Game Diary

Gear Games Review: Atari’s Greatest Hits … and You Thought It Was Just an April Fools Joke!

Just last week I posted a nice review of the Pong home entertainment system … and everyone thought it was a joke! But not Atari – they just released a new game called ‘Atari’s Greatest Hits’ on the iTunes App Store. But is it any good? The Hype: Atari’s Greatest Hits brings the best of retro gaming to iOS with 100 Classic Atari Games. This suite brings you the hottest Arcade and 2600 titles from Atari. For those who love the classic gaming experience this handheld breakthrough is sure to guarantee hours of fun. What we feature is: • 18…


HellOut!-Volcano Adventures for iPhone/Touch

I started checking out this game searching for my Blue Plate Special app and was not sure if it could make the grade, but after a few minutes of playing I started getting hooked and found myself trying to beat more and more levels. HellOut!-Volcano Adventure reinforces my theory that simple, fun game play along with easy controls makes for an enjoyable IOS playing experience. Let’s take a look. The idea of this game is quite simple, but conquering it has proven to be another story. Your job is to guide a small dragon up to the top of the…


Yet Another Reason I Hate Sony

While I mentioned that Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars came out two weeks ago for just about every platform, I’m still not playing it yet. Why not? Because due to my play habits and the game style of the LEGO games, I love playing on the PSP. Also, my favorite PSP is the PSP Go, which then means that I have to wait for the PSN release – sometimes same day, sometimes later, sometimes never. In this case it was known there would be a delayed launch, which meant that I would just have to keep an eye…


Angry Birds ‘Success’ – Popularity at No Price?

We just learned that the latest entry in the bird launching franchise – Angry Birds Rio – has been downloaded 10 million times in the first 10 days. We also recently heard that the franchise as a whole has passed 100 million downloads, and a month ago that the Android version has netted 30 million downloads. These massive download figures have caused some to make various statements about it being the most popular video game ever, etc. In contrast, between 2005 and 2010 Tetris *sold* more than 100 million cell phone copies. While the difference in time scales is notable,…


Gear Games Review: Atari C-100 Pong Home System

As anyone who has whiled away the hours playing Dungeon or Trek on your PDP-10 or S/360 knows – video games are fast becoming a BIG DEAL! Atari has caught on to this phenomenon, and already released the exciting Pong arcade game a couple of years back. But now they are ready to take it to the next level – with the C-100 Pong console they are bringing all the thrill of pong into your HOME! The Hype: Pong is a two-dimensional sports game that simulates table tennis. The player controls an in-game paddle by moving it vertically across the…


Mr AahH for iPhone/Touch

I remember a day when searching for a game I worried about 3D graphics and realistic gameplay. Of course those things are nice and cool in a game, but IOS has brought me back to the day where simplicity and fun were more important than realistic explosions. I recently tried to explain to some of my students how fun gaming was “back in the day” when graphics were terrible, but the games were just fun and could be replayed over and over. This idea has proven true for me again with IOS games where simplicity, enjoyable game play and the…


Angry Birds Rio for iPhone/Touch

I did a strange thing this morning. My alarm is set for 5am but I actually woke up 10 minutes early. I grabbed my phone from the charger next to my bed and searched the appstore for the new Angry Birds Rio game. Most would think I am nuts for doing such a thing, but if you are a fan of the Angry Birds games, you understand my excitement. Like a kid on Christmas morning, I hurried to my office to play through some of the levels before it was time to wake up the family and get ready for…


Mac Game Review: Avadon: The Black Fortress

Since its beginnings in 1994, Spiderweb Software has focused on bringing classic story-rich role-playing experiences to gamers. The earliest Exile games were rudimentary and seem quaint now, but the Avernum and Geneforge series have offered gamers comparable experiences to the best so-called ‘AAA’ games for a lower price. Of course, the focus is on story and character and combat system over graphics and sweeping soundtracks, so it is subjective to what you are looking for out of a game. I had written an article for a defunct site years ago about why Avernum IV was better than Oblivion in all…



Call of Duty and C.O.D.E. Help Educate our Vets

Image courtesy of ClubLakers. Thanks Kobe. It’s always good to see organizations so willing to support our troops and veteran soldiers, and it’s even better to be a part of it yourself. After returning from a conflict or war, sometimes soldiers need help gaining their civilian life back and often times need to find new employment. Call of Duty Endowment is a program spearheaded by Activision Blizzard to increase awareness for our veteran soldiers. CODE often aids with large grants and donations that assist troops in getting back on their feet. We all know the video game Call of Duty…


Gear Games Quickie: Want to Play Dragon Age 2? Don’t Upset an EA Forum Moderator!

