Chicks Dig Giant Robots: Anime Detour 2016

Netrunner on Friday Night

So I was sitting here this past Monday, completely mute again.  You'd think I'd learn from prior years to take care of my voice, but no...

Anime Detour 2016 was a ton of fun this year.  A whopping total of 5,500 people crammed into the Doubletree in Bloomington, MN, for another year of cosplay,  antics, games, and awesome.  And hoo boy, do I have stories!

Import Review: Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs

Players: 1-2 offline, 8 online

Platform: PS3, Also available for Arcade

Rating: CERO-A (suitable for all ages)

Publisher: Namco Ban-Dai

A friend of mine was in Japan a few weeks ago, and brought back a bunch of games for me.  One of them was Gundam Extreme Vs. And man, is this game awesome!

Retro Review: Area 51

Players: 1-2

Rating: Mature (Realistic Violence)

Reviewed on: Saturn, PS1, Arcade (Yes, I've played all three, and recently!)

If there's any genre that gets a ton of attention out of me, it's the light gun shooters.  There's something about the actual holding the gun and actually aiming that Call of Duty and Half-Life just don't do for me.  And Area 51 is quite probably one of the quintessential light gun games of the late '90s.  For a game that gave me the willies when I was younger, it really has its charms.

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.

Review: Beat Hazard

System: PC (Steam), Xbox 360 (Xbox Live Indie Games)
Rating: N/A
Reviewed on: 360
Price: 400 MS Points (~$5) / $9.99 (Steam)

Now here's a game that makes me feel like a little kid again.  My dad got me started on gaming when I was three years old.  We played all the classics: Galaga, Centipede, Pac-Man, Asteroids...

Wait a minute...This game looks a lot like asteroids!  What's this? I can use my own music?  It's only $5 on XBL?  I'm sold!

That was more or less what I first thought when I saw this game.  As I sat down and tried it out, I found myself feeling more and more mixed.  I had a lot of fun with this game, but not without reservations.

Top 5 Light Gun Games

It's no secret that I have a serious penchant for light gun games.   Something about the actual pointing the gun controller on screen and pulling the trigger lends it a unique feel, something much different than most shooting games out there.  For that reason, I'm going to spend today's Top 5 on my:

Top 5 Light Gun Games

Review: Terminator Salvation (Arcade)

Platform: Arcade
Genre: Light Gun (shooter)
Players: 1-2
Rating: Not Rated by ESRB (unofficial rating: Life-Like Violence: Strong)

Ever since that annoying dog graced the Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1986, the light gun genre has been as strong as ever.  Arcades across the country sported games like The House of the Dead, Time Crisis, CarnEvil, and others.  The light gun genre is a staple of the arcade experience, especially when it feels right.  There's something about teaming up with a friend and launching round after round into a seemingly unstoppable foe.  After most of the arcades dried up at the turn of the millennium, few companies have produced new games specifically for that arcade experience.  That said, Terminator Salvation was a total surprise when it came out in 2010, right alongside the movie.  Better whip out that machismo, boys! It's time to raise some hell!

Top 5 Strangest Bosses

One staple of video games is the bosses.  They make for a great end to a level, and they serve to prepare the transition to the next level.  But every now and again, you'll run across a boss that makes you scratch your head, say, "what the f***?" and walk away.  With that in mind, here's:

Top 5 Strangest Bosses

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: