Co-Op Critics | Opinion

September 29, 2017 In Opinion

Games We’re Excited About: October 2017

October is just about here and were are all-in on the major games release season. This month is packed with releases, from highly-anticipated sequels to new entries featuring beloved characters. Here are the games we’re excited about for October:

Battle Chasers: Nightwar (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – October 3
Joe Madureira’s fan-favorite comic series is now an action JRPG by developer Airship Syndicate. The combat is turn-based and the dungeons of the aracnepunk world are randomly generated, which should make for a lot of replayability.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – October 10

The Nemesis system returns in the sequel to the very well-received Shadow of Mordor. For this new tale of Middle Earth see the return of Talion and Celebrimbor, as they head into Mordor to turn Sauron’s own minions against him.

The Evil Within 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – October 13
Detective Sebastian Castellanos barely survived the nightmare of The Evil Within, and in this second installment, he has to work with the group that destroyed his life in order to save his daughter. If you missed the original game when it came out (as I did), you can watch my let’s play series on our YouTube channel.

Road Rage (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – October 24
A mere 26 years after the motorcycle brawler Road Rash cosumed many hours of my SEGA Geneis playtime, its spiritual successor arrives on console and PC. Road Rage is an open-world race and vehicle combat game where you can customize your character and bike and then take to the streets of a huge city that has been ravaged by crime.

Wolfenstein: The New Colossus (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – October 27
Maybe the most exciting reveal of E3 this past spring, The New Colossus looks like it’s definitely a game of the year contender. I haven’t even played the first Woflenstein yet, and I am dying to get my hands on this one.

Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) – October 27
Every single thing I’ve seen from this game looks amazing. The Switch has been building a fantastic library of games since it launched, and now we get a Mario game to sit alongside Zelda. I cannot even put into words how happy this makes me. Nintendo is back, and this looks like it could be one of the best Mario games of all time.

Man! What a month! These are just a handful of October’s releases, so let us know in the comments what you’re excited about, or hit us up on Tiwtter at twitter.com/coopcritics!

September 12, 2017 In Opinion

Celebrating Video Games Day With Some All-Time Faves

Today is Video Games Day, and it’s making me very nostalgic for some of my all-taime favorite games. I’m not a big list guy (as it’s too hard to narrow favorites down), but in honor of the day, I wanted to share a few thoughts about some of my favorite games and why they are special to me.

Super Mario Bros. (NES)

This is one thing I’m sure of–Super Mario Bros. is my favorite game of all time, and in my opinion, a perfect video game. I will never forget getting an NES for Christmas the year it came out, and brining it to my gandparents’ house with me. As soon as I could, I snuck upstairs into my grandparents’ bedroom and hooked the NES up their little 12-inch TV, where I played for hours. Super Mario Bros. is a game I ahve revisitewd countless times over the years, and it will never get old to me.

Pitfall (Atari 2600)

My first console was the Atari 2600, and my love for Activision began with the great games they put out for that console. River Raid, Kaboom, Keystone Capers, Fishing Derby, Megamania–the list goes on. But Pitfall is the one my memories are tied to the most. I remember my friend Doug and I sitting in my bedroom playing Pitfall for hours and hours. The fact taht you could go either right or left from the start screen was amazing in and of itself, not to emntiont he fact that each screen had an upper and lower level. Pitfall is another game you can pick up to this day and immediately have fun with.

PGA Tour ’96

I love golf games, and this golf game is my favorite. PGA Tour ’96 from EA Sports was probably my most-played game on the original PlayStation. I had been playing EA golf games since the Genesis days, but ’96 feature the TPC at River Highlands, a course in Connecticut that I had been to many times. For a solid two years, I played this game almost every night with my friends. If EA re-released it today I would buy it ina second.

Tekken 2

This was actually my most-played game on the origianl playStation. I’ve never been a huge fighting game guy, but Tekken 2 sucked me in and made me a fan. Between the cutscenes that were mind-blowing at the time, to the amazing roster, to the near-perfect gameplay, this will always be my favorite fighting game. My favorite characters? Armor King and Lei Wulong.

Crackdown

To this day, Crackdown is my favorite game on any Xbox console. The fact that it is stiull not backward compatible, and the new Crackdown was delayed again, are super frustrating to me. One of my closest friendships was built around this game. The progressions system is amazing, as you go from an average joe to a superhero over the course of the game. The action gets insane at times, and they city is a blast to traverse. If the new crackdown captures the feel of the original, it will have been worth the wait.

So that’s just a quick list of some of my all-time favorites as we celebrate Video Games Day today. Tell us about some of your favorite games in the comments, or hit us up on twitter @CoOpCritics!

