Tappingo is anything but your run-of-the mill, been-there-done-that, played it a dozen times with a different name and color palate puzzle game. Created by indie developer Goodbye Galaxy Games, Tappingo is a delightful puzzle experience that, while short and sweet, is full of enough depth and challenge to attract and entertain gamers of all skill levels.

In the seventeen years that South Park has graced the airwaves, fans have been subjected to the horror and torment of a wide assortment of video games that were palatable at best and flat out blasphemous at their worst. They lacked everything that makes South Park fans tingle with excitement: gratuitous amounts of foul language, over-the-top violence, crazy characters, blatant insults veiled behind a mask of satire, and the raw unapologetic use of every conceivable taboo with the intention to offend.  But years later it seems that our cries of injustice were finally heard. Here it finally is, the definitive South Park experience chock full of enough smut, vulgarity, and sexism, to satisfy the sick twisted bastards that we all are.

The original (well, sort of) crew of PixlTalk is back this week as they reclaim the podcast that has been under the loving care of our previous two crews for the past few months. Coming back into the show we wanted to do something new and fresh that would shake up the original format and keep things moving at a steady rate.

Two hours. That’s how long it took me to finish Spirit Camera: The Lost Memoir. But to be fair, at least thirty of those minutes were spent trying to get the AR working properly, so I’ll amend my original statement. Ninety minutes is the actual time it took me to complete Spirit Camera, and I’d really like each one of them back.

I’ve been humbled by Fez. It’s clear to me now that I have not seen it all, nor have I played it all. Rather, I feel more confident than ever, thanks to this unique mind-bending puzzle platformer, that it is still possible to send gamers on a journey quite unlike anything else. In a way, Fez is comprised of dozens of contradictions that all seem to work well together somehow; it’s simple yet complicated, ambiguous yet obvious, charming yet sinister, and frustrating yet incredibly satisfying.

It’s easy to write off Order Up as nothing more than the latest piece of shovelware or shallow entertainment experience for the casuals. The truth is, Order Up has a lot more depth than one might think. It provides a quality, yet simple play experience that is an enjoyable and relaxing escape between more thought intensive titles.  In the world of Cooking Mamas and other point-and-click cooking adventures, Order Up gives fans of these games a fast-paced, tactile experience that is deep enough to prevent monotony, yet simple enough to be accessible to everyone.

I wouldn’t say that Dungeon Hunter: Alliance is the worst dungeon crawler I’ve ever played, but it’s not very good either. From the get-go it creates the illusion that it’s going to be a great title within the genre, but it falls apart in execution.

Army Corps of Hell is one of several games that have tried to replicate the successful Pikmin formula, but have failed miserably at doing so. Although the mechanics suffer from very few issues, the gameplay is excruciatingly repetitive.

The last time the Katamari series came to a handheld console, it was a lesson in frustration to say the least. Without two joysticks to properly control the Katamari, things quickly fell apart; an unfortunate truth for fans dying to roll on the go. Well, six years and a brand new handheld system later, Katamari fans have finally gotten what they’ve been waiting so long for: a good looking Katamari experience loaded with all of the integral character and humor the series is known for, that – most importantly – controls like a dream. Unfortunately, its lack of variety and content cast a dark shadow over what could have been the ultimate handheld Katamari game.

I’ve never been so deceived by a game before, as I was with Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom. It’s my own fault really, since I requested the title for review without knowing anything about it. Which is why, two hours in, I was confused as to why I was stuck reading a gratuitous amount of text. Impatient, I scoured the menus for anything that would clue me into the “gameplay” I was awaiting. Rather than control options I found nothing but text speed, romance animation, and other odd selections. Bewildered, I pressed on hoping for something to happen; finally it did. Suddenly, reading didn’t bother me as much, I didn’t care about controlling a character, and my impatient anticipation for gameplay dissipated. All that mattered was the winding storyline, the fascinating characters, and making choices to define my own in-game destiny.

Since the release of Resident Evil 4, there has been a division of opinions amongst longtime fans of the series. Some preferred the isolated exploration of the first four titles – including Code Veronica – whereas others favored the open world, more shooter focused style established in 4 and 5. The newest title in the series, Resident Evil: Revelations, introduces an entirely new spin on both approaches, while making some great changes to the core formula as well.

I don’t even know which direction to start ripping NeverDead to pieces from first. From the uneven repetitive combat to the unbearably frustrating “health” system, this action game is an absolute disaster.

It’s not often that the gaming world is delivered a title with such depth, difficulty, and intrigue as Catherine.  Its dual gameplay elements blend aspects of the Persona series with extremely challenging puzzles alongside subject matter that has never truly been explored by a game before. While it suffers from its fair share of problems and squanders some of its own potential, the difficult gameplay will leave players with a sense of considerable satisfaction and the twisted story will keep them guessing.

Out of every game I’ve played this year, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is without a doubt the biggest disappointment. For a series whose name automatically garners praise and adoration from the gaming community, this title is a blemish on its reputation. All of the passion and soul created by carefully weaving the ongoing plotline into evolving gameplay feels abandoned with Revelations. Without it, all that’s left is a game with a convoluted story and gameplay that is practically identical to Brotherhood.

When Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure first showed up at my door, I was giddy, to say the least. Being a huge Spyro fan for years and having an obsession with collecting all things video game related, this game seemed more than up my alley. Admittedly, my first impressions of the game were positive; it captured the vibrant look of past Spyro titles, and the goofy characters captured the series’ charm. The first few levels were strangely linear for a “Spyro” title, but I merely attributed this fact to being part of the tutorial and introduction. However, two hours in, I realized that this game had absolutely nothing to do with the little purple dragon, and was disappointed to see that his only reason for being there, was to form a familiar foundation.

I was one of the very few people I know who did not grow up watching Sesame Street. As such, I never fully understood the dedication and nostalgia that people who did grow up watching it had for the not-for-profit, educational television show. Never fully understood, until having my own child, I should say. Although my son, Nicholas, is only ten months old, his smile widens and his eyes brighten every morning at 10AM when Sesame Street comes on the air. As I've watched and enjoyed the program for the last few months, I've come to understand why it has been loved by generations. Armed with my new found love for, and expertise on the series, I was genuinely excited to try out Double Fine's newest game based on the beloved TV show, Once Upon a Monster. From beginning to end, the game is a joyous experience full of color and endearing characters that was clearly not just created to be a fun game, but one that is designed to encourage families to play together.

Secret Agent Clank is the second PSP spin-off title in the Ratchet & Clank series, and like its counterpart, Size Matters, was also developed by High Impact Games. Released originally for the PSP in 2008, Secret Agent Clank was eventually ported to the PS2 in 2009 by Sanzaru games. Since I'm not a big fan of the analog nub on the PSP, I opted for the PS2 version instead, and it seems as though I chose poorly. While I can't vouch firsthand on the improved quality of the PSP version, the difference in review scores paints a pretty clear picture. What I can say is the PS2 version of Secret Agent Clank is a sloppy experience full of issues that sadly ruins the unique gameplay and overshadows the quirky character of the title.

It was clear pretty early on that Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters was not created by the usual developers, Insomniac Games. When I touched my first exploding box, and heard a foreign countdown sound, rather than the one I was familiar with, I knew something was different. After learning that Size Matters was developed by High Impact Games, some of the tweaks and deviations from the norm made a bit more sense. It's like the Minish Cap of Ratchet & Clank; it fits in pretty well with the rest of the series, but definitely has its own character and set of drawbacks.

I know I'm going to be in the overwhelming minority here, but I have seriously mixed feelings about Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando. On one hand, the game drastically improved upon some of my gameplay complaints from the original title, on the other, it went ahead and created a whole new set of problems. Lenghty fetch quests and far too many required mini-games made the game feel drawn out and the overwhelming combat drastically overshadowed the platforming. This hurt an important core element of the game leaving it unbalanced, unfocused, and devoid of an element of character it once had before.

The last Ratchet & Clank game I played was A Crack in Time nearly two years ago, and man, that game was awesome. With the release of All 4 One steadily approaching, I figured it might be fun to return to the series' roots; after all, it has been over four years since my first playthrough of the original.

With the release of Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One quickly approaching, we thought it would be interesting to go back and replay all of the entries in the Ratchet & Clank series starting with the original. As those who are familiar with our Review Rewinds may already know, these articles tend to stray from the standard PixlBit review formula, allowing the writer to analyze and critique a game in any way they desire. As such, when going back through the Ratchet & Clank series, we'll be focusing mainly on the staples of the series in order to fully capture how each has evolved as the series has grown.

Picross is hands-down my favorite pick-up-and-play puzzle title of all time. I've played nearly every game based on nonograms I could get my hands on, including flash ones online. However, due to being Japan only releases, there were two big Picross titles that eluded me for a while, Picross 2 and Mario's Super Picross. After scouring eBay for an available copy of either title I was delighted to see that both games were relatively inexpensive as far as imports go and impulsively purchased them both. After their very long journey to my house across thousands of miles it was only right to play them immediately, and since Picross 2 arrived first, it received the honor of the first playthrough.

It’s been a long time since I found a game to play that was simple, challenging, addicting, and just plain fun. For months now I’ve desired an uncomplicated gaming experience that was lighthearted, didn’t require a membership, was devoid of long, drawn-out cutscenes, and could be played within my very limited free time. So, thank goodness for the arrival of Mercury Hg. Thank you Ignition, for allowing me to escape the reign of epic titles for a few solid and incredibly fun hours.

In my twenty-three years of gaming, no other title has had more of an impact on me than The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. My first playthrough was a magical twenty-hour experience that I’ll never forget, and one that will forever hold a special place in my heart. But the real beauty of Ocarina of Time, is that my story isn’t unique. It defined a generation for gamers all around the world, which is why many regard it to this day as the best video game experience ever created. Now, the epic tale of a boy and his fairy returns to the gaming world, bringing with it beautifully updated graphics, vast animation improvements, a hint system, and the same whimsical charm that hooked players over a decade ago.

E3 is a busy time, and 2011's conference is no exception. With new information constantly being released, it can be easy to miss big announcements or overlook certain articles. Because of this, PixlBit has compiled all of our E3 articles into separate sections (Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Wii U, and Vita) for easy viewing, so that none of you miss out on any of our coverage.