Double Dragon: Neon review

Back in the late 80's, Double Dragon defined the side-scrolling beat 'em up. Implementing couch co-op, heinous acts of bodily violence and the most intense opening to a game ever, it's no wonder why Double Dragon is still respected in contemporary gaming culture. While it's been well over 20 years since we've seen anything from the famed franchise, WayForward has magicked their way into bringing us a love letter to the series; something they call Double Dragon: Neon.

This Mark of the Ninja trailer is full of ninjas and... Ninja Gaiden boxart?

To celebrate Mark of the Ninja's release, Klei Entertainment has produced a never before seen trailer that gives a little background to the premise of the game. Something about ninjas and a toxin in a plant that gives you superpowers. While that's totally rad, I'm having a hard time averting my eyes from that striking Ninja Gaiden photo. Yeah, you should definitely check this game out.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Review

Castlevania has always been one of my gaming soft spots. Not only did it introduce me to insanely asinine enemies and heinous staircases, but it presented an addictive atmosphere riddled with mythological monsters, magic, and absolutely rockin’ music. When I heard Harmony of Despair was going to combine all my favorite Castlevania heroes under a six-player multiplayer banner, I calmly excused myself, promptly stepped through an alternate dimensional portal, levied my hands and channeled a nuclear laser blast at the nearest mountain while screaming in unadulterated joy.

Shadow Complex Review

A long while ago, in a time of inferior technology and rustic gameplay elements, the side-scroller reigned supreme. The genre has spawned some of the greatest games of all-time, but like all good things, it went away for a while. Being unable to cope with its absence, Chair crafted Shadow Complex - a quirky, futuristic, side-scrolling shooter. To put it quite simply, it has resurrected the genre in the best way possible.


The long-running Castlevania series and the earlier Metroid titles are usually credited with being the best examples of side-scrolling ingenuity and Shadow Complex pays homage to these games in almost every way. The graph-paper maps, exorbitant amounts of upgrades, ridiculous varieties of platforming puzzles and weapons, it’s all here. Orson Scott Card’s “Empire” was also the basis for the story, giving it instantly more appeal. Speaking about story, the protagonist’s name is Jason Bailey, a normal dude who’s out frolicking with his latest pickup at the bar. Quickly, a seemingly harmless day of cave diving turns into a search and rescue operation from the clutches of a super-terrorist organization called the Restoration.

Planeswalking, Reminiscing, and DLC

Magic: The Gathering is probably the card game that best defines my adolescence. You know, the kind of adolescence that revolves around edge of your seat trades, passionate arguments of card abilities, and zero girlfriends. I loved it though, and of the many card games I played none could really compare to the might Magic held over myself and the masses.


Over the course of time, it was inevitable that I would eventually grow tired of the same ole, same ole shindig and cast aside my addiction for something arguably worse. Thankfully video games and the magic of the internet came along to make playing Magic easier than ever. A little title by the name of Duels of the Planeswalkers came to manifest itself on my television screen, and much joy was had.


Until time played its hand.