August 22, 2017 In Opinion

The Arcade at Ocean Beach Park in CT is a Treasure Trove

I have fond memories from my childhood of hanging out at Ocean Beach Park in New London, VT with my cousin. Between the ocean, the waterslides and the arcade, family trips there were a blast. But I hadn’t been down there in about twenty years, so i didn’t know what to expect when I took my own kids there this week. Turns out, the palce hasn’t changed a bit. This is especially true of the arcade, which has one of the best collections of ’80s arcade machines I’ve seen in a long time. Not only did they have my favorite game ever–Jungle King–but they had a slew of others, from Pac-Man to Frogger to Space Invaders. Check it out:

I still had some skills when it came to Jungle King:

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August 16, 2017 In Opinion

Games We’re Excited About: September 2017

Summer is over, but the season of games is just getting started. As we get ready to turn the page on August and head into the first big release month of the fall, we’ve got our first megaton release of the season in Destiny 2, as well as Metroid and the long-anticipated release of Cuphead. Without further ado:

Pokkén Tournament Deluxe (Switch) – September 22
I’ll be honest, I’m not even really that into Pokemon, but I am so in love with the Nintendo Switch, that the idea of a Pokemon fighting game on the Switch definitely interests me. The game features over 20 fighters, and the controls will be simple enough that you can play on an individual Joy-Con, so it seems like this could be a fantastic multiplayer game for the Switch.

Destiny 2 (PS4, Xbox One)–September 6

I played the heck out of the original Destiny when it first came out, but by the time the second expansion came along, I had completely lost interest. The story was so fragmented and thin that I didn’t care, and as soon as I fell behind my friends in levels, the group aspect of the game was gone for me. That said, Destiny 2 provides me a clean slate and a new chance to recapture that co-op magic with my friends, so I am definitely in.

Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS)–September 15
This was one of the biggest announcements of E3 in my humble opinion, and it may well be one the last great 3DS games we get. Not just a remaster of the 1991 Game Boy classic, Samus Returns features updated maps, gear and abilities, as well as additional content that can be unlocked with Amiibos. I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t rather have it on the switch, though.

Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – September 19
Despite the lack of X-Men characters, I still think MvC: I is looking good. As expected, the Marvel side of the roster is pretty much all MCU characters, from mainstays like Iron Man to newcomers like Captain Marvel. Of the MArvel characters revealed so far, I’m most excited about captain Marvel and Spider-Man (I really was hoping for Shuma-Gorath, though). On the Capcom side, I’m all about Arthur, Haggar and Frank West. I recently bought a fight stick for my PS4, so that’s where I’ll be picking this one up.

Cuphead (Xbox One, PC)– September 29
I will believe it when I see it, but Cuphead is fianlly set to release this month. When this 1930s cartoon-inspired shoot ’em up first showed up on the scene at E3 2014, I was immediately sold. And then it fell into the abyss for the apst few years. But it seems like we will finally, finally get our hands on this game this month. Can it even come close to living up to the hype? We’ll see.

Those are the games we’re most excited about for the month of September. What’s on your list of “must-have” games?

June 30, 2017 In Opinion

Games We’re Excited About: July 2017

July is upon us, and we’ve finally hit the “slim pickins” month of 2017. On the bright side, the Switch is getting another fantastic game to add to its already great lineup. We’ve also got an old-school and new-school RPG and a fun summer platformer as well. Here’s what we’re excited about for July:

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (PS4) – July 11
While most of the world is preoccupied with the snail’s pace progress of the Final Fantasy VII remake, we’re getting a remake in July only a year after its announcement (The Zodiac Age was announced at Last year’s E3). Improvements to game balance, the job system and a quicker play option will accompany the remastered visuals for a package the FF fans should really appreciate.

Splatoon 2 (Switch) – July 21
The biggest release of the month is the sequel to the best new IP to come out for the WiiU. Splatoon was universally acclaimed for its take on the competitive shooter genre. From the neon color cheme to the fantastic chracter design, to the emphasis on paint splattering as opposed to kills, Nintendo proved once again they can provide an original take on a genre. And now that ARMS arrived last month, the Switch has two solid new franchises to go with Zelda and Mario.

Pyre (PS4, PC) – July 25

The latest game from the makers of Bastion and Transistor arrives this month. It’s an action RPG with arena-style combat, and the story involves traveling through Purgatory to cleanse your soul through combat.

Hey Pikmin (3DS) – July 28

If this month wasn’t so barren int terms of releases, this game might not have made the list. But the Pikmin franchise is a fun one, and it’s awesome that we’re still getting solid 3DS releases even as the Switch is taking off.

So, those are the games we’re excited about for July. What’s on your list? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on twitter.com/coopcritics!

June 15, 2017 In Opinion

E3 2017: Our 3 Favorite Things from the Nintendo Presser

Only Nintendo could show up to E3 with a 20-minute pre-recorded presentation and almost run away with the show. in fact, if it weren’t for Bethesda, Nintendo would have won E3 by a mile. Here are our three favorite announcements from Nintendo’s presser:

Kirby–Kirby just rules. I feel like he’s one of the more underrated Nintendo mascots, but there are so many fun Kirby games throughout the history of Nintendo consoles. Looks like the Switch will be no different.

