Castle Crashers Toys - A Review

As you folks may or may not know, I recently bought a set of these little guys over at The Behemoth's online store. They used to be exclusive to the lucky few of us who get the chance to go to Cons, but as of the previous holiday, they're available online to the masses -- which is a good thing considering how undeniably awesome the knights are.

But is the full set worth $60 (or $20 per knight?) Read on, my good friends, and I'll explain my personal thoughts about the little guys (and include a few pictures along the way.)


As pictured above, you can see the Castle Crashers all encased in their respective plastic casings and atop their mighty display pedestals/weapon holders. This isn't how they come shipped, mind you. The way you'll actually receive the little knights is inside these plastic cases filled with packing peanuts and a tiny white box which has the knight, the pedestal and their weapons wrapped in plastic. It takes a few moments to get everything sorted out, but that's more a gripe of mine than anything else.

Right out of the gate, you'll notice the construction of the Castle Crashers is solid. These stout little guys are (fairly) poseable and look cool no matter what position you put them in. Now, what I mean by "fairly" is that their arms didn't really raise as far as I thought they would -- because their ginormous heads get in the way of their shoulders. No matter, you're still given enough play to pose them the way you want 'em. For those curious, the articulation points are in the neck, waist, arms, and hands. The hands might seem a bit rigid at first, but they'll become normal after a few movements.


Let's move on to the items the knights with. Each knight comes with their respective colored shield and four equally lethal weapons; a bloody sword, a bloody axe, a spiked mace, and, uh, a frozen fish. The weapons are really well done and look great. I'm not really a fan of the shields, as they don't seem to stay in the pose you want them to stay in, but just as before, that's more a gripe than anything else. All weapons can be placed in the pedestal that the knights come with for easy (and fashionable) storage, so no need to worry about losing 'em.

Speaking about the pedestal, I have one last issue -- there is a little nub in the middle of the stand that holds the knights in place (they have a small hole in their left foot) However, it just seems that this hole and nub don't like to fit together for some reason. It takes a bit of muscling, but you can get it to fit nice and snug. I just get a bit worried when placing the guys on the stand that I'm gonna break 'em. But, as said, they're constructed very well and have a good durable feel.


So, let me sum up all my mildly coherent ramblings into one paragrah. The Castle Crashers toys are by far my new favorite figures. Granted, I don't own that many to begin with, but, they've certainly exceeded my expectations in terms of quality. The pricetag might be a smidge high, but keep in mind that you're buying something that is (supposedly) a limited release and will also help The Behemoth pay their bills in the long run.

I highly recommend these figures to anyone who enjoys this sort of thing, They're a great addition to any collection and $60 for the full set isn't so bad, really.

Now let's just hope The Behemoth can release Castle Crashers sometime soon. :)

There's no reason a game should be THIS addictive! Say 'Hello' to Culdcept SAGA

Lend me your ear (or eye, as it were) for the moment, and let me blather about how insanely awesometastic Culdcept SAGA for the Xbox 360 turned out to be.

And by "turned out to be" I mean that I was rather surprised by it, since it came completely out of left field. Like most of you (some of you?) I downloaded the demo off XBL Marketplace, played it once or twice, and didn't think it was all that great. Then again, I had NO idea what the hell I was doing at that time. A few weeks past, and I randomly picked up the demo again and finally everything clicked once I read a review somewhere that said "Just think of it like Monopoly with a bunch of monsters for houses."

After playing the demo over and over, I was determined to rent the game to see if it would hold water (and be worth the psuedo-bargain pricetag of 40 bones.) Here's where my own plight begins -- I had it #1 in my GameFly GameQ -- but for whatever reason, GameFly flipped me the figurative bird and sent the #5 game in my queue (PGR4 for those curious.)

I called three rental joints around town -- none of them had the damn game to rent. What the hell? This game just came out in February! Disappointed, I realized I would have to wait for GameFly to come through.

But I'm a very impatient person, so I did what any gamer would do -- I bought the damn thing on a whim after seeing it at the mall. I was a bit worried that I might've blown my hard-earned $40, but after diving into the game headfirst for a good 8 hours over the past two days, I can delightfully report that the game is as addictive as [insert something REALLY addictive here]!

