Added: 25.09.2014 22:37 | 10 views | 0 comments


And an indie title on Xbox One called Chariot.
Microsoft has confirmed three new games to be given away for free in October as part of its Games with Gold promotion.

Added: 25.09.2014 2:20 | 3 views | 0 comments


Save $3.00 on 32GB Compact Flash Ultimate 600x CF/32GB-U3! The price of 32GB Compact Flash Ultimate 600x CF/32GB-U3 has been dropped by $3.00, order now from ozgameshop.com with free delivery to Australia and New Zealand.

Added: 24.09.2014 17:00 | 2 views | 0 comments


Nature abhors a vacuum. So, like green shoots breaking up the concrete of an abandoned parking lot, the success of World of Tanks on PC ensured that similar games would arrive for mobile. Now, of course, Wargaming has provided us with the real deal in the form of World of Tanks: Blitz. That, however, is (currently) iOS only. Luckily, for Android gamers, that legion of mimics is still out the...

Added: 24.09.2014 8:43 | 1 views | 0 comments


TransOcean - The Shipping Company is your ticket to the world of gigantic ships and running a transnational shipping empire. Build a mighty fleet of modern merchant ships and conquer the seven seas as you track your routes in real time, take the controls as ships enter and leave harbours worldwide and see to it that freight gets loaded and unloaded efficiently. Choose from 55 of the largest and most exotic ports in the world to sail to and from. A highly polished bonus system will lend an element of suspense to every decision.

