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Replay – Shadow Hearts

Kimberley Wallace — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 13:00:00 GMT

In December of 2001, a new RPG series hit the scene for PlayStation 2, entitled Shadow Hearts. With its Lovecraftian horror and distorted take on historical events and characters, the franchise was a unique, dark, and unpredictable. In this episode of Replay, we take a look the first Shadow Hearts, the entry that brought us protagonist Yuri Hyuga and his quest to protect exorcist Alice Elliot.

Since the franchise is very near and dear to my heart, I've been waiting to show it off to my fellow staffers. Unfortunately, it doesn't go completely as planned. Watch below as Andrew Reiner, Joe Juba, Dan Ryckert, and I react to how Yuri's love for Alice began. Also stick around to see an awesome roulette pick by our very own video producer Jason Oestreicher. Get ready to see some crazy things. After all, we have Joe Juba and Dan Ryckert in the same room, and they make an announcement.

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Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.

Replay – The Punisher

Dan Ryckert — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Years before Arkham Asylum blew Batman fans away with its treatment of the character, Volition attempted to give a similar treatment to The Punisher. While it wasn't a massive success, it's hard to deny that the game captures the spirit of the hyper-violent revenge story. We decided to revisit the Saints Row developer's PS2 title for this week's Replay.

Watch below to see Andrew Reiner, Jeff Cork, Bryan Vore, and myself seek revenge.

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Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.

Replay – Jet Force Gemini

Kyle Hilliard — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 13:00:00 GMT

After Rare gave Donkey Kong his own game and crafted a 3D model of Pierce Brosnan for Goldeneye, the developer made a cinematic sci-fi shooter called Jet Force Gemini.

It was the true start of the popular helmeted-space-soldier-alien-shooter motif nearly two years before Halo released on the Xbox. Jet Force Gemini was an innovative game in many ways, with optional surround sound audio, widescreen presentation, and a story with three simultaneous narratives occurring across different locations around the universe. You might be able to count the frame rate on one hand, but when it released right at the end of the Nintendo 64's life, it was a fairly impressive adventure.

This week's Replay Roulette is also very exciting, with a game that had some very strange localization choices.

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Replay – Body Harvest

Jeff Cork — Sat, 25 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Grand Theft Auto III was the first entry in the series to feature a 3D open world, but it wasn't the first time that the development team tackled the concept. That honor goes to the N64 game Body Harvest, which DMA Design released three years before GTA III. Watch as Reiner, Dan, Tim, and I go on a bug hunt and learn a thing or two about maps.

Body Harvest was a long-delayed game that featured a hero who could battle buglike invaders on foot or in a variety of vehicles. It hasn't aged particularly well, but it was ridiculously ambitious for the time (1998) Our adventure meanders a bit, thanks in part to a few issues with the game's navigation system (Tim was on the sticks!). As bad as we thought the UI was in Body Harvest, it did little to prepare us for the roulette game. That one's an indecipherable mess that must be seen to be believed.

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Replay – 24: The Game

Dan Ryckert — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Earlier this week, I saw Game Informer reviews editor Joe Juba jump up and do a little dance around the office. The reason? He had just read a headline stating that action drama 24 will be returning for a ninth season. Reiner and myself started talking to him about the insane adventures of Jack Bauer, and instantly realized that we were both really excited for its return as well. After that conversation, the focus of our next episode of Replay was apparent.

Our opinions on the game may differ, but that didn't stop us from getting into plenty of silly 24 talk. Check out the new episode below.

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Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.

Replay – Onimusha: Warlords

Ben Reeves — Sat, 11 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Capcom's Onimusha series took real life characters from history and retold actual historical battles with supernatural elements. The game follows a couple of ghost busting Samurai who travel through the country killing demonic monsters and absorbing their souls with a mystical gauntlet. It's probably pretty close to the actual history.

Watch Game Informer editors Tim Turi, Andrew Reiner, Jason Oestreicher, and Ben Reeves tackle the opening chapters of Capcom's action/survival horror series, solve a few chest puzzles, and stab a lot of dudes on the ground.

