One staff writer played the first BioShock ad nauseum. Literally. We've also come to a split decision as to whether BioShock 2 is worth your time. And BioShock Infinite has got our collective head in the collective cloud.

What are you playing this weekend?

RUSSELL ARCHEY | Staff Writer | Twitter @neoscyther
I'm out of town this weekend, so no major PC or 360 gaming for me. However, I recently picked up Kirby Mass Attack on the cheap so I'll finally be giving that a shot. I have yet to play a Kirby game I dislike (though I have yet to play Air Ride beyond a quick demo race).

NATHAN CARTER | Staff Writer | Twitter @natedoggcata
I’m still suffering from a post-PAX hangover, so I think I will be taking it easy this weekend and playing some games that I can play while relaxing. I still have Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward to finish. I am about 30 hours into the game now and I have only unlocked about nine or ten of the 24 different endings in the game. I also picked up Dead or Alive 5 Plus for the Vita, a far superior version of the game compared to its console counterpart. Finally, I’ll probably hop into some more Left 4 Dead 2 when I get some spare time. Left 4 Dead 2 is always fun to hop in, play for a bit, then do something else.

NATHANIEL COHEN | Staff Writer | Twitter @seven_hells
Funny BioShock-related story. Way back when the first one came out, I went and picked up my pre-order, then was promptly struck down by some sort of food poisoning. It was the grossest two weeks of my life, but I wasn't going to let something as insignificant as not being able to sit up keep me from BioShock. That had been a really bad summer for games and I needed to play it. So I did. I finished in between bouts of praying to the flush gods. When I was was over it,I tried to play through it again, only to find the experience inexorably tied to how I felt while I was sick. I found I couldn't look at it, let alone play it, without suffering from some kind of really unpleasant PTSD nauseousness. It was so bad I had to trade it in, and it was two years before I could think about BioShock again.

I was not a fan of BioShock 2. I thought that except for the slightly upgraded shooting, everything else was just a pale imitation with worse graphics. I don't expect the same disappointment from BioShock Infinite.  You don't remake the same game for the third time and stick the word "Infinite" in the title unless you know exactly what you're doing.

I'll be playing BioShock Infinite and probably some FIFA Soccer 13. These international breaks are hard on fans of European club soccer. I gotta get my fix somehow. Watching the USMNT just isn't enough even when they have a particularly good couple of games.

SEAN COLLELI | Staff Writer
I'm actually revisiting BioShock 2 to get ready for SkyoShock. I kind of forgot just how good BioShock 2 was compared to the original. Most of the things that annoyed me in the first game--clunky combat, technical issues, a preachy story about a sociopolitical philosophy that hadn't been relevant for decades--was vastly improved in BioShock 2. Dual-wielding guns and plasmids really opened up the combat, and the plasmids and tonics were just overall cooler. Playing as a Big Daddy and escorting the Little Sisters as they harvested ADAM was also a lot of fun. Best of all, the story was just more compelling and didn't fall apart in the third act--it actually got better. Having Sofia Lamb as a foil for Andrew Ryan really helped, because it demonstrated that a philosophy on the other end of the spectrum--in this case super collectivism instead of Ryan's objectivism--could be just as bad if taken to the same extreme. Definitely check out BioShock 2 if you missed it the first time around.

CHARLES HUSEMANN | Editor-in-Chief | Twitter @chusemann
BioShock Infinite is sitting on my dining room table and I think that's going to be my main endeavor this weekend. There is a double XP weekend going for MechWarrior Online, so that will probably find it's way on to my playlist as well.

RANDY KALISTA | Staff Writer | Twitter @randykalista
SimCity is a problem. Losing sleep. Work suffering. Other hobbies collecting dust. Child doesn't even know me anymore. So, I'm grounding myself from SimCity (way to go, me) and heading back into Mass Effect 3 to finish the fight. If for no other reason than to get to bed on time. While I can't not read every single entry that pops up, the Codex should be renamed "naptime."

JOHN YAN | Senior Hardware Editor | Twitter @thejohnyan
So after finishing StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, I'm heading off to the city of Columbia to review BioShock Infinite. I'm really excited about this one as the previews at the past couple E3’s blew me away. I might jump into a quickie session of SimCity, but I'm at a point where I'm out of room. It was pretty quick to run out of room and I don't want to mess with it too much since I'm getting money and everyone's mostly happy. If someone wants to, I'll try out Dead Space 3 co-op, since I got that for free with my SimCity game.

This Sunday, Nintendo will be releasing the latest entry in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity.  While a review is definitely forthcoming, I still have a little ways to go before that occurs (like figuring out what the Gates to Infinity actually are), so in the meantime I figured I'd make a little post about what I think so far.

Admittedly, this is the first time I've played a Mystery Dungeon game outside of small bits of the first Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, but so far I'm having a blast with it.  In a nutshell, you're a human who has a dream about a Pokemon in trouble.  Then you end up turning into a Pokemon (you pick which one from a selection of five) and fall into the Pokemon World...yes, you literally "fall" into it.  From there you partner up with another Pokemon (pick one of the four you didn't choose earlier) and begin to build what's know as Paradise, a place where Pokemon can live and play.  As you complete more story quests and requests off of a request board (introduced a little ways into the game), various events progress the story.  In between story events though, you can complete various requests from other Pokemon to gain money, items, and materials to help improve Paradise.

That's the gist of how the game works, and I'll go more into that in my review, but I've actually had more fun so far with this game than the core Pokemon games, probably because it's different in a way.  You still have your party of Pokemon (you'll eventually have the ability to have four Pokemon in a party), you battle other Pokemon to level up and gain new moves, and you can occasionally have other Pokemon you encounter ask to join your team, which plays to the typical collection aspect of the more traditional games.  It is similar to the core games in a sense, but it's still different in that you're not going to gyms, there are no badges (well, no gym badges anyway), and you're actually controlling the Pokemon in a Real Time RPG-type setting.

I really only have a couple small gripes that I'll mention in my review, but the main one is that your teammates can occasionally wander off in a dungeon on their own for some reason.  I've figured out that this is typically because an enemy came up from behind them, and if a teammate is near an opponent, they'll typically set out to defeat them.  That's fine, but it can be annoying when they decide to continue whatever way they're facing instead of turning back around and rejoining the team.  It's nothing to bad, especially if they're strong enough to handle themselves, but it can get kind of old every time you have to turn around to fetch your teammate who's wandered deeper into the dungeon on their own.

Thus far, I've enjoyed the game and I'm looking forward to getting it finished soon so I can get a review up as soon as possible (not easy with the NCAA Tournament going on, but I digress).  However, if you're a Pokemon fan looking for something different from the core games or have enjoyed past Mystery Dungeon games, Sunday probably can't get here fast enough for you.

Resident Evil Revelations for consoles will be here shortly and today CAPCOM brings us tons of new info about the game including some new screenshots. 

First off it has been announced that Rachel a new character introduced in the 3DS version of the game will be a new playable character in Raid Mode. Hunk was also added as a new playable character and if you are attending PAX East this weekend you will be able to play as both Rachel and Hunk at the CAPCOM booth #948.

Two brand new enemies have also been added to the game the Wall Blister and a surprise creature that appears in Raid Mode once you get to a certain level. You can check out screen shots of the new enemies below. 

The Wii-U version of the game will also be getting its own exclusive updates that utilize the system and the game pad. First off players will be able to utilize the Wii-U game pad to quickly access their maps and weapons. They will also be able to play the game with a Wii-U Pro controller. The game will also utilize Off TV Play.

Next the Miiverse will offer Wii U players more unique ways to enjoy the game. Players can post messages on the Game Over screen for other players around the world to see. Players can also personalize the thoughts of the enemies in Raid Mode using the "Creatures Voice" feature. Screen shots of these features can be found below

Finally, Resident Evil Revelations will support Residentevil.net with online events planned after launch. Exclusive dioramas of characters and enemies can be collection in the online mode and custom parts for Raid Mode and Campaign Mode can also be earned.

