Head Games: Lost Vikings 2

One of the forgotten classics of the SNES era, Lost Vikings 2 is the sequel to one of Blizzard's very first gaming exploits (aptly named Lost Vikings).

Like its predecessor, the sequel follows the adventure of three lost vikings (Erik the Swift, Baleog the Fierce, and Olaf the Stout) who are abducted once more by the diabolical Tomator. Also as before, each member of the trio boasts their own unique skill and that's really what makes both games stand out above the crowd (not too mention the addition of a werewolf and dragon as playable characters).

As you traverse the various levels, making your way across time and space, you'll take control of all three warriors whose skills are required to work together in order to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. So while most games would let you choose only one warrior (unless its 2-player), Lost Viking 2 gives you three badass he-men to beat the snot out of the alien menace.

The first few stages alone are filled with goo-monsters, werewolves, bats and all sorts of things that go bump in the dark. In fact, your very first mission is to steal a cyclops' eyeball (its not quite as fun as it sounds). Regardless, the game offers plenty of genre-blending adventure for old school and new school gamers alike. For those of you seeking a nostalgic trip you're in luck as both Lost Vikings games have been ported to genuine PC and EMU versions.

So go ahead... strap on your horned helmet, wrap yourself in a cloak of invisibility and play on.

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Head Games: MadWorld (2009)

So after a good year of procrastination I finally decided to give Sega's ultra-violent MadWorld a spin. Was it worth the wait?

The short answer is yes, yes it was, but not for all the right reasons. As a Wii-exclusive, MadWorld is one of the only games on that system to feature over-the-top violence and shameless gore which I for one applaud. The presentation of the game is highly stylized, granting the player a give glimpse of what Miller's Sin City might look like in pixel-form. The comparisons between the two properties really ends at the visual level, however, as MadWorld's zany cast of Road Warrior inhabitants are either killed, maimed, or disemboweled quicker than they can "respawn" leaving little room for you to take any interest in them beyond shoving a chainsaw down their gullet.

Now, I'm all for mindless violence and destruction, but I admittedly felt disoriented not only by the rapid pace by which both enemies and task are dealt out, but with the black and white color palette which offers little distinction to the untrained eye between environment, power-ups and enemies. I can see how the red fountains of henchman render much more artistically under these circumstances, but when you can hardly tell them apart in the first place it begins to make little difference how gruesome their fatalities may be.

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Head Games: Splatterhouse (2010)

"You've got red on you."

With an epic quest that began a little over a decade ago, the King of Carnage has returned to us in better shape than ever in a blood-drenched redux driven by revenge, ultra-violence and a whole lot of badassery. Full of abhorred mutations from another dimension and a mask with questionable (but very helpful) intentions, Splatterhouse begins as it typically does... with Rick Taylor reborn in blood and fueled by hate thanks to the mysterious Terror Mask.

Of course, one of the many things this new version of Splatterhouse does well is provide a plethora of more background information than previous entries in the franchise, essentially combining the storylines of all three games into a singular mythology.

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Head Games: Thrill Kill (unreleased)

A modern day Mortal Kombat that never was.

Second only to Splatterhouse in its gruesome gaming glory, Thrill Kill was a game developed by now-defunct game developer Paradox that has stuck with me moreso for the controversy it ignited rather than that gameplay value it offered. In fact I have yet to play a working copy of the game, though I have heard that copies do exist online that can be played on a modified PS2 system.

Compared to many of todays gore-laden games such as God of War (PS3) or Madworld (Wii), the concept of Thrill Kill is rather mundane. I mean, what's so wrong about throwing a bunch of depraved, murderous lunatics into Hell and having them battle it out for a chance at freedom? All of the typical taboo stereotypes were there: a deadly dominatrix, psychotic plastic surgeon, redneck cannibal, serial killers, circus freaks and even a demon from Hell. Apparently people before the new millenium just weren't ready for such unrepenting gaming entertainment and the unfinished Thrill Kill has languished in limbo for the past 12 years or so. Shame really.

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Head Games: Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Get the hot girl. Defeat her evil exes. Hit love where it hurts.

Despite its poor box office earnings I found Scott Pilgrim vs The World to be a really entertaining and fun film that, seemed to possess the necessary mix of glammed-out special effects and fight sequences while maintaining some solid storytelling and characterization. Having since taken my daughter to see the film she's been devouring the original graphic novels as well as expressing an interest in playing the appropriately titled video game tie-in, Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Video Game. I have to say, much like the film, it's tons of retro-inspired fun.

