On December 2, 2009 Pokemon International released the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG): Rumble to coincide with the release of the Pokemon Rumble game on WiiWare. This game combines TCG strategy with a board game presentation, is fully compatible with all of your existing Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) cards and can be played with two to seven players.

The box contains 16 cards (same in every box), a set of energy dice, a targeting die, a Battle Royale Playmat, 14 player markers (two per player), and rules. The 16 cards are from an exclusive Pokémon Rumble set that can only be acquired in this box and each card has a foil Pokémon Rumble logo imprinted on it.

The game begins by laying out the Battle Royale Playmat and placing Pokemon cards (one face-up and one face-down) on each of the seven slots on the playmat. Players then take turns placing their player markers (max of two per slot, can't double up your own marker) on the playmat. The player markers have either a three or a five on the back side and these numbers come into play when the game ends for scoring purposes.

On a player's turn the four energy dice are rolled. The dice are six-siders that have a dash on one side and various energy symbols on the other five faces. There is also a special energy symbol that can be used as any type of energy. After rolling the dice the player scans the Pokémon on the playmat (not just ones with his/her marker) and chooses which attack to use. For example Rattata can use Bite for 20 damage at a cost of two colorless energy and Pikachu can use Volt Tackle which can cause 60 damage to another Pokémon but also causes 10 damage to Pikachu for a cost of one electric and two colorless energy. If both of these Pokémon are on the playmat and a player rolls enough energy they can use either of these attacks to injure or knock out other Pokémon.

After choosing what attack to use from which Pokémon a special red target die is cast. This is another six-sided die that is numbered from one to three (three ones, two twos, one three) and decides which Pokemon is hit with the attack. All attacks are made in a clockwise direction and the Pokémon launching the attack can not attack itself.

After rolling the target die and seeing which Pokemon is hit weaknesses and resistances are taken into consideration. This part of the game works exactly the same as the standard TCG system. When a Pokémon is weak or strong against an attack they suffer more or less damage. If a Pokémon is not knocked out from an attack, damage counters are placed on the card. If a Pokémon is knocked out from the attack the attacking player takes the card and flips the remaining card face-up. If that was the last Pokémon in that slot then the slot remains empty and is ignored for the rest of the game.

There are two ways for the game to end: If only one player still has markers on the playmat or if only one pile of Pokémon still has player markers on it. When the game ends any remaining player markers on the playmat are given back to their respective players and the number on the back is added to their score along with one point per Pokémon defeated. If a player knocked-out four Pokémon then four points would be added to their score. If this same player had their three point marker on the playmat at the end of the game their score would now be seven (four Pokémon + three point player marker). The player with the highest score is the winner.

The cards in the game are 100% compatible with the existing Pokémon TCG cards but not all Pokémon TCG cards can be used in Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG): Rumble. Any Pokémon that requires more than four energy for its attacks can not be used due to the number of dice in the game. Also special effects are not used in this game so Pokémon who rely on such things will be less powerful.

All in all I have to say that we played the game and found it enjoyable. The game is weighted more towards luck than strategy (dice) but some basic strategic skills will help. The learning curve is very low and even though the game suggests players be 10 or older this game can easily be played with younger players who enjoy collecting the Pokémon Trading Cards but are not able to play the game.

Put this one on your holiday shopping list for your Pokemon fans!

As an added bonus Pokémon International has also released a new collector tin for the holiday season. The Arceus tin is available now and includes a special foil Lv. X Arceus card and four booster packs from recent sets.

You can purchase this game through Funagain Games.

This is cross-posted on PokeFarm

WARS is set in our Solar System during the late 24th century. The Earthers and Gongen are locked in a decade-old civil war, while the Mavericks engage both sides for their benefit. Then a rift in the fabric of the universe opens, allowing two more warring alien cultures to enter the system and increasing the stakes for control of the Solar System.

The comic series will take place in the months leading up to the appearance of The Mumon Rift. “There is a lot of interesting play-up between the three human factions before the celestial tear appears,” says Josh Radke, owner of Grail Quest Books and one of the main writers on the project. ” The Earthers and Gongen are two sides in a bitter war, and Sean and I plan to each focus on a side. The Mavericks–being mostly mercenaries and gangsters–will certainly play a role in the storytelling.”

Sean E Williams, who is also developing an animated series based on WARS‘ Gongen faction, will be writing the opening story arc for the comic book series. Sean will be using the comic title as an opportunity to lead-in to his animated series arc. “The Gongen struggle for independence against the Earthers immediately drew me to them; call it an underdog factor. And the fact they’ve managed to update sword technology and continue to use it in space is just plain cool. Decipher has created an amazing universe in WARS, with endless possibilities for storytelling.”

Collaborating with best-selling science fiction and Star Wars authour, Michael A Stackpole, the WARS story debuted as one of Decipher’s trading card games, the first set which released in October 2004. The property was also developed into a roleplaying game by Mongoose Publishing. Josh always felt that WARS was fertile ground for fictional development, and it was a property that he hoped he would have the opportunity to commercially nurture whenever his goal of owning a publishing company became a reality.

“I am very hard to pick up on science fiction,” Josh points out. “But WARS intrigued me right from the moment Decipher announced their card game five years ago. It has a strong space-fantasy element to it that I really think is the story’s essence. It’s a human conflict of survival through science and technology, sure, but to me the Earther-Gongen civil war is the larger story. Also the Gongen have allies which are certainly beyond science, and when The Rift appears it brings an ‘X factor’ that is nothing to do with physics or tech.”

Known worldwide since 1994 for its acclaimed, best-selling card games for Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Star Trek, Josh looks at this project as an opportunity to give something back to a company whose games have played a sizable role in his career success. “I have worked with Decipher’s games in a variety of volunteer capacities through the last decade or so, and I am thrilled to work with them to bring their WARS property to a broader audience of science fiction and fantasy fans. It is a real honour given all the amazing experiences, friends, opportunities, and memories Decipher has provided me through their games thus far. I think I speak for everyone involved when I say that we are all very excited.”

More information on the tie-in graphic novellas is forthcoming. Meanwhile, Decipher is very close to releasing its revolutionary new card game, Fight Klub (and when you sign up be sure to mention that “GrailQuestBooks” sent you).

I was Stumbling around the web today when I ran into this amazing piece of gaming history; depleted uranium dice!

No one knows when these dice were made though it is likely they are from the 1950's era. The dice are nickel coated and are just under an inch across.

These dice are heavy. Depleted uranium is heavier than lead so that little fact should give you an idea on just how heavy these little bad boys are!

On Tuseday January 27, 2009 Bethesda released the first of the DLC for Fallout 3. Clocking in at 800 Xbox Points and a 4 hour gameplay estimate the Operation Anchorage pack is the first of three planned for the game.

I should have time to play through this DLC over the weekend and I will report back on whether I consider it worth the expense.

So, what does Nintendo have for us today?

First up we have the WiiWare game Niki - Rock 'n' Ball. This jump and roll platformer clocks in at 500 Wii points, is for 1 to 2 players, rated E for Everyone and is developed by Bplus

Are you in love with those unforgettable arcade classics where the only goal is to vanquish all opponents to reach the next stage? Niki - Rock 'n' Ball is a new interpretation of those games with a completely innovative and unique gaming mechanism. Roll along with Niki through fantastic worlds, find all the ZeLeLi pearls, and liberate your village from cuddly-yet-evil monsters before it's too late. Timing is everything. Jump in the nick of time to avoid landing amid barbs. Hop across the stages thanks to the realistic gaming physics. Snap on the ZeLeLi amulet, transform yourself into Niki Rock, and force even the most obstinate monster to its knees. Explore all the stages and win valuable medals while dribbling through them, alone or with a friend. Use familiar controls in Retro style, or experience novel controls in the Wii style.

Up next we have a Virtual Console game that originally appeared on the Sega Master System -
Wonder Boyâ„¢ in Monster Land. This one player action game clocks in at 500 Wii Points and allows the full choice on controllers.

