Game Diary

Game Diary, Reviews September 6, 2013

Twin Moons Brings Fun and Choices in Casual Gaming to the Mac

I thoroughly enjoyed the iPad release of Twin Moons from Cateia Games and G5 Entertainment, so when they announced a Mac version of the replayable hidden-object adventure game I knew I had to check it out. Now after playing I enjoy the game even more and highly recommend getting it for either Mac or iOS! Type of app: Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure (HOPA) game Platform/where to buy: iPad; available in the Mac App Store (Also available for iPad & iPhone) Developer: Cateia Games / G5 Entertainment Description: Twin Moons has loads of content, including: – 31 creepy and enigmatic locations…

Game Diary August 30, 2013

Bloodlust Shadowhunter – Demo and Gameplay for New Action-RPG!

Action-RPG games are fairly rare, and ones about vampires are rarer still. Aside from Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption from 2000 and Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines from 2004, there is … not much. Enter Bloodlust: Shadowhunter, which has a new twist as you play a resurrected vampire hunter now a vampire – and must decide to embrace or destroy your destiny! The game hasn’t been released, but there is a playable demo with a tutorial and loads of resources to help you get through alive (or is it undead?). Check out the gameplay trailers below (more on their channel) and then…

Game Diary, News & Features August 30, 2013

Thoughts on the Nintendo 2DS and Wii U Price Cut

Yesterday Nintendo announced a couple of major developments meant to bolster their sagging console business. The first is a price drop on the Wii U system to $299 to compete with the upcoming Sony & Microsoft consoles. They also launched the 2DS, a non-3D system that will play all DS and 3DS games for just $129.99. Mike S did a great job running down the details of the announcements and also the game line-ups for Fall release for Wii U and 3DS systems. So what I wanted to do was run down some thoughts on the Wii U price cut…

Game Diary, Reviews August 29, 2013

Brave Tribe is a Cute, Fun, and Engaging Strategy Farming SIM for iOS

Simulation games often sacrifice story and character for game mechanics, and those that do have a story are often too simplistic to be enjoyable for long. But as the games coming to iOS continue to mature, so do their stories and gameplay; and Brave Tribe is a great example of a casual game with fun story and gameplay.

Game Diary, News & Features August 28, 2013

Nintendo 2DS Announcement and Wii U Deluxe Set Price Drop

Big news from Nintendoland! On September 20 the Wii U Deluxe Set will be discounted to $299.99 and a limited edition Wii U bundle with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD will arrive along with several high-profile game releases and special offers. Then, on October 12, the Nintendo 2DS handheld console will arrive. Let the games begin. Yes, Nintendo clearly hopes to increase interest in their handheld Nintendo DS console and Wii U console with new offers, games, and special bundles. Let’s run them down! On October 12, Nintendo will debut the slate-styled Nintendo 2DS handheld console for a MSRP of $129.99,…

Game Diary, Health and Fitness, News & Features August 28, 2013

Mario Esposito Discusses Sensoria Fitness Game Development Projects

We recently talked with Heapsylon’s CTO Mario Esposito about impressive gear that can interface among the physical world and video. Esposito also co-founded Heapsylon in 2009, which concentrates on wearable body sensing technology. Heapsylon, a Washington-based start-up, has launched Sensoria Fitness, which consists of mobile applications, the first e-textile pressure sensing smart sock, and Bluetooth anklet. The mobile application monitor and guide you through real-time audio cues. The smart sock, completely made of fabric, can be washed or dried like a regular sock. The anklet magnetically snaps on the cuff of the sock and sends commands. Sensoria Fitness recently completed two successful campaign on…

Editorials, Game Diary August 26, 2013

5 Thoughts on the Growing iOS/Android vs. Sony/Nintendo Game Spending Gap

In the latest IDC/AppAnnie report, sales from iOS and Android games now eclipse Sony and Nintendo games by a 4:1 margin. Since 2009, we have seen a meteoric rise in the revenues and market share of games for iOS and Android devices and a decline in sales for dedicated handheld gaming consoles. What does this mean for the future of gaming-on-the-go? Here are five thoughts on what this means: Not an Anomaly: I have seen some dismiss this as a passing phase like netbooks, but that misses a larger trend. Since the launch of the initial iPhone people have been moving…

Game Diary, News & Features August 22, 2013

Roccat Unleashes the XTD Cave 5.1 Gaming Headset at GamesCom!

