With Captain America: Super Solider coming out next week, SEGA brought forth one last set of character dossiers to look at before the game’s release. From what we can see, Captain America: Super Solider is already visually more impressive than Thor: God of Thunder, which is a huge plus. Maybe because Chris Evan’s face is more obscured than Chris Hemsworth’s was in the Thor game but this title doesn’t leave us cringing when we see the trailers on TV.

What we are most curious about is the actual gameplay of Captain America: Super Solider since we haven’t gotten any advance hands on time with it. When we get our review copy next week, just in time for Comic Con, we will find out if developer’s promises live up to the hype they have given us for the game. While Thor: God of Thunder was a poor God of War / Dante’s Inferno ripoff, Captain America: Super Solider looks to be more of an action platformer instead of just a simple beat ‘em up.

We are looking forward to giving you our full review of it next week. Until then, enjoy the final look at the characters coming to Captain America: Super Solider for the XBox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Nintendo DS on July 19th.

In this all new behind the scenes feature for Captain America: Super Soldier, Game Director at Next Level Games, Brandon Gill, talks about the balancing movie, comic and video game in the creation of Captain America: Super Soldier.

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With the Captain America: The First Avenger film racing towards us, we are also quickly approaching the July 19th release of the game Captain America: Super Solider. SEGA, presumably knowing that this game has to be a whole lot better than Thor: God of Thunder, has begun their hype machine releasing tons of new information to help people get ready for this important release.

First, take a look below at some screens and character descriptions for some of the game’s villains Baron von Strucker, Madame Hydra and the numerous snipers that Captain America will encounter.

Baron von Strucker

Baron Wolfgang von Strucker was born into Prussian nobility with familial association to the secret society known as Hydra. Ambitious, arrogant and harboring a particular distaste for the lower-class, Strucker quickly rose through Hydra, becoming proficient in both combat and tactics. Intercepted documents suggest he is pursuing development of advanced weaponry known as the “Satan Claw” for personal use.

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One of the greatest sci-fi horror films of all time is undoubtedly James Cameron’s Alien franchise. Though the series seemed to lose focus as sequels progressed, there is no denying the gasp inducing moments that still hold up over twenty years since the original film’s release. Not surprisingly, there have been a number of movie tie-in video game titles as well. While some were critically received better than others, there is no question of the selling power of the franchise that has created over 20 titles over a handful of different consoles.

In Spring 2012, SEGA will be unleashing the next installment in the Alien series with Aliens: Colonial Marines. Written by Battlestar Galactica writers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle, Aliens: Colonial Marines will follow the events of the film series, specifically those of Aliens as a search and rescue team of marines tries to find Ellen Ripley and the rest of the missing crew from the Aliens film.

Aliens: Colonial Marines will be a first person tactical squad based shooter. Players will control a team of four marines, each with specific skills and weaponry that they can control by issuing commands as well as swapping on the fly between teammates. The game will also feature two player split screen co-op gameplay and four player online co-op as well. Competitive multiplayer has been announced but details are yet to be revealed.

Take a peek below at the first screens and trailer for this upcoming title and stick to the Flickcast for more on Aliens: Colonial Marines as more information becomes available.

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While Thor has hammered the competition in theaters, it looks as though this will not be the case for the console release of the tie-in game Thor: God of Thunder. Archaic visuals alongside punishing and repetitive gameplay place Thor: God of Thunder amongst the list of failed movie to game tie ins, though the story doesn’t directly coincide with that of the Thor motion picture.

Gameplay:

Thor: God of Thunder attempts to model itself around other successful action games such as God of War or Dante’s Inferno. Players make their way through specific pathways in levels where they hack and smash through redundant hordes of faceless drones.

Thor uses standard melee attacks alongside his powers of wind, thunder and lightning and hammer throws to defeat these enemies. The downside to these god powers is they aren’t exactly very powerful and Thor’s Odinforce (think of it like Mana or Action Points) quickly depletes, leaving him with only a few sparks to shoot off over the course of combat. The rest of the time, players can simply button mash the standard attack button until grapple options become available.

As mentioned previously, Thor combats larger enemies by actually climbing up them and attacking specific spots on their body to inflict more damage. This, much like the rest of combat, becomes quickly repetitive in finding a way to dodge enemies until they are stunning to where Thor must repeatedly beat their armor off of them to uncover their weak spot. Though different enemies have different spots that must be destroyed, the principal doesn’t change.

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As skeptical as we may be about the upcoming Transformers: Dark of the Moon movie from Michael Bay, we have seen what Activision can do when it gets its hands on the Transformers. While the last piece of Transformers that Activision published was based off G1 continuity and not off the movie franchise, it was a tremendous improvement from the previous Transformers movie game.

In anticipation of Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Game, we have a whole new set of screen shots and a new trailer to show it off in addition to the list of pre-order bonuses.

Check out the full list below of all the preorder exclusives as well.

