About Vince Shuley

It may have the name of a Disney-fueled Star Wars spin-off, but from the initial loading screen, Rebel Galaxy sets its own unique tone. Read Review

I usually reserve my Retro Reflection pieces for pre-2000s era games, preferring to enlighten you, our audience, on the pixelated games that stood out before the advent of Quake III graphic engines and online multiplayer fiascoes.

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The wilful damage to public property is a common theme amongst video games these days. Whether from a tank, military helicopter or stealthily planted explosives, bringing down a tall, man-made structure comes with a certain catharsis. Now you see a proud representation of mankind’s ability to assert itself over other beings on this Earth… BOOM… Now you don’t.

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Kickstarter games are a lot like UFC fights. For the most part they end up being a tiresome, wriggling mess, but if you watch enough of them you may just witness the spectacle of the decade. Read Review

As one of Princess Peach’s most loyal attendants, Toad has been quite used to playing second fiddle in the Mario universe. He first appeared in the NES title Super Mario Bros. as the clueless messenger in each of Bowser’s strongholds, giving you a pat on the back for saving him and directing you to yet “another castle.” Read Review

There was quite a lot of American Civil War history in my house growing up. We weren’t an American family (Australian, in fact), but my father was rather fond of the PBS mini-series The Civil War, which relived the anguish – through letters and written accounts – by those that witnessed the four year-long battle of Union against the Confederacy. Read Retro

I launched into Shovel Knight with some pretty hefty expectations given the buzz about it being one of the standout indie titles of 2014. Catchy chiptunes, uber-hard platform mechanics, old school rescue-the-princess storyline re-imagined with shovels instead of swords. Read Review

There are two different kinds of sequels: one is a soulless cash in on the original (too many examples to list here), the other is a honed masterpiece that the creators should have nailed in the first place…
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There are certain video games from my youth that stick out in my memory. The first hours of playing Metroid and The Legend of Zelda on a brand new NES were definitely a highlight, but there were games in the late ’80s and early ’90s that simply perplexed me. Read Retro

When Diablo III came out in 2012, we all had pretty high expectations. The game ended up being one of Blizzard’s seemingly never ending development cycles, and they assured us that it would be worth it.

And it was, kinda. Read Review

In the age of the online connectivity, local multiplayer has become an endangered species. Playing with friends used to be an excuse for a “man date” at each others houses, now all you need is DSL cable and a headset. Read Retro

2013 was a pretty big year for games – the disappointing next gen console launch library notwithstanding. Titles like GTA V and The Last of Us set the bar for open world eminence and immersive narrative, and the rest of the industry took notice. Read Review