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The Simpsons Arcade Game Returns!

The rumors were true!  Fans of Konami's original arcade game based on the then-controversial FOX program The Simpsons should celebrate as the company has officially announced that it's bringing the 1991 title to the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 as a downloadable game.  $9.99 / 800 Microsoft Points will snag you the adventures of Homer Simpson and his family as they battle their way through Springfield to rescue Maggie who has been kidnapped by the evil Waylon Smithers.  As an added perk, the game includes some improvements not seen in the the original version and even has a bit of bonus content.

• Four-player online action. The Simpsons family is a force to be reckoned with when all 4 members of the family are teamed up. Now you'll never have to go it alone with online four-player cooperative play!
• Four different ways to play the game. Relive your favorite game modes, including the original coin-op experience in "Quarters" mode, or enjoy "Survival" mode which challenges you to see how far you can get with only one life! And for those looking for a more casual experience, "Free Play" gives unlimited continues so you can enjoy the ride.
• Bonus content! Play through new unlockable content that is sure to bring you back to 1991! For the true fan of The Simpsons™ Arcade Game, unlock and discover the never-before-seen Japanese version of the game, view classic flyers and posters, and peruse a guide that highlights the many Springfield characters who appear in the game!

PlayStation Plus members can download the game for free next week when it hits the PlayStation Network on Tuesday, February 7.  Microsoft Xbox 360 owners can get an early start on things this Friday, February 3.  Why now, you may ask?  As it turns out in what I'm sure is totally a coincidence, the five-hundredth episode of The Simpsons airs later this month.  It's cross-promotional marketing synergy at its finest!  As for that mention of the Japanese version of the game, Hardcore Gaming 101 notes that this iteration of the game features an easier difficulty level, increased frequency of health power-ups, a different scoring system, and the ability to jump while holding a melee weapon.  There are no lost levels to be found, but it'll be interesting to play a variation on a classic creation.

PlayStation Plus Not Coming To Vita Just Yet

Subscribers to Sony's PlayStation Plus service have grown accustomed to basking in the free game and downloadable content for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, but the service isn't extending to the upcoming PlayStation Vita.  At least, not yet.  When fielding questions from fans of the Plus program over at the PlayStation Blog, Morgan Haro from the PlayStation Network team replied to a pro-Plus comment with this:

We definitely have our eye on Vita, but it will not be there on day one.

That's understandable.  Everything being released for the Vita is new.  Sony isn't about to start giving away content at launch to a new audience.  I'm sure that Plus will include Vita content eventually once sales numbers hit certain targets and other internal goals are met.  One of the top-selling Sony-published Vita launch games will probably even be the first free title released once the second-generation titles debut in a brilliant maneuver of offering a game for which the majority of Vita owners already paid actual money to a select subset of those owners.  If, say, Uncharted: Golden Abyss were to be a free download to Plus subscribers for a week, you know it would generate a lot of interest in the Plus service for those resisting its siren song of discounted content and would also spark plenty of press about the Plus service coming to Vita with a mighty bang.  Sure, Sony would be out some Uncharted sales, but I would think that anyone who does not pick up Nathan Drake's latest adventure when buying a Vita probably wasn't going to purchase the game anyway.  I'm just brainstorming here, but I wouldn't be shocked if a scenario similar to this played out when the time is right.

THQ Facing Mass Layoffs, Nasdaq Delisting

THQ's troubles continue to build as reports of layoffs have surfaced today along with news that the publisher is facing removal from the Nasdaq listings if it can't get its act together and raise its share price.  Eurogamer discusses the layoff report:

A troubled THQ will imminently announce 170 layoffs, according to a new report.  Independent industry suit Kevin Dent claimed to have been sitting on the news "for a week or so". His Twitter conversation with THQ's vice president of technology Mark DeLoura suggests this is for real.

"This is probably going to break in the morning, I have sat on it for a week or so. The culling at THQ was 170+ souls including Mark DeLoura," broadcast Kevin Dent, directing the message at DeLoura.  "A smart journalist would send THQ's VP of Tech Mark DeLoura an email and see what the auto reply says," Dent later wrote.

"Hey, that's cheating," DeLoura replied, smiley in tow.

