The Record Works

Flaming Lips Detail Record Store Day Release With Bon Iver, Nick Cave, Ke$ha...

2012-03-20T07:21:00.001-07:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

Flaming Lips Detail Record Store Day Release With Bon Iver, Nick Cave, Ke$ha, Erykah Badu, More

via Latest News - Pitchfork by Jenn Pelly on 3/20/12

Since October, the Flaming Lips have been offering hints regarding their collaborative Record Store Day release. Now, we have the full details of the compilation, which is called The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends and features collaborations with Bon Iver, Erykah Badu, Nick Cave, Yoko Ono, Neon Indian, Ke$ha, Prefuse 73, Tame Impala, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Lightning Bolt, Biz Markie, New Fumes, Chris Martin of Coldplay, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It's out on Record Store Day, April 21.

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to Latest News - Pitchfork using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Neil Young & Crazy Horse Americana Details

2012-03-20T07:09:00.001-07:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

Neil Young & Crazy Horse Americana Details

via Stereogum by Stereogum on 3/20/12

Neil Young and Crazy Horse will put out an album of reworked American folk songs this summer for an LP called Americana ("Clementine," "She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain," that kind of thing). It's the first collaboration between Young and Crazy Horse since 2003′s Greendale the first featuring Crazy Horse's current full roster (Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina, Frank "Poncho" Sampedro) since 1996′s Broken Arrow. Young went on record about the release earlier this year, telling Rolling Stone that ""A very young choir of children plays with Crazy Horse [on the album]. They're songs we all know from kindergarden, but Crazy Horse has rearranged them, and they now belong to us." Check out the tracklist below.

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to Stereogum using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Neil Young & Crazy Horse Announce New Album

2012-03-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

Rolling Stone reports that Neil Young & Crazy Horse have announced Americana, out June 5. It's the first Neil Young LP with the original Crazy Horse lineup (Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina, and Frank "Poncho" Sampedro) since 1996's Broken Arrow. In a typically Neil Young-ian unexpected move, the album consists of American folk standards, including "Oh Susannah" and "She'll Be Comin 'Round the Mountain", sung with a choir of children. Huh.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PitchforkLatestNews/~3/f1-kqIZVQoY/

Sent with MobileRSS HD

The 5 Most Memorable SXSW Sets Of The Past 5 Years

2012-03-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

The 5 Most Memorable SXSW Sets Of The Past 5 Years

Music - Stereogum

The "discovery" function of SXSW faded long ago, when the internet democratized access to information and YouTube brought every band's live show to everyone's laptops. And at SXSW, this annual cattle call of overbooked bands playing shitty sounding rooms to attention-addled industry types, it's tough to cut through the noise and make an impression. So, for your benefit, but also maybe a little bit for ours, too, here's a post to remind that classic sets do happen at SXSW, via five instant vintage SXSW shows we experienced over the past five years. Maybe this will revitalize your flagging faith in the prospect of making some lifelong, sheerly music-based memories during March in Austin. (The taco and tequila memories are a dime a dozen.)

Sent with Reeder

The 5 Most Memorable SXSW Sets Of The Past 5 Years

2012-03-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

The 5 Most Memorable SXSW Sets Of The Past 5 Years

Music - Stereogum

Sent with Reeder

Kyuss Lives! Respond to Josh Homme Lawsuit

2012-03-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Recently, ex-Kyuss members Scott Reeder and Josh Homme (who now fronts Queens of the Stone Age) filed a lawsuit against John Garcia and Brant Bjork, their former bandmates in the California stoner rock outfit. Homme and Reeder claim that Garcia and Bjork stole the Kyuss name by touring as Kyuss Lives!, alleging trademark infringement and consumer fraud.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PitchforkLatestNews/~3/qch2WRJmy2s/

Sent with MobileRSS HD

Sleep to Reissue Dopesmoker

2012-03-14T13:15:00.001-07:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

Sleep to Reissue Dopesmoker

via Latest News - Pitchfork by Evan Minsker on 3/14/12

Sleep: Dopesmoker part one:

Stoner metalheads rejoice. Doom legends Sleep are reissuing Dopesmoker, which took nearly a decade to get released in the first place, via Southern Lord this year. Here's the brief history of the album: The band recorded it in 1995, it was shelved by their label because it consisted of one hour-long track which they considered "unmarketable", the band broke up, and the album was finally released on Tee Pee in 2003.

