(Posted by: Harrison Milfeld)

Nintendo has announced that the next entry in their successful (and somewhat unchanged) Pokemon franchise, Black and White, will be released on March 6th in North America for the DS. In addition, the new titles will feature over 150 new Pokemon, which will bring the grand total at 649 different pocket monsters (Sadly, Gameshoe lost count at 250). Black and White will also include many features that will surely separate itself from its predecessors, such as a graphical overhaul and and new battle mechanics. 

Now, a question for all of you to ponder: With Black and White's release close to the  "supposed" Nintendo 3DS launch, would it be smart for Nintendo to give the game some exclusive features on the new handheld? Discuss. 

(Posted by: Harrison Milfeld)

It has certainly been a great year for Nintendo platformers. The release and success of games such as Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M and Kirby’s Epic Yarn have all reminded many gamers why the platforming genre is still in full-force (even if it has taken a bit of a backseat to other genres like first-person shooters and RPGs). Now, in the midst of the conclusion of 2010, Nintendo hasn’t forgotten about one of its earliest icons: Donkey Kong. The great big ape hasn’t had a solid platforming experience since the final days of the Super Nintendo, so it seemed obvious to allow a developer such as Retro Studios tackle a daunting, yet nostalgic task.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is not a remake by any means, but a continuation of what Rare first established 16 years ago on the Super Nintendo. Diddy, Cranky, Rambi and even Squawks are popular characters from the Super NES original that return, yet you may ask, “What has Retro done to make this new Donkey Kong title stand out?” Well, simply put, Retro Studios may not give gamers and DK fans alike the same innovation that they did with Metroid Prime, but they have carefully weaved together a satisfying albeit challenging experience. 

Hit the jump to see what else Retro Studios has in store for DK. 

(Posted by: Harrison Milfeld)

Mac gaming may be the butt of a lot of jokes in the video game world, but with the Apple release of Steam, it seems to be picking up at a slow pace. Apple announced today that they would open the Mac App Store on January 6, 2011. This new application is similar to what is offered on the App Store for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Aside from the usual games and personal applications, the service will offer apps based on education, entertainment, and productivity. 

Now, Mac users might ask why this is even a big concern, given the fact that Apple.com offers a section dedicated to various apps. Well, the idea behind the new Mac App Store is to open up development for small studios to work on Mac games. To break it down, cheap games will be able to be downloaded easily, and Mac developers (who will also get 70 percent of the profit) will be able to set their own prices. The enrollment fee for developers will start at $99 and hosting, marketing, or various credit card fees are not charged against them. That alone gives Mac developers a little bit of freedom to distribute games without a sudden bit of fear or uncertainty. 

As of now, there has been no word on whether or not how many games will be available at launch. For more information on the Mac App Store and if you want to develop titles for the program, click here. We'll have more about about Apple's new venture on the podcast next week and when the release date approaches. 

(Posted by: Harrison Milfeld)

For those who explore the vast world of the Internet will know of the existence of the nasty, yet sometime humorous underbelly of video game fan-fiction. Some of this fan-fiction ranges from plausible canon to downright idiotic jargon that lacks soul and creativity. Now, picture said fan-fiction and it turned into a novel, only to be sold by Barnes & Noble. This was the case for Christine E. Schulze, a longtime Zelda fan whose story entitled Silent Hero: A Fan Novel Based on Nintendo's Legend of Zelda, which is now available for free online at the popular book retailer. The story depicts Link on a journey to save not only Hyrule but the worlds of Termina and the Twilight Realm from a dark presence. 

Come to think of it, the story alone is a combination of the three best Zelda games known to man, which peaks my interests.  A nice holiday gift for your resident Zelda fan, the novel is available for the Nook apps and Barnes & Noble eReader. Based on synopsis alone, Schulze may have crafted one of the best pieces of Zelda fan-fiction. That notion alone gives Gameshoe hope for our Zelda/Oblivion/God of War crossover to make a run at The New York Times Bestseller list; however, we're still trying to knock out the obvious plot holes involving a Kratos and Midna love-affair.  

Starting Sunday at 8 PM, Central Standard Time, the Gameshoe Podcast will be live over Livestream for our recording sessions.  So if you've ever wanted to see us recording or interact with us during the Podcast, now's you're chance!  The channel is at this link, so be there!

The guys celebrate their tenth prime numbered podcast by talking for forever about DOTA, Red Dead, GUN, Goldeneye and other awesome stuff.  Also, there's speculation about the Playstation Phone, and reminiscing about TRON.  It's all this and a bag of mod chips this week on The Gameshoe Podcast!

(Posted by: Derrek Sabin)

As excited as every gamer and comic book fan are about the announcement of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy-concluding Batman flick, Dark Knight Rising, Nolan himself has some aspirations in tackling a different project altogether—with a newly confirmed Inception video game.


Read more after the break!

(Posted by: Harrison Milfeld)

Telltale Games (Sam & Max, Tales of Monkey Island) and its upcoming Back to the Future game may be a few days away from release (the first episode drops on PC and Mac in December), but at least we have an intriguing debut trailer to woo us over. Also, listen well during the trailer, because the voice actor who is portraying Marty McFly (A.J. Locascio) surprisingly sounds eerily similar to a one Michael J. Fox. Back to the Future: The Game will be a five-part series, with a PlayStation 3 and iPad release scheduled for 2011. As Doc Brown would always say, "Great Scott!"