An earthworm donning a white and powder-blue spacesuit always did garner attention. Upon Earthworm’s Jim initial release, I was but a wee lass who shied away at any mention of insects, arachnids, or creatures of the creepy-crawly variety. However, I made an exception for this vintage Genesis platformer. This worm spoke. I could dig it. And from the very first level where I launched a cow into the air after taking aim to a refrigerator, I knew this was something I’d come back to again and again. Luckily for me, the title has seen its share of incarnations of the years, even spawning a sequel that continued the run-and-gun legacy. Shiny Entertainment had a hit on its hands, if you don’t count the terrible excuses for games created without their involvement. Now, in an age that heralds the rebirth of classics we knew and loved in our youth, the original Earthworm Jim returns to consoles via the good graces of Gameloft in Earthworm Jim HD.
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Review: Earthworm Jim HD
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Review: Green Day: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band was an admirable tribute to one of history’s greatest musical forces. Stepping into the shoes of the venerable Fab Four proved to be an entertaining and equally respectable trip. Just as it attracted established Beatlemaniacs, it created new ones through bystanders and gamers searching for a new music game to rock out to. Harmonix sensed they were onto something here, and thus allowed another band to take center stage for another band-centric adventure. Not long after, Green Day: Rock Band was announced. While not as epic in scope, it’s an enjoyable trip from the early, angst-ridden days of the band’s career all the way through their politically charged creations American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. It brings nothing relatively groundbreaking to the series (and builds little on The Beatles: Rock Band’s feature set) but those needing their Rock Band fix should find plenty to like here.
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Review: Snoopy Flying Ace
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When you think of the Peanuts gang and that lovable beagle Snoopy, it’s likely you don’t immediately recall Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. It just doesn’t seem too likely of a union, now does it? But wait. Toss Snoopy’s vicious nemesis into the mix, the Red Baron, and his penchant for World War II-era dogfights with the venerable fighter pilot. Starting to make more sense now? It should. In Smart Bomb Interactive’s highly enjoyable yet sufficiently challenging downloadable title, Snoopy Flying Ace, the meshing of Crimson Skies and the cast of Peanuts seems like a match made in heaven. Even more of a definitively arcade-type experience than Smart Bomb’s previous outing, Snoopy vs. The Red Baron, this adventure borrows more than a few pages from the cult Xbox hit and writes a fantastic story all its own.
Impressions: Princess Fury
A side-scrolling brawler is a tough game to completely screw up. When all else fails, bombard the player with enemies, an interesting graphical interface, and enough gore to beat the band. Use a combination of two or three of these elements and you should find you’ve got an enjoyable diversion on your hands. Princess Fury, $1.99 worth of 16-bit button mashing for your iPhone or iPod Touch from developers Mo-Star, demonstrates that a delectable blend of all of these things makes for a highly addictive experience that you’d be mad to pass up, especially at such a reasonable price.
Review: Whisper of a Rose: Gold
RosePortal Games has quite the hit on its hands with the stunning Whisper of a Rose: Gold. As a devout follower of the ways of the staunchly traditional role-playing game of old (yes, including Japanese RPGs) I found it to be a magical departure from the modern mechanics of beauty before substance and million-hit-points before character development world we’ve somehow found ourselves in with newer titles, and one that managed to transport me back to the innocent days of after-school grinding rather than yawning over news of the next “big” game. And for that, I pronounce it a smashing success. It’s not perfect, but it’s compelling, familiar, and depressing all at once. It’s been a while since a game has evoked such emotion from me, and so I must praise it.