The release of Jet Grind Radio on the Dreamcast was the kind of game that defined that system and that era in gaming for Sega. It was almost a novelty; a flashy, cartoonish presentation and mechanics that, at the time, seemed fresh. It represented a time in the industry when games that were heavily focused on style were dominate. That time, however, has passed, and Sega’s HD re-release of that classic title shows it has earned its place in history, but is merely a relic of its time. READ MORE
I’ve gushed about how much I love video pinball before. I’m also a huge fan of tower defense, and while Plants vs Zombies isn’t strictly tower defense, it’s certainly related, and I’ve racked up a ton of hours across the Steam and XBLA versions of the game. Pinball FX 2’s (and Zen Pinball 2‘s) Plants vs. Zombies table continues the recent trend of creating tables that would not be possible on a physical machine, and just like the Marvel tables, PvZ is more interesting for it. READ MORE
The side-scrolling “Metroidvania” genre has seen some tough times. Virtually abandoned by its namesakes in favor of first-person or third-person 3D iterations, it has surprisingly found a home on Xbox Live Arcade. From Shadow Complex to Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, and now Dust: An Elysian Tail, Metroidvanias seem alive and well on the service. READ MORE
There was once a time when we had an abundance of new open-world action games released every few months. It seemed like we couldn’t escape them. Thankfully, the releases of have slowed significantly in the past year, leaving us with only a select handful every so often. The games we do see released are often unmemorable, with the exception of a few excellent action titles that excel beyond their basic premises. Sleeping Dogs is one of those games, taking the best of the best and adding a little bit of new, exciting flavor to the mix. READ MORE
Death. The fourth and final Horseman in a quartet of riders given dominion over the earth to deliver the last judgment of mankind. In Darksiders II, you become Death as he goes on a journey to restore balance between the forces of Heaven and Hell, while also attempting to clear the name of his brother War. READ MORE
