Email Author Gary Hodges

2008 Stories by Gary Hodges

• Whatever Fracture’s Breaking, It Ain’t New Ground

  published October 15, 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 >>

• It’s Campaign Season, So Here’s Our 2-Point Plan To Save Gaming News

  published October 1, 2008

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

• Alas, Spore Isn’t the Leap You’ve Been Led to Believe

  published September 17, 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 Wright... More >>

• Braid Is A Game-Changer

  published August 19, 2008

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

• Lightsabers and Tits in Soul Calibur IV

  published August 5, 2008

  You hear the same words used over and over to describe Soul Calibur IV. Words like forced.  Jarring. ... More >>

• Viva La Civilization Revolution

  published July 23, 2008

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

• Space Invaders Extreme Is Way Better Than The Newest First-Person Shooter

  published July 9, 2008

  This, dear readers, is my review of Battlefield: Bad Company, a video game published by Electronic Arts for the Sony PlayStation 3 and... More >>

• Ninja Gaiden II for Xbox Goes Heavy on Gore and Glitches

  published June 10, 2008

  It’s probably a good thing Game On wasn’t around to review Ninja Gaiden when it hit Xbox in 2004 -- we probably would’ve written... More >>

• Castle of Shikigami III Tests the Bounds of Wii Loyalty

  published May 27, 2008

  John Edwards might see Two Americas, but this simple-minded little game enthusiast is more preoccupied with America’s Two Wii Owners. One... More >>

• Niko Bellic and Grand Theft Auto IV are Great, But Is That Enough Anymore?

  published May 6, 2008

  If you read reviews the way I do, you’ve already started by checking out the score, and now you’re back here to see what the hell my... More >>

• Gran Turismo 5: Prologue

  published April 22, 2008

  When the trailer for Star Wars: Episode I first hit theaters, some fans bought tickets for the movie it was presented with, watched the... More >>

• Baroque: Reward-Free Zone

  published April 15, 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 >>

• Viking: Battle for Asgard is Just Shy of Seaworthy

  published April 1, 2008

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

• Condemned 2 and the Predictable Shittiness of Online Play

  published March 18, 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 >>

• The Pounding Headache of Patapon

  published March 4, 2008

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

• Words Get in the Way of Lost Odyssey

  published February 19, 2008

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

• No More Heroes is Hip, Bloody, and Indispensable

  published February 5, 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... More >>

• No Amount of Sharpening Can Save Samurai Warriors's Dull Blade

  published January 22, 2008

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

• Unreal Tournament III is Ideal For Overcaffeinated Teenage Boys

  published January 8, 2008

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