Apr 122013
 

In the wide spectrum of games that I’ve thus far reexamined in a modern context, none have yet to have their roots in the arcade. I suppose I grew up long after arcades had died in the slow march of technological and consumer evolution, but a new form of this antiquated model is starting to appear once again with free-to-play and microtransactions. And just like how those business models are focus their efforts on getting you to pay just a little more money to succeed, so did the arcade machines.

Now to be fair, I’ve introduced myself to Metal Slug, by 2D powerhouse SNK, on the PlayStation 1. The local Round Table Pizza that had a Metal Slug machine closed its doors years ago and I can’t think of any other places to go to even try to find another one. But Metal Slug X still plays with the same model intact, just without the need to constantly feed quarters, so today I’ll be talking not only about Metal Slug itself, but also about that old, yet beloved form of game design and how it can be applied to the modern FTP format.

Metal Slug X - TRAVIS - 1

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Apr 092013
 

Time for something a little different this week. Instead of a review on something specific, I’ll offer a couple of my thoughts on game design in general. Today it’s on one of my favorite genres of games, the so-called “Metroidvania.” But what exactly is a metroidvania? The term evolved, as you may have guessed, from the Metroid and Castlevania series. Specifically Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for the PS1. Some of the qualities that make a game a metroidvania include (but are not limited to, or even necessary) depth in exploration, the slow gaining of new powers (allowing further exploration of previously traversed areas), and in the case of the “-vania” side of the games, a sort of RPG-esque leveling system. Altogether I think these factors make for an excellent gaming experience and in general good game design.

Welcome to our first Metroidvania, Super Metroid.

Welcome to our first Metroidvania, Super Metroid.

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Apr 062013
 

If you read this article 100 times and then talk to Professor Oak, you’ll unlock the REAL way to get Mew!

Last week there was an announcement from Game Freak that they would reveal a new 6th generation Pokemon. We’ve already been treated to the starters, the mascot legends, and Sylveon the newest Eevee evolution, but today Game Freak revealed a shocking Pokemon. An as yet unnamed Pokemon that bears a high resemblance to Mewtwo, who for simplicity’s sake I’ll call Mewthree. What could be in store for us?

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Apr 052013
 

I did not own a SNES back in the day, I’m ashamed to say. I was born a little too late and had no older siblings who could have been there to enjoy it, so my first console was the N64. Certainly that wasn’t bad, at least for a starry-eyed child who found solace and wonder in the bizarre landscapes of Super Mario 64, but today it means that any venturing I do into the 16-bit era is hugely different than it is for most. Every time it feels more like historical study, and not so much nostalgic dream trip.

But that’s not all bad. I’ve grown quite fond of the look and feel of SNES era games. It was 2D at near perfection, with developers taking advantage of the power and limits of the system alike to provide stunningly beautiful adventures. I knew that even before my friend decided to buy one for himself to play the collection of SNES games from his childhood that he had since forgotten about and lost. Much to his supreme delight, the cartridges were in some tupperware buried in his brother’s closet. Among the treasures recovered was Earthbound, which gave him shrieks of joy when we found it to be perfectly functional, Super Mario World, Aladdin, and of course, ActRaiser.

ActRaiser - TRAVIS - 5
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Apr 022013
 

Tuesday Tunes is back this week with another episode celebrating the greatest video game music of all time. This time, the two latter Shin Megami Tensei: Persona games, with all of their fantastic eccentricity, are in the spotlight. Enjoy the Engrish.

Persona 4 - TRAVIS - 5

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Mar 292013
 

Welcome to the third installment of The Retrospective, where I, an internet nobody, plays and evaluates games from the past that I just happened to miss out on at the height of their popularities. In the greatest of all my convenient coincidences, I just happened to pick and play Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty mere days before the official reveal of MGS V: The Phantom Pain (no big surprise there, of course, but damn what a good trailer).

So yes, before this past week, I had never touched a Metal Gear game. Truth be told, the only reason I chose the game was because the recent release Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance caught my attention thanks to its affiliation to Platinum Games (a developer I adore for its spectacular Vanquish), and I wanted to familiarize myself with Raiden. Well I’ve since finished the experience and have some choice words for what proceeded to astound, conflict, and deeply affect me. Let’s dive into it.

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Mar 262013
 

Kaushik here, back with entirely too much time on a game I recently purchased. This time, it’s Monster Hunter 3 U for the 3DS and Wii U. I’ll be talking about the 3DS version specifically, here. So it’s the ever-popular Monster Hunter series, making a big splash stateside with the simultaneous Wii U and 3DS release of an updated Wii game, Monster Hunter Tri. Now, my level of experience with this series is actually close to 0 prior to this game, so I’ll try to offer a fresh and fair opinion.

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Mar 222013
 

Welcome to The Retrospective, your weekly look into the quality and longevity of gaming’s greatest (or maybe just best remembered). Each week, I try a game from the past that, for whatever reason, I completely missed out on at its height of popularity. Last week, I had positive thoughts on Halo: Combat Evolved, and this week I thought I’d attempt to ride the wave of current interest in Tomb Raider, thanks to its newest iteration. Today I’ll take a brief venture into the very first Tomb Raider, released all the way back in 1996.

Tomb Raider - TRAVIS - 1

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Mar 192013
 

If there’s one compilation fighter to beat them all, it’s Super Smash Bros. Renowned for both celebrating a wide spectrum of Nintendo franchises and having some the tightest controls around, the series has always thrived with a heavily nostalgic player base. In addition to characters and stages, music has been a profound tool of adoration in the series, and some of the remixes found playing behind classic stages manage to impress. Here are some of my favorites.

Smash Bros  - Travis - 1

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Mar 192013
 

Hey, Kaushik here back to review a recently finished visual novel. Released in 2003, this one’s pretty old, but of course it has no bearing on quality. It details the story of the 8 members of the Gunjou Academy Broadcasting Club, with the main character being one Kurosu Taichi, over the course of a one-week period. I’ll just throw this straight out: I didn’t enjoy this story that much. While the ending was somewhat satisfying, the journey to get there was boring to play through. Why’s that? Well read on, friend~

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