split/screen co-op

Resident evil dark chronicles by ~MissDawson on deviantART

If the idea for a 100-word review looks like it’s been lifted from the No Added Sugar blog, it’s because it has. I was contemplating joining that site and writing a 100-word review was part of the application process. Unfortunately, it looks like the blog is on a prolonged hiatus. The last post is from February and an email seeking contact went unanswered.

Anyhow, I’ve got the review and it would be a shame if it went to waste as I’m quite happy with how it turned out. Here it is:

The end of the year brings tons of rankings, including one of the most pirated games via bit torrent technology. As is customary, the figures get stern looks from the mainstream gaming press and even the more critical bloggers rarely dare, or care, to go too much in-depth on this thorny issue.

Over at Destructoid, Jonathan Holmes bemoans that hardcore gems on the Wii, such as Red Steel 2, have been pirated more than they sold and blames piracy for that particular franchise’s demise.

Despite what piracy’s detractors claim, people can have various reasons to download games illegally, other than simply being evil. People who download one game may have a different motivation for doing so than people who download another title. Even people who download the same game may have different reasons for doing it. I think all those reasons need to be talked about, because piracy is an issue with great implications for the industry. However, for now, let’s focus on the case of Red Steel 2. I’d like to offer one reason why people may want to pirate that game.

Whoever said that everybody who wanted a Wii got one by now was wrong. I don’t have a Wii. I want one. There’s a number of reasons I’m still Wii-less but the top two are called Xbox 360 and PS3. I needed time and money to buy these two consoles, get games for them and enjoy the hell out of them before moving on.

The Wii is the last of my picks for this console generation, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the least. Hit the jump to see my 5 reasons why I want it.

Okami by MochiKome

I just read a very fine review of Okami over on Action Button Dot Net and, it being one of my all-time favourite games for precisely the same reasons that made the reviewer like it, I felt the urge to comment. However, one has to be logged in to do so, and I couldn’t find the registration page. (I know, I suck like that. If you find it, please point me to it via the comments. Thanks!)

Please go and read the review here, because it is completely worth it; and check out my comment after the break.

Three games, which I find very interesting and think would be cool to play, will hit the stores in the U.S. this week. To see a full list of the new releases in the USA for the week, you can visit vgchartz.com.

My favorites for this week after the jump

Why do I think so? Well, I have had a Nindendo DSi XL for nearly five months now and I have great difficulty finding games that are suited for my age.

More of my angry ramblings on the subject after the jump

The point-and-click adventure game Machinarium is soon to be available on WiiWare.

The game can be played only on PC at present.

According to reports, Microsoft has declined to launch it on Xbox Live, as it is reluctant to support games that are not Microsoft exclusives.

Sony have been contacted and asked to put the game on PSN, but there’s still not answer from them.

Sources:  Beautiful Indie Adventure Machinarium Headed to Wii on 1up.com, Report: Machinarium/Microsoft Deal Breaks Down Over Exclusive Issue on kotaku.com

Last Window: The Secret of Cape West

Genre: Adventure

Platform: Nintendo DS

Release date in Europe: September 17, 2010

Story: Kyle Hyde is on his next case and is visiting the Cape West apartment building in search of something called the Red Star. This game is sequel to the Hotel Dusk: Room 215.

Almost gotten to the middle of the game and have enjoyed playing so far.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine — Uncaged Edition could be bought for almost every platform currently out there — Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP, PS2, Nintendo DS, Wii, Cell.

More about my impressions of the game after the jump.

Every time I say racing game I think Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. Not any NFS, but the Hot Pursuit. I had the best “driving” times in my life with the championships in NFS HP 2.

The hottest cars on the hottest race tracks and a smashing soundtrack

EA will launch a new Need for Speed Hot Pursuit  this November and I admit I can hardly wait for it. Hope it will be at least as good as the old one.