S&S Review: Dead or Alive 5

Title: Dead or Alive 5
Format: PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: Tecmo Koei
Developer: Team NINJA
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M

Dead or Alive is now two games into the series without Tomonobu Itagaki. Last year saw the release of the dream fighter, Dead or Alive Dimensions, on Nintendo 3DS. This year, Tecmo Koei sandwiches Dead or Alive 5 between two distinct versions of Ninja Gaiden 3. DOA5 continues the exploits of enigmatic mega-corporation DOATEC and the novela-style storylines of the fighters. Along the way, we pick up four new characters to the series. Gameplay is zippier at no loss to content and unlockables. The graphics receive a boost. Of course, all consideration is due to the fact that DOA4 and DOA5 bookend a seven year history of the Xbox 360. To say the least, "jiggle motion" is in tact. So, gamers with a more prurient interest will remained entertained.

S&S Indie Review: Machinarium

Title: Machinarium
Format: PC, PS3, iOS
Release Date: October 2009, Q4 2012(PS3)
Publisher: Amanita Design
Developer: Amanita Design
Price: $9.99
ESRB Rating: E

Machinarium has to be one of the more special indie games ever released.  With its imminent release for PS3, I had to go back and finish the PC version of the game, and I loved every minute of it.

S&S Review: Marvel vs Capcom Origins

Title: Marvel vs Capcom Origins
Format: PSN, XBLA
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Price: $15
ESRB Rating: E

Marvel vs Capcom Origins is a love letter to fans of the original games that helped make MvC a household name.  You get two games for the price of one, but is this package worth your time and money.

S&S Review: Jet Set Radio

Title: Jet Set Radio
Format: PSN, XBLA, PC
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Smilebit
Price: $9.99
ESRB Rating: E

When Jet Set Radio was first released, I never bought the game, but I was really interested in it.  Now, more than a decade later, I finally got another shot with the game.  

S&S Review: FIFA 13

Title: FIFA 13
Format: PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: EA
Developer: EA Canada
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: E

This year's FIFA game has finally arrived, and looks to improve upon FIFA 12's fantastic gameplay and stunning visuals.  The question is, does it do enough to earn your hard earned cash?

S&S Review: F1 2012

Title: F1 2012
Format: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Codemasters
Developer: Codemasters
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: E

Codemasters knows how to make great racing games, with the fantastic Dirt games behind their belts, F1 2012 is in good hands.  Codemasters have delivered once again with a stellar driving experience.  

S&S Review: LittleBigPlanet (Vita)

Title: LittleBigPlanet (Vita)
Format: PS Vita
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Tarsier Studios, Double Eleven Studios
Price: $39.99
ESRB Rating: E

LittleBigPlanet has to be one of my favorite Sony exclusive franchises, so any new chance to play as Sackboy, I'm all over it.  The new Vita iteration proved to be possibly the best option to playthrough LBP's beautifully crafted world.

S&S Review: Torchlight II

Title: Torchlight II
Format: PC
Release Date: September 20, 2012
Publisher: Runic Games
Developer: Runic Games
Price: $19.99
ESRB Rating: T

Torchlight 2 is the long-awaited sequel to of the 2009 dungeon crawler, Torchlight.  The game was an instant success because of it's polished gameplay and addictive combat and looting systems.

S&S Indie Review: Diehard Dungeon

Title: Diehard Dungeon
Format: Xbox 360
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: tricktale
Developer: tricktale
Price: $1
Rating: Violence 3/3, Sex 0/3, Mature Content 2/3

S&S Review: Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Title: Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Format: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PS3, Wii U (released 11-18-12)
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Namco Bandai
Price: 59.99
ESRB Rating: T

This is a year of Tekken. The King of the Iron Fist Tournament has been held at least four times with: Street Fighter x Tekken (360, PS3), Tekken Prime 3D Edition (3DS), Tekken Hybrid (PS3), and (now) Tekken Tag Tournament 2. While this year's predecessors were received with a mixed reaction, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is the pay off. Improved graphics and an awesome soundtrack present a polished piece of deep gameplay and content.

S&S Review: Borderlands 2

Title: Borderlands 2
Format: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Gearbox Software
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M

Three years after the original Borderlands was released, Gearbox has finally released its worthy sequel to one of the best games of 2009.  Borderlands 2 aimed to improve on every front of its predecessor, and it achieved every goal it set for itself.  

An S&S Perspective: Is Buying a Sports Game Annually Smart?

Sports games have gotten pretty good lately, but there was a time when every year you had games that only made minor improvements, but we still went out and dropped the 65$ on it.  Am I at fault for dropping the cash and letting the developers get away with a glorified roster update, or is it OK because I'm a hardcore NBA and NFL fan.  

S&S Indie Review: Fez

Title: Fez
Format: XBLA
Release Date: April 13, 2012
Publisher: Polytron Corp.
Developer: Polytron Corp/TrapDoor
Price: 
ESRB Rating: E

With Fez already selling over 100,00 copies to date, I know that I'm a little late to the party.  With some cool new innovations in the platforming genre, I'm glad that I finally got around to playing this great indie game.

S&S Review: NHL 13

Title: NHL 13
Format: PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: EA
Developer: EA Canada
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: E

With a looming lockout surrounding the sport,  NHL 13 might be the only outlet for hockey fans.  Luckily, NHL 13 proves to be one of the deepest sports games out there.  

S&S Indie Review: Face-Plant Adventures

Title: Face-Plant Adventures
Format: Xbox 360
Release Date: September 7, 2012
Publisher: oddworm games
Developer: oddworm games
Price: $1
Rating: Violence 2/3, Sex 0/3, Mature Content 1/3

Is it worth a dollar to play through the grueling experience Face-Plant Adventures provides? Read on to find out.

