I'm proud to admit that I was an early adopter of the Game Boy and its predecessor the Color (in fact, I still play Pokemon Red on my Color). I checked out of the GBA era entirely and only returned for a short-lived and largely underwhelming adventure with Black and White on the DSi. I was cautios about making the jump into 3D with Pokemon X, but desperate for some good games to pass away my winter break, I caved. Read more
Review: Pokemon X is like a new old pair of sneakers
Cortney Video Games + nintendo, pokemon
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Review: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Cortney Video Games + legend of zelda, link, nintendo
When I first heard about the pitch for A Link Between Worlds -- that you could switch into 2D -- I groaned, thinking it a reverse rip-off of Paper Mario: Sticker Star's 3D-flip (which sucked). I couldn't have been more wrong. Read more →
Review: Paper Mario: Sticker Star falls flat
Cortney Video Games + intelligent systems, mario, nintendo, paper mario, RPGs
I had high hopes for Paper Mario: Sticker Star, as a fan of the series ever since Paper Mario came out on the N64. However, with the exception of the graphics--which are beautifully, cleverly, intricately intertwined with the game's paper and cardboard world--Intelligent Systems has gutted everything that made Paper Mario worthwhile.
No excuse for Nintendo's backwards downloads policy
Cortney Video Games + 3ds, accounts, digital downloads, intellectual property, nintendo, piracy
Why does Nintendo lock digital games to the console the game was originally purchased on, rather than linking them to the customer's account?
Lost Ark Arcade: video game paradise in Greensboro
Cortney North Carolina, Video Games + arcades, greensboro, lost ark, pinball, small businesses
If you love video games and live within three hours of Greensboro, you owe it to yourself to visit the Lost Ark Arcade, an answer to my dream of finding a true arcade like the ones my father got to enjoy in his youth.
Super Mario 3D Land is the best game on the 3DS
Cortney Video Games
I picked up Super Mario 3D Land on release day a few years ago, and I while I remembered that I loved it, I didn't remember just how much -- until last week at Best Buy, I found on sale a red 3DS with the game pre-installed. I've not had my 3DS for quite some time, so I snapped it up. Read more →
Tomb Raider: hotter & better than ever
Cortney Video Games + action-adventure, crystal dynamics, lara croft, platforming, square enix, tomb raider
I can't praise this game enough. Let's start at the beginning. I'd never played Tomb Raider before. When the series really hit its heyday, I was in my early teens and actively avoiding any game centered around large breasts (even though this was probably an inaccurate assessment, this was what 13-year-old me ascertained based on what the males my age were praising in the game). However, when I saw the Tomb Raider advertisement in GameStop, I was intrigued. Lara seemed like a bad ass, and her body had believable proportions - but don't get me wrong, the new Lara was still sexy as hell, just in a more intelligent, capable way. I dug it. Enough that I immediately shelled out cash to buy the game.
Dead Space 3 a step in the wrong direction
Cortney Video Games + dead space, ea, horror, survival, visceral games
I loved Dead Space 2; I credit it as the game that got me back into gaming. Back when I was maybe 12 and received a PS2 for Christmas, my non-gaming-savvy mother, sold my beloved N64 unbeknownst to me, thinking that with the new system, I'd have no need for it. I was crushed, and after I finished Kingdom Hearts, basically lost interest in new games.
Bioshock Infinite made me like FPS
Cortney Video Games + 2k games, bioshock, fps, irrational games
People have been raving about Bioshock Infinite and while I agree that it's a great game, it's perhaps overrated - at least as far as the plot goes, which seems to be hyped about the most; it's anti-climactic and needlessly convoluted. The game store sales rep assured me no background with Bioshock was needed to love the game, but I can't help but feel I might have had a better connection with the plot if I had.