Tail of the Sun - The Best Damn Caveman Simulator Ever!

Numerous game concepts have been beaten to death - namely, WWII shooters and GTA-inspired titles. However, here's an idea you don't see pop up often: a game based upon the life of a caveman. Yup, it's true - in 1996 Sony released Tail of the Sun, a caveman simulator on their ever-popular Playstation game console.

The game flopped both commercially and critically. Unlike many other titles that receive this dreaded fate, however, Tail of the Sun lacked a hardcore cult following as well.

Maybe when you view this Youtube video you'll understand why:





But hey, at least it's unique - right? If I ever found a copy if in the bargain bin somewhere I'd surely snap it up...

Free Xbox Live Arcade Game Finally Unveiled!

To compensate for weeks of glitchy and finicky Xbox Live servers (often to the point of unplayability), Microsoft announced last month that they would make up for this by offering Xbox Live gamers a free game off of Xbox Live Marketplace. No one knew whether that meant it would be a hand-picked game by the big M or a title of someone's choice, but it was revealed today that Undertow will be the free offering.

Undertow is an action shooter set underwater. Despite being somewhat of an obscure release, Undertow has garnered mainly positive reviews from most sources. Official Xbox Magazine enjoyed is enough to rate it a highly-impressive 9 out of 10. Not bad at all!


Although I was hoping it would be a free game of our choice (of at least 800 Microsoft points, in which I'd save for the upcoming Rez HD), I guess this is decent enough. Hey, as already stated, Undertow is supposed to be pretty damn good. You must claim your free game from the 23rd to the 27th (of this month).

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Smash. Bros Brawl Delayed Once Again

Super Smash Bros. Brawl, perhaps the most highly-anticipated Wii game yet, has once again been delayed. Originally planned for release last year (and then eventually pushed up to a February 2008 date), Nintendo fans now won't be getting their hands on this mega-hot title until March 9th.

Although no reason behind the delay was released, it is speculated that Nintendo is still fine-tuning the online play to make it run nearly flawless. It is still set to hit Nintendo's native country of Japan this month.

Although many hardcore fans of the series are probably infuriated by now, I feel this delay is for the best. As Miyamato himself put it:

"A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever"

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Mechassualt 3 - Make It Happen, Microsoft!

Besides the 800-lb. gorilla of online gaming that was Halo 2 on the original Xbox, Mechassualt 2 was some of the most fun I had online on Microsoft's first black box.

Even despite that "other" title consuming most people's online time on Xbox Live, Mechsassualt 2 still managed to have a healthy online user base. A more slow-paced, methodical title than the typical frag-fests that dominated Microsoft's online network, Mechassualt is a series that needs to be revived on the 360.

Really, Microsoft, what's the big holdup? Both of the titles in the series managed to sell well-enough to earn Platinum Hits status, and both were home to a good-sized online fan base, which I'm sure some are still enjoying today. Yeah, yeah, Halo is your hottest property by far... but that doesn't mean you should just ignore your other franchises. After the enormous disappointment that was Halo 3 (a mediocre FPS that somehow managed to garner praise reviews, despite being inferior to past titles in the series) , I'm sure many of us Xbox Live addicts (and Mechassualt fans) are ready for it.

Pro-Gamer Turns Two!

Has it really been another year already? Yup, it's true - it's Pro-Gamer's birthday! Although not everyone will be here for the bash (some of the best bloggers in the biz are currently on hiatus), I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who has supported this blog through the past two years. Including...

Gnome, Funnyman, The Elderly, Father, Rosewarrior, The Ender, The Graduate Gamer, Deitrix, NebachadnezzaR, The Time Runner, Dragon force Fan 22, Kuri, Digitalspace, Wedge14, and that one anonymous fellow who decided not to leave his name. Especially him. Thanks.

Also... be sure to check out their respective blogs
in the 'links' section of this blog. You know.... that thing near the top right corner. Yep, that.

And now, for the grand finally... the year in review! Chosen on a month-by-month basis, here are my favorite posts of the year:

January 2007 - PS2: Still Alive and Kickin'
February 2007 - The GBA Titles That Deserve the 'Players' Choice' Honor
March 2007 - Super Mario Through the Years
April 2007 - Ch-ch-ch-changes
May 2007 - Poor Play Testing + A Rushed Product = A Broken Game
June 2007 - Stare in Awe At the Games That Broke the Million Mark
August 2007 - eBay Scam Alert - 12 Months of Xbox Live?
September 2007 - Major Halo 3 Limited Edition Disc Issues Found
October 2007 - Halo.... Will Microsoft's Largest Property Ever Invade the DS?
November 2007 - Game Wallpapers - Give Your Desktop Some Flavor!
December 2007 - Japan and Their Top 50 Favorite 360 Games

Thanks for reading, and hopefully this will be another great year at Pro-Gamer.

And for the curious, here's last year's celebration...

Happy new year everyone!