Posted on 07 February 2012. Tags: DLC, Expansion Pack, Konami, NeverDead, PSN, Rebellion, Video games, XBLA
NeverDead turns one week old today, and DLC is on the way. The title, which has been receiving a large number of very negative reviews, to my confusion and consternation, is moving forward with the additional content, set to reach consoles on February 21st. Expansion Pack Volume 1, as it’s being called, seems to be a bit short of the content I would expect out of something referred to as an “expansion pack,” but a rose by any other name, and all that jazz. So, what exactly does NeverDead’s first expansion/DLC bring to players? Read the full story
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Posted on 06 February 2012. Tags: Konami, NeverDead, Rebellion, review, Video games, Xbox 360
The best advice I can give you if you’re planning on playing NeverDead is not to take it too seriously. Sure, the subject matter may have some heavier elements to it…the burden of immortality, loss, demons, love…but in much the same way that you wouldn’t take Army of Darkness or Plan 9 from Outer Space seriously, I reiterate: NeverDead is not a game to take seriously, because I honestly believe it is a game that doesn’t take itself seriously. If this is not the first review you have read for NeverDead, then I am sure you have seen quite a lot of negative criticism, and quite a few low scores. Part of the criticism is valid, but part of it stems from the reviewers doing the one thing they absolutely should not have done when approaching NeverDead: they took it seriously. You may feel that I’m becoming redundant, but it’s a very important point and it should be thoroughly impressed upon you before you continue. Read the full story
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Posted on 03 February 2012. Tags: Arcade, Gauntlet, Konami, PSN, review, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons Arcade, Time Crisis, Video games, X-Men, XBLA
I was a child of the arcades. I would spend my time and money gladly and without hesitation at any one of a number of arcades on any one of a number of cabinets. X-Men, Gauntlet, Time Crisis, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more have all played their part in draining me of the limited funds I had in my childhood. One of the games most responsible for my lack of cold hard coinage in my youth was The Simpsons. The first video game ever made for The Simpsons was made as an arcade cabinet by Konami in the first years of the 1990s, a decade very near and dear to my heart. I grew up with The Simpsons, both on TV and in the arcades. Now, it’s made its way to XBLA, and will be coming to PSN this coming Tuesday. Has Konami done the unthinkable and tampered with one of the greatest arcade games ever? Read the full story
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Posted on 24 January 2012. Tags: Konami, NeverDead, screenshots, Video games
With one week to go before the demon-slaying adventure of mortality-challenged Bryce Botlzmann makes its way to our consoles, Konami has tossed some more screenshots our way. The full-of-possibilities dynamic of immortality in this game provide you with the potential for creative exploration and combat. Throw your gun-toting arm behind enemies and fire at them remotely, causing confusion and damage simultaneously. Toss your severed head into a remote location to perform reconnaissance or open up new map areas. Read the full story
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Posted on 16 January 2012. Tags: Choplifter, Choplifter HD, inXile, Konami, PSN, review, Video games, XBLA
If I had to define myself by one console, it would be the SEGA Genesis. I remember with no small fondness the time I spent with that controller in my hand. Whether it was Road Rash II, ToeJam & Earl, Sonic the Hedgehog, Marble Madness, Desert Strike, or any of the many other wonderful titles that console provided, it was a golden age for me. Clever segue, witty banter, oh hey, Desert Strike. Inspired by the original Choplifter, Desert Strike was a fantastic game that got its fair share of my gaming time. Now, Choplifter HD has made its way to XBLA/PSN, and it reminds me of the days spent piloting my Apache through the Middle East. Read the full story
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Posted on 09 December 2011. Tags: Konami, preview, Silent Hill Downpour, Video games
Say the name “Silent Hill” to a gamer, and it often conjures up images of fog-laden towns, disturbing visuals, brain-teasing puzzles, frightening twists… and occasional comedy involving aliens (gotta love those UFO endings). Unfortunately, it also brings up thoughts of recycled monsters (we get it, Pyramid Head was awesome), and plots that consistently refer back to the first few games. Thankfully, I was able to attend a preview event for the eighth entry in Konami’s horror series, Silent Hill Downpour, and it is not only a return to what made the series great, but also a fresh take on the iconic town and its horrors.
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Posted on 01 December 2011. Tags: Big Boss, HD Collection, Hideo Kojima, Konami, Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Naked Snake, Peace Walker, review, Snake Eater, Solid Snake, Sons of Liberty, Subsistence, Substance, Video games, Xbox 360
You know, I had never played a Metal Gear or Metal Gear Solid game before this Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. Nearly thirty minutes after I started the first game in the Collection, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, I finally understood the inside joke within the gaming community about the length of the Metal Gear Solid series’ FMVs and cutscenes, since I had yet to actually play the game. What I can also say is that I finally understood the respect and admiration within the gaming community about the beauty of those same FMVs and cutscenes. Aside from the beautifully updated cutscenes and FMVs, the games themselves seem better than what the original platforms were generally capable of. Read the full story
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Posted on 11 October 2011. Tags: 2K Sports, Konami, MLB, MLB 2K, MLB Bobblehead Battle, MLB Bobblehead Pro, MLB Bobblehead Stars, review, Video games, XBLA, Xbox 360
When I play sports games, baseball is definitely not one of my normal selection. I generally tend to pick up tennis or soccer before anything else. That being said, MLB Bobblehead Battle is a far cry from something like 2K Sports’ MLB 2K series. With a quirky bobblehead style, and gameplay reminiscent of an arcade game, MLB Bobblehead Battle, along with the other MLB Bobblehead entries from Konami, actually ends up being…gasp…FUN. Read the full story
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Posted on 11 October 2011. Tags: EA, FIFA 12, Konami, PES, Pro Evolution Soccer 2012, Review Xbox 360, Video games
There was a time when FIFA was not the first name that came to mind when you thought about the best game of digital football you could play. In this ancient time, years past, Pro Evolution Soccer, also known simply as PES, was renowned as the true aficionado’s game of choice for its focus on providing as true a football simulation as it could. Today, due to a lack of vigilance on Konami’s part and a serious effort on EA’s part, the name of Pro Evolution Soccer has fallen somewhat into obscurity in the shadow of EA’s FIFA series. A lesson has been learned, however, and Pro Evolution Soccer is trying to reclaim its former glory and standing. Read the full story
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Posted on 15 September 2011. Tags: Hole in the Wall, Kinect, Konami, Leedmees, Lemmings, review, Video games, XBLA, Xbox 360
Lemmings was a ridiculously simple, yet classic game. You had the Lemmings, whose sole purpose was to travel from their origin on the map to an exit point. Your goal in Lemmings was to clear their path in a way that got them to their destination safely and in one piece. Leedmees is Lemmings, and in that respect it is not particularly original. What makes Leedmees original is the WAY you accomplish the unoriginal goal. Leedmees, as a Kinect game, makes you the method of support. Read the full story
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