tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10311180511010287942024-02-21T01:08:20.041-08:00Bits, Bytes, and BlogsWelcome to the workblog of Cole Jones -- videogame nerd, technology enthusiast, and freelance writer for 1up and GameShark.com. Here you'll find a few anecdotes alongside my published reviews, previews, and a handful of my favorite posts from 1up's iPhone and iPad blog. Comments and inquiries always welcome!Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-71814253047197046502010-04-13T21:08:00.000-07:002010-06-09T19:57:42.027-07:00GDC 2010: Monster Hunter Tri Preview<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0eYy0TN0H-MwpxzBFjUxjPo4rBdUuSO5ssqR7fuAMiiQPNxmB3DbeYt8RWTQh1fvRYGS_aPZGlxPj6qiMaxbvm8MlssjCGqt16gpxm4QhChyphenhyphenLB7UnqekC7h7xOzydMfXGwZfdvpqiIA/s1600/para_12_img.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0eYy0TN0H-MwpxzBFjUxjPo4rBdUuSO5ssqR7fuAMiiQPNxmB3DbeYt8RWTQh1fvRYGS_aPZGlxPj6qiMaxbvm8MlssjCGqt16gpxm4QhChyphenhyphenLB7UnqekC7h7xOzydMfXGwZfdvpqiIA/s200/para_12_img.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480902827403012226" border="0" /></a>Even though I expected to have my brain stimulated at GDC, I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by all the tech demos and game production software on display. I love checking out giant human hamster balls and emergent physics engines as much as the next person, but whenever I needed to get "grounded" again, I would head over to the Nintendo booth and relax on their couches that included a nice little demo of Monster Hunter Tri. After getting disemboweled by giant raptors a few times, I finally started to get the hang of it and BOOM; a preview was born!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read:</span> <a href="http://www.gameshark.com/previews/3482/Monster-Hunter-Tri-Preview-.htm">Monster Hunter Tri Preview</a><br /><br />Bottom line: If you're a Monster Hunter fan, there's no reason you should skip over this.Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-35093160996889556232010-03-26T14:41:00.000-07:002010-06-09T21:48:33.334-07:00GDC 2010: Darkstar One: Broken Alliance Preview<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhBA3UbAaLxU8J-JfYgQlsI5t4qBnEzqhouxdEDTv6FgojGZXPrRxLFwdLOowTViwY-BaTvuug1cuKtbsMdyPiro_URVPyXFZRFUaohyphenhyphenc4WlokUEOUBA1nD9RMvN9cD0MjUIVOyTFmjM/s1600/big_192darkstar-one.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhBA3UbAaLxU8J-JfYgQlsI5t4qBnEzqhouxdEDTv6FgojGZXPrRxLFwdLOowTViwY-BaTvuug1cuKtbsMdyPiro_URVPyXFZRFUaohyphenhyphenc4WlokUEOUBA1nD9RMvN9cD0MjUIVOyTFmjM/s200/big_192darkstar-one.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480898281150548002" border="0" /></a>A couple weeks before GDC, I had the pleasure of watching the producers of Darkstar One: Broken Alliance demo the latest build of their epic space simulation for GameShark. Hardcore PC gamers out there might remember the original game from 2006, but this time around it's been optimized for the Xbox 360. Porting a nuanced PC simulation to a mouse-and-keyboardless system is always a tricky move for publishers, but from what I saw (and briefly played) here, Kalypso Media seems to be doing a solid job staying true to its source material.<br /><br />Check the link, and let me know if you're one of the few that's dying to micromanage your galactic empire.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read:</span> <a href="http://www.gameshark.com/previews/3471/Darkstar-One-Broken-Alliance-Preview.htm">DarkStar One: Broken Alliance Preview</a>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-76967929722397390302010-03-15T21:14:00.000-07:002010-06-09T21:46:13.872-07:00GDC 2010: "Micro or Massive: It's Fricking Tough to Achieve a Vision"This little summary of a panel I attended at GDC was <span style="font-style: italic;">supposed</span> to make its way over to 1up's Chiptuned blog, but it ended up getting lost in the hustle and bustle of the conference and never made it past my 1up page. Usually, I'd just remove the post and hold onto it for later, but I so enjoyed listening to/talking with <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3166348" rel="nofollow"><strong>PixelJunk Eden</strong></a> creator/multimedia guru <a href="http://www.myspace.com/baiyon" rel="nofollow">Baiyon</a> and <strong><a href="http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3168740" rel="nofollow">Uncharted</a> </strong>Co-Lead Game Designer Richard Lemarchand that I couldn't help but leave it up on 1up. Even though I'm not entirely sure anyone read it, it's still one of my favorite things that I've contributed to the site. Funny how that works, huh?