[Many video games build upon the concepts and mechanics of their forerunners. Off-Brand Games examines those that draw just a little too much... inspiration.] I played the original Ratchet & Clank for the first time t...

id's upcoming post-apocalyptic shooter RAGE is still almost a year away, but why should we wait that long before getting to blast some of the ugliest mutants this side of Total Recall? In order to keep the hype going for the full game, id has released RAGE on the iPhone as an on-rails shooter. Now that's good advertising!  

I picked up my first guitar when I was in elementary school, and I asked my father -- an amateur guitarist who strummed along along to David Bowie vinyl records for fun -- to teach me a basic chord. It wasn’t 15 minutes...

Ridge Racer 3D is one of two racing games available for the 3DS at launch, and since the other one is part of GameLoft's Asphalt series, there's really only one choice.  Ridge Racer 3D's overall goal seems quite clear --...

A title called Rebuild of Evangelion Sound Impact is coming from Namco Bandai, and it sounds like one of the many strange things that comes out of Japan that we'll probably never play. But wait: Grasshopper Manufacture is lis...

Codemaster will end online play for GRID for PS3 and PC. It's always a sad day when online ends for a good game. For some reason the Xbox 360 online play will live on. For now. "After three years of service, 2008's Race Drive...

It's like MonkeyPaw reads my mind. They keep cranking out import PSOne titles for the PlayStation Network that I've been wanting. This week they've announced two new titles for PSN: Rapid Angel and Yakiniku Bugyou. I wanted a...

Rhythm Heaven Wii is coming to North America later this year, which has doubled the amount of 2011 Wii games that are worth half a crap. Yes, we now have two games to look forward to this year, instead of just one! Some peop...

Capcom has announced a massive Resident Evil 15th Anniversary Box bundle that allows you to put all of those old copies in a box and never look at them again. The Anniversary Box, set to be released on September 8, can only b...

Capcom has announced a massive Resident Evil 15th Anniversary Box bundle that allows you to put all of those old copies in a box and never look at them again. The Anniversary Box, set to be released on September 8, can only b...

Capcom has announced a massive Resident Evil 15th Anniversary Box bundle that allows you to put all of those old copies in a box and never look at them again. The Anniversary Box, set to be released on September 8, can only b...

Usually, downloadable games on Xbox Live can only offer 200 Gamer Points' worth of Achievements. The HD reissues of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica, however, will offer 1,000 Points each, boasting full-fledge...

Is there any sport more badass than Rugby? I think not. The fact that there isn't a more prominent Rugby presence in the US is puzzling; it's basically football, but better. Nevermind the fact that people do things like this...

Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken, which has been around for a while under the name Rocketbirds: Revolution, is getting a port over to the PSN and will be out either late 2011 or early 2012. The game is currently available for ...

Back in February, Cave Story creator Daisuke 'Pixel' Amaya, revealed that he was hard at work on a new game tentatively titled Rockfish, for iOS. It features the same visual style of its predecessors and follows the adventure...

[Update 2: Capcom has since clarified and corrected GameSpot's original report -- there are no current plans to bring these titles to retail. Make sure you've got the bandwidth then, I guess.] [Update: As reader JawMuncher po...

Capcom has released new screenshots of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil Code: Veronica X, both of which are getting the high-def treatment later this year. Resident Evil 4 will be first, launching on Xbox 360 via Games on De...

Gravity Interactive Inc. has announced a new game for the iPhone and iPad based on the popular MMORPG Ragnarok Online. The game -- named Ragnarok Violet -- will be a single-player RPG set in the same universe as the MMORPG. ...

The 2011 Rugby World Cup is just around the corner (September 9, to be exact) and as we all know, no sporting event would be complete without an official videogame tie-in. While the game itself isn't due out until August 26, ...

In the new downloadable content for Red Faction: Armageddon, "Path to War," you get to take part in the destruction of Mars' Terraformer. Screw you, oxygen! This add-on is available now on Xbox Live (560 Microsoft Points) an...