After the defeat of the evil king, the kingdom of Wonder Land was a paradise…for a time. The peace was broken when a ferocious, fire-breathing dragon struck without warning and took over Wonder Land with a swarm of evil, monstrous henchmen, turning the once-peaceful land into the utterly chaotic Monster Land. Unable to fight, the people now look to Wonder Boy. Realizing that he is Wonder Land's last hope, Wonder Boy sets out on an incredible journey to rid the country of the monsters and defeat the "invincible" evil dragon. Guide Wonder Boy through various environments and dungeons, and defeat enemies using Special Weapons and Spells.

Are you ready to rumble?

I think everyone knows how successful the Nintendo Wii has been and along with it Wii Sports. I don't know how many stories I've read in the paper about senior citizens playing Wii Sports Bowling at senior centers all across the USA.

Since Wii Sports was released we have seen numerous third party games released that focus on just one element of the Wii Sports phenomenon. Some of these games have been very good while others were just trying to copy what already existed with very little improvement.

The one sports game with the most promise for a third party update has to be boxing. Holding a Wii remote in one hand and a nunchuk in the other makes for an excellent boxing game control scheme. Atari is preparing to accept the challenge of creating a boxing title that you will want to play. What game am I talking about? Ready 2 Rumble Revolution of course!

Features
• A roster of 18 wildly caricatured cartoony boxers, all parodies of celebrities from the worlds of sports, music and movies who enter the ring as larger-than-life "Rumble-ized" versions of themselves. Players will step right up and see if they can knock these super-sized egos down a peg or two!
• Hosted by "The Voice of the Champions" Michael Buffer, famous for his "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" trademark call.
• Characters are brought to life with hilarious moves, detailed facial animations, damage textures and fighting techniques including special moves, combos, extreme knockdowns and special "Rumble" combos.
• An all new Championship Mode lets gamers create their own unique boxer and nurture his skills through mini-games, developing him as a fighter and creating a completely personalized Ready 2 Rumble Revolution experience.
• Delivers a fun and intuitive experience in either single player or multiplayer mode.
• The Wii controllers provide would-be pugilists with an intuitive and realistic feel. Using the Nunchuk controller as one glove and the Wii Remote controller as the other, players dodge, weave and throw the big punches to KO their opponents.

I have watched a few of the videos of the game play and I have to say that I am excited about this game. I have fond memories of getting destroyed by Mike Tyson on my NES back in the 80's. I also have fond memories of the day one of my friends finally took the champ down! The only thing missing from Mike Tyson's Punch Out was that you could not play as any character other than little Mac. All those great caricature characters were unplayable.

When Ready 2 Rumble Revolution comes out for the Wii in March of 2009 we will have a boxing game on the Wii to be proud of. Looking at the characters released to the viewing public so far I have to say that I just know this game is designed for people who want to have fun when they play a boxing game. One of the characters is an Elvis impersonator, how cool is that?

Oh yes, this is on my want list.

My first experience with Fallout was with the original PC game way back in 1997 when Interplay released the original game. I still have my spiral bound Vault-Tec manual somewhere in my game room. I have to admit that I was never able to save the Vault. I tried hard to fix the water purifier but I just kept on getting killed by Rad Scorpions while trying to cross the desert.

I did not play any of the other games in the series because I moved away from PC gaming for most of the following eight years. I still dabbled in the occasional RPG game but with a growing family I found myself with little time to devote to PC gaming. As my daughter grew up I spent most of my gaming time among the Pokemon, Kirby and Spongebob.

When I heard about Fallout 3 being released in the FPS format I was nervous. I had developed a problem with FPS games (nausea) and I was worried that I would be unable to play this new version of the game. I was also concerned that some of the feel of the game would be gone with the move to real time and 3D. Those worries were all unfounded. Fallout 3 is not only a great game but it is also true to its roots.

Character Creation

Fallout 3 takes the long road when it comes to character creation. This is not a game where you can sit down, bump a few stat and skill points around and start shooting muties. Oh no! In this game you get the joy of living through your childhood years inside Vault 101. There is a joke there, please don't make me point it out to you...

There first scene you see upon starting a new game is your very own birth. Dad leans over you (voiced by Liam Neeson) and you use a special genetics machine to determine how you will look. It is now that you will pick your characters gender and a number of details that will alter the physical appearance of your character. Specifically you will be adjusting how their face will look.