Super Mario Odyssey–Shame on everyone who even doubted how awesome this game was going to be. I think the T. Rex puts any questions to rest, don’t you?

Metroid: Samus Returns–A remake/update of the Metroid II GameBoy game? Hell. Yes.

Honorable Mention: Metroid Prime 4–The only reason this one wasn’t higher was because we basically saw nothing about the game. But we know it exists, and that’s pretty great.

In addition to the games above, we saw Rocket League on the Switch, a new Yoshi, a cross-platform Monster Hunter and more. Nintendo killed it at E3 this ear. What were your favorite announcements from them?

June 13, 2017 In Opinion

E3 2017: Our 3 Favorite Things from the Sony Presser

Monday was Sony’s time to take the spotlight at E3 2017, and they brought the big guns. But it was a new game that may have stolen the entire show. Here’s our three favorite things from Sony’s presentation:

Spider-Man–Holy. Crap. I am lifelong Spidey fan, and this game looks amazing. The Miles Morales reveal at the end was just icing on the cake. This one stole the show.

Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds–I am currently playing Horizon and loving it. This looks like it will be a great addition to the world Guerrilla has created already.

Monster Hunter World–I never thought I would be really excited about Monster Hunter, but between this and the Nintendo announcement, I am so in.

The new God of War looks great, the new Uncharted does too. But Spidey, Horizon and Monster Hunter were our three favorites. What were you most exited about from Sony’s E3 presentation?

June 13, 2017 In Opinion

E3 2017: Our 3 Favorite Things from the Bethesda Presser

Following Microsoft’s Xbox One X-heavy presentation earlier in the day, Bethesda took the E3 stage on Sunday night and delivered what I think was the best presser of the show. Here’ are three awesome things from Bethesda’a presentation:

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus–I missed the latest Wolfenstein reboot when it came out a few years ago, depite having played the original on PC way back in the day. But what I saw of Wolfenstein II made me go back and buy the first game. This looks fantastic.

The Evil Within II–I played a few hours of the original and then got sidetracked, but again, this reveal made me dig out my copy of the first game to finish before this one arrives.

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider–I got about a quarter of the way through the first Dishonored, but kind of lost interest. This trailer had me wanting to head back and give it another shot.

So, basically Bethesda’s entire presser added games to my list of shame. I’ll be busy before this stuff starts arriving in the Fall. What stood out to you from their E3 presentation?

June 12, 2017 In Opinion

E3 2017: Our 3 Favorite Things from the Microsoft Presser

The first of the big three took the state at E3 on Sunday afternoon, and Microsoft’s presser left us with a few things to get excited about this fall and beyond. Of course we new we would see the Scorpio (now dubbed the Xbox One X), and most of the other announcements were leaked ahead of time as well. But that doesn’t make them any less sweet. Here are our three favorite things from the Microsoft presser:

Crackdown 3–My all-time favorite series gets a new installment, and as icing on the cake, Terry Crews is in it. I have been waiting for this game for seven years now, and it looks like it has captured the core of what makes Crackdown great. Now if we can just get Crackdown and Crackdown 2 on the backwards compatibility list…

State of Decay 2–Despite rave reviews, I never got around to playing the first State of Decay. That won’t be the case this time around.

Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds–The Twitch sensation is coming to Xbox One, and it should be a mega-hit there as well.

Honorable Mention: Xbox One X

I’ll be honest, I could give a crap about the Xbox One X (or the PS4 Pro, for that matter). I don’t have a 4K TV, and I think the current gen of games look just fine. And $499 is way too much ($399 was the magic price point, and it will be there within a year of launch). BUT, if these half-measures by Microsoft and Sony will extend the life of this console generation, then I am all for it. And it wild rive the price of the original model down, so yay for that, too.

Those are the things we’re most excited about from Microsoft’s E3 presser. Stay tuned for our takeaways from the Bethesda, Sony, Ubi and Nintendo pressers over the next few days!

June 11, 2017 In Opinion

E3 2017: Our 3 Favorite Things from the EA Presser

EA kicked things off for the Electronic Entertainment Expo this past Saturday, and while much of what they showed was expected, there were a few pleasant surprises to be had. Here are the three things we were most excited about from the EA presser:

Need for Speed: Payback–The latest entry in the NFS franchise feels like Burnout Paradise meets The Fast and the Furious.

A Way Out–A split-screen, co-op prison break game from the team behind Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.

Star Wars: Battlefront II–We knew this was coming, but it sure looks awesome.

Those were are three favorite things from the EA presser. What are you most excited about? Stay tuned for our top three from the Microsoft, Bethesda, Sony and Nintendo pressers!