Platform: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/PC (Windows)
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Krome Studios
Publisher: Atari
Release: 22 September 2010
Rating: Teen
Price: $10
Blade Kitten is a side-scrolling platformer based on a webcomic of the same name. It's mostly standard stuff, but there are two twists to make it different: the protagonist Kat can climb walls and ceilings, and her weapon can move independently of her. These ideas don't quite mesh, but manage to create an interesting experience.
The levels are mostly linear, but there is a bit of Metroidvania*-style exploration via the two aforementioned features, so you can find hidden items and money. Unlike most games of that style, there's no real backtracking, which keeps the levels fresh.
The control can be rather floaty at times, and you're going to want a gamepad for the PC version, but it's not bad enough to be deal-breaking. The game is also really easy: Kit's health regenerates when you're not fighting, and there's no limit to your number of lives (unlimited lives is always an appreciated feature, though).
While Blade Kitten is very hit-or-miss, it's amusing, and it tries some new things in an industry that's become increasingly stagnant in recent years.
The game is available in the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Arcade, and on Steam, for $10.Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
*For those uninformed, the term "Metroidvania" refers to the exploration-heavy gameplay style of the Metroid series and the Castlevania series (post-Symphony of the Night).
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Review Schedule
My computer is currently being repaired, so I am unable to review the game I wanted to this week. Reviews will continue once I have my computer back up and running, and in the meantime, here's a list of the next eight games I will look at:
Blade Kitten
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Portal
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Neverwinter Nights 2: Platinum
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Braid
Silent Hill 2
This month's "Pennypincher's Corner" will be looking at the indie darling Knytt Stories and my next Top Ten list will be the "Top Ten Greatly-Improved Sequels."
See you all soon!
--Kotaro
Blade Kitten
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Portal
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Neverwinter Nights 2: Platinum
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Braid
Silent Hill 2
This month's "Pennypincher's Corner" will be looking at the indie darling Knytt Stories and my next Top Ten list will be the "Top Ten Greatly-Improved Sequels."
See you all soon!
--Kotaro
Friday, June 10, 2011
Sonic Mega Collection Plus
Platform: PlayStation 2/Xbox/PC (Windows)
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
Release: 2 November 2004
Rating: Everyone
Price: $10-13
Sonic the Hedgehog is one of gaming's Long Runners, and like his rival Mario, Sonic himself is immediately recognizable to most. While the series hasn't been relevant in years--most likely due to horrible game after horrible game--the original games remain classics. They're all very flawed, but are still worth playing, if for no reason other than their enormous place in gaming's history. Personally, I hold that most of the games up through Sonic Adventure were quite enjoyable*, and many of them are collected here. The original Sonic Mega Collection contained seven Genesis (or "Mega Drive" if you're outside the United States) titles:
While still incomplete, this updated collection is still an excellent value (containing both the gems and the crap) and since Sonic Gems Collection holds most of the missing games, the Sonic Mega Collection Plus is a worthwhile part of gaming history.
Over a dozen games on one disc for a price of $10 on the PC
or PS2, or $13 on the Xbox makes this an excellent deal.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
Release: 2 November 2004
Rating: Everyone
Price: $10-13
Sonic the Hedgehog is one of gaming's Long Runners, and like his rival Mario, Sonic himself is immediately recognizable to most. While the series hasn't been relevant in years--most likely due to horrible game after horrible game--the original games remain classics. They're all very flawed, but are still worth playing, if for no reason other than their enormous place in gaming's history. Personally, I hold that most of the games up through Sonic Adventure were quite enjoyable*, and many of them are collected here. The original Sonic Mega Collection contained seven Genesis (or "Mega Drive" if you're outside the United States) titles:
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3
- Sonic & Knuckles
- Sonic 3D Blast
- Sonic Spinball
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (which was actually Puyo Puyo, given a Sonic-themed "makeover" for its release outside Japan)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Game Gear version)
- Sonic Chaos
- Sonic Drift
- Sonic Labyrinth
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Game Gear version)
- Sonic Blast
While still incomplete, this updated collection is still an excellent value (containing both the gems and the crap) and since Sonic Gems Collection holds most of the missing games, the Sonic Mega Collection Plus is a worthwhile part of gaming history.
Over a dozen games on one disc for a price of $10 on the PC
or PS2, or $13 on the Xbox makes this an excellent deal.Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, June 3, 2011
Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders
Platform: PC (MS-DOS/Mac OS)
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Raven Software
Publisher: id Software
Release: 23 December 1994
Rating: n/a*
Price: $5
Doom remains one of the most well-made first-person shooters of all time, and thus, its engine was used in other games for years afterward. Heretic is one of them, and as such, its gameplay is heavily derived from Doom itself. So if you like Doom, you'll enjoy Heretic.
That's not to say that Heretic is a carbon-copy of Doom. It's in a fantasy setting (with weapons to match), and has several features that Doom does not, namely interactive environments, inventory management, the ability to look up and down (that may not seem like much today, but in '94, it was a big deal), and limited flight.
