All things 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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Review: Grand Slam Tennis 2

With successful franchises in just about every other sport, EA has decided to step on Centre Court and see if they can serve up an ace in the form of Grand Slam Tennis 2. In a complete 180 from the first title on the Wii, Grand Slam Tennis 2 has HD graphics, every grand slam venue to play on, solid online modes, and tennis’ current stars as well as the legends of the past as playable characters. With plenty of other tennis games out there, does this one have what it takes to become the world number one in tennis video games?

 

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Now Playing: Grand Slam Tennis 2

I know I’m not the only one who enjoys a game of tennis, video or otherwise, but amongst my friends I’m pretty sure no one else likes tennis. For this reason or that, I find games like Grand Slam Tennis 2 to be wholly and intriguingly enthralling. Grand Slam Tennis 2 is EA’s newest addition to the tennis sim, and after Top Spin 4 it’s got big shoes to fill in terms of quality, depth, and playability. With John McEnroe’s gorgeous 80’s mug on the front cover, things are starting out fine already. Tennis, anyone?

 

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Review: NeverDead

Don’t you hate it when you’re walking down a hallway, minding your own business, and then you brush up against someone else and your limbs go flying off in every possible direction? Such is the pain of Bryce Boltzmann, the protagonist of the new videogame NeverDead, cursed with immortality and charged with defending the world from an onslaught of demons. You’d think controlling a hero incapable of dying and who can re-grow limbs would make for a halfway decent game, but you’d be sorely, sorely wrong.

 

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Review: The Simpsons Arcade Game

Konami has kept the retro-train chugging first with the release of the classic brawler X-Men Arcade, and now more recently with The Simpsons Arcade Game. Initially released in 1991, The Simpsons Arcade Game allows up to four players to take control of Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa in a quest to recover Maggie from the clutches of (who else) Mr. Burns. This is the first port of the arcade version to be released on home consoles. After more than 20 years in arcade obscurity, The Simpsons Arcade Game is finally here to let gamers relive one of the best games of 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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Sunday Roundup: 2/5/2012

Not a killer week in new games, but a week nonetheless.

I picked up one new game and one game as a download, but both games are going to be review titles for Machinima. Let’s get on with it, shall we?

 

 

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Now Playing: NeverDead

The concept for NeverDead, a new action beat ’em up much like the beloved Devil May Cry games, probably went something like this at the Konami studios.

“Let’s make a hero demon-fighter who is cursed with immortality and can never be killed. Now that we’ve established the hero, let’s give him a useless sidekick with big boobs who he has to protect otherwise the game will be over, completely rendering his immortality utterly useless. Oh, and let’s throw in some dull combat, repetitive enemies and levels, and squander any and all hope the game has for being good.”

Okay, maybe I’m being too harsh (and, indeed, I am), but NeverDead could have been SO MUCH MORE than what it is. Read on…

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Gameplay Vault: The Simpsons Arcade Game

After nearly two decades of being left in arcade obscurity, The Simpsons Arcade Game has finally been released for home consoles. I have fond memories playing this machine when I was much younger, and that was even if I could find it. To the best of my knowledge, this was a rather rare cabinet to find sitting in an arcade. But if you did find one, you bet your ass someone was playing as Marge, Bart, Lisa, or Homer and enjoying themselves. I’ve uploaded some videos of my playthrough of the game, and have put them here for your viewing pleasure. Sit back and enjoy, and don’t have a cow, man!

 

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