Review: 'Pokémon Visual Companion' impresses

It's hard to believe that "Pokémon" red version came out for the Nintendo Game Boy back in 1998. It's been 15 years since the animated series made its television debut in North America, and it has lasted longer than most other shows with the exception of "The Simpsons" and "Dr. Who." Did you know that through all that time Ash Ketchum has only worn four different pairs of pants?

Wash yourself clean with these classic Super Nintendo and Game Boy soap bars

Do you love videogames so much that you wish you could take them into the shower with you? Firebox.com is now selling soap bars shaped like classic retro videogames from the Super Nintendo and the Nintendo Game Boy. You'll be able to scrub yourself clean with "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" after a long day of adventure or just wash your hands with "Pokemon Red" before dinner.

Review: 'The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Second Quest' astounds

Last year "The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses” concert series helped celebrate the 26th anniversary of one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time. This year's tour, appropriately subtitled "Second Quest," somehow manages to surpass expectations, delivering a masterful journey of sight and sound through the rich 27 year history of "Zelda" games.

Review of 'BandFuse: Rock Legends'

Realta Entertainment Group's newest music video game "BandFuse: Rock Legends" teaches players how to use a real guitar, bass, and microphone, along with how to read authentic tablature. It's a fantastic learning aid for those who're willing to put in the time and effort, and there's several unique features that definitely make this title worth picking up.

Review: 'The Bridge' for Xbox LIVE Arcade will twist your perception of reality

"The Bridge" is a mind-bending Xbox LIVE puzzler published by Midnight City with jaw-dropping art in the style of M.C. Escher, who's known for creating impossible designs. In "The Bridge" you must "unlearn what you have learned" as Yoda from "Star Wars" would say, because you'll have to figure out how to transverse through inconceivable problems.

The 'Rocksmith' 60-day challenge

According to Ubisoft you "can now learn to play guitar in just 60 days" with "Rocksmith 2014 Edition" by spending just one hour a day with it. Examiner's David Leavitt is putting that claim to the test over the next couple of months. Bookmark this page and check back often to follow his progress.

Hands on preview of 'Alteil: Horizons'

We caught up with Boston Mass. based video gaming start-up Apocoplay for a first hand look at their upcoming video game "Alteil: Horizons." Currently in the middle of a Kickstarter, "Horizons" blends the deck-building components of "Magic: The Gathering" with the strategy of grid-based units found in "Might and Magic: Duel of Champions," however there's several key differences that set this digital collectible card game apart from its competitors.

Gunnar glasses aren't just for gamers

We caught up with Curtis Silver, brand ambassador for Gunnar Advanced Computer Eyewear, to find out why Gunnar glasses aren't just for for gamers.

Review of 'Full House Poker' for Xbox LIVE Arcade

I've never been a huge poker fan. Sure, I've played Texas Hold 'Em a bunch of times with friends in college and I've also used the popular Facebook application to kill some spare time, however, the only "real" casinos that I've visited were in Fallout: New Vegas. Despite these facts, Full House Poker for Xbox LIVE Arcade has managed to win me over. The reason? Its highly addictive multiplayer.

Don't know how to play Texas Hold 'Em poker? That's A-OK. Full House Poker does a great job of teaching players the basics. In addition to a useful tutorial, at any time you can access a cheat sheet to see what hands beat each other. Full House Poker features several single player modes to choose from, such as single tables, tournaments, and "pro takedowns." While there's nothing preventing you from hopping directly into a ranked multiplayer match, you'll want to explore the single player options first in order to help build your experience points and more importantly - your bankroll.

One major aspect of Full House Poker is its high level of customization. Playing through the single player levels will unlock additional artwork for the back of poker decks, table tops, casinos to play in, and in-game clothing for your avatar. As you gain experience additional "chip tricks" will also become available for your Avatar to use during the game. Like every other game though, it is the multiplayer modes that make Full House Poker truly shine.