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Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.

Replay – Dinosaurs For Hire

Andrew Reiner — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

A long-time Replay viewer suggested we take a look at Dinosaurs for Hire, a Sega Genesis title based on the short-lived Malibu Comic book series of the same name. We're going to have to listen to our viewership more often. Seeing dinosaurs as protagonists in a Contra-like sidescroller is as fascinating and weird as it sounds.

We played more of this game than we probably should have, and probably could have turned this episode into a full-on Super Replay if we kept going. Watch as a stegosaurus and triceratops unload assault rifle rounds into ninjas, robots, and giant skyscaper-bound monstrosities.

We hope you all are having a great Saturday morning! Enjoy the episode and we'll see you again in seven days!

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Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.

Replay – Jurassic Park: Trespasser

Dan Ryckert — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:00:00 GMT

In this year's Super Replay Showdown, the game I was fighting for was arguably the worst of the bunch. I had heard stories of the insane and hilarious physics of Jurassic Park: Trespasser, and the whole boob tattoo health meter sounded ridiculous. Despite hearing these stories on several occasions, I had never met anyone that actually played it. I may have lost the Super Replay Showdown, but that didn't stop me from lobbying for Trespasser as a standard episode of Replay.

Watch below to see Andrew Reiner, Tim Turi, Ben Hanson, and I give a test run to one of the most awkward games I've ever played.

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Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.

Super Replay: Ninja Gaiden – Episode 4

Jeff Marchiafava — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:00:00 GMT

This year's Super Replay Showdown ended with an unexpected dance-off between Ben Reeves and I. Even more unexpected was my fleet-footed rise to victory, but my triumph comes at a terrible toll; I now have to grind my way through the original NES installment of Ninja Gaiden, an infuriatingly challenging platformer whose unrelenting annoyances are matched only by the stupid cackling of GI's resident clown, Dan Ryckert.

Will I be able to overcome the multistage boss battle waiting for us at the end of Ninja Gaiden's long and treacherous road? Will I be able to resist the constant urge to bludgeon Dan to death with my microphone? We can only take it one episode at a time, but I'm putting the odds for both at 50/50.

Join Andrew Reiner, Bryan Vore, Dan Ryckert, and I for the inaugural episode of what may very well be the first never-ending Super Replay.

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Replay – Earthbound

Kyle Hilliard — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Earthbound is finally coming to the Wii U's Virtual Console, but we refused to wait any longer to play Nintendo's quirky RPG classic again, so we dove into our vault and took it for a nostalgic spin.

Join three Earthbound fans (Jeff Cork, Kyle Hilliard, and Kimberley Wallace), and one person who just thought the game was 'okay' (Andrew Reiner), as they pick their favorite foods, find out a secret about Jeff Cork's past, and how best to take advantage of an AOL account in the nineties. Also, make sure to stick around after Earthbound for a segment we haven't done in awhile with a very strange game.

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Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.

Replay – Eternal Darkness

Dan Ryckert — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:00:00 GMT

A few weeks ago, we asked the Overblood/Replay Facebook community what they'd like to see for a Replay. We let them organize the poll and vote among themselves, and the winner was the fondly-remembered Eternal Darkness for Gamecube.

Watch below to see Tim Turi, Andrew Reiner, Jeff Cork, and myself attempt to keep our sanity meters full while playing this spooky title.

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Replay – The X-Files: Resist Or Serve

Dan Ryckert — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Licensed titles have seen a spotty history throughout console generations, The Playstation 2 era was filled with many mediocre-to-terrible titles like 24, The Sopranos: Road To Respect, Reservoir Dogs, Scarface, and plenty more. Another licensed title that didn't exactly set the world on fire is The X-Files: Resist or Serve, and we're playing it this week for Replay.

Watch below to see Tim Turi, Andrew Reiner, Joe Juba, and myself relive the adventures of Mulder and Scully.

