In case you missed it, the word is out: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II is coming.

Following the recent release of Sonic CD for the current platforms, Sega officially gave a statement for the next entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog 4 project. Episode II, currently in development, is set to focus on Sonic’s rivalry with Metal Sonic, following their last encounter during the events of Sonic CD and sidekick Tails has been announced as a playable character.

Episode I generated some tremendous hype when it was first announced but that hype seriously crashed and burned when the final product hit consoles and mobile platforms in Fall 2010.

The game, while definitely delivering an old school Sonic experience to the current era of console gaming, did a bang up job of pissing off every fan of the Sonic series to unimaginable degrees with a God-awful physics engine that sent many players flying to the internet in a collective rage fest. Our very own review of the game detailed some of the problems with the game including ‘phantom collision’ (that’s not the name of a Sonic stage) where Sonic would be at a full-speed buzzball jump and suddenly stop mid-air and go into a classic “Sonic pushing a block” animation which resulted in our hero plummeting to his death.

Let’s hope that Sega has paid a lot of attention to the critical feedback on this game. After releasing a certified hit with Sonic Generations, it’d be terrible to see Sonic go back into the depths of gamer hell.

Anarchy Reigns will be getting a delay.

Sega put out the word that Platinum Games’ current project will have to move back to July 3, 2012. No solid reason was given for the move but it’s probably most likely more time for development and tweaking.

Announced for release for PS3 and Xbox 360, Anarchy Reigns is an online beat ‘em up from the group responsible for MadWorld, Bayonetta and Vanquish. ”Anarchy Reigns brings a new take to the brawler genre and we have decided to take a little more time to deliver the full knockout punch. I can’t reveal much now, but it has something to do with scale. Let’s just say traditional one-on-one or two versus two fighters will be a thing of the past,” said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA West.

Featuring Jack Cayman (hero of MadWorld) and his Gator Tooth retractable double chainsaw mechanical arm, Anarchy Reigns is the fifth title Platinum is working on with SEGA publishing.

You can’t speak about old school gaming without naming at least 1 title from Treasure. Joining the ranks of Gunstar Heroes, Radiant Silvergun and Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury on Xbox Live Arcade comes another gem from Treasure’s vast vault — Guardian Hereos. Originally a title from the Sega Saturn, Guardian Heroes was considered one of the best games in the Saturn’s library and 15 years later Sega gives a new generation a chance to play this great game once again.

Guardian Heroes follows the story of four treasure hunters (though most would consider them thieves or rogues), Han, Randy (with his pet rabbit, Nando), Nicole and Ginjirou, who’ve just recovered a relic sword from a time long ago. As they’re celebrating their spoils in a tavern, Kingdom Knight Serena bursts into the bar warning them all that they have to move quickly as the castle knights have learned of their possession of such a powerful sword, and are coming to take it back, no matter the costs. Caught unawares, the thieves barely have time to react before an ambush is sprung and fighting ensues — as the tavern is burning down around them. After escaping from the knights with the help of Serena, the heroes gain another ally in the form of an undead knight that reclaims the relic sword in a surprising turn of events.

Guardian Heroes is a beat-em up game that boasts a lot of colors and gorgeous sprites. Particularly a side scrolling fighting game, the action RPG meshes in a lot more than just the typical fare RPG’s are known for. Characters have their own unique skills and abilities with opportunities for players to augment any of six different character attributes ranging from strength to durability to luck. Each of the hero characters represent a different class of fighter in the story. Han is the overall tank character while Randy and Nicole are the magic users. Serena specializes in both melee and magic while ninja character Ginjirou is a minor magic user with lightning fast melee attacks. Any of the five heroes can also issue commands to the undead knight turning him into an almost unstoppable force and a wonderful NPC ally.

Treasure made sure to add some balance to the game adding in new tweaks that makes the gameplay mechanics a little smoother. Air dashing is added along with powerful knockback moves, and other little tweaks. If you logged tons of hours playing the Sega Saturn original, you’re guaranteed to notice the difference. The English translation was also completely redone, and our heroes’ dialogue during cut-scenes sounds much more humorous and brings out more depth to the characters (along with injecting a modern day twist to the dialogue).

