Grip Games is no stranger to PSN, as they have previously brought us several fantastic PSP Mini titles: 5:IN:1 Arcade Hits, MiniSquadron and Blimp: The Flying Adventure. They are back once again with a new game entitled One Epic Game. It's now readily available to download through PSN’s PSP Mini service for 2.99 EUR/ 3.99 USD. Grip Games Brings Us: One Epic Game (PSP Mini)
Written By Christopher Ingram on Saturday, July 23, 2011 | 11:54
Grip Games is no stranger to PSN, as they have previously brought us several fantastic PSP Mini titles: 5:IN:1 Arcade Hits, MiniSquadron and Blimp: The Flying Adventure. They are back once again with a new game entitled One Epic Game. It's now readily available to download through PSN’s PSP Mini service for 2.99 EUR/ 3.99 USD. 
Review: Game & Watch Gallery (3DS Virtual Console)
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| Would you really cross that bridge? |
Review: Sid Meier's Pirates! (iPad)
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| Dueling pirates will never get old |
Call of Duty: Facebook edition? It's possible!
Written By Matt Sainsbury on Friday, July 22, 2011 | 13:38
Activision CEO, Bobby Kotick, has claimed the publishing giant is actively involved in Facebook game development.In an interview with Business Insider, Kotick said Activision was doing a "lot of work with Facebook." And, say what you like about Kotick and how he's managed to alienate many gamers, the guy knows business.
So he would know that between EA and Zynga (let alone the smaller Facebook players such as Square Enix), it's a tough market to break into now.
Review: Xevious (3DS 3D Classics)
I am really not very good at scrolling shooters – the old retro games such as Xevious are challenging, and you can forget about modern bullet hell shooters. As such, I really don’t need a 3D effect confusing me further. Turning the 3D off leaves me with a retro scrolling shooter that is quite overpriced at $Aus9 – so either way I struggle to see value in this game.
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| Screenshot from the NES port. The 3DS game looks better, but sprites are tiny |
Freddy Krueger meets Mortal Kombat? Brilliant
This has got to be the coolest DLC ever: Freddy Krueger of Nightmare On Elm Street fame will be a downloadable character for Mortal Kombat.
One of the most popular horror icons of all time, Krueger is perfect for the tounge-in-cheek gothic horror show that is Mortal Kombat.
Just a pity the game is banned in Australia.
One of the most popular horror icons of all time, Krueger is perfect for the tounge-in-cheek gothic horror show that is Mortal Kombat.
Just a pity the game is banned in Australia.
Bastion Kicks off Summer of Arcade
The annual Summer of Arcade on XBLA starts up today with the release of the critically acclaimed Bastion.
Win one of FIVE copies of Supreme Ruler: Cold War, thanks to Paradox Interactive
Written By Matt Sainsbury on Thursday, July 21, 2011 | 20:27
Paradox Interactive impressed us with its recent grand strategy title, Supreme Ruler: Cold War (click here to read our review).
The publisher has been good enough to provide us with five copies of the game to give away to our loyal readers.
To go in the draw, all you have to do is two quick steps:
1) Jump on to Twitter and retweet the following comment:
The world craves for a leader. At last, my time has come. @srcoldwar @pdxinteractive @digitallydownld
2) Then, you just need to jump on to our forums, (click here), let us know which twitter person you are and let us know just what you would do as world leader.
Best (or funniest) responses win - this is a game of skill and the Digitally Downloaded team will judge the entries.
The contest runs to August 5, 9 pm Sydney, Australian time. Get in early!
The publisher has been good enough to provide us with five copies of the game to give away to our loyal readers.
To go in the draw, all you have to do is two quick steps:
1) Jump on to Twitter and retweet the following comment:
The world craves for a leader. At last, my time has come. @srcoldwar @pdxinteractive @digitallydownld
2) Then, you just need to jump on to our forums, (click here), let us know which twitter person you are and let us know just what you would do as world leader.
