LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: It’s About Time The House of Ideas Got Bricked!

Posted on May 1, 2013 by geelw

Take that as you will, but Marvel fans have been clamoring for a LEGO game with their favorites for years, so this way too short teaser trailer is giving them a reason to bounce up and down in their seats. I got a big grin going when I saw that the Hulk that looked as if it was modeled after the late Gil Kane’s version (except it doesn’t have that weird pineapple-shaped head his did), the Galactus shadow and yeah, those old costumes on some of the charaters. Speaking of characters, over 100 will be playable in the game, meaning this is going to be yet another game in the long running LEGO series with infinite replay value. This fall will be pretty darn busy for Marvel fans, that’s for sure…
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Turbo Super Stunt Squad Hands-On: Zippy Trick Snails Remind Me A Bit Of The Old Days…

Posted on April 30, 2013 by geelw

Image converted using ifftoany

Dreamworks Animation is having quite a busy year with a few big releases zipping into theaters this year, and D3Publisher is right in the same zone, getting out a few cool family-friendly titles tying into these assorted properties. Turbo (set for a July 19 release) is the next film zooming your way and D3P’s Turbo: Super Stunt Squad will also pop up as a multiplatform release (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii/Wii U, Nintendo DS/3DS) a few days before on July 16, 2013 (what, no Vita version?). I had the chance to take the Xbox 360 and 3DS versions for a spin earlier this month and came away with a smile, as the games are coming along as fine and well-made tie-ins to the upcoming film.

While you’re not going to be getting any hyperbole-packed “Game of the Year!” reviews from a licensed game like this (and you shouldn’t expect any, mind you), developer Monkey Bar Games is whipping up a fun, cool homage of sorts to the classic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater with this stunt-filled racer/exploration game that’s sure to put smiles on a few faces…

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Resident Evil Revelations “Atmosphere” Case File: Remember to Breathe At Some Point…

Posted on April 28, 2013 by geelw

I’m probably the only person I know who thinks that there should be a Resident Evil game where you don’t put a single bullet through a zombie or other mutated monster. Nope, in fact, almost the entire game would take place at some sort of control center where all you did was send out agents into the field and they’d do the dirty work while you sat back and collected all that information from the files, videos and other intel that makes up a good deal of lore and used it for assorted research purposes. Granted, this sort of management simulation has been done to death in other genres, but I think it might be interesting as a side game in a new Resident Evil game at some point down the road…

Hmmm, perhaps I didn’t get enough sleep last night or something? Where the heck did I put that rocket launcher again? Resident Evil Revelations hits PC, PS3 and, Wii U and Xbox 360 on May 21, 2013. My goofball game idea? Well, that’s shipping out never (much to the delight of the most dedicated RE fanatics out there)…

Gallery: Resident Evil Revelations

Posted on April 26, 2013 by geelw

revelations_logo_r

Jill_Porthole_Artwork Jill Valentine certainly isn’t on The Love Boat this time out and this creature-packed cruise from hell she’s stuck on will surely make her long “OK, let’s NOT do that again” list along with her every other appearance in a Resident Evil game where she’s put through the virtual wringer. But where would you fans be if she wasn’t always in some sort of peril with half a clip left and something really ugly closing in for it’s dinner? Granted, if she’s out of ammo and on her last legs, that’s actually more your fault than the game, right?

Anyway, Resident Evil Revelations looked fantastic as a Nintendo 3DS game last year, but completely redone for consoles and PC, it’s definitely a visual showstopper for the long-running franchise. With a May 21 release date set Capcom has announced that yes indeed, a demo for the upcoming multiplatform game will be released soon over Steam (PC), PSN (PS3), Xbox Live (Xbox 360) and eShop (Wii U), so you’ll get to try this one out and see the horror for yourself. Or not see it, because you’re too damn scared to tiptoe into the next room. Hmmm… I wonder if there’s even a tiptoe animation in the game. I guess that’s my winning suggestion to Capcom for the next installment in the series…

Below the jump are a boatload of screens and a part one of a great developer diary that looks at how RE’s of the past have shaped this installment – do drop in and check it out, please… Continue reading →

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara – The Cleric: The Doctor is IN!

Posted on April 24, 2013 by geelw

Not just a skilled fighter, the Cleric can dish out some truly nasty spells that cause damage to all sorts of pesky creatures. Of course, going at it solo with the character is a challenge, but that’s the fun thing about these arcade games because they bend the D&D rules enough to allow anyone to play as any class and still have a complete blast. As in that Turn Undead spell completely blasting the game screen free of undead things before they get within chomping distance. Clerics don’t much care for zombie bites on their forearms (or foreheads, for that matter!). Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara goes on sale July 14 on PSN, Xbox Live Arcade, Nintendo’s eShop (for the Wii U) and PC. Yes, I’m still hoping there’s a Vita version coming down the road, as this one begs to be played on a road trip!