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQfx_-mNaXj2ZFXijE_JC0XTEYI39YRhcj4H5afHaq73Rvmf27Sdye6OiZD8rJbb3cqvI-QGCA7Ey5Ft1j_jS0hDTXtkC-gCxoeqfXmO-qMLdKWIQEKQUJqAMUjITG9twRH_GMiy3QRk/s1600/d2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 412px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQfx_-mNaXj2ZFXijE_JC0XTEYI39YRhcj4H5afHaq73Rvmf27Sdye6OiZD8rJbb3cqvI-QGCA7Ey5Ft1j_jS0hDTXtkC-gCxoeqfXmO-qMLdKWIQEKQUJqAMUjITG9twRH_GMiy3QRk/s320/d2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480999892368936338" border="0" /></a>"Hey dudes, do we have these boxes backwards?"<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read:</span> <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9023659">"Micro or Massive: It's Fricking Tough to Achieve a Vision"</a><br /></div></div>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-70057026374868831402010-03-15T15:27:00.000-07:002010-06-09T21:48:06.495-07:00GDC 2010: Pocket Creatures First Look<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtD1mP-AzR-VYbiuE3m5xqnlOgL_VDe8AMAH2pvZvKHqVJip_I8i0FlJcE2X35B-4e4AN0vZK6wOsSL1BC2hpoTqPoCim299L4ELHaRzaRR1qciwYTwSSOorafGjFdb6CSUufzXKwWbdw/s1600/d1.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtD1mP-AzR-VYbiuE3m5xqnlOgL_VDe8AMAH2pvZvKHqVJip_I8i0FlJcE2X35B-4e4AN0vZK6wOsSL1BC2hpoTqPoCim299L4ELHaRzaRR1qciwYTwSSOorafGjFdb6CSUufzXKwWbdw/s200/d1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480973104728321330" border="0" /></a>One of the games I was able to spend a fair amount of time for 1up with <span style="font-style: italic;">before</span> seeing it at GDC was Pocket Creatures -- an iPhone app created by one of the producers of Crysis that can be quickly described as the lovechild of a Tamogatchi and Pocket God. Even though I've grown out of my love affair with taking care of virtual creatures, I liked the way Pocket Creatures gave you a sandbox to play with that was extremely interactive and nuanced. If <span class="articleText">Asbjørn & co. can keep the content coming and the "wow!" moments flowing, this game could be a lot of fun for anyone who loves to have total control over the life of their creatures.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read:</span> <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9023651">Pocket Creatures First Look</a><br /></span>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-48630185660498622742009-02-07T11:47:00.000-08:002010-06-09T21:51:19.917-07:001UP's "The Grind" - Ar Tonelico II Problems<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.1up.com/media/03/6/7/9/lg/797.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 181px;" src="http://www.1up.com/media/03/6/7/9/lg/797.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>When I first started writing for 1UP's iPhone blog, I only had about two weeks of accomplishment before the tragic <a href="http://kotaku.com/5124928/1up-sold-to-hearst-corporation-egm-to-close-%5Bupdate%5D">UGO/1UP merger</a> that sent half of 1UP (a.k.a. EGM) packing. Because of this, it took me a little while to get truly "stoked" on my new digs, but I think it's slowly starting to set in. Yesterday marked my first post over at 1UP's dedicated RPG blog "The Grind" - arguably my most anticipated of the 1UP blogs due to my longstanding love of all things RPG - and I think things went rather well.<br /><br />I started off my stint with an in-depth look at Ar Tonelico II and the myriad problems facing it. From a lackluster localization, to a handful of game-crippling bugs that cause freezes in some rather unfortunate places, the game came out a little rougher than intended. Even though NIS America's quality control hasn't been the hottest lately, I still feel that they deserve credit for being one of the few developers (and arguably the smallest) to put out JRPGs that would otherwise never see the light of day in the US. Let's hope they can bring the quality back to future releases, or else things are going to get rather hairy in the future.<br /><br />Regardless, you should take a peek at the link below. It's a decent little post that will enrich your life beyond compare! Or, uh, it'll not suck as hard as some of the other stuff around here. Yeah, that sounds about right.