[12.08.12] Review: ‘Style Savvy: Trendsetters’

Nintendo

Style Savvy: Trendsetters

Rating:

5 Stars

I’ll admit, when I first got “Style Savvy: Trendsetters” I was a little taken back. This wasn’t my usual kind of game, and I wasn’t really sure what to do with it. Nintendo has been doing a huge push recently to make sure girls know that the 3DS is for them too. One of the titles being marketed for that campaign currently is the aforementioned “Style Savvy: Trendsetters”, which is how I wound up with a copy to review. Not knowing too much about the game, I was going in completely blind, and perhaps that was for the best.

“Style Savvy: Trendsetters” is a game all about creating outfits and running a little clothing boutique. It features over 12,000 clothing items and accessories that can be mixed and matched to create various styles of outfits. You’ll be in charge of purchasing inventory for your store, helping customers pick out items or full outfits to purchase, and socializing with customers and other key people throughout town. If you so choose, there are even fashion competitions to enter.

The Fun Stuff:

If you’re a gamer who likes to customize, you might find this game intriguing. With so many different combinations possible from so many items, it’s a customizer’s dream. Not only do you get to create outfits for customers, but all items purchased for the shop are also delivered to your home so you can use them to create an outfit for your own character. You do get to customize the appearance of your character as well as pick the appearance of your house and boutique.

As you do positive things through the game, you gradually fill up a happiness meter which, when full, causes different things to happen in the game. Sometimes a new shop opens in town and other times a new clothing line will move into the buyer’s center. It’s a nice little rewards system in the game that gives you something to work towards so the game doesn’t become stale.

The Frustrating Stuff:

Although the clothing choices are plentiful and there’s a considerable amount of options for customizing your house and boutique, the number of choices for creating a character are relatively basic and minimal. You also don’t have the option of choosing to play as a male character, which is a little unusual since this game was the first in the series to introduce male customers and outfits for them. That being said, there probably are far fewer guys playing “Style Savvy: Trendsetters” than there are girls.

If the lack of a male character wasn’t enough proof that it’s being marketed mainly to younger girls, there’s the awful in-game dialogue as supporting evidence. Let’s just say that if “Style Savvy: Trendsetters” was a movie, it wouldn’t be winning an award for Best Screenplay. The story is incredible plain and simple, and the dialogue can be downright painful at times to someone who is used to a much deeper, more mature and developed story. That being said, it’s also quite obvious that “22-year-old male” probably wasn’t the developer’s target audience, so with that in mind the content is rather appropriate.

Bottom Line:

I actually had a blast playing “Style Savvy: Trendsetters”. As a fan of “The Sims”, it felt very reminiscent of that series. It’s kind of like creating your house and Sim over and over again. If you enjoy creating custom characters in games and think you have a knack for fashion, this is definitely the game for you. However, if you’re looking for a lot of action or in-depth storytelling, stray far far away from this game as it’s not meant to satisfy either of those needs.

Style Savvy: Trendsetters was developed by syn Sophia & Nintendo SPD and was published by Nintendo. It was released in North America on October 22, 2012 with an ‘E’ rating from the ESRB and an MSRP of $39.99. This review was based on a copy of the game provided for reviewing purposes.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[11.13.12] Review: ‘Medal of Honor: Warfighter’

Electronic Arts

Medal of Honor: Warfighter

Rating:

4 Stars

After rebooting “Medal of Honor” in 2010, it came as no surprise when Electronic Arts announced a follow-up title for this year. Totting the tagline “the only realistic shooter this holiday season”, it gave itself a lot to live up to; however, its predecessor proved that if any game could do it, “Medal of Honor” would be the brand. Once again, Danger Close worked closely with Tier 1 Operators, relying on them to actually write the story for the game, so they could pull from their own experiences and create the most authentic game possible.

The Fun Stuff:

Realistic it is, starting with the cut scenes. Just like “Battlefield 3”, there is an optional HD graphics download you can install, and it’s highly recommended that you do. The cut scenes are drop dead gorgeous. Occasionally, you’ll probably find yourself questioning if it’s live action or not. The graphics carry over into the game too. Although not quite as jaw-dropping as the CGI, they’re still beautiful and push the Xbox 360 to its absolute limits. Sound mixing is, once again, fantastic too which adds to the realism.

“Warfighter” also utilizes the Frostbite 2 engine, allowing for destructible environments in all the right places to add another subtle touch of realism. Wood shatters from grenade explosions and small chunks of the wall will chip away when grazed with bullets. It really shines during the door breaches. The coolest part is you can unlock multiple unique breaching animations so you can destroy that door in any way you please. Whether you decide to place a charge and blow the door to smithereens or take a tomahawk to the doorknob, it all happens in excruciatingly beautiful detail. You can spend all the time you want looking at the details too, because there isn’t any intel or collectible item you have to find during the campaign. For that, gamers everywhere rejoice.

There’s more to “Warfighter” than just shooting things. From time to time, you’ll find yourself behind the wheel – and it’s a surprisingly pleasant experience. One mission in particular, titled “Hello and Dubai”, has you driving for the entire mission. Don’t worry though; it’s anything but a chore. During one segment, the mission actually felt a lot like the ‘Burnout’ series, as it required you to take down enemy vehicles pursuing you. The driving is smooth and used just to the right amount that it’s always entertaining and never annoying.

The multiplayer has been overhauled too. You now always have a buddy who you can rely on for ammunition and healing, as well as temporary tactical advantages when they get killed. It still follows the FPS standard of kill streaks, ranking up, and unlocking new things, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as they’ve essentially become established components of any successful shooter. It’s actually a good deal of fun, and should become even more interesting next month when a new map pack tied in to the “Zero Dark Thirty” movie is released.

The Frustrating Stuff:

Unfortunately, though, for everything that “Warfighter” has done right, it seems they’ve done something wrong too. Despite the incredibly beautiful graphics, it seems they forgot – or simply ignored –the concept of “dynamic lighting”. In a game that’s going for realism, this is something that probably shouldn’t be overlooked. There’s nothing sillier and more disappointing (in a ‘realistic’ game) than realizing that your character is incapable of casting shadows, as is anything and everything else passing through lighted areas.

Taking another step away from realism, it sees the A.I. have gotten an intelligence upgrade –but not in a good way. The A.I. in the previous “Medal of Honor” were pleasantly realistic in terms of how they acted with you. Unfortunately, they’ve gained god-like intelligence on the hardest difficulties like in the rival “Call of Duty” series where the enemy knows exactly where you are before you even show up. On the bright side, you companions are equally intelligent and still just as capable of killing enemies for you like they were in the previous game.

Although having the ability to choose how you want to breach an area is really awesome, you’ll soon realize it’s purely cosmetic. No matter how you enter, it always turns out the same. Oh, and a very large majority of the time, there will conveniently be exactly 4 bad guys behind the door. It starts to feel repetitive pretty quickly.

Speaking of repetitive, be prepared for yet another training session running through airplanes. There’s even an achievement tied to completing the course with a quick time – something that should feel a little familiar to fans of the “Call of Duty” series… or pretty much any other modern first person shooter for that matter. To add to the awkwardness, this training actually takes place after completing the first mission, which throws you straight into the action and expects those unfamiliar with shooters to just deal with it. There is one awesome thing about the training facility, though. Without giving away anything about the story, it’s safe to say they do actually tie it in to the story in a very neat way.

