Up late talking games & writing? You're...

Just a quick one tonight, I had a long day today and tomorrow looks like it’s going to be even longer.

Games: Here’s a link to the 20th Bargain Basement at GameCritics.com… in case you’ve never seen it before, it’s a pet project of mine where I give some attention to older titles that are available on the cheap. (This installment: Folklore, Saints Row, and Jericho)

I finally got around to playing the new Space Invaders Extreme on DS, and it was as good as people have been saying. The graphics are still classic, but they got an overhaul with flashy backgrounds and other various tweaks. The little defender ship now has a variety of weapons to earn, and the audio is a pretty cool little synaesthesia experience. It’s something that’s good for five minutes here and ten minutes there, so check it out. Recommended.

Looking at things to not check out, Nanostray 2 (also DS) is pretty much a waste of time. I have a lot of love for old-school shooters, but this one just feels so completely anonymous and generic that I couldn’t get into it at all. There’s no real hook; no identity to set it apart. There’s no fish theme like Darius, no Moai or Options like Gradius, no grabby claw like Einhander… the developers wisely removed the stylus control set up, but other than that there’s not really anything going for it. Not Recommended.

Finally, PAX is happening this weekend. Last year’s show was a good time, and this year’s looks to be even better… Props to Jerry and Mike of Penny Arcade (and the entire PA crew, of course) for hosting the show, and especially for hosting it here in Seattle. I will definitely have some coverage from the show here and also at GameCritics later in the week, so stay tuned.