Gamers love great sound when playing – whether to hear the music of the latest jRPG or the explosions of the cool new shooter, a great headset provides immersion and a detailed experience that cannot be duplicated in a portable system. For years gamers were stuck with inferior audio in headsets, but now we can get great sound thanks to products like the newly announced Kave XTD 5.1 Digital Gaming Headset from ROCCAT. Here is what ROCCAT says about the new headset: The Kave XTD 5.1 Digital includes a fully equipped desktop remote with a built-in premium 5.1 sound card….

Game Diary, News & Features August 22, 2013

EA Offers ‘Great Game Guarantee’ Refund System on Origin

Imagine you bought the recent Realms of Arkania game, and within an hour you were horrified at the bugginess. Steam and GoG.com are good about refunds in these cases – but what if it was an acclaimed game like Skyrim, and you just couldn’t connect? Tougher sell for a refund – so now EA’s Origin has a ‘Great Game Guarantee’. The ‘Great Game Guarantee’ is fairly simple in theory: you can return EA full game downloads (PC or Mac) purchased on Origin for a full refund–within 24 hours after you first launch the game, within seven days from when you…

Game Diary, News & Features August 20, 2013

Official PlayStation 4 Console Release Date Announced

Set your calendar for November 15! Sony announces the North American release date for their newest console just in time for the holidays. Let the pre-order frenzy begin!

Game Diary, News & Features August 15, 2013

Plants vs. Zombies 2 Released on iOS Today!

Popcap and EA Games have teamed up to bring you the greatly anticipated follow-up to the original Plants vs. Zombies. The premise of the Plants vs. Zombies series is that you’re a homeowner who is trying to defend his house against a horde of the undead. Your weapon? Plants. Good Luck! Plants vs. Zombies 2 is out now for free on the App Store. After a lengthy beta testing period and a soft launch in New Zealand, Plants vs. Zombies 2 is finally available to all of us Americans. This time, instead of only defending your own home from the…

Game Diary, Reviews August 15, 2013

Righteous Kill 2 HD for iPad Review – Better Than the Original

While the first Righteous Kill game pretended to adhere to the basis of the (awful) movie, the sequel is original. Similar to the original game, Righteous Kill 2 is a fairly standard Hidden Object genre game. But unlike the original, Righteous Kill 2 is actually a decent game and worth checking out. Type of app: Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure Game Platform/where to buy: iPad, iPhone; available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Starz Media / G5 Entertainment Description: Here are some of the features: – 37 intriguing levels – 16 original mini-games – Police files for 11 victims – Heart-pounding…

Game Diary, Reviews August 15, 2013

Cognition Episode 2 – The Wise Monkey HD for iPad Review

Cognition is an episodic adventure game from legendary developer Jane Jenson and Phoenix Online Studios. I reviewed the iPad version; Episode 1 was deep, tense and intriguing, but performance was a bit erratic on iPad. Episode 2 “The Wise Monkey” works out all of the kinks, but maintains the same thrilling feel and well written plot. Buy now to see what Erica does next! Type of app: Adventure Game Platform/where to buy: iPad; available in the iTunes App Store. Developer: Phoenix Online Studios LLC Description: When someone close to Erica is kidnapped by the Wise Monkey, a serial killer fixated on…

Game Diary, Reviews August 9, 2013

Echoes Episode 1: Greenhearth Review -Stylized Mystery Gaming Brought to iOS

Echoes is an episodic mystery game with a distinctive style and where your choices impact the gameplay. The first episode is called Greanhearth, and drops you right into a dark & gritty world as you find out the story behind detective Rocky Fox investigating a murder. Let’s take a look. Type of app: Interactive Mystery Adventure (HOPA) game Platform/where to buy: iPhone/iPad; available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Nova-box Description: You are Ricky Fox, a brilliant detective from NYPD. Your best friend, Arthur Petrovski, a renowned psychiatrist, just passed away in strange circumstances and you travel there to make…

