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Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD review: Another round

Jeffrey Matulef — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:34:00 EST

For years I swore I didn't like drinking. Friends would try introducing me to various concoctions of juice and booze swearing I wouldn't be able to taste the alcohol, but never to any avail. It wasn't until recently I discovered the joy of "melon balls." Midori, pineapple juice, and vodka created the perfect mix of sweet delicious beverage that would still get me drunk (even if it can be embarrassing to order).

Similarly, I've never been a fan of traditional turn-based RPGs. The slow pace, random encounters, and turn-based combat just bored me. So when the DS Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes was recommended to me by a number of friends in 2009, I was hesitant about the puzzle/strategy/RPG hybrid. Yes, even though they assured me "You'll never taste the RPG!"

Now that I've played its HD upgrade I can safely say that they were dead on, for the most part. Clash of Heroes HD has some RPG trappings: towns, stores, leveling up, and a half-baked story about preventing a demon apocalypse, but all the guff that usually turns me off the genre has been eradicated or at the very least minimized. Random encounters? Completely avoidable. Grinding? Only a smidge. Losing an hour's progress due to not hitting a checkpoint? Never. Turn-based combat? Well, yes, but not in the traditional sense.

Gallery: Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes HD (E3 2010)

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Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD review: Another round originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skulls of the Shogun preview: Turn-based strategy for Dummies

Jeffrey Matulef — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:30:00 EST

Turn-based strategy games have always been up there with creased jeans and Styrofoam as among my biggest turn-offs. There's something about the static, menu-based gameplay that runs contrary to what I usually look for in a game.

So when my girlfriend wants to check out Skulls of the Shogun at PAX, I reluctantly decide to indulge her. It's good to try new things. Little did I know I was about to discover a highlight of the show.

Gallery: Skulls of the Shogun (PAX Prime 2010)

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Skulls of the Shogun preview: Turn-based strategy for Dummies originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blade Kitten review: Not just for furries anymore

Jeffrey Matulef — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST

I remember a time when I could look at a girl with cat ears and whiskers and think nothing of it. Unfortunately, maturity and the internet have corrupted my view of catgirls, and now they seem at best cliched, and at worst creepy. It's a shame, because my 10-year-old self would have found Blade Kitten's Kit Ballard and the neon world she inhabits all kinds of cool.

Gallery: Blade Kitten (PSN/XBLA/PC)

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Blade Kitten review: Not just for furries anymore originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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