Added: 23.09.2014 23:22 | 7 views | 0 comments


A noble crusade. It's been 12 years since the release of , a well-received real-time strategy title from Firefly Studios that pleased fans of the genre with its accessible-but-deep gameplay. Firefly has almost solely focused upon developing Stronghold games since then but aside from two updates to the original game, they haven't ventured back into the Crusades until now. And what a fine return it is. Like its predecessor, initially seems to be an uncomplicated, if even slightly derivative approach to the RTS formula, something which back in 2002 wasn't helped by its dated, 2D isometric visuals. However, sinking more time into it reveals an almost alarming wealth of content, so much so that even after playing it extensively you'll feel as though you've barely scraped its surface. [gallery=793] The first thing that you'll notice when making your initial tentative steps into Stronghold Crusader II is the level of detail that's been invested into making its world as joyous to behold for the player as possible. RTS games aren't typically graphically intensive, and Crusader II is no exception but its art style has such warmth and its animations are so meticulously detailed that it's impossible to not be charmed by it. I enjoyed simply watching the game do its thing and go about its business, though a lack of different graphics options for textures, lighting etc. was a little off-putting, as I'm a man who enjoys tinkering in the menus of my PC games. Crusader II will place you against a myriad of different enemies in its single-player Skirmish mode and the key to victory is to essentially build a stronger, more well-equipped castle than them (putting your thumb on your nose and chanting "my castle is bigger than yours!" is optional). My first few attempts at this were futile, as focusing upon one specific area of leadership—be it military, food/material production or general governance—led to my settlement becoming unbalanced and my people unable to adequately defend themselves against my foe's constant barrage of attacks. Crusader II doesn't provide you with a great deal of breathing room. After your enemy (or, in later skirmishes, enemies) fortifies their castle, they will then proceed to repeatedly attempt to overthrow your leader, the most valuable unit in your populace, by storming your castle, breaching its walls and mercilessly killing everyone. In order to prevent them from doing this you're going to want to build sturdy walls around your castle, therefore meaning you're going to need stone, which in turn needs a quarry to be built, which will need workers in order to gather supplies, who need food to eat and hovels to keep sheltered. Maintaining all of your responsibilities is a difficult task, though it rarely becomes stressful. The game maintains a light tone, with it balancing its gameplay between combat and the minutiae of city management adeptly and only occasionally veering into frustration as your progress become undone by enemy sieges. The most difficulty I had was in building structures in "neutral" areas of the battlefield, as far too often would the enemy send his archers out and lay to rest my workers at my quarries, spoiling the foundations of my economy and forcing me to think on my toes in regards to how I was going to keep my settlement ticking along. Unlike games such as the Civilization series, Stronghold Crusader II doesn't grant you a large period of time to develop your society and build upon your fledgling society. As soon as you're placed into a skirmish you must be ready to fight, and while I prefer the Civ style of methodical, slow-paced gameplay to the non-stop action of the likes of , Cruasader II proficiently sits in the middle ground between the two. On more close-quarters terrain you'll find yourself with less time to manage your people and resources, but where the game really shines is in its larger environments, as you create an impressive castle and city whilst your men turn the neutral zones into battlefields in the distance. The key to Crusader II's success in these PvE battles is in its attention to detail, whether it be the cumbersome walking movement of the heavily armored knights, the foot soldiers getting out pickaxes in order to bring down your castles' walls (which fall with impressive realism) or the catapults of fire, it's the little things that really make it stand out. Outside of the single-player skirmishes there's plenty to sink your teeth into. There are the "learning campaigns which are perfectly suited to getting to grips with the game, custom skirmishes in which you can wage war against up to eight CPU players and a sandbox mode, where you can build your castle without the constant, looming threat of an enemy attack and tinker around in one of the game's many maps. While this is a nice addition, Stronghold Crusader II isn't a game that is designed to be played in such a manner, given that there's no option to fast-forward the action, therefore meaning that sandbox mode largely consists of waiting for your workers to push and pull supplies around. Suffice to say, it's not that much fun. It was during this mode that I also began to notice a few issues with the game that I wouldn't have otherwise spotted when being pressured into action by enemy armies. Firstly, the lack of in-game descriptions of the various structures, weaponry and artillery units is more than a little frustrating. While this obviously becomes less of a pertinent issue over time, having stats for each soldier unit would've been a small addition that would have also been a huge benefit to the gameplay, making this omission an odd one. I also found that materials in my stock pile would drain seemingly of their own accord, with supplies such as wood and stone not being used yet still dropping. This became an issue when I attempted to build structures that required these materials, with me eventually being forced to pay for them rather than taking them out of my pile and quickly place buildings before the stock dropped below the required amount once again. Ultimately, though, these issues fail to leave a negative impact upon an otherwise engrossing experience and while its single-player skirmishes are satisfying and rewarding, its online multiplayer offers even more reason to return to the game. There's the typical array of PvP options on offer in Crusader II, but the most unique addition is a co-op skirmish mode, in which two players can control one army in order to take on AI opponents. This mixes up the dynamics of the game considerably, and will offer players the most long-term enjoyment and value. Stronghold Crusader II is a game that will steal hours of your life if you let it. While it isn't as expansive as Civilization 5 nor as action-packed as Company of Heroes 2, its position nestled between the two is a welcome change of pace for the genre and one which is well worth experiencing. Firefly Studios hasn't quite made a new classic RTS game here, but they were extremely close. Code provided by publisher. Review based on PC version.

Added: 23.09.2014 1:23 | 0 views | 0 comments


Plate from Nintendo's original headquarters. via Wikipedia

Nintendo began as a playing card company in 1889 but it was the transition into video games in the '70s that earned it the worldwide recognition it has today. Technically, Nintendo's 125th anniversary doesn't start until tomorrow for us here in the US, but since it's already September 23 in Japan, we thought we'd kick off the congratulations a little early.

What's your earliest/best Nintendo memory? For me, it was going over to a friend's house to play through the original Metroid on NES. We slowly worked our way together through the game's labyrinth's, not using guides and way before walkthrough videos. At the time, it was intense, scary, and one of the reasons that Mother Brain still freaks me out.

Added: 23.09.2014 1:23 | 1 views | 0 comments


Plate from Nintendo's original headquarters. via Wikipedia

Nintendo began as a playing card company in 1889 but it was the transition into video games in the '70s that earned it the worldwide recognition it has today. Technically, Nintendo's 125th anniversary doesn't start until tomorrow for us here in the US, but since it's already September 23 in Japan, we thought we'd kick off the congratulations a little early.

What's your earliest/best Nintendo memory? For me, it was going over to a friend's house to play through the original Metroid on NES. We slowly worked our way together through the game's labyrinth's, not using guides and way before walkthrough videos. At the time, it was intense, scary, and one of the reasons that Mother Brain still freaks me out.