Saturday, June 30, 2012

The Walking Dead Ep.2: "Starving For Help"

Once again TellTale Games has delivered a horror masterpiece that pushes the boundaries on moral content, and decisions. Lee the hero of the first encounter returns with his handful of acquaintances along with Clementine, a girl who he has sworn to protect. The game itself literally picks up where you left off with the choices you made concerning the various characters still very much intact. Whomever you hurt emotionally, or even whoever you chose to save during certain circumstances will maintain the same feelings that they had since your last encounter. As the title suggests food has become scarce, and the stability of the group of survivors has been put to the test as a result. Trust is truly tested in this horrific tale that will no doubt have the player on the edge of their seats from beginning until the end. You'll find that Lee has to not only deal with new people that come into the picture this time around, but that he also has to try to keep the peace among his comrades. It's a difficult task that will have Lee (The Player) second guessing their decisions on a regular basis.

Pig & Bullet (XBLIG) Poetry Contest Winner!!!

I have to say that I'm disappointed with the result of this contest. I try my best to do contests that are both fun, and easy. The sad thing is I had three codes to giveaway, and only got one entry within a one week span of time. I tried my best to get people to join in, but in the end was unable to do so. As a result I will not be holding another contest/giveaway for a while. This is not the first time I've had a contest with little to no entries. Moving on though ...

I'm glad to say that at least one person was willing to submit a poem. This person was none other than DJ SBZ from (http://allkore.com). I actually checked out their site this morning, and I have to say their music looks pretty interesting. You may want to take a look for yourself. DJ SBZ submitted a Haiku which was one of the methods you could have chosen to use to enter this contest. Since he was the only one to enter he wins a code. As for the other codes I may give one to my nieces & nephews, and giveaway the other code to a person of my choosing.

WINNING HAIKU

If you meet a pig
Don't try to feed him bacon
That is just plain rude

by SBZ

Friday, June 29, 2012

Jeremy McGrath's Offroad (XBLA)

I'm going to be honest with you guys. I had initially intended to skip this game, because of a youtube video I watched. I usually do not watch any videos, or read any reviews before taking on a game. It's a big no-no for reviewers to do so especially if they wish to begin the review of a game with an unbiased opinion. Fortunately I was still able to maintain a proper perspective of the game regardless of the circumstances. What I found as I did my playthrough of 2XL Game's (the developer) racing title was an extremely fun game that excelled in ways I did not think were possible. This goes to show that you should not judge a game solely based on how it looks in videos, or even on what you hear from others.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Pig & Bullet Contest FTW!!! - Compliments of Spiceworx & GHXYK2 [CLOSED!!!]

I have some very awesome news readers!!! After doing my review on 'Pig & Bullet' I was able to get some extra codes for giveaway purposes from the developer (Spiceworx). In fact the developer was so generous that they ended up giving me a total of three codes! This means there will be three winners for my contest!!!

Now it's time to get down to business. I'm sure you guys, and gals have been wondering what type of contest I dreamed up with this time, well the answer is that it's a fun one! In the past I have done some first come first serve giveaways, and even a highscore giveaway. This time around I thought I'd do something a little more interesting though. After thinking about it during the night last night I thought to myself "Why don't I have a poetry contest?". I'm a published poet myself, and enjoy writing my own poetry so I figured it would be nice to see some other peoples' poetic talents for a change. With that being said there are some rules that must be followed. Those rules are as follows:

Blog Update 6/24/2012

Reviewing has become a full time job for me. While I enjoy doing what I do I also need a break/vacation from time to time. I will be taking a week long "vacation" starting today, and ending next Friday. This will give me the opportunity to catch up on some personal game time, and spend some quality time with the family. Do not be worried though, because I will return to bring you the latest reviews on the Xbox 360 games you're curious about. Another thing I need to mention is that at this moment there is a strong hurricane brewing just below the state I live in. The hurricane's path is questionable at the current time, and may eventually hit my area. This is one thing that could permanently end my career as a reviewer, or even my life. I take these storms very seriously, because the weather in my area has been no joke. We have had many close calls this year, and I'm sure there's more to come. If for some reason I'm ever unable to join you on any of the social media sites I frequent, or even here on my blog I want you all to know I have greatly appreciated your support and that you all mean the world to me. Thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say concerning video games. I hope to chat with all of you in the days, months, and years to come.