Bottom Line:

For anyone who was a fan of 2010’s “Medal of Honor”, this is a must buy. For everyone else mildly interested, it’s probably still worth picking up if you can find a decent sale on it. The story and beautiful cut scenes are definitely worth experiencing. If you don’t want to divide up your time between multiple first person shooters this holiday season though, you’ll probably want to pass over this title as there are much better titles worthy of your $60 this season between “Black Ops II” and “Halo 4”, depending on which series you align yourself with.

Medal of Honor: Warfighter was developed by Danger Close Games and was published by Electronic Arts. It was released in North America on October 23, 2012 with an ‘M’ rating from the ESRB and an MSRP of $59.99. This review was based on an Xbox 360 copy of the game purchased on the release date.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[10.24.12] CherryPop Games announces first title ‘Pool Nation’

CherryPop Games

Yesterday, a brand new studio that goes by the name CherryPop Games announced their debut project, “Pool Nation”. This billiards simulator might be the most gorgeous pool game you’ve ever set your eyes on. With photo-realistic graphics that would make Forza jealous and real-world physics that put Mafia II’s physics engine to shame, “Pool Nation” looks to fill the void of pool titles in the best way possible.

“Pool Nation” will have nine different game types that can be played in twelve incredibly detailed location variants. The game will also support both online and offline play with single matches or tournaments. After destroying your opponent with an incredible 6-ball combination shot, you can relive the whole thing over and over again with slow motion replays. At 1/100th speed, you can see chalk dust fly and cushions deform as balls careen against them.

Once you’ve perfected your game and gloated in your previous victories, you can muster up the strength to take on the “Endurance Mode” which is described as “psychological warfare but with shinier balls.” Exclusive to “Pool Nation”, this game type mode challenges you to continuously clear the table of balls as fast as you possibly can.

Don’t worry warrior, there are spoils for your victory. With victories in all the different game modes, you can unlock plenty of ball sets, table decals, and cues to customize your experience. You’ll also be handsomely rewarded with Achievements and Gamerscore seeing as it’s an XBLA title. All of this will be available for you come Oct. 31st, 2012 when the title launches exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade with a price of just 800 Microsoft Points.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[10.13.12] Review: ‘Spec Ops: The Line’

2K Games, Yager Development

Spec Ops: The Line

Rating:

5 Stars

Between 1998 and 2002, eight games in the “Spec Ops” series launched across the PlayStation, Dreamcast, and Windows PCs, almost all to relatively abysmal reviews. So why would anyone want to revive a dead series, a full decade later? Who knows, but 2K Games apparently had a good reason to. Together with Yager Development, they take you on a journey to Dubai with an elite Delta Force team, headed up by Captain John Walker. They’re doing reconnaissance after a wave of horrible sandstorms left the city in ruins and the 33rd Battalion of the United States Army stranded within. The 33rd, led by Colonel John Konrad, were running an evac operation when things went south. After invoking martial law, the 33rd was publicly disavowed for treason and the city was declared a “no-man’s land” by the United Arab Emirates. Captain Walker finds evidence that the 33rd staged a coup d’état against Konrad, and suddenly the reconnaissance mission turns into a rescue mission.

The Fun Stuff:

“Spec Ops: The Line” is absolutely gorgeous, in a beat-up and run-down kind of way. It all starts with the start menu which is a panorama of Dubai. As it turns out, it’s also the launching pad for the game in more ways than one. As soon as you start the campaign, you’re immediately in the action. Without even cutting, the camera pans and suddenly you’re in a helicopter firing a mini gun. Even under such dire consequences, the city of Dubai is breathtaking. Throughout the game you’ll weave in and out of, walk up to the edge of, fall through, and zip-line between many of the towering buildings around you. You’ll be traversing the buildings and interacting with them in some incredibly unique ways.

This is all thanks to the star of the game. No, I don’t mean Captain Walker – I’m talking about the sand. In an article for Official Xbox Magazine, the developers stated that they intended to “do for sand what ‘Bioshock’ did for water.” Because of this, you’ll find yourself interacting with sand constantly throughout the game. Unfortunately, the majority of it is scripted, but it’s still a thrill to use. Often, you’ll be able to shoot out a wall or window, causing a towering bank of sand to come pouring in, smothering enemies or entire areas, allowing you to now access places you previously could not. Although the game throws it in your face a few times, there are still plenty of opportunities where the ability to do so is left for your discovery. Explosions will also cause clouds of sand to puff into the air, temporarily blinding nearby enemies, which is another nice touch.

It’s a darn good thing that happens too, because you’ll need to stretch every grenade as far as you possibly can. The same can be said about ammo. If you thought ammunition was scarce in “Dead Space”, wait until you play “Spec Ops: The Line”. On the hardest difficulties, headshots are a must, and you’ll often have to rely on giving your squad mates attack commands to help conserve ammo. The greatest thing about “Spec Ops: The Line” is that it almost feels more like a survival horror game than a third person military shooter.

Despite the incredibly drab and generic title, “Spec Ops: The Line” has a phenomenal story. As Colonel Konrad’s name alludes to, it draws heavily from Joseph Conrad’s novel “Heart of Darkness”, or for you movie fans, “Apocalypse Now”, a Vietnam War era adaptation of the book. Without giving away too much of the story, it’s safe to say the game presents you with multiple difficult moral decisions and will pull you deep into the universe of “Spec Ops: The Line”. The story is so spectacular; you’ll want to play through it immediately again afterwards.

The game demands a second play through, both because of the story and the achievements. Thankfully, there are no multiplayer achievements, and none of the achievements are too ridiculous or difficult to get. In fact, it’s possible to 100% the game with just two play throughs.

The Frustrating Stuff:

There’s more to the game than just the single-player story, though, much to Yager’s dismay. 2K Games required a multiplayer component to the game, which its developers weren’t too happy about. According to Cody Davis, lead designer at Yager,

"It sheds a negative light on all of the meaningful things we did in the single-player experience. The multiplayer game's tone is entirely different, the game mechanics were raped to make it happen, and it was a waste of money. No-one is playing it, and I don't even feel like it’s part of the overall package - it's another game rammed onto the disk like a cancerous growth, threatening to destroy the best things about the experience that the team at Yager put their heart and souls into creating."

Truth be told, the multiplayer isn’t horrible, but it’s nothing exhilarating or ground breaking either. There’s not much reward for playing through it, and those who have already spent a lot of time in it have a significant advantage over those just starting out, thanks to the XP-based unlock system. It’s also nearly vacant of players and a victim to proximity mine spamming.

Its sad time had to be wasted on the development of multiplayer, because it likely prevented what could have otherwise been a nearly flawless game. Despite the gorgeous presentation and awesome soundtrack, the enemies do suffer from repetitive character models. The voice acting in the game is stellar, with the exception that the script manages to drop more f-bombs than the movie “Inside Man”. There was also the occasional glitch, although they were typically just amusing and certainly never game-breaking.

