Review: Zaku

Posted on January 12, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Atari Lynx

Developer: PenguiNet

Publisher: SuperFighter Team

Players: 1

Rating: E (Everyone)

Score: A+

Dust off that Atari Lynx* and get ready for some hardcore shmup action – Zaku is finally here and it’s an instant classic that you don’t want to miss. SuperFighter Team and developer PengiNet have cooked up a solid and spectacularly tough 4 Meg chunk of horizontal arcade shooting set in 16 stages set over five worlds packed with big-eyed cartoon enemies and wacky screen-filling bosses that will give you candy-colored nightmares on each of its difficulty levels. The game is a near-perfect throwback to the days of classic 8 and 16-bit shooters and every level, every second of the game oozes quality, if not sheer programming genius. How this is running on the Lynx and looking as great as it does is a wonder, but it truly shows just how powerful (and under appreciated) the hardware was (and is).

Continue reading →

Freelan¢ing for $ony (Slight Return, Once More with Feeling!)

Posted on January 8, 2010 by geelw

This article has appeared in at least two places, once in print (in my fanzine, Continue? back around 1999 and a second time a few years later over at Digital Press in my “Did You Know?” column). I figure I’d expand it slightly and give you folks who miss my usual postings something to read as I try and get my Sony PR contacts back after too long.

(Heh, like THIS is going to help?)

Anyway, it’s a fine and funny story, and yes, it’s all true (well, except for the parts about my head popping off or being otherwise damaged).

Continue reading →

No Comment (Well, For Now…)

Posted on January 8, 2010 by geelw

Yes, I get mail and yes, I actually respond on occasion – case in point:

“Hey, why’d ya disable comments?”

Well dear readers, I was getting some very annoying porn spam and Asian porn spam at that! I’ve nothing against Asian gals, porn or SPAM (although it’s too salty for my diet, sorry Hawaii – love the islands, but SPAM will kill me if I ever go back there and have it every day – as Fred Flintstone once said, “Pass the poi”)

Anyway, I’ll add comments back to the blog once I can sort this Hello Cutey Honey Kitty nonsense out.

Besides, those of you who know how to reach me by other means can do so, so there!

Back in a bit – busy week still in progress…

Review: Divinity II: Ego Draconis

Posted on January 6, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PC)

Developer: Larian Studios

Publisher: CDV

# of Players: 1

Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: B+

Featuring a vast game world fun to explore,
many quests to take (or perhaps ignore),
Divinity II, that new Larian lore
more than deserves the posted score

It’s got some quirks (but don’t games all?)
mayhaps a patch will raise things tall
Still, for adventure, heed well my call
What’s here is tops from wall to wall!

Plain old good to flat out great RPG’s make me wax poetic from time to time and as it deftly straddles the fence between those two poles, Divinity II: Ego Draconis gets 2010 off to a fine start in grand style for genre fans. Sure, it wears some of its PC origins on it sleeve a bit too proudly, yet the game is quite addictive and indeed, very highly playable for hours on end. Despite some pesky technical issues that rear their ugly heads, the game is also often quite good to look at provided you aren’t wistfully recalling something else while playing. Warts and all, you can’t knock developer Larian Studios for bringing this sequel to the stellar 2001 PC RPG Divine Divinity to the 360. The first game was an instant classic (it’s been an automatic install on the three PC’s I’ve had since 2001) and what’s here comes very close to being equally as fun an experience. If you’re looking for depth and a flat out huge and fun world to explore, Div II delivers and lets you keep the change.

Continue reading →

The Dragon Has Landed!

Posted on December 30, 2009 by geelw

So, I’m walking in the door on this wickedly freezing day and the Fed Ex guy pops up out of nowhere from behind me and almost scares me to death with his big grin and package waving ways. Seems I was his last stop and he was more than happy to see me, as it meant he got to finally go home.

Anyway, my review copy of Divinity II Ego Draconis hath arrived, so I now have New Year’s Eve plans. Yeesh – I KNEW I should have finished that preview a few weeks back!

Tempus Fugit, that’s for damn sure!

Ah well. Early impressions from the preview builds: the game is pretty damn good. The final versions should be better. Off to get in some more flight time… Back in a bit with an update.

Review: Dragon Age: Origins

Posted on December 24, 2009 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360

Developer: BioWare

Publisher: EA

# of Players: 1

Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A

Has BioWare ever made a bad game? I’m inclined to shout a defiant “No” towards the heavens, as I’ve enjoyed everything they’ve ever done, warts and all. Hell, I may be somewhat biased here, but at least I’m definitely right (that’s a little in-joke, by the way). Anyway, in terms of their RPG output, the company has a superb track record with everything from the Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale and Neverwinter Nights games to Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire and even oddities such as Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Of course, their two current console projects, the upcoming Mass Effect 2 and the recently released Dragon Age: Origins will be the games on RPG fans’ lips and minds for quite some time thanks to the developer’s ability to craft completely different sub-genres while consistently bringing gamers superb storytelling and deep, challenging gameplay.

Continue reading →

TRON: Evolution Teaser Trailer

Posted on December 15, 2009 by geelw

Hmmm… This definitely looks pretty interesting and it’s a great teaser, for sure. I’m ancient enough to recall seeing the original film a few times during it’s first run back in 1982 and catching it on cable as many times as possible back in the day. Propaganda Games might have a sleeper here, provided the game goes beyond what the film brings to the table.

Review: Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked

Posted on November 23, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Red Fly Studio

Publisher: Namco Bandai

# of Players: 1 – 2

Rating: E

Official Site

Score: B

As someone who learned to cook as well as appreciate video games pretty early on in life, I’m always keen on checking out any title that mixes these two passions of mine. Some of the games I’ve played have been fun, some not so fun, but they’re all really interesting in one way or another in how they approach the experience of putting together (and sometimes serving up) a tasty meal. The Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked is very well done and in some respects, feels like one of the shows you’d catch on the popular cable channel. While entertaining and educational, the scoring system can sometimes be a bit too picky about some of your efforts. Nevertheless, as the first ever console game with the FN seal of approval, it hits almost all the right notes fans will appreciate.

Continue reading →

Divinity II: Eco Draconis Pre-Order Goodness + One Awesome Contest…

Posted on November 23, 2009 by geelw

Larian Studios’ surprisingly stellar epic follow-up to its 2001 RPG, Divine Divinity (my hands-on preview will be up this coming weekend) is coming to the Xbox 360 and PC on January 5, 2010 and lucky Xbox 360 owners will be able to snag a neat set of powerful gear if they boogie on down to their nearest GameStop to pre-order the game. Check out the goodies below the jump…

Continue reading →

Review: Need For Speed NITRO (DS)

Posted on November 20, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Firebrand Games

Publisher: Electronic Arts

# of Players: 1 (2 – 4 Single Card/Wi-Fi)

Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: A

If you’re a fan of racing games on the DS, you can absolutely rely on Firebrand Games to cook up something really cool and incredibly fun to play that also allows you to tap into your creative side. Need For Speed NITRO is another superb racer from the team that nicely translates much of what made the Wii version so cool while adding a few DS-exclusive elements such as Single and Multi-card play for up to four players. While the game doesn’t have exactly the same deep paint scheme editor found in its console brother, there is a mostly great color and decal creator that will keep the arty gamer quite occupied as he or she blazes through the game’s wild courses.

Continue reading →