Dungeon Defenders is basically a tower defense game, but it’s best played online. I know, you’ve heard that several times before, but it’s true here- when you play alone, the game gets boring fast, the gameplay seems dull and the amped difficulty seems more of a con than a pro. When you play online though, locally or otherwise, Dungeon Defenders is a blast. Strategizing with your friends and using your own different abilities to choke your enemies and hold out against the several waves that come at you gives you a sense of satisfaction and joy that is not easily replicated.

You choose from four classic when you begin the game- Apprentice (mage), Squire (warrior), Huntress (elven ranger) or Monk (… monk). As is pretty obvious, each class has unique abilities, perks and ways of growing. While each class can perform some abilities from the other classes, they do it with their own skills and combinations, making the experience with each class radically different.

Your goal is to survive the waves of enemies and protect the  Eternia Crystal. If it falls before the level is over, you die, and you have to start all over again. While you do die a lot, and it certainly frustrates you beyond imagination, Dungeon Defenders kind of makes up for the retarded difficulty by letting you keep the stats and loot you gathered in the level that you died during. Dying still is very frustrating, but the fact that you do not lose your progress makes it a little less so.

What’s best about Dungeon Defenders, though, is the awesome level design- other than the charming visuals, of course. While the level design is basic in the earlier stages of the campaign, as you progress, the game starts throwing more choke points at you, more crystals to defend, more ways to defeat your enemies. Strategizing in these levels, using the mixed powers of all the classes and characters that are playing is a ton of fun, and it lends a great amount of replay value to the game. Add to that the fact that collecting loot is a blast, and you have a winner on your hands.

However, the game does start feeling a little repetitive as you play it more and more. You never actually get bored with the game, it just starts getting predictable, and the element of strategy gets diminished. The game still has a ton of replay value, but it just doesn’t seem as much fun in the later stages as it does when you first start playing it.

So there you have it- Dungeon Defenders is a wonderful game. It has its faults, and it definitely needs more polish, but i’ll be damned if it isn’t one of the most enjoyable and addictive games I’ve played in the last few months. Once you start playing Dungeon Defenders, trust me, it’ll be a long time before you let go.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 3. 

Here is a title for the Nintendo DS (of course also playable on the 3DS), called DaGeDar.  It’s kind of like a Sonic the Hedgehog style game as in the original Sonic games, which I really have not seen anything else resembling a Sonic game at all. With Sonic the Hedgehog being such a huge household name and franchise, it is kind of surprising to see only one developer taking advantage of what Sonic had to offer as far as mechanics.

Instead of a hedgehog however you are really more of a ball… just a ball, at least when you look at the game from a distance. Though I figure the best way to describe the game is for you to check out the trailer and read the official press release below. DaDeGar will be out nationwide on November 15 for only $20 and that’s a deal you can’t pass up.

Minneapolis, MN- November 3, 2011 – GameMill Entertainment, an independent publisher of entertaining mass-market video games, today announced that DaGeDar™ for Nintendo DS™, the competitive and fun racing game based on the popular brand of DaGeDar™ racing balls and toys, will be available in retail stores nationwide on November 15, 2011 for the suggested retail price of $19.99.

Battle it out with your friends or race evil spirits alone; DaGeDar’s virtual raceway will keep you playing for hours. With more than 30 fast and furious raceways, you’ll be looping, dropping, climbing, and banking your way to the end with fury, but watch out for the blocks and gaps in the raceway! Featuring 100 collectable balls with unique abilities, as well as special, limited edition characters, you’ll have a blast collecting and trading your favorite DaGeDar items. Whether playing alone or sharing with a friend using the game’s multiplayer download options, the action-packed world of DaGeDar will keep you hungry for more racing, collecting and conquering of evil spirits in a unique 33rd dimension world.

Developed by Black Lantern Studios, DaGeDar for Nintendo DS is rated “E” for Everyone by the ESRB.  For additional information about GameMill’s line of products, please visit: www.game-mill.com.

About GameMill Entertainment

GameMill Entertainment, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota is a third-party publisher of various Children’s and Casual games.  Development platforms include PC, Nintendo handhelds and consoles including Nintendo DS™ and Wii™, Microsoft consoles including Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and Kinect™ for Xbox 360®, and Sony handhelds and consoles including PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.  With development across the globe, GameMill is a source of entertaining and fun games for all ages. For more information, please visit: www.game-mill.com.

About Cepia LLC

Headquartered in St Louis, Mo., Cepia LLC is a privately held company that manufactures toys and games for children of all ages. The company was founded on the premise that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Ingenuity, creativity, playfulness and passion are the heart of Cepia and everything it creates. Cepia’s toy building enterprises include: Glo-E™, ZhuZhu Pets®, Kung Zhu™, ZhuZhu Princess™, ZhuZhu Babies™, ZhuZhu Puppies™ and their newest ventures DaGeDar™ and Xia-Xia™. ZhuZhu Pets® has received top honor Toy of the Year recognition in seven countries, including 2010 “Toy of the Year,” “Most Innovative Toy” and “Best Girls Toy” at the 2010 TOTY Awards in the U.S.  All toys from Cepia LLC are sold globally through national chain retail outlets and independent toy stores. For more information, please visit www.cepiallc.com,www.zhuniverse.com, www.dagedar.com and www.xia-xiapets.com.