Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A bunch of racial stereotypes fight in a world tournament for ultimate power. Wait, is that every fighting game? Well, some games do it better than others, and Power Stone is at the top of the list. In a time where we were hit with a glut of fighters based on basically the same play mechanics, Power Stone was able to shake things up and stand out. Read on to find out what set Power Stone apart from other fighters, and why we desperately need something like it today. READ MORE
When most gamers think of licensed games based on some existing property like a TV show or movie, they often jump to the conclusion that it’s bad. Yes, in recent years, many licensed games are pushed out by a third party on a limited budget and a short development window, and they’re meant purely to capitalize on the success of the existing thing. This isn’t always the case, though. Many great classic games are based on TV shows like Duck Tales, Aladdin and all of the classic 8- and 16-bit Disney games. Occasionally, even a modern game comes along that not only is fun but perfectly captures the essence of what makes that popular property so great. Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law is… sort of that game? Read on to find out why I’m so conflicted. READ MORE
A few weeks ago I told you that Game Freak –the makers of Drill Dozer— were primarily known for their Pokemon games. After enjoying Drill Dozer so much, I thought I’d check out what other games they’d made. Turns out, even though they’re exclusively contracted with Nintendo these days, they actually made two games for the Mega Drive in Japan. The first one is called Magical Tarurūto-kun and is based on an anime you’ve never heard of. It’s a kids game, but is pretty fun and looks beautiful. The second is a game I didn’t know about but apparently has a pretty strong following. READ MORE
If you follow me on Twitter (and if not, why don’t you? I’m hilarious), then you’ve probably seen some back-and-forth between game publisher XSEED and me. XSEED Games is without a doubt my favorite publisher working today. Every title they localize seems like a risk that no other company would take. From obscure RPGs like The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky to Prope’s Ivy the Kiwi?, XSEED is one of the few companies putting out unique material that would otherwise never see the light of day in the States. This week, I’ll be talking a bit about one series they’ve been localizing over the past year that would be totally dead in the US without them: the Ys series. READ MORE
I’m gonna tell you about a mental illness I have. It’s called Nintendamnesia. This particular illness tends to flair up every single time Nintendo releases a new console. No matter how bad the lineup looks, what people tell me or how much it costs, I can’t wait for the thing to come out. I’ll preorder it at GameStop, wait in line and walk home with it happily. If I’m lucky I’ll have one or two launch games, but more realistically my bag will only contain the system itself. Once I get home, I’ll be fascinated by the console’s built-in features and mess around with the menus. Then it will sit on a shelf for months without being touched. This happens every damn time Nintendo releases a console. What does Nintendamnesia have to do with Drill Dozer on the GBA? Hit the jump to find out. READ MORE
