Squaresoft (these days known as Square-Enix) sure diversified itself after first leaving Nintendo. Even though their name is associated with some of the finest RPGs ever made, they set out to prove that they were anything but a one trick pony. During the Playstation 1 years alone, they released a modern-day themed RPG, a survival horror game (which was a sequel to said modern-day themed RPG), and no less than 5 fighting games (with only 4 of them making it to U.S. shores). The early years of the PS2 era saw them release everything from beat-em-ups, to racing games, and even a pro-wrestling game. If anything could demonstrate how far off the beaten path Square had gone, it’s this side-scrolling PS1 shooter. Other than a few key flaws, it isn’t a bad first effort, considering this came from the guys who made Secret of Mana and Romancing Saga.
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The second of my twin reviews on the recent Castlevania games released, this one about the Wii game Castlevania Judgment, this one being not quite as lenient as it’s brother. Be sure to check out that review also if you haven’t already.

Ending Music: Dracula’s Castle Remix (Alucard’s Theme)
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In 2007, Valve wrapped up three of its newest and top FPS games into one package. Along with Half-Life 2, its first two episodes, and the multplayer classic Team Fortress 2, FPS fans also got Portal, which was a puzzle game in FPS form. Playing as a woman named Chell, and taunted by a computer AI named GLaDOS, it’s your job to test out the Apeture Science Handheld Portal Device. You move through a series of rooms, and you’ll have to make use of the portal gun to make it through each room and avoid tha hazards. Many of the rooms will involve a cube which you’ll have to make use of. It’s hard not to get attached to the cube. Even though it’s a short game, the darkly humorous story and crazy physics make it fun to play. Portal: Still Alive, an Xbox Live Arcade exclusive version of the game contains the original game and several new challenge rooms. There isn’t much of an incentive for anyone who already played through the original version, but at 1200 MS points ($15) this is perfect for those who have yet to play it.

Note: The standalone version of Portal is also available on PC for $20, as is the Xbox 360 version of the Orange Box.

Yes, Virginia, there is (or will be) a Mass Effect 2!

Thanks to Gamezine (via Joystiq), we’ve learned that Bioware has let the sextuple-breasted alien cat-lady out of the bag. The company will lead a workshop entitled “The Iterative Level Design Process of Bioware’s MASS EFFECT 2” at this year’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

Despite the wait until March, news may leak out slowly since this isn’t a press event. In the mean time… Have you played “Bring Down the Sky”?

When it was first released, Blood Omen was like no other game before it. You didn’t play as your typical pretty boy good guy, you played as a vampire hell bent on seeking revenge. You don’t care about saving the world, you only want to cure yourself of this fate, and you use any means necessary to extract this revenge. You sucked blood from villagers to restore your health, changed form to destroy your enemies, and spread terror across the land. It was such a shame that subsequent entries in the series didn’t do much justice to Silicon Knights’ classic, otherwise the Legacy of Kain series could have stood alongside franchises such as Zelda and Castlevania. As it is, this PS1 title stands alone in the series as one of the system’s classic titles.
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It appears as though the possibility of a new Zelda game, or some new big Zelda news, may very well be on the horizon. On a sub-site for the Japanese company “Marvelous Entertainment”, most famously known for the Harvest Moon video game series, a single page has been launched featuring an odd yet obvious rendition of the iconic TriForce symbol in the form of a clock that seems to be counting down to a date a little over 6 days from now.

Whether this means that a new game is on the brink of being announced, or there is some other meaningful Zelda news to be released, is anyone’s guess. We’ll be sure to keep you all updated on this tidbit of news.

Note: This game is also available on Xbox 360, but not for the $20 price tag. It has exclusive maps and characters, but there is no support for user-generated content like in the PC and Playstation 3 versions.

Unreal Tournament was one of the first FPS game to focus exclusively on competitive multiplayer. Offering modes such as Assault, Capture the Flag, and Domination, Unreal Tournament gave gamers more than just the standard “kill everyone else as many times as you can” deathmatch modes seen in other FPS titles’ multiplayer components. Subsequent entries in the series have added more unique gameplay types, far-out locales, and even vehicles. Unreal Tournament’s unique weaponry, excellent graphics, and modding capabilities made the series a hit amongst gamers and critics as well. Unreal Tournament 3 (which is actually the fourth Unreal Tournament game) is no exception, and it has the added bonus of having the awesome power of the Unreal Engine 3 behind it.
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A step that has not only been high on the wish lists of not only Konami fans, but oldschool NES fans in general, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse was released today for the Wii’s Virtual Console for the low purchasing price of $5 US.

Favored in the series for its early take on RPG elements and a vast array of stages and a varied cast of playable characters to be unlocked beyond top-class Belmont whip-toting compliments of Trevor Belmont, Dracula’s Curse has not only been desired for a VC release, but also has been highly demanded by fans to be the next installment in the “Chronicles” sub-series. At the very least, now we have the 1st part of that request. Here’s hoping the 2nd will be in the near future. For now, we have one more installment of classic Castlevania NES goodness to tide us over. REJOICE!