Ittle Dew 2 Review: Nothing New Here

Ittle Dew 2 is the second game in this top-down Legend of Zelda-esque series from developer Ludosity. The first one was originally launched on the Google Play store and later seeing a fan base grow when it finally hit Steam. Although rough around the edges, Ittle Dew's cute art style and unique humor are what kept people around and make this sequel welcomed.

We join Ittle and her Fairy Fox companion Tippsie as their raft wrecks onto a mysterious island riddled with dungeons and secret caves. To get off the island, you must build a new raft by finding the eight different pieces hidden around. If you thought that each one of these pieces would be in a dungeon, then you would be right. Just like all dungeon crawling action adventure games before it, Ittle Dew 2 offers up multiple enemies, puzzles, and bosses. Let's dive in and see if Ittle Dew 2 can improve upon itself and stand out amongst the crowded genre.

The Little Acre review: A Good Break from the Norm

Sitting down and playing video games isn't always about blowing things up or shooting people. Sometimes it's just about having a few laughs and enjoying a story. The Little Acre is the latter of the two. Sure there is a moment or two where "combat" comes into play, but for 95% of this game, it is the characters and their story that makes it fun and compelling.

The Little Acre isn't a huge game by any means clocking in at a couple hours depending on prior knowledge of the world and how fast players complete puzzles. The length never bothered me, as the game is just enjoyable. It's the kind of thing you play, and you tell someone about, that you want to replay again for friends and family members because you think they would enjoy, even if they're not a gamer. The story is simplistic yet profound. You play as Aiden, looking for his father, Author, and Lily who is looking for her father, Aiden. You must journey between two worlds, ours and a mysterious, mystical one that we have never seen, to discover what has happened to Author and get your dad back.

Wand Wars review: Wizards are Fun

Wand Wars is a four player deathmatch sports game of sorts, where you and up to three other people must play a wizard version of dodgeball. You must catch Merlin's Sphere (Ball) and either throw it right away or charge it up for more speed. Each wizard is also equipped with hex's (arrows) that can turn other players into chickens or render the sphere completely harmless. That isn't all, powerups are giving you special abilities and even transforming you into a cloud beast or Cloud Sentinel, which are evil or angelic clouds that can eat you.

When you first dive in, it seems simple and easy, and I thought for sure I would be bored with the single player within minutes however that wasn't the case at all. Wand Wars teaches you everything you need to know in the tutorial. The story mode is fun and quirky, introducing 6 different characters, each with their own reason for being in the Wand Wars "tournament." There is also a trials mode that pits you against ridiculous challenges. Each challenge is harder than the last putting all your skills to the test. The versus mode is definitely the best mode of the game. The sheer chaos that breaks out when four people in one room are feverishly trying to kill each other is pure joyful madness.

Bethesda Pinball Review: Huge Games on Small Tables

Pinball machines have become almost entirely extinct in the wild. Once in a while, you may find one at some random bar or bowling alley. But even then, they are usually old and slightly broken. They aren't the attention grabbing centerpieces they once were. Pinball FX 2 brings the pinball table back to its former glory with three new tables in the Bethesda Pinball Pack.

Pinball FX 2 has been working with major franchises for some time now to bring us new digital pinball tables on a regular basis. Zen Studios has worked hard to achieve an authentic look and feel, while also creating interesting tables that could only work in a video game. This newest release brings us three new tables from the world of Bethesda: Doom, Skyrim and Fallout 4.

Monster Jam: Crush It! review: Five minutes of fun

Monster Jam: Crush It! is a monster truck game that brings racing, stunts and uphill climbing to your fingertips. There are three categories: race, freestyle and uphill with uphill having three categories of its own: survival, time attack, and stunt. With over ten different stages and trucks Monster Jam: Crush It! seems deep at first look, but it doesn't take very long to realize that appearances can be deceiving.

After less than thirty minutes with Monster Jam: Crush It! I already knew the dredge it would be to get through this game. A decent rock soundtrack plays in the background, but even that isn't the best when you start hearing the same song for the 100th time.

