I really liked last year’s DBZ game, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit 2. It felt like the franchise had finally achieved some serious attention with a game that was both deep and fun.

This year, we get Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, which feels like they took Burst Limit 2 out back and tried to killed it.

It’s not all grim. The character models look better, and there’s a different take on combat that is actually novel (but limited, more on that later)… but any good feelings are stomped by the game’s outlandish insistence on loading screen after loading screen after loading screen.

Ultimate Tenkaichi tosses another DBZ Story Mode on the fire. All the highlights you know and love, with some fresh additions… like Bardock’s fight against Freiza back when Goku was just a baby, for example. The game also includes massive boss characters, meaning you finally get to face off against Saiyans in Great Ape mode.

The structure for Story Mode, however, is a Great Bear. Encounters are selected by flying characters across a pointless overworld. Choosing a battle initiates a load, followed by a cutscene, and then another load. Finish the battle and win yourself another loading screen. The game helpfully puts a terrible minigame on the loading screen, a sure sign that the developer knows there’s a problem but has no real good idea what to do about it.

The battle controls shift to something less like a fighting game and more like constant Quick Time Events. Whether you’re in short range or long range mode (which determines if your buttons throw punches/kicks or ki blasts), you’re working up to triggering a “clash” that ends in either your or your opponent winning a QTE faceoff. Faceoffs can be chained into a sequence of pre-animated attacks that do a nice job of replicating DBZ-style battles.

Which will look neat the first time. After the fiftieth? Not as neat.

Unlike Burst Limit 2′s special attack system, Ultimate Tenkaichi makes character-specific attacks an oasis in the desert: rare and often an illusion. You need to meet certain conditions to pull off a special attack – both specific energy levels and position on the battlefield – and I felt like most battles were skating by without me ever reaching that point. Whether I was in Story Mode or Hero Mode or Tournament Mode, every battle became a race to get in the required number of attacks to initiate a clash, win the clash (which is little more than a coin flip) and then string together the big high-damage QTE hits.

Like I said, it’s a novel system, turning a fighting game into a QTE faceoff, it just needs way more options and animations… and even way more QTE challenges themselves. Holding left and hitting square will sail you through the QTEs almost every time.

I’ve often complained of the DBZ games’ pattern of ignoring the anime’s non-fighter characters, like Bulma and Master Roshi. Ultimate Tenkaichi makes a move towards opening up the playing field with all-new massive boss battles. No, it’s not Mr. Popo, but at least you get to fight something outside of the usual Toriyama musclemen.

Perhaps the single best addition is the ability to create your own Z-fighter in Hero Mode and tackle a wholly different Dragon Ball alterna-verse. Familiar characters will show up for fights, but it’s against a customizable, RPG-lite battler of your own design. There are even different voices to choose from, meaning the game bothered to have eight or so different voices run the script for the entire Hero Mode storyline.

Again, this is all great… except that you’re still stuck in the same repetitive QTE combat, chaining together similar attacks for the same net result.

In the end, it’s the constant, lengthy load screens that do more damage than anything else. DBZ fans are likely willing to sit through another tired replay of the storyline in order to experience a new combat system or see a few new characters… but nobody should have to sit on their controller for this long between bouts. Head back to Burst Limit 2, DBZ fans.

For a bulky, repetitive framework that wrecks some otherwise nice graphics and animation, Dragon Ball Z – Ultimate Tenkaichi gets 2 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.

Dragon Ball Z – Ultimate Tenkaichi was released October 2011 (NA) on PS3 and 360.
Rated T

Check out other Dragon Ball Z reviews at Test Freaks.

I have always been a skeptic for attachments that go on the top of your controller sticks.  I could never see how something like that could give anyone better control over their game.  The people at Kontrol Freek must have heard my complaints from the podcast, as they sent over one of their newer products, the Rcade Freek.  The Rcade Freek attachments look like old school joystick balls that go on top of your controller sticks, with the idea that they will give you more grip when playing games that you would normally play with a joystick.  Would the Rcade Freek stand up to the test?  Surprisingly, the answer is yes, but it will depend on the controller that you are using.

The Rcade Freek comes with two, ¾” diameter rounded joystick balls, with one being attached to each stick on your controller.  The bottom of the two attachments have little clips that snap on easily to the controller and give you more grip for those games where you are going to need to move the stick in many directions, quickly and with much force.  Looking at the controller with these two attachments sitting on top made the controller look a bit awkward, but if it works, aesthetics are small price to pay.

