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.