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read<span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></span> <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8980532&publicUserId=6011456">Damage Control: Ar Tonelico II</a>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-83753594477278803822009-01-20T12:02:00.000-08:002010-06-09T19:59:03.496-07:00Star Ocean: Second Evolution Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1h3QnIkmYSLpQv6_E7lqYwfpJOdAVbDVyHZfW1pnTOCweDdWjiMUi7jaiFmuWbNGTbd8xopDJAmfHKpbsQYKV6nNbHwqxE4hLci1Z7tWGx5QlC_U6SrPUwY8WMwXVWs3HTnvvffwTmc/s1600/Star_Ocean_Second_Evolution.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1h3QnIkmYSLpQv6_E7lqYwfpJOdAVbDVyHZfW1pnTOCweDdWjiMUi7jaiFmuWbNGTbd8xopDJAmfHKpbsQYKV6nNbHwqxE4hLci1Z7tWGx5QlC_U6SrPUwY8WMwXVWs3HTnvvffwTmc/s200/Star_Ocean_Second_Evolution.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480974076668028626" border="0" /></a><br />Keeping with today's abnormal burst of productivity comes my first true "review post" in quite some time, and it's a doozy. When I started out as an aspiring games journalist (and, conversely, an RPGamer) a little over a year-and-a-half ago, I always had the dream of getting a pre-release ROM of a Square-Enix game. Call it nerdy, call it silly, call it what you will; but I couldn't have been more happy (nay, proud?) when my editor Bill sent me a preview version of Star Ocean: Second Evolution for review. For that very reason, this game will always have a special spot in my heart, but luckily it's a good game too!<br /><br />As much as I love RPGs, I can hardly ever find the time (or the energy) to replay them after sinking in 30-60 hours playing them to completion. With that said, my unsavory "tradition" looks to change with this one game. Second Evolution simply <span style="font-style: italic;">exudes</span> replayability through its multiple characters and optional party members, and the game simply begs to be played "right" with a strategy guide by your side. And as such, I think I shall - especialy since my friend <a href="http://www.danbirlew.com/">Dan</a> put all his love into making the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/STAR-OCEAN-Evolution-Official-Strategy/dp/0744010942/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232482625&sr=8-1">official guide</a> a few weeks back.<br /><br />Either way, it's a great game and a totally worthy successor to one of my favorite PSP RPGs of last year. Check, check-check-check, check it out!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read:</span> <a href="http://www.gameshark.com/psp/reviews/3188/Star-Ocean-Second-Evolution-Review.htm">Star Ocean: Second Evolution Review</a>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-28870794784954458162009-01-20T11:40:00.000-08:002009-01-20T12:02:35.400-08:00GameShark - ReviewsAnd now, for the reviews! As you can see, I was far from complacent throughout the latter half of 2008. And here are the links to prove it:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3071/N+-Review.htm">N+ (PSP)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3126/Dragon-Quest-IV-Chapters-of-the-Chosen-Review.htm">Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (DS)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3149/Castlevania-Order-of-Ecclesia-Review.htm">Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3150/Kirby-Super-Star-Ultra-Review.htm">Kirby: Super Star Ultra (DS)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3180/Chrono-Trigger-Review.htm">Chrono Trigger (DS)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3170/Eternal-Sonata-Review.htm">Eternal Sonata (PS3)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3172/Star-Ocean-First-Departure-Review.htm">Star Ocean: First Departure (PSP)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3174/Animal-Crossing-City-Folk-Review.htm">Animal Crossing: Wild World (Wii)</a></li></ul>Wow! That's more than I expected. Feel free to check them out, and leave comments as you see fit!Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-87792953782677613692009-01-20T11:33:00.000-08:002009-01-20T12:02:18.289-08:00GameShark - PreviewsThroughout 2008, I was able to make it out to a handful of press events for GameShark and get a little hands-on time with some of the year's hottest games. Even though I missed out on the Mirrors Edge press event, most games were awesome enough to write about. Well, save for Damnation, but that was more the fault of the awful venue. Ho-hum.