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John Powell - Column Archives

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Mar 3, 2010

'Dante's Inferno' raises hell
'God of War'. 'God of War'. I am tired of the comparisons to 'God of War'. Don't get me wrong. I am a big fan of Kratos and his ancient misadventures as much as the next guy but 'Dante's Inferno' is not 'God of War Jr.', as some have described it. To refer to it as such is an insult to the outstanding work developer Visceral Games put into the title.

 

Feb 23, 2010

'Bayonetta' is wickedly wicked
Not since Lara Croft or Samus Aran has there been a cooler female character to play than Bayonetta, the gun-toting, demon summoning, wickedly wicked witch from the game of the same name. Calm, cool and collected at all times as her, you don’t feel guilty at all about chugging and clobbering through Heaven’s militia as there seems to be very little separating them from their rivals down South. Bayonetta is all about that grey region between love and hate, good and evil, PC and Macintosh.

 

Feb 11, 2010

No glory for 'Heracles'
When one thinks of the exploits of mythological hero Heracles ('Hercules'), visions of larger-than-life adventures and daring feats of valor come to mind. Heroic exploits featuring damsels in distress, monstrous baddies and exotic locales.

 

Feb 2, 2010

'Serious' action on XBLA
Some things simply get better with age, especially smart-mouthed, trigger happy, die-hard mercenaries like Sam "Serious" Stone.

 

Jan 19, 2010

'Tag Force 4' the ultimate 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' game
The original 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' TV Series ended years ago with our hero Yugi Mutou figuring out the secret of all those Egyptian God cards and saving the world from imminent disaster, once again. But, as everyone knows, the real star of the series was Seto Kaiba.

 

Jan 12, 2010

G4 Canada's 2009 Game of the Year Awards
When gamers look back and think of 2009, one word will come to mind: mediocrity. Many of the highly-anticipated titles just didn’t live up to the hype and left many gamers wanting more. Short single player campaigns and reduced features were the norm as cutbacks and a volatile economy were the boss battles everyone had to fight. Still, there were those developers, publishers who weathered the storm and put out some of their best work to date. Below are our choices for the best and worst of 2009.

 

Dec 24, 2009

New 'COD' blows us away
Playing through ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’ I made a conscious decision NOT to shoot anybody. That’s right, I didn’t pull the trigger once…until I had no choice when a SWAT team arrived to thwart our escape. During the controversial level, you join a group of terrorists targeting an airport. As they walk through the terminal, they callously shoot any traveler they come across. Soon, the screams of the dying and injured echo all around you as those who are lucky to be alive try to find somewhere to hide as they crawl along leaving a trail of their own blood behind.

 

Dec 22, 2009

'Avatar' a titanic letdown
The more and more I see of James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’, the less and less I want to check it out. From the trailers, it looks like a mash-up of other films like ‘Star Wars’, ‘Lord of the Rings’ and maybe a smattering of ‘Robotech. It doesn’t help that the Na'vi aliens look like blue versions of Jar Jar Binks to me. Ugh.

 

Dec 1, 2009

'DJ Hero' is up to scratch
DJing. I have friends who do it. I enjoy watching them do it but I still don't understand the allure, myself. Maybe it is because I am an old school rocker/metalhead who believes the best musical era was the sixties. Maybe it is because I hate dancing, dance clubs and anything associated with moving my two feet in any kind of rhythm, unless I am stomping and stomping hard.

 

Nov 17, 2009

New WWE game best yet
Almost every year since they began work on the ‘Smackdown vs Raw’ franchise way back in 2000, developers Yuke’s have outdone themselves with each new release.

 

Oct 30, 2009

'Halo: ODST' doesn't measure up
Occurring at the same time as the fateful events of ‘Halo 2’, ‘Halo ODST’, features a fresh cast of playable characters. Yes, that’s “characters”, plural. As you fight to take back what little is left of the African city of New Mombasa from the Covenant, you will bounce between several members of a tough as nails ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) squad.

 

Oct 22, 2009

'Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2' fails to impress
Woody and the gang are back not just at the theatre but on your smaller screen at home too. It has been approximately nine or ten years since there was a ‘Toy Story’ game and if you were going to put one together, the Wii would indeed be the best format for it.

