XBLA
Certain Affinity’s Crimson Alliance Causes Anticipation
When did I first hear about Certain Affinity’s upcoming XBLA action-RPG Crimson Alliance? Honestly, it was when Summer of Arcade announced it as the free gift for anyone who purchased all five Summer of Arcade titles (one of which happens to be a Kinect-only title, which is causing a bit of a ruckus in the sans-Kinect demographic). Digging a little deeper, I found a game that I’m reall...[Read More]
Review: Backbreaker Vengeance (XBLA)
I’m going to level with you right off the bat: I’m not a huge American football fan. I’ve been a fan of the Green Bay Packers since the mid-90s, but only because Green Bay rhymed with Green Day (who had not yet started to suck ass at that time), and because it really pissed off my 49er’s fan cousins. As a non-fan, I’ve generally found myself ignoring or not enjoying m...[Read More]
Review: Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax (XBLA)
Half-Minute Hero began life essentially as freeware known as 30-Second Hero originally developed by UUE. A unique take on the Japanese Role Playing Game (JRPG) formula, players had 30 seconds to beat an evil wizard and save the world from certain destruction. In 2009, the game would be adopted by Marvelous Entertainment where they would make the move from a standalone 1 MB game and add 5 other dif...[Read More]
2011 Xbox Live Summer of Arcade
It’s that time of year again, and we find ourselves on the cusp of yet another Xbox Live Summer of Arcade. Last year saw some fantastic games that might be hard to top, from the award-winning Limbo to the wonderfully entertaining Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. We were lucky enough to get our hands on one of the upcoming Summer of Arcade games last month in the form of Ubisoft’s ...[Read More]
E3 2011: Gamma World: Alpha Mutation
I wasn’t particularly impressed with Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale. My biggest complaint was that it was being touted as a “Dungeons & Dragons” title, but had virtually none of the customization options that are so integral to the Dungeons & Dragons experience. At E3, one of the Atari guys behind that title showed me a new title, Gamma World: Alpha Mutation, and the ...[Read More]
E3 2011: Warlords
Thirty-one years. Warlords was released as an arcade cabinet by Atari thirty-one years ago. By contrast, I am only 28 years old. This game was, quite literally, before my time. Now, that’s not to say that I never experienced the cabinet. I spent many hours in arcades when I was but a wee lad, and Warlords, while not a regular favorite, got its fair share of time.
E3 2011: Torchlight II
Just a few months ago, I called the XBLA version of Torchlight the most fun I’d had gaming so far in 2011. Portal 2 dethroned it, and I’m afraid that this fall’s Neverwinter is going to bump it slightly more, but none of this changes the fact that Torchlight will still be one of my top 2011 games. At E3, I was privileged enough to sit down and play through one of the random event...[Read More]
E3 2011: Orcs Must Die!
When Robot Entertainment first unveiled their upcoming action/strategy game, Orcs Must Die!, I misread the title. “Orcs Must Dine!? Oh, God. Please tell me this isn’t just another port of Diner Dash but with a medieval fantasy skin over it!” Not that there’s anything wrong with Diner Dash, of course. Diner Dash’s time management system is a valid gameplay mechanic tha...[Read More]
E3 2011: The War of the Worlds
Nearly 73 years ago, Orson Welles brought H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds to stunning life over the radio, creating a wave of panic throughout his unsuspecting listeners. Before the end of this year, nearly three-quarters of a century later, the narrative experience of The War of the Worlds is coming to both XBLA and PSN in the form of Other Ocean and Paramount Digital’s The War of t...[Read More]
Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale (XBLA)
I came in to Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale both hesitant and hopeful. On the one hand, I’ve been a massive fan of Dungeons & Dragons since Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition. On the other hand, I’ve been a massive fan of Dungeons & Dragons since Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition. I could either have been very happy with a great console Dungeons & Dra...[Read More]
Review: SEGA Rally Online Arcade (XBLA)
I hate racing sim games. I can’t stand Gran Turismo, and I’m not a fan of Forza. There’s one major element in a racing game that I look for before anything else, and unfortunately it is absolutely lacking in the simulation racing genre: FUN. Arcade racing games have that one crucial element in spades, with games like blur, Burnout, Need for Speed, and the classic SEGA Rally serie...[Read More]
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair XBLA Blowout
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is being featured as XBLA’s Deal of the Week this week. Select Harmony of Despair content will be discounted by 50%, today through May 9th. On top of that, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will also be dropped by 50% for this promotion. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is best played as a multiplayer game, in my opinion, so now is the perfect time for you and...[Read More]