PlayStation Home and the Power of False Nostalgia

Wednesday night, I read that the PS3’s upcoming free virtual world, Home, would feature 2D, eighties-arcade versions of some great modern titles, like Uncharted.
I was pumped. My immediate reaction was that nothing could possibly be cooler than some sweet old school, sidescrolling arcade action.
Then I realized that I was duping myself with false nostalgia. Though [...]

Rapid Review: Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Rapid Review (Under 1000 words or your pizza is free!)
Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction for Playstation 3
Rating: 8,953 out of 10,003
Likey: Pretty Colors, Cute Lombax, Big Guns and Many Weapons Make Big Booms! Rail slides remind me of my roller-blading days in the late 80s. Pirate outfits!
No Likey: Loading [...]

Dood, Here Comes Disgaea 3

It’s been suspected for a while, but now it’s official: Disgaea 3 is coming to the US. This morning, Disgaea publisher NIS America sent out a press release announcing that the newest chapter in the Strategy RPG series should arrive in August.

I loved the original Disgaea. Not only was the easy-to-learn / difficult-to-master tactical gameplay [...]

PlayStation 3 Store Getting Makeover, Thank God

The PlayStation 3 is a wonderful machine. The game library is getting better all the time, the XMB graphical user interface is really cool, and I even like the little violin swell that plays when you start up the system.
But I hate the PlayStation Store. Not as much as I hate that fucking asshole, Tim [...]

Final Fantasy VII Remake Confirmed (for NES)

A decade ago, I was initiated into the cult of Final Fantasy, after playing through the seventh installment of the series. I’ve been a devoted console RPG fanboy ever since, and Cloud and his pals are largely to blame.

But, much as I love the game, I’ve always felt that FF7’s jagged PSX graphics were too [...]

Dumbass Design: Okami’s Mini-Games

Greg wrote several days ago about Okami’s irritating gibberish, which nearly drove him insane. I’m happy to inform Greg that his misery is over. I didn’t finish Okami. One of its mini-games finished me.
None of Okami’s mini-games are particularly fun, from digging through a maze to head-butting a mole until he gives you a teacup. [...]

Free PixelJunk Monsters Demo Now Available For PS3

A free demo version of the PS3’s downloadable tower defense (TD) game, PixelJunk Monsters, is now up at the PlayStation store. I’ve been saving the actual purchase of the game as a reward for finishing up a project I’m currently working on, but I figured it wasn’t cheating (much) to download the demo.

Even though most [...]

Dumbass Design: Okami’s Gibberish

In an effort to clear out our PS2 queue before moving on to our next PS3 game, Kathy’s been playing Okami lately. If you haven’t heard of it, the story is a retelling of the Bible’s book of Leviticus: “Dog with spinning shield on its back must slay eight-headed demon, but only after learning to [...]

Review: Shadow of the Colossus

(Note: This review originally appeared at Game-Vixen.com in 2006.)
One game loomed over the 2006 Game Developers Choice Awards, and it wasn’t one of the previous year’s commercial behemoths, God of War or Resident Evil 4. Shadow of the Colossus won not only Game of the Year, but also Best Visual Arts, Best Character Design, and [...]

Review: Dirge of Cerberus

(Note: This review originally appeared at Game-Vixen.com in 2006.)
The audience for a video game sequel is often limited to people who played the original game. But, by deviating from its predecessors’ standard Role Playing Game format, Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus could have an even more limited audience. It might be the first shooter [...]