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Avernum Great Trials Trilogy for PC Review!

Game Diary, Reviews

Avernum Great Trials Trilogy for PC Review!

The Avernum series from Spiderweb Software is one of the classics of indie gaming and of the RPGS in general over the last couple of decades. Earlier this year Spiderweb released the revamped version of the first game in the series for Mac, PC and iPad. Now they have ported the final three games, known as the Great Trials Trilogy, to Steam. I had played them when they were originally released so I was thrilled to get an excuse to go back and revisit these classics. Let’s see how they play several years later! The Hype: Avernum 4 takes place…

Flick Home Run! for iPhone and Touch

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Flick Home Run! for iPhone and Touch

Now that baseball season is upon us in full swing and summer is approaching, I found it proper to feature a baseball app in this week’s Blue Plate Special. My kids have been playing tee ball and coach pitch and making dad proud; we have already made it to a minor league game in San Antonio. Baseball is in our blood and a beloved summer activity. I actually learned about Flick Home Run from one of my students that thought I might enjoy it. Boy were they correct! Now I am able to take a little batting practice anytime I…

The Legend of Grimrock Review; Classic PC Gaming Made Thoroughly Modern

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The Legend of Grimrock Review; Classic PC Gaming Made Thoroughly Modern

Flash back in time 20 years to the sorts of games that RPG fans were playing and you will find that stories were thin but balanced combat gameplay was better implemented than most games now. However, the lack of internal maps coupled with dealing with the low-resolution graphics, MIDI sound, incompatibility with modern systems and so on make these older games nearly impossible to enjoy for all but the hardest of hardcore. Of course, where there is demand, there is somewhere to meet it – and in recent years that has meant indie PC game developers such as Human Head…

Apparently 'Indie Bundles' Are Now Big Enough That EA Feels the Need to Ruin Them!

Editorials, Game Diary

Apparently ‘Indie Bundles’ Are Now Big Enough That EA Feels the Need to Ruin Them!

Could you imagine seeing Walmart advertising themselves as a ‘mom & pop shop’? You would laugh yourself to tears – sort of how Barnes & Noble tried to play that they were a ‘local bookshop’ back in the 80s and 90s as they rapidly killed off the REAL local bookstore. Well … now the trend is coming to gaming. Over the last few years the ‘indie’ game has come to earn a very special place for gamers. Created by a very small company – often one or two people – these games satisfy a niche that is underserved by the…

Thief Deadly Shadows Lands on Good Old Games!

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Thief Deadly Shadows Lands on Good Old Games!

Just over two years ago I did a ‘Netbook Gamer’ review of Thief Deadly Shadows, the classic third entry in the stealth series. I highlighted one of the classic levels of gaming: The other is one of the most amazing areas I have ever played – Shalebridge Cradle. Once an orphanage, later also used as an insane asylum – while it still housed orphans – it is a dreadful place, and your character comments “If there’s a way to cram more misery into one building’s history, I can’t think of it.” The area is packed with spirits and other hostile…

Pickers HD for iPad Review

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Pickers HD for iPad Review

Maybe you’ve seen the shows. American Pickers, Storage Wars, Pawn Stars, Hardcore Pawn and so forth. Perhaps you’ve wondered if you cash in one the old saw “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” without the incessant “Y——-p!” bid chanting, sibling rivalry or, er, trash-talk of competitors. If so, you may want to take a gander at Mumbo Jumbo’s Pickers HD for iPad.   The premise of the game is fairly simple: You are the proprietor of Rusted Gold, a store specializing in unusual or offbeat items. You must travel the US, or rather, twelve locations within the US, scout…

Rock Band for iOS is Can... errm NOT Cancelled, Still Brings Up Critical Issue

Editorials, Game Diary

Rock Band for iOS is Can… errm NOT Cancelled, Still Brings Up Critical Issue

I was just about finished writing up how sad indeed it was that a great game and one of the first semi-freemium business models (or at least with in-app add-ons) was coming to a close. EA, makers of Rock Band for iOS, had listed the game on their ‘end of support’ web site as going dark at the end of May. This naturally caused quite an uproar amongst gamers, even though most have moved onto the sequel, Rock Band Reloaded. But today there is word pretty much everywhere that EA is saying that the cancellation is ‘an error’. Here is…

With $99 XBOX Subscription Bundle, Microsoft REALLY Enters the Smartphone Gaming Era!

