The Walking Dead Episode Two iOS Dated

Telltale Games announced today that The Walking Dead: The Game - Episode Two: Starved for Help will hit the App Store next week. Gamers will be able to grab the episode for $4.99 as an In-App Purchase within The Walking Dead: The Game. Episodes 2-5 are also available in a single package for a discounted $14.99.

The second episode of the studio’s zombie mega-hit debuted on consoles and PC to significant critical acclaim in late June. IGN awarded the title an 8.5  / 10 Editor’s Choice distinction, praising the game’s impressive storytelling and ability to force heavy moral choices onto players.

The Walking Dead: The Game is compatible with iPad 2 and iPhone 4 devices and newer. Players seamlessly control the action via the touch screen, replacing mouse clicks or controller inputs with simple touch-screen taps.

Telltale hasn’t provided a specific release date, but a launch on Thursday, August 30 seems a safe bet given the history of previous major App Store releases.

Justin is Editor of IGN Wireless. He has been reviewing mobile games since the dark days of Java flip phones. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

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3DS XL Launch Guide

For highly patient gamers across the country, the wait for a better, slicker 3DS model finally paid off last Sunday, when the 3DS XL officially launched in North America. With bigger screens, a better battery life, a sleeker design and larger buttons, this new system represents a giant step forward for the little system that could. But while the XL is a fine piece of machinery, a gaming system is no good if you have nothing to do with it. You can only Raid so many Faces, after all.

If you want the lowdown on how to truly ock being a 3DS owner, check out the guide below. From the games you should definitely pick up to a couple of things you should take care of to maximize your experience, this is everything you need to know to get the most out of your new investment. And for those of you who are upgrading from the old model, browse through to make sure you’re all caught up on the big items too - and skip to the end if you want help making the jump to a larger SD card.

Must Buy Games

While it took a while to find its stride, the 3DS library is now rather strong for a system just barely past its first birthday. Below you’ll find the handful of titles you absolutely can’t pass up, and a pretty good sampling of what the 3DS has to offer. No, not every amazing 3DS game is included here (calm down, 3DS owners!). This is just a good starting point for people to whet their 3D appetite with. Oh, and the first isn’t a suggestion - it’s required playing.

Super Mario 3D Land

The definitive 3DS experience and the best portable Mario game ever made. Super Mario 3D Land looks amazing - especially on the XL’s larger screens. It’s Mario magic incarnate.

Check out our full review of Super Mario 3D Land

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

A gorgeous and faithful remake of one of the greatest games of all time, presented in stunning 3D. You’ve never seen Hyrule field like this before.

Check out our full review of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance

A great action RPG that leads right into the (presumably) forthcoming Kingdom Hearts III. Sora and Riku are back - and keep an eye out for some awesome The World Ends With You cameos!

Check out our full review of Kingdom Hearts 3D

Resident Evil Revelations

Revelations pushes the system to its limits, offering a full Resident Evil experience that feels right at home on a portable.

Check out our full review of Resident Evil Revelations

Kid Icarus Uprising

After far too long, Pit has returned thanks to Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai. Help the angel soar in this exciting new adventure.

Check out our full review of Kid Icarus Uprising

Mario Kart 7

Challenge friends and strangers alike in MK7, which features Nintendo's most sophisticated example of online multiplayer to date.

Check out our full review of Mario Kart 7

3DSWare

The 3DS’s offerings aren’t only limited to retail games. Your first step to getting at these awesome downloadables is to connect your system online. You can do this in System Settings, and once you're online you'll also be able to receive SpotPass content from Nintendo. Once that's done, grab some 3DS cards - or a credit card, either way - and hop on over to the eShop to catch up on these downloadable goodies. Again, this is only a small sampling of what the eShop has to offer, but it should be more than enough to get you started.

Pushmo

A delightful and wholly unique puzzle game that will keep you coming back for more… and more… and more.

Check out our full review of Pushmo

Sakura Samurai: Art of The Sword

Master the sword in this delightful action game. It has a Kappa in it!

Check out our full review of Sakura Samurai

Dillon’s Rolling Western

Defend your towers - and some weird, sheep-like creatures - in this Western-inspired title.

Check out our full review of Dillon’s Rolling Western

Mutant Mudds

Old school platforming with an epic use of 3D. If only it were 10 times longer!

