Pads & Panels

#4 L.A. Noire (PS3, 360, PC)

Publisher: Rockstar Games – Developer: Team Bondi, Rockstar Leeds

Our Review

Every year, Pads & Panels list of top games is dominated not only by quality titles but also by a special few that try their damndest to reinvent what we can expect from mainstream games. It’s no surprise that Rockstar Games has found itself perennially among those special few. This year’s offering from the publisher is L.A. Noire. In addition to a ridiculously detailed recreation of 1940s Los Angeles and a plot worthy of its name, L.A. Noire works to reinvent what we can expect from gaming by pioneering facial technology that allowed its creators to add in-depth, emotional interrogations to what might have otherwise been a simple third-person action title. The DLC support for the title cannot be ignored, but even without it, L.A. Noire would stand out as one of the year’s absolute best. (more…)

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#8 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3)

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment — Developer: Naughty Dog

Naughty Dog’s flagship series hits another high note with the third chapter of Nathan Drake’s adventures. The organic storytelling makes this something every gamer owes to themselves to experience. Uncharted 3 delivers the thrill of an Indiana Jones movie and more twists and turns than a ride at Six Flags. Some parts of this game will leave the gamer breathless and pointing at the screen while asking the person next to him, “Did you see that?” As if that weren’t enough, after the credits roll and the brilliant colors fade away, there’s still a fantastic multiplayer game to experience. (more…)

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2010 Holiday Gift Guide – For the Home Video Fan…

By P&P Staff

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Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy [Blu-ray]

Ever since Greedo shot first, Back to the Future has been promoted to the official definitive geek trilogy. Finally released on Blu-ray, this version is bursting with special features, including a screen test for Eric Stoltz, the original actor cast as Marty McFly. Early adoptors will even be treated to a download code for a chapter of the soon-to-be-released BTTF video game from Telltale Games. (more…)

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Telltale holds wake for Guybrush Threepwood

By Chris Park

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Heading out to San Francisco from Berkeley, Ca is always a bit of a daunting task. Braving the ever-so-annoying BART system and walking through the massive climate change that is “The City” usually pushes me towards the “not too often” category for visitation.

However, on December 2, Telltale Games hosted a nice little event they called the “Wake of Guybrush Threepwood,” which translates to, “Check out a demo of Tales of Monkey Island: The Rise of the Pirate God.” (more…)

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Title: Tales of Monkey Island – Chapter 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood

Platform: PC (Also Wii)

ESRB Rating: E10+

Publisher: Telltale Games

Developer: Telltale Games

Rating:

Review by: Kevin Haverty

After escaping from the belly of a manatee then being a wingman for the same manatee, Guybrush is back at Flotsam Island for the fourth chapter of Telltale Games’ Tales of Monkey Island. He is welcomed with a summons to pirate court for his various crimes during the series. Each crime bears the death penalty, so Guybrush must channel his inner Phoenix Wright to save his neck.

Telltale brings back the slick talking Smilin’ Stan S. Stanman to face Guybrush in the courtroom as well as sell souvenirs outside the courtroom. It is great to see Stan back with his flailing limbs and trademark suit, where the texture stays stationary. (more…)

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Title: Tales of Monkey Island – Chapter 3: Lair of Leviathan

Platform: PC (Also Wii)

ESRB Rating: E10+

Publisher: Telltale Games

Developer: Telltale Games

Rating:

Review by: Kevin Haverty

In the third chapter of Tales of Monkey Island, our hero finds himself in inside a giant manatee during his search for La Sponge Grande. Guybrush needs to infiltrate the democratic pirates stranded in the belly of the beast and reconstruct the inner ear of the manatee so he can escape. Telltale Games proves its dedication to the Monkey Island franchise by bringing back another classic character and using him perfectly, with respect to the series. (more…)

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Title: Tales of Monkey Island – Chapter 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay

Platform: PC (Also Wii)

ESRB Rating: E10+

Publisher: Telltale Games

Developer: Telltale Games

Rating:

Review by: Kevin Haverty

Chapter 2 of Tales of Monkey Island kicks off by introducing the new adversary Morgan LeFlay, Mighty Pirate HunterTM. LeFlay makes a name for herself by cutting off Guybrush’s infected hand in order to cash in on the bounty. Guybrush, sans hand, then heads to the Spinner Cay, part of the Jerkbait Islands, to find his fiancée and get his mast repaired. While there the game keeps a good balance of a self-contained storyline for the chapter while keeping the overall arc of the series moving along.

As is usually the case with Telltale Games’ releases, the basic mechanics haven’t changed from chapter to chapter. Gamers control Guybrush as he talks to everyone who will listen, pilfer anything that isn’t nailed down and solve any puzzles along the way. (more…)

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Title: Tales of Monkey Island – Chapter 1: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal

Platform: PC (Also Wii)

ESRB Rating: E10+

Publisher: Telltale Games

Developer: Telltale Games

Rating:

Review by: Kevin Haverty

In 1990, Guybrush Threepwood debuted across CRTs, uttering “I want to be a pirate!” And almost two decades later his dream is still alive. Telltale Games has revitalized the Monkey Island series for its newest episodic adventure series, Tales of Monkey Island. Tales of Monkey Island: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal kicks off the series a few years after the events of 2000′s Escape from Monkey Island.

”Launch of the Screaming Narwhal” begins with Guybrush trying out his new voodoo sword on LeChuck to save his wife, Elaine. Guybrush improvises with ingredients and the result turns LeChuck human while it curses Guybrush’s hand with the Pox of LeChuck. The ship explodes and Guybrush washes up on Flotsam Island. This lays the framework for the series as well as the first chapter, in which Guybrush must find a way off of the island. (more…)

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In celebration of Wallace & Gromit‘s 20th year or existence, Telltale Games is giving away a free PC episode, Muzzled, of the series between today and Nov. 8. During that same time span, gamers can also purchase the entire series at the discounted price of $20 (normally $34.95).

In other news, the entire series of Wallace & Gromit from Telltale Games is being made available on Xbox Live Arcade today. The Wallace & Gromit Children’s Foundation and Penny Arcade are also kicking off a drive today. And finally, orders for the Wallace & Gromit collector’s DVD are being taken by Telltale starting, yes, today!

For those interested in the free game, www.freewallaceandgromit.com

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As old point-and-click adventure fans are no doubt aware, Tales of Monkey Island is set to bring the series back in a big way this month with a new five-chapter series from Telltale Games and LucasArts. And Telltale has offered Pads & Panels three codes for the entire series on PC to give to our readers. Better yet, we’re getting things rolling right now so we can ideally get those codes out day one when the first chapter, “Launch of the Screaming Narwhal,” is scheduled to release July 7. (more…)

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