SUMMER GAMING 2009!
 The summer has always been a strange season for video games. Publishers typically save their best titles for fall just in time for the Christmas rush. Unfortunately, most games released in October, November and December get overlooked and are victims of over saturation. Critically acclaimed games with a smaller budget are released during the winter season to make use of the empty space on retailer shelves and any after Christmas sales. Spring is a virtual dead zone and acts as a buffer for gamers to finish off all the titles they accumulated from fall and winter. Summer is a mixture of winter and spring. A sprinkling of sleeper hits is parceled out over three long months while some high profile titles that needed more development time are forced in for a cornucopia of selections. The entire season is used as a primer for the fall and this summer has a few titles that are at risk of being swept under a rug of malaise. These titles are worth keeping an eye on.
Little King’s story - Wii July 23, 2009
Xseed Games
Cing
You are the king! Enlist the help of your fellow noblemen in this quirky, Animal Crossing-like strategy game. You will be responsible for taking care of your kingdom, protecting the residents and ensuring peace. It all depends on how you balance your party. Little King’s Story seems to be what I always wanted Animal Crossing to become. Building a small community of friends is dandy but something was lacking. Animal Crossing did not offer competitive content worth investing your time. Little King’s Story will attempt to fill that void with conflict and, therefore, a purpose. Cing Inc. has a fairly good track record developing games for Nintendo with titles such as Hotel Dusk and Trace Memory. Hopefully Little King’s Story will follow suit and become a strong title for the Wii console.
C.O.R.E. - DS July 25, 2009
Graffiti Entertainment
NoWay Studio
First-person shooting returns to its roots. C.O.R.E. for the DS resembles the venerable Quake series from years past. The basics stay the same—shoot whatever moves, heavy metal is a constant, keycards are colored and explosions are plentiful. The game also features a multiplayer death match mode so you can destroy your friends anywhere you go. The DS has shown signs of brilliance with the first-person shooter genre. The touch screen and stylus mimic the accuracy and control found in the PC’s mouse and keyboard configuration which is ideal for shooters. Titles such as Dementium: The Ward and Moon have exposed what is possible on the little handheld and the results have been favorable. C.O.R.E. appears to be focusing on making a technically sound shooter at the cost of originality, but if the game is fun to play then the reward will be worth the risk. If you are a fan of old-school shooters, C.O.R.E. should fit comfortably in your pant’s pocket this summer.
King of Fighters XII – PS3/360 July 28, 2009
SNK Playmore
A staple of the 2-D fighting game world since 1994, King of Fighters XII will once again pit a collection of classic SNK fighters against each other. Fans of the series will be pleased to know that the look of the game has improved exponentially. In addition to redrawing characters such as Terry Bogard, Robert Garcia and Raiden, each and every frame of animation has been painstakingly painted over to create what can only be described as a playable work of art. Due to the time and effort put into making the game look amazing the roster will not be as robust as other King of Fighters titles, but from what I understand the game will have console specific fighters in addition to the arcade set of characters. King of Fighters XII will be strongly favored for tournament play around the world. If breaking out into the professional gaming arena or just playing against the top tier players interests you, this game should be as accessible as Street Fighter IV or even Tekken 6 which will be released later this year.
M. Michael Chwedyk-MuzikReviews.com Sr. Video Game Reviewer
June 30, 2009
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