Most Recent: Reviews

Yar’s Revenge Review: Float Like a Shameless Copy, Sting Like Sin & Punishment

Posted on May 18, 2011 by John Scalzo

Back when video games were played using a wood-paneled console on a wood-paneled TV (which you bought by driving to the store in your wood-paneled car), Yars’ Revenge was one of the most popular games available on the Atari 2600. While Yars’ Revenge was eventually overshadowed by other titles in the ensuing 30 years of gaming, Atari has decided to resurrect their once great game as a PC/XBLA game now titled Yar’s Revenge. (more…)

Posted in PC, Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury Review: Welcome to Missile Hell

Posted on May 17, 2011 by John Scalzo

Over the years, Treasure is a developer that has practically become synonymous with the shooter genre. And why not? After all, they’re responsible for Contra III: The Alien Wars, the greatest side-scrolling shooter of all time. Since breaking away from Konami, the team has released classic shooter after classic shooter, including the insane Ikaruga and the great Gradius V. Their latest release is another remake from the Treasure treasure trove, Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury. (more…)

Posted in Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Pokemon Black/White Review: You Can Catch It, But It’s Certainly Not a Legendary

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Nicole Kline

Pokemon games follow a pretty simple formula: you live in a world full of pocket monsters that exist in harmony with humans. Your character is a pretty typical kid who wants to go out on adventures in Unova and become a Pokemon trainer. You’re entrusted with a Pokedex and told to fill it. On the way, you make enemies and friends, battle ace trainers and campers, and, of course, catch a ton of Pokemon – preferably all of them, if you’re so inclined/psychotic. But Pokemon Black and White introduce a new factor to the equation – a coherent storyline, with plot twists and all. The question is – does this add or detract from the series we’ve come to know and love? (more…)

Posted in DS, Reviews, Top Story | Tagged

Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga Review: Raining Blood

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Ryan Littlefield

That’s right, I made a Slayer joke. It’s a fitting one for the main character – a Dragon Slayer – in Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga, Larian Studio’s compilation of Divinity II: Ego Draconis and its expansion, Divinity II: Flames of Vengeance. Like a couple of Power Rangers, these two titles cohesively fit together into an epic story of redemption, betrayal, and chicken-punting. (more…)

Posted in Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Portal 2 Review: Buy it. For Science. You Monster.

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Nicole Kline

When Portal 2 was announced, the question wasn’t whether or not it would be good, but whether or not it would be successful. As a sequel to a short game that was added in as an extra on The Orange Box, many people wondered if it could live up to the original and if it was worth making a sequel. But Valve has done it again – they’ve given us a game rich with story and full of new and interesting gameplay. It still remains within the Aperture Science universe, and it still has that same self-contained story, but now it’s been expanded further. Portal 2 is a monumental success, and should be an example for how sequels can succeed under the right guidance and passion. (more…)

Posted in PC, PS3, Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Mortal Kombat Review: Bone-Breakingly Fantastic

Posted on April 25, 2011 by John Scalzo

It has been a long, bloody road to bring Mortal Kombat to the PS3 and Xbox 360. After Midway’s bankruptcy, almost none of the company’s franchises were able to escape from the financial fatality unscathed. Even in the middle of the company’s financial woes, Ed Boon and his team at Midway Chicago (now NetherRealm Studios) continued to toil away on the next entry in the series. With Midway’s bankruptcy settled and the franchise now in the hands of WB Games, Mortal Kombat is ready to inflict its signature brand of mayhem onto the world once again. (more…)

Posted in PS3, Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy Review: Quality (Fan) Service

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Square Enix Monster-Artist-turned-Character-Designer-turned-Game-Director Tetsuya Nomura has had his hands full, pioneering established series while creating new ones along the way. Since working as a key member of the main Final Fantasy team, he’s gone on to birth the successful Kingdom Hearts series, directed the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, delivered The World Ends With You on the DS, and is currently at the helm of the highly-anticipated PS3 exclusive, Final Fantasy Versus XIII. With a workload that would make most developers have a nervous breakdown, he’s somehow managed to create another Final Fantasy spin-off with the Dissidia series. Dissidia 012 [Duodecim] Final Fantasy aims to amp up the fighting game foundations of the first game while providing even better fan-service with all the Final Fantasy protagonists and antagonists you love. Duodecim is a strong title from Square Enix, but it’s not as substantive as some of their other portable titles. (more…)

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The 3rd Birthday Review: There Isn’t Even Any Cake

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Nicole Kline

The Parasite Eve franchise got another addition to it with The 3rd Birthday for the PlayStation Portable. This third-person shooter reunites players with fan-favorite Aya Brea, whose tough demeanor has been replaced with scant clothing and helplessness. Changed is the title, and gone are the meatier parts of Parasite Eve‘s RPG elements, replaced instead with tactical action elements that feel jammed in like a square peg in a round hole. Repetitious gameplay and a convoluted plot, not to mention a complete deviation from the spirit of the series, make this birthday a forgettable one. (more…)

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