Game Dev Story Review

(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

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

God of War Collection Impressions

Prior to purchasing God of War Collection, I’ve never played a God of War game before. For years, I’ve heard great things about the series, but haven’t had a system to play them on. Now that I have a PlayStation 3, I figured that now would be a good time to see what the hype is about. A few weeks ago, my girlfriend gave this game her seal of approval, and I recently spent a few hours playing through the first God of War.

Continue reading

I Think I’m Done With You, 3D Dot Game Heroes

I’m in the Aqua Temple. I’ve been playing this level for over an hour, struggling to make my way through. I get to a point where all that is left is behind one more locked door before the boss. When I get to the door, it won’t open. Somewhere along the way, I missed a key and have no idea where. Crap.

Continue reading

Early ModNation Racers Impression

I’ve been looking forward to playing a non-Mario Kart kart racer for quite some time. Sure, Mario Kart Wii is great, and may still be the best kart racer to come out of this generation when all is said and done, but my palette is looking for something a little different right now.

Enter ModNation Racers. This PlayStation 3 exclusive is part Mario Kart and part Little Big Planet. I’ve only played about an hour of campaign and split-screen, but I don’t think it would hurt to share a few opening thoughts about what I’ve played so far.

Continue reading

Bit.Trip Beat HD Review

(iTunes)

If you’ve never played this game, seen video of it or had someone explain it to you, it can be hard to comprehend what the heck is going on in the image above. For over a year now, I’ve heard the gaming press talk about how amazing this Wii Ware release is, but just by looking at images of it, I couldn’t comprehend what this was or why it was so cool.

Since it’s on sale right now for both iPhone and iPad, I decided to give the iPad version a go. If you’re interested in finding out what this game is all about, read on.

Continue reading

Early 3D Dot Game Heroes Impressions

It should only take an instant for a gamer seeing this for the first time to recognize the influence behind 3D Dot Game Heroes. For better or worse, this game is a 3D version of the original Legend of Zelda with elements of A Link to the Past mixed in, pixels and all. As a fan of the Zelda series, watching the trailer for 3D Dot Game Heroes was the moment that made me say, “I want a Playstation 3.”

Continue reading

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune Review

After beating Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, I was overcome with two emotions. Those emotions are joy, and anger. I feel joy because Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was a great game from beginning to end. I feel anger because the game had just enough flaws to stop this great game from being mind-blowing. I’m not sure if a game that I enjoyed so much made me almost equally as angry.

Continue reading

Pick Up Post: Nintendo Wii Fightstick By Hori

Wii owners with a fighting game itch have very little to scratch it. While Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is awesome and there are no shortage of Street Fighter games on Virtual Console, it still pales in comparison to the plethora of fighting games on the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3. On top of that, joystick options are limited too. All Wii owners have are the Mad Catz SE fightstick packed in with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, the Hori Wii fightstick and the Intec Combat Arcade Stick, which I don’t trust one bit.

I still want the Mad Catz stick, but in my country I can only get it with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom; a game I already have. Instead, I grabbed the Nintendo Wii Fightstick by Hori. My experience with Hori has been hit and miss, but after putting it through its paces, this one thankfully is in the former category.

Continue reading