There isn't much else to say about Heretic, so I'll talk about its sequels instead:
Heretic was followed by HeXen: Beyond Heretic, which itself was followed by HeXen II. Both take the basic gameplay of Heretic and add features of their own. A class-system was added in HeXen, with the original Heretic character filed under the Mage class. Fighter and Cleric are also available. Each class was given a unique set of weapons, and different physical stats. HeXen II increases the number of classes to four, with an entirely new set (Paladin, Crusader, Assassin, and Necromancer), and layers RPG-elements on top of that. In addition, HeXen and HeXen II added multiplayer co-operative modes.
This is one of the few cases where talking about the sequels is appropriate, since not only can you buy Heretic (complete with DOS emulator so it can run on Windows) from Steam for $5, or all three games for $10. Either way, it's an excellent deal.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
*Heretic was never rated by the Electronic Sofware Ratings Bureau, as the ESRB was only three months old when the game was released, and at the time, it was impossible for them to rate every game.
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Raven Software
Publisher: id Software
Release: 23 December 1994
Rating: n/a*
Price: $5
Doom remains one of the most well-made first-person shooters of all time, and thus, its engine was used in other games for years afterward. Heretic is one of them, and as such, its gameplay is heavily derived from Doom itself. So if you like Doom, you'll enjoy Heretic.
That's not to say that Heretic is a carbon-copy of Doom. It's in a fantasy setting (with weapons to match), and has several features that Doom does not, namely interactive environments, inventory management, the ability to look up and down (that may not seem like much today, but in '94, it was a big deal), and limited flight.
There isn't much else to say about Heretic, so I'll talk about its sequels instead:
Heretic was followed by HeXen: Beyond Heretic, which itself was followed by HeXen II. Both take the basic gameplay of Heretic and add features of their own. A class-system was added in HeXen, with the original Heretic character filed under the Mage class. Fighter and Cleric are also available. Each class was given a unique set of weapons, and different physical stats. HeXen II increases the number of classes to four, with an entirely new set (Paladin, Crusader, Assassin, and Necromancer), and layers RPG-elements on top of that. In addition, HeXen and HeXen II added multiplayer co-operative modes.
This is one of the few cases where talking about the sequels is appropriate, since not only can you buy Heretic (complete with DOS emulator so it can run on Windows) from Steam for $5, or all three games for $10. Either way, it's an excellent deal.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
*Heretic was never rated by the Electronic Sofware Ratings Bureau, as the ESRB was only three months old when the game was released, and at the time, it was impossible for them to rate every game.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Pennypincher's Corner IV - Double Feature: Alter A.I.L.A. & Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis
Genre: RPG
Developer: Neok
Sturgeon's Law shows up in spades when looking at games made in RPG Maker (I, myself, have fallen to it, which is why I haven't actually released any of the games I've made). Alter A.I.L.A. and its remake, Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis, both fall into that other 10%. They're both really good, if almost different games.
Both versions of Alter A.I.L.A. take place in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world, in which a group of nine prisoners fight for their lives for the public's amusement (kind of like the late Roman Empire). When circumstances allow them to escape, they find new lives for themselves. And this is where the two games differentiate themselves.
The original Alter A.I.L.A. presents three different storylines: serve the Empire, join the rebellion, or try to ignore the conflict and live as a normal citizen. Clearing all three unlocks a fourth, and this gives the game great replay value. You can find it here.
The remake, Genesis, only has one storyline, but this allows for more detail in its plot, and more character development. It also has an improved combat system. Get it here.
Which version you'll want to play all comes down to what you'd prefer. Myself, I love them both equally well, as they're both well-made RPGs. So I say, try them out.
--Kotaro
Note: Both Alter A.I.L.A. and Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis were made using RPG Maker 2003, and thus require the program to be installed on your PC before they will run. Fortunately, RPG Maker 2003 is now officially freeware, so you can easily download it.
Developer: Neok
Sturgeon's Law shows up in spades when looking at games made in RPG Maker (I, myself, have fallen to it, which is why I haven't actually released any of the games I've made). Alter A.I.L.A. and its remake, Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis, both fall into that other 10%. They're both really good, if almost different games.
Both versions of Alter A.I.L.A. take place in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world, in which a group of nine prisoners fight for their lives for the public's amusement (kind of like the late Roman Empire). When circumstances allow them to escape, they find new lives for themselves. And this is where the two games differentiate themselves.
The original Alter A.I.L.A. presents three different storylines: serve the Empire, join the rebellion, or try to ignore the conflict and live as a normal citizen. Clearing all three unlocks a fourth, and this gives the game great replay value. You can find it here.
The remake, Genesis, only has one storyline, but this allows for more detail in its plot, and more character development. It also has an improved combat system. Get it here.
Which version you'll want to play all comes down to what you'd prefer. Myself, I love them both equally well, as they're both well-made RPGs. So I say, try them out.
