Tenchu: Stealth Assassins | Review

I really enjoy stealth games, Metal Gear Solid is one of my favourite game series of all time and Hitman: Blood Money is up there in my favourite games too. Unfortunately in the grand scheme of things, there aren't that many pure stealth games, and good ones are even harder to come by.

I've been looking for a new one sink my teeth into and came across a series called Tenchu. I already have some pre-existing knowledge of the Tenchu series having played Tenchu Z on the Xbox 360 and I remember it being relatively good although somewhat forgettable. But after sending Tenchu Z to the back of my mind, I decided to go back to where the series started on the PlayStation and see if the Tenchu series is something I've been missing out on, or if it's just another game to throw onto the mediocre pile.

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger | Review

3D platformers are quite a rarity today, and it's a shame because they can be awesome and highly influential too, just look at Super Mario 64 and the acclaim that surrounds it. Even though they have a tendency to be simplistic in terms of gameplay mechanics and story, they are just fun, rewarding and challenging to play. Because of my passion for 3D platformers, I'm always on the lookout for new ones to try.

One particular series I missed out on was Ty The Tasmanian Tiger (as you can tell by the name of my blog, I can appreciate the use of alliteration). Ty has recently been getting some attention in the gaming world because of the upcoming remake of the original game (I say upcoming, it's actually on PC now, but in 'Early Access', meaning it's in a unfinished state, but is playable and available to buy). So I thought, why not revisit the original PS2 version of the game, and see what it's like.

15 Things I Want From the New Nintendo Console: Codename NX | List

For those that don't know, Nintendo have been working on a successor to the Wii U for quite some time now, but not very much information at all is known about it (beyond the fact it's codename is the NX). This has obviously led to people speculating as to what the console is, how it will work and what games will be on it. I would assume that Nintendo have a lot to say about the NX at this year's E3 event, but for now, I thought I would throw some of my thoughts onto the table. So below is a list of things (in no particular order) I want to see from Nintendo's new console.

Robotron: 2084 | Review

Robotron: 2084 is a 2D top down shooter originally released in arcades in 1982, it's also an early entry into the 'Bullet Hell' sub-genre. Bullet Hell games differ from standard top down shooters by featuring a lot of enemy projectiles darting around the screen at the same time, making it difficult for the player to avoid getting hit and thus avoid dying.

So, why am I reviewing this game now you ask? Well, a homage to Robotron: 2084 was recently included in the Fallout 4 DLC, 'Automatron', as a holotape game you can use on your in-game personal computer. After playing Automatron (the holotape game), I wanted to go back and play the game it was inspired by.

My Top 10 Best Platformers of the 7th Generation | List

During the seventh generation of games consoles (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii), there was a resurgence in the amount of platformers (particularly 2D platformers) being made. This probably started at around the time Braid and Bionic Commando: Rearmed came out on the Xbox Live Arcade, and were actually quite big hits. Nowadays, we can get a platformer from Steam, Xbox Live or the PlayStation Store easily because there are quite a lot to choose from, but back then it was slightly different.

Because of this resurgence, the seventh gen actually had quite a lot of very good platformers, and this list compiles my favourite ten. There are probably some platformers I haven't played, but I've played most of the popular ones and quite a few lesser known ones too. But obviously the ones I haven't played (or haven't played a lot of) won't be on this list.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD | Review

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is the newest game in the The Legend of Zelda franchise, or rather, it's the newest remaster of an older Zelda game. Twilight Princess was released in 2006 on Gamecube and Wii to universal acclaim, and now on it's 10 year anniversary, we have a HD remaster on the Wii U. Rather than focusing on the game itself, this review will primarily be about what makes Twilight Princess different from other Zelda titles and what's new in the HD version. By now we all know (and if you don't, you should know) how Zelda games are structured, so I won't be going into that here.

