Tag Archives: Namco-Bandai

Geoffrey Tim

Pac-Man is back in a new adventure

May 15, 2013 at 12:00 pm | 7 Comments

We have an obvious affinity for that classic yellow pie-chart icon of gaming, but Pac-Man is a series that’s struggled to really move beyond the confines of 2D maze running and pellet-chomping. Namco’s tried numerous times to modernise Pac-Man, with the most successful attempt probably being Pac-Man Championship Edition DX – which mostly stuck to the tried-and-tested formula. They’re trying the 3D adventure route again, with a brand new Pac-Man adventure.


Geoffrey Tim

Star Trek review – Worst Contact

April 30, 2013 at 3:30 pm | 26 Comments

I have to be honest. I'm a little bit ambivalent when it comes to Star Trek. I’ve enjoyed Gene Rodenberry’s past tales of intergalactic diplomacy, and I even quite liked J.J Abrams’ reboot, but I’m hardly what you’d consider a “Trekkie”. I’m not big on licenced games that try cash in on people’s established love either, so I was expecting this new game based on Abrams’ rebooted Star Trek continuity to not be very good. It has exceeded my expectations…by being far worse than I had ever anticipated.


Darryn Bonthuys

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 review

March 19, 2013 at 3:30 pm | 64 Comments

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 is ah dammit I ran out of space already with my opening blurb. Believe it!


Garth Holden

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch review

February 1, 2013 at 12:30 pm | 8 Comments

Everyone wants to be a wizard. Whether it is the spectacled boy who lived or the wizard who is never late, there is something alluring about the wizarding arts. So what would you do if you were handed a spell book by an odd short creature who claims to be from another world?


Darryn Bonthuys

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 updates with new fighters and stages

October 10, 2012 at 3:00 pm | 2 Comments

Tekken Tag Tournamant 2 is out right now, and even though I thought that the game was actually a Bryan Mills simulator, it turned out to be something far more impressive instead. There’s a new patch out, and it’s got some new content within it. Details after the jump.


Garth Holden

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 review: Dream battles

October 2, 2012 at 3:30 pm | 1 Comment

Tekken has been a bit of a gamble in the last few years, with a few awkward games that didn't have the weight or meat of their earlier titles. Does the iron fist hit with full force again? Or did Heihachi's youth elixir fail? Get ready to pitch anyone and everyone against each other.


Geoffrey Tim

TGS Trailer Round Up

September 20, 2012 at 3:00 pm | 13 Comments

The Tokyo Game Show, Japan’s premier gaming event is happening right now - and the tubes are currently being inundated with all manner of trailer showcasing the latest in Japanese games. Instead of posting ‘em all one by one, we’ve lumped ‘em all together - so grab some Ramen and take in the best that Japan has to offer.


Darryn Bonthuys

Naruto Shippuden Ninja Storm 2 Generations Review – Shadow Clone no Sequel jutsu

May 17, 2012 at 3:15 pm | 3 Comments

Hang on, “puff, wheeeeze”. Damn, that title is ridiculously long. Alright, here we go.

The long running series of adolescent ninjas and their unique world, is back for another spin on an old tale, in a title that streamlines the process for a more focused approach. But can this new method to gameplay stand tall with previous, solid attempts, or is this game that has gone back to basics with detrimental effects?


James Lenoir

Ridge Racer Review (PSVita) – “It’s RIIDDDDDGGEEE RAGGGGGGGERRRRRR!!!!” -

March 27, 2012 at 3:15 pm | 19 Comments

There was a time when the words “Ridge Racer” would invoke an almost Pavlovian response from a specific gamer demographic. After almost two decades, the Ridge Racer games have become synonymous with the release of new Sony hardware, but more importantly, they were always a safe bet. In fact, there were two things that you could bank on if you were a Sony gamer.

Firstly, you knew that your new hardware was going to be reliable (or at least more so than the nearest competitor), and secondly, you couldn't go wrong with a Ridge Racer title. It wasn't going to blow your mind, but at least the arcade racer would help pass the time (while you saved up for a few decent games).

Until now.


Geoffrey Tim

Awww Yeah! There are more “Souls” games coming

March 9, 2012 at 1:30 pm | 5 Comments

FROM Software’s loosely connected “souls” games - namely Demon’s souls and Dark Souls - are some of the most difficult and frustrating, but ultimately rewarding games in existence. Those who’ve played them long enough to overcome their steep learning curves have been duly rewarded, and left the experience feeling like champions.

Rejoice, masochistic gamers, because there are more coming.


Darryn Bonthuys

Soul Calibur V Review – The soul still burns

February 3, 2012 at 3:30 pm | 14 Comments

February may be the month where gaming finally puts a boot to the ass of gamer wallets, but if there is one genre that is leading the pack this year, it has to be the category of fisticuffs and pugilism.

First out of the fighting genre stables this year is Soul Calibur V, bringing with it some familiar mechanics and characters, but can the latest iteration in the iconic weapon-based fighting franchise land a successful first strike on the stage of history, or is this a ring-out loss for the ageless brawlers?


Darryn Bonthuys

Soul Calibur V wants to rock you, literally

February 2, 2012 at 1:00 pm | 9 Comments

What’s the best way to immortalise some fan-favourite video game characters? If your answer included rock, then you’d be 100% correct. To celebrate the release of the Soul Calibur V game, Namco Bandai recently engraved the characters of Mitsurugi and Pyrrha into the side of a granite mountain, in Tanum, Sweden.


Geoffrey Tim

The 5 stages of Dark Souls – a review

November 8, 2011 at 3:30 pm | 28 Comments

PlayStation gamers were treated to an action RPG that broke the mould; Demon’s Souls,  a genre-shattering Dark Fantasy that played almost as if it was The Legend of Zelda for grownups. Praised for its exceedingly high difficulty, wonderful setting and tight, meaningful combat, Demon’s Souls garnered a cult following and sales enough to warrant a successor.

Dark souls, available this time for Xbox 360 as well, is that successor - and like Demon’s Souls it’s designed to give players a hitherto unseen amount of grief. Like grief, Dark Souls is experienced in stages.


Darryn Bonthuys

Soul Calibur V shows off character customisation features

November 3, 2011 at 10:45 am | 2 Comments

If there’s one thing that gamers love in a fighting game, it’s a wide roster of fighters. From brawlers who have more hair gel than common sense, to combatants who somehow defy the laws of gravity and avoid wardrobe malfunctions during the heat of battle, players like to have that choice.

Of course, not every taste can be catered for, and the majority of fighting genre games don’t cater to character customisation, unless the fighters are squaring off in a WWE ring. Soul Calibur V is proving the exception to that rule however, showcasing a variety of options that will allow for truly unique characters that can be created.


Gavin Mannion

Sony vows to replace mugged student’s PSP

August 11, 2011 at 7:45 am | 19 Comments

If you’ve been watching the news recently you would have noticed that there is a fair bit of trouble over in civilised London at the moment and one of the poster video’s of this trouble is a kid being helped up by one of the rioters only for another one to rifle through his bag and then walk off with his PSP.

Well the kid is apparently 20 years old and is a university student and is now in hospital with a broken jaw. However there is a glimmer of light in all this carnage.

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