Resident Evil Revelations launches on PS3, Xbox 360, PC and Wii-U on May 21st.  

God of War got slammed for stomping on a female’s face and handing out a trophy called “Bros Before Hos,” EA is giving away a free game to anybody suffering through SimCity’s launch, and the Tomb Raider reboot is so good no one’s even talking about Lara getting threatened with rape anymore. What are you playing this weekend?

RUSSELL ARCHEY | Staff Writer | Twitter @neoscyther
I know I'm sounding like a broken record week after week, but I just love spending quality time in Skyrim.  I almost have enchanting to 100, and smithing is well on its way there as well. Quest-wise, I only have a few story quests to go, so I'm mainly improving the skills needed to gear up for those. Hopefully in about two weeks time I'll have something different to put here. Not that Skyrim is a bad thing, of course.

NATHAN CARTER | Staff Writer | Twitter @natedoggcata
I think I’m going to switch it up this weekend. While I will still have my Left 4 Dead 2 sessions, most of my time this weekend will be spent with the new Tomb Raider which is absolutely incredible and my front runner for game of the year. Everything about this game is just amazing. The storytelling, the graphics, the gameplay--all outstanding and it sounds absolutely amazing with my Turtle Beach headset as well. Finally, I will be hopping back into some Dead or Alive 5 which is pretty amazing in itself. I know a lot of people dismiss DOA because of all the bouncing boobs and bathing suits, but underneath all of its juvenile humor is a deep and fun fighting game.

SEAN COLLELI | Staff Writer
Oddly enough, this is going to be a DS Lite weekend for me. I finally tracked down two elusive JRPGs for the trusty little portable: Rune Factory 2 arrived a few days ago and Infinite Space should be in the mail now. Why is it that these great games that only came out a couple years ago at most, are now sought-after collector's items that run $60 - $70 secondhand, and just the bare cartridge without the case or manual at that? I hate resorting to Amazon and eBay on these things but the publishers aren't giving me much choice--there wasn't a single copy of Infinite Space at any GameStop, Play N Trade or mom n' pop game store within 100 miles of Columbus. I'd much rather pay full retail price for a fresh shrinkwrapped copy instead of the ridiculously inflated secondhand prices for a solitary cart that's been through God knows what in some kid's backpack.

JEREMY DUFF | Senior Staff Writer | Twitter @duff3c
Don't even get me started on the ridiculousness of this GoW "outrage." That being said, I will be spending this weekend putting my bros before my hoes and playing a lot of God of War: Ascension as well as trying to level up the rest of the roster of Phantom Breaker Battle Grounds.

CHARLES HUSEMANN | Editor-in-Chief, Twitter @chusemann
Will be spending some quality time with SimCity and MechWarrior Online this weekend. I kind of wish someone could combine the two as I'd love to run around my city in my Death Knell commando obliterating misbehaving Sims.

RANDY KALISTA | Staff Writer | Twitter @randykalista
Need to brush up on my Mass Effect 3 multiplayer. After a year-long hiatus, I'm consistently ranking fourth (out of four) on every mission, forcing squad mates to treat me like a Ressuci Annie doll with a gun rather than a Reaper killa with attitude. Also, former Gaming Nexus staffer, Charlie Sinhaseni, who's now PR for the embattled SimCity brand, is prodding me to get my inner civil engineer on and tackle EA's newly installed servers. Just have to make sure my wife doesn't "reticulate" my "spline" for dropping $80 on the digital deluxe.

MIKE MAHARDY | Staff Writer | Twitter @mmahardy
I'll be checking out Dead Space 3's Awakened DLC this weekend to see if it really returns to the horror roots of the series. Aside from that, I'll dive into Castlevania: Mirror of Fate to see what I htink about the next portable installation in the series.