Alongside the beautiful graphics and frantic gameplay, Guardian Heroes is also remembered for the multiple levels in the battlefield. Players can access three planes of battle: a foreplane, a middle plane, and a back plane. These planes can be switched between in set sequence, or at the player’s choosing based on which button is pressed and also serves as an avenue for escape when you find yourself mobbed by bad guys. Along with the RPG element, the game’s story mode features branched paths which allow players to choose how the story plays out. The player can make choices on where to go and what gets done after every level. This allows for multiple endings and different boss encounters each run. The game scores some serious replay value as players are encouraged to play through the game many times and change the story dramatically each time.

If you know your way through Guardian Heroes, one of the chosen paths will lead to Golden Silver from Gunstar Heroes as the final Boss. Just as in Gunstar Heroes he uses the power of four gems to aid him in battle. 100% nostalgia!

Guardian Heroes gets an upscaling to HD in the new remix mode bringing the game up on the times. Before starting a game, you can choose to use the original 2D sprites and less detailed textures keeping it the same as the original Saturn version Saturn (graphics which actually stand up quite fine given the native system resolutions of today) or go remix mode which “remixes” the graphics making the character sprites take on a less saturated pencil-sketch look (think Valkyria Chronicles). The sprites aren’t redrawn, only smoothed over. Purists of the original will be put off as the pencil effect is a little too subtle to look stylish. What can you really say? The game is over 15 years old and this isn’t a true remake…

For you guys looking to get more substance out of Guardian Heroes, the online mode offers co-op with the ability to accept other players to join your game at any time you’re online. The new Arcade Mode is a single-player variation of the six-fighter Versus mode (which now features 12 fighters) pitting you against over 20 monsters in a survival free-for-all melee.

Ultimately, Guardian Heroes does it’s job of delivering that old school fix you want whenever any game from previous console generations makes the jump to the here and now. When you weigh in the appeal of the remixed graphics, a chaotic 12-player versus mode and the ‘choose your own adventure’ style of branching storylines, the realization that the Online Co-Op is much harder than the single player only adds more icing on a beautiful cake. The game can definitely feel a little chaotic at times, but aren’t all brawlers chaotic to some degree?

Guardian Heroes is currently available on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 MS Points ($10). Considering that the original game sells for over $100 (mint condition) over eBay, this is a steal — unless you’re one of those purists that have to play a game on it’s original release system.

Just in case you missed out on the last demo for Sonic Generations you will get a new chance to try out what is probably going to be the best Sonic The Hedgehog game to come out in the last 5 years.

Sega is releasing a second demo for Sonic Generations and this will probably be the big one before the game goes live officially on November 1. Starting tomorrow, the new demo for Sonic Generations will be available on Xbox Live followed by an October 25 release on PlayStation Network. The demo brings us back to Green Hill Zone, with “modern Sonic” taking a turn at running through the loops and corkscrews of the remixed classic stage.

Sega also announced that the ‘original version’ of the level will also be featured in this demo, giving anyone that missed out on last June’s demo release a crack at it (as well as giving people more practice from the 20-day tryout).

Guardian Heroes is now available for download on Xbox Live Arcade. Ever since the announcement that this game was coming to XBLA, everyone has been waiting and now you can experience one of the most critically acclaimed games of the Sega Saturn newly remastered in the 16:9 aspect ratio complete with both original and “remix” graphics modes running in high definition with a redone user interface. Remix mode features changes to the game’s control and mechanics without impacting the level design or content.

The XBLA release of Guardian Heroes also features online play for the multiplayer modes, and a greatly expanded competitive mode that allows for 12 players instead of the original six from the old school version. As new additions to Guardian Heroes, Arcade Mode and Endless Survival Gauntlet are available offering new modes (and more hours of replay) to the classic beat-em up.

If you’re a fan of melee style brawlers, Guardian Heroes will be right up your alley with its classic 2D graphics and sprites, and the button-mashing goodness that was Treasure’s formula back in the 90′s. Treasure’s classic Action-RPG brawler for the SEGA Saturn is on sale for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Thanks to the recent announcement for its release date, it’s official: Sonic Generations is now a holiday title.

