Power Blade’s Bizarre Localisation Legacy
I recently stumbled on a NES game called Power Blade at a local retro game shop. It’s a pretty cool game – but its history is what makes it so interesting.
Author: Tristan Jurkovich
Tristan Jurkovich began his career as a journalist in 2011. His childhood love of video games and writing fuel his passion for archiving this great medium’s annals. He dabbles in every genre, but he’s particularly enthused with RPGs and portables. Secretly he enjoys the Just Dance series a little too much. Aside from writing, Tristan also hosts a plethora of shows on his YouTube Channel, ReActionExaminer.
Predictions for Square Enix’s Avengers Project
A Deux Ex-style stealth adventure? A top-down Diablo-style RPG? We don’t know what the Avengers Project will be, but it’s fun to speculate.
20 Years With My First RPG: A Final Fantasy VII Retrospective
This month marks Final Fantasy VII‘s 20th anniversary. Feel old yet? Originally debuting in Japan on 31st January 1997 for PlayStation 1, it later followed in the West, with a September release in North America and November in Europe. Whether or not you believe that VII is the best in the franchise, there’s no denying that the fan base behind…
Nintendo Announces Four New Fire Emblem Games
Just a week out from their Nintendo Switch event, the big N held another small gathering – this time to discuss the Fire Emblem franchise. Nintendo went over the recently announced Nintendo Switch title, Fire Emblem Warriors, along with three other projects. Here are all the juicy details. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is…
Nintendo Switch Event News Recap
It’s been a long wait, but all the Nintendo Switch secrets have finally been unveiled, mostly. It was first mentioned as the Nintendo NX in 2015, but confirmed as the Nintendo Switch in a trailer back in October. Leaks have been a constant source of news, but Nintendo didn’t release a lot of official press…
4 Upcoming Japanese PS4 Games, Tested
It’s only been a week and I’m already amped up for 2017’s crop of upcoming games. To satiate my appetite I logged into Japanese PSN and downloaded four of the most recent demos that haven’t made it over to the West yet. Coincidentally, they’re near the top of my most wanted list for this year. If you…
A Brief History on Double Dragon’s Confusing 30-Year Legacy
Double Dragon is one of the forefathers of the beat’em up genre. While it started in arcades, most gamers are probably more familiar with the NES port. No matter what version you’ve played, most of them blend together. For 30 years there’s actually not a lot to go through, but that said, it’s also kind of…
Top 10 Biggest News Stories of 2016
Not only was 2016 filled with incredible video game experiences that were really hard to narrow down into a best-of list, but the news last year was insane. I’ve rewound time and looked at the biggest stories, narrowing down my top picks. Some will heighten the video game industry as a whole for years to come and…
Radiantflux: Hyperfractal Review
Hacking made a huge presence in 2016 video games. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided‘s set of mini games was simple but rewarding. Quadrilateral Cowboy was a weird game that was interesting, but perhaps not fun. And Watch Dogs 2 improved everything sour about the first and made hacking just a fun tool to mess around with,…
Octocopter: Super Sub Squid Escape Review
Indie games have remained one of the most creative spaces for the industry to grow. There are rarely any corporate overlords to tell the developer what he/she/they should do. However, a lack of guidance before publishing can be dangerous too. A video game has to be more than a gimmick: no matter how crazy or…
Top 10 Underappreciated Video Game Gems of 2016
It’s cliché to say this, but 2016 was packed with too many great games. I have my pick of favourites, but there have also been a slew of hidden gems that didn’t get the attention they rightfully deserved. These games may have scored relatively well here on GameSpew and on other outlets, but for whatever reason, be…
Valkyria Revolution Heading West in 2017
Valkyria fans rejoice, because the next game in the series, Valkyria Revolution, will be heading westward to the PS4, PS Vita, and Xbox One in Spring 2017. Valkyria Revolution, formerly known as Valkyria: Azure Revolution, is a spinoff to the tactical RPG series Valkyria Chronicles. Unlike its predecessors, the action is more along the lines of…
Yooka-Laylee Cancelled on Wii U; Release Date Revealed
Today, developer Playtonic have announced that the Wii U version of Yooka-Laylee has been cancelled. Instead, they are hoping to port it to the Nintendo Switch. It’s not such a surprising announcement, given that Nintendo has ceased production of its current home console, and with the Switch’s arrival expected in March, it makes sense that Playtonic should release…
Jak and Daxter: Naughty Dog’s First Foray into Dramatic Storytelling
At PSX this past weekend, three out of four of Naughty Dog’s biggest properties were showcased. The company is making a standalone expansion to Uncharted 4, entitled The Lost Legacy, plus they teased their next big title: The Last of Us Part II. Finally, their former treasure trove, Crash Bandicoot, is getting a remaster for PS4….
Dragon Quest Heroes II: Twin Kings and the Prophecy’s End Coming to the West
The wait is over Dragon Quest fans: a new game is finally getting localised in the West. Square Enix announced plans to bring over Dragon Quest Heroes II: Twin Kings and the Prophecy’s End to the PS4 on in April 2017. Dragon Quest Heroes II: Twin Kings and the Prophecy’s End originally debuted in May of this…
Final Fantasy XV Was Well Worth the Wait
It’s been just over a week since Final Fantasy XV, after 10 long years, finally launched worldwide. The reviews from critics are generally positive, and though there is a consistence with the negative comments on the game, I myself, am in love with it. Sure, it’s not perfect, but there are so many things about the game…
The Game Awards 2016 News Recap
Last night the third annual Game Awards took place, hosted by Geoff Keighley. There were some big winners, and if you’re curious how it all went down you can check out the official page for the results. For now, I’m more interested in the big reveals that happened on stage. Here are all the highlights,…
Fighting Evil by Moonlight, Winning Love by Daylight: Persona 20th Anniversary
November marked Persona’s 20th anniversary in the U.S. The legacy of its succession of sequels and origins are as bizarre as the plots in these titles. So sit back for a demonic retrospective on apocalyptic levels. Let’s begin with Persona’s father figure Shin Megami Tensei. The first game, Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei, was released…
The Many Ports and Remakes of Final Fantasy IV
The debate over the best Final Fantasy wages on and will likely never come to a satisfying agreement with every fan. That said, Final Fantasy IV has remained one of the favourites of many and it’s plain to see: it’s one of the most ported and remade games in the franchise. To celebrate the game’s 25th…
The Mistakes and Triumphs of the Wii U
Nintendo has basically now confirmed that production of Wii U will be stopping globally. Frankly, it was inevitable as soon as the then-Nintendo NX was teased back in March 2015. Not only that, but the staggered release of Wii U titles and the company’s shifting focus to the 3DS were also major signs. So with the…
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