Global Testfire
Splatoon has been on my radar since its reveal. It’s a brand new IP from Nintendo – a vibrant, 3rd person competitive online shooter that emphasizes things other than getting kills, like turf control. Oh, and rather than shoot bullets or lasers, you shoot paint. And you can turn into a squid to swim around the battlefield.
Crazy Nintendo.
Right now in Japan, monsters are battling robots. Medieval dudes with long hair are fighting fitness trainers; people are running, panicked. Super Smash Bros. 3DS has made landfall.
"That Ninja from Marvel vs. Capcom" is back!
During the small period of time I had with the Strider demo, I died much more than I planned on. I was bombarded by lasers and attacks at a surprising speed. I quickly figured out that Strider was not an easy game. That should come as no surprise to those who played the original. What may garner your attention, however, is how the new gameplay mechanics help make Strider tremendously fun to play.
Quite possibly the most FUN game at NYCC.
I feel like Super Mario: 3D World has looked better each time I’ve seen it. After getting to try it, this remains true. 3D World plays it safe by remaining very similar to the 3DS outing, but many refinements to the level design and gameplay are apparent. Mario and the crew have individual specialties, like Peach’s floating ability and Toad’s extra speed. There are also extra moves that are at their disposal. If you twist the analog stick in a circle, you do a spin move which is not only cool to watch, but it’s effective against enemies.
Sonic's latest is taking the series in a new direction.
Sonic has been going through a lot lately, as Sega has been desperately trying to revitalize the franchise to its former grace. The critical reception of those titles has been mixed, but in an effort to change up the formula Sega has come up with Sonic: Lost World. What I played was solid and manages to be charming and fun, yet some changes might have hindered what I enjoy about Sonic as a whole.
Fear not, Saints Row is Still NUTS!
Within 20 minutes of my hands on with Saints Row IV I had stopped a nuclear explosion, become president, punched a guy right below the belt, and laid waste to an army of aliens with a Red, White and Blue machine gun turret. I might add, all in hilarious fashion. As I played, I had this huge grin, which kept getting bigger. One of the things I appreciated with Saints Row 3 is how it redefined itself and set itself apart from the juggernaut Grand Theft Auto by getting creative and going off the wall. Saints Row IV has clearly continued down that path.
Hail to the Chief, baby!
It’s been a long, hazardous road from Saints Row the Third to the fourth entry in the series. As Volition began work on a final (and massive) piece of DLC for the third game, THQ was collapsing around it. Realizing that Saints Row was one of the company’s last best chances for survival, then-CEO Jason Rubin got the team working on a proper Saints Row sequel, using the DLC as a springboard for the new game. While this news rubbed some fans the wrong way, it seemed like it wouldn’t matter, as THQ indeed shut down, its major IPs and studios sold off to the highest bidders. Thankfully, Volition survived intact, and from what I’ve seen of Saints Row IV, fans have a lot to look forward to.
Nintendo’s All-Stars prepare to duke it out in HD (and 3D)
Many Nintendo fans have been anxiously awaiting the latest Super Smash Bros. This E3, we caught a glimpse of both the Wii U and 3DS versions, and thankfully, it seems to continue the tradition of high-energy wackiness.
Get in real close and push each others' buttons.
Every party has an energy. You can feel it wax and wane when people come and go, eat and drink, and talk or uncomfortably look around. The greatest way to completely sap a party’s energy at any stage is to flip on the TV– even if it is to play a “party” video game. Thankfully, Spin the Bottle: Bumpie’s Party may be the solution for people who want to try to integrate a video game into their next social gathering… even if the event has a few non-gamers in attendance.
Finally, a game starring Blue Toad
I should start this preview by saying that I was not a fan of Super Mario 3D Land. Upon hearing the news of Super Mario 3D World, I was initially a little disappointed. Now, I've played a little bit of 3D World, and I've got to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