Channel wide – Original BUMBLEBEE toys with the Wii and NDS AUTOBOTS game and original LOCKDOWN toy with the NDS DECEPTICONS game

Best Buy – FREE movie ticket upgrade to 3D

Toys R’ Us – Exclusive Inverted BUMBLEBEE in-game character skin for 3DS game

Target – Exclusive BUMBLEBEE Deco in-game character for NDS AUTOBOTS game and Wii game and Exclusive LOCKDOWN Deco in-game character for NDS DECEPTICONS

K-Mart/Sears – Original, limited edition Transformers: Dark of the Moon comic book from IDW Publishing

Stick to the Flickcast for more on Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Game and check out the trailer and screens after the jump.

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The LEGO games have earned themselves a place in the hearts of gamers with their unique takes on the Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter franchises. Their signature humor is something that has kept players coming back along with strong loyalties to their respective franchises.

LEGO Battles: Ninjago tries to capture that same humor on a smaller scale with the Nintendo DS while introducing new gameplay elements different from those in the previously mentioned titles.

This time though, it uses one of LEGO’s latest series Ninjago and bringing it to the Nintendo DS.

Gameplay

Very surprisingly, LEGO Battles: Ninjago plays less like LEGO: Star Wars as a simple platforming action title and more like Warcraft 3. Players take the stylus and control groups of characters in various missions defeating the Skeleton minions, helping various villagers, collecting special items or defeating large LEGO bosses. These levels are quick little bursts of gameplay that fit well with the portable platform.

At the end of each chapter, players also encounter a level similar in style to most standard RTS games. Players collect resources, build various structures and amass a tiny army to attack their opponent’s base. Due to the limitations of the platform, the resource management is limited to only one item and the army size isn’t very high.

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If you’ve been curious as to when (or if) we would be seeing a new Nintendo Wii system, you can now put that curiosity to rest. Why? Because on Monday the company released a statement confirming that it will reveal the successor to the original Wii during the E3 Expo tradeshow in Los Angeles.

The new console, currently codenamed “Project Cafe,” may feature a new “Screen Stream” controller option that will provide each individual gamer with their own touchscreen display, although Nintendo did not disclose any of the console’s new features in its statement. In addition to the Wii 2 confirmation, the company also announced its earnings for the fiscal year ending March, 2011.

Net sales of ¥1,014 billion ($12.35 billion) were down 29.3% year-over-year and Nintendo’s net income fell 66.1% to ¥77.62 million ($946,110). Hardware and software sales for the United States, Nintendo’s largest market, also fell year-over-year.

Nintendo sold 15.08 million Nintendo Wii units, 3.61 million of its new Nintendo 3DS devices, and 17.52 million of its Nintendo DS portable gaming consoles in the States. In contrast, Nintendo sold 20.5 million Wii units in the U.S. last year. Globally, the company sold 171.26 million Wii units, 120.98 million DS devices, and 9.43 million Nintendo 3DS units.

So, they’re not doing so good. Good thing they’ve got something new coming out. Hopefully, it will spark interest from consumers.

Click through to tread the statement from Nintendo. The E3 Expo takes place June 7-9 at the Los Angeles convention center.

We’ll be there so be sure to check back right here for a look at the new Wii and all the other gaming news coming out of the show.

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Only a few weeks away, Thor: God of Thunder crashes down upon store shelves on May 3rd. But before the release of the game that coincides with, but doesn’t depend upon, the Thor movie, SEGA has released a special behind the scenes video for the game. SEGA has been doing everything they can to show the quality of this title before its release to help get the horrid aftertaste of Iron Man 2 out of gamers’ memories.

In this behind the scenes trailer, producers give some insight in to how the game’s combat will be structured. The main crux of Thor: God of Thunder’s action will rely upon his hammer as a melee weapon with the god powers acting as support. The thunder powers seeming will affect enemy statuses with stun effects, wind powers will help control groups of enemies and lighting will act as a damage dealing source. These powers also look to combine with Thor’s famous hammer Mjohnir as can be seen in some of the special attacks in the video.

The grapple system is also an interesting aspect to the game as it seems like a smaller scale version of Shadow of the Colossus. Players don’t just fight these enemies that tower over them. They must actually climb their way up to deal a fatal blow against their opponents. These gigantic fights help players feel like they are a part of the Thor world as these epic encounters are part of what makes Thor different from other “street level” heroes. While Spider-Man or Captain America may occasionally be forced to take on a gigantic monster or robot attacking their city, it is commonplace for Thor. It allows players to feel the power of the god they control on screen.

The only real red flag that comes up from the BTS video is the graphics of the Wii version. While the look of the PlayStation 3 and XBox 360 versions are not exactly mindblowing, the Wii continues to look farther and farther back in time in terms of visual quality as more time passes. As a result, the Wii version of Thor: God of Thunder isn’t a very pretty game at all.

Take a peek after the jump of Thor: God of Thunder and stick to the Flickcast for more news as it becomes available.

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As much pressure as a movie game has on it, Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is getting an extra added dose as it is the first video game based on the DC comic book property as well. While various Green Lanterns have been featured as supporting cast in other games such as Justice League Heroes, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Batman: The Brave and the Bold and DC Universe Online , this will be the first time Hal Jordan will be taking the starring role.

