"I seethe with generic rage!"
The Charge:
Arm Yourself!
Opening Statement:
Nathan “Rad” Spencer is back. The original Bionic Commando returns in a 3D action title farmed out to Swedish development house, Grin (Wanted: Weapons of Fate and Terminator: Salvation.) It’s been awhile since Bionic Commando has graced a home console in a true sequel, is our metal armed protagonist able to satisfy a legion of nostalgic fans? Or is this one appendage you’d just as soon cut off and run from?
Eat your heart out Sonic!
The Charge:
Wahoo!
Opening Statement:
Klonoa is a somewhat sad case for me to talk about. The oft-forgotten franchise got its start with rather humble beginnings on the original Sony PlayStation with 1997’s Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. The general consensus of reviewers at the time was that while a solid game, Klonoa had missed out on the early nineties ‘mascot’ craze of the last generation’s console war between the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, and most gamers of the late nineties wouldn’t be terribly interested in a cute platforming adventure along the lines of Kirby or Super Mario. So while Klonoa did manage to garner enough praise to warrant an equally unappreciated sequel in 2001 on the PlayStation 2, and a handful of Game Boy Advance titles; the series has remained tragically toward the bottom rungs of the cult ladder. Luckily for gamers who missed out on a more than solid platformer that could easily hang with the Yoshi’s Islands and Sonic 2s of the gaming world, Klonoa is getting another shot at fortune and glory via a painstaking remake on the Nintendo Wii. So, twelve years after the original’s release, is there enough wind left in this wonder to capture some late-in-the-game glory?
Fallout 3’s highly anticipated Broken Steel DLC came out last week, giving me the best reason yet to make a triumphant return to the Capital Wasteland. It’s the third downloadable add-on for Fallout 3, after Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt. The main differences with this content, and it’s biggest selling points, are the removal of Fallout 3’s finite ending (which has been judged harshly in the court of public opinion) and the extension of the level cap from 20 to 30. Other additions include new weapons and gear, tougher enemies and new quest-related locales to explore.
Obviously, the increased level cap is huge incentive to buy the add-on, but one new weapon in particular is worth the 800 points (10 bucks) on it’s own: the Tesla Cannon. Not to be confused with Tesla’s canon, which includes such notable hits as “Signs,” “Love Song” and “What You Give,” it’s an energy-based heavy weapon that works best against mechanical enemies. Obliterating a low-flying, previously untouchable Enclave Vertibird with a blast from the Tesla Cannon makes for an extremely satisfying fireworks display. Maybe a little too easy to pull off, but still loads of fun.
The Charge
Resistance is…fun!
Opening Statement
Who says there’s only room in the Gears of War universe for violence-loving, grown-up gamers? Not Jack! While Marcus is shooting and killing, Jack has other things to do. Like play Jenga!
Under the dead of night, with the four horsemen ride! Or choose your fate and die!
The Charge:
“We’ll hunt you down without mercy! We’ll hunt you down all nightmare long!”
Opening Statement:
Specialty packs seem to be the wave of the future as far as music games go. No longer looking at a “one a year” approach to Activision’s Guitar Hero cash cow, and with Rock Band venturing into a similar “band focused” approach, it’s only a matter of time before your favorite rock act has their own branded version of Rock Band or Guitar Hero. After being approached by both MTV and Activision, the Guitar Hero package obviously appealed more to Metallica’s entrepreneurial side, and the Gods of plastic guitar rock have seen fit to bless us with Guitar Hero: Metallica. Is it a match made in metal heaven?
Lying beside you, here in the dark...
The Charge:
Relive. Rewrite. Redefine.
Opening Statement:
Hello, my name is Jon, and I am a wrestling addict. The “soap opera for dudes” became my dark passenger at the tender age of 5, watching WWF Superstars and World Championship Wrestling (NWA) with my grandfather in the late 80s. It didn’t matter which company I was watching, I’d take my wrestling however I could get it. While my interest has wavered over the years, and my watching has diminished to one or two PPV shows, and the occasional episode on TV, I still consider myself a lifelong wrestling fan. I miss the days of loosing my mind when Rick Derringer’s “Real American” would triumphantly blast through the speakers of my television, because that meant that in mere seconds, Hulk Hogan was going to walk through that curtain and vanquish the world’s evils inside the squared circle. Protected by a hundred storey high wall of nostalgia (hulkastolgia?), these childhood favourites, these grapplers of yesteryear have now been repackaged in their very own wrestling videogame. Legends of Wrestlemania takes our life-sized action figures and challenges gamers to relive their greatest battles, to rewrite the outcome of their greatest feuds, and to redefine an entire era of professional wrestling on what is without a doubt, the grandest stage of them all.
I’m very particular about my action games. It’s my favorite genre and for a clinically-diagnosed ADHD gamer like myself, I need my actioners to be constantly engaging. From Software’s 360-exclusvie Ninja Blade piqued my interest when I first heard about it and I recently completed a run-through. here are my hack n’ slash junkie thoughts.
Is it worth checking out for like-minded chop-socky aficiandos. ? Short answer: hai-yeah!
The Charge:
Man was given a soul on the first day. On the second day however, a soul devouring demon was also saddled on the Earth.
Opening Statement:
Originally announced at the Tokyo Game Show in October of 2008, Demon’s Souls turned some North American heads with the promise of a PS3 exclusive Action Role Player with a dark theme and highly realistic visuals. Developer From Software (with help from Sony’s Japan Studios) Have endeavored to fill one of the gaps in the PS3 library. With the game available completely in English in Asian territories, it has become something of a hot commodity with importers. With no North American release announced (or even in the cards if you believe the word from some camps), is it worth the effort to procure a copy of your very own?
Sit back and get comfortable as I take you into the world that is Demon’s Souls, but be prepared, this is a long one!
