Terraria Review

by Stefano Terry

Genre: Sandbox Building RPG
Platform: Windows
Developer: Andrew “Redigit” Spinks
Price: $9.99 (USD) Available through Steam

I’m sure many of you have heard of a little game called Minecraft, developed by indie developer Markus Notch. For those that have not, I’ll describe it’s basic gameplay briefly, as Terraria shares similar game play elements. Minecraft is a 3D “sandbox building game,” which is emerging as a new genre in the industry.

The core mechanics are simple: you are presented with a randomly generated world, and are free to explore it to your hearts content, mining for resources such as wood, iron, dirt, and more, and then using those resources to, well, “craft” things.

Hence, “Minecraft.” You mine and craft. Simple enough, and yet it doesn’t seem terribly compelling as a game play mechanic. Needless to say, Minecraft has proven to be addicting to thousands of gamers, and has made Markus Notch a lot of money.

Review: Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection

I am a child of the 80’s. I cut my gaming teeth on the NES back in 1985, and haven’t stopped since. It wasn’t until the 90’s however, when my gaming addiction kicked into overdrive, and that began with the Sega Genesis, which released in the United States in 1989. I was 10 years old. This collection is like nostalgia injected straight into my veins.

Sega, in a bout of inspiritation, decided to compile a collection of 49 of some of their most classic, memorable games of that era (40 available at the start, and 9 unlockable titles from the Arcade or Sega Master System). From Altered Beast, to Phantasty Star, to Shining in the Darkness, to Sonic the Hedgehog and more, Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection is a fantastic, nostalgic trip down memory lane for us old timers, with games from just about every genre (excluding racers and sports titles). Not all of the games in the anthology have retained their sheen, but some have held up remarkably well, and had me pining for the “glory days,” when games were pure, simple fun, and not victim to meta-scores, sales battles, and questionable reviews.

Weekend Special: Killzone 1: A Retro Review/Editorial

February 27th is going to be a rather big day for Playstation 3 FPS fans. It is the day that Killzone 2 is finally unleashed upon the world in all it’s visual High Defness.

To prepare for this event, I decided to go back and replay not only Killzone 1, but Killzone: Liberation as well. While doing so, I came to some rather startling revelations about the original Killzone: contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t suck.

While this is more of an editorial on the way Killzone 1 is viewed by the masses and the media, I decided to approach it like a game review. I’ll even do it old school style, and separate it into categories. Here we go:

Wiikly update features Jungles, Pachinko, and Vampire Killers

Today’s Wii update is…ecclectic to say the least.

First up is Jungle Speed, which will run you 1,ooo Wii Points ($10), and is a 1-8 player card game. The brieft description reads:

“Flip your cards, watch your opponents and grab the totem at the right moment to win the game. Just when you think you’ve got it down, a new card can temporarily change the rules and keep you on the edge. Play starts when the first person flips a card. Moving around the table, symbols are revealed until two of the exposed cards match. Players with matching cards must then scramble to grasp the totem in the middle of the table; the loser gets the winner’s cards and anything in the pot. With paws flying, be the first person to get rid of all your cards and win the game.”
Sounds exciting… *cough*

More updates after the jump

The Evolution of the Controller

Found this nifty little chart that shows the evolution of hand held controllers, portable systems, and specialty controllers. Take a look!!

Controller Evolution-Kotaku.com