video games

Pick Up Post: Peggle Nights

JettLeave a comment

I’m not sure if I’ve said this on my blog before, but I’ve said it aloud many times to anyone that talks to me about iPhone games: I love Peggle. If you have not played Pop Cap’s digital version of cocaine, you are missing out on one of the most fun games in the last few years. I admit to being late to this party, too, since I didn’t buy a version of Peggle until it hit the iTunes store. By then, the sequel, Peggle Nights, was already available on PC and Mac. For us iPhone Peggle addicts, we’ve been waiting for over a year for the sequel to hit the iTunes store.

A few weeks ago, it did, along with a patch that for me, made both games worse.
Continue reading →

Why PS3 Software Updates Suck

Jett3 Comments

 

I picked up Killzone 2 about a month ago, alongside Infamous and Resistance 2. I’ve been occupied with other games, but I recently tried to give this game a go. As per usual, the system required me to update the software if I wanted to play it online. As per usual, the process was slow, horrible, and didn’t actually work until after 20 failed attempts.

Continue reading →

Early Impression of Rock Band 3

JettLeave a comment

 

Earlier this week, my brother and I picked up a copy of Rock Band 3 alongside a Rock Band 3 keyboard. In the past, Rock Band launches have been monumental to us. For the first game, we pre-ordered our bundle four months in advance and were at the store just as the courier dropped of the shipment of Rock Band bundles. For the sequel, we lined up at a Walmart before midnight to get the game as soon as possible.

For the third? I kind of just went to the store and picked stuff up. I can’t speak for my brother, but my interest has waned dramatically in the genre. However, Harmonix is one of my favourite developers, Rock Band is one of my favourite game series and I get the impression that they’re trying to make this the ultimate music game.

Continue reading →

Final Thoughts: God of War Review

JettLeave a comment

After one weekend of grinding through and a number of days slowly chipping away at it, I have completed God of War. Yes, I’m years late to the party, but I’m glad to have caught up. Before I start working my way through God of War II and III though, I just wanted to document my experiences going through the final portions of the game. If you’d like to see my earlier impressions of God of War, check out my previous posts.
Continue reading →

The Unfortunate State of the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console

JettLeave a comment

 

For those with a jones for retro gaming, the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console was supposed to be a dream come true. It was supposed to be the home of every old Nintendo game you could ask for. As time passed, the Virtual Console grew to include the Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx-16, Sega Master System, Commodore 64 and arcade games. It’s been almost 5 years since the launch of Virtual Console, and we as consumers have access to over 300 games.

On the surface, that sounds decent. I’ve been able to buy a few favourites, try older games I’ve never played before and even grab a Japanese import game that never came out here (in my case, the very awesome Sin and Punishment). However, that number isn’t even close to representing the full catalogue of platforms represented in Virtual Console. Between the NES, SNES, SMS, Genesis, TG16, N64 and Neo Geo, the Virtual console has only made 10% of their combined catalogue available to consumers. It’s only going to get worse, as the once weekly updates have slowed to once a month, if we’re lucky.

What started out as an amazing idea is fizzling fast. How did Nintendo screw up what should have been a sure-fire win?

Continue reading →

Game Dev Story Review

JettLeave a comment

(Buy it on iTunes)

Positive word-of mouth for Game Dev Story spread quickly on gaming websites, blogs, message boards and podcasts. Based on purpose alone, that shouldn’t be a surprise. Game Dev Story is the ultimate gaming-enthusiast game. It’s a game about running every aspect of a video game company. Want to hire a pro producer? You can do that. Think you need booth babes for the upcoming Gamedex game convention? You can do that. Want to develop on that hot new PlayStatus 2 but don’t have the capital to buy a licensing agreement? You’ll have to deal with that, too.

Having dropped way too many hours into this game in a short amount of time, I know for sure why this game has built up such a buzz for itself. It’s the game for game enthusiasts. It’s a game about the games you play, the stories you read about on websites and blogs and the discussions you have on message boards. When I picked this up, I could not put it down. If you’re just looking for a fun ‘Tycoon’ style game to play, this is right up your alley, too.

Continue reading →

Osmos Review

JettLeave a comment

I had no interest in picking up Osmos when it first rocketed to the top of the iPad charts. Having only seen screenshots and read the game’s description, it did not sound like anything I wanted to play. However, the strong buzz and sale price a few weeks ago of $0.99 made it hard to refuse. When I first played the game, I was totally turned off by the game’s simple concept and initially awkward controls. But then…it clicked.
Continue reading →

Game Design Talk: God of War Puts Me Through Hell

JettLeave a comment

 

After powering through 2/3 of the game in a weekend, I’ve slowly chipped away at God of War ever since. I’m pretty close to the end now, though I currently need to take a break from it to vent my current frustration.

Not that I hate the game or anything. I think it’s pretty fantastic. However, I just passed a part of the game that made me want to rip my hair out. For God of War vets, you probably have a good idea of where I’m going with this. If you haven’t made it this far, I must warn you that there are mild spoilers ahead.

Continue reading →

Let’s Talk About Buying Video Games New vs. Used

Jett4 Comments

When it comes to video game shopping, I don’t think the average customer cares much about whether or not they buy a game new or used. I think when they want a game, they buy the game and get it at the best value they can. However, among gaming press, online gaming communities and anywhere else where serious video game discussion takes place, the topic of buying new vs. buying used always seems to crop up. The main argument for buying new is that your money supports the creators of the game and the main argument for buying used is that you get the game at a discounted price.

I don’t think this is a binary argument. There are a number of reasons for consumers to do both. I buy games both new and used. This post highlights the reasons I buy new and the reasons I buy used.

Continue reading →

Daigo Umehara Coming to Canada?

JettLeave a comment

 

Ever since I began to seriously follow the fighting game scene, it’s been a dream of mine to face off against Daigo Umehara. Even though I think he’s light-years ahead of me in every way (as far as Street Fighter is concerned), I would be honoured to face-off against the Michael Jordan of Street Fighter.

Due to the huge resurgence of the fighting game scene and a recent announcement on Shoryuken.com, I may at the very least, get to watch Daigo in person.

Continue reading →