The game resumes about a year later and now you are a toddler. At this stage you learn the simple skills required to walk around your room, open doors and talk to your dad. After a brief conversation with dad you will get a chance to look at a S.P.E.C.I.A.L. book and assign points to your seven ability scores.

Time progresses quickly and you will soon be awarded your own Pip-Boy and a BB Gun at your big birthday party! At the party you get to meet the other kids who share Vault 101 with you and enjoy a few other presents. The party is short and you soon find yourself growing even older.

The game opens up with you now in your teenage years. Butch has gone from threatening you about hot buns to looking like a 1950's greaser. I don't know where he and his gang found their leather jackets and switchblades but they did.

After dealing with Butch harassing one of your friends you go on to take the G.O.A.T. and the results will tell you what sort of career you have ahead of you in the Vault. Be sure to laugh when you find out Butch's future job! In game terms this test will decide which three skills become your tag skills (these three start 15 points higher than your other skills). If you don't like your results a quick talk with the teacher will allow you to fix the results.

Now comes the sad part. You are rudely awakened by the daughter of the Overseer who tells you that your dad has left the vault and now the Overseer's goons are coming after you! After a quick discussion she arms you and tells you how to get out of the vault. It is at this point that all the training you have gone through in your early years of living in the vault is put to the test.

Right before you exit the vault you will want to save your game. Why? Because as soon as you leave the vault you are given a last chance to change everything about your character. If in the future you decide to start life as a new character you can avoid the 15-20 mins of character creation and start from here.

Megaton

Soon after leaving Vault 101 you will find yourself nearing the settlement of Megaton. Why is it named Megaton? It's on account of the large unexploded nuclear bomb siting in the middle of town! It is at this point where you will be given your very quest with two option. The people living in Megaton (namely the sheriff) would like to see the bomb permanently disarmed while another faction (Mr. Burke) would like to see that bomb rigged for remote detonation. Both choices result in you earning a place to live and the unending enmity of the other party.

Even if you decide to rig the bomb you might want to wait awhile before reporting back to Mr. Burke, there are a few quests in Megaton that you might want to complete before wiping this small community off the face of the Earth. It is also important to note that the house you get in Megaton is bigger than the apartment you get in Tenpenny Tower. There is also the issue of the serious hit to your Karma you get for nuking a bunch of innocent people!

Karma

In the game there is a very special karma system. If you do good things you gain karma. If you do bad things you lose karma. Sounds fairly simple right?

The game allows for you to play through it as either a good, neutral or bad guy. Even the ending of the game allows for these three options. However, as you play through the game the karma system can take its toll on you.

You might think that being a good guy would protect you from a lot of the bad happenings going on in the world. Not so! If you become too good some of the evil folks will attack you on site. There are also some good people who will give you freebies and some areas of the game open up to you.

Being evil causes the exact opposite situation in the game. The good guys put a bounty on your head and you often find yourself leaving one area only to be surprised by three or more angry people who want to claim the bounty on your head!

You might think you can pull off being neutral and avoiding these people but staying neutral can be hard. All those little nice things you do begin to add up and suddenly you find yourself as a good guy! So now you have to run out and kill a few civilians just to get yourself back into neutral karma.

V.A.T.S.

Combat in Fallout 3 can be done in one of two ways: FPS and V.A.T.S.

FPS is your basic aim and shoot style of game play. Some weapons (Nukes and Sniper Rifles) benefit greatly from the FPS style while others benefit better from using V.A.T.S.

When you use V.A.T.S. the game pauses and you are allowed to select the specific body parts you want to shoot at as long as you have enough action points (governed by Agility and some Perks). There are other benefits to using V.A.T.S. that are clearly outlined in the rulebook for the game.

I find V.A.T.S. to be very satisfying and it makes up for a lack of FPS skills. However I would like to warn you that using V.A.T.S. with nukes is always a bad idea due to the way the nuke flies through the air. Don't be surprised if you lock on to a target when firing a nuke only to have the nuke fall well short of that target.