More important than the game’s graphics, story or even voice acting comes the question, will the game make a player feel like the Green Lantern? Some games recently have done a great job putting players in to the role of their headline hero and let players blissfully experience the super hero feel that they expect like Batman: Arkham Asylum or Wolverine: Origins.

Others haven’t been so successful, with the notable example being pretty much any Superman game ever created as the invincible Man of Steel seems to always constantly be in danger of dying.

When it comes to the Green Lantern, especially Hal Jordan, the use of the ring to create solid light constructs is paramount. While some Lanterns just shoot bolts of light, Hal has the creativity of someone from planet Earth backing him, resulting in everything from baseball bats to machine guns.

Take a peek below at how Warner Bros. Interactive has incorporated these concepts in to the in game combat of Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters. While we haven’t gotten our hands on the title yet, seeing these images gives us hope that they understand the excitement behind the prospect of playing as Hal Jordan.

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With the upcoming Green Lantern eature film drawing ever closer to release, it is no surprise that there will be a licensed game title coming out around the same time. Enter Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters which will be coming out for the XBox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS.

Harness the power of the ultimate weapon! Inspired by the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero feature film Green Lantern, Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters soars onto game consoles this summer, extending the theatrical experience of one of DC Entertainment’s most popular superheroes. Playing as gifted pilot Hal Jordan, the first human Green Lantern, gamers will create an arsenal of ring constructs and take flight in outer space and beyond to restore intergalactic order. Players will use the Power Ring to build an array of weapons from green energy to defeat the Manhunters – an evil android race bent on destroying the Green Lantern Corps.

Set for June 2011 release, Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters will place players in the role of Hal Jordan, the first Green Lantern of Earth, defending Oa from a group of Manhunter androids bent on the destruction of the Corps. The XBox 360 and PlayStation versions will feature the likeness and voiceacting of the film’s star, Ryan Reynolds.

Also exclusive to the next-gen consoles will be optional 3D:

Xbox 360 and PS3™ gamers can play in anaglyphic 3D with technology that is compatible with all standard TV sets and visible while wearing the 3D glasses that come packaged with the videogame product. Fans can also enjoy the game in stereoscopic 3D when playing on any 3D HDTV while wearing active shutter glasses that are compatible with the television.

As you can already see from the screens and trailer below, the game looks to capture some of the more iconic moments of Green Lantern’s combat whether it is creating power beams to shoot enemies to extra large firsts or even complex devices like a Gatling gun for combat. Take a look for yourself and let us know what you think so far about Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters after the jump.

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This summer, Marvel films will be releasing two blockbusters with Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger on the way to their ultimate team movie, The Avengers. And with summer blockbusters comes the inevitable movie tie in games.

Comic book movie based video games have had mixed success in the past. Some titles like Spider-Man 2 were considered awesome games. Some like Wolverine: Origins received arguably more praise than the film they were based off of. Some, specifically Iron Man 2, were considered abysmal failures.

SEGA looks to fall in to the former of these categories with the rights to both of Marvel’s summer titles with Thor: God of Thunder and Captain America: Super Soldier. Recently, we reported rumors that both Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans will reprise their respective roles from the feature films as voice actors in the video games. This is very good news for anyone who saw the live demo of Captain America: Super Soldier at New York Comic Con and heard the placeholder voice behind Cap.

Now SEGA has released a pack of screen shots of both titles. In each batch, there are screens from XBox 360 and the PlayStation 3 before a drastic drop off in graphic quality when the Nintendo Wii screens start popping up. And of course, the old school looking graphics appear on the Nintendo DS. Both the XBox 360 and PlayStation versions of the games will be playable in stereoscopic 3D.

Make sure to check them all out after the jump and check back right here for more news on Thor: God of Thunder and Captain America: Super Soldier as they both quickly approach launch.

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I would like to think that Nintendo’s brand-new, first of its kind portable system wouldn’t have any kind of performance issues, especially when it comes to the previous generation’s games. Unfortunately, according to the people over at Gamespot, the Nintendo 3DS loads DS games 35% slower than the Nintendo DS Light, which by the way, was released in 2006, over five years ago.

No need to panic yet, as 35% slower computes to about a 5-10 seconds difference between the load times of the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo DS Lite, which isn’t too much. Gamespot went on to report that while the 3DS took considerably longer to get to the in-game menu, no performance issues were noticed from then on and frame rates were normal.

I am happy to report that, when I played the 3DS last weekend at PAX East, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries didn’t seem laggy or take a while to load, so I presume that the newer games aren’t having these kinds of issues. Nintendo has yet to comment on Gamespot’s findings.

With the release of the Nintendo 3DS less than two weeks away, it’ll be interesting to see what other users find when they review the system. While backwards compatibility isn’t the key feature of a new system, it certainly is an important one, and if the Nintendo 3DS can handle 3-D, it should be able to handle a little ol’ Nintendo DS game, right?

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