Re-packaging two of Sony's most popular games from last generation mere months before the next sequel is released?  That's marketing genius, right there.  But remastering the games in HD, putting a healthy dose of PS3 polish on the whole offering?  Now that's a product I can get behind.

God of War Collection features the PS2 games God of War and God of War II remastered in HD.  The key word in that sentence is "remastered."  Maybe it's just a testament to the visual triumph that the first two God of War games accomplished, but there's very little here that makes you feel like you're just playing an upscaled PS2 game.  There are definitely some PS3 games on the market that don't look this good.  That's not to say that this thing is a graphical powerhouse on the PS3, it's just that I was taken aback by how good these games still look.  Cleaning them up and making them PS3-friendly just goes to remind us of how gorgeous these games really were.

A few of you probably remember the Half Life/Super Mario Brothers mod from Machinima.com not too long ago. Well, they're back with a Castlevania version that is as delightfully accurate as it is entertaining. If you find yourself hollerin' "GET THE AX" and/or "Where are the bats?" then congrats, you are a true Castlevania fan.

[YouTube]

Maybe I'm just getting old, but it's hard to believe that this is the ninth Ratchet & Clank game to date.  I remember kicking around my house after work and firing up the first two games when they came out, thinking that 3D action platforming couldn't get any better than this.  Nine games later, Insomniac continues to prove me wrong.  A Crack in Time continues the story started in Tools of Destruction (and continued in Quest for Booty) featuring Dr. Nefarious and the mysterious Zoni.  Clank is on the other side of the universe acting as a guardian of The Great Clock.  Ratchet is fighting alongside a lombax General.  And the Ratchet & Clank universe?  The Ratchet & Clank universe soldiers on.

I have to admit I don't like Sonic The Hedgehog.  I'm not sure whether or not it has anything to do with my fanboyish love of Super Mario, but as a child I didn't enjoy the blue speed demon as much as my friends.  I always got annoyed that you had to slow down and awkwardly jump on TVs.  As the man-child adult that I am now, I've come to realize that my dislike for the Sonic games was because they never seem to live up to what I wanted the game to be.  To me the best parts of the Sonic games was the speed element.  You ran through the level as fast as you could kicking ass and taking names.  Anytime you had to slow down, the game slowed down to a standstill.

I'm not sure how many people know about Canabalt, but it is the game I always wanted Sonic to be.  It's extremely simple in its design, but that doesn't make it a simple game.  You have to jump over objects and leap from building to building.  The more stuff you avoid, the faster you run, and you only get one life.  The level is seemingly infinite (I got to 10,058 meters once and the end was no where in sight), and every time you start a game, the level you play is randomly generated for unending re-playability.  You can play the game at it's original host here or if you don't mind ads and want leader boards you can play it over at Kongregate.  If you would like to support indie gaming directly, they just released an iPhone app for a measly $2.99.

Game designer Tim Schafer has one of the worst jobs in the world:  He has to live up to his own reputation.  Often lauded as the critical darling underdog of the console world, the man has the portfolio of near legendary PC adventure games behind him.  Inevitably, as most PC developers do, migration to home consoles is just about necessary to stay viable.  And sometimes that migration doesn't treat the PC-centric folks very well.  It could be argued that it hasn't treated Schafer very well either. Psychonauts, an action/adventure/platformer on the last generation of consoles, was generally well received but lacked solid sales figures.  It can also be said that while the game was full of charm and wit, and the gameplay unique and inventive, that it lacked the kind of polish expected from a top-tier title.  The question begged is: Does Brutal Legend fall into this same fate?

Hot on the heels of the release of Modern Warfare 2 comes the scoop from Onion News on its inevitable sequel, Modern Warfare 3. Featuring ultra-realistic paper-work and equipment repair, it's bound to be the most "authentic" combat experience yet...

It's an age old question.  "Why the hell do so many people love this damn game?"  Over the years, I've seen quite a few games receive rave reviews and cult-like fan followings, while I'm left scratching my head, trying to see what everyone else sees.

One of those games is the Mega Man series.  While there are certain qualities I love about the games, to me, the bad outweighs the good.  By far.  Hit the link for my renouncement of the blue bomber.