Another year and another successful Extra Life gaming marathon has concluded; and after tallying up all of the donations made thanks to the effort of over 24,000 gamers across North America, Extra Life has surpassed i??ts goal and raised $1.1? million for children's hospitals.

CEO of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, John Lauck said, "This ??remarkable mir?acle of raising $1.1 million through the Extra Life marathon will truly make a difference in the lives of children in local communities."

Destructoid's Extra Life marathon went spectacularly well with the community raising $6909.16, surpassing all previous years totals. On top of giving away ridiculous amounts of prizes from some generous sponsors, we also got to share in some moments that will live in Destructoid history forever, especially since it's in GIF format. One thing is for sure, we couldn't have gotten to that a?mount w??ithout our fantastic community's help. You are amazing!

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Almost a month after it's lukewarm release, Sega has just released a short comic based on the Kinect action-horror title Rise of Nightmares. Written by Al Ewing, who has worked? on comics from the Judge Dredd series as well ??as the Hulk; and with artist Marc Olivent whose thick shadows and stylized inks give this comic a rough and grimy feel that plays well with the story.

The comic tells the tale of Roland Childs, a private detective on his last case, recounting the details of what happened. Throughout Rise of Nightmares, the pla??yer will be able to find these tapes that serve to inform the player about the area, as well as to get some introspection?? into the battle Roland is facing to keep his sanity. 

You can download a copy directly from SEGA here. I think this comic serves as a good, but short teaser for the game; it's art and story were generally interesting and I would like?d to learn more about this world. Now, why Sega decided to release it now, as opposed to August, where it could have generated some interest in the title,? is anybody's guess.

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[Not sure what Mash Tactics is? I've included a clip from the most recent episode to show you just a glimpse of what you've been missing, you daft fool! You can see all of Destructoid's previously-aired live shows in our archives.]

Today, Mash Tactics is joined by representatives from Sega to play the new Kinect thriller, Rise of Nightmares. Here's your chance to see if Sega's new gore fest is hardcore enough to make you want to use your Kinect. Do you think Rise could be the first good "core" game for the little black bar? Do you think Microsoft's stab at motion control will ever get solid titles? Do you think I'm an idiot for not seeing how Dance Central already proves the Kinect's worth? Share your thoughts below ?in ??the comments!

Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4pm Pacific. Watch Jon Carnage and Pico Mause let loose with off-the-wall humor and discuss the issues of the day in the live chat on Destructoid's Twitch.tv channel. Also, there are videogames being played. Join us for your chance to win prizes, talk to ??industry guests, and witness all of the glorious antics.

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Yesterday, we showed you a new ad for Sega's Kinect horror game Rise of Nightmares. That video... was for plebeians. Here's the one you want to watch, complete with a Look Who's Talking Too twist ending.

Mega64: RISE OF NIGHTMARES Commercial [YouTube]

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SEGA has had an interesting run of ads for its Kinect-based horror title, Rise of Nightmares. But this latest trailer for t?he game should be easily recognizable to everyone as the typical, "people are having fun playing this game" ad that we've seen over and over again. This one has text which claims things opposite of what we see.? It's all very clever.

It did give me an idea, however. The combination of the horror theme and the frequency of adverts such as this one reminds me of something else. It's with that in mind that I'm working up a pitch for a new series of direct-to-video releases, Faces of Sweaty People. That sounds far more terrifying to me than a whole bunch of hoax footage and blurry autopsy reels. And it se?ems that game publishers are more than happy to create the content.

Their people can call my people. We'll do lunch.

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Kinect exclusive Rise of Nightmares has come the clos??est of any upco?ming release to actually making me purchase a Kinect. A good deal of that pressure to purchase comes from the fact that the game just looks fun, but I'd attribute the bulk of it to the way it takes shots at every other Kinect game.

"It has many features ??like no dancing, no steering wheels and, as a bonus??, no perky aerobics instructors."

I've got respect for games that refuse to take games too seriously. I may not ever play you, Rise of Nightmares, but thanks for poking fun at the silly stuff.

The post Rise of Nightmares’ Undead Spokesman is a great salesman appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm being serious when I say that Rise of Nightmares is the f??irst game that's made me legitimately want to get a ?Kinect. Maybe not enough to run out for a purchase immediately, but the tech lust is there and rising.

