Ask Dave Taylor
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • YouTube Videos
  • Top Categories
  • Subscribe via Email
  • Ask A Question
  • Meet Dave
  • Home
  • Articles, Tutorials, and Reviews
  • Review: OUYA video game console

Review: OUYA video game console

November 1, 2013 / Dave Taylor / Articles, Tutorials, and Reviews, Video Game Tips / No Comments

While the latest generation of video game consoles have amazing graphics and rich, complex stories, they’re also crazy expensive and even the games can set you back $50 or more per title. But what if you have more modest interests? Enter the tiny, self-contained OUYA video game system, with a development environment that also makes it a great platform for younger game programmers to learn their craft too…

There’s a battle royale that’s been happening in the living rooms of our homes and while it seems every single 17yo boy is aware of it, many other people are clueless. The battle is for the device that hooks up to the TV and turns it into an interactive world, a gaming station with rich, deep, complex and sophisticated games that transport you to a war zone, an alien planet or a haunted mansion. Your mission: to win, of course.

But for every person who can afford a Playstation 4 or an XBox 360 with online subscription and individual games, there’s another person who would enjoy an occasional casual game on their TV that costs just a few dollars — or is free — as an alternative.

Enter the OUYA. It’s a two-part device where the base unit is a cube about 4″ on a side: it plugs into your TV. Then there’s also a wireless controller that is how you interact with the system, control your player in games, and so on. Both are sleek plastic devices with a solid feel, as you can see:

ouya

But as with any video console, it’s all about the games.

The OUYA currently has just under 500 games available, all through download: no cartridges, no DVDs, no chips to insert. Easy and no trips out to Target for the latest title.

While the very latest complex titles aren’t available on the device – likely due to processor limitations – there are a number of well known game companies like Sega and Square Enix  represented. Some of the most popular games, however, are from independent developers, including the popular titles Towerfall, Fist of Awesome, BombSquad, and Amazing Frog.

A few screen pics, starting with the retro Fist of Awesome:

ouya Fist of Awesome!

Nope, there’s nothing fancy about this title, but surprisingly my teen daughter found these “classics” quite playable.

The OUYA also has the classic Sonic the Hedgehog in glorious color:

SEGA Sonic the Hedgehog OUYA

And finally, a third image, from the title “Arena of Heroes”:

OUYA Arena of Heroes

On our Sony HDTV everything looked gorgeous and once we figured out how to put batteries in the remote (tip: the grey front plates on the top are held in by magnets and pop off if you lift them straight up) we were up and online quite quickly.

The OUYA costs a mere $99 through the company and every game I’ve shown here – and the various other ones we tried – were free downloads, either just the first few levels or the entire title. It’s not a Playstation-4, obviously, but for a relatively modest investment it’s a very nice system and can supply many hours of fun and enjoyment.

THE PROGRAMMING INTERFACE

If you have a young gamer in your house who dreams of game development as a career, it’s worth noting that the OUYA is a very open platform and that software can be created with remarkably little effort. This is quite unlike Microsoft’s XBox or Sony’s Playstation devices, where the barrier to entry is enormous.

In fact, there are seven different development environments supported by the OUYA: Android, Adobe Air, Corona, Game Maker, libGDX, Monogame and Unity.

That’s very appealing to me as I still remember the fun of writing computer games in college. Were I to have had a platform like this to work with I might well have ended up the Dave Taylor who helped create DOOM and other video games. Who knows…

In any case, check it out. The OUYA. $99 including lots of games and everything you need. www.ouya.com

Disclaimer: OUYA sent us a unit for review purposes.

About the Author: Dave Taylor has been involved with the online world since the early days of the Internet. Author of over 20 technical books, he runs the popular AskDaveTaylor.com tech help site. You can also find his gadget reviews on YouTube and chat with him on Twitter as @DaveTaylor.

Let’s Stay In Touch!

Never miss a single article, review or tutorial here on AskDaveTaylor, sign up for my fun weekly newsletter!
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries
No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz
Please choose a color:
Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!
arena of heroes, expensive videogame titles, fist of awesome, game development, game programing, learning programming, microsoft xbox, ouya, ouya videogame console, sonic the hedgehog, sony playstation, video game designer, videogames, xbox 360

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Recent Posts

  • How Can I Send My Friend a Voice Message via iMessage?
  • No, You Didn’t Just Win a Free Golf Cart from Lowe’s [Scam]
  • Handy Advanced Search Techniques for Microsoft Outlook.com
  • How Can I Rearrange Shortcuts on Android 13?
  • Comparison of the THREE Performance Monitors in Windows 11

On Our YouTube Channel

Mophie PowerStation XL 20W USB-C Charger -- REVIEW

FOSI Audio Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker B2 -- DEMO & REVIEW

Categories

  • AdSense, AdWords, and PPC Help (106)
  • Amazon, eBay, and Online Shopping Help (164)
  • Android Help (229)
  • Apple iPad Help (149)
  • Apple Watch Help (53)
  • Articles, Tutorials, and Reviews (346)
  • Auto Tech Help (17)
  • Business Advice (200)
  • ChromeOS Help (34)
  • Computer & Internet Basics (783)
  • d) None of the Above (166)
  • Facebook Help (384)
  • Google, Chrome & Gmail Help (188)
  • HTML & Web Page Design (247)
  • Instagram Help (49)
  • iPhone & iOS Help (626)
  • iPod & MP3 Player Help (173)
  • Kindle & Nook Help (99)
  • LinkedIn Help (88)
  • Linux Help (174)
  • Linux Shell Script Programming (90)
  • Mac & MacOS Help (914)
  • Most Popular (16)
  • Outlook & Office 365 Help (34)
  • PayPal Help (68)
  • Pinterest Help (54)
  • Reddit Help (19)
  • SEO & Marketing (82)
  • Spam, Scams & Security (97)
  • Trade Show News & Updates (23)
  • Twitter Help (222)
  • Video Game Tips (66)
  • Web Site Traffic Tips (62)
  • Windows PC Help (952)
  • Wordpress Help (206)
  • Writing and Publishing (72)
  • YouTube Help (47)
  • YouTube Video Reviews (159)
  • Zoom, Skype & Video Chat Help (62)

Archives

Social Connections:

Ask Dave Taylor


Follow Me on Pinterest
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on LinkedIn
Follow me on Instagram


AskDaveTaylor on Facebook



microsoft insider mvp


This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this site or on any linked site. Further, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to our terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site. Our lawyer says "Thanks for your cooperation."
© 2023 by Dave Taylor. "Ask Dave Taylor®" is a registered trademark of Intuitive Systems, LLC.
Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions - Accessibility Policy