George Umbarger

The Wonderful 101 Review (Wii U)

Many things have brought me joy throughout my life, some falling by the wayside with the forward march of time and age, others even having run their course entirely by this point. I can count at least two things, however, whose appeal has endured mostly uninterrupted since my introduction to them: video games and super sentai (well, in the form of Power Rangers at first). The Wonderful 101 is a combination of these two of my holiest of holies – one created by one of my favorite development studios no less – and I’ll be damned if just watching the intro cinematic didn’t make me feel like I was 9 on a Saturday morning again.

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Pokémon X & Y Review (3DS)

Pokemon Y Cover

I’ve been a fan of the Pokémon franchise since all but the beginning. It was the overwhelming hype behind Pokémon Red and Blue that led me to rebuy a Game Boy after selling my original in a fit of youthful indiscretion, and since then the games have only sunk their claws into me further with each successive release. Like so many others, I’ve watched the series grow – or should I say evolve? – from a sloppily coded but promising underdog to the powerhouse franchise it is today, some small sensation of kinship accompanying it. That said, I found myself considerably disappointed with Pokémon X and Y.

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Killer is Dead Review (Xbox 360)

Killer is Dead

Oh, Suda 51, if there’s a constant in the Universe it’s your obsession with career killers and obtuse plots. Who am I to question it, though? It’s done you pretty well so far, garnering you a steadfast if niche fanbase and a fair share of controversy – and through it publicity – over the last decade. Besides, if there’s any argument to make for repetition of a theme it’s in the refinement it breeds in the right hands, and Killer is Dead definitely finds itself in such hands.

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Divekick Review (PC)

Where do you draw the line between parody and sincerity? Some say that the best satire is that which is most difficult to distinguish from the real thing, and in the case of the infamous two-button fighter Divekick many are still scratching their heads as to how to approach it. It’s obvious at a glance that this is a game that wears its love of fighters and questionable stance with the Fighting Game Community on its sleeve, but just how deep into the satirical rabbit hole can a game go before it harms itself for it?

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