Daily updates on video games and popular culture, along with Australia’s grooviest gaming podcast.

Archive for May, 2011

Darkspore Review

Posted by Zorine Te On Tuesday 31 May 20118 COMMENTS

As a title, ‘Darkspore’ is both fitting and not. Yes, it is much darker than the original. No, it does not tie into its predecessor enough to be considered a sequel. The two games differ in almost every respect, from an apparent shift of target audiences to gameplay mechanics and visuals. The sci-fi aspects of the game are still intact but nearly all of the simulation elements of the original are gone. This game is about controlling an individual hero bred to kill. Gone is the happy, cute feel of its predecessor. Where Spore was about creating life and guiding it through simulated stages of evolution, Darkspore is about destruction, grinding, gaining upgrades, grinding, real time combat and grinding. Did I say grinding? Read the rest of this entry »

Black Panel Podcast 34

Posted by Erin Marcon On Monday 30 May 2011ADD COMMENTS

In this episode: Modern Warfare 3, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Wanted Corp, Awesomenauts, Outland, Capsized and much more!

 

Subscribe via iTunes l Direct Download l Podcast Specific RSS l Previous Episodes

Send your QUESTION OF THE DECADE to feedback@blackpanel.com.au

The Panellists: Erin Marcon (@ErinMarcon), Karen Jacobson (@KarenMJacobson), Peter Nickless and Joel Guttenberg

Twitter: @BlackPanelDaily l Facebook: Black Panel Readers’ League

Related links: Infinity Ward returns to the front; nanoBITES 41; Revelations revealed; Explore, arrest and shoot!; MOBA for XBLA and PSN; PSN hack exposed your personal details; PSN to rise from its grave; Outland Review; Capsized Review; Crysis 2 Review; Garshasp: The Monster Slayer Review

Question: How can I support Australia’s grooviest gaming podcast?

Answer: Visit iTunes and rate the show!

Black Panel Tweet Squad 3

Posted by Black Panel Staff On Monday 30 May 2011ADD COMMENTS


Black Panel Tweet Squad provides you with a fortnightly digest of vaguely game related Twitter posts from our staff and contributors. You’ll hear from Erin Marcon (@ErinMarcon), Karen Jacobson (@KarenMJacobson), Jenn Christodoulou (@Jennacide77), Matthew Hewson (@Hewso81) and Zorine Te (@harlitrix). You can follow the site itself at @BlackPanelDaily.

10 RECENT TWEETS

@Jennacide77 – Holy crap 3am. Guess I’m liking LA Noire

@Erin Marcon – I just narrowly avoided being crushed beneath a 50” plasma television. My left arm is still trembling from the weight of it.

@Hewso81 – Ahh but what a way to go. “Here lies Erin, Crushed by his love of Tech”

@Hewso81 – Writing a scathing review is fun. Makes me feel tough ;-p

@Jennacide77 – INTERVIEW WITH SUDA51 WENT AWESOME. I made him laugh and we were having fun and it was EPIC

@harlitrix – Guy next to me on train seems to be furiously playing what appears to be an intense game of solitaire on his phone.

@Hewso81 – Picked up Tomb Raider Trilogy and Bioshock 2 from Amazon for $10 each. Score.

@Jennacide77 – FF14 servers are down. How the hell am I meant to procrastinate NOW?

@harlitrix – Dear AU Tekken community: more rivalry less hugging please. The flame warz keep me quite entertained!

@Erin Marcon – Just caught myself trimming a document to ensure that each paragraph is approximately the same length. I may need to seek professional help.

OFF TOPIC

@Hewso81 – To this day “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” Is the most enjoyable adaptation of the Legend. After all it has the Dread Pirate Roberts!

COMMUNITY TWEET

We’re also interested in hearing from our readers. Insert the tag #BPTS in your game related tweets and we’ll include a selection of them here.

@ashthestamped – For the love of the universe , DO NOT buy #HyperdimensionNeptunia #BPTS

Recent instalments of Black Panel Tweet Squad: 16.05.11 l 03.05.11

New Media 29

Posted by Black Panel Staff On Sunday 29 May 2011ADD COMMENTS

Presented in glorious alphabetical order, New Media: Retail Roundup is your indispensible checklist of the home console and handheld titles arriving in stores this week. What will you be playing?

MICROSOFT XBOX 360 Hunted: The Demon’s Forge * Stoked: Big Air Edition

NINTENDO Wii Nothing 3DS Sports Island 3D DS Nothing

SONY PLAYSTATION 3 Hunted: The Demon’s Forge PSP Nothing

VARIOUS PC Hunted: The Demon’s Forge * Stoked: Big Air Edition

New Media: Downloadable Digest is your handy reminder of the new downloadable titles released during the past week.

MICROSOFT XBLA Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale

NINTENDO WiiWARE Nothing DSiWARE Nothing

SONY PSN Nothing PSP MINIS Nothing

VALVE STEAM Death and The Fly * Dirt 3 * Frozen Synapse * iBomber Defence * King Arthur Collection * Naval Warfare * The Sims Medieval * Winter Voices Episode 4: Amethyst Rivers

Recent instalments of New Media: 22.05.11 l 15.05.11 l 08.05.11 l 01.05.11 l 24.04.11