In 1994, MGM released the Roland Emmerich-directed film Stargate. It told the tale of a portal which led to an alternate world which was not unlike ancient Egypt, but with futuristic technologies. Although it received a lukewarm reaction from critics, the public enjoyed it enough for it to eventually become a franchise, complete with comic books, TV spin-offs, an animated cartoon, novels, made-for-dvd movies, and a few video games. One of these video games was a decent if by-the-numbers 16-bit title from Acclaim. It wasn’t anything mind-blowing, but you could do a lot worse for a Super Nintendo movie tie-in.
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Something that made my heart flutter happened to be smack dab on the cover of June’s EGM issue – it would appear that Namco’s cult-classic horror game Splatterhouse will be getting a well-deserved updating and makeover. Given that there have been a recent string of “retro-revivals” lately, including a new Golden Axe game (squee!!), this is a welcome addition to that list.

Splatterhouse should be name that pops up in the minds of survival-horror fans, as it was the progenitor of the genre itself. Released in 1988 for the TurboGrafx-16, the original game was quite gorey and violent for something coming out before the likes of Resident Evil and Mortal Kombat, which are well known for both, and was the first game ever to receive the parental advisory disclaimer. Just to exemplify, the American version of the game had to be censored due to depictions of an inverted cross with severed heads as a boss, less blood and gruesome sound FX coming from enemies when they’re smashed against walls, and less graphic death scenes of bosses. The game came out for the Virtual Console in 2007, but unfortunately featured the toned-down western version. Check out The West Mansion for more information on the series and games.

While this might not have been the most original open-world crime game, it was one of the best and most unique. When it was released, Grand Theft Auto 4 was more than a year away from release. Volition’s (The Punisher, Red Faction) game helped to make the wait much more bearable, and it even improved some of Grand Theft Auto’s game mechanics. With a sequel on deck for later this year, GTA IV less than a week away from release, and even Mercenaries 2 arriving this fall, now is a perfect time to visit Stillwater, if for no other reason than to get yourself ready for the open-world goodness arriving throughout the next several months.
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Swedish developer Atod developed this 2-player puzzle game for Amiga. Publisher Seika remade this game for the Super Nintendo, and there was also an MS-DOS release. It’s gameplay can best be described as a simplified version of Lemmings with platforming elements. Although it was highly unique and addictive, it received very little attention upon its release. A shame too, as fans of Lemmings will take a liking to it. Two wizards, Hokus and Pokus inadvertently release the lemming-like troddlers, mindless little creatures that, if left to their own devices, will march to their deaths. Their boss, the grand wizard Divinus, has tasked them with cleaning up the mess and getting the troddlers safely to the exit. To do so, you’ll have to use your magic wand which generates blocks. The blocks can be used to either kill enemies or create platforms for the troddlers to walk on. You’ll also have to watch out for hazards, collect gems, and fight off various enemies. The game has 4 different modes: Training, Solo, Co-op, and competitive multiplayer. The game is backed up by a password save feature, and the Solo and Co-op modes have dozens of missions to complete. The game starts off simple, but the levels get trickier and trickier. Weather you play alone or with a friend, Troddlers is quite enjoyable. SNES players can even use the mouse to play the game. This is one of those games that need a sequel on the DS, a 3-d remake on the Wii, or even a Virtual Console re-release, but since the developers and/or publishers are MIA, (Atod was snatched up by Mace Griffin developer Warthog and I’m not sure if Seika still exists) it may never receive the type of attention it deserves. Thus, if you want to enjoy this great puzzle/platformer, then you’ll have to hunt down the cartridge.

Interesting little video that’s circulating the net is one that was featured on X-Play that tackles the topic of video game violence and its effect on children. The perk of this comes in the fact that Doctors Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl Olson discuss the fully-encompassing figures that revolve around video games, and even go so far as to mention that research showed kids that didn’t play video games at all are as much at risk for developing emotional problems as those who played too much. Certainly sounds much more balanced that some other rants made by politicians that all video games are bad for kids.

Check it out:

2005’s God of War set a new standard for action gaming. It bought Greek mythology to video games, included some clever play mechanics, and it was embraced by fans and critics alike. Last spring, Sony released a sequel which raised the standard which was set by the previous game. Players once again take control of Kratos as he sets out to take revenge on the gods who betrayed him. Kratos must travel to meet the Sisters of Fate and gain the power to alter his destiny. It won’t be easy, as you’ll run into gorgons, harpies, sirens, and other mythological monsters. You’ll also run into (and kill) famous mythological figures such as Perseus and Theseus. As in the first game, you’ll gain several upgradable weapons and magic spells. As you increase their levels, you’ll gain new abilities which you can use to destroy your opponents. The timed-button-press minigames also make a return, making sure that you keep your hands on the controller at all times, even during cinema sequences. The game is a bit shorter than the first one, but a host of unlockables will keep players busy for a very long time, at least until the next installment of the series arrives on PS3. For more Kratos fun, check out God of War: Chains of Olympus on PSP.

Quick bit of news from the resident Castlevaniac; it would appear that Konami has registered a title and logo for their supposed upcoming new Nintendo DS title – Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. Though no official word has been announced by the gaming giant, Konami has indeed been confirmed to have registered the title name. (screenshot courtesy of Gamefront) This is, of course, all speculation until Konami actually releases an official statement.

The term Ecclesia means “a gathering of those summoned”, though as is well known with other Castlevania games, a title doesn’t need to necessarily have anything to do with the actual game. (Harmony of Dissonance for example had neither). There is also no account of this having anything to do with the supposed leaked game images that I reported on a few months ago, though the silvery design of the logo does match up with the previous images in Japanese.

Late April Fools? Konami holding out on fans? Who knows. All I hope is that this is a precursor to actual official news on *any* Castlevania game in the works being released in the very near future. Any tidbit I find out about I’ll be sure to pass on to you.

I wanna see a show of hands people, and be honest. How many of you would have bought this game if not for the Halo 3 beta invite enclosed within? Anybody? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller? That’s a crying shame too, because while this game may not be Oblivion, or even Saint’s Row, this is one of the finest open-world games available on the Xbox 360. For good reason too, as David Jones, the original creator of Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings is the brains behind this package. Crackdown features a unique spin on sandbox gameplay, and its playing style encourages players to have as much fun as possible with it. Throwing in the Halo 3 beta invite wasn’t a bad idea either.
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