Imagine your favorite TV show. Now squeeze everything you like about it into a neat little package suitable for a mobile device. Did you remember to include the stunning cast? What about the hilarious one-liners? Did you manage to get some high-key developers on board? As you can imagine, taking a hit television series and turning it into a viable video game requires quite a bit of planning, just like what’s required of lovable-but-incapable-of-loving Dexter Morgan. The smash hit Showtime series “Dexter” has been graced with its very own iPhone game, and from where I’m standing, it packs quite the punch. Admirably, Dexter the Game manages to fit all the atmosphere of the show into a handy adventure that you can take on-the-go. Who said major platforms should have all the fun?
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Review: Dexter: The Game
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Review: Obscure: The Aftermath
As horror enthusiasts are probably aware, the Obscure franchise as a rule is approached with trepidation. And for good reason. It’s not exactly the creme de la creme of the land of Pyramid Head and cursed tattoos. While the original game stood on its own as an intriguing thriller, its Wii sequel tended to disappoint, as migrations to the Wii tend to do. It stands on wobbly legs as a survival horror title, stumbling more than once as it struggles to be recognized as a viable spectacle of the macabre. Now that it’s on the PSP, this is one port you may be wise to pass up, especially if you have a strong aversion to pitiful, Americanized attempts at college horror films. Because that’s what Obscure: The Aftermath is trying to be, and that’s a nightmare in itself.
Preview: Cho Aniki Zero
In the beginning, there was man. In the beginning of shooter Cho Aniki, there were many scantily-clad men. And it was good. Thanks to Aksys Games and their penchant for all things zany, us wacky American gamers are being given the chance to play through a brand new homoerotic adventure via the loving PlayStation Network. The downloadable title Cho Aniki Zero has been officially announced for a PSP release, and it’s looking rather buff.
Review: Tekken 6
Tekken has long been a viable alternative to those who have strayed from the Street Fighter, Soulcalibur, or Mortal Kombat camps. Ever the dark horse of the genre, it’s been around long enough to avoid the typical pitfalls that riddle efforts considered unsuccessful by the community. With the advent of Tekken 6, that lucky streak seems to have been cut short. While the core gameplay is slick and enjoyable brawler, the pithy Scenario mode and overall presentation mire this flashy fighter in a mess of broken gameplay, dated graphics, and disappointing online play. While it may be enjoying great success in the arcades, I can’t quite recommend it as a console port.
Review: DJ Hero
Even though I’ve been known to hoard music games like they’re going out of style, even I have noticed a severe discrepancy in quality over the past couple of years. While most games go out of their way to avoid bringing new styles of play into the field and head straight for the fastest way to make cash, luckily there are still minds out there who think creatively. While DJ Hero isn’t exactly the first game of its kind (Beatmania IIDX, anyone?), it manages to capture the feeling of being a real DJ settled right in the heart of the hottest night clubs and bumpin’ joints where the real greats mixed it up. It may not be perfect, but it’s certainly on the right track. We need more of this kind of innovation, and I’m proud to say that DJ Hero is the start of a revolution — and not one involving karaoke.