In a world where most games strive for realism and violence, Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a joyful rebellion. Everything about it, from the amazing fabric aesthetic to the way its gameplay has been designed, feels like it was strategically built to keep a smile on your face from beginning to end. I can’t speak for everyone’s experience with Kirby’s Epic Yarn, but it had me grinning the whole way through.
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Early Impressions of de Blob 2
The revolution will be televised. Well, the colour revolution, anyway. The sequel to the highly-fun and possibly underrated Wii platformer is back; this time on the Wii, PlayStation 3 and XBOX 360. As a huge fan of the first game, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. Though I’m only on level 3 of a possible 11 (that I can see on the world map), I thought I’d share some thoughts on my experiences so far.
Closing Thoughts on Donkey Kong Country Returns
After wrapping up Donkey Kong Country Returns, many of my original sentiments still rang true. It’s still a great game that surpasses the scope and quality of the original by leaps and bounds. The only real flag I need to wave here is that it gets really difficult.
Super Mario All-Stars Wii Review
I have the best girlfriend ever. I put this on my Christmas list, thinking that this release wouldn’t actually be limited (just like every other supposed limited video game release). Little did I know that this would sell out immediately and go for way more than retail value on the resale circuit. I figured that any chance of me getting this was slim-to-none. To my surprise, I found a copy of this along with my other awesome Christmas presents from her. To ensure that she was able to get this game for Christmas, she actually went to a midnight launch for this game. She ended up scoring the last copy. To quote one of her favourite bands, “If that ain’t love, then I don’t know what love is.”
There may have been a bit of an urge to keep this in mint condition, but I don’t like having games I don’t play. Besides, how can anyone say no to a compilation containing some of the best video games of all-time? I’ve cracked open my copy and I’ll let you know what you get if you score a copy and open it.
Early Impressions of Donkey Kong Country Returns
The Donkey Kong Country series used to be a staple of Christmas cheer in my household. I received all three Donkey Kong Country games from Santa on the years they came out. Though I have extra-fond memories of the first one, all three games were pretty good. However, ever since Donkey Kong 64 in the late 90s, DK hasn’t really starred in his own platformer. Instead, he’s spent over a decade starring in spin-off titles and making regular guest appearances in games like Mario Party.
Donkey Kong Country Returns is a welcome return to form. Besides being a return to Christmas tradition for me, this game goes back to the series 2D platforming roots. As of writing, I’ve just beaten world 2, but I wanted to share a few thoughts on what I’ve experienced so far.
What is Your Favourite Launch Title of All-Time?
Microsoft’s Kinect has been out for about a week now, and it appears as though Dance Central is the launch game to get. With every launch (at least the good ones), there’s usually at least one killer app that early adopters flock to or raise in high regard.
The launch of Kinect got me thinking about previous console launches and the games that came out alongside them, which ultimately lead me to the question, “What is your favourite launch title of all-time?”
Game Design Talk: The Controls of Little Big Planet
It’s been a while since I wrote about Little Big Planet. Since I wrote my initial impressions, I have played a bit of it, but for the most part, I’ve actively avoided it.
For a game that I liked so much to start, things went sour pretty quickly. As I continued to play through the game, it became readily apparent to me that the controls and character physics were not designed to handle this type of action.
Pick Up Post: Little Big Planet
I know I’m late to the party on this one. With Little Big Planet 2 set to drop in a few weeks, I’m only giving the game a fair shake now. I’ve played it a few times at demo kiosks, but playing it that way hasn’t really grabbed me for some reason. However, now that I’ve been able to start the experience from the beginning and play it as intended, I’m liking it a whole lot more. I haven’t dived into the creation tools or user-created levels yet, but I can talk about my early experiences in the story mode.
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Pick Up Post: Capcom Takes My Mobile Money
Capcom is one of my all-time favourite developers and publishers. I have fond memories of playing a bunch of Capcom games outside of their obvious choices, such as Street Fighter and Megaman. This week, they followed Gameloft’s lead and put a bunch of their iDevice games on sale. I highlight a few that I picked up and one you should avoid.
Me vs. Popular Opinion
A few weeks ago, after putting up with hearing me talk about Metacritic, website reviews and podcast discussion about new games, my girlfriend said something that took me aback.
“You put a lot of stake in other people’s opinions when it comes to games.”
While I do feel that my opinion ultimately comes first, yes, I do put a lot of stake in the opinions of others when it comes to games. I think ever since Famitsu began running reviews in the late 80s, public opinion has been a huge part of video game culture. For a hobby as expensive as this one, it’s no wonder that gamers have looked for second opinions before making very expensive purchases.
With the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2, I find myself a bit conflicted as my personal opinion of the first game makes me reluctant to sip the Galaxy 2 Kool-Aid.
In Third Person 