Bottom Line:

“Spec Ops: The Line” is probably one of the most underrated games of 2012. Despite the generic title, it sports an outstanding story and a very refined game. There’s one thing that’s for sure, Yager knew exactly what they wanted and they did a fantastic job of crafting it. If you appreciate a story-driven single player experience, this is the game for you. Don’t expect much replay value out of the multiplayer, though. If you’re looking for rinse and repeat military shooting, go elsewhere, because “Spec Ops: The Line” made sure it stood out from the bunch.

Spec Ops: The Line was developed by Yager Developement and was published by 2K Games. It was released in North America on June 26, 2012 with an ‘M’ rating from the ESRB and an MSRP of $59.99. This review was based on a copy of the game purchased after the release date.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[10.08.12] Ohio State Marching Band pays tribute to video games

If you were in attendance for the Ohio State vs. Nebraska football game on Saturday, you were in for quite a treat. The Ohio State Marching Band, otherwise known as TBDBITL or ‘The Best Damn Band in the Land’, earned their title when they put on a half time show that was an amazing spectacle, to say the least. With a theme of simply ‘video games’, they paid tribute to some of the most influential and groundbreaking titles over the last few decades. You don’t necessarily have to be a fan of video games to enjoy it either. The video has gone viral on Facebook with a range of users. The formations they create are incredible and impressive on their own right, and some of the images are universal symbols that most anyone could recognize, such as Mario, the mascot of Nintendo.

The show kicks off with a portion of the band marching in representing the space ship from “Space Invaders”, firing off shots into the aliens above. As the aliens explode, the mass suddenly transforms into two Pokéballs, and then the face of Pikachu, arguably the most famous Pokémon of all. Next, the band transforms into their first moving formation, Tetris pieces falling into place as the “Tetris” theme plays on. The “Mario” theme begins to play and sounds of coins and power-ups blast through the stadium speakers. This continues on for just over 9 minutes, touching on other hits, including “Halo” and “Zelda”, before finally reprising with the Mario theme, and finishing it off with the arcade hit “Pac-Man.”

If you weren’t one of the lucky ones to see it live, you can check out a fan’s video on YouTube, who was kind enough to capture the entire thing for your viewing pleasure.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[10.08.12] ‘Angry Birds’ joining forces with ‘Star Wars’

Rovio Entertainment

On Saturday, Rovio teased fans with an interesting image encouraging them to meet at Toys ‘R’ Us in Times Square on October 8. Those who couldn’t attend were directed to a Tumblr page with the same teaser image and nothing else. Today, that same page exploded with content as Rovio announced its most exciting collaboration yet, “Angry Birds Star Wars”; and yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like it is.

Together with Lucasfilm Ltd., Rovio plans to bring the classic gameplay of “Angry Birds” and “Angry Birds Space” into the deep stories, settings, and characters of the ever-popular “Star Wars” franchise.

“This is the best Angry Birds game we’ve ever done. It’s the best parts of Angry Birds with all new cutting-edge gameplay set in in a galaxy far, far away,” said Peter Vesterbacka, CMO of Rovio. “As a big Star Wars fan myself, I’m really excited about this new universe. The Force is definitely strong with this one.”

Colum Slevin, the Vice President and Head of Studio Operations at Lucasfilm Ltd. also shared in the excitement.

“Both Star Wars and Angry Birds share the instant and irresistible appeal of hands-on fun. People seem to instinctively know what to do when handed a lightsaber or a bird in a slingshot, so this is a natural combination.”

In addition to the new game, fans will also be able to get their hands on a whole new set of merchandise for the new series. There will be action figures, collectible plush toys, plenty of apparel, and even some Halloween costumes. If you’re considering being a character for the game this Halloween though, you might want to consider throwing together your own costume as merchandise won’t be available in stores until October 28. To get some ideas, be sure to follow their Tumblr page because they’ll be revealing additional characters, videos, and more content over the coming weeks in anticipation to the launch of “Angry Birds Space”.

“Angry Birds Space” will be available for download on iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle Fire, Mac, PC, Windows Phone, and Windows 8 all on Nov. 8, 2012.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you!

[10.05.12] ‘Halo 4’ goes gold, more flood details revealed

Microsoft

On Oct. 3, 2012, the developers behind “Halo 4” made the most exciting announcement yet: “Halo 4” has officially gone gold. What that means is that 343 Industries has finalized their version of the game and have officially shipped it off to manufacturers to be reproduced thousands and thousands of times over to make all the retail versions that people can buy come Nov. 6, 2012. This announcement came just one day after 343 released a new video showcasing a new vehicle and the return of the fan-favorite map, Valhalla. Going gold wasn’t the only news coming out of this week’s Halo Bulletin though, 343 had a few more details on their new game mode, “Flood”.

“Flood” is the spiritual successor to “Zombies”, a custom game type which became so popular during “Halo 2”, it was actually added to matchmaking for future titles. “Flood” follows the exact same premise as “Zombies”, where two players start out as the “infected” and attempt to infect the other eight “humans”; whose sole purpose is to survive as long as possible. In the original game type, zombies were given swords and humans were given a shotgun and magnum.

This is where things start to get a little more interesting. In “Halo 3” and “Halo: Reach”, zombies were just Spartans with green armor. In “Halo 4”, they’re going to have a completely unique character model which is a Spartan that has been infected by the flood. Not only that, but they’ll have a giant flood claw to use as a melee attack. They’ll also have special armor effects, a different view for characters playing as the flood, dynamic music, and a unique assassination animation. There will also be ten medals specific to the flood game type, which will range from surviving the whole time as a human or converting a Spartan to the flood.

Also addressed in the bulletin was the reveal of a map titled “Abandon”, a deserted ONI research base on the alien planet Erebus VII. At one time it was a lively active center for information, but the team of researchers mysteriously vanished and now it lies eerily vacant. The map feels very claustrophobic and frantic, which results mainly in close-quarters battles. There are areas around the outskirts that will allow for mid-range battles, but most of the action will likely take place inside the abandoned buildings.

If you’re looking to get your hands on a free copy of “Halo 4”, be sure to check out their soundtrack remix contest. The grand prize features a Samsung Series 7 Laptop, the Halo 4 Limited Edition 320GB Xbox 360, a Halo 4 Trigger Headset, and a complete collection of the Halo Soundtracks. All you have to do is grab the samples provided from the soundtrack and put your own personal spin on it. For complete details, check out http://halo4remix.com.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you!

[10.03.12] Valhalla returns to 'Halo 4'

Microsoft

Video game sequels have often been touted as being the same thing repackaged with a new title, especially when it's the 4th or 5th iteration. Yesterday, 343 Industries released a new video for "Halo 4" via Waypoint which simultaneously reinforced and defied that accusation. This video continues the endless trail of exciting announcements the developers have had for the start to this new trilogy; and they're very rapidly wiping away everyone's doubts as to their abilities to develop an authentic Halo experience while still breathing life into a series that runs the risk of growing stale.