In our recent preview of the game, we described it as providing an experience not unlike an off-rails House of the Dead. From everything I've personally seen, Rise of Nightmares' style and campy tone are certainly similar. The new trailer is beyond silly and I'm ?jealous of everyone who got to work on it.

This offbeat horror game is out on Septembe??r 6, 2011 as a Kinect exclusive.

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Rise of Nightmares is a bold undertaking from Sega, but one Microsoft’s Kinect is sorely in need of. Nine months have passed since 360 owners joined the motion control revolution, and outside of a few decent games at launch and Child of Eden, there hasn’t really been much of a compelling reason to get up? off the couch and play.

I remember when I first saw Rise of Nightmares back at this year’s E3 -- it made me laugh and not in a good way. While I didn’t actually get a chance to play it, the images of watching industry patrons flail their arms at the virtu?al undead ingrained another “wow Kinect really makes people look stupid” impression on me. Maybe it was the skeptic inside me talking, but really: how was a first-person Kinect game not on rails going to work and be an engaging experience at the same time?

Rise of Nightmares (Xbox 360 Kinect)
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
To be released: September, 6 2011

Well flash forward a couple of months, more specifically last Thursday night, when I finally had a chance to give the first-person gore fest a full body hands-on at Sega’s Rise of Nightmares preview event. Though it’s safe to say I most likely looked like an arm-swinging leg-kicking fool, the most?? important thing I realized was it didn’t matter -- I was having fun doing it.

The first thing I noticed when playing Rise of Nightmares was just how smooth and responsive the motion controls actually were. I own a Kinect and have played my fair share of games with the controller, so stepping into the game was fairly intuitive. Placing your right foot either forward or backwards will set you in motion forward of backwards. Subtle turns of the shoulders to the left or right will turn you as desired. Neither gesture for movement is demanding and feels v?ery natural, but if they prove cumbersome, holding up your right arm (at a 90 degree angle) triggers an auto-direct feature that quickly and effortlessly guides one to t??he next area.

In the section I played -- I was told it was near the beginning of the third level -- I began my journey walking the dark, dank confines of a crypt-like cave, desperately searching for a way out. It was here that I was introduced to the game's adventure elements. While at first glance and from many of the games released trailers Rise of Nightmares comes off as an off-rails Kinect attempt at House of the Dead (the game’s producer Satoshi Ito worked on the popular arcade light-gun shooter, so the compariso?ns are just), the game i??s actually much deeper than that.

In the confines of the cave I was tasked with finding a lever to release a gate that was impeding my progression. While the previously mentioned auto-direct gesture is helpful as a quick way to get from area to area, it is by no means a cheat to blaze through the game and can’t be used to find items. As I made my way around looking ??for a solution out, I had to guide my character from table to table sifting through piles of skulls to find a lever for a lock. Actually using my arms to push around the rolling bones added a nice level of immersion that hopefully isn’t leaned on too much throughout the adventure portion of the games.

Once I had the lever inserted, I made my way out of the room where I was faced with my first combat encounter. Two twisted zombie ballerinas quickly handed me my first “You are dead” screen.  I admit it took a little getting used fighting the ballerinas, as I struggled slightly with the controls while I frantically tried to take them out. ?The thing is it wasn’t that Kinect’s fault for my problems, more it was j?ust the game's learning curve that my body was still adjusting to. When I came to grips with how to control my body in a fight, the ballerina duo was dust.

Starting the fight, the first thing I did was run to an axe laying on the ground to help even the odds. To assist in what could possibly be a clunky process, holding out your hand over an item that’s in a viewable distance will auto-direct you to it where you'll pick it up. It saves a lot of time and is just one Rise of Nightmares many smart design decisions for making the game more a?ccessible for players of all skills.

Back to the ballerinas. Unfortunately, the fight itself boiled down to simple pattern memorization. Duck the pirouette attacks, then promptly kick them in the gut to stun them, step forward and melee until there’s nothing left. While the combat is fairly simple, it’s also highly engaging. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m actually participating in a fight and doing more than just flailing my arms (like I do in Kinect Sport’s boxing) that makes it feel like something worth while. Whatever it is, the fighting in Rise of Nightmares is some of the most refreshing and rewarding I’ve playe??d in a motion ??controlled game.

