As most of you already know, I’m having something of an affair with deck building games at the moment…and have been for the past couple of years, in fact…I’m in the process of producing about three of them at the moment.

Penny Arcade The Game – Gamers vs Evil takes the best aspects of Dominion and Ascension and creates something light-hearted, and ridiculously easy to play. You have a pool of cards that you can purchase for your deck and two separate resources with which to purchase them. Each resource type allows to buy the basic cards of that category as well as special “boss” cards which are extra expensive but have powerful effects which are actually determined by the roll of a twenty sided die. Each player is also using a special hero card which they select at the beginning of the game which determines what their starting deck consists of, and possibly a special ability to use during the game. You are essentially playing for the highest score as cards have certain point values based on their cost and usefulness.

All in all, this game is a blast to play, and I can’t wait for the upcoming expansion. I can’t say no to a game that literally has a card called “Touch Wieners“.

My only complaint about this game is the poor quality of the cardstock they chose to use. Cryptozoic is the same company that is currently producing the World of Warcraft Trading card game, and if you’ve played it (or Magic, for that matter. The cards are similar in quality) you’ll be confused about why they opted to use something different at all, much less something this flimsy.

On the plus side, penny sleeves do the trick just fine to protect and/or sturdy up the cards, but they are necessary.

Give this game a try and pick it up at your local game store today!

I mostly keep quiet when matters become political, but something is happening tomorrow that I think everyone should be aware of and understand fully.

Tomorrow, major hubs of internet information and traffic will shut down temporarily to demonstrate what is likely to occur if the currently proposed United States bills, namely Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) are passed into law.

These bills are very dangerous to the internet as we know it and aim to bend our constitutionally provided freedom of speech into a perverse mockery directly controlled by big business, ignorance, and bribery.

Remember the rampant internet censorship that occurred in China? Expect more of that. Also expect US companies to dictate what people all over the world are and are not allowed to see, as sites could be shut down on the mere suggestion that something illegal might be occurring there, with flagrant disregard to due process.

I don’t consider this site a major hub of internet activity, although I wish it were. But I’m not going to sit idly by and let this happen. For the first time in my life I have written to my congressman, and will continue to do so until these people are stopped. It started with Net-Neutrality (or rather the proposal of something other-than) and I’m sure this won’t be the last attack, either.

I know for a fact that the majority of this site’s visitors live outside the United States. Just because you don’t like in the USA doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do, and more importantly, don’t believe for a second that it wouldn’t affect you. Sign petitions. Understand what is being proposed, and don’t be fooled into thinking that crippling the internet is going to save any jobs. It is going to destroy them. Sites like this can and will be snuffed out for no reason better than because someone in Hollywood said so.

There are people out there much more intelligent than I who understand this better and break it down much better than I ever could, and I will humbly defer to them. So please, look at what they have to say and don’t be fooled into letting the internet be killed.

Thank you.

Help Stop SOPA/PIPA

Why SOPA/PIPA protests should matter to people outside the USA

Protect Free Speech. Stop PIPA.

When joining an online casino for the first time a new player is subject to a verification process. This is done so that the player’s age, identity and address can be confirmed. If there is no verification process upon registration, there will usually be some requirement for this upon withdrawal, when a player looks to collect his or her winnings.

Normally the online casino will ask for copies of documentation which confirms the above details, treating these as adequate proof of the player’s identity and eligibility to play gambling online. These could include ID such as a driver’s license or passport, and/or utility bills, bank statements etc.

With online gambling numbers rapidly increasing, casinos frequently outsource the verification process to specialised independent agencies. This article describes how two of the more common verification agencies work and what they do.

PlayerVerify dot com has introduced a system which allows for greater convenience and security, from both the player’s and online casinos perspective. This secure system allows players to log in and upload the necessary documents giving proof of age, identity and address.
Once proof of identity has been ascertained, the player is given a password. When the player registers with an online casino, they just enter the access code and do not need to submit any documents. The online casino then follows a secure link to the PlayerVerify dot com database and checks the documents supplied upon initial registration.

This system has several benefits in terms of the online player. Firstly, it is more convenient as the player only needs to send their documents once, to the central agency, rather than scanning in documents for every site they visit. Also, the possibility of data misuse and the threat from hackers is greatly reduced due to the fact that the documents are stored in one place on the PlayerVerify database – rather than having important, personal documentation stored on the server for each online casino that a player uses.

