Gamezebo
Open main menu
Search

Mike Thompson has worked each side of the video game industry, both reporting on and creating narrative content for games. In his free time, he gorges on pizza, referees for roller derby, and uploads ridiculous cat photos to the internet.
  • Plunder! (removed) Review
    Reviews
    • iOS
    Plunder! (removed) Review

    By

    Shiver me timbers, I have a pirate dilemma! Namely, I'm torn about what I should do. I recently started playing Plunder!, a great puzzle game with a pirate theme, but I quickly realized it's got a scummy side that will pillage your wallet at the first opportunity. Not only that, but a frustrating DRM-like service makes it unplayable at times. Should I turn a blind eye to these shortcomings and continue this illicit affair, or should I call things off and go back to more legitimate games? Also, when did I start sounding like the heroine of a tawdry romance novel?
  • The Sims 3 Ambitions Review
    Reviews
    • iOS
    The Sims 3 Ambitions Review

    By

    Somehow, in my long career as a gamer, I've managed to avoid The Sims franchise - though I've often laughed at my friends who found themselves addicted to such games. I never really understood the appeal of the concept: micromanaging someone else's life just didn't seem all that fun. Now, having spent some time with The Sims 3: Ambitions, I finally get what my friends have all been raving about for so long.
  • MyTown Review
    Reviews
    • iOS
    MyTown Review

    By

    Location-based social games are on the rise these days, and Booyah seems determined to be a major player in this genre. MyTown is remarkably different from their recently released InCrowd, though, because it eschews social networking for actual gameplay, resulting in a much more enjoyable experience.
  • InCrowd Review
    Reviews
    • iOS
    InCrowd Review

    By

    It's only been a few weeks since Facebook launched its controversial Facebook Places system, which allows users to keep their friends up to date on where they are at any given moment. While many critics have been less-than-kind to the system because of the implied privacy issues, it's certainly proven popular enough to become a mainstay on the social network. Not surprisingly, someone's already trying to capitalize on this popularity by creating a game using the technology.
  • Strange Pharmacy Review
    Reviews
    • iOS
    Strange Pharmacy Review

    By

    Strange Pharmacy is one of those games that I expected to be a fun little JRPG in the same vein of Harvest Moon. It sported some cute title screens and anime-esque graphics, and promised to provide a series of fun little minigames. Unfortunately this promise is a filthy lie: the game is a nigh-incomprehensible mess that is almost unplayable thanks to shoddy mechanics, a rotten translation to English, and a complete lack of fun.
  • Phantasy Star II Review
    Reviews
    • iOS
    Phantasy Star II Review

    By

    Long, long ago (back in the 1980s), before Mass Effect became the definitive sci-fi RPG franchise that it is, Sega shook things up with its Phantasy Star games. The series took the console RPG genre to the stars, something that many of us had never dreamed of. Over the years, the franchise has been updated for nearly every console generation, and now Sega is returning to its roots by releasing Phantasy Star II for the iPhone.
  • MapleStory: Thief Edition Review
    Reviews
    • iOS
    MapleStory: Thief Edition Review

    By

    Whenever I play an RPG, I tend to play as a thief. I like sneaking around and taking out my enemies from behind, as well as picking the lock on the backdoor in order to bypass armed guards standing at the main entrance. Apparently I'm not the only one who feels this way, since Nexon has released MapleStory Thief Edition for the iPhone, a new action-RPG that is based on the popular MMORPG MapleStory, unplayed by me until now.
  • Monorace Review
    Reviews
    • iOS
    Monorace Review

    By

    Two-dimensional platformers hold a special place in my heart, mainly because I'm a child of the 80's and grew up playing them. I also played a lot of 2D racing games on my Nintendo Entertainment System when I was a kid. So when I started playing Monorace - a new racing platformer that allows player to change their personal gravity on the fly - I was actually pretty excited from the get-go. Craneballs has produced a fine title that will likely entertain anyone who's a fan of fun.