S&S Review: Mark of The Ninja

Title: Mark of The Ninja
Format: XBLA
Release Date: September 7, 2012
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Klei Entertainment
Price: $15
ESRB Rating: M

Mark of the Ninja comes from Klei Entertainment, the same guys who brought us Shank.  This go around the team trades its action heavy gameplay for a more stealthy style approach.  

S&S Indie Review: To The Moon

Title: To The Moon
Format: PC
Release Date: Sept 10, 2012
Publisher: Freebird Games
Developer: Freebird Games
Price: $9.99
ESRB Rating: E

 To The Moon caught me by surprise, I didn't expect much out of it going in, but I was soon eating my words.  It turned out to be an emotionally driven game with a beautiful and touching story, that would make even the strongest person feel something.

S&S Indie Review: Mystic Mayhem

Title: Mystic Mayhem
Format: Xbox 360
Release Date: September 1, 2012
Publisher: DarrionCSUSB
Developer: DarrionCSUSB
Price: $1
Rating: Violence 1/3, Sex 1/3, Mature Content 0/3

Mystic Mayhem is an interesting platform with the interesting ability to switch to first person perspective at any time. But is this enough to warrant gamers time?

An S&S Perspective: Top 25 iOS Games

25- Cartoon Wars 2

      Cartoon Wars is a simple arcade war game from BLUE Games, combining elements from the defense and RTS genres. I never found myself really getting sucked into the world, but it was fun to play for five to ten minutes at a time. Bolstered with a cool looking cartoon art style, Cartoon Wars provides solid gameplay for an inexpensive $0.99.

An S&S Perspective: Why Mobile Games Should Be Respected

      Over the past few years mobile gaming has seen an explosion in popularity. Unfortunately it also saw what I believe to be an unfair share of criticism. Many people claim mobile games only provide a casual gaming experience, for kids or more lighthearted gamers. Others naysayers offer the explanation that mobile games have caused a decrease in AAA, high-budget games. Either way, many "hardcore" gamers don't respect mobile games, so I'm here to prove why they should.

S&S Mobile Review: Infinite Warrior

Title: Infinite Warrior
Format: iOS
Release Date: September 6th, 2012
Publisher: Empty Flask Games
Developer: Empty Flask Games
Price:$2.99
ESRB Rating: 12+

      Unfortunately for iOS owners, our beloved AppStore is chock-full of broken, awful, and just downright stupid games. Luckily for me (and you) I haven't reviewed many of these bad games in a fairly long time. But my luck must end sometime... And Infinite Warrior was the game to do it. 

S&S Indie Review: Spyleaks

Title:Spyleaks
Format: Xbox 360
Release Date: August 17, 2012
Publisher: HeartBit Interactive
Developer: HeartBit Interactive
Price: $1
Rating: Violence 0/3, Sex 1/3, Mature Content 0/3

Spyleaks is an interesting game with an identity crisis. It can't decide between being a puzzler or an old fashioned shooter in the vein of Galaga. This doesn't mean however that Spyleaks suffers for the worse with its indecision.

S&S Indie Review: Ninjas and Priestess

Title: Ninjas and Priestess // Format: XBLIG // Release Date: 8/12/2012 // Developer: Team Shuriken // Price: 80 MS points // Violence: 3/3 // Sex: 3/3 // Mature Content: 2/3

Team Shuriken has finally graced us with another title from their eclectic collection, Ninjas and Priestess looks to continue the team's signature style of blending over-sexualized style and great 2D art to the XBLIG scene.

S&S Review: Lights, Camera, Party!

Title: Lights, Camera, Party!
Format: PS3
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Frima Studio Inc.
Price: $29.99 ($15 for PS+ Subscribers)
ESRB Rating: E

Playstation Move owners are finally getting a fun, mini-game packed downloadable title for all of their motion desires.  Lights, Camera, Party! is a good time to be had with friends, and a new stand out in the party game genre.  

S&S Indie Review: G.O.R.K.

Title: G.O.R.K.
Format: Xbox 360
Release Date: August 26, 2012
Publisher: ThotLab Games
Developer: ThotLab Games
Price: $1
Rating: Violence 0/3, Sex 0/3, Mature Content 0/3

G.O.R.K is a simple devouring based game that does little to innovate the genre and only has 12 levels. But with that said, is there enough fun to be had to justify a purchase?

S&S Tech Review: Tritton Warhead 7.1

The new Tritton Warhead 7.1 headsets for Xbox 360 have to be the best for the system so far, and maybe the best gaming headsets period.  If you don't want too spend the cash, these headsets are definitely not for you.  

S&S Mobile Review: McPixel for Android

Title: McPixel
Format: Android/iOS
Release Date: 08/27/2012
Publisher: Sos
Developer: Sos
Price: 2.99
ESRB Rating: Unrated

If you pay any attention to the indie scene then no doubt you have heard of McPixel. A game that is great on the PC seemed like a perfect fit for phone and tablets, and believe me when I say it is.

S&S Review: Deep Black

Title: Deep Black
Format: PSN
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Publisher: 505 Games
Developer: Blart
Price: $15
ESRB Rating: T

Deep Black slipped under the radar last week, and for good reason, the game is not good.  A third person shooter with a heavy underwater element sounds like a good idea on paper,  but doesn't come to fruition at all.  

S&S Indie Review: 2012

Title: 2012
Format: Xbox 360
Release Date: August 16, 2012
Publisher: Gliese Games
Developer: Gliese Games
Price: $3
Rating: Violence 3/3, Sex 3/3, Mature Content 3/3

2012 is a game about the end of the world occurring on December 21, 2012. The game combines elements from classic Zelda and modern day story telling. Which overall makes for unmissable experience.