 

Oct 7, 2009

Leave 'Mania!' in the toy box
Woody and the gang are back not just at the theatre but on your smaller screen at home too. It has been approximately nine or ten years since there was a ‘Toy Story’ game and if you were going to put one together, the Wii would indeed be the best format for it.

 

Sept 18, 2009

'Wolfenstein' plays like a relic
‘Wolfenstein’, the sequel of sorts to ‘Return to Castle Wolfenstein’, is not as clever or as revolutionary but if you like shooting people in the head, chest or groin with all manner of lethal firearms or reducing them to mere dust particles by a disintegration beam, this is the game for you.

 

Sept 11, 2009

More mischief and mayhem in 'Watchmen' sequel
Poor Nite Owl and Rorschach. No matter how many times they save the world, it always manages to get messed up again. It never just stays saved. No sooner then have they trashed Underboss and his gregarious gang of goons in part one of ’Watchmen: The End Is Nigh’ than another baddie has come to stir up more trouble.

 

Aug 28, 2009

New 'Layton' a puzzle paradise
‘Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box’ is the follow-up to last year’s smash hit on the DS: ‘Professor Layton and the Curious Village’. Shades of Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, ‘Diabolical Box’ has Professor Layton confronting the strange death of his mentor. Clues at the scene persuade The Professor and Luke to take a trip on the Molentary Express (a “cruise ship on rails”, so we are told numerous times). While aboard, our heroes are on the lookout for the Elysian Box of the title, a mysterious contraption that, according to legend, kills anyone who opens it.

 

Aug 21, 2009

Disney unveils Holiday fun
No matter who is on your gift list this fall or winter, Disney Interactive Studios has got you covered. At their holiday show held at the Royal Ontario Museum, Disney gave journalists, moms, dads and kids of all ages a sneak peak at what the house of mouse has in store for gamers.

 

Aug 14, 2009

Ubisoft reshells the Turtles
Since their first appearance in comic book form in 1984, Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello have become pop culture mainstays leaping off the black and white pages into television shows, movies and video games. Although their popularity has fluctuated over the years, like ’Transformers’ and ’G.I. Joe’, the crime-fighting are seemingly here to stay, in one form or another.

 

Aug 7, 2009

Like the movie, 'G-Force' a treat for kids
“Since God created man, and man created the Transformers, the Transformers are like a gift from God,” Elias told Randal in Kevin Smith’s ‘Clerks 2’. Now, I am not sure I follow that logic just like I don’t understand half the things Bumblebee always says but you just know that Michael Bay is happy that he hooked his wagon to that film franchise and not something like ‘Speed Racer’.

 

July 24, 2009

'Revenge of the Fallen' for Gobots?
“Since God created man, and man created the Transformers, the Transformers are like a gift from God,” Elias told Randal in Kevin Smith’s ‘Clerks 2’. Now, I am not sure I follow that logic just like I don’t understand half the things Bumblebee always says but you just know that Michael Bay is happy that he hooked his wagon to that film franchise and not something like ‘Speed Racer’.

 

July 8, 2009

'Fight Night' back in the ring
Developed by Electronic Arts Canada, 'Fight Night: Round 4' is a noticeable improvement over the other installments.
Of all the upgrades, it is the new physics based gameplay engine that ranks 'Round 4' as the undisputed champion. When you are in the ring, everything about the experience feels natural and unrefined. Erroneously throwing an indiscriminate barrage of missed punches at your opponent does nothing but sap your strength, weaken your blows and your ability to defend yourself. 'Fight Night' requires you to pick your spots so that you can make each punch really count. There are moments where the haymakers fly fast and furious but for the most part, it is a game of precision and timing.

 

July 3, 2009

[Prototype]: A great guilty pleasure
The unapologetic anti-hero of Activision's '[Prototype]', the merciless Mercer is at the centre of a whirlwind government conspiracy involving the military, a lethal virus, a genetics company and lots and lots of snarling beasties.

 

June 26, 2009

Nintendo brings E3 to Toronto
For those who couldn't make it down to E3 earlier this month or for those who did and just wanted to hack around some more, Nintendo Canada brought all of its E3 goodness to Toronto. Journalists were able give many of Nintendo's upcoming releases a test run and here were the highlights.

