Review: Alien Spidy (PC)

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Platform: Windows PC/Xbox 360/OSX
Developer: Enigma Software Productions
Publisher: Kalypso Media
# of Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Official Site
Score: B+ (85%)

 

Remember the days of those bright, colorful but tough as nails platformers on 8 ans 16-bit consoles? Enigma Software Productions’ Alien Spidy does a mostly stellar job of recapturing those glory days with a long and challenging game that while not flawless, is well worth playing and keeping in your library. If this were on a cart or CD back in the day, it would be a solid entry and possible new mascot platformer many would be jumping for joy over. Of course, in this era of easily forgotten digital releases, the question is “can Alien Spidy keep up the the best indie games out there?” My answer would be a two-parter, as in “Sure it can!” and “Where’s the sequel?”… Continue reading

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Road Rules (1)!

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Today’s screenshot is an all George Woodman affair, but his ticked off stare and words of wisdom in that caption will come in quite handy in the future. Particularly if you happen to be carrying that new plastic badge in your pocket you picked up for the cowboy-playing kid waiting at home to complete his ensemble. Don’t think you can just floor it on the freeway and get home fast, buddy. Get pulled over pulling a stunt like that and Sheriff Junior will have to bail you out using that money from his piggy bank. That’s a pretty bad sign when your kid has to bail you out, you know? Especially when he’s dressed like Tom Mix and doesn’t have a badge that would make the cops in the station tip their own hats and smile because it’s in your jacket pocket (which got confiscated and is now sitting in a cardboard box along with your belt and shoelaces).

DPDC PS3 US EFS 2D RealYour parenting skills may be awful, but you may be better at playing video games. One suggestion, since you asked (and want to stay out of jail): Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, coming exclusively to the PS3 on April 30, 2013, paradoxically expanding on the former Xbox 360 exclusive game with new content such as sharper visuals and better controls. Which, by the way would have helped YOUR driving, mister (or missus, as we know ladies sometimes shop for kid cowboys or cowgirls and  make mistakes on the road home too).

SWERY65_tinyAnyway, if you got REALLY lucky on the way back from that mall, it was most likely kind Officer Swery who pulled you over and let you go with a warning because he figured you’d be playing that game he worked on in his spare time at some point.

That and he’s got a real soft spot for your quirky side…

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX PAX East Trailer: Three Ways To Look At It…

 

Oddly enough at the moment, this trailer has so far appeared on everything but the US Disney site, but it HAS to be coming out in North America or there will be riots at Square Enix HQ when rabid series fans dress up like characters from the games and storm the offices demanding a release. Check your local news if you live in the area after PAX East and see what happens. Then again, 99.7% of them will be detained at the airport for carrying giant Keyblades, so the workers at that building will merely need to deal with about fourteen raving people in homemade costumes with picket signs and cardboard swords. ANYWAY, the three things I was getting to:

PS3-only owners will be giddy and thrilled if they’re fans of the popular franchise as the HD boost looks pretty nice and there’s a cool bonus added you’ll see if you watch the trailer above. Of course, this release doesn’t have Kingdom Hearts II on the disc, which means if this sells well, Square Enix and Disney will be hitting you up for more money in a year or less with a new HD update of that game’s Final Mix and other content…

Nintendo-only home console owners will be pissed off because other than the four portable KH games (one for the Game Boy Advance, two for the Nintendo DS and one for the 3DS), there’s nothing for them on a home console to play (and probably won’t be unless the upcoming Disney Infinity adds KH toys and characters to the game down the road).

Xbox 360-only owners completely won’t give a crap, but they certainly wouldn’t mind a good Disney game that doesn’t use than damn Kinect. Fat chance of that happening, but you never know…

Hating Aliens: Colonial Marines? Well, It Could Be Better (or Worse) With A Bit of Retro Perspective…

 

ACM_PS3Given the critical drubbing that Sega’s Aliens: Colonial Marines has gotten across most of the Internet-verse, some gamers are still feeling the urge to play something that feels closer to James Cameron’s 1986 film than what ended up on store shelves. Well, allow me to assist in this matter (sort of). Track down a working Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum and MSX and a copy of Electric Dreams’ 1987 game, Aliens or the rather interesting (and free) PC remake over at Derbian Games and see what was scary to gamers of that era. Continue reading

Defiance Ark Hunter Chronicles 5: Risk Versus Reward, Indeed…

 

How amusing that this week’s DEFIANCE AHC has this particular title. It also seems that’s the collective hive mind thinking of some MMO and shooter fans who somehow STILL don’t “get” this game after MONTHS of footage, previews and information that’s NOT leaked out in dribs and drabs by some “crafty” PR drone, but put up by Trion Worlds and syfy themselves. I still see posts calling this a “Halo” clone, a FPS, or asking if it has traditional MMO click and wait gameplay. Some people love the air in their bubbles, I guess. Personally, they just give me gas. Anyway, the game is fast-paced, fun and will probably surprise some of the jaded types. The only bit of confusion I see that’s a b it pesky for Trion is some think the game is offline as well when it’s not. I still think it SHOULD have an offline solo and co-op game (which would make it PERFECT for fans of Sandlot’s Earth Defense Force games), as well as get a Vita version with the same features. But perhaps we’ll see some other developer give that a go if the series takes off and there’s high interest in taking it to that level. As always… we shall see…

Deadly Premonition Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Exercise!

