Review: Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection

Posted on October 28, 2011 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3

Developer: Team Ico/Bluepoint Studios

Publisher: Sony

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Score: A

In certain cases, wistful nostalgia can indeed kick you around the room hard once the reality sets in that perhaps things weren’t as great as you recalled. However, both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus have withstood the test of time as two truly memorable game experiences not to be missed. Team Ico with (a solid assist from Bluepoint Games) have polished up both games to a nice HD finish, added Trophy support, optional 3D and a nice set of bonus features for one truly great package (at a mere $40) that’s an absolute must-purchase title (and yet another solid PS3 collection). For those that remember these two classics, replaying them in this collection will offer a few nice surprises along with a few old quirks. For those that have yet to experience these two masterworks (elements of which have turned up in many games over the past decade), expect to be amazed… provided you have the proper perspective.

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Ni No Kuni Japanese Box Art Is Pretty… Boring (But Pretty Nonetheless)

Posted on October 26, 2011 by geelw

While this watercolor image for the Japanese version of the game is indeed a truly lovely piece of art, it’s also pretty generic to a fault. At best, It looks like a greeting card for some made up holiday (Happy Festivus!) or a menu from some renaissance fair salad bar and at worst, like a roadside sign advertising a fairy farm (Come Pet Our Unicorn. Please. Thank You).

Given the lush backgrounds found in both the DS and PS3 versions, I was hoping to see a Level-5/Studio Ghibli combo cover to end all covers. Or at least art to match the beautiful images found on the official PS3 and Nintendo DS sites for each system’s respective games. Here’s a link to a recent trailer as well so you can see that the game is absolutely a LOT more gorgeous than this placeholder-looking cover image. Oh well. It’s not THAT bad. Still, I guess it’ll be up to Namco Bandai to give us a North American version with a cover image that soars. As long as they use art from the dev team or Studio Ghibli-provided assets, it should be a winner.

PlayStation Vita Gets Simultaneous 2012 NA/EU/LA Launch Date

Posted on October 19, 2011 by geelw

February 22, 2012 is the big day Sony fans here in the US (as well as in Canada, Europe and Latin America) have been waiting for. No news on a launch lineup just yet, but the full press release (which mentions a few titles in the works) is below the jump, system specs and all. Color me thrilled. The Japanese Vita launches on December 17, 2011 and from what I’ve been reading, interest seems fairly high amongst some (including those who will import the region-free hand held a few months early at a premium).

Of course, it’s really less about what we as critics have to say about the Vita than all about enough people having enough money to afford a new handheld and games for it in this very shaky economy for too many out there. I’ll have to figure out which body part to sell of that I’m not using much, but I may not have to go that route after all if I can get my finances where they need to be… Continue reading →

Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection Arrives On An Already Crazy Week

Posted on October 11, 2011 by geelw

Oops. Like the Avengers trailer post, I typed this post out yesterday and clicked “Publish”, but something went goofy with my PC. Anyway, I’m adding it back at the time it initially was supposed to go in, grrr.

Well, alright – Now, I just need to find time to get a review in. I’ll probably skip the last day of NYCC and play through both games so I can have a review up by next Monday or Tuesday at the latest. I know Ico is the overseas version and has some areas that are different than the US version and I’ve played SotC enough to know how to take down those Colossi pretty quickly (although it’s been a few years since I’ve played both games). Still, I’m planning to go back to both games in the collection more than once as soon as I have a lot more free time on my hands… Which at this point won’t be until 2012…

Ratchet & Clank All 4 One Team Up Trailer

Posted on October 10, 2011 by geelw

Yes, it’s almost too darn cute and funny for words, but then this would be a really short blog post. Insomniac’s latest is on the way (October 18th), so here’s a look at the short version of the latest trailer. Hmmm… wait, that WAS a short post, wasn’t it? OK, initially I wasn’t sure I’d be a fan of the multiplayer-centric gameplay, being an antisocial cuss and all, but it looks as if playing solo will be just as fun. Insomniac DOES know what they’re doing, folks. So that’s that, I guess… We’ll see next week how it all turns out…

Uncharted 3 Cargo Plane/Chateau Gameplay: Naughty Dog Shows How It’s Done

Posted on October 9, 2011 by geelw

Nathan Drake (above), meet Nathan Drake (below). As you can see from these videos (thanks, CVG!) clearly, we’re watching a developer at the top of its form getting the most out of the PS3 hardware. Sure, they’re definitely showing off here, but when the results look this good, it’s hard to find fault with that at all. Sony’s first-party lineup has been solid for a while, but between last year’s hits and this year’s follow-ups, there’s little doubt that the console still has a lot of life left in it. That November 1 release date for Uncharted 3 is rolling up really quickly and there’s little doubt that this one will be a huge hit in a rather crazy year of major releases.

The House of the Dead Overkill EC Gets Eye-Popping (and Retro) 3D Modes

Gallery

Posted on September 28, 2011 by geelw

This gallery contains 8 photos.

Nice. Now Sega can add “Retro-ier” to that “Longer, Harder, Gorier!” tagline for its upcoming M-rated arcade shooter. The company is really going all out with this super-enhanced HD remix of the Wii sleeper hit. In addition to PS Move … Continue reading →

Sony Teases Gamers With A Little Mystery Project…

Posted on September 28, 2011 by geelw

Hmmmm… My head is too full of other stuff to even venture a guess, so it looks as if I’ll be holding out until October 5 to get the answer. Of course, it’ll probably leak before then, but that’s how it goes. It’s probably something Home-related, but I’m just throwing out the first thing off the top of my head. Which means I’m probably wrong. Still, it WOULD be nice if we all found out The Agenct was being revived from the dead, right?

Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection Launch Trailer

Posted on September 27, 2011 by geelw

Yes, it’s here. And Yes, it’s a absolute must buy at a measly $39.99. Hell, if you happen to know someone with a 3DTV and no PS3, do them a favor and lug yours over to their house with a copy of this game and they’ll probably BUY their own PS3 afterward. Seriously, it’s THAT good.

Review: Resistance 3

Posted on September 26, 2011 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3

Developer: Insomniac Games

Publisher: SCEA

# of Players: 1 – 2 (Online: 1 – 16)

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A-

It’s absolutely been the best year to be a PS3 owner and Resistance 3 continues Sony’s streak of solid first-party titles with an exhilarating, action-packed shooter that’s an absolute must-buy. Packing in a lengthy single-player campaign (with solid offline or online co-op), satisfying multiplayer and a ridiculous amount of over the top battles, this is one of those games FPS fans will get a ton of mileage out of. Key to the gameplay experience are the incredibly fluid controls whether you’re using a Dual Shock 3, PS Move/Navigation controller combo or Sharpshooter peripheral and yes, the game looks fantastic. There area few quirks here and there with the AI on the easier settings and if you want to get the most out of the co-op and multiplayer, the game requires some mandatory patching that fixes a few release bugs. Nevertheless, once that’s taken care of, you’re in for quite a wild ride. Continue reading →