• 26Apr 13

  Risk(y) business

  

   

   

  Risk. It's a board game. I have the board game in my loft (somewhere). So why do I find it better on XBLA?

   

  There are a couple of obvious answers, it's far less time to set up, no cheating friends who move pieces when you go to the toilet, and no missing pieces that you find a week after binning it. Apart from that it's the same game I've owned for 10 years. What makes it different?

   

  Risk Factions on XBLA offers a poor storyline, with some funny characters and a small campaign mode. But it's online mode where the real fun is. There people quit early, leave games, or take 5 minutes to attack to go toilet.

   

  So why do I force myself to play? Is it self-inflicting? Am I the forever optimist? Maybe it's because nobody in real life will play me at Risk, as I tend to win. Whatever the reason, I'm sticking with it...for the mean time.

   

   

   

  • Posted Apr 26, 2013 5:18 am GMT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 16Apr 13

  Will Castle of Illusion HD work?

  The latest announcement by SEGA has blown the minds of many people. I personally screamed like a Belieber, and I'm still reeling in the shock that Castle of Illusion is being re-made in HD. Even saying it out loud is weird. I'm pinching myself now. Castle of Illusion in HD. Proper HD.Not some of the recent toot that has come out, a proper re-make. In HD.

  The initial trailer looks good, but will it be as good as the Mega Drive version? What market will it be aimed at - new kids who have no idea what a Mega Drive is? Will it appease the retro gamers? Let's take a look...

   

  

  Castle of Illusion was the greatest game on the Mega Drive. Fact.

    

  There have been plenty of platformer games that have made the jump from 2D to 3D. Super Mario 64 being the greatest success to date, and Sonic bombing like a fat man on a diving board. What will Castle of Illusion be like? Judging by the shots and the trailer it looks set to be the 'Epic Mickey' that we've been yearning for. The crack of thunder in the forest, the endless flow of marching tin soldiers, the castle in the foggy background, it could well end up being one of the greatest HD remakes of all time.

  

  Hmmmm....which door?

   

  Whilst there isn't a lot of information out there at the moment there is the slight concern that this could be completely hashed, like an 80s band getting back together and releasing a mediocre album. Who are they aiming for? Will they lose track of their aim? Who knows.

   

  Now there is one piece of good indication, that if this game succeeds there could be more releases of this type. Personally I've been yearning for a Quackshot HD, crouching behind burnt out cars and shooting Pete clones with a plunger shotgun like a bubble-wrapped Disney version of Call of Duty, complete with online carnage. The legal wrangling looks set to be sorted between Disney, SEGA and the platforms, and if the studio in Australia doesn't shut down, who knows where they could go next?

   

  Unfortunately we now have to sit, pray, hope, bite nails and beg SEGA not to mess up this epic oppurtunity. 

  • Posted Apr 16, 2013 4:30 am GMT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 13Mar 13

  Time to shake off the cobwebs...

  

   

  Cobwebs will be shaken. Off. Permanently. It's high time I have my Gamespot blog an update, as I've had an incredibly selfish 2 year gap, and I miss posting my delightful thoughts and opinion on the interweb.

   

  Strangely enough, I haven't seen much of a change to Gamespot, perhaps someone could enlighten me, as I have effectively been cryogenetically frozen in internet time. Like a grouchy Austin Powers, only with better hair and worse teeth.

  • Posted Mar 13, 2013 2:55 am GMT
  • Category: Editorial
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