UFC Undisputed 2010 is already being billed as the top contender for fighting games for this year. With Brock Lesner as its headliner and over 100 members of the UFC roster playable in the game, it may feature the most unique number of matchups on any fighting game released this year.

And as last year’s titled has shown us, it isn’t about mastering combos like Down-to-Right + Strong Punch like the classic Street Fighter II days and racking up overblown combos. It is about innovative gameplay and strategy both on the players and developers part.

Ever trying to improve on their fighting systems like they did with the SmackDown vs. Raw series, THQ has announced some additional features making their debut in this year’s UFC Undisputed 2010:

• Full upper body and head movement with a new Sway System
• New Posture System that allows for stronger, fight-ending strikes from the ground
• Introduction of Southpaw stance and the ability to change stances during a fight
• Multiple MMA disciplines, including the new additions of Sambo, Karate and Greco-Roman Wrestling
• Variety of new strikes, submissions, transitions and cage positions

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We were pleased to give everyone a first glance at UFC 2010 earlier this month with the announcement of the game’s cover athlete, Brock Lesnar. Today, a new set of screens for the game was released that look to set the bar even higher than last year’s iteration.

The level of detail in the character models is amazing from the lines of sweat running down their bodies to the hair on their arms. Take a look below at the screens and try to tell us you aren’t excited to see what UFC Undisputed 2010 has to offer.

In somewhat related UFC news, former champion Frank Mir recently came under fire for a statement he made about Lesnar to the media. Mir was quoted as saying to WXDX-FM that he wanted Brock Lesnar, ”

UFC President Dana White said he was terribly disappointed in Mir, stating that, “Frank’s been with the UFC a long time, he’s a two-time heavyweight champion and a commentator for the WEC. I think his emotions are running high right now, he has a big fight coming up next month and he’s still upset about his loss to Lesnar. He’s been talked to, he regrets what he said, and he won’t be saying anything like that again.”

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Since it exploded onto the fighting game scene last year, UFC Undisputed became one of the surprise hits of last year. THQ, knowing they had struck gold, has been diligently working on a sequel slated for May 25th release this year for both the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3. A PSP version of the game is also expected for later this year.

According to THQ: UFC Undisputed 2010 will deliver the most advanced and superior virtual MMA action based on the world’s most prominent and respected organization in mixed martial arts, Ultimate Fighting Championship,” said Brian Coleman, Vice President of Global Brand Management, THQ. “Through enriched gameplay and extensive new options, players will understand and appreciate what it takes to be a real UFC fighter.

In addition to the screen shots below, cover athlete Brock Lesner has been announced to grace the box art for the game. Coming from a amateur wrestling and professional wrestling background where he also graced the cover of WWE SmackDown: Bring the Pain, Lesner quickly rose through the UFC ranks and currently resides as the company’s heavyweight champion. UFC President Dana White said, “Brock Lesnar’s intensity and relentless commitment to the sport of mixed martial arts, as well as to the UFC, make him a perfect candidate to be the cover athlete for UFC Undisputed 2010.”

Take a peek below at the first screens of this high octane upcoming title and stick with us for more news as it develops.

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XBox 360 & PS3 – THQ – $59.99

Score: 8.0

Since we got to take a look at Darksiders for the first time at San Diego Comic-Con and get our hands on it this past fall at the Big Apple Con, the game has piqued our interest over here at the Flickcast. With a story that could have been ripped either from the silver screen, the chance to step in to the boots of War, one of the four horseman of the apocalypse, has been an opportunity we were looking forward to experiencing.

The brainchild of Battle Chasers creator Joe Madureira, it was interesting to see how someone so versed in the art of comic book storytelling would be able to translate to the epically different medium of interactive entertainment.

Gameplay:

The concept behind Darksiders comes across like it would be a simple hack and slash adventure game. For those expecting a Ninety-Nine Nights or Dynasty Warriors style game where War runs through thousands of enemies, Darksiders makes sure to add a layer of depth one wouldn’t expect in the game.

While there are tons of enemies to rip in half, impale and crush the skull of, the real fun of Darksiders comes from its puzzles. Inevitably compared to The Legend of Zelda series, War is much more cunning than one would expect. Using items similar to Link’s Boomerang or Portal’s Portal Gun, War must uncover hidden passages and solve environmental quandaries to progress in his quest.

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The Apocalypse comes early and one of the horseman, War, is blamed for it. He comes to earth fighting both angel and demon alike in an effort to find out what put the cataclysmic events into effect before they were supposed to come to fruition. It could sound like the plot of a major summer blockbuster, a comic book series from Vertigo or Darkhorse or a video game. It turns out it could be all three.

