This column originally ran on November 20, 2010. This was the final Checkpoint — we brought the band back for one last hurrah with a slightly different format. Characters Left 4 Dead 2 introduced a new group of survivors to … Continue reading Checkpoint: Left 4 Dead 2
This column originally ran on April 6, 2010. In 2008, the makers of Alien Hominid brought a four-player frenzied experience to the Xbox 360. Castle Crashers didn’t get a huge marketing campaign, but word quickly spread about the title and … Continue reading Checkpoint: Castle Crashers
This column originally ran on February 23, 2010. The year was 1997. America was waiting for its next great RPG, one that would catapult the genre to new heights in the country. Instead, it got Final Fantasy VII, which confused … Continue reading Checkpoint: Final Fantasy VII
This column originally ran on February 23, 2010. In 1990, the NES was reaching the end of its lifespan. Resurrecting an industry was one thing, but the public wanted to know what Nintendo had up its sleeve next. The answer: … Continue reading Checkpoint: Super Mario World
This column originally ran on February 16, 2010. Back in 1992, Nintendo brought one of its flagship franchises into the 16-bit era by releasing The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which some would call the best game … Continue reading Checkpoint: Link to the Past
This column originally ran on February 8, 2010. The Nintendo 64 was the console of dichotomy. There was a huge, gaping divide between the haves (say, Ocarina of Time) and the have-nots (say, Superman 64). One game most industry fans … Continue reading Checkpoint: Star Fox 64
This column originally ran on February 1, 2010. Since the exploits are much harder to pull off in real life, the Grand Theft Auto series has always held a special place in our hearts. After all, it’s pretty difficult to … Continue reading Checkpoint: GTA San Andreas
This column originally ran on January 25, 2010. Call it a fad, a ruse or a hoax. Call it a shallow game for kids. But you’ll also have to call Pokemon the highest-selling portable franchise in gaming history. With DS … Continue reading Checkpoint: Pokemon
This column originally ran on January 18, 2010. In 1995, Square released the best birthday present Chris could ever ask for: Chrono Trigger. The SNES title would later set records for sales in Japan and make a gigantic impact in … Continue reading Checkpoint: Chrono Trigger
This column originally ran on November 19, 2009. With the recent release of Left 4 Dead 2, we have found our time split. Sure, reviewing some of the biggest titles in gaming history is important, but so is surviving the … Continue reading Checkpoint: Left 4 Dead
Gray Areas 