The Walking Dead Ep.1: "A Point & Click Comic Book Adventure"

When it comes to video games I rarely ever see one that takes place in the state I live in. My state, Georgia has really scored big recently with both the television, and video game series of "The Walking Dead". In fact some of you may not be aware of this, but one or two of the television episodes were filmed here in Georgia. It's definitely cool that the state I live in is getting the spotlight from such an amazing series. While I have never read one comic book in the series, or even watched the television show I've only heard great things about it. I was glad to find out that 'Telltale Games (The Developer)' decided to go along with the comic book series. I don't think copying the tv series would have been a smart move.

I know I've been promising you this review for a long time, and I apologize for the delay. I was able to do my playthrough of the first episode in one sitting today though, so now I'll be able to finally deliver on that promise. I will tell you now that I will give away no spoilers. I will just give you the basics of the story since I don't want to spoil the game for anyone. It's definitely a game that's best experienced hands-on. I'll also give you insight on the quality of the game as I usually do. Without further adieu ladies & gentlemen lets get this thing rollin'!

Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat (Xbox 360)

I was extremely excited about getting "Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat" for review. It marked a significant milestone for my blog. It meant I was literally stepping up my game from doing reviews on XBLIG, and XBLA titles to doing retail game reviews. Ben PerLee of (Reverb Inc.) was the guy who made this happen for me, and I'm very appreciative of that. The sad news is that not long after getting the game I experienced some significant issues with the game that kept me from completing my playthrough. I went back, and forth with Ben trying to figure out what was wrong, but every explanation he offered did not help in sorting out the unfortunate situation. In the end I think the fault lies with the game's unorthodox presentation. The fact that it didn't not load like regular retail (disc based) games is likely the reason for the complications. Keeping this in mind I have decided to go ahead with my review as best as I can. While I may not be able to provide every detail of the game I will do my best to explain it to you. I will also briefly go over the issue that plagues the game in it's current state.

SkullGirls (XBLA): "The Review"

As I promised earlier in my "Rant" I'm here to deliver to you my "Review" of the new fighting game 'Skullgirls'. If you haven't read my rant yet I suggest you do that either before, or after reading this review. It tells some things that really bothered me about the game as well as some significant issues that plague the game in it's current state. While my rant is a little on the rough side I believe it properly conveys how frustrated I was with the game when I played it. I will not be as blunt, or straight forward with my review though. This review is mainly here to let you know about the characters, modes, controls, graphics, and other features that the game has to offer. I hope both my rant, and review gives you enough insight into 'Skullgirls' to allow you to make an educated decision if you choose to buy the game. Without further adieu lets get this show on the road!

Skullgirls (XBLA): "The Rant"

After thinking long, and hard on how I was going to approach my review of 'Skullgirls' I decided on dividing it into two separate posts. The first post, which is the one you are about to, is appropriately titled "The Rant". This post will be where I lay down my opinions on the game. The second post will be titled "The Review", and will come later giving you all the details of the game without my opinions cluttering up the post. I feel this separation of review, and rant is necessary. It allows me to give my opinion in it's purest form while not having to give the details of the game. This is opposite to the "The Review" which will give you details about the game without you having to hear me complain about the issues that plague it. Without further adieu I think it's time to get the show on the road!

MICRO REVIEW: "Pinball Arcade (Xbox 360)"

I have decided to make a review sub-category called "MICRO REVIEW" in which I'll give straight to the point reviews about games, and DLC that I have purchased with my own money/msp. I will show no mercy to the titles that truly suck, but will still give praise to games that truly deserve it. To start off this new category of reviews I will be giving you the inside scoop on an XBLA I purchased this morning titled "Pinball Arcade" ...

Good News!!! "Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat (Xbox 360)" + "Battle of the Week: Round 3"

I recently broke the news to you that I was added to the list to receive a review copy of 'Phantom Breaker'. The good news doesn't stop there though. I was also added to the list to receive 'Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat' for the Xbox 360! If you have no clue as to what this game is it's basically a compilation of the the two 'Deadliest Warrior' games that are available in the XBLA marketplace. In addition to these two arcade games being in the retail version there's also some extra content that wasn't originally made available in the XBLA versions. I fell a little behind in reviews, so I wasn't able to deliver this news to you or the "Battle of the Week" media alerts that '345 Games' had been sending me. This week I'm able to deliver "Round 3" of the "Battle of the Week" series. I hope you enjoy the screenshots as well as the interesting article that the developer has shared with me.

