I just can't get away from spiders in video games

Status: Finished all levels on Casual and Regular (unlocked Hard-core mode), finding that I am awful at earning Medals (I have 2 of 24)

PixelJunk Monsters was one of the first PSN demos I gave any time to. Thanks to my time as a part of Sony’s now defunct Gamer Advisory Panel, I’d been aware of Q-Games new tower defense title for the PSN and was anxious to try it out. The demo gave me a small taste of what life would be like if I owned the game and I was excited for more. But I was working in video game retail at the time, and the amount of new games I told myself I needed every week kept pushing PJ Monsters to the back of my mind.

But I never forgot about it completely. It was on my video game wishlist on Amazon for a reason – even if years had passed, I still wanted that game. I was lucky enough to finally get my own copy of PJ Monsters Deluxe for my birthday, and promptly popped it into my PSP where it remained for 3 and a half months. I played it in the car, on the couch while watching TV, and even in bed instead of reading a book to help me fall asleep. When I wasn’t doing housework or playing Persona 4, PixelJunk Monsters was all I had on the brain.

PJ Monsters features three islands and a combined total of 47 levels, with difficulties ranging from Easy to Hard as you progress on each island. By clearing a stage without losing any of the little Tiki babies, you’ll earn a Rainbow. You’ll need  these in order to open new areas on each island. Earning rainbows isn’t always easy, but play a level a couple of times to find the best  spots to place the towers you’ll need to take out the enemy. And if you become obsessive about it as I did, you may just find yourself striving to perfect every stage because you’re just that anal about it.

So many towers!

The backbone of any tower defense game are the towers you have at your disposal. At the start of each level, certain base towers will be unlocked, such as the Arrow, Cannon and Anti-Air Gun. Other towers in your building wheel need to be unlocked by collecting blue gems dropped by the enemy or hidden among the trees. Once you have the gems you need to unlock a new tower, head over to the Tiki hut to unlock it. You’ll have to unlock these towers every time as they are not a permanent unlock. Some of the more unique towers will require completion of a particular level before they will show up in your building wheel, so don’t worry if you think you’re missing something.

Upgrading your towers can be done two ways: spending blue gems or dancing in front of them. Spending your rarely obtained gems will help you power up towers quickly but takes away from your ability to unlock new towers. Dancing takes more time but helps you save up for those more powerful towers. Each tower’s flag has five stages: base blue, yellow, red, purple, and finally black. Once you hit black, you’ll have the most powerful version of that tower with the best range it can get. Depending on the sort of level I am playing, I may power level one or two towers early on immediately around my hut as a last line of defense. The only way to figure out your best move is to play often and watch the movements of the enemy. A tower will also get a small boost of leveling when it successfully kills an enemy.

Some levels in the main section of the game will throw challenges at you, like the monsters won’t drop coins or gems so you need to be wise with what you have. This really enforces some creative strategizing with tower placement and getting the optimal range in the designated level. I love the challenge, even when I have to restart the level six or seven times because I placed a tower in a bad spot.

One challenges dares you to not cross the bridge

And then, if you haven’t driven yourself crazy trying to get rainbows on every level, you can venture to the Tiki Hut from the main menu and take on up to 24 different challenges. These challenges unlock once you’ve cleared the level in the main game. So far I’ve been able to knock out two of these – one which dared me to complete the level without a single flag upgrading to yellow, the second a Scrooge challenge where I was tasked to clear the level with over 10000 coins. Sadly, I haven’t figured out the winning formula to the other twenty two challenges just yet.

Overall Opinion

Even after spending hours upon hours with PixelJunk Monsters, I find that going back to it for “just one level” ends up turning into hours. I believe that is a sign of a truly enjoyable game. There are few of these more casual style titles in my “Completely Addicted” list, Ninjatown and Plants vs Zombies being the other two. And just when I thought I had weened myself off of the PJ high, Q-Games went and put a version of PJ Monsters on Facebook . Needless to say that just pumped fuel back in my fire tower.

(As of posting this, PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe for PSP is on sale for $3.99 on Amazon. $3.99!!!! You cannot go wrong here, people.)

You can buy PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe from Amazon or the original game and the Encore expansion on the Playstation Store

Watch out! The snowy levels are slippery. You don't want to slide into the monsters.

Status: Completed
Achievements: 10 of 12
Gamerscore: 155/200
DLC Purchased: None

Things seemed to be all well in good in Spanktopia after DeathSpank collected all of the Thongs of Virtue and vanquished Sandy. But the peace didn’t last forever, as DeathSpank soon discovers his wearing of all of the Thongs at once has created a new evil: the AntiSpank. Now he must travel across SpankTopia seeking out the Bacon Fires and destroy the extra Thongs that caused the problem in the first place if he hopes to bring down his evil creation and get back to mocking orphans and keeping overdue library books.

