GDC 2010: Monster Hunter Tri Preview

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!

Read: Monster Hunter Tri Preview

Bottom line: If you're a Monster Hunter fan, there's no reason you should skip over this.

GDC 2010: Darkstar One: Broken Alliance Preview

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.

Check the link, and let me know if you're one of the few that's dying to micromanage your galactic empire.

Read: DarkStar One: Broken Alliance Preview

GDC 2010: "Micro or Massive: It's Fricking Tough to Achieve a Vision"

This little summary of a panel I attended at GDC was supposed 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 PixelJunk Eden creator/multimedia guru Baiyon and Uncharted 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?

"Hey dudes, do we have these boxes backwards?"

Read: "Micro or Massive: It's Fricking Tough to Achieve a Vision"

GDC 2010: Pocket Creatures First Look

One of the games I was able to spend a fair amount of time for 1up with before 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 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.

Read: Pocket Creatures First Look