I’m not the best at introductions so I’ll jump right in and tell a little about myself. I’ve been an avid gamer for roughly twenty-three years now, things have slowed a touch since I’ve discovered women and alcohol (luckily I found a girl who enjoys a spirited round or two of Street Fighter II Turbo and shots of Jameson-word), but I still fit time in quite well I think. Fighting games, shooters and RPGs are my top choices for genres (though fighting games seem to have less and less to offer in the way of ingenuity nowadays and far too much focus on graphics, but anyways).
I enjoy long walks on a beach and belly dancing……………and Monty Python.
I have all of the systems from my childhood (and the childhood of others- viva garage sales!). I still dust off my ColecoVision, Intellevision, Wonderswan etc, etc from time to time and have multiples of systems still in the original packaging so that one day I can buy the new 2027 model Ferrari (hopefully I can still use my legs by then). Call me a geek if you wish, but I just might take a length or two of your small intestines if you do. Just sayin is all.
Speaking of which.
One thing you will likely notice while reading my articles is that I tend to branch out heavily and change the subject frequently, but trust me when I say that at the end it will all come together nicely and you will be humored, well informed, and have some sort of strange, contorted expression on your face. And know that the thought of that brings a huge smile to mine. Because you will look stupid. 
Well, lets get on with it then shall we?
I have every entry in the Katamari Damacy series. The fact that it has become an entire series with no sign of slowing down makes me very happy. As I flipped through the new mobile games I see it. “A new Katamari game?!” “On my cell phone?!” “Hell’s yeah!!” So how does this stack up to it’s platform siblings? Only one way to find out.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have a problem. No, not that problem, the other problem. No the OTHER problem. Know what?! Stop guessing, it’s starting to piss me off. Anyways. I cannot seem to stop playing GTA:Chinatown Wars. I’ve concluded the storyline – I’ve found most of the secret items sans one golden lion. So what the hell is my problem?! I’m not gonna tell you in the first sentence. What’s the fun in that?!
I was so psyched to get a copy of this game for review. I have never been a massive fan of the KOF series but have always enjoyed a play through whenever the opportunity arose – and they have arisen frequently. I mean come on, look at it. It’s so pretty. I popped it in once or twice for a couple rounds before I went off to work and thought it was pretty damn cool on top of looking good. Then I got in some serious time. If you’re a hardcore fan, remember: don’t get pissed at me. I didn’t make this game. Let’s continue then shall we?!
Now we all know that the Xbox 360 has its share of problems, most notably the RROD (red ring of death). For some people its very existence is a reason to never make a purchase. I can’t blame them really. After all, Microsoft knew the problem existed and decided to push the system out anyway, which is complete and utter horseshit. But there has always been a bit of a contrast provided by various companies to offset this questionable practice. This contrast has taken the form of PRP (product replacement plans). For $50-$80, you can get a 2 year replacement plan to cover any reasonable damage of occurrence to your system.
Unfortunately, 2 years to a retailer has its own definition.
I have to say that I wasn’t sure what to expect from this game. Judging by the cover it could have been any genre. I was very pleased to see that it was an old-school looking (all the rage, oddly enough) 2D shoot-em-up. It’s like someone took over stages from Super Mario Bros. 3 and started to blow the hell out of them. But we all know that judging a book by it’s cover can lead to serious disappointment – doubly so in the world of video games, I think. So how does this unassuming game stack up in the gameplay department? Only one way to find out, eh?!
Release Date: 11/04/1997 Platform: Playstation 1 Developer: Psygnosis
You know, 1997 doesn’t seem so far away for some people, but popping this game back in my old PlayStation and seeing how some games age makes the time seem as long as it should. Sometimes longer than that even. Colony Wars was a favorite of people who had fallen in love with early space simulations. Wing commander was as close as most people thought they could come. The controls were extremely clunky and the action was more of the ‘waiting for things to happen’ sort (it was pretty cool for the time though). Then comes along Colony Wars. With controls that were far more smooth and fast married to action that would become truly hectic at the drop of a dime it became an almost overnight sensation – which was quite an achievement considering the type of game it was. It was so good in fact that it quickly influenced a generation of new developers and was soon forgotten about almost completely as the Space Shooting genre took off. A clear case of doing a job too well and not having the foresight to run with the results, I’m afraid. Let’s see what you’ve missed, eh?!
Over the past few months I’ve seen a glut of cutesy hop-n-bop games come down the pike for the Wii. Fortunately enough, more than a few of those games have been able to back up the bright, cheery rainbow edge with good design and capable gameplay and controls. Now comes along a curious little piece of software from Namco Bandai called The Munchables. The game is named after the inhabitants of the planet Star-Ving (pun). On this world the greatest joy in life is eating – in great quantity. Enter the suped-up alien vegetable pirates known as the Tabemon. Currently they are attacking your villages, and since you’re really just a floating orb with a mouth, the only thing you can think of to do is to eat the invaders. Go figure. Quirky? Yep. Cutesy? Absolutely. Worth your money? Click the link to find out.
Developer: Sega Publisher: Sega Release Date: January 24, 2000 Platform: Dreamcast
YOU’RE ONE HELL OF A DRIVER!!
I can’t believe that it’s been almost a decade since this came out. Crazy Taxi was one of the games that made me buy a Dreamcast (along with SoulCaliber and Jet Grind Radio). At the time there was nothing like it. In fact, there really hasn’t been much like it since the series dissolved into nothingness (Crazy Taxi 3 failed to impress most gamers on the original Xbox). But to this day I can still pick up the ‘ol DC controller and put in a few hours if I’m looking for some quick arcade satisfaction. No idea what I’m talking about? Never played the game? Shame on you!!
I have been looking forward to this game for the longest time. Richard B.Riddick may seem like a hokey, pointless character for some, but I for one loved Pitch Black. Chronicles of Riddick was…passable. During the wait for the sequel to Butcher Bay, I found out that it was actually included in the game. As I nearly crapped myself I came to realize that having both games available on one disk may lead to harsh and immediate comparisons as much as it could blood-chunky fun. But I had faith that a new game would have all the elements of Butcher Bay and then some of its own added flavor. “Does it?” you ask. Maybe. Check it out.
I have to say, I totally judged this book by its cover. One glance at the wannabe LOTR backdrop below the generic-looking characters and I thought ‘wow,what a piece of crap this must be’. But after being hooked for the first few hours of Sacred 2 (which passed fairly quickly), I came to realize that this may not be the best looking game out there, but it’s absolutely huge. And although it doesn’t push the genre into new territories, there is still enough here to keep busy those who can look past the really bad packaging. Bad, awful packaging. Just awful. Anyways. Click zer link yeah?!
Coming Soon!
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