MCV sums up the stock situation:

Troubled publisher THQ has been warned that it faces a possible de-listing from the Nasdaq stock exchange.  The threat comes because the company’s shares have failed to top the $1 range for 30 consecutive days. That’s the minimum level required for a continued listing.  THQ has been given 180 days (until July 23rd) to address the issue and boost its share price. It must maintain a $1+ level for ten consecutive business days.  The company has failed to trade above $1 since the beginning of December.

There's no word on who the other people being let go are, and while nobody wants to see a layoff, one would hope that it's people from the businesses that THQ has previously announced that it's departing rather than employees from divisions that are cranking out content that is actually selling (e.g. Volition).  Without a focus on childrens' software or uDraw, the company doesn't need studios cranking out more Spongebob titles.  While in better economic times it's probable that those employees would be relocated or reassigned, considering how badly THQ needs to stop its money hemorrhage situation, cutting some people loose now may be the only viable option.  For more on THQ's troubles, be sure to listen to Episode 75 of the Power Button podcast.

Free February Club Nintendo Games Are Pitiful

Nintendo's Club Nintendo loyalty program began offering free games in its catalog of reward options back in December of last year.  For a mere 100 or 150 Coins, members can download several of Nintendo's top digitally distributed titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Super Mario Kart, and Kirby's Dream Land.  So far the offerings have been solid titles and fans have been eagerly awaiting to see what the next selection of games will bring.  Now that February is here, it looks like the program is taking the month off in spirit if not in practice.  Here's what your hard-earned virtual currency can buy this month:

• Mario Party 2 (Wii; 150 Coins)
• Art Academy: First Semester (3DS, 150 Coins)

Well, that's... underwhelming.  I can understand putting Mario Party 2 in the lineup this month in order to cross-promote the upcoming Mario Party 9 for the Wii, but I don't think anyone was clamoring for Art Academy.  Moreover, why are there only two games from which to choose this month instead of the usual four?  I feel bad for looking a gift horse in the mouth and all that, but this month's selection is pitiful.  I wonder if perhaps people were redeeming more game vouchers than Nintendo expected and the company decided to cut back a bit.  Here's hoping that February's titles are an anomaly and not the new standard.

The Daily Show Invokes Floridal Kombat

The Republican presidential primary is happening in Florida today, and as the election carnival rolls through the sunshine state in advance of today's voting, The Daily Show is covering the back-and-forth snipping and tripping between GOP frontrunners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.  The fun part comes from the use of gameplay clips from last year's Mortal Kombat for the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 to illuminate the conflict between the two potential nominees.  Watch Jon Stewart annotate the debate in advance of a political finishing move.

What I find most interesting about The Daily Show using Mortal Kombat clips as a punchline is that last July when the show reported on the Supreme Court decision that extended free speech protection to video games, the show used clips of this same Mortal Kombat game to argue that based on its gory and unsettling content, games should not enjoy such protection.  The show purposefully called out that the Mortal Kombat footage was disturbing and not easy to watch.  Now the program is using clips of the same game in a humorous way to punctuate the political report.  I'm not against the use of Mortal Kombat footage for hilarity purposes (and I thought that this "Floridal Kombat" segment was very funny), but I do think it's odd for The Daily Show to cite Mortal Kombat as an example of a game that is so distasteful that it should invalidate the medium's free speech protection while also using the same game for its comedy needs. 

Waluigi Has Issues

Dorkly has published another of their hilarious videos of famous video game characters sitting around and having a friendly chat.  This installment sees Luigi and his twisted doppelgänger Waluigi sitting down for a meal only for the former to discover that the latter is a disgusting, horrible person.  Better yet, this vignette manages to answer the question of just why we barely see Waluigi as a primary supporting character alongside the other Mushroom Kingdom characters outside of crossover sports titles.  It turns out that he's the hero of his own story and does not see Luigi has his nemesis.  Apparently there's been some other narrative going on in the background of the main Super Mario adventures that we've never been able to see that involves Waluigi seeking out and defeating his own dark double.  Finally, it all makes sense.

