God, I miss pinball.

I don’t normally write “coming soon” posts, but I meant to give Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection some post-E3 coverage and then summer kicked in, all but erasing any time or interest I had for writing.  So, having had a sudden reminder of the game’s pending existence, it only seems fair to fix that oversight.

When all the bits are working properly, pinball is a fantastic game.  It can be tough to find a machine with all the bumpers responding and the flippers set to give a properly strong snap, but when the mechanics work there’s nothing like it.  The physical feel of the table under your hands, the slight vibration of the machine as the ball rolls over the table, the lights, sounds, and feedback or the table, all combine in a way that gives a completely different sensation from the standard video game.

Nice as that is, pinball tables take up lots of space and maintenance isn’t easy.  Owning a nice collection is right out for most people, so we need to make due with the next best thing- video game recreations.  Crave made Wii and PS2 pinball fans happy back in early 2008 with the well-received Williams Collection, but those looking for a full HD experience were left wanting.  That’s going to be fixed on September 8th, when the PS3 and 360 versions finally arrive.  While Gamestop doesn’t seem to care that it exists (and they’ve been dropping the ball on smaller titles more often lately) it should be readily available elsewhere.

-edit-  And after that crack at Gamespot’s expense it’s now listed on their site.  I hereby temporarily revoke my snark.

The reason this matters is that the Wii and PS2 versions were excellent pinball, and the 360/PS3 isn’t so much a port as it is an upgrade.  The bump in graphics is nice, of course, but online leaderboards and the addition of three new tables make this fantastic collection worth a second look even for those who played the original.  The collection of tables from the 70s thorugh the 90s is top-notch, and the physics are as close to perfect as anyone has managed yet.   Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection archives some of the best pinball ever made, and should be well worth tracking down when it hits in a couple of weeks.

Popular gaming league selected to officially endorse clothing lineup.

Empire Arcadia, a gaming league composed of exceptional diehard players, recently joined forces with clothing line Jinx to represent its latest clothing lifestyle. Viewers who tuned in to G4TV were treated to a 30-second clip showcasing the spirit of what Empire Arcadia, featuring its founder, “Triforce” and Justin Wong, who currently holds the title as all-time fighting game champion in North America!

The commercial contains a variety of clips derived from recent documentaries on Empire Arcadia including brief glimpses of the league in action, training at its home headquarters while of course, featuring the players sporting Jinx’s apparel consisting of contemporary tee-shirts, hoodies, and other unique selections. The clip ends with the founder’s firm mantra: “We get into it… how do YOU get into it?”

Speaking as a longtime, avid gamer, I am thrilled to see companies extending sponsorships to gaming leagues like Empire Arcadia.  The organization is literally growing by leaps and bounds as it continues to  focus on building teamwork, core values and supporting/hosting community events that impact the lives of gamers of all ages.

Check out the commercial in its entirety below…

Zombies on the way!

Capcom granted the wishes of more then a few survival horror fans when they announced the coming release of genre classics Resident Evil 2, 3 and Dino Crisis for PSN.

Thankfully, Capcom PR has said that gamers won’t have to wait much longer before they can play the classic titles on their PS3 or PSP.

According to Capcom’s Chris Kramer, the games will be out “within the next three months.”

While Kramer stressed that they “can’t be more specific at this time,” with that kind of timeline it can’t be too long before scare junkies have a date to salivate over. Now if only they’d add Dino Crisis 2 to the list…