I decided to load up a couple of fighting titles, like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter IV to give these attachments a run for their money, and to my surprise they do work as advertised.  I definitely felt more accurate with my control Pad, and for anyone that has used a 360 gamepad, you know that the D-Pad is not to be trusted for fighting games like these.   I also tried out some arcade titles like Pac Man Championship DX and even opened up Game Room to try out an old favorite of mine, River Raid, and again, I felt that I was getting extra grip to execute quick movements on-screen.

The other thing that you don’t get from these attachments, and it is a blessing, is the dreaded D-Pad thumb.  You know that feeling where your thumb slowly starts to turn red and feel like it is forming into a blister due to putting way too much pressure on the D-Pad.  These attachments alleviate a lot of that stress from the one pressure point on your thumb.  It also helps that the sticks are very smooth, with no seams on any of the contact points, making them feel silky smooth on your thumbs.

I never had an issue with the Rcade Freek coming loose, or snapping off at any point, as they do attach very firmly to the sticks.  I did have one issue with them, and that was on the PS3 controller.  While the offset layout of the 360 controller makes these things feel like a dream, on the PS3 controller, the two stick attachments will come into contact with one another.  While it does not happen often, it could be an issue for those that are playing dual stick shooters and have to move the sticks towards one another in an extreme fashion.  Also, while the attachments are a good alternative, anyone that is serious into fighting games will still want to get a professional stick, as they are not a permanent replacement for that option.

But after several hours of play with the Rcade Freek, I felt that for the low price point, they do give players a solid alternative to the current D-Pads on the controllers.  They do seem to be better suited for a 360 gamepad, but they will work out okay on a PS3.  If you are looking to compete hardcore on the professional circuit for fighters you might be inclined to look elsewhere, but for those that are looking to get a little more advantage in their twin stick shooters, arcade titles or fighting games, you will find it in this little $10 package.  The Rcade Freek gets 4.5 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.

SteelSeries, a company that when you hear the name you think of gaming gear for professionals. With their large selection of mice, keyboards, accessories, and headsets it is not easy to come out with another product that can shadow over their already amazing headsets. So SteelSeries does it again by bringing out a work of art with the Spectrum 7XB wireless headset. A great addition to your home theater system, your Xbox360, and even your PC, the Spectrum 7XB by SteelSeries has made what I call one of the best wireless headsets around.

The solid construction of the Spectrum 7XB screams pro gamer. The 7XB has a hard plastic body, the drivers swivel left and right, and the band that goes over your head is padded. The ear cups are leather padded cups that can be changed out for cloth pads, which makes it great because you have the option to change out the pads for a different audio experience. Another great feature is the retractable mic that is on a wire that can be manipulated to what ever need that suits you. The ability to store your 7XB head set would be greatly limited because of its size, but since the head set actually breaks down to 3 pieces you are able to store it in anything you want. Along the side of the right driver there are 5 powerful buttons that change your experience while listening to music, games, or movies. The buttons are; on/off, 2 for volume control, LiveMix, and ExactSND. The first 2 buttons are pretty self explanatory, but once you get into the LiveMix and the ExactSND that is when you start seeing the full potential of the Spectrum 7XB.

The 50mm drivers deliver a great punch for the size; along with the drivers there are 2 buttons that will make your experience a hell of a lot better. The LiveMix button will actually change the settings of your volume while playing and chatting with your teammates during a game, your teammate’s voices are perfectly mixed in with the bullets and explosions are ringing in the background, so you don’t have to keep asking what the hell they are talking about. The ExactSND is a great equalizer button that has 3 setting; Performance, Immersion, and Entertainment. Performance ups the background noise to be able to hear footsteps or gunfire and pinpoint what direction it’s coming from. If you were playing in a jungle or a wooded area of a game you would choose the Immersion setting that increases the background sound and the music. When all the gaming is done and you want to relax and listen to music or watch a movie you would choose the Entertainment setting, which brings out the bass and surround sound to what ever your watching or listening to.

The Spectrums transmitter is a powerful beast for being a little box. It can run on USB power from your XBOX 360 or your PC, regardless where your powering it from you have up to 9 meters (32ft.) of listening space, so yes you can listen to music while your in the bathroom as long as your in view of the transmitter box. The 7XB runs on wireless4Mbit/s bandwidth, which makes it pretty solid and you get no loss of your audio signal, it is able to jump frequencies 344 times per second to keep the sound fresh and crisp. One feature really blew me away was the ability to sync up to 4 Spectrum headsets to the transmitter. So when you’re playing at home with buddies and don’t want to wake the wife up your able to sync up to 4 of these bad boys and play all night.