<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/previews/3413/Saints-Row-II-Multiplayer-Hands-On-Preview.htm">Saints Row 2 - Multiplayer Hands-On (360/PS3)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/previews/3422/Damnation-Multiplayer-Preview.htm">Damnation - Multiplayer Hands-On (360)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/previews/3416/Animal-Crossing-City-Folk-Preview.htm">Animal Crossing: Wild World (Wii)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/previews/3417/StarCraft-II-BlizzCon-Preview.htm">StarCraft II - BlizzCon Impressions (PC)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/previews/3423/Prince-of-Persia-Preview.htm">Prince of Persia (360/PS3)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/previews/3426/Star-Ocean-Second-Evolution-Preview.htm">Star Ocean: Second Evolution (PSP)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/previews/3428/Prinny-Can-I-Really-Be-The-Hero-Preview.htm">Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero (PSP)</a></li></ul><br />That about wraps it up. Feel free to leave comments; I get none via GameShark. :(<br /><br />And now, onto the reviews!Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-65623160651273289452009-01-20T10:57:00.000-08:002009-01-20T11:38:13.066-08:00RPGamer Update - Nintendo Fall Media Summit & BlizzCon ImpressionsBack in October, I had the privilege of attending Nintendo's Fall Media Summit and getting some much-needed hands-on time with some upcoming RPGs for RPGamer. I dutifully wrote up my impressions of the games, which can be found below:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.rpgamer.com/games/fe/feds/fedsimp.html">Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon DS</a><br /><a href="http://www.rpgamer.com/games/castlevania/orderoecc/orderoeccimp.html">Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia DS</a><br /><a href="http://www.rpgamer.com/games/pokemon/pokerangersa/pokerangersaimp.html">Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia DS</a><br /><br />All games were great fun to play, and Nintendo was more than accommodating during the entirety of the event. This was where the DSi was first premiered to the US, which generated relatively mixed reviews from those who had a peek at it, but I remain optimistic until I get it in my hands. I'll miss the GBA slot, though! I was also able to make it down to BlizzCon, which netted the following impression:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.rpgamer.com/games/diablo/diablo3/diablo3imp.html">Diablo 3 - BlizzCon Impression</a><br /><br />Woohoo!Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-31208330638120725392009-01-20T09:57:00.000-08:002009-01-20T10:40:48.441-08:00Long time, no update!Well, hello again! Long time no see! It looks like I haven't updated this newfangled blog since last August, which was right about when things started getting good! Seeing as this is quite the "monumentous" day, with the whole Presidential Inauguration going on in the background and all, I figured it was time that I finally unleashed the wealth of last year's writing on my poor, defenseless blog.<br /><br />Now for the status update. Currently, I write reviews and previews for GameShark.com, and blog for 1up.com's iPhone and Apple gaming blog. Between those two websites (and the games that come with each) I'm kept quite busy, although I still have my position at RPGamer for the occasional press event or random preview, and hope to write more for GameSpite in the future.<br /><br />I'll go ahead and update this with massive categorized updates, so that if someone happenstancedly stumbles here looking for some reading material, they won't be disappointed with last year's offering. But that's enough talk; have at you!Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-22700298539757144152008-08-21T10:33:00.000-07:002008-08-21T10:37:40.780-07:00GameShark - Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon ReviewAfter a bit of a drought, I'm back with my first of a few pieces posted over at <a href="www.gameshark.com">GameShark</a>! I've been playing Chocobo's Dungeon every second that I had for the past week or so, and I have to say that it's the most enjoyable RPG experience I've had on the Wii yet. While Opoona nudges ahead in terms of music and artistic style, the way that Chocobo's Dungeon makes the dungeon crawling experience palatable is worthy of a Nobel Prize. Seriously.<br /><br />Give it a looksee and tell me what you think. I have a preview for Need for Speed Undercover coming up shortly, so stay tuned for that!