Launch - Evoland

Today in gaming: ever been sitting around thinking to yourself, "Self, I'd like to use the bush-burning mechanic from the original Legend of Zelda and mix it with the 3D platforming aspects of the Ice Cavern from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time"? Of course you have. I once wasted eight minutes in the shower thinking of that very thought.

Well, sadly someone beat us to it.

Shiro Games has released its new adventure RPG title Evoland. This game is very much along the lines of an old-school Legend of Zelda title. Except that it's also an old-school JRPG title like Pokemon. Except that it's also a modern adventure RPG. Except that it eventually becomes a 3D-world. So really, it's a trek through the entire history of modern gaming. But with one unifying story and some awesome game mechanics.

It's up on both Steam and GOG, but GOG has it on sale for $8.99US.

• [LINK] Evoland on GOG
• [LINK] Evoland on Steam

Rumored Port - Agarest on Steam

Today in gaming: I found out that the Japanese console game Agarest: Generations of War may be coming to the PC. Ghostlight -- the U.K.-based development house -- has added their popular game to the Steam Greenlight database to see if it can generate enough votes to make the cut.

The game is about good versus evil and the Gods that control both sides waging war using humans. It is incredibly popular in Europe and Japan -- and now Ghostlight is hoping it will play well in the U.S.

• [LINK] Agarest Home Page
• [LINK] Ghostlight Home Page

Telltale Announces Poker Night 2

Today in gaming: I found out that development house TellTale Games has a new rated-"M" project in the works that they've just announced called Poker Night 2. This game has a little bit of gambling, a little bit of smoking, a little bit of violence... eh -- you know -- the usual fare. Looks like a classic; I can't wait.

The Web site is nice (see link below). All I know is, you can scroll over top of everyone in the room to find out who they are... except the red-hot, awesome, mysterious, steampunk bartender who may or may not have stolen Slash's hat. What the hell is THAT all about? I want to know more about this woman!!!

Anyway... This game is tentatively scheduled for "late April" for the PlayStation Network, PC and the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. It will offer players the opportunity to earn "Bounty Unlocks" -- achievements that unlock stuff in other games. Not really sure how that's going to work, but I'll be coming back to it.

• [LINK] Poker Night 2 Home Page

D&D Neverwinter Open Beta Date

Today in gaming: Perfect World Entertainment -- makers of the upcoming MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter -- announced that their open beta for the game will begin on Tuesday, April 30, 2013. The beta is being billed as "unrestricted access" to the game world.

However, if you were one of the founders of the game, you actually will receive your beta keys on Friday, April 12th and have exclusive access to four different professions: leadership, leatherworking, mailsmithing, and platesmithing.

I'm guessing mailsmithing is like "postal employee"... but with magic!

• [LINK] Dungeons & Dragons: Neverwinter Home Page

NVIDIA's Take on Their Offer for PS4

Today in gaming: according to an article on Gamespot.com, NVIDIA pass the first company that Sony came to when getting ready to design the graphics components for the new PlayStation 4 -- and they passed. It seems that designing hardware for the consoles doesn't pay as well as one might think. The contract eventually went to rival chip manufacturer AMD -- who openly crowed about their new bedfellows at GDC 2013 last week.

You can read the full article via the link below.

• [LINK] Gamespot.com: NVIDIA Passes on Playstation 4