The video starts with a something that should be very familiar to fans that played “Halo 3”. A particular tall Forerunner structure, that has plasma blasts bursting out the top periodically, is shown with a canyon backdrop and a river snaking out to an ocean bay. An identical tower is seen on the beach, and slightly off to the right, there’s a downed Pelican in the distance. That’s right, fan-favorite “Valhalla” is making an appearance in “Halo 4” under its new alias, “Ragnarok”.

All of a sudden, something new and unusual pops up on “Ragnarok’s” shore, something that looks like a mech. A Spartan hops in, and we’ve now been introduced to the newest member of UNSC’s [playable] fleet, the “Mantis”. It’s not the first mech to show up in a Halo video game, as “Halo Wars” had one called the “Cyclops”, however this does mark the first time that one will be controlled by the player as well as usable in multi-player.

One hand has a machine gun while the other shoots projectiles like the rail gun or gauss canon. It also has a stomping melee attack that can be used to crush Spartans and other vehicles alike. So far, “Ragnarok” is the only map confirmed to have it, however it’s likely that any map featuring vehicles the size of the “Warthog” will also be capable of supporting the “Mantis”. “Halo 4” releases Nov. 6, 2012.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[09.21.12] Best horror games - Recent hits

Randy Robertson

Halloween is approaching rapidly, and what better way to celebrate than by experiencing the best horror video games out there? Over the next few days, we’re going to list off the best games to play no matter what mood you’re in. Whether you’re looking for the scariest, goriest, or most entertaining horror games, we’ll give you a few suggestions for every category. We will also touch on the best classics, and a few recent titles that are noteworthy as well. To help compile this list, we've enlisted the help of Rob Nielsen from RedGoateeRob’s Horror Pages.

Horror games don’t have to be old to be good. Besides, not everyone has an NES on their shelf anxiously awaiting a cartridge. Newer gamers might not even have a PS2 or GameCube sitting around either, so today we’re going to stick strictly to the most recent generation of systems; or more specifically the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Sorry Wii, you didn’t quite make the cut. We’ve already scared you silly, grossed you out, given you some time to reminisce, and messed with your mind, but there’s a good variety of entertainment here. Things get a little frustrating, a little freaky, and, of course, a little fun.

‘Rise of Nightmares’

“Rise of Nightmares” brought horror to the Kinect for the first time, and it was quite the showing! Although it’s not as perfectly crafted as some of the other titles on this list, there’s no doubting that it is the horror experience for Kinect, and easily one of the best across all motion gaming platforms. It simultaneously showcases everything the Kinect is capable of while providing a surprisingly entertaining and interesting game. Needless to say, if you own a Kinect and are a fan of horror games, this is one title that absolutely should be a part of your collection. You won’t ever find yourself scared to death – due in part to the fact that you’re forced to play with the lights on – however there’s enough shocking moments to satisfy any horror fan.

‘Souls’ Series

Probably the best thing to come out of Japan this generation without the word 'Nintendo' attached to it, the Souls series is rapidly on its way to becoming legendary. Brutally difficult and unforgiving, the games in this series will test the resolve of any gamer brave enough to pop one of them into his console or download it to his PC. The first game in the series, “Demon's Souls”, set down the formula, and the second, “Dark Souls”, added to and expanded it. Debate over which of them is the better game rages across the internet and probably always will, but this much is sure: if you have the patience to face the challenge it poses, you'll find the Souls series to be some of the best games you'll ever play. They're also among the scariest; for instance, where some games ask you to fight a dragon, “Demon's Souls” will ask you to face the god of dragons - a behemoth of a thing with two sets of jaws and claws the size of a compact car. From the flocks of zombies to the other players invading your game to the Dragon God, the Souls series is a pit of terrors, each more deadly than the last.

‘F.E.A.R.’ Series

The “F.E.A.R.” series is interesting because it's sort of a chimera. Equally influenced by military shooters like “Call Of Duty”, survival horror games like “Resident Evil”, and Japanese horror films like “Ringu”, “F.E.A.R.” made psychological horror shooters a genre for the first time. Each game in the series approaches the horror from a different angle and uses its own unique mechanics to keep the series fresh. Much like 2010’s “Medal of Honor”, the AI in the series is some of the best you can find in any shooter. Just try sneaking away from behind cover when you're under heavy fire, and you'll hear the enemies yell "he's flanking!" and move to protect their exposed side. All of these elements serve to keep you on your toes when you're playing “F.E.A.R.”, reminding you constantly that no matter what you do, you're never, ever safe.

So that’s it! There’s tons of content here to get you prepped for Halloween, but this list is by no means exhaustive- there are plenty of other great titles that didn’t make the list, so get out there and find your favorite. Whatever you decide to play, just make sure you’ve got something spooky ready to go, because Halloween only comes once a year!

[09.20.12] Best horror games - Most entertaining

Randy Robertson

Halloween is approaching rapidly, and what better way to celebrate than by experiencing the best horror video games out there? Over the next few days, we’re going to list off the best games to play no matter what mood you’re in. Whether you’re looking for the scariest, goriest, or most entertaining horror games, we’ll give you a few suggestions for every category. We will also touch on the best classics, and a few recent titles that are noteworthy as well. To help compile this list, we've enlisted the help of Rob Nielsen from RedGoateeRob’s Horror Pages.

Alright, so we’ve made you feel nostalgic, sick to your stomach, and scared to death. Today, we’ll relax a little bit and talk about which games are just straight forward entertaining. There’s nothing too extreme here, just lots of guaranteed fun. If you feel like you need a laugh, want a great story, or want something that’s really going to make you think about what’s going on, we’ve got it all here.

‘Bioshock’

“Bioshock” has a fantastic story. We don’t want to spoil the end, or even subtly hint at it, because there are probably still quite a few people out there who haven’t played it yet, but rest assured you'll be very satisfied at the end of the game. The sequel, “Bioshock 2” is also fantastic; however the third title in the series looks a little like it may have lost its way. To be fair, though, it’s not out yet, so we can’t really pass judgment on it. Still, the “Bioshock” series is a nice survival horror title that focuses on telling a gripping story in a wonderful fantasy environment, and it’s definitely something worth experiencing - at least to witness the astounding water physics - because there’s not much else out there like it.

‘Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem’

The most entertaining survival horror game ever made? Probably. “Eternal Darkness” gets its jollies by screwing with your mind. To really go into detail about this game would be a disservice, since the game is best enjoyed when you dive into it without knowing what it has in store for you, so do yourself a favor and avoid reading of the many spoilers that have been posted online if you manage to find a copy of this increasingly-rare GameCube disc. This game is hard to find for good reason, because no one lucky enough to have it in their collection wants to part with his or her copy.

‘Lollipop Chainsaw’

“Lollipop Chainsaw” is an all-around outrageous game from start to finish. It’s guaranteed to have you laughing out loud and asking yourself “did that really just happen?”. It’s definitely a standout on this list because it’s less about scare-tactics or shock-value and strictly about an incredibly humorous story. It also pays homage to classic arcade hack-and-slash titles. If there was ever a title that fit the “grindhouse” category, this is it. The game’s website says it best, “Lollipop Chainsaw” is “bursting with Sex, Blood, and Rock ‘n’ Roll”.

