Archives for 2011

I’m testing the WordPress iPhone app and showing off a recent purchase I picked up at the Hartville Flea Market (in Ohio). I know I’m just serving as an extension to their app marketing, but they deserve it.

Ivan “Ironman” Stewart’s Super Off Road is one of my all time favorite arcade games. I never played the SNES version so I am definitely looking forward to firing this one up.

Why this game hasn’t had a remake recently boggles my mind. I would buy this on any and all platforms: XBLA, Steam, iOS. You name it, I’d buy it.

What are you playing this weekend?

(This was accidentally posted at my other site first. I guess I haven’t totally figured out this WP iPhone app out yet)

It’s that time again, the long list of monthly releases. Thankfully, besides NCAA 12 (for me), July is mercifully bereft of top-tier games, so we can play catch up with all the good gaming that has come out recently.

Week of July 5th
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon

Week of July 12th
NCAA Football 12– I’m still waiting for my iPhone recruiting app, EA. Is this the year?
Oblivion 5th Anniversary ed.– Wow, hard to believe it’s been five years. I guess a little Elders Scrolls nostalgia to get the pump primed for Skyrim?

Week of July 19th
Captain America: Super Soldier
Call Of Juarez: The Cartel– As a Mexican, should I be offended by this game? I feel like I should.

Week of July 26th
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron– Okay, maybe this month is totally bereft of good games. This one looks really interesting.
Catherine– I think I’ll be passing this one up.

Week of July 19th
Just Dance Summer Party

Week of July 5th
Mystery Quest: Curse of the Ancient Spirits

Week of July 26th
Match 3 Madness– I think this was inevitable. MATCH 3! MATCH 3!

Week of July 26th
Pac-Man and Galaga Dimensions– 30 years old and still going strong!

Week of July 5th
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition– Something just feels wrong about Street Fighter on a PC

Week of July 12th
Oblivion 5th Anniversary ed.

Week of July 26th
The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff

Week of July 5th
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon

Week of July 12th
Oblivion 5th Anniversary ed.
NCAA Football 12

Week of July 19th
Call Of Juarez: The Cartel

Week of July 26th
Catherine
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

N/A

What are you picking up?

(Note: As always, all Amazon.com links have our affiliate code embedded in them. If you purchase something through our link, we get a little commission. It’s appreciated.)

For two years running now, I have neglected to mention the SEVENTH anniversary of Buttonmashing Dot Com. Frequency (and frankly, quality) of the posts has declined gradually over the last few years but we’re still chugging along here. Thanks to all you guys who read and all you guys who have pitched in with posting and reviews. I couldn’t have done it without you!

This weekend is a big holiday weekend for my fellow Americans. Do you have any big gaming plans? Since we’ll be travelling for some of it, I don’t have too much planned outside of mobile gaming. I may finally make some progress on Dragon Quest IX, having let it lay fallow for a few months now. Past that, I don’t know what I’ll get to.

One thing I am trying to do is avoid the Steam Summer Sale. I’m weak.

Do you have any gaming plans this weekend?

Content around these parts has been slow and not very steady. I appreciate you guys who have stuck around all these times. I’m starting to get some ideas for regular content together but it’s slow going. It’s always the “fish or cut bait?” dilemma. Right now, fishing (playing games) is winning out. The Monthly Releases will still flow (albeit delayed) but I also have a few other ideas I’d like to get around to. But for now, here’s what I’ve been playing:

Portal 2
The single player portion of Portal 2 is in the bag. Finishing Portal 2 was not as satisfying as finishing the first one. That being said, there were some serious laugh out loud moments during the single player game and I loved every moment of it. Throw in the new things they added (gels, fricken lasers) and it was a most excellent experience.

Enslaved
Gamefly delivered Enslaved months ago but it took me a while to get the disc in the machine (Portal 2 had a lot to do with that). Since then, I’ve played quite a bit of this game. At times, Enslaved feels too easy and other times it feels just right. The fluid animation and fun combat makes for an underrated gem.

Halo: Reach
I’ve been working through Reach co-op-style with a buddy and it’s been a great time. You guys can have your Battlefields and Calls of Duty. I’ll stick with Halo.

