Posts By Nick DiMola
We've received our first game for the 3DS, Ridge Racer 3D. Nick does a quick unboxing and gives a rundown on what you can expect from PixlBit for the 3DS launch.
What's a great battle system without good enemies and level design? (Hint: Worthless)
I don't get it. I've tried–honestly, I've tried. But no matter how hard, I just don't get the Kingdom Hearts obsession. Until Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, I had never truly played a Kingdom Hearts game before, though I have been lightly exposed to the series in the past. After investing many hours into Birth by Sleep over the past few months, I just can't grasp what makes the series so unbelievably popular. I can only imagine the Disney fan service is what does it for most, because the one-trick pony gameplay definitely is not it. Maybe it's the pointy-haired, emo protagonists.No one can be certain. Whatever the case, I can confidently say that it isn't for me and no amount of time spent with the game is going to sway me otherwise.
A poor follow-up to Prinny’s first solo adventure.
Ever play a sequel to a game where there is almost no discernable difference from the original? That's Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! in a nutshell. After playing the original title, there's really no compelling reason to come back for seconds in Prinny 2, because there have been almost no upgrades or enhancements to the original formula to make it a better game. What's up with that NIS? This isn't a movie, it's a game; they are supposed to get better from one iteration to the next.
The Bit.Trip conclusion takes the series back to its roots.
Most gamers out there have a much larger appreciation for the Bit.Trip series than I do. Something about the constant repetition and unbending difficulty has very little appeal to me at this point in my life, and I just don't care to sit and do a simple singular task over and over again in order to complete the goals at hand. That being said, Bit.Trip Flux stands out for me because, while hard, offers many checkpoints in a level and unlimited continues. I know I'll never be the guy to max out what the game has to offer by scoring ridiculously high in a given level, so I'm sure some of the magic of Flux is lost on me. Regardless, the game seems to be a fitting end to this unique series, and a great return to the game that started it all, Bit.Trip Beat.
A PR email confirms the cancellation of the title.
After a string of postponements, Square Enix has announced the cancellation of their title, Gun Loco. The Xbox 360 game was originally slated for a 2011 release, but had a number of intermittent dates that were announced as the current year approached. Most recently, it was postponed to an unspecified date in the second quarter.
Multiple anything in a single game never seems to go well.
No matter your preference for sports games, I think it’s safe to say that the Mario Sports line has some universal appeal that just about anyone can love. Starting with Mario Tennis, straight up to Mario Baseball, each and every game has been well-polished, deep, and immensely enjoyable for long periods of time. Mario Sports Mix, the latest in the Mario Sports line, does not live up to this pedigree in the least. Much more akin to mini-games from the Mario Party series, Mario Sports Mix stuffs four half-baked sports games into one.
eBay, here I come - I need to play the rest of this series.
It feels like Uncharted 2 all over again. Sony sends me a game from a series that I'm completely unfamiliar with, and I'm completely blown away by its quality and construction. Uncharted 2 was easily my game of the year in 2009, and even though it's early in 2011, Killzone 3 makes a strong argument for itself. While I'm not the world's biggest first person shooter fan, there's something about the mechanics and general feeling of Killzone 3 that makes it very tangible, which goes a long way in creating an immersive experience.
This game's a tool.
I have to hand it to MediaMolecule, developers of LittleBigPlanet 2. They've created something truly amazing – a game that makes games is a pretty wild idea, and when you see what some people have made, it's only that much more impressive. Here's the thing though: while LittleBigPlanet 2 makes for an impressive specimen, it doesn't make for all that great of a game. The majority of the main levels are uninteresting and anything community produced, while potentially impressive, is just a one-time affair.
The brawler/builder mash-up is available now from Firehose Games and Sony Online Entertainment, exclusively on the PlayStation Network.
If you people don't go buy this game and encourage Ubisoft to make a sequel, I'm going to hurt somebody (you).
If you missed Beyond Good & Evil last generation, shame on you. The game offered a unique blend of genres and a fantastic story with emotive characters, which created one of the most immersive experiences of the generation. The good news is that Ubisoft has remastered the game in 1080p HD and made it available for digital download via the Xbox Live Arcade, with a PlayStation Network version on the way. Whether you owned it before or never had a chance to experience it, at its extremely low price of $10 there’s no excuse for missing this remastered version.
