Any Classic or Legendary Games This Generation?

NOTE: This is an older post that was sitting in my drafts. 

Here is a list of games that I think I'm safe referring to as legendary in the sense that a significant portion of the video game community see them as being the cream of the crop, and the review scores for each of these games were very high. Of course, I personally don't like all of these games, and neither will you, but I think it's inarguable that they are highly esteemed and influential, and/or were important/noteworthy at the time of release:

2 Castlevania Titles Confirmed! Lords of Shadow 2 and Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate

As reported by Nintendo Power Magazine, 2 new Castlevania games have been confirmed to exist. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate is a 3DS exclusive that bridges LOS1 and the also confirmed (but platforms TBA, although obviously PS3 and 360) sequel, Lords of Shadow 2.

Some info on the 3DS game:

- deep combat mechanics
- involves Trevor Belmont
- Fight with Trevor's version of the Combat Cross
- strong attacks with X
- wider-reaching attacks with Y
- secondary weapons like the boomerang-like glaive and electric bomb
- use these with A
- grab enemies with R
- block and dodge with L
- involves light and shadow magic returns
- earn experience points to unlock new combos
- these include launching foes into the air, smashing enemies down to the ground and more
- includes skeletons, axe-wielding undead and more
Here are two screenshots from the 3DS game (not final quality, obviously):

Ruminating on Destruction (The Demise of Classic Video Game Franchises)

Back in January I wrote a blog post entitled “My Favourite Franchises Are Being Destroyed”

In light of recent events, I have taken it upon myself to produce a follow up to said post. I am not sure what form the following will take (measured, rational assessment of things as I see them, an angry, emotional, irrational rant, or some combination of the two) but I do know that I am compelled to revisit this perhaps tired, but in my mind terribly poignant point: Classic video game franchises are being utterly raped in this seventh video game generation.

Shadow Complex Review: Old School, Meet New School

Old School Meets New School

Shadow Complex is a side scrolling shooter with 3D graphics that focuses heavily on map exploration and character progression. This is the game that, as you likely have heard a multitude of times recently, is a downloadable game in the vein of Super Metroid (and a few others). Some go so far as to say this game is a Metroid clone. Either way you look at it, it's definitely very similar. However, for the purposes of this review, I am going to forget Super Metroid et al., and focus merely on this game and its merits. This will be a fairly lengthy review, and I will do my best to describe in detaii what you can expect from this game.

Nintendo 3DS: 'Hardcore' Gamers' Dream?

Thus far, the Nintendo 3DS has:

-A new (and GOOD) Shinobi Game!!! (btw, my first 'S' Rank:

)
-Two new Resident Evil titles (one out (although it is just a mercenaries rehash), one upcoming (actual new entry in the series))

Btw, if you are not aware of Resident Evil: Revelations, and are a RE fan, shame on you! It's aiming to be a mix of the new and old RE styles, and looks very good thus far.

-New entries in the Contra and Castlevania series announced/rumoured

-Heroes of Ruin, an upcoming (Q1 2012) online action RPG/dungeon crawler that looks VERY good

-Monster Hunter 3G or whatever it is called

-Nano Assault.

-Some other crap I am unaware of/do not care about, because really, it's all about this:

....as long as it doesn't get cancelled.

(and Shinobi, which I am loving (and is kicking my ass))

(And yes, I am aware of the existence of the NG:Sigma rehash for the Vita. I'll probably end up getting it, but the 3DS title is supposed to be an entirely new game)

Nintendo has long had a reputation for catering to the 'casual' market, and while this may not be entirely unsubstantiated, they have gone a long way to rectifying that perception with their acquisition of some serious 3rd party firepower for the 3DS (and apparently for the upcoming and stupidly titled Wii-U as well).

If you are more in line with what people mean by a 'hardcore' gamer, as I would be my most people's standards, then you may want to take a second look at the Nintendo 3DS. When thinking of the 'hardcore'/'casual' issue, it's not as clear a divide between the Vita and 3DS as you may think. The 3DS isn't just Brain Age and Nintendogs games.

When you think Nintendo, you may think Nintendogs, Brain age and Wii Sports. Well, maybe it's time to think Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi, Resident Evil, Contra, Castlevania and Monster Hunter :P

My Gaming History Pt. 2

This blog series is going to be a look back through time as I recall my 20+ gaming “career,” if you will. I'll take you through the ups and downs, the trials, tribulations and the triumphs. The sleepless nights, the gorging on pizza, the tournaments, the competition, the fights. The friends made over gaming, and the friends lost ov-no wait, I can honestly say that I have never lost a friend because of gaming. That would be rather pathetic, would it not?

Part Two (Part One can be found HERE)

And so, morning, as mornings inevitably do, came.

And so did I.