Pads & Panels

#3 Minecraft (PC, Droid, iOS)

Publisher/Developer: Mojang

After years in the making and developing a rabid fanbase, thanks to giving users who preordered the constantly evolving beta, Minecraft finally hit version 1.0 this year. The indie sensation gives gamers a randomly generated world to make their own. Dig up materials during the day and build a homestead and weapons to fight the monsters that show up at night, or hit up some of the dungeons and mine away for diamonds. Minecraft is whatever the player wants it to be. (more…)

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#6 Saints Row: The Third (360, PS3, PC)

Publisher: THQ—Developer: Volition

The Saints Row series has long been the cartoonish alternative for gamers to the now serious and realistic Grand Theft Auto games. Every mistake GTA IV made, Saints Row: The Third fixes. Everything is over-the-top, from the missions to the weapons and the story. The level of polish elevates it from the previous games in the series. But the best part of Saint’s Row: The Third is jumping into co-op and sharing the chaos with a friend. (more…)

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#10 Marvel vs Capcom 3 (360, PS3)

Publisher/Developer: Capcom

This year, Marvel and Capcom took us for a ride with an addition to the mega popular fighting series. A large roster to master, online play and the fast pacing satisfied the fans of the series… up until the follow-up, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, was released nine months later. (more…)

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Best of 2011 – Kevin’s Music Picks

The Best

Fucked Up – David Comes to Life (Matador Records)

Toronto’s hardcore darlings, Fucked Up, has constantly getting better with every release whether it be their half of a split, a new full length or one of the many singles they have released. Their songs and extraordinary live shows have rightfully gained them the attention of media outlets ranging from NPR to the holier-than-thou Pitchfork Media. I took caution when it was announced that their next album would be a musical. All worries vanished about 15 minutes into the 78 minute opus of love gained and lost in a self aware story set in early 80s England. (more…)

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Title: “Smasher Pack” DLC for Red Faction: Guerrilla

Platform: 360 (PS3, PC)

ESRB Rating: M

Publisher: THQ

Developer: Volition

Review by: Kevin Haverty

The third round of DLC for Red Faction: Guerrilla expands “Wrecking Crew,” the offline pass-the-controller multiplayer mode. The “Smasher Pack” contains eight new maps and a new play mode called “Behemoth.”

Six of the stages blend in with the stages included on disc and offer more of the same. The remaining two feature some of the hardest to destroy structures encountered in the single-player campaign. Those two maps, “Expansion” and “Imperial,” add an overwhelming feeling. They require strategy and quick wits for the frantic pace of Wrecking Crew. It is a shame that only those two maps stand out. (more…)

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Top Staff Music Picks for 2010

All right, so with music, I believe more than video games or film, different genres and sounds relate to different people in so many different ways that it would be absolutely ridiculous, with the general entertainment offerings we provide (i.e. we’re not just a “punk” or “metal” or “pop” site), to create a numbered “Best of” list for music for the year. Instead, with our varied tastes, I challenged our writers to pick one album apiece that stood out to them more than anything else last year, and then explain why and describe it a bit so readers would know where they are coming from in terms of taste. Several answered the call, and these are our recommendations, depending on your tastes, for the album’s that caught our attention in 2010. We hope you enjoy it, and give a few of them a try.

–Bill

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My Chemical Romance

Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys is My Chem’s follow up to 2006’s widely popular The Black Parade. The theme of this album focuses on the band’s fictional alter egos, the Killjoys, and their exploits in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The songs are decidedly more energetic than with the previous effort, and both vocals and the guitars seem much more confident when compared to past albums. Once I started Danger Days, I immediately noticed it sounds more like an honest-to-goodness rock album. The album’s first single “Na Na Na […]” is a prime example of this, and the fun, up-tempo anthem starts the album off with a bang. While it is true that songs like “Bulletproof Heart” and “Save Yourself, I’ll Hold Them Back” sound like evolutions of the music fans came to love with albums like Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge and The Black Parade, tracks like “Scarecrow” sound far different than anything the band has done before. This track in particular evokes a sound reminiscent of the Beatles, with frontman Gerard Way layering softer and more subdued vocals over the slower-paced track. Although MCR has defiantly changed the feel of its sound, Danger Days is great album that gets better and better with repeated plays, and deserves a spot in any collection. (more…)

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#6 Rock Band 3 (360, PS3, Wii)

Publisher: MTV Games – Developer: Harmonix

Rock Band 3 takes on critics who use the argument “just learn a real instrument” by making the game capable of teaching the players, note for note, how to play keyboard, drums, bass and guitar. Gamers who don’t want to turn their Rock Band experience into a tutorial will still enjoy the most streamlined music game made. Harmonix has added so many “no brainer” features, like allowing the band to finish a failed song anyways, song sorting/navigation, rewinding the song after a pause to avoid missed notes and more. (more…)

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Title: Red Dead Redemption

Platform: 360 (PS3)

ESRB: M

Publisher: Rockstar Games

Developer: Rockstar San Deigo

Rating:

Review by: Kevin Haverty

The Western is a dying genre. Kids aren’t outside playing Cowboys & Indians anymore. Western films have been few and far between, and recent ones haven’t been given wide releases. Unless of course, we count the recent adaption of Jonah Hex, but that crapfest would hurt the case for the Western.

A great reflection of society’s one time love for the Wild West and current disinterest in it could be summed up with Woody’s plight in the Toy Story series. Thankfully Rockstar dug up the Red Dead Revolver franchise and crafted an amazing Western experience with it in Red Dead Redemption. (more…)

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Title: Snoopy Flying Ace

Platform: XBLA

ESRB: E10+

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Developer: Smart Bomb Interactive

Rating:

Review by: Kevin Haverty

Take 2006′s Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron and Crimson Skies for the original Xbox, throw them in a blender and press “frappe.” What comes out is Snoopy Flying Ace for the Xbox Live Arcade. Charlie Brown and company take to the skies with the Red Baron in a World War I setting. The single-player portion acts as a tutorial to get gamers ready for online play. It’s to the point, boring, short, and can be played with a friend. Gamers pilot Snoopy through rings, follow Charlie Brown around or fight waves of enemies. Evasive maneuvers are pulled off with a simple flick of the right control stick, and a wide array of weapons helps players determine their play styles. But multiplayer is the reason to buy Snoopy Flying Ace, with 16-player online dogfights of varying modes, ranging from the typical deathmatch and capture the flag to pigskin, which is basically rugby with biplanes. Snoopy Flying Ace does the Peanuts licence justice, and delivers a great multiplayer dogfighting experience. (more…)

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Title: Rocket Knight

Platform: XBLA (PSN, PC)

ESRB: E10+

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Climax Studios

Rating:

Review by: Kevin Haverty

Rocket Knight Adventures and Sparkster for the Sega Genesis often get overlooked, so it was a pleasant surprise that Konami dusted the IP off for a new game. In Rocket Knight, the Sparkster dons the armor again to stop the invading wolf army. Rocket Knight might look like a typical 2.5D platformer, but its vibrant style and jetpack-based play mechanics set it apart. And a few side-scrolling shooting stages are thrown in to cut monotony. But the game is criminally short. It can easily be finished in an hour and a half. Rocket Knight has some replayability, though, as gamers can try to reach the top of the leaderboard for each stage. (more…)

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