The title that commemorates 20 years of the famous Sega mascot that started a craze will be landing on PS3′s and 360′s November 1 in North America and November 4 in Europe. Europe also got a treat when it was recently announced that a collector’s edition of the game was on its way (sorry USA, still nothing on if we get it).

If you need a run-down on what is expected to be the best Sonic game ever, check out our breakdown on the demo of Sonic Generations here. Stick to us for more coverage.

What you need to know:

Let’s forget that there ever was a Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1. I reviewed that game last year, and if you read my review you already know of the completely sour taste that was left in my mouth because of it. Sonic Generations is a whole new beast. While you only get to play with Classic Sonic in the demo, there will be 2 Sonics that you can use in the completed version of the game. Players get their first crack at this re-imagining by putting Classic Sonic through his paces in the brand new Green Hill Zone (from Sonic 1).

Everything is here that made the Sonic of the old school what it was. Sonic is fast. The controls are responsive. The terrain is negotiable. The enemies are familiar. Simply put, this game feels great!

For the first time in possibly a long time, Sonic no longer feels ‘floaty’. His movements have definite inertia, therefore it feels like real weight is behind Sonic’s movements. When Sonic runs, he RUNS! While today’s technology makes it almost impossible for Sonic to run faster than the camera can track (which was a parlor trick used by the old Sega Genesis games), your eyeballs will have a tough time tracking him. With Sonic’s return to speed, you also have a return of fun factor.

The game looks gorgeous. Vivid environments are bursting with both color and activity. Enemies have their own movement patterns and newer attack sequences that, if you aren’t careful, you may find yourself watching in dismay before realizing you just got attacked. The environment reacts to you as you push on with bridges disintegrating, boulders being smashed to bits and walkways collapsing from Sonic’s weight..

The true gem of the Sonic series has always been the soundtrack. The moment you press start, you’ll know you’re back in a real Sonic The Hedgehog experience as the catchy tune of the Green Hill Zone starts up. Just like the redesign of the Green Hill Zone itself, the classic tune has been remixed in an update more fitting to the times. Classic sound effects from the original games remain intact. Sonic Generations not only feels like a real Sonic game, it also looks and sounds like one. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The demo is only one stage long and only features Classic Sonic…

What you should know:

Sonic Generations is still more than 3 months away from being released. While we haven’t seen any other stages than the Green Hill Zone and we haven’t seen what Modern Sonic is capable of, we’re getting a pretty clear picture that Sega may finally be bringing their A-game. There is some polish that still needs to be applied.

The camera of Sonic Generations can at one time feel super tight and at other times feel far away leaving players almost at a loss to locate Sonic. The backgrounds are almost overwhelming to this degree as well and sometimes ‘swallow’ Sonic up and adding a slight degree of frustration. When the camera shifts to mark a change in the terrain background, it almost slows the pace of the game. Hopefully, these issues will be addressed as the game comes closer to release.

Sega pushed out the demo with a limited shelf life — 20 days. As of right now, you’ve got about 5 days left to download it and try it out before it’s gone. The final verdict? You may want to start setting aside some money because Sonic Generations may prove to be the next must-have title for this year. One thing is for sure: Sonic Generations will probably be the first great Sonic game to come along in almost a decade.

Check back with us when the game actually releases for a full review!

A horrifying attack has been unleashed on San Francisco and Russian dissidents in possession of an orbital weapon of mass destruction make demands for the United States’ unconditional surrender in 10 hours or New York City will suffer the same fate. The President declares war and the Marines are mobilized into space setting the stage for 6-10 hours of intense firefights against mechanical death machines. You take control of Sam Gideon, a bona fide hotshot and researcher for DARPA. Sam is part of a team developing the prototype ARS Battle Suit — a combat suit that will change the way war is waged in the near future. The attack on the satellite gives DARPA and Sam the perfect situation to battle test the combat suit and save the day.

Divided into 5 acts spanning over 26 missions, Vanquish brings a very refreshing adventure to the table. Combat is literally a thing of beauty and it’s all about the suit. With the ARS suit at your disposal, you’ll run through, vault over, dance around, beat down and annihilate everything in your path to keep the United States safe from terrorism.  Some scenarios the game puts you in are so surreal that you will find yourself playing them over and over to get all you can out of the action. Though Vanquish uses a cover system (a system that literally defines games in this genre) it takes a backseat as the capabilities of the suit demands taking a head-on approach to the frantic battles. The creativity of what you can do speaks volumes and the time stopping AR mode of the suit serves multiple purposes as both a lifesaver and the playmaker on the field.