If you have played the previous two installments of DeathSpank’s adventure, you’ll find that The Baconing is pretty much the same thing. A humour-packed action RPG from Hothead Games, it follows the same sort of quest-based storyline combines with hack and slash real time battles that we’ve played previously. All new locations have been added for us to explore like the Forest of Tomorrow, a twisted Disney park of sorts for the scientifically-inclined, the Forbidden Zone, an expansive wasteland home to a city hosting a great Arena, and the TRON-inspired house of Z.I.M.O.N., to name a few.

Let's play Z.I.M.O.N. Says

All new locations does not mean completely new characters for DeathSpank to toil for. Familiar faces like Strunken and his wife are around, still with their marital issues for you to work out, as well as the Thongolith Researcher and a few others. There are also orphans a plenty for you to mock, should you so choose. And let’s not forget DeathSpank’s mentor, the wise cow. New to the game are Cyborques, cybernetic Orques who lust for DeathSpank’s head on a stick. And like their ancestors, they aren’t really the brightest enemy out there. Each location also has unique new pests for you to exterminate, my favourite being the weirdos in the casino Rainbow’s End.

Each location has a Bacon Fire to be discovered, so you will need to solve puzzles, help out the locals and fight your way to them and one by one burn the Thongs until you come face to face with your new nemesis. New equipment and stronger weapons will drop the further you progress or as you finish doing chores for the seemingly lazy people you fight so hard to protect. Vendors can be found in your major areas if you are running short on supplies, like Mutoe chunks (which I still find a tad bit disturbing).

Fighting Evil Leprechauns

Where Thongs of Virtue added Weapons of Justice, The Baconing gives us new battle techniques such as Shield Bash and Perfect Reflect. Shield Bash is great for knocking back hordes of enemies when they surround you, and Perfect Reflect lets you reflect (obviously) ranged attacks, instead injuring the enemy who dared hurt DeathSpank in the first place. The real time fighting works the same as it did before, with barrels respawning and fallen foes returning to life after leaving and re-entering an area.

Compared to TOV, The Baconing has about the same amount of playtime, taking me somewhere around 10 hours or so to run through on normal mode and fully leveling up to level 20. The addition of the Arena and the challenges there helped me gain some ground early on in the game, but I did have to wait until I was level 18 or 19 to go back and finish it up for the achievements. I’m not one for playing these kinds of games co-op unless the character is already included with the purchase of the game, but since Roesha was another 160 points, I passed on her and only played the game in single player mode.

Overall Opinion

Yes, a lot of people will tell you that The Baconing is more of the same, just with a new coat of paint. And you know what? I am okay with that. I love the humour Hothead has incorporated in the series, even the pokes at their Canadianism (Canoonies!) which may only be understood by gamers such as myself. But it’s because of that humour and the relative ease of play that I keep coming back to them. On days where I really don’t want anything plot heavy, I can pick up a DeathSpank title and lose myself in a vibrant and slightly disturbing world where orphans have a God, unicorn poop is highly sought after manure and something that looks like a skinned Mickey Mouse is encouraging me to kill him.

Pick up The Baconing on Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network or Steam

Welcome to the Forest of Tomorrow

Status: Maxing out the Archer Uberhero skill tree, have unlocked other skill trees

It was beginning to feel as though it would be months before I would have a review of sorts for Patapon 3 together, what with the whole PSN debacle. With no Playstation gaming service and no one around to play ad hoc with, my poor Patapons were being worked to death, replaying low levels over and over again, grinding for cool weapons and attempting to level up as many classes and skill sets as I possibly could. But with delay after delay on PSN services coming back online, I figured I would stop waiting for it to happen and just write about what I was able to do with the game. So here it is.I’ll be completely honest: I skipped Patapon 2. It wasn’t available on UMD and at the time the memory stick I had for my PSP was extremely tiny. I also prefer physical media formats, but since I couldn’t afford to import a disc from Japan I just never played through the story. Which meant that for this third game, I needed to do some YouTubing.

The Patapons opened a mysterious box that turned the tribe to stone. You, the Great and Almighty Patapon savior, manifest yourself as one of these lovable eyeballs in order to free them from this cold entombment. Thanks to a silver Hoshipon, you are now the Uberhero, ready to defeat the Seven Evil Spirits unleashed from the box. You will have aid from Tan, Kon, and Chin (three Patapons that were freed from the stone) and Hatapon, your flag bearer. When you begin a new game of Patapon 3 you will need to select the primary weapon style your Hero will wield. The available options are Spear, Sword and Ranged. I chose Ranged weapons for my Hero to start adventuring with, and eventually was able to access all three types of arms.