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read:</span> <a href="http://www.gameshark.com/nintendo-wii/reviews/3052/Chocobos-Dungeon-Review.htm">Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon - Review</a>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-91772834658186676822008-07-11T09:22:00.000-07:002008-07-18T13:03:38.373-07:00GameShark - Guitar Hero: On Tour ReviewWell, it's finally here! My first review for GameShark has just gone live, right before the big E3 rush that will surely knock it off its pedestal within days. If the article feels a little awkward at first, it's because the longer introduction had to be cut short due to length limitations. Oops! It basically drew an analogy between real life guitar and GH:OT since they both are extremely painful and embarassing at the beginning. Once you get the hang of them, they're great, but it may not be for everyone.<br /><br />If anyone wants to see the full review, just let me know. It's not a monster, but it is about 300 words longer.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gameshark.com/reviews/3027/Guitar-Hero-On-Tour-Review.htm">GameShark: Guitar Hero: On Tour Review</a><br /><blockquote></blockquote>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-1337504953099971332008-07-08T10:19:00.000-07:002008-07-08T10:20:51.941-07:00Long time, no update!While it might initially appear that I've been a sloth-and-a-half, in reality, I've been crazy busy trying to keep up with life and its many transitions. As of July 16th I'm officially a college graduate of UCSB, and conversely another member of the "unemployed workforce." I traveled to the East Coast for a week to see my father, and am currently on another trip to Colorado with my girlfriend to see her family and enjoy the finer things in America (read: tourist destinations, traps, and everything in-between).<br /><br />Because of all the life transitions, I'm currently looking for more paying positions. I've recently been hired over at GameShark.com for reviews and other miscellanea, and hope to find a few more positions or internships in the nearby future. Until then, I'll keep toiling away at my few websites, hoping to see where things take me over the next month or two.<br /><br />If you ever need to reach me, you can do so by leaving me a comment or sending me an email (found <a href="mailto:ColeRJones@gmail.com">here</a>).<br /><br />Thanks for reading,<br />ColeColehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-75961019105987507192008-07-08T10:07:00.000-07:002008-07-08T10:19:35.368-07:00RPGamer – 2008 NIS Press Event ImpressionsAlmost a month ago (!) I had the privilege of heading up to San Francisco to cover the 2008 NIS press event for RPGamer. I bumped elbows with some internet friends and rivals, enjoyed some delicious food on the house, hosted an interview, and was lucky enough to get my hands on a few new RPGs from NIS that are coming stateside this year. I wish I could have broken this into a few separate updates to make myself seem more productive, but since this event occurred three days before my last final and graduation, I obviously had no time for that.<br /><br />Anyways! Take a look at the impressions below. It's always fun actually playing something before writing about them and I think they turned out rather well. Especially A Witches Tale, considering I saw no actual footage of the game. Enjoy.<br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.rpgamer.com/event/nisa/disgaeadsimp.html">Disgaea DS - Hands-On Impression</a></li><li><a href="http://www.rpgamer.com/event/nisa/rhapsodyimp.html">Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (DS) - Hands-On Impression</a></li><li><a href="http://www.rpgamer.com/event/nisa/witchstaleimp.html">A Witches Tale (DS) - Hands-On Impression</a></li></ul>(I also covered Disgaea 3 again, but I wanted to save those impressions for the big preview of the game I'm writing this month. Now that I can go in-depth into the storyline, churning out another "I walked here and threw this" impression would be absurdly redundant.)Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-4462095784204978942008-06-21T18:21:00.000-07:002008-08-21T18:36:00.649-07:00GameSpite - Link's Awakening ReviewI thought I posted this a while back, but I was wrong! Here's my article about Link's Awakening posted over at GameSpite. It's a bit short, but has some good stuff in it. Peek if you dare.