JOHN YAN | Senior Hardware Editor | Twitter @thejohnyan
I will be playing StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm all weekend while checking out SimCity and maybe throw in a run or two of Diablo 3.
 

Are you chomping at the bit for the upcoming release of Resident Evil Revelations on the PC and home consoles?  I don't blame you, as the 3DS version was pretty awesome!  However, you still have a couple more months to go before the game is released on the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC on May 21st.  In the mean time, Capcom has released a new gameplay video that shows off the new Inferno Mode as well as a new enemy, the Wall Blister, which is a mutated creature that was borne from the T-Abyss virus.

RUSSELL ARCHEY, staff writer, Twitter @neoscyther
I'm still working through Skyrim, though I'm focusing less on the story missions right now and trying to clear out any side quests I have as well as do some skill leveling, mainly in destruction and enchanting.

SEAN CAHILL, staff writer, Twitter @seancahill2
Trying to get through Far Cry 3, but having a hell of a time getting through one particular campaign because it's an escort/rescue mission and the guy keeps running into land mines.

NATHAN CARTER, staff writer, Twitter @natedoggcata
Left 4 Dead 2 and probably more Left 4 Dead 2. The Steam Workshop has pretty much gotten me addicted to this game again. I’m having tons of fun downloading and playing through brand new campaigns. If I have some spare time I’ll try to play though the Silent Hill HD Collection. I’m interested in seeing how many problems this game actually has, or how many I’ll notice, at least. Finally, I’ll try to get my party through the Organ Trail on iOS. It’s an Apple IIc version of the original Oregon Trail, except it’s set in a modern-day zombie apocalypse and it’s very addicting.

NATHANIEL COHEN, staff writer, Twitter @seven_hells
Still playing XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but I probably play some Final Fantasy XIII-2. My daughter spent the last of her Christmas money on it. After burning out on the Dead Space vertical playthough, I could use some shiny fantastical insanity. The Dead Space series is so damn dark, scary, and kind of sad. Playing all three games at once only made it more so.

JEREMY DUFF, senior staff writer, Twitter @duff3c
I am sort of on a PC gaming kick right now and am looking forward to getting some quality Battlefield 3 time in between spending time on the new Halo 4 maps that launched this week. Of course, my Vita will get some love as I am on the go throughout the weekend.

CHARLES HUSEMANN, editor-in-chief, Twitter @chusemann
This weekend will be the usual snippets of Black Ops 2 and MechWarrior Online interspersed with The Bridge, a cool new indie puzzle game.

RANDY KALISTA, staff writer, Twitter @randykalista
Somewhere between Mass Effect 3's N7 Challenge Weekend and my three-year-old daughter's 10,000th YouTube viewing of Swan Lake, my Xbox 360 red ringed. Again. I'm exclusively PC gaming for the next two or three weeks while my console's in the shop. So, assessing my mental fortitude as a grown adult, I figure it's time to man up to the final episode of The Walking Dead. Then that's that. At least until this season 1.5 business that's purportedly on the way. Then I'll have to see if I'm up for even more emotional beat downs.

MIKE MAHARDY, staff writer, Twitter @mmahardy
I'll be playing more FTL, as I still have yet to complete a single campaign. I keep losing/dying, but it's the best feeling to get farther each time. Aside from that, I'll be playing through BioShock and BioShock 2 in preparation for BioShock Infinite later in March. If that's not one of my most anticipated games in awhile then I don't know what is.

Sony took to the official PlayStation Blog yesterday and revealed this weeks bonuses for PlayStation Plus members. This weeks store update will bring yet another free game to the Instant Game Collection and a variety of discounts on all platforms.

On the free side of things, Plants vs. Zombies will be available for the PlayStation Vita will be free of charge for the next couple of weeks. This is a very small download (approx. 75mb) and an extremely addictive game, that you shouldn’t hesitate to download! On the discount end of the bargains, you can look forward to the rhythm-shooter Retro/Grade for the PS3 being reduced to $2.44. the soundtrack is also available for a reduced price.