Sword: Orange / Spears: Blue / Ranged: Green

In addition to the three weapons styles, you can also learn classes within each discipline and unlock new skills that can be combined to make your team powerful. For example, as a Ranged Patapon I started out with the Yumiyacha class, the basic archer wielding a crossbow. As I leveled up this class, others in this discipline unlocked for me. Like the horn tooting Wondabarappa who blasts sounds from his horn as his attack, and the Pingrek, a healing Patapon who can freeze enemies but more importantly heal your party when you use the right combination of songs. Leveling up each of these classes will unlock more classes and open up more skills you can equip. Let me tell you, having Antifreeze or Fire Resist skills in levels that are freezing or desert-like sure do come in handy.

Patapon 3 remains true to it’s rhythmic roots and plays just like it’s predecessors. Banging out the correct drum combinations, you’ll direct your Patapons to march, attack and defend as you visit new locations. Most of these missions can be played solo, however there are a few special missions that will require you to team up with other Heroes via ad hoc or PSN play. As well as your standard missions, there is also the added Battle Ground locations, where you will take on the evil Dark Heroes you’ve been chasing and fight them using mini-games: Race, Missile Range and Capture the Flag.

New to Patapon 3 is accessorizing. Before you created Rarepons by making them with rare materials, but now you can choose what weapons and armour your little eyeballs march around in. New items can be found in chests in each level, sometimes for clearing the level, others for taking down the enemy. Weapons and gear can be upgraded using Ka-ching and materials at the Blacksmith, and upgrading one type of weapon in your own Smithy to level 11 will make it an Uber Weapon. You can only have one type of these at a time, so if you decide that you want to change from an Uber crossbow to a sword, your other weapon will drop back down to level 10. However, weapons upgraded at other Blacksmiths when joining a multiplayer game will retain their levels, encouraging you to get together with friends. There are some items that cannot be upgraded in the Blacksmith and only obtained in battle. These will have an orange background in your menus and have special names.

Treants really don't like fire....

Another important change to make note of is that when in Fever mode you no longer invoke Miracles. Instead you call on Djinns, who will resurrect any fallen comrades, heal up the party, and provide some groovy Fever music for you to bang on the drum to (not all day, just for 10-20 seconds or so). You’ll bang out some powerful attacks with lots of Oh!s, Yeah!s, Ah!s and Uh!s to launch at offending monsters. Out in the open, your Uberhero will rejuvenate himself over time when he is defeated, but in dungeons using the Djinn is the only way to bring him back. Inside and didn’t summon a Djinn before you finished a floor? No worries. Your unused summons stay with you, meaning you can have up to three of them for the last floor in a dungeon with three levels. Outside you’ll only have one summon, so make sure you use it wisely.

Now for the not-so-fun parts. There will be grinding – lots and lots of grinding – in order to level up your classes, unlock new ones, and get loot. Once you rank higher than the recommended level for some missions, you won’t earn any EXP for successfully completing it. If you have little to zero patience for grinding, then do not play Patapon games. The other downer is that you won’t learn the Pause Song right away. You have to find it. The song can be found in the March and Jump Practice at the Practice Grounds, but you need to march those Patapons pretty far in order to obtain it. I’ve made several attempts and just can’t seem to reach it. I really wish they hadn’t made it so tough to get.

Overall Opinion

While it really is more of the same, Patapon fans like myself will devote hours to leveling up our Heroes and farming for loot and items. The humour is still here, the story continues along the same path it has been for the past three and a half years. It remains a catchy, fun and sometimes frustrating title that is appropriate for all ages and really evolves with the multiplayer addition. Since the PSN went down shortly after I was able to get my copy of Patapon 3 connected to the service, I haven’t had enough time with the multiplayer to talk about this game mode. I hope to rectify this as soon as the service is stable and back online and will share my thoughts on it at that point in time.

Purchase Patapon 3 from Amazon

Multiplayer supports up to 4 Heroes

Status: Completed main game
Achievements: 15 of 20
Gamerscore: 200/250
DLC Purchased: None

If you are looking for an adventure game that holds it’s own at any time of the year, look no further than Costume Quest. Filled with sugary treats, villainous monsters and great humour, Costume Quest takes you on a journey with Wren and Reynold, twins who definitely don’t always get along, as they venture out for their first Halloween in a new town. When your twin is kidnapped by an ugly Grubbin named Gus who mistakes them for a giant piece of talking candy corn, it is up to you to save the night and get your sibling home safely. Wren and Reynold have just moved to Auburn Pines when Costume Quest begins. They haven’t really made friends in school yet and they seem to fight constantly. When their parents send them off Trick or Treating, it doesn’t take long for things to go south. Whichever twin use decide to play as will dress up in a pretty nifty robot outfit, and your opposite will don the perilous candy corn costume. After knocking on a couple of doors, you will be greeted by Gus the Grubbin, an ugly troll like monster under orders to obtain all available candy from the neighbourhood. Like most monsters, Gus isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed and thinks your twin is a giant piece of candy. Gus grabs them and hurries toward a suspicious gate, tossing your twin beyond your reach.

