No games purchases this month, except for a copy of Resident Evil 5  purchased on behalf of a friend. On the other hand, I’m getting re-acquainted with last month’s purchase inFAMOUS.  I still get pwned by the game every now and then, but the (good karma) missions and the very act of liberating the city, are pretty fun.

And if you are wondering where I get my PS3 stuff from, it’s from my pal Kyo. Check out his “game mart” of sorts over at the Lowyat.net forums (click here), and the best part is, he always delivers.

Other places to get your PS3 game fix would be GameOn (local) or Play-Asia (international). Otherwise if you are the type who fancies checking out shops, check out Nine Over Ten 9/10’s handy guide to video game stores in the Klang Valley (click here).

What you are about to watch is an interview between Ignition Entertainment’s Shane Bettenhausen and Masaaki Kukino, producer of The King of Fighters XII. In the interview, the two of them discuss the KOF franchise, game design decisions (e.g. why features from KOF XI were dropped) and the new stuff you can do in KOF XII. Enjoy:

Yup, I’m back at electrocuting people on inFAMOUS, and while I’ve been spoiled by spoilers (heh, pun) that I’m supposed to drive my character to the dark side of the Force (I mean, you know, abusing powers and stuff like that), I just can’t bring myself to wreck mayhem.

Instead, I find myself in familiar, if not, comfortable role of guardian to the city, protector of the helpless, electrocuter of evil, blah, blah, blah. Like in Fallout 3, I just can’t be  the bad guy. But while being the good guy still gets you some flak (afterall, the protagonist, I mean antigonist, oh well, is THE TERRORIST), it just feels satisfying helping people.

If there’s any blemish to my goodie-two-shoes character, he has picked up a new hobby, which is jumping off tall buildings. My character is like a cat, practically impervious to anything except water, and jumping off tall buildings just to see how he crashes does feel a little hedonistic. No other game would let you get away with it, not without cheat codes.

Well that’s the premise of Blackest Night #1. The issue kicks start with a day honoring superheroes and those who have fell, no better day for some dead-raising activities. The villain, and now Black Lantern, Black Hand, goes about desecrating the grave of Bruce Wayne and procuring his skull in the process.

Black power rings appear, raising a whole bunch of dead heroes (Elongated Man, Martian Manhunter, etc), a whole bunch of dead Green Lanterns and some dead villains (Captain Boomerang, anyone?) . And if you are one of the living, you really do not want to undergo the process of becoming a Black Lantern (involves another Black Lantern ripping off your heart).

Horrific? Yes! Great? Absolutely! Now, bring me Blackest Night #2.

Available in 6 different designs, each measuring 100mm with a screen cleaner attached, these are OFFICIAL Pokemon merchandize. Selling at USD 3.49 a pop, you can get them at Play-Asia. Click here for details.

See for yourself:

And here’s a little background for the game:

Conquer the universe: Warpgate is a 3D space trading and conquest game where players can master the galactic commodities market, battle space pirates, and meet several friendly and hostile alien species.

It features a fluid and ever changing economy, 6 warring factions including 2 alien species, full arsenal of weapons including lasers, missiles, shields and beams, all spread over a galaxy of more than 75 planets and space stations in 32 star systems.

In my case, I’m totally hooked on Tower Defense-kind of games, so it’s no suprise to see not one but two TD games within my Top 3  list. Check it out:

1. Scrabble

I love word games, especially Scrabble. Since it’s pretty difficulty to get people to play Scrabble with me, I’ve taken to Scrabble on the iPhone. While the DS edition introduced a tacky story mode to the game, the iPhone version keeps it old school with some new multiplayer features.

The AI is abit of a pushover even on normal, so you might need to select a higher difficulty level to get a “kick” out of the game. Check it out over at the App Store (click here).

2. geoDefense

This game excels gameplay-wise and aesthetically, it is a graphical stunner. Combining traditional Tower Defense gameplay with graphics that look like they were lifted off Darwinia or Geometry Wars, this game is not for the faint hearted.

Personally, I’m playing this for the explosions :). Check it out over at the App Store (click here)

3. Defender Chronicles - Legend of the Desert King

This game has a couple of things against it. There’s the terrible storyline with the horrible  narration that sounds from a classroom diction. But one thing this game conveys well is victory against insurmountable odds.

This Tower Defense puts a twist to creep movement and it generally works. This is tempered with the fact that you’ll lose many many times, and still keep trying. It’s addictive that way. Check it out at the App Store (click here).

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So what about you? What are your favourites?

Rorschach, a Fast-paced New Social Game for the iPhone, Gets Everyone Laughing in Minutes

Try Your Hand Analyzing Ink Blots

SEATTLE — July 14, 2009 — Just released for the iPhone: Rorschach, a fast-paced game that will soon have you and your friends as well as family members laughing.  Learn how to play in less than five minutes.  And this is one of the few apps that allows several people to play on a single phone!

In every round of Rorschach, players pick an inkblot that answers a thought-provoking question asked by an on-screen card.  Soon everyone is interacting, giggling over the blots chosen and asking questions like why that ink blot in particular looked best to cuddle with!  Explanations are often hilarious.

Play is similar to the popular Apples to Apples board game.  Participants try to match their answers to other players by figuring out what they are thinking. To win, a player must pick the same inkblot as each other player at least once, and be the only one to pick an inkblot at least once.

Get into the psychology of your fellow players.  Can you figure out whether the other players are giving honest answers?  Or are they trying to pick the same inkblot they think you will choose?  Before long, even the kids are trying scurrilous subterfuges.

Which ink blot looks the most mystical?  Which is the most elegant, or masculine?  Players learn more about each other with each question asked.  The fun is trying to figure out what everyone else is thinking.

Based on the highly popular board game developed by Bucephalus Games, Rorschach for the iPhone offers 100 new and unique inkblot cards, custom-developed to stimulate analysis, suggest themes and get players to use their imagination. The questions cover a broad range of topics, keeping play fresh every time.

Designed for 3-8 players of all ages, 8 to 80, Rorschach makes a great game for entertaining friends at the apartment or at college on a coffee break at midnight. It’s also great for traveling in the car, even on short shopping trips. Rorschach will keep the kids busy while waiting in a doctor’s office. Play time is estimated at 20-40 minutes.

Published by Divide by Zero, a savvy Seattle-based game studio, Rorschach is available from the iPhone App Store for $1.99.

Media Contact:

Luis Levy
The Bohle Company for Divide by Zero Games
(310) 785-0515 Ext. 204
luis@bohle.com
On Twitter: AtmanRising

If you have missed out on Nine Over Ten 9/10’s video coverage of King of Fighters XII, check the following trailers, both of which are in HD: