Lego Island holds a special place in the memory of many who are now somewhere in their twenties. This marked the first time that the famous construction bricks had entered the digital domain and just in time for the advent of the new millennium.
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When reflecting back on my DS collection, one of the games that stands out is The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.
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Nintendo has always been known for its willingness to experiment. Even looking back at the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) there are examples of Nintendo thinking outside of the box to provide new means of interactivity.
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The past couple of months have been eventful for the videogames community, despite this having been the usual quiet summer period. However these events were not wholly as a result from videogames themselves. Rather instead the community itself was the centre of the news stories.
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For a considerable amount of time major videogame publishers have been a prominent force in the industry, helping to dictate which games get into the hands of players. In recent years however their influence has changed, that is not to say that they no longer have influence, but the way
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Highly regarded developer (or overhyped creator whose promises often do not come to fruition) Peter Molyneux recently gave an insightful interview with Rev3 Games in which the focus was on his current title, Godus. Godus is a spiritual sequel Molyneux’s 1989 game, Populous, which is often considered the first “god” game.
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The relationship between violence and videogames is one that has almost always been up for debate, and this is unlikely to change anytime soon. Even here at Thumbsticks we feel the need to discuss it from various pathways. In a recent opinion piece over at Polygon, Chris Plante (one of the
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This year’s E3 marked a dramatic shift, albeit one that was not immediately noticeable. As E3’s go, it was not a revolutionary year, no major new hardware announcements were made, nor were there game reveals that left everyone stunned. That is not to say that it was a bad year,
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After the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare there was a shift in the type of shooters that helped to define the last console generation. The battlegrounds of World War Two had been well traversed and space marines had begun to lose their appeal. Stories of past glories
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On the surface this year’s E3 seemed to be no different to in previous years. Games were revealed, demos playable, release dates announced, and swag was given out. The main difference separating it from last year was that there were no big hardware reveals (unless you count PlayStation TV coming
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E3 is almost upon us; the most important entry in the videogame calendar, and whilst this year will not be as momentous as last year it will still be important nonetheless. We think of E3 as being the place where new consoles are announced, and some associate last year’s E3
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Last year was the first time Nintendo “skipped” E3 and this decision was a shock to many. Confusion followed as Nintendo were still going to be present at E3 and renting out the Nokia theatre, quashing the assumption by many that the decision was a cost saving exercise. When it
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There is an Asian proverb; ‘He who rides the tiger is afraid to dismount’. This proverb can help explain some of the thinking which goes behind the Japanese approach of still supporting elements which are supposedly “failing”. In the videogames industry this line of thinking applies very well with Sony’s continued
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The videogame cartridge has existed for decades and has allowed the catalogue of games playable on a console to constantly expand and diversify. However whilst the cartridge was a core element of console gaming for many generations, they are unfortunately a feature of the past. Replaced by increasingly efficient storage
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Bit Boy!! Arcade is an example of how having the best of intentions does not result in a good videogame. Bit Boy!! Arcade is a difficult game to review. This may come across as an odd statement, but the problem with Bit Boy!! Arcade is that as a sum of
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2013 saw the reboot of the iconic Tomb Raider franchise, one which delved into the origins of Lara Croft. Whilst the title received near universal praise, its achievements may have been overstated. When discussing Tomb Raider it is difficult to openly criticise it, for there are elements which it is
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Why is the term which has been used to define the entire medium since its creation becoming a problem? Last month a previous article explored some of the problems associated with the identifying term of “gamer”. In this the important distinction was made that in its current use the term
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Aerial Dominance Luftrausers is an arcade game for modern times. Whilst on the surface Luftrausers appears to be a simple 2D based shooter, first impressions can be deceiving. Like most arcade games there isn’t much in the way of story, with the World War Two theme providing much of the
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Recently, in a discussion with the other writers for Thumbsticks, a question arose which asked ‘what type of gamer would enjoy this game?’ Throughout the past few console generations the term “gamer” has grown in popularity as a self-identifying badge of honour. But whilst this was initially a form of
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Traditionally, people claimed that better, more realistic, graphics meant greater immersion. But the problem with striving for better graphics inevitably means entering the “uncanny valley”. This is when despite the on screen visuals looking more realistic than anything preceding, it still looks off. And because it is otherwise so close, the
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Spies, trench coats, Soviets, and robotic hotel clerks? This is the absurd world of Jazzpunk. Last year saw the release of notable games such as Gone Home, The Stanley Parable, and Proteus, games which some people ignorantly referred to as “non-games”. Such a derogatory term is inapplicable as it suggests
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What defines a video game as a port? Often this refers to when a game appears on a different platform to the one it was designed for, yet remaining as close to the original version as possible. Then Retro City Rampage DX for the 3DS cannot be deemed a mere
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In recent years what are referred to as “Indie games” have grown exponentially and are now seen as a core element necessary for the wider success of the new generation of consoles. Sony has managed to find great success in its support of indie developers and the smaller, often more
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There was a time when distinguishing between video games amounted primarily to what type of game it was and the genre that it might fit into.
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There was a time when cheating in games was mostly for the enjoyment of experiencing what else a game had to offer.
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Killer Is Dead is the most recent game from auteur Goichi Suda (AKA Suda51), and on paper it would appear to be no different from his former creations. So much so that beyond being a spiritual successor to the Marmite cult title Killer7, it could be considered a Suda51 Greatest Hits trip. Whilst the
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