Random Indie Game of the Week: Paper Sorcerer

Posted on November 30, 2013 by geelw

Okay, so I missed this one as a Kickstarter (what else is new?), but as soon as I saw this video for Ultra Runaway Games’ Paper Sorcerer, they got my five bucks just like that. As a fan of old school CRPGs like Wizardry, Dungeon Master, Daggerfall and others plus more modern takes on them such as The Dark Spire and Etrian Odyssey, this game jumped out and bit me with its stylized visuals and smooth, speedy movement. Did I mention that it’s Mac AND Linux compatible as well? I’m only about 40 minutes into it, but I actually need to STOP playing and put it aside just so I don’t get hooked in and forget that I’ve about a dozen other games I need to review or preview before I get started on a new one. Here’s a longer look at some gameplay from the developer’s YouTube page:

Yeah, I see you reaching for that wallet. Go on ahead – I’m sure Ultra Runaway won’t mind. While you can get the game on Desura and it’s in the running as a Steam Greenlight candidate, buying this DIRECTLY from Ultra Runaway assures they get more of the profit and you can also pay more than $5 if you like as well as get the game’s soundtrack for an additional $5. Support those indie developers, I say! Anyway, if you liked what you saw above, you’re already downloading this before you’ve finished reading this post. Go, YOU!

Yeah, yeah… I’ll get a review up shortly – probably within a few weeks as I whittle down my backlog of stuff glaring at me to get it done.

Ys: Memories of Celceta Launch Trailer: I’m Getting There, I’m Getting There…

Posted on November 29, 2013 by geelw

Thanks to Xseed Games still dropping DLC for Valhalla Knights 3 on PSN and me deciding to try out a bunch of it. I have not yet gotten around to polishing off the review I’m almost done with. Then they go an release Ys: Memories of Celceta and I’m suddenly seeing the rest of my year gone with the wind once I get around to picking this game up. THANKS, guys! No, really. It’s not like I have anything better to do than to prove that the Vita isn’t dead as some say (or hell, dead at all!), and it’s always a pleasure to play a new JRPG that’s actually an old JRPG redone with some spiffy new visuals and even more fun gameplay than the original. That said, as I keep stressing… someone REALLY needs to create a means of stopping or slowing down time so that I can enjoy more of the games I buy and play. Anyway, you should add this one to your library if you haven’t already – I’ll get out a review in a bit…

Doctor Who Legacy: Your Absolutely Free New Diversion Is Ready…

Posted on November 29, 2013 by geelw

Well, alright… I’ll give this one a thumbs up simply because it’s basically a re-skinned more RPG-like version of the excellently addictive Puzzle Quest that happens to have a Doctor Who theme, characters and enemies. Of course, it’s on iOS and Android smartphones or devices only, my current phone is “dumb” and I prefer paying outright for a full version game on a console or portable I already own.

Which means I’ll be patiently waiting (but not holding my breath) for a Vita or 3DS version to show up. In the meantime, if YOU own an iPhone or Android phone or device, you can get the game now on iTunes and Google Play NOW. Did I mention that it’s not the standard “freemium” model at all, but actually FREE to download and play? Yeah, NO stupid energy meters that run out and get you to “buy in” so you can keep going! Awesome. The dev team is doing this as a labor of love, according to the game description and you can even email them with questions, comments and suggestions as to what you like, dislike and want to see in future installments. Now, that’s pretty spectacular in this day and age, I’d say…

STL Ocarina’s Black Friday Sale BLOWS! But That’s Actually A Really Good Thing…

Posted on November 29, 2013 by geelw

Hmmm… You’re still here, eh? Free movie, free meal, my ice cream’s all gone before I got some AND I ran out of jokes to tell. OK, time to get you running out of here with some music. STL Ocarinas is offering up a nice little 15% discount on EVERYTHING on their site PLUS they have a few special 40% off deals on specific items such as this 12 Hole DIY Ocarina and 12-Hole Soprano and 12-Hole Tenor Horn Ocarinas.

Yeah, you know you want to learn how to play the ocarina just to be that person on the subway or bus who stands out among the crowd (and if you get good, you can make back what you spent on the ride to and from work!). So how does this get you out on my place, dear reader? Well, you certainly don’t want to order from my computer and accidentally leave some personal info on it, right? So I insist on gently shoving your now stuffed selves out the door and into the cold night air. Whereupon you will roll home, pass out for a few hours, dreaming of saving money on that new STL Ocarina you’re going to purchase, practice and proudly play for pennies in public places.

Oh yeah, you’ll need to enter the code blackfriday in the appropriate space on the order form to get that discount. Which, by the way, doesn’t apply to the 40% off items because that would be TOO crazy. Alright? Good. Now get lost – I need to get up early in the morning!

Mr. Peabody & Sherman Turkey Day Poster Stuffed Full Of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy…

Posted on November 27, 2013 by geelw

Yeah, I’d be canning whomever thought up this poster like a bunch of cranberries, as my cartoon nostalgia sense tells me that this one will be dead on arrival after the first weekend at best. This turkey is planning to gobble up box office dollars while neglecting the fact that the original shorts worked perfectly because they clocked in at about five minutes and weren’t padded out with needless stuff that’s only going to appeal to folks who’ve never seen an episode of the Bullwinkle cartoons they came from. Ah well… I guess I should just shut the heck up and surrender, huh?

