Email Author GARY HODGES

2008 Stories by GARY HODGES

• [Game On] Like Diggin' Ditches: Whatever 'Fracture' Is Breaking, It Ain't New Ground

  published October 23, 2008

  One of the oft-repeated historical curiosities about the Maya is that they conceived the wheel yet never found a practical application for it.... More >>

• [Game On] A Matter of Trust: It's Campaign Season, So Here's Our Two-Point Plan to Save Gaming News

  published October 9, 2008

  Two Thursdays ago, I described the links between one of gaming’s biggest PR companies, TriplePoint PR, and a small gaming... More >>

• [Game On] The Evolution Is Being Televised: Alas, 'Spore' Isn't the Leap You've Been Led to Believe

  published September 25, 2008

  After years of development and nearly as many years of hype, Spore has arrived—an event made so big by the association of Will... More >>

• [Game On] Humanely Put Down: The Long, Troubled Journey of 'Too Human' Is Finally at an End

  published September 11, 2008

  Well . . . I wish I could say I was surprised.Too Human, simply put, pretty much blows—probably not a great shock to... More >>

• [Game On] Game-Changer: Not Settling for Clever Play, 'Braid' Reinvents How to Tell a Story, Too

  published August 28, 2008

  In the 25 years or so I’ve been playing games, never have I encountered an earnest conversation about what a game means. You see... More >>

• [Game On] A Bit Force-ed: Lightsabers and Tits Don't Quite Hide 'Soul Calibur IV''s Lack of Ideas

  published August 14, 2008

  You hear the same words used over and over to describe Soul Calibur IV, words such as forced, jarring,... More >>

• [Game On] Viva La 'Revolution': Get In Touch With Your Inner Despot

  published July 31, 2008

  Gandhi is threatening to invade my country if I don't share the secrets of gunpowder with him. Consulting with my advisers, I'm told his army... More >>

• [Game On] A new take on the old 'Space Invaders' is all the extreme you need

  published July 17, 2008

  An Old Flame, Scorching Forget that shiny new shooter. A new Space Invaders is all the extreme you... More >>

• [Game On] 'Metal Gear Solid 4' Is Part Movie, Part Game, All Failure

  published July 3, 2008

  Idle Hands Metal Gear Solid 4 is part movie, part game, all failure More >>

• [Game On] 'Ninja Gaiden II' for Xbox Goes Heavy on the Gore and Glitches

  published June 19, 2008

  Bloody Good, Not Great Ninja Gaiden II pours on the gore—and glitches It's probably a good thing... More >>

• [Game On] 'Castle of Shikigami III' Tests the Bounds of Wii Loyalty

  published June 5, 2008

  Empty Castle Castle of Shikigami III tests the bounds of Wii... More >>

• [Game On] Niko Bellic and 'Grand Theft Auto IV' Are Great, But Is That Enough Anymore?

  published May 15, 2008

  IV on the Floor Is the competition passing Grand Theft Auto by? If you read reviews the way I do, you've... More >>

• [Game On] When Less Is Less: 'Prologue' Is Tantalizing, Overpriced

  published May 1, 2008

  When Less Is Less Prologue is a tantalizing—and overpriced—glimpse at the... More >>

• [Game On] Baroquen Spirit: Atlus' 'Baroque' Imagines Eternal Life in Gaming Limbo. It Isn't Pretty

  published April 24, 2008

  First of all: God bless Atlus. As a publisher devoted to bringing obscure Japanese gaming gems to the West—basically the much-needed heir... More >>

• [Game On] Just Shy of Seaworthy: 'Viking: Battle for Asgard' Shows Promise, But Not Much More

  published April 10, 2008

  It's nice when a game comes along that pleasantly surprises you. I admit, I judged Viking: Battle for Asgard by the... More >>

• [Game On] Online Turnoff: Who Said First-Person Games Need a Second Person?

  published March 27, 2008

  Developers seem to believe that their first-person games are required to include online modes. Blame it on the few narrow-minded gamers (and... More >>

• [Game On] Pounding Headache: 'Patapon' Marches to the Same Damned Drummer, Over and Over Again

  published March 13, 2008

  You'll know in the first few minutes exactly what Patapon has going for it. There's the goofy premise, which casts... More >>

• [Game On] Text Adventure: Words Get in the Way of an Otherwise Stellar Lost Odyssey

  published February 28, 2008

  Lost Odyssey wants to be Microsoft's answer to Final Fantasy, not that that's such a good idea. Like Star Wars,... More >>

• [Game On] Geek Chic: No More Heroes Is Hip, Bloody and Indispensable

  published February 14, 2008

  When it comes to giving a game a vibe, "awesome" is an easy mark to hit. Explosions, hot chicks, macho one-liners and salivating mutants are... More >>

• [game on] Point and Chop

  published January 31, 2008

  The very first time I saw the Wii's motion-sensitive "Wiimote" (and after the initial Wha-huh? reaction), a single thought bounced in... More >>

• [game on] Lukewarm Gun

  published January 17, 2008

  Unreal Tournament III is ideal for overcaffeinated teenage boys with PlayStation 3s, broadband Internet connections, extensive online... More >>

• Game On

  published January 3, 2008

  The inevitable challenge faced by Wii developers is this: Can you create a game so spectacularly awesome as to prompt a gamer to even... More >>