10. Ivy the Kiwi? (Wii)

I always have, and always will, love platformers. The simple yet challenging play style has always drawn me to the genre for one reason or another. Every now and then, though, a developer throws caution to the wind and thinks outside the box, as is the case with Ivy the Kiwi?. The game strays away from the typical platformer at every turn. You don’t control your character and you don’t just jump from ledge to ledge and stomp enemies. In Ivy, your only job is to provide paths for Kiwi to take, and you control those paths using the motion control capabilities that the Wii has. The game gets extremely challenging, especially due to the fact that you cannot stop Ivy from running. This is extremely recommended for platformer fans who want a break from the common platformer.

9. MAG (PS3)

First-person shooters are a dime a dozen these days, especially in the war genre. They have a five-to-six hour campaign, followed by some multiplayer-element tacked on at the end to prevent people from selling the game to GameStop. Zipper, developers of the popular SOCOM series, decided to axe the single-player mode entirely and focused on a great multiplayer. The game’s selling feature was its massive, 128-player online matches all on one server. Zipper succeeded- although the matches didn’t really feel like 128 players due players being secluded to certain areas of the map- and gave PS3 owners a great multiplayer option that they had been longing for.

8. Alan Wake (Xbox 360)

The fact that I enjoyed Alan Wake so much confuses me. I’m not a big fan of horror movies, and even more, horror games. They just freak me out, plain and simple. So what was it about Alan Wake that I loved so much? The story and setting were engaging and hooked me right from the start. It was as if playing a Stephen King novel…in HD. Sure, the enemies got very bland after a couple of hours, and the combat wasn’t great, but that just didn’t matter to me. I loved the television show presentation as it made me feel like I was watching an old Alfred Hitchcock movie. The game has its flaws, but I could easily look past them. I still have to give the DLC a shot.

7. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

I loved Super Mario Galaxy. I mean I really loved it. When I saw a sequel was coming just a year later, looking exactly like the first one, I was pumped. The addition of Yoshi gave a breath of fresh air to the game, but it still just felt like Galaxy 1.5. There wasn’t enough the second round to really blow me away like the original did, but there was still a lot to enjoy here. I would recommend it, but I’m sure every Wii-owner has it on his or her’s shelf already.

6. Blur (Xbox 360/PS3)

Kart racing games have always been my favorite in the racing genre, but they always lack the realism and authenticity of racing-sims. Then along comes Blur and changes everything. The game uses a Mario Kart-like power-up system, all the while allowing the player to drive real world cars. Who’d have thought we’d ever see the day? The game’s online is addictive as anything, borrowing a Call of Duty-like perk system where the player uses XP earned in races on different load outs. Blur appeals to so many different styles of gamers that no one should give it a pass.

5. Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)

When it comes to RPGs, I’m a traditional, old-school kind of guy. Too may developers are trying to reinvent the wheel, and it bothers me. Dragon Quest 9 does none of that, and is still fantastic. The simple yet engaging story kept even someone like me who never gives a hoot about video game stories. Once I picked the game up, I couldn’t put it down. A lot of grinding has to be done in DQ9, but it never feels like a grind. The game has likeable characters and a ton of gameplay, both of which RPG fans love.

4. Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii)

Boy, Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a cute game. That works for and against the game, as some people may think this is just some game made for kids, and they’re not wrong. But since when is that a bad thing? The game’s presentation of a yarn made entirely of yarn and fabric makes Epic Yarn one of the best looking games in years, and not just for the Wii. Some may be bugged that you technically cannot die, but when was the last time you got game over? 1997? If you do get hit by an enemy, you lose all the coins you’ve been collecting throughout the game, which hurts even more than losing a life. Give this game a shot if you haven’t already.

3. Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360/PS3)

Grand Theft Auto set in the wild west? Sign me up. Although the game is a GTA clone, Red Dead’s narrative is very different. You don’t play some scum low-life trying to make a buck, and rather control an all-around nice guy. John Marston, the lead protagonist, is just trying to reunite with his family, and will do whatever he has to do see them again. The combat and mission style is very familiar for anyone who has played a post Grand Theft Auto 3 game by Rockstar. I’ve played every GTA since the third, and I can clearly say I enjoyed Red Dead Redemption more than any other Rockstar game.

2. Heavy Rain (PS3)

I don’t often get excited for games to come out to the point where I’m searching the internet at all hours of the day looking for coverage. I did with Heavy Rain. People will say that Heavy Rain isn’t a real game, but rather just an interactive movie. Those people are dopes. Sure there isn’t as much gameplay as other games, but there is still plenty to do here. The game’s story is the reason you’ll play a game like Heavy Rain, and it is fantastic from start to finish. The suspense I felt playing Heavy Rain was more intense than most movies I watch. Visually, there is nothing better on the home console, and that’s a fact. Heavy Rain isn’t for everyone, and I’d be lying if I said it was. I’m glad it was for me, though, as it was my favorite retail game of 2010.

1. Limbo (XBLA)

Where do I even begin with Limbo? The simplistic side-scrolling? The fun yet brutally brain-teasing puzzles at every turn? The ambient, ominous art style? The fact that not a single word is spoken in the entire game, yet a fantastic story of struggle and determination is still told is beyond impressive. I’ll never forget the fear that poured over me the first time I saw a giant spider attempting to impale me with its pointed spear-like leg. I still want to know who those other men were who were seen in the game. A lot of questions were left unanswered, but I like that. It adds to the mystique the surrounds Limbo, and is what makes it the best game released this year.

Heavy Rain, Red Dead,  Kirby, DQ9, Limbo,

I was able to trade for Super Metroid (SNES) and Castlevania: Bloodlines (GEN) off Gametz.com, in exchange for Resident Evil: Gaiden (GBC), Super Mario 64 (N64) and Fable: The Lost Chapters (Xbox).

