Time to Get Jumpy! Urban Trial Freestyle Headed to 3DS, iOS This Spring

Posted on March 18, 2013 by geelw

3ds_1 After a fun run in February that saw the PS3 and Vita versions move in some pretty solid numbers, Tate Interactive and Shadowlands’ hot stunt bike game Urban Trial Freestyle is zooming onto the Nintendo 3DS as well as iOS devices this spring. Unlike the previous versions, the 3DSWare-only version is going to ship with a level editor that should extend the lifespan of the game considerably for owners of that handheld. I’m hoping we also end up with an update or sequel to the PS3 and Vita games that allow for rider creation (so the ladies can fly and wreck too!), track editing and other customization/sharing features. As soon as more news on the 3DS and iOS games pop up in the inbox, I’ll let you know…

VGA 101: On Kenji Eno (2): Something Old Brings In Something New(-ish)…

Posted on March 14, 2013 by geelw

Lumines ES2 So, as I posted last week, I finally got around to sending back that formerly long-lost Kenji Eno autographed copy of D2 about a week or so ago and got this nice surprise as a return response. A copy of Lumines: Electric Symphony autographed by the game’s producer and one of Eno’s close friends. Nice. Amusingly enough, I hadn’t played this Vita game previously, so now I get to do so and having done something nice for someone in the process. Yeah, I’m a nice guy under all that cranky. MOST of the time. Not get the hell off my lawn, you kids. Scoot! I have some games to play and no time for you whippersnappers. Git!

VGA 101: On Kenji Eno: A Loss Isn’t A Complete Loss If Something Is Gained In the Process…

Posted on March 3, 2013 by geelw

One of my favorite game creators, Kenji Eno, passed away on February 20th and I’d planned to write up something memorial-esque last week, but couldn’t for a few reasons. The main one was it’s actually quite hard to write something brief about what playing through some of the games he and his studio WARP created during their brief run meant to me without actually going through the library here and taking time to do so. That’s going to get done in about a month or so, barring incident. The other was I wanted to read what some of his close friends wrote about him in order to get a better insight on the man and his work. There was also a little bit of unfinished business to take care of in getting a certain something back to a certain someone, so that had to come first… Continue reading →

Aha! Smarter Folks Than I Have Figured Apple’s Tactics Out, Too…

Posted on February 28, 2013 by geelw

Hey, I’ve been saying this for a few years to anyone within earshot (and sometimes out of earshot if you’ve seen my soapbox rants live in Times Square – the closest I’m allowed to an Apple store these days), but now it’s “official” (well, sort of). Apple is really a sneaky mercenary front after all (dun dun dunnnnn!). The fine and dandy (and smarter than I ever will be) people over at Egghead Central have posted this interesting look at just how the Cupertino camp cooks up its new products and all that “innovation” they bring. Yeah, yeah, you Apple-heads out there won’t like some of their findings, but that’s “satire” for you, isn’t it?

The Bard’s Tale Unfolds on GOG.com – Ye Olde, Yet New-ish School Fun…

Posted on January 30, 2013 by geelw

I’m old enough to remember the classic original trilogy (I didn’t get around to playing them until the late 1990’s) and this not quite remake/reboot from 2004 that got decent reviews (I even reviewed it for one site back in the day) and I say you should try it out even if you’re a fan of the older games who doesn’t like more action-oriented experiences. You get those three vintage games as a bonus with this newer one (so there!) and the team at inXile Entertainment actually made quite a hilarious experience to dive into. While the gameplay is purely action/RPG (in the visual and gameplay vein of the Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and Champions of Norrath games), the writing is really funny for the bulk of the Bard’s adventure and there are even “follow the bouncing ball” musical numbers that may have you single along even if you thought you wouldn’t… Continue reading →

DmC Eye of Dante App: Some Are Still Kicking Capcom Around For Mere Marketing

Posted on December 5, 2012 by geelw

Oh, the internet can be a nasty little place for trying to push a product sometimes. Case in point, poor Capcom’s otherwise interesting app promoting the upcoming DmC through a bit of gameplay and site-hopping. If you go to the YouTube page and read the comments (which isn’t advised if you like your brain not flipping around in your head), they’re pretty mean and mostly not about the actual app. Ah well – I say if Ninja Theory’s new game coming out next year is good, all this green hot bile will dissipate like dust in the wind. Of course, the anti-DLC crowd is still not to be assuaged, so there’s always that fire to deal with…

Puzzle & Dragons Is Out For iOS (But Needs To Be On MORE Platforms, I Say)

Posted on November 10, 2012 by geelw

GungHo Online Entertainment’s latest game, Puzzle & Dragons is a nice-looking mix of casual puzzle and Pokemon-styled elements that could be your next fix, provided you own an iOS device. It’s too bad this isn’t on the 3DS or Vita, I say. As a HUGE Puzzle Quest fanatic, I could see this being a bit of a sleeper hit on dedicated handhelds as a download with an extended story mode and more content included for a decent price point. I guess I’ll need to keep my fingers crossed or something, as I can also see why GungHo went with iOS in the first place. That’s quite a load of casual gaming dollars to be raked in there, that’s for sure…

Need For Speed: Most Wanted In Stores Now: The Fastest Way To Make New Friends (And Rivals)…

Posted on October 26, 2012 by geelw

Criterion’s new multiplayer-centric racing game (which also has a fine single player component) has some spectacular speed (the rock-solid smoothest 30fps racer you’ll play this year), a massive open world feel and constant action even when you’re blasting around on the way to events. Plenty of licensed cars, plenty of racing action and plenty of opportunities to raise havoc online of off means plenty of time spent sunk into your couch when you should be doing more productive things. Then again, getting to the top of your Autolog listing and staying there IS important, grrrr! EA has a winner here – go let them know it with a buy, I say…

EA’s Going To Surprise A Few Folks (Me Included)…

Posted on October 11, 2012 by geelw

Most of the games I saw and played yesterday are under embargo for a few days or up to next month, so I can’t spill all the beans yet, but let’s just say some of you naysayers are going to be eating a load of crow when it comes to certain titles in their lineup. I’ll start rolling out previews for each title as their embargoes lift, but while you’re waiting, I’ll keep you posted on stuff I can write about over the next few days on the mobile and console front. OK, I’m off to bed for two hours, as I have a LOT to do and need to hop up and get an earlier start than usual…

He-Man: Chillingo and GlitchSoft’s iOS Platformer Has The Power!

Posted on October 11, 2012 by geelw

Say what you will about tablet and device games (or the devices themselves as gaming platforms), but once in a while you get to see something that’s just plain flat-out awesome enough to make you want to change your mind completely. For me, that would be EA and Chillingo’s spectacular He-Man: The Most Powerful Game in the Universe, a classic side scrolling action game from GlitchSoft that’s going to shock many with how good it is. Despite being developed in a relatively brief time (it was started a few months ago), the dev team has managed to make a game that looks fantastic (you really have to see it in motion in person to appreciate this) and has a great sense of humor about itself while being a blast of nostalgia older games can enjoy with their kids as they introduce the character and his friends to a new generation of gamers…