Archive for August, 2010

Impressions: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

Though I grew up in Miss Croft’s heyday, I have to say I was never her biggest fan. Through my affair with the PlayStation, I obtained several of her adventures, tried my best to brave them and see them through to the end, but I ultimately decided they just weren’t for me. As Lara evolved over the years and had her share of disappointments, it was a surprise when Crystal Dynamics announced that her latest adventure would be a completely different departure. Having dropped the Tomb Raider moniker entirely, it was revealed as an isometric action game that would put the spotlight entirely on Lara and a completely different adventure. I knew I’d have to give this differently-designed Croftian adventure to the test, and thus dove into Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
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Impressions: Ys Seven

The Ys series, a venerable and long-running RPG franchise from developer Falcom, returns to Sony’s portable darling with Ys Seven, the latest numerical sequel in a long list of releases, most of which haven’t made it Stateside. This entry found its way to gamers in Japan last September, while North American experience point junkies had to wait about a year for a followup to the brilliant Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim. Ys chronicles the adventures of one Adol the Red, or Adol Christin to those not acquainted with the swordsman, as well as the companions he meets along the way. Entries in this series have appeared everywhere from the MSX2 to cell phones, and it shows no signs of slowing. The latest addition was released in Japan last year and thanks to Xseed Games, lucky non-Japanese fans can now enjoy the latest addition to the stalwart RPG series keeps players comfortable and coming back for more.

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Review: Gitaroo Man Lives!

One of the most striking aspects of my profile as a gamer is that I have dabbled in quite the few music and rhythm games in my time. From classics such as Dance Dance Revolution to the more obscure titles like Ontamarama and more recently, Gitaroo Man Lives!, a port of the PS2 rhythm title, Gitaroo Man. Having thoroughly enjoyed the original iteration of the game, I was extremely excited to try one out that I could take with me rather than dragging along my PS2 each time I decide to leave the house.

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Review: Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers

There are few things cooler in this world than slicing through zombies, sharp swords, gore, and, well, to some – girls in bikinis. Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers for the Wii brings all these things together, but not exactly in the most admirable way. While it provides some of the most fun hack-and-slash action you will find on Nintendo’s little white monster, its presentation is, well, a bit lacking. Still, if you’re looking for a mindless and bloody good time, you’ll find that this will satisfy that savage bloodlust inside.

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Review: Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball

One of the latest additions to the Xbox Live Arcade family seeks to finally settle the raging score between some of life’s most entertaining figures, namely ninjas and pirates. Of course, without the bitter rivalry between ninjas and pirates, the popularity of similar creatures of zombies and robots would certainly wane. Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball wants to determine once and for all which faction is worthy of being the coolest, strongest, and all-around greatest, all in some rousing games of dodgeball.

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