SoulCalibur has always been a flashy franchise — in more ways than one. When the original came out on the Sega Dreamcast, I was completely awestruck, and wasted hundreds of hours clanging swords and flinging people out of the ring.

By the time SoulCalibur III rolled out, I was a bit disenfranchised, and became more a casual fan — that is, until I came back full circle for SoulCalibur V. Read more… »

Revelations has a lot to live up to. It’s the first full Resident Evil game for a Nintendo handheld (barring remakes and mini-games) since Resident Evil Gaiden on the Gameboy Color.

It’s also the most impressive looking bit of software to date, and the first title to utilize the new Circle Pad Pro addition, launching the same day as the game itself. So is Revelations a system seller?

Read on to find out.

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These days, a true platformer is hard to come by – all too often modern developers attempt to combine puzzle elements into the genre, sometimes to the point of convolution.

While there have been some fine innovations to the genre, it’s always nice to get back to our roots every once in a while. Thankfully, Renegade Kid’s Mutant Mudds does just that, blending classic retro greats such as Gargoyle’s Quest, Virtual Boy Wario Land, and Kirby. Read more… »

Over the past few years Nintendo’s online shop has developed a bit of a reputation. WiiWare once was looked at as a platform for indie developers and small studios to showcase their work. However, in reality, it’s something more akin to a dumping ground for sloppy, poorly made games that no-one really wants.

Despite that negative distinction, the service has accumulated a number of outstanding titles that clearly stand apart from cashgrabs and shovelware. Unfortunately for Wii owners searching for the next diamond in the rough, Zombii Attack just isn’t one of them.

Still interested? Well then, read on after the break for the full breakdown of the latest gem to join the Wii’s library.

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VVVVVV is a PC game that goes by many names. V6, V, “Spikes”; whatever you call it, odds are you’ll replace it’s moniker with a host of obscenities by the time you’re ten minutes in. Make no mistake: V is a hard game, despite the fact that it’s possible to beat in under thirty minutes – it’s also one of the best platformers I’ve ever played.

But is the 3DS version enough to warrant a double-dip? Read on to find out. Read more… »

Officer Wagon has a big problem – a gang of sexy criminals have busted out of jail, and it’s up to her and her alone to put them behind bars again. Over sixteen levels, Wagon will sprint, leap, and blast her way through various obstacles and enemies to capture five fleety jailbirds per level.

Although she does have a gun, the game is primarily puzzle based (like Mighty Flip Champs) – but is it exciting enough to warrant a $5.99 price tag? Read more… »

The rhythm genre, for the most part, has been over-saturated these past few years. After the sucess of titles like Gitaroo Man, PaRappa the Rapper, and DDR, the market started to flood with Guitar Hero after Guitar Hero iteration, until finally, it imploded, with basically only Harmonix Music Systems remaining. Thankfully, Harmonix kept things fresh with the much needed keyboard instrument, and of course, the Dance Central franchise, which took the country by storm.

But is Dance Central 2 in danger of flooding the market once again? Read on to find out.

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There’s no denying the popularity of the Call of Duty series. In fact, COD is in the same conversation as Mario when it comes to the most sucessful gaming series of all time – ever since Infinity Ward’s smash hit COD4, the series has taken off and never looked back. Fans tout the series’ ability to put you into a five hour action movie without fail, and provide a competitive multiplayer element that thousands of people will still be playing years later.

So is Modern Warfare 3 the same old song? Read on to find out.

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The 3DS has been hit with more criticism than pretty much any system in recent memory. A lack of launch games along with the lack of enthusiasm for the third dimension has made it hard for the Big N to push units.

Thankfully for them, Mario has come along to save the day. Make no mistake – 3D Land is a system seller. Read more… »

It’s been a very exciting few years for Kirby fans.  Last year brought us the charming and innovative Kirby’s Epic Yarn, and just recently the equally inventive Kirby Mass Attack landed on the DS.  It would be inaccurate to call the more traditional Kirby’s Return to Dreamland a ‘return’ to its roots, since the game went through a very tumultuous development after initially being proposed once Kirby 64 was released.  Kirby’s Return to Dreamland nonetheless demonstrates that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to bring out the qualities that makes Kirby so endearing.

Return to Dreamland feels like entering a time capsule.  The game channels the spirit of the older 2D Kirby platformers, most notably the excellent Kirby Super Star.  No yarn, no Kirby clones.  This is straight Kirby classic: Inhaling enemies, developing copy abilities, and using them to both navigate through differently themed worlds and access special areas.  The fittingly simplistic story chronicles Kirby as he teams up with Waddle Dee, Metaknight, and Dedede to assist a stranded alien named Magolor, who has crash landed on Popstar and whose ship components have flown across the world. Read more… »

An army of penguins under the leadership of evil dictator Putzi is taking over Albatropolis and there’s only so much an underground resistance of Cardinals can do to stem the tide of Antarctic invaders. But from the sky soars a jetpack-wearing, shotgun-shooting, action-hero of a chicken, ready to rain death upon the ruthless aggressors invading his homeland.

Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken recently made its way to the PlayStation Network, but is this puzzle-platforming shooter worth your dollar in this crowded holiday season? Read on after the break to find out.

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The world doesn’t end in 2012, at least that is not the check out date according to Fate of the World: Tipping Point. Also, there is no fugitive asteroid coming to claim us all. According to the game, the world will most likely suffer a slow, agonizing death full of drought, famine and civil unrest a century or two from now. This is good news for us, bad news for future generations and careless time travelers.

Despite the dark and sardonic outlook, this turn based card game manages to instill hope in an otherwise crumbling world. This is because in Fate of the World: Tipping Point, or FotW:TP for short, you’re placed in the mantle of power, with the chance to turn things around through real world solutions. This is no walk in the park, however, as with this power players must balance resources and public perception or they will wind up on the wrong end of a revolution. Are you up to the challenge?

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