Interview with Robb Rinard, Creative Director Behind "Jeremy McGrath's Offroad"

A while back I reviewed an impressive XBLA racing game called "Jeremy McGrath's Offroad". I actually gave the game some much deserved praise. I had definitely enjoyed my playthrough of the game. Everything from the HD visuals to the actual gameplay were all brilliantly designed. Not long after the review I had talked with my PR contact about an interview he wanted done. I typed it up, and sent it to him. I had almost given up hope on ever getting the interview back, until I just checked my email. I'm definitely glad to be able to bring you this interview between me, and the creative director of 2XL Games. Hopefully the interview will spark your interest enough to at least give the demo a try. Without further adieu though here is the interview ...

Ninja Exorcist Episode 1 (XBLIG): "An Oriental 2D Side-Scrolling Masterpiece!

It's not often that I get psyched about a game to the point that I immediately recommend it before posting my review. In this particular instance I did though . It just so happens that Nebula Game Studio's presented one heck of a game with their own original release of "Ninja Exorcist Episode 1". Immediately when starting up the game I noticed the in-depth attention to detail that the developer had incorporated into the title. Everything from the prologue to the actual gameplay screamed high quality (1080p to be exact). With that being said I did get some errors while playing the game, and had to cut my playthrough short. The good news on that situation though is that the developer has already issued a patch for the game, and it should be coming out soon. This lets me know that the developer actually cares about their product, and the consumer which is always a plus.

Dead Sea (XBLIG): "Horror-Survival At Sea"

When I got Brave Men Game's request to do a review early this morning I was very curious as to what they had in store. I think it was earlier this year that I had reviewed their game "Hell's House", so I was expecting something similar. What exactly that was going to be I wasn't sure though. For some reason I expected some sort of apocalyptic game, but I was very wrong with that guess. After viewing the teaser trailer I had some serious doubts about the game, as you too will likely have. Even so I decided to do the review. Without further adieu I give you my two cents worth on this oddly interesting indie game ...

Pro Basketball Shooter (XBLIG): "A Single Button Arcade Style Basketball Simulation Game"

When I was a young fellow growing up video games had not really overtaken my life. I would often times play outside sports with my brothers, and sisters such as baseball, basketball, and even some tennis. It may be hard to believe, but I was actually a fairly active person back then. As I grew up though priorities changed, and I found myself enthralled by the world of gaming. I became so obsessed with the interactive technology that I spent many hours of my life playing video games, and continue to do so to this day. I eventually ended up becoming the video game journalist I am today as a result of my choices. With that being said it is nice to be able to play sports games even if it is just a simulator like the one I'm reviewing here. It brings back memories, and actually makes me want to get back outside and play. Maybe one day I will ...

Blog Update 7/23/2012

Hi Guys & Gals!,

I know things have quieted down recently here on "The Oni Xpress", but I assure you they'll pick back up very soon. I got caught up on a backlog of dvd reviews on my other blog which complicated things a good bit. The good news is though that I just picked up two XBLIG titles for review. One of them is an arcade style basketball shooter called "Pro Basketball Shooter". It was created by 'Rendercode Games' who are known for their previous XBLIG racing titles. The other game "Dead Sea" is by "Hell's House" creator 'Brave Men Games'. It features some CG animation, and a horror/survival tale that will most likely feature some intense gameplay. I only saw the teaser trailer though, so I don't really know much about it yet.

Sushi Castle (XBLIG): "Milkstone's Answer To 'The Binding of Isaac'"

Milkstone has answered my gaming prayers! Ever since I laid eyes on gameplay footage of 'The Binding of Isaac' I have longed to play the game. This was unfortunately impossible for me since my outdated PC can't handle even the simplest of Steam game titles. I was extremely psyched when I happened upon a tweet recently where @milkstone discussed what this game was all about. I replied by tweeting a message to the developer saying they could count me in for a review. I know that Milkstone has a good reputation for releasing some of the best quality titles on the XBLIG platform, so I knew "Sushi Castle" had huge potential. Needless to say the game did not disappoint. As I did my routine playthrough of the game I found nothing, but pure enjoyment from the experience.

Dungeon Fighter LIVE: Fall of Hendon Myre (XBLA)

When I hear the word NEXON I immediately think of mmorpgs. Not only do mmorpg based games pop into mind, but images of anime style characters and fantasy realms also come to thought. In all honesty I've never really followed PC games such as the Dungeon Fighter series too closely, but as an artist and anime fanatic I couldn't help but notice the ads that were placed on the gaming sites I frequent. I've always secretly longed to have a decent gaming PC so I could enjoy such games as the ones NEXON has produced. Even though my desire to game on a PC remains I'm truly glad that NEXON decided to bring one of their free-to-play rpgs to the Xbox 360 console. It allowed me, along with many other non-PC gamers to enjoy the delightful gameplay that the developer has been producing for years.

Zuma's Revenge (XBLA): "Amphibious Retribution PopCap Style"

When it comes down to delivering quality, and family friendly arcade style games no one quite does it like PopCap Games. Over the years I have spent countless hours with my parents, and siblings playing PopCap titles on the family PC. We have enjoyed a variety of different titles from the PopCap universe including games from the Bejeweled series, Plants vs Zombies, the Bookworm series, and even the Zuma series. My family will no doubt continue this trend as more games are released. In retrospect PopCap games have been a huge part of my gaming history. They are one of the few types of games that I will actually play on the PC, and are about the only types of games that my basic computer can handle. With that being said I'm definitely glad that the developer/s of these titles have brought them to gaming consoles such as the Xbox 360. While they were great on the PC, they are many times better on the Xbox 360.

Frogger Hyper Arcade Edition (XBLA): "Konami Revitalizes A Classic & Does It Right!"

If you're an oldschool gamer like myself then you've most likely spent at least some of your time playing the classic Frogger game. The first time I actually played Frogger was on one of those ancient PCs that are now as obsolete as obsolete can get. I recall playing Frogger at a school my Mother was teaching at during my childhood days. It was one of those fond gaming memories I'll likely never forget. I think that encounter with Frogger was actually the first time I had ever gamed on a computer, and is part of the reason I got interested in computers in the first place.

Anyways in a haphazard sort of way my point is that some games, regardless of their retro beginnings still have a flicker of life left in them. This is definitely the case with Konami's re-imagining of the classic Frogger game. They have once again breathed life into this almost forgotten classic. Not only did Konami revive Frogger, but they also did it the right way. Aside from the classic Frogger goodness that most of us know you'll find some additions to the game that make it many times better than it was to begin with.

Blog Update 7/8/2012

Greetings all my loyal readers! By now you've likely noticed the header/title change on my blog. While I've always been partial to my original blog name of "OtakuDante's Gaming Inferno" it seemed a little cliche to me. I wanted an blog title that was both catchy, and innovative without necessarily using my username as a part of it. My plans are to stick with the new title of "The Oni Xpress". It has an epic oriental ring to it that implies what I'm all about, hardcore press coverage. The header you currently see will most likely not be the final product. I have asked a good friend of mine (@MasterBlud) to design a more professional banner/header for me. I'm confident he'll make something worthy for my blog.