So now that you’ve got a few laughs in, it’s time to get serious again. Sure, most of the games on the list so far have been older titles from previous generations, but “Lollipop Chainsaw” and “Bioshock” prove there are still some awesome horror titles out there from the current generation of systems. We’ve got an innovative title, and even a couple series that have completely established themselves across only the most recent platforms. If you aren’t fortunate enough to have the classic systems sitting around, fear not. Tomorrow we’ll have a few games that have all come out relatively recently in the gaming world.

[09.19.12] Best horror games - Scariest

Randy Robertson

Halloween is approaching rapidly, and what better way to celebrate than by experiencing the best horror video games out there? Over the next few days, we’re going to list off the best games to play no matter what mood you’re in. Whether you’re looking for the scariest, goriest, or most entertaining horror games, we’ll give you a few suggestions for every category. We will also touch on the best classics, and a few recent titles that are noteworthy as well. To help compile this list, we've enlisted the help of Rob Nielsen from RedGoateeRob’s Horror Pages.

We’ve looked at the classics, and we’ve given you the chance to test your limits with gore. Today is all about keeping you on the edge of your seat and scaring the pants off of you! These games are best experienced with the surround sound cranked and all the lights shut off. You might want to have a teddy bear nearby, or at least ready when you go to sleep... that is, assuming you’ll be able to sleep afterwards.

'Dead Space' Series

“Dead Space” is perhaps best known for the famous marketing campaign for the second title in the series, which involved setting 'moms' down in front of footage of the game being played and recording their reactions of horror and repulsion. The commercials are funny, until you find yourself holding the controller, squirming in your chair as you watch slobbering undead monsters with giant knives for limbs rip your protagonist's legs from his torso. Maybe that should be part of the marketing campaign for the next game in the series: 'Dead Space. It'll make you squirm'.

'Silent Hill' series

What can really be said about “Silent Hill” that has not already been said? “Silent Hill” is the gold standard of survival horror. Drawing its inspiration from the works of Stephen King (“The Fog”) and Dean Koontz (“Phantoms”), the original “Silent Hill” inspired many, many sleepless nights for its PS1 audience. Things only got more frightening in the sequel, which received a graphical upgrade when it made the jump to PS2, Xbox, and PC, making the horrors even more realistic. Though all the games in the “Silent Hill” series are worth playing, the first four games - called the 'canonical four' by some in the fan base - are easily the best and scariest. If you haven't played “Silent Hill”, you're missing out on the best survival horror has to offer.

'Fatal Frame' series

A sense of helplessness is integral to horror. In “Fatal Frame”, you'll find yourself alone, lost, and beset on all sides by poltergeists that are entirely capable of killing you. The only weapon you'll have is an old camera. Want to stop the ghosts? Just take a picture of one of them and he'll vanish. Snapping any old photo of the ghost won't do, though. You'll need to get right up close to it, just to the point where you start to feel its rotten breath and its cold arms enveloping you, shove the camera in its face, and snap off a frame. This game doesn’t just put you in the action- it dunks your head in the pool, holds you there, and pours an extra bucket of water over you for good measure. “Fatal Frame” has one mission: scaring the crap out of you, so it’s not recommended for the faint of heart.

Tomorrow we're going to sit back and relax a little. Instead of picking on the extremes of a category, we're going to take a look at which games are just pure entertainment. We have one that will have you laughing up a storm, and a couple games that will really make you think. Don't worry though, they're still most definitely horror games at heart.

[09.18.12] Best horror games - Most gore

Randy Robertson

The goriest horror games!

Halloween is approaching rapidly, and what better way to celebrate than by experiencing the best horror video games out there? Over the next few days, we’re going to list off the best games to play no matter what mood you’re in. Whether you’re looking for the scariest, goriest, or most entertaining horror games, we’ll give you a few suggestions for every category. We will also touch on the best classics, and a few recent titles that are noteworthy as well. To help compile this list, we've enlisted the help of Rob Nielsen from RedGoateeRob’s Horror Pages.

We’ve already covered the best classic titles in horror, but there’s one thing that older systems can’t do as well, and that’s gore. Gore is an integral part of horror; however, the systems of yesteryear just don’t have the power to deliver such, well, graphic graphics. As technology has progressed, games have been inching closer to realism, providing a better platform for developers to deliver that uneasy feeling. If you’re anxious to test your limits and like getting out of your comfort zone, these are the titles that will take you there.

‘Splatterhouse’

At the time of its 1988 release, the original “Splatterhouse” was one of the most absurdly violent games anyone had ever seen, and the 2010 reboot of the game ups the ante by being perhaps the single bloodiest game ever made. Retro-gaming purists will want to play the original on the Turbografx 16, and today's audience will want the remake on Xbox 360 or PS3, which comes with the original game too - but if you have a real lust for gore, either version of the game will suffice. The plot essentially involves a skinny kid who finds a mask that turns him into a hulking engine of death, and proceeds to wander into a haunted mansion and paint its interiors with the blood and entrails of its demonic inhabitants. Just think of these games as 'Interior Decorating for Gorehounds 101' and you'll be on the right track to understanding what “Splatterhouse” is all about.

‘Fallout 3’

“Fallout 3” doesn't get a lot of cred for being a bloody game, probably due to the strength of the game's plot, which outshined many of the game's other elements in reviews. Indeed, you might not really notice the gore-factor in this game either until you find yourself trapped in a derelict facility that used to be a fallout shelter/vault, with mutated monstrosities roaming the halls, their claws and tentacles covered in blood, the ceilings lined with bags containing the eviscerated bodies of the humans foolish to walk into the facility before you. Think you have a strong stomach? Reach inside one of the bloodbags and you might find a few stray bullets. Shoot one of the mutants with them and you'll see their head explode in a shower of gore. Yep, playing “Fallout 3” is kind of like going to a Gallagher show; make sure you bring a plastic tarp- you'll need it.

‘Doom’

Of course “Doom” was going to appear on the list somewhere; it is Halloween, after all. Nowhere does it fit better than here. You know you're in for some serious gore when a game gives you a chainsaw and says “See those demons over there? Go to town on them!” “Doom” was revolutionary when it first released and time has not served to dull its impact. Even today a lot of the shooters being released still don't match the pure, visceral horror of “Doom”. There was a reason the first part of this game was titled 'Knee Deep in the Dead' - because that's exactly where “Doom” will put you.

Alright, we’re going to give you a day to let your stomach settle. You’ll need it too, because tomorrow we’re all about the scares. We’ll get your heart racing and, hopefully, have you jumping out of your seat. If you think you’re brave enough to face these alone, give it a shot; but if you’re easily spooked, you might want to have a friend by your side. Either way, these scary games are worth the experience.

[09.17.12] Best horror games - The classics

Randy Robertson

The best classic horror games

Halloween is approaching rapidly, and what better way to celebrate than by experiencing the best horror video games out there? Over the next few days, we’re going to list off the best games to play no matter what mood you’re in. Whether you’re looking for the scariest, goriest, or most entertaining horror games, we’ll give you a few suggestions for every category. We will also touch on the best classics, and a few recent titles that are noteworthy as well. To help compile this list, we've enlisted the help of Rob Nielsen from RedGoateeRob’s Horror Pages.

