Kyle Orland’s Workblog

I don’t own an Xbox. I probably never will. I know that this means I am missing out on some great Xbox exclusive games like Halo and, uh, Halo, but my PS2 and GameCube are keeping me plenty busy for now. Not having an Xbox also means I will not get the chance to own Tecmo’s latest experiment in the physics of the female form: Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (DOAXBV). Fortunately, thanks to the game’s official web site (http://www.doaxbv.com), I have enough information to review the game without actually playing it. (full article)

What a Load!

Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and Toto have just returned to the Wizard’s palace in the Emerald City. They have brought the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West, yet the great Wizard of Oz still refuses to grant their wishes. Suddenly, Toto notices something behind a previously unnoticed green curtain. The assembled group goes to the curtain, pulls it aside, and…

NOW LOADING SCENE……….……………………………….

(full article)

Why does everybody love Super Smash Bros. Melee so much?

To put it differently: Why have sales of Nintendo’s GameCube gone up significantly just after the release of a game that many players beat simply through button-mashing? Why have people, myself included, spent thousands of hours repeating the same repetitive tasks over and over and over in hopes of collecting that last elusive trophy? Why does everyone, again, myself included, seem to be so obsessed with what is, when it comes down to it, a pretty basic fighting game?

In short: What does Super Smash Bros. Melee have to it that other games don’t?

(full article)

I just killed 93 people.

Before you judge me, consider that six of them were criminals, and 14 were gang members. Also consider the price I had to pay: Twelve visits to the hospital and five shorts stays at the local jail. Finally, consider that all these events didn’t really happen, and only took place in a video game. (full article)

Before you read this review, take a few minutes to read a review of either Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy VIII. You done? OK. Final Fantasy IX is just like that… except more so.

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When Sega launched its Dreamcast system on September 9^th, 1999, it was a company at the end of its rope. After the three straight home systems proved dismal failures (Sega CD, 32X, and Saturn), the Dreamcast was Sega’s last-ditch attempt to win back the loyal followers it had in the heyday of the Genesis. By beating the competition to the market by more than a year, Sega hoped to gain an insurmountable lead in the next generation of home video game consoles

For a while, it seemed like Sega’s gambit would pay off. The Dreamcast had a phenomenal launch, thanks in part to the largest marketing campaign ever for a video game system. Sega took home $97 million on the first day of Dreamcast sales in the US, surpassing the opening weekend gross of blockbusters like The Phantom Menace! With a great library of launch titles and many influential developers (with the notable exception of gaming giant Electronic Arts) pledging their support, the Dreamcast looked as if it might mark the end of Sega’s bad luck.

Unfortunately for Sega, this was not the case.

(full article)

I’ve often thought of Nintendo as the Disney of video games. Many Nintendo franchises, such as Kirby, Mario, and Pokèmon, are geared towards the 8-13 year old market, just like Disney’s animated features. Despite their kiddy focus, however, Disney movies remain popular with many teens and adults. Maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe it’s the hidden in-jokes geared towards older audiences, or maybe it’s because Disney movies are just so well made that people can’t help but love them. Paper Mario should be loved for these same reasons.

(full article)