The control scheme is a triumph in Vanquish. Really tight and impressive controls plug you directly into the game and there’s not a moment when you feel as if what you’re doing is beyond the scope of the game. The shooting is fluid and the “high risk/high reward” mechanics of the melee combat keeps it fast and fun. The weapons of Vanquish are balanced and have their own unique feel with upgrade options available as you play through keeping diversity a constant theme of the game. With the challenges you face throughout the game, there’s a weapon flexible enough to handle every situation.

The level of detail is tremendous in Vanquish. Something is always happening and threats are around almost every corner. There will be countless times in Vanquish where the game will play against its run-and-gun nature and toy with your own sensibilities. Do you plow through enemies without regard for your teammates or risk it all trying to make sure nobody gets left behind? This is just one of the situations you find yourself in as you play through the missions. On a side note: this game is clearly made for the more skilled player. While the game isn’t hard, casual players will have a difficult time adjusting to some of the more pressing situations that call for a lot of creative thinking on the battlefield. Dying during a mission also bears consequences as all your weapon upgrades attained since you previous checkpoint are gone and have to be attained again.

Once the game is beaten you’re introduced to God Hard mode. If you plan to master Vanquish, you have to master God Hard mode. Offering a replay of the entire game with more intensity, God Hard mode concentrates on the challenge of running through the game as fast as possible in order to get the maximum speed bonuses on all missions. Leaderboards keep a competitive edge for the hardcore and this the added difficulty of this mode enhances the satisfaction you’ll receive for being able to conquer what many will consider an ass-kicking.

One thing no one can say about Vanquish is that the game isn’t stylish. Everything you do as you take Sam to the brink is a testament of the type of game you can get only when someone really cares about their work. Vanquish even tries not to take itself too seriously by pouring on references from a lot of popculture phenom. Quotes from everything from Cowboy Bebop to Starship Troopers to Full Metal Jacket fly all over the place and there are also moments when the game literally pokes fun at itself. The trash talking found here always brings out a few laughs and goes well with the pacing of the game.

Oddly missing from Vanquish is a multiplayer mode (online or otherwise). For a game of this caliber, multiplayer would have been a no-brainer, but not having it doesn’t take away from the overall satisfaction you’ll get. If bullets flying everywhere and explosions from everything bolted down to the floor is your thing, Vanquish welcomes you with open arms.

VANQUISH™ delivers a new sense of game merged shooting and action in a finely balanced manner. The story of VANQUISH™ is set in the near future. Russia and the United States are vying for ownership of the world’s fast-depleting energy resources and the US has constructed a space station in order to harness energy from the sun. Russian forces capture this space station and divert its harvested solar energy into a blast wave that destroys San Francisco, aiming to force the US into a total and unconditional surrender. In response, the US tasks its armed forces with recapturing the space station before the Russians can annihilate their next target – New York.

Players take the role of Sam, a government agent kitted out with a futuristic battlesuit. A versatile fighter with a huge arsenal of weaponry at his disposal, Sam also has an array of martial arts skills that he can use to take down his robot enemies. Sam is the ultimate weapon, a perfect combination of destructive firepower and superhuman speed and agility. Sam will fight his way through the enormous, open environments of the space station. The most advanced, futuristic city in the skies becomes home to the action.

Sonic 4 is a blending of the classic 2D games with the inclusion of innovations from the 3D games giving it a “best of both worlds” appeal that fans can truly embrace. Sega’s idea was to truly give a sequel that fans would feel at home with and this 2.5D update to the classic definitely answers the call. Sonic is the only playable character in the game, making it seems like 2 steps backward for the series. The game is broken into 4 different zones, 3 levels per zone with 1 boss fight ending each zone — classic Sonic formula. Stage design and layout is apparently pulled directly from Sonics 1 and 2 delivering what can only feel like more of a rehash than a fresh adventure. Speaking of rehashes, the boss battles themselves with Dr. Eggman are direct copies of boss battles from the previous games.

