The Shoot'em up, aka shmup, genre has always been of interest to me but it's not one that I spend a lot of time on. I find games in said genre easy to pick up and play, but usually there comes a point where the amount of effort I have to put in simply doesn't reap the fun and reward that I feel necessary to keep playing. That's eventually the wall I ran into with a new dual-stick shoot'em up from ...[Read More]

Few puzzles games are as satisfying and challenging as those in the echochrome series. The original echochrome, released for the PS3 and PSP, introduced gamers to a world in which reality was based on what you saw in that moment. The Escher-painting inspired puzzles were challenging and entertaining, and always satisfying when solved. echoshift came to the PSP not long after, and now Sony is makin...[Read More]

Some friends and I recently took a road trip to a modern arcade. Modern didn’t define the release date of the cabinets therein, but rather the proprietor’s approach to monetizing the games; pumping quarters was out and a ten dollar flat fee was in. After about an hour, when I had grasped the repetitive nature of X-Men Arcade and understood the futility of Punch-Out!!, I made my way to the pi...[Read More]

I have fond memories of playing Microsoft's Monster Truck Madness many years ago on my first 3D gaming PC. In the more than decade since that game was released, there really haven't been a lot of monster truck games, be they arcade or sim, released. Just last month, however, Activision published the next Monster Jam game by developer Virtuos. Monster Jam: Path of Destruction differs from its Urban...[Read More]

Point and click adventure games are usually at home on a PC. From their inception in the early 80’s to their LucasArts heyday in the 90’s, their limited mechanics and minimal graphical requirements worked well on a platform with a rather nondescript technical output. Time marched on and the genre evolved (mostly thanks to Telltale Games). Modern adventure games incorporate most of the ...[Read More]

Look out below (and in front)!  This ATV/MTX release developed by Techland and published by Deep Silver is the latest entry into a racing sub-genre that hasn't had much variety in recent years.  And although there is some fun to be had, the overall experience is way to clunky to be considered good, despite a relatively cheap price tag.

Learning can be a game and Nat Geo proves this.

Gran Turismo’s popularity is both undeniable and incredible. Its status as a member of the racing simulation genre nearly grants the price tag of an esoteric expense, one that, not unlike Operation Flashpoint or Apache: Air Assault, requires patience and dedication in order to gain a sense of appreciation. The difference is the subject matter; modern culture is intrinsically tied to automobi...[Read More]

The Assassin’s Creed series has slithered in an unexpected direction since its inception. The original Assassin’s Creed made an interesting promise to grant players a means to perform stylish or subtle assassinations, combined with a careful planning phase and an elusive escape phase. Now, Brotherhood continues Ezio’s adventures by layering a new structure and refined gameplay systems over the ori...[Read More]

When I had the chance to see Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit at E3 this year I completely jumped at the chance. I had seen so many screenshots, trailers and read so much about the game that I had to see what all the promises added up to being. It added up to this: MY NEW ADDICTION

I can't remember the last board game that I enjoyed on a console. Thankfully, this might be the first memory I have of one.

Let me just say that I realize that we're nearly a week removed from the initial launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops. I've spent a long time with the single-player and a long time with the multiplayer. I've finally felt like I've reached a comfortable area with giving you a full range review of one of the biggest titles this holiday season. Let's see if all that time with the game paid off.