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January, 2012

January 31, 2012

Genkibowl VII is not the Saints Row: The Third add-on you've been waiting for. Instead it's a painfully bad mini-game collection, half of which is recycled from last year's disc-based release. There are some funny lines here and there, but they won't make up for the disappointing and overpriced content!

Resident Evil Will Never Be Scary Again

On Running Feuds

January 31, 2012

On Running Feuds (Ep.182) - The reactions to the Resident Evil 6 trailer were what you would normally expect; the usual mix of wishful excitement and skepticism. Across internet forums, Twitter and Facebook, everybody seemed to agree on one important detail: This new Resident Evil game must be scary! People don't want the non-stop action and daytime battles; they're looking to Capcom to bring the scary. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Resident Evil will never be scary again. Find out why in this controversial new editorial!

Capcom Typos Through the Decades

Guerilla Scrapbook

January 30, 2012

Guerilla Scrapbook (Ep. 56) - I bet you didn't know that Capcom has had a long history of making horrible spelling errors! This has been an on-going problem for the better part of thirty years. We thought it might be fun to take a look at some of the most egregious examples of Capcom's typos, spanning from 1985 to present day. These ten examples prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, Capcom needs to hire somebody who knows how to use a dictionary. See how back it can get when you read Capcom Typos Through the Decades!

All Zombies Must Die!

Reviews au Courant

January 30, 2012

All Zombies Must Die may sound like a senseless action game, but it turns out to be a moderately deep role-playing game. Part dual-stick shooter and part dungeon crawler, Doublesix's newest zombie game has a lot going for it. Unfortunately it's marred by repetitive gameplay, too many fetch quests, lame jokes and horrendous collision detection!

Hector: Badge of Carnage

Reviews au Courant

January 27, 2012

Hector is the kind of likeable moron you don't see much of in gaming these days, which may be one of the reasons Badge of Carnage is so compelling. The hand-drawn graphics and spot-on voice acting doesn't hurt this outlandish crime caper. There are some trite moments, but Hector's adventure is one fans of the genre should take on!

Abobo's Big Adventure

Reviews au Courant

January 23, 2012

Forget that this is a Flash game on a website; Abobo's Big Adventure is a stunning accomplishment that has to be seen to be believed. With literally thousands of cameo appearances, tons of replay value and eight devilishly clever stages, this retro-fueled action game is the first masterpiece of 2012. Best of all, it's free!

Lock 'n Chase (Virtual Console)

Reviews au Courant

January 20, 2012

Do you like Pac-Man and really into robbing banks? Then boy do I have a game for you. It's called Lock 'N Chase and it is this week's Virtual Console release. Imagine Namco's yellow pellet-muncher as a bank robber. You're tasked with picking up dots symbolizing money (instead of, you know, dots) and dodging police men.

This Week in Defunct Games - January 20, 2012

This Week in Defunct Games

January 20, 2012

If it's Friday it's This Week in Defunct Games! It's yet another week of disappointment. After a two week absents, the 3DS Virtual Console roared back to life with ... Lock 'N Chase. Well, at least Nintendo had something to talk about. Sony decided not to upload a PSone Classic, leaving us with only one review. One very lonely review.

Eternal Champions' Squandered Potential

A Brief History of Gaming

January 19, 2012

Eternal Champions could have been a real contender. Sadly, Sega wasn't entirely sure how to develop an ultra-violent 2D fighting game. The result is a mediocre game that few gamers have fond memories of. But you shouldn't let that ruin all the fun. Even though it couldn't stand up to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, Eternal Champions has a lot of great ideas that would make the game a hit today. Learn all about it in this week's exciting episode of A Brief History of Gaming!

Electronic Arts Debuts SOPA & PIPA 12

Worst Game Ever

January 18, 2012

WORST GAME EVER (Ep. 5) - While the internet goes dark to rally against SOPA and PIPA, Defunct Games is proud to bring you another entry in our ongoing hunt for the WORST GAME EVER! Today we look at two games from Electronic Arts. The first is a PC game called SOPA, while the second is PIPA 12 for home console. Learn more about these exciting innovations in yet another episode of WORST GAME EVER!

