Gallery: Sega Dreamcast Library

Smaller than it once was (by around 40 or so titles), but still fun to go back to for some of these gems. Like a few too many Dreamcast owners, finding out the hard way that getting a new or replacement console meant those old Phantasy Star Online saves were no good was a shock (grrrrr!). But the game still holds up as a great RPG whether it’s played solo or online. Speaking of online (and in case you were scratching your heads at that last sentence), I recently found out that private servers (not officially run by Sega) exist for the game, so my crazy MMO suggestions from last week recently actually make a bit more sense. Not that I’ll join any of those few hundred or more still enjoying the game, mind you. I’m way too busy doing other stuff. Anyway, outside of the classics everyone always yaks about, I say D2 needs an HD remake, Illbleed needs a sequel and Rent-A-Hero #1 would be pretty cool to finally see, considering it was localized for the Xbox, but never completed.

Review: Nano Assault

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Developer: Shin’en

Publisher: Majesco Entertainment

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site


Score: A- (85%)

If there’s ever a proper Fantastic Voyage remake (and not some awful direct to video “update”) that actually rates a licensed game tie-in, Shin’en needs to be the go-to developer for the project. Nano Assault, their cool new game for the 3DS, drops you into a microscopic ship for 32 levels of arcade shooting against assorted mutated organisms and massive bosses in an attempt to shut down an alien virus before it wipes out the human race. While the game is pretty slim on the storytelling and a bit brief, it packs a killer visual punch and the shooting is excellent throughout. Continue reading

Tiny & Big Update: Levels, We Got Levels!

I was wondering about how Black Pants Games Studios was going to structure its upcoming game, Tiny & Big: Grandpa’s Leftovers, and thanks to their latest video, now I know (and so do you!). Check out the new trailer for the game and see the different places you’ll go as you try and nab those underpants from that pest, Big and deal with his shenanigans as he does all he can to thwart your efforts. Now, all that needs to happen is the team getting dev kits for assorted consoles at some point so ports can be made, as this game SCREAMS for motion control or touch-screen elements on a few platforms…

Twisted Metal “Grimm” Intro Trailer Does The Impossible…

I thought I was done with listening to Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” after hearing it so much in a few too many games back in the PS1 era, but after seeing this spectacular new HD trailer for the upcoming reboot of Twisted Metal, I’m all ready to bounce up and down on the couch like a hyperactive kangaroo with a controller in my hands. “Dig through the ditches, And burn through the witches, I slam in the back of my Dragulaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” (CRASH! BOOM!!!). Whoops. Er, February 14, 2012. Be there. I probably won’t be the only one singling out loud (or way off key), I bet…

Humor (Of Sorts): TOS-ing Cookies, Mandatory Update Version

I’ve noticed loads of complaints regarding privacy and other pesky issues with mobile data carriers, movie and game content services and anything that requires a lengthy Terms Of Service (TOS) agreement to be read before a consumer gives his or her OK. Given that almost no one actually seems to read through these things before or after they’ve clicked that “OK” button only to go ballistic later on when they find out they’ve lost another basic civil right, I propose a fail-safe solution that will take care of the problem. And as I’m all about job creation these days, this solution will also get a few people employed in the process.

Here’s the dead: get a bunch of Hollywood actor-types to shoot a video/record audio where they read through a TOS contract and stick it on the next update as a mandatory viewing or listening experience. It’ll be just like a TV ad for medications, but read so that you can actually hear every word. Yeah, the entire user base of every device on the market will rant their asses off online (I can see the fires lighting as I type this out). But hell, at least they can’t say that they didn’t know what they were in for in terms of the next invasion of a tiny bit more of their privacy, right?

Sumioni: Demon Arts Coming To Vita From Xseed Spring 2012

As someone who’s into Japanese art of all types, I love it when developers are inspired by old woodblock prints, Sumi-e and textile art from the past when creating new games. While some less savvy gamers will see this Sumioni trailer and immediately think of the late Clover Studios’ wondrous Okami, in Acquire’s upcoming Vita exclusive, I see yet another in a long list of Japanese games that takes from the past and presents itself to modern gamers with an eye toward a bit of education under all that fun. Well, that’s how a bit of MY mind works, folks… Er, anyway: GO, Xseed!

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City Has A Versus Mode, After All…

A-ha… So that’s what Slant Six Games has been up to. I was wondering what else they had planned for multiplayer in REORC, and well, here you go. I normally don’t go for the usual running around and shooting each other in the face MP modes, but I like the heroes vs villains vibe here. Of course, this will be one of those games where the hardcore RE fans go at it in teams to see which of their favorite characters is the best. Sort of like Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but with more a lot more guns, zombies and room to run around in, ha ha.

UNEpic: This Will Be Yor New Favorite Indie Game.

Here I was, all set on whipping out an article on the best games I’ve played this year when someone sends me a link to Francisco Téllez de Meneses’ amazing UNEpic, which managed to knock my socks off and keep me away from actual work for most of today. I’ll have a review up in a bit, but for now, I say drop everything and BUY this game. Or hell, at least try the demo out and see what I’m raving about. The cross between classic side-scrolling platformer and RPG elements plus an excellent (and really funny) script (thanks for keeping the language real and raw rather than go for the typical cleaned up dialog found in most games) makes this one of the best surprises in a huge year for indie games. I’d love to see Francisco get his game onto PSN or XBLA or at least wider recognition, as the game manages to feel nostalgic, yet fresh at the same time. Anyway, I’ll shut up here and let you check it out for yourselves.

Syndicate Trailer Twofer: Agent Tech/Agent Tools

Two more excellent trailers from Starbreeze’s upcoming reboot of the PC classic, set for a February 21, 2012 release on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. I actually broke out the 3DO version earlier this week for a bit of nostalgia and as noted in my preview, both the old and new game feel like very close relatives, but from a different perspective. I kind of like the whole not worrying much about how the game plays part and hope some of the more stubborn folks out there decide to PLAY this rather than criticize the game unfairly because it’s not the same genre (when in fact, it slyly IS)…

OPINION: Why MMO’s Need Offline Modes (Hint: It’s A Jobs Creation Program)

With the recent announcement of Lego Universe going under as of January 2012 and the resulting (and unfortunate) staff layoffs, there’s a lot of blame floating around about just what went “wrong”. Obviously, the lack of enough subscribers (despite a recent move to a “free to play” based business model) is a core reason the MMO met its demise.However, I think a few other factors didn’t help the game one bit and in fact, the project was doomed to failure from the start. Why do I say this with such certainty? Simple. The lack of ANY way to play offline in any form makes EVERY single MMO (no matter how popular), a dead game once the amount of online players drops significantly, making a game too expensive to keep going and a waste of resources that could otherwise keep a dev team at least partially employed… Continue reading