To start it all off, we’ll revisit some classic horror titles that hopefully everyone has experienced already. If you haven’t, they’re definitely worth checking out, however getting your hands on a copy of the game as well as the necessary equipment to play it may prove to be a little more difficult. In the least, making yourself aware of these well-established classics is necessary for any horror fans or video game fans alike.

'Castlevania'

In the annals of horror gaming, “Castlevania” is perhaps the title that has best stood the test of time. The classic games in the series - generally considered the games from the original arcade release of “Haunted Castle” to “Symphony of the Night” on the PS1 - are not only some of the best games on the consoles they saw release on, they are amongst the best games ever made. Their legendary difficulty, the famous 'Castlevania Frustration Syndrome', kept a lot of gamers from ever seeing the end of one of the early games in the series, but for those who can stick it out, “Castlevania” offers some of the best gameplay ever.

Drawing equally from the classic Universal monster movies and from early video games, “Castlevania” puts you in the shoes of the legendary Belmont family and sends you against Dracula, who wants to destroy the world. To get to him though, you'll have to hack your way through just about every legendary movie monster you ever heard of, from the Wolf Man to the Mummy to Frankenstein. Sound epic enough for you?

‘Metroid’

Nothing conveys the feeling of absolute isolation quite like the low-toned, harmonic minor introductory music to the NES classic “Metroid”. It’s an appropriate introduction to “Metroid”, one of the few games that has ever managed to successfully convey the sense of desolate isolation that was perfected in progenitors of the genre like the classic sci-fi film “Alien”. Innovative in so many ways, perhaps most notably in being one of the first games to include a strong female protagonist, “Metroid” defined the experience of horror on the NES and solidified Nintendo as a company that could do more than simply ‘games for kids’.

Amazingly, Nintendo managed to not only match the quality of the original, but surpass it with the sequel, “Super Metroid”, a game many count as the best game ever. “Metroid” has appeared on many Nintendo platforms since, but the originals still stand as some of the best interactive horror ever produced; and they still have that haunting, lonely title theme.

‘Alone In The Dark’

A true underappreciated classic, “Alone In The Dark” appeared on the PC in 1992 and later, on the 3DO in 1994,to little fanfare. No one seemed to realize that not only was it an incredible game in its own right, it was the first game in what would become an entirely new genre. Simply put, survival horror owes its existence to “Alone In The Dark”. Setting forth most of the tropes that define the genre which would later produce “Resident Evil” and “Silent Hill”, “Alone In The Dark” pioneered gameplay concepts like static 3D backgrounds, providing the player with limited ammunition, environmental puzzles requiring the use of a specific item, and sound cues to tip off the player to approaching monsters. Heavily influenced by the work of horror icon H.P. Lovecraft, “Alone In The Dark” still scares the hell out of us.

Tomorrow, we’re going to take a look at the goriest games in the horror genre. These games will make you squirm in your seat while desperately pulling you in for more. You don’t want to look, but you just can’t help it. It’s ok, though, because this list of titles deserves your undivided attention, even if you have to fight to give it.

[09.13.12] Nintendo announces Wii U release date and prices

Nintendo

There's been a lot of speculation on the pricing and release date for the highly anticipated Wii U console, but today Nintendo has finally confirmed these details. Come Nov. 18, 2012, there will be two different models to choose from. The first is the "Wii U Basic" which is a white console featuring 8 GB of storage, one GamePad (controller), one stylus, one HDMI cable, one Wii U AC adapter, and one GamePad AC adapter all for $299.99. For those of you who prefer a little more storage space, you can grab the "Wii U Deluxe" which comes in a glossy piano black and has a full 32 GB of storage on board with a price point of $349.99. In addition to the storage boost, the "Deluxe" edition also comes with a GamePad Cradle, GamePad Stand, Console Cradle, and everything included in the "Basic" edition as well. The official countdown to release has started, and Nintendo has emblazoned a time on the Wii U home page for those who want to watch the seconds tick away.

With this announcement came a handful of new titles as well. Some were expected, some were surprises, but they're all welcome editions to the library. There are the obligatory "New Super Mario Bros. U", "Pikmin 3", and "Wii Fit U" as well as some third-party sequels which need no explanation, "Bayonetta 2" and "Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge". There were also four brand new titles: "The Wonderful 101", "Sing Party", "LEGO City Undercover", and "Nintendo Land".

"The Wonderful 101" is a free-roaming adventure game which features 100 super heroes who are attempting to fight off an alien invasion. None of them are strong enough on their own, so you have to combine them so they can morph into super weapons to take down the aliens. Not all the heroes are available right off the back though. You'll have to roam the city and recruit other civilians to join your squad to bring you additional strength and powers.

"LEGO City Undercover" is an exciting new development in the LEGO universe. Recently, LEGO games have all been focused on other franchises such as "Batman" or "Harry Potter", however this game is a completely unique story. Following suit with "LEGO Batman 2", "Undercover" drops the LEGO tradition of pantomiming and instead gives its characters full voice acting. Fear not though, it's still the same brick-filled world packed full of slap-stick humor and pop-culture references you've come to know and love by now.

"Sing Party" is a noble attempt to revive the dying music-game genre, but it's sure to be the butt of many jokes in the near future. The concept is 'party gaming' at its finest, but theory doesn't necessarily always work in practice. The Wii U controller will display lyrics on the tablet screen for the lead singer, freeing them from the TV screen, so that it can be utilized to give dancing, clapping, and other prompts to the rest of the 'players'. The problem is finding a group who will want to be backup dancers to a karaoke show. It's likely your 'show' will wind up looking less like the promo shots released and more like the awkward guy singing "Pony" and "Don't Cha" at the end of the movie "Wild Hogs".

"Nintendo Land" brings a giant digital Nintendo theme park to your living room which you can roam through with up to 4 friends. There are lots of carnival-like sideshow attractions to play, all themed around various Nintendo titles. Unfortunately, giant stuffed animals have been replaced by stamps as prizes, although they still have the potential to be pretty awesome, much like the trophies in the "Super Smash Bros." series.

“Nintendo Land” and “New Super Mario Bros. U” have both been confirmed as launch titles. It seems safe to say that “Wii Fit U” and “Sing Party” will join the line-up as well. As for the rest of the titles, none have even a broad release date, but they likely will be close to launch.

Wii U Official Site

[09.06.12] Review: ‘Lollipop Chainsaw’

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Lollipop Chainsaw for the Xbox 360

Rating:

5 Stars

When was the last time you could say a video game actually made you laugh out loud? If you have yet to experienced Suda51’s latest game, you may find yourself searching for a while. However, those who have played “Lollipop Chainsaw” can answer that question with ease. “Lollipop Chainsaw” is an action hack and slash video game similar to “X-men Origins: Wolverine” that’s “bursting with Sex, Blood, and Rock ‘n’ Roll”.

It’s a big day for 18-year-old Juliet Starling. It’s her birthday and her family is about to meet her boyfriend Nick for the first time. Oh yeah, and there’s an impending zombie invasion. After meeting Nick in the park, he’s bitten by a zombie, leaving Juliet no choice but to cut off his head with her chainsaw. After he awakes, he discovers he’s somehow still alive, and now just a severed head attached to Juliet’s belt. She reveals to him that she’s actually a zombie hunter. Together, with the help of the rest of Juliet’s zombie-hunting family, they take on the hordes of zombies that have overrun San Romero High School. Sound crazy enough for you?

