What Comes After Dirt 2? Dirt 3, Of Course [Racing]

After following up Dirt with Dirt 2 last year, the studio behind the rally racer confirms that it’s working on a Dirt 3 More

What Comes After Dirt 2? Dirt 3, Of Course [Racing]

After following up Dirt with Dirt 2 last year, the studio behind the rally racer confirms that it’s working on a Dirt 3 More

Gran Turismo 5 Looks Even Better In The Dark [Sony]

And new trailer included in copies of God of War III gives us a teasing glance of night driving, a new addition to the generally sun-dappled world of Gran Turismo. More

Blur – MP Beta Impressions

What do you get when you combine Need For Speed’s Racing, Mario Kart’s power-ups, and stylized neon graphics? Bizarre Creations’ upcoming title, Blur, has recently become the first video game I think of. Blur features arcade style racing, social network integration, and the ultimate driving adventure. I had the opportunity to play the multiplayer beta of Activision’s latest project to experience the intensity head-on. Full impressions are after the break:

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Blur – MP Beta Impressions

Kotaku Originals: Insanity Ward [Original]

The onslaught of news this week was enough to send anyone to the nuthouse. Activision sacking Infinity Ward’s founders takes the gold, the PS3 clock error the silver, and Portal 2 a hard-fought bronze. The week in Kotaku’s original reporting: Activision vs. Infinity Ward Founders Ex-Infinity Ward Heads Claim “Orwellian” Moves By Activision Infinity Ward Founders Suing Activision Over Unpaid Royalties Video Games’ Team Coco Moment Where To Next For Call Of Duty? Infinity Ward Vs. Activision: The Battle For Creative Direction Guess Which Three Games Help Keep Activision Afloat Scandal Hits Call Of Duty Devs: What We Know Déjà Vu Surrounds Infinity Ward Rumors The Great PS3 Outrage PS3 Error 8001050F: The Nightmare May Be Over PS3s Suffering From Global Network Lockdown PS3 Failure, You Are Not Alone Portal 2 Portal Mysteriously Updated With Secret Radio Codes, New Achievement Portal 2 Adds Multiplayer Co-op, New & Familiar Characters An Insider’s Guide to Portal 2 Top Stories Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy Nixed on Xbox 360 Live NHL 2K Isn’t Dead, It’s Just Resting Valve Teases Upcoming Mac Announcement, Not So Subtly K Monthly – February 2010 Kotaku Talk Radio Bad Company 2 Devs Have Nothing But Love For The Modding Community News God Of War III’s First Big Boss Battle Is Unforgettable The Next Big Thing In Video Games Might Be Fear Of Embarrassment iPhone Chart Toppers: Final Fantasies It Would Be Like Call Of Duty, But You Would Only Control A Leg DSi XL Versus iPad: The Battle of the Bigger Versions Which Pokemon Song Do You Like Better? We Were Wrong About Nier Before … Or We Are Now When Does God of War Go Too Far? When Someone Laughs Mirror’s Edge On iPhone Doing The Canabalt Aion Patch 1.9: Changing Perceptions And Pleasing The Players Revisiting The Great Class Dash: TF2’s Side-Scroller A Number of Boom Blox Developers Let Go Ex-Team Ninja Boss Has A New Studio With A New Name Five Yakuza Movies You Must See… Play A Facebook Game To Help The War Effort On Your Xbox 360, Or Vice Versa NSFW: Heavy Rain Glitch Brings Playable, Accidental Nudity Rumor: Screens From Unannounced Justice League Video Game Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review: Judging A Book By Its Cover Works Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Review: Remaster System Mega Man 10 Micro-Review: Capcom Had Mercy Match Defense Toy Soldiers Micro-Review: Finally, Mom Can Help Toy Soldiers Micro-review: A Farewell To Arms? Max & The Magic Marker Preview: For Those With Imagination The Secret Armory of General Knoxx Micro-Review: Hot Coals Over a Cakewalk Movies Alice In Wonderland Movie Review: A Bitter Underland The Crazies Review: Left 4 Dead In a Small Town An Eyes-On Sneak Peek At Tron Legacy… In 3D!!! Columns Well Played: Collateral Damage In The War On Piracy Speak-Up On Kotaku: Team Ninja, Splitscreen’s Absence, Used Games, And The Birthday Lord Twitterati: Gears of War Designer Mentions Something About Doing Things In Threes Stick Jockey: More Than Money, Licenses Give a League Control Tim Rogers: Japan: It’s Not Funny Anymore The PS2 at 10 The PS2’s First Ten Years: A Timeline Show Us Your 10-Year-Old PlayStation 2 My 10 Years With The PlayStation 2 The Road to the IGF Mile Marker 7: Limbo Mile Marker 8: Heroes of Newerth Mile Marker 9: Joe Danger Mile Marker 10: Shatter Roundups This Week In Comics The Tester: Episode 3: The “There’s No Cry In Team” Liveblog: No Goof Deed Goes Unpunished A Week In Comments Dammit Red Dead Redemption Delayed To May Your Red Dead Redemption Survival Guide: Listen To This! Kotaku ‘Shop Contest Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Next-Gen Cereal System Edition Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Worst Sonic & Sega Cameos Edition Winners