The game is rather time consuming, so don't be thinking you'll be blazing through encounters like Puzzle Quest. However, you can suspend your game in the middle, so no worries there. Nonetheless, once you get a handle on all the intricacies and complexities Culdcept SAGA has, you'll be hooked on building your Book (deck) and constantly begin thinking up new and interesting ways to make your opponent cry, curse, and complain.

All in all, the core mechanics of the game are really what drew me in. There's a steep learning curve here, but there is also a lot of rewarding fun to be had once you get over the hump. It's a shame that this game will fall through the cracks with so many gamers, but I figure I'd at least let'cha folks know how I feel.

If you've got a spare $40, I highly suggest giving this one a chance. It really is all its cracked up to be.

(Own this? Why not play me on Xbox Live? My 'tag is x Mikezilla x)

Deadlist Catch Alaskan Storm revealed for PC, 360 -- I'm dead serious.

Check out the official press release for all the crab battling... err... fishing information.

Life and Death on the Bering Sea

Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm for Xbox 360 and PC

SEATTLE (February 26, 2008) - Battle 40-foot waves, storms, ice and a nearly 100-percent crewmember injury rate in the dangerous hunt for undersea riches on the Bering Sea with the new video game Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm, to be launched on the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC in April 2008. The game was inspired by Sig, Edgar and Norman Hansen - three brothers who have made their living crab fishing on the Bering Sea aboard their family's fishing vessel, the Northwestern. The Hansen brothers started game development with Liquid Dragon Studios in October 2005.

The Hansens and the Northwestern are featured on Discovery Channel's highest rated and Emmy®-nominated series - Deadliest Catch. The series that captivated nearly three million viewers each week returns for a fourth season this April.

Whether the gamer is a die-hard fan or someone who has never seen the Discovery Channel series, Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm is an immersive and challenging experience, putting them at the helm of one the world's most dangerous jobs - that of a crab boat captain in the icy Bering Sea.

Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm lets gamers captain their own boat in the frenzied search for an undersea jackpot. Gamers select one of five real crab boats, including the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie and Sea Star - all featured on the series, or create and customize their own boat. Gamers then recruit and lead their own crew from a roster of twenty real crab fishermen. Selecting the wrong boat or recruiting the wrong crew member can mean the difference between landing a Bering Sea jackpot or disaster. Lead your fatigued, hungry and hardworking crew in the strategic search for King Crab and Opilio Crab, while battling to secure your catch and livelihood before other captains and crews get to the crab first.

Authenticity and realism were critical to the Hansen brothers. They invited key development team members to Dutch Harbor, Alaska to personally experience life on the Northwestern. The game's realism is enhanced with four real Bering Sea harbors and 34,000 miles of real Bering Sea coastline created from the United States Geological Survey. In addition, Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm is the first video game to feature United States Coast Guard vessels and helicopters.

With waves over 40 feet high, Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm features the best wave effects in a video game to date. In the words of Captain Sig Hansen, "It may not be life or death, but chills went up my spine the first time I saw the Northwestern sink in the game."

Weather and fishing conditions are based on authentic weather and storm data and get progressively worse each season, increasing the challenge. The ultimate goal is to return safely each season, upgrade your boat and crew, and attempt to break Captain Sig Hansen and the Northwestern crew's actual lifetime catch of twenty million pounds.

Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm includes the following features and content:

• Career Mode (Realistic and challenging simulation for gamers and Deadliest Catch fans)
• Missions (Gamers experience the hard core Bering Sea life, including participation in United States Coast Guard search and rescue missions and ice flow navigation
• Arcade Mini-Games (Allows casual gamers to enjoy fun challenges, including crab boat races and skiff races)
• Five Authentic Crab Boats (including Northwestern and Cornelia Marie)
• Twenty Real Fishermen (including Edgar and Norman Hansen, Josh and Jake Harris)
• Six Authentic Captains (including Captains Sig Hansen, Phil Harris and Larry Hendricks)
• 4,500 lines of recorded character dialogue
• United States Coast Guard Search and Rescues (First time in a video game)
• Captain the 370ft. USCG Cutter Mellon
• Throw-the-Hook Mini-Game
• Skiff Racing Mini-Game
• 34,000 Miles Actual Coastline
• Four Real Bering Sea Harbors (Akutan, Dutch Harbor, King Cove and St. Paul)
• Interactive Virtual Tour Northwestern Crab Boat
• 100 Exclusive Crew Videos
• Xbox Live multiplayer

Captain Sig Hansen personally announces the game he inspired with a video on Discovery.com at www.discovery.com/deadliestcatch. Every Tuesday until Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm launches, a new video featuring captains or crewmembers from the Deadliest Catch series discussing the game will be released at www.discovery.com/deadliestcatch.

Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm is being developed by Liquid Dragon Studios (www.liquiddragon.com). The exclusive crew videos were filmed on location on the Bering Sea by Hi-Five Films (www.hifivefilms.com). The game is published by Greenwave, a recently established video game publisher based in Seattle. The game will be available April 2008 for the Xbox® 360 video game system from Microsoft and for PC. The game is not yet rated. For more information about Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm, visit www.alaskanstorm.com or www.greenwavegames.com.

About Greenwave
Greenwave is a new video game publisher creating fun, high quality games for existing markets and fan communities. The company is privately held and headquartered in Seattle. For more information visit www.greenwavegames.com.

About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications is the world's number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

My Most Anticipated XBLA Title? Castle Crashers FTW!

After seeing the new trailer (albeit very short) for Castle Crashers, I had the idea to write up a small post about how much love I have for this game, and how I simply can't wait to hand over my money to play the damn thing.

Castle Crashers has been in development for what seems to be an eternity, and even though it has not been released as of yet, it has already gained a huge fanbase, official toys, and even cosplays of the knights. It really is no secret that Castle Crashers is going to be huge in '08, and will definitely be a big hit for The Behemoth -- maybe even moreso than Alien Hominid was.


But what makes Castle Crashers so unique and so great? The unique art style, and hand-drawn characters/environments really are unmatched. The knights move and attack with such slick animation that it just oozes production value and sheer polish. Kudos to Dan from The Behemoth for such great work, as always.

That's just part of what makes Castle Crashers so great. I don't know a single person who doesn't enjoy great co-op with your closest buddies. There's something special about getting together and kicking some virtual ass side-by-side (or over Xbox Live, as it were.) Watching the boss fight trailer that shows the giant bull, I can only imagine how many great moments this game will contain when playing with others online.



But the good times don't end there, apparently. There'll be some online deathmatches to be had, some minor RPG elements (levelling characters, for example) and 20 levels to crash together. This is no ordinary arcade-style beat'em up


Something just tells me in my gut that once this game finally does come out, my entire friends list is going to be filled with people playing it. And, frankly, I see no reason why someone shouldn't be playing this game once it does. This is old school meeting new school with an excellent blend of visual flair and unmatched co-op gameplay -- and for $10 - $15, it'll be a steal, for sure.

Let us pray that Castle Crashers can find its way to XBLA as soon as possible, for all of our sakes.

(Interested? Check out the official Castle Crashers website.)

Who dat ninja? N+ Mini-Review.

Own an Xbox 360? Like traditional platformers? Buy N+ now.
End of review

...

Okay, I know this is a "mini" review and all, but I'll try and flesh things out a bit better than just two lines. N+ is, as said, a traditional platformer, and it doesn't try (or need to be) anything else. However, what you'll find is some of the tightest controls, smoothest gameplay, on mind-numbingly hard level designs you can possibly imagine. Just when you thought platforming was hard enough, they throw lasers, chainguns, rockets, and deranged robotic mice your way. This game is truly no small task to complete with a staggering 250 single-player levels to complete... and that's not even the half of it.

What all do you get for your hard-earned $10? A lot more than what you may think at first. 250 levels will take you a good chunk of time to tackle, but there's a slew of other content to be found on the multiplayer end of things -- co-op missions, races, and survival maps which are all a blast to play with your buddies online.

And get this, there's a super slick level editor that allows you to build your own custom maps to challenge yourself or your friends to complete. I have seriously spent as much time in the editor as I have playing the game itself.

All-in-all, to keep this short, I can say that N+ is an excellent addition to XBLA and is a slick package with a lot of replay value. Once you get up to speed as to how the physics work in the game (and you seriously will need to) you'll be off to curse at your TV for hours on end.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to working on getting that "Die a 1,000 times" achievement (which is easy enough to get, I assure.)

Who dat ninja?

OVERALL SCORE: 8.5 / 10