Pads & Panels

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Sigh. It’s been a long weekend. Since becoming a “full-time” freelance writer, I’d almost forgotten until this weekend what it’s like to be on a work schedule, have to go out and put in 8 or more consecutive hours somewhere. I generally put in more than that a day with my writing, but being on a flexible schedule means it’s usually more broken up and interrupted a lot more often by the silly distractions that come so easily around the house. But it’s been both tiring, rejuvenating and a bit of fun to get out and do a few solid days of real work again.

Archie and I both worked, full disclosure, indirectly for Sony PlayStation this weekend at the Alli Dew Tour at Soldier Field in Chicago. It doesn’t mean we’re fan boys, and it doesn’t mean we’ll be giving preferential treatment to Sony’s games or hardware. We’ll still always provide honest opinions on games, and keep an objective view of what we do. It just means we needed some extra cash, and got hired by a marketing agency that handles Sony’s event marketing in Chicago, which for us meant standing inside and outside of a Sony tent, getting a chance to get our hands on PlayStation Move and talking to people about it, helping them play and learn more about it. (more…)

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Puzzle Quest 2 Hands-On Preview

By Kevin Haverty

Seconds into the hands on demo of Puzzle Quest 2, there was a feeling of relief that gameplay was more like the original Puzzle Quest and far from Puzzle Quest: Galactrix. For the uninitiated, Puzzle Quest looks like an RPG, but combat takes the approach of a puzzle game. Matching gems in rows of three or more earns mana, which can be exchanged for attacks. Characters earn experience and gold to buy equipment and beef up stats.

The story and characters of Puzzle Quest 2 are completely new. Gamers get to pick from Sorcerer, Templar, Barbarian or Assassin, and investigate a mysterious castle after arriving in the town of Verloren, and try to take it back from the demon Gorgon. Graphically, the game looks much cleaner than its predecessor. (more…)

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BattleBlock Theater Hands-On Preview

By Kevin Haverty

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The Behemoth is very lucky for a small development team. The developer can release next to no details about a new project and still get gamers salivating for their next title, BattleBlock Theater. They’ve released several top-notch titles across various genres to gather this rabid fan base, and after some hands on with BattleBlock Theater it looks like the trend of excellence will continue. (more…)

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Snoopy Flying Ace Hands-On Preview

By Kevin Haverty

Smart Bomb Interactive is releasing the follow-up to 2006′s Snoopy vs. the Red Baron this year, titled Snoopy Flying Ace. It places beloved Peanuts characters in a World War I setting for some good old fashion dog-fighting… fighter pilot style, not Michael Vick style.

The controls are similar to the cult classic Crimson Skies. The left thumbstick moves Snoopy around; the triggers are for shooting; and the right thumbstick controls maneuvers like loops and barrel rolls. Aside from the machine gun, the other weapons can be changed on the fly between rockets, shotguns and more. (more…)

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Last month, West Coast correspondent Chris Park got a chance to sit down with Deep Silver and check out the publisher’s upcoming racer, Nail’d. The high-speed arcade racer from publisher Deep Silver and developer Techland is set for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in the fourth quarter of 2010. It features 1- to 12-player races, and it’s as much about getting vertical as it is getting to the finish line. Park reports… (more…)

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West Coast correspondent Chris Park has been busy lately. Last week, he got a hands-on look at Risen, an upcoming action-role-playing game for Xbox 360, from publisher Deep Silver and developer Piranha Bytes, that mixes the standard RPG formula with a consequence system. Park reports. (more…)

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It’s not every day that a developer actually visits a writer’s house or apartment to show off its game, but such a day befell West Coast correspondent Chris Park last week, when W!Games came by his place Jan. 18 to show him Greed Corp., an upcoming turn-based strategy game for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in which efficiency and expedience are key. Park reports on the visit…

Greed Corp is the first in a planned series of games that takes place in a universe of W!Games creation called Mistbound. It is a world that is crumbling at the feet of those who live on it. (more…)

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Skate 3 Hands-On Preview and “First Look” Video

Skate 3 isn’t scheduled to hit shelves until May of next year, but Pads & Panels West Coast writer Chris Park was invited Oct. 28 out to Electronic Arts in Redwood City, Calif., for a hands-on previews with Skate 3′s pre-alpha build. The primary focus of the game exhibition was to show off Skate 3′s stoyline focus on teams, building a brand and becoming a media mogul across the game world, including Skate’s newest addition, Port Carverton. Park reports… (more…)

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