September 30 - October 6

NBA 2K13 was arguably one of the best, if not the best, sports game released last year, and received high critical praise. It was also the only game in town, with EA's long-standing NBA Live franchise having been grabbing bench since 2009. This year, that changes with EA's big return to the basketball arena and NBA Live 2014.

Or, at least that's the promise, though this really is around the time of year where EA has traditionally canned whatever NBA game they are working on. Given the bumpy ride to getting an NBA title on the market for EA the past few years, there are no sure bets, though with the release of a new console cycle it seems more likely than not that it will be a man-to-man press offense, or EA's going to post up in the paint, or NBA Live is looking to make a lot of hoop-scores. I'm not really sure, I'm more a football guy.

Also, Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl seems like a thing I need to mention as well. A critically well received JRPG, but one that is generally described as having complicated mechanics and a high level of difficulty, this sounds like it's going to hit a very specific niche very well.

PC
- Agarest: Generations of War (download - $20)
- Air Conflicts: Vietnam (download - $30)
- Arma Tactics (download - $8.99)
- Espana 1936 (download)
- F1 2013 (download)
- Flashback (download - $10)
- Little Trus Man (download - $5)
- NBA 2K14

Xbox 360
- Extinction Agenda EX (XBLA - $15)
- NBA 2K14

PS3
- Fatal Frame III: The Tormented (PS2 Classics)
- Flashback (PSN - $10)
- NBA 2K14
- Pro Foosball (PSN)
- Rain (download - $30)
- Skydive: Proximity Flight (PSN - $20)

Vita
- Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland (PSN)
- Die!Die!Die! (PSN)

3DS
- Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl
- Rune Factory 4

Comments

Mmm. Flashback. I played the original over and over back in the day. So much fun just to roll back and forth; such excellent animation for it's time. I hope the reboot keeps that luxurious feel.

Didn't finish a single season of My Player or Franchise mode for 2k13, despite doing multiple of both back in 2k10 and 2k11 both.

I guess even slowing to an every-other-year sports guy I can get burned out.

Basketball? Sounds like time to link to one of the best pieces of writing about basketball of all time.

Not one but four JRPGs, and you pick the basketball game.

Looks like I'm sticking with Wonderful 101 this week

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Not one but four JRPGs, and you pick the basketball game. ;)

I assume this is to make up for picking Hamnesia over NHL '14?

Really looking forward to picking up Die!Die!Die!, the German article learning game. I won't be mixing up "dem" and "den" anymore.

I'm curious to see if Rain is any good. I love the style, but it looks like it might be one of those games that's all style and no substance.

Gotta finish Atelier Totori before I pick up Meruru. Also, Agarest on PS3 was pretty awful; hopefully they've fixed some of the pacing issues for the PC version.

Agarest on the PC is a straight port of the console version.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Agarest on the PC is a straight port of the console version.

... I'll wait for a Steam Sale.

I thought Meruru was a couple weeks back? I guess it wasn't listed back then though.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Agarest on the PC is a straight port of the console version.

I played the 360 version, and boy-howdy what a stinker. Avoid.

Nothing for me this week, really. good thing, too, since the last quarter of the year looks to be heavy on must-haves, for me.

I preordered 2K14 on PC and it still hasn't unlocked yet. I have the morning to myself and was really hoping to play! Argggggh.

Demyx wrote:

I'm curious to see if Rain is any good. I love the style, but it looks like it might be one of those games that's all style and no substance.

If I had the cash Rain is the game I'd likely be grabbing this week. Instead:

shoptroll wrote:

Looks like I'm sticking with Wonderful 101 this week :)

Pretty much.