Archive for October, 2009

Review: Saw (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Saturday, October 31st, 2009
And THIS happy little fellow is "The Gouger"...

And THIS happy little fellow is "The Gouger"...

The Charge:

One Saw that is overdue for sharpening.

Opening Statement:

The films all pretty much start the same way.  A person who has been taking their life for granted wakes up, their bodies usually wired into some sort of hell-born death machine.  There’s a maniac out there who wonders if these people even deserve the breath they draw without a single moment of joy.  And if they want to keep drawing breath, they’ll have to prove it to him.  This is the very core of the Saw franchise, a series of low-budget horror films that took the genre by the throat in 2004 and have produced a steady supply of screams for 5 years straight.  After bringing in more than a half a billion dollars worldwide, the grisly series has finally scored itself a videogame adaptation.  But does this Saw cut deep, or will gamers find themselves wondering if this is one of Jigsaw’s cruel tests? (more…)

Captain Enzo in “Fight or Fright”

Friday, October 30th, 2009

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Click image to enlarge

Homestar Runner’s Halloween Toon Rocks The Gaming Love

Friday, October 30th, 2009

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It’s a yearly tradition. Homestar Runner’s Halloween cartoon finds the site’s wacky characters dressed up as all manner of obscure pop culture characters. This year, in addition to The Cheat as The Lorax and Strong Mad as “Sal” from Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing” video, we get to see Pom Pom as Pooka from Dig Dug. Best of all for a Nintendo nerd like me, Strong Bad and the Poopsmith go all N64 as minor characters from the Legend of Zelda series, as “Skull Kid” and Dirunia, King of the Gorons, respectively. You can see the full cartoon here. While you’re over on the site, be sure to check out Videlectrix’s ever-growing collection of (parody) retro games.

REVIEW: Halo 3: ODST (xbox360)

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

odst-coverThe Charge:
Prepare to Drop!

Opening Statement:
What began life as some manner of downloadable expansion pack has evolved considerably on its trip to retail. Instead of an affordable add-on for the venerable (yet still loved by millions) Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST drops as a full priced stand-alone product. With a new single player campaign, and all of the additional content from Halo 3’s now classic multiplayer suite carried over on a dedicated disc, and nary a sign of Master Chief, is ODST worth your scratch?

Facts of the Case:
Set just before the events of Halo 2, Halo 3: ODST tosses us into the boots of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST), or “Helljumper”. The Covenant has found Earth, and the city of New Mombassa is the first to feel the wrath of the Prophet of Regret. When your insertion into the city goes awry, it’s up to you to track down the missing members of your unit, piece together the events of the last few hours, and let the Covenant know that every step they take on Earth is going to cost them in precious blue and purple blood.

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BLAST PROCESSING! Episode 36: Scary Good Games

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

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To celebrate Halloween, the Pixel Verdict crew—minus a sick Adam—invite you to dip your hand into a bowl of fun-size audio candy, as they discuss their favorite scary games. Get into the spooky spirit with talk of abandoned schools, chainsaw killers, deep space monsters, grim boss fights, and Jonathan Coulton. Plus, take part in a gaming-themed version of “name that tune” with five scary snippets from classic games. How many can you guess without peeking at the answers (posted after the break below)?

What’s your favorite scary game? Let us know in the comments below, over in the DVD Verdict Jury Room forums, or by emailing us at feedback@pixelverdict.com.

You can listen to the show with the player below, download it here, or subscribe through iTunes or by adding our feed to your podcatcher of choice.

 

Click through for the answers to our Halloween audio quiz …if you dare!
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Symposium ad Nauseum: Ninjas

Monday, October 26th, 2009

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I have little else to offer here.  The subject line speaks for itself.  Ninjas in video games.

Also, I promise no mention of Ninja Gaiden, at least not from me…

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BLAST PROCESSING! Episode 35: The Big Canadian Brawl-a-palooza!

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

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Join Pixel Verdict’s Canadian contingency as they waste about an hour of your time. Jon’s been playing Brutal Legend, and throws the gauntlet down for one Tim Schafer of Doublefine Studios (Dear Tim, Jon’s coming, and Hell’s comin’ with him). Adam has been spending quality time with his wife and Rock Band. Steve’s wife, meanwhile, is cheating on him with his copy of Brutal Legend, so Steve drowns his loneliness with Demon’s Souls, and the amazing Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Borderlands. The boys discuss the news of the week (or lack thereof) with their typically Canadian lack of zeal, including Steve’s dissatisfaction with Natal support for Fable II and Fable III; Grand Theft Auto thrusting beyond the borders of good taste (yet again); a new game from the Timeshift guys; and Street Fighter IV’s Seth gets tougher (read: cheaper). Adam waxes philosophical about a particular 90’s cinematic masterpiece featuring a pre-Party of Five Scott Wolfe and short shorts-wearin’ Alyssa Milano. You’ll have to listen to find out what it is. It all ends in a climactic discussion about brawlers good and bad.

To reiterate: TIM SCHAFER! Jon Mercer (PSN ID: Kidinthehelmet) WANTS YOUR BLOOD! Meet him on the virtual battlefield of Brutal Legend if you DARE!

Bonus: listen carefully for Mrs. Adam’s brief cameo…

Music credits:
Intro – Stingray Pt. II by Sheavy
Outro – The Logdriver’s Waltz by Jon Weldon

Add your thoughts to the comments below, or over in the DVD Verdict Jury Room forums. You can also email us at feedback@pixelverdict.com.

You can listen to the show with the player below, download it here, or subscribe through iTunes or by adding our feed to your podcatcher of choice.

 

Forgotten Favorites: The Combatribes

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Here’s a question, readers: have you ever forgotten about a video game? I mean entirely forget it, like men in black wiped from memory. Absolutely no lingering recollection whatsoever. Totally gone.

This happened to me the other day. I found a reference to a video game called The Combatribes, a Technos beat-em-up arcade game. I had never heard of this game before. So I do what we all do when faced with needing more information: I Googled it.

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And then I saw the “Insert Coin” screen. And like a freight train, the memories came rushing back.

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