One of the best features of Full House Poker are the "Texas Heat" online tournaments that are featured at specific times during the week. Each "Texas Heat" tournament is open to anyone to play regardless of your level and is half an hour long. At several points throughout "Texas Heat" the table's highest chip leader will advance to the next table where there are bigger bets and pots to win. Playing a round of "Texas Heat" feels like playing 1 vs. 100- and as such, it is very easy to find yourself playing multiple rounds. This is exactly what happened to me when I started playing a "Texas Heat" at 9:30 at night and then looked up and discovered it was past 2:00 A.M.

Another thing that I enjoyed about Full House Poker is the pace of play. In the single player game pressing the X button will fast forward any hand that you fold from. While playing online a thirty second timer on each person helps to keep the game moving along. Because the game doesn't require lightning quick reflexes and only needs a single button pushed to check, raise, or fold every minute or so, Full House Poker is the perfect game for multi-tasking (such as folding laundry).

Die hard poker fans might be disappointed that there isn't any real money on the line. Unfortunately there's no option to wager with Microsoft Points - however that's probably for the best (though I'm secretly hoping for a title update or DLC that lets players do so).

An important thing about Full House Poker is that it works with your Windows Phone 7. Your bank role balance will transfer over from one to the other. We've seen this inter-connectivity before between Xbox 360 and a Windows Phone 7 with the Traitor's Keep DLC for Fable 3 and also with Crackdown 2's Deluge DLC. Please note that I didn't actually test this feature myself as I don't own a Windows Phone 7.

Full House Poker for Xbox LIVE Arcade rounds out the Xbox LIVE Arcade House Party in style. If you enjoy playing poker or are looking for a game that doesn't require too much attention and will allow you to do other things at the same time, Full House Poker is for you.

Full House Poker is one of those rare Xbox LIVE Arcade games that keeps you coming back for more like Limbo and Chime. As such, it is without question worth the purchase. Full House Poker is available for 800 Microsoft Points ($10) from the Xbox LIVE Arcade. Please note that this article was based on a free review copy provided by Microsoft Game Studios.
Did you enjoy this article? Please share it and subscribe for updates.

Review of 'Chime' for Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade

Developed by Zoë Mode, Chime is one of the most creative puzzle games available from the Xbox Live Arcade. In Chime players place Tetris-like blocks on a grid to create “quads” with the goal of obtaining 100% coverage of the map. The background music of Chime is indirectly controlled by the player.

Review of Hydro Thunder Hurricane for Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade

Hydro Thunder Hurricane for Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade was developed by Vector Unit and is the long awaited sequel to the classic arcade and Dreamcast smash hit Hydro Thunder. Hydro Thunder Hurricane is the second featured game in this year’s Summer of Arcade, following on the footsteps of Limbo, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Review of Doom II for Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade

Doom II, one of the most iconic video games of all time, has hit Xbox LIVE Arcade for a cool 800 Microsoft points. However, is a game that is almost two decades old worth $10? The answer is a resounding yes.

Review of Abduction Action! for Xbox 360

Abduction Action! for Xbox 360 is an over the top and hilarious indie game available from the Xbox Live Marketplace that places players in the role as the “worst pilot” in alien history. In Abduction Action! you have the opportunity of a lifetime to pilot an alien spaceship when your sister marries a high ranking commander in the alien military.

According to the description of Abduction Action! for Xbox 360 at the Fun Infused Games website:

“Developers at Fun Infused Games spent the last ten years and billions of Earth dollars researching and testing the latest in UFO technology to bring Xbox gamers the single most realistic UFO flight simulator ever created. The tractor beam, turbo mechanism, and flash bombs have all been painstakingly created to exactly match their real world counterparts. The flight system is so realistic that many Alien testers couldn’t tell they weren’t piloting a real UFO.”

Controls in Abduction Action! are incredibly simple and intuitive. One drawback that should be noted is that there isn’t any precision control in flying the UFO, however what can realistically be expected from the worst alien pilot in history?

Abduction Action! lets players abduct cows through the use of your UFO’s tractor beam, or splatter them onto innocent bystanders by letting them go. When angry farmers decide to fight back, haystacks become incredibly potent weapons in the grip of your tractor beam.

