NBA Jam is one of my fondest memories of childhood. I sunk so many quarters into that machine that I swear I could've used that money to buy my own arcade cabinet. Of course when it finally was made for a home console I wasted no time buying it and playing the living hell out of my Sega Genesis. The flaming hoops, Tim Kitzrow shouting "Boomshakalaka!" when you dunk it, Big Head Mode, playing as then-President Clinton, it was -- at the time -- the best sports video game title at the time. Seventeen years and a few mediocre knockoffs later EA brought NBA Jam back to its glorious roots, revamping everything that made the original a classic; so why doesn't it impress me as it once did?
One of the highlights of this past year's PAX East was trying out the still-in development Frobot from Fugazo (a company more known for its online titles). Its blend of Wii Tanks and classic Zelda (two titles that the game's creators took heavy inspiration from) made it one downloadable title that Wii owners should've put on their must-own list. At the time there were still a couple kinks noticeable in Frobot (not reading the Wiimote in some places, aiming a bit difficult), but after playing the full version of the game it's easy to say that they not just fixed the kinks but also made Frobot one of the year's best WiiWare titles.
It's a fact that the first Two Worlds bombed; even the developers admitted that during this past year's PAX East. (Their words to Blueonic & I went something like, "They liked it in Germany.") With heavy RPG competition from the likes of Square-Enix and 2K Games (not to mention the multiple bugs in the actual game) the original title was pushed from the wayside, and nearly forgotten by gamers and critics alike. As the saying goes, "If at first you don't succeed, try try again," and the folks at Reality Pump, TopWare Interactive and SouthPeak Entertainment went back to the drawing board to figure out how to redo the series. With the release of Two Worlds II near the horizon it's safe to say that they've went above and beyond to create one eye-catching RPG.
Let's be blunt: the last decent Sonic game was 2004's Sonic Heroes, and the last true Hedgehog-starring masterpiece was 1994's Sonic & Knuckles. Since those times gamers were mistreated with crappy platformers (Sonic and the Black Knight) and a mediocre redo (Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Part 1). With news of a new Sonic Wii game I wasn't exactly holding my breath to expect anything but a so-so title. So here were are with Sonic Colors: the game that has revived our hedgehog's track record.
Attention Bastards, Bastettes and Wenches! How would you like to win yourself the most epic of nail'd packages? Read on and find out how you can win the ultimate nail'd kit!
The Bastards are quite joyful this week, and it has nothing to do with the holidays. (That episode's in two weeks.)