combat VS. DC Universe
12. Unreal Tournament 3
13. Soul Caliber IV
14. Edge of Twilight
15. Two Worlds: The Temptation
16. Infinite Undiscovery
17. Saints Row 2
18. Left 4 Dead
19. LEGO Batman

Now, I’m sure you’re all hoping that I left a few off of the list. I did. The most anticipated and likely explosive hits for the XBOX 360 are coming up right now.

Fable 2

Halo Wars

Gears of War 2

But, for most gamers, the most unexpected surprise of the day came in the form of a teaser trailer released by Square-Enix. Final Fantasy XIII does not have a release date as of yet. But, what we do know is that it will be released simultaneously on the XBOX 360 and the PS3. The news of the series jumping to the 360 rocked some gamers while making others very excited.

In more big news, Microsoft announced ‘A New XBOX 360 Experience’. What does that mean? I’m going to tell you. It means that Microsoft is releasing a completely new design and interface for the 360. On top of totally revamping the entire dashboard of the system, they are also integrating some new features; such as allowing players to use their own NetFlix account to download and watch movies on their 360.

In response to Playstation Home and Wii Mii, they also plan to launch a new total-integration avatar system where every user has their own unique character that can be seen by other users as well as used in games. More innovations along these lines include a new Community Channel as well as a Live-Party System. They even are planning on a new Primetime Channel which allows users to star in their own game show.

Lastly at our look at the 360 is the news that the 20GB hard drive units will be dropped in price to $299, while a new unit with a 60GB hard drive will slowly replace it with a cost of $349.

All-in-all, we’re looking at big year for the XBOX 360 and some big games to go along with it. Not sure what this means yet for other consoles, but I’m sure that Sony and Nintendo both have something up their sleeve.

Be sure to look for future follow-up articles and in depth reviews, right here at Gamer Vantage.

For this week, I think it’s safe to say that there are plenty of good games out there.  With that in mind, there are also plenty of unbearably bad games out there.  But then, you get lucky and find a game that completely blows you away with every new aspect that you come across.  From the storyline, to the characters, to the graphics, and beyond.  The game I’ve chosen for this week, is one that we’ve all heard of, yet newcomers to the series, or the genre, may find it hard to get into at first.

That game is over two years old and I chose it because I still hear people asking whether or not it is any good; or whether or not it is worth the money.  The Elder Scrolls IV:  Oblivion.  Well people, to put it simply.  It is.

For those of you who don’t know anything about the game or the series, here is a quick rundown.  It is an RPG in which you start out with low stats and no real items of use.  You design your character from one of ten different races and then go on to define facial features right down to skin, hair, and eye color.  As you play through the main quest, or not, you earn experience points which you use to raise your stats and attributes.

Sound simple?  It is.  But at the same time, it is a rich experience that, once it grabs you, refuses to let go.  The first few minutes of the game find your character in prison living out a dismal lifelong sentence.  But shortly, all of that will be thrown to the wind and you’ll find yourself traveling through the prison’s underground, learning the basics of the game, and being thrown head first into the main quest of the game.

Yet, one of the greatest things about Oblivion is that you can choose not to continue on the main quest and can instead opt to travel the vast, open-ended country of Cyrodill and explore the multitude of caves, cities, and caverns.  Or, maybe you want to join a guild and rise through the ranks.  Or maybe, you want to rob and pillage to gain vast wealth.  Whatever you chose to do, the possibilities are in the hundreds.

Graphics for the newest installment of the Elder Scrolls series are amazing.  Whether you chose to play it on the XBOX360, the PS3, or the PC, you will be amazed by the detail and smooth transitions.  The wildlife, the weather, or just the sheer detail of the land will all catch your eye and dazzle you with the time and effort put into making this game what it is.

As for the score for the game, all I can say is that it’s wonderful.  I personally love the music and sounds that are tailored to every encounter and situation.  It just seems to fit right along with every other aspect of the game.

My only problem with this game was a little one, but was a problem none the less.  It can be slightly glitchy at times and the load times should be cut down slightly.  But these things in no way impede the game from it’s greatness.

So, for my pick of the week, I chose The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

I rate it easily at 9.5  (Graphics-9.7, Sound-10, Story-9.5, Gameplay-10, Replay-9.5)

Hope y’all enjoyed the read.  There will be a brand new pick of the week every Monday.