Gerry Pagan

Often labeled as “what F-Zero would look like in HD”, the WipEout series is one of which I’ve never really been a big fan. My first real venture was as a result of WipEout HD‘s PSN giveaway, when despite being one of the best looking games I’d seen, I mostly struggled with the game and didn’t think much of it. READ MORE

Not shying away from the time-tested tradition of adding more subtitles to fighting games, Continuum Shift Extend is the latest revision of Arc System Works’ BlazBlue series. Extend is yet another “sequel” in the same vein Continuum Shift II was, focusing solely on character balance updates, and actually giving the previous DLC characters proper stories in the BlazBlue narrative. CSII never came out outside of arcades and handhelds though, so Extend brings that content plus more to both home consoles and the PlayStation Vita. READ MORE

Otome games aren’t exactly the standard fare we get in the US. (For publisher Aksys Games, it’s probably the craziest localization idea they’ve ever done, and we’re including Fate/Extra.) Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom takes place during the chaotic Meiji restoration era of Japan, where you follow the lives and circumstances of the men of the Shinsengumi, a group of soldiers following the command of the Tokugawa shogunate. Biggest plus of the game? It’s one of the few localized Idea Factory titles that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to play in public. READ MORE

Since I reviewed Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes in 2010, it has remained one of the worst video games I’ve ever played. Worse, even, than other games that are mechanically broken with features that don’t work as intended. For reasons I can’t explain myself, I agreed to do a follow-up with its sequel, Dungeons and Donuts. I mean, who knows? Maybe after such a horribly-designed game, Silent Dreams went back to the drawing board and actually made a half-decent sequel. READ MORE

For the past 10 years, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 remained one of the most popular games among the fighting game community, even through a resurgence of the fighting game genre that included Soul Calibur IV, Street Fighter IV, BlazBlue and Tekken 6. Earlier this year, fans got the refresh they wanted with the release of Marvel vs. Capcom 3, which sported a cast of 38 characters, most of them new blood for the franchise. READ MORE