OlliOlli (PS VITA)

If you've ever wondered what a Tony Hawk's 2D side-scrolling skateboarding game would be like the developers at Roll7 have the perfect answer for you. OlliOlli which happens to be the name of their creation is in essence what Tony Hawk's Pro Skater would have been if it were made back in the retro gaming era. It features highly interactive, and layered 2D landscapes filled with plenty of skateboarding obstacles. At the helm of this radical action game is a generic pixel constructed skateboarding protagonist whom the gamer guides throughout the various courses. There's plenty of variety in the way of level layouts, and a wide variety of challenges that are setup in a mobile gaming format (i.e., Angry Birds) for this manly master of skateboarding stardom to trick, and grind through. At the core of it the protagonist (you) will be grinding, flipping, and performing advanced tricks via your applied left thumbstick, and "X" button inputs. The real trick though lies with your timing, and landing of each maneuver. As with Activision's Tony Hawk's skating franchise you'll find that your score comes from completing level specific tasks, and the combination of tricks/grinds that you land. Thrown in for good measure you'll also find that collecting certain in-game icons as well as doing certain tasks during a skate through will help you to unlock the more challenging level difficulties for later playthroughs.

Zen Pinball 2 - "A Three Console Comparison"

I've not said this before, but Zen Studios' Zen Pinball tables were one of the first arcade game experiences that I spent money on. Back in the day, before Sony's unfortunate hacking incident, and before "OtakuDante's Gaming Inferno" was a thing I spent massive amounts of time playing the first set of MARVEL tables. I loved the Wolverine tribute table as well as the other Marvel superhero themed tables that Zen Studios had created. I even took advantage of the core set offerings as well as the occasional free table that was gifted to the public. To say Zen Pinball was merely a fun experience would be a complete understatement on anyone's behalf. Even in my early days on the PS3 I could tell that Zen Studios had something special going on. Later on when I finally became the gaming journalist you know me as I gained the privilege to play tables before their release, and even shared my findings with you. It was definitely a dream come true.

Doodle Devil (PS VITA)

Before "Doodle Devil" ever made it's jump over to the PS Vita it was actually a mobile game for such formats as iOS. The game's layout, and gameplay mechanics are of the simplest kind, and use simple point and click icon/element combinations to sway the outcome of mankind's fate. Doodle Devil itself takes in account the devil's job to end mankind, and his goal to bring about the final war. As the gamer you play as the devil, and combine various elements in order to create the things necessary to bring about the end. The elements range from your basic fire, wind, and water elements to various forms of life itself. Mankind, it's ideals, and it's inventions also play a crucial role in getting the devil what he wants. On the devil's side there's also the influence of various sins which change the eternal balance in his favor. By simply clicking on, and combining certain groups of two elements you can in essence ruin creation.

Nun Attack (PS VITA)

Being the horror fanatic that I am Frima Studio's "Nun Attack" has always captured my attention. Every time I saw it in the PSN store listings I thought to myself, "I wonder what that game's all about?". Anything dealing with church clergy, demons, and monsters is always intriguing to me, and the fact that "Nun Attack" had all that going for it made me curious as hell. The art itself reminded me of a certain type of Saturday morning cartoon that I used to love, and only made me want to play it even more. While the game has been out for quite a while I finally did get my grubby little hands on the beast. My playthrough which started off somewhat smoothly was delayed due to error codes, and crashes though. Once I figured out that the game is truly meant to be a touch screen only experience I was able to dodge any further setbacks. Now that I've spent enough time with it to understand what's what I can deliver the review that I promised. I hope you enjoy the review for what it's worth, and that it gives you the proper insight on the game, so that you can make an educated purchase oriented decision.

Basement Crawl (PS4) - "Screenshots"

If you have not watched the trailer for Bloober Game's upcoming horror hybrid game "Basement Crawl" you really need to do so. While it reveals little about the actual gameplay I can tell you that it does incorporate 'Bomberman" style arcade action and "M" rated horror themes. The mixture is definitely interesting, but seeing as it's a next-gen title I believe it will be worth a look. I recently contacted Bloober Games in hopes of securing the game for review purposes. Thankfully I'm now on the list, and will be able to provide that review for you. In the meantime I'd like to share with you a few screenshots of actual gameplay, so that you can get a proper taste of things to come. If you are a fan of horror, or multiplayer arcade style experiences I hope that you'll give this game a fair chance when it is released. You can always wait for my review if you like though.