Hello dear readers. I wanted to take a moment to address you directly today and ask the question: What are the “must play” games of 2010?

Just like last year, the WingDamage staff and I are now scrambling to catch up on all the cool releases, so we can more accurately pick our personal top tens. From indie hits like Super Meat Boy to big blockbusters like Red Dead Redemption, there were a lot of fantastic new games in 2010.

Please, let us know in the comments which games are on your must play list this year. We aren’t just looking for big mainstream releases either. If there is something out there that you know is fantastic that most people will likely never have heard of, shoot us a link. The more obscure the better!

We can’t guarantee we’ll get to play every game to completion before the end of the month, but the more we can experience, the better our top lists will be.

The war is on and there’s only one man bearded enough to finish the fight. That man is YOU! Well, it could be you if you win this contest.

We put Medal of Honor through its paces and are giving away our Playstation 3 copy to one lucky (and hopefully bearded) reader. Simply read the rules below and let us know your favorite bearded videogame character and the game could be yours. You don’t need to have a beard to enter, but we strongly encourage you do.

(more…)

It has come to our attention that some people still haven’t picked up the excellent action/shooter, Vanquish. With all the great games 2010 has brought us thus far, it would be easy for people to forget to try Platinum’s new IP. But make no mistake, we will… stop that from happening.

We’re giving away a copy of Vanquish for the Playstation 3 to one lucky commenter. To prove to us that you’re man enough to take the game on, read the rules below and give us your best grunty, space marine line below. Examples from the game include “I’m gonna need a bigger gun!” and “This fight is for the men going home in pine boxes!” Just keep you’re lines PG (unlike the game) and make sure to grunt a lot while you type them.

(more…)

It’s that classic situation you’ve had nightmares about. Your essay on the Sengoku Period for your Japanese History class is due, and you haven’t even started studying the subject yet. What’s a student to do?

Instead of reading boring ‘ol books, why not play Capcom’s study aid, Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes? Insert this learning tool into your Playstation 3, and within minutes you’ll be able to answer such questions as “Which General is actually a robot?”, “What magical element does Yukimura Sanada use?”, and “At what battlefield did Masamune Date declare a One Eyed Dragon Party Time?”

Don’t worry about the cash! We have a free copy waiting for one of the commenters on this post. Simply read the rules below and tell us both a historical period and how you’d like to see it spiced up. For example, how about adding ninjas to the American Civil War?

(more…)

"No seriously... we're not making it up this time."

We don’t normally cover any news on WingDamage (other than on the podcast), but today is different. As long time readers and listeners of the Barrel Roll! podcast are already aware, Mega Man Legends is a series that’s near and dear to us. We do everything we can to make sure a sequel will get in development from spreading the word about what makes the games great to posting a PSA to suggest it in Capcom Unity’s suggestion box.

Well it finally happened… seriously.

After over a year and a half of jokingly confirming Mega Man Legends 3 on our podcast, we’ll finally be able to confirm it for real on next week’s episode. In honor of that very special episode, please take this opportunity to share your thoughts on the series, past and future, in the comments section of this post, or email them to us at podcast@wingdamage.com and maybe we’ll share them on the show.

Check out the juicy details of the game over at The Mega Man Network, share your thoughts with us, and never give up hope that dreams can come true.

Thanks, Capcom Unity!

As per annual tradition, the WingDamage crew will be tackling the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) yet again. Our biggest goal for the site will be to get as much hands-on time with as many unreleased games as our modestly sized team can muster.

If we can manage to acquire a decent internet connection during the trip, we may have some coverage during the con. Otherwise, expect hands-on impressions to pour in as early as Monday.

Either way, we will be updating our twitter feeds all throughout the con. For a complete twitter list of the attending WingDamage staff, head past the break.

(more…)

"A new song, every day... that I feel like it."

People that know me well know that I can’t shut up about videogame music. I love the stuff. I listen to it all the time. I remix it. Yet, I don’t always feel like writing a full, long-form piece on it which is why my music posts here on WingDamage don’t happen that often.

For this reason, I’ve created an outlet for myself where I can share a few words about my game music passion each day. Main Finger’s Videogame “Jam a Day” Blog is a place where you can hear a videogame song hand picked by me every day (barring unforeseen circumstance) and read my very brief thoughts on it.

Sometimes it will be directly from a soundtrack, sometimes it will be a remix. There aren’t any strict rules here. However, my goal is to introduce people to new music they might not otherwise hear from a variety of genres and artists. Because of this, you might not always see me pick the most well known tunes (though I’m sure classics will appear from time to time).

So head on over to mainfinger.tumblr.com and see for yourself the songs I love. And if you like the blog, be sure to recommend it in the gaming and/or music directory of tumblr and spread the word to your friends. Hope you enjoy!

You’ve probably noticed that things over here at WingDamage have looked pretty differently the last couple days. Your eyes do not deceive you. You are reveling in the sheer fanciness that is the new WingDamage.

While the new design is more of a drastic revision than a complete overhaul, there are a few changes I’d like to point out. For one, you can now see the handsome faces of the author of each post, making it easier to identify who’s writing what. There are also large comment count indicators above the posts that can be clicked to jump right into the discussion.

Our categories have also bee revised. No longer will you have to dig through Hands-On Impressions, Anticipated Games, or lists when trying to browse our articles. Instead, these types of posts have been moved to the new “features” category, leaving articles with only the pure editorial content you’d expect from the name.

This isn’t the end of the changes. What you see here is only the beginning. More features are planned in the near future. So stay tuned, WingDamagicians! It only gets better from here.

"We had a website, but a Lagiacrus ated it."

You might have noticed a smaller number of updates on WingDamage this week. It’s very easy to point a finger at the cause of this. You see, a certain game named Monster Hunter Tri released recently. Perhaps you’ve heard of it in our last podcast or our hands-on impressions.

Turns out, the game is quite addictive. Several of the WingDamage crew have been gathering regularly for the hunt and frankly, we’ve just lost track of time. We don’t have a review up of the game currently, but considering the effect it has had on the staff, I think it’s safe to consider it a recommendation.

Regular updates should resume next week. In the meantime, did you check out our in-depth Final Fantasy XIII review? How about the detailed battle explanation video (in HD!)? Or the article on Fighting Game Boss Fights? What are you waiting for? Get crackin’!

There are a few new things on the horizon for WingDamage. One of these is HD video. Above, you’ll find a montage of gameplay footage recorded from one of my play sessions of the Lost Planet 2 multiplayer beta. This video is a bit of a guinea pig for video capturing, editing, and processing, so expect quality to increase with future videos.

At the beginning, you can see the basis of the weapon customization system. There are five categories to customize. The weapons dropped on the stage from your point of view will be based on those selections. For example, you might see a short range weapon drop. Depending on your settings, this will give you either a shotgun or a revolver. It’s a really interesting system that I look forward to seeing expanded on in the full game.

(more…)