Game Diary, Gear Bits, News & Features

With $99 XBOX Subscription Bundle, Microsoft REALLY Enters the Smartphone Gaming Era!

Image courtesy GamesLive OK, so maybe the title is more than a bit of a stretch, but look at it this way: what product costs more to make than what you pay to buy it, but that lowered cost is subsidized by a two-year monthly contract? A cell phone … and now an XBOX360 bundle including the Kinect according to a report from TheVerge. Check out the details (emphasis mine): Microsoft is planning to launch a $99 Xbox console package with a monthly subscription as early as next week, according to our sources. The software giant will offer the 4GB…

FIFA Street for PlayStation 3 Review

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FIFA Street for PlayStation 3 Review

The most popular sport in the world gets the personal treatment as Electronic Art’s FIFA Street offers a very involving street football game experience features a huge real-life player cache and several worldwide locations.

Order Up! for PlayStation 3 Review

Game Diary, Reviews

Order Up! for PlayStation 3 Review

This virtual kitchen simulation PlayStation 3 game features a chef (male or female) working up the professional ladder in the island setting of Port Abello complete with multiplayer options, 3D viewing options, and PlayStation Move compatibility.

Virtual City 2 Paradise Resort for iPad Review

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Virtual City 2 Paradise Resort for iPad Review

I have already reviewed the original Virtual City on the iPod Touch, iPad and Android, and have also reviewed this sequel on the Mac. If you have read any of my reviews you know that I really enjoyed the twist on the SimCity gameplay. Now G5 has released the sequel, Virtual City 2: Paradise Resort for the Mac and PC. I’ve been playing for a while now and am ready to declare a new gaming love or if this one needs to go back to the zoning bureau! The Hype: New buildings, new product chains, new challenges! After winning the…

Mahjongg Artifacts Chapter 2 for the Kindle Fire Review

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Mahjongg Artifacts Chapter 2 for the Kindle Fire Review

Not long ago I reviewed the Kindle Fire version of Mahjongg Artifacts. Now we get a look at the sequel, which had found tremendous success as one of the most popular PSP Minis. Ironically the sequel was released before the original game on that platform, but on the Kindle Fire both were released together. The original game was excellent on the Fire, let’s see how the sequel plays! The Hype: Mahjongg Artifacts: Chapter 2 is highly addictive tile-matching game with millions of players on PC and other platforms. It takes tile-matching games in an exciting new direction! Pair up tiles…

Youda Survivor Kindle Fire Game Review

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Youda Survivor Kindle Fire Game Review

Youda Survivor joins games like Civilization Revolution, Jack of All Tribes and Tiny Token Empires and other casual strategy games that have journeyed to handheld tablets. These games all work well with the touchscreen interface, present more than a trivial experience, and are still playable in small time increments. All of those games are available on the iPad … but Youda Survivor is the first one to venture to the Kindle Fire! Let’s take a look! The Hype: For all real fans of time management games – the most frenzied adventure yet! Can you survive on a mysterious island as…

Mahjongg Artifacts for the Kindle Fire Review

Game Diary, Reviews

Mahjongg Artifacts for the Kindle Fire Review

The Hype: Escape from the rush of modern life into the immersive ancient atmosphere of Mahjongg Artifacts®! The prequel to Mahjongg Artifacts: Chapter 2 and a new fan-favorite comes with three gameplay modes which take you through five exotic cultures. It also comes with innovative gameplay twists, like Special Tiles that allow you to use new strategies to clear layouts, Bonuses for skillful play and Trophies for special accomplishments. Story Mode features an epic quest for lost relics, Classic mode allows you to choose the layout you want to play, and Endless mode allows you to remove tiles from an…

The Magician's Handbook: Cursed Valley for Kindle Fire Review

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The Magician’s Handbook: Cursed Valley for Kindle Fire Review

Hidden object adventures continue to evolve on smartphones and tablets, with PC games being ported that are more complex, more interesting and have better stories. The success of games from folks like G5 Entertainment has resulted in an explosion in the category. The latest one to try to capture the Kindle Fire gamer’s interest is the Magician’s Handbook, which I already reviewed for the iPad. Let’s see how it does! The Hype: Remove the evil curse in this captivating adventure by finding hidden objects in the dark and mysterious Cursed Valley! The fabled “Magician’s Handbook” has fallen into your hands….