Serious Sam: The First Encounter first strode onto the scene in 2001 and laughed in the face of the progressive thematic elements that its brethren were exploring at the time. While retro shooters such as Doom and Duke Nukem paved the way forward and other first-person shooters were busy tackling more mature themes, this adrenaline-laden thrill ride threw caution to the wind and in the process trash-talked its way into the hearts of gamers everywhere. In a somewhat ironic twist, Sam did things a lot less seriously than the competition.
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Review: Serious Sam: The Next Encounter HD
On February 10, 2010
In Review, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade
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Review: Tank Universal
It’s been a pretty long time since a game has sucked me in for hours, to the point that I forget that I might need to be cooking food to eat, or getting the laundry out of the washer…or even the fact that I should be doing something more productive. Tank Universal, a fantastic retro throwback very much reminiscent of Tron, is that very game. Since I got the opportunity to check it out, I’ve logged quite the amount of hours basking in the glow of my little laptop that could.
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Review: Guitar Hero: Van Halen
On January 13, 2010
In Review, Xbox 360
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Barring Guitar Hero 5’s revitalization of the series, Guitar Hero is becoming a bit of a one-trick pony. Take the latest iteration: Guitar Hero: Van Halen. Given out for free with the purchase of Guitar Hero 5, the full retail release has finally reached store shelves. It “features” 20 rock “superstars” alongside 80s rockers Van Halen in a wholly underwhelming exercise in tedium that reminds me exactly why I treasure my quality time spent with more polished offerings that rely less on filler tracks completely unrelated to the featured band and more on making my experience feel like a unique one with some of the music I love. Perhaps this game is a real treat for the hardcore Van Halen fans still truckin’ out there — after all, they are quite the prolific outfit — but even for franchise fans, this is most certainly a miss.
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Review: Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!
On January 8, 2010
In Review, Xbox Live Arcade
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The Rainbow Islands series spun off from Bubble Bobble as a sequel, opening the door to a brand new franchise. Following the “true ending” of the original Bubble Bobble game, the game was an adventure involving human forms of the iconic dragons Bub and Bob, escaping from rapidly sinking land masses via rainbow. It might sound silly, but it garnered mostly positive critical reception and received several sequels. The latest of which, Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure, was recently released via WiiWare and the Xbox Live Arcade. While it manages to capture most of the magic that made its predecessors memorable, much of the whimsy is dwindling with this next-gen update.
Review: Lock’s Quest
The DS is arguably the best haven for RPGs. It’s impossible to name on one hand the amount of fantastic RPGexperiences that have come in such a small package. Recently I had the pleasure of playing Lock’s Quest, THQ’S latest entry into the DS library. Players follow young “Archineer” (those skilled with building) Lock into the midst of a war being waged between the diabolical Lord Agony and his droves of Clockwork soldiers. On what seems to be just another normal day, Lock is requested by his grandfather to begin building a wall by the sea. However, amidst his building, he is approached by a man who announces the arrival of several Clockwork soldiers intent on destroying the village and whatever gets in their way. With this, Lock is caught up in an intricate web of villainy and tyranny, and the player is dragged in as well.