Wrecked: Revenge Revisited (XBLA): "4 Player Racing Combat"

I would normally use this introductory paragraph to tell you about how I managed to get the game in question for review, or something along those lines. This time I'm going to do things a little differently though. To begin with I'd like to thank '505 games' for allowing me to do a review on 'Wrecked: Revenge Revisited'. Thank you so much! This is the first time I believe that I've contacted '505 Games' about a review request, and I was definitely glad to see that they were willing to give me a chance. I know I've mentioned this before, but the success of a reviewer greatly depends on those who support him/her. Whether you're reviewing DVDs, or video games the same rule always applies. If you don't have a decent following of supporters, or developers/publishers that are willing to give you a shot at proving yourself then you will ultimately fail. That's why I'm thankful for gaming companies like '505 Games' who are willing to give smaller review sites such as my own a chance. Now that I have all of that squared away I will present to you my review of 'Wrecked: Revenge Revisited'!

Sine Mora (XBLA): "A Masterful Tale of Genocide & Revenge Told Through Shmup Style Gameplay"

Sometimes I really get excited for a game, and will send my request in early for it. As a reviewer I realize that the demand for review codes is rising as more sites are created around games from the Xbox LIVE marketplace. I jumped at the chance to send in my request the moment I watched the first trailer of 'Sine Mora'. As time passed by I kept a close watch for details about the game, because I knew this game was going to be something special. In one of the articles I read about 'Sine Mora' prior to the game's release I found out that two very awesome, and talented artists would be contributing to the game. The game's musical score was created by the extremely talented 'Akira Yamaoka (Shadows of the Damned & Silent Hill series). I also found out that the boss battles within the game were created by an equally talented anime artist, 'Mahiro Maeda (Final Fantasy Unlimited, The Animatrix sequence "The Second Renaissance Parts I & II", and the animated sequence from Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill Vol.1"). Sine Mora's story unfolds in a grand fashion that is beyond what most shmups try to express. I would say that it even exceeds most of it's competition within the shmup (shoot'em up) genre.

Shoot Many Robots (XBLA): "It's Rated 'M' For A Reason ..."

I don't think I've ever seen a game quite like "Shoot Many Robots". This 4 player co-op run-n-gun RPG (as described in the press release) is brought to us by 'Demiurge Studios (Borderlands, Brothers In Arms, Mass Effect)', and Ubisoft (Assassin's Creed, I AM ALIVE ...)'. Both game studios/pubishers have helped develop some pretty impressive games in the past. This game (Shoot Many Robots) in particular features an art style that most 'Borderlands' fans will recognize. While it's similar to 'Borderlands' in some minor ways it definitely stands on it's own. In my career as a gamer I've rarely seen any game developer/publisher push the envelope of the 'M' rating like 'Demiurge Studios/Ubisoft' has. When you start up the game you'll immediately notice the larger than life ESRB rating on the screen. It lets you know that you are about to experience a "Mature" game, and let me tell you this couldn't be more accurate. The fact that the ESRB notice includes warnings about sexual content, strong language, and the use of alcohol should make this fact perfectly clear. I ended up spending a good amount of time playing the game, and noticed a lot of "things" that I'll discuss in the paragraphs that follow. Prepare yourselves, cause this could get ugly ...

Pinball FX2 (XBLA): "Epic Quest"

Zen Studios have produced some spectacular pinball tables in the years that they've been involved in game development. This time around though they really outdid themselves with a unique pinball table experience that combines the elements of RPGs with all of the goodness of a Pinball FX2 table. The table I speak of is called "Epic Quest", and the title definitely suits the experience you'll get when you play the table. I honestly think that Zen Studios covered every single element you'd find in a classic, or even modern RPG. There's HP, MP, Spells, A Ranking/Leveling system, Upgradeable weapons/armor, and epic boss/creature battles that continue even after you have lost. The brilliant innovation that Zen Studios has applied to this table goes way beyond just RPG elements, but also includes some "Epic" replay value. It's something you won't find anywhere else in the pinball gaming world at this current time. I know you guys, and gals have been awaiting my review, so I'll go ahead and get into it ...

