E3 2014: Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley – Not The Only Thing Natsume Showed This Year, But…

Posted on June 17, 2014 by geelw

You wouldn’t know this by looking at their North American YouTube page. Now, I’m not singling Natsume out for anything mean here at all, folks. They’re a solid but much smaller publisher than some of the bigger and busier ones who show stuff at E3 and to me, that’s precisely why they NEED more updates on their main video page. Granted, they DO have a nice social presence on facebook with a page that’s updated fairly frequently. however, not everyone has or wants a facebook account and YouTube works quite well as far as letting potential customers see what’s coming (despite the pain in the butt that is Google+ hampering some basic functionality there).

Anyway, as I’ve been trumpeting, Alphadia Genesis is also coming (a port of an iOS and Android JRPG) and I posted about the rest of their lineup before the big show. Hey, I just want to see the little guys succeed, so if I can generate some thrills and hits for Natsume and their cool lineup of upcoming and already available games, I’m doing my job here.

E3 2014: Alphadia Genesis: So It’s A Mobile Port. For Now, It’s The Sole JRPG on the Wii U…

Posted on June 9, 2014 by geelw

Well, until Monolith Soft’s “X”(or whatever it will be called once it’s completed) gets an actual release date (which should hopefully be announced at the Nintendo Direct broadcast later today), that is. Somehow, Nintendo’s home consoles have slipped a bit on the JRPG front since the Super Nintendo days, although there have been a few outright classic (and not so classic) titles released for every home system from the N64 up to the Wii. Natsume is publishing this former iOS/Android game later this summer as a digital-only eShop release and I’d say it’ll do well among those gamers who have a Wii U sitting at home and miss playing these games on a big screen. Sure, the 3DS family has PLENTY of JRPGs and more on the way and yes, is the preferred handheld for millions of users. Nevertheless, old farts like me who prefer playing games we can actually see that won’t have our backs going out from being hunched over a screen and our poor eyeballs swelling in our skulls will be welcoming Alphadia Genesis with open arms. Thanks, Natsume!

These Humble Bundles Get Bookish And Robotic, But That’s Okay In These Cases…

Posted on May 28, 2014 by geelw

Got an e-reader of some sort? Get the Humble eBook Bundle while you can. Nine books, ten bucks (or more if you like), at least one more unlocked free later. While the fantasy and other fiction stuff comes highly recommended, I’d say ABSOLUTELY grab this for MARCH: Book One by Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell.

This real-life account of Lewis’ struggle during the Civil Rights era is not only one of the best modern works about the period, it drives home how important the man himself is as a current voice against those who think race issues don’t matter in America these days.

As for that Humble PC and Android Bundle? Eight games that run on PC or Mac via STEAM or on assorted Android devices, six soundtracks, more games unlocked later, five bucks (or more, as before). You get to read and/or play yourself into a stupor, some charities get your money and everyone’s as happy as un-caught clams doing whatever clams do when they’re not worrying about being tossed in a pot or shucked by someone stuffing their maw in an eating contest. Yep, that’s the way to do it, I’d say…

Godzilla Strike Zone Trailer: A Little Free Fun While You’re Waiting…

Posted on May 21, 2014 by geelw

Interestingly enough, had that new Godzilla film been made about ten years ago, gamers would be playing some new (and possibly rushed to make the film’s release window) game like this with longer levels and perhaps some sort of added multiplayer features. The days of paying fifty bucks for licensed movie games is over, I’d say and so, you get Godzilla Strike Zone for free on PC as a web browser game, on iOS though the App store and on Android through Google Play. Is it any good? Well, that depends on your definition of “good”, folks. It’s fun to play and loud and not very long overall, so I guess that counts as “good” in my book. Granted, you don’t need to know a thing about Godzilla old or new to dive into this and nope, you can’t ever beat FREE in my book even if a game isn’t all that hot. This one’s not going to task your brain in any way shape or form, but I’d recommend playing with headphones or ear buds, as you’ll rattle some windows if you have the volume up too much.

Humble Bundles Galore Today: Daily, Weekly, Store, All Waiting To Take Over Your PC!

Posted on May 19, 2014 by geelw

I’ll keep it short today, as my mailbox is overflowing: Humble Daily Bundle? Three fighting games, old and new. To steal a quote from the past… “Get it… or get hit!”

Then there’s the Humble Store Spring Sale: 48 hours of BARGAINS galore on games old to new, all priced to move or whatever download games do when they go from one place to another (go check it out and watch your wallet gleefully leap to its demise!).