Check out our full review of Mutant Mudds

Colors! 3D

The painting tool to end all painting tools. Doodle in 3D, then share it with your buddies!

Check out our full review of Colors! 3D

3DS Virtual Console

As for the 3DS Virtual Console, check out the titles below, then begin your journey into gaming’s portable past.

The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

Super Mario Land

 

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land

Metroid II: Return of Samus

Donkey Kong ’94

 

Kirby’s Dream Land

Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters

Tetris

 

Game & Watch Gallery 2

Update Your Firmware and Get StreetPassing!

Now that you’ve dipped your toes in the 3DS software pool, there are just a couple things you should take care of before your 3DS is good to go. The first thing you’re going to want to do is update your system - you’ll find this option in System Settings. Once the update is complete - it should only take a minute or so, depending on your connection - you’ll be able to create folders on your Home Screen. Just tap a blank spot, click Create Folder, name it, and fill it with awesome games.

Make sure you also create a Mii for yourself in the Mii Maker, then visit your StreetPass Mii Plaza application to get the StreetPass party started. Once you’re all set up, just carry your system around in sleep mode to tag other 3DS owners, collect puzzle pieces, and unlock tons of hats in the included Find Mii RPG mini-game. Enjoy!

SD Card Transfer

If you look to online retailers like Amazon, you can easily find a 32 GB SD card to upgrade to for around $20. Then, even if you take to downloading full retail games like New Super Mario Bros. 2, you’ll never have to worry about card space again. Here’s how you transfer your data to the new card once you have it:

Step 1: Pop your SD card into your computer. Use an SD card reader if your computer doesn’t have a card slot.

Step 2: Drag everything in your old SD card to an empty folder on your Desktop.

Step 3: Remove the old SD card and insert the new one. Drag the contents of the folder (not the folder itself!) to the new card.

Step 4: Remove the new card from your computer, pop it into your system, and voila! Transfer complete.

That about covers everything you need to know to begin your 3DS XL adventure. Keep in mind that the games mentioned are only the tip of the iceberg - I’d wager you can look to the comments below to find more game suggestions for once you’ve worked your way through these.

Audrey Drake is an Associate Editor at IGN and a proud member of the IGN Nintendo team. She is also a lifelong gamer, a frequent banisher of evil and a wielder of various legendary blades. You can follow her wild adventures on her IGN blog and Twitter. Game on!

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Cafeteria Nipponica Review

What is it?

Cafeteria Nipponica from mobile sim superstar Kairosoft gives gamers the opportunity to run their own restaurant, growing it from a tiny diner into a massive food empire. Players combine ingredients to create an ever-improving library of dishes, upgrading them to boost stats like texture, aroma and appearance. Serving the right dishes and hiring the right staff unlocks more and more customer archetypes, each with their own specific food quirks and demands. By the end of Nipponica’s time limit, good managers will be serving clientele that includes oil barons, pop idols and executives, all in an effort to become the top-ranked eatery in the city.

Did we like it?

Cafeteria Nipponica’s slow pace and obtuse instructions limit its fun factor. Like all Kairosoft games, it’s an entreprenurial rush to finally save up enough dough to expand your restaurant or buy an extremely expensive rare ingredient. The problem is that you’ll spend most of your play time just sitting and waiting, slowly watching your money climb until you can actually do something. The gameplay is far too passive.

The core gameplay loop focuses on discovering recipes, then refining those creations into higher quality, more expensive variations by adding in new ingredients. But this process is never clearly explained. At the end of the game some dish recipes I collected the beginning I still couldn’t create, because I never got my hands on a required base ingredient. The process of discovery can be fun, but not when it’s inscrutable.

Should you buy it?

Despite its slow pace and frustrating advancement system, Cafeteria Nipponica is still a decent tycoon title. At $3.99, making little decisions like swapping out a table for a comfy booth to attract a different type of customer can still satisfy gamers looking for a light sim title with a quirky sense of humor and retro pixel style.

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10000000 Review

What is it?

10000000 is the latest in a growing collection of puzzle-RPG hybrids, a genre mash-up made in heaven. Gamers must slide rows and columns to create matches of three or more. Matching swords dealdamage, shields raise defense, keys open doors and so-on. Players can also match wood and other resources, then spend said loot between rounds to power-up their character.

