Monday, December 30, 2013

Happy New Year! (Or Else...)

  

Yeah, that's right: I'm EARLY for a change. Actually, I'm probably going to take tomorrow off and rest up a bit (NO, I'm not going to Times Square with the rest of the fools who get trapped down there for the better part of a day without the ability to pee), so I'm posting that new banner above and this post here to wish you all a stellar 2014. Or else. Now, I won't do anything to you if you don't try and have a super year, but I'd say you need to kick a few bad vibes in the nether regions and get some stuff DONE that you've been putting off for a while. You know you want to. Hey, change is good although moving forward can be tricky business if you're set in your ways and unwilling to bend a bit. 

Yeah, yeah, I'm talking to myself as well, so let's see what happens 365 days from now and maybe kick up a heel or two in a victory dance. And oh yeah, one BIG change anyone reading this can make (if you haven't done so yet) is follow me over at the NEW DAF site! Lots of stuff going on there and you may even get lucky and win something when I run a new giveaway! That's a pretty good way to start off a new year, I'd say...

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Happy Holidays To All (Or Else!)...

Random advice time! Whatever you celebrate, do it and have a damn good time doing it. Stay away from the crazies who want you to tumble into their gloomy un-holiday traps, imbibe and consume responsibly and if you're giving gifts, give from the heart first and the wallet last. Shut up and listen for a change if you're a big talker. Go squeeze a plush object if you're a big hugger and generally, be nicer to random strangers unless they're trying to ruin your day. Then, you have my permission to kick them with those Nutcracker boots you're wearing, which them a merry whatever and stroll away home for a cup of hot cocoa or home-made eggnog (or a carton of the store bought stuff with some special additive that's usually rum or some other adult spirity liquid). That is all. No, wait - in case you STILL don't know this: I'm writing over at Wordpress on the NEW DAF! So boogie on over, check the site out and sign up! It's you're gift to ME if you do this, as followers and hits keep me happy and I KNOW you're cheap when it comes to getting total strangers presents. Note: if you're NOT cheap and don't mind parting with a few thousand dollars, sure, I'll take it!

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Testing, Testing...

Nothing to see here, move along! It's just a test post because I'm up too late working on stuff and I have some time to kill while waiting for a download to complete. Anyway, the NEW DAF needs YOU to pop in and sign up as a regular reader if you have not yet done so. I could certainly use the readers and you could certainly use the entertainment there rather than camping out here waiting for new content. SO yeah, nothing to see HERE... so move along to my other site and I'll be a happy camper!

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Your Pretty Obvious Game of the Month: Grand Theft Auto V

September 17, folks. Yeah, yeah, it's not even out yet, but between all the content descriptions, teasers, trailers and screens it's more than clear that this is Rockstar's biggest game to date and it will be a major distraction for those fans who buy in and tune out the even crazier goings on in the real world. Provided the planet doesn't blow itself up, melt or get invaded by aliens (and variations of two of those three things could happen), it should be a great holiday season for anyone employed at the company when those bonus checks go flying around...

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Game of the Month: Dragon's Crown




As in just shut up and buy it already if you own a PS3 or Vita. There are big differences in both versions (so yeah, you want both), that art book is PHENOMENAL (and even more so if you happen to have imported either expensive deluxe Japanese version of the game) and the game itself is an instant classic that's both a throwback to arcade beat 'em ups as well as its own bird.

Take a peek at the video below if you're not convinced yet. If that stunning artwork and outrageously stylized characters don't get your eyes popping and your wallet flying out of your pocket or purse, well... I can't help you in your art appreciation much. Anyway, grab this for home and/or the road and tell a friend if they own a PS3 or Vita to buy this as well. You'll be able to play together... but the game WILL make both of you work like hell for that privilege, as co-op is locked out until you play through the main game once. This won't take too long, mind you and hell, you'll NEED the bonuses earned in order to survive the harder difficulties and alternate paths.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Random Game of the (Upcoming) Week: Remember Me


Despite the heavy focus on multiplayer and "socializing" game experiences to the point of insanity (every game really doesn't need a co-op or online mode!), single player story-based games aren't quite a dying breed, but neither are whiny gamers who demand every game be some sort of open world experiece. Capcom's Remember Me, (out June 4, 2013) is looking like one of those cool new IP that will please fans of games where atmosphere and intriguing characterizations are more important than back of the pack bullet points. I'll have a full review on the NEW DAF site in a few days, so pop on over and check it out...

Saturday, May 4, 2013

A Little VGA 101 Love For Cauldron's Conan...