A somewhat separate (but familiar) storyline than either the books or the film adaptation, Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Video Game is a cleverly constructed homage to many of the greatest 8-bit games of my misspent youth sitting in front of a Super Nintendo. Everything from all 3 Mario Bros. games to Sonic the Hedgehog is referenced here from its beat'em-up style of gameplay to the different ways in which each character exits the level.

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Splatterhouse Retrospective Part III: The End?

Splatterhouse 3/Splatterhouse Part 3 (Namco: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, 1993)

"As long as that Mask remains... it can happen again." - Rick Taylor, Splatterhouse 2

A glittering red crystal slowly rotates in the darkness as eerie music begins to play. Without warning, ghostly heads appear all around it, roaring as they fade away. More appear, all roaring as the crystal spins serenely. The heads and the crystal are replaced by a flickering light, an ominous shadow the only thing that can be seen. Its red eyes pierce the darkness, shining steadily through the strobing lights.

And from the right, a familiar bloody logo begins to scroll past your eyes.

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Head Games: Darksiders

I've chosen to include the video review above (courtesy of GameSpot) because it is perhaps the fairest and most objective game review for Darksiders that I've found thus far, though admittingly, I must confess that I have been disappointed by the overall experience. Looking back I can remember the first game associated with Darksider's Creative Director (Joe Madureira) entitled Gekido: Urban Fighters (see left) and the disappointment that laid therein as well. Granted, Madureira had little more to do with that game than provide some of the cover and ad artwork, but at the age of early adulthood there exists a certain expectation that ads instill in you which this one couldn't keep. Madureira has since moved on to do much more recognized work on both advertising and video games, but I can't help but escape that certain sense of unfulfillment with his newest effort, Darksiders.

Don't get me wrong, I love the art and for the most part the production values are top notch, but like many other reviewers that just something unmentioned vacancy that exists which prevents Darksiders from truly being a great gaming experience. Some of these issues include:

1. Being consistently plagued by motion sickness (presumably due to the screen tearing in the XBOX 360 version)
2. Inconsistent pacing (at least in the beginning of the game)
3. Overly complex controls (requiring precise targeting which increases difficulty and slows down gameplay)

Unfortunately these flaws, which dramatically decrease playability and constantly take me out of the experience, prevent Darksiders from becoming what would otherwise be a fun and well-designed Castlevania-esque action-adventure game. Definitely a rental.

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Head Games: Dante's Inferno (1986)

Abandon all hope, ye who enter.

Okay, so maybe its not quite that bad, but this 8 bit interpretation is a far cry from the vivid demons of Dante's classical verse. For those of you who may be confused, this Dante's Inferno by Denton Designs does indeed predate EA and Visceral Games more recent, blood-soaked depiction of the self righteous Christian crusader and though the concept is expectingly similar, the end results couldn't be more diverse.

Unlike Visceral's game, Denton's Inferno consists more of Legend of Zelda style adventure than hack n' slash action with an emphasis being placed on navigating a mundane series of Underworld mazes as you quest through the various circles of Hell to defeat the Devil. Sounds like an epic setup right, one man against the forces of Hell all leading up to a torturous throw down with Big Red himself?

Well... it would be if the Devil wasn't such a pushover. That's right, after battling your way through Limbo, Nine Circles of Hell and hordes of malformed miscreants all it takes to stick it to the Devil is... nothing. There's no epic clash, no beat down, nothing. Simply walk right up to him and that's it, you win. Joy to the [freaking] world, baby.

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Head Games: Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage

Kenshiro + punches = bloody explosions.

No doubt one of the more brutal games to come out of E3 this week, Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage is a beat 'em up action style game based on the Fist of the North Star manga. I'll admit that I've never read the book, but I have seen a few of the animated episodes and movies and if there's one thing that I learned its that Kenshiro is the manliest man to have ever lived (take that Sonny Chiba). These aren't your ordinary haymakers that 'ole Ken is dishing out, no sir, these are bonafide death bombs guaranteed to reduce any living (or nonliving) thing into a pulpy mass of flesh and muscle. Wicked cool.

If the video game is anything like the Fist movies I've seen, gorehounds players will be plenty satisfied with the high blood to boobs ratio and filled with a spastic desire to inflict as much damage to your opponents as humanly possible. For a better taste of the whoop-ass that's in store, make sure you check out the gameplay footage below.