The Fun Stuff:

“Lollipop Chainsaw” is just an all-around entertaining package from start to finish. The presentation is fantastic. The main menu, along with the pause menu, is designed with a comic book feel. Once you’re in the game itself, the whole setup feels very reminiscent of some of the best arcade hack-and-slash games of the 80’s and 90’s. To go with it, some of the best songs from that era adorn the soundtrack in all the appropriate places. Bearing that in mind, the game screams cheesy goodness. There’s nothing quite like riding around on a combine mowing down zombies while listening to “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”.

As far as difficulty goes, you can make it as easy or hard as you like. The control scheme is fairly simple, and although there are a lot of combos, they too are simple and it won’t take anyone too long to grasp. The gameplay follows a pretty simple formula that also won’t be difficult for new users or veterans alike to understand. There are a few extra quirks, mostly in the form of achievements, for dedicated fans that wish to perfect their game; however, no one will be stunted by the occasional mistake.

The Frustrating Stuff:

The game is short, by nature, although it’s not too terrible of a thing. This is the kind of game you’ll want to replay to try and beat high scores. It’s also worth replaying for all of those “wait, did they really just say that?” moments. The only time where replay gets really annoying is when you get stuck at a particularly difficult checkpoint and have to listen to the same jokes over and over. Likewise, going into the “Chop and Shop” in game store is hilarious the first time, until you realize that Juliet isn’t going to shut up and “Lollipop” plays on loop nonstop. These are the only areas where the game could have used a little more variety and polish.

Bottom Line:

Just like the game’s protagonist, Juliet, “Lollipop Chainsaw” is short but sweet. It’s an absolute blast to play whether you wish to challenge yourself on the harder difficulties, or just do some mindless zombie killing on the easier ones. At about 6 hours playtime on an average difficulty, replaying is a must to really get your money’s worth, but you can also use that time to gather up achievements, none of which are too terribly difficult to collect.

Although it doesn’t really feel like a full-fledged $60 release, there’s plenty of entertainment to satisfy about a $35 price point. If you find a sale around that point, definitely grab a copy because this is one crazy experience you don’t want to miss – assuming you’re of age, that is. Much like the aforementioned “X-Men Origins” and another great title “Mafia II”, ‘Lollipop Chainsaw” definitely earns it’s “M” rating.

“Lollipop Chainsaw” was developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and was published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in collaboration with Kadokawa Shoten. It was released in North America on June 12, 2012 with an M rating from the ESRB and an MSRP of $59.99. This review was based on a copy of the game purchased on the release date.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[08.23.12] ‘Bag It!’ gets second free update packed with content

Hidden Variable

Earlier this year, a little studio by the name of “Hidden Variable” released a masterpiece which could easily be a contender for mobile game of the year. Since then, “Bag It!” has had immense success with an Amazon Free App of the Day promotion and its first free update which introduced us to a new character, Fizzy. The studio is at it again with another free update and sale to celebrate their accomplishment of achieving the 5 million download mark.

This time around, the game is getting a brand new challenge mode themed all around everyone’s favorite pirate watermelon, Seedy! “Seedy’s Booty” is an endless matching mode featuring plenty of power-ups, explosive 3D graphics, and Facebook or GameCenter leaderboards, depending on your platform of choice.

As you race against the clock to match as many groceries as possible, you’ll earn coins which can be spent on new power-ups to help boost your scores. It’s also likely you might have a visit from a sea monster or find a few other pirate-related surprises along the way. After you achieve a dominating high score, you can link with your Facebook profile on Android or the GameCenter on iOS to boast your superiority and rub it in all your friends’ faces!

If you’re not in the boat who have already downloaded the game, or you’ve just restricted yourself to the ‘lite version’, now is the time to take the leap of faith and by the full version. It’s on sale through tomorrow both on Android and iOS. For iPad users, the HD version is $1.99 and for anything Android, the regular version is $0.99 until Friday, Aug. 23 at midnight.

Hold on just a minute though, because there’s a way you can get a copy completely free! That’s right; I’ve got a few promo codes for a select number of lucky individuals. If you want a chance at a free copy of the game, all you have to do is like my Facebook Page. Tomorrow, 5 people will be selected at random to receive a promo code for a completely free copy of Bag It!

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[08.17.12] Review: 'Pixel Blocked!'

Daniel Truong

Pixel Blocked

Rating:

5 Stars

'Pixel Blocked!' is a brand new game from Daniel Truong, an indie developer out of Vancouver. Hailed as This unique puzzler finds inspiration from the popular pastime 'Picross' and blends it with mechanics from the popular 'Bust-A-Move' series and a little dash of 'Tetris'. Of course, it adds a few twists of its own and wraps it all up with a nice 8-bit inspired presentation.

Featuring over 180 puzzles across 3 difficulty levels, players are faced with an incomplete 'pixel image' and are challenged to fill in the remaining blank spots by shooting blocks onto the grid while doing so with as few moves as possible. It sounds easy, but as the levels progress, it can become really taxing on the mind. Not to worry though! Your struggle will be rewarded with additional game modes, backgrounds, characters, and 'Awardments'.

The Fun Stuff:

‘Pixel Blocked!’ is a fast paced puzzler that’s really easy to grasp and play, but very hard to perfect. The concept is incredibly simple: finish the pixel image. It’s this kind of simplicity that makes the game incredibly addictive. The controls are minimal and easy to learn so anyone can pick it up almost instantly. There’s plenty of content to go around too. With so much to unlock, it keeps you hooked as you try to unlock a new character or background.

The puzzles are grouped into four categories, designated by difficulty. They unlock in succession upon completion of 50% of the previous group. Once a group is unlocked, every single puzzle within the group is instantly available and can be played in any order. This is great for when one particular shape is really giving you trouble. You can simply pass it up and come back later to try again. It’s likely you’ll find yourself using this strategy frequently, as staring at the same shapes again and again can get rather taxing. You’ll swear a particular puzzle is impossible, give up, try again tomorrow, and easily find the solution. Somehow, this never grows old though because the game wraps you in its spell and demands you finish every puzzle.

Perhaps it’s the charming design, which follows the suit of the ever-popular ‘Minecraft’ with its “less is more” graphics. Everything is pixelated, as the name suggests, and everything looks fantastic. Everything is straight forward. Blocks that look cracked crumble, blocks that have magnets snag blocks that try to pass by, and the solid metal blocks are permanent. The soundtrack adds to the nostalgic feel as well. Despite being completely original, you’ll feel like you’ve heard all the songs in various games from the 8 and 16-bit era. The sound effects are also in character with the soundtrack, often tricking you into thinking they’ve been ripped right out of other classic games.

