The story of Katamari Damacy is one of the most surprising successes in Namco’s history. A budget import title becomes a cult hit and leads to nine sequels and spin-offs, including the Vita launch title Touch My Katamari. There hasn’t been much evolution in this beloved franchise, but Touch My Katamari makes a strong debut on Sony’s new handheld, proving that the series has a lot of life left. READ MORE
One thing I love about PC games is how so many niche games can manage to not just exist, but remain financially profitable, largely thanks to Steam and other digital storefronts. Crusader Kings II is a so-called “grand strategy” game, one of many released over the last decade or so by Paradox Interactive, and it’s another example of a success that didn’t get there by bending to the whims of the mainstream.
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
If there’s anything the Ninja Gaiden series is known for, it’s these two things: it’s undeniably slick and punishingly difficult. Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, a 2012 Vita-enhanced port of the 2007 PS3-enhanced port of the 2005 remastered version of the 2004 Xbox game (I know), is still both of these things. Most of the time, anyway. READ MORE
Plants vs. Zombies has been released on pretty much every gaming system around, so chances are if you’re interested in it, you’ve already bought it in the past. It should be noted, though, that this is possibly the best version released to date. READ MORE
