Shippin' Out August 11-15: Madden

By Tom Magrino, GameSpotPosted Aug 11, 2008 12:31 pm PT

Opening day for year-end gaming onslaught commences, with Favre-covered footballer joined by Space Siege, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Bangai-O, Fable II Pub Games.

In a little more than three months time, gamers will have successfully navigated the holiday 2008 shopping season and gained unfettered access to such games as Gears of War 2, Resistance 2, MotorStorm 2, Fable II, and Mercenaries 2 along the way. That holiday season kicks off aptly this week with the traditional mid-August launch of Electronic Arts' flagship football franchise, Madden NFL.

As is customary, EA Sports will be hitting all applicable marks with its annualized football sim, with one notable exception. Madden NFL 09 will be available this Tuesday on the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Nintendo DS. However, the PC edition will be benched for the season to give the developer time to retool its online connectivity, according to EA Sports chief Peter Moore. The Xbox 360 and PS3 $90 special-edition bundles will also contain NFL Head Coach 09, which will see a stand-alone release on September 2.

Check GameSpot's Madden NFL 09 Launch Center later today for the full review of this year's edition, as well as a special Twenty Years of Madden feature.

Publishers typically steer clear of EA Sports' annual juggernaut, but the game won't march to retailers alone this week. Of note, Chris Taylor's Gas Powered Games has hit the switch on Space Siege, a spiritual successor to the developer's 2002 action role-playing game Dungeon Siege. Also a relic of the future, Bangai-O Spirits will bring its fast-paced shoot-'em-up action to the DS this week, courtesy of D3 Publisher and Ikaruga developer Treasure.

Perhaps the stiffest competition that EA Sports will run up against this week comes by way of each console maker's digital storefront. With Capcom and GRIN at work on a fully reimagined Bionic Commando, the two have also teamed on a revamp of the classic 1988 side-scrolling platformer. Available on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday and on the PlayStation Network a day later, Bionic Commando Rearmed costs $10 (800 Microsoft points).

Fable II Pub Games is the second significant addition to Microsoft's online platform this week. The casino-style minigame compilation, which lets gamers earn cash that can then be transferred to Lionhead Studios' upcoming Xbox 360-exclusive action RPG Fable II, can be had for 800 Microsoft points ($10). Participating retailers will also be including the game gratis as a preorder incentive for Fable II.

As made famous by Homestarrunner.com, Strong Bad will make his gaming debut in the first installment of Telltale Games' latest episodic-adventure series, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People: Homestar Ruiner. The vehemently obtuse pugilist will retail for $8.95 on the PC, with the edition for Nintendo's WiiWare Channel clocking in at a dollar more for 1,000 Wii points ($10). Billiards simulator Break In (700 Wii points, $7) and Star Soldier spoof Star Parodier (900 Wii points, $9) round out Nintendo's digital offerings.

This week's new releases are listed below (list taken from retailer information--actual dates may vary).

AUGUST 11, 2008
Break In (Wii VC)
Star Parodier (Wii VC)
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner (WiiWare, PC)

AUGUST 12, 2008
Bangai-O Spirits (DS)
Dracula 3: Path of the Dragon (PC)
Imagine Teacher (DS)
Madden NFL 09 (X360, Xbox, PS3, PS2, PSP, DS)
Madden NFL 09 All-Play (Wii)
Sinking Island (PC)
Space Siege (PC)
The Cheetah Girls: Passport to Stardom (DS)

AUGUST 13, 2008
Bionic Commando Rearmed (XBLA)
Fable II Pub Games (XBLA)

AUGUST 14, 2008
Bionic Commando Rearmed (PSN)

AUGUST 15, 2008
Baseball Mogul 2009 (PC)
Ford Racing: Off Road (PC)

48 Comments

  • SuicideVanV2

    Posted Aug 13, 2008 12:20 pm PT

    Ok, but when is the ship-back/recall date for this broken piece of garbage?

  • enoslives7

    Posted Aug 13, 2008 9:55 am PT

    60 bucks for a slight "upgrade"...no thanks

  • jets78

    Posted Aug 13, 2008 9:22 am PT

    if any one finds out how to put favre on the jets roster please let me know asap

  • jets78

    Posted Aug 13, 2008 9:19 am PT

    why cant i put brett favre on the jets roster he,s not even in the game what,s going on i payed 60 beans for a game that doesnt even have the cover man in the game and i,m a jets fan

  • doomsday92

    Posted Aug 12, 2008 3:13 pm PT

    does it piss anyone else off that gamespot hasnt reviewed a wii game or vc/ wiiware game since july 30th? its there jobs

  • itwiz90

    Posted Aug 12, 2008 12:37 pm PT

    ok, I'm going to trade a couple of games in and get Madden.

  • akiwak

    Posted Aug 12, 2008 10:41 am PT

    I hope that Bionic Commando doesn't hurt the Madden sales too much! I think maybe they should have waited till next week so Madden can get some decent sales LOL.
    So many good memories of BC back on the NES, I will be picking the game up for sure.

  • Sins-of-Mosin

    Posted Aug 12, 2008 8:46 am PT

    I will be getting the Fable 2 pub games as soon as they are posted on Live. Heck, I hope they are on there at 5:30am when I have to take the dogs out. That's probably all I'll do this weekend with a few Madden games in to break up the routine.

  • pidow

    Posted Aug 12, 2008 7:06 am PT

    Ah, nothing for me this time.

  • combatsoldier

    Posted Aug 12, 2008 12:12 am PT

    I really dont care who is on the cover of madden as long as the game is good. This year looks like its going to be better then last years addition.

  • stziggy

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 9:54 pm PT

    How do you download a patch for DS game? You don't. So there will be no Brett Farve for us NDS folks. And there will be no $30 shelled out for Madden 09 from this gamer either.

  • Exile07

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 9:03 pm PT

    I hope EA releases a cover of Brett Favre in a Jets uniform. Just to be updated =)

  • Pete5506

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 9:03 pm PT

    I'm getting my Free Fable 2 pub games, Cant wait to start working for that money

  • niteowl74

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 7:43 pm PT

    Cool Bangai-O. never got to play the Dreamcast release. Have to check this one out.

  • cowman_53

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 7:12 pm PT

    WHo the hell takes offense at OMG ITS THE CHEETAH GIRLS, why would you jackasses report me

  • coughing

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 6:29 pm PT

    looking forward to space siege. played the demo alright, hope they fixed a few issues though, like not being able to walk and shoot.

  • godzillavskong

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 6:00 pm PT

    Demo was pretty solid. Graphics and gameplay have seen a marginal upgrade. I'll buy it, but it might be a few weeks after release.

  • wiifan001

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 5:39 pm PT

    Nope. It's a pass for me.

  • hunter8man

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 5:31 pm PT

    The release of Madden every year means football season is right around the corner and I cannot wait! Let's go Raiders!


    But I'll be getting Bionic Commando as well.

  • bannermanner

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 5:05 pm PT

    Woo! Bionic Commando! Master D is going DOWN.

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