The Drop: Week of November 21st 2011 New Releases

As you hibernate next to your towering stack of games this week, make sure to finish off with a delicious slice of pumpkin-pie topped off with the wispy cream delight of this week’s new releases this Thanksgiving.

Returning to the spotlight, WWE ‘12, Tekken Hybrid and The King of Fighters XIII headline this week’s title bout, each franchise known to bring countless hours of combos, take-downs and finishers in their individual brawling arenas. Speaking of epic franchises, Final Fantasy returns to PSone classics and Ratchet and Clank (including Dr Nefarious and Qwark) arrive on PSN as a full digital download in Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One.

Gobble gobble, The Drop.

PlayStation 3

WWE ‘12 – The WWE experience you’ve been demanding has arrived! THQ’s flagship franchise in the WWE video game portfolio is reborn, delivering a completely rebuilt evolution of every aspect of the wrestling superstar experience. With new Predator Technology, an overhauled gameplay experience and new broadcast TV presentation that promises the most fluid, dynamic, authentic and action-packed WWE simulation experience to date, WWE ’12 gives you more control over WWE than ever before.

Tekken Hybrid – A massive combination of Tekken action, Tekken Hybrid includes the full-length 3D compatible feature film Tekken Blood Vengeance 3D on Blu-Ray disc as well as two games playable on PlayStation 3: Tekken Tag Tournament HD and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue.

• TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT HD – This is a high-definition remake of the classic from the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Boasting a 20-fighter plus cast of characters, Tekken Tag Tournament offered a major revolution in the Tekken fighting style by adding a tag battle system with two characters for each team. And if that’s not enough, TTT HD retains the minigame Tekken Bowl, which brings Tekken fans action-packed bowling excitement with a punch!
• TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2 PROLOGUE – Offering gamers a sampler of the arcade game, TTT 2 Prologue features four playable characters that appear in the Tekken Blood Vengeance movie. Each character will have a costume directly from the movie that will be exclusive to Tekken Hybrid, plus a costume from how the characters appear in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
• TEKKEN BLOOD VENGEANCE 3D – Set in the rich Tekken universe, this 3D CGI movie follows Xiaoyu Ling, seasoned martial artist and high school student, tasked by the G Corporation to infiltrate an international school in Kyoto to gather information on the mysterious student Shin Kamiya. Before she can make any progress in the investigation, Shin is kidnapped by an unknown assailant. Digging deeper into Shin’s background in an attempt to rescue him, Xiaoyu learns about the frightening underbelly of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Jin Kazama, Kazuya Mishima … and the late Heihachi Mishima’s conspiracy that’s stained with blood.

The King of Fighters XIII – With the triumphant return of fan favorite characters like Mai, K’, and Vice, extensive refinement of the core fighting engine based on community feedback, and vastly improved network functionality, The King of Fighters XIII represents the HD entry in the series that fans have been waiting for.

Painstaking effort has been made to address every last concern following the last entry: fights play faster; the addition of over a half dozen play modes offers variety and replayability; the game’s beautifully rendered and animated character sprites are better distinguished from the backgrounds–which happen to be richer and more detailed; the camera perspective is less restricted; fighters have more moves, including new supers and the all-new Neomax supers; and much, much more.

PlayStation Network

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (3D Compatible) – In Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, we find our heroes in the midst of a dilemma of intergalactic proportions when Dr. Nefarious’ latest evil plan goes awry leaving Ratchet, Clank, Qwark and Nefarious himself caught in the snare of a powerful and mysterious machine. Begrudgingly, the Galaxy’s biggest do-gooders and its most sinister criminal must work together to discover a means of escape in this action-packed installment of the Ratchet & Clank series.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – War rages on in the fourth edition of Activision’s acclaimed war game. For the first time in the series, Call of Duty moves away from WWII to the modern battlefield. Armed with an arsenal of advanced and powerful modern day firepower, players are transported to treacherous hotspots around the globe to take on a rogue enemy group threatening the world. As both a U.S Marine and British S.A.S. soldier fighting through an unfolding story full of twists and turns, players use sophisticated technology, superior firepower and coordinated land and air strikes on a battlefield where speed, accuracy and communication are essential to victory. The epic title also delivers an added depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistence, addictive and customizable gameplay.

Learning With The Pooyoos: Episode 2 (PS Move Compatible) – With the PooYoos, a merry band of adorable baby animals, children will have fun while learning the basics: numbers, letters, lateralization, shapes, colors and more. Children get to dance with their new friends and earn lovely interactive rewards.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire – You take the hot seat in the all new Who Wants To Be A Millionaire game. Win $1,000,000 by correctly answering 15 multiple choice question, each worth an increasing amount of money. Just like on TV, players can seek help for the super stumper questions via lifelines like “Ask the Audience”, “Double Dip”, or “Phone a Friend”. Can you stand the pressure, or will you walk away?

Corpse Party (For PSP) – A unique twist on horror action and a cult favorite in its native Japan when it was released, Corpse Party promises to deliver a tense and bone-chilling experience for all who dare step foot into situations they may not be prepared to survive.