Right away you need to find your way past a roadblock and this is when your questing begins. Costume Quest has all sorts of games and tasks to help you level your character and increase your candy tally. You can bob for apples in the park, attend a party of patriotic proportions, play Hide and Seek with the neighbourhood kids and make new friends. And most importantly, you can beat up those awful Grubbins and chase them out of town before they steal all the candy.

Replensh your team's health with Lady Liberty's Anthem ability

The bulk of your experience points are going to come from taking on the Grubbins and other evil monsters working to ruin your Halloween. As you go door to door in search of candy, some of these well-lit homes will be infested with ugly, smelly monsters just itching to steal your candy and costumes. It is during these moments that your costumes become super powerful, transforming you into masters of battle. Each costume has a basic attack and a special attack move that charges up while you are in battle. After two rounds, you can unleash your special attack which ranges from a devastating missile launch to healing abilities. Victory gives you XP, candy and can also score you collectible cards and stamps to collect in your Journal.

Battle Stamps are a must-use item, especially once you leave the block and head off toward other areas. Sadie the entrepreneur has a nice little shop stand you can find in each area and sells these special stamps in exchange for candy. Each team member can equip one stamp at a time, offering health replenishment, better dodging and other handy battle perks. The stamps can be swapped without losing them which is great. Checking back with Sadie on a regular basis will give you access to different stamps to fill your page with.

It’s also important that you discover as all of the costume patterns and find the materials to construct them. Each costume has it’s special battle ability, but some also have bonuses to help you through each area of the map. Your standard robot outfit comes with snazzy roller shoes to help you zip around, jumping fences and outrunning monsters. Not to mention there are achievements and trophies tied to locating certain costumes or using all abilities in battle. Plus, it’s just fun to dress up for Halloween.

Malls are supposed to be a safe Halloween alternative for kids...

There are three areas in Costume Quest for you to discover, and a forth if you purchase the Grubbins on Ice DLC (which I have not done as of yet). It also appears that in the main game your characters will max out at level 10, which was fairly easy to accomplish. The game takes about six hours or so to complete and has two avatar awards (I played the Xbox 360 version).

Overall Opinion

I just love when video games can evoke memories of my youth and make me feel like a kid again. Costume Quest scores big points for making me fondly recall those cold Canadian winters trudging through snow and slush in my TMNT Michelangelo or Optimus Prime outfits in search of candy and other treats. This is definitely one of those games that will get you in the Halloween spirit and should be in your library so you can pass it along to future generations. Double Fine did a great job with this vibrant and engaging adventure for all ages.

Costume Quest is available on XBL Marketplace (1200 MS points) and the PSN Store ($15)

Impressed with the first part of DeathSpank’s tale, I made sure to pick up the second installment before I stole Lord Von Prong’s Thong. It was a smart move because I immediately began playing Thongs of Virtue. Damn Hothead and their addictive game. Damn that Sandy and her womanly woman-ness!

Directly following the events of the first game, DeathSpank Thongs of Virtue puts our Defender of Justice hot on the trails of the remaining Thongs. There is just one tiny thing he needs to overcome to get moving – he needs to break out of a POW camp. A few Call of Duty references, some item collecting and shanking enemies with a potato peeler is all it takes to bust DeathSpank out, fighting his way through a war zone in order to meet up with Sandy for further instructions.

Sandy informs DeathSpank there are four Thongs which need to be found, but no one knows where that forth one is. It is up to DeathSpank to defeat the wearers of the Cuisine, Compassion and Generosity and bring their undergarments back to Sandy so she can dispose of them. Because DeathSpank isn’t one to turn down a request, he gets down to business, making his way through jungles, mountains, the Wild West, and sailing the high seas slaughtering evil chickens and anyone else who dares get in his path.

Not a whole lot has changed in the second part of DeathSpank’s adventure. The menu system and control scheme are exactly the same which I personally loved. There are familiar enemies mucking about with slightly different features depending on where you encounter them, and friendly faces like Strunken and his wife, the Thongolith researcher and the Spelunker still have a few things they’d like your help with, as well.

One of the new additions to Thongs of Virtue comes in the weapons department. New cannons, grenades and guns with limited ammo can be found littered on the ground after clearing out an angry mob. These are great in a pinch, especially the cannons and grenades with the larger monsters. I found that the sub-machine gun and disposable pistols were just a waste of an inventory slot for me and I would keep grinding them for money.

If you think you can just blast through the story and grab every achievement, make sure you know there are two that are very much missable. I was lucky enough to get one of them by paying attention to the bulletin board in the library. The other one I missed and will have to play through again because I went for a chest I should have left alone too soon.

