I’m not as good at these two Donkey Kong games as I thought I was.
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Jett Plays the Legend of Zelda on the NES Classic
We work our way through the first dungeon before ultimately getting lost in Hyrule.
Kid Icarus: Uprising Review
(Originally posted on splitkick.com. Thanks to the Splitkick team for the edits!)
Kid Icarus on the NES has its fair share of fans, but I’m not one of them. I’ve given the game multiple honest tries, and have always felt that its particular blend of platforming and shooting don’t gel in a way to create a fun experience. Though fans clamored for a new entry in the franchise, I couldn’t have cared less to see Pit star in another game, if it meant a retread of his 2D platforming roots.
Then I played Kid Icarus: Uprising. It is not the retread I was expecting. Instead, it’s a game far more ambitious – and awesome – than I ever would have imagined.
Mark of the Ninja Review
(Originally posted on splitkick.com. Thank you to the Splitkick team for the edits!)
Perched atop a lamppost, I spot my targets. Directly below me are three gun-toting foes who have no idea what’s coming to them. I could simply grapple to the adjacent rooftop to continue my mission, but my bloodlust is running high. I ask myself, “Do I want to cloud their vision with a smoke bomb, then stab each of them in the back? Or can I come up with something more clever?” Scanning my inventory, I find just the thing to liven up this party. In an instant, a swarm of ravenous insects showers down on one of my enemies. As the insects make quick work of his flesh, his partners freak out, and accidentally shoot each other in the commotion. Recognizing that my work was done, I slip off into the darkness to continue my quest.
Though it’s a stretch to classify Mark of the Ninja as a simulation, this 2D stealth platformer makes me feel more like a real ninja than any other video game I’ve played before. Marrying concepts from the NES Ninja Gaiden games with the Arkham series of Batman titles, it’s also one of the coolest games I’ve played in 2012.
Rise of the Tomb Raider Review
Languishing in mediocrity for years after her groundbreaking debut, Lara Croft came back with a vengeance in the Tomb Raider reboot. Mixing in elements of exploration with a heavy dose of Uncharted-style cinematic events, that game was one of my favourites from the last generation of consoles. With her new origin story in the books, Rise of the Tomb Raider takes Lara on an all-new adventure. What does she have in store for her next act?
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor Review
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor had been sitting on my shelf for almost a year before finally giving it an honest try. Despite the game’s critical acclaim, I had a hard time putting it over other games in my queue due to my disinterest in the Lord of the Rings. As it turns out, the game doesn’t require a background in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic to be enjoyed. Also, it’s awesome.
Batman: Arkham Knight Impressions
Nine months after the events of Arkham City, the Batman’s rogue gallery hit the streets of Gotham for their most heinous act of terrorism yet. Backed by an army of soldiers, vehicles, a mysterious new adversary, and enough chemicals to corrupt the entire eastern seaboard, Bruce Wayne really has his hands full this time. With the stakes being higher than ever, Rocksteady and Warner Bros. are hoping that Batman: Arkham Knight is the biggest and best Batman game to-date.
Thoughts on the Upcoming Release of Project X Zone 2
I wanted to like the original Project X Zone much more than I actually did. Rife with all of the characters I would expect from Capcom, Bandai Namco and Sega, and a thick serving of fan service, the actual experience of playing the game was hugely disappointing. Save for a flashy combat system that had a smidgen more depth than meets the eye, it was a piss poor attempt at a turn-based strategy game. Featuring a stupid story filled with anime cliches and gameplay that was completely devoid of strategy, this was nothing more than 40 hours of mercilessly smashing hapless baddies ad nauseam.
To my surprise, a sequel is in the works. To my disappointment, it seems as though little has been learned from the first game.
Code Name S.T.E.A.M. Review
Aliens have invaded London! Who can we call to save the day?! The Agents of S.T.E.A.M. of course! Led by the Abraham Lincoln, it’s up to you to guide him and his ragtag group of steampunk soldiers through battle. Created by Intelligent Systems, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is a turn-based strategy game with third-person shooting, a la Gears of War. Is this shake-up enough for it to move outside of the shadow cast by Intelligent Systems’ previous efforts, such as Advance Wars and Fire Emblem?
Jett Plays: Arkham Knight
Working through some side missions so that I won’t spoil the story for you!
In Third Person 