Blogcritics Author: Brian Szabelski

Wii Virtual Console News and Releases for 12/1/2008

Brian Szabelski — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 20:22:26 EST

There's a decidedly old-school feel this week on the Wii Shop Channel.
So Thanksgiving has come and gone and the holiday season is upon us. You might be looking for some good gaming bargains, and the Wii Shop Channel is here to help. This week sees a Neo Geo classic on the Virtual Console joined by WiiWare titles from two well-known developers, one of which is a new twist on a legendary game.This week's games...

Wii Virtual Console News and Releases for 11/24/2008

Brian Szabelski — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:18:11 EST

It's Thanksgiving this week. Maybe there's something you'll be thankful for on the Wii Shop Channel?
So it's Thanksgiving. I guess we're supposed to be thankful that the Virtual Console and WiiWare are around, because it's otherwise been a slow fall for the Wii. Sure, there have been some great games on the Wii like de Blob and Wario Land: Shake It!, but it's been a slew of WiiWare titles and Virtual Console surprises that have probably kept...

Nintendo DS Review: Meccha! Taiko no Tatsujin DS - Nanatsu no Shima no Daibouken

Brian Szabelski — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:30:45 EST

The second installment of Taiko no Tatsujin on the DS offers a lot of the same, but some great new stuff, too.
Looking for a little Japanese rhythm game action on your DS, but all tapped out on Ouendan and Band Bros.? Well, perhaps it's time to take a look at Meccha! Taiko no Tatsujin DS: Nanatsu no Shima no Daibouken (translated: Extreme! Taiko Drum Master DS: The Great Adventure of the Seven Islands). The game was released earlier this year in Japan,...

Xbox 360 Review: Blitz: The League II

Brian Szabelski — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:38:08 EST

A brutal, bloody, over-the-top parody of the NFL and a huge step forward for the franchise.
When Midway sought to revive its long dormant Blitz franchise a few years back, some people were skeptical. When they decided to make a sequel for the current generation of consoles, it didn't get a lot of buzz, especially since Blitz: The League was a middle-of-the-road game. However, anyone thinking that Blitz: the League II is more of the same...

Wii Virtual Console News and Releases for 11/17/2008

Brian Szabelski — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:17:50 EST

A little bit of space, a little bit of Strong Bad and a little bit of... beanbag tossing?
Last week, the release pool was kind of shallow. There wasn't a whole lot that looked good. Fortunately this week, things have changed. Four games come to the Wii Shop Channel, including a legendary game and a retro classic in Space Invaders and the latest episode in the Strong Bad series from Telltale. They are joined by another Sega Genesis...

Nintendo Wii Review: Wario Land: Shake It!

Brian Szabelski — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:37:29 EST

A delightful 2-D platforming adventure with everyone's favorite greedy, fat jerk.
Last time we saw Wario on an adventure it was the disappointing Wario: Master of Disguise on the DS. However, when the first screenshots of Wario Land: Shake It! were revealed, there was hope that this game would restore Wario to his platforming glory of days past. Thankfully, Shake It! delivers on that promise, in no small part because it goes...

Wii Virtual Console News and Releases for 11/10/2008

Brian Szabelski — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:50:07 EST

Everyone has their off-week. This week, the Wii Shop Channel has theirs.
While last week was a treasure trove for retro gamers, this week is much more skewed towards the new gamer crowd, and as a result, it doesn’t seem to be as strong. Another Mega Man title hits the Virtual Console, while a brain-training game and a cooking game show up on WiiWare. There’s probably not something here for everyone this...

Wii Virtual Console News and Releases for 11/5/2008

Brian Szabelski — Tue, 4 Nov 2008 01:55:22 EST

Retro gamers all across North America will certainly approve this message.
This week, we have some rather important news to go over and some important decisions to make. It might not be easy to pick the one you like the most out of a great field, but it's something that has to be done.... Wait, what? Elections? I thought we were talking about the Wii Shop Channel's releases this week, led by the appearance of the...

Xbox 360 Review: TNA Impact!

Brian Szabelski — Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:15:18 EDT

Midway's first TNA game has a solid base to build from, but it's not everything it should have been this time around.
For quite some time, WWE has been the king of the wrestling world with no real competition. Likewise, THQ and Aki's SmackDown series has been the only real wrestling game on the market for most of the last decade. Yes, there have been other games, but they have come and gone. Has a legitimate competitor finally risen in Midway's TNA Impact!...

Wii Virtual Console News and Releases for 10/27/2008

Brian Szabelski — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:48:28 EDT

Are you ready to rock, Strong Bad-style?
As October comes to a close, one might expect some spooky or scary games to appear on the Wii Shop Channel. Oddly enough, that didn't happen at all. Regardless, we still have some fantastic titles this week, including a retro classic that many gamers will remember and two new additions on WiiWare that are parts of on-going series.This...