Cover Critic Battles January 2012 Games

The Cover Critic

January 17, 2012

The Cover Critic (Ep. 78) - The Cover Critic is back with a lot of negative comments about your favorite games! In this episode we take a look at the big releases of January 2011. We'll take a trip back to Silent Hill, get CHALLENGED by National Geographic, go on a date with Final Fantasy XIII-2, ever die in Never Dead and say something clever about SoulCalibur V. With so many big releases on the way, let's jump right in and see what I have to say about January 2011.

The King of Fighters XIII

Reviews au Courant

January 17, 2012

Not only is The King of Fighters a solid 2D fighting game, but it is one of the best games in the series. With dozens of characters and a robust story mode, this SNK fighter reminds us yet again why every serious fighting fan wanted a Neo Geo in the 1990s. Best of all, this exciting package comes with a four disc CD soundtrack featuring more than 100 tracks from a dozen different games. Highly recommend.

When Will Samus Aran Die?

Game Expectancy

January 16, 2012

Game Expectancy (Ep. 7) - Have you ever wondered how old your favorite video game character will be when they die? Defunct Games puts that question to the test. By studying the lives of gaming's biggest stars, we are able to accurately predict when they'll croak. Today we're taking a look at Samus Aran, the unlucky heroine of Nintendo's Metroid series. Does this bounty hunter stand a chance of growing old? Probably not!

Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon

Reviews au Courant

January 16, 2012

Even with a budget price, Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon is tough to recommend. The mediocre graphics and monotonous gameplay bring down an otherwise solid premise. This is only worth playing if you have friends to play with, solo players should take a can of Raid to this repetitive mess.

Final Fantasy Origins (PSone Classics)

Reviews au Courant

January 13, 2012

There are better versions of both games currently available on the PSP, which makes this a dicey choice if you prefer your RPGs portable. On the other hand, fans of the series will finally be able to play these two adventures on the PlayStation 3, which may be enough to warrant the ten dollar asking price!

This Week in Defunct Games - January 13, 2012

This Week in Defunct Games

January 13, 2012

If it's Friday it's This Week in Defunct Games! This week I would love to talk about the fun 3DS Virtual Console games being uploaded, but so far this year Nintendo has kept quiet. Thankfully we have one big Final Fantasy collection to keep us company. Find out what I thought of Final Fantasy Origins in another quiet episode of This Week in Defunct Games!

Silent Hill & the Where's Waldo Conundrum

Freeze Frame

January 12, 2012

Freeze Frame (Ep. 85) - Did you know that parts of Silent Hill were influenced by a certain Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy? What about the one where three of the members of Sonic Youth show up to haunt the school? It turns out, it's all true! Join us as we delve deep into Silent Hill's pop culture problem. It turns out that Silent Hill has a nasty Where's Waldo Conundrum!

This Year in Defunct Games: 2011 Report Card

Bonus Levels

January 11, 2012

Despite my constant complaints about the Virtual Console on Twitter, a lot of old school classics were released in 2011. Not only did we see some of Square's best games hit both the Virtual Console and PSone Classics store, but we also received some unexpected surprises from SNK and Hudson. Throw in a few import titles from Monkey Paw Games, a couple King of Fighters games and the launch of the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, and it's clear that 2011 was a pretty good year for old school gamers.

Virtual Boy at Winter CES '95: Oh, Fuck That!

A Brief History of Gaming

January 10, 2012

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the Consumer Electronics Show. To help celebrate, Cyril takes a look back at the last big video game announcement made at this prestigious show. Discover what it was like to wait in a long line to play ... the Virtual Boy? That's right, the Virtual Boy! It's a story that will help break the monotony of modern day Consumer Electronics Shows!

When Will Ryu Hayabusa Die?