Power Button - Episode 75: The Amazing Insanity of Saints Row: The Third

While you were busy with Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Skyrim, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword last November, you missed a fantastic and amazingly insane title from THQ called Saints Row: The Third.  This week on Power Button, Joey Davidson, Brad Hilderbrand, and I discuss why you really need to circle back and explore the vibrant city of Steelport in order to experience the madness of Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax, the bizarre Tiger Escort mission, the amazing cameo from Burt Reynolds, the might of the Apoca-Fist, and all of the other crazy things that make the game so much fun to play.  We also touch on some of THQ's recent business problems and suggest ways that the company could turn itself around.  Join us for 80 minutes of good times and favorite moments about a franchise that has long since stepped out of Grand Theft Auto's shadow.  Download this week's episode directly from PTB, listen with the player below, or subscribe via iTunes, and be sure to catch up on past episodes if you're joining us late. Remember that you can reach all three of us via , you can leave a message on the Power Button hotline by calling (720) 722-2781, and you can even follow all of us on Twitter at @PressTheButtons, @aubradley84, and @JoeyDavidson or for just podcast updates, @ThePowerButton.

Power Button - Episode 75: The Amazing Insanity of Saints Row: The Third

You Also Can't Own These Gaming Collectibles

Platypus Comix has put out another edition of its ongoing list of video game collectibles that are most likely way out of your price range.  There's some interesting and rare items here such as the box for the Sega Dreamcast version of Half-Life that was never released, an invitation to a party thrown by Accolade to celebrate the 1993 release of Bubsy for the Super NES and Sega Genesis (it's printed on a sandal), the Tiger handheld version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and the special North American version of Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Master System.  What makes it so special, you ask?

The Master System was a failure in the US, and Sega wanted to use Sonic as the main selling point of the Genesis. However, there might have been some stubborn people who wanted the game on SMS, so they put together an inferior port for their older console.

The Master System was still going strong in Europe, and they had plenty of Sonic copies to go around. Sega just took the European version and pasted a new UPC sticker on the box. The European version is nearly worthless. But guess how much that one little sticker makes the same package worth in the US?

eBay Price: $981.33

Stickers are serious business!  There are also a few video games graded by the Video Game Authority on the list.  These are games that have been judged to a set of standards regarding the actual physical condition of the game in question and assigned a numerical score correlating with its supposed worth.  The game is then sealed in a hard acrylic so it can never be disturbed or devalued.  While I'm all for keeping one's games in great condition, the idea of essentially trapping them in amber rubs me the wrong way.  I take great care of my games, but I do play them.  Sealing them up changes them from games to things that I have to lug through life that are only worth as much as some external authority grades them to be.  I'm sorry, I don't care how good a condition it's in, but nobody is going to realistically pay $700 for a copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga for the Sega Saturn that can only be examined through a protective shell and not actually enjoyed.  At least, I hope not.

(image via Price Charting)

Weekly Poll: Blue Bombed

Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the overwhelming favorite when it comes to four-player cooperative platform titles in recent memory.  I certainly enjoyed it as a single-player excursion, and it's great fun when I played it with my girlfriend.  We also tackled Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One which had its moments, but went on a bit too long and became frustrating near the end of the game as interesting level designs and challenges were replaced with wave after wave of identical enemies all attacking at once.  I wound up finishing that one by myself just to get the gold PlayStation trophy for finishing the story (and since I killed the final boss at the same time that it killed me, I was awarded the trophy, but not the actual ending sequence, nor did the game itself give me credit for completing it).  LittleBigPlanet's physics are too floaty for it to be all that much fun in groups.  I'm still trying to get a copy of Rayman: Origins from GameFly, but the service did send out Kirby's Return To Dreamland which we have yet to start.  I love the idea of the co-op platformer, but the subgenre is still a bit rough around the edges.  Like other genres though, I'm sure it'll grow and evolve over time.

Moving on, last week Capcom set the Mega Man fan community on fire once again by announcing that the bizarre off-model version of Mega Man as seen on the box of the original Nintendo Entertainment System title would appear in the upcoming Street Fighter X Tekken fighting game as a playable character.  How do you feel about this version of the blue bomber taking the spotlight over the more familiar face that usually represents the properly?  Do you question if Mega Man should even be in the game in the first place?  Let's hear your thoughts.