 

June 19, 2009

The nuts and bolts of 'Terminator Salvation'
Sheesh. Can't the Connor family do anything right? Despite their best efforts, the future they have dreaded has to come to pass. Blowing up Arnold Schwarzenegger with a pipe bomb and crushing him in a hydraulic press did nothing. Pushing Robert Patrick into a vat of molten steel didn't prevent the future apocalypse and neither did sticking a hydrogen fuel cell into Kristanna Loken's mouth and blowing her to smithereens. Looking back, maybe we should have called on Master Chief, Dr. Gordon Freeman or Samus Aran to clean up this mess instead.

 

June 12, 2009

'UFC: 2009', almost 'Undisputed'
It was only a short time ago that ultimate fighting or mixed martial arts competitions were banned in many places throughout the world mainly because of the unfettered brutality of the combat itself. Commonly accepted now by most mainstream audiences in North America, ultimate fighting has traveled a long and hard road to be recognized alongside boxing or other martial arts events.

 

June 2, 2009

New 'Punch-Out!' a knock out
A recent study suggests that these days more people are playing video games than going to the movies. The report conducted by the NPD Group states that in the past six months 64 percent of Americans have played a video game and consumers spend one-third of their entertainment dollars on video games while only 53 percent have gone to see a movie.

 

May 15, 2009

'Wolverine' a cut above
The Canadian superhero has finally broken away from the X-Men and come into his own with a blockbuster movie and videogame. Although he oftentimes struggles to cage the raging beast inside him, Wolverine has unshackled the full fury of his savage nature when the circumstances are that dire. In 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' the game, the brutality that is part of the persona is on full display.

 

May 6, 2009

Xbox Live Canada the testing ground for '1 vs 100'
Ever think you can do better than those poor slobs and clods you see blowing bonehead questions on TV game shows? Well, Microsoft is asking Canadian gamers to put their money where their mouths are. On Friday, May 8th at 7:00 p.m. PST, the exclusive beta test of '1 vs. 100' begins on Xbox Live with the first ever "episode" of the massively multiplayer online game.

 

April 30, 2009

'Guitar Hero: Metallica', the ultimate shredder
With 'Guitar Hero: Metallica', Activision and Neversoft have cranked their amps way beyond eleven. Fans of the fret butchering rhythm game franchise have been taken to the limit before. 'Psychobilly Freakout', 'Jordan', 'Through the Fire and Flames' are just a few of the ditties that have ruthlessly advanced the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome in an entire generation of gamers.

 

April 23, 2009

'Monsters vs. Aliens' the game, just as fun
When it comes to monsters or aliens, I will always pick the monsters. With so many diverse creatures to choose from, who wouldn't? Coming off the heels of the best children's movie of 2009 thus far, comes the best kids game up to now.

 

April 13, 2009

Nintendo Pokemon expert: Nothing outshines 'Platinum'
Seth McMahill, the Assistant Manager of Product Marketing at Nintendo, has one of the coolest jobs in the world. Can you imagine getting paid to promote, market, eat, sleep and drink Pokemon? Well, Seth does. With 'Pokemon Platinum' version in stores now, Canada sat down with Nintendo's resident Pokemon expert and got his take on the new game and all things Pokemon including what his favourite Pokemon of all time is. Hint: It ain't Pikachu and for the record, mine is Gengar, the mischievous ghost Pokemon.

 

April 6, 2009

Nintendo DSi, an evolution in gaming
First things first, I was never a fan of the introduction of the GameBoy Micro or in some ways the DS Lite. To me, they weren't that technological advanced in any area and maybe not worth the upgrade depending on what was of value to you. The machines just looked a lot nicer and maybe those models should have been held back until Nintendo could offer more changes worth writing home about.

 

April 3, 2009

Relive, Rewrite, Redefine: 'Legends of WrestleMania'
25 years ago, the World Wrestling Federation changed the face of professional wrestling by creating the spectacle known as 'WrestleMania'. Combining its own talented performers with appearances by celebrities, rock stars and even politicians, the WWE came to view their annual event as their annual Super Bowl, World Series and Daytona 500 all rolled into one.