--Kotaro
Note: Both Alter A.I.L.A. and Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis were made using RPG Maker 2003, and thus require the program to be installed on your PC before they will run. Fortunately, RPG Maker 2003 is now officially freeware, so you can easily download it.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Psychonauts
Platform: Xbox/PlayStation 2/PC (Windows)
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Double Fine Productions
Publisher: Majesco Entertainment
Release: 19 April 2005
Rating: Teen
Price: $10-15
It's always a horrid shame when a beautifully-original game like Psychonauts fails to sell, until years later when the entire world simultaneously discovers it. While yes, it's a good thing that the game is finally being bought, the initial lackluster sales tend to really hurt the publisher.
Tim Schafer is a brilliant man, and has created some of the wackiest games this side of Grasshopper Manufacture. Psychonauts was the first time he worked outside the genre of adventure games, and the result is unpolished, but still genuinely fun. The premise of the game is that the hero, Raz, is a kid at a summer camp for psychics. When a conspiracy comes to light, it's up to him to save his fellow campers by using his powers to explore the minds of other people. So each level has an entirely different feel, and they can get rather surreal at times. The conspiracy theorist's mindscape is a warped version of an American suburb with trenchcoat-wearing, CIA-looking guys all over the place; The boot-camp-style counselor's brain is a war-torn battlefield; and the retired actress' subconscious has actors reliving her life in the form of a stage play.
While the difficulty curve is inconsistent, and the gameplay has a slightly unfinished feel, Psychonauts is still a colorful adventure with an insane cast and is definitely worth a look.
GameStop sells the Xbox and PS2 versions of the game at $13 and $15 respectively, while Steam and GOG offer the PC version for $10.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Double Fine Productions
Publisher: Majesco Entertainment
Release: 19 April 2005
Rating: Teen
Price: $10-15
It's always a horrid shame when a beautifully-original game like Psychonauts fails to sell, until years later when the entire world simultaneously discovers it. While yes, it's a good thing that the game is finally being bought, the initial lackluster sales tend to really hurt the publisher.
Tim Schafer is a brilliant man, and has created some of the wackiest games this side of Grasshopper Manufacture. Psychonauts was the first time he worked outside the genre of adventure games, and the result is unpolished, but still genuinely fun. The premise of the game is that the hero, Raz, is a kid at a summer camp for psychics. When a conspiracy comes to light, it's up to him to save his fellow campers by using his powers to explore the minds of other people. So each level has an entirely different feel, and they can get rather surreal at times. The conspiracy theorist's mindscape is a warped version of an American suburb with trenchcoat-wearing, CIA-looking guys all over the place; The boot-camp-style counselor's brain is a war-torn battlefield; and the retired actress' subconscious has actors reliving her life in the form of a stage play.
While the difficulty curve is inconsistent, and the gameplay has a slightly unfinished feel, Psychonauts is still a colorful adventure with an insane cast and is definitely worth a look.
GameStop sells the Xbox and PS2 versions of the game at $13 and $15 respectively, while Steam and GOG offer the PC version for $10.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, May 20, 2011
Super Meat Boy
Platform: Xbox 360/PC (Windows)
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Team Meat
Publisher: Newgrounds
Release: 20 October 2010
Rating: Teen
Price: $15
Meat Boy was an interesting little platformer published on Newgrounds.com. It possessed an ungodly level of difficulty, but due to several design choices (levels are short, you respawn immediately, and you have unlimited lives), it never really got frustrating. It was a short, but fun, game. And then Steam and Xbox Live Arcade saw its successor: Super Meat Boy. And it's also really fun. Very similar to the original, Super Meat Boy features the same level of difficulty and the same "anti-frustration features." Is it worth $15, though, while the first game is free? Well, SMB is certainly a bigger game: it has more levels and several unlockable characters from other games (such as Commander Video from BIT.TRIP, and Tim from Braid).
Super Meat Boy's insane difficulty is offset by the typical humor of Newgrounds developers, which is a selling point for some people (myself, I don't find it that funny). And the game is fun, so what more could you want? Try the original on Newgrounds, and if you like it, pick this one up. $15 on Xbox Live or Steam isn't too bad a price for it. And I always say to "support the indie developers," so that answers that, I suppose.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Team Meat
Publisher: Newgrounds
Release: 20 October 2010
Rating: Teen
Price: $15
Meat Boy was an interesting little platformer published on Newgrounds.com. It possessed an ungodly level of difficulty, but due to several design choices (levels are short, you respawn immediately, and you have unlimited lives), it never really got frustrating. It was a short, but fun, game. And then Steam and Xbox Live Arcade saw its successor: Super Meat Boy. And it's also really fun. Very similar to the original, Super Meat Boy features the same level of difficulty and the same "anti-frustration features." Is it worth $15, though, while the first game is free? Well, SMB is certainly a bigger game: it has more levels and several unlockable characters from other games (such as Commander Video from BIT.TRIP, and Tim from Braid).
Super Meat Boy's insane difficulty is offset by the typical humor of Newgrounds developers, which is a selling point for some people (myself, I don't find it that funny). And the game is fun, so what more could you want? Try the original on Newgrounds, and if you like it, pick this one up. $15 on Xbox Live or Steam isn't too bad a price for it. And I always say to "support the indie developers," so that answers that, I suppose.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
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