- Brad (OtakuDante) -

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Pig & Bullet (XBLIG)

I was browsing the Xbox marketplace recently when I stumbled upon a very interesting XBLIG title. The title of course was none other than 'Pig & Bullet'. The cover art immediately caught my attention as well as the name of the game. It was enough to warrant some further investigation. I went to the description as I usually do when checking out a new game, and found something really interesting. The soundtrack to 'Pig & Bullet' was composed by Yasushi Kaminishi who formerly composed soundtracks for Capcom, and Takumi. After seeing that little bit of info I definitely had to get the game. I purchased 'Pig & Bullet' for a cheap 80 msp, and set out to see what it was all about.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 (XBLA)

In my earlier days as a video game journalist for this blog I was able to secure, and post a review of 'MTG: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012". Through my knowledge of the game I was ultimately able to convince the PR of 'Wizards of the Coast' to allow me to review their game. It was a huge step for me to take at the time, and one I definitely enjoyed venturing into. I've been a fan of the MTG card game for a long time, so being able to post a hands-on review of the Xbox 360 version was sort of a dream job for me. When news of the latest edition of the Planeswalkers game was announced I was seriously psyched! I had to try my best to get the game for review so I could see for myself the changes that had been made, and the new additions that were talked about. I also wanted to share what I found with you guys, and gals. Through some persistence, and determination I was able to score a review code close to the release date of the game. If it weren't for my contact I wouldn't be able to do this review, so my thanks goes out to 'Whitney S.'. Thank you for not getting annoyed by my persistent begging, and for getting me the code. I hope you like the following review.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Pinball FX2 (XBLA): "MARVEL PINBALL: The Avengers Chronicles"

Out of all the available XBLA titles I'd have to say 'Pinball FX2' is my absolute favorite. I have spent numerous hours trying to best my friends top scores, and have even entered several of 'Zen Studios' tournaments in the process. Pinball FX2 is the kind of arcade game that never gets old, and is always fun to play. It is a game that I highly recommend every Xbox 360 owner buy. You will definitely not regret it. You'll find that each, and every table/set that has been released has been of top quality. While some tables are better than others none of them are horrible. This is also true for the latest set of 'MARVEL PINBALL' tables ("The Avengers Chronicles").

As a reviewer I have been very fortunate to gain the support of the developer of Pinball FX2. To be able to review each and every table set that has been released has been one of the best highlights of my job. With that being said I would like to take a moment to thank Mel Kirk for his support. "Thanks Mel!". Getting back on track ... This latest set of tables features various tales from the 'Avengers' universe, and also includes new table designs and innovations that have never been seen in an arcade style pinball game. Out of all the 'MARVEL PINBALL' sets I think Zen Studios has outdone themselves this time around with "The Avengers Chronicles' pinball set. Each table in the set is not only unique, but is extremely well made. I found that I absolutely loved three out of the four available tables, and that the fourth one wasn't that bad. Without further adieu though allow me to share with you what 'MARVEL PINBALL: The Avengers Chronicles' is all about.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Cherry Poke Prison (XBLIG): "Welcome To Skankatraz!!!"

There aren't many indie games that have made me laugh as much as the 'Trailer Park King' series has. While some gamers may be offended by the redneck humor I find it to be quite hilarious. I come from the south, and redneck jokes are commonplace in my area. When it comes to said humor 'Freelance Games' definitely knows how to dish out the dialogue. All of the characters in the 'Trailer Park Series' have been given a unique personality, and voice of their own making the humor even more laughable. A lot of the jokes are centered around porn references which I easily understand, because I actually review adult dvds. Some of the adult humor is over your head kind of stuff while other things are pretty much in your face. It's a good idea to keep this in mind if you ever want to check the series out.

After reviewing 'Trailer Park King' episode 2 I found that it finished with an open ending leading me to believe a sequel was in the makes. While browsing the Xbox marketplace one day recently I was surprised to find that there was indeed a sequel. At first I was seriously puzzled by the game's title, but when I read the description it all made sense. Freelance Games ended up giving me a code without me even asking. It was a truly pleasant surprise. I definitely wanted to see what was new in the world of the "King", and having the code in my possession I set out to do just that.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Shooting Chicken Brutal Suckers (XBLIG): "Kohei Gallery's Anime Hijinks Continue"

Out of all the Japanese based XBLIG developers 'Kohei Gallery' definitely outdoes the rest. During my time as an XBLIG reviewer I have covered two of their games on my blog. The first one I encountered was a racy anime puzzle game with "Moe" girls in it. While the images were a tad bit on the sexy side the puzzle mechanics of that game were very impressive. I had never played another game like it in my life. The second "Kohei Gallery" game I reviewed was "Houchi Play" which was a pervy sort of game where the goal was to inch the old guy ever closer down a bench to the cosplay ladies at the end without being noticed. Once again I found the game to have a unique design, and concept. As a result "Houchi Play" has become one of my all time favorite anime XBLIG titles. Not many games can make you laugh, and have fun like that game does.