 

April 1, 2009

'Halo Wars' for fans only
Yes, sir. It has been a long, long time since 'Age of Empires' in 1997. The sights and sounds of Real-Time Strategy combat are so much bigger and better now. You need to look no further than Ensemble Studios' 'Halo Wars' for the Xbox 360 to see how the simple RTS format has evolved from rudimentary sprites and pixels to the meticulously detailed masterworks of today.

 

March 26, 2009

'Shadow Dragon' a chip off the old block
'Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon' is a remake of the first game in the celebrated 'Fire Emblem' series that never made it to North American shores but don't let that fool you. It is an enhancement of the original and not merely some rushed rehash to pry the cash and coin from your hands.

 

March 19, 2009

'Watchmen' game: You get what you pay for
When writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons produced the 'Watchmen' comic book series for DC Comics in 1986, they never dreamed their gritty deconstruction of the superhero genre would be made into a full-length feature film never mind a videogame. The pairing of such high-minded ideals and such vicious violence was difficult for the mainstream to ingest in the eighties.

 

March 6, 2009

'Street Fighter' can't land a punch
The new DSi will be hitting North American shores this April. Just like they did with the Wii gaming console, Nintendo is hoping to revolutionize the handheld gaming world with the DSi system.

 

Feb 26, 2009

First look at new 'Halo' maps, 'Wars'
What better reasons do Halo fans have dust off their spike grenades and energy swords than the new 'Sandbox', 'Orbital' and 'Assembly' maps? The 'Mythic Map Pack' will launch with Limited Edition of 'Halo Wars' on March 3.

 

Feb 19, 2009

New DS in April
The new DSi will be hitting North American shores this April. Just like they did with the Wii gaming console, Nintendo is hoping to revolutionize the handheld gaming world with the DSi system.

 

Feb 4, 2009

'Neighborhood Games' brings back memories
THQ's 'Neighborhood Games' for the Nintendo Wii is a celebration of the games that helped us pass the time on those lazy afternoons. There's horseshoes, basketball, touch football, remote control truck racing, water balloon wars, bocce ball, shuffleboard tennis, golf and many more including my favourite...lawn darts.

 

Jan 26, 2009

'World Tour' expands rhythm game genre
You knew it had to happen sooner or later. With the advent of 'Rock Band', the rhythm - music video game genre was taken to a whole new level. Not wasting any time, the 'Guitar Hero' has answered back with its version of the virtual band experience - 'Guitar Hero - World Tour' - providing players with drums, guitars and microphones. There are no synthesizers yet but we all know that unless you are Rush or Yes, they are for sissies any ways.

 

Jan 22, 2009

Canada's 2008 Game of the Year Awards
It was a year of turmoil, strife and economic instability in 2008. Canadians went to the polls, saw huge companies like General Motors crumbling at the seams, and put up with what seemed like the longest winter in recent memory.

 

Jan 7, 2009

Out of the Box: New 'Resident Evil' film stumbles
As the film opens, we are not even really sure when the events of ‘Degeneration’ are supposed to fit into the ‘Resident Evil’ timeline for crying out loud. Sometime after the zany mishap in Raccoon City, series heroes Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy arrive in the town of Havardville. Converging at the airport, their fight for survival against the T-Virus hordes dramatically begins anew as a jumbo jet crashes into the airport, cracks open like a tin can and releases some really ravenous zombies.

 

Dec 4, 2008

Wii Sports Deathmatch
With its intuitive controllers, is it no wonder that the Wii is well-suited to so many sports games. From pro-wrestling to tennis, the Wii not only mimics many of the actions to perfection but also gets players off the couch, off their butts and moving. Who says all gamers are couch potatoes? This week, three sports games duke it out to see who comes out on top in the Gaming Deathmatch.

 

Nov 25, 2008

'SVR 2009': The champ is here
Like a grappler arguing with a WWE official over a slow count, we have accused THQ and developer Yuke's of being skimpy when it comes to the new changes to the 'Smackdown Versus Raw' game over the years. Not so in 2009. It seems that both parties have listened intently to both fans and critics, and instituted some long-awaited modifications to not only the gameplay but to everything from the characters themselves to the modes that are available.

 

Nov 14, 2008

'Quantum' gives 007 fans some 'Solace'
The good news for gamers and filmgoers alike is that James Bond is all business in both the 'Quantum of Solace' game and the film. Looking to avenge the death of the woman he loved, Bond ain't cracking jokes, sipping martinis or seducing women. He is mercilessly busting up people left, right and centre as he tracks down those responsible.

 

Nov 10, 2008

'Web of Shadows' just amazing
If you are one Peter Parker, you've got a lot of friends like the mighty mutant buzz saw Wolverine, the mysterious Moon Knight and the sexy but deadly Black Widow. You've also got a lot of enemies like the human bulldozer Rhino, the vicious Vulture and the very gross and very slimy, Venom. All of these folks and more come together in 'Spider-Man: Web of Shadows', the latest free roaming game featuring everyone's friendly neighborhood web-slinger.

 

Oct 30, 2008

A ghoulish 'Homecoming' for 'Silent Hill'
The eerie and mysterious New England town of Shepherd's Glen with its streets named after famous horror movie directors - How cool is that? - is the setting for a more personal story this time around but with the same creepy 'Silent Hill' monsters and atmosphere.

 

Oct 10, 2008

Sonic slows down
Made for the Nintendo DS by BioWare, 'Chronicles' takes Sonic where he has never gone before: the RPG world. With the makers of 'Mass Effect' at the helm, 'Chronicles' is not about collecting gold rings or winding your way through each maze. Well, actually it is but not as you might think.

 

July 24, 2008

New 'Guitar Hero' pressed for 'Aerosmith' fans
It took me by surprise that of all the bands to choose from, Aerosmith would be the first group ever to be given their own edition of ‘Guitar Hero’. It is not like the name Joe Perry comes to mind when you first think of guitar gods past, present and future. It is not that he sucks or anything, far from it. It is just he doesn’t stand out at all and maybe that’s an intentional thing.

 

July 10, 2008

DS 'Guitar Hero' a handful
What could be better than trashing a perfectly good hotel room? How about playing ‘Guitar Hero’ anywhere you want? With the ‘On Tour’ release designed and developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld system, the franchise has gone mobile and although the new gameplay takes a little getting used to, the feeling you get nailing that grueling solo is still the same.

 

July 3, 2008

'Kung Fu' game as good as the movie
Besides the laughs and crazy martial arts action, including the biggest butt drop known to mankind, ‘Kung Fu Panda’ has been rightfully praised for its wonderful animation. Fans of the movie will be happy to know that the attention to detail and the brilliant colours have made their way to the Activision video game. No fooling but the game really does look as good as the movie itself.

 

May 29, 2008

'Iron Man' flawed but fun
First out of the gate for Sega is ‘Iron Man’, Marvel Comics’ high tech hero who is more at home with audiences now than ever before. That is perhaps why the movie has been embraced as it has been. With high tech gizmos and toys dominating our lives, there really is no better time for ‘Iron Man’ to have been released.

 

March 18, 2008

'Smash Bros.' just Super
'Super Smash Bros. Brawl' for the Nintendo has it all. There are so many options, so many characters, so many collectables and so many modes, you would be hard pressed not to find something to keep your interest for a very, very long time.

 

March 10, 2008

'Hitman' movie misses the mark
Coming to DVD this Tuesday, 'Hitman' is not a total waste of time but it is really nothing special either. Agent 47 could have been the next Jason Bourne or 007, if the producers of the slap dash 'Hitman' feature film had only taken the time to suitably develop the character. They really have no excuse either.

 

February 26, 2008

'Devil 4' will make you 'Cry'
From its inception, the 'Devil May Cry' series has told great stories with some even greater characters. While this still holds true with the latest chapter in the series "Devil May Cry 4', it is one of the only things that will interest gamers in pressing on ahead to the next mission and the next.

 

January 29, 2008

Hands on: 'GoW' PSP demo
If there was any doubt that 'God of War: Chains of Olympus' was going to be the greatest game ever made for the PSP, the newly released demo from Sony featuring the 'Battle of Attica' level has put that all to rest.

