New games this week: Portal edition

by Justin McElroy { Apr 7th 2008 at 8:35AM }

Yeah, it's old. But it's also Game of the Year, so we figure it's probably worth noting when the incredible, delectable Portal finally moves out of her parents' house and into an adorable studio apartment of her own. It's a good week for PCs all around actually, with the excellent Assassin's Creed arriving in a "director's cut" form.

Oh, and this week's "Game That Sounds Like it Was Named by Us As 8-Year-Olds and Then Sent Through Time Into the Future Award" goes to Mini Copter Adventure Flight. We would have traded our Chris Sabo rookie card and a half-empty packet of Lik-M-Aid for a game with a name like that in a heartbeat. There's a full list after the break.

Xbox 360:

No new releases

PS3:

No new releases

Wii:

Mini Copter Adventure Flight
Baroque

PS2:

Arcana Heart
Baroque
Fatal Fury Battle Archives Vol 2
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure

PSP:

World Championship Cards

Nintendo DS:

Fab 5 Soccer
Plushees

PC Games:

Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut Edition
Half-Life 2: Team Fortress 2
Half-Life 2: Portal
Half-Life 2: Episode Pack
Civil War Mysteries
Escape From Paradise

Tags: half-life-2, newgames, orange-box, portal

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

voodoo_craig @ Apr 7th 2008 8:44AM

I might buy Portal again, just because it deserves it.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 7th 2008 8:45AM

This was a triumph!

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Apr 7th 2008 11:21AM

Goddammit NO. Just STFU with the portal song references.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 7th 2008 11:26AM

:(

Ok, Im making a note here.

Mr.ESC @ Apr 7th 2008 11:37AM

C-ccccoombooo breaker!!!

fyreblazer @ Apr 7th 2008 4:25PM

LMAO @ Mr.ESC

+1

ScottyGEE32 @ Apr 7th 2008 8:51AM

I'll probably get negged, but FUCK that game got killed by enthusiasm...

Like seriously, people ranted about the fucking cake the cube and how orsm the game was to no end (as yahtzee illustrated, closest thing to Jesus[from Joystiq]).

Sure I found the game great fun, but reading people's opinions and jokes on the game made me expect infinite++ more.

Perhaps because I played it on a friends PS3? (Now I'll get double negged, it wasn't meant to be against ps3, moreso, that PC version would ultimatley be better)

DemonGSides @ Apr 7th 2008 9:53AM

I kinda agree. I just played the game for the first time a few weeks ago, and I gotta say, although fun and inventive, it didn't restructure my life like everyone else seems to think.

Must not be playing it right.

Blazur @ Apr 7th 2008 10:07AM

Portal was funny but the game itself was nothing more than a tech demo. You can conquer the game in the time it takes you to watch a movie. I don't understand why so many people have a hard-on for this game. TF2 was the real all-star in The Orange Box.

tetranitrocubane @ Apr 7th 2008 10:35AM

The biggest problem is that the game had all this fantastic writing, but no one remembers it. Seriously, GLaDOS was an amazing character when you think about it.

But no one does this about it, they just spout "OMG CAKE!!!1", which has by now lost all meaning.

Trev @ Apr 7th 2008 10:39AM

Becoming a meme ruins things. It's just that simple.

t_m @ Apr 7th 2008 10:55AM

I know what you mean, kind of. But i'm not sure anyone claimed it was a life-changing experience or anything...

...it was simply a very polished, well written, original, and well put together game. Enjoy it for what it is.

The "tech demo" comment is totally wrong though. It ignores the high level of polish, perfect pacing, great characterization, writing and voice acting.
Making the game any longer wouldn't have improved it at all.

Zertoss @ Apr 7th 2008 10:55AM

"There was even going to be a party for you. A big party, that all of your friends were invited to. I invited your best friend, 'the Companion Cube'. Of course, he couldn't come, because you murdered him. All your other friends couldn't come either, because you don't have any other friends because of how unlikable you are. It says so right here in your personnel file; 'Unlikable. Liked by no one. A bitter unlikable loner whose passing shall not be mourned. SHALL NOT BE MOURNED. That's exactly what it says. Very formal. Very official. It also says you were adopted. So that's funny too."

Zertoss @ Apr 7th 2008 8:51AM

Spy sappin mah new games this week!

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Apr 7th 2008 9:41AM

SCENT TREE DOWN

Mr.ESC @ Apr 7th 2008 11:39AM

Need a dispenser here!,Bonk!

Desert Eagle @ Apr 7th 2008 2:05PM

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=257

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 7th 2008 8:53AM

Instead of that mini copter game, that company should have got the license to "Budgie the Little Helicopter". Remember that show. Budgie was a young helicopter with hair who had angsty problems. It was aimed at 3-8 years olds. He also had a father/uncle who had a moustache. And he was a helicopter.

Helicopters with moustaches!

That show was awesome. And it had an amazing theme song, as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka15cqUMogk

That version is in Dutch, though. But you get the bouncy feeling.

So do we agree that there needs to be a Budgie game?

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 7th 2008 8:57AM

http://www.toonhound.com/budgie-2.jpg

I think we should all go out and buy DVD box sets.

Here's a link to an actual episode!!! But it's in Dutch again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htHzVG4F20U

baby sea tuna @ Apr 7th 2008 9:00AM

I'm glad there's nothing new for me this week. I've still got about 3 or 4 games sitting on my Pile o' Shame that need playing.