Digging up some ancient random stuff from the vaults, here's a look at the intro and attract mode for Cauldron's 2004 game CONAN (aka CONAN: The Dark Axe). If you haven't played it (well, it WAS only available in Europe for PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Game Cube), it's a third-person action game that has some quirks, but makes for an interesting experience thanks to the motion captured combat moves and some really creative camerawork in the cinemas. It's not the best-looking game featuring the Cimmerian, but it's probably one of the more interesting ones Conan fans in the US never got to play unless they imported it. I have the PC, Xbox and Game Cube versions in the library (and yes, I've played it all the way through on each platform). The chances of it ever coming out as a re-release here are slim to none unless the PC version gets put on gog.com or some other download site. Of course, there's probably some sort of licensing agreement that needs to be hashed out, but I guess that's up to the folks at gog.com and CIP... 

Monday, April 1, 2013

Game of Thrones Season 3: So Far, So Great (And More to Come)...


Yikes. How about that first episode, hmmmm? Well, it looks as if there's a lot more to come in terms of shocks and surprises. I'll probably catch this again on HBO on Demand at some point this week, as I may have missed a line of dialog when I sneezed at one point. Anyway, Happy April Fool's Day, I suppose. This is going to be a wickedly cool TV month, that's for sure...


Sunday, March 24, 2013

Hey! I'm Still Alive (and More Productive Elsewhere!)...

Woo-hoo? You're STILL here? OK, OK, How can I get you to subscribe to the NEW DAF site over on Wordpress? (sings) "Tell me, tell me, pleeeeaaaaase!"... Well, you COULD just click on over, see the 160+ posts I've done this month and say "Oh, that's a LOT more updated... I like it!" and sub away. OR I could always BRIBE you to join (a penny each, as I've a bag of them here collecting dust), but that's not feasible and bribery always sucks when you get caught doing it and need to do some jail time. Not that I plan on EVER going to jail, mind you. I couldn't do the site from there unless the Wi-Fi was REALLY good and I didn't have to worry about getting a shiv in the shower every so often. Anyway - go poke around the new site, sign the heck up and let me know how you like the place. I'll be waiting. or posting too much to notice you unless I look at my followers listing (which is hovering around 120 or so)...

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

WIN FREE STUFF! Urban Trial Freestyle PSN Codes (PS3/Vita) Up For Grabs!

CONTEST CLOSED!!! CODES AWARDED!!! CHECK BACK AGAIN FOR MORE FREE STUFF!!!
 


UTF_TallOK, OK - you've been asking me to give more stuff away, soooo here you go. Thanks to the fine folks at Tate Multimedia, I have three Urban Trial Freestyle PS3 and three Vita codes here (for the North American PSN store) burning a hole in my inbox. I think six DIFFERENT people out there could use a fun blast of slick visuals, challenging stunt and speed-based gameplay and a ton of replay value to keep them busy for a bit. I think that YOU just might be one of those people, right? So, HOW do you get one of these codes, you ask? Well, just head on over to the NEW DAF site and find out!




Don't take too long to respond, though...   You're almost there - a click away, in fact!

Sunday, February 3, 2013

It's Toy Fair Time Again!



Hey... it's that time of the year again, folks. It's said that he (or she) who has the most toys wins, which means Toy Fair ALWAYS wins every single year. I'll be there covering the big event from a few angles on the other DAF blog, so pop on by during the week of the show for some thoughts on stuff that I like. I'm going through my too-packed inbox making appointments, so I'm going to be busy as heck that entire week. Even better, Electronic Arts will be in NYC for their spring press event, so I'll have a few games to write about as well. Hmmm... sometimes I think need some interns or something, as I have too much on my plate every so often. But then again, it costs a lot to care and feed interns and no one makes that perfect robot companion that can do it all, so I guess I'm flying solo once again!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Review: Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable: It Might Just Be One Game That Keeps the Vita Alive...


While Sony's otherwise excellent new portable gaming system wasn't quite the big hit the company thought it would be in 2012, there were a number of great games released for it last year that made it a more than worthy purchase. 2013 is getting off to a solid start for the handheld thanks to D3Publisher's recently launched Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable, a greatly enhanced "port" of the Xbox 360 game and the first new EDF game by original Japanese developer Sandlot to hit a Sony platform since the stellar Earth Defense Force 2 Portable on the PSP about two years ago. EDF 2017P offers up seven new stages, four new enemy types, new Vita-exclusive weapons, online wi-fi co-op and versus mode play for two to four players. That $40 price point may seem high for a download-only game, but trust me, you'll get that money's worth thanks to dozens (and potentially hundreds) of hours of outrageously challenging gameplay in solo mode and a fun online component where you can meet up and blast bugs with like-minded EDF recruits.