Best (or funniest) responses win - this is a game of skill and the Digitally Downloaded team will judge the entries.
The contest runs to August 5, 9 pm Sydney, Australian time. Get in early!
Battle Realms CCG coming to iOS and Android
Remember Battle Realms? Possibly not, but it was a real time strategy game by Liquid Entertainment, possibly best known for producing the last genuinely entertaining Dungeons and Dragons game: Dragonshard.
Well, now it's getting the CCG treatment, with an iOS and Android version due in 2012. It's the first time the developer has built a mobile phone game - marking yet another PC specialist to be lured in by Apple and Google's massive install bases.
Well, now it's getting the CCG treatment, with an iOS and Android version due in 2012. It's the first time the developer has built a mobile phone game - marking yet another PC specialist to be lured in by Apple and Google's massive install bases.
Super Mario Kart: still the greatest game in the series (Wii Virtual Console)
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| Simple, but oh-so-effective |
Of all the games I had played on the Super Nintendo, Super Mario Kart was the one I missed most. Yes, in my youth I was silly enough to think a newly-released N64 and Hexen 64 (of all games) was more important than the SNES and 16 or so games, but youth does silly things.
Of course, the N64 turned out to be a special console in its own right, but one game alone was never replaced like-for-like; Mario Kart 64 was not better than Super Mario Kart. Mario Kart Wii and DS aren’t better than Super Mario Kart. I realise I’m probably the only person left to think this, but I would happily take this game over any others in the series.
Flight Control gets Mac-only bonus map
Flight Control HD on the Mac App Store just got even better, with a new map adding some new gameplay elements to the already-addictive formula.
Safari Airfield allows players to take photos of wildlife on the map to earn bonus points. To do that, you need to set any aircraft's flight path to travel over the animal.
Players get one point for elehpants, buffalo, hippos and zebras, and three points for lions.
There's two new achievements to go with that for the perfectionists. This new feature sounds like a nice bit of light strategy thrown into the mix - do you go for bonus photo points, and risk ending up with too many aircraft flying around the screen, not landing, or do you play it safe?
For a more in-depth information, click on over to this guide.
Safari Airfield allows players to take photos of wildlife on the map to earn bonus points. To do that, you need to set any aircraft's flight path to travel over the animal.
Players get one point for elehpants, buffalo, hippos and zebras, and three points for lions.
There's two new achievements to go with that for the perfectionists. This new feature sounds like a nice bit of light strategy thrown into the mix - do you go for bonus photo points, and risk ending up with too many aircraft flying around the screen, not landing, or do you play it safe?
For a more in-depth information, click on over to this guide.
Review: Runespell: Overture (PC)
Runespell Overture is a blend of RPG, collectable card game and poker. It seems like a bit of an odd combination but it has proven to be a successful amalgamation of game mechanics.
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| Ooh, treasure. |
Apple enjoys best quarter ever
Written By Matt Sainsbury on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 | 14:20
It seems the iJuggernaut is not going to slow down any time soon. Apple has delivered truly impressive sales figures for its the third quarter of its fiscal year (ended Jun 25, 2011).
Ranking the Final Fantasy games
Almost everyone has a favourite Final Fantasy. Even if they only like one game in the series, it’s likely that they will get right into at least one.
But one of the truly wonderful things about the series is that each game is entirely different to the others, and it’s entirely subjective what a person will and will not enjoy.
With that in mind, here’s my ranking of the Final Fantasy games, from top (favourite), to bottom (least favourite). After you read through it, I’d love to hear what your personal list is!
(Please note I've left the two Final Fantasy MMOs, XI and XIV, off the list, because I haven't spent enough time with either).
But one of the truly wonderful things about the series is that each game is entirely different to the others, and it’s entirely subjective what a person will and will not enjoy.
With that in mind, here’s my ranking of the Final Fantasy games, from top (favourite), to bottom (least favourite). After you read through it, I’d love to hear what your personal list is!