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Kotaku Originals: Insanity Ward [Original]

MAN! [Note]

To: Ash From: Crecente Re: This Week Has Been Crazy, Huh? What is with this week? It’s been crazy! First the 24-hour Playstation outage and then this Call of Duty insanity ! I know I shouldn’t be using exclamation points, but I think it’s stuck on! What you missed! Mile Marker 9: Joe Danger Scandal Hits Call Of Duty Devs: What We Know [Update] Sony Buys LittleBigPlanet Developer Media Molecule Guess Which Three Games Help Keep Activision Afloat Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Review: Remaster System Infinity Ward Vs. Activision: The Battle For Creative Direction Activision’s New Plans For Call of Duty Include New Developer, New Genres

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MAN! [Note]

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Review: Remaster System [Review]

Sega and developer Sumo Digital take a stab at kart racing with Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, a chance for Sega characters great and small to, for some reason, get together and settle their difference in go kart competitions. Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is Mario Kart for the gamer that aligned itself with Sega in its former rivalry with Nintendo, a brightly colored, simple arcade racer that follows the gameplay of long-running Mario-starring series closely. All-Stars Racing taps into 25 years worth of Sega memories for a high-speed racing game that’s heavy on both Sonic the Hedgehog and the more obscure mascot who couldn’t hold his own against the all-powerful Mario. The game features 20-plus characters of varying familiarity and two dozen Sega themed tracks on which to race them. If that Nintendo versus Sega feud was still roiling, how would Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing hold up in debates with the Mario Kart fan? Loved Sega Nostalgia Bliss: Perhaps the primary reason to own a copy of Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is the high-grade hit of pure Sega nostalgia, administered by a cast of characters that ranges from the popular—you know Sonic the Hedgehog, right?—to the currently obscure—Alex Kidd, Billy Hatcher, Opa-Opa. Sega fans will bask in the characters, soundtrack, levels and Achievement/Trophy names unearthed just for them while getting a chance to revisit game properties like Jet Set Radio and The House of the Dead (or, as Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing calls it, the safely E-rated “Curien Mansion.”) Sega Does What Nintendoes, Competently: Where Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing doesn’t innovate, it wisely imitates, giving the kart-racing fan who may not already have a Wii, GameCube, Nintendo 64 or SNES a very capable, competitive casual driving game. Mechanically, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is rather simple, requiring little more than a constant pull on the accelerator and liberal use of the game’s drift button. Many of the game’s power-up pick ups have Mario Kart equivalents—boxing gloves for blue shells, missiles for red ones, rainbows for Blooper ink—but some, like the track flipping attack, feel less like swipes from Nintendo’s famous kart racer. Blue Sky In Games & Casino Nights: Many of the game’s levels, which draw inspiration from game franchises like Super Monkey Ball and Samba de Amigo, look amazing, a chaotic spectacular of Sega references and well-designed tracks. Also, there are bright blue skies with characters wearing bright red shoes beneath them. It’s the Sonic the Hedgehog tracks that impress most, particularly the casino themed courses, filled with bright Vegas strip lights, oversized poker chips and kart launching bumpers. The Sonic courses offer enjoyment far beyond the Monkey Ball inspired tracks, which employ too many sharp, 90-degree angle turns. All-Star Moves: While they may not be so lovable when one is on the receiving end of an All-Star move, when a player is in last place and is offered a powerful, character-specific opportunity to boost ahead, these power ups feel great. That they’re of the more obscure nature, like Shenmue star Ryo Hazuki’s vicious forklift attack, makes them that much better. Hated Color Commentary: What is it with Sega and grating color commentary? Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing’s announcer delivers a constant spew of annoying quips that wear thin quickly, offer no laughs (OK, maybe one) and aren’t delivered with the same speed a game of this pace requires. Meager Online Options: While online multiplayer is fun and functional, there’s just not much meat to it. It’s little more than a chance to compete in one-off races with other Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing players, with no tournament or Grand Prix options. Getting into matches is also frustratingly slow and sometimes unnecessarily difficult, as it may take multiple attempts to find a worthy match. Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing succeeds in evoking fond Master System and Dreamcast era memories while delivering a competent kart racing game. It may not exhibit the same level of polish that its Mario Kart competition can, but given Sega’s platform agnostic stance and Sumo Digital’s attractive game, we’re more than willing to forgive a fluid frame rate and a lack of innovation. The kart racing mechanics are solid and cameos from fondly remembered characters go a long way to making Sumo Digital’s effort a worthy purchase, but Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing feels slightly underexploitive of Sega’s past. Sure, the inclusion of a playable Opa-Opa is welcome and Bonanza Bros. fans must be ecstatic to see Robo and Mobo return. While the character roster delves deep into Sega lore, the game’s music selection and race track collection don’t, relying too heavily on a short list of games. It would’ve been great to see the developer experiment with less well-known franchises here as well. Perhaps our Sega nostalgia will be further stoked with inevitable downloadable content, scratching that itch. Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing was developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii on February 23. Retails for $39.99 USD to $49.99 USD. Copies of the game were given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played through Advanced difficulty in Grand Prix mode, completed all Missions on Xbox 360. Tested Wii version and online multiplayer modes on Xbox 360. Unlocked Ulala as quickly as possible. Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ .

