Randomness

Mega Man Gigamix Vol. 1

I’ve always considered myself a fan of Mega Man. Ever since I was a kid I remember playing the Blue Bomber’s games on the NES and thinking they were the epitome of what a great game should be. While my tastes in games has undoubtedly changed since then my love for Mega Man has never waned. So you can imagine my exuberance upon seeing the Mega Man manga sitting on the shelf of Barnes & Noble (along with it’s two subsequent volumes). Though I himmed and hawed, I ended up caving in on my love of all things Mega Man and bought the entire series. Not being the biggest fan of manga (surprising, considering I have a Japanese degree) I was a bit hesitant to the content of this one, but I was extremely happy with Hitoshi Ariga’s art, story, and overall awesomeness conveyed in the pages of the series’ first volume. Let me explain further, so you’ll want to go out and get your own copy!

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April 6, 2012

PC / Playstation 3 / Randomness / Xbox 360

Publishers & Metacritic: Who’s to Blame?

Recently it was made aware that Obsidian Entertainment, the company responsible for the excellent game Fallout: New Vegas, was not given any royalties or bonuses for the game because the game failed to garner a high enough score on aggregate review site Metacritic. Aside from this being a terrible story for the talented developers over at Obsidian, it is also a ludicrous practice for a publisher to utilize. There has been a bevy of articles and opinion pieces on the situation, with a lot of the argument aimed at Metacritic. But is Metacritic really to blame, or should the pointed finger of the outraged public be directed towards someone else?

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March 24, 2012

Game Boy / PC / Playstation 1 / Playstation 3 / PSP / Randomness / Retro / Wii / Xbox 360

A Comprehensive List of Robot Masters

Mega Man.

No other series has a spot closer to my heart than this one. I have the fondest of memories playing these games as a child (in fact I’d say Mega Man III was one of my first games I ever played), and these games still rank up there as some of the best I’ve ever played. Everyone has, or rather should, play any of the games in the classic Mega Man series. Yes, they’re that good.

Something I could never keep up with though was the incredible amount of Robot Masters the series has. With ten games in the numbered series, a handful of spin-offs, a portable series, and some games never released in America, there are over 120 Robot Masters for Mega Man to defeat. And those are just the ones in the classic series (so not including those in the X, Zero, ZX, Legends, Battle Network, or Star Force series).

Below I’ve done my best to compile an all-encompassing list of every Robot Master seen in what would be considered the classic series of games. I’ve separated out the games I’ve never heard of and the ones not released in America to lessen confusion. I’ve also listed each Robot Master’s name as well as any game they’ve appeared in. Clicking on the RM’s name links to their Wiki page for more information. If there’s one I’m missing or something I’ve left out let me know in the comments. Without further ado… (more…)

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March 5, 2012

Dreamcast / Game Boy / Game Boy Advance / GameCube / Nintendo 3DS / Nintendo DS / PC / Playstation 1 / Playstation 2 / Playstation 3 / PSP / Randomness / Retro / Wii / Xbox 360

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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February 29, 2012

Dreamcast / GameCube / PC / Playstation 1 / Playstation 2 / PSP / Randomness / Retro / Xbox 360

Top Ten Games That Need A Sequel

I’ll be the first one to say that a developer that puts out a new IP instead of a sequel deserves a bunch of credit. But I’ll be damned if there aren’t a good deal of games out there that I think should have been given the sequel treatment. I recently did some pondering a thought what a future would be like if a handful of my favorite video games were given a second, third, or even in some cases fourth installment. There’s hope out there, as some games I’d include on this list have already been green-lighted for a sequel (Kid Icarus; earlier Marvel vs. Capcom 3). I can wait for any other game, but these ten need to be made, and need to be made well.

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February 2, 2012

Randomness / Retro

A World of Games: Arcade Tokens and Tickets

It has been a hobby of mine for the last several years to collect arcade tokens and tickets. When ever I am out and happen to see an arcade, I try to stop in to first see what they have to offer, and second to see if they have any tickets or tokens to add to my collection. After more than 10 years of doing this, I was surprised both by the variety in coins/tickets I’ve found, and also the rise of the game card as arcade currency. I finally got around to photographing my collection and even created a Tumblr account to house all my pics. But I wanted to share with you all what I’ve got so far, and to open up your eyes to the strangely beautiful world of video arcade memorabilia.

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January 22, 2012

Randomness

Video Review: Tetris the Card Game

I recently got my hands on Tetris; The Card Game and was able to get a few good games in over the past two weeks. Though it’s not entirely like it’s video game counter-part, the card game is a fun spin-off of the main franchise. I’ve put together a short video going over the basics and what makes the game fun and cool. Enjoy!

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January 21, 2012

iOS / Randomness

The Angry Birds Card Game

I’ve never actually bought the Angry Birds game(s) on the iPhone even though I’ve had the phone for over two years now. Even if you don’t have the game, or an iPhone, you’ve undoubtedly heard about Angry Birds. They’re everywhere, infecting every store, advertisement, clothes, and nearly everything in between. My nine year old nephew, who doesn’t have an iPod, iPad, or iPhone, still is in love with the game (he plays on my parents iPad), and he loves everything Angry Birds. Needless to say, it was an avian Christmas this year for him, and one gift he received was the Angry Birds card game. I’ve played the game a few times with him and our family and thought to myself, “You know who should know about this game? Anyone that reads my blog, that’s who!” Here’s a review of the card game that is surprisingly fun and easy to play.

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January 12, 2012

Dreamcast / Game Boy Advance / GameCube / iOS / Nintendo 3DS / Nintendo DS / PC / Playstation 1 / Playstation 2 / Playstation 3 / PSP / Randomness / Wii / Xbox 360

What Makes A Game “Rare”?

To follow up on my last post about video game collecting, I wanted to go through some of the games in my collection and discuss why they are considered to be “rare.” A game can fluctuate in price fairly easily and the cause of this change can originate from many different places, not the least of which being scarcity of the item. So as a collector, what do you need to look for in a game, and more importantly, what games should you look for to add that special gem to your collection.

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December 25, 2011

Dreamcast / Game Boy Advance / GameCube / iOS / Nintendo 3DS / Nintendo DS / PC / Playstation 1 / Playstation 2 / Playstation 3 / PSP / Randomness / Wii / Xbox 360

Video Game Hunting & Collecting 101

One of the most exciting part about being a gamer is the joy of finding a new game. It’s always great when a new title comes out, especially for a series you’ve played in the past and enjoyed (like Marvel vs. Capcom 3), but I’m talking about when you find an older game. One you’ve been looking to find for a long time. One that might be a rare spectacle in and of itself. These are the exciting moments I’m talking about. After eight or so years, I think I’ve amassed quite a collection of titles, and I’ve learned a good deal from my experiences. If you’re thinking of starting a collection, already have a pile of games sitting around, or just want to learn the best ways to get the games you’re looking for, this article is for you.

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December 18, 2011