Once upon a time, I was a young girl armed with little more than my faithful Nintendo and gently-used Game Boy from the local pawn shop. Along with my brand new acquisition for on-the-go gaming, I received a smattering of games to put to good use. Among these were titles that my younger self couldn’t quite wrap her head around, such as the random Spanish translator (a very cheap game) and the quirky A Boy and His Blob. Though it took several attempts for me to finally understand why the blob accompanying the boy would eagerly gobble up jelly beans and change forms, I finally realized that I was playing through one of the most creative games of the time. Twenty years later, the franchise returns with a stunning remake of legendary developer David Crane’s original masterpiece. Is there still room in this world for blobs and those who love them?
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Impressions: A Boy and His Blob
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Review: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
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Comic book heroes, RPG-lite mechanics, and a whole lot of silliness go a long way when it comes to gaming. Even if you’re not on the up-and-up with Tony Stark’s background or Deadpool’s merc-with-a-mouth ‘tude, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 can still quench your thirst for a powerful, entertaining adventure that grips you with all its might and seldom lets go. It resonates with the dulcet tones of the original game, providing that feel-good jolt that you sometimes need in this day and age, what with all the underwhelming games being released for no good reason (Ju-On, anyone?). While it may not have technically improved over its predecessor in too many discernible ways, it’s just plain fun.
Review: Borderlands
Combining RPG elements with frenetic FPS action is usually a game development path that can’t go wrong. In the case of Gearbox’s brand new darling <b>Borderlands</b>, they most certainly hit one out of the park. Splicing together some of the things we love about both genres — as well as explosive multiplayer adventure — was one of the best moves they could have ever made. And it’s become one of the most infamous time sucks of all time. Where to get more loot? How can I level up faster? And why isn’t everyone playing <b>Borderlands</b> on my friends list?
Impressions: Shark’s Treasure: The Quest of the Mermaids
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The iPhone/iPod Touch’s built-in accelerometer can be used for a myriad of different things, but it’s mostly made use of by game developers to add motion control to their games. Whether its tilting, turning, or even the occasional shimmy and shake some games often have such controls unwillingly grafted onto perfectly fine mechanics, while others practically beg for this type of control scheme. While it may not be any kind of fabulous, Shark’s Treasure: The Quest of the Mermaids is a pleasant little diversion for Apple’s platform that makes the most of the unit’s inherent controls and offers tremendous value for its guppy-like asking price.
Impressions: Tornado Outbreak
Move over, Prince – there’s a brand new Katamari blowing into town. Or at least something like it. We’re not talking about Namco’s clump-collecting classic per se, actually. Just Konami’s new Tornado Outbreak, a fascinating release that offers many of the very same elements that we love about the Katamari franchise, coupled with solid controls and a look and feel that’s uniquely its own. Don’t be fooled by the game’s otherwise intimidating name, as this was a definitely a nice surprise that meteorologists didn’t see coming.