After a short absence from the XBLIG marketplace "Kohei Gallery" has returned with a sequel to a game that was created two years ago. I had actually purchased the first game which was called "Shooting Chicken Revenge". The difficulty was honestly a little to serious for my tastes, but it seemed to be well designed. I had never seen a game like it though. The aim of the first game was to survive a never ending onslaught of what looked like stiff rubber chickens. It was a wacky concept, and something I would have enjoyed if it weren't for the extreme difficulty of the game. I have to say that I never thought "Kohei Gallery" would revisit the series, and make a sequel but I think it's a cool concept ... So, here we are about to dive into my review of "Shooting Chicken Brutal Suckers". You'll need to prepare yourself for some wacky word play cause I've got a lot to say about this odd indie game.

Interview with @unthrown of EpTic Gaming

As a gamer my online friends definitely mean a lot to me. Whether I'm tweeting with them via Twitter, or enjoying some game time with them it always brightens my day. One such friend goes by the Twitter alias @unthrown. Me, and @unthrown have been friends for a while now, and through Twitter I have found that we have a lot in common. Not only are both of us serious gamers, but we also work as video game journalists. During one of our Twitter chats I talked with @unthrown about doing an interview. He ended up accepting the offer without hesitation. Shortly afterwards I worked on coming up with an interview to share with you guys, and gals. The interview has been in the works for a while, but today I got the interview answers back from him. I hope you enjoy this interview, and get to know my friend a little better as a result.

Neocore Games - The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (Screenshots)



I learned about Neocore Game's upcoming RPG title "The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing" a few months ago. The game definitely caught my attention with it's unique art style. I'm a fan of RPGs, and anything to do with vampires/monsters. After contacting the developer about doing a review they gladly accepted my request, and added me on their mailing list for info on the upcoming XBLA title. I'm here today to share with you some of the first screenshots that were made available to the media/press. I hope you enjoy the look at this truly amazing game that is set to grace the XBLA library later this year!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Silver Dollar Games - "One Finger Death Punch (Work In Progress)"

Silver Dollar Games is one of my all time favorite XBLIG developers. While some reviewers heckle them over meaningless stuff I find some very intelligent game design in what they produce. I have enjoyed playing many hours on such games as "The Jump Hero", and "Ranger". Their one of a kind shmup called "sins of the Flesh" even held my undivided attention. Not many game developers would continue on after getting bad feedback such as 'Silver Dollar Games' has. I tip my hat off to Jon, and David for their persistence in the face of adversity. I hope they continue to produce many more games in the months to come!

If you have been keeping a watch on Jon, and David Flook's work then you'll likely know of their upcoming game "One Finger Death Punch". I actually featured an article about the game here on my blog some months ago. I am totally psyched about this game! The devs have really outdone themselves this time around, and by the looks of things the game is going to contain their signature simple control layout, and scored based gameplay. I'm absolutely thrilled just thinking about it. My point for bringing up all of this though is that I received an email giving specific details on what's going to be included with the game. I would like to take the time to share the email with you so that 'Silver Dollar Games' hard efforts will not be in vain.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Bang Bang Racing (XBLA): "A Flashy Arcade Racing Game"

There are only a handful of XBLA game developers out there that really grab, and hold my attention with what they release. Digital Reality just so happens to be one of those said developers. While I've actually only played, and reviewed two of there titles (Skydrift & Sine Mora) those two games were so impressive that I ended up recommending them to my readers. When I caught word of "Bang Bang Racing", their latest XBLA title I hoped that the trend of excellence would continue. What I ended up finding was a flashy arcade racer that didn't play as well as I'd hoped. There were some elements that just didn't seem to work in the game's favor, and as a result kept me from enjoying the game to it's fullest. As I give the details of the game in my review I will try my best to explain what I mean, so sit back, relax, and prepare for the truth as told by yours truly ...

Friday, June 8, 2012

Blog Update June 8, 2012

I know you guys, and gals are probably wondering why my production of reviews has slowed down to a crawl. The easiest way to put it is that I'm currently caught up in reviewers limbo. I'm not only juggling two blogs now, but I'm also "patiently" awaiting a review code, and retail game. Some of you have probably seen me tweet about reviewing the new XBLA game "Bang Bang Racing". The delay behind that is due to Digital Reality's, and the PR's involvement in the E3 event. Hopefully I'll receive my copy soon though. In a slightly more depressing turn of events 7Sixty, the developers behind the upcoming "Phantom Breaker" fighting game have pushed back the release date yet again. Last time I checked Gamestop had the release date set as 8/1/2012. I'm not sure what's up with the game, but obviously something significant is going on to keep causing delays. I know from previous chats with the PR that they were making sure all of the bugs were fixed before the release. I honestly don't think there could be that many more bugs to fix, and that the developer/publisher is likely waiting for more pre-orders of the game. That of course is my opinion though. That's my update for now. I will strive to bring you more coverage of all things related to Xbox in the days, weeks, and months to come. Until next time feel free to browse my blog for any reviews that peak your interest!