The Frustrating Stuff:

The whole game is frustrating, incredibly frustrating! However this is one of those very rare instances where that’s not a bad thing. Perfecting ‘Pixel Blocked!” takes an unbelievable amount of dedication. If you’re going to attempt to get a gold ranking on both moves and time in every puzzle, the game demands perfect reflexes and practically memorizing solutions. It’s the fist-clenching, controller-throwing, explicative-inducing kind of frustration. What’s so special about ‘Pixel Blocked!’ is that, much like ‘Super Mario Bros.’ – the later levels, not the first few that everyone beats – or the slightly more recent ‘Demon Souls’ and ‘Dark Souls’, it throws your failure right in your face... yet has you crawling back for more and more.

Bottom Line:

If you like puzzle games, nostalgia, or painstakingly difficult yet addictive games, you’ve found your next gem. Anyone with the slightest interest should definitely pick it up because it’s easy enough for anyone and everyone to play. You don’t have to be in the elite group crazy enough to perfect the game to play, because simply completing the puzzles is enough to still experience the game to its full potential. Be warned, though, after a short time with ‘Pixel Blocked!’ it’s charm will have you locked in and wanting to 100% it, so maybe you should consider purchasing a wrist strap for your controller, grabbing an otterbox for your phone, or putting a barrier between you and your monitor.

Pixel Blocked! was developed by Daniel Truong and was independently published. It was released in North America on July 20, 2012. This review was based on an Xbox 360 copy of the game provided by the developer for the purpose of reviewing.

If you're interested in checking out 'Pixel Blocked!', you can visit the website here to purchase it for PC, DRM free, or download the game from the appropriate link below:
Xbox 360 (trial)
Xbox 360 (full game)
Windows Phone 7 (free)
Windows Phone 7 (full game)

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[07.20.12] EA asking for your help with 'SimCity'

Electronic Arts

It's almost every gamer's dream to one day make video games, in some way or another. Now this, of course, is going to require lots of difficult and intense schooling to learn the basics. Whether that is art design, programming, or testing varies from person to person; but ideally, the goal is to be able to look at a video game and say "I helped make that". Today, Electronic Arts and Maxis are giving you that opportunity, and there's absolutely zero classes required.

Alright, so you're not really designing an entire video game. You're not even really responsible for a large portion of the game. Still, it gives you the opportunity to point to the game and say to your family and friends, "That was me!" The thing you'll be proudly displaying is a diner in EA's upcoming game, "SimCity", due out in February 2013.

If you think you've got a cool, creative, or funny name for a diner, you can enter it in to the contest by texting "SIMCITY" to 44144. You'll be prompted to enter your date of birth, followed by your diner name, and then a simple confirmation text. After that you'll receive a special code. This is your unique entry ID.

The key to getting your diner's name into the game is to have as many of your friends as possible text in to vote for you. That means, if you think "Eddies' Eat Everything Emporium" is an awesome name, you should get as many people as possible to text "SIMCITY7332" to the number "44144" once a day through July 31 when the contest ends. If you're not a fan of that name, or the current leader "Brian's Burgerbits" (SIMCITY7666), send in your entry now and forever have you dynasty locked into a "SimCity" game.

To read the official rules or check out the current top ten names, head to their official site.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[07.20.12] 'Pixel Blocked!' is 'Bust-A-Move' meets 'Picross'

Daniel Truong

A brand new puzzler called 'Pixel Blocked!' released today from Daniel Truong, an indie developer out of Vancouver. Hailed as "one of the best new puzzle engines to come around in a decade", this unique puzzler finds inspiration from the popular pastime 'Picross' and blends it with mechanics from the popular 'Bust-A-Move' series and a little dash of 'Tetris'. Of course, it adds a few twists of its own and wraps it all up with a nice 8-bit inspired presentation.

Featuring over 180 puzzles across 3 difficulty levels, players are faced with an incomplete 'pixel image' and are challenged to fill in the remaining blank spots by shooting blocks onto the grid while doing so with as few moves as possible. It sounds easy, but as the levels progress, it can become really taxing on the mind. Not to worry though! Your struggle will be rewarded with additional game modes, backgrounds, characters, and 'Awardments'.

'Pixel Blocked!' is currently available on Windows PCs, Xbox 360, and Windows Phone 7. As of right now, he has no plans to port them to other systems. This isn't because of a Microsoft exclusivity, but rather simply because Truong developed them using Microsoft's XNA framework. He hasn't completely ruled out porting them in the future, but as of right now he'd rather focus on new projects. In an email interview, Truong explained:

I've looked into porting Pixel Blocked! over to iPhone and Android but as a single developer I felt like it would be more exciting to get started on a new game rather than port them over.

If you're interested in checking out 'Pixel Blocked!', you can visit the website here to purchase it for PC, DRM free, or download the game from the appropriate link below:
Xbox 360 (trial)
Xbox 360 (full game)
Windows Phone 7 (free)
Windows Phone 7 (full game)

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[07.19.12] OUYA gains support from Handy Games

OUYA

There's no denying the incredible success the new gaming console, OUYA, is having on Kickstarter. It's now surpassed $5 million in pledges from over 40,000 backers. Yesterday, they gained yet another, this time with a little more prestige behind it. Handy Games, the company behind Guns 'n' Glory, Aporkalypse, and Super Dynamite Fishing, is now backing the OUYA full force.

Handy Games has joined five others in the top-tier pledge level on the Kickstarter page. Not only that, but they've vowed to bring several of their popular Android titles over to the OUYA. Markus Kassulke, the CEO of Handy Games, has a very strong opinion about mobile gaming that he's not afraid to share.

"When HandyGames started out more than 12 years ago, no one really took mobile gaming seriously. It was pretty much seen as joke. Now, more than a decade later, I don't think that these are tears of laughter running down the faces of all those big publishers and console makers who see the very core of their business model pummeled by the onslaught extremely affordable indy games on smartphones and tablet PCs."

He's right though. Lately, many big name publishers have spent more time focusing on mobile gaming and less on their console or PC counterparts. Along with the creators of the OUYA, he too thinks it’s about time these companies start to feel the pressure from smaller competitors.

"OUYA has the potential to be every bit as disruptive to the traditional TV consoles market as smartphone games were to the handheld console business. It’s yet another nail in the coffin of walled-garden ecosystems and traditional publishing models.”

Christopher Kassulke, another CEO of HandyGames, is also in agreement.

"Over the past year we have been working hard to take our games beyond the mobile space. OUYA is a perfect match for our long-term strategic goals, but it's not just the business side. We strongly feel that the OUYA team has a vision of the future of gaming that is very similar to our own. It's not about powerful hardware or big brand names, it's about innovation and great gameplay and openness to developers and users alike. OUYA gives us just that, a chance for independent developers to flourish and experiment on a platform that is affordable to users and open to free-to-play and freemium models. We see huge mass market potential here and we’re already looking forward to attending the OUYA launch party!

So not only is openness something that gamers want, apparently it's something that some developers want too. Between the potential support from Mojang, the blessing from the likes of Jenova Chin and Adam Saltsman, and the now confirmed support of Handy Games, the OUYA is gathering an incredible amount of momentum.

Despite the doubts of many, it now seems there's no way the OUYA won't be made. Clearly, it's something that gamers want, and clearly, the demand and financial support is there. The only question that remains is, "can they pull it off successfully?" for the sake of the gaming industry, let's hope the answer is yes.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you!