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August 4, 2009 2:08 PM PDT

G.I. Joe is enlisting all consoles: Should movie video games be DLC only?

by Joseph Kaminski
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Slated to release the same week as the movie is G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, the video game, for all major consoles.

This third-person shooter has an exclusive storyline that picks up where the film leaves off. With 20 levels of game play, three character classifications, (Commando: Does well at close range, Heavy: Possesses extraordinary shooting skills, but does it best from a distance, and Combat Soldier: Balanced between the two) and 16 playable characters to choose from. At certain stages in the game players can board drivable Cobra and G.I. Joe vehicles designed for two-player co-op mode. A total of 75 intelligence cards are scattered throughout the game; once collected they can be used to unlock characters, missions, and four PSAs

The Nintendo DS key features are: Create your own G.I Joe battles vs. Cobra via Wi-Fi. Choose from six Joe characters and five Cobra. The game promises twenty plus missions on this unique shooter for the DS.

We got to do a little hands on with G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and it was an easy pick up. At first it seemed like a new rendition of Commando 2. The control scheme is simple, making the game fun for the casual gamer. The graphics didn't blow us out of the water, but the co-op play makes up for it, especially with power-ups like the accelerator power suit, which allows the player to become invincible and have increased firepower for a short period. During this mode you hear that nostalgic G.I. Joe theme music that just takes you back--if you go that far back.

The one complaint not only with this particular game but all movie games is that they all have a short shelf life. Due to this, we think this game would be great as downloadable content (DLC), Like the Watchman video game. G.I. Joe is priced at $49.99 for the Wii, Xbox 360, and the PlayStation3, $39.99 for the PSP, and $29.99 for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS. All games will include a Hasbro action figure from the toy line. The Watchmen game is $29.99 for the new combo of the two episodic parts. "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Yo Joe!"

Has there ever been a movie-to-video-game title that would stand alone without the movie?

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by skabone August 4, 2009 3:11 PM PDT
The Punisher game that came out a few years back on the ps2, and the Wolverine game that just came out. both didn't follow the movie they followed their own direction, and were a ton of fun to play. Other than that the pickings are kind of slim.
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by imabignerd August 5, 2009 11:32 AM PDT
Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay for the original Xbox...
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by jonesns August 5, 2009 12:08 PM PDT
A very underrated movie-to-game release was The Warriors, an awesome fighting/action game that took the storyline of the movie, and expanded it very well. I actually played the game before seeing the movie, and I ended up knowing a lot about the movie by playing the game.
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by ironsnakemx August 5, 2009 1:02 PM PDT
Goldeneye for the N64......one of the best multiplayer games of all time
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by Xade_not_perfect August 5, 2009 1:19 PM PDT
I wonder if they will all have the same action figure?
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Live from New York, CNET's Dan Ackerman, Julie Rivera, Joseph Kaminski, and Scott Stein explore the impact of new technology on city life and urban environments, from municipal Wi-Fi to high-tech crime to tricks for cutting the line at the Apple Store.

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