Sonic 4‘s control don’t feel tight compared to the old school games. You immediately feel like the Blue blur has lost some of his mojo as newly added animations to his running and walking come off sluggish. Problems also arise with the new homing  shot ability. The skill takes some getting used to and a lot of patience because it doesn’t always lock onto what you wish it would, rather it locks onto the nearest viable target which sometimes means an obstacle instead of a real bad guy. Another problem that plagues Episode 1 is a nagging collision glitch where for no reason at all, Sonic will run into an invisible wall during a jump and come to a complete stop. This glitch alone causes more than enough trouble and sometimes even spells certain death (if you’re trying to cross a pitfall gap).

Replay value in Episode 1 is high. You take Sonic and barrel though the stages trying to kill every enemy and collect every ring and power up. The trademark chaos emeralds are back as well allowing you to once more take control of Golden Sonic. The game also features leaderboards where players can compete for best times on all of the stages and if you seek completion there’s a hidden final stage and special levels you can run through to squeeze a little more out of the experience.

Episode 1 does the job of giving the players what they want: a Sonic experience that shouts back to the glory days of the Sega Genesis. The lackluster stage design and mediocre presentation for a game that’s 16 years overdue is adequate, but it feels as if Sega dished out something just for the sake of keeping the gaming world content. If you beat the game with all 7 chaos emeralds, you’re rewarded with a preview for Episode 2, and the cutscene ends with a “To Be Continued”. Unfortunately, at $14.99 for this newest entry, it all feels like one big letdown. Hopefully, when Episode 2 is delivered Dimps and Sonic Team will actually take it a little more seriously and give us the game worthy of the price tag and exactly what we’re looking for.

Players will become Captain America as he faces the Red Skull and his army in an epic third- person action adventure set in the darkest days of World War II. Wielding Captain America’s legendary shield, gamers will engage in free-flowing combat and acrobatic platforming to infiltrate Hydra’s mysterious castle and battle the infamous Iron Cross, the forces of Hydra, and a host of nefarious enemies serving the Red Skull. As the First Avenger himself, players must defeat the evil scientist Arnim Zola and his wartime experiments, combining powerful melee combos and shield attacks to devastating effect.

Captain America: Super Soldier combines a highly athletic combat system with fluid platforming and a highly tuned suite of shield attacks, as Cap explores a massive castle turned military installation. His shield can be employed in numerous ways: taking out multiple enemies at once, deflecting incoming fire back at enemies, solving puzzles, and scaling walls. Players will be able to launch shield-first into the fray with the superior force of the world’s first Super-Soldier at their fingertips—and they’ll need every bit of that strength to overcome a castle that’s both an acrobatic playground for the Captain’s physical prowess and a house of mystery with enemies and danger at every turn.

To utilize the codes, simply head to the extras section of the main menu, then go to password and enter in any of the following codes:

The GUARDIANS Advanced content update adds new missions, new weapons and items, a new character customization system along with updated classes and abilities. PSU subscribers won’t have to do anything special to get it – the game will be updated automatically next time they’ll log in. The AOTI Expansion adds tons of content to the original Phantasy Star Universe and features countless missions, story content, weapons, clothing, updates to player rooms, and other features. In addition to new enemies, weapons, levels and cities there will be more options available for gamers to further individualize and customize the look of their characters. Ambition of the Illuminus continues the exciting PSU story online as the player’s character is now the central protagonist, investigating and working to restore peace in the chaotic Gurhal System.

SAN FRANCISCO (February 25, 2010) – SEGA® of America, Inc. is proud to announce that Obsidian Entertainment’s long awaited Alpha Protocol™ is hitting store shelves this summer. The espionage game, a fiercely original take on the role playing game genre, will launch in North America for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC on June 1st, 2010.

In Alpha Protocol, players assume the role of rookie spy Michael Thorton and are given unprecedented control over the development of his abilities and interactions with other characters. Customizable character skill-sets, attributes and weapons all play an important role in allowing gamers to tailor Thorton to their play-style.

Very few things need to be said about Bayonetta. You have a gun-toting witch who uses her hair for clothes and her weapons. If you still need another reason, we’ve got you covered there too. If you enjoyed Devil May Cry, and want to play the latest game in that vein by the director that created it, here you go.