The online casino can only view the documents once the player has given them the passcode. PlayerVerify informs the player which online casinos have accessed their documents. Once the casino has viewed the documents, either accepting or rejecting them, the player can choose to prevent the online casino in question from accessing their papers again in the future.

This mechanism also provides advantages to the online casinos, as they do not need to collect and store the personal documents of their players. As well as saving time and money, this alleviates the online casino company from the responsibility associated with keeping and protecting these documents, allowing them to focus more on the gaming side of the business.

Aristotle International is an age verification agency based in the US, with offices in Washington, San Francisco, London and Madrid. Aristotle International verifies whether the age indicated by the player is correct or not.

This age verification process is carried out using the Integrity suite of solutions developed by Aristotle International. Integrity maintains a vast database of government issued ID’s, covering over 45 million citizens in 135 countries. This data is accessed through a web service API, compatible with online, interactive voice response, wireless and other mobile devices. This means that both online and mobile casinos can use this facility.

The service provided by Integrity and Aristotle International has significantly reduced the impact of underage gambling across the world. Integrity can also be used by online casinos to prevent fraudulent activity such as money laundering, as well as helping to control problem gambling and addiction.

This is mostly due to the fact that Integrity offers a wide range of solutions, each one custom-built for a specific purpose. Like PlayerVerify, Integrity protects the consumers’ information from being illegally accessed, or otherwise misused. In fact, the use of Integrity goes beyond online casinos. Adult entertainment web sites, Fortune 500 companies and even government agencies find the system useful as well.

Every time I wind up shopping at GameStop for whatever reason, I typically end up vowing never to return. Then someone will get me a giftcard or something for my Birthday, and I’ll wander back in to see what I can get without giving them any more of my money.

I’ve felt this way for a while, and I think it’s time to speak up because of some bullshit that I had to step through recently.

GameStop has been notorious for being pretty much the only place to pre-order a game and ensure you get a copy of it on the release date. I’ve done this going all the way back to Diablo 2. $5 down makes sure you have a copy waiting for you on the big day and I enjoy collector’s editions, especially for Blizzard’s games.

I’m pretty excited about the upcoming release of Diablo III, and I wanted to make sure I got my CE copy. So I call around town… Fry’s Electronics, nope. Best Buy, nope. Play N Trade, nope. Not even freaking Amazon is doing a proper pre-order for the collector’s edition (what the hell? Does everybody hate money now?)

OK, so I break down and give GameStop a call. As much as I hate giving them a $5 interest-free loan for anything, at least it will ensure I can get a copy and I won’t have to camp out overnight or any of that silly crap that I just don’t have time to do anymore.

“Yeah, we do pre-orders for that.”
“OK great, what is it, $10 because it’s the Collector’s Edition?”
“No, it’s $99.99″
“For the PRE-ORDER?”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s the entire purchase price!”
“Yes, it is.”

*click*

I have issues with giving them the value of a fast food combo to sit on for months with nothing in return, but I will be DAMNED before I pay for something, in full, 3+ months in advance from GameStop.

Why do I feel so strongly about them, you might be asking? Well I could regale you with stories about my exploits there (mostly they are about me being exploited…) But I thought it would be more fun to show you a video made by a fellow that worked there himself and could tell you how that company operates way better than I ever could.

But what’s this? The video has been REMOVED! What a surprise! Free speech fails again because YouTube doesn’t have the time or money to do anything more than just bend to the will of any asshole that takes thirty seconds to just claim that some piece of content is infringing, regardless of whether it is or isn’t. (I won’t make assumptions and point fingers here.)

So I am going to do the next best thing! Some wonderful person transcribed the videos and posted links to them on another YouTube video. Which I will share with you now. It’s a read, but you’re better off for knowing.

Please enjoy. (This was a multi-part video series, that is why you will see them broken up into “Episodes”)

Click here to read the Script and learn why you should never shop at Gamestop again, regardless of the fact that they believe they deserve to borrow $100 from you, for an undefined time period, in exchange for nothing.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, or Festivus, or whatever you chose to celebrate. It’s been long enough, and the suspense I’m sure has been unbearable (because my opinion matters to everyone. Right? Guys? Anyone?)

