After covering game events for nearly a decade, I think I’m running out of steam. All I have to show for a day at PAX East today is a trio of previews. How pitiful.
Double Dragon Neon: I always feel really sad and guilty when I file a negative article about a game, because I know how hard people work for not enough money and not enough publisher support. But I can’t very well pretend to love something that isn’t so great. Here’s hoping WayForward can turn this one around.
Penny Arcade Adventure Episode 3: On the other hand, this one was pretty darned good, and I’m OK saying that.
Hell Yeah!: And this one was an amazingly positive surprise. The thing that confuses me is how none of the previews that have been filed about this game over the past month have touched on the Drill Dozer connection. Surely I’m not the only one who noticed? Or… or am I the only one who even played Drill Dozer? I guess that would explain why Nintendo won’t fund a sequel. A demographic of one isn’t so profitable. Unless you do that Kickstarter thing and the one person who loves your project is insane and rich (for me, that’s possibly to the former and definitely not to the latter).
And, unrelated to PAX, there’s this:
Final Fantasy Versus XIII: This wasn’t based on new info or anything. I’ve just been asking myself the question in the headline for the past few weeks and finally decided to write down my thoughts and gauge everyone else’s opinions. I haven’t looked at the responses yet, but I’m hoping there are a few good ones in addition to the inevitable flood of bile for disparaging the game (even though I actually wasn’t, but I know the Internet collectively deals in absolutes).
Good stuff. Have you considered a change in careers? No, really. Not that you necessarily should try, especially in this economic climate, but it’s not unheard of for game journalists to go into game design, or another field of journalism, for that matter.
It’s good to see you not afraid to go negative in a preview. Too many other previews would end up saying ‘it’s cool, it’s retro, but it’s a little clunky. Can WayForward be the one to revive this franchise? We’ll find out in [release date].’ Nice preview.
I have to admit though, that the idle speculation in the Versus XIII article didn’t really amount to much. Which is pretty reflective of the game, I guess.
For what it’s worth, your referencing Drill Dozer in the headline of the Hell Yeah preview made me immediately stand up and take notice. That was one of my favorite E3 2005 titles and I loved it so much I ended up buying it twice (I thought I had lost one on a plane).
Also, Arkedo is pretty ace too!
Drill Dozer is incredible. INCREDIBLE! It truly is a shame that even old-school gamers passed on it, because it hits all the right notes as far as gameplay, graphics, and quirkiness go. I think the rumble pack really added something, too. Made the drilling have even more of an impact; I loved hitting R at the right time and feeling the feedback when you shifted up.
Oh, and Versus XIII won’t be a disappointment as long as the game is fun. I’m expecting a reskinned Kingdom Hearts.