We’re slowly moving into an always-connected world. This is something many people seem to reject, yet the potential for some (though not all) games is exciting. People were quick to dismiss Microsoft’s policies for the Xbox One, especially pertaining to the daily check-in. It was for good reasons, mind you, as the benefits of such a system were unclear. That being said, with the potential of “the cloud” being something Microsoft (and arguably Sony) wants to push with the new hardware and many upcoming games seemingly focused on retaining always-online elements (or at least allowing for more beneficial online features), I find it all quite exciting. READ MORE
At first glance, Attack of the Friday Monsters!: A Tokyo Tale seems to be some action-packed game of monsters and heroes. After all, it has big creatures and fighting! Really, though, it’s a tiny fraction of the world, and serves as a backdrop for a relaxing story of childhood. READ MORE
If it had any other theme, over 4,000 backers (myself included) probably wouldn’t have even noticed Boss Monster, the first offering from indie developer-publishers Brotherwise Games. But the love Johnny and Chris O’Neal have for the retro video games of our shared youth had infused their creation with the right amount of nostalgia to catch the attention of enough to completely destroy their funding goal, earning nearly 18 times their desired target. The pixel-art aesthetic extends beyond mere card art, as even the box design, instruction manual and PDF “strategy guide” are reminiscent of old-school NES offerings. Playing Boss Monster might not feel like playing a tabletop version of a video game, but it certainly looks the part from head to toe. READ MORE
The Best to Own Forever series isn’t about what’s great right now. It’s about what will be great in 10 years, even though there will be better-looking games and later sequels, and what will keep you pulling that dusty old console out of the closet every once in a while. This time, we pick the best of the heavily third-party-driven Xbox 360 library. READ MORE
The Operation Rainfall fan support campaign may or may not have been the sole reason Western players were able to enjoy Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower, but there’s no denying that it certainly helped. It’s important to remember, though, that these three Wii games weren’t exactly the first to be withheld from the West. In fact, though the history is rich and diverse, it just so happens that each of the three Rainfall studios had previously developed deep, nuanced DS games for Nintendo, and we didn’t get those either! READ MORE
