Reviews
Review: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend (Vita)
Before starting up BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend, I had never played a BlazBlue title. I remember being very interested in BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger when it released back in 2009, but at the time, for whatever reason, I passed on it, and as I got farther and farther away from the release date, I simply gave it up as a lost cause and moved on. When BlazBlue: Continuum Shift was released in 2010...[Read More]
Review: Michael Jackson: The Experience HD (Vita)
One of my absolute favorite rhythm or music games of all time was on a handheld platform. Elite Beat Agents on the Nintendo DS had great music, great tap and gesture controls for keeping rhythm, and was absolutely fantastic for a quick pick up and play session while I was out and about. Now, I traded in my DS Lite to get my PS Vita, so Elite Beat Agents is out of my grasp for the moment. Does Mich...[Read More]
Review: Final Fantasy XIII-2: Lightning and Amodar DLC (PS3)
Final Fantasy XIII-2 is generally regarded as a superior game in comparison to its predecessor. As well as being an open apology to disappointed fans, Square Enix is also using XIII-2 as a platform to push DLC to the series, a process that will probably become the norm for the franchise moving forward. With the first few batches of DLC, it is worth looking at how worthwhile the DLC is to the game ...[Read More]
Review: Lumines Electronic Symphony (Vita)
I see people putting up high scores from single runs that reach half a million points or more, and I think to myself, “Man, I need to get some of whatever performance enhancing drug he or she is on, because that’s making my 30,000 look pretty damn pathetic.” Yeah, my highest single run score was in the low 30k’s, and that was last night. I’ve never been very good at T...[Read More]
Review: Asphalt: Injection (Vita)
I love arcade racers. I prefer the enjoyment and thrill of an arcade racing game to the sheer frustration and ridiculously sensitive nature of a simulation racing game. Blur, Burnout, Mario Kart, ModNation…arcade and kart racers are my racing bread and butter. That’s why a game like Asphalt: Injection was such a welcome addition to my launch lineup for the PlayStation Vita. It’s ...[Read More]
Review: Plants vs. Zombies (Vita)
Reviewing Plants vs. Zombies seems kind of ridiculous, at this point. I mean, honestly, what platform is this game NOT on? It’s on PC, it’s on XBLA, it’s on PSN, it’s on iOS, it’s on Android, it’s on WP7, and more, more, more. It’s even on BLACKBERRY, for crying out loud! Aside from the drivel known as Angry Birds (I don’t like Angry Birds), I honest...[Read More]
Review: Rayman Origins (Vita)
Late last year, I had a chance to review Rayman Origins on my Xbox 360. I found it to be the best platformer of this generation of gaming, and one of the best platformers I’ve ever had the sheer, unadulterated, so good it should be illegal joy of playing. It has become one of the games I recommend most to people, and the first game that comes to mind when talking about its genre. Now, it has...[Read More]
Review: Binary Domain (PS3)
Going into last year’s E3, I was a bit skeptical about Binary Domain. I have an unashamedly vocal love affair with the 2010 SEGA-published Platinum Games third-person shooter Vanquish, and hesitated at the thought of another third-person shooter published by SEGA, set in the future against robots. How could I help but be disappointed when I would naturally draw comparisons to Vanquish? Seein...[Read More]
Review: Nexuiz (XBLA)
The third entry in the House Party event for this year, Nexuiz is fast. More than any other word, that one best describes the frenetic and exhilarating experience of any of the game modes that Nexuiz has to offer. Sure, the name may be a dorky carryover from the Quake mod that inspired it, and yeah, you might find a deeper story in a Gallant and Goofus comic from a Highlights magazine you pick up ...[Read More]
Review: Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack (Vita)
Launch lineups are typically less than stellar (Fantavision and Perfect Dark Zero anyone?), so skepticism is expected. The Vita manages to have a lot of big names attached to it, names like Uncharted and Ninja Gaiden, gearing up to be a full console experience in a handheld. Yet, the highlight of the Vita may just be Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack, the cheapest title available. A hilarious ...[Read More]
Review: Warp (XBLA)
The first of this year’s House Party titles, Warp is an incredibly complex and deep adventure that metaphorically addresses a plethora of key societal and political issues within the guise of experimentation on a captured alien in a secret underwater laboratory. Free will, gender and race equality, political corruption, and more all make appearances in the most intelligent game I think ever ...[Read More]
Review: Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (XBLA)
I have never played the original Alan Wake. I have not tried the demo, I have not rented or borrowed the game, I have not had the game, in any format, within the confines of my home, or even in my hand as a possible purchase at a store. I’m not really a fan of horror or thriller games in general, which is why Alan Wake never really held any interest for me. Now, with Alan Wake’s Americ...[Read More]