Video Games
Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (XBLA)
The fact that I still hold out hope for Sonic titles speaks directly to just how much of an impact the original Genesis titles had on me as a lad. For two decades, I’ve played Sonic titles. Even though Mario has a more consistent track record of quality, Sonic’s high points have been bigger and better than Mario’s across the board, in my opinion. I think what I’m trying to ...[Read More]
Review: Prototype 2 – Colossal Mayhem DLC (360)
Last week, our review for Prototype 2 went live. In that review, we equated Prototype 2 to a movie like The Expendables. Specifically, “you didn’t watch The Expendables for the gripping romantic subplot, and you’re not going to play Prototype 2 for the tragic tale of loss and revenge. You watched The Expendables because they blew shit up, and you’ll play Prototype 2 to blow shit up.” P...[Read More]
Review: Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition (XBLA)
Five days ago, I had never played Minecraft. I didn’t understand the fascination, or obsession, with it, and I was content. Having spent the past five days in my personal realm of Doompocalypse, a land of opportunity, freedom, and dreams fulfilled, I begin to understand. Minecraft is the frontier. When Americans were blazing new trails into the west, they went with what they could carry or c...[Read More]
Review: Prototype 2 (360)
New York City lays sprawled below me as I glide through the air in a descending arc. An air dash restores my momentum, extending my flight and allowing me to reach the skyscraper in the distance. I land on the side of the skyscraper, and smoothly transition into a vertical run, defying Sir Isaac Newton and his thoughts and discoveries on gravity with my actions. As I reach the top of the building,...[Read More]
Review: Mortal Kombat (Vita)
If Mortal Kombat is to be remembered for, and associated with, one thing for the rest of eternity, and one thing only, it should be this: bloody gore and incredibly violence. Okay, that’s two things. I find it easier to simply acknowledge the mistake and move on rather than edit my opening sentence. That being said, Mortal Kombat introduced a level of brutality and disturbing visuals that ha...[Read More]
Review: Fable Heroes (XBLA)
I’m not sure what happened between Peter Molyneux and one chicken whose viciousness and fowlness (heh, get it?) we can only assume were such that the world has never seen before. All I know is that it resulted in the common chicken being singled out and having one hell of a hard time in the Fable universe. From a player stat specifically urging the player to kick a chicken farther and farthe...[Read More]
Review: Bloodforge (XBLA)
The second entry in the inaugural Arcade NEXT XBLA promotion from Microsoft is Climax Studios’ Bloodforge. Up to this point, Climax Studios has had a nearly unbroken run of ports, spin-offs, and media tie-ins, with the occasional original title thrown in for a bit of variety. From the PlayStation port of the first Diablo to the Ghost Rider movie video game adaptation, it looks like Bloodforg...[Read More]
Review: Trials Evolution (XBLA)
I started playing Trials Evolution Tuesday afternoon, and I knew that I was going to have problems. Immediately, I became intently focused on the track leaderboards. I saw names…I saw targets. Success! I topped the leaderboard for Oil Crisis and sent a celebratory tweet to those hapless fools that had been humbled and shamed by my incredible skill and deft control. Twenty minutes later, my t...[Read More]
Review: The Pinball Arcade (Vita)
Pinball has never been high on my list of enjoyable gaming experiences. I rarely played physical pinball machines, and, aside from Sonic Spinball, the only virtual pinball game I ever played much of, or at all, was the 3D Pinball game bundled with Windows 95 forward. I still remember the space theme of the table, and I can still somewhat picture the table layout in my head. I never got into Pinbal...[Read More]
Review: Wheels of Destruction (PSN)
Vehicular combat has always been a mixed bag for me. I’ve dabbled with the likes of Twisted Metal, but never found it particularly satisfying. The most recent iteration, in fact, managed to keep my attention for about half an hour before I found myself feeling done. On the other hand, I absolutely LOVED Streets of Sim City, though that may have more to do with my adoration of Sim City than a...[Read More]
Review: Sumioni: Demon Arts (Vita)
My initial impressions for Sumioni: Demon Arts were mixed. I had been eagerly anticipating the title as a beautiful and interesting platformer since I first heard of it back in December. It seemed to be a title that would be a great showcase for the touch mechanics of the Vita with a unique and exotic style. I started my first playthrough at approximately 5:30pm Wednesday evening. I finished my fi...[Read More]
Review: Mass Effect 3 (PS3/360)
After completing Mass Effect 3 a total of four times on two platforms, countless hours of multiplayer, and numerous podcasts covering the story and controversies around it, I still don’t know if I’m ready to talk about the game. My career with Mass Effect as a series has meant completion of every game on both Xbox 360 and again on PS3, reading comic books and novels, and pulling everyone I could i...[Read More]