Holiday Wishes (Mine, That Is. Or: Selfish, Aren’t I?)…

Posted on December 11, 2011 by geelw

Hey Santa, you bum! Where the hell are those shelves I asked so nicely for about what, five years ago? You keep eating all the cookies and drinking the booze-spiked eggnog I leave out and I always get socks and underwear that don’t fit. Anyway, the jig is up, fat man. Make good with the wood or I’m putting a little surprise in YOUR stocking! That is all… Now, go get those elves sawing away. Good U.S. of A. wood, too, not some splinter-packed plywood or that laminated particle board crap that wouldn’t make a decent diner table, either.

Still Re-Editing! Only A Thousand Posts To Go (Ha, Ha)…

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Or something like that. Yes, I’m still updating content from the old blog to the new one, but I’m ONLY down to about 1000 posts to go over (er, whee?). I’ll probably buckle down with them over the Xmas holidays and see how many I can get done. I’ve forced things a bit in some new reviews by referencing older posts, which had me then fix those posts to where they’re entirely readable instead of just the first paragraph. In the end, the text isn’t the real problem – it’s the galleries that take the most work to bring over. I also found a bunch of lost stuff and some drafts I’ve been meaning to complete, but those will get some love after the holidays.

Review: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Posted on December 9, 2011 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3 (also on Xbox 360, PC)

Developer: Bethesda Softworks

Publisher: Bethesda Softwroks

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A

At some point, if you happen to know someone who’s also playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, you WILL get a phone call, email or text with some variation of the following: “Hey, can you help me out on this quest?” It’ll most likely be something you’ve already done and maybe bragged or shared a tale of woe about to your buddy, but you’ll find the results in their case may be slightly to very different. Sure, some of the basics will be familiar, but after that, it’s up in the air. Perhaps they got challenged to a drinking contest, woke up in a temple in a faraway city, had to help clean up the place (or not) and now have a big mystery to solve that sends them to a new town they’d never even seen before. Or maybe it’s the odd Argonian woman who desperately wants you to take that strange item off her hands, and now your friend has a creepy cube that looks like something from a Hellraiser film stuck in their inventory. Or maybe it’s about that strange note handed to them by a cryptic courier asking them to visit an unusual museum in a most unexpected place where a darker mission lurks. Or the paid assassins that assaulted them while traveling and after killing the thugs and looting their possessions, an odd letter is revealed that only brings up more questions than answers. And so forth and so on… Continue reading →

Gallery: PC-Engine/Turbo Grafx/Duo Library

Posted on December 9, 2011 by geelw

More stuff from the collection. All the import shooters and some key platformers and RPG’s are gone thanks to selling them off, but there’ still a nice selection of games here including a number of titles that would have given both the SNES and Genesis some decent competition had NEC and TTI had the time and money to localized them. Given that these folks had the first CD-based home console out in Japan before the Sega CD (and more than enough games to support it), I wonder every now and them how the system wars of the early 80’s would have turned out had the T-16, Duo and Turbo Express gotten the proper respect.

Trine 2: FrozenByte’s Instant Platform/Puzzle Classic

Posted on December 8, 2011 by geelw

The original Trine was a blast of fresh air, mixing action, platform jumping, puzzle solving and fantasy elements almost flawlessly in a solid, engaging PC (and later console) experience. The sequel, Trine 2, has just hit PC and Mac courtesy of Atlus and is a must buy game whether or not you’ve played the original. Just take a look at the trailer above and try not to reach for that wallet… See? Me, I’m holding out for a retail release like the first game that doesn’t tie me to a download service, as I’m not a big fan of losing that much privacy. Anyway, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are coming soon via PSN and XBLA, so keep an eye peeled for those soon!

Gallery: Mega-CD Library

Posted on December 6, 2011 by geelw

Not as large as the other libraries (and nope, nowhere near complete), here’s some Mega-CD titles to pore over. I have a bunch of Sega CD and UK Mega CD titles as well, but I’d sold off most of the core titles, so it’s a shadow of its former self. It’s too bad Sega or any other publishers didn’t have enough time to localize MORE of the RPG’s for the add-on, as games such as Shadowrun (an all-new version created for the platform), Record of Lodoss War, Shin Megami Tensei, Illusion City, Fhey Area, Cosmic Fantasy Stories, Death Bringer and others here would have made for a much more impressive lineup. But, hey – we DID get the fighting/RPG hybrid Battle Fantasy here as Revengers of Vengeance, so THAT makes up for a lot (he said, eyes rolling in his head)…

Nano Assault Blasts Into Stores

Posted on December 5, 2011 by geelw

Shin’en’s third game in the Nanostray series has finally landed on the 3DS this time out and yes, you SHOULD run, drive, hop, skip or jump to your favorite game shop to snap this one up. Nano Assault takes things to the third dimension in style, so expect to fall off your bus seat when you’re bobbing and weaving like a formerly sleepy salaryman on a caffeine high. Majesco has another portable winner for the holiday season – review incoming.

Minor Update: Brainache Edition

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Yep, that Skyrim review is still incoming. I spent a chunk of yesterday writing and editing down, but woke up with a HUGE headache that’s lasted the better part of today. I’m feeling a bit better, but I don’t recommend one of these unless I happen to not like you very much and know where you live. Anyway, back in a bit with a few reviews, maybe a few gift suggestions and perhaps some artwork…

Dark Horse’s Comics For Christmas: A (Graphic) Novel Idea!

Posted on December 3, 2011 by geelw

Dark Horse Comics always has some awesome reads each month, but here’s a list of books they recommend for your holiday gift needs. Personally, I say grab them all, as some folks on you gift list probably don’t even know what actual PAGES feel like (and they haven’t yet invented a “new graphic novel” scent for the iPad, Kindle, nook or other readers and devices).

Review: Tekken Hybrid

Posted on December 1, 2011 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3

Developer: Namco

Publisher: Namco Bandai

# of Players: 1 – 4

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: B+ (80%)

One of the most underutilized features of the PS3 has been the ability to play Blu-Ray and game hybrid discs, which is quite strange in my opinion. Considering how licensed movie games could have a second life if bundled with the films they’re based on at a reasonable price point, it’s a no-brainer to me that MORE game/movie discs haven’t been produced. Tekken Hybrid manages to do a pretty decent job as a package, although a few more bonuses would have been cool to beef up the replay value somewhat. For $40, you’re getting the CG movie Tekken: Blood Vengeance, an HD version of Tekken Tag Tournament and a brief demo of the Japanese arcade version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (all with optional 3DTV support), plus a few interviews with a few folks behind the games and film. While this package is geared more towards hardcore Tekken fans, those new to the long running fighting franchise can pick it up and have a blast, provided they’re not looking for online play or tons of bonus content (other than the newly added Trophies). Continue reading →