DPDC PS3 US EFS 2D RealOK, so I’m a bit obsessed with this game but so it goes when it’s so damn bizarre, scary and funny all in one. Rather than run a gallery of what’s on the Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut PR page (because that’s just too easy!), I’m picking one screen per day from the folder and writing something stupid about it just for fun. I’m also writing this post randomly as well, so what I just called “stupid” may end up on another plane entirely (kind of like the game, which is hard to describe, but dips into its own vat of weird when it’s least expected).

Anyway, Francis York Morgan (our hero) and local sheriff with the bad-ass leather hat George Woodman do some bonding with one of the usual questions guys getting to know each other who just so happen to be working together on a particularly gory series of murders ask each other. Hey, anything to break out of the monotony of finding a new corpse, right? Ah, Greenvale – where the coffee’s black and amazing and the murderers very creative in how they display and dispatch their kills.

 

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IMG_2148Did I mention Francis York Morgan has a kind of creepy imaginary friend who he talks to in the game? No? Well, that’s why YOU need to be thinking about playing this one. Back tomorrow with a new screen and oddball commentary. PS3 only, April 30, 2013. Pre-order NOW from GameStop or Amazon if that’s your thing. Tell them SWERY65 (on the right) sent you. No discount if you do, but perhaps someone will think that’s cool on the other end of that Internet line you’re talking on…

Review: MUD FIM Motocross World Championship (PS3)

MUD_TPCOVERPS3_3D_Eng_Fr_10-2_011013Platform: PS3 (also on Xbox 360, PC)

Developer: Milestone

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

# of Players: 1 (Online 1 – 12)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: C+ (79%)

 

While it’s not without its flaws, MUD FIM Motocross World Championship manages to be a fun and fairly lengthy romp through the wild world of moto-x that mixes in arcade-style controls with some light to medium simulation elements. Veteran developer Milestone, known for its SBK bike race series and some pretty solid road and rally racing games, tackles this particular motor sport with relish as well as making more of an attempt to cater to a younger X Games fed audience and the results are mixed overall. More emphasis on reality (and more top US riders for the fans here in North America) would have been a better focus, as some of the “cool” bits feel a wee bit too forced. While there’s indeed a blast to be had here offline or on, the game can’t quite straddle both arcade and sim worlds and appeal to those who may have wanted a few more (and better) options. Continue reading

Defiance: New Alien Sightings Make For A Spring Workout Plan…

 

More looks at syfy’s upcoming series DEFIANCE in a quickie alien preview. As noted earlier, this is really looking like it’ll be a show worth running home to see each week, provided you LIKE running home or running before you catch a favorite TV show. Hey, it’s SPRING and you could use to lose that winter fat, buddy. Yeah, me too, but I work at home, so I’ll need to run around the block a few times (or back from the library which is about 1/2 a mile from home) or the Starbucks with the better internet connection about 1.2 miles away. OK, I’ll “walk quickly”, as I don’t run for anybody and I’m certainly not going to run for office, even if it’s at home…

Woo. That’s cyclical humor at its finest, folks! I’ll be here all week – 2 shows nightly, 2 drink cover. Don’t forget to tip your server!

Star Trek The Video Game – Making the Game Part 2: All Gorn, No Corn…

Another behind the scenes look at Digital Extremes’ upcoming Star Trek game, this time featuring a peek at the redesigned Gorn. I like the faster, meaner versions here over the one from that classic Trek episode, “Arena” (itself based on a great sci-fi story) – Kirk would have been eaten alive before he was able to get. Out. His. Dialog. in that inimitable Shatner style. If this one’s at Namco’s upcoming NYC press event next month, I’ll get some hands-on time and let you fine folks know what’s what…

BioShock Infinte’s Elizabeth: Creating Much More Than Just A Pretty Face…

It takes a good deal of work to put together a video game and with being Women’s History Month, I’m gathering Irrational Games is trying to celebrate their version of the event in a bit more interesting manner by showing what it took to create Elizabeth in its upcoming game, BioShock Infinite. As you’ll see, it wasn’t an easy process at all, but the end results seem to be working for both male as well as female fans of the series. Of course, the final test of that comes when the game hits stores on March 26, 2013 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.