FINE. But not without a fight:

(thanks, bullwinklecanada!)

When I saw the trailer for the new CG flick the first time, I didn’t laugh at all, and seeing it again recently made me more annoyed than ever. But whatever, right? It’ll be “fun” for the kids that don’t care at all about history and nostalgia, that’s for sure. On the other hand… when the adults in the theater are groaning at the end like the ones behind me who hadn’t seen the trailer until then, I’m gathering Dreamworks will be wishing for their very own time machine so they can go back and erase this project from their books. Yuk.

I Hate Flying, But Perhaps Nintendo Wants Me To Think Of Doing It More…

Posted on November 27, 2013 by geelw

Some VERY lucky Southwest Airlines passengers recently received a VERY cool treat courtesy of Nintendo of America in the form of a voucher for a FREE Wii U, and as you can see above, yes indeed that made plenty of people really pleased that they now have one big gift crossed off their holiday lists. Granted, as awesome as this promotional stunt was, the company NEEDS all those people and more to actually BUY Wii U games and not just stick with that pack-in game. But I guess a bit of word of mouth will go a long way if these people love what they got gratis for what they discover once they need to see what else is out there to play. My more cynical brain sees this as a slickly played desperation move on the part of Nintendo because Wii U sales seem to be lower than expected according to every industry site I read.

That said, Nintendo has always followed its own drumbeat and despite the analysts and naysayers tossing doom around over the company’s head, that’s not going to happen thanks to their deep pockets and the fact that every other game company seems to copy things they do to varying degrees of success. The Wii U may not move as many units and the competition, but Nintendo’s longer range plans are always out of sight of those who want huge numbers by the minute and don’t see the longer view to the horizon…

Review: Gas Guzzlers Extreme

Posted on November 27, 2013 by geelw

Platform: PC

Developer: Gamempires

Publisher: Iceberg Interactive

# of Players: 1 – 8

ESRB Rating:

Official Site

Score: A- (90%)

If Gas Guzzlers Extreme was running on a console or three about a year or two ago, it would probably be getting a great deal of playtime and raves for its pick up and play car combat action, extensive customization elements, decent visuals and sense of speed, 50 tracks and more. But on PC with plenty of fickle rig-building gamers demanding every game be a graphics showpiece for whatever configuration every single person can build, this one’s not getting the respect it truly deserves. GGE is a great throwback to the days of Twisted Metal, Interstate ’76/Vigilante 8, FlatOut and other destruction-heavy games where all sense of realism flies out the window in favor of all-out car carnage with a side of tinkering. This one’s a keeper whether you play it solo or online with up to eight friends who will soon be enemies on the wild roadways this game lets you have at it on… Continue reading →

Your Doctor Who Infographic Of The Moment Is A Very Handy Doozy…

Posted on November 27, 2013 by geelw

Well, now – this is pretty darn cool. Thanks to the folks over at HalloweenCostumes.com for putting together an awesome infographic that you can use to get that person who’s not a Doctor Who fan either into the show and up to speed on a few fronts or at least understanding what keeps YOU watching year after year. You can check the whole thing out below the jump, as it’s really too long to post without taking up the entire page!
Continue reading →

ELYSIUM Headed to Blu-Ray/DVD December 17. You Forgot ALL About This One, Right?

Posted on November 26, 2013 by geelw

Okay, okay… so I almost did, thanks to the huge flood of movies rolling into theaters this year and some other distractions major and minor (alright… it was too many games, mostly). Anyway, at least Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi epic took longer to hit home video than other flicks that came out, disappeared faster and sprung up on discs sooner. Yeah, I liked District 9 a lot and Blomkamp’s visual stule, so I’ll be snapping this up at some point. I rarely take the reviews of others into consideration because I’m old and cranky enough to know some people who review films and games approach them from a completely incorrect perspective, but you can’t stop them from presenting their opinions no matter how wrong-headed they are. Anyway, I’m looking forward to finally checking this out without any hootin’ and a’hollerin’ from the peanut gallery as well as seeing what this very talented director has up his sleeves for a next project…

Dark Horse Comics Breaks Out Laser Kitty So You’ll Drop Dollars Their Way Come Cyber Monday…

Posted on November 26, 2013 by geelw

And who DOESN’T like a sale? Dark Horse Digital is going to be running a BIG one come Cyber Monday and yes, both you and your money are invited. Two people walk in, one person leave (that is, if your money were a person, but you get the drift). Take a whopping 50% off your order, sir or madam? “YES, PLEASE” is your response, you get to roll away with another instant library (well, I bet you lose an hour or so choosing from the virtual pile of books there) and everyone’s happy. Except maybe for Laser Kitty who had to have those contacts put in. Everyone hates those contacts. Fortunately I hear he got a hunk of fresh tuna later for his troubles. So yeah, set your time machine for Monday, boogie on over to the Dark Horse site, redeem that 50% discount with the coupon code dhdcyber2013 and fill up whatever your reading device of choice is with some choice comics! By the way, this offer is good for 24 hours beginning at midnight (PST) on Monday, December 2 with a $20 cart minimum, but you KNOW you’ll blow through that roof pretty quickly once you start clicking around.