VideogameVagabond.com

I’m glad that RPG developers are making an effort to make games that are exclusive to the PSP platform. Really, I am!

However, why the heck did Namco-Bandai bother making Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean? I mean, the game graphics are almost exactly the same, the characters are all-too-familiar, and it’s all quite repetitive and boring if you’ve already played the first two. It’s like making the sequel to the grandfather clock… why bother, unless you’re going to change it up a bit?

Sporting a Zelda-style action RPG dynamic, Legend of Heroes III gives a bit of a bad name to the genre. In fact, the titles are far more interesting, most of the time, than the actual gameplay.

Like I said, I’m glad Namco-Bandai is making original-to-PSP RPGs. I just wish they’d make some that were actually more interesting.

I’m mildly annoyed.

While not really offensive or anything, the new game Carol Vorderman’s Sudoku really got under my skin, but not quite in a good way. Only recently did my wife really turn me on to sudoku games, and once I figured out how to play, they’ve been a low-stress haven for me. A bulwark against higher-intensity games.

It’s almost a meditative way to take your mind off your troubles and gain some perspective on life, by doing something mental that is also relaxing. Then along came Carol Vorderman’s Sudoku to mess with my DNA.

Rather than the calm, meditative approach found in, say, PS3’s Go! Sudoku, Carol Vorderman’s Sudoku stresses the importance of competition, including competing online against real opponents, or competing against CPU opponents.

Great… now the game that’s been my low-stress refuge is all about beating the other guy or gal. I’m sure it will appeal to some folks. But as for me, I’ll stick with the nice, low-stress Go! Sudoku package on my PS3. It’s calmer.

It’s getting harder and harder to find videogames that don’t need an HDMI cable and an HDTV in order to view them properly. While I love high-def gaming as much as anyone, though, sometimes simplicity is far more enjoyable.

That’s why I’m stoked by the recent announcement from Wolverine Studios that Total Pro Golf 2 is under development and could arrive sometime this summer. The first game, programmed by Gary Gorski, the hoops game whiz behind Total College Basketball and Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball, was a surprise hit for Wolverine, but since it was put together quickly, didn’t feature some of the statistical depth and overflow of features that are a hallmark of all of Gorski’s titles.

The new game will aim to fix that, promising to build off the strong base of the first game while adding in a lot more stats and a lot more features to give the game better depth. While the game may never be quite as impressive as EA’s Tiger Woods PGA titles or Sony’s Hot Shots Golf titles, Total Pro Golf 2 is certainly one to watch out for if you want a PC sports title that plays fun and quick.