Retro gaming goes into overtime with the announcement of Tecmo Bowl Throwback, a remake of the classis SNES football game Tecmo Super Bowl. Coming to Playstation Network and Xbox LIVE this spring, the remake will feature refreshed “2D+3D” graphics, 32 teams and customizable rosters, classic game modes and of course online multiplayer and leaderboards.

The option to revert to old-school 2D graphics will also be there should you want to bask in that retro nostalgia. Expect good things as Southend Interactive has experience with recent remakes of classics games like Lode Runner and R-Type.

Check out screens, which include retro and remake comparison shots, after the break.

Read More »

CES just ended this past weekend, and putting aside all the 3D movies, Blu-ray news, and Project Natal stories, Microsoft announced one more place where its Xbox Avatars will have something to do. The new Xbox Game Room will be a free virtual room for Live players to customize, decorate and deck out with Avatar-playable arcade cabinets of yesteryears.

What’s the big deal?

These older-gen retro arcade games will be preserved to play and look almost exactly as they did back in their hey-days. We will be charged Microsoft Points for plays beyond our second time, and more to “keep” the cabinet in our own virtual Game Rooms. Games for Windows will enable these to be played on PCs.

Read More »

During a recent trip to Japan, I encountered an arcade cabinet that many would call a gimmick: a rail-shooter with sliding doors, named Elevator Action Death Parade. Having read about the game earlier this year, and with it right there in front of me, I couldn’t resist but pop in a coin to try it out.

A pair of physical doors slide open and shut like an elevator, which blocks and exposes the play screen.  The doors get “stuck” and even shake at times in cue with the on-screen action behind it. Read More »

Sports games have come a long way since the days of Tecmo Football or Blades of Steel, although who doesn’t like to fire up the old Nintendo system and throw the ole pigskin the length of the field in Tecmo? Over the years as technology developed, the games did as well, from better graphics to more complex game play, and sports games are no exception. Sports titles, for the most part, have become more realistic in player models, overall play, and available modes. While advancements in technology have made sports games more realistic, as evidenced by the Madden franchise, there is still a demand for the arcade-like sports titles, games that allow players to defy the laws of physics in a sort of fantasy sports world. Is one style of sports gaming superior to the other? I’m here to try to help the sports gamer out, outlining the pros and cons of both styles, hopefully helping the indecisive gamer to decide which style they would enjoy more and getting the most out of their purchase.

Read More »