Final Fantasy XIII
I haven’t played a Final Fantasy game since FF Tactics on the GBA and I haven’t played a straight-up Final Fantasy game since Final Fantasy II (FFIV) on my Super Nintendo. Twenty years later and I figured it was time to play another. I’ve heard it takes 20+ hours before the game gets “good” but I’m six hours in and I’m having a good time, even if I have no idea what’s going on around me.

On Hiatus:
Borderlands
We had a good group of three playing this and we’re making a bit of progress before one of our companions got busy with schoolwork (priorities!). We still get in an hour or two here or there but it’s slow going. I’m itching to get back to Borderlands soon, though. Maybe after we finish Halo: Reach.

Age of Empires Online Beta
I was really excited to get into the AoEO Beta. I enjoy and respect RTS games for what they are, but I’ve never been good at them. I preferred Age of Empires over any other RTS I played (including Starcraft. Blaspehmy, I know). But this game just hasn’t grabbed me like I thought a persistent, MMO-RTS would. I played this for a while and then sort of petered out. I may go back when it goes out of Beta but I’m not sure.

Torchlight (XBLA version)
Confession time: I didn’t finish Torchlight on the PC. I got far with two of the three characters but didn’t see it through to the finish. I am very close to finishing Torchlight on the Xbox. This game will come out of retirement very soon.

Dragon Quest IX
My DQIX cart went missing and I thought all was lost. I have poured 30+ hours into my game and I was pretty bummed it was gone. Luckily it turned up and now I’m just waiting for the mood to strike me to pick it back up. I haven’t touched my DS in a long time.

Lord of Ultima
This is an online MMO-ish persitent empire building game. It had its hooks in me for a while as my empire grew and I had cities to manage and armies to build. But the lack of any “action” and the tedium of managing over 150 cities just got boring. My Empire is still there. Some day I’ll make it back.

On tap:
Fallout New Vegas
Limbo
Mortal Kombat

Obviously, I’m not playing all of these games at once. Right now I’m focusing on Halo: Reach and Enslaved, with Final Fantasy XIII picking up the rest of the free-time scraps. I hope to finish Halo: Reach this weekend. What will you be playing?

E3 is right around the corner and the doldrums of summer video game releases is upon us. Once again, I am trying to limit the release list to games I am somewhat interested in and games I think you readers would be interested in. The volume of releases this month isn’t huge but there are a few big time releases to hopefully tide us for a little while.

Week of June 6th
Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters
Red Faction Armageddon
Operation Flashpoint: Red River

Week of June 13th
Duke Nukem Forever
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Record of Agarest War Zero Standard Edition– I know nothing about this game, but from the few screenshots on Amazon, I was instantly intrigued…
Child Of Eden
Alice: Madness Returns

Week of June 20th
Dungeon Siege III– I played the first Dungeon Siege back in the day and it felt like a hollow, 3D Diablo II rip off. I never tried DS2 and feel no compunction to try DS3.
F.E.A.R. 3
Shadows of the Damned

Week of June 27th
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition

Week of June 13th
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Week of June 27th
UFC Personal Trainer

Week of June 6th
Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters

Week of June 13th
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Autobots

Week of June 6th
Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters

Week of June 13th
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D– Man, it’s 1998 all over again this month!

Week of June 27th
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries

Week of June 6th
Pride of Nations [Download]
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
Red Faction Armageddon

Week of June 13th
Alice: Madness Returns
Duke Nukem Forever

Week of June 20th
Dungeon Siege III
Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising
F.E.A.R. 3

Week of June 27th
Oblivion 5th Anniversary ed.

Week of June 6th
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
inFAMOUS 2
Red Faction Armageddon
Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters

Week of June 13th
Record of Agarest War Zero – Standard Edition
Duke Nukem Forever
Alice: Madness Returns

Week of June 20th
F.E.A.R. 3
Shadows of the Damned
Dungeon Siege III

Week of June 27th
Sniper: Ghost Warrior
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition

Nothing

What are you picking up?

(Note: As always, all Amazon.com links have our affiliate code embedded in them. If you purchase something through our link, we get a little commission. It’s appreciated.)