Bugbear Dips Into Its Vaults And Brings Back Some Crashing Memories…

So, the fine folks at Bugbear Entertainment are running a Kickstarter campaign for its tentatively titled Next Car Game and like some other creators out there, has reached into its vaults and unearthed an ancient prototype of some interest to people like me who LOVE to see works in progress no matter how ancient and half-playable. Some of you will recognize this build as what eventually ended up as the fun demolition derby racer FlatOut, still one of the more thrilling physics experiments to dive back into if you still have a copy in your own game library.

Granted, this download will ONLY confuse people who think it’s what or close to what the new game will look like while people like me who absolutely groove on early builds from any era will be getting all giddy and grinny as we play through the bits that can be played with a nostalgic glow around our heads. But it’s all good in the end, as Bugbear is just sharing their love of making racing games that’s been a core part of their history since they got started. Here’s some early fun with car damage testing from the new game:

I guess it’s good I’m walking distance from home, as I’m not getting into a car after watching that! Anyway, go check out that free old demo build above and absolutely toss them a few dollars if you want to see what and how that much newer game they’re working on will get you glued to a monitor (and hopefully one day, new console!)…

Review: Skylanders SWAP Force

Skylanders SWAP Force PS3Platform: PlayStation 3 (Also on Xbox 360, Wii U, Wii, 3DS)

Developer: Vicarious Visions/Beenox

Publisher: Activision

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+

Official Site
Score: A- (90%)

With this year’s installment of the series, Skylanders SWAP Force, veteran developer Vicarious Visions (with an assist from Beenox) takes over from Toys for Bob and bumps up the console versions to to HD quality visuals (save for the Wii version) while adding a few new play mechanics. More importantly, there are a new set of Skylanders with swappable top and bottom halves and plenty of locked off areas in the game that will send parents zipping into stores to buy new figures on a regular basis. That the gameplay is so basic yet compelling and all those enticing gated-away goodies the perfect opportunity to market new toys to kids and parents is exactly the formula any game company would kill to have in play. Skylanders has worked from the beginning in successfully roping nearly anyone who picks it up into its charms and while SWAP Force is the best looking and playing game to date, Activision also needs to kick things up a notch in the future, as you can practically hear the call of a more open world game experience with even more to do bellowing from those sweeping panoramic backgrounds… Continue reading

BandFuse: Rock Legends Updates: On Wires, Amps and Pedals…

Well, “Wires” as in the song by Portland’s popular band, Red Fang and “Amps and Pedals” (Edit: Tubes? What was I thinking? OK, I was listening to The Tubes while typing – “Talk To You Later” as a matter of fact!) as in the different and excellent digital types (that all sound like their physical counterparts) will be available to players when they crack this wonderful game open. The vibe I got from BandFuse: Rock Legends was (and will be) of walking into the best guitar school in the world and having the chance to hang out as long as you like, provided you get off your ass, pick up an axe and learn to play at some point. As noted earlier, the amount of content here is outrageous and defies the music game standard by unlocking everything on the disc and letting YOU decide your pace. Yeah, shocking that a game does that in this day and age, but one session talking to Marcus Henderson reveals his absolute love for many types of music and his desire for anyone who picks up BandFuse to KNOW it’s NOT your average music “game” at all, but a teaching tool you’ll want to keep around even after you’ve mastered everything it has to offer.

Avadon 2: The Corruption Is Out Now. You May Not See The Great Outdoors ‘Til Spring…

*Sigh* Whenever a new Spiderweb Software RPG arrives on the scene, I have to flip a coin and decide whether or not to buy it on the spot or finish the last few games I’ve fired up first. I’m definitely not complaining about anything IN the games, mind you. They just take a huge amount of time to play and complete thanks to so much choice in how you get through them. Sure, you graphics ho’s are winching at the visuals and lack of bumpy-shiny Havok or other 3D engine flash not happening here, but I say knock it off and show some respect for a game that manages to be a compelling experience for MORE than its visuals. That and hand-drawn/painted tile art and characters like this just have a certain nostalgic charm to them that makes each new game a visual treat in its own right. Anyway, feel free to try out that big and FREE demo of Avadon 2: The Corruption, carve out some time on your calendar with a big sharp knife and get to buying it if you like what you’ve played. I’ll be doing that as well at some point – I think I’ll need to clean up my own hard drive before I download anything, as I’m running out of room fast…

Review: Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures

Pac-Man_GA _PS3Platform: PlayStation 3 (also on Xbox 360, Wii U, PC, 3DS)

Developer: Monkey Bar Games/Namco Bandai Games

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America

# of Players: 1-4

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: B (80%)

Has there been a year since Pac-Man was introduced that the character hasn’t been in a game or other must-have product? The dot-munching ghost chomper has been on the video game scene in plenty of 2D and 3D adventures from arcade games to platformers, kart racers and even an adventure game or two. His longevity has been pretty much secured thanks to Namco (and now Namco Bandai) shaking thing up every so often with a reinvention or classic reissue and the latest new game on the scene is Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, a kid-friendly game based on the fun new Disney XD animated show. While some of the more stubborn fans of the arcade classic might give this one an automatic sneer because it’s not their favorite way of playing Pac-Man (in which case, they can go dive into the stellar multi-platform Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+), the game is actually quite a lot of fun with only a few quirks… Continue reading

Dementium II HD: Small Scale Horror Goes Bigger (And Scarier) On Steam…

Dementium IIWell, well… I’d heard a PC version of Renegade Kid’s Nintendo DS game was in the works for some time, but I’d forgotten all about it until I saw news of the game on another site. Here’s the trailer for Dementium II HD, set for a Steam launch on December 17. If you haven’t run off to change your underwear yet, you’ll want to know that DII is a very creepy first-person horror game that combines exploration, adventure and combat elements in a single player experience bound to creep you out of whatever chair you’re sitting in and under it for a spell. Nope, it’s not using ANY of the original Nintendo DS assets, silly – that would be scarier than the game seeing that sort of stuff happen.