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">GameSpite</span>: <a href="http://www.gamespite.net/toastywiki/index.php/Games/LinksAwakening">Link's Awakening Review</a>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-81270234364214325812008-05-21T06:21:00.000-07:002008-05-21T06:28:02.935-07:00RPGamer - Disgaea 3 ImpressionsThe second half of the Run to the Sun meetings I was able to attend consisted of a trip to NIS America to meet up with a few staff members and play an early build of Disgaea 3. While embargoes forbid me from going into too much detail at this time, things are certainly shaping up well for fans of outlandish Tactical RPGs. Disgaea 3 was rough around the edges, but left many of us happy with NIS's progress so far. While it didn't score too high in our overall rankings, a lot of that can be chalked up to the early build we played and the ways that D3 can't really be picked up and enjoyed like a good shooter or fighter can be. I have high hopes for August.<br /><br />Here's my impressions. A in-depth preview will be going up sometime during the first week of June, and I'll be attending a press event for NIS to spend some more time with their upcoming lineup and do an interview. Things are looking up!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read:</span> <a href="http://www.rpgamer.com/event/rtts2008/ilchymis/disgaea3-imp.html">Disgaea 3 Impressions</a>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-33955188686352015152008-05-21T05:56:00.001-07:002008-05-21T06:03:16.392-07:00RPGamer - Summon Night: Twin Age ImpressionYikes!<br /><br />In one of my more memorable strokes of luck, I had the chance to meet up with a few other fun fellows from RPGamer down in Southern California to talk videogames with two huge RPG publishers - Atlus and Nippon Ichi Software (NIS) America. The latter was a complete stroke of luck, as I was only originally planning to meet up, talk with Atlus, and help relieve some of the coverage pressure from the publisher's eight+ games. Luckily I was able to tag along and go to dinner, and even get asked to go to a press event in SF next month. Exciting!<br /><br />Here's the first game Atlus let us get our hands on, <span style="font-style: italic;">Summon Night: Twin Age</span>. It's an Action RPG through and through, but looks to be surprisingly fun and fresh, allowing for neat exploration, item conjuring, and other interesting things to do in comparison to your usual hack-'n-slash. I wrote up more of my impressions over at RPGamer, so go take a look over there.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read:</span><a href="http://www.rpgamer.com/event/rtts2008/ilchymis/snds-imp.html"> Summon Night: Twin Age Impression</a>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-27668440181282774102008-05-13T12:54:00.000-07:002008-05-13T12:57:21.509-07:00MyWiiNews - WiiMiidia Homebrew, and Wiikly Wii ReleasesFinally found the time to update this thing with my two latest pieces for MyWiiNews. Both are news stories, one tells the tale of a homebrewer's valiant efforts to port XBMC over to the Wii, while the other is simply a quick Wii release update. Both are solid and worth a peek.<br /><br />I'll be heading down to Irvine tomorrow to meet up with Atlus for RPGamer. It should be fun! Time to dust off that copy of Etrian Odyssey!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read</span>:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.mywiinews.com/want-to-watch-movies-on-your-wii/" rel="bookmark" class="title">Want to Watch Movies On Your Wii?</a></li><li><a href="http://www.mywiinews.com/wiikly-wii-releases-54-517/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Wiikly Wii Releases : 5/4 - 5/17" class="title"> Wiikly Wii Releases : 5/4 - 5/17</a></li></ul>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-68314344225731980062008-05-10T03:01:00.000-07:002008-05-10T03:16:25.759-07:00DailyNexus - "Wii Kart Unites Casual and Hardcore"My latest Daily Nexus article went up today, and it was actually featured in the physical newspaper two days ago as well!<br /><br />This is my second article to be promoted from an online-only column to an actual piece within the opinion section, and I was even asked to join the columnist staff for the next year. Unfortunately I won't be around UCSB to work for the Nexus, but it's nice to know that my words are appreciated.