PixlBit

The first week of the second crew of the PixlTalk podcast debuts, complete with Vita whining and a hodgepodge of topics to conclude the show.

As hinted at a couple episodes ago, PixlTalk is going weekly once again. Rather than hearing the same crew every week, each crew will occupy alternating weekly time slots and tonight's episode is the first from the second crew. While Julian will ultimately take over the hosting duties, for this week previous podcast regulars Nick, Chessa, and Jason help break him into his new podcasting role.

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After the excitement of the toys has worn off, kids will be left with a forgettable game.

When Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure first showed up at my door, I was giddy, to say the least. Being a huge Spyro fan for years and having an obsession with collecting all things video game related, this game seemed more than up my alley. Admittedly, my first impressions of the game were positive; it captured the vibrant look of past Spyro titles, and the goofy characters captured the series’ charm. The first few levels were strangely linear for a “Spyro” title, but I merely attributed this fact to being part of the tutorial and introduction. However, two hours in, I realized that this game had absolutely nothing to do with the little purple dragon, and was disappointed to see that his only reason for being there, was to form a familiar foundation.

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Qwark and Ratchet spoil Clank's fun.

Secret Agent Clank is the second PSP spin-off title in the Ratchet & Clank series, and like its counterpart, Size Matters, was also developed by High Impact Games. Released originally for the PSP in 2008, Secret Agent Clank was eventually ported to the PS2 in 2009 by Sanzaru games. Since I'm not a big fan of the analog nub on the PSP, I opted for the PS2 version instead, and it seems as though I chose poorly. While I can't vouch firsthand on the improved quality of the PSP version, the difference in review scores paints a pretty clear picture. What I can say is the PS2 version of Secret Agent Clank is a sloppy experience full of issues that sadly ruins the unique gameplay and overshadows the quirky character of the title.

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A mix of improvements from the first elevate the mechanics, but changes to the core gameplay harm the overall experience.

I know I'm going to be in the overwhelming minority here, but I have seriously mixed feelings about Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando. On one hand, the game drastically improved upon some of my gameplay complaints from the original title, on the other, it went ahead and created a whole new set of problems. Lenghty fetch quests and far too many required mini-games made the game feel drawn out and the overwhelming combat drastically overshadowed the platforming. This hurt an important core element of the game leaving it unbalanced, unfocused, and devoid of an element of character it once had before.

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Chessa leads the charge in an effort to recap the entire Ratchet & Clank series with a set of Review Rewinds.

With the release of Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One quickly approaching, we thought it would be interesting to go back and replay all of the entries in the Ratchet & Clank series starting with the original. As those who are familiar with our Review Rewinds may already know, these articles tend to stray from the standard PixlBit review formula, allowing the writer to analyze and critique a game in any way they desire. As such, when going back through the Ratchet & Clank series, we'll be focusing mainly on the staples of the series in order to fully capture how each has evolved as the series has grown.

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