Space Invaders Extreme was an interesting departure. . Space Invaders Infinity Gene completely changed the way I looked at the 30+ year-old arcade classic. I thought a simple injection of color and thumping techno were notable additions to the Space Invader scene, but Infinity Gene’s unique approach blew those simple augments out of the water. As the latest in a long line of ports from the iPhone/iPod Touch to XBLA and PSN services, this reimagining never ceases to keep things fresh with a minimalistic approach, existential quotes, and trance/synth tunes to keep you grooving all the way through each evolution of the original manifestation. Despite the fact that it turns what you know about Space Invaders on its head, it’s distinctly familiar and approachable. If this is the future of all arcade classics, then count me in.
Archive for September, 2010
Review: Space Invaders Infinity Gene
Permalink
Review: Dead or Alive Paradise
If you’ve never seen a real woman, don’t count on Dead or Alive Paradise to placate your desire. In fact, even if you were a fan of the sometimes entertaining Dead or Alive: Xtreme Volleyball, you won’t find much to enjoy with Tecmo’s latest PSP iteration. In a strange bid to attract what I can only assume are the most hardcore fans of the ladies of Dead or Alive, yet another excursion to New Zack Island has been released, this time to a handheld that can’t quite hold up to the standards needed to render the ladies properly. Robotic, stuttery minigames, scattershot gameplay, and a thin plot are reason enough to pass over this travesty of a “game.”
Continue Reading →
Impressions: Halo: Reach
Permalink
Not long ago, I finished the fight…or so I thought. This September, I started it. While this ordering may sound a bit unusual to non-Halo fans, I’m talking about Halo: Reach, Bungie’s final heartfelt love letter to the fans; potentially the last “true” Halo. Considering the series’ massive popularity and rabid fan devotion (myself included) it’d be downright naive to think this the case. Reach is a fantastic and fitting end to the series under their direction (let’s not count ODST, travesty as it was) and an inspiring beginning to an accessible, easy to digest sci-fi saga that will entice you with tales of an epic narrative and keep you playing with solid multiplayer action through Xbox Live. It’s hardly perfect, but it’s very much Halo; noticeably tightened, nipped, and tucked. Its multiplayer mode will be remembered – and played – for years to come, as with the previous titles in the saga. But is it the conclusion series loyalists deserve?
Review: Mafia II
I’ve spent plenty of time with Grand Theft Auto, inFAMOUS, and other similar excursions — except I’ve done nothing but harm innocent pedestrians, wreck countless cars, while racking up an indeterminable amount of property damage. As a result, I didn’t bother to finish them.The reason Mafia II works for me was because it was nothing like the go-anywhere-and-do-anything romp I assumed it would be. Like its predecessor, Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven (one of the few similar games I did complete and a fantastic play), it’s a scathing, disturbing, and at times decidedly stereotypical look at the lengths one man will go to make money, a better life, and most importantly, a name for himself.
Review: Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Permalink
Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is a strange monster. It’s a miracle that it even exists, considering Kane & Lynch: Dead Men’s chilly reception. It certainly wasn’t crying out for a sequel, despite being a decent shooter. It wasn’t a stand-out or must-play game at the time, and it was overshadowed by ridiculous controversy that should never have influenced sales in the first place.