PSone Classics

Final Fantasy V – Centered around a group of four strangers brought together by circumstance to save the Crystals that have mysteriously begun shattering one by one. Eventually it is revealed the one behind the phenomenon is the villain Exdeath, as part of a plan to release himself from his imprisonment and to gain the power of the Void, a realm of nothingness, which could bestow absolute power on one able to resist being absorbed by it. The four thus turn their attentions to defeating Exdeath and stopping the Void’s unstable energies from consuming their world.

minis

• Where Is My Heart
• Ikari Warrior II: Victory Road
• Psycho Soldier

Jak and Daxter Collection Coming to PS3 with HD, 3D, Trophies

Greetings all, hopefully you’ve been getting to spend some quality time withUNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception these past few weeks. We are grateful for all the positive fan feedback and thank you for the support! I’m not here today to talk about U3, though. We’ve been getting many, many requests asking about Jak and Daxter coming to PS3, and I’m happy to announce that the series will make its PS3 debut this February with the launch of the Jak and Daxter Collection.

The Jak and Daxter Collection features three of our favorite Jak and Daxter titles – Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, and Jak 3 – all remastered by Mass Media, working closely with our team at Naughty Dog. With the launch of Jak and Daxter Collection, you’ll be able to experience the adventures of Jak and his Daxter in 720p high definition with crisper visuals, smoother gameplay animation, and in full stereoscopic 3D. And, I’m sure all of you hardcore collectors will be happy to hear that each game in the trilogy features full PS3 trophy support.

Kevin Butler Honors The Die-Hard PlayStation Fans

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PlayStation is looking to honor its fans, and Kevin Butler is on hand to single out a few of the most impressive die-hards.
A slew of new ads featuring Kevin Butler honoring the most ardent PlayStation fans has surfaced; check 'em out over atAListDaily. KB talks about various feats in gaming and pays homage; it's freakin' cool.
If you don't feel like clicking through the link, here are two of the videos. The first is a nod to a gamer who managed to get all 400 Riddler trophies in Batman: Arkham City in only three days. Yeah, it doesn't sound possible to us, either.

The second is in honor of a couple college gamers who wanted to meet girls, so they decided to pick up Everybody Dance and throw a nine-hour dance party. ...yeah, that sounds a little excessive to us, too, but apparently, it worked. Got the hookup.

You gotta see all the vids, though. They're all just fantastic; we all love KB. Now, what do you think Mr. Butler will do when Sony announces the PlayStation 4? They're going to retain him as their spokesperson for the next generation, right? I mean, wouldn't they have to?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 bans affect 1,600+ users

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 isn't a safe place for anyone on the business end of a sniper shot or cheats. MW3 community czar Robert Bowling recently announced on Twitter that Activision issued over 1,600 bans and reiterated "any attempt to cheat, hack, or glitch in [Modern Warfare 3] will not be tolerated."

"Reporting [cheaters] in-game through [Modern Warfare 3] goes directly to our security team, who issues the bans directly after verifying," Bowling noted. "Every ban unique to the level of douchiness of the offense. The greater the douche, the greater the length. PermaDouche possible."

We appreciate the effort Activision apparently goes through to keep each ban fresh and clean. Last week, Battlefield 3 went through a similar cleansing.

Max Payne 3 gets $100 Special Edition, pre-order only until January 15

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If you're absolutely certain you'll want Max Payne 3 in a really bad way, and you're already financially and emotionally prepared to drop a Benjamin on it, has Rockstar got the deal for you! Between now and January 15, roughly two months before the game's March release window, you'll be able to order the Max Payne 3 Special Edition, "while supplies last."

What will your $100 pre-buy you, besides the game itself? Ready? Here goes: A 10" tall Max Payne statue; "game-inspired Original Still Life Art Prints," for your art collection; a bullet-shaped keychain with screw-off back (for your drugs!); the obligatory multiplayer character pack, including Max Payne favorites like Mona Sax and Vladimir Lem; the similarly obligatory multiplayer weapons pack; and lastly, the game's original soundtrack.

Curiously, this Special Edition really is special, in that it actually is limited ("while supplies last") and won't be available after release. If you want to wait, be warned that eBay scalpers are probably circling the waters already.

Amazon: Kinect and 3 games for $125, BOGO 40% off DS and 3DS, more

Look, over the next few days, Joystiq is going to be comprised almost entirely of deal posts and articles written by a bunch of sleepy, turkeyed-up staffers. This is one of the former. Determined as ever to get some of your Black Friday cash ahead of actual Black Friday, Amazon is serving up some delectable discounts.

First up, a bundle that includes a Kinect sensor, Kinect Adventures and download codes for both The Gunstringer and Fruit Ninja Kinect, all for $125. If you'd prefer something a little more tactile, you can also snag deals on games featuring "epic adventures and quests." Specifically, Red Dead Redemption orEl Shaddai for $30, LA Noire for $20 or BioShock 2 for $10, among others.

If you prefer portable games, Amazon's got you there too, offering a buy one, get one 40 percent off deal on several DS and 3DS titles, including Super Mario 3D Land, Cave Story 3D, Super Scribblenauts and more. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to research stuffing recipes.

Amazon offers its own PS3 holiday bundle

Whether you're looking to jump into the Sony waters or, like, the most generous gift-giver in existence, you may want to check out Amazon's hefty PS3 bundle. Along with a 160GB PS3 console and copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 2 on Blu-ray (you know, Sony's latest console bundle), there's also a copy of Resistance 3 included, plus a media remote and a PS3 New Owner's Kit, which includes an additional controller, USB charge cable and a HDMI cable for the high-defs.

All of this will set you (or somebody who likes you a whole lot) back a sum of $370. To get the bundle, you'll have to head on over to Amazon and manually add the additional items to the PS3 system bundle pictured above. A bundle within a bundle! What will they think of next?