The Darkness II Is Lurking

The gothic horror story in 2007's The Darkness is about to continue in the upcoming and appropriately titled The Darkness II for the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, and PC.  Publisher 2K Games sent over this launch trailer which shows protagonist Jackie Estacado wielding the dark supernatural force known as (again, appropriately enough) The Darkness against those who would harm him.  I missed out on the original game and have never heard of the comic on which it's based, so now I'm playing catch-up regarding the events of that title and trying to find out what has led us to the events of the sequel.  Wikipedia offers a concise summation of the story so far.  Here's enough to get you started without thoroughly spoiling things:

The player takes the role of Jackie Estacado, with the story presented as a future-narrative on the present events observed by the player. On the eve of his 21st birthday, Jackie was targeted for assassination by the don of the New York mafia, "Uncle" Paulie Franchetti. While hiding in a cemetery bathroom, The Darkness, an ancient force that has inhabited his family for several generations, awakens within Jackie and slaughters the remaining mobsters, with the benefit of Jackie becoming the possessor of seemingly unholy demonic abilities that feed off the dark. Using these powers, Jackie is able to survive further assassination attempts and track down Paulie, but not before Paulie and the corrupt police chief, Eddie Shrote, kidnap Jackie's girlfriend, Jenny Ramano (voiced by Lauren Ambrose). They take her to the orphanage where Jackie and Jenny grew up, and then they murder her and escape while Jackie is unable to stop them or save Jenny due to The Darkness deliberately restraining him, forcing him to watch her die.

He commits suicide out of sheer emotional stress. He finds himself in the Otherworld, the realm of The Darkness with patchwork undead beings in World War I outfits fighting each other, and physical manifestations of The Four Horsemen.

Quite dark, yes?  This seems to skew a bit darker than I typically enjoy, but it does seem interesting.  Here's hoping that developer Digital Extremes can keep things moving and deliver a fitting continuation.  Those who would rather play the first game before embarking on the second and cannot find a used copy out there somewhere should watch for it on Xbox Live Marketplace in the near future.  Those who are up to speed on things or would rather just jump into the sequel can check out the demo now available for Xbox 360 and PS3.  The Darkness II hits stores on February 7, 2012. 

Power Button Presents Kombo Breaker - Episode 45: Heavy Rain Interview

Power Button has to unexpectedly take the week off which means that in its place we have a classic episode of Kombo Breaker for you to enjoy.  This installment features an interview with Petro Piaseckyj of Sony Consumer Entertainment in which we discuss Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain for the Sony PlayStation 3.  The game had yet to hit stores at the time, so we pepper Piaseckyj with questions about how the story unfolds and just how intrigued and/or uncomfortable the game is meant to make players feel (in terms of both narrative and the uncanny valley effect).  It originally debuted on September 18, 2009, but it's just as interesting to listen to now as it was then.  Download this week's episode directly from PTB, listen with the player below, or subscribe via iTunes, and be sure to catch up on past episodes if you're joining us late. Remember that you can reach all three of us via , you can leave a message on the Power Button hotline by calling (720) 722-2781, and you can even follow all of us on Twitter at @PressTheButtons, @aubradley84, and @JoeyDavidson or for just podcast updates, @ThePowerButton. Next Week: We're still planning to discuss Saints Row: The Third sooner or later.  Call the hotline and tell us what you think of the game!

Power Button Presents Kombo Breaker - Episode 45: Heavy Rain Interview

Mini-Review: NBA 2K12 Legends Showcase

I'm not the guy you want to ask about sports video games.  My pal and Power Button podcast co-host Brad Hilderbrand is.  As I did several months ago when NBA 2K12 from 2K sports arrived, I asked him to check out the latest sports game to land on my virtual doorstep.  Here's his review of the recently released NBA 2K12 Legends Showcase downloadable expansion for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 available now via the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store.

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Hey there Press the Buttons readers! It’s Brad from the podcast and now official unofficial PTB sports guy back with another review. The 2K folks sent over a review code for NBA 2K12 Legends Showcase so I decided to put it through its paces and report back. The verdict? It’s a fun distraction, but it likely won’t be long before the novelty wears off and you return to playing the more traditional game modes.