<br /><br />This piece did two things I had been meaning to do for a few weeks: talk about Mario Kart and casual gamers. I had a <span style="font-weight: bold;">complete</span> article on casual gaming all edited up and ready to turn into the Nexus two weeks ago, but I restarted my computer and everything instantly vanished. Apparently my hard drive decided to die without giving me any real warning, taking the last five months of data along with it into the depths of Hard Drive Hell. Along with this completed article went my Summon Night DS preview, and a 80% piece for My Wii News on the Wii's rechargable battery problem, making for quite the depressing past two weeks.<br /><br />I just got my Mac back with a fresh HDD and I'm ready to get back to blogging business. Expect a lot more from me in the next few weeks, and I'll be sure to back everything up before submitting articles and restarting computers. :(<br /><br />Rant aside, the article is a goodie. I talk about the prevalence of casual gamers, the ways in which Mario Kart Wii is Nintendo's first forray into kart-driven Communism, and even namedrop Ghosts n' Goblins and the real SMB2 to show how cool I am (yeah, right). It's always nice to get printed in a real publication, so take a peek and enjoy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read</span>: Daily Nexus - <a href="http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=16760"><span style="font-size:100%;">Wii Kart Unites Casual and Hardcore</span></a>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-31785145354054605002008-04-30T05:42:00.000-07:002008-04-30T05:48:04.024-07:00GameSpite - Golden Axe Warrior ReviewWoohoo! Another review! I can't help but get excited whenever something I put a lot of work into sees the light of day, and this Golden Axe Warrior (GAW) piece pretty much personifies this feeling. Jeremy Parish decided to switch over to a weekly digest format after I submitted this piece; making it sit all alone for almost a month. This was actually a blessing in disguise, as the initial draft I wrote up was extremely rough and needed a good amount of polish to get to the stage it's in today. Jeremy did a good amount of edits, but most everything stayed true to my original words and visions.<br /><br />I thought GAW was a really neat, if unoriginal, game that deserves more attention than it seems to get, so go and read the darn thing and find out for yourself! I promise you'll giggle at least once at the screenshots.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read</span>: <a href="http://www.gamespite.net/toastywiki/index.php/Games/GoldenAxeWarrior">Golden Axe Warrior Review</a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:78%;"><br />P.S. I have a preview for Summon Night: Twin Age DS coming up at RPGamer soon. The game </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:78%;">just got pushed back, so I couldn't have picked a better time to do a preview! Woohoo!</span>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-66111129677481620462008-04-30T05:37:00.001-07:002008-04-30T05:41:42.084-07:00Daily Nexus - "The Makings of a Classic"Last week my mind came to a screeching halt when I finally sat down to start writing something for the Daily Nexus, and for some reason my mind was suddenly inundated with plumbers. Super Mario Bros. is arguably the game that changed videogaming into the industry it is today, with the whole "bringing videogames back from their premature 1983 death) thing, and I felt it was due time to talk about the importance of that monumental game. In the article I give a brief history of what games looked like in the early 80s, how things have changed, and the innovations that SMB brought to the table. I could have written twice as much in my sleep about this subject, but I think it worked well in its slightly truncated form.<br /><br />See for yourself.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read</span>: <a href="http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=16543">"The Makings of a Classic"</a>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-71939881971143523592008-04-30T05:37:00.000-07:002008-04-30T05:38:01.913-07:00Daily Nexus - "The Makings of a Classic"Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-34043168779931709552008-04-30T05:24:00.001-07:002008-04-30T05:30:08.729-07:00My Wii News UpdateI haven't had the time to update this thingamablogger for a while, so here is a list of my recently published articles over at My Wii News. I was 90% done with an exclusive feature I was working on before my laptop harddrive crashed, and as soon as I can