Speech: Let your words be a weapon

Fallout 3 is far from just being an FPS. The story and quests in the game make this more of an RPG with FPS stylings. There is a well laid out main quest and numerous side quests for you to enjoy. It is possible for you to complete the main quest and never even touch on the side quests but where is the fun in that?

Most NPCs that you meet that do not try and kill you on sight will allow you to speak with them. There are a few that just say a few words and walk away but there are also a lot of NPCs with multi-layered dialogue trees. Some even have branches where you can attempt a Speech challenge (Charisma based skill) to get what you want out of them. There are also some NPCs that you can get information out of if your abilities are high enough. For example some characters understand the power of strength and will respond if you are very strong.

Locks and Computers

Two skills that you will want to raise quickly are Lockpicking and Science. Both of these skills are used heavily in the game to overcome locked computer terminals and locked boxes.

When attempting to unlock a locked box (or safe, ammo crate, etc.) the game loads up a special mini-game where you use a screwdriver and a bobby pin in an attempt to pick the lock. There is also an option to use your relevant skill and brute force the lock. You can keep trying to pick it with a bobby pin but if you fail at a brute force attempt you can end up with a lock that you can never pick.

Likewise trying to hack a computer terminal also opens up a mini-game where you have to try and guess the password from a list of words that shows up. With each guess you are told how many letters in the word you picked match the actual password. If you find yourself down to one word just back out of the hack attempt and try again. The terminal will lock if you fail but you need never fail if you always back out!

There are also some terminals and locks that can not be picked at all. These require you find the key that opens them up. It is also important to note that if your skill is not high enough you can not even pick some locks.

Bobbleheads and other interesting collectibles

Hidden throughout the Capital Wasteland is a myriad of interesting collectible items. The most sought after are the Vault-Tec Bobbleheads. There is one for each skill and one for each ability. When you find them you either gain one point to your ability or ten points to your skill.

There are also skill books that when read grant you a bonus point (or two if you have the right Perk) to the related skill. There are 25 skill books for each skill hidden in the wasteland.

You like guns? Everyone likes guns! Hidden in the wasteland (often being used by an NPC) are named versions of every weapon in the game. These named versions are always better than the regular version in some way (more damage, more ammo or both) and are highly sought after. There is also a special Alien Blaster that puts all other energy weapons to shame! Too bad there is only a limited amount of ammo for the weapon in the game :(

General Thoughts

I have already completed the game once and I'm currently playing through it one more time as an evil character. On my first trip through I did not explore every nook and cranny of the D.C. Wasteland. At best I might have hit 75% of the locations hidden throughout the game world.

I found the NPCs to well rendered and the voice acting to be satisfactory to keeping me immersed in the game. There were a few minor problems where my hired help would get lost or walk in circles when I passed out of their visual range but nothing terrible.

There are a few bugs that have to do with in game loads. I ended up avoiding one particular set of underground because some areas would lockup my Xbox upon entering. To make matters worse the game often auto-saves when passing through doors into new areas! I only had the game lockup once or twice while wandering about outside.

I think I logged a good 20-30 hours playing through the game from start to finish. I did not find everything or do everything in that time span and it took me about another 20 hours to complete the side quests.

The feel of the game is 100% Fallout. Between the 50's era stylings and the Vault-Tec jokes the game just feels right. There are a lot of little Easter Eggs and homages in the game, don't be surprised of some of them slip past you.

Oh yeah, in case you are wondering why I don't talk much about the content of the game it is because I don't want to spoil anything.

Conclusion

This game is good, real good. It deserves to be made game of the year and I consider it my favorite game of 2008. If you like post-apocalyptic gaming Fallout 3 should be on your must-play list. It is so much more than Oblivion with guns...

Hi Folks,

At long last, the good people at GameRanger have answered the cries of millions and have made it so Mac gamers and PC gamers can finally play games together over the internet. Of course, since Apple’s Bootcamp was launched not too long ago, Intel Mac users have been able to do this more or less, but GameRanger closes the gap for all Mac users.

GameRanger is a free download which allows players the ability to play 500 games and demos with anyone in the world. It has some useful and fun features, like profiles, online chats, in game voice chats, and gaming ranks.

I am very much looking forward to fragging some PC users who play some of the Star Wars games. How about you?