The tractor beam is not the only weapon at your UFO’s disposal however. Your UFO can launch “flash bombs”. The flash bombs will momentarily stun enemies on the screen and help you accomplish your objectives. Players only receive two flash bombs per stage, so use them wisely! Your UFO can also speed up and become momentarily invincible. Not too shabby.

The graphics in Abduction Action! for Xbox 360 are reminiscent of Super Nintendo, and the game is a lot more visually appealing compared to other Xbox 360 indie games that are available from the Xbox Live Marketplace. There are a few interesting surprises that pop onto the screen over the course of the game (think Mortal Kombat 2). The sound effects in Abduction Action! are whimsical and fit the game perfectly.

What really makes Abduction Action! for Xbox 360 a great game is it’s price. For less than the purchase price of a one liter bottle of soda, one can have hours of entertainment and laughs.

Abduction Action! for Xbox 360 costs 80 Microsoft Points ($1) from the Xbox Live Marketplace. For more information on Abduction Action! for Xbox 360, visit funinfused.com. Did you enjoy this article? Please share it and subscribe for updates.

Review of Relativity for Xbox 360

Relativity for Xbox 360 is a unique real time strategy and simulation game developed by Purple Games. Relativity is based upon Einstein’s theory of the relativity of space and time. In a nutshell, players colonize planets and wage war on other civilizations in spaceships that utilize Einstein’s laws of relativity to make it to their destination.

According to the narration from in the game and the Relativity’s website:

“While Relativity uses some pretty crazy physics concepts you really don’t need to understand them to play this game. Hopefully some physics will rub off as you are playing the game and you will suddenly start impressing your friends in the pub with phrases like “space/time continuum” and “time dilation”.

One of the greatest features in Relativity for Xbox 360 is the narration and tutorials. The tutorials in Relativity for Xbox 360 are immaculately executed and do a fantastic job of preparing players to play the game itself. The music inRelativity for Xbox 360 is also very pleasant to listen to.

The graphics in Relativity for Xbox 360 are certainly nothing for one to drop their jaw at. What Relativity for Xbox 360 lacks in its visual department, it makes up for in its game play.

Relativity for Xbox 360 has more depth to it than one would typically expect out of an Xbox 360 indie title. While there are only ten levels to play in the campaign, each level takes a good half hour to full hour to beat. Relativity for Xbox 360 can be compared to StarCraft or Darwinia+ (read my review of Darwinia+ here). In all three games, players manage and build their resources before conquering their rivals.

During my analysis of Relativity for Xbox 360 by Purple Games there were a couple of features (or lack thereof) that became annoying. While one does have the ability to switch easily between planets with a couple flicks of their fingers, there is no way to change the overhead display. The combination of being able to zoom the camera out far in order to see more solar systems and rotate the camera angle would have made navigating Relativity much more easier.

The second aspect of Relativity that became abundantly apparent is that the levels feel like they drag on forever, even though they may only last from half an hour to an hour. Because the populations of all planets are constantly growing, if one is not a fast player the computer can quickly amass tens of thousands of inhabitants that need to be destroyed. Luckily there is a time dilation weapon at your disposal to help out. It would have been nicer if the levels in Relativity were shorter and more plentiful.

Relativity for Xbox 360 is available from the Xbox Live Marketplace for 240 Microsoft Points ($3). When all of the positive features of Relativity for Xbox 360 (including its low price) are added up, the $3 price point makes this Xbox indie game a must own. More information about Relativity can be obtained through the Purple Games website purplegames.yolasite.com.

Review of JoyJoy for Xbox 360

JoyJoy for Xbox 360 is a colorful twin-stick space shooter that can provide hours of entertainment for just 80 Microsoft Points ($1). Unlike most shooters, JoyJoy allows players to have unlimited lives. An endless supply of lives can be important when facing a never ending horde, or ‘wave’, of enemies. A friend can join in on the action in either the campaign or challenge modes.