I'm a gamer, always have been. Problem is for a large number of years that's really just consisted of the video variety. That's a huge mistake on my part, to not enjoy the video game's analog brethren... the board game. There’s actually a vibrant and intense board game world out there that’s been pushed to the sidelines by game players such as ourselves for too long. In this column I'll be diving into this world, looking at games that hopefully you'd like to try out for yourself.
The Climbers is a board game with no board. Players build a mountain out of blocks, and then move and manipulate pieces of that structure in order to move their piece as high as they can. The board becomes a living part of the game, changing shape and growing taller as the game progresses. It’s fascinating to watch it in action.
Well, practically. In a press release distributed earlier today, Nintendo has announced the successor to their popular Nintendo DS line of handheld systems. And it's going to be called ....(drumroll)... the 3DS!!
Yep. It's going to be 3D. Again.
I suppose this move shouldn't be all that surprising. 3D films are to blame for 2 out of every 3 dollars spent in a movie theatre nowadays (that other dollar? Raisinettes), and with the promise of a 3D-capable television in every home over the next few years it seems like the whole damned world is determined to give me a migraine. That's alright. I'm sure I'm in the minority.
...but back to the 3DS.
It's going to be backwards compatible with all DS and DSi software, available sometime before March 2011, and beable to produce 3D images without the need for special glasses. Somebody get James Cameron on the phone. The Japanese have totally one-upped his Space Pocahontas bullshit.
In typical Nintendo teaser fashion this is really all we know about the device. Nintendo promises to spill the beans in greater detail later this year at E3. Hopefully that means we'll learn about everything else that would make this a true successor to the DS, like better processing power or the ability to bake muffins in your car - anything other than the witchcraft and lies about 3D without glasses.
Ok - maybe it's not witchcraft. Maybe it already exists;
The above is a trailer for the Japan-only DSi release 3D Hidden Picture. It's already on the market, and as you can see, it offers up a pseudo-3D experience without the need for glasses. Also - it makes me want to move to Japan and buy a DSI right now - a feeling I'm sure will no doubt pass the second I see a butterfly or a shiny pebble on the ground. I like pancakes. And ice cream. What were we talking about again?
You should always know as much as you can about what you're consuming. With the spirit of better health in mind, Gary Hodges of Joystick Division has put together a nutritional facts sheet for God of War III. 1,201g of sadistic gore? 93g of lunacy? Red food coloring? This game has it all.
Let's dial the wayback machine to 2008. E3 was in full swing, and Nintendo's in-house deity Shigeru Miyamoto quietly leaks the news that his team was "making Pikmin." Jog ahead one year, and Nintendo releases New Play Control Pikmin -- a port of the GameCube original with controls specially designed for the Wii.
You'll get no complaints from me -- heck, I even included it in my Top 9 of 09 over at Toronto Thumbs. But if they were simply "making Pikmin" and a new Pikmin game came out, that means there probably was no Pikmin 3 to start with ...right?
Not so! The Official Nintendo UK Magazine was harrassing the earthbound god (not to be confused with the Earthbound god Shigesato Itoi) and got confirmation that Pikmin 3 development was "well under way."
Rejoice, fellow flower people! It looks like Captain Olimar has at least one more adventure on his flight manifest after all.
Like robots? What about kitties? Even if you're terrified of the inevitable robot uprising/allergic to cat dander, Robot Wants Kitty is a game you really don't want to miss out on. This indie flash platformer takes the Metroidvania formula and whittles it down to a tight 20 minute experience. Robot starts the game out completely useless -- little tin fucker can't even jump -- but over the course of this tiny adventure he gains kick ass death dealing abilities, super speed, and a mother fucking double jump. Can you double jump? I didn't think so. And did we mention this is a web game? Yeah -- it's totally free. Click here to slaughter some monsters and rescue a cute kitty through ROBOT POWER.
(If you're looking for more great Metroidvania's, DIYGamer has an awesome list that's well worth checking out.)
Games You Should Be Playing isn't a column, really. It's just what we do when we're too lazy/too busy to write a review. It's not necessarily that the game doesn't deserve one -- but let's face facts, some experiences are short and sweet and just need to be brought to your attention.