[via PlayScope]

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Head Games: Pixel Force, Left 4 Dead

Metal Gear meets Zombies Ate My Neighbors.

By now, I'm sure that most of you are aware of the Left 4 Dead gaming franchise. Developed by Turtle Rock Studios (it was later acquired by Valve), the Left 4 Dead series is a co-op first person shooter that pits a group of apocalyptic "survivors" against hordes of the digusting, depraved undead.

Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead is an 8-bit port of the zombie-blasting franchise that has been recreated in old school NES fashion by game designer Eric Ruth. Having grown up on the classic styling of NES games like Super Mario Bros., Street Fighter, and Metroid, Eric manages to channel the original strategy of the original game to a top-down shooter (much like the aforementioned Zombies Ate My Neighbors) using a combination of Game Maker Language (GML), Photoshop CS3, Reason 4 and Sony Acid.

Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead is currently available for download on Eric's as a free download, so be sure to check it out.

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Head Games: Orphan Feast

Orphan Feast, created by Robox Studios, is a modern-day Grimm's Fairytale in the form of a browser platforming game. You play as Creaky Tom, cannibalistic, moral-deprived vagabond hired by the insidious Oliver Twisted to capture, cook and devour the poverty-stricken denizens of the streets for Twisted's meat pie factory.

Developed for AdultSwim.com this "twisted tale of culinary perversion" fits right in with the brand's eccentric (if not irreverent) sense of humor, debauchery and juvenile enthusiasm. As with other entries into the AdultSwim.com catalog, Orphan Feast boasts creative character design, intuitive gameplay and simplistic plotline. As Creaky Tom you are tasked with capturing as many orphans as your sack can hold while clobbering, bludgeoning and evading the numerous Bobbies, thugs, obese prostitutes that litter the city.

The interface is kept clean with a minimal amount of appropriately designed elements (such as an anatomical heart that withers according to your health status and a vintage record player for sound control) and while the difficulty level increases significantly as the game progresses, the first few levels are entertaining and well-paced. For a quick feast... er, fix, of orphan munching action check out [adult swim] games.

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Head Games: Phantasmagoria (1995)

Pray its only a nightmare.

The year was 1995 and I was just beginning to overcome my naivety of the horror genre thanks to a little exploitation film called I Spit on Your Grave which my best friend at the time had so cleverly purloined off of his sister's boyfriend. It was my first real experience with "adult content" as it related to nudity/violence and, after the initial shock wore off (seeing a man castrated will do that to a boy), it had me curious for more. That's when my friend introduced me to a game called Phantasmagoria.

Released by Sierra (now owned by Activision), Phantasmagoria fell into the 90s trend (along with Night Trap and The 7th Guest) known as full motion video gaming in which real footage of actors were inserted into the gameplay instead on animation. Much like I Spit on Your Grave, Phantasmagoria was considered to be taboo for its time, due primarily to its controversially violent content depicting all manner of death and torture.

A point-and-click adventure game wrapped in the bondage of a mystery the story's protagonist was a writer named Adrienne Delaney who, along with her husband Don, purchase a creepy old mansion once belonging to an equally creepy magician named Carno. As Adrienne, you are driven by horrible nightmares to explore the mansion only to find that things get exponentially stranger (we're talking David Lynch meets The Exorcist here) the longer you play. Aside from the rigid graphics and cheesy dialogue, Phantasmagoria was engrossingly addictive and actually remains one of the best rated horror games for the PC. Just check out the clip above for just a small taste of what the game offered players... the demon was the least offensive death Phantasmagoria offered.

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Head Games: TMNT Tournament Fighters (1993)

No Street Fighter has ever seen fighting like this.

TMNT Tournament Fighters is one of those rare games (at least back in the day) that was released on three different platforms that each featured a distinctly different cast of characters. Of course, the favorite amongst the three has to be the SNES version which not only boasted the biggest roster of playable characters but also the best gameplay for your buck.

No TMNT-based video game before or since has offered up so many of the cool characters that fans of the cartoon, comics and toyline have come to know so well. I mean sure, the obvious choices of Bebop & Rocksteady are noticeably absent, but in their place we get all 4 turtles PLUS Shredder, a monster named War, the crazy man-bat known as Wingnut, a cyborg killing machine (Chrome Dome), a ninja girl named Aska and a mutant shark called Armaggon. Much moreso than the NES or Genesis versions, these characters had excellent controls and some pretty sweet special moves.

