Call me stubborn, but I’ve been a staunch believer in the fact that nothing can top the Mario Kart franchise. Besides the fact that it created the genre, the vast majority of kart racers haven’t even come close to matching the series’ quality, regardless of which version of Mario Kart you put under the microscope. While I’ll always have a spot in my heart for the franchise that started it all, Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed takes a serious run at the crown.
Striking while the iron is hot, here’s my Kickstart Guide to Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition! Unlike my Universal Fighting Game Guide stuff, this is game-specific and a bit more simplified so that even beginners can gain a quick knowledge boost. Definitely worth a read if you’re looking to level up in the world’s hottest fighting game.
Check out my Kickstart Guide to Super Street IV: Arcade Edition on Splitkick!
Just over a year ago, I reached the milestone of #1 ranked Rose player in Canada on Xbox Live. While this was met with no fanfare beyond any created by me, it’s still an accomplishment I hold near and dear. As someone who can still vividly remember losing 20+ straight matches online when I first started playing Street Fighter IV, it’s a testament to how far I can go in a game if I put in the time and effort to get better.
Though I haven’t played the game with much vigor (or much at all) in 2012, I just crossed another milestone.
My love affair with the turn-based strategy games began after the original XCOM faded into obscurity. Advance Wars and Fire Emblem were my introduction to the genre, and for the most part, the only games in the genre I play. Not for a lack of desire, but for a lack of options. Sure, there are a lot of indie strategy games on PC/iOS, but when the big-budget strategy game market shrunk to nothing, the only real standout to me was Nintendo. Even then, neither of their strategy titles have lit up the sales charts or help revive the genre.
I’m not sure what compelled 2K Games to push ahead with a new XCOM now, but I truly appreciate the fact that they did. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is not only a fantastic turn-based strategy game, but easily one of the best games I played that came out in 2012.
Having spent time on the CES show floor, Jason gives us the first-hand scoop on Project S.H.I.E.L.D. and Xi3’s ‘Steam Box’. We then get into games we’ve been playing, which include Dark Souls, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, Unchained Blades, ZombiU, the God of War: Ascension beta, and Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed. Before calling it a night, we discuss the gaming outlook for 2013 and wildly speculate on what the next consoles from Microsoft and Sony will be like.
Jett – In Third Person
Jason – Downstab
Mat – Biff Bam Pop
The best girlfriend ever got me the Rocksmith guitar bundle for Christmas. Since then, I’ve been shredding the six string in hopes of someday not sucking at guitar. If you have ambitions of learning, this might be worth looking into. Head over to Splitkick to read the full post!
The original Dead Island trailer – as amazing as it is – ultimately did much more harm than good for my perception of the game. After watching it, I had high hopes that it would have more emotional weight to it than your run-of-the-mill zombie slaughter-fest. Then the preview coverage ultimately revealed that the contents of the trailer had virtually nothing to do with the actual game. Feeling burned by the misleading ad, I refused to buy or play this until it hit the bottom of the clearance bin. Maybe the trailer did little to reflect the final product, but that’s not to say the final product is bad. In fact, I’m actually really impressed with how the game came together.
Alan Wake isn’t short on ambition. This survival horror title bookends each of its chapters with drama that could stand up against a television thriller. It’s during these points when I get really jazzed about the game.
And then it falls apart when I actually have to play it.
Having never played an entry in the DOA franchise before, that and breast physics were the extent of my knowledge going into Dead or Alive 5. Why would I even bother with the series at this point, especially when my track record of enjoying 3D fighting games is not very good? Academic curiousity, for one. Ever since I jumped deep into the competitive fighting game scene, I’ve bought almost every fighter on the market just to get a sense of what’s out there. Two, you’ll never know what awesome games you’ll come across if you don’t put your neck out there every now and then.
In this case, I’m really glad I did.
The Bosscast returns with socks, scarves, and a sleigh full of video games to talk about! Tune in as Jason gushes about The Walking Dead (spoilers around the 48-minute mark), Mat shares his Black Ops 2 battle report, and Jett reveals his Rocksmith-related daddy issues. On top of that, we also discuss Wonderbook: Book of Spells, Dead Island, Dead or Alive 5, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, The Simpsons: Tapped Out, Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy and more!
Jett – In Third Person
Jason – Downstab
Mat – Biff Bam Pop
In Third Person 