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      Platform adventure and so much more from Wii U

      December 20, 2012 /

      The launch of Wii U in 2012 brought with it a fantastic selection of titles for gamers to get the most out of the home console. And next year, it looks like there will be plenty more to look forward to. From platform games to health and fitness packages, it seems the Wii U has all gaming bases covered.

      Mario returns for platform adventure

      For many, the release of a new console comes with the hope there will be re-imagined versions of console classics. Nintendo certainly didn’t let people down, bringing the latest of its Mario games out on the launch day. In New Super Mario Bros. U, you can expect an all new 2D side-scrolling adventure, but with some great new twists in gameplay. As well as allowing up to five people to join in with additional Wii Remote controllers, the innovative Wii U GamePad allows you to get more control by placing Boost Blocks and much more.

      Family gaming across Nintendo Land

      Wii U is a home console that works brilliantly for solo play, but it’s even better when bringing everyone together. A great example of this is Nintendo Land, a fabulous title that takes you through 12 different attractions – all based on the worlds of famous Nintendo franchises. With each game, players will be challenged to take on a series of levels and modes that will test your skills in all kinds of ways. You can visit places like Luigi’s Ghost Mansion, take part in Mario Chase or take on the bad guys in Metroid Blast, to name just a few of the attractions featured.

      More action and adventure to come in 2013

      If you were lucky enough to get a Wii U at Christmas, you may be wondering what is coming up in the New Year. Well if its platform fun you’re after then Rayman Legends could be just the ticket. Maybe you’re after high-octane action from one of the latest shooting games? If so, Aliens: Colonial Marines should probably be on your shopping list. There are also releases like Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge and Pikmin 3 to look forward to, as well as Wii U Fit – which could be just the thing to help you out with a few of those New Year’s resolutions you’ll be trying to keep up with!

      All in all, if you decided the Wii U console was for you following its November release – there is plenty coming down the line to enjoy in the coming months.

      Gaming, Mobile Gaming, Nintendo Wii

      Before you Begin “Bioshock: Infinite”, Ken Levine Would Like to Talk to You About the End

      December 18, 2012 /

      While the home stretch of “Bioshock” was not exactly the highlight of the experience (that would be opening moments actually), the third act obviously didn’t tarnish the game’s legacy too much, and just stands as an asterisk on an otherwise pristine title.

      It seems, however, that lead designer Ken Levine took the criticism towards the game’s final moments to heart, and has now thrown out significant bit of hype concerning “Bioshock: Infinite”, claiming that the ending to “Bioshock: Infinite” is unlike anything gamers have seen, and admits that he’s not sure how people will react to it.

      “The end of the game, I can’t tell whether people will like it or not like it. I can say it’s something we’re incredibly proud of. It’s like nothing you’ve actually experienced in a video game before.”

      I have to say, I don’t know if I’ve ever heard anyone hype the ending to something like this. We’ve seen developers like Bungie or Bioware hype the ending of a whole series, or critics note the quality of a finale in their reviews, but I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a major developer come out and specifically isolate the ending as a selling point in promoting a single title.

      And you know what? There is probably a good reason for that. While the initial hands on previews have assured people that “Bioshock: Infinite” will be supremely entertaining at the least, the early trouble concerning the amount of developers leaving the game, along with the somewhat mysterious nature of the game’s development, are not advisable circumstances to be in to come out and say that the very end of your game is going to be a one of a kind, mind blowing and perception altering experience, which you may or may not like at all, and not expect it to result in backlash down the road.

      It sounds like more of a warning than anything actually, or like when you pose a question to a friend about yourself that you don’t want to admit you know is true, and are hoping they will contradict you. In fact, as a general tip to Mr. Levine and the rest of the “Infinite” development team, if you’re about to do something that sounds like it is something that Peter Molyneux might do, just shut up and get back to work.

      Whatever He’s Saying, He’s Overselling It

      News

      How Would You Like Some of the Best Games Ever for under $3?

      December 14, 2012 /

      If you weren’t aware, the folks over at Good Old Games have been doing a tremendous service to old school PC gamers, as they routinely offer a huge catalogue of nostalgic PC classics for low prices. While not as robust as Steam’s selection, it’s hard to not browse their titles without drifting deeply into fond memories, and maybe instinctively reaching for your credit card once or twice.

      That’s an instinct that just got a lot tougher to ignore, considering that GOG has marked down a huge chunk of their library up to 75% until January 3rd. New deals are promised each day until then, but at the moment almost 500 games are marked down and, while some are modern blockbusters, the real deals are to be found if you’re looking to beef up your classics collection. You can hold your finger to the screen and scroll blindly, and in almost every instance you will randomly stop on an all-time, hall of fame classic that is worthy of the meager investment required. While it’s almost impossible to make a cohesive list of suggestions, for any gamers of a certain age, the number of great games available is almost pornographic, and can almost certainly drive the unprepared veteran gamer to madness trying to sort through them all, while still maintaining any amount of restraint.

