Archive for July, 2009
Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Posted by: | CommentsHarry Potter has always intrigued me, though I have never had the self-discipline to sit down and read through all of the novels. I’ve opted to see the movies instead, even when they bored me to tears. It’s fascinating to think that they have gotten progressively better over the years, and the video game tie-ins have certainly followed suit. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an entertaining (albeit very predictable) journey into Potter’s world, but it got me to sit down and pay attention a lot longer than the books did.
Review: Splosion Man
Posted by: | CommentsYou may remember Twisted Pixel, the devs behind Splosion Man, for their charming and accessible platformer The Maw, with the endearing little purple alien who munched up anything in his path. They’ve expanded upon the science-experiment-gone-wrong archetype with the release of Splosion Man, which features a spunky character who does exactly what his name implies – he explodes. A lot. Are you a bad enough dude to handle that?
Impressions: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Posted by: | CommentsRPGs are tricky subject matter. If you can’t get together an intriguing cast of characters, solid gameplay that rewards your grinding, and a great storyline that should keep you playing, then they become throwaways that are little more than copies of games that came before them (and usually did better jobs). Having been a big fan of the MegaTen games for years now, I can usually count on the franchise to deliver on all counts, even when it seems that the rest of the RPG world is going down the tubes (I’m looking at you, Black Sigil!). The release of Devil Survivor, the latest entry into the series fails to disappoint as well, receiving my own personal honor of being one of the most entertaining handheld adventures I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. These days, when it’s increasingly difficult to find a game to stick with, that’s saying a lot.
Impressions: The Munchables
Posted by: | CommentsI admit, at first I was quite skeptical about The Munchables, seeing as it brings to mind the delicious pizza treats I enjoy, and the crackers and meat combos from my school days. Still, I am very much a glutton for everything cute and inviting. Ever apprehensive about the Wii’s expanding library, I took the plunge. After giving it a fair shot, however, I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining it actually is. Granted, it’s no game of the year, and it will get looked over as fun games often do, but its strange mixture of Katamari Damacy meets Pac Man is actually quite brilliant.
Retro Recommendation: Defenders of Oasis
Posted by: | CommentsBeing an RPG junkie has left me with an addiction that is very difficult to satiate. For every noteworthy roleplaying experience, there are tens of lackluster journeys that I could care less about. I will sit through all the RPGs I start, though, simply because I am a curious soul. With that said, I’ve probably saved the world, became the chosen one, and watched my favorite innocent flower girl die a few hundred times. So, it’s time for another Retro Recommendation! The ship gets sailing with a look at Defenders of Oasis, released for the Sega Game Gear in 1992.