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to Latest News - Pitchfork using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Scissor Sisters Announce New Album

2012-03-14T09:16:00.001-07:00

The endlessly flamboyant glam apostles Scissor Sisters have announced the follow-up to their 2010 Sir Ian McKellan-featuring LP Night Work. NME reports that Magic Hour is out internationally on May 28 via Polydor in the UK.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PitchforkLatestNews/~3/Q7PcgJ7ZAwQ/

Sent with MobileRSS HD

Josh Homme and Scott Reeder Sue Kyuss Lives!

2012-03-13T08:15:00.001-07:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

Josh Homme and Scott Reeder Sue Kyuss Lives!

via Latest News - Pitchfork by Carrie Battan on 3/12/12

Before Josh Homme took off as frontman for Queens of the Stone Age, he was part of California stoner-rock act Kyuss. The group split in the mid-90s, but in 2011, former members John Garcia, Brant Bjork, and Nick Oliveri reunited to tour under the name Kyuss Lives! Now, Homme and former Kyuss member Scott Reeder have filed a federal lawsuit against Garcia and Brant, alleging trademark infringement and and consumer fraud. (It's been a pretty shitty week overall for Oliveri.)

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to Latest News - Pitchfork using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Westboro Baptist Church Protests Radiohead

2012-03-13T08:09:00.001-07:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

Westboro Baptist Church Protests Radiohead

via Stereogum by Stereogum on 3/12/12

I have the great dishonor of saying that my experience with Topeka's Westboro Baptist Church goes way back — Topeka is about 20 minutes away from where I went to school and about 30 minutes away from where I grew up — so it's no surprise to me that the hate group was out trolling last night's Radiohead show in Kansas City, reprising their familiar role (I think those are even the same signs!). According to At Ease Web, the ever-disgusting presence issued a mandate on their website justifying the protest, a screed that read:

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to Stereogum using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Music FAILS: Adventure Time Album Covers

2012-03-08T16:26:00.001-08:00

The music board on 4chan has been remixing classic album covers with the tv show Adventure Time. It's insane. Seriously. This is only a third of what they've done.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/failblog/~3/7g9TlleVF18/

Sent with MobileRSS HD

Mastodon Cover Flaming Lips for Record Store Day

2012-03-06T04:05:00.001-08:00

It looks like Mastodon isn't only covering Feist for Record Store Day (April 21). Warner Bros. has also announced a baby pink (!) 7" of Mastodon covering the Flaming Lips. The A-side will feature the original Soft Bulletin classic "A Spoonful Weighs a Ton", which Mastodon covers on the B-side.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PitchforkLatestNews/~3/E3cEPJTECVc/

Sent with MobileRSS HD

R.I.P. Ronnie Montrose

2012-03-05T11:56:00.001-08:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

R.I.P. Ronnie Montrose

via Stereogum by Stereogum on 3/5/12

The shred-master guitarist Ronnie Montrose, the former leader of the band Montrose and one of the great technical wizards from the early days of hard rock, died on Saturday, possibly of prostate cancer. He was 64.

Montrose got his start as a session guitarist, playing on records like Van Morrison's Tupelo Honey in 1971. The next year, he joined the Edgar Winter, getting plenty of opportunities to blaze on his instrument on that band's massively successful LP They Only Come Out At Night. In 1973, he formed his own band Montrose, which featured a pre-solo career, pre-Van Halen Sammy Hagar on vocals. Hagar left Montrose after two albums, but Montrose himself released a number of his albums solo, with the band Montrose, and with his later band Gamma.