New Addition: Pandora’s Tower Arrives!

Posted on April 19, 2013 by geelw

rainfall trio

So, I ended up getting all three of these seemingly final US version Wii RPGs and I’m very pleased that I did this when they were their normal prices and not overinflated eBay purchases. I fired up Pandora’s Tower for just over an hour today and it’s pretty interesting so far. It’s a mix of elements from Shadow of the Colossus, God of War, Castlevania and a few other games with a nice JRPG look (some pretty visuals and an appropriately unique color palette). On the audio front, the UK dub is solid and the soundtrack so far is excellent with its bombastic classical and choral elements driving the action and some cinemas. So far, it’s not really “innovative” in any major ways, but developer Ganbarion has done a solid job in taking the hack & slash and having a bit of fun with it. OK, now I need to get a few more posts done so I can get back to playing this one…

Nintendo Direct 4.17.2013: Making Some Intriguing Concessions To The Digital Age…

Posted on April 17, 2013 by geelw

So, Nintendo seems caught between a rock and the next generation, what with the PS4 and Microsoft’s new console on the way and Wii U sales not being as solid as they need to. The company is dropping some online channels from the console, but don’t make the mistake of thinking the system is dead by any means. There are a bunch of cool exclusives on the way for the Wii U, but once more, it’s the 3DS that’s stealing the show. A new Legend of Zelda game (well, one based on the classic SNES game A Link to the Past), the cult classic Earthbound (Hoo-freakin’-raaaay!) both coming as Virtual Console releases are but two of the super games coming for the company’s fans.

HOWEVER (dun-dun-dunnn!) Hmmm… I see a slight problem here in all the happy-happy going on…
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Pandora’s Tower: Xseed Gets Wii Owners One Final Great JRPG….

Posted on April 16, 2013 by geelw

It’s finally here and yep, you should be playing this if you’re a Wii owner and fan of this type of fantasy action/RPG. As I’m seeing a lot of those “Project Rainfall” petitioners whooping it up and patting themselves on the back and heads about how they got those final three important Wii-only JRPGs localized, I’ll have to admit that after playing through Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story that so far, these games have been pretty amazing… but not quite the be-all, end-alls some were claiming and hoping they’d turn out to be. That said, I’m definitely not passing up Pandora’s Tower at all, as it might be the most unique of the tree titles in terms of a few things. So, a big fat THANK YOU goes out (once again) to the fine folks at Xseed Games for bringing home that BACON one final time for us Wii owners out there. You’ll only get that in-joke if you hang around the company’s message boards, by the way…

Review: The Croods Prehistoric Party (DS/3DS)

Posted on April 15, 2013 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/3DS

Developer: Torus Games

Publisher: D3Publisher of America

# of Players: 1 – 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site: (3DS) (DS)

Score: C (70%)

Like the Wii and Wii U versions, The Croods Prehistoric Party is a collection of 30 mini-games that range from pretty darn fun to slightly (and temporarily) baffling. While colorful and lots of fun to play, both of the portable versions miss the golden opportunity to add any sort of multiplayer modes. In terms of design decisions on a handheld that has a number of fine multiplayer and party-themed games, this is actually a lot more baffling than that occasional mini-game you won’t get right away. As for how this is as a solo game, well, playing against the AI is at best, a bit too easy and at worst, way too easy once you find a few exploits too tempting to pass up… Continue reading →

Review: The Croods Prehistoric Party (Wii/Wii U)

Posted on April 15, 2013 by geelw

croods_wiiu_keyart (Custom) croods_wii_keyart (Custom) Platform: Nintendo Wii/Wii U

Developer: Torus Games

Publisher: D3Publisher of America

# of Players: 1 – 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Official Site (Wii U) (Wii)

Score: B (80%)

If you automatically expect a licensed game based on a family-friendly hit animated film to be yet another platform jumper in terms of gameplay and the usual appearance on multiple consoles, The Croods: Prehistoric Party may end up surprising you a bit on two fronts. First, it’s only for Nintendo’s consoles and handhelds and second, it’s a board game on the Wii and Wii U and a collection of mini-games on the DS and 3DS. Both home versions are exactly the same, save for the ability for solo players or one in a group having at it to play with the Wii U Gamepad. Like the Mario Party series, you’ll have more fun with up to three friends, but it’s entirely possible to play through the game against the AI and have a pretty decent time… Continue reading →