The bosses of the SNES version, while not epic, were also better than the other versions and included the Rat King and Karai (a character that has become more prevalent in recent animated incarnations). It would have also been nice to see Krang and Casey Jones who were present in the other versions, but there's always hope for a sequel... right? Let's hope so.

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Head Games: Harvester (1996)

Time to reap what you sow.

I'd like to begin by thanking Geoff from Enter the Man Cave for his excitement on this subject which, in turn, got me to dig a little deeper into the PC horror vault. And oh, what a little gem I did find on my journey...

Enter Harvester, a point-and-click adventure computer game from DigiFX Interactive that was released in 1996. This is the same year mind you that Phantasmagoria's soft-minded sequel, A Puzzle of Flesh, was released. For more on A Puzzle of Flesh, I suggest you check out Geoff's all too kind review. What I can tell you is that while both games are similar in their overly ambitious use of full motion video gaming, Harvester overall delivers a more authentic gameplay value.

The story employs the tried and true "amnesiac in a strange place" horror device that Freddy's Dead used 5 years prior. Here, you play the role of "Steve" who happens to awake in the unfortunate town of Harvest. You see, the residents of Harvest are borderline psychotic parodies of people you'd find on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show... oh yeah, and they all belong to some cult called the Order of the Harvest Moon (possible inspiration for Silent Hill?). This sure isn't a Shriner's convention though as the only way to join is by completing a series of brutal tasks/murders that include ripping out the spines of pretty girls, evisceration and taking part in twisted perversions such as the one shown above.

While not as impressive by today's standards, Harvester did offer a fighting element, albeit a weak one, wherein the player could attack other characters and despite the bad acting it did boast an effectively unsettling atmosphere that I feel exceeds even Phantasmagoria. Interested yet? Go ahead, take a dip in the insanity and let imagination be your guide.

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Head Games: Radioactive Teddy Bear Zombies

As the name implies, Radioactive Teddy Bear Zombies by AdultSwim.com is a solid platforming/action game in which you play as Cody Durkin, a "misfit survivalist with violent tendencies" whose newfound mission in life is to kick the gooey stuffing out of a horde of... well, radioactive teddy bear zombies (among other creatures such as rabbits, horse heads, elephants and a few T-Rex) When a strange outbreak hits the local Friendly Hugs Plush factory, Cody's father (Sheriff Durkin) is dispatched to investigate. Mysteriously, Sheriff Durkin doesn't return and now a horde of mutated, puss-riden plush monsters have invaded the city. Being the tough tyke that he is, Cody ventures into town to set things straight and rescue his father.

Aside from these anchor points, I have to admit that I didn't follow too much of the story as I was having much more fun blasting apart these hideous, stuffed freaks with an assortment of guns, flame throwers and rocket launchers. You'll soon discover that the "how" and "why" rationale of these weapons being "left behind," along with tons of gold coins, aren't really relevant to the zombie smashing fun. In face, having clocked in at just under 2-3 hours of gameplay I can't really even remember what caused the outbreak to begin with. However, I do know that it's a lot of fun to see an overgrown, zombied cat explode into bits after you nail it with a few well-placed shot of your maxed-out heat seeking rockets.

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Head Games: Naughty Bear

Somewhere in the distance, I can hear that damn banjo from Deliverance. That's the kind of fairytale, backwoods horror this new game, Naughty Bear, evokes.

Described as a "sociopathic teddy bear out for revenge with evil intentions," the game was developed by Artificial Mind & Movement in conjunction with 505 Games. The main character Naughty, who bears (no pun intended) a striking likeness to another well known misbehaving bi-ped, Pedo Bear, is supposedly hellbound to strike terror into the other creatures of his small, little world. Whether the similarities to Pedo Bear are more than just a passing resemblance remains to be seen, but I could definitely envision them existing together.

Filled with "tons of mischief and over-the-top cartoon violence," the game world consists of other "living" stuffed bears such as Naughty who are either too stuck up or just down right mean. This incites Naughty to begin a wholesale stalk-n-slash approach to revenge. That being said the game stinks of some thinly veiled taboos such as bullying and self-vindication which, in the context of this game, are alleviated with a strong dose of gratuitous violence.

Though the game doesn't seem to be marketed towards smaller children, it teeters on that dangerous edge by utilizing the stuffed bear imagery, nursery school themes and even touts itself as "hours of fun for gamers of all levels." As a father and a gamer, it leaves me undecided as to whether such a combination was the result of poor foresight or an intentional jab at oversensitive child activists.

