Any third-party controller that improves on a console’s proprietary offering is OK in my book. Nyko’s Raven series of wireless controllers for the PlayStation 3 do this and more, at least in most areas, and even offer Sony fans a tantalizing way to ferry over 360 fans to Sony’s media behemoth – a PS3 controller with the layout of a 360 controller. Available in both Standard (DualShock layout) and Alternate (Xbox 360 layout) designs, the Raven is a formidable third-party alternative to the standard-issue Sony choices in terms of design and the way the controller feels while gaming, but it does possess a few hiccups that may make those strapped for cash think twice before committing.
Archive for February, 2011
Review: Nyko Raven Motion Sensing Wireless Controller with Vibration
On February 18, 2011
In Hardware, PlayStation 3, Review
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Impressions: Reload: Target Down
On February 18, 2011
In Impressions, Wii
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When I was a little girl, I was a crack shot with a real-life BB gun and with my trusty NES Zapper on my TV screen. Sometimes you just want to shoot things in gaming without pretense. Reload (or Reload: Target Down), a collection of shooting gallery levels, takes you back to the days of being an eager kid taking trips to the shooting range with your family or messing around with your big brother or big sister’s BB gun, makeshift targets and all. Reload drops much of the pretensions accompanying many of today’s most popular shooting games focuses on being an entertaining journey through several of those nostalgic venues, a quick and easy point-and-shoot excursion with a variety of weapons and targets at your disposal.
Review: Lord of Arcana
Lord of Arcana is a familiar, yet barebones release. It incorporates much of what makes higher-profile offerings a delight to play and doesn’t pretend to be anything more than an echo of successful games past. Take the portable Monster Hunter releases — plenty of loot, accessible multiplayer, and pacing that makes it easy to see why the franchise is so popular. In contrast, Lord of Arcana drags along, forces you to grind excessively, and offers little in return. I can’t say I was surprised at this revelation, but during the course of my solo adventure, I was frequently enraged and ready to quit playing.
Review: Evil Controllers Evil D-Pad Controller
On February 12, 2011
In Hardware, Review, Xbox 360
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Few issues with the Xbox 306’s standard-issue controller have plagued gamers like its finicky, hard-to-press directional pad (d-pad). Originally a grey circular “button” rather than separate directions, its long been the bane of fighting enthusiasts’ existence on Microsoft’s more-than-capable console, as well as Netflix fans navigating through queues. Or anyone who wishes for a bit more precision than the analog sticks offer. Or any game that relies heavily on 8-directional digital controls, such as classics or re-imagined classics available on the Xbox Live Arcade. I think you know where I’m going with this, and that’s why I’m always happy to see companies looking to rectify such a game-crashing design flaw.
Impressions: Pee Monkey Plant Bloom
On February 9, 2011
In Impressions, iPhone/iPod Touch
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Like it or not, you can’t deny the success of the wildly popular Angry Birds. You need only spend a few moments with it and then you can kiss a few sweet hours of your life goodbye. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll curse at little green pigs. And finally, you’ll look to the App Store for some decent, similar adventures when you’ve completed every single stage you possibly can. That’s where a quirky little game called Pee Monkey Plant Bloom comes in. You might be one to judge by its title, but there’s some good fun to be had in this strange little Angry Birds clone.