Just like GamerDad himself, I’m thoroughly impressed with the newest incarnation of the Civilization line of PC games, Civilization V. From its earliest incarnation, including its roots in the world of boardgames, I’ve been a big fan of the genre and the Civilization series in particular. However, they have always been in danger of suffering the fate of too much stuff. Too much information, too much micromanagement, etc… Civ V manages to take several steps back from previous versions to simplify things for the player without sacrificing much of what makes the game so great.

more…

Tags: Game Reviews

If I didn’t have a good excuse, I would feel very bad for missing out on one of the more interesting games of the year when Just Dance was released last Fall. Thankfully, a friend recently mentioned the game to me and piqued my interest enough to try to hunt it down. Lo and behold, a new version, Just Dance 2, was just released and now I’ve been fully converted into the Just Dance fan club. The game revolves around holding a Wiimote in your right hand, and then copying the dance moves presented by a motion-captured dancer animation presented on the screen. Just Dance 2 manages to capture all the fun of a rhythm game but presents it in a new and very engaging way.

more…

Tags: Game Reviews

After nearly 10 years, the post apocalyptic adventures of Gamma World have returned. This time around multiple dimensions of the Earth were squashed together in a great cataclysm when something in Europe’s Large Hadron Collider goes “bloop”. In an instant multiple Earths with different timelines collide with our own creating chaos and global devastation. Gamma World is a somewhat goofy role playing game set in this alternate future. Players take on the role of creatures like giant cockroaches, mind-bending teddy bears, or even a swarm of angry intelligent cats. Based off the popular, new 4th edition of the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game, Gamma World offers gamers a slightly simpler and zanier gaming experience in a single box set.
more…

Tags: Game Reviews, Misc, Unplugged

The GenCon gaming convention was once again held in the Indianapolis Convention Center this past August. I’ve already reported on some of the role playing news so I thought I’d give an update on the state of the boardgaming industry. As usual, most big name publishers and many smaller ones set up shop in the main dealer hall to show off their newest and upcoming games. Games of all sorts were on display, but many of the games that made the biggest splash at the convention fell into one of three categories: cooperative games, where players primarily cooperate to defeat the game; deck building games, where players expand and refine a deck of cards as they use that same deck in play; and civilization building games, where players attempt to build up a small civilization and all that includes.

more…

Tags: Misc, Unplugged

The annual GenCon gaming convention was held earlier this month in Indianapolis. As is my tradition, I attended for a couple days and thought I’d share my thoughts. The convention has its roots in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Gary Gygax held the first one in 1968 as a wargame convention. It quickly grew as Gygax’s Dungeons & Dragons role playing game became popular. GenCon attendance now approaches 30,000 attendees and will be the 4th largest convention in Indianapolis this year, behind both the NCAA tournament and the national FFA convention. While gaming conventions are common, Gencon is the place to be for fans of role playing games. Many companies use the convention to launch new titles and reveal upcoming plans and the only problem anyone interested in trying out a game will have is choosing from the large number of public games available.
more…

Tags: Misc, Unplugged

Having spent most of the winter and spring away from home, I am rather a Johnny come lately type for any video game releases in the first half of 2010. However, I’ve had some of the summer to catch up and wanted to post a few thoughts I had on a somewhat different title, Endless Ocean: Blue World. This Wii game is a sequel to Endless Ocean. Like the original, you play as a scuba diver and get to explore various pretty underwater areas using the Wii controls. I’m not going to re-review the entire game (you can go check out GamerDad’s reviews for the original game and the sequel if you need) but I wanted to comment on a few aspects of the series that make them somewhat unique.

more…

Tags: Game Reviews, Misc

I was excited to come home after a long trip because I knew that, courtesy of Nintendo, Picross 3D was there waiting for me. I’m a big fan of the previous Nintendo Picross games. One could compare them to Sudoku puzzles. While both puzzles involve numbers, the focus is on logic and deduction rather than any math skills. In basic Picross, a grid is outlined above and to the side with a series of numbers that describe how many squares should be filled in each row or column. A series such as 5 3 2 means that row contains 5 consecutive filled squares, then a break, then three squares, then a break, then two squares. Squares on the grid are slowly filled in using logic and deduction until all appropriate filled squares are found an a picture is revealed. I find Picross much more satisfying than Sudoku because I enjoy the process of creating a tangible picture. The newest entry in the Picross series takes the game into the third dimension. Rather than a simple rectangle, puzzles consist of a three dimensional grid of boxes, some of which have to be removed to reveal the shape hidden inside. At first, I was wary of the changes to the game, but soon found Picross 3D to have much of the original game’s appeal.

more…

Tags: Misc

The name says it all. This is a quality budget title that takes an idea and breaks it down into its core gameplay, making that gameplay all it can be. You’re presented with a battle against an alien fleet. Given limited resources (basically cash and a number of pilots), put together a fleet of ships to challenge the aliens. Once you’ve assembled your fleet and given them the barest of strategy advice, hit the play button, sit back, and watch the battle unfold in all its glory. Don’t look for any plot here, Gratuitous Space Battles is a fun little diversion for anyone who likes smashing things together to see how they hold up.
more…

Tags: Game Reviews

Unlike Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, where chocolate and peanut butter go great together, video games and popular movie franchises rarely combine to make something good. Perhaps it is the addition of one more ingredient, LEGOs, but the LEGO series of video games based off of Star Wars, Batman, and Indiana Jones continue to prove popular both with gamers and critics. The newest release is a revisit to Indiana Jones. While it might not be the best game of the series so far, it is more than enough of a game to recommend highly for fans of exploration games with enough puzzles to interest older gamers and gameplay safe enough for anyone in your family.

more…

Tags: Game Reviews

I’ve been playing two different role playing games on my Nintendo DS lately. Both Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky are solid titles that have the basic explore, search, and grow mechanic that tends to draw me in to RPGs. While they both have a sort of Nintendo-esque take on life (no horror or graphic violence here) each one plays out distinctly differently. While the new Mario & Luigi title has a sort of puzzle/platform mixed into the game, the Mystery Dungeon title might be best described as a Pokemon adventure without having to capture any Pokemon.
more…

Tags: Game Reviews, Misc