tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-174736372010-01-10T13:26:44.527-05:00Video games, PC games, or other interactive media that's currently caught my attention ...Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-84597522060222294212010-01-10T12:50:00.004-05:002010-01-10T13:26:44.536-05:00

With MAG doing an open beta this week (through today), me being a shooter fan, having access to a PS3, and wanting to see if they could pull off 128v128 online play, I spent some time tooling around the game.Brass tacks is the game has tremendous promise, and I hope people look at for what it is: A PS3-exclusive massive military-based shooter, who's promise lies in its premise -- a large-scale

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-89954375408694385212010-01-03T16:13:00.002-05:002010-01-03T16:25:47.107-05:00

I've been playing Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks since it came out, and I'm pretty sold on it.It's a great little adventurer that fits into the Zelda canon, with intuitive but clever puzzles that are for the most part challenging without being frustrating. It's got the trademark fun and humor inherent with the franchise (Princess Zelda is particularly a hoot).I'll save my larger write-up for when

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-84137494060239196772009-10-14T12:59:00.007-04:002009-10-14T17:27:35.064-04:00

(Here are my single-player impressions for Halo 3: ODST. I'd like to give co-op and Firefight impressions as well, but my yahoo friends who also bought the game never have time to play this title, so updated impressions will have to wait.)First, to get things out of the way, I'm a bit of a Halo Whore. This is partially because of the gameplay, universe, and mythos; partially due to my being

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-40498928829884340342009-10-04T20:12:00.002-04:002009-10-04T21:00:21.403-04:00

(First Impressions.)OK, I need to spend more time with Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 ("M-UATU", for those who have been paying attention).I've been looking forward to it for a looong time, and it's ambitious as all get out -- multiple combinations of players and powers; two continuity arcs re-imagined; truly taking advantage of next-gen hardware (the last one was early in the hardware cycle);

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-36119758905182451682009-09-30T17:39:00.000-04:002009-09-30T17:38:53.019-04:00

I downloaded and played the new Crash Course DLC for Left 4 Dead with some co-workers last night.Very different, in that there are pickups (weapons, ammo, etc.) freaking _everywhere# (at least comparatively). It's also very short, plays fast, and throws a lot more special infected (notably, Tanks) at you.I'm curious as to which of these gameplay tweaks are a nod to those changes in L4D2.At least

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-18706598894155997762009-09-17T02:20:00.002-04:002009-09-17T02:25:37.271-04:00

I'm on the road a lot lately the last several weeks, so that means I'm DSing it.Having missed Chrono Trigger the first time around, I'm now playing it on the Nintendo DS, and it's stellar.Being updated to take advantage of the DS control scheme and touch screen is keen, as is the implementation of dual screen support. I also dig the the real-time battle option.I'm spoiled; not sure I could have

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-58454969674692369872009-08-27T14:10:00.005-04:002009-08-27T14:25:12.545-04:00

I'm playing the new Batman: Arkham Asylum game on the Xbox 360, and I've been pretty impressed so far.This is a solid, dark treatment of the license, the full game is more polished than the demo (which itself was a good concantenation of a few segments of the game to show scope and diversity), the detective mode has been tweaked (and is pretty slick), the art direction is cool (and consistent),

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-24530817541609596252009-08-14T23:06:00.003-04:002009-08-14T23:18:48.852-04:00

I picked up Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer for the Nintendo DS because I wanted to play a polished roguelike on the handheld.Liking it so far, though I think after it, I want to find a darker roguelike game. If I can't find one, I may make one.

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-69853251389351043702009-08-01T16:34:00.003-04:002009-08-01T16:51:16.207-04:00

I'm a bit of a Mortal Kombat fan. I'm a comic book fan. I sooo wanted to be a fan of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.Unfortunately, so many things worked against the title for me, that I'm not a fan.Granted, since I'm a fanboy, I had expectations. And they were dashed.The fighting is frustrating, it devolves to button mashing that's not even fun (like Soul Calibur is fun), feels unpolished (art to

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-18368459584915489362009-07-17T17:26:00.010-04:002009-07-20T18:09:11.504-04:00

OK, Conan is an oldish 360 game, and I finished it months ago, but I've been meaning to write about it ever since. Reason for the delay is the final boss battle (more on that later).This a the kind of game that makes me irritated at game reviews/reviewers.This is a solid licensed title that is ambitious and has so much going right for it, that -- especially given the stigma for a licensed title -

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-57843992476753909072009-06-17T16:52:00.002-04:002009-06-17T16:58:21.583-04:00

I wanted to grab a quick platformer for my recent cross-continental travel, and I'd heard good things about The Legendary Starfy for the Nintendo DS.It's a fun, goofy, solid little NDS 2D platfrom title that makes good use of the two screens, and marginal use of the touch screen (in that you need to touch to select some things on menus, etc.I like the whimsical nature of it, and think it'll be a

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-63516016355801651712009-04-24T20:57:00.003-04:002009-04-24T21:32:08.043-04:00

I'm playing Dragon Ball: Origins as one of the half-dozen titles I'm rotating through my Nintendo DS.This is a fun little, stylus-dependent game, and it's a great gift to franchise fans. Its implementation style fits nicely with the quirky Dragon Ball IP style (gone grittier in later Dragon Ball Z and GT incarnations).I totally dig getting reintroduced to longtime favorite characters, and

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-14389821776355655822009-04-14T23:21:00.003-04:002009-04-15T00:26:45.058-04:00

