Game of Thrones is back! The Season 5 premiere covered a lot of ground (and characters), and should set up what might be the most unusual season of the show to date.
Full episode spoilers follow!
Polygon's Ben Kuchera wrote an opinion piece last week titled, "Why Jurassic Park is one of the best action films ever (and how the sequel seems to flub it)." You can read it here. Kuchera provides a really interesting summation of why the original Jurassic Park works so well, but I think he may be missing the obvious in assessing what we know about Jurassic World. He argues that the sequel is so far off of the original that there's essentially little-to-no hope that it will regain any of the franchise's former glory. I'd argue that it might be much closer to the mark than he gives it credit.
You've now doubt heard the news: Nintendo is finally going to (co-)develop games for smart devices (and, apparently Windows PCs?) and they have confirmed the development of their next gaming system, code-named the "NX." Big changes for the house of Mario.
Let's dig into the theories, implications, and wild guesses.
Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m a slow gamer. I regularly have four or five games that I’m “actively” playing, and the result is I’m never getting through any of them as quickly as, perhaps, other players. Case in point: Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon was released on March 24, 2013, for the Nintendo 3DS. I finished it last night, March 13, 2015 (and, to be clear, I got it within a few days of release). That’s just shy of two years to complete a handheld game that isn’t an epic, 100-hour RPG. In fact, I spent under 20 total hours playing it.
Am I doing it wrong?
Last month, Nintendo released the latest iteration of its 3DS handheld console series, the clumsily-named "New Nintendo 3DS XL." I've had mine for about a week and a half (after stewing for a few weeks about not getting the limited Majora's Mask edition), and I think I'm ready to share some impressions of the device and whether or not it's worth your cash to upgrade from an existing model or join in as a first-time 3DS owner.
It's probably not news to you by now that Alien: Isolation is a little bit of a divisive game. Some loved it, some didn't. Really, such is the case with many games. But, usually, I (like most people) would fall on one side the fence of these opposing views. The strange thing about Sega's interactive take on the 1979 space-horror classic is that I genuinely love and hate this game simultaneously.
Special edition consoles and handhelds. Limited run games. Pre-order bonus figurines. Rare amiibo figures. The list of Nintendo offerings that are supply-constrained (usually artificially) could go on and on, ironically.
While not the oldest game I'm currently playing, The Swapper is hardly a new release. If you're not up-to-speed on the game, picture a Metroid-esque 2D platformer with a "swapping" gun mechanic that allows your character to create four simultaneous clones (all of which move together) and then swap freely between them. While the atmosphere would make Samus Aran feel right at home, the gameplay has more of Portal than of Power Bombs.
Check out the full post for my initial impressions on this unique indie title.
Well, here we are: the end of another year. 2014 is just about wrapped up, so I wanted to write one last post to reflect on the highs and lows of this year in gaming from my perspective.
Other sites have covered the biggest news stories, the best & worst games of the year, and every other kind of list imaginable. So, rather than retread tired ground, I'll just provide my take on what I played, what I liked, and what really captured my attention.
At Sony's recent PlayStation Experience conference in Las Vegas, one of the biggest, most anticipated announcements wasn't a game. It wasn't even a surprise, having been teased days earlier. It was instructions on how to purchase the PSOne-themed, 20th Anniversary, limited edition PlayStation 4 console—instructions that were followed by a near-immediate sellout of the consoles with resale listings on eBay going for as high as $15,000.
Was this really a good way for Sony to celebrate twenty years of PlayStation fandom?
This has been a big week for old movie franchises: first, Jurassic World got its official trailer, and now Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens has an official "teaser." With J.J. Abrams at the helm, what do we make of this new journey back to that galaxy far, far away?
Black Friday is approaching, and with it comes the promise of getting a shiny, new console at an unbelievably low price. I've already written a piece recently about Nintendo's Wii U (which, honestly, might have the best lineup of games for the holiday), but what if you want something with a little less Mario? Which console should you buy?
An adventure 65 million and 22 years in the making, Universal Studios unveiled the official trailer for 2015's Jurassic World, a four-quel that comes over two decades after the original 1993 film. As a major fan of the series (despite its stumbles), I had to share a few thoughts. And, of course, the trailer is embedded.
After months of anticipation and speculation, Nintendo's amiibo figures, announced earlier this year at E3, have finally arrived! Of course, they accompany the release of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, but they are designed to be a cross-game accessory that will work with current and future Nintendo titles. I got my first four today, so let's take a look!
Two years ago today (November 18th, 2012), the Wii U launched in North America. People had been clamoring for an "HD Wii" for years, but the tablet-centric console ended up being a major source of confusion for early consumers. Was it a new console? A peripheral for the Wii? A portable tablet device? Would the games play on an original Wii? Fast forward to today, and the system has found some of its footing, but it's still in strange spot on its second birthday.