The Ultra Combo News Report 08.31.09: Xbox 360 Price Drop, Batman Sets Record, Cobain in Guitar Hero 5, More!

Posted by Armando Rodriguez on 08.31.2009

Plus, tons of release dates, the Quick Hits and much more!



Welcome ladies and gentlemen to THE ULTRA COMBO News Report! Yes, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is gone for good and I am starting from scratch using one of Todd Vote's old column names. Thank you Todd much appreciated. The format is going to be similar to my last news report, but gone are the ratings for the news. Don't worry, my commentary is still going to be there and there is going to be a LOT more news content than before. Now, on to the news!


Xbox 360 Elite Price Cut Official


Another price cut rumor gets confirmed this week as the Xbox 360 Elite's price has been cut to $299 starting August 28. The model will be the same, but it will NOT come bundled with HDMI or component AV cables, since according to a Microsoft representative "many Xbox 360 customers where not using the HD cables that came bundled with the system, so we removed them".

The Xbox 360 Pro has also seen its price reduced to $249.99 in an effort to phase out the model, leaving only the Elite and Arcade SKU's in the market.
[Credit: Gamespot.com]

The Beatdown: This can only be seen as a positive move by Microsoft *If not a PANIC reaction* after the PS3 dropped to $299. The price drop could have given Sony some momentum, but by matching the drop on their top model Microsoft guarantees themselves an even playing field come Christmas time. I still believe Sony will win the Christmas battle, if only because those gamers that have stayed loyal to Sony and the PS2 will finally upgrade to the PS3 with the price drop and also we have to count the number of 360 owners that will purchase a second system (in this case the PS3) with the price drop. I believe Microsoft will win the race this generation, but Sony will be a lot closer than anyone thought at this point when the race hits the final stretch.


Kurt Cobain to be playable in Guitar Hero 5


Activision has confirmed that Nirvana guitarist/singer Kurt Cobain will be playable in Guitar Hero 5. Cobain will perform "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and a live version of "Lithium". Cobain joins Carlos Santana, Johnny Cash, Shirley Manson and Adam Levine among the playable musicians in Guitar Hero 5.

Guitar Hero 5 hits stores tomorrow!
[Credit: Gamespot.com]


The Beatdown: Another "Home Run" swing for Activision by getting Cobain. Granted, they got me as soon as they said Santana was going to be playable, but Cobain is as big a name as Santana for totally different reasons. I liked Nirvana and I believe they spoke for an entire generation in their songs. It's sort of a bittersweet situation for me since as soon as Nirvana came around I knew that the type of rock I enjoyed (80's hair metal) was dead for good. We kept waiting for a comeback, but I guess the last great hair metal band was Guns N' Roses and even they switched gears at some point. An argument can be made for Skid Row, but as good as their sound was, they never reached the EPIC status of GNR. Still, is undeniable that Nirvana deserves the status they have attained and that Cobain was a great musician.

Batman: Arkham Asylum sets Guinness World Record


Batman: Arkham Asylum has been named "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game" by Guinness World Record. Batman has an average review score of 91.67 to date in a global scale, including getting positive reviews from The Associated Press.
[Credit: 1UP.com]

The Beatdown: In a genre known for horrible games, Batman has become the new benchmark. I loved the demo, the way the combat flows and how cool it is to play in the Predator-like "Detective Vision" mode and now I can't wait to pick up the full game. Is one thing to be loved, but it's another thing entirely to be UNIVERSALLY loved. Only time will tell if it was Overrated *It might as well have been, I mean, a good superhero game is enough to make us all giddy considering the crappy history of the genre* but for now let us all enjoy The Dark Knight's greatest adventure and praise be had for Eidos and Rocksteady for pulling it off.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Gets Release Date


Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time will be released October 27 according to Eurogamer. There are several preorder goodies available, including The Insomniac Moon from Gamestop, Extra Bolts and a Ship Skin from GameCrazy, Extra Bolts and Power-Ups from Amazon and the Cryo Mine Glove from Best Buy.
[Credit: 1UP.com]

The Beatdown: I am glad that this game gets released this year instead of getting moved on to 2010, but considering its family friendly nature, it doesn't have to directly compete with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and thus, I am sure it didn't run into any "development problems". I love what I have seen of this game thus far and considering that Ratchet & Clank blends the traditional platformer genre with action-packed levels, I know it will appeal to adult gamers as well.

Motorstorm's PSP Debut Set for September 29


Motorstorm: Arctic Edge will hit stores on September 29, with a downloadable version hitting the Playstation Network on October 1, just in time for the PSP Go's launch. Artic Edge takes the game's traditional off-road racing to Alaska and introduces two new vehicles to the fold: The Snow Machine and the Snowcat.

There was no word on when the PS2 port will hit stores.
[Credit: Gamespot.com]

The Beatdown: Too bad this will not appear on PS3 because I love Motorstorm and the idea of running around the arctic wastelands on a snow machine sounds mighty appealing. I guess this will be Sony's marquee first party title for the new PSP go and I believe it is a good choice. I believe that as far as "Arcade" off-road racing games go, Motorstorm is the best of the bunch and this PSP entry will continue that trend. Remember last year around this same time when we complained about the lack of good PSP games and how the PSP would die in 2009? Well, if there is an award for "Comeback System of the Year" the PSP would win hands down. Hey, there is a new category for 411's awards this year.

