Review: Dimo Eggs (iPhone)

Dimo Eggs is a new puzzle game from CGMatic which is elegantly simple to pick up and play and has the potential for unlimited replayability. Dimo the Dinosaur will challenge you to recreate a variety of patterns on his eggs, all the while increasing the difficulty the further you progress in the game. With a myriad of tools at your disposal, beautiful and colourful graphics and the option of challenging your friends, Dimo Eggs looks set to be a winner.

Dimo the Dinosaur is decorating eggs and wants to see if you have what it takes to match his skills. He'll show you a design, give you all the right tools and then leave you to replicate his masterpieces. From simple designs involving a stripe or two, to more complex creations that will require plenty of planning and forethought, Dimo Eggs is geared towards a wide audience of gamers. Kids will love the cutesy artwork and can exercise their minds in terms of logical progression while older players will enjoy the challenge of getting each egg just so.

Review: Raventhorne (Xbox 360 Indie Games)

A part of the Summer Games Uprising on Xbox LIVE, Raventhorne follows the tale of a Viking warrior on a quest to aid the gods and stave off Ragnarok. Does this independent god of war sail on the wings of the Valkyries, or is he just a Midgarder at best?

Review: Gargoyle's Quest (3DS Virtual Console)

Gargoyle’s Quest is deceptive. It likes to pretend it’s more than a hardcore, challenging platformer, and it’s largely been forgotten to history like many substandard Game Boy Games. The deception is that the game is really little more than a platformer, and it’s anything but substandard.

The game, which is an offshoot of the Ghosts & Goblins universe, kicks off with a story sequence, and then a top down, isometric cut scene involving sprites and dialogue boxes that look eerily like a Final Fantasy game.

Massive PSP sale kicks off on PSN for Australia and Europe

There's a massive sale happening in PSP Land. Over a couple of weeks, no less. A huge range of games have been put on discount (some by a very long way), and will remain so until October 7, where another set of great games are discounted heavily.

So, now's the time to do some shopping if you have a PSP!

The current set of discounted games are:

Online Pokémon TCG enters open beta

Magic the Gathering has already proven that a solid online community exists for virtual Trading Card Games (TCGs), and Pokémon is looking to capitalise on that potential, as its online TCG enters open beta.

The release coincides with the new Pokémon TCG expansion: Black & White, and it costs nothing to sign up. Players just need to create a Pokémon Trainer Club account.

Review: Hacker Evolution Duality (PC)

Romanticised by Hollywood through classic films, the modern day hacker has been immortalised as the digital age's rebel with a cause. These contemporary pirates represent the (rose-tinted) ideal of intelligent footsoldiers in the ever-present fight for independence. It is presumably that type of Robin Hood-style hero that Hackers Evolution Duality is attempting to evoke, rather then those behind the appalling PSN hacks this year.

Like any good simulators of niche passtimes, Hackers Evolution Duality (HED) attempts to give a virtual, risk free experience into the inner workings of a realm that otherwise would be inaccessible. In an attempt to stay true, the gameplay of HED follows the logic and basic principles involved in hacking.

First look! Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land screens

We still have some doubts about whether a Cthulhuian horror game can work when merged with the tactics RPG genre, but Red Wasp Design is taking a crack at it, and the first in-game screen shots look utterly cracking.

These screens are from the iPhone version of the game, but Red Wasp promises there will also be an iPad HD version. Red Wasp is planning later versions to hit Android, PC and the consoles.

Review: Backbreaker Vengeance (PSN)

As much as I love gaming on the iPhone and iPad, there are cases where those games that work fairly well on those devices to fill in short breaks at work or on public transport do not work on the home console. There, most people are looking for a meatier experience.

We’re not talking about the iPad’s deep, complex experiences like Avadon, or the multiplayer genius of games like Ticket to Ride; we’d love to see both games pop up on PSN at some point. No, we’re talking about the likes of Flight Control (truly woeful on WiiWare), and Backbreaker. It’s pretty sure, but it’s also so thin on content that the $Au23 asking price is just frightening.

Review: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow HD (PSN)

There’s a couple of different theories regarding trilogies. One is that the first is the best, that the fresh idea that warranted multiple sequels is representative of a great idea that, while perhaps hampered by budget constraints, has real soul.

The second theory holds that the first sequel is the best. The idea is still fresh, and everything the creators weren’t able to do originally are suddenly possible; if the previous game was a hit, the significant budget increase allows for grander publication values, more spectacular action and more fully realised plot ideas.

XBLA Gets Combative with Street Fighter III

The latest Street Fighter legacy title to hit Xbox LIVE is perhaps the most under appreciated one. The game was originally released without much fanfare and didn't really, shall we say, stand the test of time.

Thoughts: Was buying Eidos the best thing Square Enix has ever done?

Eidos Interactive was riding high. Through the early part of 2000-2010 it was producing hit franchise after hit franchise. Tomb Raider, Timesplitters, Theif, Hitman and Deus Ex to name a few. This UK publisher was one of the real forces to reckon with.

Then things went awry. Those hit properties such as Tomb Raider, Thief and Hitman started to lose relevance. New releases in those critical franchises started to show a lack of financial backing. In short, Eidos got cheap.