After I escaped the zombie ballerinas I made my way outside where I took on the game's more typical zombie fodder. The techniques I acquired from my boss fight helped in dispatching the brain eating hoard. It’s also worth noting that individual body parts can be targeted and removed to limit the possible damage and threat of each zombie menace. While it still came down to looking for enemy tells and e?xploiting a pattern in their attacks, the numerous enemies and the inclusion of what appeared to be? a banshee -- the game required me to actually cover my ears to avoid its deathly shrieks -- kept the action frantic throughout.

Whether controller-free motion gaming ever finds a place in the industry outside of mini-game collections, fitness and dance games remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure -- Sega has definitely taken a step in the right direction with Rise of Nightmares. With an estimated seven to ten hours of gameplay, hopefully Sega can provide enough thrills, chills and variety in gameplay to keep things fresh from start to finish when the game lands in September.

The post Preview: Rise of Nightmares appeared first on Destructoid.

SEGA's Rise of Nightmares is coming to Xbox 360 next month, giving you the ability to flail in terror at a horror game and maybe have it mean something. And if you want to creep yourself out even further, you can go pre-order your copy from Amazon and r??eceive a code to download this horrifying jester puppet Avatar pet.

It will dance maniacally around yo??ur Avatar on the main Xbox menu. After loo??king at this thing for a few minutes, I'm really glad I almost never remember what I dream about at night.

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Sega ain't afraid of a little blood. This new Rise of Nightmares "Red Band" trailer has plenty of blood and gore, but it's set to a funny soundtrack so you can laugh a little as zombies are being sliced, prodded, gutted and ripped apart. You'll see blood running waist high in ??the game foot?age, which is why we had to put the age gate on the above video.

I was going to make a joke about the brutal weaponry in this game being cutting-edge, but I see Sega PR has already thought of that one. Clever ?bastards. 

Rise of Nightmares comes out for Xbox 360 and Kinect on Sept??ember 6th.

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Sega has just announced the pre-order bonuses that will come with your purchase of Kinect horror game Rise of Nightmares at GameStop. 

Your?? pre-order gets you a Mini Zombie from the game that will interact with the player’s Avatar on the Xbox 360 dashboard, as shown above and in our gallery. I like how un-scary he is. He lo??oks like he just clears the minimum requirements of scary, and that's only because he has to.

Speaking of dashboards, you'll also get a Xbox 360 dashboard theme inspired?? by some of the game's settings. Finally, you'll also nab a GameStop-Exclusive Gamer Picture pack that includes a total of ten pictures.

The nightmare begins on the Xbox 360 on ?September 6.

The post Check out Rise of Nightmares’ GameStop pre-order goodies appeared first on Destructoid.

Rise of Nightmare is a decidedly M-rated game, there's no question about that. The first-person Kinect-exclusive action title has you waving your arms around to slaughter zombies and ghouls in a variety of obscene ways -- with a chainsaw, with a machete, with a drill. Basically, if it's sharp or can do damage, you'll probably ?get a chance to take it upside something's head.

As violent as it is, I don't think there's any chance someone can possibly take Rise of Nightmares seriously. It's just too ridiculous. While it's being positioned as a horror game, I couldn't help but chuckle at most of the screens. One image depicts what a?ppears to be a scantily clad, undead nurse getting her arm hacked off by an icesaw... in a dirty bathroom. In another, an entire head seems to have been removed by way of a power drill.

The fact that I'm laughing at it might be the point, though. From what I've played of it, I'm confident that Rise of Nightmares is going to be stupid on a number of levels. But that's not a bad thing, necessarily, because I'm pretty sure I was having fun in the same way I have "fun" watching B horror movies and splatter flicks. Considering I'm a fan of the latter genres, I think Rise of Nightmares might be right up my alley.

Now if only my insatiable desire for over-the-?t??op blood and guts can keep up with the physical exertion required to play the game...

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The previous E3 trailer for SEGA's Rise of Nightmares wasn't very good to say the least, but now there's finally a trailer that shows the act?ual game. What a world of technological marvels we live in.

The trailer shows you that the game is basically House of the Dead for Kinect, providing a huge Overkill vibe -- without the 70s grindhouse theme, but with the 70s film effect. And just like that, Rise of Nightmares became my most-anticipated Kinect game that isn't Dance Central.

Color me surprised! But if someone at SEGA doesn't include ??a scene where you have to reac?h out your hand and open a door yourself, fully aware that something scary will be lurking behind that door in the dark like in every single American B-horror out there, I'll be very disappointed. Don't let me down, SEGA.

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