Tomb Raider: Guide to Survival #1 (Expect Lots of Running and Jumping, For Starters)

Posted on December 18, 2012 by geelw

Lara’s new adventure/origin story looks to be one of those reboots for the ages, combining a more mature story and solid visuals with more cinematic (and mature) storytelling and even a bit of scares here and there. Hopefully, the game will surpass every expectation and get the audience it deserves, as it’s quite clear that Crystal Dynamics is pouring everything they’ve got into making what could be their best game to date. Provided the story is complete and there’s not a ton of DLC coming afterward to wreck the continuity, I’d say even the most skeptical TR fan should give this one a shot.

Hmmm… I need to carve out some time to replay the original game before this one comes out just because it used to be a yearly ritual for me for a while until I got a bit too busy. Sure, it’s ancient, but some of the more memorable levels still hold up well thanks to those puzzles and challenging jumping puzzles.

Street Fighter X Mega Man Out Now, More Blue Bomber Birthday Stuff In 2013…

Posted on December 17, 2012 by geelw

Thanks to so much happening today, I almost for got all about this FREE download from Capcom (currently PC only and a mere 34MB at that). The company is also planning to give Mega man fans and even bigger treat by releasing all six classic Mega Man games on the Nintendo 3DS as digital-only downloads through Nintendo’s eShop starting December 27, 2012 and continuing on a staggered schedule into 2013. Hmmm. In addition, Capcom is planning to release some cool new Mega Man T-shirts some MM-themed Xbox 360 avatars and a few other items from now and into next year, but they’re keeping a few things under wraps to keep us all in suspense.

Hmmm… will my dreams of eventually being able to replay the Mega Man Legends series finally see some sort of reality? I guess I’ll need to keep my fingers crossed. Double Hmmm… Perhaps I should cross my toes instead, as I can’t play many games very well with doubled digits…

Video Game Appreciation 101: Papo & Yo Dev Diaries Let The Music Do The Talking

Posted on December 17, 2012 by geelw

Minority Media’s sleeper PSN game has a great soundtrack that reacts to what you’re doing (or not doing) in the game in some interesting ways. Here are looks (and sounds) at how the team did the music and how well it’s integrated into the final product. Yes, this is a Video Game Appreciation 101 class – the test is you buying and playing the game to see and hear the results.

The iPic Is Just About Perfect (Almost)…

Posted on December 16, 2012 by geelw

If you’re using any sort of capacitive touch screen device, there’s always those silly moments where you find that modern convenience less than responsive. Either you’ve got long nails, you bite your nails and have sensitive fingertips, you’re wearing gloves you can’t text with or you’re dealing with someone’s device you might not want to touch so much (where’s my hand sanitizer?). Anyway, Woodees (they make a rather cool pair of wooden ear buds I’ve yet to try, but have heard some cool things about) has a nifty little peripheral called iPic that lets you go from frustrated to Flickmaster Flex as soon as you take it out of the package. As I don’t have an iOS or Android device (shocking!), I decided to see if the iPic would work on a few game systems with different types of touch screens and it preformed quite well indeed.

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Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Story Trailer: There Goes Your Wallet!

Posted on December 16, 2012 by geelw

So, it looks as if Sanzaru definitely has the programming chops to whip up a great Sly Cooper adventure. Sly’s original creators (and powerhouse development team, Sucker Punch) have gone on to bigger (and it seems better) things for Sony, so some fans have been a bit anxious as far as what sort of quality to expect in this new entry in the series (especially after so long between installments). Me, I don’t care who makes a game in any series as long as it’s a good one. I suppose this will get Cross Play for the Vita as well (hopefully), as it looks perfect for some long road trip action.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Gameplay: Fred Flintstone Wouldn’t Last Five Minutes Here…

Posted on December 15, 2012 by geelw

Capcom’s fan favorite dino-hunting series with its learn it or suffer control scheme and spectacular prehistoric beasts of assorted sizes is coming to the Wii U soon enough, so they’re rolling out videos to show off their baby. I have a bunch of MH games here, but have never gotten around to completing one because I only play them solo and just can’t muster up the patience to deal with the quirks some fans adore. I think it’s the timed missions that tick me off the most, as I want an open world and enough breathing room to muck around and learn stuff with zero pressure. The superb Dragon’s Dogma was and is PERFECT for this style of play and I hope Capcom sees fit to get Wii U owners that game (or its upcoming sequel), as it’s one of those memorable experiences that gets better the longer you play it.

Granted, I’m used to games with plenty of learning curves, but there’s just something about the Monster Hunter series that hasn’t clicked with my old self. That said, I’ll definitely buy this, no doubt and you should to if you’re a fan of the franchise or are looking for a great game to kick your butt around the room and make you laugh when it offers up its comic relief moments. Just don’t expect it to be a cakewalk and realize once you’re in, you’re in for the long haul and you’re golden.

