Play More Games: Remastered

Hey folks, Paul here.

Wow! It has finally arrived. This week’s biggest, NAY… this week’s COLOSSAL release is one our most anticipated releases of the year! But absolutely horrible puns aside, we here at VGH could not be more excited about the release of the
Ico and Shadow of the Colossus HD Collection. In our latest episode which is due to drop (things aren’t released, but dropped now right?) on Thursday, I very briefly talk about how my first go around with Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are one of my great gaming shames. I wasn’t in a very good place in my personal life at the and I think it cannot be overstated that our real lives can, and do, have a serious impact on our enjoyment of our recreational time. Long story short, I tried both of these games when they were first released and I did not enjoy myself at all. Now usually I would chalk this up to simply a difference in taste but I think deep down I knew there was something special about team Ico’s lead designer Fumito Ueda’s minimalist approach to game design.

Perhaps I just wasn’t ready, who knows. But I think it is simply fantastic that we’re getting two games that are almost universally lauded as modern day masterpieces, re-released in full HD. Clearly, we feel strongly enough about this release that we’re even running a contest this week so we can get a copy of this collection in the hands of just one more gamer. My co-hosts simply cannot stop talking about how amazing these games are and I feel so lucky that I am getting a second chance to play them for the first time. I don’t remember much, if anything about either title so this is going to be a pretty interesting experience for me. Clearly my expectations are sky high, but something tells me that they are going to be met with gusto!

Maybe I’m making a bigger deal of this release (I’m not) than it really is, but if you’ve ever listened to the show, you know just how much I appreciate artsy games. Developers that simply attempt to make games that break out of standard AAA mould are usually relegated to indie status and don’t always get the support of large publishers, kudos to Sony for having the conviction to give these games a second release with such support. Also as a tiny, but incredibly awesome gesture towards hardcore fans, you can actually flip the game’s paper inlay/cover art around and have the original Japanese and EU box art designed by Mr. Ueda himself for your display. That’s just classy as hell if you ask me.

So… are you getting the Ico HD collection? Are you as excited about this release as we are? Let us know in the comments, and for crying out loud, enter our contest if you want a shot at a FREE copy of these games!

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Once again, here’s D.J. with more of this week’s releases:

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Classic Trilogy HD (PS3) – After numerous delays, PlayStation 3 owners finally get to experience Sam Fisher’s first three stealth missions in HD. For a bargain price of $40 for either the disc or digital download, you get the original Splinter Cell and its sequels, Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory, all together in a convenient bundle. While it’s a huge disappointment that Ubisoft neglected to include the latter two games’ groundbreaking spies-vs.-mercenaries multiplayer modes, there’s still some quality sneaking to be found in the single player campaigns, and don’t forget Amon Tobin’s excellent Chaos Theory soundtrack.

Resident Evil: Code: Veronica X HD (XBLA, PSN) – Regarded as one of the finest of the original Resident Evil games (AKA pre-Resident Evil 4), Code: Veronica follows Claire and Chris Redfield as they continue to unravel the secrets of the Umbrella Corporation, all while dealing with pesky zombies and giant spiders. Originally debuting on the Dreamcast in 2000, RE:C:VX returns with an HD makeover, as seems to be the theme this week.

FIFA Soccer 12 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 – Two soccer games, one $60 bill: Which one will you choose?

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (DSiWare) – Nintendo’s giving DSi and 3DS owners another gift this week to celebrate Zelda‘s 25th Anniversary: a retooled, DSiWare edition of one of Link’s more offbeat adventures. This was originally meant to be played on the Gamecube using four linked Gameboy Advances, and although you can still group with three other friends, supposedly they’ve made it easier to play solo this time around. Knowing Nintendo, the multiplayer is probably local wifi only, but hey, free Zelda game (provided you download it before February 20th, 2012).

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (PSN) – After debuting on Xbox Live Arcade last summer, Konami’s strange Castlevania mash-up is coming to the PSN, with all of its many, many DLC packs included for free. Differing from the 2D Castlevania games of the last few years, Harmony of Despair is a multiplayer, co-op affair that lets players choose one of their favorite Castlevania heroes and make their way through a smaller version of Dracula’s castle before fighting one of the series’s bosses. Personally, this isn’t my preferred way to play Castlevania, but it’s garnered something of a cult following so it may be worth a look.

Mercury Hg (PSN, XBLA) – After its previous outings in Mercury Meltdown on the PSP and Mercury Meltdown Revolution on the Wii, the heroic blob of molten metal (Is it the same blob every time?) is making its jump to an HD system, in case the awful pun threw you off. Guide as much of the little blob as possible to the end of a maze that’s part Marble Madness and part miniature golf. It’s more fun than it sounds, and is definitely way safer than playing with the real thing!

Rochard (PSN) – Rochard has you playing as the titular space miner as he deals with aliens invading his asteroid workplace. It’s a 2D platformer where you use your gravity-gun-like weapon to manipulate objects and lower gravity to help you traverse the environment. Check out some trailers of the game in action here.

Child of Eden (PS3) – Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s successor to Rez is finally, finally out for the PS3. Instead of the 360’s Kinect peripheral, players can use multiple Move controllers to shoot down waves of enemies threatening an AI program. It’s also in stereoscopic 3D–recommended if it’s been a while since you saw your dealer. (Note: Video Game Hangover does not endorse the use of psychotropic drugs while playing Tetsuya Mizuguchi games.)

For a full list of this week’s new releases, check out Tech-Gaming or Amazon.com.