So here it is, the thrilling conclusion to the top (bottom?) ten most OVERRATED SNES games ever (according to me, I guess)

#5 Killer Instinct

Killer Instinct was a fighting game released in the heyday of Mortal Kombat. At the time, Street Fighter itself was still pretty popular and fighting games were popping up left and right no matter how ridiculous the premise was (we’re looking at you, Shaq Fu.) it had its own flavor of fatalities (“No Mercy Moves”) and the graphics were done by Rare using (presumably) the same 3D-to-Sprite technology they used for Donkey Kong Country.

Sure, the combos were neat, and the graphics were good, and the health bar tweak to make it persist between rounds was cool. But outside of that, the game was largely…unremarkable. The characters weren’t very interesting, and the game itself always felt stiff, slow, and kludgy to me.  It made we want to play other fighting games in favor of itself and that is something a good game should not do.

Sometimes I wonder if the only reason this game got popular is the ever-present C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER meme that plagued us all before we even knew what the word meme meant. All I’m saying is, there’s a reason Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat games are still being made (and are better than ever, thankfully. MK had a bit of a rocky streak there,) and Killer Instinct remains an artifact of the past.

#4 Zombies ate my Neighbors

This game is just stupid.

That’s all. Goodbye.

Okay okay fine. Zombies are now more popular than ever but even so, this game—like most others on this list—finds its way into toplists all over the place stretching years into the past and I really have no idea why. The premise is rather dumb and I know the game is trying to play like classic Gauntlet but it doesn’t do a very good job.

This game received mediocre reviews at its release but somehow has attained cult classic status and was a begged-for release on the Wii Virtual Console. I could never stomach more than the first few levels of this game. You fight zombies with a squirt gun. I’m not going to get all “ZOMBIES ARE SRS BZNS” on you but your weapons are: squirt gun, soda cans, dishes…and a bazooka. One of these things is not like the others, but I know which one I would like to have if zombies were popping out of my backyard lawn like mindless turds.

This game just doesn’t strike me as particularly clever or stimulating. It’s a C-average game in every way and makes you bored in record time.

#3 Earthworm Jim

I harbor personal hatred for this game. Why do you people like it? The whole game looks like an entire junkyard was shoved up one guy’s ass and he was told to squeeze as hard as he could and that’s what they wanted the game to look like.

You’re an earthworm. In a spacesuit. With a gun. Some people might respond to that with “Awesome!” and I say “No.” or possibly “Die in a fire.” and usually “Are you on drugs?”

Some of the levels in this game are visually counter-intuitive to navigate, it’s an eyesore. This game’s saving grace was its crude and for-the-time edgy humor—something videogames of the period largely lacked. But take that away and it doesn’t really stand on its own in my opinion. The gameplay itself wasn’t bad, I guess, and that is why this game is just overrated and not on my “top ten heap of crap” list but it was simply not fun to play and having to incessantly hear about how awesome the game was largely for its humor was probably my first experience with nerd-rage.

And that goddamn cartoon… This game was not as great as you think it is. For God’s sake play something else.

#2 Secret of Evermore

This is the only game in this entire list that I will just straight up say, this was a really terrible game and should have never been released.  But, a lot of people disagree for some reason.

“But it’s the sequel to Secret of Mana!”

No it isn’t, you mentally deficient monkey. This game has nothing to do with Secret of Mana and how dare you speak its name in the same breath as this filth.

Fans were rabid for Secret of Mana, because it was in every way an excellent game, maybe even the best released for the SNES. For some reason, Squaresoft thought it was appropriate to throw together a new team of miscreants to create something new to attempt to capitalize on SoM’s success and produced this abortion instead of just localizing Seiken Densetsu 3, the actual sequel, which is also a much better game (but then again, these are the same people that released all of the subsequent “Mana” games which became increasingly more ridiculous-looking and underwhelming over time.)

I have no idea what drugs they were taking that made this game sound like a good release, but I want some. It was probably the same junk that made them think that Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was a necessary “gateway” game to introduce American’s to the JRPG genre…of which it was a terrible example.