I've been working on a import review of Minna no Rhythm Tengoku (known as Rhythm Heaven Wii in the U.S.) for almost a month now. Problem is, I just don't have the skills to unlock everything in the game. Though it has incred...

If you read our preview of Red Orchestra 2, you might be anxious to see some actual gameplay. Tripwire Interactive just released a high-definition video showing off a couple minutes worth. It's very hectic, and many differen...

The latest game from ACE Team and Atlus hasn't got a PlayStation Network release date pinned down yet (for now, it's a simple "soon"), but Rock of Ages has made it over to Steam. This version includes bonus content like a fam...

At first glance, Rapala for Kinect sounds like it would be the same old song and dance. Motion controlled fishing game? Yeah, been there done that. But after watching the trailer, it has come to my attention that you can pun...

Shmup classic R-Type was released on Android yesterday, and you can grab it for 2.99 euro or $4.12 on the Android Market. For that price you get a mobile port with 3 control options to fit your playstyle, as well as a free t...

This may not be Red Bull's first foray into the gaming world, but hopefully this new entry into the digital arena will help gain the franchise a new audience. Red Bull X-Fighters just released on XBLA for the tidy s...

In news that very few Western people noticed with all the other madness happening in Japan, Tecmo Koei has announced Romance of the Three Kingdoms XII, a new entry in its micro-micromanagement sim set during an era of ancient...

Some four years after Treasure's Masato Maegawa hinted at a re-release of one of the finest shoot-'em-ups ever to grace the world, Radiant Silvergun is finally available on Xbox Live Arcade for a fraction of what the Saturn g...

Resistance has always been a bit of a strange series for the PlayStation 3. As an exclusive, it's always enjoyed added exposure and attention from press, but divisive opinions on its quality and the dated nature of its gamepl...

Renegade Ops arrives a little late on PC, but patient fans will be well rewarded. Half-Life's Gordan Freeman is set to join the vehicular shooter as a playable character! The trailer above shows Dr. Freeman in all his groovy...

Some games age better than others. You see a lot of game developers and animators still using 8-bit art in modern games, while plenty of fans are excited to buy and re-buy titles from the 16-bit era. Then you have Minecraft, ...

There are many good options out there for MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) games these days. League of Legends is the frontrunner of the pack, Heroes of Newerth has a strong player base -- it also just went free-to-play...

Today, Mash Tactics will be playing Rotastic, a dizzying jewel spree from developer Dancing Dots. Rotastic comes to PC and PSN next year but is available now on XBLA for a measly 800 MS Points. Mash Tactics has an even better...

Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One hits stores today, and to celebrate this new opening cinematic has been released.  If you haven't heard, this game takes Ratchet and Clank and sticks them in a 4-player co-op adventure, with...

Moments before yesterday's review of Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One went live, I received a message from Insomniac Games via Twitter. It said, "We will still love you, though you realize as a dev it's terrifying knowing Jim S...

Another year and another successful Extra Life gaming marathon has concluded; and after tallying up all of the donations made thanks to the effort of over 24,000 gamers across North America, Extra Life has surpassed ...

I think as a diehard Resident Evil fanboy, I avoided everything and anything regarding Operation Raccoon City. Something about the concept didn't interest me at all and I figured I'd end up avoiding the game altogether when ...

No, Ubisoft did not decide to randomly abandon the Rainbow Six series. Rather, the company has announced the newest entry, Rainbow Six: Patriots, and hinted at a new direction for this first-person shooter due out sometime in...

Today, Mash Tactics is jumping into the world of Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny. This Harvest Moon spin-off takes adventure to the seas, trading farm tools for weapons at times. Rune Factory veteran, and neighboring Twitch TV...

Rochard, which first appeared on the PlayStation Network a few months back, has done well. It has done so well, in fact, that the developers, Recoil Games, are porting it to the PC. Starting November 15, the game will be up o...

