“The Radius”
Title:
ChuChu Rocket!
Platform: Sega Dreamcast
Developer: Sega, Sonic Team
Publisher/Distributor: Sega
American Release Date: February 29, 2000
Format: CD-ROM
Genre: Puzzle
Replay Value: A-
ESRB: E(for everyone)
Overall Personal Rating: B-
Similar Series: Tetris, Pac-Man
“The Radius”
Title: Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland
Platform: Playstation 3
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
Release date: September 30, 2011
Genre(s): Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Turn-based RPG
Age Rating: Teen
Replay Rating: A
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Similar games: Grandia, Harvest Moon (series), Persona 3 and 4 and Rune Factory (series)
The Radius
Title: Berzerk
Platform: Atari 2600
Developer: Stern Electronics
Publisher: Stern Electronics
American Release Date: August 1982
Format: Cartridge
Genre: Shooter/Run and Gun
Replay Value: A-
ESRB: N/A predated ESRB
Overall Personal Rating: A
Similar Series: Robotron, Dark Cavern, Pac Man, Bubble Bobble, Wolfenstein (work with me here)
Blast Radius: Pumpkin Art is a piece of pie… pumpkin pie that is.
Welcome to the first “Blast Radius” article. In these, I’ll discuss video games, video game art, give my thoughts on the industry (maybe), or what have you. It’s a sort of catch all forum for video game thoughts. I’ll be posting one periodically on no real update schedule, so feel free to check back from time to time.
“The Radius”
Title: Bleach: Soul Resurrection
Platform: Playstation 3
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
Release date: August 2, 2011
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Beat-’em-up RPG
Age Rating: Teen
Replay Rating: C+
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Similar games: Bleach: Dark Souls, Bleach: The 3rd Phantom, Bleach: The Blade of Fate, Dynasty Warriors series and Sengoku Basara series
Title: ClaDun x2
Platform: PlayStation Portable (PSP)
Developer: NIS America
Publisher/Distributor: Sony
American Release Date: August 30, 2011
Format: PSN Download game
Genre: RPG
Replay Value: B
ESRB:T (For Ages 13+)
Overall Personal Rating: A-
Similar Series: Final Fantasy series, Chrono Trigger, The Legend of Zelda Series, Phantasy Star Online series
You wake up in a strange world. You have no memory of where you are or how you got there, all you know is that you have to get out. There is one big problem with that though, this world is filled with monsters, traps and other dangerous things. Wherever you are, you know one thing is certain, it will be no easy task getting out.
The Radius
Title: Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
Platform: Xbox (also on PS2 and Gamecube)
Developer: Traveler’s Tales
Publisher: Universal Interactive
American Release Date: April 15, 2002
Format: DVD
Genre: 3D platformer
Replay Value: B-
ESRB: E for everyone
Overall Personal Rating: B-
Synopsis:
The evil Dr. Neo Cortex, pushed into action by the evil tribal mask Uka Uka, has once again hatched another plot to defeat Crash Bandicoot and take over the world. Using the power of a group of elemental masks and his new experiment, another engineered Bandicoot called Crunch, this time the world will be his! Not if Crash and his sister Coco has anything to say about it. In short, not much more compelling than any of the other plots, but what are you gonna do? It’s the Mario school of drama, all about the gameplay.
The Radius
Title: Digimon Masters
Platform: PC
Developer: Digitalic
Publisher/Distributor: Digitalic, Joymax
American Open Beta Date: September 27, 2011
Format: Downloadable content
Genre: MMORPG
ESRB: RP (It’s unlikely to recieve a severe one however, probably just an E7+ cartoon violence or something)
Overall Personal Rating: B-
Similar Series: Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine, Digimon World 4
“The Radius”
Title: Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten
Platform: Playstation 3
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
Release date: September 6, 2011
Genre(s): Adventure; Comedy; Fantasy; Sci-fi
Format: Turn-based Strategy RPG
Age Rating: Teen
Replay Rating: B
Overall Personal Rating: A
Similar games: Final Fantasy Tactics series, Luminous Arc series, Shining Force series and Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Platform: PlayStation Portable
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
American Release Date: November 1, 2009
Format: UMD
Genre: Visual novel
Replay Value: B
Industry Rating: T
Overall Personal Rating: A-
Similar titles: Sakura Wars, Disgaea games, Ace Attorney games
Visual novels are generally given a bad wrap in the United States because of their lack of interactivity and, to a lesser extent, the historic association with eroge. However, visual novels can be entertaining if you are willing to read them, especially titles like Disgaea Infinite. Sadly, outside RPGs (which thrive on reading), gamers don’t want to read text.