Gears of War 2: Game of the Year Edition Comes Out Tomorrow


That's right folks. Tomorrow we will see the release of Gears of War 2: GOTY Edition. Featuring the 19 new maps introduced in the "All Fronts Collection" DLC and the extra campaign scene introduced in "Road to Ruin" in addition to the original game, Gears of War 2: Game of the Year Edition will retail for only $39.99.
[Credit: 1UP.com]

The Beatdown: Gears of War 2 is a great game. Now you can get that game with extra DLC content for only $40, so if you passed up on GoW when it first came out, it's time to hit the store and pick this baby up. I praise the decision to sell this edition for $40, which makes other companies decisions (Call of Duty 4 GOTY Edition sold for $60 when it came out and apparently so will Little Big Planet: GOTY Edition) seem ridiculous. The point of GOTY editions is to get people to try the games they missed, but if you sell them at full price it makes no sense. You might as well pick up the cheaper original game. As it stands there is a lot of great value here, a modest price, extra multiplayer maps and an entire new campaign scene.

EyePet in Stores November 17


The PS3 is getting their own virtual pet simulator in the form of EyePet, coming to stores on November 17. The game will be sold in a bundle with the PS Eye for $59.99, or just the game for $39.99.

EyePet will allow you to customize your pet and outfit him with a variety of items. You will interact with your pet via the PS Eye and your pet will respond to movements in our world, allowing you to pet him and play games with it. With the included "Magic Card" you will be able to draw items that your pet can use as toys.
[Credit: 1UP.com]

The Beatdown: I guess this is a game for kiddies and it sounds fine for what it is. From the videos and pictures available at the US Playstation Blog you can tell that it interacts with the PS Eye in a variety of ways, but to be honest it looks like one of those titles that adults will have fun with for about five minutes. Kids will love it, I showed it to my little cousins and they really dig the videos (I bet I made their parents very unhappy) and now want the game, so I guess it has appeal with the younger generation.

GTA: Chinatown Wars PSP Release Date Set


Rockstar Games has confirmed via Twitter that the PSP port of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be released on October 20th. The game will be available as an UMD and through PSN download. The game will retail for $34.99. The PSP version will feature widescreen graphics, a tweaked HUD and improved lightning, among other fixes.
[Credit: Gamespot.com]

The Beatdown: I am going to reserve my judgment on this game. There is no doubt that the DS game was amazing, getting a lot of critical praise, but how will this game translate to the PSP is up in the air. Obviously the controls would need to be reworked since there is no touch screen on the PSP. The graphics look better than the DS version (judging by screenshots) but clearly not on par to those of the other PSP GTA games, Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories. This game has the potential to be as awesome as the DS version, but potential doesn't always translate to success.

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles Coming November 17


The Nintendo Wii is getting zombies for Christmas, as Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles will be released on November 17. Like its predecessor Umbrella Chronicles, The Darkside Chronicles is a light-gun style shooter that retells the story of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica.
[Credit: 1UP.com]

The Beatdown: I really enjoyed Umbrella Chronicles and I am looking forward to playing this one as well. There is something about on-rails shooters featuring the walking dead that I love, be it Resident Evil or House of the Dead. It also happens that Code Veronica is the only Resident Evil game from the zombie days that I actually finished, so I am eager to play it all over again in simplified form.

Quick Hits:

Quick Hits is just a way for me to get even more news into the column, in simplified form. Think of it as the "best of the rest" of whatever news came out that week.

- Analysts are predicting that Guitar Hero 5 will outsell The Beatles: Rock Band by a 2:1 ratio. Someone is underestimating the power of The Beatles. Don't they know that they are "bigger than Jesus"?

- Capcom has filed a very interesting trademark that hints at a possible sequel for Okami. They have filed a trademark on the name Okamiden, which does sound enough like Okami to make us all giddy with excitement.

- 1UP.com thinks the new Final Fantasy XIII villain looks a lot like Sarah Palin. What do you think?

- Square doesn't like money, so they are not seriously considering a Final Fantasy VII remake. You know they could just take the same game, replace the graphics with HD visuals and re-release the game and it will still make a ton of money. But who likes money anyway?

- Electronic Arts Los Angeles has announced the subtitle for Command & Conquer 4. The winner, of over 15,000 fan-submitted subtitles, was Tiberian Twilight. So, I guess the units will be emo vampires that feed on Tiberium?

- Rumors are circulating about Beyond Good & Evil 2 being put on hold, if not cancelled altogether. You know, because good games don't sell and all that.

- Nintendo has apparently filed a patent for a "foam football" add-on for the Wii. Apparently you will be able to fit the remote inside the "foam football". Please, no "waggle" jokes.

- According to Gamespot.com Microsoft has said that Xbox 360 failures "are well behind us". As in "the warehouse full of bricked systems waiting to be repaired that is sitting well behind me right now".


Finish Him!

Orchid Wins!

That's it for the very first edition of The Ultra Combo News Report. I hope you enjoyed my new format and I welcome all comments and suggestions for future editions as there are a few new things I would like to add. I also want to hype up the next edition of The Games Top 5 in which we will rate the Top 5 Sega Genesis games, probably one of the hardest lists I have had to come up with, considering I love about 50 Genesis games equally. No kidding! Until next time!