Gamertell

I adore Final Fantasy games. It is definitely one of my favorite game franchises and Square Enix is easily one of my favorite developers. I own every game in the series and a few of the remakes and ports as well. (I have three versions of FFVI, and in a few weeks I’ll have three versions of FFIV too.)

But there’s one Final Fantasy game I don’t own and don’t plan on buying - Final Fantasy Tactics A2. It isn’t because I’m an RPG fan who can’t handle strategic RPGs. I have the the PS1 and PSP version of Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and nearly every NIS game released in North America.

Simply put, Square Enix dropped the ball…

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Virtual Console is really a wonderful opportunity for gamers. Titles that previously may not have enjoyed great success, or perhaps were cult classics, can finally be introduced to a new audience and receive some well deserved respect and attention.

So far the main stars of Virtual Console have been games created by Nintendo and Sega, but there are a wide variety of original, 3rd party Nintendo games begging to be played. 

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Gamedaily just posted a very amusing list of female game characters you could totally take home to mom (you know, the wholesome ones) and the bad chicks you really shouldn’t. Big surprise: half of the “don’ts” are half-naked, weapon-wielding girls from fighting games. My biggest surprise: Lara Croft is nowhere to be seen. I guess she was on the fence.

In the spirit of equality, I’d like to present to you two male characters I could/couldn’t bring home to dad. Bring home - the dreamy, smart-ass with a heart Leon Kennedy from the Resident Evil games. Don’t bring home: Jackie from The Darkness - I don’t think dad would be thrilled with the whole “evil possession” thing. Girls (or guys - we don’t discriminate here!), you have anything to add?

Read [GameDaily]

GameDaily has just posted a very useful - and insightful - guide/critique of the process of game reviewing. Set up as a reaction to the recent discussion on MTV’s multiplayer blog and Variety’s Cut Scene blog regarding the rights and responsibilities of the craft, the post lists the “seven deadly sins” or common traps reviewers tend to fall into.

The list tackles everything from the desire to conform to popular opinion to the tendency to be purposeless in the writing. It’s an excellent piece and well-timed, coming so soon after Metal Gear Solid 4 and the controversy surrounding it’s reviews (which has sparked more debate on the reviewing process itself). Anyone with an interest in reviewing games should print it out, laminate it, and keep it close to the keyboard.

Read [GameDaily]

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• ThinkGeek June 2008 catalog’s game-related goodies
  “The most recent issue of ThinkGeek catalog has been delivered and, as usual, it features several gamer goodies. Here’s a list of the game-related goodies in the June 2008 ThinkGeek catalog.  …” MORE »
• Rumor: Sony readying break apart PS3 controller to trump Wii-mote
  “ The videogames media is abuzz with rumors of a new, groundbreaking PS3 controller that will “break apart” into two separate units. Sony hasn’t commented on the news but industry insiders expect an official…” MORE »
• Nintendo launches legal battle against Nyko over Kama Nunchuk
  “Nintendo has been riding high on Wii’s success but every now and then it has to worry about things like piracy and trademark infringement to protect its position. Currently on its radar is leading Wii-peripheral manufacturer Nyko, which has…” MORE »
• Gamertell Review: The Incredible Hulk movie
  “Title: The Incredible Hulk Release Date: June, 13, 2008 Publisher (Developer): Marvel Films, Universal Studios Rating: PG-13 Pros: Good acting, plenty of action, lots of Marvel fanboy Easter eggs, great music,…” MORE »
• Alienware’s Area-51 m15x might not entirely exhaust your wallet
  “Although most Alienware products are financially out-of-bounds for many gamers, there are still a few that are not. Take for instance the new Alienware Area-51 m15x gaming notebook which will not plunge too deep in your pockets with…” MORE »

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Wow! Important Importables falls on the Fourth of July this year! So I figured this week’s column should focus on some fun, Japanese gadgets that you can buy online now, and have in time for the Fourth. You know the kind of things I’m talking about. They’re the items that you look at and go, “That is so cool! Why don’t they have these in (country you live in)?”

But these aren’t just any gadgets or toys. These are things that are perfect for enhancing your summer experience. Every summer has a few days where you’re absolutely stumped as to what to do. While the items I suggest might not totally revitalize your day, at the very least they’ll be a cool discussion starter. 

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It isn’t uncommon for one or two big titles to be released on the same day or within a few days of each other, (Example: Grand Theft Auto IV and Mario Kart Wii.) but more often than not, publishers will avoid this and scatter dates so their games will get the attention they deserve. Apparently the Japanese DS game publishers wanted to cause a free-for-all June 26, 2008, because five highly anticipated games are being released at once. Six, if you’re excited about Simple DS Series Vol. 39 The Shouboutai (Fire Fighters).

So let’s go over Bleach: The 3rd Phantom, Bokura no Telebi Game Kentei, Daigasso! Band Brothers DX, Jigsaw World and Disgaea DS, the five major titles being released in Japan…

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The most recent issue of ThinkGeek catalog has been delivered and, as usual, it features several gamer goodies. Here’s a list of the more (and less) notable game-related goodies in the June 2008 ThinkGeek catalog.

On the more notable side there’s a programmable keyboard with mini OLEDs, Mario Kart slot cars, Halo 3 replicas and Zelda plush…

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Here’s your chance to catch up on the most popular articles from this past week!

• Metal Gear Memorial: Remembering the many years of the Snake
  “ I can’t wait for my copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots but I don’t want to say goodbye to elite agent Solid Snake, whom we’ve grown to love while…” MORE »
• Download Deoxys at Gamestop
  “ June is shaping up to be a fun month for Pokemon Diamond/Pearl owners. On May 31 and June 1, 2008, Toys “R” Us stores were offering up a Darkrai download. Now GameStop stores…” MORE »
• Make mag issue 14: Multari, Pixelmusic 3000 and four WiiMote hacks
  “ Make magazine makes me want to make more stuff. The most recent issue of this DIY mag has three juicy game goodies in its pulp-based publication: The Multari handheld Atari 2600, Pixelmusic 3000 video generator a la the…” MORE »
• Wii Virtual Console/Wiiware update for June 9-15, 2008
  “ This week on Nintendo’s two dlc services, we’re seeing a new Pokemon concept (ranching), classic NES title Dig Dug, and Japan-only NES Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa, quite the variety. All VC titles are available on the Wii Shop channel,…” MORE »
• Build your castle in The Legacy of Holy Castle
  “Browser games can really be a great way to pass the time. Especially since they don’t require massive downloads (except for Flash or similar updates) and you can play from any computer. So it’s always nice to…” MORE »

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In this upcoming three-part series, Gamertell will take a closer look at the evolution of the Prince of Persia franchise, chronicling where it started and where it’s headed. Each segment focuses on a different era of the franchise:

• Part 1 (Monday, June 16, 2008) - We remember the earliest years of PoP when Broderbund was cranking out 2D games for the Apple ][.
• Part 2 (Wednesday, June 18, 2008) - We revisit the Ubisoft takeover of the Prince’s adventures, its glorious leap into 3D and a new darker, grittier Prince.
• Part 3 (Friday, June 20, 2008) - We take a look at the upcoming PoP game and - gasp! - movie.