Hey everybody. Jim here. Remember me? The guy with the charming good looks, severe weight problem, and occasional Hitler/priest joke? Some of you might be wondering where I've been these past few months. Most of you don't care. I'm going to tell you anyways. I've been through the looking glass, people, and I've lived to tell the tale. I've been living in the world of *gasp* casual gaming.
My new day job (or new-ish - I've been at it for a while now) is as the assistant editor of Gamezebo.com. Gamezebo is a great place that gives me the chance to explore the worlds of social, casual, and iPhone gaming - but it doesn't let me get my hands dirty like God of War does, and I miss getting my hands dirty. I miss the cramped palms and sweaty controllers that an all-night Arkham Asylum binge can bring on, or the satisfaction of pwning the proverbial n00b in some Uncharted 2 multiplayer (yes I liked the god damned UC2 multiplayer, and I'm not ashamed to say so). Most of all, I missed being here with my friends and colleagues at theBBPS. So I'm announcing my triumphant return!
While I'll still spend my days toiling away on the latest and greatest casual releases, I'm going to re-embrace my early days with theBBPS in a big way. This place was my home for more than 3 years, and more than anything else I've ever done, it's shaped me into the games journalist I am today.
Some might see my move into casual territory as a step away from traditional gaming, but that couldn't be further from the truth. There's room enough in my heart for both Hotel City and Heavy Rain. Besides - my Gamezebo career has helped open my eyes to some amazing titles that, while not a fit for GZ, would easily be of interest to you guys. Even better, these are titles that aren't necessarily on your radar. Super titles. Secret titles. Shh-shhh titles. You'll see what I'm talking about in the coming days.
So I'm back! And I'm bringing the good ol' days with me (I hope). If there's anything you'd like to see me writing about, please let me know in the comments below. While I know the direction I'm looking to move in with my return, consider me play-doh in your 4 year old hands.
It's good to be home. You may begin throwing tomatoes at the stage ......NOW.
It’s been called “The Hipster Bible,” and “The Pitchfork of Print,” but NYC’s own L Magazine has quite an interesting cover story in their current issue. As a supplement to questioning whether or not art is dead in New York, and placed between the reviews of obscure bands and movies that are never good enough, and blunt sex advice, they also take a look at video games as art.
The articles are just short sidebars, but they make a case in favor of some of the current orchestra performed game soundtracks and how they should be held in the same regard as things going on at Carnegie Hall. There’s also an interesting point made that while current cellphone rings are annoying as all be, old school 8-bit game themes could loop endlessly while we smile. There’s even a few indie game creators praised for their out of the box thinking and more artsy approach to gaming. Makers of Punishment: The Punishing, World of Pong, Das Cube, and Canabalt are all profiled on their quirky and interesting contributions to the medium.
It’s quite an interesting read, so if you’re in NYC pick up the pocket sized mag for free out of one of its many kiosks, or check out their online site here.
It's pretty easy to pick out which imports to buy when the Internet is at your fingertips. But when you're at the store, it's hard to figure out what games you're looking at if you can't read the three alphabets of the Japanese language. That's when you take a shot in the dark and hope for the best. I gamble on a Super Famicom cart featuring a white blob with wings on his head. Lucky for me, the game turned out to be Flying Hero, a cute 'em up from Sofel. Flying monkeys, giant robots, and oodles of cupcakes ensued.
You probably have fond memories of Aladdin. Not only was it a great movie in the heyday of Disney animation, but the Genesis game was spectacular! You controlled the title character, running around Agrabah, trying to keep one jump ahead of guards (who don’t appreciate you’re broke) by throwing apples and swinging swords. Your faithful pal Abu tagged along behind, and even got the chance to pick up some extra cash for you.
A friend of mine told me recently she had only ever played the SNES version. I assumed they were the same. But having just now played both back to back on their respective consoles, the Genesis version is far and away better. Why? Read on.
It's reasonable to say that gamers will eat up anything Nintendo puts out. And that's not a bad thing since the vast majority of their games are great. So it might be surprising that a lot of their series that we Western gamers have recently gotten to play are actually old news for the Japanese. Even worse, there are several games that Nintendo still hasn't bothered bringing to the West. Let's take a look at all the games that we haven't gotten to play (and all the profit Nintendo has missed out on).
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Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site.. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 