The Radius
Title: Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: ArtePiazza
Publisher/Distributor: SquareEnix
American Release Date: April 9, 2008
Format: Nintendo DS Game Card
Genre: Fantasy, RPG
Replay Value: B-
ESRB: E10+ (for Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, and Suggestive Themes.)
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Similar Series: Final Fantasy VI (GBA), Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (DS) , VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (PS2), Golden Sun (GBA).
Title: Elite Beat Agents
Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: INS
Publisher/Distributor: Nintendo
American Release Date: November 6, 2006
Format: Nintendo DS game Card
Genre: Music
Replay Value: A
ESRB: 10+
Overall Personal Rating: A+
Similar Series: Dance Dance Revaluation series, Samba de Amigo
The world is in trouble, and we need your help, but there’s only one way to save it, by dancing. The EBA (Elite Beat Agents) are group of highly trained operatives, who specialize in helping anyone who needs their help. Members of the EBA don’t use guns or combat skills to save people, their weapons are music and the ability to dance. They also don’t directly affect the people they are helping, but by dancing to the beat, they help people get into the groove of life and save themselves.
Title: Final Fantasy VII
Platform: PlayStation
Developer: SQUARE ENIX
Publisher/Distributor: Sony
American Release Date: January 31, 1997
Format: Optical disc
Genre: RPG
Replay Value: B
ESRB:T (For Ages 13+)
Overall Personal Rating: A+
Similar Series: Other Final Fantasy games, Chrono Trigger, The Legend of Zelda Series.
Synopsis:
“The Radius”
Title: Final Fantasy XII, Collector’s Edition (PS2, with a DVD)
Developer: Square Enix PDD 4
Distributor: SquareEnix
American Release Date: Oct. 31, 2006
Format: RPG
Genre: Fantasy, RPG
Replay Value: B+
ESRB: T (for Alcohol Ref, Fantasy Violence, Mild Lang, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes)
Overall Personal Rating: A-
Similar Series: Final Fantasy VI (GBA), VII (PS1), VIII (PS1), Final Fantasy: Dirge Of Cerberus (PS2), Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP), .hack//Infection (PS2), Kingdom Hearts 1 (PS2), 2 (PS2), Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (GBA, PS2)
The Radius
Title: Ghostbusters
Platform: Sega Genesis
Developer: Activision
Publisher/Distributor: Sega
American Release Date: June 29, 1990
Format: Cartridge
Genre: platform/adventure game
Replay Value: B-
ESRB: N/A, predated ESRB (Personal judgement of E, minor cartoon violence)
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Similar Series: Addams Family (Snes), Mega Man (NES), Legend of Zelda (NES), Rocket Knight Adventures (Genesis)
Title: Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Platform: Wii
Publisher: Atari, Sony Computer Entrainment
Developer: Red Fly Studio
American release date: June 16, 2009
Format: Wii Optical Disk
Genre: Action game, third-person shooter
ESRB Rating: E10+ (ages 10 and up)
Replay value: C
Over all ratting: B-
Similar tittles: Halo series (Xbox, Xbox 360) Metroid Prime series (GC, Wii)
Today is your first day on the job, but it’s no ordinary job. First off, you are working for the Ghostbusters, which is not an ordinary job. The next thing is, you are their new gear field tester, or the person who gets to use new things that might explode or have other negative effects, but everyone just calls you rookie.
The Radius
Title: High Seas Havoc
Platform: Sega Genesis
Developer: Data East
Publisher/Distributor: Data East
American Release Date: August 16, 1993
Format: cartridge
Genre: Platformer
Replay Value: C
ESRB: N/A (No ESRB rating; game would no doubt get an E for everyone though)
Overall Personal Rating: B-
Similar Series: Rocket Knight Adventures (Genesis), Decap Attack! (Genesis), Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis), Super Adventure Island (SNES), Magical Quest: Starring Mickey Mouse (SNES)
The Radius
Title: Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Platform: Wii (Also available on Xbox360, Playstation 3, Nintendo DS and Windows PCs)
Developer: Traveller’s Tales
Publisher/Distributor: LucasArts
American Release Date: November 6, 2007
Format: Wii Optical disc
Genre: 3D Action-Adventure
Replay Value: A+
ESRB: E10+ (for Cartoon Violence)
Overall Personal Rating: A-
Similar Series: Lego Indiana Jones (Wii, 360, PS3), Lego Batman (Wii, 360, PS3, PS2), Crash Bandicoot (PS1), Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Luther’s Loot is going to be a series of articles, where I will tell you about various video game systems. I will have first hand experience with what ever video game system that I write about, and that system will be one among my collection.