To see a list of cross-platform games or to download the program, please goto www.GameRanger.com.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

The Force Drainer

Paul Starybrat

My foray into the world of Animal Crossing began with Wide World on the DS. I later picked up a copy of the GameCube version of the game but it never caught on with me. When I heard a new version of the game would be coming out on Wii I was excited to say the least. Would this new game follow in the tradition of the DS version or would it go if in some new direction?

I'm happy to say that Animal Crossing City Folk is more of the same. Nothing groundbreaking has been added and none of what made the game great has been removed. Some people might consider that to be a bad thing but I see it as a positive.

The city area is a nice bonus and a few of the characters you used to have wait on now have their own shops right from the beginning of the game. Not all characters have the same job they once did (poor Lyle, the insurance business has not been kind to him) and some of the characters that only appeared once in a while now have permanent shops in the city. There is also a kindly old man who will give you free stuff when you visit the city.

Where the GameCube had a train and the DS had a taxi the Wii gets a bus. You will find a familiar face driving the bus as well as a passenger that you will remember from your earlier experiences with the title.

Before getting off the bus in your new town you have a few options. For one thing you have the ability to bring your character over from your DS or make yourself an entirely new character. When bringing a character over from the DS no items or Bells make the journey but your catalog from Tom Nook's store does. This allows you to quickly purchase some of the items you used to own. If you choose to make a new character you are asked a series of questions before getting off the bus.

Once off the bus you are free to walk around town and explore. Unlike in the DS there are four houses for you to choose from in your new town. While the GameCube also had four houses the houses in the Wii version are spread all over the town. After exploring a house you will find Tom Nook outside wanting to know if you want to buy the house. After working out the details he will give you a part-time job at his store.

Long-time Animal Crossing fans may find this bit boring as the jobs are exactly the same as they were in the earlier games. It may just be that these few jobs are the best way to learn about the game and that is why they have re-used them yet again. After you do the jobs for Tom Nook you will be able to begin paying off your mortgage and buying and selling items in Tom Nook's store.

Most of your time will be spent walking around town. Depending on the month of the year different bugs and fish will be available for catching as well as a few seasonal holidays. For example, during the month of November the forest will be full of little mushrooms. Some of these 'shrooms can be sold for big bells to Tom Nook while others are part of the special mushroom furniture set.

Fishing works the same as in previous versions of the game but now there is also a silver fishing rod that you can get. In fact each of the special items now has a silver version. Most of these silver items can be purchased from Tom Nooks after his store has been upgraded. The gold versions are acquired in the same manner as before.

As in previous games you can donate fossils, bugs, paintings and fish to Blathers in the museum.

Connectivity

Animal Crossing just would not be the same if you couldn't have your friend visit your town. City Folk has taken the co-op fun of Wide World and made it better. With the Wii-Speak mic plugged in (or any USB microphone) you can now talk to your friends while you cruise around town together. As before you have to give your friends a special code so that they can come to your city but otherwise it works much the same as on the DS (except for speech). There is also a suitcase option where you can store your character on a DS Wide world cartridge and visit a friend's town that way.

You also have the option to open up your game to WiiConnect24 which will allow things to enter your game from people outside of your own approved friends.

Controls

I am happy to say that the controls for this game are awesome! City Folk uses the nunchuk for movement and the two buttons on it can be used to perform most actions. In fact you can do almost everything in game just using the nunchuk. You do still need the Wiimote when working with your inventory.

The developers also made one great improvement in that you can push the control pad down to store your currently active item (shovel, net, etc.) and you can press right and left to cycle through those items. Smacking rocks for bugs is now super easy!

Thoughts

If you like Animal Crossing you will like this. There is nothing majorly new in the game but what is there has been polished and made better.

The Wii game can also be linked to the new DS game Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia to unlock bonus content in both games.

The game supports two-player matches over Nintendo WFC as well as the GameCube controller option. Fans of Smash Bros. know how important it is to be able to drop the waggle-system in favor of an old faithful GC controller.

If you look at the widget I posted at the top of the article you can see screenshots and videos from both games. I expect a review copy to arrive shortly and after I play it for a while I will share my complete thoughts on the game with all of you.