I am a more casual game player than I used to be.
That pains me to type. I know the stigma associated with it, and I know the horrible morass that is the “casual gaming” market. But I certainly don’t want any part of that. Keep your Angry Birds and your Facebook games over there. Much like someone craving a sweet snack doesn’t just start chugging bags of sugar, I still care that my game experiences are high-quality and worthwhile. READ MORE
Developer Shin’en isn’t Japanese, but it’s hard to remember that when you’re playing its games. The German developer is known for its shoot-’em-ups like Nanostray and Iridion, and when it isn’t making those, it’s putting out quirky WiiWare titles with names that usually only a Japanese person would come up with, like FAST Racing League and Fun! Fun! Minigolf. READ MORE
Just chill out and shoot a bunch of stuff. If you’re looking for more from Demiurge Studios’ new downloadable title, Shoot Many Robots, you may be disappointed, since the game’s built around partying out with friends and having a bit of fun tailoring your character along the way. The gaming equivalent of Chex Mix, it serves up the semblance of variety within strict parameters, has salty flavor with little depth and generally works out if you just throw it in front of your buddies and let ‘em snack on it a while. READ MORE
Metro3D’s Armada, for the Dreamcast, hit on a formula that many others were attempting: a four-player co-op experience that was as fun as Gauntlet but didn’t play like Gauntlet. Taking those cooperative same-screen elements and throwing them into an Asteroids-style space shooter was a lot of fun. The game suffered from the kinds of things a first-of-its-kind title does, though, and a sequel was the team’s chance to make a good game great. Oh, and take its game online. READ MORE
We get back to business as usual in the new episode, talking Journey, Street Fighter X Tekken, MLB 2k12 and MLB 12: The Show and more! We also discuss our favorite game endings, as well as some that make us mad. Plus: you could win a million dollars! We’re not giving that away or anything, but listening to this episode doesn’t make you ineligible for that kind of thing as far as we know.
Check out the show here or use the RSS feed in your favorite podcast aggregator. Let us know what you think!
Hosts: Jeff DeSolla, Gerry Pagan, Andrew Passafiume, Grant Potter, Graham Russell, Shawn Vermette.
Music: Podcast theme by Tom Casper.
Writers Andrew Passafiume and Graham Russell tend to be on opposite sides of the debate when talking about handheld games: Andrew would usually rather be playing on a big screen, and Graham likes that lower system specs makes devs focus on gameplay. In this two-part feature, the two get together and make their picks of the games that best and least fit on a portable. Check out part one here.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Andrew: Okay, portable is even in the name, but this is one game that would have been much better had it been on a console. It tells an interesting story and has some great moments, they are just ruined by the terrible controls. The PSP was not made to play an action/stealth game like this and it really shows. Peace Walker managed to do more with the limited control scheme of the PSP, but the HD upgrade showed just how the series really needs two analog sticks. An update of this game for the Vita might fix the problems too, but it’s hard to say.
Graham: When Sony decided to make a portable system, I get why they’d want themselves and others to move their popular franchises there. The problem? That’s not how they were designed. Konami actually did some interesting things, like the Metal Gear Ac!d series, but this particular entry was one that really could have used some extra thinking. READ MORE
In this bonus episode, Andrew and the crew get deep into their thoughts about Mass Effect 3. How does the game compare to its predecessor? Is Garrus still awesome? Does Admiral Hackett say “Hackett out” a lot? These answers and more are just one listen away! (Warning: minor spoilers ahead, and major spoilers of previous games. We avoid spoiling anything after the first few hours of gameplay, though.)
Check out the show here or use the RSS feed in your favorite podcast aggregator. Let us know what you think!
Hosts: Jeff DeSolla, Andrew Passafiume, Grant Potter, Graham Russell, Shawn Vermette.
Music: Podcast theme by Tom Casper.
Paradox Interactive and Arrowhead Studios, the creators of Magicka, have unveiled their newest project: an arena battler called The Showdown Effect. We’d tell you that it plays similarly to Super Smash Bros. and focuses on customization of modes and parameters, but… at this point, you should know nothing we say is going to be as ludicrous as what Arrowhead puts in a trailer. Check it out.
Andrew, Gerry, Graham and Shawn are joined by new writer Jeff DeSolla to talk about their early Vita experiences in this new episode, like Hot Shots, Lumines, Uncharted and Rayman Origins. Also in this edition: Asura’s Wrath, Crusader Kings II, Assassin’s Creed III and The Last Story.
Check out the show here or use the RSS feed in your favorite podcast aggregator. Let us know what you think!
Hosts: Jeff DeSolla, Gerry Pagan, Andrew Passafiume, Graham Russell, Shawn Vermette.
Music: Podcast theme by Tom Casper.
With the Hot Shots Golf series, you know what you’re getting. Developer Clap Hanz has taken the solid, predictable approach since taking over the franchise from Camelot more than a decade ago. It’s hard to blame them, as the formula works and getting more characters, courses and items is basically what you want when you buy a new one. World Invitational is another nice-if-unspectacular entry, though it tries a few more things than in games past. READ MORE
