Author: Chris Scullion

Chris Scullion is a Scottish video games journalist who's been covering video games professionally for 16 years. For the first six years of his career he worked at the Official Nintendo Magazine in the UK, then became the Games Editor of CVG before its untimely end. After setting up his own site, Tired Old Hack, Chris then joined Video Games Chronicle (VGC) where he is currently Features Editor. He has a passion for retro games and cataloguing their history, hence his ongoing series of console encyclopedia books (search his name on Amazon).

Super Bomberman R (Switch) review

Published on by Chris Scullion5 Comments
HEXADRIVE / KONAMI
SWITCH

91-hgxwegrl-_sl1500_In case you couldn’t already tell, I’m a big fan of Bomberman.

I’ve loved the series from the moment I first played the NES original back in 1991, and ever since Super Bomberman 2 launched on the SNES in the mid ‘90s I’ve been anxiously waiting for a new sequel that would better it.

Super Bomberman R isn’t that game.

It’s fine though, because that doesn’t mean it’s a bad one. Although it isn’t quite a return to form as yet, as far as modern Bomberman efforts go it’s a good sign that Konami is at least getting back on the right track. Continue reading “Super Bomberman R (Switch) review” →

Nintendo Switch hardware review

Published on by Chris Scullion5 Comments

The big day is here. Nintendo has finally released either its seventh home console or its sixth handheld console, depending on how you look at it (I’ve already made my stance clear).

The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid device that can be played both on your TV and on the move, and Nintendo is hoping it’ll get things back on track after the Wii U’s disappointing sales.

Yer man Scullion was fortunate enough to receive one from Nintendo ahead of launch, so now it’s here it would be downright rude of me not to give my needlessly in-depth thoughts on every aspect of it. Continue reading “Nintendo Switch hardware review” →

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (Switch) review

Published on by Chris Scullion23 Comments
Nintendo / Nintendo
Switch / Wii U (Switch version reviewed)

This review comes with some disclaimers.

Usually when I review a game I insist on finishing it (or getting as close as possible if magazine deadline restrictions have prevented it) in order to make sure I give the most accurate verdict.

zeldabotwzeldaI’ve been playing Breath Of The Wild solid for about a week now and I’m still nowhere close to finishing it. It’s still going to take me a number of weeks. However, this game is unique in that after spending around 40-50 hours with it I’m 100% confident in my verdict, which I’ll get to at the end of the review. I hope you understand when you read it.

This review will also contain no plot spoilers. For the sake of illustrating points made in my review I have had to refer to gameplay scenarios I experienced, but these examples do not mention the plot or explain how these scenarios fit into the story.

The screenshots in this article were all taken using the Switch’s built-in screenshot feature early in the game,  in order to avoid major spoilers later. Since SDXC card support is not yet ready at the time of writing (it’s added in the online update tomorrow), I used my PC grabber to capture them from the Switch’s screenshot gallery. I’m happy with the results.

One or two of these screens show characters Link meets early in the game who you may not recognise. I felt the need to illustrate that the entire game is not an empty world with no NPCs. However, I’ve taken great pains to make sure the screens show no dialogue that explains who these characters are or how they fit into the plot.

Long story short, if you watched the Zelda trailer during the Switch presentation in January, that gave away a lot more than I will. That said, on with the review! Continue reading “The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (Switch) review” →

Just Dance 2017 (Switch) review

Published on by Chris Scullion3 Comments
Ubisoft / Ubisoft Paris
Switch, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, PC (Switch version reviewed)

91exhieunml-_sl1500_Here’s the deal.

There’s no snobbery on this site. You might be the sort of person who will never like Just Dance, and if it isn’t your cup of tea then that’s fair enough.

The reality, though, is that this is a series that had sold 40 million copies by 2013, so dismissing it outright just because it isn’t a shooter or a platformer is a type of elitism that doesn’t fly here.

Every game deserves a fair review, so that’s what you’re getting. Check your prejudices at the door (and, given some of the songs here, your pride as well) and let’s get jiggy as fuck. Continue reading “Just Dance 2017 (Switch) review” →

The complete history of Bomberman

Published on by Chris Scullion43 Comments

bomberman-character-art-from-bomberman-online-on-sega-dreamcast-2001In just a few days, the Nintendo Switch will finally be released.

It’s an exciting time for many gamers, because the launch of new hardware is always a thrill.

But it’s also an exciting and nerve-wracking time for a group of gamers who have had a rough time of it in recent years: Bomberman fans.

On the same day the Switch launches, Super Bomberman R will be sitting on the shelves alongside it. It will be the first new physical, boxed Bomberman game to appear in stores in more than eight years.

For people my age (30 and up if you must know, you cheeky prick), Bomberman is one of the classic video games series.

These days when you think of big, popular multiplayer games you think of Call Of Duty, Destiny, Overwatch and FIFA.

In the early ‘90s, it was Bomberman.

Because it’s been nearly a decade since the last retail Bomberman release – and because even then it wasn’t really as popular as it had been – there’s a generation of gamers who aren’t too familiar with the series as a whole.

That’s where yer man Scullion comes in. Continue reading “The complete history of Bomberman” →

Forma.8 (PS4) review

Published on by Chris Scullion3 Comments
MixedBag Games
PS4 / Xbox One / Wii U / Vita / Steam (PS4 version reviewED)

Metroidvania games are ten a penny these days, so it’d take something special to catch the attention of this grizzled veteran with boyish charm and a tough exterior but gentle heart.

Um… what I’m trying to say is Forma.8 is bloody good. Continue reading “Forma.8 (PS4) review” →

A Normal Lost Phone (Android) review

Published on by Chris Scullion1 Comment

ACCIDENTAL QUEENS
ANDROID / iOS / STEAM (ANDROID VERSION REVIEWED)

Note: This is a plot-heavy game that deals with a sensitive topic. Those who have already played through the game will have noticed that I have deliberately not used certain words and descriptions in a way that may seem ignorant. I have only done so in order to avoid spoilers and to ensure the player goes into the game knowing what they’re supposed to know at that stage.

a-normal-lost-phone-iconWhat would you do if you ever found a mobile phone?

Would you hand it in to the police and hope it made its way back to its original owner? Would you search its address book for a number called ‘home’ or something similar and call it to let them know you found it?

Or would you search through the user’s messages, emails, dating app and photo gallery in order to find out more about their life?

A Normal Lost Phone works on the assumption that you’d go with the last of these options, and that’s really the only major problem I have with it. Continue reading “A Normal Lost Phone (Android) review” →