And finally… The Humble Doctor Who Comics Bundle! Whaaaaat?! Loads of books (more on the way if you buy!) AND you get an unlocked version of Doctor Who: Legacy for your Android phone (with all the Doctors)! Yeah, you know you want EVERYTHING and I won’t even try to stop you (so there!). Anyway, buy lots of to way too much stuff, support some charities and then go wish you had a real TARDIS so you could read and play for a while then go back in time and have the rest of your Monday roll out as it should.

Well, minus you spilling that cup of OJ all over the boss man this morning, oops…

The Collectables Blasts Onto iOS Devices Today: Crytek’s Got You Good On A Few Fronts…

Posted on March 20, 2014 by geelw

I was certainly surprised that I’d like a mobile game as much as Crytek’s The Collectables (as I’m not a fan of touchy-tappy gaming at all) when I saw it a few months back, but thanks to the combination of fantastic visuals and easy to get into gameplay (Okay, and stuff blowing up every few seconds), I can say this one’s worth a try. There’s also an addictive card collecting element (thus the game’s title) and some more fun to be had here, but this isn’t a review and I’m keeping it short because I think you should take this for a spin and see what you think. So, yeah- go do just that, I say…

The Collectables: Crytek’s F2P Mobile Surprise WIll Blow You Away…

Posted on December 11, 2013 by geelw

To many fans of their graphically intensive game experiences on PC and/or consoles, the words “Crytek” and “mobile gaming” are probably not even seen as anything close to a reality, but surprise, surprise. DeNA and Mobage are about to knock many socks off with the developers first project, a phenomenal-looking free to play tactical arcade shooter called The Collectables. Yes, the name more than likely has your eyebrow now hovering way above your head, I’m betting, and you’re not alone. My own eyebrow did a back flip when I heard a few weeks back that Crytek was entering the mobile scene, but when I finally saw the game in action last week demoed by a broadly smiling Barry Dorf, I was not only convinced, but I’d go as far to say that this might be the game some “core” gamers who shun mobile and tablet games run out to buy a device to play it on…
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The Gate: When Free, Hell and iOS Together Are Actually A Great Thing…

Posted on December 7, 2013 by geelw

Currently an iOS exclusive and out NOW, The Gate is a free to play fantasy-themed card battle/RTS from American McGee and developer Spicy Horse Games that looks amazing and should grab the attention of those iOS users looking for some high-quality gaming on the go with a bit more bite.

As you can see, the game’s lovely artwork is quite impressive, mixing in a bit of Diablo with some original elements quite nicely. Killer artwork of course, doesn’t entirely make a game, but it looks as if the team has cooked up quite a winner on the gameplay front with a little help from DeNA and Mobage. In other words, it looks as if going to Hell will actually be something you’ll want to to many, many times once you pick this one up and get hooked into all it has to offer.

Currently, there’s no word if this is coming to non-iOS platforms, but I’d gather this all depends on how well the iOS version does. I’m an eternal optimist (or at least someone who prefers more choice outside of Apple platforms), so I’m hoping more gamers who play on other devices can get a taste of The Gate at some point in the near future.

As for what to expect if your interest is piqued, well… peek below the jump for the gory details (or: it’s press release time!)…
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LAWLESS: DeNA’s Arcade Shooter Brings The HEAT To iOS…

Posted on December 6, 2013 by geelw

Another of DeNA’s surprises for mobile devices was this great looking fast paced arcade-style tap and shoot game, LAWLESS, that’s a surprisingly fun mash-up of classic light gun games such as Time Crisis, Virtua Cop and Area 51 and Michael Mann’s stellar crime flick, HEAT. If that sounds like a match made in coin-drop heaven it comes off even more excellently thanks to developers Eight Pixels Squared and DeNA Scattered Entertainment.

Sitting down with DeNA’s Barry Dorf for a quick look at the game, I was surprised at the combination of nicely realistic visuals and speedy timed gameplay that was immediately accessible and yes, addictive. Like the other games shown, this one’s free to play in solo or multiplayer modes with the option to buy in should one choose to upgrade. Based on some quick hands-on time with this one, I can see a lot of people opting in to spend a little to a lot of cash to keep this one going for a good long time… Continue reading →

Money Run: DeNA Gives The Mobile “Runner” Genre Some VERY Hot Wheels…

Posted on December 5, 2013 by geelw

If you loved Temple Run and its many copycats and clones but are in the mood for something a little more thrilling, DeNA has exactly the game for you in the form of the soon to be released free game Money Run, which replaces that too familiar treasure hunter or licensed character and those assorted colorful leap-happy maps with a pure arcade experience that plays like a cross between Spy Hunter and Twisted Metal with a few cool twists. Actually, this isn’t a mere cosmetic re-skinning job at all, as the fast-paced racing action chock full of plenty of crashes and explosions feels straight out of some Hollywood blockbuster or action-packed TV series.