When THQ began to reveal info about the newest iteration in the WWE Raw vs. Smackdown series, one item of interest was that Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart would be available as a pre-order bonus for those who ordered the game from Best Buy, as well as major Canadian retailers. And today, they’ve revealed what those who patronize other stores and websites will receive.

“While supplies last,” Toys R Us pre-orders will come with an alternate ..read the full article

Another slow week in new game releases, however, there are still a few big games hitting stores including Metroid: Other M for the Wii, Dead Rising: Case Zero for the Xbox 360 and Valkyria Chronicles 2 for the PSP. Hit the jump for the full list of new games coming out this week.

Pick of the Week: Metroid: Other M (Wii)

Xbox 360:

Wii:

PC:

The other day, Ripten brought you some, “Colossal” new footage from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.  Well today we are going to answer a question that many of you have been asking over and over again …  “Exactly how did Hideo Kojima influence this game!?”  Luckily for you, in an excerpt from our upcoming interview with executive producer David Cox, he tells us just that.

You can read the full interview within my upcoming preview, but for now, let’s get ..read the full article

It would seem that the vast majority of gamers don’t expect the PlayStation’s Move peripheral to sell like gangbusters when it launches. And as it turns out, they have something in common with Sony.

In an interview with Eurogamer, Sony Computer Entertainment Senior Vice President Ray Maguire explained that while the Wii had enormous success at its launch, they aren’t expecting their product to “move” the same way:

“Exactly as with EyeToy in the PS2 days, it’s a product ..read the full article

Ripten was lucky enough to get hands on with the final version of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow this week.  Better yet, we we’ve just been given the go ahead from Konami to go live with the gameplay footage that we took.

Not impressed?  Well you may be the only one.  There are several titans like this that you will have to conquer throughout the 25+ hours of intense gameplay. Are you up for it?

Look for more hands on coverage plus my upcoming ..read the full article

While Mortal Kombat co-creator and NetherRealm Studios lead Ed Boon recently spoke with Kotaku about the lengthier development cycle the 2011 installment in the series has been afforded and what may come next, there is a fascinating rumor surrounding what may await fans this holiday season.

Recently, a group of four European video game retailers had reportedly added a pre-order listing for a game called “Mortal Kombat Kollection,” scheduled for a November 2010 release on the PlayStation 3, with ..read the full article

THQ has recently announced the full launch of their online portal for WWE video games at wwe.thq.com/, as well as their official community website for their latest title, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011, at community.smackdownvsraw.com. Together, the two sites will host a variety of new and interesting features, including an exclusive blog written by current United States Champion and Money In The Bank winner The Miz, a “Create-a-Superstar” application, and more regular features, such as the official ..read the full article

According to producer Hiromichi Tanaka, the main reason for the delay of Final Fantasy XIV on the PlayStation 3 is memory-related.

The PS3 delay was announced in late June when the PC version got hit with a September release date.

“On the PC, they have enormous memory. For PS3, there’s a restriction,” Tanaka explained while talking through a translator at Gamescom last week. “They are adjusting the memory size and customizing it; it took longer then we were expecting. But we’re really ..read the full article

Since the dawn of video games, there has been but one goal set before players everywhere: kill everything in sight.

Oh, sure, some may argue that Pong wasn’t about killing, but they clearly never spent a Friday night in the 70′s playing a round in a bar as the other guy managed to slip the ball past their paddle for the game-winning shot.

Okay, I’ll admit it: I never did, either. But I’ve heard things.

The point remains, however, that ..read the full article

In the early 90′s, two fighting games stood head and shoulders above all the rest: Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat. And among the fans of those titles were those who wished the two would come together, if only so that they could prove their brand of martial art was the superior fighter.

Of course, back then, it was all little more than a pipe dream, as companies didn’t tend to collaborate very much. But over time, ..read the full article

As great as Marvel vs. Capcom 3 promises to be, there are bound to be some disappointments with its roster. After all, even with the storage capacity of a Blu-ray disc, it seems as though there is no way to fit the entirety of one company’s universe into the game, never mind both.

With that said, one is left to wonder which of Marvel’s mightiest masters of mayhem won’t make the coveted cut to combat Capcom’s corps.

One well-known ..read the full article

The section about “downloadable comment” has been updated.

About five days ago, during WWE’s SummerSlam weekend, THQ held an event for the press to see what sports-entertainment and video game fans everywhere could expect from the latest installment of their flagship franchise, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011.

Though I was unable to attend this year, I’ve nonetheless managed to gather up a ton of info about the game. There’s a lot to cover, so getting right to it…

The Box

What ..read the full article

The latest highly anticipated 3d entry into the Castlevania series finally has a release date, and it’s October 5th.

Everything you need to know about this title can be found right here at Ripten!!  We got hands on with Lords of Shadow at E3 and CCSD.  We will also be attending a Lords of Shadow boot camp in NYC next week, so look for some extended hands-on coverage as we get closer to the release of this highly anticipated title.

Check out ..read the full article

Earlier this year, a preliminary version of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 was leaked. Reaction from the head-start hedgehog huggers was poor, and SEGA took the game back into development, delaying its release so they could fine-tune it further.

In particular, fans reacted quite harshly to an area known as Act 2 of the Lost Labyrinth Zone, which featured a mine cart section which was said to be controlled by motion controls on the Wii and PlayStation ..read the full article

Do you like partying? Of course you do! With the mafia? Who can refuse?

With that said, NVIDIA and 2K Games are throwing three big launch parties to celebrate the release of Mafia II, which itself will be released on August 24th. The locations and dates are in Chicago on August 21st, Miami on August 22nd, and New York City on August 28th.

And these parties are for the big boys and girls; there is no ..read the full article

Sony’s had a pretty busy day today, as their Gamescom press conference has been filled with more reveals and trailers than we ever could’ve hoped for. Hopping on that bandwagon is a new trailer for inFamous 2, where we get a bigger look at the action and destruction Cole causes in the game.

I’m loving the freeze-frame pan through the game, and I wish more trailers took such an approach. We’re bound to see more actual gameplay closer to the launch ..read the full article

If there is one Sony-exclusive property I absolutely love the most, it’s Ratchet and Clank. Since the first game came out for the PS2, I’ve played and loved almost every game in the series. That said, you can understand why I’m absolutely ecstatic that Insomniac and Sony are releasing Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One next Fall for the PS3.

All 4 One’s biggest feature seems to be the 4-player online and local co-op that it touts, along with having four ..read the full article

If you didn’t see Resistance 3 coming from a mile away, then you need to work on your skills of deduction. Sony and Insomniac would be stupid not to release a second sequel to the blockbuster hit from 2006. While I’ll be waiting with baited breath for a good look at the shooter, for now, Sony has dropped a live-action teaser trailer for the game at Gamescom. (Excuse the poor quality, as it was ripped straight from a feed of ..read the full article