Whenever I think about Project Natal, it emits wavelengths that my brain determines to be a threat, and it sends a tremor of skepticism down my spine.  You see, something like Project Natal has the capability of completely changing interactive entertainment, and bringing it, as Wolfmother says, “into another dimension.”  What I’m worried about, which all of you should be, is that Project Natal is going to be reduced to nothing but Mario Party, the console.

The biggest indicator that their, I guess present, plans to use Project Natal is in the little demo video they showed us.  No, not Milo.  That’s a different monster.  I’m talking about the one with the all too excited family.  Everything they showed was (I know its early) garbage.  The one that really frustrated me was the martial arts video.  If the camera is translating your moves exactly, then your skill is going to be determined by your actual fighting ability.  Read more… »

Back in 2001, I purchased my very first Playstation 2. A magnificent beast it was, with its Atari like design and blacky-blue aura. From a decent DVD player to a spectacular gaming console, it served me well until the Summer of 2004 when a leaky roof in a dodgy rental combined with electricity to blow it to bits.

It was at that point I learned of the fragility of the device. I quickly went out and purchased one of the limited edition “Platinum” models, which still entertains me with replays of Final Fantasy X and Beyond Good and Evil to this very day. I love my PS2, but I know it is coming, sadly, to the end of its lifespan, suffering from age and drive issues.

Siliconera reports that Sony has patented technology for software emulation of PS2 titles. So now, I beg. Please Sony, save my PS2! (Library)

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I recently finished my first playthrough of Dead Rising for the Xbox 360.  I know that I’m coming to the party a little late, but after playing the game, it’s better than not turning up at all.  I can comfortably say that it was one of the most entertaining and challenging experiences on my home consoles.

Not because it was one of the best looking games or had the best gameplay, but it captured the heart of the B zombie genre without skipping a beat.  I pray to the zombie gods above that they keep that spirit alive in Deadrising 2. Read more… »

When I first clapped eyes on the initial images of PSP Go, I was considerably unmoved. And now it seems that retailers are becoming equally pessimistic about the launch, having forecast a retail disaster earlier this week. Things are not boding well for PSP Go.

As reported on Gamer Limit, these independent retailers are becoming concerned by an apparent lack of interest towards the console, after it failed to attract any pre-orders whatsoever. And it’s not hard to see why.

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Rock Band was pretty revolutionary when it came out, because it expanded on Guitar Hero‘s concept and added a full ensemble. Imagine that – here you have a game that people find unfathomably fun, and Rock Band just added a whole new level of enjoyment! So much in fact, that Guitar Hero was quick to follow with its own full-band rythem title, Guitar Hero: World Tour. However, despite the mass of enjoyment they’ve provided to countless households, there’s something very strange about both of these games – for an open stance drummer, Rock Band and Guitar Hero are harder to play than real drumsets.

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I consider myself quite the seasoned RPG veteran. Despite this, until earlier this year I hadn’t had the pleasure of indulging in a single game from the popular Suikoden series. I finally set out to remedy that back in March, when I started playing through the entire series. My ride has been a bumpy one, and although there were some good games, I’d say that I disliked the series overall. A big part of that is the way in which level-ups work.

This editorial is geared towards RPGs, but any game with RPG elements could benefit from thinking about the…well, the benefits of certain experience systems. So, I encourage you to think of your favorite experience systems while reading this editorial!

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Don’t get me wrong, when I see an amazing gameplay video or hear about a sequel to one of my favourite games I tend to salivate, Pavlov’s dog style, at the mere thought of being able to experience a triple A title.

However I am also aware, that even with the most tried and tested formulas there is room for something to go wrong. So while it’s ok to get a little excited, be careful that you don’t find yourself on board the hype train.

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Finish this sentence, only apply it to gaming: “Wouldn’t it be so awesome if…”. If you’ve sat around a table with gaming friends, this conversation has likely come up more than once.

Let me take it a set further and ask, “What if this developer made that game?”. It wouldn’t matter if someone specifically developed for only one platform. There are no rules, no boundaries; only imagination.
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Hit absolutely any gaming site through any social networking portal, whether it be N4G, Digg, Stumbleupon and so on, and it’s incredibly likely that you are going to encounter at least one, if not more, Top 10 articles. Am I honestly the only gamer who cannot stand the sight of these complete wastes of virtual space?

Not only are lists the most lazy form of filler, they contribute nothing of any value to the general information highway, or news stream. More importantly, they’re a symbol of how the new media landscape is forcing writers to spend less time on writing quality articles and more time pushing out an alarming amount of junk for the sake of hits.

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This is a direct response to the hundreds of comments that IGN received recently due to their Prototype review. After giving it a 7.5, which is a respectable score by their own standards, IGN received a myriad of these types of choice words:

“kongii29: go review something else pussy u dnt deserve to review a great game like Prototype…go fuk urself..hahahahaha…”

Really? Run for the hills, reviewers! If you give any popular game less than an 8, prepare to be assaulted over the internet (and physically, when the fanboys track you down…and they will). So what exactly goes into scoring a game below an 8? Is a 7.5 really that bad? Read more… »

To avoid any notice I’d be sure to receive upon making such bold a claim, let me state now that yes, I did take games such as, Resident Evil 5, Dead Space, Condemned 2 and Alone in the Dark in mind when I made the decision that Fallout 3 was my scariest game of all time. Bethesda’s first go at the Fallout series put us in a post apocalyptic nuclear wasteland that was no doubt grim and depressing, but was it scary? After investing close to forty hours of time roaming the Capital Wasteland I’d have to say yes, it’s god damned terrifying.

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Ask me what my favourite game series is and I’ll tell you Metal Gear Solid. Ask me my favourite MGS game and I’ll tell you, without a blink, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. A new rival is set to join the series, with the PSP taking another bite of the action.

“I’ve learned something… I’m not living unless I’m in battle” – Big Boss

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