Dragon’s Crown PS3, Vita Bound This Summer – It’s Worth Every Crown, I Say…

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DC display packsVanillaware’s latest and absolutely gorgeous-looking 2D side-scrolling action RPG, Dragon’s Crown is finally US-bound this summer for both the PS3 and Vita (yup, you can pre-order it HERE) and yes, it’s going to arrive at a premium RETAIL price point for both the PlayStation 3 and Vita. Sure, $49.99 (PS3) and $39.99 (Vita) will seem pricey to the entitled trolls who bitch about game prices in the same posts they seem to cut and paste around the web (usually followed by “When is this going on SALE?” or something similarly cheap-sounding), but this isn’t some dumb mobile nickel and dimer we’re talking about here. George Kamitani and his team at Vanillaware make their art into gaming form and fans of the company’s other releases such as Odin Sphere, Muramasa: The Demon Blade and Princess Crown (which NEEDS a HD remake one of these days!) KNOW these games are well worth the money for the artwork and lovely character designs alone.

Por ejemplo…

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Of course, the addictive gameplay will be a big draw as well and this one’s got drop-in multiplayer on PlayStation 3 or via adhoc network on PlayStation Vita. No Cross Play functionality might be a sore spot for some, but I say pick one version (or both) and enjoy either ride solo or with like minded friends who also love Vanillaware’s games for their always awesome art and stylish hack & slash action. Chalk up another winner for Atlus, I say!

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Diablo III on PS3: Blizzard’s Showing Off The Goods (And Positively Pissing Off Some PC Gamers in the Process)…

 

DIII New TristramI’m really happy to see that not only has Blizzard reworked the controls to be direct and yes, Dual Shock 3 friendly, the game also looks great and should get MORE people playing who’ve been wondering what the hell a Diablo game is and why there’s so much bile spilling out over the Internet from a certain bunch of folks who seem to be either jealous or wishing fiery doom, (DOOM, I say!) upon the developer and anyone with a console and not a cutting-edge PC that cost more than some used cars who wants to play this game. Eh, whatever. I’m BUYING Diablo III because my PC couldn’t run it (the always online crap from that version has been replaced with a solo play mode I’m behind 100%) and I wasn’t at all interested in the real money auction house nonsense forced upon PC players. Of course, there’s the matter of the PS4 version of the game not being compatible with the PS3 version, but at the end of the day, I’m gathering that other than visuals and controls, both versions will otherwise be the same and compatible with their specific consoles (which should have user bases large enough to support online play amongst those users who end up going that route).

 

 

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Gallery: Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara

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D&D_art_small (Cue stereotypical booming RPG narrator voice along with equally stereotypical epic-sounding fantasy music) NARRATOR: “And so, it came to pass, after many years of online fire and calamity that Capcom doth finally decree that the gamers worldwide long starving for a pair of decent fantasy hack & slash arcade games long consigned to history’s dusty trails become updated and set loose as one whole product to be forever named Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara. And that game, now headed to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U and Windows PC (developed for Capcom by Iron Galaxy and priced at $14.99/€14.99/£11.99/1200MSP) was indeed met by the cheers and praises of the long-starved masses destined to play until the long hours of the dark night have turned to day… and beyond!”

Or something like that. I’ll just shut up with the silly stuff and run the gallery below:

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Review: Bloody V3 Multi-Core Gun3 Gaming Mouse – Shooter’s Paradise?

Bloody V3 MouseThrow a dead stuffed cat anywhere on the Internet and you’ll hit a gaming mouse review or recommendation. It’s a tough and packed market these days, what with big name companies getting their products out through big PC gaming tournaments worldwide, all sorts of promotions, pro review recommends and community board high fives pumping up interest in the best and often, most expensive mice you can buy. Then there’s A4Tech and their quiet storm of putting out some decently awesome peripherals and seeing what happens as folks like me try them out. Well, without a glowing trumpet or flaming flag in sight, I can safely report than the Bloody V3 Multi-Core Gun3 Gaming Mouse is a really awesome deal at $39.99 (or less if you shop around) and it’s also an excellent mouse FPS fans should take to like ducks to water. Packed with features (and some nice goodies inside the box that make it an even better value), the V3’s only drawback is the option to buy into what amounts to a cheat upgrade that allows even more functions to an already solid peripheral. Continue reading

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

Transistor: Supergiant Games’ Next WIP (PLUS, Buy Bastion Cheap If You Haven’t Yet!)

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Transistor_19-mar-2013_01Meet Red, heroine of Supergiant Games‘ currently in development action/RPG, Transistor. That’s a mighty big sword she’s swinging, isn’t it? Turns out that weapon is integral to the plot, as it was previously used in an attempt to kill the poor gal, but she survived and is out to find out who wanted her dead and why they used such a damn big butter knife when an accidentally dropped piano would have done the job. OK, so THAT piano stuff is probably not part of the plot (I hope), but those of you who played Supergiant’s amazing Bastion on any platform it ended up on know that Transistor will be a spectacular and memorable experience. Keep an eye on this one, folks – it’s going to be one for the ages, I predict…

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Continue reading

VGA 101: More Collection Madness, Badly Shot (For Now)…


 
Nope, I’m not QUITE taking today off, folks. I was just catching up on some games I need to review (the results of which you’ll read shortly). Anyway, to keep you “entertained”, I thought I’d grab my crappy camera and quickly zoom through some stuff in the library (which NEEDS a big reorganization and/or a makeover I can’t afford yet, boo!). Er, you may want to take some Dramamine before viewing this, as it’s probably really fuzzy and moving faster than a caterpillar who’s had a pot of strong coffee. Or like a rat. Made out of a LOT of video games. Squeak, squeak! Eek, eek!

Gallery: Rambo Screenshots – I’ve No Beef With Reef (Just Yet)…

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Rambo_KeyImageUK-based Reef Entertainment along with developer Teyron are hard at work on their upcoming PC/PS3/Xbox 360 Rambo game and it looks pretty good as far (well, as those nice screenshots go). That initial trailer with zero actual gameplay footage was a good enough elevator pitch to some fans, but skeptical dopes like me want to see something to Actual Bravo about.

Still, I won’t be playing this as a “serious” game, as other than First Blood and that last super-gory flick (that made some interesting political points on the pro-rebel side of the Myanmar/Burma conflict), the series isn’t exactly without its unintentionally goofy-ass elements. Of course, I’m also throwing any expectations out the nearest window like I do with every game I play, as going in wanting something LIKE another game and getting what a developer intends to be different always disappoints in one way or another.  That May 3, 2013 release dater I’ve seen is rolling around pretty fast, so let’s hope for the sake of the license that the game is actually fun and does well at retail.

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Ty the Tasmanian Tiger Is Back! Krome Set to Shine on Games for Windows 8 Platforms

ty is backFile this post under “Aha, I knew it!” Super talented Aussie developer Krome Studios has been posting all sorts of cool artwork from their older Ty the Tasmaniam Tiger games on Facebook for the past few weeks and now after a load of fan speculation, they’ve dropped a super cool trailer for an all all-NEW Ty game currently in development and set to launch later this year. And it’s a gorgeous HD sprite-based 2D side-scroller, to boot. That’s the great news. The not-so great news for console owners is the new game is currently only set to be released on Games for Windows 8 PCs and tablets. Which means Microsoft Studios is involved in the publishing process, which means the chances of this coming to a non-Microsoft console or handheld are currently slim to none. Grrrr. However, a tweet from Krome notes that the game “may end up elsewhere later on”, which balances things out a bit. Continue reading