Latest Articles
Are Nintendo Directs Beneficial?
I've always been a firm believer that when Nintendo releases one of their Nintendo Directs, the content is interesting, and generally, will sell me on one of their products. However, I heard an alternate opinion today that made me rethink these videos. Is there such thing as too much information when it comes to Nintendo Directs?
Bioshock iOS could change the face of Mobile Gaming
The announcement that the original Bioshock would be coming to iOS was met with mixed reaction - people either hated it or wondered why it wasn't coming to Vita (although the answer is obvious: nothing is coming to Vita). It's such an odd reveal, one that nobody asked for and that few people can get their head around. Hardcore, premium priced mobile games can work, XCOM proved that, but Bioshock isn't a turn-based strategy game, it's an action heavy shooter. The truth is, the team porting the title have everything to prove and not much in the way of fan confidence, but, if they can pull it off, they might just change the face of the entire mobile industry.
Hyrule Warriors – Hands-on Preview
The new Legend of Zelda adventure game is not due out until 2015 (potentially 2016!?) and it appears as if Nintendo did not want such a lengthy departure from the series on its console. Cue Hyrule Warriors. If you have played any of the Dynasty Warriors games, you are essentially looking at Dynasty Warriors: Hyrule Edition. If you haven't played any of the Dynasty Warriors titles, imagine yourself, along with a few armed friends, attacking hundreds of enemies in an open area. One could imagine that a series as popular as Dynasty Warriors, coupled with the much loved world of Zelda, should be a major hit.
Nintendo Posts Quarterly Loss Despite the Success of Mario Kart
Nintendo posted a quarterly loss if 97.2 million dollars despite the success of Mario Kart 8. As I have iterated before, this is further proof that a single title cannot save a console, especially in today's environment. Despite being happy with the success of Mario Kart 8, Nintendo noted that more copies o the game were sold to consumers who already owned a Wii U, and that they sold less new Wii U's than expected. However, Nintendo still hopes to reach their yearly goal of 3.6 million Wii U's.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Hands-on Preview
Nintendo has a new character. Well, they actually have a new variation of an old character. If you've been a lifetime Nintendo fan, you might remember Toad as that annoying guy who was always scared in Super Mario RPG on the SNES, or the fellow who just stood around in the castle offering up stars and advice in Super Mario 64 on the N64. Toad has come a long way over the years, and despite maintaining his reputation for being frightened, he's even been given his own title to gloat about.
Nintendo Believes in Local Multiplayer. Do you?
Earlier this year I snagged a copy of Plants Versus Zombies: Garden Warfare for the 360. I bought it with one purpose in mind: Local multiplayer with my wife. My wife enjoys video games, but is not passionate about them. She is, however, a big fan of Plants versus Zombies; this seemed like the perfect title. Except it wasn't. To my dismay, Garden Warfare did not ship with local multiplayer, or even a way to play with a friend online in competitive play. It was a disappointment for sure, but it did have one benefit. I realized right then why I love my Wii U so much. I know for a fact that if Nintendo releases a game on Wii U with any type of mulitplayer feature, local couch play will definitely be an option.
5 Ways to make the Uncharted Movie not Completely Suck
Earlier this week, Sony sneakily announced that it was still developing the Uncharted movie, and even gave us a release date. The reaction was muted to say the least, not because the prospect of an awesome Uncharted movie is a bad thing, but because we've had so few good video game films that it's safe to assume Nathan Drake's big screen adventure will be equally crummy. That doesn't have to be inevitable though. Here are five ways Sony could adapt Uncharted to make it not totally suck.
Will Activision Cancel Shipments of Skylanders Trap Team for Wii U?
The Wii U is struggling sales wise, and despite a resurgence with the latest Mario Kart release and the upcoming Super Smash Bros U release, the reality is still the same: the Wii U console sales have been slow, and at times, stagnant. Third party developers are shying away from making games for the Wii U because the cost of development and packaging will net them little-to-no return, and even the potential of a loss. Activision, the company behind the incredibly popular Skylanders series, seems to have a solution; unfortunately, it is a solution that only really works with their game.
How to Read a Game Review
There's always a lot of discussion when a review doesn't fit the chosen narrative of a game's hype. Even when it's pretty much spot on, fans of a given franchise will question why it didn't score higher when it's their very favourite new game, better than Grand Theft Auto V by miles "and look at what you gave that!" There's no talking to people who've decided their very own score based on a twenty second teaser trailer, but a worse kind of reader has appeared - the sort that don't know what a review is and how to get the most out of it. And, sadly, their number seems to be growing.
The Issue with Being an Internet Tough Guy
The Internet has spawned a generation of human beings who feel that since they sit behind a monitor and use usernames that are almost impossible to pronounce, that they have the right to berate the opinions of professional journalists. The issue is not that these individuals disagree with the author, but it is how they choose to voice their disagreement. Disagreeing with an argument in a civil way promotes constructive discussion, a much better option then name calling.