Designed by Dan Dixon over the course of a 15 year period, Universe Sandbox is exactly what the title implies: a sandbox allowing you to play with the universe. Not so much a computer game as an education tool, Universe Sandbox is a gravity simulator. While it simulates our universe, you can pretty much adjust and test anything within the game, from the size of the planets, position of bodies, to collisions of stars and planets. There are several simulations included with the game, and you can edit them as you wish. So if you want a look at how our solar system looks, or bring about the apocalypse, then you’ll want to download this game. Makes for a good science project too.
Apogee Software created Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold shortly after Wolfenstein 3-D was released. Using a modified version of the Wolfenstein 3-D engine, the game depicted Blake Stone, a sort of futuristic James Bond as he tries to stop Dr. Goldfire from taking over the world using a race of genetically engineered aliens. Like Wolfenstein 3-D, Blake Stone was a fun and fast paced FPS game from the genre’s early days. Unfortunately, the game had the misfortune of being released a week before ID Software’s Doom, which turned the genre on its head. Thus, Blake Stone, and its sequel Planet Strike were criminally overlooked. Thankfully, you can find both on GOG.com for cheap.
Could the console and PC wars have been snuffed out in the early ’80s if NES hadn’t been released? Or was Nintendo’s intervention in the market overblown? Vinnk and Sean ponder the rift between PC and console gamers, those who do both, and what kinds of games seem to be better suited to one over the other. Are the two devices on a collision course? Or is the idea of a Steam Box or other PC-based “console” nothing more than a fever dream?
If you’ll be my bodyguard, I’ll be your long lost pal.
This week the trio of Zac, Adam, and Jordan ponder life on Earth after the Apes or Vandal Savage take over. We’ll also talk about Steam as a service that could evolve into hardware if the rumors are true. Finally some Playstation Vita dissection to round out the show.
We stay on topic a lot and it was not easy to do that. Enjoy!
Since 1953, Hugh Hefner’s lifestyle magazine has been the bastion of men’s journalism. Each month, readers the world over have enjoyed the magazine’s selection of short stories, articles, and political commentary. Oh and of course pictures of nude women. ARUSH entertainment, along with Groove games have released Playboy the Mansion, a lifestyle/business simulator game allowing players to step in the shoes of Hugh Hefner. Because of its name, this one is clearly not for kids. However, unlike other titles of this nature (i.e Rumble Roses and Dead or Alive Extreme Beach volleyball) rated titles, this one focuses on creating a compelling (if flawed) gaming experience as much as it focuses on nude women. [Read the rest of this entry...]
Spore was perhaps Will Wright and Maxis’ most ambitious game to date. Although it wasn’t perfect, it’s level of customization is rivaled only by Maxis’ other big franchise, The Sims. While it may have caught some heat with the whole creationism vs evolution debates, a key part of its gameplay is how things evolve over time. Like Enix’s EVO from nearly 2 decades prior, Spore’s big hook is that it makes a controversial subject such as evolution a fun part of the gameplay. [Read the rest of this entry...]
The developers of Marathon, Myth, and Halo game series have turned 20!
Bungie Studios has had the bittersweet duty of handing over the Halo franchise officially this week to Microsoft’s internal Halo team, 343 Industries. Now is a great time to get acquainted with the team as they embark on their next big action game (which is still a total secret, but definitely coming to PS3 and XBox 360).
They’ve put together a 55 minute documentary on their history, worth a watch if you’re a fan of any of their games or you just want to see how a company can go from a few guys in an apartment to one of the biggest and most powerful in the industry.
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Since 1953, Hugh Hefner’s lifestyle magazine has been the bastion of men’s journalism. Each month, readers the world over have enjoyed the magazine’s selection of short stories, articles, and political commentary. Oh and of course pictures of nude women. ARUSH entertainment, along with Groove games have released Playboy the Mansion, a lifestyle/business simulator game allowing players to step in the shoes of Hugh Hefner. Because of its name, this one is clearly not for kids. However, unlike other titles of this nature (i.e Rumble Roses and Dead or Alive Extreme Beach volleyball) rated titles, this one focuses on creating a compelling (if flawed) gaming experience as much as it focuses on nude women.