Nathan Blades looks at the polarising RPG for PS3 & 360.
Jason Rose brings us a buyers' guide to smartphones available this Christmas.
Nathan Blades covers some console and industry-defining titles for the Sony PlayStation
Nathan Blades burns rubber in Mario kart 7.
Guitar Hero is no more
It is official. Guitar Hero, the franchise that launched a thousand wannabe rockstars and made Dragonforce a household name, has officially been shelved. The latest instalment Warriors of Rock sold a paltry 100,000 copies upon its release – not bad, but considering the huge amount of success Guitar Hero 3 had only a few years ago it is a huge climbdown in popularity. Cynics might note that they had run out of iconic guitar solos for people to mash to and post exulting videos on Youtube. In addition the passably mediocre bandwagon franchise, DJ Hero, has been shelved. The band-simulator fad seems to be well and truly over, although Rock Band is supposed to continue. Stay tuned for reminiscences of the best of Guitar Hero here at the Yorker…
Bulletstorm + Fox News = Comedy
Fox News, a popular US News channel, ran a typically hyperbolic online article asking if a game Bulletstorm was the worst game EVER. (See it here.) The article cited a reward system where you get bonus points for shooting opponents in the genitalia and excessive use of innuendos, in particular referring to venereal diseases. This seems to be following in the tradition of certain reactionary elements in the media blaming videogames for all of society’s ills. I’m old enough to remember the Daily Mail claiming that the 18 rated State of Emergency was aimed for children, and the furore over kids committing murder after having played Grand Theft Auto 3. Without exception these games are directed at the growing adult videogame market (and children persuade their parents to buy them), and Bulletstorm seems no exception.
Cave Story 3D coming westward
Anyone who is a fan of kooky Japanese platformers will know that getting them released in Europe or America is often a waiting game. Although a market exists, it is often deemed too small for games developers to bother bringing it out. Not so for the Cave Story franchise, which is being released Stateside, completely updated for the 3DS. Hopefully, this means that it will be released in Europe as well. Cave Story combines platforming and action in a way that evokes Castlevania and Metroid, and considering the dip both those two franchises have taken recently, it will easily fill a gap in the market.
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