09/13/2011 (3 of 3 found this helpful)

Yeah, I said it: Episode IV

I have this theory about Final Fantasy VII. The theory says that much of the appreciation of the game stemmed from people who had a real affinity for it’s art style. A generation of teenagers growing up, getting into anime, stumbled upon Final Fantasy VII and...

“Wow! I get to... play... anime? Best. Game. Ever. Man, the Japanese really know how to write great dialog for black people.”

Of course, this was years before that particular meme had caught on, but you get the point. Opinion of the game was enhanced by an attraction to the art style.

Before I go further, I should add that this theory really stemmed from meeting like two people that it applied to. I’ve met people who run counter to this theory, but then, I can’t say I care enough to go back and modify a...

Rating of
3.5/5 

02/20/2011 (3 of 3 found this helpful)

The Most Beautiful Game This Gen is on the Wii

“Muramasa: The Demon Blade” is the latest action/RPG by the fine folks at VanillaWare. They have quite the reputation for creating beautiful and interesting games dating all the way back to “Princess Crown” on the Saturn (I'm still waiting for a North American release on that one!). “Muramasa” was one of my most-anticipated games this generation; but does it live up to its pedigree?

Presentation
“Muramasa” is, quite simply, beautiful. I have long believed that VanillaWare's incredible sprite-work is what 80% of modern games SHOULD look like, with the remaining 20% free to experiment with polygons and Uncanny Valleys. “Muramasa's” environments are built from innumerable layers of parallax scrolling, many of which contain animation, that create a world that is...

Rating of
5/5