Thongs of Virtue was definitely meatier than the first game, offering at least double the game time of it’s predecessor. The world was so much more expansive and had great variety to it. There were also a few times when I felt a little more frustrated with the onslaught of enemies playing by myself, but I powered through it or would teleport to another area so I could level up. I think it was easier to level up in TOV compared to the original, but that could have been due to the fact that the game was at least twice the size.

A very solid gaming experience all the way through, even if I did have some minor freezing issues towards the end of my time with the game. The higher price point is completely appropriate on this one. Extremely happy with my investment in the DeathSpank saga and I am looking forward to more from Hothead Games.

I picked up DeathSpank and it’s sequel during the recent EA sale on the Xbox Marketplace, months after checking out the demo and wishing I had the points to grab it at launch. Santa deposited some points to my account at Christmas and I decided to hold off on buying stuff right away to see what kind of Boxing Week/End of the Year sales might go down. I have to say I am very glad I held out.

DeathSpank, Hero to the Downtroddenededed, has been told that The Artifact holds a mysterious power, so he sets off on a grand adventure to acquire and keep his hands on it. DeathSpank is a sucker, agreeing to help everyone (mostly due to his Thong of Justice) which has him doing all the dirty work and normal work for all the lazy people who seem to be able to survive somehow. Even the mysterious red haired Sandy, who DeathSpank seems a tad wary of but obeys her directives anyway. Whether it be collecting poop, finding and spoiling smelly orphans, or playing courier, DeathSpank does it all with his dashing good looks and dimwitted charm.

The outrageously wonderful writing comes in second to the natural flow of gameplay. When you pick up the controller, you discover that maneuvering DeathSpank has a completely natural feel to it. Each button and D-Pad direction can be assigned a weapon or item to use and display in the corresponding bottom corners of the screen. This kind of hot key customization is great and can be edited whenever you choose. Have you killed an enemy and picked up a new and higher level piece of equipment? If you select the auto-equip function on the main item screen in your inventory, whenever you acquire a piece of gear you are leveled enough to wear you will automatically put it on. This is handy and means you can focus more on the game than wasting time trying to figure out what you should be wearing.

Like your typical adventure game, you’ll need to complete certain quests and acquire items to progress to new areas of the map. These quests are the Important Things I Must Do in DeathSpank’s mission screen. It is important to make sure you talk to as many strangers as you can find, as some of their Unimportant Things might assist you in crossing the Important ones off your list. Not only that, but they do have some great rewards to hand over if you help them continue with their laziness.

DeathSpank isn’t a particularly long game – one of the perks of XBLA/PSN style titles. I was able to invest a good 6 – 8 hours and wrap things up in a couple of afternoons. Everything was pretty self-explanatory, fortune cookies used of unlocking hints seemed a tad scarce but that could be that I was carrying the max allowed at some points. A nice twist right at the end of the game sets up the sequel (DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue) which had me pumped to start on the second half of DeathSpank’s tale.

I don’t think I would have paid 1200 points for this one. The game was a tad short in my eyes to warrant such a high price point. 800 points seems like a much better regular price which I would have gladly paid if I hadn’t bought it at half off. Still, if you are looking for an eye-catching, mature rated bit of adventure, look no further than DeathSpank.

Below is a breakdown of the games I can remember spending more than three hours with this year, although in some cases three hours was three hours more than they deserved.

The Good

Persona 3 Portable (PSP): I have said it before and I will say it for years to come – I love Persona games. When Atlus announced they were making a PSP port of the PS2 best-seller, I almost cried. I loved P3 but wasn’t a huge fan of the battle system. I was a bit hesitant of the port until I read they were revamping the battle system, as well as a few other enhancements. By far the best game I played on the PSP all year. I don’t even think I can go back to the PS2 version after devouring this one.

Alan Wake (Xbox 360): After thinking this game (once a 360 launch title) would never see the light of day, Alan Wake took me on an adventure full of nail-biting twists and turns. The flashlight was definitely the most unique weapon I have used in a long time and I will never go camping without three or four MAG lights ever again. The story was a tad predictable and the in-game Verizon ad spam was annoying, but my trip to Bright Falls was one of this year’s highlights.

Hexyz Force (PSP): I am a sucker for RPGs that blend great characters, strong story and fantastic humour – all of which can be found in Hexyz Force. Especially when the writing department does a perfect job of telling one tale through the eyes of two very different Heroes. My number 2 pick for portable role playing games from 2010.

Professor Layton & The Unwound Future (NDS): I have an almost unhealthy obsession with Professor Layton’s adventures. I definitely have an unhealthy obsession for addictive brain teaser and puzzle games. Level-5 combines intriguing story with a great assortment of puzzles and mini-games to provide fans with several hours of quality entertainment. This series is perfect for gamers of all ages and it is the first series that comes to mind for new gamers over 30.

