Review: Naughty Bear: Panic In Paradise

Posted on October 21, 2012 by geelw

Platform: PS3 (also on Xbox 360)

Developer: Behaviour Interactive

Publisher: 505 Games

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 & Up)

Score: B (80%)

A much more improved update to the original Naughty Bear (one of the great guilty pleasures for me this console cycle), Naughty Bear: Panic In Paradise adds more of everything fans asked for plus whatever wackiness developer Behaviour Interactive (formerly Artificial Mind & Movement) cooked up to make this a bigger and better game experience. While the visual style is the same (deceptively plain for the most part), the amount of content here is staggering, particularly if you’re a gamer who has to unlock every single piece of gear and uncover every secret. Add in a budget price point and you’re getting a ton of game here for not a lot of loot, always a good thing in this day and age.

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Retro City Rampage: Buy This Game Or It Will Come To Your House And Beat You…

Posted on October 9, 2012 by geelw

Yeah, you know who you are. Laugh at these awesome visuals at your own peril, kids. Listen up: I’m old, so I KNOW exactly what’s going to happen here. Codgers like me will groove on the sprite-heavy, colors a’poppin graphics, tough as nails gameplay and huge open world that means we’ll be hooked in for weeks. Ironic hipster types (bless their bespectacled hearts) who think they’re cooler than they are in real life will remember the indie games they played over the past few years and get the retro vibe full on. Meanwhile, the wee ones under a certain age who think every damn game MUST be a FPS or packing “realistic” 3D graphics that require a PC upgrade every three weeks or new console or whatever will be laughing and pointing like the fools they are until they pick up a controller and get a butt cheek handed back to them by some random digital thug. It’s all about respect, as I keep saying… and Canadian developer Vblank Entertainment is going to learn you whippersnappers a thing or two.

Your PS3 is starving for this one, and so is your Vita… so yeah, do the right thing and get this game, Before it gets YOU.

Under Defeat HD: The Arcade Shmup Isn’t Quite As Dead As You Think

Posted on October 8, 2012 by geelw

Granted, hardcore fans out there KNOW this, but I always get a chuckle when I hear people wondering why games like this are still made and/or getting attention. Those people are, of course, folks who’ve either never tried shooters or are terminally terrible at them, so they never get listened to. Especially by developers like G.rev and publishers like Rising Star Games (who deserve a big tip of the hat for keeping the flame going). Under Defeat was initially an arcade hit in Japan before landing on the Dreamcast around six years ago (Sega’s console was getting some excellent games in Japan long after it died out everywhere else in the world) and is now headed stateside and to Europe on the PS3 and Xbox 360. The interesting thing here is the game will be made available for the same price point for its digital and retail editions (a mere $29.99), but the retail version will pack in a soundtrack CD, digital art book download,DLC patches and an exclusive letter from the CEO of G.Rev and the game’s executive producer, Hiroyuki Maruyama (no doubt thanking those who got off their lazy asses and walked to their nearest game emporium rather than sit at home and press a few buttons because they’re stuck to the sofa).

Of course, PS3 and 360 shmup fans will be giddy with delight, but where’s the Vita version? That system has a wide screen too, you know…

007 Legends Opening Credits Cinematic: More Bond-age Makes Me Smile…

Posted on October 6, 2012 by geelw

Four games into the license and Activision has done this long-running franchise right by shaking and stirring things up with solid results. Eurocom’s new Bond game could very well be the best one to date this console cycle thanks to its story-based structure that puts today’s 007 (Daniel Craig) through his paces in re-imagined missions from five of the best Bond films (plus a DLC mission based on the upcoming SKYFALL). The dev team is clearly at the top of their game here, so expect all the action, gadgets and mayhem of a James Bod adventure, but a lot more interactive, as you’re not sitting on the couch rooting for James to not get bumped off by Goldfinger below or any of the other villains classic to current coming your way October 16 for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Now, someone tell me Eurocom has a PS Vita dev kit humming away somewhere in their offices, as I’d really LOVE to see what they can do with Mr. Bond on that HD handheld…

Nano Assault Neo/Nano Assault EX Trailers: Shin’en Style: Super Shooters Inbound!

Posted on October 6, 2012 by geelw

Excellent – not only is Shin’en beefing up Nano Assault for a 3DS digital release, we’re also getting Nano Assault Neo on the Wii, which packs in even more all-new content and nicely uses the GamePad for two-player action. My only issue with both games are they’re going to bi digital downloads only. Personally, I’d pay for a retail release that features full-on Wii U remakes of Nanostray, Nanostray 2 and both Iridion 3D games. I bet fans of the developer’s shmups would agree, especially if they also got a discount voucher for Nano Assault EX included in the deal. Anyway, color me thrilled to see another Wii U game on the way…

Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise Trailer (And A Release Date, Too!)