Let’s get back on target, besides being a similar-in-appearance action RPG, using a ring-style menu system, and having the words “Secret of” in the title, this game has nothing to do with Secret of Mana at all. But people still shat their pants to get a hold of this…thing at the time. Many of them were horrendously disappointed, yet there was a dedicated sect that loved this game and everything it stood for. Most modern reviews still place this game around a B-to-B+ rating and what for? The magic system of Secret of Mana was replaced with this abomination they called Alchemy, exchanges are made through barter of random objects, only two people can play this game, and the story…well I fell asleep. I have on three separate occasions made a serious attempt to muscle through this game just to say that I have played all the way through and add it to my list, but I simply cannot do it. There are just too many other things that are a better use of my time…like taste-testing rat poison.

This game was a shallow attempt to identify with an American audience (if that isn’t made obvious by the intro scene and the mere physical appearance of the main character.) and perpetuated a stereotype that Americans couldn’t make good a RPG.

And speaking of RPGs…our winner:

#1 Earthbound!

This game can go straight to hell. I can, with a straight face, dead-pan, tell you this game is garbage and should never have seen the light of day. Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh. But let’s look back a bit; Earthbound received many negative reviews when it was released, and for damn good reasons. But 10+ years later everyone has suddenly decided that it’s some kind of freaking masterpiece. What the hell?

This game was so ass-backwards, that they had to include the strategy guide, standard-issue, to coax people into buying it. Nintendo of America knew it was a mess from the very beginning. The advertisement campaign slogan was “This game stinks.” There was no doubt that this game was less-than-stellar.

Okay, well, maybe for an American audience. The game did very well in Japan and, to be honest, the game is very, very Japanese in terms of its gameplay; which follows a style of more primitive early jRPGs like Dragon Warrior and such. But people said it was ahead of its time…it simply wasn’t. Its gameplay was antiquated even for the time. It looks like a childrens book, you magically get your money by talking on the phone after doing battle, and one of the characters is straight-up named “Poo”.

This game was an experiment in many ways. They tried, it was a misfire. No big deal, it happens. Move on. My problem isn’t really with the developers of this game, because I have to give them their due credit for trying something new, even if it wasn’t solid gold; it’s the people who think it’s a slight against GOD that this game’s sequel (or prequel) didn’t see a North American release.

Earthbound is not a great game. It doesn’t matter what region you’re in, it just isn’t. There are much worse games, but Earthbound is consistently praised for being this amazing masterpiece that it simply is not. I have experienced more compelling RPG gameplay from (I shit you not) a Sailor Moon game. Please let this game drift back into the quiet obscurity in which it belongs. This is the only top ten list that Earthbound deserves to be at the #1 spot on. I am tired of hearing about this game. End of line.

Welp, thus concludes my experiment in rattling the cages of my fans, which I’m sure will let me know how displeased they are with my eloquently delivered perspectives. Just be happy that I’m not thinking about making a “Top Ten Most Overrated Games of Any Platform Ever” list…the Call of Duty crowd and I would be having words.

Dirty words.

Just remember this is all in good fun. If I were locked in a room for a year with nothing but these ten games, I would still probably play them…I mean, I wouldn’t strangle myself with the controller wires just to end the pain or anything.

…At least not right away. (kidding.)

Cheers!

G’day folks. Everybody likes to make toplists nowadays. What’s worse is that they’re usually just talking about the top ten whatever, or best ten, or most UNDERrated whatever. I say screw that. Today I want to try going in a different direction…the road less traveled, if you will.

Today I want to share what I believe are the ten most OVERRATED games ever released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The games you (or maybe just I) are just sick of hearing about, and would dread hearing two people have a nerd-gasm over at any place or time.

Why the SNES? Well, that one system probably has the most grand-slams per capita than any other console, although I haven’t done the research (yet.) There’s a lot to choose from there regardless and considering that; I just had to ask why people seem to latch on to a lot of games that I just think are not that worthy of that level of praise.

I don’t usually just rip on games, you may have noticed. This is an experiment, I guess…or maybe just an invitation to get flamed. We’ll see what pans out. I should probably qualify this with a disclaimer that the inclusion of any particular game is not necessarily meant to imply that the game in question is bad, but merely that it is overrated and may not be as good as certain individuals would like you to believe.

So, I’m gonna break this up into two parts, both for the sake of suspense and that I’m going to guess nobody wants to see a giant freaking wall of text. So here goes; my Top Ten Most OVERrated SNES games of all time, ever, in history, as we know it, etc. Here we go.