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to Stereogum using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Assassin's Creed III Announcement Trailer

2012-03-05T10:18:00.001-08:00

Halo 4 Details From The Microsoft Spring Showcase

2012-03-05T07:54:00.001-08:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

Halo 4 Details From The Microsoft Spring Showcase

via www.GameInformer.com - Top Five by Dan Ryckert on 3/5/12

Outside of a holiday 2012 release date and a brief E3 trailer last year, news on the Halo 4 front has been scarce. At Microsoft's Spring Showcase event in San Francisco last week, many attendees were hoping for substantial information regarding Master Chief's next adventure (and first to be developed by 343 Industries). We did receive some new information about the game, but the bulk of Halo 4 is still a mystery.

The 20-minute briefing began with a video that featured executive producer Kiki Wolfkill and 343's Frank O'Connor talking up the importance of Halo 4 (you can watch the video below this article). They stressed that character development would be a key focus of the next entry in the series, and that fans will learn much more about Master Chief. Halo's protagonist will be facing a new threat "unlike anything he's seen before," and O'Connor told me that this threat will make a significant impact on both the narrative and the gameplay. As anyone who played the first game knows, the appearance of a new enemy (the Flood) can drastically change the experience.

Spartan IVs will be introduced in this sequel, and they're (as expected) bigger, faster, and stronger than the Spartans we've seen in Halo's past. Cortana is also set to play a pivotal role in the game, but Wolfkill and O'Connor didn't elaborate on her status.

O'Connor spoke about how the campaign and multiplayer felt like they existed in separate worlds in previous games, and the team wants to change that. They want both modes to feel like they're part of the same universe, and there will even be an explanation in the story that illustrates why red Spartans fight blue Spartans in multiplayer. Here's hoping it makes sense in the narrative, as it could certainly seem forced otherwise.

I wasn't shown any footage from the campaign, but they did show two very brief walkthroughs of multiplayer maps. Warhouse is an abandoned military manufacturing facility that features plenty of verticality as well as a large Cyclops II mech in the center. Previous features like grav lifts and man cannons were displayed in this map. The second area was Wraparound, a Forerunner facility that serves to create an artificial sun. As such, the sky is extremely bright, reflecting off the sleek floors and walls of the environment.

Halo: Reach allowed players to customize what their Spartan looked like on the battlefield, but Halo 4 promises to have custom armor pieces that serve more than an aesthetic purpose. O'Connor and Wolfkill wouldn't elaborate on the functionality of this system, but they did say it would be deeper than the loadouts of Reach.

It's nice to get any info at all about the upcoming FPS blockbuster, but the Spring Showcase didn't bring us any significant answers regarding storyline, multiplayer direction, or release date. We may not know much as of now, but O'Connor ended the presentation by teasing the announcement of a "big ticket item" later this year. We'll be sure to report back once we hear more about Halo 4.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to www.GameInformer.com - Top Five using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Radiohead Expand North American Tour

2012-03-05T07:32:00.001-08:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

Radiohead Expand North American Tour

via Latest News - Pitchfork by Carrie Battan on 3/5/12

Photo by Erez Avissar

Radiohead have added a host of North American dates to the previously-announced tour surrounding their Coachella appearance. They'll play various cities across the U.S. and Canada through June.

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to Latest News - Pitchfork using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Merge Announces Record Store Day Lineup: Arcade Fire, Destroyer, M. Ward, Ri...

2012-03-05T07:30:00.001-08:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

Merge Announces Record Store Day Lineup: Arcade Fire, Destroyer, M. Ward, Richard Buckner

via Latest News - Pitchfork by Evan Minsker on 3/5/12

Richard Buckner: "Willow" Stream

Merge has announced its four Record Store Day releases, and yes, they're putting out something by Arcade Fire. (Record Store Day is on April 21 this year.)

Arcade Fire will release a special edition 12" with remixes of Suburbs album cuts "Sprawl II" and "Ready to Start" by the band and producer Damian Taylor (who has recently worked with Björk, Austra, and Robyn). The remix of "Sprawl II" can be heard in the interactive video, while the "Ready to Start" remix was originally a bonus cut from the deluxe edition of the album.

