Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (PS3/PSN)

Prior to the release of the "Lords of Shadow" saga, and the "Mirror of Fate" tie-in the history of the Belmont clan, and their eternal struggle against Dracula had never really been fleshed out. In fact Gabriel Belmont, the forefather of the Belmont clan had not entered the picture until the first "Lords of Shadow" game had been released. Previous 2D releases did much of nothing in the way of fully revealing Gabriel's story, or the Belmont family ties. The origins of Alucard, and even the origins of Dracula himself were kept in the shadows of gaming history like the dark characters themselves. The 2D games that were released before these definitive plot installments came into play were shared in such a haphazard sort of way that many questions were left unanswered for faithful fans of the series. The introductions of new characters later on, and the new stories that were added also made little to no sense in the ongoing saga.

New Additions to the Inferno

If you've taken a look at this blog late last night, or this morning you'll likely have seen the four new page sections added to the top of it. There's "The Sh*t List", "Reader's Art of the Month", "Giveaways & Contests", and "Reader's Reviews". Out of all these new sections only "The Sh*t List" has any content though. That of course will change starting in March. While the "Sh*t List" is a fixture that will be managed only by me you will be able to contribute in two different ways on two of the other pages, and will even get the opportunity to win some giveaways/contests on occasion. The first way you can contribute is by emailing me some of your own game related art. This will be a monthly feature, so whoever I pick to represent that month will have their work on display until the following month arrives.

SKH: Resurrection (XBLIG)

Holy Hell, and Mother of Metal!!! I did not see this one coming! It was like a left hook right out of the shadows. For those of you who have been with me for a while you might recall my review of a certain mathematical indie shmup by the name of "Super Killer Hornet". Well, it just so happens that that already impressive retro game has taken on an entirely new form that amplifies what the original experience had to offer. The premise is the basically still the same, but the gameplay will no doubt draw you in with it's new 80's arcade scene vibe, and it's killer soundtrack. I for one was thrown for a loop after playing the game, and I definitely think Flump Studios was out to impress this time around. In doing so they have proven their worth as an indie shump developer.

Zen Pinball 2 - "Super League Football" (PS3/PS4/PS VITA)

Over the years Zen Studios has done good to bring to us gamers a wide selection of quality pinball tables ranging from wholly unique designs to comic book themed experiences, video game oriented adventures, and even tribute tables based on classic movies. Each of these offered tables have carried with them Zen Studios' signature arcade style of design filled with super cool special effects, awesome audio soundtracks based on applied content, and an overall engaging experience that has drawn in the players time after time. In this latest 'Zen Pinball 2' debut you'll find that the team over at Zen studios has decided to tackle sports in a grand fashion not unlike their past releases. While soccer may not be that popular to some people out there there's no denying that it is a widely recognized sport that has taken many countries by storm. Europe, and the surrounding countries in particular have grown fond of it, and have spawned teams who have competed in such prestigious events as that of the Olympics. Let us not forget those in the United States, and other Spanish speaking countries who also take the sport seriously.

Weekend Wrap Up - 2/16/2014

I almost totally forgot about my plans to include this weekly post. As you can probably tell I've been swamped with work lately. That work load alone has thrown me off course from my regular routine. Between my work with Xcritic, Paradise Theater XxX, and OtakuDante's Gaming Inferno I've had little to no time to myself. People just don't realize how hectic a journalists' job can be. The fact that I put in more time, and effort than most journalists definitely speaks of my dedication to my work though. Despite my one man army approach I'm still doing good to get reviews out to my readers. At the current time though my adult readers are getting more attention due to the consistent flow of review material. Games on the other hand are a slow go this year, and have not been as plentiful as last year. With the new consoles released one would think that the library for next-gen would be growing steadily. Instead PS4 owners, and Xbox One owners are getting short handed with remakes, upgrades, and a pitiful selection of new releases.