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Head Games: Keep Her Awake

In preparation of the launch for their reboot of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Sony Pictures has released an interactive online game to satiate viewers' more sadistic appetites.

A rather creepy spin on Adult Swim's often addictively juvenile games such as Five Minutes to Kill Yourself, Warner Bros.' Keep Her Awake is a live action game which tasks you with preventing the death of an otherwise helpless teenage victim by the hands Freddy Krueger. The tools at your disposal? Drugs, self-mutilation and cold showers... its a dangerous path for the studio to follow to be sure.

An interesting campaign that takes follows in the footsteps of Twix's Get the Girl campaign which allowed players to choose from two different options in a series of social-oriented scenarios in order to "win the girl." Unlike Get the Girl, however, Keep Her Awake targets an already impressionable demographic with an arsenal of taboo tools in which to make it out alive.

UPDATE: It would seem that the site is no longer active, as it currently links back to the official Nightmare on Elm Street site. However, I have yet to hear any official statement on the status of the game.

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Head Games: Night Slashers X

Night Slashers X, a modified version (emulation) of the original Data East Games title is bloody arcade brawling at its best. Jam packed full of monsters, demons, zombies and mutants the game provides a satisfactory gore quotient for any die hard horror fan. Though the original title has been criticized for its lame soundtrack, the music of Night Slashers X is far superb than even most major Hollywood films and sets the right mood for fight and fright.

Looking past the abbreviated plot (some vague apocalyptic plague that has overrun the Earth with "monsters, mutants, and the walking dead"), you can play as one of three main characters each with their own skill including a chick with a machine gun, a cyborg and some martial arts expert. In addition to a new soundtrack, there are several additional small touches that the emulators put into the new game such as changing the generic "Go!" arrow that appears when an area is clear to "to Hell." Again, its a minor touch, but one that helps better develop the gaming experience.

Overall this a a great game full of Tarman clones, Fat zombie bastards, Frankenstein clones, Dracula clones, and masked mutants all waiting for their soggy butts to be handed to them. So what're waiting for... let the bodies hit the floor.

PC users can download the game here.

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SDCC 2010: An Interview w/ Splatterhouse Artist Dave Wilkins [EXCLUSIVE ART!]

So the time for San Diego Comic-Con is finally upon us and what better way to kick things off than with an interview with stellar comic/concept artist Dave Wilkins, one of the twisted minds behind not only Namco's imminent Splatterhouse franchise reboot but some of Marvel Comics hottest selling titles.

A talented artist, driven by his own fanboy inclinations, Dave's work has quickly become the face of the new Splatterhouse game. With every new magazine cover or promotional event that Namco releases in anticipation for the game (due out in October) you can be sure that Dave has concocted some outrageously bloody massacre for fans to admire. He's also a pretty darn, nice fella to boot as he took some time to subject himself to one of Strange Kid's infamous Q&A sessions here at the clubhouse and even dropped us a bone with a Comic-Con exclusive. What a charming fellow!

To learn more about Dave and see even more of his insanely gruesome artwork, be sure to visit his blog and hit up his DeviantArt account.

Thanks so much for joining us, Dave. Let's start with an introduction, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hey man thanks for having me!! I’ve been in the gaming industry for about 14 years and the comics and film industry for about 6; basically I’m living the fanboy dream. I’ve been really very fortunate. I get to earn a living drawing monsters and superheroes!

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Splatterhouse Retrospective Part II: The Terror Mask Returns

Splatterhouse 2/Splatterhouse Part 2 (Namco: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, 1992)

When we last left Rick Taylor, the worst night of his life had just ended. It all began when he and his girlfriend, Jennifer Wills, had sought refuge from a thunderstorm in the old West Mansion. Jennifer had been abducted by monsters, and Rick had been bonded to a horrible ancient relic, the Terror Mask. Armed with the power that the Mask had given him and any weapon he could find, Rick had battled his way to the very heart of West Mansion, only to find that Jennifer had been altered by these creatures and was transformed into a horrible monster before his very eyes. The only way to save her... had been to kill her.

But even after Jennifer's death, his fight was not over. But finally, Rick stood victorious. The old mansion was being consumed by flames as the Terror Mask broke away from his face and hit the ground. Was it truly over? Judging by the ominous rebirth of the Mask after the credits rolled, probably not.

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