wii

Game Design Talk: Facing The Scummiest Skylanders Scenario Imaginable

JettLeave a comment

Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure is a pretty good game on its own. My brother and I played through it with only four toys, and we had a pretty good time with it. Say what you will about the evil and genius marketing ploy of tying the purchase of toys as in-game characters into the mix, but the overall package is fairly solid and enjoyable.

However, it’s not perfect. Particularly when your lack of toys impedes your progress through the game. My brother and I experienced the scummiest of these moments during the final boss fight.

Continue reading →

Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure Review

JettLeave a comment

Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, at first glance, is not a game I should like for a number of reasons:

1) I was never a fan of any Spyro games
2) I’m close to 20 years older than the target audience this game was created for and marketed to
3) I’ve grown weary of video game peripherals and add-on purchases, which the entirety of this game is built around
4) I’m generally not a fan of the “Gauntlet-style” of game.
5) I don’t like the thought of going into a Toys R Us to buy myself action figures for my kiddie video game

As curious as I’ve been to play it, I’ve put up all sorts of mental barriers to stop myself from playing this game at all. Then I got it for Christmas and I played the heck out of it. I made up all the excuses in the world to not play it, but it ended up winning me over in a big way.

Continue reading →

Other Gaming Websites and Their Best of 2011 Awards

Jett1 Comment

The subject of game of the year has just about run its course now that most of the major gaming publications, blogs of all sizes and message boards have had their say (including this one). Who did you agree with? Who do you think got it all wrong? Let’s discuss in the comments!

Girlfriend Gaming: Steff’s Pick for Game of the Year 2011

Jett12 Comments

And I’m back! Happy 2012 everyone!

Before we leave the subject of Game of the Year, I thought I’d share Steff’s vote for Game of the Year. Her pick for Game of the Year 2011 is…

Continue reading →

Let’s Talk About Your Pick for Game of the Year

Jett6 Comments


With 2011 wrapping up in just over a week, I wanted to give you the chance to sound off on this year’s crop of games. Which game was your Game of the Year in 2011? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

2011: A Year Nintendo and it’s Fans Would Prefer to Forget

Jett1 Comment

As Microsoft, Sony, and to an extent, Apple, went on their merry way in 2011 with their gaming ventures, it seemed like Nintendo sputtered all the way through. As a lifelong Nintendo fanboy and a Nintendo-only console owner up until this generation, it’s tough seeing what Nintendo has done (and not done) in 2011. If you’re a Nintendo-only household and you’re as hardcore into gaming as I am, I feel your pain.

Let’s look at Nintendo’s fronts, discussed what went wrong and their outlook going into 2012.

Continue reading →

Fire Emblem Love Post of Turn-Based Strategic Bliss

JettLeave a comment

To even the most diehard Nintendo fans, the name Fire Emblem means nothing to them outside of Marth, Roy and Ike, who all appeared in various versions of Super Smash Bros. They may not be household names like Mario or Link, but little do they know that those three guys come from one of Nintendo’s oldest and longest-running franchises, which dates back to 1990. Most people also don’t know that the Fire Emblem series of games are awesome. I don’t think I could do my love for this franchise justice in a blog post, but I’m going to try anyway.

Continue reading →

Early Impressions of Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Jett2 Comments

During a time when the Wii was getting ragged on hard by the community for its inability to process graphics to the level of the XBOX 360 or PlayStation 3, Muramasa: The Demon Blade was one of those Wii-exclusive games the hardcore Wii gamers held up to the haters in response. While its in screen shots and in videos were enough to get me to pick it up on the cheap during a Blockbuster closing sale, I wasn’t ready for how gorgeous it actually looked and ran on my TV. Like Kirby’s Epic Yarn, it uses strong art direction and stylistic graphics to overcome the Wii’s technical limitations to great effect.

Although it may have the looks going for it, games can’t survive on pretty looks alone. Having played a few hours of Muramasa: The Demon Blade so far, I can tell you that there’s a lot more here than just a pretty face.

Continue reading →

Kirby’s Epic Yarn Review

Jett5 Comments


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.

Continue reading →

Pick-Up Post: Blockbuster Liquidation Madness

Jett1 Comment

Across Canada, 146 Blockbuster locations are preparing to close their doors, which accounts for about 1/3 of all Blockbuster locations across the country. It’s a sad day for over a thousand people who will be losing their jobs and many of its customers who still want their movies and games on physical media. Canada will still have Blockbuster locations after this, but the future for those left is foggy at best.

The short-term good news is, all of these stores affected are liquidating their products at deep discounts. On the first day of the sales, my girlfriend and I went to her local Blockbuster that was shutting down and bought a ton of stuff. She bought Epic Mickey and a bunch of movies. I had upwards of 15 games in my hands during that trip, but I narrowed it down to 7 by the time I hit the register. Check out what I bought by clicking through to the rest of this post!

Continue reading →