Lufia 2 First Impressions

The summer season is upon us, and the regular video game releases slow for a while. Some fill in the gap by purchasing discounted games on a digital distribution service and engaging in a community metagame to win prizes. Others raise money for charity by showing off how to complete games as quickly as possible, sometimes by breaking the game entirely. A while ago I noticed one video game site was doing a sort of book club by asking people to play through old Japanese developed console role playing games and discuss them at set times. The event inspired me to get a hold on an old out of print Super Nintendo game that, after playing for about an hour, I can say that I really should have picked it up earlier.

Brütal Legend First Impressions

Last year I attended an event called Day of the Devs in San Francisco. A company named Double Fine teamed up with other local video game developers for a showcase for upcoming games. It was cool seeing stuff that would not normally be stocked on retail shelves, and it was a chance to get a game I bought years ago to be signed by Double Fine founder Tim Schafer. Since I need to catch up on my game backlog, here’s an explanation of why I liked the first experience with the last full priced retail game Schafer’s studio produced.

Barkley 2 First Impressions

With May and a change in season approaching, it’s time to give an update on my video game playing habits. Unfortunately, the only title of note recently has been Bravely Default, so I need to pull some information from months past. The first article on this blog dealt with a demo I saw at a convention back in 2012. While I have not traveled far for a games expo, I did attend the Game Developers Conference this March and checked out an independent developers section separated from the main expo floor. I backed this project this Kickstarter, and it’s about time I talk about my impressions of a build of Barkley 2.

Bravely Default First Impressions

The blog has been silent for a while, but I have been keeping up with gaming news. Playing the new titles I purchased need to wait for more pressing issues, but I still sit down for a session once in a blue moon. Other times I try out a game only to find out that I am obsessed with it to the point that I want to write about it before I go any further into the adventure. For a recently released Japanese RPG on the Nintendo 3DS, I find myself in this situation. I better write about it before defaulting on more important obligations.

No Money for Music: February 2 - 8, 2014

The first month of the year is behind us, and Google is done featuring upcoming artists by genre. This week is another Antenna Sampler with plenty of variety as well as music to celebrate Black History Month. For a consecutive week, Starbucks picked a song as a free download. For explanations of musical picks and more, check out the list after the break.

Jetpack Joyride Review

While keeping up with video game news I heard of this phone application called Flappy Bird. It was a free endless runner that got so popular that something made the creator take it down from the store. I didn’t bother downloading it, partly because I don’t play games on my phone too often, but also because I already had a similar game that cost nothing, was easy to learn with plenty of challenge available, and most importantly did it with style. It’s time to blast off with my positive review of Halfbrick’s runner Jetpack Joyride.

Crowdsourcing Picks: February 2 - 8, 2014

The weekly list lets me record projects worth backing, some local and some worth exploring. Kickstarter had a daily pick for renovating Doggie Diner statues, so I knew a little bit when I saw a newspaper article about them. Video Game High School is getting ready for a third season, opting for Indiegogo instead of Kickstarter for the previous two seasons. Support the arts with projects like localizing a Japanese animated movie, or support efforts to hack your car. See for yourself if you like any of these projects to back them.