Might & Magic X Legacy: Ubisoft (Finally) Revives The Classic RPG Series (Fingers Crossed Version)…

 

MMX_goblinySure, my first Might and Magic game was the lowly (but still incredibly hard as hell) Sega Genesis game, Might & Magic: Gates to Another World, but that turned me onto the series and I followed it onto the SNES and later, PC as time went on. Anyway, the series ended up dying a horrible death in 2002 with the rushed release of an unfinished Might & Magic IX (as publisher 3DO was itself dying in the flames from churning out too many mostly awful games for far too long) and has until now, been a series longtime fans have been begging to see reborn. Well, it looks as if Ubisoft is finally getting it in gear, as German developer Limbic Entertainment is working away on an all-new installment that’s coming to PC and will be revealed this weekend in Boston at this year’s PAX East.

Firemage rangerMight & Magic X Legacy should be one to watch out for if it’s done right, so here’s a few fingers and toes well-crossed that the dev team and Ubisoft get this out in fine form AND get it to gamers across multiple platforms and this classic style of RPG is strong thanks to a few indie darling hits and seeing MORE people playing a new M & M game instead of the high end PC elites only will make more fans of this game and more loot for the developer and publisher at the end of the day. Hell, Ubisoft slapped the much more casual-friendly Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes onto anything with a screen except for digital watches (and that was only because the screens were too small), so let’s see Vita and 3DS versions even if they’re scaled back or entirely different side-stories, I say…

Review: Alien Spidy (PC)

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Platform: Windows PC/Xbox 360/OSX
Developer: Enigma Software Productions
Publisher: Kalypso Media
# of Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Official Site
Score: B+ (85%)

 

Remember the days of those bright, colorful but tough as nails platformers on 8 ans 16-bit consoles? Enigma Software Productions’ Alien Spidy does a mostly stellar job of recapturing those glory days with a long and challenging game that while not flawless, is well worth playing and keeping in your library. If this were on a cart or CD back in the day, it would be a solid entry and possible new mascot platformer many would be jumping for joy over. Of course, in this era of easily forgotten digital releases, the question is “can Alien Spidy keep up the the best indie games out there?” My answer would be a two-parter, as in “Sure it can!” and “Where’s the sequel?”… Continue reading

Game of Thrones Season 3: Carmelo May Be A Fan, But I Probably Don’t Need to Know This…

 

Eeek. Um, OK? I guess (and HOPE) Carmelo Anthony is a big fan of the show and all, but I really don’t like these oddball crossover promotion advertising whatever deals because it almost seems as if someone thought it was a good idea to over-check the demographics of who watches the show, figure out who may NOT yet be a fan and make an annoying ad that appeals to that market (and may not be so annoying to that demographic or whatever). Or something like that. Yeah, it’s as clumsy as this post is (or clumsier, as I don’t cringe at my writing – I leave that to you, dear reader), but I guess that’s how it goes. It’s not TV, It’s HBO, you know… Bleh. Oh well, as long as there’s no attempts at putting any sportsball players IN the show as a marketing mistake, this video can be forgiven…

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Road Rules (1)!

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Today’s screenshot is an all George Woodman affair, but his ticked off stare and words of wisdom in that caption will come in quite handy in the future. Particularly if you happen to be carrying that new plastic badge in your pocket you picked up for the cowboy-playing kid waiting at home to complete his ensemble. Don’t think you can just floor it on the freeway and get home fast, buddy. Get pulled over pulling a stunt like that and Sheriff Junior will have to bail you out using that money from his piggy bank. That’s a pretty bad sign when your kid has to bail you out, you know? Especially when he’s dressed like Tom Mix and doesn’t have a badge that would make the cops in the station tip their own hats and smile because it’s in your jacket pocket (which got confiscated and is now sitting in a cardboard box along with your belt and shoelaces).

DPDC PS3 US EFS 2D RealYour parenting skills may be awful, but you may be better at playing video games. One suggestion, since you asked (and want to stay out of jail): Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, coming exclusively to the PS3 on April 30, 2013, paradoxically expanding on the former Xbox 360 exclusive game with new content such as sharper visuals and better controls. Which, by the way would have helped YOUR driving, mister (or missus, as we know ladies sometimes shop for kid cowboys or cowgirls and  make mistakes on the road home too).

SWERY65_tinyAnyway, if you got REALLY lucky on the way back from that mall, it was most likely kind Officer Swery who pulled you over and let you go with a warning because he figured you’d be playing that game he worked on in his spare time at some point.

That and he’s got a real soft spot for your quirky side…

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX PAX East Trailer: Three Ways To Look At It…

 

Oddly enough at the moment, this trailer has so far appeared on everything but the US Disney site, but it HAS to be coming out in North America or there will be riots at Square Enix HQ when rabid series fans dress up like characters from the games and storm the offices demanding a release. Check your local news if you live in the area after PAX East and see what happens. Then again, 99.7% of them will be detained at the airport for carrying giant Keyblades, so the workers at that building will merely need to deal with about fourteen raving people in homemade costumes with picket signs and cardboard swords. ANYWAY, the three things I was getting to:

PS3-only owners will be giddy and thrilled if they’re fans of the popular franchise as the HD boost looks pretty nice and there’s a cool bonus added you’ll see if you watch the trailer above. Of course, this release doesn’t have Kingdom Hearts II on the disc, which means if this sells well, Square Enix and Disney will be hitting you up for more money in a year or less with a new HD update of that game’s Final Mix and other content…

Nintendo-only home console owners will be pissed off because other than the four portable KH games (one for the Game Boy Advance, two for the Nintendo DS and one for the 3DS), there’s nothing for them on a home console to play (and probably won’t be unless the upcoming Disney Infinity adds KH toys and characters to the game down the road).