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Super Replay – Dynamite Cop - Episode 3

Dan Ryckert — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 05:01:00 GMT

On March 6, Andrew Reiner, Ben Reeves, and myself made our weekly visit to the Vault to pick a game to play for Replay. Reiner knelt down by the GameCube wall, Ben Reeves scoured our PSone shelves, and I looked over our Dreamcast selection. Near the top was a game that I had never heard of, but instantly knew I wanted to play. Right on the cover was the line "It's tuna-slinging, hairspray-aiming killer commandos to the rescue!" I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but it sounded awesome.

Then we put it in. I instantly fell in love with the chaos that unfolded as we pummeled enemies with lawn chairs, nuclear missiles, and plates of sushi rolls. In a first for Replay, what was supposed to be a single episode of the standard show morphed into our new Super Replay. Watch below to learn why we are all of a sudden big fans of Dynamite Cop.

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Replay – Corpse Killer

Dan Ryckert — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Back in the mid-90s, FMV games were destined to become the future of the industry. Consoles were technically capable of presenting actual images of people and environments, so why would any sucker go back to boring old sprites and polygons? Well, it turns out that being limited to actual footage limits gameplay to an excruciating degree. We learned this quickly when we booted up 1994's Corpse Killer for Sega Saturn.

Watch below to see us mow down hordes of the pixellated undead in this awful title. Be sure to stick around afterwards to see the finals of this year's Super Replay Showdown!

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Super Replay Showdown 2013 – Week Three

Ben Hanson — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:30:00 GMT

Every year we hold a series of multiplayer matches chosen by video producer Ben Hanson. The last person standing wins the honor of choosing the next Super Replay game that we play through in its entirety. We've had some exciting matches this year, but this episode marks the most tense duel yet. Watch the video below to see Kim Wallace face off against her bitter rival Ben Reeves followed by Jeff Marchifava fighting the all-powerful Andrew Reiner. Enjoy!

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This epic finale between the victors of the video above will be facing off this Saturday in a surprising final game, feel free to tune in! Click on the image below to expand the current bracket.

Replay – Thief: The Dark Project

Ben Reeves — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 13:00:00 GMT

In the mid '90s, Looking Glass Studios innovated on the FPS genre by creating a slow-placed stealth game fraught with tension. The game won numerous awards and was praised by critics, but does this innovative title still hold up a decade and a half later? We find out.

Watch Andrew Reiner, Ben Hanson, Dan Ryckert, and I stumble through one of Thief's early levels. Then stay tuned as the final four duke it our in our Replay Showdown.

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Also be sure to check out our month of cover story coverage for Eidos-Montreal's upcoming Thief reboot.

Super Replay Showdown 2013 – Week Two

Ben Hanson — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:30:00 GMT

Every year we hold a series of multiplayer matches chosen by video producer Ben Hanson, the last person standing wins the honor of choosing the next Super Replay game that we play through in its entirety. In case you missed it during last week's Replay, the annual Super Replay Showdown competition has already taken six competitors out of the game.

Watch the video below to learn who survived the deadly second week of Super Replay Showdown. The first part features a three-way deathmatch between Jeff Cork, Tim Turi, and Jeff Marchiafava followed by an intimate duel between Joe Juba and Andrew Reiner. Enjoy the video!

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Stay tuned for this Saturday's match between Kim (Wallopin') Wallace and Ben (The Bone Breaker) Reeves followed by those that won in the video above! Click on the image below to expand the current bracket.

Super Replay: Luigi's Mansion – Episode 7

Tim Turi — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 05:01:00 GMT

With Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon on the 3DS March 24, there's no better time to get acquainted with this classic in its entirety.

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Replay – Akuji The Heartless (Guest: Robert Bowling)

Dan Ryckert — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Crystal Dynamics is best known for their work on Tomb Raider, Legacy of Kain, and Gex. One of their Playstation titles is rarely talked about when discussing the company's history, and that's the action platformer Akuji the Heartless. We were curious to revisit the title to see if it was an underappreciated gem, so we picked it for this week's Replay.

