Pet Sematary game hits iPhone, iPod Touch

Gah! I don’t want to be buried in a pet cemetary! Paramount Digital Entertainment has released Pet Sematary for the iPhone and iPod touch, a top-down, tap-to-kill arcade game inspired by the classic horror film based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. In Pet Sematary, a grief-stricken father buries his son in an ancient animal burial ground, where it is said everything laid to rest there will come back to life. But the burial ground is for animals only and humans buried there that come back tend to be insane and violent. Players in Pet Sematary take on the role of a lone hero, perched on the rooftops to stay safe and shoot down undead animals by tapping them one to four times as they race across the screen to feast on innocent townspeople.

Taking advantage of the touch screen, players will eliminate zombie children, dogs, cats and birds by tapping them one to four times as they dart down the streets. Players will also need to pay close attention to friend or foe, as health is diminished if innocents are accidentally killed or when an undead creature escapes or eats a townsperson.

Pet Sematary also includes built-in social networking features that allow players to post their high scores directly to their Facebook pages. Pet Sematary for iPhone and iPod touch is now available at the Apple App Store for $0.99. To purchase the game, visit itunes.

Get your grudge on with JU-ON: The Grudge

XSEED Games has released JU-ON: The Grudge to retailers across North America for the Nintendo Wii. JU-ON: The Grudge is a haunted house simulator and sensory experience developed by feelplus and is inspired by the Japanese films of the same name.

JU-ON: The Grudge promises a unique addition to the horror title genre, immersing players in a first-person exploration of decrepit and haunted locales. Featuring five levels and one level to be unlocked, players venture deep into darkened halls using the Wiimote as a flashlight. The light exposes objects necessary for level progression such as keys and flashlight batteries, but may also unveil horrors best left in the dark. JU-ON: The Grudge also features a unique multiplayer mode where the second player can trigger surprise scares with the press of a button.

JU-ON: The Grudge, rated “M” for Mature is available at suggested retail price of $29.99. For more information visit www.juonthegrudgegame.com.

Dreamkiller now available on Steam

Aspyr Media and Mindware Studios announced that the new horror themed first-person shooter Dreamkiller is available now exclusively via Steam. Dreamkiller for Windows PC features 50 Steam achievements, leaderboards and online multiplayer action in addition to a brand new storyline and gameplay crafted by the makers of Cold War for PC, Mac, Linux and Xbox and Painkiller Overdose.

Dreamkiller will ship later this month for the Xbox 360. The title is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. Find out more about the game by visiting www.mindwarestudios.com or www.aspyr.com. You can purchase the game by visiting www.steampowered.com.

Let’s climb Cursed Mountain

Deep Silver’s Wii exclusive survival horror game Cursed Mountain has shipped out to retail stores in North America. Set in the 1980s, gamers take on the role of the fearless mountaineer Eric Simmons as he climbs into the Himalayan mountains on a quest to find his brother, Frank, who went missing while in pursuit of an ancient artifact known as the Terma, a key piece of wisdom that was written down in ancient times and magically hidden until such a time when the wisdom is needed. As Eric ascends the mountain, he encounters an ancient curse: the souls of the people who died in that region are stuck in bardo, caught in the shadow world between physical life on Earth and Nirvana.

Cursed Mountain was developed by Deep Silver Vienna, and is rated “M” for Mature. For more information, visit cursedmountain.deepsilver.com.

Dante’s Inferno coming to PSP

Dante’s Inferno, an adaption of Dante Alighieri’s classic, “The Divine Comedy” into a video game, will also be makings its way to the PlayStation Portable, EA announced this morning. Now PSP owners will be able to take the journey through the nine circles of hell just like PS3 and Xbox 360 owners.

The game is being developed by the same team that created Dead Space, so expect some dark and decidedly mature content. Dante’s Inferno for the PSP is being developed by EA’s EA Redwood Shores studio and Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M), based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

“Our team and the team at A2M are taking the vision for Dante’s Inferno and translating it directly to the PSP,” said Jonathan Knight, executive producer and creative director on Dante’s Inferno. “PSP owners can expect to get the same level of fast, responsive gameplay through all nine detailed and unique circles of hell we are aiming to achieve on the consoles.”

Dante’s Inferno will be available simultaneously for the PSP, the PS3, and Xbox 360 next year.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Announced

Konami Digital Entertainment is bringing a new iteration in the Silent Hill series for the wii, PSP, and PS2 this fall called Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, the company announced today. Shattered Memories follows Harry Mason, the maladroit protagonist who is searching for his missing daughter, Cheryl. While Harry wanders the snowy streets of Silent Hill searching for clues of her disappearance, he must face twisted creatures from the depths of his frozen nightmares.

In the wii version has players using the Wii Remote as a flashlight and a cellphone to unravel the mysteriies and horrors of the game. The cell phone can also be used by players as a user interface for telling the story, maps, camera and much more. Other features available across all version of the game include interactive user interface, improved puzzle system, and a psych profile that changes the experience based on the players’ gameplay choices.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is scheduled to launch this fall for the Wii, PlayStation 2 and PSP.

Dead Space Extraction Announced

As was reported in its earnings call earlier this month, Electronic Arts is bringing Dead Space to the Wii, but promises that the new horror action game set on a desolate space station won’t be a rehash of the original. Dead Space Extraction will be a prequel that reveals the events leading up to Isaac Clarke’s mission on the USG Ishimura in the original Dead Space. Dead Space Extraction will attempt to utilize the motion controls of the Wii Remote with a the game’s trademark first person action to create what they hope is a new action-horror experience for Wii owners.

Dead Space Extraction chronicles a series of horrific events of a handful of space colonists desperately struggling to escape from a horrific infection on the Aegis VII mining colony deep in the furthest regions of space. The game introduces new characters, weapons, enemies, puzzles and co-operative multiplayer gameplay.

The game is scheduled for release this fall. It is good to see EA getting serious about the Wii.