      I can’t speak highly enough of this sale, and whether you’re a fan of the classics, or a newbie boning up on their gaming history, it’s one of the best deals I’ve seen in some time. Even if you’re tapped from Black Friday sales, considering you can walk in with a $20 bill, and leave with 5 of the best games of all time (in a variety of options), it’s hard to not advise heading over and giving a great site some mush deserved business.

      News

      A Shocker, but Crysis 3 Apparently Looks Really, Really, Good

      December 11, 2012 /

      Every developer naturally hypes up their releases. Most of the time though, the hype is just that, and ends up being completely unjustified (see Molyneux, Peter).

      When it comes to the developers of the “Crysis” series hyping the graphical prowess of their next title though, you can usually take that guarantee to the exceptionally well rendered bank, as the series continues to produce the most jaw dropping titles available. True to form then, Crytek’s CEO Cevat Yerli is promising that “Crysis 3” is going to be stunningly beautiful. How good looking? Apparently they have maxed out the capabilities of the current generation of consoles, and are promising that no game released in the current gen will look as good as “Crysis 3”. He goes on to stay that the consoles will still have nothing on the PC version, which at max specs will supposedly rival or exceed the early batch of next gen titles for graphical prowess.

      Do we believe these impressive claims? Well considering “Crysis 2” is over a year old and looks like this:

      I’d say they have a pretty good chance. And while it would have been more intriguing if we were promised the most incredible gameplay of the generation, I can’t wait to see what the peak of the current hardware looks like in motion, and maybe even a preview of what to expect from the true debut of the next generation.

      Oh, ummm….Sorry Wii U

      Reviews

      2012 Year End Game Review: Matt Byrd

      December 9, 2012 /

      2012 in gaming isn’t a year that is easy to sum up with hyperbole, or one sweeping statement.

      It was far from the greatest year in gaming (very, very far), but even still, when I was compiling this list, I had to make some heartbreaking cuts, and felt I was disrespecting some very good games. For every cheap money snatching blockbuster we got this year, we were also gifted with some genuine surprises and accomplished franchise extensions (many of which make up this list). The end result of one step forward and one step back for an entire 12-month period may not have moved gaming ahead, but the constant motion made choosing the best of the year a dizzying experience.

      Somehow, though, I was finally able to narrow it down to 10 games that I feel comfortable saying are the best of 2012.

      10. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

      On the surface, it looks like all there is to “Kingdoms of Amalur” is a standard RPG coat of paint and a souvenir of the high profile closure of “38 Studios.” It’s not the type of game that makes its first impression with its looks, but rather its personality. The game’s speedy free flowing combat system never ceases to be entertaining throughout the very long adventure “Amalur” provides.

      An all-star team of developers and outside talent (fantasy great RA Salvatore penned the story) may have been behind “Amalur,” but nothing feels old hat about the game, and it instead comes across as something closer to a fresh faced group of young talent, with heads full of new ideas creating something against the grain. It’s one of the more surprising, and certainly among the most pure fun, releases this year.

      9. Xenoblade: Chronicles

      If “Amalur” looks standard and done before on the surface, then “Xenoblade” is practically a fossil upon first viewing. It’s a member of the dying JRPG genre, and was featured on the outdated Nintendo Wii, which would normally spell either doom or obscurity at best. Yet after a wave of hype from the Japanese market, and several thousand petition signatures later, audiences everywhere were greeted by something that felt like meeting an old friend, and finding out that you have just as much fun with each other as you used to.

      “Xenoblade” pays tribute to all of the great JRPG conventions that shaped it, but it just as carefully takes note of all the things that made those game’s grow stale as well, and manages to mold new forms for them so you are left with a game that somehow makes you nostalgic for things you never knew before. Your party becomes your family thanks to a great relationship system, and the character building and combat mechanics keep things fresh as you explore one of the more unique worlds available for the genre all in pursuit of finishing an equally gripping story. The era of JRPGs may be over, but “Xenoblade” reminds us why it had a dynasty in the first place.

      8. Sound Shapes

      I love new, bold ideas in gaming, and “Sound Shapes” may have been among the newest and boldest this year. It has nothing to do with its basic gameplay either, as “Shapes” traditional 2D side scrolling system is fairly ho-hum. Much like a new “Mario” release though, the real draw doesn’t lie in the mechanics, but rather the design. “Sound Shapes” employs a minimalist graphic style that is charming, but only serves to give substance to the soundtrack that defines the experience. Several different musical artists contributed to the music (and the design) of the levels, and as a result we are provided one of the first games since the brilliant “Rez” that feels like an organic and physical product of the soundtrack. It’s more of an interactive soundtrack than a fully loaded video game, but it’s artistic value is unquestionable, and I wouldn’t want to know the person who couldn’t have fun with it.

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      Editorial, News

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