Since this month marks the one-year anniversary of the Vita’s launch, Sony is launching a PS Vita anniversary Sale as well. Discounts on the following Vita titles will be available to everyone, but PS Plus members will get an even bigger discount as shown below:
 

Game	Price	Sale Price	PS Plus Price
Escape Plan	$14.99	$10.49	$7.34
Hot Shots Gold: World Invitational	$35.99	$25.19	$17.63
Hustle Kings	$9.99	$6.99	$4.89
Little Deviants	$17.99	$12.59	$8.81
MLB The Show 12	$17.99	$12.59	$8.81
ModNation Racers: Road Trip	$17.99	$13.99	$9.79
MotorStorm RC Complete Edition	$11.99	$8.39	$5.87
PS All-Stars Battle Royale	$35.99	$25.19	$17.63
Reality Fighters	$17.99	$12.59	$8.81
Smart As	$26.99	$18.89	$13.22
Sound Shapes	$14.99	$10.49	$7.34
Super Stardust Delta	$9.99	$6.99	$4.89
Unit 13	$26.99	$18.89	$13.22

Demos for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate are available now from the Nintendo eShop for the Wii U and 3DS.

The demo features two quests and 12 different weapon options in a tundra setting, littered with the the titular enemies for hunters to sharpen their weapons on.

The two quests play out in two difficulties: a beginner mode, and one for more experienced players.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate releases March 19 for the 3DS and Wii U.

If you were around back in the days of the NES, you might remember one of the first fishing games on a home console, Black Bass, and it's sequel, Blue Marlin.  Thanks to Rising Star Games, "the series that started it all" is making a comeback on the Nintendo 3DS with Super Black Bass 3D.

Releasing on April 2nd, 2013, Super Black Bass 3D will pack some new features and game modes designed exclusively for the 3DS, such as making use of the motion sensor and gyroscope features.  You can search for more than thirty types of fish, feel the impact with the new "Real Rod System", compete in tournaments, upgrade your gear, and more.  Now that I think of it though, if you really do have to move your 3DS like you're casting a fishing line, I wonder how many people will accidentally launch their 3DS across the room. [READ MORE]

Mario Mario Mario!  That's all we have been hearing from Nintendo as of late, so just recently they decided to declare this "The Year of Luigi!"  With four games coming this year, all either Starring or including our second favorite plumber its hard not feel proud for our boy in green!  Along with these four, Nintendo in their most recent Nintendo Direct video feed, has told us about more than than twenty games they have in their pipeline!  This may just be the boost to their sorely lacking games library (for the Wii-U) that they needed.  All we can do is wait and see!

  [READ MORE]

I seems like it wasn’t too long ago that Activion was boasting that the Skylanders franchise had hit the $500 million mark. Well that story is officially history as the franchise has just officially doubled that figure and hit the billion dollar mark in lifetime sales.

This amount doesn’t just count video game sales, but also the toy sales related to the figures and accessories that go along with it. To date this includes more than 100 million Skylanders toys; that is a lot of add-ons! This milestone comes hot on the heels of the announcement of a new entry in the series entitled Skylanders SWAP Force which is due out later this year. Who knows, we might me celebrating the 2 billion dollar mark this time next year!

Activision has announced a new entry in the Skylanders franchise which will be revealed at the 2013 Toy Fair in New York City. Skylanders SWAP Force is headed to pretty much every console and platform that you can imagine later this year and will be shown off at the NYC event next week.

The new entry in the series is being developed by Vicarious Visions rather than Toys for Bob. SWAP Force introduces 16 new characters to the Skylanders world that feature moveable, swappable parts. Parts between the characters can be mixed and matched at your will, creating more than 250 unique combinations and characters. Each of the different parts bring different powers to the table, so players’ imaginations are really the only limitation. Figures from the other games will also be supported as well as 32 “core characters”, which will include new faces and returning favorites.

You can read the full press release about the new title on the next page and check out the first images below. You can expect to hear a lot more about this title when the toy Fair starts next week. [READ MORE]