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to Latest News - Pitchfork using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

The Wooden Sky w/ special guests - Wed, March 23 2012

2012-03-05T04:21:00.001-08:00

The Wooden Sky w/ special guests - Wed, March 23 2012

London Music Hall - Events

When: Fri, Mar 23 2012
Where: The Music Hall Lounge
Doors Open: 7:00PM
Tickets: http://www.ticketscene.ca/
Website: http://www.myspace.com/thewoodensky/music

Sent with Reeder

Down with Webster - Fri, March 23 2012

2012-03-05T04:20:00.001-08:00

Down with Webster - Fri, March 23 2012

London Music Hall - Events

When: Fri, Mar 23 2012
Where: The Music Hall
Doors Open: 8:00PM
Tickets: https://ticketdriver.com/londonmh/
Website: http://www.myspace.com/

Sent with Reeder

Grandaddy Reunite

2012-03-03T05:47:00.001-08:00

Wide-eyed space-pop explorers Grandaddy, who broke up in 2006, are joining the ever-growing list of reunited bands; they'll reassemble to play at least a few shows this year. As NME reports, they've only got one gig announced thus far: A set at the End Of The Road Festival, which comes to North Dorset, England 8/31 – 9/2. That festival's bill also features Grizzly Bear, Beach House, Tindersticks, the Antlers, Dirty Three, and a bunch of others. And Grandaddy are also planning to announce more reunion shows shortly.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/stereogum/cBYa/~3/_FiVIItRAOw/

Sent with MobileRSS HD

Rumor: Black Ops 2 Coming In November

2012-03-01T10:12:00.001-08:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

Rumor: Black Ops 2 Coming In November

via www.GameInformer.com - Top Five by Kyle Hilliard on 3/1/12

Rumors of a direct sequel to Call of Duty: Black Ops have been swirling around the Internet care of an Amazon leak, but now we may have a release window.

French retailer site FNAC.com posted the above image citing an assumed European release of November 2012. The image has since been pulled down, but screengrabs were taken, and the damage was done.

We still haven't received an official announcement from Activision about the what the next Call of Duty will be called, we know only that it will definitely exist sometime in 2012.

[via Gamepur]

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to www.GameInformer.com - Top Five using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

BioShock Infinite Release Date Announced

2012-03-01T10:11:00.001-08:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

BioShock Infinite Release Date Announced

via www.GameInformer.com - Top Five by Matthew Kato on 3/1/12

Gamers will be able to discover Columbia this fall when developer Irrational Games and publisher 2K Games release BioShock Infinite.

The game comes out simultaneously for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on October 16 in North America.

"After BioShock, we had a vision for a follow up that dwarfed the original in scope and ambition," said Ken Levine creative director of Irrational Games. "BioShock Infinite has been our sole focus for the last four years, and we can't wait for fans to get their hands on it."

For more on the game, check out this last trailer for it.

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to www.GameInformer.com - Top Five using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

The 3DS Games To Watch For In 2012

2012-02-29T11:44:00.001-08:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

The 3DS Games To Watch For In 2012

via www.GameInformer.com - Top Five by Matt Helgeson on 2/28/12

Yesterday, we gave you our 3DS Essentials, a list of the must-play games for Nintendo's handheld that have released so far. Today, we're looking forward to some of the games that should be the highlights of the 3DS lineup for the remainder of 2012.

You can check out the original 3DS Essentials list here.

Rayman Origins
March 20

Rayman Origins was our platforming game of the year in 2011. This 2D platformer combines a high level of difficulty with charming, hand-drawn visuals to create a title that stands aside the best Nintendo-developed platformers on the market. We've enjoyed Origins on every platform it's been released for, and we expect the 3DS version will be just as fun – with one caveat. Sadly, like the recently released Vita version, the 3DS version will not have co-op multiplayer functionality – which was one of the highlights of the console experience.

