Despite only having two full installments to date, the Cave-developed, vertical-scrolling shooter Mushihime-sama (literally meaning “bug princess”) series has captured my heart like few other shmups (shoot-em-ups) have. I’m already a complete sucker for danmaku, or “bullet hell” shooters, but Mushihime-sama Futari Ver 1.5 manages to refine the genre to the peak of excellence. (continue reading…)

While reading the January 2011 issue of Nintendo Power, I came across an interview with Peter Ong, co-owner of game developer DreamRift. Ong is also director of the upcoming DS title Monster Tale, a novel mix of Metroidvania-style platformer and virtual pet sim. When asked why the main character is a girl, he provided a rather candid answer:

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The game Starcraft has one of the most dedicated followings of any PC game in the past decade. The recent release of Starcraft 2 means that the community has had to adapt to the new gameplay mechanics. This generally involves trial by fire, and analysis of different strategies by the players. Once a strong opener has been established, it becomes a standard for the community. Generally, these openers are created by the top players in the community. However, one user developed a genetic algorithm to create these build orders and developed the 7 Roach Rush. (continue reading…)

The legendary Dreamcast turns 11 today (DOB: 9/9/99 – who could forget!), and if my posts thus far haven’t given me away, I am a HUGE Dreamcast fan! Who doesn’t remember the orca scene in Sonic Adventure, the jaw-dropping beauty of Soul Calibur‘s arcade-perfect port, or tagging your first sign in Jet Grind Radio. I couldn’t let today pass without commemorating such a special occasion.

So how has our little white wonder box fared this year? Let’s take a look at some of the activity going on in the Dreamcast scene. (continue reading…)

Tonight I’m bringing you another game that “serious” gamers may have overlooked due to the “kiddy” factor. Looney Tunes: Space Race is a cel-shaded Mario Kart clone set in space (meaning floatier physics) based off of a cartoon license. That could be a setup for disaster, but it’s actually surprisingly fun and solid. (continue reading…)

Cosmic Smash combines real-life sports squash & racquetball with break-blocking video games Arkanoid & Breakout into a unique solo experience. It was originally released as an arcade game in Japan and Europe, and then it was given a Dreamcast release only in Japan.

The game is super simple in that your job is to (continue reading…)