Posted on September 28, 2012 by geelw

Annnnd here you go: October 12 only via PSN and XBLA. As a bonus video surprise, here’s Victim #8, Bubbles. Poor Bubbles! While I’m still holding my breath (sort of) that we see an combo disc featuring both games (including all the Gold Edition content), I guess I’ll have to get this digitally after all (PSN, puh-leeze). Ah well – given that the game is going to be even better than the original, i don’t mind going out of my way to snag a copy. That said, it would also be cool to see this hit the Vita as well, especially with a wave of really super portable games on the way from other publishers.

Plants vs. Zombies Pinball (Yes!) On The Way for Zen Pinball 2

Posted on September 1, 2012 by geelw

While I truly miss the days of beating feet to the arcades every weekend with a roll of quarters to check out the latest pinball (and arcade) games, a few very dedicated developers who were also fans of the old school such as the mighty Zen Studios have been keeping the flame alive digitally. Thanks to some incredible simulations that take up a hell of a lot less space than an actual Pinball machine, yet manage to pack in all the thrills, you whippersnappers can play to your hearts content in the comfort of your living room and get the same thrills. Well, save for the flat out cool factor an actual hefty hunk of American made metal, glass and well-wired circuit boards brings to your living room. Hell, I bet that damn 60″ HD setup you have is where that pinball table WOULD be. Wait, what? You have a 90″ TV? Eeek. Well, good for you.

Anyway, Zen Pinball 2 (or Pinball FX2 for you Xbox 360 owners) has been getting some AMAZING updates. Here’s the latest one coming your way next week: Plants vs. Zombies Pinball, based on the popular and hilarious PopCap games. Three bucks for your PS3 or Vita (yes!), 240 MS Points for your 360. That’s a recommendation right there if I’ve ever written one. Poke around PSN or mosey around Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade in a few days, whip out that wallet and add PvZP to your collection.

Thanks, Sega!: NiGHTS into dreams… Makes A Welcome Return (Which IS Excellent, But…)

Posted on July 5, 2012 by geelw

Hey, Sega! Longtime supporter from the arcades to Dreamcast and beyond here. While I’m loving that you’re finally getting NiGHTS onto XBLA, PSN and PC soon enough, I’m also one of those crazy people that has the original game in it’s box with the analog controller, the Christmas NiGHTS disc (I have one each here for the US, Japanese and UK Saturn), the excellent Wii follow up and yes, that means I’ve played the game to death and will do so once more when this HD u[date hits. That said (dot, dot, dot)

Not to be a pest (again), but I’m just wondering when we’ll start seeing some of those other first-party Saturn titles get the same HD or remake love. The Panzer Dragoon series, Shining Force III (including all the content that stayed in Japan), Burning Rangers, stuff like that? It’s not as if I’m screaming about BUG! or Clockwork Knight not getting HD remakes here (you get what, one email a month about those, right?). I’m just a little bit concerned about Sega of America ignoring some of its best games on a console that’s been HUGELY underrepresented since it died. That and while they may not have sold in spectacular numbers on the Saturn, the games I listed might do even better today if the time was taken to bring them to gamers in the best possible manner.

Hell, I’d bet a Panzer Dragoon Complete Box Kickstarter would see money raining from the heavens…

Atlus Is Having A Half-Off Sale On PSN This Month. Yes, You Should Grab A Bunch Of Games While You Can.

Posted on July 4, 2012 by geelw

OK, you’ve got a few short weeks to get in on some cool games for your PS3 and PSP (and you should be able to run these downloads on your Vita), so get to it. North American gamers only on this deal, so that’s another cool Independence Day deal, I suppose. Hmmm… I may have to get Hexyz Force and Crimson Gem Saga as both are insanely tough to find cheap as UMD releases. Speaking of… Hey, Atlus! Put Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner up on PSN as well at some point, as hell, someone stole my complete copy a few years back and it’s impossible to find another one (that’s not going to cost me an arm and a leg), grrrr!

Go Buy This: Tomba! Hits PSN (Thank You, Monkey Paw Games!)

Posted on June 24, 2012 by geelw

I sold off my mint Tomba! and Tomba 2: The Evil Swine Return sometime last year for a nice chunk of change (I was surprised at how much they went for), but of course, I miss them terribly now, as they both were fun to play and pretty hilarious to boot. Anyway, thanks to the fine folks over at Monkey Paw Games, I can at least play the first game again, as it’s gotten a PSOne Classics reissue. Yeah, yeah, I’d prefer it on a disc with a bunch of other PSOne games, but that’s not going to happen, so this is the next best thing. Like Klonoa and before it, Pandemonium!, Tomba uses a “2.5D” perspective that combines traditional side-scrolling gameplay with occasional plane shifts into different parts of the 3D environment. It’s also got some light RPG elements (but isn’t a RPG a tall) and is one of those games that will keep a smile on your face from the moment you fire it up. I’d actually LOVE to see Monkey Paw get more PSOne games out (including a ton of the imports I have here), but I guess I should go bug them about it on their site, right?