Explosion

Sara Swanson

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I picked up a B.A. in English with a specialty in Poetry. I also draw manga-inspired webcomics and play far too much Minecraft in my free time. My favorite game is Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, while my favorite series is Suikoden!

  • 5 Things to Look Forward to in Pokémon X & Y

    With no contest, having at least 100 new Pokémon is the most exciting thing about the new generation—but there are also plenty of other things...

    Features
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    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    With no contest, having at least 100 new Pokémon is the most exciting thing about the new generation—but there are also plenty of other things to look forward to! Here are the five most exciting things about the upcoming Pokémon games. 5) ‘Bonding’ Feature Shortly after the announcement of the new game, game director Masuda...
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  • A Closer Look at the IllumiRoom

    Microsoft recently revealed their latest innovation to go alongside the Kinect—IllumiRoom. It extends the field of vision outside of the television and projects it onto...

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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    Microsoft recently revealed their latest innovation to go alongside the Kinect—IllumiRoom. It extends the field of vision outside of the television and projects it onto the walls, furniture, and whatever else you have in your game room. Although there were a few odd behaviors in the demonstration and stills, it seems like a sound product...
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  • Kickstarter Focus: Megabits

    With all the generation six fanfare happening on Pokémon news sites, it’s only natural that this week’s feature is a monster game. Megabits is a...

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    Features
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    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    With all the generation six fanfare happening on Pokémon news sites, it’s only natural that this week’s feature is a monster game. Megabits is a game that allows you to gather, locate, collect, and evolve fighting monsters that stay with you in your pocket wherever you go. Unlike Pokémon, the game also allows you to...
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  • Top 5 Modern Isometric Games

    With two amazing isometric games coming out in the form of Project Eternity and Path of Exile 2013, it looks like the visual format might...

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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    With two amazing isometric games coming out in the form of Project Eternity and Path of Exile 2013, it looks like the visual format might be making a return from the old SNES days. Isometric games are ones that use floor tiles at a ratio different than 1:1, with their horizontal width being greater than...
    819

  • Weekly News Roundup – JAN 6 2013

    Happy New Year, everyone! This week has been very busy and plenty of holiday arts and crafts projects are surfacing. The Pokémon lego builds are...

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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    Happy New Year, everyone! This week has been very busy and plenty of holiday arts and crafts projects are surfacing. The Pokémon lego builds are pretty cute, but the Big Daddy one sort of trumps them. We finally have official, solid proof of the next Xbox in the form of an E3 counter from Microsoft,...
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  • On Freedom of Speech and Video Games

    There seems to be no shortage of politicians seeking to blame violent video games as the cause for the tragic Sandy Hook shooting, as opposed...

    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    There seems to be no shortage of politicians seeking to blame violent video games as the cause for the tragic Sandy Hook shooting, as opposed to lax gun control or psychological issues, but a town in Connecticut has decided to up the ante. As previously reported on the site, a group dedicated to helping the...
    827

  • A Look Back on 2012

    2012 was the first year that I entered into both game journalism and game development, and it’s allowed me to see plenty of things in...

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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    2012 was the first year that I entered into both game journalism and game development, and it’s allowed me to see plenty of things in a new perspective. As a journalist, part of the job is finding issues with games and reporting on them—but as a developer, a lot of these issues are obvious mistakes...
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  • Kickstarter Focus: Super Bunny Insurrection

    From the creator of the online comic Guinea Something Good comes a new retro platformer that takes a new perspective on the genre. I mean...

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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    From the creator of the online comic Guinea Something Good comes a new retro platformer that takes a new perspective on the genre. I mean that literally, since the game will actually spin as you play through, giving the impression of a 3D world. In that regard, it’s a bit like Fez (although the two...
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  • How Journey Succeeded to Become Game of the Year

    In all regards, Journey was a beautiful game. It stunned gamers everywhere with its breathtaking visuals, despite how simple the graphics and models were compared...

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    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    In all regards, Journey was a beautiful game. It stunned gamers everywhere with its breathtaking visuals, despite how simple the graphics and models were compared to other PS3 games and other games on the market. While it did have amazing titles like Mass Effect 3, The Walking Dead, and Halo 4 competing against it, it...
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  • Designing Around F2P

    Free-to-play has always been the biggest lie you could find in a gaming term. There is nothing that takes developers, publishers, running servers, or downloads...

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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    Free-to-play has always been the biggest lie you could find in a gaming term. There is nothing that takes developers, publishers, running servers, or downloads that can truly end up being free. Free-to-play is only a phrase that means the consumer does not have to pay for a game’s package, and gets it for free....
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  • Weekly News Roundup – DEC 30 2012

    This week was rather slow, with everyone distracted by the holidays! I didn’t even manage to finish my Greensleeves redstone composition in Minecraft (although the...

    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    This week was rather slow, with everyone distracted by the holidays! I didn’t even manage to finish my Greensleeves redstone composition in Minecraft (although the room for it is all hollowed out, thanks to the help of a friend). I’ll probably use it for another song. Ideas, anyone? Speaking of Minecraft, the documentary was released...
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  • Moving the Kinect into Unknown Territory

    The Kinect has had a lackluster lifetime, with few developers using it as more than a gimmick to translate some dance moves or make their...

    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    The Kinect has had a lackluster lifetime, with few developers using it as more than a gimmick to translate some dance moves or make their arcade shooter slightly more interactive. It’s rare for the Kinect to have interesting functionality at all, with the few games that do use it focusing in on its microphone capabilities....
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  • Top 5 Gaming Wishes of 2013

    2012 is wrapping up pretty nicely, especially since none of those apocalypses ended up happening. As we exchange our calendars and turn over the page...

    Features
    1
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    2012 is wrapping up pretty nicely, especially since none of those apocalypses ended up happening. As we exchange our calendars and turn over the page for a new year, here is a small wish list of five things I would like to see next year (and hey, might actually happen!). 5) Next Gen of Pokémon...
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  • Kickstarter Focus: Radio the Universe

    Radio the Universe is a unique project that reminds me of Limbo, Home, and Sword & Sworcery, since it relies very heavily on its visual...

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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    Radio the Universe is a unique project that reminds me of Limbo, Home, and Sword & Sworcery, since it relies very heavily on its visual theme while telling its story and delivering high-quality gameplay. Made mainly by one person, this game has just the right dose of retro to get away with pixel art and...
    828

  • Something Good Out of THQ’s Bankruptcy

    Although Christmas is coming up, not everyone is having a good time. THQ president Jason Rubin might be one of those people—especially since THQ recently...

    THQ
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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    Although Christmas is coming up, not everyone is having a good time. THQ president Jason Rubin might be one of those people—especially since THQ recently filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. The past year has given the company its fair share of financial hardships, and it has finally arrived at that conclusion. All of its assets...
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  • Top 5 Stocking Stuffers

    Christmas is on the horizon, and if you’re stuck trying to figure out what to get a gamer friend or relative, fear no more. Here...

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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    Christmas is on the horizon, and if you’re stuck trying to figure out what to get a gamer friend or relative, fear no more. Here are several games, all between $15-30 new, that could brighten up someone’s Christmas. 5) Skyrim If someone doesn’t have Skyrim by now, they’re missing out and know it. Skyrim is...
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