#10: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
                Starting strong right out of the gate, aren’t we? Hear me out here before you put any severed horse heads in my bed. Don’t get me wrong here, this was in fact an awesome game. So why is it in this list? Well, it’s that pesky prefix on the title: “Super Mario World 2”.

Did anyone get what they expected from a box that specifically said “Super Mario World 2” on it? I don’t suppose they did any more than they got what they expected from a box that said “Super Mario Bros. 2” back in the NES days. The Mario series seems to have this awkward streak with their second game in any segment of the series feeling really awkward and that it doesn’t quite belong, or that it just leaves an odd taste in your mouth. Even with Super Mario Sunshine…good game (in some people’s opinion) but sandwiched between Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy, it just doesn’t stack up.

#9 Mario Paint
                Also, a game that was very fun to play with… and it even came with a computer-like peripheral that you could use on your Super Nintendo! So why the hate? Well, notwithstanding the Coffee Break fly-swatting game, this cartridge was really more of a toy than a game. Furthermore, this was hardly an innovation, because anyone with a computer basically already had this game. Yes it was fun, yes it sold very well, and yes the mouse made playing Vegas Stakes a whole lot easier. But this wasn’t really an innovation so much as making common PC tools easily accessible to the console crowd.

Is there anything wrong with it? Not really. I dropped tons of hours on Mario Paint, and it pretty much taught me how to draw sprites on a computer. But this game is worshipped, and I think it’s just a little too much.

#8 Uniracers
                This game has something of a history. The designers of Uniracers, DMA Design (which would later become Rockstar North) were sued by Pixar, who released a short film seven years prior called “Red’s Dream” that also happened to feature a computer-generated unicycle. Because Pixar obviously owns the rights to all computer-generated inanimate-objects, they filed suit against DMA Design…and miraculously won. (I honestly what to know what the hell went down in that courtroom.)

Long story short, Nintendo was ordered to cease production of Uniracers cartridges, leaving the world only with the initial run of 300,000 carts, making it a (comparatively) uncommon game.

The trouble with this is that anyone who both liked the game, and knows about that story, will probably want to tell you how it was the greatest injustice of videogame freaking history. What I don’t understand, is why the sentiment even exists for game that was this bland and boring. You play as a disembodied unicycle which races another disembodied unicycle, on a 2-D track. The game is fast-paced, true…fluid, yes…but incredibly boring. The positive reception of this game literally baffled me. I was not interested in it at all and to this day still groan at it’s mention.

#7 ActRaiser (2?)
                If you look at a lot of toplists (especially if those lists encompass 25 entries or more) you will usually see one of the two ActRaiser games included, praised as one of the best games Enix ever made and how the other ActRaiser game was a complete misfire (sometimes for little more reason than it was just different).

Well, I’m here today to tell you that both games were actually pretty mediocre and bored the crap out of me. I have tried to get into them both, and personally I prefer the sequel because it is action-oriented and not confusing as all hell to start out with.

Did you hear they’re making an ActRaiser 3? It’s going to be a puzzle game with elements of Unicycle racing! Prepare your hatred. Okay but seriously, that’s pretty much all I have for ActRaiser. Not a lot of love and not a lot of hate, but a whole lotta “blah.” I’ve played worse games, believe me, but it just wasn’t that good. Please shut up about it.

#6 Out of this World
                Out of this World, also called Another World in other regions, was just that: something from another world. This bizarre game pushed the graphical limits of the console and was critically acclaimed for doing just that.

But, did everyone forget that this game sucks? It isn’t fun to play at all. The controls are hopelessly stiff, if you touch anything wrong; you die and get to start over. Little known fact: this isn’t an action game at all; it’s a giant puzzle where you must, through trial and error alone, simply discover the correct combination of buttons to press to make the pain stop. The sick thing is, that you could blow weeks on this game, but once you know the “combination” to the proverbial “lock” it only takes like ten minutes to run through. Yeah yeah, you can say the same about Super Mario Bros, but I freaking defy you to tell me that this steaming heap of WTF is equally fun.

Why do people love this game so much? At the time, it looked okay for the SNES, and I know it was originally designed for different PC platforms, but it just doesn’t hold up in any way. And with the recent re-release of this game for iOS, I still just don’t get it, and can only imagine that the virtual d-pad it’s surely using is going to make it even more aggravating than the game already was. This game was, for me, in every way the opposite of fun.