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Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Review: Remaster System [Review]

Week in Games: Baseball’s Back [New Releases]

Pitchers and catchers reported last week. One week later we have opening day on the consoles, as MLB 2K10 and MLB 10 the Show release on Tuesday. Oh yeah, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is also out. This week’s count: Eleven for PC, 10 for Wii, nine for DS, six for PSP, five for Xbox 360, three for PS3 and two for PS2. Sunday (Feb. 28) Aztec Treasure Hunt (DS) City Builder (Wii) Crazy Garage (DS, PC, Wii) Dust Devils (360) Ella’s Hope (PC) Gunbird 2 Remix (PSP) Halfbrick Rocket Racing (PSP) House M.D. (PC) Hubert the Teddy Bear: Winter Games (Wii) Hunted (PC) Party Designer (DS) Royal Envoy (PC) Theatre of War II – Kursk 1943 (PC) Zooloretto (Wii) Monday (March 1) Alganon (PC) Build-a-Bear Workshop: Friendship Valley (Wii, DS) Dante’s Inferno (PSP) Mega Man 10 (Wii) Tuesday (March 2) Alice in Wonderland (DS, Wii) Battle of Giants: Mutant Insects (DS) Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PC, PS3, 360) Foto Showdown (DS) Lips: Party Classics (360) Lunar: Silver Star Harmony (PSP) Major League Baseball 2K10 (PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, 360) MLB 10: The Show (PS2, PS3, PSP) Project Runway (Wii) Silent Hunter V: Battle of the Atlantic (PC) Sonic Classic Collection (DS) SpongeBob’s Boating Bash (DS, Wii) Supreme Commander 2 (PC) Wednesday (May 3) Clover: A Curious Tale (PC) Toy Soldiers (360)

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Week in Games: Baseball’s Back [New Releases]

Review: Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing

U kart touch this. Is there any other game that has dominated its field so conclusively and with such tenacity? Super Mario Kart is seventeen years old yet it remains the touchstone and the benchmark for its peculiar subset of the racing genre. Crash Bandicoot came tantalisingly close to taking the plumber’s crown in 1999 with Crash Team Racing, but its otherwise been a one horse (and kart) race. What’s surprising is that it’s taken SEGA so long to offer up its take. Less surprising is the fact that, like so many others, it has produced something that lives almost completely in Nintendo’s shadow, copying the Mario Kart template, pasting SEGA stuff over the top and doing almost nothing to move the core ideas forwards. For the elements that are new we can thank Sumo Digital, a developer that understands SEGA racing well thanks to its loving work on the recent OutRun games and also has prior form in the “all-star” format following SEGA Superstars Tennis. Unfortunately, the bold ideas here begin and end with one word: drifting. Read more…

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Review: Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing

Review: Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing

U kart touch this. Is there any other game that has dominated its field so conclusively and with such tenacity? Super Mario Kart is seventeen years old yet it remains the touchstone and the benchmark for its peculiar subset of the racing genre. Crash Bandicoot came tantalisingly close to taking the plumber’s crown in 1999 with Crash Team Racing, but its otherwise been a one horse (and kart) race. What’s surprising is that it’s taken SEGA so long to offer up its take. Less surprising is the fact that, like so many others, it has produced something that lives almost completely in Nintendo’s shadow, copying the Mario Kart template, pasting SEGA stuff over the top and doing almost nothing to move the core ideas forwards. For the elements that are new we can thank Sumo Digital, a developer that understands SEGA racing well thanks to its loving work on the recent OutRun games and also has prior form in the “all-star” format following SEGA Superstars Tennis. Unfortunately, the bold ideas here begin and end with one word: drifting. Read more…

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Review: Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing

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