 

January 24, 2008

'Kong' doc reveals gaming obsessions
Achievement points? Unlockables? Not so in the eighties. Then, it was all about high scores and levels attained but just like today, some people just take things waaaay too seriously.

 

January 15, 2008

'Napoleon' anything but dynamite
Some still don’t get the 2004 quirky comedy ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ and probably never will. It is an acquired taste to be sure. Those who couldn’t make heads or tails out of the movie will surely feel as if they had their brains scrambled playing ‘Napoleon Dynamite: The Game’.

 

January 09, 2008

G4 Canada’s Game of the Year Awards
So there was quite a lot to plow through in 2007 and the holiday period especially had game reviewers pulling their hair out when their hands weren't attached to their controllers, but G4 Canada's John Powell and Daniel Barron have crowned winners in several Game-of-the-Year categories.

 

December 13, 2007

Kids Gaming Gift Guide
The clock is ticking. Santa is loading up his sleigh and you still haven't gotten anything for that young gamer on your Christmas list? No worries. Never fear. Here are some last minute gift ideas that will put you on their nice list.

 

December 06, 2007

‘SVR 2008’ releases a mixed bag
Based on common sense, you would assume that ‘Smackdown versus Raw 2008’, the sequel to the greatest wrestling game ever made, would improve upon the high standards set by last year’s benchmark release. If you thought that, like my pals and I before the Maple Leaf Gardens card, you would be wrong. Dead wrong depending on the version you are referring to as some are surprisingly better than others.

 

December 04, 2007

New 'Painkiller' not up to scratch
Initially a free mod, 'Painkiller: Overdose' is now a standalone expansion pack that like the other add-ons in the series, doesn't come close to living up to the original.

 

November 29, 2007

Out of the Box - Gaming Gadget Gift Guide
Having a hardcore gamer on your holiday shopping list can be tricky especially if you are not a video game fanatic yourself. No need to fret. Below sorted by platform are some practical gifts for the gamer in your life.

 

November 23, 2007

‘COD4’ , the rebirth of a franchise
‘Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’ just doesn’t represent a shift in time period, it represents a rebirth of the ‘Call of Duty’ franchise. Infinity Ward didn’t go back and reinvent the wheel but in abandoning the World War eras they cleared those boundaries which may have been confining their creativity.

 

November 22, 2007

'Conan' is bloody good fun
As a fictional character, Conan has gotten a bad rep. You can blame Arnold Schwarzenegger and his pair of cheesy movies in the eighties for that. The only impression some people have of the character is of the simple-minded, sadistic oaf that Arnie portrayed. The real Conan found in the classic stories and books written by Robert E. Howard is a more complex character who employs brain as well as brawn and at various times has been a pirate, a thief, a mercenary and even a king.

 

November 15, 2007

Gaming DeathMatch: Party Game DeathMatch
With the advent of video games, family game night has sure taken on a whole new meaning. Whether it be co-op, multiplayer and versus, a family who plays together stays together. With the holidays coming up, tis the season for “party games” and we have two here that are ready to kick butt as much as innocuous and inoffensive family games can possibly “kick butt”.

 

November 13, 2007

New and improved 'Guitar Hero'
Ever since Harmonix, the developers of 'Guitar Hero', moved on to work on 'Rock Band' fans have wondered if their beloved franchise would become mired in mediocrity. Faux axe wielders can rest easy. Not only has Neversoft improved upon the work done by Harmonix but they have introduced some new additions to 'Guitar Hero' as well.

 

November 8, 2007

New 'Zoo' pack expands the fun
With the long-awaited Windows PC version of ‘Gears of War’ hitting stores shelves November 6th, .ca caught up with the game’s lead designer and creator at Epic Games, Clifford “CliffyB“ Bleszinski, and picked his brain about the award-winning success of the “hide and seek” shooter and his thoughts on the what the PC version offers hardcore gamers.

 

November 1, 2007

‘Gears of War’ - ‘CliffyB’ Q&A
With the long-awaited Windows PC version of ‘Gears of War’ hitting stores shelves November 6th, .ca caught up with the game’s lead designer and creator at Epic Games, Clifford “CliffyB“ Bleszinski, and picked his brain about the award-winning success of the “hide and seek” shooter and his thoughts on the what the PC version offers hardcore gamers.