Dear Esther: Landmark Edition Review: A walk down memory lane

We always want games to be different. Dear Esther has been offering people a different kind of gaming experience for many years now. This unique and alluring tale is actually a remake of a remake. What is now Dear Esther: Landmark Edition, started off many years ago as a Half-Life 2 mod. I know; mind blown, it's okay. I'll wait a minute.

Now that you're back with me, Dear Esther: Landmark Edition is a first-person cinematic journey around a vibrant world as a man collects his memories trying to piece things together. The story is told not only by spoken narrative but through the world in which you are walking. As you explore this island, a story full of emotion unfolds, becoming longer and deeper the more you're willing to explore.

Solar Shifter EX review: Just stay still

Shmups are supposed to be fast, hectic and challenging, even to the point of feeling almost impossible at times. Solar Shifter EX is none of these. At first glance, it looks shiny and new with a cool teleportation mechanic. I couldn't help but think I had something fun in my hands. It doesn't take long to realize that almost none of the mechanics in this game really matter. The most important thing is to just stay still. Even when the gunfire seems to be in full chaos mode and you think you should have to be teleporting in every direction to just barely be staying alive, all you have to remember is: stand still. Find one good spot, stay mostly still and keep holding fire... you'll be just fine.

Throughout the game, there is a little bit of story written on the loading screens and even some of it through spoken dialogue, however, none of which adds any feeling or weight to the game. In between stages you can level up your weapons with credits you collected from your dead enemies, but don't expect anything cool here as you get nothing more than the generic main and secondary weapons. You also get to mix stuff up a bit by playing as a different ship (yawn), however, no explanation is given as to why this temporary and (sadly) short-lived ship swap happens. But it does, so there's that.

Awesomnauts Assemble! Review: An intergalactic blast

Awesomenauts Assemble! is a 2D action-platforming MOBA. It seems like such an odd and simple concept; taking everything you love about games Like DOTA and League of Legends and simplifying it into a streamlined easy to digest sidescrolling system. Yet at the end of the day, it feels so deep and right.

Awesomenauts Assemble! is sort of a re-release designed for current gen consoles bringing years of updates and balancing with it. Offering up two lanes, a top and a bottom, you are forced to pick and choose your offensive or defensive stances carefully. Between the "jungles" and different strength creeps, this intergalactic battle never stops.

Deadliest Warrior: Legends review (XBLA)

Deadliest Warrior: Legends was developed by Pipeworks Software and published by 345 Games / Spike Games. It was released on July 6, 2011 for $9.99. A copy was provided for review purposes.

Deadliest Warrior: Legends takes all the data from the famous Spike TV show and puts it into motion at your fingertips. In this new brutal installment, we get a handful of new characters, all with their own set of armor and weapons. Throw in a completely new game mode, some unlockables and a fighting style all its own and you’re ready for a bloody date with history.

Rewind Review: Zombie Apocalypse (XBLA)

Zombie Apocalypse was developed by Nihilistic Software, Inc. and published by Konami. It was released on September 23, 2009 and costs $9.99.

Zombies, weapons and hazards, oh my! Zombie Apocalypse is a bloody twin-stick shooter, that pits you and up to three friends against hordes of zombies. Journey across several stages, all with there own design, traps and advantages. With a few friends, a bunch of weapons and some luck, we head off to survive this end-of-times.

Rewind Review: Elements of Destruction (XBLA)

Elements of Destruction was developed by Frozen Codebase and published by THQ. It was released on June 18, 2008 and costs $8.99.

In Elements of Destruction you play the role of an evil scientist who has been fired from his job and wants to exact revenge on the corporate world. Like any evil scientist would, you build a machine that harnesses the power of mother nature and take your anger and frustration out on the world. Your evil alter ego will come alive as you unleash the lightning, tornadoes and earthquakes at your control and you cause destruction and mayhem across the globe.

Rewind Review: Rocky and Bullwinkle (XBLA)

Rocky and Bullwinkle was developed by Zen Studios. It was released on April 16, 2008 and costs $9.99.

Rocky and Bullwinkle is a mini game super fest with the whole cast from the beloved children’s show. You play through seven distinct worlds, each with there own set of amusing levels, giving you a total of 105 different mini-games to play. You can play through all the levels by yourself or with up to 11 friends locally for a quirky experience that only Rocky and Bullwinkle can provide.

