About James Heiger

Daytona USA was developed and published by Sega. It was released October 26, 2011 and retails for 800 MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes.

Daytona USA is perhaps the most famous arcade racing game ever. Much of its fame is due to the massive eight and even sixteen player arcade setups featuring chairs, force feedback steering wheels, shifters, and foot pedals. The experience of playing with a group of your friends was an undeniably fun event. Sega is a modern master of not only creating fun games but also completely immersive experiences that seamlessly integrate physical and electronic media into one. Released back in 1993 we are almost 20 years removed from its beginnings. Though the graphics are laughable by today’s standards the game hasn’t lost any of its fun and atmosphere. The only question is whether or not Daytona USA can be a worthwhile experience outside of an arcade setting.

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Big news in the world of Pinball FX 2. The next table to be released, the much awaited Paranormal, will be free from October 26 through November 2. This …
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Sega Bass Fishing was developed and published by Sega. It was released October 5, 2011 and retails for 800 MSP.

Sega Bass Fishing was originally an arcade game that was then brought over to the Dreamcast. What we get now on XBLA is an almost exact replica of the Dreamcast version sans the fishing controller. Sega Bass Fishing is an arcade style fishing game. It mixes serious fishing technique and approaches with arcade style speed and action. Far from being a simulation (10 to 20 pound largemouth bass are commonplace here) it still manages to feel like authentic fishing. This old-school game is sure to be a favorite amongst old fans but still has the goods to entertain a new audience.

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The hotly anticipated Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue package is getting closer every day. We finally have a solid look at the only table that has been officially announced …
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Sorcerer’s Lair for Pinball FX 2 was developed by Zen Studios and retails for 240 MSP. It was released on October 12, 2011. A copy of the table was provided for review purposes.

The latest installation into the Pinball FX 2 series is none other than Sorcerer’s Lair. This table was released some time ago on the PlayStation 3 and is finally making its way to Xbox Live. Despite the fact that this table is a retread of an older release it stands tall as another excellent example of Zen Studios craftsmanship in the realm of pinball.

This is one of the first tables in some time to be released without a link to some sort of established IP. This makes its success all the more impressive because the lack of familiarity with the theme doesn’t slow it down at all. Sorcerer’s Lair is another medium length table that plays relatively fast. High scores are definitely possible on this very fun table.

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We here at XBLAFans get excited when we see an awesome XBLIG on the horizon. They Bleed Pixels by Spooky Squid Games really fits that bill. It was originally …
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Radiant Silvergun was developed by Treasure. It was released September 14, 2011 and retails for 1200 MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes.

Way back in 1998 a little game called Radiant Silvergun was released in Japanese arcades. Shortly thereafter it was ported to the Sega Saturn, but again only in Japan. But a funny thing happened that really doesn’t happen all that often. Somehow through word of mouth and game magazine hype this little game developed a following in the rest of the world. People started importing the game so they could play it. The only problem was that RSG was a limited release even by Japanese standards. Prices skyrocketed. Even today a copy for the Saturn could fetch between $150 – $200. Out of the reach of most gamers, this game continued to have great word of mouth for the last decade. It was, in truth, one of the most popular games that no one had ever played. But that is all behind us now. Finally the rest of the world gets to see what Radiant Silvergun is all about.

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There are a few newsworthy announcements to make for the venerable Pinball FX 2 series.

The first announcement is that the next tournament will feature the brand new Ms. …
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There are several DLC packs planned for Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Online Edition. But they are unfortunately getting off to a bad start. Yesterday the first color pack …
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Penny Arcade: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 1 and Episode 2 were developed by Hothead Games. They originally retailed for 1600 MSP and 1200 MSP respectively. They now both have been permanently reduced to 800 MSP each.

The Penny Arcade games are both fairly traditional RPG’s put together in an episodic format. With the third episode finally having been announced this is the perfect time to revisit these titles. Episode 2 makes some improvements over the first but they are largely similar except as far as story is concerned. With that in mind this will be a joint review for both episodes. The theme of the games is difficult to define. Seemingly set in the past it also contains a great deal of futuristic technology. But those up for an interesting mix of themes will be in for a treat.
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