Rooms (NDS): Rooms is another fun puzzle game for the DS (also on the Wii but I didn’t give that version a playthrough). This one was a gift from a friend who had interned with Hudson and the wonderful PR team there for my wedding. This was a great game to take in the car while we drove all over looking for shoes, accessories and other wedding related items. Time flew right by as I spent the time sliding panels and warping Matrix-style until I reached my exits.

Again (NDS): The interactive novel is a genre sorely lacking presence in gaming, but it is not for lack of trying. Hotel Dusk is still on my “must play” list, and after playing Again, I am wanting to see more titles in this category. Even when it stumped me and left me tapping on the same screen for hours, I never felt like giving up. Best interactive crime novel ever, even with the cheesy bits.

Dead or Alive Paradise (PSP): Yes, my guilty pleasure is in the Good category and I know a lot of people who will disagree with me on this one. To hell with it! DOA Paradise is pure mindless fun and there is nothing wrong with a bit of that every now and then. Sure, the ultra-feminists might say it is extremely distasteful, but really, it’s nothing worse than when our mothers made us play with Barbie dolls as little girls. Brain candy is brain candy, whether it be the Shopaholic novels, Katy Perry music or spending time chillaxin’ with the fighting babes of the DOA universe. Just enjoy it for what it is.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World (XBLA): I haven’t spent nearly enough time with this game as I should have. Scott Pilgrim was a great movie and this arcade side-scrolling beat ‘em up really wowed me. It had been a long time since I had played a game of this style and enjoyed myself so immensely. Two player co-op mode with my husband is just like standing at a cabinet at the old downtown arcade back home in Calgary. I might just take a quick break right now and sneak in some single player…….

3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3): The nostalgia this game brings to the PS3 throws me back to a time – no, THE time – I discovered that I loved RPGs but hated Zelda. Thankfully, in my wise old age of 29 and holding, I can play 3D Dot Game Heroes without any bias holding me back. Link and Zelda just aren’t for me, but my snarky female heroine of Dotnia is the bee’s knees.

The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom (XBLA): Another one of those fun and quirky arcade titles that I need to go back to one of these days. I adore the Gothic, silent movie art style The Odd Gentlemen used to tell the story of the greedy P.B. Winterbottom, and manipulating time by recording yourself is pure genius. The second best game mechanic only to Alan Wake’s flashlight. And did I mention this game has pie??

The Bad

Naughty Bear (Xbox 360): Repetitive game play coupled with a lack of stability plagued Naughty Bear. While I agree the concept was fresh and welcoming, playing the same small handful of game modes over and over made the game a chore to play when it wasn’t freezing, which was more often than not.

Fable 3 (Xbox 360): Unfortunately, this felt more like Fable 2.5 than a third installment in a well-loved series. The story itself was extremely predictable, your time as ruler of Albion far too short, and the battle system remained virtually untouched from it’s predecessor, meaning it is just as unbalanced now as it was then. Add on the fact that the game shipped with a laundry list of glitches instead of pushing back the release to Q1 2011 when it wouldn’t have been going up against Kinect, Black Ops and Brotherhood. I, for one, had my entire save file become corrupt while attempting to join a multiplayer game. This has soured me on ever again purchasing a launch day copy of any future releases from Lionhead Studios.

Sid Meier’s Pirates! (Wii): Let’s just say that putting Pirates! on the Wii was a huge mistake. Beginning with the 4 page instruction booklet that didn’t offer much help to a first time Pirates! player and ending with the horrible in-game tutorials, the only part of the game that sort of worked well was the swashbuckling, and even then, a lot of the time my sword thrusts and parries wouldn’t register properly.

Blade Kitten (PSN): I wanted to like Blade Kitten, I really did, but it let me down right from the beginning. Western style “anime/manga” art just never looks as good as to me as the Japanese and Korean styles that inspire them. The main character’s voice got on my nerves and she just rubbed me the wrong way. Just didn’t find myself liking this game.

The Meh

BioShock 2 (Xbox 360): This was just a disappointment. BioShock didn’t need a sequel but someone at 2K thought it would be a good idea to have another studio create a thinly constructed plot with the most minimal ties to the original as possible, slap in some pointless multiplayer and sell that as a sequel to one of the best first person shooter games I have ever played. BioShock 2 wasn’t a horrible follow-up, it simply didn’t need to exist. It added nothing to the original story and Irrational had nothing to do with it’s creation. The story mode was way too short and the multiplayer was tacked on purely so they could say it had it.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii): I know several people would disagree with me on this one, but I really did not find Galaxy 2 to be fun. First of all, I could play for about 20 minutes at a time before my wrists simply refused to work any longer. The camera angles in a lot of areas were not helpful and reminded me of that awful Sonic game on the 360/PS3. Any game that feels like a chore to play isn’t something I want to keep in my library. There were some fun gameplay elements, but that wasn’t enough to justify ruining my wrists.

Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360): Oh Final Fantasy, I really wish this was the Final one. Your story was weaker than most others, your characters weren’t as lovable as so many others and you shoved all side-questing to the very end of the game. You weren’t bad, just mediocre. I expected so much more from you and you broke my heart.

The Stuff I Missed

There were a lot of other games in 2010 that I wanted to play but either haven’t had the time, money or my husband is playing them and isn’t letting me touch them until he finishes so I don’t spoil anything. The plan is to get around to these ones during the next lull in releases. Hey, it’s the plan but that doesn’t mean it will happen.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (Xbox 360): This is the one I am allowed to watch my husband play but not touch myself. I have no interest in the multiplayer mode. I just want to sink my teeth into more of the AssCreed story and scale a bunch of buildings.

Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360): I wanted to play this back when everyone else was, but I had to be a bit more selective with my game purchases. Odds are by the time I can afford this one and have the time to play it everyone on my friends’ list will have traded it in or will decimate me online.

Fallout New Vegas (Xbox 360): I’ve technically had NV since it released in October but it’s a Christmas present, so I’ve had to wait very impatiently for it. My biggest concern right now is the glitchiness, which I hope is patched by the time I start playing it. I loved Fallout 3 but had way too many issues with glitches, especially with the DLC quests.

Ivy the Kiwi? (NDS): You know when you go to GameStop and stare at the DS wall for a while and one particular box always ends up in your hand? Well, that’s what Ivy the Kiwi is for me right now. Just one of those games that looks incredibly fun and reasonably priced. I will get it……

Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii): The Wii and I don’t love each other very much it seems. Whenever I find a game I think I will love, it ends up disappointing me. I think that (other than money being tight) is the biggest reason why I hesitate so much when it comes to buying Wii games at full price. Kirby has always been a Nintendo character that I have loved and I don’t want to be left disappointed like I was with Super Mario Galaxy 2.

The Stuff I Finally Finished

Because I love games so much, I usually buy a bunch of stuff that I play for a while and then either get stumped on and swear I will finish later or they just end up on my shelf because they were on sale and I didn’t want to miss them. This year I managed to clear out a few games from my backlog and I am feeling rather proud of myself. Maybe I should buy some new games to celebrate……

Dragon Age (Xbox 360): Another game I had to wait for my husband to finish first, I was hesitant with Dragon Age as I always am with domestic RPGs. All that changed once I got my hands on it and I took three different heroines through the paces (and one male that I used purely for the wooing of Morrigan). I’m hoping that Dragon Age 2 will impress me as much as the first game has.

Dead Space (Xbox 360): Dead Space was a gift from a friend for me to play during Extra Life in 2008. I loved it so much. It made me jump and scared me on occasion. It also made me yell a lot at the TV and throw my controller into pillows. Those damn asteroids (you know the ones) had me stumped for ages. I eventually gave up and had my cousin in law play through them for me. By that point I was too frustrated and left the game to collect dust. By the time I put the game back into my 360 I had completely forgotten the controls and spent 3 hours re-learning them. After that, I breezed right through the game and attempted run number two – where I once more was stumped by the asteroids. At least I made it full circle.

Knights in the Nightmare (NDS): I started the game in September 2009 and then put it down to play something else (most likely a console game). After a lot of grief from someone, I went back to it, playing through all of the tutorials and resuming from where I’d left off. It took me about a week or so to complete and I found myself wishing I had done so sooner.

The Other Stuff

There were other random games I dabbled in this year, too. My Plants vs Zombies addiction moved to the Xbox 360 which also led to playing Zuma. I spent some time with Mod Nation Racers on the PS3 and PSP, just barely scratching the surface. I even played a few levels of Darksiders, which was fun but wasn’t something I was willing to give up time playing something else for.

And then there were the Facebook applications. Those time suckers! I wasted a lot of time with Chocolatier: Sweet Society making batches upon batches of digital chocolates. PopCap introduced me to the fast-paced and competitive nature of Bejeweled and Zuma with their exclusive Blitz editions, and I am sitting pretty on 5 million or so florins in Project Legacy, the Assassin’s Creed application tie-in for Brotherhood.

All in all, I’d say my gaming this year was pretty well-rounded. I dabbled in a little bit of everything, spent time with friends old, new and online, and have learned you can no longer rely on the value of a studio’s name.

Bring it on, 2011! I’m ready for you.

This post was part of Gamer Banter, a monthly video game discussion
coordinated by Terry at Game Couch. If you’re interested in being part
of this, please email him for
details.