(Please note I've left the two Final Fantasy MMOs, XI and XIV, off the list, because I haven't spent enough time with either).
Reminder: Enter now to win a double pack of great Japanese import games!
In collaboration with MonkeyPaw games, Digitally Downloaded and Otaku Gaming are able to offer up a new competition to win one of three packs containing not one, but two great Japanese import games: Yakiniku Bugyau and Rapid Angel.
These games are available for download through the U.S PlayStation Network, but European and Australians (and anywhere else in the world) is also most welcome to enter - just create a second, 'dummy' PSN account based in the U.S if you win; one of the best things about the PlayStation 3 is that it is not region locked at all.
(If you need help with that, just let us know and we'll provide a step-by-step for you).
Anyway, to enter the competition, you'll need to do two things:
1) Follow MonkeyPaw Games on twitter: http://twitter.com/monkeypawgames
2) Sign up on our forums, post your twitter username there and let us know which Japan-only game you would most like to see released out west.
Winners will be drawn at 9pm, July 25 (Sydney, Australia), and will be notified (with their game codes) though these forums.
Time is running short, so enter now to win!
And, if you want to check out the reviews to whet your appetite for these games (quite literally in the case of Yakiniku) click on the below links:
Yakiniku Bugyau
Rapid Angel
These games are available for download through the U.S PlayStation Network, but European and Australians (and anywhere else in the world) is also most welcome to enter - just create a second, 'dummy' PSN account based in the U.S if you win; one of the best things about the PlayStation 3 is that it is not region locked at all.
(If you need help with that, just let us know and we'll provide a step-by-step for you).
Anyway, to enter the competition, you'll need to do two things:
1) Follow MonkeyPaw Games on twitter: http://twitter.com/monkeypawgames
2) Sign up on our forums, post your twitter username there and let us know which Japan-only game you would most like to see released out west.
Winners will be drawn at 9pm, July 25 (Sydney, Australia), and will be notified (with their game codes) though these forums.
Time is running short, so enter now to win!
And, if you want to check out the reviews to whet your appetite for these games (quite literally in the case of Yakiniku) click on the below links:
Yakiniku Bugyau
Rapid Angel
Review: Supreme Ruler: Cold War
Written By Matt Sainsbury on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 | 20:16
In all of the multitude of conflicts that marred the 21st century, perhaps the most difficult to adequately model in a video game is that of the Cold War. A turbulent time marred by large amounts of intrigue, great posturing and the passive-aggressiveness of proxy-battles, it is a time of politics, espionage and the great public fear of nuclear-induced Armageddon.
Perhaps unsurprisingly considering the many features needed above and beyond that of WWII games, Supreme Ruler: Cold War is the most intricate game that has emerged in recent months. In an already-ridiculously complicated genre, that does say a lot. What is surprising is the lack of adequate tutorials for getting to grips with that gameplay. A nice in-game tutorial would have been really appreciated for this game, although manual junkies will appreciate the clear and well written attempt at putting the complex systems in paper form. As a result, this is a game to stay clear of unless you are a veteran of the genre, but offers a great deal for those who are.
Perhaps unsurprisingly considering the many features needed above and beyond that of WWII games, Supreme Ruler: Cold War is the most intricate game that has emerged in recent months. In an already-ridiculously complicated genre, that does say a lot. What is surprising is the lack of adequate tutorials for getting to grips with that gameplay. A nice in-game tutorial would have been really appreciated for this game, although manual junkies will appreciate the clear and well written attempt at putting the complex systems in paper form. As a result, this is a game to stay clear of unless you are a veteran of the genre, but offers a great deal for those who are.
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| Moscow is first... |
Review: Bashi Blocks HD (iPad)
I appreciate the need for developers to come up with concepts that are unique within the genre they exist within, especially if it’s such an old genre as Breakout. I appreciate indie developers that do it to stand out even more – often that originally leads to a unique experience, if not in terms of gameplay, than certainly the aesthetics make for an artful experience in itself.
