It’s been year since the release of a quality X-Men title. Not since X-Men Legends and its sequel has there really been a game that captured the essence of Marvel’s band of merry mutants, especially with the pitiful movie tie-in titles that have been released.

When X-Men: Destiny was announced by Activision and Silicon Knights, the makers of Too Human, players hoped their prayers would be answered as they would get to experience what it was like for an emerging mutant caught between the turmoil of the X-Men, Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants and the humans who seek to end the “mutant menace”.

Instead, what they got was a half handed execution that feels like a franchise cash-in rushed out in order to hit the holiday game season before the larger releases like Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3.

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Last time we got behind the scenes with Val Kilmer and Laura Vandervoort about their roles as Spider-Man: Edge of Time’s top baddy and Mary Jane, respectively. Now, Beenox has released a special interview with the voice of Peter Parker a.k.a. The Amazing Spider-Man, Josh Keaton. Fans of Spider-Man will recognize Josh as the voice of Ultimate Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions as well as Spider-Man in both Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and the Spectacular Spider-Man animated series. Also in this series of interviews is Katee Sackhoff who voices the Black Cat.

Along with its latest set of screen shots from PAX, Josh talks briefly about the encounters of Spider-Man: Edge of Time and how it will effect gameplay. As has been emphasized, actions taking place in the modern day will affect the world of 2099. He also talks about how the game is a race against time and if players don’t succeed, Spider-Man will die.

One piece of information that is news to everyone from Katee Sackhoff’s interview is that the Black Cat appearing in the game isn’t everyone’s modern day Felicia Hardy, but instead is a future version of the Black Cat that has been cloned over and over. Visually, she doesn’t seem to have as drastic a visual change as the Spider-Men of each time period does. The cloning process has shattered some of her personality which keeps some aspects like the sexual tension between the two present but on top of a splintered psyche.

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At Comic Con, we got our first look at the gameplay of the next-gen console upgrade of the Goldeneye franchise with Goldeneye 007: Reloaded. At PAX, Activision has released the first official trailer for the game’s Mi6 mode which we were only able to see in person in San Diego and were unfortunately unable to share with you until now.

From everything we have seen, Goldeneye 007: Reloaded does an awesome job of capturing the feel of the classic Goldeneye experience and updating it to the modern era. The question remains however if the game has evolved with the times to capture the interest of those who loved it so many years ago.

In addition to the game’s classic story (that is often forgotten because of the heavy nostalgia for the game’s multiplayer) will be the Mi6 mode. Almost in the way that Special Ops mode was added to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Mi6 will be a series of missions for players to tackle outside of the standard story. It will add more play time to the single player experience as well as increase the value for people who had already experienced the classic story years ago, giving them something all new.

Take a look at the trailer and gallery below and make sure to let us know your thoughts on Goldeneye 007: Reloaded coming this fall for the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 from Activision and Eurocom.

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At Comic Con, the Flickcast got our first hands on with X-Men: Destiny to mixed reviews from the team. While the game is still some time away, there lies a lot of potential for the game to take a turn for the better or the worse. When we had the chance to talk to Denis Dyack, who also headed up past projects such as Too Human, it helped sooth some of our concerns. Now, with PAX this weekend, the team at Silicon Knights gives us some further insight into the game with its new Powers trailer and a host of new screen shots.

In the new X-Men: Destiny screens, our main characters Aimi, Grant and Adrian can be seen in costumes different from their original character designs. The most notable are Grant fighting alongside the Juggernaut in similar wardrobe and Aimi who is wearing what looks like a New Mutants style uniform. This could be a sign that over the course of gameplay, certain decisions will not only change the world in front of the characters but the appearance of the characters themselves.

In the Powers trailer below, all three power sets that can be chosen by any of the game’s three characters are seen in action. At Comic Con, we chose the Density Control which used close by rock and asphalt to create a melee focused set, giving players an experience similar to that of the X-Man Rockslide. Energy Projection looks to be more of a sniper class where players will have the opportunity to take out enemies from a distance, playing more like Cyclops. Shadow Matter looks like it combines a mix of the two giving players some distance attacks and other close up enhancements.

Take a look at the trailer and screens below. As always, stick to the Flickcast for more on X-Men: Destiny as it approaches its September 27th release for XBox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Nintendo DS.

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One minute I was just arriving in Boston, and the next I was packing up my bags and saying goodbye to PAX East 2011. And what a weekend it was.

From sampling the finest in upcoming videogames, watching some amazing concerts, meeting and making new friends, and bonding with old ones, this convention has got to be the best weekend of my year. Penny Arcade really puts together an amazing show, and it’s amazing that they do it twice a year, once on this coast and then over on their home turf of Seattle.

Not only was this the best PAX East ever (In my opinion), it was also the biggest. Head hancho Robert Khoo of Penny Arcade said that this year’s PAX had 69,500 attendees, up from last year’s 52,290 at the much tinier Hynes Convention Center.

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On my second day of the Penny Arcade Expo up in Boston, I took to the show floor to check out the booths of what I considered the three biggest and most anticipated games at the convention. One of these games is a follow-up two amazing titles for the Xbox 360. One is the sequel to the best first-person puzzle-platform of our time.

