As great as the Nintendo press conference was earlier today, the complete lack of Wii titles was a tad depressing. Sure, we saw The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but that was it. Aside from that, a new Mario Party title, and Kirby Wii, there isn’t a whole lot more software inbound to breathe life into the system. One of the reasons that the Wii has been one of my favourite consoles of all time is due to the strange (often incredibly Japanese) library of games I’ve piled up for it. Rhythm Heaven may very well be the last of that breed to hit the system.

Join me for some brief impressions after the break.

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If I had to describe El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron in one word it would be ”gorgeous”. After seeing the game it probably wouldn’t surprise you to hear that El Shaddai’s develop was headed by Okami lead character designer Sawaki Takeyasu.  The brightly coloured, pastel ce-shaded visuals are a dead give away, and they just absolutely ooze style.

But is it more than just a pretty face? Hit the jump for my impressions.

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Earlier this afternoon, I had the opportunity to sit down and play Capcom’s latest spinoff in the Resident Evil series. Capcom has partnered with SOCOM Confrontation developer Slant Six Games to push the series in an entirely new direction with Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City.  Together, they have created the franchise’s first third-person team-based shooter and it looks like it’s shaping up to be something special.

The game follows the Umbrella Security Service (USS) through the Raccoon City Incident – previously seen from the perspective of Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield in Resident Evil 2 and Jill Valentine in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Operation Raccoon City features three-way competitive multiplayer between US Spec Ops, Umbrella security forces, and the infected threat of zombies and Bio-Organic Weapons. While at the Capcom booth I had the chance to sit down for a fifteen-minute single-player demo.

Hit the jump for my impressions.

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This is part four of a four part, in-depth study of what makes a great game. Reader be forewarned, there be spoilers afoot.

If you’ve read the reviews for Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, you already have a sense for how fantastic the game is. Boot up the app on your iPhone or iPad (the iPad version is definitely recommended), and you arguably get one of the best games to have come out of this generation. I say this regardless of the platform.

However, few know how complete and transcendental the gaming experience S:S&S EP delivers. We aim to lay it all out. For those of you who have never heard of this game, and those of you who don’t own an iOS device, we also aim to let you know why you should still take note.

Read more… »

This is part three of a four part, in-depth study of what makes a great game. Reader be forewarned, there be spoilers afoot.

If you’ve read the reviews for Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, you already have a sense for how fantastic the game is. Boot up the app on your iPhone or iPad (the iPad version is definitely recommended), and you arguably get one of the best games to have come out of this generation. I say this regardless of the platform.

However, few know how complete and transcendental the gaming experience S:S&S EP delivers. We aim to lay it all out. For those of you who have never heard of this game, and those of you who don’t own an iOS device, we also aim to let you know why you should still take note.

Read more… »

This is part two of a four part, in-depth study of what makes a great game. Reader be forewarned, there be spoilers afoot.

If you’ve read the reviews for Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, you already have a sense for how fantastic the game is. Boot up the app on your iPhone or iPad (the iPad version is definitely recommended), and you arguably get one of the best games to have come out of this generation. I say this regardless of the platform.

However, few know how complete and transcendental the gaming experience S:S&S EP delivers. We aim to lay it all out. For those of you who have never heard of this game, and those of you who don’t own an iOS device, we also aim to let you know why you should still take note.

Read more… »

This is part one of a four part, in-depth study of what makes a great game. Reader be forewarned, there be spoilers afoot.

If you’ve read the reviews for Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, you already have a sense for how fantastic the game is. Boot up the app on your iPhone or iPad (the iPad version is definitely recommended), and you arguably get one of the best games to have come out of this generation. I say this regardless of the platform.

However, few know how complete and transcendental the gaming experience S:S&S EP delivers. We aim to lay it all out. For those of you who have never heard of this game, and those of you who don’t own an iOS device, we also aim to let you know why you should still take note.

Read more… »

Japan has a myriad of head scratching attractions that are borderline appalling. Yet, strangely enough, they draw a certain following that seems to flourish in Japanese society: Maid Cafes, Gyaru Mamas, Snack Bars, Karaoke, Cat Cafes, influence of sex fetishes, etc.

If none of those things send you straight to Google Search, then get ready for Purikura – The video game industry’s answer for the female market. But wait! Is it a video game or nothing more than a photo booth?

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One of the most difficult things about being a gamer is seeing Japanese releases of our favorite series or most anticipated titles in Japan months before it ever hits foreign markets: i.e. US, UK, and AUS. The other difficulty is knowing that sometimes our favorite titles will never reach foreign soil.  It’s a sad fact and facing those difficulties is something we’ve all had to confront at least once in our lifetime.

But wait! For those who are not deterred by cultural boundaries and language barriers, you can be one of the select few in this world that have had the opportunity to play the unobtainable.  But before you delve further, I have to tell you that I’d be lying if I’d said I have the answer to all your problems; I don’t. But with a little work and dedication, anyone can turn a daunting obstacle into a rewarding experience. Read more… »

During the Games Developers Conference in downtown San Francisco this past Wednesday THQ partnered with GameStop to promote their upcoming game Homefront. The game has become quite well known in the gaming community for its fantastic viral marketing campaign.

Because Homefront is set in the near-future where the United States is invaded by North Korea, THQ hosted a mock rally against  the North Korean government, culminating in the release of ten thousand red balloons. While the stunt garnered THQ with quite a bit of attention for their upcoming title, it wasn’t as positive as they may have liked. San Francisco residents soon began complaining about the flurry of trash polluting their city and public waters.

Hit the jump for a full assessment of the situation and its potential environmental consequences.

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Killzone 3 may be gaining rave reviews, even our own Kyle MacGregor has expressed his admiration for the game, but I’m unconvinced. While the multiplayer is definitely a step up from Killzone 2, the single player campaign left me less than impressed.

In fact, I believe that the single player campaign in Killzone 3 is three steps backwards for the entire series.

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I just finished Final Fantasy VI yesterday (or is it III? Either way the one with Terra and Kefka). While I can see why the SNES version is sitting comfortably with a 93% on GameRankings.com, I found some flaws with the game. Namely with the characters.

Don’t worry, Kefka the insane clown was one of my favorites, probably because of my nearly crippling fear of clowns. It’s some of the heroes I have problems with. Read on to find out why I think the characters are Final Fantasy VI‘s greatest strength and its biggest weakness. Read more… »