So let's start by talking about the HD remaster and the differences to the original. The most obvious difference which slaps you in the face the moment you turn the game on, is that the graphics are now HD. The game looks fantastic, it's clearer than the original versions (they were blurry to hide the bad draw distances caused by hardware limitations) and all the character and environment models and textures have been upgraded. I didn't come across a single thing in the game I thought looked bad.

My Top 10 Most Anticipated Upcoming Platformers (2016) | List

Platformer games have recently been seeing a huge resurgence. With indie platformers gaining a lot of positive attention and even tripe A publishers wanting a piece of the action, I figured I would make a list of the top 10 upcoming platformers I am personally looking forward to or interested in.

The list can be filled with any style of platformer (3D, 2D, Cinematic, etc, etc) and is simply a list of the platformers I am most looking forward to playing and a bit of information about them. There might be some that I've missed or some that you think I would like, so comment if you have any suggestions or if you think something is missing from the list! The list is also in a vague order from my least anticipated at the top to my most anticipated at the bottom, but some are interchangeable because I'm looking forward to them equally for different reasons. Also my opinion on upcoming games changes quite a lot because obviously I haven't played them myself and as such can't create a proper opinion on them. So, without further ado, let's get to it!

16 Things I Want From Super Smash Bros. For NX | List

A rumor has recently been spread around the internet that a port of Super Smash Bros. For Wii U is going to be a launch title for Nintendo's new console, codenamed the NX. I personally like this idea very much and think it would be a smart move for Nintendo to make. We know they are open to the idea of remastering and having the same game on multiple consoles because of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, and Twilight Princess HD. Not to mention that Twilight Princess was on both the Gamecube and Wii. So it's not out of the realm of possibility they will do a similar thing with Super Smash Bros.

It also makes logical sense because the game is still fairly new and has only just had it's 'last' DLC released. In theory it will be years before a new Super Smash Bros. game comes out, (although rumors also exist that this new Super Smash Bros. on the NX is a new game entirely, but I seriously doubt this) so port over the current game to the new console to tide fans over until the new one comes out (which it inevitably will), while also making a load of money in the meantime.

So although a good idea in theory, there are a few things that I would want to see in Super Smash Bros. For NX, after all, it would be the definitive version of the game, and as such it should have to meet the expectations fans have of what a definitive version of the game is (rather than just a lazy cash grab port). So here are 16 things I would like to see in Super Smash Bros. For NX (in no particular order).

Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko | Review

Gex: Deep Cover Gecko is the third and final game in the Gex series of games. The first game (simply titled 'Gex') is a 2D platformer, however, with the sequel, Gex made the jump from 2D to 3D. Both the 2D original and 3D sequels recieved fairly good reviews and are considered to be quite decent platformers. Not to the extent of the Super Mario or Crash Bandicoot series, but pretty decent nonetheless. All the Gex games were developed by Crystal Dynamics who were eventually bought by Eidos Interactive who were then bought by Square Enix. So the company that made Gex are technically still around today. only no longer under the name Crystal Dynamics and no longer developing Gex games (and I doubt any of the original team work at Square Enix anymore).

I have actually never played Gex or Gex: Enter the Gecko (the second game in the series), so I can't give my own opinion on them. However I have played Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko, so I thought I would give the game a revisit and see if it's a forgotten gem, or if it's been forgotten for good reason.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 | Review

The Tony Hawk series of games are perhaps the only sports games I have ever enjoyed. The first one I ever got my hands on was Pro Skater 3 back in 2001 and it was really like nothing else I had ever played. Instead of being a straight up simulator of real life skateboarding, it knew that in order to make a good video game based on real skateboarding you would need to combine the logic of video games with real life skateboarding. So what you end up with is a game where you skate around locations inspired by real life, doing real skateboarding tricks, but you're also able to jump (or ollie for all of us who understand skateboarding terminology) to super human heights, grind on rails to create earthquakes, break into a haunted house, stop criminals at an airport and all sorts of other crazy things. It's a skateboarding video game that knows it's a video game.