Monster in My Pocket was a kids franchise that was fairly popular in the early 90s. The line consisted mainly of small action figures (similar to the Muscle figurines of the 80s), although there was also a short-lived comic series, an animates special, a board game, a trading card line, and this video game from Konami. Playing as either Frankenstein’s Monster or the Vampire (or both is playing in 2-player simultaneous mode) you make your way through 6 stages in order to stop the evil Warlock. You’re traveling throughout mundane environments like a living room and garden, but since you’re pocket size, these environments become quite dangerous. Both characters are equal in terms of skill, although they can do a double jump as well. Several monsters from the line show up in the game, and the package even contains an exclusive figurine. While this game was nothing special, it was a remarkably good NES game which you and a friend could spend an afternoon playing.

UbiSoft recently threw it’s hat into the Digital Distribution ring with it’s own Uplay service.

Like it or not, digital distribution is here to stay. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing though. For a PC gamer like me, having my games on Steam and downloading them whenever I get a new computer beats the shit out of having to install all my games from disc and entering in product keys. For a console gamer, you can pick up some of the best current and old-school games without leaving your couch. Heck, for smartphone users, you can access fun games with the click of a button. Console development is leaning towards digital distribution, and PC gaming has already been there for years. Several digital distribution services have popped up, each with their own selection. Here are 5 of the best, chosen by their selection, prices, and ease of use.
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In space, no one can hear you scream. Before Pitch Black, Dead Space, and any other space horror, there was Alien. The horrifying Xenomorphs scared moviegoers shitless throughout 3 films (and a forgettable 4th along with the two Alien vs Predator movies), hundreds of comic books, and several video games. Alien Trilogy, an FPS from the 32 bit era, bought players up close and personal to the xenomorphs like never before. While it clearly pales by today’s standards, Alien Trilogy matched the dark mood of the films like no other video game before it, and few games have afterward. Playing as series heroine Ripley, you shoot your way through a storyline loosely based on all 3 films in the franchise as you shoot various Aliens throughout an abandoned space colony. It’s you, along against the aliens in the colony’s dark hallways. While the graphics show their age, and the level design tends to be a bit confusing, Alien Trilogy stands as one of the best FPS games of the 32-bit era. There is little chance of it being available in any form, so this is a disc you’ll have to hunt down.

Note: This is the second horror-related $20 Game of the Week for this month, keeping up with our Halloween theme. Stay tuned for more interactive horror!

I found that Eternal Darkness sequel you’ve been looking for. Okay, so it may not have the same themes as the Gamecube classic, it’s theme of sanity still remains, and it’s just as disturbing and frightening. If you play, you should follow the developers advice: make sure the room is dark, wear headphones, and keep the gamma level as is. Don’t try to play this game to win so much as immerse yourself in the experience.
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Welcome to the Powet Top 5, where we explore the top (and bottom) 5 items we think are relevant to any of a variety of topics that span the imagination. Sit back, read, and respond.

In 2006, Hasbro unleashed Transformers: Classics. Featuring heritage characters re-imagined with modern technology, the line was an instant hit with collectors. Now, 6 years later, the idea behind the Classics line has been revisited again and again, with homages to vintage characters popping up everywhere. Today, we’ll take a look at 5 of the best updates to these classic characters!

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Developed by Kalisto Entertainment and published by Activision, Nightmare Creatures is a gory action thriller that predates games like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. Taking control of either priest Ignatius Blackward or hot chick Nadia Franciscus as you try to stop cult leader Adam Crowley from taking over London with an army of superhuman monsters. Both characters have a primary weapon as well as a selection of sub weapons they can use. An adrenaline meter constantly ticks away and requires you to keep killing monsters in order to keep it filled, or else you start losing health. While this mechanic doesn’t seem necessary, it does make things challenging and forces you to keep it moving. While its polygonial graphics are dated, the bloody action will keep players hooked even today. A sequel was released a few years later. A third entry in the series was planned for Gamecube, Playstation 2, and Xbox, but plans fell through and development was scrapped. I’m surprised that it has yet to show up on the Playstation Network store or even GOG.com. If any game from the past deserves a second chance, it’s this horror classic.

As we all know, Halloween is this month, so instead of doing one big long horror themes Lost Classics/20 GOTW at the end of the month, I’ll do several smaller $20 GOTW each week of the month and throw in a horror themes Lost Classic and Maximum Letdown as well. This is the first of several horror themed 20GOTWs each week of this month. Most of them will be indie releases, but if you want a good scare, check them out! This week’s game is Zaratustra Productions’ Eversion, an innocent looking platformer, or at least it starts out that way. The Lovecraft quote at the beginning of the game and the developer’s warning that this isn’t for kids should cause some alarm.
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The original Voltron cartoon was a childhood favorite for so many of us growing up. For some, it was their introduction of large robot fighters in general, to be accompanied by several others of the time. As with the general 80’s English dubbing of the Japanese GoLion series, Voltron was still rife with action, drama and mecha being the crap out of each other, as well as featuring characters that may have fit a couple of eventual stereotypes but still had personality.
Years later, we dealt with the supposed sequel series, Voltron: 3rd Dimension, whose main purpose wasn’t so much as to continue with the storyline and development that the original series left off with, but rather to simply show off how “unique” it was by being completely 3D rendered and computer generated. The plot and characterization suffered in turn, even though several of the voice actors from the original series had returned to reprise their characters. (Oh Michael Bell, you will always be my first audible animation love)

So after that disappointment, and over a decade going by, when Nickelodeon announced a new cartoon dubbed “Voltron Force”, it was a glimmer of hope for a lot of us oldschool fans. And for the first few episodes, it held the promise of erasing Voltron 3D’s disgrace and forging the path to continue everything as they had been with the original series. However, after the first half of the first season, you might start to notice some things that don’t really add up, or certain inconsistencies start piling up and can no longer be ignored in favor of compromising “Oh, it’ll get better, I’m sure”.

Not so much.

Spoilers, FYI.
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