Soul Calibur V (Xbox 360): "The Love/Hate Relationship"

This is a follow up to my last article about "Soul Calibur V", and it's more of a discussion about what I'm finding out about the game as I play it. In this particular article I'll also try to discuss further pros & cons I have found about the game ...

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!

Cloudberry Kingdom (XBLIG): "Upcoming $1,000 Contest!!!"

I have just received an email from 'Pwnee Studios' concerning one of the biggest prizes related to an XBLIG title! The contest in question will take place once the game is released in early Spring. It seems that 'Pwnee Studios' is searching for the greatest platformer gamer of all time ("Platformer god"). In order to prove your worth, and win the $1,000 prize you will need to be the first gamer to complete "Cloudberry Kingdom" on it's hardest difficulty setting. After you do so you will need to upload the replay via an in-game feature. I will leave you guys & gals a link to this extremely exciting contest so that you can check it out for yourself. I definitely know I'm going to give it a shot, and I hope you do as well. Best of luck to anyone who enters!

http://www.pwnee.com/wanted/

The Simpsons Arcade Game (XBLA): "A Retro Arcade Beat 'em Up"

This game brought back so many memories from my childhood. As a teenager I enjoyed watching "The Simpsons" every chance that I got. My mother wasn't really approving of the shows semi-adult humor, but she allowed me to view it anyways. The television series isn't the only nostalgic memories this game brings to mind. Back in the day when I used to play the arcades at a skating venue called "Skate Country" I would spend many quarters playing this exact same arcade game. When I first got this game for review I wasn't really sure it was a direct translation of the arcade cabinet game, but after doing a thorough playthrough I realized that it was. It was definitely a pleasant surprise. I think Konami, and Backbone Entertainment did an excellent job of porting this arcade style brawler to the consoles. They included a lot of extra features that the arcade cabinet version of the game didn't have including online co-op.

Cloudberry Kingdom (XBLIG) - "Pwnee Studios Upcoming Game Release"

I've been recieving a lot of compliments from XBLIG developers lately, and it definitely means a lot to me. It means that I'm actually doing something right in my quest to get games on the Xbox LIVE marketplace noticed. Recently I received an email from 'TJ Lutz' of 'Pwnee Studios (A 4 Man Team)' about their upcoming XBLIG title that promises new technological advances in the 2D platformer genre. They told me in the email that "Cloudberry Kingdom" will feature 6 different difficulty settings (casual - hardcore/nearly impossible) that adjust to the player's skill levels. This in itself seems like an impressive feat to me. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing, and hopefully reviewing the game. I will leave you guys & gals the youtube trailer so that you can see what I'm talking about for yourselves ...

Twitter: @PwneeStudios

Website: http://www.pwnee.com/

Katana Land (XBLIG): "A Mission Based 2D Ninja Platformer"

I have had the chance to play a handful platforming games based around the ninja mythology since starting my XBLIG reviewing career. Most of the games released though were from "WINGLAY Entertainment". I was glad to see another developer step up, and introduce a ninja platformer that was different. Kablammo Games, the developer behind "Katana Land" definitely brought something new to the table in that respect. Their game had it's own unique comic book style of art, and the in-game details reflected their interesting style. Aside from the impressive comic book style graphics that were shown, the game also featured an amazing oriental soundtrack that complimented the game quite well. The gameplay itself was well presented, and featured objective based missions and boss battles. While the game wasn't extremely lengthy it offered some things that enhanced it's replay value. Overall the game was executed well, and was presented in a user friendly manner.