I pretty well tore a hole into Dragon Age 2 the other day, including about the whole need to be logged in everywhere. But there was one thing I didn’t even think about – that an inability to login could prevent you from playing the game! But apparently that is EXACTLY what has happened to at least one person according to a report at BluesNews! Please review the EA Community Terms of Service, particularly sections #9 and #11. There are two levels of enforcement here: 1. BioWare community bans are forum-only and can be for as little as 24 hours….



Tiny Wings for iPhone/Touch

Rarely does a game come along that leaves me totally addicted on my iPhone. While anxiously waiting for new levels on Angry Birds, another bird game caught my eye and now is ruling all of my spare time. Word of warning, if you are not interested in being completely addicted and enthralled with a game, do not purchase Tiny Wings. If you are interested in a super fun and crazy way to pass the time, read on and purchase immediately. You have always dreamed of flying – but your wings are tiny. Luckily the world is full of beautiful hills….


Is THIS the Future of the RPG? If So … the RPG is Dead!

Several years ago a variety of games started adding things like experience, skill building and other forms of progression as elements to their roster. Games like Grand Theft Auto San Andreas allowed you to ‘pump iron’ to make progress, online shooters like Battlefield 2142 tracked your progress and allowed you new ranks and skills as you progressed. Games were touting their ‘RPG elements’ in an attempt to differentiate themselves from the sea of similar shooters and action games … rather than actually being innovative. Life has come full circle, or so it seems based on a couple of statements by…


PC Game Review: Majesty 2: Monster Kingdom

The final expansion to Majesty 2, Monster Kingdom, was originally supposed to be released in early December, but was delayed into January. I was very concerned – this was going to land it square in the midst of other releases such as Venetica and Two Worlds II. Fortunately, those games were delayed so I had the chance to spend some quality time with the final expansion to a game I have really enjoyed for the last year and a half. How did they do closing the book on Majesty 2? Read on and find out! The Hype: The King would…


PC Game Review: Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga

Last year I reviewed Divinity II: Ego Draconis, noting that “I very much enjoyed Divinity II, but I also have to say it didn’t meet my hopes and expectations. After a few hours I truly loved the game, but after a few more the weaknesses started showing through.” I ended up giving it a weak ‘Buy It’ recommendation, really focusing on the audience who would naturally be biased in favor of the game. The Hype: Divinity II – The Dragon Knight Saga also includes the brand new adventure Flames of Vengeance, which adds dozens of hours of gameplay to the…


Super Ball Escape for iPhone/Touch Review

I have a running joke with one of my students about the iPhone being so much better than her Android phone. We joke about battery life and applications and games. The other day she was so proud to show me a new game where you tilt the phone like a board to guide a ball around a maze to. I laughed and told her IOS has plenty of games like that and some of them were much more involved than just moving the ball around the maze. She asked to see one so I searched for something cool. I stumbled…


iPad Game Review: Frogs vs Storks

Sometimes there is nothing more pleasant than a casual game to pass the time. And while it seemed that all of the casual games have migrated to either Nintendo systems or Apple’s iPad and iPhone, there are still companies providing solid casual entertainment for the PC and Mac gamer. And more and more companies are providing casual games for the PC as well as iOS devices. One such game is Frogs vs. Storks, which is available for the PC, Mac and iOS devices. The Hype: Evil storks have invaded the pond!! But the frogs are putting up quite a fight!!…


iPad Game Review: Treasure Seekers II: The Enchanted Canvases

Given how much I enjoyed the Mystery of the Crystal Portal games, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review Treasure Seekers II: The Enchanted Canvases. Like the Crystal Portal games, Treasure Seekers is a hidden object game with a story that keeps you engaged as you go along. But aside from that, how is the game? The Hype: Help Nelly find and save her brother from a mysterious Romanian castle! Dive into the castle’s magical pictures and discover the secrets of the Philosophers’ Stone. Use your Hidden Object skills in Treasure Seekers: The Enchanted Canvases to break the…



iPad App Review: Weird Worlds Return to Infinite Space

I have always been a fan of space being a Star Wars fanatic (not a Star Trek guy though). How fun could it be to take a sweet spaceship and buzz around the universe visiting strange and uncharted worlds. With that said, most any space game has always been entertaining to me. Whether it means blasting ships and aliens or making friends with them for business reasons, space is always a fun place to game. I jumped at the chance to review Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space for these very reason.  Let’s take a look. Choose between three ships…