Xbox 360-only owners completely won’t give a crap, but they certainly wouldn’t mind a good Disney game that doesn’t use than damn Kinect. Fat chance of that happening, but you never know…

How To Use The Internet (A Primer for Really Stupid People)…

I'm with stupid It’s come to my attention over the years that a LOT of people don’t know how to use the Internet properly. Not that I really care, mind you… it’s just that it tends to get in the way of me enjoying the damn thing as it should be used. If you’re using the Internet correctly, this post is completely meaningless and you can stop here and go about your day as usual.

For the rest of you out there fumbling and bumbling about making fools of yourself everywhere you click and post (and not knowing you’re a total idiot while doing so), read on below the jump for two small but helpful tips (there are a lot more, but these two will help about 86.7% of you having issues, the national average) and leave the top of your head unscrewed so the learning juice can sink in and grow something other than weeds and poisonous mushrooms… Continue reading

Star Trek: Into Darkness International Trailer #2: Going Around The World With The Enterprise

 

And the hits just keep on coming in this latest international trailer for Star Trek: Into Darkness. In fact, there are a bunch of these up on the official Star Trek web site that are all slightly different for each territory. I’ve always found that a tad strange, but that’s why I’m not a PR person, I guess. Anyway, the film certainly looks like it’ll be pretty relentless and gloomy where it needs to be, but I’m holding off any ACTUAL judgments until my butt is parked in a comfy movie seat. Some of the more Horta-headed fans of the Trekkie and Trekker varieties want the slower-paced style back from the original series, TNG and the other shows, but given that trailers for blockbusters condense events and are SUPPOSED to be thrilling, I’m betting the film does do some of what’s expected foe those die-hards when all is said and done. As usual, folks… we shall see…

Hating Aliens: Colonial Marines? Well, It Could Be Better (or Worse) With A Bit of Retro Perspective…

 

ACM_PS3Given the critical drubbing that Sega’s Aliens: Colonial Marines has gotten across most of the Internet-verse, some gamers are still feeling the urge to play something that feels closer to James Cameron’s 1986 film than what ended up on store shelves. Well, allow me to assist in this matter (sort of). Track down a working Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum and MSX and a copy of Electric Dreams’ 1987 game, Aliens or the rather interesting (and free) PC remake over at Derbian Games and see what was scary to gamers of that era. Continue reading

Inventist, Your Swerver Quad Skates Make Me Want to Go Broke (In All The Right Ways)…

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swerver quad skatesHmmm. $395 is a bit steep for a cheap guy like me, but I saw these awesome feet-wheels at Toy Fair and immeduately wanted to take them for a test drive. I used to roller skate a bit in the 80’s (no, it wasn’t a disco thing, silly!) and early 90’s, but stopped once I actually broke a pair of old-school skates during a parade I was in (no, it wasn’t that type of a parade, silly!). Anyway, those slick Swever Quads promise with a “patented lean-to-turn design” that according to the official site “allows for increased stability when skating forwards or backwards, and more freedom of movement.” Hmmmm. They do look nice with jeans, yes?

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BC_ThorWell, no “Hmmm.” at all actually, as I’ve seen Inventist’s other products in action including the amazing Solowheel, which makes me crack up because I think of that old BC comic strip (which is STILL running, I just found out – just not in any NYC papers from what I’ve seen) and that “original” solo wheel cooked up by Thor back in the day. OK, so I’m mandated to get a gaming angle here by the other side of the brain, so here you go: a play through of the classic and slightly related to this post Commodore 64 game from 1983 called B.C.’s Quest for Tires. Hmmm… (again?) perhaps that NEXT Solowheel video can be a “remake” of the game? THAT would be really cool. Weird and funny as hell, but cool nonetheless…

 

 

(Thanks to Christian Liepold and his YouTube Channel for that video, by the way)

Defiance Ark Hunter Chronicles 5: Risk Versus Reward, Indeed…

 

How amusing that this week’s DEFIANCE AHC has this particular title. It also seems that’s the collective hive mind thinking of some MMO and shooter fans who somehow STILL don’t “get” this game after MONTHS of footage, previews and information that’s NOT leaked out in dribs and drabs by some “crafty” PR drone, but put up by Trion Worlds and syfy themselves. I still see posts calling this a “Halo” clone, a FPS, or asking if it has traditional MMO click and wait gameplay. Some people love the air in their bubbles, I guess. Personally, they just give me gas. Anyway, the game is fast-paced, fun and will probably surprise some of the jaded types. The only bit of confusion I see that’s a b it pesky for Trion is some think the game is offline as well when it’s not. I still think it SHOULD have an offline solo and co-op game (which would make it PERFECT for fans of Sandlot’s Earth Defense Force games), as well as get a Vita version with the same features. But perhaps we’ll see some other developer give that a go if the series takes off and there’s high interest in taking it to that level. As always… we shall see…