- Brad (OtakuDante) -

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Heroes of Hat (XBLIG): "A University Project Well Done"

I have been extremely fortunate to have the support that I've gotten from my readers, and game developers. Like I mentioned in my "Special Thanks" section this blog would not be as successful as it is without the support I have received. Between being able to convince retail developers that I can post a proper review, and the several requests I've gotten from XBLIG developers about doing reviews things have really started to improve for "OtakuDante's Gaming Inferno". In all honesty I never dreamed my blog would take off so well. It makes me really happy to know that game developers such as "Utah Game Forge" are interested in what I have to say about their game. While I don't review every game that is requested of me though I do my best to pick ones that I think have something special about them. I try my best to stay away from the clones though, because I believe that even an indie game developer can create original games if they are serious about what they do. In this review I'll be covering my thoughts on "Utah Game Forge's" "Heroes of Hat". I tried my best to do a full playthrough of the game, but ultimately I fell short due to the game's co-op requirements. As the game suggests this is a (Up To) 4 player co-op game, and it is best suited for multiple players.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Bureau - Shattered Slipper (XBLIG): "Sequel to Twist-Ed Game's Sexy FBI Thriller"

Guy Galer of 'Twist-Ed Games' is one of the more unique indie game developers to grace the XBLIG marketplace. If memory serves me well he has created four beautifully rendered titles including 'Colonies: NeoCiv', and 'Bureau - Agent Kendall'. It was by mere chance that I happened upon a Youtube trailer of Guy's game 'Bureau - Agent Kendall' late last year. My initial thoughts were that the game look interesting, and that there was a sexy quality about it, specifically some semi-nude sequences. It sparked my interest enough to request the game for review. During my playthrough of 'Bureau - Agent Kendall' I found it to be a very involved game. It utilized realistic FBI tactics including suspect interrogations, relationship building with various persons involved in the given cases, and action packed interactive sequences where the Bureau agents involved had to fight for their very survival. The game ultimately ended with a cliffhanger that was reminiscent of the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". Months have passed since the first game was released, but finally the sequel is here. I was very anxious to see how/if Agent Kendall got out of her dire situation, and if the gameplay was similar to that of the previous title.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

PDP Versus Fighting Pad (Xbox 360)

As a fighting game enthusiast who is used to playing with a standard controller I have found some serious issues gaming competitively on the Xbox 360. Microsoft's game controllers just don't cut it when it comes down to owning other players in online fighting games. The DPad does not function as well as it should. As a former PS3 gamer I was able to actually pull off some cool wins simply, because the PS3's controller functions much better with fighting games. It's a sad fact, and Microsoft definitely needs to fix on future controllers if they hope to win over more customers. There are third party developers out there who produce better functioning controllers, and as a result gain more buyers.

Throughout this year I've been observing the various types of fightpads available at the local GameStop, but none of them really looked that impressive to me. It wasn't until my friend @MasterBlud told me how awesome PDP's versus fightpad was that I truly became interested in getting such a controller. I honestly believe @MasterBlud knows his stuff when it comes to video games, and I trusted his judgement. After a recent trip to GameStop I picked up PDP Gaming's Versus Fighting Pad for a cheap $14.99. When I got home, and tried it out I found out exactly how good it was.

Friday, June 1, 2012

SEGA Vintage Collection: Monster World (XBLA): "A Retro Platforming Series That Withstood The Tests Of Time!"

Once again I find myself diving head first into a collection of retro game titles that were produced by the gaming giant, Sega. Growing up in the 80's, and 90's I did hear of the "Monster World" games, and I distinctly recall seeing an image from "Monster World IV" on one of my GameFan magazine covers. Yes I did buy those gaming magazines. I just couldn't help myself. It gave me a window into the gaming universe allowing me to see such games as "Monster World IV" even though I knew I'd likely never play them in my lifetime. The awesome thing is I finally did get my chance to play "Monster World IV" along with two of the earlier titles in the series. I count myself lucky that the Sega PR was willing to give me the opportunity to review their game. As a reviewer I do get some enjoyment out of my job, but ultimately my main goal is to inform my readers about the games I play. I like sharing my hands-on knowledge as well as giving my honest opinion on whether, or not  a game is worth spending your hard earned money on. You can't be too careful these days with games being released half-arsed.