Welp, now that I’m sure I’ve thoroughly pissed some of you off, I’d like you all to join me again next time when I conclude our list with the winners of the top ten most overrated SNES games in HISTORRYYYY! Snide remarks and scathing observations ahoy! Be there! (Your mileage may vary.)

Cheers

Very few of the Nintendo franchises have had the long standing dedication from fans and gamers the way Mario Kart has. From the Super Nintendo days, the kart racing game has long been a popular option from both the most dedicated gamers, as well as casual players. Ahead of its December 4 release date in North America, Mario Kart 7 looks to be a landmark as far as Nintendo 3DS games go, for its mix of traditional Mario Kart play along with brand new online capability.

A preview of Mario Kart 7 is likely to begin and end with the heavily improved online play. For multiplayer capability, the game is offered in two different types, with online and local play. Local game play is pretty standard and allows players that are in close vicinity of each other to face off on two different copies of the game.

As for the online play, Nintendo is said to have really outdone itself in this title, relatively speaking. Nintendo has heard issues and complaints about a lack of focus on online video game play in the past, so Mario Kart 7 could be a turning point for their development in that sector. Online play will attempt to match players with others who are in a general and similar skill setting based on previous races.

There’s also an option for a people and friends mode which allows players to race or battle against others on their friends list. In the communities section, players can develop groups not as large as a worldwide scale, but still larger than a simple friends list. The communities can be built through codes online and allow up to 10,000 members for each. You will not be allowed to play all at once naturally, but it will remain an easy way to build rivalries with friends and others who you don’t know at all.

MK7 will provide an excellent mix of old tracks, along with a number of new experiences track-wise. The game features 16 new race ways, as well as another 16 designs that are classic to the Mario Kart franchise. The game will be stocked with classic characters such as Luigi, Mario, and Bowser, as well as nearly 10 other characters that can be unlocked for use.

Mario Kart 7 will contain four different types of game modes, including a grand prix, time trials, coin runners and balloon battles. Grand Prix and balloon battles remain generally similar to the two classic modes which have helped to make the Mario Kart franchise extremely popular through the years. Time trials will include the opportunity to race against ghosts while trying to beat them.

Coin runners will be similar in game play to the classic balloon battle mode, but will include drivers attempting to collect as many coins as they can. As drivers attempt to collect up coins, competitors are attempting to steal the coins and derail others during the match. Whoever has the most coins at the end takes the prize in the coin runner’s mode.

The new release is said to have some other impressive features such as power features and itemization. There is also going to be the option for customized cars and altered power ups during game play. With some great improvements to general game playing options and online capability, along with classic elements of the Mario Kart franchise, MK7 looks to be a great holiday purchase for the Nintendo 3DS.

A few months ago, my friend and local gamestore owner handed me a demo pack of a game he received called Iconica. Knowing I was a game designer, he wanted to know what I thought, because the designer of Iconica lives in the same city as I.

I read through the rules and examined the cards and was immediately impressed. It was easy to understand, and looked quick and fun to play. I was also enamored because I have been developing a game with a similar concept for a while (although more complex and with a different combat paradigm) so I felt I had a small personal connection with this product. there’s nothing cooler than having an idea on your own and discovering that someone else had a very similar idea and brought it to life in a way very similar to the way you would have– it kind of makes you feel like that your ideas aren’t so bad and maybe there’s some hope for you after all.

Well, last night there was a demo night happening at the store, and I had the pleasure of meeting the designer of Iconica, Eric Torres. Eric and his crew were everything I had hoped to find in a local, independent game designer; someone like myself with similar attitudes and beliefs about games and the board game industry at large; along with a drive to just get something they really cared about out to the world, to share something they loved and put their own blood, sweat, and tears into and just share it with people. I was very pleased and honored to discuss Iconica and his World of Rynaga setting for both the game and series of storybooks. It turned out to be a lot deeper and well thought-out than I thought. (Did you know that all the art is comprised of a palette of a small number of simple shapes arranged, colored, and resized to create what you see as knights and archers? Brilliant!)