If you’ve played the original you can clearly see that developer Memetic Games has taken Renegade Kid’s original game and redone it from the ground up, adding some Steam-specific content in the process. It would be lovely to see this creepy gen get MORE press, as the DS game got a tiny print run and seems to be tough to come by these days. Nevertheless, I’m betting once genre fans find out this exists (or will exist in less than two months), they’ll be beating a path to their computers to grab a copy. Actually doing so NOW will net you a nice discount of 35% off the already cheap $14.99 list price. That’s a measly $9.74 if you’re lousy at math (or can’t find that Calculator on your computer). OK, my good deed is done for the evening ladies and germs… good night and have the rest of a super Saturday.

Or ELSE… Mua-ha-ha-ha-haaaa.

BandFuse Rock Legends Update: Bullet For My Valentine Is Music To Your Ears…

With a little over two weeks left before BandFuse: Rock Legends hits retail for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on November 19, here’s another slice of one of the many tracks you’ll be learning to play. My fingers have been tingling and there’s a nice loaner electric guitar warming up in the corner for this one is all I’ll say. This one’s a straight up guitar school in a game case with everything unlocked and a free-form play and learn as you go style that might shock some music game fans expecting something more “video game”-like. Me, I love the idea of dropping the faux-rock god veneer for something that’s going to teach you to play and will be a piece of software those who “get” will go back to over and over again. I’ll save the rest of my words for the actual review, so keep an eye peeled for that…

Thief “Stories From The City” Video Won’t Steal Your Heart (But Your Wallet Is Suddenly Lighter)…

Poor Garrett needs a little love and fast. The internet trolls under every bridge leading to Eidos Montreal’s HQ are pooping out so many negative comments about a game they’ve yet to play based on nothing but some in progress gameplay footage and a lack of perspective and understanding game development that the new Thief may be doomed before it even leaves the studio. Of course, people like me will give the game a shot because we have no psychic powers and tend to believe in developers who try to make good games worth playing.

Granted, yes, the original Thief and its first sequel were brilliant and should be more aspired to than outright copied and so far, it looks as if this new game is going in a different direction than some fans want. However… it’s not complete and no one has played a final build yet, so I say perhaps wait a bit before you angry gamer types whip out the torches and pitchforks. Eidos’ PR department (or Square Enix’) is going to need to do something clever (or just smart – there’s a difference) to get some of the naysayers on board the Thief train, so I guess I may as well break out the popcorn and watch stuff unfold as that February 2014 release rolls around…

Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army 2: Your Next “Horror Movie/FPS” Is Here…

Sure, Activision and Treyarch did the Zombie Nazi thing first as a Call of Duty bonus, but in my opinion, Rebellion is doing it better thanks to the much more realistically violent Sniper Elite V2 engine and its not for the kiddies gore. The first NZA was a nicely nasty surprise (and pretty damn scary when it needed to be) and the just released Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army 2 is bringing the pain (wait, can undead even feel pain? Nope? Oops…) in what’s looking like an even better experience. The developer has even gone and posted two live gameplay videos on YouTube (one yesterday and another today) you can check out if this one seems up your alley. Hey, it’s better (and a LOT more interactive) than digging out those musty old VHS copies of Shock Waves and The Keep, right?

Yes, I know Nazi zombies getting filled full of lead (well, actually… that lead is passing through their bodies from what I’ve seen) isn’t for ALL tastes. But the appeal for me is seeing this dev team do such great work on a few fronts and yes, keep the whole “zombies in games” flame alive just a bit longer. It’s so played out that it’s gotten predictable to a fault, but the best zombie games seem to be the ones that go for the expected gore (although a tip of the head goes to the Plants vs. Zombies folks for making the words “cute” and “undead” work perfectly…

SE_NZA2

Mail’s In! (Or: Well, My Weekend Is SET, It Would Seem…)

weekend update 

OK, I got Skylanders SWAP Force last week, but I’m finally getting around to finishing up the review I started. Everything else here arrived this week and yup, means save for a trip to the library to swipe their bandwidth (hey, it’s FREE!) people-watch and hopefully avoid catching another bad cold, I’ll be camped out at home in front of the telly for a wee bit too long. Now, had I been smart enough to buy that cheap Banksy original when I had the chance (or get someone to buy it for me), I’d not need to be writing reviews because I’d be counting money and sewing a comforter out of dollar bills or something. But noooooo, I’m still poor and have games and a spectacular DVD box set to review. Yeah, Edie Adams is keeping me up all night, folks. You’d stay up late too if you knew of her many talents. And before you get the WRONG idea, Skippy… hit the Google for some research on the talented lady. Me, I’ve known what I was in for since I was about five or six years old…