Game Expectancy

January 09, 2012

Game Expectancy (Ep. 6) - Have you ever wondered how old your favorite video game character will be when they die? Defunct Games puts that question to the test. By studying the lives of gaming's biggest stars, we are able to accurately predict when they'll croak. Today we're taking a look at Ryu Hayabusa, the man at the center of countless Ninja Gaiden adventures. This ninja master has already died once and is back with a vengeance. So it begs the question: When will Ryu Hayabusa Die?

Zen Pinball 3D

Reviews au Courant

January 09, 2012

While not a high water mark for pinball games, Zen Pinball 3D delivers on every one of its promises. This seven dollar 3DS game features four exciting stages, online leaderboards and an achievement system that will keep you coming back for more. Not as robust as its console cousins, but still one of the best games in the fledgling eShop!

Bionic Commando (Virtual Console)

Reviews au Courant

January 06, 2012

Nathan "Rad" Spencer has had a rough go of it recently. Between the low sales of Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2 and the poor critical response to the 3D reboot, Capcom's long-running series appears to have hit a brick wall. Thankfully that hasn't stopped them from uploading this Game Boy port of Bionic Commando.

This Week in Defunct Games - January 6, 2012

This Week in Defunct Games

January 06, 2012

If it's Friday it's This Week in Defunct Games! Welcome to the first episode in 2012. Unfortunately, neither of the games reviewed in this 183rd episode were released this year. Instead we're playing catch up with LAST week's games, something we can do thanks to Nintendo and Sony opting to not release anything this week. I hope you like seeing me gush over Bionic Commando and Klonoa, because that's what is about to happen in This Week in Defunct Games!

Wii Virtual Console GOTY: Deathbed Edition

DGC On Demand

January 05, 2012

2011 wasn't a good year for the Wii's Virtual Console. With only seventeen games, it's hard to justify any excitement for Nintendo's once-strong download service. But the low number isn't going to get us down. Defunct Games is proud to present a ten minute long video that counts down the seventeen Virtual Console games to determine who goes home with the game of the year prize. That's right; it's the Wii Virtual Console GOTY: Deathbed Edition!

Defunct Games vs. SNK Minis 3

Defunct Games Vs.

January 04, 2012

Here comes another batch of SNK Minis! After playing through some of the company's biggest arcade hits, what could possibly be left to tackle? This week we take a look at P.O.W.: Prisoners of War and Prehistoric Isle in 1930. What's more, we've also included a helpful buyer's guide that will get you caught up on the best (and worst) the SNK Minis store has to offer!

Bejeweled 3

Reviews au Courant

January 03, 2012

Released a full year after the PC game, Bejeweled 3 makes for a solid Nintendo DS puzzler. With eight fleshed-out modes and achievement points, PopCap's newest game is easy to recommend for twenty dollars. Just don't go in expecting the Seattle-based company to have reinvented their popular puzzle game!

Microsoft's Truthful Kinect Advertisement

Guerilla Scrapbook

January 03, 2012

Guerilla Scrapbook (Ep. 55) - Apparently Microsoft won't be happy until everybody buys a Kinect. Their latest commercial target those of us who have so far avoided the Kinect hype, the smart consumer that doesn't need another gimmick. What would it take to win over the hearts and minds of the many naysayers? Might I suggest this honest advertisement for the Microsoft Kinect!

When Will Leon Kennedy Die?

Game Expectancy

January 02, 2012

Game Expectancy (Ep. 5) - Defunct Games is back for a new year of off-the-wall content. We start this January with a new episode of Game Expectancy, the show that answers the age-old question: When will your favorite video game character die? This week it's Leon Kennedy's turn! Sure he knows how to survive zombies and cultists, but how long can he go on being this lucky? Find out how when you read another exciting episode of Game Expectancy!

Jurassic Park: The Game

Reviews au Courant

January 02, 2012

Jurassic Park: The Game is Telltale Games' first major disappointment. After completely scrapping the traditional point and click gameplay, the developers have trouble figuring out what to do with one of the most promising properties of the year. Too bad they turned it into an unholy mash-up of Dragon's Lair and Heavy Rain!

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