Crash Bandicoot: A Retrospective Part 2

June 3, 2010 by Gus Townson  
Filed under Video Games

Crash Bandicoot 2 Arctic Level 580x435 Crash Bandicoot: A Retrospective Part 2

Don't fret Crash, it can't be THAT tough, can it?

Make sure to read part 1 before reading part 2 today!

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Crash Bandicoot: A Retrospective Part 1

June 1, 2010 by Gus Townson  
Filed under Video Games

Crash Bandicoot Group Hut 580x353 Crash Bandicoot: A Retrospective Part 1

Gather around Children, and let me tell you a story. A story of the underdogs from down under, and their legacy of overlooked brilliance.

Long ago in a console war far far away, the dynasties of Nintendo and Sega were at a stale mate. Leading SNES was legendary jump man Super Mario, while the flag of Genesis was single handedly kept up by the demon of speed Sonic the Hedgehog. In their never ending battle for dominance, they monopolized the entire interactive entertainment industry with no sign of slowing down (and for Sonic, that was quite literally). As the VG Universe nears toward the verge of a whole new generation (the 5th one to be exact), Nintendo sought out the allegiance of Sony for the construction of a whole new disc-powered gaming device to combat Sega’s new machine, the Saturn. Sony agreed, and began the blue prints of what would become the Nintendo Play Station. But just as the technology was within their grasp and all their hard work was about to pay off, Nintendo pulled the plug. They had been secretly giving their money and characters to Phillips behind their backs to work on the same thing. With no one to turn to, would Sony let everything they worked for die in vain?

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Games You Should Have Played: Resident Evil 4

March 3, 2010 by Chris Pranger  
Filed under Video Games

Resident Evil 4 I Know Kung Fu 580x435 Games You Should Have Played: Resident Evil 4

Remember, Leon has proven that Kung Fu is an acceptable defence against zombie-ish villagers.

If you’ve been following me on Twitter (which you should), you may have noticed that I’ve been playing Resident Evil 5. I’ll have a full article on that tomorrow but for now I’m more concerned with its predecessor, Resident Evil 4. RE4 is without question one of the best games of all time and easily within my top 10, if not top 5. Why was that? Well hold on because I’m about to tell you since RE4 is today’s Game You Should Have Played. Read more

Let’s Think Deep: The Perfect Video Game

March 2, 2010 by Chris Pranger  
Filed under Video Games

Super Mario Bros 3 Alternative Art Lets Think Deep: The Perfect Video Game

I still place this above most other games. Can anything change my mind?

I love video games. I play them frequently (and sometimes write about them, as you may have noticed). I always get excited with every new Mario and Zelda game, or anything that seems to interest me beyond a simple, “Oh, that looks like a fun game to rent.” But when I get down to it I always inevitably say to myself, “Yeah, this is good, but it’s no Mario Bros 3/Ocarina of Time/Final Fantasy 6.” Why is that? I know I’m not the only one to think this way. We’ve got to a point where we’re demanding games replicate our favorites from the past, but when they can’t we throw a fit. Can we ever make a new “Perfect Game?” Let’s Think Deep. Read more

I’ve Seen Heavier: A Review of Heavy Rain

February 25, 2010 by Chris Pranger  
Filed under Video Games

Heavy Rain Face Close Up 580x326 Ive Seen Heavier: A Review of Heavy Rain

Stare into the face of the Uncanny Valley.

I am not a fan of hype. Any time I hear too much on a title I start to dislike the game on principle alone, so Heavy Rain was big on my skeptical radar. I had been hearing all sorts of things about the PS3 exclusive regarding the detail of graphics and the amount of engrossing story, but all this did was make me hope the game would be terrible. Finally, Heavy Rain is out, so are my instincts correct? Is Heavy Rain a flop? Absolutely not. Read more

Top 15 Best Overclocked Remixes

February 19, 2010 by Chris Pranger  
Filed under Video Games

OCRemix 10 Year Logo Top 15 Best Overclocked Remixes

Overclocked Remix turned 10 just recently. Have you been listening?

You may not know it about me, but I actually think myself a pretty avid music lover. I just don’t listen to what most people listen to. What I listen to most of all are video game soundtracks, so when I want to up the stakes a bit I listen to video game remixes, and no one does it better than Overclocked Remix. OCRemix is the best site for video game music recompositions on the web, so I figured I’d share my love with the world in the form of a list. Problem is, they’ll be hitting their 2000th remix this year, and at least 500 of those remixes are in my constant play cycle. I couldn’t limit myself to a top 10, so I extended it to a top 15 list with two restraints: no two remixes by the same artist or of the same game. So here they are, my Top 15 OCRemixes.

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Simbling Rivalry At It’s Best: A Review of Bioshock 2

February 10, 2010 by Chris Pranger  
Filed under Video Games

Bioshock 2 Little sister Big Daddy 580x435 Simbling Rivalry At Its Best: A Review of Bioshock 2

You ready for another trip to Rapture?

If you’ve read my Bioshock review, you already know that I like Bioshock. If you read my preview for Bioshock 2, then you know I’m pretty psyched for the sequel. Well, the sequel’s out now, so did it live up to my expectations? There is some good, some bad, and some blah, but let’s save that for another day. Oh heck, why not, let’s do it now. On to Rapture! Read more

MAG-nificent?: A Review of MAG

February 9, 2010 by Chris Pranger  
Filed under Video Games

MAG Team Squad 580x326 MAG nificent?: A Review of MAG

Everyone and your mother can play this game at the same time.

Here we go, we have another FPS to review. But this time there’s a catch. This time, we’ve also got an MMORPG, of sorts. Yup, talking about MAG this time, a First Person Shooter that’s big hook is the ability to play with 256 players at the same time. In fact, there isn’t even a single-player aspect to the game. Does this make it a deal breaker? Let’s find out. Read more

A Hack and A Slash: Impressions From the God of War III Demo

January 28, 2010 by Chris Pranger  
Filed under Video Games

God of War III Kratos I Will Eat Your Face A Hack and A Slash: Impressions From the God of War III Demo

"I will eat your face."

I am a huge fan of the God of War series. Or rather, I was until the very end of God of War II where Kratos waved at the camera and said, “See you on the PS3!” For those of you that haven’t played God of War II, I highly recommend playing it, but you probably won’t like the conclusion that DOESN’T HAPPEN. I cannot stand games that purposefully don’t resolve themselves, especially when the next installment is guaranteed going to be on the next console. Here we are in 2010 and God of War III is coming out very soon on the PS3, so a demo is out and playable at last.

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What, No Beer Pong?: A Review of Army of Two: The 40th Day

January 22, 2010 by Chris Pranger  
Filed under Video Games

Army of Two 40th Day Rock Paper Scissors 580x325 What, No Beer Pong?: A Review of Army of Two: The 40th Day

Sometimes you've just gotta show your bro some love.

Who am I to decide what makes a good game and bad game? I’m about to tell you that Army of Two: The 40th Day is pretty unimpressive as a game.  But who’s to say I’m the correct person to say such a thing? It’s become pretty clear that I’m a Nintendo fanboy and that I’m very bad at First-Person and Third-Person Shooters (Army of Two is a Third-Person shooter), so why am I allowed to have a say on this particular game?

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