This headset is one of the best wireless headsets I have seen on the market, hands down. The fact that it changes frequencies so rapidly and is able to hold up to 3 other headsets along with yours makes it absolutely unique. The price tag on this baby is 179.99 off the SteelSeries Website, for some it what this headset has to offer it is worth more than that. I am astounded with this headset after using it for countless hours playing my 360 and then switching it over to my PC. I give the Spectrum 7XB a 5 out of 5, because of great looks, amazing sound, high customization, and reliability that is beyond its price tag. For more information and where to buy check out SteelSeries Website.

For those of you that like their Rock Band 3 with a lot of Aqua Net, this is the week for you as legendary rock band, Def Leppard, makes a return trip to the franchise with a six track pack.  The DLC pack includes many of the band’s greatest hits, including such titles as “Rock of Ages”, “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Photograph” to name a few.  All six of the tracks in the DLC pack also include Pro Guitar and Pro Bass tracks for an extra price.  About the only down side is that a couple of the tracks are Live versions, which I am never a fan of, as they tend to take weird twists away from the original recording.

All tracks can be purchased separately for 200 Wii Points, 160 MS Points or $1.99 depending on platform or can be bought at a discount in one bundle for 1000 Wii Points, 800 MS Points or $9.99 based on platform.

Check the jump for the full track listing and European pricing.

DEF LEPPARD BRINGS AN OUTSTANDING 6-PACK TO ROCK BAND THIS TUESDAY!
IN A ROCK BAND FIRST, ALL 6 TRACKS HAVE PRO GUITAR UPGRADES AVAILABLE

Cambridge, Mass. – August 5^th, 2011– Harmonix today announced that a 6-pack of tracks from rock icons Def Leppard will be available beginning August 9^th in the Rock Band 3 Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system and Wii^™.

Rock Band provides the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums through the Rock Band music platform, which features more than 900 artists and more than 3,000* tracks via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/songs). Rock Band’s gigantic music library dwarfs that of any other rhythm video game on the market. More than 100 million songs have been sold through the Rock Band Music Store since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii
One of the most requested bands on RockBand.com, Def Leppard make their first appearance as downloadable content in Rock Band this week, and what an appearance it is! SIX iconic tracks from the 80s superstar group land in the Rock Band Music Store this Tuesday.

With epic guitar parts that helped shape a generation of musicians, it’s no surprise that Harmonix chose to break new ground with Def Leppard, authoring additional Pro Guitar and Pro Bass upgrades for every track in this stellar six pack. Rock Band 3 Pro players will be able to learn their favorite Def Leppard tracks starting this Tuesday!

“We are thrilled to be a part of this Rock Band 6-pack release. It’s almost like releasing a new album. We’re psyched to be out on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii,” added Phil Collen, guitarist for Def Leppard.

The amazing tracks span the Def Leppard catalog, including 1981’s High ‘n’ Dry (“Bringin’ On the Heartbreak”), 1983’s Pyromania (“Photograph”, “Rock of Ages”) and “Undefeated”, a new cut from Def Leppard’s recent album Mirrorball: Live & More. Also from Mirrorball: Live & More are two amazing live versions of mega hits from 1987’s Hysteria, “Animal (Live)” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me (Live)”.

As always, songs available as downloadable content for Rock Band 3 feature five-button guitar and bass parts, drums, Pro Drums, and keys, Pro Keys and harmonies, where applicable. Some songs also feature Pro Guitar and Pro Bass upgrades available for an additional $0.99 upgrade download.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation®3 system (August 9^th, 2011):

• Def Leppard – “Animal (Live)”^X
• Def Leppard – “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak”^X
• Def Leppard – “Photograph”^X
• Def Leppard – “Pour Some Sugar on Me (Live)”^X
• Def Leppard – “Rock of Ages”^X
• Def Leppard – “Undefeated”^X

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation®3 system August 10^th)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Def Leppard Pack 01” and as individual tracks on Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii. Tracks marked with “X” will include Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions for $0.99 per song.

Price:
$9.99, £4.99 UK, €7.99 EU (800 Microsoft Points, 1000 Wii Points^™) for “Def Leppard Pack 01”
$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per song
$2.00USD (200 Wii Points^™) per song
$0.99 USD (100 Wii Points/80 Microsoft Points), £0.59 UK, €0.79 EU per song for eligible Pro Guitar/Pro Bass upgrade

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

*Available on-disc, via download and disc export. Internet connection and export key purchase required. Wii™ Shop Channel has more than 1,500 song tracks available for purchase on the Rock Band platform on-disc, via song import, and download. Not applicable to Nintendo DS™.