Street Fighter X Mega Man: Capcom Reveals All (Well, Some of All)…

Posted on December 14, 2012 by geelw

Amusingly enough, I was talking to someone yesterday about fan-made indie games and this one came up, as it’s now some sort of standard in terms of a big game company like Capcom actually approving of a project like this before making sure it gets done right. Of course, the bigger story will be how well the game does with the fans once it’s let loose on December 17 as a free PC download. I say it will do well, but I’d also expect other creative fans have been flooding Capcom and other publishers with even more ideas and suggestions than they usually do. I wonder how many people come up with exactly the same ideas, write them up (and maybe do up some nice art to go with their projects) and send them off thinking they’ve struck a gold mine. Live and learn, yes indeed… but wise up at some point and create your own original content at the end of the day. Sometimes, it’s better to make a little money from all that hard work than to just keep giving away the farm for free, I say. Hey, Han Solo didn’t walk away from a cargo hold full of Rebellion credits in Star Wars (AND he later got a Princess out of it to boot)…

New G.I. Joe Retaliation Trailer: What, Still No Bulletman?

Posted on December 14, 2012 by geelw

And hey, where’s the Intruder? Anyway, after some reworking and a rather long delay (wasn’t this supposed to come out this year?), that G.I. Joe sequel is getting an official release date. It’s definitely much better looking than the first film and as you can see, they’re serious about the star-power on display. Hmmm, I wonder what the paychecks for the principals were? Bruce Willis has another Die Hard flick hitting theaters as well, so I’m guessing he’s saving up for a new boat or something. Or two boats. or a year’s supply of Headblades. I’m so glad he’s not an expensive toupee and Botox-using action guy like some others who will remain unnamed in this post. The man looks better as he is, I say…

OK, OK, I’m not really planning to see this in a theater, but it looks like it would be a heck of a lot of fun to catch on cable on a rainy Saturday or something. Some of these action flicks based on toys and comics are instant classics, but I’m not sure all the writing in the world or Willis and The Rock can save the fact that we’re looking at a film based on toys, er action figures that became a comic and an animated show, all of which were geared to kids who’d probably not be allowed to see it if it were released back when the toys first came out. Yeah, sometimes I think WAY too much about this stuff, but I just can’t take the Joes as seriously as some people who toss them up on a pedestal as some sort of ideal hero figure. Eh, whatever – pass the popcorn. I may as well enjoy the ride when I do get to see it.

EDF Recruitment Update! Earth Defense Force 2025 Coming to PS3, Xbox 360 in 2013

Posted on December 14, 2012 by geelw

The EDF Wants YOU! Well, not right now, but soon enough. Get ready for more big bugs, big robots and big futuristic weapons to take them out with sometime in 2013. Although the game is still working its way through development over in Japan, Sandlot’s upcoming Chikyuu Boueigun 4 (Earth Defense Forces 4) is indeed coming to North America and Europe as Earth Defense Force 2025 next year. For hardcore EDF fans like me, this is fantastic news, particularly given that we’re also getting Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable on the PlayStation Vita in February. Yep, I have the import and in fact, I’m currently playing through EDF 2 Portable on the PSP because I’m that hooked on the awesome fun of this pick up and play run ‘n gun series since about 2004.

As you can see from the lovely screenshots below, EDF 2025 is going to be Sandlot’s most polished work to date. Not bad at all for what was initially created as a budget game for the Japanese market. Now, all we need to see are some official game trailers and it’s even more on than it already is. While a concrete release date for EDF 2025 has yet to be revealed, the press release is dated “June 28, 2025”, but let’s not make anything of that until there’s a more official update in the future. All D3Publisher of America needs to do now is actually update their official site to include this game as well as EDF 2017 Portable, which is set to hit the PlayStation Vita on February 12, 2013. Between these two EDF games and Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim coming out next year, it’s going to be an absolutely epic year for kaiju fans. And if that new Godzilla gets let loose next year, expect lots of screaming in the streets as we all run into the theaters to see these flicks and then into game shops to snap up these two games.

Dead Island Riptide Trailer: Death Takes A Holiday (Again)…

Posted on December 13, 2012 by geelw

It figures. The first Dead Island got a surprisingly emotional CG trailer that drew acclaim and major attention to the game, which turned out to be OK, albeit a bit buggy in spots. I actually held out for the recently released Game of the Year retail version after playing about an hour of the original because I knew Deep Silver and developer Techland would fix things up (and add all that DLC content I couldn’t get). Anyway, this new trailer for the sequel is another superb two-hanky CG masterwork which also makes me never want to go anywhere on vacation ever again. Damn undead and their people-chomping ways mucking up everything like that. Imagine that last postcard from the doomed couple in the video: “Having a blast on our trip – Wish you were here!” BOOM.

Hmm… then again, I actually don’t actually believe in zombies at all (thank you science education!), so my ass is safe as the breeze wherever I go. You can hole up with a shotgun, machete and a few thousand cans of beans if you like when the so-called zombie apocalypse hits. Me, I’ll just see some cranky-looking people stumbling around because all the Starbucks in the world will be closed. I’ll just carry a pocketful of coffee beans to toss at them and be able to get away while they’re rolling on the ground fighting each other for that fix.