find a way to get my files off of my Mac's harddrive I'll post it on the site. It should be a goodie, but entertain yourself with these stories until that time comes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read</span>:<br /><ul><li><h4 id="post-632"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.mywiinews.com/okami-watermark-fiasco-is-ign-involved/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Okami Watermark Fiasco - Is IGN Involved?">Wiikly Wii Releases - 4/20/08</a></span></h4></li><li><h4 id="post-632"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.mywiinews.com/okami-watermark-fiasco-is-ign-involved/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Okami Watermark Fiasco - Is IGN Involved?">Okami Watermark Fiasco - Is IGN Involved?</a></span></h4></li><li><h4 id="post-615"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.mywiinews.com/skip-the-freeloader-buy-twilight-princess-instead/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Skip the FreeLoader - Buy Twilight Princess Instead!">Skip the FreeLoader - Buy Twilight Princess Instead!</a></span></h4></li><li><h4 id="post-540"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.mywiinews.com/wiikly-wii-releases-46-4-12/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Wiikly Wii Releases - 4-6-08">Wiikly Wii Releases - 4-6-08</a></span></h4></li></ul>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-33225375946784299192008-04-22T10:25:00.000-07:002008-04-30T05:35:47.839-07:00Daily Nexus - "Hyperreality Challenges Gaming Future"Wow, haven't updated this in a while. I'll have to do some mass posts for everything I've done and had published in the past few weeks, as it's a lot more than just a few blurbs here and there. To start with, here's my penultimate gaming column posted by the Daily Nexus, which actually found its way into the actual newspaper.<br /><br />That's right! This article was <span style="font-weight: bold;">actually published</span> in the Daily Nexus, but I had no way of knowing until today when my friend told me that he enjoyed reading my article. After a bit of sleuthing, I found out that it was published in the physical Nexus newspaper on April 11th, with pictures and everything. Wow! I just wish my editor would have told me so I could have had someone pick up the article when I was out of town.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span>Even though it's the same as last time, you get to see the cool pictures drawn specially for the article. Either way, it makes for a good read. See for yourself.<br /><br />Read: Daily Nexus -<a href="http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=16388"> "Hyperreality Challenges Gaming Future"</a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span></span>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031118051101028794.post-13227737067171355812008-04-04T18:35:00.000-07:002008-04-04T18:43:21.379-07:00MyWiiNews - Opoona ReviewAfter a week of plodding through <span style="font-style: italic;">Opoona</span>, my review has finally gone live on MyWiiNews. It's a bit of a monster, but I feel like I could have written well over 2000 words without much repetition. I also saw some ways I could have cut it almost in half, but considering the extreme dearth of information about the game currently on the 'net, I felt a pinch of verbosity was required. Opoona is a rather niche title, and I've had at least 3 or 4 people keep in constant contact with me about the game, trying to get a feel for it because so little information was really out there. I don't know how people will feel about it, but I'm hoping it will be useful for at least a few prospective gamers.<br /><br />On another exciting note, I've recently been promoted to "Editor" of MyWiiNews. Up until now, there was one person who edited and published everything ("Bucky"). Since I've initiated a few cool changes and been generally reliable for my time there, he asked me to help out and work alongside him. I must say that it will be nice to get more experience editing for the future, even though I don't know where I'll be working 3 months from now. I will be in the Bay Area, though, so if you need a staff writer, I'd love to know.<br /><br />Blabbering aside, the review is worth a peek.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read</span>: <a href="http://www.mywiinews.com/opoona-review/">Opoona Review</a>Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708446223887503213noreply@blogger.com0