Rollers of the Realm: Pinball, Puzzle & RPG? Three Tastes That Taste Great Together!

Posted on April 13, 2013 by geelw

I’ll admit my eyebrow went flying up into the air for a second when I heard about Rollers of the Realm, but after a look around at the video above and the official site, I’m all in. Yeah, developer Phantom Compass (and friends) currently only has this set to hit PC and certain phone and tablet-shaped portable devices, but I think this one could be the new Puzzle Quest if it hits consoles as well at some point down the road. Sure, it’ll cost more to buy if it’s on the PS3 and Vita va PSN, Wii U and 3DS eShop or the Xbox 360 through XBLA. But hey, we console gamers are USED to paying more for some games because we know it generally costs more to bring them over with new features. Granted, I’d prefer this on a disc or game card, but that’s not going to happen at all, I’d bet. So a nice and shiny HD download is perfectly fine by me. I’ll be keeping an eye on this one, that’s for sure…

Usagi Yojimbo Takes A Stab At The PC Indie Game Market…

Posted on April 13, 2013 by geelw

Hmmmm. I used to read Stan Sakai’s great indie comic way back in the 80’s (I actually had Albedo Anthropomorphics #2 back in 1984!), so seeing the character FINALLY make it to video game form is interesting considering it’s NOT what I thought he’d be on. Amusingly enough, this and many other iOS and/or device games plus way too many indie games to count are EXACTLY what gamers would be paying fifty to sixty bucks for on a cartridge. So, seeing all of these apps popping up and getting forgotten unless they get some major press (which doesn’t seem to be a big thing non-mobile gaming sites cover regularly) is a bit amusing and annoying at the same time. I’ll check this one out if it ever shows up on something I can use a dedicated controller on or a handheld system with a decent control pad. Oh, wait… it IS coming to PC after all (wheee!):

Yeah, that’s more like it. Thanks, Happy Giant Games! For the record, I’ve tried the device thing and while fun for some titles, others just aren’t fit for tapping and tickling a screen. That’s right, grrrr… I’ll have to be dragged kicking and screaming into owning a tablet primarily for gaming – I’ll be kicking that tablet you’re trying to force on me and you’ll be screaming at me to stop with the foot action. Grrrrrowlllll.

Oh, Romo! You’re SO Cute And All, But I Only Have An N-Gage QD!

Posted on April 12, 2013 by geelw

Hey, Keller Rinaudo? Your Romo is an interesting device and all, but my phone isn’t as “smart” as yours at all (or anything made after 2007) and I don’t plan to change that much. Hey, I only use it for getting calls (and almost no one calls me) and playing games. Sure, I can probably grab a nice used iPhone and be hip like the rest of you cool kids…. but NO iOS or Android device will play the awesome RIFTS: Promise of Power, Pathway to Glory and some other really great N-Gage games that never got released on other mobile platforms or handheld gaming systems.

Hmmm… if you can teach Romo to program games and pull some legal strings so these games popped up on devices and tablets, MAYBE I’ll reconsider. Or maybe not. I like my contract-less freedom and app-less lifestyle…

R.I.P., Lucasarts (Earn It, Mittens. EARN IT).

Posted on April 4, 2013 by geelw

If I were a REALLY cranky and cynical bastard, I’d say Disney REALLY killed off Lucasarts (and pretty much anything Star Wars related in the game space forever) so cheaper to make casual games like Mittens could live. Sacrifice that expensive cash-draining bigger studio and two solid-looking works in progress along with that formerly proud sci-fi IP (that still has a gigantic fan base, mind you) that’s had a bunch of not-so-hot games mixed in with a few winners over the years for this cute kitten and a ton of other faster to cash in mobile and social titles? Sure, why not? Any non-gaming industry analyst worth his salt (and a few who do, I’d bet) will say it makes PERFECT economic sense at the end of the day (albeit at the cost of too many jobs at a newly shuttered studio)…

Hey, all is not lost, right? Disney still has some of its own famous (and new original) properties that are SURELY guaranteed a huge audience based on that company name recognition alone? And hey, NO one will miss Lucasarts save for a “vocal minority” (as we get called by the executive types who trumpet these casual games and their monetizing schemes over “risky” IP with a shaky track record).

Yeah, sure… that’s the ticket…

Fortunately, I’m NOT that guy… I think. So long Lucasarts. Hopefully, the Force will be with those now unemployed.

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…

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?

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…

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…

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Hey, Where’d My Wednesday Go? Go Watch A Trailer While I Figure That Out…

Posted on September 6, 2012 by geelw

Oops. I got so buried in a couple of games that arrived yesterday that I forgot to add a post! Eh, it happens. I’ll be back with some reviews I started for some other games as well as some other posts later today. Now, I’m headed to sleep to rest my weary eyeballs. In the meantime, here’s a trailer for Scribblenauts Remix to ogle, now that it’s coming to iOS after all this time… good night!