 

October 31, 2007

Halloween Gaming Deathmatch
It is that one night of the year when long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night are welcome sights. Don’t want to venture out of the house to face them or all the little ghosts and goblins in your neighbourhood but still want to have some thrills and chills this Halloween? We may have the answer for you as not two but THREE recent horror video games duke it out for all tricks and treats in our Halloween edition of Gaming Deathmatch.

 

October 25, 2007

Spidey game spins simple fun
Webhead. Arachnid. Wallcrawler. Webslinger. Whatever you want to call him, your friendly nieghbourhood Spider-Man is back in perhaps one of his most amusing Activision adventures.

 

October 24, 2007

Q&A with 'Bee Movie Game' producer
Due out in theatres November 2nd, the DreamWorks animated film follows the adventures of a rebellious bee, Barry B. Benson, who dares to be different. Before the movie flies into theatres though, fans can live out Barry's fun-filled exploits on their gaming consoles as the game hits stores on October 30th.

 

October 18, 2007

'Quake Wars' has it all...even giant robots
Why can’t we all just get along? Well, the answer is if we all did, the gaming world would sure be one very boring place populated by Nintendogs and Lemmings. It is lucky for us that the humans and alien Strogg of the ‘Quake’ universe still cannot see eye to eye after eleven years of beating the ever lovin’ crap out of each other. The hate lives on and so does the ‘Quake’ series with the multi-player fragfest known as ‘Enemy Territory’.

 

October 12, 2007

Sony shines at Holiday Event
Santa better save some room on that sleigh come December. Based on the multitude of games on display at the PlayStation Holiday Preview Event in Toronto, Sony has a lot of holiday gaming goodness waiting in the wings.

 

October 11, 2007

Gaming DeathMatch: NHL 2K8 versus NHL '08
The new NHL season is upon us and with it comes the latest instalments of everyone's favourite hockey game franchises. When it comes to annual sports games the obvious question is always...Are there any improvements? Wonder no more as the whistle blows and the puck is dropped on our hockey gaming deathmatch.

 

October 05, 2007

Out of the Box: Resident DOA
I checked already. There is nothing better than watching beautiful and lethal women kung fu each other into total oblivion on the big screen, as long as it is done tastefully of course.

 

September 28, 2007

Avoid 'Blue Dragon' or get burned
In an effort to win over Japanese fans, Microsoft hooked into 'Blue Dragon'. Developed by Artoons and Mistwalker and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the game is based on the Japanese anime and magna hit.

 

September 20, 2007

‘Metroid’, the best Wii game yet
Remember those wicked and amusing promos released at the time of the Wii launch? Recall the one that featured a nameless gamer rolling, ducking and spinning like a S.W.A.T. team member as he played 'Metroid Prime 3: Corruption' in his living room? Of course, you do. That scene alone sold me on the Wii as being a revolutionary console. Nintendo hasn't disappointed me in that regard and neither has the first ‘Metroid’ game for the Wii.

 

September 14, 2007

Gaming DeathMatch: NASCAR versus Forza 2
It is time to put the pedal to the metal and tear up the track. In 'Gaming DeathMatch' this week, we compare two racing games for the Xbox 360 and after the smoke has cleared we will see who indeed takes the checkered flag.

 

September 03, 2007

'Sam & Max', a delightful distraction
Don’t be fooled. The news concerning the demise of adventure gaming has been greatly exaggerated. Although the days of LucasArts and Infocom ruling the market with their point and click exploits died at the exact moment iD Software’s space marine started unloading on hellish demons and zombies, adventure games are still fighting the good fight.

 

August 28, 2007

Nintendo fall preview!
An Italian plumber that never seems to do much plumbing, flesh-eating zombies, rock heroes and an ivory balance board were the stars of Nintendo's post-E3 preview event held at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in downtown Toronto.

 
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About G4 in Canada
G4 Canada (formerly TechTV Canada) launched in September 2001. G4 is the one and only television station that is plugged into every dimension of games, gear, gadgets and gigabytes. Owned Rogers Media Inc., the channel airs more than 24 original series. G4 is available on digital cable and satellite. For more information, see www.g4tv.ca.