Random Indie Game Of The Week: Paradise Blue

Posted on July 30, 2012 by geelw

One of the nicer RPGMaker games I’ve played this year is Paradise Blue, a Final Fantasy homage that’s actually a bit more impressive in a few areas. The developer, Ocean went as far as to redo the familiar RPGM backgrounds with his own artwork, boosting the normally straightforward color palette and detail considerably. While the game still has the look of a quality NES title, colors practically pop off the screen in nearly every map making this one of the more unique-looking “old-school” RPGs I’ve seen to date. It takes a little while to get used to some of those details, however. You’ll be dazzled by sparkly areas and items that look as if they SHOULD be interactive, only to find they’re just there for effect.

Where the game shines is in some of the well-scripted dialog, the skills system (which is deep and rewarding once you get into it) and some of the trickier battles the game drops you into. Switching out classes and equipping the proper skills is a must here, as some high-level side quest battles can wipe out your party before you know it. In addition to some addictive gameplay, there’s also an excellent score that works quite well at conveying mood. As usual, you can grab this game for FREE at the link above and it comes highly recommended if you’re a fan of classic 8-bit JRPG bliss. Ocean also has some other cool titles I’ll get around to reviewing as I find time to do so. Heck, this review WOULD be longer, except for I’m even more backlogged than ever since discovering RMN!

(thanks to YouTube user Vysethedetermined2 for the gameplay video)

2012 Blog Olympics: Stumbling Over The Technical Hurdles…

Status

Bleh – I’m having some difficulties with Gmail not loading properly and Firefox crashing improperly, so I haven’t been able to update or respond to a few emails while I’ve been trying to figure out what’s going on. Anyway, I’m working on the issue as fast as I can, so I’m hoping to be back in a few hours with an actual meaningful post. As it is, I’m typing this and can’t read it at all, so let’s hope my spelling is OK…

Cloud Atlas: This Year’s Deep Brain-Bender From The Wachowskis

Posted on July 28, 2012 by geelw

I hadn’t heard of this film until a few days back when someone let me know there would be a long trailer going up this week along with a teaser site. Of course, I reserved judgment on the almost six-minute trailer until I got the chance to see the entire thing, as I still have burning headaches from overexposure to Speed Racer (OK, I caught it twice on cable – once to check it out, the second time to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating) and the last two Matrix movies. Anyway, this amazingly ambitious effects-heavy flick looks like something worth watching a few times just to catch everything, meaning it may do well at the box office, but it will probably do even better as a rental or outright purchase so those who get pulled into it can view it multiple times to catch anything they missed on the first viewing.

Retro/Grade Trailer: It’s One Of Those “What The What?” Games That Works Well…

Posted on July 28, 2012 by geelw

So, what’s Retro/Grade, you ask? Well, it’s a rhythm game/space shooter/reason to dust of your plastic guitar peripheral and probably a dessert topping, all available as a PSN exclusive download. Given that I tossed my guitar peripherals into a volcano some time ago, I’ll be skipping the fun. But I certainly won’t stop YOU from picking up this game if you like what you see. Fake, formerly pricey and now greatly discounted (thanks to the demise of the guitar game as a major cash cow) controller option aside, it would be nice to see this also on the Vita, as again, the handheld could use some fun titles like this to combat the app-happy crowd and their dollar games. People will pay more for quality if the content is worth it, I say…

Sports Noose: Anyone Else NOT Watching The Olympics?

Posted on July 27, 2012 by geelw

Just asking, as I’ve not been interested in them for ages and I ran into a few people today at random who also don’t give a hoot, but were a lot more vocal about it (as In, I overheard some really funny anti-Olympic conversations while at the post office and then the market). Then again, I’m not much of a sports fan, so it’s not as if I’m suddenly going to fall over backwards just to stay glued in front of the TV for too many hours keeping a medal count. Besides, i have games to play and a few movies to catch up on, so while the rest of the world is going ga-ga over half-dressed athletes getting all hot and bothered while breaking all sorts of records, I’ll be biding my time with a few brain-bending jumping puzzles and goblin stomping or something… That is all.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown “Last Stand” Trailer: Well, You’ll Be Sitting Down While Playing, Right?

Posted on July 27, 2012 by geelw

Things seem to be humming along quite nicely over at Firaxis in terms of their XCOM game ticking off all the boxes fans expect and I’m hoping the game does well enough at retail to convince the more stubborn dopes that the other XCOM game (where it’s been too damn quiet in terms of update news) will work as well. Hopefully 2K isn’t going to cave into the entitled whiners who complain too much about stuff they won’t buy, only to turn around and snap it up when it hits the bargain bin and end up liking it a lot more than the imaginary game they had in their heads based on a few screen shots and low-res movies of a work in progress that has a ways to go before completion.

As usual, we shall see…

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Multiplayer: Two (Or More) Can Play That Game!

Posted on July 27, 2012 by geelw

It’s pretty clear that Activision and High Moon Studios have a big hit here, so the game will practically sell itself without any trumpeting from me. My only issue with the game is there’s no portable version, specifically a Vita game that could be played cross platform or had content such as upgrades earned while playing that could be transferred to the PS3 version. Yeah, I know the game has been in development for a bit, but why not try to use features touted in Sony’s new portable in order to possibly generate a few sales for the unit? I know I’d buy a Vita version of this game for sure…

WRC 3 Gameplay Trailer: Another Milestone, But Still A Ways To Go…

Posted on July 26, 2012 by geelw

As works in progress go, WRC 3 is looking mighty fine to my eyes. Of course, some rally purists or overly picky types who didn’t read that disclaimer at the beginning of the video that this is indeed a game that’s NOT completed are getting a wee bit cranky at the sound effects work in the trailer. I say give it a rest and see what happens. For me, if the gameplay is solid, I’ll just fiddle with the sound options if I find the engines too buzzy.

Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time Trailer Update (Or, Why I Still Need A Working Time Machine)

Posted on July 26, 2012 by geelw

Let’s see now, stirring score to get you all hopped up for the SRPG action and deep story? Check. Lovely character artwork by Satoshi Urushihara (of Der Langrisser fame, among other things) lending a distinctly nostalgic feel to things? Check. PSP release on UMD (yes!) set to hit stores in a mere six days? Check. Thanks, Atlus (once again)… except where the heck am I going to find TIME to actually play this gem? Eh, you can’t get everything you ask for, right? I’ll just grab the game when I see it and figure out when I’ll have time to play it afterward. You can add yourself to that list of gamers needing to figure out how this time travel stuff is supposed to work by making a beeline to your favorite brick and mortar emporium on July 31… or pre-ordering it here

Sleeping Dogs Official Site Goes Live With A Bit Of Hidden Object Fun

Posted on July 26, 2012 by geelw

I’ve been quietly following United Front’s work on this one since it was announced and yes, I’m pretty happy with how this is coming together and hope it does great when it ships out. Amusingly enough, after watching all those gameplay videos and taking in the scope of the game (it’s going to be huge), I noted to a friend that all the game needed was puzzle or hidden object game elements to appeal to the super-casual crowd. Of course, Future US and Square Enix have kicked off the official site with… you guessed it, a hidden object mini-game that, while not for the casual crowd at all, does unlock a cool new gameplay video once you find all four objects in the rather cool interactive “marketplace” complete with people and items you’ll see in the game proper. Go on, check it out (you know you want to). August 14, 2012 is the big day, by the way – so get ready….