Much like the increase in digital distribution over physical media, the injection of smartphones into the portable gaming ecosystem has quickly caused many to declare dedicated portable game systems officially dead. But is that really so?

I believe that each platform has its strengths and weaknesses. They can… no, they SHOULD coexist. To get rid of dedicated portable game systems in favor of touch screen phones would be to force an unnecessary limitation on ourselves.

(more…)

They say the first step towards recovery is admitting you have a problem. Well I am an addict. I am addicted to the Facebook game Word Challenge. Even as I write these words I am rearranging the letters in my head as fast as possible to form other words.

Word Challenge is as simple as can be. There are literally dozens of games that you can find all over the internet or your fancy pants phone that are variations on the same anagram theme.

(more…)

I first started hearing about Minecraft on twitter. The messages were cryptic, describing some sort of game involving mining for ore or some such thing. They were little snippets of “Finally, I found coal. Now I won’t die at night!” and “ZOMBGWTF ZOMBIES!!!” or “How do you make bricks?”. I had no idea what kind of game they could possibly be describing.

Then videos started being linked. I passingly glanced at a few of them. The blocky aesthetic of the game was neat, but I couldn’t really tell what the heck was going on in the actual game. What finally pushed me over the edge was listening to our friends over at the Joystiq Podcast discuss the game on their show. Justin McElroy’s experience with Minecraft really got me wondering just what kind of game this is.

(more…)

Although I’ve been a fan of teh Penny Arcadez for years, I’ve never made it to their annual gaming convention. As if that wasn’t enough, this was to be my first convention as a member of the gaming press. I had a Media Badge and everything. I had all sorts of interviews set up with PR reps and developers. What if they didn’t like me? Or worse, what if they didn’t like my suit?

(more…)

Despite the growing list of new games coming out each year, we all have our personal gaming favourites that we return to time and time again.

There are some some obvious reasons for returning to classic games, but the aspect of “gaming familiarity” is gaining momentum: as development teams are taking tested and successful gameplay elements and using them as a format to improve experiences in a brand new game.

(more…)

As I laid in bed last night thinking of Philly Cheese-steaks and video games, I postulated that there might be a way to bring the 2 together. I sketched out an idea for a quantum computer that would be able to crunch the massive amount of data.

With the aid of a hammer, some duct tape and tin foil, I was able to construct a machine capable of processing the complex equations needed to determine exactly what sandwich correlates best to which game.

Confused?

(more…)

Back in my younger days, I swore by genre definitions. I had a very clear idea in mind of what I thought classified a game into each genre. Any deviation from those rules outlined in my head required a subgenre. But as time marched on, I’ve come to realize how incredibly ridiculous all this is.

While genres are a nice way to quickly identify what to expect from a game, I’ve run into quite a few issues with the concept. For one, different people classify genres differently. There’s also the issue of the increasing trend of blending genres. And what about the literal names themselves? Some of them just don’t make sense any more.
(more…)

The big budget triple A games can be fantastic. They have huge teams backing them, allowing for the use of the latest and greatest tech. Graphics are slick and always pushing to look better than everyone else. Plus, you know everybody who’s anybody is going to be talking about them in your circle of gaming friends/podcasts/blogs/forums.

Often when I sit down to play one, I will end up spending several hours in front of my TV or computer working my way through it. Sometimes, this can lead to a strange mental block right before I get started. Since I know I will inevitably spend a lot of time playing one of these games once I start, it can be a little intimidating.

(more…)

Much like Dragon Quest, the Monster Hunter series is one of the biggest names in gaming in Japan and almost unheard of in North America. Most people over here just don’t “get it”, and many of them don’t want to put forth the effort required in order to really understand what the game is all about. After all, even with more accessible entries in the series such as Monster Hunter Tri, there is still a very steep learning curve to overcome.

Originally I wanted to write a review of Monster Hunter Tri in order to spread the word. However, after over 100 hours of playing the game, I still haven’t experienced all it has to offer. I’ve come to realize, it’s not a traditional review that’s going to spark interest. My hopes are that by sharing the reasons that the series is so engaging (many of which are not immediately obvious to the new player), it will help more people realize the joys that can be found from becoming a Monster Hunter.
(more…)

After surviving the giant traffic jam that is Seattle, I arrive at the Triple Door, ready to get my Bejeweled on. I’ve been practicing at home and I can almost get to about half of my wife’s high score, so confidence is high as I wait for the tourney to start.

I stretch out and do mental wind sprints to prepare my mind and my brain for some jewel matching frenzy.

I am wearing a suit in order to intimidate my opponents. They pretend not to notice or care, but I can tell that they are secretly terrified.

(more…)