Games

Don’t Let mar10 Day Pass You by Without Bumkins’ Nintendo Baby Gear

Bummed you missed out on Mar10 Day (March 10th)? Fear not, because Bumkins has you covered with their line of Nintendo themed children’s merchandise. They’ve got everything from throwback Mario teethers to NES controller bibs. Now your kids can grow up on Mario just like you did back in the 80s. Starting at $5.95, your baby can be indoctrinated early.


Super Seducer Is a Super Creepy Game

I don’t normally cover video games for Gear Diary; they just aren’t on my radar. But this week we received a pitch for a video game that made me so angry, I’m pretty sure my women’s studies degree became sentient, broke out of the frame in my office, and is currently trying to escape the building to protest. I’m glad it can’t, though, because then the creator of the Super Seducer video game might hit on it.


Lego Star Wars Is Teaching My Kid to Think

I never grew up playing video games; my parents were fine with us playing at arcades or at friends’ houses, but we were absolutely not allowed to own a Nintendo or Sega at home. So I enjoy sharing video games with my 4-year-old son, as it becomes a bonding experience when he “helps” me play Sonic or Mario Run on my iPhone.




Punch Bowl Austin Review: Can VR Gaming Work While Dining?

Now that the holidays are in full swing, and your home is cycling through visiting friends and family, you might find yourself trying to come up with a fun group activity that includes dinner. I’ll bet you’re thinking “it shouldn’t be this hard”, and you’re right! So, I’ve got the solution for you — Punch Bowl Social!


Stranger Things Game Will Get You Lost in the Upside Down

Stranger Things is coming in just a few weeks! If you live under a rock, “Stranger Things” is a horror-ish drama from Netflix that is an homage to the 1980s. It has evil scientists, parallel dimensions, plucky pre-teen heroes, and Winona Ryder screaming at Christmas lights. Now it also has a companion game, and it is incredibly addictive!






Sure Shot HD Brings Arcade Fun to Your TV

I have always been a sucker for arcade shooting games. We recently received a Sure Shot HD complete video game system to review, and it has been a hit. The $79.99 system brings arcade shooting into your home without the need of a new console or tons of expensive hardware. Let’s take a close look. 


Get Ready for Nintendo’s Super Mario Run to Release on the Apple App Store Today

After months of anticipation, Super Mario Run is set to release today on Apple’s App Store.  The release of this infinite runner-style game set in the Super Mario Brothers universe is a departure from Nintendo’s standard procedure of developing content exclusively for Nintendo hardware.  Nintendo’s new mobile game will be free to try but costs $9.99 for the full version.


Creative’s Sound BlasterX H7 Gaming Headset Is in a League of Its Own!

After just reviewing Creative’s Sound BlasterX H5 Gaming Headset last year, they sent over the update to those, in the BlasterX H7s, continuing their goal of being the best gaming headset on the market today! There are a lot of similarities in the H7s that are in the H5s from Creative, from the brushed metal down to the overall black design of the headset. Being someone who takes their gaming pretty seriously, especially online, a good headset is VERY hard to find. So let’s start with a few specs on the creative Sound BlasterX H7s: Audio ProcessingBlasterX Acoustic Engine Pro Headset Connector Type3.5mm Stereo Input…


“Legend of Dungeon” Developer Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for “Upsilon Circuit”

I love quirky fun games with a great sense of humor, such as “Frayed Knights” or “Legend of Dungeon”. The developer of the latter game, Robot Loves Kitty, has launched a crowd-funding campaign for their next game Upsilon Circuit: Death is Forever and Viewers Rule! Here is what the company says about this unique game: “Upsilon Circuit is a Video Game Show that takes place in an online Action RPG that only eight people, in the whole world, can play. Oh, and once a player dies they can never play again. Ever. Upsilon Circuit will be exclusively live streamed during…


How to View a Map of Pokemon Go Pokestops

Have you tried Pokemon Go yet? Players of this augmented reality game have almost taken over my town and judging by the numbers of people I see walking after dark the popularity isn’t subsiding. One of the questions I’ve heard players ask is if there is a way to get a map of the various Pokestops and Pokemon Gyms.


Nintendo Makes Everyone’s Dreams Come True with the Mini NES Console!

I was never allowed to have video games as a kid. My parents felt there were better uses of our time, so my brother and I were always super excited to visit friends who had video game consoles, ESPECIALLY Nintendo. Super Mario was the greatest, and his appeal was only increased by how verboten he was. Nintendo has finally answered my childhood dreams, though, and they’re releasing a modernized version of the original Nintendo Entertainment System console, complete with 30 classic games! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! For real, Nintendo is releasing a modern NES, and they’re throwing in everything…


Where Angels Cry 2: Tears of the Fallen HD for iPad Review

Three years ago I reviewed the original Where Angels Cry for the iPad, enjoying the adventure game feel and sustained mystery storytelling style but noting frustration with a few bugs I encountered in the help and quest systems. The sequel, Where Angels Cry 2: Tears of the Fallen, continues the immersive mystery storytelling, but this time I was never frustrated or stopped by any issues, it was just a great adventure from start to finish! Type of app: Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure (HOPA) Platform/where to buy: iPad (iPhone version available here); available in the iTunes App Store Developer: Cateia Games…


GoG Connect Brings Together Steam and GoG for the Best Digital Gaming Service!

As a digital gaming early adopter nearly 15 years ago, who was a loyal Steam user even before Half Life 2 popularized the service, and a beta participant in the launch of ‘Good Old Games’, I have a particular fondness for both Steam and GoG. This extends to owning copies of many games on both sites, so when GoG announced that they were partnering with Steam and publishers to allow you to add specific games already bought on Steam to your GoG library, I was ecstatic! Here are the details from GoG: “Connect your Steam account and grow or jumpstart…


Epic RPG Avadon 3 Coming This Fall from Spiderweb Software

Nearly three years since the last installment and more than five years since the series launch, series finale Avadon 3: The Warborn arrives this fall on Mac, PC and iPad. The epic franchise of games from legendary indie developer Spiderweb Software returns players to the exciting and delicately balanced world of Avadon, allowing them broad choices of storylines and character progress.


The Best Headset for Your Gaming System is Now Only $99

Full disclosure: All winter I’ve attempted to stay in the house as much as possible and do as much gaming as I possibly could. Over the Christmas holiday I ended up receiving an Xbox One bundle set with Madden 2016 included, and the only thing Microsoft did not include in the package was a headset. Luckily for me, Creative sent me over their Sound BlasterX H5 Gaming Headset to review, and over the course of a few months, I’ve yet to find a single flaw in them. At only $129 at the time I received them, it seems as if…