DK Bongos
September 27, 2004
Nintendo’s latest accessory, a set of DK Bongos, is the special controller essential to their entry into the musical genre of video games. There aren’t any third party alternatives, and it’s not likely that there will ever be any. That’s okay because Nintendo’s bongo controller does the job well. Read more
Street Racing Syndicate
September 24, 2004
Rockstar is a company that is definitely ahead of the times. They pioneered the gaming industry into open ended adventures with the insanely popular Grand Theft Auto series. They also led the way for racing games with Midnight Club racing series. But Rockstar isn’t the only one helping out the new street racing genre. EA has been the most successful, besides Rockstar, with their Need for Speed Underground series. Unfortunately, not all developers have been successful in their attempts in creating titles in the genre. The latest example of this is Namco’s own Street Racing Syndicate. While there is nothing terribly wrong about the game, it just doesn’t do anything to improve the genre. Read more
Shin Megami Tensi: Nocturne Review
September 22, 2004
Role-playing video games have been in our consoles (and computers) since the late 1980′s. Through the years, role-playing video games have gotten longer, faster and even more enjoyable. Many companies in the late 1990′s started making games 솵ll Activeideo games instead of the traditional ATB (Active Time Battle) and Turn-based games. Two big games Star Ocean: 2nd Story and Tales of Destiny 2 created a big shock in the video game community because most RPGs, such as the Final Fantasy, series had been in ATB, and these two games brought in Full Active gaming. To this day most companies are using the Full Active system and they are some of the best RPGs playable today. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is different because it has turned back to the older, turn based, battle system. Is this bad? Heaven’s no! Shin Megami Tensei may be one of the most enjoyable systems in video game history. Read more
Nintendo DS Dated & Priced
September 21, 2004
Today we learned that on November 21, 2004, Nintendo will release the Nintendo DS, complete with two screens (including one with a touch screen), wireless connectivity, voice control, and a controle scheme similar to the SNES for only $149.99. This is about $30.00 lower than most industry experts predicted. Also, Nintendo DS will become the company’s first system ever to make its sales debut outside of Japan. This proves the success that the Nintendo handhelds have all received throughout the world. Read more
Sudeki
September 21, 2004
Although I love several genres of gaming, Role Playing Games have a special place in my heart. Perhaps it was because the first video game I really got involved in Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy back on the NES. Or perhaps I just grew accustomed to deep, engrossing storylines, with tons of replay value, with a very long quest to play through. There is nothing better than a good RPG to suck hours upon hours of your life away. However, when one picks up a bad Role Playing Game, there is nothing more frustrating–especially if you get a little involved in the story. Recently I ran into this problem with the new RPG from Microsoft and Developer Climax. This title, Sudeki, is the first real Japanese style RPG on the Xbox. Unfortunately, the game lacks the staying power that all AAA RPG’s need to stand out in the market place. Read more
Fable
September 20, 2004
There was once a game called Project Ego in development that was going to change the face of gaming. It was announced early on in the life of the Xbox and was in development by the famous PC developer Peter Molyneax. However, the title suffered many delays and setbacks. Finally, the game was renamed into Fable and several of the features were cut out of the final version. While the game may not live up to all of the hype it received during development, Fable is a solid RPG and ranks right up there with Knights of the Old Republic in terms of fun. Read more
Hot Shots Golf Fore!
September 20, 2004
Back when I was much younger, I spent a lot of time on a little 9 hole, 100 yard pitch and putt golf course in sunny Southern California. I recall going there almost every day during the summer and trying to improve my game. My greatest accomplishment was sinking a 60 yard shot after a really bad first shot. I jumped up and down and cheered. People around me did the same. Now all that fun and excitement can be found on the PlayStation 2. No longer are players forced to play their Hot Shots Golf game alone or in a house with friends… No, now we can take our games online and share in the joy and excitement of golf. Read more
Two New RPG’s Released
September 1, 2004
Square Enix has announced that Star Ocean Till the End of Time, the long awaited RPG that developed under Enix before the Square Enix merger, has finally shipped to North American retailers. This Special Edition PlayStation 2 game features two DVDs in foil box packaging with a suggested retail price of $49.99. Read more