PixlBit

Dear Diary: Today I beat up a tree.

From the moment Code of Princess was announced, comparisons between it and Guardian Heroes were inevitable. Videos quickly showed that the gameplay was extremely similar, and quite a few members of the staff that previously worked on Guardian Heroes were on the design team. It's a fair comparison, and a rather impressive one considering Guardian Heroes did a lot for the brawler genre at a time where it was at risk of becoming irrelevant. It’s chief contributions included the inclusion of RPG elements like leveling, stat management, and magic, at a time when this practice wasn’t nearly as mainstream as it is today.

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I present to you - the Matrix of Mediocrity

As a fan of the television series Transformers Prime, I have to admit that part of me enjoyed parts of this game that is clearly aimed for a much younger audience. Earlier this year, I got my Transformers fix with High Moon’s Fall of Cybertron, but I felt that Prime had an opportunity to do justice to a different part of Transformers lore. The universes are both part of Hasbro’s initiative to create continuity within the cannon and not only that, but a dark and grittier tone is also shared by both. After playing Transformers: Prime however, I was left disappointed.

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Is simularcade racing a genre?

Whenever you hand a franchise off to an outside development studio, you run the risk of it being handled poorly. This is a particular concern with Forza Horizon, as it marks the first time Turn 10 Studios has allowed another company to handle the property. Furthermore, Playground Games, the studio behind Forza Horizon, is completely unproven. Thankfully, this group of racing game vets has managed to create an experience that has universal appeal; its construction is one that brings both simulation and arcade racing fans to the table.

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The road to hell is paved with beautiful 2D sprites.

As someone who cut his teeth on Super Mario Bros., Mega Man, and Sonic the Hedgehog, I have a fondness for the 8- and 16-bit sprite art classic style, but I also want to see games that evolve the 2D platformer and bring it into the 21^st century. I often ask myself how things would be if the games industry never moved on to polygons but instead kept refining their sprites for 25 years. What would that game look like? Thanks to Arkedo and their new game Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit I have my answer, and that answer would be “pretty damn sweet.”

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