Tuesday, June 29, 2010

PixelCast 19 - Three Little Pixels

It's said a lot, but Tim literally fell out of bed and went straight into recording this episode. This wouldn't be so bad were it not for the fact that it was already post-1pm at this point.

Fortunately, there was a panel of three others to back him up. Michael, Dylan, and I keep the show in check and make sure that things remain (mostly) focused on gaming. Lots of gaming. Apparently we all love Nintendo again. Go figure.

You can listen to us here or subscribe via iTunes

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010

E3 2010, the largest showcase of video games and other forms of electronic entertainment, has recently closed. As always, there are a whole slew of news and announcements about past performances, as well as new plans and initiatives. And always accompanying are post-expo reactions and responses.

It seems that this year's E3 is focused on the short-term, with many announcements related to this coming holiday season. Very few products break the mould, and most are retreading familiar ground.

Sequels are an accepted reality in videogames; we always want more of a good thing. But even in sequels, there are innovations. That seems lacking in the sequels we are seeing this year. Halo Reach, Gears of War 3, Killzone 3. There may be improvements in the technical aspects, but there's a general lack in bold imagination and and inspiring creativity.

I want to see more games like Journey, where the imagery is evocative, and about "singing, sand, hiking, cloth, surfing, astronauts and feeling small". My expectations for the game could ultimately go unfulfilled, but the developers have a such strong track record that I feel justified to be hopeful.

If nothing else comes of the game, at least they have given us some truly beautiful art.



Saturday, June 12, 2010

PixelCast 18 - Pixel Sucker

On this episode of PixelCast, Tim, Dylan and myself talk about Red Dead Redemption, MGS: Peace Walker, Auditorium and Sam & Max.

We also talk about games that evoke emotions, and answer the largest number of listener questions we've ever received: a grand total of 4!

You can listen to us here or subscribe to us via iTunes.

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Super Street Figher IV - Review

Michael Pincott and I have got our joint review of Super Street Fighter IV posted online at Pixel Hunt. Go on over there to see what we thought about the game.

Here's some highlights from the review:

With the 10 new additions, the roster has become so much more robust when compared to the original SFIV. Consequently, the amount of gameplay has also exponentially increased.

It’s clear that some characters have been buffed and some nerfed, though I’m not academically qualified to say whether this has resulted in a truly balanced game. Sagat, for example, is still a beast, while Dan is still… well, Dan.

Street Fighter IV was a superb game, and Super Street Fighter IV surpasses it in every way. As far as modern fighters go, there’s not much competition.

Read the rest of the review here. And while you're over at the Pixel Hunt website, read our other reviews, listen to the podcast and leave us some feedback.