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Top Ten Unexplained Themes in RPGs

Why do people just stand still, looking solemnly into your eyes with a cold gaze of death?
Or how about explaining why sleeping outside on the ground can miraculously heal any and all wounds, no matter the severity?
And what about no one seeming to care that there are people carrying around weapons and ammunition to initiate a small war at any given second?

These are the questions that are never asked when playing a Role-Playing Game, yet they are always there in the back of your head, eating away at your thoughts long after the console has been turned off. Most of these issues are just components of the RPG itself, but some of them simply don’t make any damn sense. Here are ten unexplained, bizarre, and truly peculiar themes in RPGs.

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Review: Tekken 3D Prime Edition

The King of Iron Fist Tournament has returned to a Nintendo console after a decade long absence in the form of Tekken 3D Prime Edition for the 3DS. The entire ensemble of characters from Tekken 6 is playable and the game is a visual feast of gorgeous graphics that can fit in your pocket.  Local and online multiplayer, as well as the inclusion of the feature film Tekken: Blood Vengeance, round out the package. Few gameplay options and rough controls, however, make what could have been a flawless portable fighter another title that loses much of its quality in the console-to-handheld transition.

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Review: Super Mario 3D Land (or Why You’ve Already Played This Game and Didn’t Even Know It)

You know what, I really don’t have to tell you why this game is good and deserves to be part of your 3DS library. Mario has hammered down the platforming genre all the way back to his original outings on the NES two and a half decades ago. And this game continues the tradition of innovative level design and genre elements.

Or does it?

Super Mario 3D Land is more of a throwback to older games than an entirely new title. Instead of giving you a review on why the game is great, I am going to point out everything I can remember about why this game is like many other Mario games in the past.

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Worth Playing vol. 3: Puzzle Game Madness

I did it for one of my favorite genres (the fighter) and I’ve got to do it for another genre close to my heart, the puzzle game. Whether you’re connecting colored gems, filling in gaps, solving brain teaser, or shooting shiny balls at other shiny balls, the puzzle game is a staple to the video game community that isn’t going anywhere. And with so many excellent games to sink your teeth into it can be hard to determine which games offer the best challenge, the most addictive gameplay, and the most satisfaction upon completion. Vol 3 of Worth Playing is here, so let’s get this underway.

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Now Playing: Harvest Moon 3D: The Tale of Two Towns

Crops, livestock, watering cans, and rival villages have been captivating my free time the past week, and it’s all thanks to Harvest Moon 3D: The Tale of Two Towns for the 3DS. The newest entry in the Harvest Moon series of farming simulators, The Tale of Two Towns features the same tried-and-true formula the series has become famous for along with the new concept of two villages that are polar opposites. Having some experience in the series (I played through several years in Harvest Moon 64) I can say that this one has been shaping up to be a very different adventure in farming, but still charming and unique.

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Sunday Roundup: 1/15/12

A nice variety of games this week, thanks to a visit to a Disc Replay store I don’t often get to venture out to. Granted, it’s not the best DR store I’ve seen, but sometimes they’ve got some good deals (like this past week!). On top of that I was happy to find that the new local used game store in my hometown must have received some business, because there were plenty of new titles to choose from. I only grabbed one this time, but I can easily see myself blowing a great deal of cash there soon (and I’ll be extremely happy to do so). This brings my total game count to well over 900, and I expect to hit 1000 by years end for sure. Oh god I feel horrible… so much money!

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Review: Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights

What sort of tomfoolery is this? A video game on a Nintendo handheld featuring a wise doctor and a young sidekick solving puzzles and unraveling a mystery that isn’t a Professor Layton title? Rubbish! A definite imitation of the sublime puzzle solving of the Professor Layton series, Konami’s Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights distinguishes itself with a variety of gameplay methods, unique visuals, and a handful of interesting puzzles. Is there room in this world for two top hat wearing puzzle solvers with British accents? No. No there is not.
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Review: Sonic Generations (3DS)

How many times is Sonic the Hedgehog going to “come back?” I understand that people want him to return to form and be in a game akin to the original trilogy back on the Sega Genesis, but seriously! Every time he’s in a new title gamers bring the topic up. Perhaps out of sympathy for said gamers or sheer coincidence, Sonic Generations for the 3DS attempts to address these problems by allowing players to control two distinct Sonics from the series’ expansive library. Two Sonics also means twice the Tails, which strangely means four tails, which if you think about it… never mind, just keep reading.

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