Bashi Blocks’ initial quirk – overlaying Breakout with soccer – doesn’t work so well. Yes, the ball is a familiar black and white checkered pattern, and yes, there is a ‘goal’ at the other side of the screen. But in every other way the game functions as stock-standard Breakout clone and the soccer theme is wasted entirely.
Bashi Blocks’ initial quirk – overlaying Breakout with soccer – doesn’t work so well. Yes, the ball is a familiar black and white checkered pattern, and yes, there is a ‘goal’ at the other side of the screen. But in every other way the game functions as stock-standard Breakout clone and the soccer theme is wasted entirely.
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| Making your own levels is fun |
Review: Kard Combat - the most disappointing iPhone game to date? (iPhone)
Written By Matt Sainsbury on Monday, July 18, 2011 | 19:24
I can't tell you how badly I wanted this to be a great game; a collectible card game (CCG) on the iOS, co-developed by none other than Richard Garfield, creator of Magic: The Gathering. With beautiful artwork and simple gameplay, Kard Combat aims to appeal to everyone. Unfortunately, this is its major downfall. Veterans of the CCG genre will laugh at the basic nature of the game while newcomers will find that there really isn't much for them to do in terms of controlling the game. What attempts to work for all, in fact only works for few.
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| Oh how badly we wanted this to be essential |
Preview: Supreme Ruler: Cold War - the next great grand strategy game?
It's the eve of release for Supreme Ruler: Cold War. Read on to find out just why this is a game that should be on your radar.
Grand strategy games are a tricky beast. They are without doubt some of the most intricate and difficult games out there, with the adrenalin and sheer self satisfaction built through victory not easily matched in other genres. Further, they enable the history nut to relive some of their favourite moments and hypothesise alternate timelines. Think, for example, what horrors could have been should Hitler’s arrogance not have been at play (he invaded Russia the same exact day that Napoleon did, believing his tanks would be victorious where the little masters land war had failed) .
A perennial favourite time in the modern historian’s heart is that of the Cold War. Arguably stated as the times between 1946 and 1991, the escalating tensions mark this as a truly memorable political and social climate. It is complicated - the previous 30 years (roughly) of alternating World Wars and economic depression saw massive improvements in technology, itching to be utilised, resulting in the new threat of powerhouses reigning thermonuclear war upon enemies with armageddon style consequences. Truly, it is one of the most turbulent, and remarkable times in world history.
A great level of excitement was experienced when it was announced last year that the wargames publishing pedigree of Paradox had combined with BattleGoat studios to create Supreme Ruler: Cold War, a game aiming to give justice to these times.
Grand strategy games are a tricky beast. They are without doubt some of the most intricate and difficult games out there, with the adrenalin and sheer self satisfaction built through victory not easily matched in other genres. Further, they enable the history nut to relive some of their favourite moments and hypothesise alternate timelines. Think, for example, what horrors could have been should Hitler’s arrogance not have been at play (he invaded Russia the same exact day that Napoleon did, believing his tanks would be victorious where the little masters land war had failed) .
A perennial favourite time in the modern historian’s heart is that of the Cold War. Arguably stated as the times between 1946 and 1991, the escalating tensions mark this as a truly memorable political and social climate. It is complicated - the previous 30 years (roughly) of alternating World Wars and economic depression saw massive improvements in technology, itching to be utilised, resulting in the new threat of powerhouses reigning thermonuclear war upon enemies with armageddon style consequences. Truly, it is one of the most turbulent, and remarkable times in world history.
A great level of excitement was experienced when it was announced last year that the wargames publishing pedigree of Paradox had combined with BattleGoat studios to create Supreme Ruler: Cold War, a game aiming to give justice to these times.
Impressions: Netflix on 3DS
Written By Clark Anderson on Sunday, July 17, 2011 | 17:57
After a three month wait, Netflix is finally available on the 3DS, allowing North Americans to enjoy television programs and movies on the handheld for the first time. Is it worth downloading? Based on what I’ve seen so far: yes.
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