I'm finally giving up on Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, even though it's a great game.Co-workers Vince and Mike shamed me into playing it, I'm glad they did, it's awesome, but I've been stuck at the very end for too long, and there are too many good games to play for me to keep beating my head against a wall.This is a great strategy title for the Nintendo DS not just from the mechanics (air, land,

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-43789805100191273702009-03-16T00:25:00.001-04:002009-03-16T00:25:15.789-04:00

I played the Ninja Blade demo for Xbox 360, and I've decided this is one of those cases where the demo isn't enough for me to decide whether or not to buy this game.I mean, I've been looking forward to it -- this is From Software, and the makers of my beloved Otogi franchise.And Ninja Blade is _very_ slick, and the standard combat would probably keep me well-engaged.On the other hand, I hate

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-72835974418334059232009-01-04T12:05:00.003-05:002009-01-04T12:25:10.959-05:00

I played id Software's Orcs & Elves, because I'm a fan of the first-person dungeon crawler genre.While not the best entry in the genre (for me), Orcs & Elves is a fun, engaging, fairly addictive Nintendo DS title -- especially since you can easily get it on the cheap (less than $15)Originally a mobile (phone game), the Nintendo DS version shows its legacy roots, in that more content should have

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-70063543429729735002008-11-24T22:01:00.006-05:002008-12-15T17:24:12.110-05:00

I'm digging that this year's sequels (Fallout 3, Call of Duty: World at War, etc.) are so top-notch.I'm really enjoying Gears 2, but taking freaking forever to get through it, since I decided to play through the thing only on a co-op only with one friend who is not as irresponsible as me (look, the gutters are already plugged, they're not going to get more plugged... Sh##, they're more plugged).

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-57796006745545121402008-11-03T21:01:00.002-05:002008-12-15T17:23:13.116-05:00

I'm a big fan of the adventure genre, and while I too often bemoan its decline, Bethesda's adventuring RPGer Fallout 3 is scratching that itch with a now-gen fury.Granted, I'm early into it, and my current gameplay allotment will probably keep it on my plate for the next several months, but this is easily one of the best games of the year for me.The art direction is amazing, the attention to

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-89478954133370834132008-08-26T23:54:00.004-04:002008-08-27T00:13:22.154-04:00

Monday nights are weekly Halo 2 fests online with known friends (Wednesdays alternate between Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4). Camaraderie as we're all now scattered to the wind, my tie to my Austin buddies, and avoids the inanity of the online anonymous dumberatti.Last night was a riot, with the best games being swordball on Lockout (24 medals, baby!), and CTF on Relic, which had us so evenly matched

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-37402756988659105902008-08-25T09:00:00.001-04:002008-08-25T09:00:42.005-04:00

I've been playing the Xbox 360 demo of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.I know this is just the demo, but _this_ what being a Jedi should feel like -- lightning powers, grabbing and throwing tie bombers, hurling stormtroopers off of gangways, blowing through doors, and taking on AT-STs and taking then apart with Force Push / Grip / lightningAbout the only thing I don't like about the demo is the

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-65761849213650190272008-08-10T00:42:00.001-04:002008-08-10T00:42:04.520-04:00

I need to write more later, but is there a better combo of gamer geek homage, accessible gameplay, clever puzzling, and thematic depth?Probably ... In an alternate universe!

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-80886020198992133322008-08-03T22:21:00.001-04:002008-08-03T22:21:33.706-04:00

Ok, here's the deal: I suck at fighting games. Like tushie handed to me wrapped in puff-pastries kind of suck. That makes them not fun to play for me, when my opponent is some Know the Uber Throw Back-breaker Spleen Removal from Across the Room Without Touching Me button combo (you'd think I'm exaggerating, but no).That said, I sooo dig the SoulCalibur franchise. From the beloved DreamCast

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-46086303141866776072008-06-24T16:01:00.004-04:002008-06-24T16:25:26.034-04:00

I'm about an hour and a half and three chapters in to Dragonball Z: Burst Limit.This is a solid licensed fighter, but limiting it to that would be a disservice.For fans of the creative intellectual property, DBZ: Burst Limit finally gets it right (at least in relation to the recent spate of games).But for fanboys -- you may wet yourself (I'm dry, but just barely).DBZ:BL (like that?) is a decently

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-81511649995369563302008-06-17T08:53:00.003-04:002008-06-17T08:56:32.925-04:00

I so dig Ninja Gaiden, so I was stoked when the demo for Ninja Gaiden II finally came stateside (last? WTF?).The demo gives that sense of amazing ninja bad-assery, which is great, but ...This may be the worst third-person camera ever. I'm hoping it's just an artifact of the demo, though.

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-89763981383914896742008-05-19T22:30:00.003-04:002008-05-19T22:37:23.169-04:00

I spend a lot of time on Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox 360. I'd say for FPSes, CoD4 is my current favorite single and multiplayer game (yea, verily even unseating Halo 3).There are some good missions with unexpected consequences; I'm impressed with the developer's gutsiness.More later. Possibly.

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-30232858001407551082008-01-01T16:52:00.000-05:002008-01-01T17:03:02.824-05:00

I tooled through the Acme Arsenal demo today on the Xbox 360, because (1) I was watching a bunch of classic Looney Toons cartoons I downloaded through Xbox Live Marketplace, and (2) It was made with my company's tech.It's a decent little platformer, though I wish it let you invert the X and Y axis. Note to game devs doing demos: If I'm going to evaluate your game, don't give me a reason to not

Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818870159415064833noreply@blogger.com