Raccoons are pretty much the best animal ever and it's a shame that so few games feature the little guys. If Tom Nook and Sly Cooper just aren't cutting it for you anymore, former-Silicon Knights producer Erik Peterson's...

Ubisoft has announced that a classic sequel in the Rayman series is getting an HD coat of paint for an XBLA/PSN release. Rayman 3 Hoodlum Havoc is eyeing a Spring 2012 launch date, and should excite fans who are still chewing...

Fresh from the fine folks at Indie Royale, their newest indie gaming bundle has just gone live. The "Really Big Bundle" features five great indie games: Really Big Sky, Runespell: Overture, Eufloria, Cthulhu Saves the Wo...

Fresh from the fine folks at Indie Royale, their newest indie gaming bundle has just gone live. The "Really Big Bundle" features five great indie games: Really Big Sky, Runespell: Overture, Eufloria, Cthulhu Saves the Wo...

Aksys Games sends word they'll be bringing Record of Agarest 2 to North America in 2012. They did the localization work. Ghostlight will handle the publishing for Europe. It looks like they're aiming for summer.  Of cour...

Here's the new story trailer for upcoming Sega 3DS rhythm game Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure. Raphael is a guy with smooth moves and a nice suit, and that makes him pretty interesting already. But...

Ubisoft is taking the Rainbow 6 franchise to some more familiar territory in Patriots with Americans rising up against perceived evil. The new trailer pulls all the right strings and shows just how far some people could go.

More PS Vita video content! Up next is Reality Fighters, a game in which you use the system's camera to create virtual combat in the real world. This "augmented reality" stuff gets people really hot, so watch the above video...

Ricky Carmichael's Motocross Matchup PRO! might be a game you've heard of before if you're into mobile gaming and motocross, or anything involving motorbikes. Those who have it know that the 2XL Games-developed title can be ...

Tripwire Interactive is staying true to their mod maker roots by releasing the full Red Orchestra 2 Mod SDK today. If you own the game, you can start tinkering by downloading the SDK from the tools section on Steam. A limited...

Regular Show may very well be the best cartoon series on television right now, rivaled only by Adventure Time. Taking the "disguised adult jokes" ball from Rocko's Modern Life and running halfway around the world with it, the...

Rayforce is now out on the App store for iPhone and iPod users. It's the classic shoot 'em up you remember, but there are some new features like the obvious touch controls. Additionally, you can view the game in the origin...

Against all odds, Rayman: Origins will get a PC version this year. The big day is set for March 29, 2012. I'm still in shock over here, to be honest. By pre-ordering at participating retailers, Ubisoft is also throwing in a c...

Fans of the Command & Conquer series have had to deal with their fair share of ups and downs for the past few years. Up: Ric Flair fighting a bear. Down: Command & Conquer 4. After three years of work from Totem Arts...

I dabbled in Rusty Hearts during the Steam Christmas sale in my attempts to earn enough coal to actually win a prize and, while I wasn't completely blown away, I definitely enjoyed it. The beat-em-up combat was solid, a...

Namco has announced their DLC plans for the Playstation Vita, and they involve launch titles Ridge Racer, Shinobido 2, and Touch My Katamari. Ridge Racer will be getting a ton of content, including a gold pass program (secret...

Atlus has announced that additional copies of its well-received DS RPG Radiant Historia will be printed due to fan support. Thank goodness for that! You see jokes about grabbing the company's games while you can and holding o...

What does it take for a game to be universally enjoyable? That's the question most game developers would love to be able to answer, but it's easier said than done. My guess is that it comes down to exploiting the medium for w...

Blink 182 DLC is now available for download for Rocksmith. The pack includes "Dammit", "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things", I presume those are the "good" ones. Each track can be purchased individually for $2.99 on PSN or 240 MS points on XBL. Good news for fans, I suppose, business as usual for the rest of you.

Time to boot up your Japanese PSN accounts, ladies and gentlemen -- the hit fighter Rival Schools is now available on the Japanese storefront. For those who aren't in the know, Rival Schools was created by Capcom in the late ...