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website
Def Leppard Website

Rock Band 3 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system, Wii and Nintendo DS. Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library. The complete list of tracks can be found at www.rockband.com/songs.

Rock Band 3 is rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 3 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo. 

In this new trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, we get to see all the pillars of action at work, as well as an extended look at the gameplay that will be found in the game.  Up til now, we had seen each of the pillars at work – stealth, action, hacking and social – but this is the first time that all of them have been combined, showing a focus at tailoring the focus of Deus Ex: Human Revolution not only to your specialty, but also allowing players to modify their behavior on the fly to a specific situation.

The other fact that I gleamed from this new trailer was the idea that the world areas will change based on your actions and the methods you use to solve each situation, or more importantly, the situations you do not fix or solve.  I knew that you actions had a cause/effect relationship with other people, but I was unaware about the environmental changes.

Check out the new trailer after the jump.  Deus Ex: Human Revolution is set for release on August 23rd, 2011 on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 from Eidos Montreal and Square Enix.

With the picture above, you can almost taste the excitement of these people as they play the latest release from Ubisoft, Just Dance 3, on Kinect.  Yes, the new Just Dance title is coming to Microsoft’s Kinect platform and it will be the first dancing title that will allow for four players to get down and show their moves all at the same time.  Just Dance 3 on Kinect will also allow players to use the Just Create mode and make a dance routine that they can share with their friends to see if they can repeat the dance with the same precision. 

Is it just me, or do I see a ton of drunken dancing routines being created for the entertainment of the rest of us?

If there is one thing that can make beatingra someone to the point of near death, it is a trailer set to a classical musical piece.  In this new trailer for Supremacy MMA, we get to see people beaten, bloodied, and broken at one point, all while a beautiful classical sonata plays in the background.  It is a piece of brutal elegance, where savageness meets classical harmony. 

Hit the jump to see the mastery of Supremacy MMA after the jump.  Supremacy MMA comes from Kung Fu Factory and 505 Games for Xbox 360 and PS3 this Fall.

Originally at E3, when we talked to the good folks at CD Projekt, they had hoped to have The Witcher 2 ready to ship on the Xbox 360 by the end of the Holiday 2011 calendar.  However, it seems that making a game for a new platform, rather than just doing a simple port is taking a little longer than expected, so the team confirmed today that The Witcher 2 is moving into the Q1 2012 release calendar.

Now I, like most others, hate to see games delayed, because it means we have to wait longer to play them, but I think this is a great course of action by CD Projekt.  The Witcher 2 is a great title, and having more time not only allows for more polish and a smoother game experience for Xbox 360 fans, it also allows  the title to have some room to breathe, as the Q4 2011 calendar is really stacked with a lot of A-List titles.  The Q1 2012 moves it from the lucrative holiday selling season, but it allows The Witcher 2 more time on shelves in a less crowded period of time.

It also allows CD Projekt time to sort out the legal quagmire with the recent change of distributors in Europe, where Namco Bandai has challenged the recent publishing agreement between CD Projekt and THQ to distribute The Witcher 2 on Xbox 360 in Europe.

Look for more on The Witcher 2 on Xbox 360 in the future on Aeropause Games  and if you want to know how well the game plays, read our PC review right here.

In the newest developer diary for Deus Ex Human Revolution, we get to see one of the four pillars that the game is based on, stealth.  We get to see the different ways that you can move through the environment, being as quiet as you can, in order to solve some of the puzzles.  The developers also talk about how the enemies react to you while moving in stealth, instead of just popping up in pre-defined patterns, they move in natural movements.

Deus Ex Human Revolution is set to ship to retail and digital outlets on August 23rd, 2011 on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 from Eidos Montreal and Square Enix.  Take a look at the newest trailer after the jump.

Atlus has done it again, putting together a slick pre-order pack for King of Fighters XIII.  At participating retailers, if you pre-order King of Fighters XIII, you will get a 4-disc, complete soundtrack from the game.  Yes, four full CDs full of tracks celebrating the 15 year run of this fighting series.

To celebrate this new pre-order bonus, Atlus has sent over a new batch of screenshots for King of Fighters XIII.  Hit the jump to see all the action in these new screens.