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…

Martin Scorcese Misses An Opportunity For More Laughs With Siri…

Posted on August 7, 2012 by geelw

As soon as I saw this latest iPhone ad I thought what a whole lot of others who know the director’s work did. When he asks the taxi driver to take another route, it would have been PERFECT to see Robert De Niro as the cabbie. Granted, I’m betting the actor didn’t want to step into Travis Bickle’s shoes again after so long, but still – it would have made the ad even more priceless.

And no, that doesn’t mean I want an iPhone now. Nice try though, Apple.

Sonic CD Lands Pretty Much Everywhere (Except On An Actual CD)

Posted on December 14, 2011 by geelw

Let’s see now, Xbox LIVE Arcade, Android and iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch today and tomorrow, PSN on the 20th, Windows Phones sometime early in 2012. How funny is it that a game with “CD” in the title DOESN’T get an actual disc release? Oh well. Heck, I was hoping this would have been a bonus in the otherwise superb Sonic Generations, but nope. I guess I’ll have to hold out for a Vita release at some point. Anyway, if you’ve one of these fancy de-vices listed above and want to experience a classic platformer that will plant a grin across your mug, definitely check out what Sega has cooking. Now about getting ALL the 16-bit up to to Sega Saturn Sonic games all in one place…

EA Just Keeps it Coming…

Posted on October 13, 2011 by geelw

A quickie post before I keel over, as I need to bounce out of bed bright and early for day one of New York Comic Con. EA has some really nice surprises coming up this year and next in pretty much every category. Battlefield 3 multiplayer on the PS3 was amazingly fluid and controls like a dream (seriously, Call of What?). There was a really nice Mass Effect 3 surprise I can’t share just yet (as it’s embargoed until10/27). Speaking of surprises, Syndicate is going to make even the most hardcore fans of the PC classic bow to Starbreeze’s skills. They nailed the dark feeling of the original but as a first-person experience (it’s not a Deus Ex: Human Revolution clone either, which is even better). SSX is another shocker – don’t let the more realistic visuals fool you at all – the game is SUPER fun to play (the tricks flow off the controller) and the mountains are massive. SWTOR is an instant addiction (I had to stop playing before I got hooked) that’s sure to be huge once it ships (look out WoW!). The Secret World brings a fresh, modern take to the MMO (and NEEDS to come to consoles with a single player offline mode, as there’s a lot of good under the hood that begs to be explored). There’s a LOT more to yak about, but that’s for later – i need my beauty rest…