Review: Flight Control (WiiWare)

Firemint is pretty much the only large game developer left in Australia. Tragic on one hand, but good for Firemint on the other. Now all the wannabe Miyamotos of the future will drop in for a spot of interning.

And this is how we ended up with Flight Control on WiiWare. An intern joined the company, right about when the head honchos were thinking about how to milk this (admittedly brilliant) game just that little bit further.

“We haven’t done a WiiWare version yet!” One exclaims.

“By sweet Kangaroo, you’re right, we haven’t!” The other replies.

Review: Fighting Fantasy: Talisman of Death (PSN Mini)

Gamebooks are making a bit of a comeback right now. Thanks in large part to the iPad, but also the various e-Readers out there, there's been a number of developers that have seen opportunity in revisiting this non-linear style of story telling.

Fighting Fantasy is possibly the most highly regarded gamebook franchise out there (and is indeed now back in print for people to rediscover), but to date other digital gamebooks, such as Tin Man Games' Gamebook Adventures series, has provided higher quality experiences.

Review: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory HD (PSN)

This is better. After playing through Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell HD, I was wondering how Ubisoft’s other two PS2 spy classics would work in HD. Chaos Theory has largely resolved those concerns.

From the outset, it is obvious that this is a far more mature production. The cut scenes have a strong eye for the dramatic without being as overblown as could be expected from a Tom Clancy production. It’s still macho and patriotic, to be sure, but this is more a Michael Bay that Uwe Boll kind of spy experience. This time around those cut scenes look far better too. While the facial movements and animation are nowhere near up to scratch with modern blockbusters, they do look decidedly less retro than you’d expect for a PS2 game.

The Impossible Game is coming to PS3

It's not actually impossible, but The Impossible Game has been something of a sleeper hit on the Xbox LIVE Indie Arcade Games and iOS platforms.

Now those with PlayStation consoles will be able to experience what is a very addictive, and very challenging "on-rails" platformer. You only have a single control button, the jump button, and the actual content is thin, but trying to get through the game in one go is a challenge that will test any gamer.

Even better, the PlayStation version of the game will have an extra level, Phazd.

With the incredible music and stylish visuals, The Impossible Game is well worth picking up, especially since it will cost just $2.99 and 1.99EUR. PlayStation Plus subscribers will also get an additional discount. Look forward to the PlayStation and PSP version, courtesy of Grip Games. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer below.

Review: Hysteria Project 2 (PSN Mini)

Hysteria Project was a bit of a flawed gem. It was short and good fun to play through once, if not twice, but it was also barely interactive and the video quality of the game was downright dismal. Though there is the option to play the game on PS3 as this is one of the minis open to both consoles, it was only comfortable on the eyes to do so on PSP.

Hysteria Project 2 doesn’t actually change any of that and as a direct sequel to the first game this game is not going to work for anyone who wasn’t a fan of the first. That said there are some slight improvements to the overall playability of the game this time around.

Opinion: Why I hope Activision wins with Sypro

Spyro: looking for new ways to play games

Activision’s upcoming Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure has to succeed. It’s not that I necessarily care for the game itself, but what it could do for video games that I do care for is as revolutionary as the Wiimote was for shovelware.

To set the scene first though: About two years ago, I found myself in a Japanese arcade. Despite the fact that, as a non smoker it was unpleasant in the extreme having to literally push my way through a wall of smog to get to the games, I couldn’t resist the lure of seven floors of arcade goodness.

Get your PES demo! (on August 24)

Some swear by PES. Others swear PES is inferior to FIFA. But either way, it's a big release for footy fans. So when Konami announces a demo (with a surprising amount of content, all things considered) of PES 2012, it's worth taking note of.

Review: Zombies Ruined My Day (Xbox LIVE Indie Games)

Zombies Ruined My Day. The name says it all, doesn't it?

But even though it's got a pretty self-explanatory title, click on through for the full review of this surprisingly deep little indy game from developer Mancebo Games.

Review: Cubixx HD (PSN)

Taking classic game design and trying to make it jive in 3D has always been fraught with danger. For every Mario 64 which successfully makes the jump are franchises that have really struggled with the extra dimension, such as Sonic and Castlevania games.

But most appropriately for this review is Tetrisphere, a Nintendo 64 game that wasn’t actually that bad, but didn’t provide an experience nearly as addictive as the original Tetris, and subsequent games have moved back to the basics. It’s appropriate for this review because Cubixx is the game Tetrisphere should have been. It takes a classic and very basic puzzle game, Qix, and turns it into a pulsating, addictive action-heavy test of the reflexes. There’s not much puzzling involved any more, but Cubixx is breathtaking nonetheless.

Review: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell HD (PSN)

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell doesn’t look good in HD. It looks sharper, sure, but especially in cut scenes the animation is stiff and the facial movements of characters as they talk to one another is embarrassing. LA Noire this is not.

In-game, Splinter Cell does its best to remind you it was a PS2 game originally, too. Clipping is a problem, Sam Fisher has the magical ability to float over steps, and environments are largely empty of anything superfluous to the task at hand.

 Indeed, the HD coat of paint makes these flaws more noticeable and uncomfortable than back in the day; with the clarity of these visuals the previous-gen corners that were cut are less forgivable.