Kid Icarus: Uprising
March 23

Nintendo fans have been clamoring for the return of the classic NES-era franchise Kid Icarus for years. On March 23, those dreams will come true with Kid Icarus: Uprising, one of Nintendo's tentpole 3DS releases for 2012. The game strays far from Pit's 2D roots, recasting the 2D platformer as a 3D shooter of sorts. The action divides itself between on-foot segments and on-rails aerial shooting, giving players some hectic action they can negotiate with a variety of melee and ranged weaponry. I've had a chance to play the game and, while I remain hopeful that Nintendo can create a compelling experience, I had some problems with the overall design. That said, it's certainly one of the most visually flashy 3DS games on the market, and makes good use of the system's 3D capabilities. For more, check out Phil Kollar's hands-on impressions.

Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure
April 30

In April, Sega is bringing one of the most interesting 3DS titles to date stateside. Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure is a unique hybrid title that seeks to balance the rhythm-based, music gameplay of Elite Beat Agents with the mystery-solving adventures of Professor Layton.

Set in modern-day Paris, players explore the city looking for clues used to solve a variety of puzzles, all the while using a host of timed-input mechanics to dance, platform, and even fight with the music. It's interesting how the game uses rhythm gameplay in a number of forms, not just dancing. You'll see rhythmic platforming, combat, and even exploration. At times, you'll even "record" audio in the game to solve certain puzzles. If it succeeds, Rhythm Thief could be a strong new handheld franchise for Sega. Watch this trailer to get an idea of what this odd title looks like.

Luigi's Mansion 2
Spring

The original Luigi's Mansion was a launch title for the GameCube, and remains one of the most divisive Nintendo games ever. While many felt that the slight gameplay was ultimately forgettable, the game retains a fervent cult following. Luigi's Mansion 2 was a surprise announcement at Nintendo 2011 E3 press conference, and so far what we've seen leads us to believe that this sequel might surpass the original in terms of quality.

Luigi's Mansion 2 is being developed by Next Level games, a studio that worked magic etooling Punch-Out!! for the Wii. The gameplay is largely the same, though there are slightly more complex combat mechanics (involving using your flashlight to "strobe" ghosts and stun them in order to vacuum off hit points) and a great emphasis on exploration and puzzle solving. For an in-depth look at the game, read our hands-on preview here. [PageBreak]

Mario Tennis Open
May 20

Mario Tennis hasn't been the most spectacular Nintendo first-party series, but it's always delivered a solid and entertaining gameplay experience (with the exception of the headache-inducing Mario's Tennis for Virtual Boy). Mario Tennis Open marks the franchise's return to the handheld market, a first since Mario Power Tennis on the GBA. Unlike the uninspired "New Play Control" Wii port of Mario Power Tennis, it's an all-new title built from the ground up for 3DS.

The game has everything you'd expect from a Mario Tennis game – courts with a few gimmicks, power-ups, and the like. Thankfully, it also has four-player local or online multiplayer, which isn't always a given on 3DS. You have the option of using traditional, button-based shot mechanics or using the gyroscope and touchscreen to complete more advanced shots. It also has StreetPass functionality for trading win/loss records and leaderboard statistics with other players.

Heroes of Ruin
June 30

Heroes of Ruin is an intriguing upcoming 3DS title. It hasn't received a lot of hype, perhaps due to developer n-Space's less-than-stellar track record of porting big franchises to the Nintendo DS and the terrible GameCube game Geist.

However, the Square Enix-published Heroes of Ruin could be a valuable addition to the 3DS's relatively thin third-party catalog. As a third-person action RPG with a heavy emphasis on item and weapon collection, it's bucking the trend of lackluster multiplayer options on the handheld with full online drop-in, drop-out co-op. You can also trade items (of which there are over 80,000) both online and with the 3DS's SpotPass and StreetPass functionality.

The game looks impressive graphically, as you can witness for yourself in this trailer for the game.

Paper Mario 3DS
TBA

While it doesn't have a firm release date, Paper Mario is slated to release in 2012. In many ways, this might be the 3DS game most worth getting excited about. For one, you don't have to be a game artist to realize how well the Paper Mario series' traditional "pop-up book" graphics will translate to the 3DS's 3D display. Based on the trailer we've seen, developer Intelligent Systems is going to play around with multiple planes of action in the game. While the trailer emphasizes the more action/platform elements, Paper Mario 3DS sticks closely to the original games in the series, with turn-based combat that gives you bonuses for well-timed button presses.

