Five Under the Radar Games

Holy cow.  There's a lot of games out there that most people overlook.  Too many people follow the advice of this guy, and it's a real shame.  If you follow Extra Credits on youtube, you've probably seen their series of games you might not have tried.  They are a great resource of options, and I've found a handful of good examples, as well.  All of the games that I mention have their share of fans, just not many.  For some, this is a perfect time to try them out.  Either way, you'll be hard pressed to find games in here that aren't worth your time.

Top 5 Bad Ideas in Video Games

Thanks, XKCD!

Bad ideas seem to invariably start with a frat boy origin. "Guys, we should do this.  It would be totally awesome if we do this!"

And then, they fall flat on their face.  Every industry has its share of good ideas and bad ideas.  It just happens that the bad ideas in the video game industry are far more humorous than other industries.  Video games have had their share of gaffes, and some of these are worthy of making a Top 5 over it.  So, here's my Top 5 bad ideas in video games.

Top 5 video games based on movies

Ah, the ever classic movie tie-in.  It's the bane of quality video gaming, full of rushed games and frustrating controls.  Every now and again, however, a shining gem appears out of nowhere.  Here's five of them, epic games based on movies.

The end is nigh! (and that's not a bad thing)

There's an apocalypse coming!  And we're NOT gonna die!




Whut?




There's an old proverb: "those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it."  It means that we can learn from past mistakes to prevent future ones.  What if repeating history would be good instead?  Before you start dismissing this as a 2012 rant, it's not.  Gaming is on the cusp of another crash, and I can't wait for that to happen.

2011: Year in Review and Game of the Year

It's a big year for video games.

With spaceships and zombies in flames.

We've seen booms and busts

in under 12 months,

And all of it from games we play.

All joking and limericks aside, it's been an amazing year in gaming. 2011 saw Sony's flagship PlayStation Network get breached, a plethora of huge titles released, and even a few long-awaited reboots. So now, let's take a look at the last 12 months for a Year in Gaming: 2011

5 Wii games for the hardcore gaming crowd

It's no secret that Nintendo maintains a family friendly image.  The level of marketing to the parents of young children feels like the brunt of Nintendo's marketing budget. With the lack of Pandora's Tower and Fatal Frame 4 in the US, it's very easy to dismiss Nintendo as yet another greedy corporation who only cares about where they can make the most money.  Even so, Nintendo still pays attention to their core audience in some form or another.  Whether you believe it or not, the Wii has several games that cater to the interests of the hardcore gamer.  Here's 5 of them that you should be interested in:

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Review: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2)

Price: $4.99, used, at Gamestop

Ebay listings

GameStop's product page

Rating: E, Violence

For every video game console maker, it it imperative to have a trademarked character that everyone equates with that company. Nintendo started in the early 1980s with Mario, the mustachioed Italian plumber. Sega got its first big license with Sonic on the Sega Genesis in 1991. The Sony Playstation had two characters: Spyro and Crash. Jak and Daxter were the next big characters to make their mark in the console wars. The Precursor Legacy is the first game in their series.

Jak and Daxter, the two main characters, are buddies in this small village. When Daxter falls into some Dark Eco, he becomes transformed into a rodent-like creature. The village elder sends the two to collect power cells to transport them to another elder who might be able to return Daxter to his original form. Jak and Daxter are a great example of a literary foil. Jak is quiet and thoughtful, while Daxter is loud and very much the comic relief of the game. Throughout the game, there's several jokes cracked, with Daxter's ineptitude as the punchline. I enjoyed how this brought the game together, and how the two main characters interacted to tell the story.

For those that have played games like Super Mario 64, this game will feel very similar. Instead of collecting stars or shine sprites, you're collecting power cells from an ancient civilization. Each time you collect one of these, Daxter will pull some sort of dance move from a backspin, to the robot, to an air guitar solo reminiscient of Van Halen. There's about six or seven animations in total, and they're a nice way to round out what some might consider the monotony of games like this. in addition to power cells, you can collect precursor orbs, which can often be traded for power cells when the need arises. I explored two "worlds" in addition to the main village, and there were approximately six or seven power cells to be had in each world. you can get four power cells in the training world, as well. people who like games with a lot of stuff to do to get 100% will like all that this game has to offer.

As I mentioned above, Daxter likes to throw out some witty comment every once in a while. Some of these are funny, while others are "facepalm" material. (For the uninitiated, do a google image search. You'll find all you need to know. Don't worry, it's safe material for work.)

There was one instance when I tried to swim away from the island where I started. A big fish swam up and ate me. Don't ask why, but I got a few laughs out of that.

While voice-overs are nice, I like having subtitles available, especially when the character is hard to understand. This game, like many others, sorely disappoints in that category. Also, if you play the game on a PS2 with a high definition video cable connected, you can see dead pixels that aren't there when you play using a standard definition cable. then again, the hi-def cables weren't around when this game came out, so that kinda answers that one.

The Verdict: Overall, the game is a lot of fun to play. I enjoyed the way the game came together. It has enough humor that adults will enjoy, while creating a game that's suitable for most families.

Parent's notes: This game, while containing violence, is minimal on questionable content. most of the violence comes from the punch and spin attacks that Jak uses on various monsters, which disappear in a flash of light. The voice overs are handy for kids learning to read, though you may want to think about what the child has played already. I'd say that kids 7 and up will have no problems with this game, 5-6 is a bit iffy. It really depends on the child.