Review: Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys

Aliens and Zombies have been staple characters in video games almost since they first began. Space Invaders taught us to kill anything we saw that we didn't understand, and countless zombie games like House of the Dead taught us that as long as we didn't know the people before they were zombies, we had no problem shooting them in the face. Zombies and Aliens both appear in the new title Teenage Zombies: Attack of the Alien Brain Thingys (TZ:AotABT) for the Nintendo DS, but you play as a trio of zombies trying to destroy the evil brain... thingys.

Review: Rocky & Bullwinkle

Whenever people talk about mini-game collections these days, the games likely end up being for the Nintendo Wii. However, a new mini-game collection has recently come to the Xbox Live Arcade in the form of Rocky & Bullwinkle. Can a traditional controller bring as much fun to the living room as a motion-sensing remote control? Let's take a look at this mini-game collection from a few different perspectives, and find out.

The Rocky & Bullwinkle Enthusiast
On the surface, this game sounds like a great fan service to all the Moose & Squirrel fans that like mini-games. Unfortunately, the graphics don't have the same endearing quality as the original TV programs. All the characters are here, but they won't animate the same way they did on the show, and none of the characters actually talk. Audio clips play at the beginning of each mini-game, but no video from the original series plays except in short, soundless montages at the beginning of each "show."

Click read more to read the rest of the review.

Live Streaming April 22, 2008: Teenage Zombies

Tonight's live streaming will be an experiment in Nintendo DS videography. We've selected the new title Teenage Zombies: Attack of the Alien Brain Thingys that we recently received for review. We'll be streaming live tonight, Monday, April 14, 2008 from 7-9 PM Central time. We're using the Mogulus service, and an integrated chat room in the embedded player lets you interact with us at anytime while you're watching. The player is embedded below for your convenience.

Before and after the live stream, we'll be looping random Realm Media videos, including game trailers, and some old footage of a guitar hero tournament. Use the "On-Demand" menu to look through all our video offerings, and feel free to live chat with our staff during the broadcast!

And as always, Our live and archived streams will be available at anytime through our stream page.

Review: Rocketmen: Axis of Evil

They say you cannot judge a book by its cover, so I guess sometimes you cannot judge an Xbox Live Arcade title by its demo. Rocketmen: Axis of Evil is one such title. What seems dull at first look became an addicting romp through a colorful world of action packed adventure.

The first two levels included in the demo give you some idea of the weapons available, the enemies you will face and the gameplay that you will experience. I cannot explain exactly when I started to like the game, but I do know that a large part of it is the RPG element of upgrading your weapons and character through loot and experience points. Enemies drop three different types of 'money' which can be used for armor, weapons and secondary items between missions. The XP you earn allows you to improve the stats for your Rocketman (or woman). I played enough to fully upgrade my Rocketwoman , and it is quite a joy to blast through endless waves of enemies when you are at your quickest and toughest.

Click the read more link below for the rest of the review

Combo Review: Bomberman Land Wii vs. Bomberman Land Touch! 2

When a game publisher has a popular franchise, they will often coordinate the release of the next installment across multiple platforms. Such is the case with Bomberman Land, which recently saw the release of games for the Wii, DS, and PSP. The games are meant to follow similar story lines, but the controls and game mechanics can be very different. After spending time with both the Wii and DS versions of Bomberman Land, one clearly stood out as more fun, and less frustrating. Even though they both are a collection of mini-games, and both retail for $29.99, one of them is clearly the wiser investment. Want to know which one? Click the "read more" link below for the full review.

Gears of War 2 coming November 2008

Microsoft and Epic Games have been denying rumors of a Gears of War sequel since the original came out in 2006, with only a "wait and see" comment here and there. At the Game Developers Conference today, Microsoft had a short teaser trailer and Cliff Bleszinski came on stage to announce that Gears of War 2 would be arriving this November. Our network site Gears of War Realm has the latest:

Providing a dramatic close to Microsoft’s GDC keynote address, Epic Games Inc.’s lead designer Cliff Bleszinski announced that the epic saga of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad continues exclusively on the Xbox 360 this fall with Gears of War 2. This highly anticipated sequel to the 4.5 million-selling blockbuster Gears of War delves deeper into humanity’s struggle for survival against the nightmarish Locust Horde, and promises to take high-definition visuals to a whole new level.

To our team the original game was just a tease, the appetizer to the ‘Gears of War’ characters and new style of gameplay. We were so amped to get to the next chapter, and dig deeper into the universe of this franchise," said Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer for Epic Games. "Gears of War 2 is an even bigger, better, and more badass experience than the first game, and we can’t wait to get it in the hands of eager gamers this November."

There's sure to be more info available at E3 2008 later this year, keep an eye on Gears of War Realm for all the latest news.

Gears of War 2 Announced for November [Gears of War Realm]
Gears of War 2 teaser trailer

Review: Super Mario Galaxy brings whimsy back

Super Mario Galaxy was touted as the "spiritual successor" to Super Mario 64, referring to the style of gameplay, and variety found in the level design. After just a few minutes of playing, it's easy to see why the claim was made. With an expansive 3D world - not limited to a track, court, or playing field - and a non-linear level progression, the experience can be as unique as desired. With the game being under development for many years, everyone is expecting it to be good. But how well does it really do? Click "read more" below to read the full review.