Each round is a gauntlet of ever-strengthening enemies. The deeper players make it the more points they score. Cross the titular 10,000,000 point mark and you win back freedom for your tiny pixelated hero.

Did we like it?

I really enjoyed 10000000’s strong retro style. Indie developer EightyEight smartly understood that it had a very simple (but very fun) gameplay hook on its hands. So rather than spice it up with unnecessary details the studio instead opted to tickle our nostalgia senses with catchy chiptune music and NES-style graphics. The simple presentation works perfectly.

The core row/column sliding feels perfectly suited for touch-screen gaming, although making matches can sometimes seem frustratingly slow during particularly tense enemy encounters. But 10000000 truly shines in the moments between each puzzle battle. You’re always just one round away from unlocking a more powerful weapon or other bonus that will help you progress further.

Should you buy it?

My love affair with 10000000 was brief, but intense. I played the game non-stop for three hours before I hit the score threshold and the credits rolled. Most players seem to take closer to five hours. At that time I was prepared to declare 10000000 an App Store classic. But after clearing the main adventure all that’s left to do is set a new high score in Endless Mode. I don’t think I’ll be diving back in for more. Several hours of entertainment for $1.99 will never be a bad deal, but gamers should know this isn’t a puzzler that will last weeks or months.

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Witcher Dev: DLC Should be a Free Service

CD Projekt RED’s Konrad Tomaszkiewicz believes that DLC should be given to gamers for free as thanks for legitimately purchasing a title.

In an interview with VG247, the Witcher developer shared his view that downloadable content should be viewed as a post sale service for consumers.

“

Back when retail games were dominant, we had expansion packs. These were really large chunks of content, which were worth their price.

"We’ve always believed in free DLCs. The thing is that we consider DLCs as a normal post sale service, which shouldn’t be priced," he said.

"Back when retail games were dominant, we had expansion packs. These were really large chunks of content, which were worth their price.

"If today’s DLCs offered the same amount of content, they would be worth paying for, but in most cases players think they are overcharged for what they receive. That’s why we offer expansions to our game for free. This is also a way of saying “thank you” to the people who decided to buy our game instead of copying it from an unauthorised source."

It's the latest in a series of comments from within the industry that suggests big companies are starting to reassess the role of downloadable content in games. In May, Capcom revealed it was re-evaluating its attitudesto on-disc DLC following fan backlash. Team Ninja boss Yosuke Hayashi also recently labelled DLC characters in fighting games as "unfair", and announced none would be present in Dead or Alive 5.

There's still no concrete word on whether CD Projekt RED is planning to make a third instalment in the Witcher franchise, though a recent batch of job postings suggests it could be on the cards.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and has never bought DLC in his life. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

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Bethesda “Not Yet Satisfied with Dawnguard’s Performance on the PS3”

The saga concerning The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on PlayStation 3 continues unabated. The chatter has recently revolved around PS3 gamers not getting a patch other platforms already received, as well as a Bethesda executive noting that Dawnguard DLC wasn’t even announced for platforms other than Xbox 360. But then news broke that PS3 gamers may indeed receive the Dawnguard DLC after all.

Today, Bethesda has confirmed that Dawnguard is up and running on PlayStation 3, but there’s a catch: it’s not running well. Posting on its official blog, Bethesda notes that it’s “not yet satisfied with Dawnguard’s performance on the PS3. We would like for everyone to have a chance to play Dawnguard, but we aren’t going to release it for PS3 knowing that some people’s experience in Skyrim will be worse. We do everything we can to have our content available to all; from our free updates, to user mods, to paid DLC. We’re as disappointed as our fans when that isn’t the case, but we’ll continue to push for that reality.”

The post doesn’t technically confirm that Dawnguard will actually be released for PlayStation 3; in fact, the wording can be interpreted that it may never come out. However, we’ve reached out to Bethesda for official comment and clarification.

Dawnguard’s issues on PS3 follow a litany of problems the PS3 iteration of Skyrim has experienced since its launch last November, problems well chronicled here at IGN.

The DLC pack in question originally came to Xbox 360 last month, and was released today for PC.

Colin Moriarty is an IGN PlayStation editor. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN and learn just how sad the life of a New York Islanders and New York Jets fan can be.

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