Back in the late 90's, before the rise of broadband internet, Sony's preferred method of interactive promotional media arrived via their quarterly, cd-magazine, Playstation Underground.  Each "issue" offered a host of playable demos, developers interviews, loaded save files, and other assorted PSX knickknacks.  While it happened to showcase a lot...

By the mid 90's, side scrolling run and gun games appeared to be on their last legs.  Contra, which had been synonymous with the genre since its inception in the late 80's, jumped shark and decided to gamble with full blown 3D.  Extensive side scrolling, pixel blasting mayhem was dropped...

Level-5 must be doing something right.  It's not every day Square-Enix hand picks a (relatively) unknown developer to take the reigns over their most lucrative franchise.  Apparently they knew what they were doing; the risk paid off and Dragon Quest VIII was a massive success on both sides of the...

Personal stupidity which usually leads to bodily harm is arguably the most universally comedic part of American culture.  If you're walking down the street and the person in front of you slips and falls over, you'd never laugh (well, most of us wouldn't).  However, watching their blunder vicariously through a...

Don't ever judge a book by it's cover.  It's a cardinal metaphor in the judgment process, be it food, literature, or, yes, even videogames.  On occasion, awesome games are blessed with awesome covers (think Shadow of the Colossus).  Sometimes, though, interactive works of art are fronted by a horrendous depiction...

When was the last time your interest in a game was conceived upon seeing the game’s title?  Consider that question carefully.  In the been there, done that age of franchises, sequels, collections, and ports, how many new games actually sound like game you want to play?  I didn't know what...

Since the beginning of time math teachers have tried to convince their students that arithmetic is actually a fun and rewarding activity.  Even at a young age the BS detector would sound wildly; how in the world could something so seemingly unnecessary be practical, let alone fun?  I mean, we...

Dating sims are to American gamers as Xbox is to Japanese gamers; niche market doesn't quite begin to describe the simultaneous incomprehension with these respective genres. A fundamental difference exists within our two increasingly diverging cultures, for whatever reason the Japanese cannot produce a significant reason to own an Xbox...