And the third is a game that most, if not all of us, never expected to see released. Gears of War 3, Portal 2, and Duke Nukem Forever were all booths that never ceased to cause lines and buzz all throughout the weekend.

Check out my favorites after the jump.

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The unique thing about PAX and PAX East as compared to all other conventions is the strong presence of independent gaming on the show floor. This year, three exceptional indie titles are being featured in the Boston Indie Showcase, and I took to the floor to check out what these games were all about.

Available for iPad, iOS, Mac, and PC, Smuggle Truck was the first indie game I tried out for myself at this year’s PAX. With very simple controls, you drive a truck full of refugees through side-scrolling barren wastelands, dark caves, and terrifying forests, all in the hopes of reaching the border without losing all your passengers. The path is wrought with obstacles as well as hills and valleys that test your skills against physics.

Smuggle Truck has caused a certain amount of controversy, but don’t let that steer you away, because this game is a ton of fun. And in talking with the game’s creators, the game is less about pointing fun at illegal immigrants and instead does an incredible job of critiquing the absurdity and difficulty of entering the country and legally becoming a citizen.

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Alright, I know I’m pretty late to the bandwagon since Kinect was released during the holidays, but I genuinely haven’t gotten to spend any time with the device. Until now.

One of the amazing things about Penny Arcade Expo is the expansive freeplay section available to attendees, and Kinect was available in full force. I stepped in front of a television armed with an Xbox 360, a Kinect, Kinectimals, and Dance Central, and I unwillingly and surprisingly fell in love.

Believe you me, I was just as skeptical about this device as I’m sure you all were, or maybe still are. And since Penny Arcade is pretty much my go-to for my videogame advice, and they aren’t the biggest fans of Kinect, I was expecting to be underwhelmed. Oh how wrong I was. Two seconds of tossing a ball around to a baby tiger and I was sold.

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With the release of Nintendo’s brand-spankin’ new handheld imminent on the horizon, it was only fair to assume it’d be at this year’s PAX East. I was really happy when I found that my assumptions were correct, as Nintendo had its launch line-up of games out in full force, including the new Kid Icarus and the 3DS release of the classic Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

And while I was anxious to check out these games, what was more important was checking out the Nintendo 3DS itself and seeing how it stacks up against the Nintendo DS, which has been my portable gaming console of choice for quite some time.

Given only a few short minutes to play Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, I immediately had a lot of impressions of the system. Firstly, I was happy to discover that it’s not much different than a DS or DSi, both in how it felt in my hands and how it looked.

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The expo floor is bigger and better at this year’s PAX East. If you’re a little overwhelmed by how much there is to take in, or if you’re one of the readers at home hoping to hear as much as possible about the con, here’s my guide to everything you might be missing on the show floor.

Child of Eden

The spiritual successor of Rez, an obscure rhythm-shooter released for PS2 before the time of Guitar Hero or Rock Band, Child of Eden is a game you may not have heard of, but should be really excited for. It’s another rhythm based shooter, where your shots release music that goes along with the background music and sound effects in the game, also similar to games like Lumines for the PSP.

What’s really exciting about Child of Eden is that it’ll have Kinect support, allowing you to shoot and navigate through its kaleidoscope world without a controller.

If you’re at PAX East this weekend, you can check out Child of Eden at booth #824.

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The second annual PAX East is this weekend, and while badges may be 100% sold out for the convention, you’ll find everything you need to know right here, since the team at The Flickcast will be there to report the latest, greatest, and best in gaming. Last year the expo was incredible, and this year should be no exception.

Along with the show floor, panels, nightly concerts, and everything else going on at the convention center, one of the great things about PAX East is all the meet ups that go on. Here’s some things to look out for this weekend if you’re attending.

PAX East Stitch’n'Bitch

Along with all the videogamers, tabletop lovers, card gamers, and other nerdy-types, a lot of attendees at PAX East love to knit, crotchet, and craft. If you’re one of those people, head up to the Handheld Lounge on Level 1 of the expo hall on Saturday from 1-3:30 PM for some crafting, lounging, and friends! Bring a current project or feel free to start something new, or check out what everyone else is doing!

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After playing a demo of Shank at this year’s PAX East, this game has been on my radar. Between the fantastic art design and the addicting but simple gameplay, I really couldn’t wait to get my hands on the full game. PAX East was back in March and not much has been seen or heard from the game since, but it looks like we’ve officially got a release date for Shank, which is finally coming to Xbox Live and Playstation Network later this summer.

What’s more, we finally got a chance to see some more gameplay in a preview video that just appeared, including a first look at the co-op feature of the game. While one person plays as Shank, another will play as his best friend Falcone as they slash their way across rooftops, bash into bathrooms, and beast through bars.

We’re not sure whether a second player will be able to drop into a one player game at will or if co-op is a separate mode, but seeing it in action gives me even more reason to really be excited for this game.

Shank will be released on the Playstation Network on August 24th and XBLA on August 25th. You can watch the video right here after the jump.

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