Click below to watch Andrew Reiner, Tim Turi, Robotoki president Robert Bowling, and myself take control of Akuji for the first time in over a decade.

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Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.

Super Replay Showdown 2013 – Week One

Ben Hanson — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:53:00 GMT

Dan Ryckert, Ben Reeves, and Bryan Vore face off in the first half and Kyle Hilliard and Kim Wallace go head to head in the latter half. Watch the video below to who comes out on top in the first week.

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Stay tuned for this Saturday's match between Jeff Cork, Tim Turi, and Jeff M., followed by Joe Juba up against Andrew Reiner! Click on the image below to expand the bracket.

Replay – Parasite Eve

Kimberley Wallace — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 14:00:00 GMT

In this episode of Replay, we take a trek with the famed Aya Brea from Parasite Eve.

A PS1 horror/RPG hybrid, Parasite Eve made its mark with its strong female lead and backdrop of New York City. In the video below, we take a look at the opening. Yes, that includes the infamous opera scene. So sit back, relax, and join host Andrew Reiner, Ben Reeves, Dan Ryckert, and myself as we explore why operas aren't always boring.

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Also, stick around to experience the first battles of our Super Replay Showdown tournament. If you're unfamiliar with Super Replay Showdown, or want to see the choices again, click here.

For this week, Bryan, Ben R. and Dan face-off, while Kyle and I showdown in a way we least expected. Who are the big winners? Watch the video already!

Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.

Super Replay Showdown 2013 – The Bracket Is Set

Dan Ryckert — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:00:00 GMT

It's time once again for the Super Replay Showdown. If you remember last year's inaugural tournament, you'll remember the rules. Several Game Informer editors (last year had eight entries, this year features ten) get a chance to choose the game that they'd most like to see as our next Super Replay. Then, they all compete in a tournament of random multiplayer gaming challenges to see which editor reigns supreme. Whoever wins the tournament gets to sit in on a full playthrough of the game they chose.

In the video below, you'll get a chance to see what games each of us will be fighting for. Also, I'm totally going to win the whole thing again.

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Replay – Deadly Creatures

Dan Ryckert — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 14:00:00 GMT

One of the most unique Wii titles revolved around a spider, a scorpion, and actors Billy Bob Thornton and the late Dennis Hopper. THQ released Deadly Creatures in 2009 to little fanfare, but many that played it were charmed by its quirkiness. This week, we see if that charm holds up.

Be sure to stick around for the second segment, in which we kick off this year's Super Replay Showdown. If you remember last year's inaugural tournament, you'll remember the rules. Several Game Informer editors (last year had eight entries, this year features ten) get a chance to choose the game that they'd most like to see as our next Super Replay. Then, they all compete in a tournament of random multiplayer gaming challenges to see which editor reigns supreme. Whoever wins the tournament gets to sit in on a full playthrough of the game they chose.

In this first week of the Showdown, you'll get a chance to see what games each of us will be fighting for. Also, I'm totally going to win the whole thing again.

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Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.

Replay – BloodRayne

Dan Ryckert — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Vampires may be all over pop culture today, but they weren't quite as ubiquitous back in the early 2000s. They still reared their heads every once in a while, though, and one of those times was in BloodRayne for PS2. In this episode of Replay, we take a look at the first game in the series, which spawned films and a sequel.

Check it out below to see Andrew Reiner, Kim Wallace, Jason Oestreicher, and myself suck blood down in the swamps.

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Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.

Replay – God Hand

Dan Ryckert — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:00:00 GMT

One of the downright goofiest games of the PlayStation 2 era was God Hand, a Capcom-published beat-em-up. While the game is rarely talked about, several of us at the office have some vague memories of insane attacks and a general wacky vibe. We decided to play it on this week's Replay to see how it holds up.

This episode features Andrew Reiner, Joe Juba, me, and everyone's favorite guest, Aram Jabbari (formerly Atlus PR, now with Sony).

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Check out more episodes at our Replay hub.