In a recent interview with VG247, creative director of the recently released Darksiders game for XBox 360 and Playstation 3 Joe Madureira said that “We’ve gotten some interest from Hollywood, we’ve talked about doing a comic series… At least a couple of those things have to happen, I’m sure.”

Darksiders has already been given a special comic book pre-order bonus from Gamestop so it’s not out of the realm of possibility for a series to be in the work, especially since Joe Madureira made himself famous in the comics industry back in the 90s. The recent string of lackluster video game to movie adaptations (like Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li or Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within) might be biggest factor to overcome as time and again Hollywood has shown they don’t really have a full grasp on taking a 10+ hour game story and crunching it down into only 2 while still keeping the essence of what made that game great in the first place.

But with Joe Mads at the helm as creative director, this THQ property might have a chance of making an impact on the big screen. Check back at The Flickcast later this week for more coverage on Darksiders as well as Matt Raub’s exclusive interview with Darksiders creative director Joe Madureira.

XBox 360 – THQ – $59.99
Score: 7.5

THQ brings back its yearly moneymaker WWE SmackDown vs. Raw with a revised visual look to the game and brand new Create-A-Story mode. Since its inception on the Playstation in 2000, SmackDown has been an annual franchise that has continuously worked to improve itself with updated graphics, gameplay, new match types and, most importantly, user customization.

Taking pages from some real life WWE programming in its story mode while keeping as up to date a roster as possible with each iteration, there is an instant appeal for sports entertainment fans to pick up this game and play out the role of their favorite superstar or their own custom creation.

Gameplay:

The gameplay of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is very similar to the previous years. Players move their wrestler with the left analog stick, use the right stick to lock up in to a grapple and use various combinations to perform specific moves. This isn’t like a standard fighting game where complicated button presses are needed to pull off “special” moves like the complete circle on the DPad needed for Zangief’s piledriver in Street Fighter.

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This past weekend at Big Apple Comic Con, we had the opportunity to get some exclusive hands on time with the upcoming THQ release Darksiders. Our very own Matt Raub also got the chance to sit down and talk with its creative director Joe Madureira of Battle Chasers fame to talk about the game. That interview will be up soon.

Darksiders tells the story of War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Like his other three cohorts, Death, Strife and Fury, he’d help bring upon the End of Days when the time was right. But something went wrong and someone set events in to motion for the end of the world too soon and War was blamed for it. Now, a hundred years later, War comes back to earth to try and set things right in a literal post-Apocalyptic world where he hacks his way through both angels and demons to try and find out what went wrong.

Starting off with just his sword in hand, War cuts his way through demons very much in style similar to God of War. War, being the master of weaponry, is also able to pick up non-traditional weapons to the original Apocalyptic mythos when he is able to wield an assortment of guns as well. As his attacks pile up, War also gains access to the power of his Wrath meter which allows him to unleash stronger attacks and various powers that he regains through the progress of the game.

The game’s action takes place in underground areas filled with puzzles as well as topside of a free roam world. Joe Mad has compared the style of gameplay to that of the Legend of Zelda series. When wandering through the demo levels, the game was easy to pick up and play with intuitive controls and easy to navigate areas.

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As we showed you, we got a special first look at San Diego Comic-Con of Marvel Super Hero Squad for the Ninendo Wii from developer THQ. Our video, seen here,  gives an exclusive first look at the game’s Battle Mode pitting the Silver Surfer against Magneto.

For those new to the Marvel Super Hero Squad brand, it started out as a Marvel Universe toy line for the younger generation, with more rounded edges, smiling characters and toned down imagery. The game set to be released in October of this year is also tied in to the upcoming Marvel Super Hero Squad cartoon series, debuting in September on the Cartoon Network. The game’s story is written to be a lost episode of the show.

Marvel Super Hero Squad will feature 21 Playable characters in the game between its Adventure and Battle Modes. The character list currently includes Iron Man, Hulk, Wolverine, Thor, Silver Surfer, Captain America, Magneto, Spider-Man (who must be unlocked through gameplay), Storm, the Abomination, Juggernaut, Doctor Doom, Ms. Marvel, Falcon and the Thing. There will also be multiple unlockable costumes for every character. More characters are expected to be announced in early September. There will also be a Walmart exclusive SKU with a yet to be announced bonus character only available if the game is purchased through Walmart.

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