Indieverse: Welcome to Bullet Hell (@OXM)

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Nathan Meunier

“Twitchy arcade shooters bristling with ridiculous gobs of bullets have been around for a long time; there’s something about the reflex-honing nature of these frenetic games that’s pleasantly primal. When a split-second maneuver is all that stands between you and utter annihilation, things tend to go from zero to “Holy crap, I’m dead” fast.

Bullet-hell addicts don’t have to look far or shell out a lot of green for a quality fix these days, as the genre is well represented on the Xbox Live Indie Games channel. Here are some of the more unique and thrilling shooters on tap.”

Check out the full article here at Official Xbox Magazine.

Gotham City Imposters Review (@GameTrailers)

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Nathan Meunier

I wrote up a video review of Gotham City Imposters for GameTrailers. It’s my first one for the site, and you can scope it out here. Note: that’s not my voice, I just wrote the script.

Indie Spotlight #5: Blasting Rude Bits

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Nathan Meunier

This month’s installment of my indie-gaming developer spotlight column over at GameSpy highlights the insanely charming and quirky Zombie Cow Studios. Much of the feature discusses some of the behind-the-scenes stuff from their recent game Privates – a bizarre educational game revolving around blasting STDs inside vaginas and anus (anuses…ani? What’s the proper plurar for an arse-hole?) while providing important info about the nasty stuff.

Check out the column here at GameSpy, and stay tuned for a new installment next month!

Top Downloadable Games October 2010

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Nathan Meunier

“The spooks and specters are out and about this month, which means the holiday gaming season is almost upon us. With lots of big blockbuster titles recently released and many others great games set to launch in the coming weeks, there’s a lot to be excited about. But don’t forget about the tasty downloadable goodies awaiting you as well! This month’s downloadable games selection has us hunting for candy in crazy costumes, hopping through scores of comics, rhythmically blasting robots in space, and head-banging with some baddies.”

Ok, I’ve neglected to post each installment here over the past few months, but my monthly downloadable games column is still going strong over at What They Play. Check out the October installment here.

Review: Limbo

Posted on July 31, 2010 by Nathan Meunier

I recently started writing a bit for the newly re-launched EGM and EGMi, which is an exciting recent development. Everyone has been raving about Limbo lately, and for good reason: It’s one hell of a game. You can find my take on the spookly little puzzle platformer in the latest digital issue of EGMi here. I have some stuff going into an upcoming print issue, and I expect more work will likely follow shortly.

Review: Rocket Knight

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Nathan Meunier

“It’s been a long time since good old Sparkster had a chance to dust off his armor, fuel up his rocket pack, and sharpen his sword for a big adventure. Retiring into obscurity has been a cruel fate for the poor fellow. Those who spent most of the ’90s honed-in on a different speedy videogame critter probably don’t as readily recall the armored marsupial hero of the Rocket Knight Adventure games on Sega Genesis and SNES. While Sparkster never quite rocketed to fame like his main competitor Sonic, the bouncy jetpack-adorned protagonist is back for another go around. His latest outing brings back the high-speed stabby-stabby fun yet fails to fully lift off.”

Check out the full review here at GamesRadar.

Top Downloadable Games May 2010

Posted on June 1, 2010 by Nathan Meunier

“The warmer season is ramping up into full swing, prompting many folks to venture outside for some fresh air, T-shirt temperatures, and pleasant sun. But when the inevitable rainy spells and cold snaps put a damper on the many delightful outdoor activities that summer brings with it, there’s still plenty of downloadable gaming fun to explore. This month we ride along with rocket-powered possums, shred carpet in tiny remote controlled race cars, go jogging with Commander Video, and bust out some silly kung-fu moves.”

Check out the full column here at What They Play.

PAX East Preview: Hydrophobia

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Nathan Meunier

“Frantically running through dark, oppressive corridors that are rapidly filling with water was enough to nearly induce a mini-panic attack during our hands-on time with Hydrophobia on the PAX East show floor. The team at Dark Energy Digital has managed to capture the untamed energy of the ocean and turn it into a truly malevolent force to be feared. Hydrophobia is a game about the killing potential of water as much as it is about an overpopulated world being set upon by terrorists. We dig that.”

Check out my full hands-on preview here at GamesRadar.

PAX East: Might & Magic Clash of Heroes HD Preview

Posted on April 2, 2010 by Nathan Meunier

“At a passing glance, Capybara Games’ recent handheld addition to the storied Might & Magic series, Clash of Heroes, was easily mistakable for yet another generic RPG. Then, like many others who were similarly duped yet still picked the game up out of curiosity, it absolutely floored me with its absurdly captivating and deep puzzle gameplay that was hiding just beneath the surface. There’s no mistaking it the second time around: Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD, the upcoming enhanced version coming to PSN and XBLA is something you don’t want to miss.”

Check out the full preview here at GamePro.

Top Downloadable Games March 2010

Posted on April 1, 2010 by Nathan Meunier

“The month of March is so jam-packed with hotly anticipated downloadable games that it was a real challenge to decide which games to highlight this time around. While there are quite a few other excellent games worth checking out that didn’t make it onto our list, this month’s gaming download picks cover some diverse ground. Fire up your high-speed internet connections and get ready for sports enthusiast blobs, rampaging hotrods, magic doodles, and murder mysteries.”