The best FPS on the Vita has a lot going for it, but leaves room for improvement.

Jak'd up on the way down

Soul Sacrifice is a Vita exclusive designed by Keiji Inafune of Mega Man fame. Released several weeks ago in Japan, the grim RPG/monster-hunting title is now available stateside.

metroidvania [meh-troyd-veyn–yuh] – adjective – term thought to describe efficient game design principles pioneered in Super Metroid (1994) and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997). i.e., a series of connected levels unified by an intuitive map and open to progressive exploration as game mechanics develop and players increase in proficiency. Metroidvania in 2013 demands a ca...[Read More]

Sound Shapes was one my top ten games in 2012. The creation stuff wasn’t for me, but the levels Queasy Games built into their game were satisfying and interesting enough to win me over. Mechanically speaking, the platforming wasn’t especially impressive, but the way it worked in tandem with the audio and visual design forged an experience unique in its medium. There hasn’t been a...[Read More]

Earth Defense Force 2017 defied conventional wisdom. When it was debuted as a $40 Xbox 360 title in 2007 it looked like a game released in 1999, played as if wasn't properly tested, and pretended online multiplayer didn't exist. A cursory glance revealed traditional budget-priced title willingly accepting its condemnation to bargain bins everywhere. Here's the thing; in spite of itself and everyth...[Read More]

From the makers of Resistance: Burning Skies comes a Vita exclusive CoD Black Ops game, but it's not without some serious problems.

It's fitting that Golden was chosen as the extended title for the Vita edition of Persona 4. Between Revelations, Ascension, Redemption, and a host of other banal supplements, it's becoming difficult to tell just what in the hell you're buying. Golden, on the other hand, is a double entendre that references Golden Week, a holiday-filled week in Japan, and also highlights Persona 4's fixation with ...[Read More]

Zero Escape (ZE) is easily one of the best games I've played since, well, its prequel 999.

Silent Hill: Book of Memories reminded me of Killzone: Liberation without the asinine final boss fight. Allow me to explain.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. In one minute an eighteen seconds Retro City Rampage’s 2010 debut trailer had sold me on its premise. Not only was it an attractive Grand Theft Auto 8-bit demake, but it also encapsulated countless tropes and references deemed special or significant by children of the 80’s. Super Mario Crossover and Abobo’s Big Adventure declared a similar missio...[Read More]

Seeing Sounds