Gifts of the Magi
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 12/26/11 at 02:29 PM CT
Happy Yule, merry Christmas, and happy Hanukkah. At this time of year, the Bible is at the forefront of the thoughts of billions of people around the world. Many of these religious adherents in the civilized world are also gamers. Yet what games are available that cater to the Abrahamic tradition? Not many. Indeed, the world of Christian video games is laughable, still dominated primarily by Wisdom Tree, a developer (in the loosest possible sense of the term) that hasn’t been particularly active since the NES.
It is quite difficult, however, for religion and gaming successfully join forces, especially when certain facets of the former consider the latter to be entirely demonic. At the same time that some Evangelical groups dismiss gaming outright, other individuals endeavor to create games that are “wholesome fun” by sanitizing them for the protection of the youth. But this mentality is completely hypocritical, as the Bible itself is not sanitized! Instead of offering gamers …
Vaguely Related: Wii HDMiKey
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 12/18/11 at 04:59 PM CT
Wii owners have lamented for several years their console’s lack of “True HD” output, that is, either 720p or 1080p resolution. It is important to remember, however, that in 2005 when the Wii first came into the world, HDTVs of any variety were fairly rare, dwelling in the rec rooms and man caves of dedicated enthusiasts. The government-mandated HD switch-over was continually pushed back, extending standard definition resolution’s (480i/480p) lease on life.
In 2009, the old format was finally slain once and for all, ushering in a new era of digital beauty and fully-legible on-screen text. Of course, the Wii wasn’t ready for this, and as a console, its non-upgradeable nature meant that every Wii game, no matter how artistically rendered, now looked like poo. The once-unnecessary hardware in the PS3 and Xbox 360 that allowed them to output high resolution visuals at the cost of insane launch prices was suddenly necessary, and Wii were left out.
In my quest for improved …
Generation Motion
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 12/11/11 at 05:00 PM CT
What started as an out-of-left-field stunt by the oldest of the three current console manufacturers turned out to be one of the defining characteristics of the 7th Generation of gaming consoles (aside from shooter domination). Motion controls started a gaming controversy: Are games more accessible when played using semi-natural movements instead of reflex-trained button presses? Are motion controls suitable for all genres? As Generation Motion draws to a close, let us look back and see what we, and our console-making corporate friends, have learned.
Nintendo
The company that started the whole motion control craze built-up a mountain of cash on a foundation of broken promises. While still a good game in-and-of-itself, “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” is also the embodiment of lazy motion controls that don’t actually add anything to the gameplay. With the Wii, “waggle” became the accepted descriptor of its so-called “revolutionary” motion controls that usually …
Review Round-Up: Fall 2011
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 12/02/11 at 03:54 PM CT
Welcome back to another installment of the MeltedJoystick Review Round-Up. Here’s what our staff has reviewed since last time:
Nelson’s Reviews:
I reviewed two over-hyped – but frighteningly similar – RPGs that serve as examples of the nonsensical nature of the divide between Js and Ws, an obscure 3D Platformer that turned out to be obscure for a reason, and our last co-op staff game.
“Xenoblade Chronicles”
“Dungeon Hunter: Alliance”
“Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer”
“Dragon Age: Origins (Ultimate Edition) ”
Chris’ Reviews:
Chris reviewed one of his ‘Sorry about the ApocalyPS3’ rewards, 2 mainstream FPSes (one with ‘dead’ in the title!), and our last co-op staff game.
“Dead Island”
“Dungeon Hunter: Alliance”
“Deus Ex: Human Revolution”
“Super Stardust HD”
Nick’s Reviews:
Nick finally found the time to write-up his review of the multi-player RPG we all played-through together last quarter. His “Dungeon …
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