Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two: On Characters (Having and Being, Of Course)…

Posted on September 4, 2012 by geelw

It’s quite cool how the folks at Junction Point Studios and Blitz Games are making a mascot game relevant and engaging by taking a bunch of already established characters, adding a heft amount of storytelling and allowing players to cut loose and play in two different styles that change up the tale you end up with in the final product. Granted, the element of “choice” is the toughest thing to pull off in any game genre (as there’s always going to be players not satisfied with the amount of freedom they end up with), but the dev teams here are making their game quite a ride for those who are Disney fans with long memories and a willingness to experiment with nostalgia.

The Unfinished Swan PAX Story Trailer: When Games Are Indeed, Art

Posted on September 1, 2012 by geelw

I wouldn’t exactly call this soon to be released instant classic something that’s going to make the hardcore shooter fans fall away in droves from the games they like, but you can clearly see all the work that”s gone into making The Unfinished Swan a game for the ages. Of course, it’s another PSN-only game, so it’ll be seen as disposable by those who dislike digital releases. Hmmmm… I really do hope someone is preserving all this game code that goes up on these download sites for future reference, as physical media is still important to the industry (and will be for a while). Hell, they still need to transfer digital movies to 35mm film stock for proper preservation purposes all while the movie industry is rushing into dropping film pretty much entirely within a few years due to the cost of shipping heavy film reels around to theaters (for starters). That’s going to be one frightening time indeed, especially if all that digital data starts disappearing. Eh, maybe I’m worrying too much… but I don’t think so….

Okami HD (Almost) Leaves Me Speechless…

Posted on August 17, 2012 by geelw

Lovely. There’s really not much to say here other than if you own a PS3 and haven’t played it, you SHOULD buy this game, period. Even if you’ve played it to death, that HD polish and newly added PS Move control scheme both make it worth owning again. Of course, it would have been even cooler to have this on a Blu-Ray disc with an HD version of the cult hit GOD HAND plus a nice “making of” documentary for both games along with soundtracks and an art book (and maybe an Okami plushie for extra Premium Edition measure), but hey – I’m not the one making these decisions. Ah, well,,, but I were running things, that’s how I’d roll (although I’d support both physical and digital releases with the latter at a lower price point, as it should be for not getting packing and a manual).

The White Wolf Returns: Okami Goes the HD Download Route Over PSN This Fall

Posted on June 20, 2012 by geelw

Excellent. At a paltry $19.99 with added Move support (and Trophies if you want ’em) this is a no-brainer buy, period. Of course, PSN-only means it’ll be overlooked by a few who can’t get DLC. Heck, you know I’d kill to have this on a disc, as it’s one of the more gorgeous, innovative and fun games on any console. Yeah, I still have the original PS2 version here, but I’d buy it all over again just to play it with the Move (and in HD)… Anyway, once Capcom drops an actual date, I’ll post that here…

Sports Champions 2: Is This Sony’s OTHER Move Secret Weapon?

Posted on June 1, 2012 by geelw

Cue the “It’s About Time!” music, please. Well, I’m glad that’s one more E3 surprise I don’t have to worry about not being announced, even though it was a no-brainer. I like the new additions a lot and hopefully, Sony will have a few more fun PS Move games to show off next week. Truth be told, I’m not even a huge sports fan these days and I’ll be picking this one up just for the workout possibilities. Motion control gaming isn’t dead quite yet, kids – but it’s not going to completely replace traditional controllers at all, either. It’s all about BALANCE at the end of the day…

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two Is Pleased To Introduce Itself (Say Hi!)

Posted on May 17, 2012 by geelw

[youtube+http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMmwOhdLdfk]

It’s funny writing out the ENTIRE name of this upcoming sequel each time I post about it, but being lazy and abbreviating it to DEM2:TPoT is actually worse. Anyway, here’s a look at what’s in store for this next installment, from the co-op play to the big musical numbers and refined camera system. It would be awesome to see the first game get fixed up in HD for the PS3 and 360, but I don’t think that’s in the cards anytime soon, if at all. For those who still haven’t played it because you don’t own a Wii, ah, go buy one already! There are a bunch of very cool games on the system and you’d be surprised at how not EVERY motion control game is a dance or exercise game that will make you trow fits because not a shot is fired and there are no explosions (other than the top of your head popping off from touching a Wii Remote)…

Datura: SCEA and Plastic Group Want You To Get Move-ing.

Posted on April 28, 2012 by geelw

While I’m really loving what I see here and want the game to do fantastically well over PSN, I really wish that SCEA would get this game plus Plastic’s great Linger In Shadows along with some other PSN-only titles (even demo versions would be fine) onto a retail disc at a nice price so that the rather large amount of PS3 owners who still can’t (or don’t yet) use PSN can get to experience what they’re missing. As I keep saying, shutting out any gaming dollars by enforcing evolution before everyone can come along for the ride just makes you less profit if you expect everyone to be aboard at the same time. Hell, the Move needs more positive support, right? I’m keeping the flame going for Sorcery, which looks amazing from what I’ve seen, but I want Sony to acknowledge that as successful as PSN is, it (and any other download content service) isn’t doing much for those gamers who may want to try some of these titles but currently don’t have a decent online connection.

Disney Epic Mickey 2 Is Multiplatform. Now Everyone With A Console Can See How Much Fun They Missed…

Posted on March 24, 2012 by geelw

Yes, the original Wii game had it’s quirks, but it was also a breath of fresh air for the “mascot” platformer thanks to Warren Spector’s guidance and Junction Point’s solid programming. Of course, Peter David’s wonderfully dark script and James Dooley’s stellar music score helped as well. Anyway, I’m happy that PS3 and Xbox 360 owners will get to see the sequel (my own Move and Navigation Controller are shaking the dust off of each other and smiling crazily), but I wonder how those HD versions will address the first game/ Hopefully, we’ll see some sort of special prologue or perhaps a brief playable segment that highlights what went before. Below is a super-short Spike TV segment with Spector kicking his new baby off. I can’t wait to see this sequel in HD…

Sorcery: Magically Reemerging As A Much Better Game (And Yes, Still On My Radar)…

Posted on January 31, 2012 by geelw

Of all the PlayStation Move software I’ve seen since the peripheral’s introduction, Sorcery has been the main title I’ve been wanting to get my paws on. While the original demo shown was exciting, it still had a ‘tech demo’ look to it and needed a few layers of polish. It’s obvious that Sony thought so as well because the game vanished into thin air after that first showing and I hadn’t seen it at a press event until it was displayed last December. As you can see from this PlayStation Blog interview, the upcoming Action/RPG has indeed come a long way and absolutely looks like a must-buy whenever it finally hits stores (which should be sometime in “Spring 2012” the last time I checked).

Winter Stars Teaser Trailer: Deep Silver Wants To Get You In The Mood For Snow…

Posted on November 20, 2011 by geelw

Deep Silver’s got a plan to get those of you looking for a winter sports game to buy a copy of Winter Stars, their just released motion-controller-based game for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. Eleven different sporting events bound to get you up off the couch and shaking it like you mean it sounds like a good idea to me, as my own “it” is getting a tiny bit wider from way too much Skyrim. Naturally, I’ll at least play the snowmobiling mini-game sitting down, but it looks like I’ll need to be waving my arms and moving about for the rest of them. With Move, Kinect or Wii Remote/Balance Board support for each platform, it’ll be interesting to see if this one takes off as the weather gets colder and holiday gift thoughts start wafting through the air like the scent of freshly baked pies.