Vcize @ Apr 7th 2008 11:01AM

No kidding. I have all three systems so I'm currently looking at about 12-15 games I still haven't touched that I want to get through, and the releases are only picking up steam in the coming months here.

I really need to find a way to quit my job and get money for playing through all these games..

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Apr 7th 2008 11:25AM

Vcise is in the same boat I am. I literally have enough games I haven't played in my collection to play a new game every day of the week for 2 weeks and not play the same game twice.

Just finished Red Steel last night. Very bad ending.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 7th 2008 11:53AM

Vcize

2 words...online surveys! Its so easy and I made a TON OF MONEY from the comfort of my own home!!! =P

Kidding of course.

capt_carl @ Apr 7th 2008 12:04PM

Tell me about it, I still have RPGs from a year ago to finish. Lost Odyssey is at the top of my list, followed by Odin Sphere and Wild ARMs 5. But once Persona 3: FES hits shelves I'm almost tempted to play through the 100+ hour mayhem of P3 only because the game was that awesome.

Tucker @ Apr 7th 2008 9:11AM

Huge success

Zertoss @ Apr 7th 2008 9:14AM

I see you've made a note here.

Shagittarius @ Apr 7th 2008 12:27PM

Tucker Tucker bo bucker banana fana...

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 7th 2008 9:17AM

I'm very tempted by Arcana Heart...

Captain_Hairy @ Apr 7th 2008 10:18AM

Curse you Americans and your.... releases!

Will the EU never receive 2D fighting goodness?! We didn't get a PS2 (i.e. worthwhile controls) version of GGX2:AC either.

THE FURY.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 7th 2008 10:29AM

You know... when I really wanted Beatmania or ACE series, I did this weird thing, I imported a console. So I have a Japanese PS2 as well as a US one.

This is one of the main reasons why I love PS3 being region free.

Neil @ Apr 7th 2008 9:23AM

Mario Kart Wii is out in most places this week too.

ThePremierAssassin @ Apr 7th 2008 9:35AM

This game was not that good...

Seriously Joystiq...talk about beating a dead horse.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 7th 2008 9:39AM

Oh so now its cool to say this game was not good and overhyped? Ahhhhhhhh shuuuutuup!!!

deaftly @ Apr 7th 2008 9:43AM

Portal rocked, I felt Mario Galaxy was the most overhyped game of last year though, it was way to linear and just got boring after a while.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 7th 2008 9:53AM

I tend to agree on Mario... but I was motivated long enough to beat bowser (60 stars) but never had the urge to play again after that.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 7th 2008 10:06AM

I thought it was awesome, especially towards the end. I rented the Orange Box just for Portal and TO ME it didnt dissapoint, great game.

NATO_Duke @ Apr 7th 2008 10:28AM

I loved Portal. It was a refreshing game to play and deserves the love its getting.

Drew @ Apr 7th 2008 11:34AM

I want to agree on Galaxy but I've felt Portal was moreso Overhyped to me, I finished Galaxy and enjoyed it and continued so long after that. After I finished Portal that was that, no smile no nothing, and continued to the part of the Orange Box I bought it for Team Fortress 2.

Mr.ESC @ Apr 7th 2008 11:45AM

Is the cool kids trend, you know over hype a great game then after a year look back and say it wasn’t great so everyone thinks you are cool and not some indecisive ahole.

Portal was indeed a good game but it was better in the PC, the xbox version was enjoyable but you can’t get the best out of it.

My opinion about Portal will always remain the same, it was a great game at the end but f*ck the internet for spoiling it so f*cking much. At the end there were so many spoilers that the hype turned into expectative so I couldn’t enjoy the game that much since I knew every freaking joke as if I had played the game twice but the parts that the internet didn’t spoiled (which were few) were sweet.

Mr.ESC @ Apr 7th 2008 11:54AM

I don't know you but I enjoyed Galaxy,I think it was great and I don't believe it was ever over hyped mostly because all the hype was focused on Brawl.

Everyone were like “oh yeah galaxy good, good but where is Brawl?”

I liked Galaxy but the controls were kind of awful for a Mario game but it was still one of the most stylish games I’ve ever played.

Mr Khan @ Apr 7th 2008 4:44PM

It wouldn't be the internet without Elitists

ChuckD @ Apr 7th 2008 9:42AM

Justin,

I'll trade you my Billy Ripkin "Fuck Face" card for your Chris Sabo.

baby sea tuna @ Apr 7th 2008 11:28AM

Haha, as a Baltimoron, your comment warms my heart.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Apr 7th 2008 9:44AM

Actually, I bought the Orange Box last week for PC. Hadn't finished Portal yet (I think I'm at 18/19, according to the ingame sign) but I have to admit that DAMN, Team Fortress 2 is pure win.

Engineers are the bomb, scouts are kamikazes, pyros are hilarious, medics are cool... but damn spies rule.

Zertoss @ Apr 7th 2008 9:58AM

"Say goodbye to your secret crap, dumbass!"
"MMMNFF!"
"Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum. Come sing with me!"
"They're gonna hafta glue you back together... IN HELL!"
"Yippe kee yah kee yay ki yo!"
"Gentlemen."
"Spy is... not our spy!"
"Zis was a triumph!"
"Thanks for standin' still!"