Other takes:
Aim for the Head – Favorite Game of 2010

Extra Guy – Building a Great Game: My Time With Minecraft

Zath – My Best Games of 2010

Man Fat – What Was Your Favourite Game You Played This Year

Game Fanatics – Favorite Game That I Played in 2010

Game Couch – Cursed Treasure

Review for GamingAngels – Dec 28, 2009

One of the best known series in casual gaming history, Diner Dash is the one that started Flo’s gaming superstardom. Flo’s job is stressing her out and she decides to open her own restaurant. You will control the new and improved 3-D version of Flo, running around the restaurant seating your guests, taking checks to the pass, waiting on tables and cleaning up once they have enjoyed their meals. Its all about utilizing your time and figuring out how to serve the most amount of customers without sacrificing excellent service.

As with the original version of the game, you start out with just a few tables in a run-down hole in the wall. As you meet and beat your goals, more tables and upgrades to your restaurant will be awarded to you. Eventually you will have several 2-tops and 4-tops to service. Create chains for added bonuses by performing the same action several times in a row. Each level gives you a regular goal which you must meet to clear the level, as well as an Expert goal which gets you the Gold Trophy “I really ate the whole thing!” for achieving this rank on every level.

Flo is now 3-D, which moves the player away from the original point and click play of the computer versions that started the Dash craze. Using the left stick you will run around the restaurant and try to earn as much as you can in the allotted time. My only issue was some minor collision detection. If I wasn’t standing in exactly the right spot, I couldn’t interact with the diners or tables, having to waste precious seconds trying to find just the right spot. I also found myself bumping into the tables quite a bit and wasting time trying to run in a giant arc around them.

And then I discovered there are shortcuts. You can tell Flo to bring an order up by pushing Square, take her to the counter to pick up orders with Triangle, and bring the dishes to the cart with Circle. If you decide you want to change what you are doing while Flo is heading in one of those directions, simply move the left analog stick to regain control. Keep an eye out for the flashing upgrade icon in the top right corner. Once you have enough money and it starting blinking away, hit the Select button and choose which upgrade you would like to add to the restaurant.

There are four restaurants in career mode for you to complete, as well as added features of Endless Mode and multiplayer modes. You can choose Head to Head mode or Team Dash, allowing up to eight players to compete for bragging rights. I played Tip Wars and Endless Mode online, and both ran very smoothly. (Which is a nice change of pace for me, as most of my PS3 online play has  been brutal in the past.) One of the control modes we tried during this time was Cursor mode, where there is a giant arrow you move around instead of Flo. This mode was a bit clunky and hard to get used to, so I don’t recommend it.

Bringing a game such as Diner Dash to the PSN and XBLA is a great move. It makes the game accessible to people who are not that big into casual games, as well as brings casual gamers to a console where they can play with their loved ones. Nothing is lost in translation from PC to console, which is a huge plus.

Diner Dash is available on both the PSN and XBLA. This review is based on the PSN version of the game.

That pack of werewolves is looking awful hungry

Status: Enjoying it & having fun dying often

Purchase a Dracula Undead Awakening code from Amazon

The third game in my PSP Minis collection comes in the form of a top down shooter. Dracula: Undead Awakening puts me in the shoes of a vampire hunter and has me mow down monsters swarming from all sides.

There are three major settings to choose from: Grave Park, Frozen Earth, and Castle Hall. You’ll be moving about the screen with either your analog nub or the arrow keys and using the buttons on the right to shoot either up, down, left or right to destroy the oncoming hordes of ghouls. Shooting is pretty standard; hold down the button on the right that corresponds with the direction you wish to aim and hold it down.

Enemies defeated will leave behind health packs, new weapons and ammo that you will need to stay alive and rank up. Every once in a while, you will will see a Perk has become available to you. Depending on which weapons you have and the level of your character you will be able to select one special bonus. These range from more powerful shots, earning extra points or health, and a wide variety of other upgrades.

If there's a princess in this castle, odds are she's Undead

Dracula: Undead Awakening has a few different types of game modes. No matter which mode you choose, you will have to stay alive as long as you can. There are no extra lives to pick up, and staying alive is the only way to level up and claim the top scores for each mode.

I quite like having a mindless shooter to play and kill time with while waiting for doctors who are running late or sitting on airport tarmac in Atlanta during a snowstorm (worst plane trip ever). It really is all about luck and skill, but even for myself, never getting past Level 1 didn’t matter so much as just seeing how many points I could rack up. Think Geometry Wars, but on the PSP and with vampires and werewolves. Pretty amazing for only being 13 MB large.

*Review code was provided by Chillingo, and does not affect the outcome of this review.*

(Reviewed for GamingAngels – March 8, 2010)

Status:

Purchase a flOw code from Amazon

I just picked up flOw, and so far I am enjoying it as much as I have flOwer.