Crowdfunding, Game Diary, News & Features August 6, 2013

Larian Studios Releases Launch Trailer for Dragon Commander

Once again, I have cool news about Larian Studios, the creators of one of my all-time favorite games — Divine Divinity. In early April I talked about the Divinity: Original Sin Kickstarter, and a couple of weeks later noted the addition of a tier that also gave you a digital copy of Larian’s RTS (real-time strategy) game Divinity Dragon Commander. Well, today is the release date for Divinity Dragon Commander, and Larian Studios has published a launch trailer. Rather than some bland cinematic, this trailer actually shows you the purpose of different elements of the game, how you play and…

Game Diary, Reviews August 5, 2013

Deadpool Review on PlayStation 3

In Deadpool, the “merc(enary) with a mouth” gets his own third person action shooter/action game and goes up another number to break the “fourth wall” into several video game genres and various jokes/references. The Hype Some of you may know me as the Merc with the Mouth. And it’s time to get mouthy. Prepare to get Deadpooled – That’s right, $#*! just got real! Couple things I’d like to get off my chest: I’m a mercenary for hire with an accelerated healing factor. I like to run my mouth. Some say I’m unstable but I’m very stable. (Yep, totally stable)…

Editorials, Game Diary, Reviews August 3, 2013

Hands-On with the Realms of Arkania Remake – Just Say ‘Nein’!

Every now and then a game comes along that is so special that you just have to pre-order it, to offer up money to make sure it happens … and then when it arrives it is such a bug-filled and unfinished mess that it is hard to even contemplate how someone ‘released’ it. Such is the case with Realms of Arkania – not the original game, which is an absolute classic released by Sir-Tech in 1993 (translated from German). I am talking about the just-released remake. Here is the description: A legend reborn as Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny…

Game Diary, Reviews August 1, 2013

Alchemy Mysteries: Prague Legends HD for iPad Review

Sometimes a title tells you all you need to know about a game – in the case of G5’s Alchemy Mysteries: Prague Legends, we know it is a casual game because of G5, that it is a mystery involving alchemy, that it looks back into history and that it takes place in Prague. We quickly also learn that the game centers around an orphan named Eva who returns to Prague to claim an inheritance and hopefully learn more about her past and her real family. But just after entering the house strange and mysterious things occur! Let’s take a look!…

Game Diary, Reviews July 31, 2013

Droidscape: Basilica Brings Fun Tactical Escapism to iPhone and iPad

Imagine a futuristic world of a new Dark Age where the only hope for humanity is locked away in a massive labyrinth of a space station called the Basilica. In order to free him you need to help a robot named Bishop 7 navigate the space station. It is a puzzle game with a bunch of twists – read on to find out what I thought! Type of app: Sci-Fi Action Puzzle game Platform/where to buy: iPhone/iPad; available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Kyttaro Games Description: -Sleek, versatile slider controls! – Or play with HeadTwister, our experimental head-tracking technology!…

Virtual City Playground Gets a Major Update

Game Diary, News & Features July 31, 2013

Virtual City Playground Keeps Chugging Along with Massive Update for iPad and iPhone!

I love the Virtual City games including the free social version Virtual City Playground, as I noted in my review of the Android version. In the review I noted that the game took all of the fun of Virtual City and brought it to a free ‘playground’ mode that allowed you to just have fun. Of course, for G5 the big thing is monetization, and they have been very successful trading ease of upgrading and building things for small amounts of real-world cash. It is the classic example of eventually paying $20 for a game that you wouldn’t pay $5…

Game Diary, News & Features July 30, 2013

Nvidia Shield Lands in Stores Tomorrow!

Way back at CES 2013 in January Nvidia announced the Shield, a high-performance gaming and entertainment portable system based around the powerful Tegra 4 processor system. Well, the system hits stores on August 1st, and is already seeing some positive early buzz. Some of the features include: • The ultimate gaming and entertainment portable – powered by Tegra 4 • Ready for Android gaming – compatible with 100+ games on Google Play • Capable of streaming your PC games over Wi-Fi – to play anywhere in the house • Featuring a console-grade game controller, 5-inch retina-quality multi-touch display, custom-tuned bass reflex…

« 1 … 20 21 22 23 24 … 52 »