Blogcritics

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Wii Virtual Console Review: Air Zonk

Matt Paprocki — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:22:54 EDT

The TurboGrafx was a console that hit at the wrong time. Where completely oddball and outlandish titles can gain a following and be successful in today’s market with some Internet exposure, games like Air Zonk simply weren’t “American” enough to grab hold of a wide audience. Looking back, this is a lost gem.Having loose connections with the Bonk series, this futuristic horizontal shooter is as off the wall as they come. Zonk flies through various locales, firing off weapons like metallic dentures, boxing gloves, or something slightly more acceptable, rockets. Power-ups are prevalent, and the clean graphics, particularly in the backdrops, elevate this one above other typical shooter fare. Aside from the extended final level, this is a nice entry point for new shooter fans, aside from the quirkiness. It’s simple for most of the game, with simple to pop enemies and typical boss patterns. It’s quite casual and easy to get into because of it, while the catchy soundtrack follows along behind the action. In addition to playing around with a number of available standard weapons, Zonk can bring along a secondary character to deal out some extra damage. Each has a specific trait, though their purpose is always to take down as many incoming foes as possible. They only differ in how that task is performed, and the player can sit back while they go to work knowing they can handle their own. Slowdown is uncommon, and this is a title that throws a lot at the player. Zonk showcases some superb multi-tiered backgrounds, making the sprite count all the more impressive. It doesn’t bring any revolutionary mechanics along with it, settling in purely on solid design and its quirky style. While there are a monumental amount of shooters on the console (including some of the best the genre has ever seen), Air Zonk is relevant purely based on its style and calming difficulty. It’s a worthwhile entry, and even though the connections are loose at best, it’s a fine addition to the Bonk franchise. Air Zonk is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB for Mild Cartoon Violence.

Matt Paprocki is the former reviews editor for Digital Press, a video game website with an appreciation for the retro side of the industry. The deep game collection which spans nearly 30 systems and 2,000 games line his walls for research purposes. Matt strives to bring credibility to video game journalism, and take it in a new direction to aid the industry in becoming respected with all forms entertainment media. He currently freelances for GameArgus.com and MultiPlayerGames.com.

Wii Virtual Console Review: Dead Moon

Matt Paprocki — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 00:08:56 EDT

Lost in a sea of horizontal shooters, the hard to find Dead Moon is notable for only a few aspects. One is the incredibly short length, the other is the gorgeous parallax scrolling in the backgrounds, and the final is difficulty ramp that only kicks in during the final level. Dead Moon begins on Earth above a cityscape. As per shooter lore, you'll gain power-ups from specific ships, each with a typical set of abilities. Missiles and shields provide extra protection. Each level delivers a mini-boss in the midst of other seemingly mindless alien drones, and the expected end level showdown that always makes you wonder who actually planned this attack. Why wait until the ship is powered up to send in the deadliest enemy?Regardless of 16-bit story logic, this is a competent shooter. The various weapons are fun to experiment with, and each is useable in a capable players hands. The generous hit system lets the player take multiple hits, each lowering the weapon level down. Take one final hit on the weapons weakest power level and you'll lose the entire ship.This leads to three straight stages that offer zero challenge to any experienced space shooter veteran. The boss fights which are goofy fossilized dinosaurs (as opposed to high technology ships prior) don't put up much a fight, and their shooting patterns give plenty of leniency. The same goes for the mid-level bosses. Only in the final battle, stage four, does the game find its own. Enemies begin their bombardment from every conceivable angle to the point of being unfair in spots for newcomers. Finding a way out as the console handles the mass of sprites without a hint of slowdown is the type of challenge seasoned veterans are looking for. Making it that far will take less than 15 minutes assuming no continues are used. Seeing everything will cost the player around 20 minutes at the most. Granted, it's worth playing to look at the depth achieved in the backdrop (stage three especially), but there's not enough game here to warrant a purchase. Dead Moon is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB for Mild Fantasy Violence.