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.
Several years ago, I saw the above image in a magazine and my jaw dropped. So this was what I had been waiting for my PS3 to be able to do. And I wasn't just excited by the photorealistic graphics. Having played Indigo Prophecy / Fahrenheit, I knew that Quantic Dream were capable of creating an engrossing game and an addictive story (I played through the game in only two sittings). It was a long time coming, but Heavy Rain is finally here. But was it worth the wait? Did I forecast correctly, or am I going to have to rain on David Cage's parade?
No More Heroes was, without a doubt, one of the best games ever made, if you ask me. But that's not to say it was a perfect game; it had plenty of quirks that kept some gamers from enjoying the ultraviolent excursion. So does the sequel refine the first game's flaws, or does it struggle to satisfy?
To play VVVVVV is to love it. Terry Cavanagh’s (distractionware) instant classic is low on graphics, but the simple visuals bring the incredible gameplay to the forefront. Don’t let the look of it fool you though. VVVVVV will kick your ass. It will drag you down, and beat you repeatedly into a pulp, and you’ll love every second. You’ll even yearn to come back for more.
Bayonetta was one of my most anticipated games in quite a while. When you're looking forward to a game so excitedly, it's easy to be disappointed when you finally play the finished product. But I wasn't let down in the least when I played Bayonetta. In fact, my expectations were exceeded.
You know what stings? There is no region protection built into the Xbox 360, but publishers lock their software and swallow the key anyway. This is especially lame thanks to all the great shoot 'em ups on the console - Death Smiles, Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta, Do Don Pachi Daioujo Black Label Extra, Shooting Love 200X, and more all have a home on Japan's black sheep console of the generation. And we can't play them thanks to region lockout. Well, we've finally been thrown a bone, as developer Cave chose to keep their most recent 360 port region-free. But is Mushihime-sama Futari worth importing from the Land of the Rising Sun? Oh, yes. Yes it is.
The Dreamcast is well-known for its library of exquisite shoot 'em ups and imports. And the crown jewel of any Dreamcast shmup fan's library is the limited edition of Border Down, a horizontal shooter created by G.rev in 2003. Border Down can go for as much as $200 thanks to its rarity - and that's just the standard edition. The Limited Edition can cost up to $400. Lucky for me, I was able to snatch up a limited edition copy for only $25. So does Border Down break down the walls of the shooting genre, or is it simply an Ebay darling whose price outweighs its quality? Hit the link for the review.
It's hard to believe the last true 2D Mario platformer on a console was Super Mario World. With almost two decades leading up to New Super Mario Bros. Wii, you'd think the plumber would be poised to come back at the top of his game.
My favorite author is Philip K. Dick, so my ears would perk up whenever someone mentioned the game Valis, since it shares a title with one of Dick's books. I never knew much about the series, but upon finally watching a video of the game, I was intrigued - it looked like a mix between a girly anime and Strider. So does it live up to those two ingredients, or did Valis age poorly? Hit the link for the review.
Modern Warfare almost didn't happen. The execs at Activision were gunshy about letting their popular WWII shooter break the confines of its now familiar theatre of operations. However, the creative blokes at Infinity Ward won the day, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare became a reality. It also became a huge megahit, possibly qualifying as a phenomenon. The simple yet insanely visceral action won over just about every first-person aficionado, even the Halo faithful. Not to mention the online multiplayer portion of the game which rewrote how online multiplayer should be handled. Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) has much to live up to. Does it succeed?
Editor-in-Chief - Daniel Zuccarelli The Guy Behind The Guy - Daniel Lloyd Podcast Editor - Kevin Alexander
Contributors Marc Deangelis Jim Squires Ryan Hewson
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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! 