On Wednesdays I spend my time looking for a digital buffet of gaming goodies – I post them here on the Humpday Bump.
Today’s bump features a reboot to one of my favorite games as a kid, Spy Hunter. You know the game, it was probably at your local mall or bowling alley; the only game that allowed a kid to fulfill his fantasy of driving a car armed with machine guns, oil slicks, and a armored chassis. Well not the only game, but the first one at the time, and in my opinion no one’s done it as well since. This is a good thing, considering the franchise is making its way back to handhelds, and hopefully they’ll do as good a job with it as its predecessor.
- According to Joystiq, Spy Hunter is getting a reboot on handhelds this fall. I have to say as far as reboots go; this one is a long time coming. I mean, who hasn’t played Spy Hunter or at least seen it? It’s a staple 80s arcade gaming. So if you’ve got a 3DS or a PS Vita you’ll be happy to hear that you’ll most likely be able to spend some time this fall shooting at other cars with mounted machine guns, just like we all wish we could in real life… oh wait, that’s just me? Never mind.
- If you didn’t play the first Darksiders then quite frankly I really don’t even want you reading this; go play it. But if you have, then you’re probably pretty excited to know that the sequel is on its way and that you’ll be playing as the horseman Death this time, not War. THQ has released a sort of sneak peek into the game, including some gameplay footage which shows Death wielding his scythe in brutal fashion. Also, I’d like to thank THQ for releasing a trailer that shows gameplay in lieu of a fancy CG cut scene that tells me nothing at all about the game, so thanks.
- According to Pach Attack, On-Disc DLC, the kind found in say Mass Effect 3, but seen in a few fighting games as well, “is plain greed.” The reason, he says, is because DLC has been so successful in the past that developers are now trying to get a head start on further monetizing their games. Also, by putting that content on the disc, the publisher, not the developer, can determine when it’s released and when they can cash it in.
- How do you usher an old turn-based strategy game into the 21st century? I have no clue, but it looks like the people at Firaxis do and they’re doing just that with the X-Com: Enemy Unknown reboot. The PA Report has a really great write-up on the ins-and-outs of developing a modern day turn-based strategy game for the PC and consoles. I know I like to sneak tid-bits about X-Com in as many places as I can, but this feature was as good as an explanation I’ve seen on the process.
- And finally, it looks as if we’re in for a treat at E3 this coming Monday, at least if you’re a fan of the Dead Space franchise. There’s a website up with some sort of weird alien language which appears to be counting down and a trailer in the form of a pseudo live action graphic novel. It looks like we’ll be out of space on this one, for part of the time anyway. Well either way, we’ll most likely hear some news about this come next week. I’ll keep you updated.
