OK, I don’t have an iPad and have no interest in buying or owning one, thank you much (where do I put the games again and where’s my controller?). But for those millions of you out there who can’t let go of that trendy tactile tablet thingamajig, you need to get Bastion now that it’s finally hit the App Store. It’s a great game that worked perfectly on the PC, so Supergiant Games is expanding their multiple award-winning game with some touchy-feely controls and other enhancements that make an already superb RPG even better. Android device owners, you’re still going to be waiting around for a bit if you haven’t played this gem yet… but hey, if you have a PC or laptop, just buy the darn game for your actual computer, I say…
My quest to uncover all the hidden RPG gems continues marching onward… and this time, it’s something really cool that while incomplete, was actually the springboard for an even better remake (which is still in progress as we speak). While Wilfred the Hero, Part 1 is almost eight years old, don’t let that stop you from giving it a try. It’s yet another excellent RPG made with RPG Maker 2003 that doesn’t use the familiar art assets found in the RTP. Creators Teo Mathlein (art) and Brandon Abley (music) managed to make a game that’s wholly unique in its art style while adding elements to the gameplay from a few sources. While it’s labeled as a “Japanese-style” console RPG experience, i think that’s selling the game short, as it’s set in a world that won’t be familiar to those expecting that typical Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest clone game.
UPDATE: CONTEST CLOSED! WINNERS PICKED! CODES SENT! WHEE! Hey! You look like you could use a game break, so here’s a quick giveaway for two lucky readers. Tiny Troopers for PC is a fun action/real-time strategy hybrid from Kukouri Mobile Entertainment and Iceberg Interactive that’s been getting some pretty solid reviews for the iOS and Android versions.
Now, lucky PC and Mac gamers can give this enhanced version of the game a shot through Valve’s always rockin’ Steam download service, where the game is normally $9.99, but is on sale until September 7, 2012 through the Steam store for 20% off. That, by the way, is what they call a STEAL in this day and age.
Here’s a peek at the game (and of course, gameplay) for you:
Looks pretty cool, huh? I say go make yourself and the developer happy and buy this game. Or, you could luck out and be one of two winners here simply by being the first two folks to post a note below. Don’t get too giddy now and put your email address in that note, now – I know how to track you down without it. Anyway, RULES: you DO need a Steam account to enter, the game is PC and Mac compatible and there’s only ONE code per winner, so don’t get grabby, now! Winners will be emailed their codes, so yes, having an actual email address will help as well. Also, even if you don’t win, the game is a good enough deal at either the full or reduced price to make a great purchase for yourself or someone else.
Anyway, if you’ve read this far and haven’t replied, you might not be a winner, so get cracking!
OK, OK, I’ve been a bit swamped under other stuff, so I’ve been bad and not posting all the Malevolence updates I need to. Well, part of that is for some reason, YouTube hasn’t been informing me when a new video is uploaded and I’m way too occupied in some projects to keep poking around. Anyway, here’s a gameplay update from the 13th (above) and some not quite in sync audio to go with more gameplay.
I wish I was one of the lucky ones testing this game, but I can’t do that with my crappy connection, that’s for sure. Still, I’ll keep my paws crossed that the team does well enough to find a small publisher who can get this out on a disc at some point, as this is a game I really want to play (and has been for a while).
Yeah, yeah, I’m late to the whole Space Funeral appreciation party, but hey, I was kind of busy. Actually, I’d heard about the game a while ago from some friends, but I finally just got around to downloading and playing it over the past week and yes, it’s an instant RPGMaker classic. While the gameplay is pretty standard RPG 101 fare all the way (using an Active or Wait time-based system common to the older Final Fantasy games), it’s the amazingly strange art style and general weirdness that makes the game so special. If you recall the more bizarre alternative comics from the 80’s by Gary Panter, Charles Burns, kaz and more, all filtered through a David Lynch lens with a shot of Suda 51 on the side, the game will grab you from the moment you hit BLOOD on the title screen. RPGMaker.net user catmitts must own a time machine or still get videos on his MTV channel on cable or something, as he’s managed to tap into the new wave vibe perfectly, creating an original game that manages to feel as if it was made for a Bizarro World NES.
August 24, PC owners. Prepare to Buy… then Prepare to DIE. And love every moment of it. The core word here is NEW, as in new areas, NPCs, weapon, monsters, bosses, PvP areas and MORE. Yes, as a console owner I’m temporarily annoyed (we’re getting this content later, so it’s all good), but I’m also hoping that PC gamers who’ve been whining about wanting this so badly buy it in numbers that stagger the imagination. Hopefully, the online play will be cheat and hack-free, but we’ll see what happens in the first week or two of release and then a bit afterward as those that can start mucking about with the game code. I still would LOVE a Vita version of a Souls game or a new RPG franchise from From Software at some point geared to portable players. I guess we’ll see what happens with that down the road…
While it’s got a few pesky typos (and is yet ANOTHER game that’s making me wonder if I should join the fine folks over at RPGMaker.net and ask people to send me their scripts to proofread), spirit_young‘s very cool and often crudely funny RPG, Epic Elf manages to be well worth checking out for a few reasons. His spin on the treasure hunting rogue and his slime minion is a fun one, complete with modern day cursing (hey, it made me laugh) and plenty of increasingly challenging battles. I liked that the game wasn’t a complete walk in the park and some of the dungeons past the first area require your party to be properly leveled, packing some powerful gear and spells in order to take out enemies and much more brutal bosses. You can swap your trusty slime out with another useful minion once you find it, but be sure to level the new one up a bit or it will constantly be dying in combat.
As I always have way too much going on (being a one-man operation can be a bit of a pain every so often), sometimes I can be a tad forgetful. That. or I end up not getting to everything on my rather long list of games I’d like to dive into for a spell. To wit: I’d forgotten this amazing set of over 40 Sega Genesis games had shipped out to retail a while back (OK, something like March 2011!) until one of my eBay alerts reminded me that I was looking for this. A few clicks later and for a mere $9.90 shipped (brand new/sealed), I’m a happy camper set to re-relive some games I’ve played to death on a few platforms already. Hey, the classics NEVER get old, that’s for sure.
I’ll drop in a review once this arrives and I get in some quality time with the games in this great package. Hmmmm… now, where did I put that PC game pad I haven’t used in ages?
Between the open world exploration across a few choice (and massive, excellently detailed) locations and these spectacular-looking (and rather speedy) sea battles, it looks as if Assassin’s Creed III will be keeping a few million gamers quite occupied for a while before they even touch the multiplayer content on the disc. Me, I’m a story guy first and foremost, so I’m highly impressed by what I’ve seen so far and that includes the Vita game that’s an entirely different story altogether. That October 30 release date is rushing up fast and I’d bet this game will keep a lot of you gamers who normally head out on Halloween inside scarfing down that candy you’d intended to pass out to trick or treaters…
By the way, here’s a new Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation trailer in case you need another good reason to get a Vita. This just might be the best game on the handheld to date and for quite a while, the largest in terms of scope.
Konami revealed a nice selection of upcoming titles at Gamescom this year and even had their own web show to promote the goods. Here’s a look at the three post show videos for each day of the show as well as the pre-show peek behind the scenes video that kicked things off. Between Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 – Mirror of Fate, and a few other cool games, I’m going to be glued to my TV for a nice chunk of time, that’s for sure. I just hope I don’t go even more broke stocking up on extra controllers…