PAX East is finally rearing its head once again, and I could not be more excited. Some members of my sketch group and I will be tooling around on the con floor shooting goofy stuff while I’m not covering the show for Snackbar. But even with all that screwing about and mischief-making, I’ll be setting aside time to see as many panels as I can. The panel schedule has been released, and we can all start laying out our plans for maximum con enjoyment, but there are so many! So I thought I’d let you know about a few of the panels you absolutely should check out at the show. READ MORE
Writers Andrew Passafiume and Graham Russell tend to be on opposite sides of the debate when talking about handheld games: Andrew would usually rather be playing on a big screen, and Graham likes that lower system specs makes devs focus on gameplay. In this two-part feature, the two get together and make their picks of the games that best and least fit on a portable.
Pokemon Red and Blue Versions Graham: What made the Pokemon games special was the idea that you built up these teams, carried them around and obsessed over them and then took on friends. Later games (and later tech) allowed for online play and profile porting, but even then, that’s not the same experience. Andrew: The Pokemon series always felt like it was just perfect for handhelds. It was all about the ability to take your team wherever you wanted and trading with friends, like you said, so I completely agree. READ MORE
Capcom’s only venture into a 3D plane wasn’t always with the Street Fighter EX series. At one point, they attempted to blend their traditional 2D fighting with 3D engine on their own, as well as release some new characters. Before they finally found that middle ground between Street Fighter III (one of the most definitive 2D fighters ever) and the Street Fighter EX series (which had set the tone for the 3D engine) with 2008’s Street Fighter IV, there was Capcom Fighting All Stars: Code Holder. READ MORE
One thing I love about PC games is how so many niche games can manage to not just exist, but remain financially profitable, largely thanks to Steam and other digital storefronts. Crusader Kings II is a so-called “grand strategy” game, one of many released over the last decade or so by Paradox Interactive, and it’s another example of a success that didn’t get there by bending to the whims of the mainstream.
Andrew, Gerry, Graham and Shawn are joined by new writer Jeff DeSolla to talk about their early Vita experiences in this new episode, like Hot Shots, Lumines, Uncharted and Rayman Origins. Also in this edition: Asura’s Wrath, Crusader Kings II, Assassin’s Creed III and The Last Story.
Graham: What made the Pokemon games special was the idea that you built up these teams, carried them around and obsessed over them and then took on friends. Later games (and later tech) allowed for online play and profile porting, but even then, that’s not the same experience.
Andrew: The Pokemon series always felt like it was just perfect for handhelds. It was all about the ability to take your team wherever you wanted and trading with friends, like you said, so I completely agree. 
