Hello Kitty is universally adored by women – and men – of all ages around the world. She’s a fan-favorite mascot who’s even got her own airline and range of household cooking products (incidentally, I reheated last night’s leftovers in a candy pink Hello Kitty microwave). She’s a veritable cultural icon, so it’s no surprise that she should be the center of an animated series aimed at how to share, make friends, and share various other golden how-to nuggets of simple learning that should enthrall and delight both children and parents who want a gentle way to instill valuable concepts in their young one’s mind.
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Review: Growing Up With Hello Kitty Vol. 1 + 2
On April 9, 2012
In DVD Review
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Review: Ninja Gaiden 3
The Ninja Gaiden franchise is known for its punishing difficulty and satisfying combos, and the amount of broken controllers left in its wake. Frontrunner Ryu Hayabusa has been out of action (at least when it comes to new games) for quite some time now, and the release of Ninja Gaiden 3 hearkens back to the good old days when the Hayabusa name was one to be feared and respected. Yet, this iteration feels decidedly different in many ways, as if the heart and soul was lifted straight from the storied ninja and transplanted elsewhere.
Interview: Daniel Licht on Scoring Silent Hill: Downpour
On April 3, 2012
In Interview
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With over twenty years of scoring hit horror franchises like Children of the Corn, Amityville, and Hellraiser, composer Daniel Licht knows a thing or two about scary sounds, and is perhaps best known for his work on Showtime’s award-winning serial killer drama Dexter. And now he’s turning his ghoulish gifts to another medium – videogames – with his original score for Konami’s Silent Hill: Downpour, snatching the bloody reigns from series regular Akira Yamaoka for the first time in the long-running survival-horror series’ history.
Review: Silent Hill: Downpour
Your very first encounter of Silent Hill: Downpour is not with that of a wretched wheelchair-bound monstrosity, nor the series’ iconic Pyramid Head. No, the very first victim you bury a knife into is that of a pale, overweight prisoner in the cold, sterile shelter of a prison shower. It’s one of the game’s most jarring moments that also acts as a quick and dirty tutorial. Quick and dirty, much like the errand you just completed as one Murphy Pendleton, an inmate who’s been locked away for a crime that isn’t made immediately clear. Your reasons for senselessly murdering a helpless, blubbering sheep of a man are murky at best, much like Downpour’s meandering plot and identity as the newest entry into the franchise. And while Silent Hill has been mired in a strange, genre-shifting limbo for quite some time, it’s never been able to pull off any direction but disturbing. Silent Hill: Downpour for all intents and purposes is a return to form for the classic mindscrew, but it remains riddled with bizarre design decisions that prevent it from blossoming into the classic Silent Hill fans have been waiting for.
Review: Pritect Sensor Cover for Kinect
On April 1, 2012
In Kinect, Product Review, Xbox 360
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The Kinect relies on a crystal clear camera view in order to best pick up players and scan the environment so when the camera is left unattended and untouched for, say, a few weeks time, it’s bound to gather dirt, dust, and other impurities that could impede its performance. And with hazards such as dropping the peripheral or the potential for scratches and other damage, you’re privy to a unit that could be rendered effectively useless should you fail to take the proper precautions.