In the trailer linked above, you'll see some visual magic – especially a segment where a scissor attack cuts away the very fabric of the world. Let's hope that Paper Mario 3DS gets an official release date is sooner rather than later. For more on the game, click here.

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to www.GameInformer.com - Top Five using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

R.I.P. Davy Jones of the Monkees

2012-02-29T10:26:00.001-08:00

Sent to you by Elric via Google Reader:

R.I.P. Davy Jones of the Monkees

via Latest News - Pitchfork by Jenn Pelly on 2/29/12

TMZ reports that Davy Jones, lead singer for 1960s pop group the Monkees, died earlier today in Florida of a heart attack. He was 66.

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to Latest News - Pitchfork using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

The 3DS Essentials

2012-02-28T04:28:00.001-08:00

The 3DS Essentials

www.GameInformer.com - Top Five

The Nintendo 3DS shook off its shaky launch with the help of a price drop and some high-profile games. The once-troubled handheld is now riding high at retail, with Nintendo announcing worldwide sales of more than 15 million units at the end of 2011. Recently, the 3DS became the fastest selling video game console in Japanese history, eclipsing the 5 million units old mark in only 52 weeks since launch – a milestone it passed earlier in its life than both the Nintendo DS or Game Boy Advance.

Given its continued brisk sales, we decided to present this brief primer on the essential 3DS games for readers who have recently purchased or are considering purchasing one. Read on to find out which 3DS games are worth your time and hard-earned dollars. Come back tomorrow for a preview of some of 2012's most notable upcoming 3DS titles.

Note: There are many downloadable versions of classic Nintendo games available on the 3DS' eShop. In the interest of brevity, we have not included classic games unless they were significantly retooled for the 3DS.

Super Mario 3D Land

As Nintendo's flagship franchise, Mario games often define the company's consoles. Super Mario 3D Land is more than up to the task. It's not only the best 3DS game to date; it's a great Mario game.

Super Mario 3D Land has a unique place in the Mario canon. It harks back to the original NES games with the classic flagpole-jumping end to each level. However, it has a unique blend of gameplay, from 2D to freeroaming 3D levels. In addition, some novel top-down and isometric sections add a new dimension to the classic Mario gameplay. In many ways, it's a "greatest hits" of elements from the entire series. It's also one of the few games to take advantage of the system's 3D display in a way that's fundamental to gameplay. You shouldn't play 3D Land with the 3D slider turned all the way down. If you're thinking of buying a 3DS, this is the first game you should buy.

Super Mario 3D Land Review

Resident Evil: Revelations

Resident Evil: Revelations is a testament to the fact that many have underestimated the technical power of the system. This Capcom game not only matches the standards set by the recent console iterations in the series, it even surpasses them in some respects.

Set between the events of Resident Evil 4 and 5, and starring stalwarts Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, Revelations tells one of the best stories in the series in the style of an episodic television show, complete with cliffhangers between episodes and plot recaps.

The gameplay is drawn largely from the well of 4 and 5, but makes some improvements – especially if you have the Circle Pad Pro attachment for the 3DS. With the use of the second analog stick, you can finally move and shoot at the same time! Revelations has a ton of great content, including a deep system of weapon perks and two-player local co-op. This is definitely one of the stars of the 3DS software library.

Resident Evil: Revelations Review

Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars

Ubisoft's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars was virtually ignored during the launch of the 3DS, which is a shame. The game is still one of the best original titles for the system. Instead of doing a butchered version of the usual Ghost Recon gameplay (as it did with Splinter Cell 3D), Ubi wisely created a well-designed real-time strategy title akin to Square's Front Mission series. Designed by industry veteran Julian Gollop, the creator of the X-COM series, his experience shows in the game's well-made mechanics.

While it doesn't make much of the system's 3D capabilities, it's an enjoyable strategy title that balances accessibility and depth. If you're looking beyond the 3DS blockbusters for a sleeper hit, Shadow Wars should serve you well.

Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars Review

Sent with Reeder

Ron Roberts

The Record Works