Gamesugar

October 15, 2010

Review – Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I


I never owned a Sega console. I thought I’d come right out and say that, so there’s no confusion. I am not attached to Sonic; indeed, when I was growing up, Sonic was the enemy—the figurehead for those dark, unknown other children, playing their Genesis and carrying out Sega’s terrible bidding.

My encounters with Sonic—The Blue Satan—were largely exclusive to instances where I would commandeer my cousin’s Game Gear on thanksgiving. It had color; Tetris could not compete for my attention. Now I’m a little older and a little more polytheistic with regards to my console allegiances, but I still may not be the ideal test subject for the coherent nostalgia beam conjured by Sega’s latest Sonic release, the wholly digital Sonic 4.

(more…)

September 28, 2010

Review – Blade Kitten: Episode One

Review Blade Kitten Episode One
The introductory number in the planned two-part ballad of Kit Ballard wraps up with an obligatory boss confrontation, pitting the feline bounty hunter against a mech suit aided adversary. Both the action and pattern is familiar enough for the platforming set, but the sequence is a significant stab at pulling more of the game’s unique qualities together than the previous stages manage to otherwise muster.

Using the shield to survive the laser assault, jumping to grab the ledges overhead as the platform beneath Kit’s feet is destroyed, and then finally using her blade to pull the mech closer for a quick strike, the play of it brings together many of Kit’s abilities, something very much lacking in the buildup to that moment.

At this point players are then left to wonder where it might improve with another dose on the horizon as episode one comes to an end.

(more…)

July 21, 2010

Q&A – Krome Studios Talks Blade Kitten

Filed under: Features — Tags: , , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 6:03 pm

Blade Kitten
Krome Studios’ upcoming side-scroller about a pink haired cat-girl weilding a rather large sword hasn’t had to work too hard to stay on my radar this year. Based on an original IP that was first developed as a comic, and name dropping 2D inspirations like Strider are easy paths to the center of my heart, but also only part of the picture on what we should expect.

In June Atari stepped up as publisher, stretching the title’s reach to include PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade and PC download for this Fall, so it seemed like a good time to hit the team up with some of the questions I’ve gathered since first hearing about the game, which Krome Studios’ Co-Founder and Creative Director Steve Stamatiadis was good enough to take the time to answer.

(more…)

June 29, 2010

Love in the Age of 8-bit

Filed under: News Feed — Tags: , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 12:07 pm

8-bit Girlfriend
Without question, 8-bit Girlfriend is the oddest game I’ve come across while slurping coffee and catching up on emails from the weekend. Released to the 360 marketplace’s indie section on Sunday, the game is based off a web comic I’ve just seen for the first time, which you can check out over here.

Billed as a comedy-dating simulator, players step into the armor of a “retro knight” and from there on in attempt to court four “retro beauties” – picking through responses to dialogue in order to win either the Princess, Elf, Thief, or Item Shop Girl.

Keep in mind this could be the worst investment of 80 MS Pts ever, but it’s definitely unique enough to warrant a mention.

(more…)

June 14, 2010

Microsoft’s Summer of Arcade 2010

Filed under: News Feed — Tags: , , , , — Jamie Love @ 7:39 pm

Summer of Arcade
Microsoft is once again grouping together some key XBLA titles this summer under their “summer of arcade” theme. This year’s titles include Lara Croft’s new venue in The Guardian of Light, reborn water racer Hydro Thunder Hurricane, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, Indie title Limbo, and the death sport reality show themed Monday Night Combat.

Of those titles mentioned, I know Lara Croft will set you back 1200 MS Points so far – we’ll get more info on the others to you as it comes in.

In the meantime I can offer you a montage trailer after the break, if you’re interested.

(more…)

March 23, 2010

Revisiting Perfect Dark

Filed under: Editorial Rants — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 4:33 pm

Perfect Dark
I’ve been pretty wrapped up in the nostalgia of revisiting Perfect Dark since it’s revamped release on XBLA, one which gives the series enough relevance that those inclined can wax on about their attachment to Joanna and why the continuation of the franchise should be a top priority for Microsoft – such as myself.

If you only took one element of this release away with you in deciding whether it was worth 800 MSPoints, it’s hard to ignore just how much “game” Rare managed to wedge into that N64 cartridge so many years ago. If the narrative solo missions and visits to the Carrington Institute aren’t enough to keep you occupied, the multiplayer options provide an experience that scream for life on LIVE. And of course Perfect Dark offers up co-op mission play, but more importantly offers the counter-op alternative that is probably one of my favorite multiplayer experiences to date.

Setting my obvious enthusiasm aside however, there are plenty on the flipside of the positive, for whom the game is simply too dated, with a design approach to the genre too far out of line with modern FPS releases. Naturally I don’t agree, but rather than simply telling those people to suck a lemon, it seems worthwhile to revisit an element of Perfect Dark that elevates it’s old school status beyond the age of its release to show that it still has energy enough to teach us something about what the console FPS is capable of.

(more…)

February 3, 2010

The Evolution of Fret Nice

Filed under: Features — Tags: , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 2:24 pm

Fret Nice
Pieces Interactive’s Fret Nice arrives on the PlayStation Network tomorrow, with an XBLA date still to be announced. The guitar controlled platformer has had a long road toward a console release, during which time the game’s unique visual aesthetic has evolved quite a bit.

Remembering the game’s first appearance in 2007, I was hoping to find out more about how exactly this evolution took shape during the development process, and to my infinite delight Fret Nice’s Creator/Designer Mårten Brüggemann offered an extremely insightful and detailed response that follows the game from its origins through to the final release available tomorrow.

Catch it all in Mårten’s own words, after the break.

(more…)

« Newer Posts

Powered by WordPress