TIC: Part 1 review (XBLIG)

TIC: Part 1 was developed by Red Candy Games. It was released on June 21, 2011 for $1.00 Microsoft Points. A copy of the game was provided by the developer for review purposes.

TIC: part 1 is an stunning example of what the Xbox Live Indie Marketplace was made for. This simple, beautiful game is amazing from one end of the spectrum to the other. It’s got bright vivid colors, a simple storyline, a unique art style and most of all it’s tons of fun. You control TIC, a robot who needs to save the world from oil stealing aliens. To do so, you must fly, collect and drill your way through the stages.

Rewind Review: Portal: Still Alive (XBLA)

Portal: Still Alive was developed by Valve and published by Microsoft. Portal was released November 22, 2008 and cost $15.00.

In Portal you are a subject in a test study; not by choice. You are given a ‘portal gun’ and forced to defy the laws of physics in order to escape each test room. Equipped with just the ‘portal gun’ and your wits, it is your task to figure out how to avoid all the obstacles that stands in your way.

Rewind Review: Boom Boom Rocket (XBLA)

Boom Boom Rocket was developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Electronic Arts. It was released on Xbox Live Arcade on April 11, 2007 and retails for $9.99.

Boom Boom Rocket is a fast paced beat music game. Press the correct direction or colored coordinated button to set off amazing fireworks set to over an beautiful city backdrop. With several modes, multiplayer, and lots of songs the game is set to draw you in time and time again.

iCandy review (XBLIG)

iCandy is developed and published by Dandysoft. It was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace May 3, 2011 and cost $1.00. A copy of the game was provided by the developer for review purposes.

iCandy is a board based, puzzle style game. This concept is a little different and makes for quit a challenge, you must place a candy square on every block of the board. This sounds simple enough, but the challenge comes in when you have to start matching the color and candy style of all blocks. You can complete a straight line, which makes the whole row disappear, but you have to keep in mind to keep all colors on the board and playable. 25 levels, 9 pretty girls, and trophies await you in this candy packed puzzler.

Gerbil Physics review (XBLIG)

Gerbil Physics was developed by Beringela, now known as Pencel Games. It was released on Xbox Live Marketplace December 7, 2009 and cost $1.00.

Gerbil Physics is a simple block and physics puzzle game. The premise is simple: use a set amount of tools per level to get all blocks below the red line. With bombs, ropes and a disintegrators at your disposal, it’s your job to beat all 24 levels of gerbil mayhem.

The Last Pod Fighter review (XBLIG)

The Last Pod Fighter was developed and published by Fighter9 and was released for Xbox Live Indie Games on May 9th, 2011 for $1.00. A copy of the game was provided by the developer for review purposes.

The Last Pod Fighter is an arcade style 3D space shooter that throws players into battle against several other space ships. It features four different pods (the game’s powerups) at your disposal to help you defeat the waves of enemies. There are two styles of game play at your disposal: arcade, in which you fight enemies round by round trying to get to the capital ships (bosses), and survival mode, which is self-explanatory.

Are You Smart Enough? review (XBLIG)

Are You Smart Enough? was developed by Latino Soul Studio and was released on Xbox Live March 4th, 2011 for 80MSP. A copy of this game was provided by the developer for reviewing purposes.

Are You Smart Enough is a puzzle game that makes you use your brain on multiple levels. The object is to move the boxes around by pushing them to the predesignated spots on the board. What makes this challenging is that you can only push the boxes to the destinations, there is no pulling and each stage has a different set of walls that you must maneuver around.

Weapon of Choice review (XBLIG)

Weapon of Choice is developed and produced by MommysBest and was released on Xbox Live November 14, 2008. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

Weapon of Choice is a fast paced side scrolling shoot 'em up reminiscent of favorites like Gunstar Heroes and Contra. The player character is tasked with protecting the world from a horde of invading aliens. There are branching levels giving players the ability to choose where they want to, each direction leading to a different ending. There are seven unique characters, each has a unique gun and double jump. This gives players a very diverse way to play through the levels.