I found a complete copy of Resident Evil at a thrift store near my house, and paid about $5 for it. Something told me that it would be worth something, and sure enough it was, garnering about $40 on ebay. Honestly, though, I knew I would never play it, and thought I should trade it for some other hard-to-find games that I would actually play, thus getting Super Metroid and Castlevania.

Although I haven’t played Castlevania yet, I was able to pop in Super Metroid last night, and it’s a lot of fun. Many consider this the best game of all time, so I was really anxious to start it up. You really do feel like a mouse in a maze in that game, and I can see why people have said that they used to draw their own maps to get around. I won’t be going that far, but I may have to resort to a strategy guide here or there.

I’m wondering if there is anything about the game in the issues of Nintendo Power magazine that I have. I have to look up when the game came out and see if I have that issue.

Super Metroid was cart only, but Bloodlines came complete, which is awesome. I’m looking forward to giving that a try as well.

Check back here probably tomorrow when I have a real doozey of a Dreamcast game coming in.

Want to know the cool part about being part of a semi-successful video game Web site? You can sometimes get free games, which is exactly what happened to me late last week when a copy of Splatterhouse arrived in my mailbox for me to play and review.

I’m not far enough into the game just yet to write up a full review, but I can definitely give my initial impressions here on the personal blog.

This game hasn’t gotten great reviews. In fact, it has gotten poor reviews around the board, and I’m not entirely sure why. Sure, the game faces some frame-rate issues, and is extremely monotonous in terms of gameplay, but has a certain charm about it that I really, really like.

If you’re not familiar with the series, it’s been around a while, debuting in arcades, followed by releases on the TurboGrafx16 and Sega Genesis. I’m not positive if this is a direct remake (although it follows the original story), but it just feels like a retro game made for 2010. It’s a classic beat-em-up with over-the-top gore, but with modern graphics.

The dialogue between Rick and the voice from the mask he wears is some of the most vulgar stuff I’ve heard in any video game, with F-bombs dropping almost as often as limbs. It is funny, but has already started to get stale, with lines repeating often.

There are some good throwback segments thrown in throughout the game bringing the classic 2D feel of the game to 2010. Speaking of the classic game, it’s in there. I unlocked it today, but haven’t been able to play it just yet.

I’m still really early in the game, but I’m a bit puzzled as to why people have been hating on Splatterhouse the way they have. I’ve already had more fun with this than I did with Dante’s Inferno, another button-masher of a game, and that garnered SOME decent scores.

Keep an eye out for my full review sometime this week on Tv and Lust.

The star of the third-party for the Wii was Disney’s and Warren Spector’s new title Epic Mickey, starring Mickey Mouse. Reports and previews stated that this game would, in a sense, be walkthrough the history of Mickey himself, making long-time Disney fans water at the mouth. Although I’m not a huge Disney fan, I too was excited.

I picked up the game yesterday on a rental, and sadly, I’m not blown away so far. The story has Mickey in the leading role, going through various worlds in the Disney universe, saving everything from darkness. He is a equipped with a paintbrush and can of thinner to either spill new life into areas overcome by darkness, or thin the darkness out completely.

Those are the funnest parts of the game. Painting the ground to extend bridges or platforms, or spilling the thinner on walls and floors to expose hidden areas filled with goodies has been a blast. It’s so fun, I wish the entire game was focused on it.

Epic Mickey’s story progression is based on little tasks or objectives you must complete in each world. Some are very simple, while others are more complex. The game does a good job of telling you what you have to do to complete the task, and gives you a good idea of where to head next.

The combat is a bit flunky. You shoot at enemies with the thinner until they melt a-la the Wicked Witch of the West. You can also use your whip attack with a flick of the Wii-mote, but that only stuns your foes, still making you use the thinner. In theory it’s fine, but when there are several enemies on the screen at once, it is difficult to control and focus on just one enemy.

Platforming is shaky also. Most of the time, it definitely works, but the lack of great control over the camera makes it difficult to get from platform to platform. I often fell into harms way due to lack of a good angle. Ryan Davis at Giantbomb said it best, stating that it feels like a camera designed by a N64-era designer.

I’m still not too far into the game, and it has really been a mixed bag. I just don’t find myself having a really good time with it. The story and use of Disney characters, especially the older ones not often seen in present day, are a lot of fun and will be worthwhile for hardcore Disney fans. But there just hasn’t been enough thus-far that has made me want to go out and buy this.

The package came on Monday night, but I was surprised to receive a box that weighed considerably more than what a PlayStation case usually does. I knew it was multi-disc, but c’mon.

Upon opening the box, which had some great art-work on the top, I saw a collection of about 20 games. It was like Christmas came early.

Along with Lunar, Cody included: Jeremy McGrath Supercross 98, Mega Man 8, Star Wars Rebel Assault 2 all on the PlayStation; Guitar Hero 2, Ninja Assault, Madden 2001 and Gran Turismo 3 on the PlayStation 2; Daxter on the PSP, Forza Motorsport, Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes and Need for Speed Underground on the XBox.

So once again, big thanks to Cody for being a super nice guy and sending me some games. He didn’t have to do it at all, but I guess that’s just the kind of guy he is.

Pictures will be up later.

Here you will find updates with some pictures and possibly some video of the games I have recently picked up, along with some reviews and impressions. Some of you may now know that I am a staff writer at Tv and Lust, and that isn’t changing. Here, though, will be my personal thoughts on everything gaming, and sometimes, even movies.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy this re-boot of my site. I mean I still have nine followers, so I already have an audience.