The game itself is amazing, it is essentially a turn-based RPG between two parties of characters. You select a predetermined number of characters with which to fight, and roll dice to determine what actions you are able to use. Special effects trigger based on how much damage each character currently has (or if they are defeated) and if you roll doubles. I had a blast playing it and the art style is very refined, vibrant, and consistent throughout. It is colorful and eye-catching, and takes about five minutes to learn, and fifteen minutes to play (or longer, if you want to set it up that way) No shuffling of decks or expensive card-collecting here. They sell singles at their events, but each set is fixed and has the same set of cards so you know what you’re getting if there’s a specific soldier you are looking for (although it sounds like he may begin inserting special promotional cards also, so more on that later I hope!)

We spoke for probably a good hour about how each of our own products came about and were developed and what we have coming out soon, like my project “Alchemy”. This is quality work from quality people and true to the spirit of having fun. Hopefully in the future we will be able to collaborate and help each other out finding homes for our ideas. I purchased the first starter set at the venue without hesitation, this game is HIGHLY recommended especially if you want to support the independent game community. Eric has established his own company and handles all publishing himself and with a local print shop. I am trying to talk him into starting some organized play around town and getting some promotional cards out as prize support and trying different ideas like drafting and sealed events like certain other card games that have dominated the market for more than a decade. So we’ll see what pans out!

If you’re trying to come up with an easy fun gift for someone, or are just curious about a new game that I believe is going to become very successful, please check out their website at www.rynaga.com or their Etsy page right here.

Have a great weekend and we’ll see you again soon!

One would think that comic books and video games tend to blend into each other.  While it may often happen, it doesn’t always happen well.  However, there are many video games that made the transition from the funny books to the gaming systems, and we have listed just a few below.

1. Batman: Arkham City – Although Arkham Asylum certainly deserves a shout out, this game stands out for both graphics and play.  Try not to become engrossed in the game as you are thrown into the literally mad world of Gotham come alive on your console.

2. Spiderman 2 – There have been many Spiderman games, and they have had their upgrades, but something stood out in this game for the PS2.  It was the first game where Spiderman could roam through New York untouched.  The side quests, voices, and other bonuses also helped make this one of the best games.

3. X-Men Legends – Like the above, there have been many memorable X-men games.  However, this one for the PS2, Xbox, and Game Cube debuted in 2004 and roped players in with its role playing theme and engaging story.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – If you had three buddies and a slew of quarters in the 90’s, you probably remember and love this game.  Up to four people could play at the same time on this arcade game in which they battle the villainous Shredder.

5. Marvel vs. Capcom – Not all comic book video games have to stay within their own universe.  This game pitted marvel favorites such as Spiderman and Captain America against many Capcom characters, the most memorable of which came from Street Fighter.  The simple premise was to choose your favorite and win against whoever showed up.

6. Mortal Kombat vs. DC – Not to be outdone by the above, the makers of Mortal Kombat and DC Comics teamed forces to create a similar game.  The graphics and moves could often be superior, even though the entire game had a “rip off” feeling.  However, having Superman go against Scorpion had its own appeal.

7. Freedom Force – Proving that comic book games can also be enjoyed on the computer is this entry.  It is especially for those who are fans of older comic books, such as those of Jack Kirby.  The Freedom Force was specifically created for the game and has loads to offer.

8. Alien vs. Predator – This was another game that was designed for the PC.  It was based on a Dark Horse comic of the same name before the movie ever came about.  A stand out feature was that players could be an Alien, Predator, or Marine.

9. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – Before it was a movie or video game, it was a comic book.  However, the game was best loved for embracing its comic book-ness.  One of the many games that involved going from the left side of the screen to the right, it also unlocked combos as you played to make it more interesting.

10. The Darkness – This Top Cow comic may not have done well selling on the shelves in either comic or video game form, but it was different than other games.  It is one of the few video games to offer an element of horror and an adult level of playing that others didn’t.

This article was submitted my Sara McDowell. She owns the site Video Game Design Schools and is an avid Gamer.

Short post today, but if anyone is interested in beta testing the upcoming Star Wars The Old Republic MMORPG, you can get your very own beta key, easy as pie!

I got one within a couple of hours, so it’s tested and legit, and it looks like they have about 10,000 of them left.

I’ve been told this game is a blast to play, much better than the previous Star Wars MMO.

You can sign up HERE and start playing. You have until midnight on Nov 18th to apply.

Enjoy!