Review: Nostalgia (Nintendo DS)

Posted on October 27, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Matrix Software

Publisher: Ignition

# of Players: 1

Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

An excellent game for entry level players or seasoned JRPG veterans who can recall the “good old days” with a wistful smile, Nostalgia is one of the best games in the genre this year. The Matrix Software developed Tecmo/RED co-produced project, some ten years in the making, just feels right from the moment you start playing and it only gets better as the hours zoom by. What makes the game so outstanding are the combination of well-worn genre elements spiced up by a rewarding skills-based battle system and a huge game world absolutely packed with stuff to do and secrets to uncover. The game rarely misses a note throughout and despite a few minor flaws can easily stand up to some of today’s console JRPGs in terms of bang for the buck.

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Fairytale Fights Free DLC Arrives Along With Game

Posted on October 27, 2009 by geelw

BAM! Just as Playlogic’s hybrid hack ‘n slash/platformer hits stores, here comes the first DLC – go sign up and get it, folks! My review is coming shortly…

FAIRYTALE FIGHTS® DLC BONANZA!!
Playlogic Offers Bloody DLC for FREE Within 90 Days of Release

October 27, 2009 – Amsterdam/New York – Playlogic Entertainment, Inc., an independent worldwide publisher of entertainment software, are thrilled to announce today that its highly anticipated hack’n’slash gore-fest Fairytale Fights will have FREE DLC for all gamers available for a limited period of time (90 days after release). Gamers who buy the game within 90 days of launch can receive exclusive FREE DLC valued at over $15 by registering on the Fairytale Fights official website. Once the downloadable content is available, bloodthirsty Fairytale Fights fans will receive exclusive redeemable codes, courtesy of Little Red Riding Hood!

Part of the FREE DLC will be exclusive to those who register:

Fairytale Fights FREE DLC (for registered users) includes
· 4 Brand New Playable Characters
· 3 Brand New PvP Arenas

For all those that don’t register, we’ll be announcing our FREE DLC release plans for Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store in the coming weeks so be sure to check the Fairytale Fights official site on a regular basis for news and updates.

Fairytale Fights is now in European stores for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and will be available the 27th of October in North America!

Random Art II: Bloodrayne Halloween Sketch

Posted on October 25, 2009 by geelw

I did this piece a few years back for fun – the original is probably hanging in an PR office somewhere or socked away somewhere safe… one of these days I’ll get to drawing on a more regular basis.

Dragon Age: Origins Update: Oghren (Plus Gold!)

Posted on October 24, 2009 by geelw

It’s all done and gone gold, folks. Dragon Age: Origins has gone into production, so those final retail copies are only a short time away from your hot little hands. BioWare has also announced a DA:O social network which you’ll be able to read more about below this week’s character update. Anyway, without further adieu, heeeeeeere’s Oghren!

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Review: The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road

Posted on October 24, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Media Vision

Publisher: Xseed Games

# of Players: 1

Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: A

Thanks to the very wise folks at Xseed, Media Vision’s RIZ-ZOAWD has finally come to the US retitled The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road and it’s one truly gorgeous JRPG both genre and Oz fans will love. The game balances classic turn-based combat with a great, innovative stylus centered control scheme that’s sure to be copied in the future by other developers. Nearly everything about the game is grand and feels just right. What’s here is basic enough for entry level players, yet the level of challenge in some spots can make the game tricky enough for RPG veterans to appreciate. This revision of the classic Oz tale doesn’t overstay its welcome either, as the adventure clocks in at a decent enough length and has a nicely done ending that resonates long after you’ve watched the end credits.

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Update: Prison Break – New Screens

Posted on October 22, 2009 by geelw

Deep Silver and Zootfly’s in development console game based on the defunct Fox TV show is still rolling along nicely and looking quite good. Here’s a peek at a few more screens showing off some nice character models and well-rendered environments. All it needs is to get finished and be fun to play and I’m happy.

Oh… Shipping before the short attention span crowd forgets about the show entirely might help as well. Based on all the work going into what’s here, it’ll be really interesting to see how this one turns out. Stick around for more info and images as they become available

Now Playing (Wistful Nostalgia & A Bit Of Puzzling Detection)…

Posted on October 21, 2009 by geelw

Tinkering away on the reviews mentioned earlier, site redesign stuff AND getting ready for next week’s big chunk of repair work on some water damage here, so updates will be slightly laid back this week.

Ignition’s Nintendo DS/DSi RPG Nostalgia showed up yesterday and pretty much stole the rest of the day and a good chunk of the night away from my updating and such. The full review is embargoed ’til the 27th, so you’ll have to check back then to see the final verdict. I can tell you now, I’m VERY pleased with the game so far.

Additionally, Playlogic’s surprisingly fun Sudoku Ball Detective and a ton of other stuff arrived for the beginnings of my Holiday Gift Guide feature, so expect to be hit on the head with a bunch of gifty suggestions starting in November.

Where’s my game-playing helper monkey/secretary/coffee maker supreme?

Borderlands Shoots Into Retail for PS3, 360

Posted on October 20, 2009 by geelw

All I know is the FAQ writers and completion gamers’ heads are EXPLODING at the thought of collecting EVERY weapon they MUST have as they blast through Pandora’s population. “Ha ha haaaa!” Gearbox laughs at you with relish (and onions). Just try to enjoy the game and not obsess over getting every darn weapon, I say.

Hey 2K! Has someone at Gearbox even bothered to estimate how long it would take to actually nab every gun in the game? Run that program and post the results – that should give some of those folks out there a fit and a half if they’re the type that HAS to get everything a game can offer!

Anyway, press release below the jump – go buy the game. Three very cool screens from The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned DLC are also here for your perusal. Color me scared and amused already!

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Gallery: Two Worlds II

Posted on October 19, 2009 by geelw

One of the more under-appreciated RPGs in the US this console generation had to be Reality Pump’s Two Worlds, an open world action-based RPG experience with plenty to see and do (and some rather interesting monster designs). While the game wasn’t perfect and had an ending that cut off any further exploration once the main quest was completed, there were more than enough enjoyable elements to keep me hooked in for hours at a stretch. Let’s just say I spent a huge amount of time crafting up the perfect weapons and armor set. That and learning all those great summon spells so by the endgame, my character was pretty unstoppable by the endgame…

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Help NIS America Bring Badaman PSP to UMD!

Posted on October 18, 2009 by geelw

One of the things that irks me as a collector of games is this trend of releasing certain console and portable titles as download-only product (grrrr!). While it’s indeed great for those folks who feel no need to have a physical product, the simple fact is some of us out there would like the choice to have one or the other (or even both in some cases). Heck, what if you’re in an area without decent (or any) broadband access or just want the simple pleasure of actually reading a manual you can hold in your hot little hands?

Don’t get me wrong, folks – the ability to pay for and download new games and game content works amazingly well for those gamers who don’t give a hoot about the above issues, but SOME games would actually enjoy a much LARGER user base IF they were made available in as many (legal) forms as possible (grrr!). Yeah, that means you too, Konami (the otherwise superb Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment SHOULD also get a darn disc release on the Xbox 360 AND PS3 for those of use who want it! grrrr!!!)

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