Wii Exclusive: Kirby's Epic Yarn

Kirby's Epic Yarn wove itself into gamers' hearts this year with its syrupy-sweet fabric-based visuals and decidedly unpunishing difficulty. Bead-collection, hidden items, and creative level-design help keep more experienced gamers engaged, but young kids and those who don't usually game will also find themselves hard-pressed not to have tons of fun with the little pink hero. Kirby's shape-shifting abilities keep the action fresh, and optional mini-game-based levels do a lot to extend the experience. Read more »

The legal battle between Activision and Jason West and Vince Zampella has taken an unusual twist. In new court documents filed this week, the video games giant accuses the pair of conspiring with rival company Electronic Arts to sabotage Infinity Ward as well as fellow Call of Duty series developer Treyarch and the brand.

First, a quick summary of events so far: West and Zampella, who co-founded of Call of Duty creator Infinity Ward before it was bought by Activision, were fired in March under mysterious circumstances; West and Zampella sued for unpaid royalties and brand rights; Activision scoffed. With us so far? Excellent. Read more »

[Update - 4:30PM] Though it will not be added to the Greatest Hits library, Sony has dropped the price of ModNation Racers to $39.99 on the PS3 and to $19.99 on the PSP.

[Original Story] Sony has selected an additional seven PlayStation 3 games for inclusion in its Greatest Hits program, knocking the prices of the following titles down to $29.99 along with fancy new boxes.In the case of the previously announced Greatest Hits version of Demon's Souls, it also means a fresh set of copies, making the excellent game a bit easier to find. Read more »

Japanese developer and publisher Capcom has reported a staggering 90.4% drop in net income for its 2011 fiscal year's first quarter compared to the same period last year.

Capcom's net income between April 1 and June 30 was 213 million yen (around $2.4 million US), down roughly $23.2 million US from the previous fiscal year's first three months. The blame is pinned on factors including shrinking US and European markets, exchange rate changes, poor sales and an increase in development costs. Read more »

With Monster Hunter Tri hitting North American shelves today, Capcom has released a dramatic launch trailer for the Wii-exclusive monster-slaying action RPG.

Capcom has planned post-release events planned for Monster Hunter Tri, rotating monthly in cycles and offering players more ridiculously huge weapons and items.

Monster Hunter Tri is available on its lonesome for $50 or in a $60 bundle with the new Wii Classic Controller Pro, which is also released today and otherwise costs $19.99. Read more »

Taking a page from the book of Demon's Souls, Capcom will be running events in Monster Hunter Tri (Wii) that will bring new challenges and opportunities for new gear and items to players after its North American release on April 20.

Events will run multiple times so players don't have to worry about missing an opportunity and will rotate on a "cyclical" basis. The schedule will be announced on a monthly basis via Capcom Unity, with the events falling under three types: Read more »

Capcom and Nintendo are trying to finally trying to hit it big in North America with the Monster Hunter series, wildly popular in Japan, through the new Wii-exclusive Monster Hunter Tri. The previous versions, available on PlayStation 2 and PSP, have enjoyed niche success outside of Japan, but Tri is easily the most accessible entry to date.

I got to play a quick 30-minute demo of the game on the floor of GDC 2010 with the help of a Nintendo employee's direction. It was this simple instruction by another human being that made the game suddenly click for me. I had dabbled previously with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on the PSP, but didn't stick around long. Read more »

On top of revealing dates for Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M, Nintendo today also bolstered its existing lineup with a number of other impending releases.

Read more »

Monster Hunter Tri, which I hear is kind of a big deal in Japan, has been dated for North American release: April 20, 2010.Available bundled with a black Classic Controller Pro, previously only available in Japan, for $59.99 or as a standalone game for $49.99.Black or white Classic Controller Pros will be available separately for $19.99, which puts the bundle in a $10 savings.

Read more »

Curious as to how some of gaming's biggest franchises translated to the iPhone and iPod touch, but unwilling to pay before you actually have a chance to play? Yeah, I hear that. Fortunately, so have publishers Electronic Arts and Activision.

Thus, iTunes now offers free demos of two recent releases from the gaming giants: EA Mobile's rhythmic tapper Rock Band Free and Activision's undead shooter Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies Lite, empowering you to make an informed decision before (possibly) plopping down $6.99 (Rock Band) or $9.99 (Call of Duty). Read more »

The redesigned Wii "Classic Controller Pro" unveiled last February will be available in North America in April 2010, Nintendo of America and Capcom announced this morning.

The controller, which sports a second row of shoulder buttons and longer grips over the standard Classic Controller that launched alongside the Wii, will be available in black and white models at $19.99. Read more »

Seeking to "avoid competing with the major titles that other companies plan to introduce" between January 1 and March 31, 2010, publisher Capcom has delayed three "major titles" once slated to arrive during that period.

Lost Planet 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360), Super Street Fighter IV (PS3, Xbox 360) and the North American release of Monster Hunter Tri (Wii) are now due sometime during Capcom's next fiscal year, which runs from April 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011. Read more »

A new update for Call of Duty: World at War PC is now available on FileShack, bringing Treyarch's World War II shooter up to v1.7 through a 16.48MB download.

To receive the handful of multiplayer fixes contained in the patch, players must have already installed the v1.6 patch. The v1.7 dedicated server package is also available, as is a German version of the update. The changelog follows: Read more »

Following last week's record-breaking launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the iPhone and iPod touch are now home to a Call of Duty game of their very own.

Now available via iTunes, Call of Duty: World at War: ZOMBIES recreates the zombie-infested "Nacht der Untoten (Night of the Undead)" map from last year's entry, Treyarch's Call of Duty: World at War, in portable touch- and tilt-controlled form. Read more »

As the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 nears, Activision is discounting the zombie-filled DLC for Call of Duty: World at War on the PS3.

The three map packs can all be had for 50% off, or $5 apiece. The sale--which also coincides with a double-XP bonus--runs through next Sunday.