Review: 3D Dot Game Heroes

Posted on May 14, 2010 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3

Developer: Silicon Studio/From Software

Publisher: Atlus

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Without a doubt one of the best “retro” games to date that’s not a homebrew creation, 3D Dot Game Heroes perfectly blends old-school gameplay elements and today’s console technology with the end result being an instant classic no PS3 owner should miss. It’s easy to look at screen shots or poke around on a message board and read about simplistic comparisons to The Legend of Zelda or other favorite 8-bit adventure RPGs, but the game is a lot more rewarding than a mere clone if you know your gaming history. Obvious plot and gameplay elements aside, 3DDGH is a pretty darn funny trip through the 8-bit era with a decidedly modern spin.

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N3II Promo Posters 1 & 2

Posted on April 28, 2010 by geelw

Two very cool promotional posters for the upcoming Xbox 360 exclusive N3II: Ninety-Nine Nights II show off a nicely grim aesthetic I’m hoping the game manages to pull off a bit more than the original (well, a LOT more, actually).

Konami has the publishing rights this time out, but I’m guessing they more than likely had not much at all to do with the development on the sequel. I’ve got my fingers crossed anyway that the game will be at least equal to the first one in terms of massive waves of enemies and very tough bosses. We shall see, I suppose…

Gallery: Hunted: The Demon’s Forge

Posted on April 18, 2010 by geelw

InXile Entertainment is baaaaack… and this time, they’re putting together an even more action-focused RPG than their fun console and PC remake of The Bard’s Tale from a few years back. Hunted: The Demon’s Forge looks like it’ll be a blast to play through thanks to a co-op focused online mode and combat that’s a mix of hack & slash with a bit of cover-based ranged weapons work “borrowed” from games such as Gears of War. Granted, I’m hoping the game will support single-player grinding as well (my personal favorite style of play), but with Bethesda handling the publishing duties, it’ll also be really intriguing to see just how deep the game gets when it comes to story.

All I know for sure is we’ve a lovely, deadly magic user and a mean-looking tattooed dude that can swing his sword quite well as the main characters. Well, actually… I know a bit more than that (and you can too once you read the press release and check out the screens below the jump) …
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Review: Deadly Premonition

Posted on March 17, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Xbox 360

Developer: Access Games

Publisher: Ignition Entertainment

# of Players: 1

Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A-

Deadly Premonition just might be a tipping point for certain gamers who don’t quite trust mainstream review sites for any number of reasons. Sure, if you apply the now boring “by today’s standards…” mantra to every aspect of the game, it deserves a low score for failing to have stunning graphics, online multiplayer modes, flawless controls and so forth and so on. On the other hand, if you approach DP as a game experience that’s going to be (outside of yearly sequels and games trying to copy other games) wholly unique… well, hell – welcome to paradise. Granted, it’s a twisted paradise of survival horror, intentional comedy, open world exploration, police car driving and a main character that’s crazy as a herd of cows on a crack binge.

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TopWare Introduces Battle vs Chess

Posted on March 14, 2010 by geelw

Well, color me pleasantly surprised. You’d figure that since every strategy game is based in one way or another on Chess, we’d have seen something like this hitting consoles sooner. I can still remember playing Archon on the NES and Battle Chess on the 3DO back in the day, so this should be as much addictive fun from a gameplay perspective. Of course, those lovely new graphics are nothing to sneeze at.

Here you go – two screens from TopWare Interactive’s upcoming Battle vs. Chess, set for a May 2010 release across “multiple platforms”. Hmm… as if the publisher’s upcoming epic RPG Two Worlds II isn’t going to be keeping folks like me too busy to breathe already! I guess BvC will be a “downtime” game for when I’m not exploring Antaloor’s expansive over world and deadly dungeons.

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Review: Alice In Wonderland (DS)

Posted on March 7, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS

Developer: Etranges Libellules

Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios

# of Players: 1

Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: A

When it comes to licensed movie games, the DS usually gets the short end of the stick and that stick usually has a particularly blunt end. With much less memory to work with, movie games squeezed onto the handheld (generally in record time) often show off the handheld’s limitations rather than its strengths. On the other hand, every so often you’ll see games that take what the system can do and combined with more stylized visuals and truly fun gameplay, manage to impress as much as (or more than) the console versions. Continue reading →

Classic Gaming Expo 2010 Info!

Posted on March 7, 2010 by geelw

It’s baaaaaaaaack! Want to spend a weekend in Vegas surrounded by TONS of vintage to current games, game consoles and plenty of cool folks who love them (as well as a few that have created them)? Well, Classic Gaming Expo 2010 is set to take place at the Tropicana Las Vegas on the weekend of July 31 and August 1, 2010, so boogie on over to the registration page and get your pass NOW.

In addition to more games than you can shake a stick at (sticks not included at the show) , AtariAge and Digital Press are hosting a “Retro Rumble” tournament where the best classic gamers can compete to win fame and some awesome prizes. There will more likely than not be an incredible, eyeball searing auction where attendees can snag some really rare games, systems and swag (I’ll update this as info comes in) as well as many special guests

As the press release says:

“Classic Gaming Expo is the largest and longest-running celebration of classic video games, the designers who created them, the players who enjoy them and the fanatics who collect them.”

Anyway, c’mon down, bring the family and prepare to break the bank (or at least maim it slightly)… but not on slots or roulette! You’ll more than likely go broke picking up some great deals on classic to current gaming goodness.

Avernum VI Released, Grand Time-Suck Begins Worldwide…

Posted on March 4, 2010 by geelw

That Tardis-like sound you’re hearing on occasion as you stroll about isn’t your tinnitus going haywire. That’s the sound of pure time energy being vaporized as people download and play Spiderweb Software’s supremely addictive new RPG, Avernum 6. What, you don’t believe me? Hmmmmm. Go download the PC or Mac demo and see for yourself. Have a great time, but maybe remind friends and family of what you’re doing, as you won’t be coming up for air any time soon…

Missile Command Is 30 (And I Feel Old…. But There’s A Sweepstakes To Make It All Better)…

Posted on February 27, 2010 by geelw

Yikes. I can actually remember playing plenty of Missile Command in assorted arcades back in 1980 and onward! Atari is certainly celebrating their classic (and making me feel ancient) by not only letting you young whippersnappers play the original version and a really cool remix, they’re also holding a nice little contest where the grand prize is a restored MC arcade cabinet. So go poke around and enter, already. Feel free to check out their other playable arcade and Atari 2600 classics as well.

Gallery: Clash of the Titans

Posted on February 27, 2010 by geelw

Here’s a nice batch of screens from the upcoming Namco Bandai licensed movie tie-in action game currently in development by Game Republic. I’m intrigued out of sheer curiosity, even though the depth of field in some of these images is a wee bit over the top for my tastes.

Confession: as a kid, I hated the 1981 film (except for Ray Harryhausen’s creepy, effective Medusa sequence), but the remake looks slightly more intriguing (at least from a technical perspective). Besides, with ancient Greece in play in a few games (notably God of War III) and a few other recent titles targeting the GOW style of gameplay (Dante’s Inferno, anyone?), it’ll definitely be interesting to see where this particular game lands on its own merits.

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