Shank 2 (XBLA): "Sequel To The Original Blood Filled Brawler"

I'm going to begin by saying that I have never actually played the first "Shank" game. I did notice during my playthrough of "Shank 2" that it looked like the continuation of another story. With that being said though I was able to understand everything that was going on without having played the previous game. What I discovered when I played "Shank 2" was a gory 2D brawler/platformer that seemed to have elements of the "Metal Slug" games, and an art style similar to the "Samurai Jack" series. It also featured an interesting, and deeply involved combo system with a wide variety of weapons. All of the characters in the game had their own unique personality that gave them a likable quality. Shank (the hero) was a lone wolf kind of guy that reminded me a lot of "Marcus Phoenix" from the "Gears of War" series. He had that same gritty voice, and attitude going on. As I played the game I really began to like Shank's style. As interesting as the characters were I found that the story to be even more entertaining. It featured a plot about organ harvesting, a dying dictator, a mad doctor, and even a female cult leader among other things. It was like a "Quentin Tarantino" grindhouse feature that was made into a video game!

Pinball FX2 (XBLA): "MARVEL Pinball: Vengeance & Virtue"

Zen Studios, the developer of all 'Pinball FX2' tables have once again allowed me to review their latest release. This time around they created four new tables in the 'MARVEL Pinball" series. This DLC set was properly titled "Vengeance & Virtue". The brand new tables feature 'X-MEN', 'THOR', 'Ghost Rider', and 'Moon Knight' themes. Each table has details that stay true to the corresponding comic book hero's, and villain's stories. As with any Pinball FX2 table there are 3D elements, impressive voice acting, and animated events that accent each table's theme. After playing each table for a while I found them to have a moderate to hard difficulty, and a variety of different features that take some getting used to. I will breakdown each table's pro's, con's and details for you in this review.

Xotic (XBLA): "An FPS Hybrid Like No Other"

I rarely ever get excited solely by the looks of an XBLIG, or XBLA game. In this case something about 'WXP Game's (The Developer)' new FPS Hybrid titled "Xotic" really caught my attention. In fact it held my attention to the point that I watched all of the trailers, and videos about it as I sent multiple review requests hoping to secure a code. I was definitely determined to get this game for review. To me 'Xotic' seemed like one of those "next best thing" sort of games. It's not often that someone reinvents a genre in an entirely new way. WXP Games not only reinvented the FPS genre, but made a game unlike anything I have ever seen. The originality I witnessed in 'Xotic' was truly awe inspiring to say the least.

BurgerTime World Tour (XBLA): "A Fast Paced Fast Food Arcade Game Frenzy"

During my time as a gamer I have never really played a game like 'BurgerTime World Tour'. I do realize that there was a release of BurgerTime for a retro console (The NES I believe???), but I never really got the opportunity to see what it was about. Aside from it's classic gaming roots BurgerTime had previously been re-released as a next generation XBLA game that played, and looked very similar to this one (BurgerTime HD). Monkey Paw Games the developers behind this wacky puzzle/platformer revived the title once more with newly added features that includes an online multiplayer mode, and Xbox live avatar compatability. The offline mode features 4 worlds with multiple levels in which 'Peter Pepper' competes against rival burger makers by completing burgers (layer by layer). His task is complicated by attacks from various enemy foods (hot dogs, Limburger Cheese, Eggs, Pickles, Peppers ...), obstacles, traps, and level sized bosses that constantly block his path to progress.

Real Steel (XBLA): "A Highly Customizable Robot Boxing Game ..."

If you are as old as I am you have probably seen the "Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots" toys of ages (years ^.^) gone by. The concept was really simple back then, and only involved a couple of movable plastic robots that were attached to a plastic boxing ring. It was inevitable that the release of a movie/video game such as "Real Steel" would sooner, or later rear it's head. With the lack of inspiration that seems to be plaguing the hollywood directors of today, and the classic toy/movie craze (Smurfs, Transformers ...) that is currently going on it all sort of adds up. Yuke's Co., Ltd is the developer behind this video game rendition of the recent movie release. Unlike the movie "Real Steel" there is nothing going on behind the stage involving the human puppet masters (Hugh Jackman ...) that control the brawling bots. The game itself is pretty much a straightforward boxing game with some nice additions (RPG elements, customizations, robotic dismemberments ...) to gameplay that suit the scifi content the game was molded after.

Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone (XBLA): "A Dual Thumbstick Zombie Shmup"

Zombie Apocalypse: NDA (Never Die Alone) is the sequel to Back Bone Entertainment, and Konami's 'Zombie Apocalypse' game of 2009. It features dual thumbstick (shmup) style gameplay, and a story that can be completed in either singleplayer or multiplayer modes. Up to four players can join in on the zombie shooting spree in multiplayer mode, or you can have at it alone switching between characters as you make your way across the zombie infested locations. There are four unique characters to play as in the game. There is a gamer dude named 'Jeremy', a female weapons specialist named 'Alma', A youth minister named 'Father Bill', and a British/Australian rapper named 'Def Money'. Each character plays their own special part in this apocalyptic zombie tale that takes place in the various locales of Canada. There's lots of humor to enjoy, zombie swarms to neutralize, and some major moolah to collect in this RPG driven shoot 'em up.

The War of the Worlds (XBLA): "H.G. Well's Classic Tale Reimagined"

When you have been a gamer for as long as I have you have likely witnessed the change in visual styles, and graphics on gaming consoles through the years. There have been both 2D, and 3D versions of video games released throughout the years I have been gaming. Rarely ever do you see a developer take a gaming concept of old, and significantly enhance it though. This is definitely the case with 'Other Ocean Interactive's (The Developer)' latest reimagining of H.G. Wells classic martian invasion story "The War of the Worlds". The developer has taken the oldschool 2D platforming genre, and has applied it in a way that pays perfect tribute to the classic invasion tale. The graphics are definitely next generation quality, and the soundtrack is truly amazing. To top all of that off, Other Ocean Interactive has acquired the voice-over talents of 'Sir Patrick Stewart'! With all of that combined 'The War of the Worlds' for the Xbox 360 has been brought to life in a way that the newer generation of gamers can experience, and appreciate.

Bejeweled 3 (XBLA): "A Multi-Mode Gem Matching Puzzle Game"

In the many years I've been gaming I have played a wide variety of video game genres that include puzzle games. Some of those puzzle games that I enjoyed playing included several 'PopCap Game' titles such as their very popular Bejeweled series. My family has an extremely competitive nature when it comes to gaming, and we would often times try to beat each other's scores in Bejeweled, Bejeweled 2, and Bejeweled Blitz. My Mother, and Father both are actually pros at the Bejeweled games, and have scored in the millions of points during their playthroughs. When I saw that 'Bejeweled 3' was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace I knew I had to do a review on it, because it's one of those amazing arcade style games that should get some recognition. I honestly knew the game was going to be great before I requested it. I just didn't know how much content 'PopCap Games' had included in this installment of the series. That is another reason for my request of the game. I like to keep my readers informed on all types of games even if they are puzzle related.

Dungeon Defenders (XBLA): "A Tower Defense & RPG Hybrid Gaming Experience"

I did a lot of research before I set out on my quest to get the review code for Trendy Entertainment's new XBLA release 'Dungeon Defenders'. Initially I was quite impressed with what I witnessed from watching the 'Dungeon Defenders' trailers, and developer diaries videos. I knew I had to get this game for review, so that my reader's would be well informed as to what the game's experience is like. I also wanted to see for myself how this game compared/differed from other RPG hybrids. I have to honestly say that I was thrilled when Trendy Entertainment's PR sent me two review codes, so that I could experience the multiplayer with someone else that I knew. Often times I find myself missing out on the multiplayer experience, because I have no one to share it with. Thankfully Trendy Ent. realized that the reviewers (such as myself) needed to play their game as it was meant to be played, in multiplayer/LIVE.

Dungeon Defenders (XBLA): LIVE With @CherryRasulka

The developer (Trendy Ent.) of this unique/amazing tower defense hybrid game (Dungeon Defenders) gave me not one, but two review codes. The reason behind this was that the guys/gals at Trendy Ent. felt that it was necessary for me to be able to experience the entire game as it was meant to be experienced. Dungeon Defenders offers the gamer a solid single player/multiplayer gaming experience, but in the end I found that the game was truly meant to be enjoyed with someone else. My someone else (the reciever of the 2nd review code) just so happened to be my good friend @CherryRasulka from Twitter. Her, and her husband have both shared a previous online gaming experience with me, so I knew she would be the perfect teammate for the job. She has agreed to do an interview with me which I thought was quite nice. What follows is a series of questions, and answers between me and @CherryRasulka about her time with 'dungeon Defenders' ...