Like his life long mustachioed rival before him, Sonic takes it to the stars and gives Sonic fans something new and unique with Sonic Colors. Everyone's favorite (or most tolerated) hedgehog has had some trouble reliving the glory days of the past by either attempting to rekindle the elements of his 16-bit era (Sonic 4, Sonic Advance) or by taking him out of his element all together and putting him in a type of game that's simply weird or unnecessary (Sonic Riders, Sonic and the Black Knight). Fortunately for gamers everywhere, Sonic Colors breaks the streak of awful Sonic games by combining high speed platforming with innovative game design to create Sonics greatest adventure since the good ol' Genesis days.
Let's get the story out of the way first since I know that absolutely no one plays a Sonic game for its ever so intuitive story telling. Dr. Robotnik, being the generous psycho-genius he is, decides to create an intergalactic amusement park to make up for all of his past sins. Sonic and Tails, suspicious of their arch nemesis, check into the matter only to find out that, sure enough, old Ivo is stealing energy from a group of aliens called Whisps in order to create a mind control device. Sonic, along with the help of the Whisps, must now stop Dr. Robotnik and put an end to his treacherous amusement park for good.
The Whisps give Sonic plenty of new power maneuvers to utilize on his journey, which sounds a bit off putting to old school Sonic fans but actually offer an absolutely fun experience. Of course, it wouldn't be a Sonic game without the mindless speeding and dashing through miles of exotic levels and spin homing badniks to pieces and trust me, there's plenty of it. The main game plays like a charm with only minor physics errors such as air dashing when you mean to jump and vice versa.
After every world or so you gain the powers of new Whisps such as boosting, rocket blasting, fire booming, drilling, etc. By gathering energy from enemies or trapped Whisps, Sonic can boost with Y or transform into any of the other colored powers with X. The game greatly utilizes these powers by making the player perform certain energy maneuvers in order to complete a level (although some levels give the player the option of using the moves or just speeding to the finish.) Whether you're fire booming your enemies to oblivion, boosting at top speed through the level, or drilling the boss badnik to death, it's a fun experience that adds a lot to Sonic's worn out gameplay.
Of course, we can't forget about the classic special Chaos Emerald stages. In these special stages, Sonic runs through a half-pipe (very reminiscent of Sonic 2) as you try collecting as many colored orbs as possible before Sonic makes it to the finish. Colors utilizes the stylus in these stages which is a blast aside from the occasional stylus-to-screen lag. The biggest problem I have with the Chaos Emerald stages is that they are way too easy. In most other Sonic games, it would be unlikely to complete your first run of the game with all seven chaos emeralds, but Colors is an unfortunate exception as it is rather unlikely that you won't be snatching the emeralds before the end.
The main game itself is incredibly easy and can actually be completed in literally, one sitting. I would mark it down for this grueling flaw except that Colors offers so much replay value you'll be spending hours and hours trying to get S ranks on every level, finding secrets in each level with the new powers you obtain, collecting all of the star emblems, and finding all of the hidden unlockables. Not to mention just trying to complete a few of the games many side missions will have you shaking your DS violently for hours. I suppose it's a better idea to have these time attacks, enemy & Whisp hunts, and ring collecting missions not mandatory. They're challenging; which is nice but I just wonder to myself why the actually game is humiliatingly easy while the missions create sudden difficulty spikes.
The one thing I hate about every Sonic game is the hedgehog's voice. It's just too damn annoying. I thought I had all I could take with his whiny, high pitched voice in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. When I booted the game up and prepared myself for the opening dialogue, I prepared for the worst. I was shocked to find out that I wasn't annoyed at all with his voice. Sega actually found a guy (Roger Craig Smith) who could provide a voice to Sonic I can actually listen to. In fact, all of the voice actors do a pretty good job and that's a definite plus in my book.
The music itself is corny. I'm not too fond of the opening track or much of the music but there were a few tunes that seemed melodiously out of place which had me tapping my foot. The sound effects are the best part, though. The booming blasts, the crackling fires, and the awesome "Burn!" or "Rocket!" screams Sonic makes before transforming are, dare I say, cool.
The graphics are gorgeous, vibrant, and colorful. The backgrounds are beautiful as are their animations. Everything seems to jump off the screen. The replacement of sprites with 3D character models are a pleasant surprise. It works very well. The biggest problem with the visuals is the use of the duel screen gameplay. Both screens are used to play; with Sonic switching between both during certain areas of each level. Sometimes, my eyes follow Sonic like magic and swiftly switch between screens (which feels awesome) but other times my eyes stay on one screen while Sonic speeds far into the other. It's a small annoyance that can cost you all of your collected rings.
Sonic Colors offers gamers a Sonic experience like no other. The new gameplay offers so much that it will make you wish the actual game was more than five hours long. Colors not only gives Sonic fans the okay to wear their Sonic shirts and backpacks with pride again, but it also reminds gamers everywhere how great Sonic was and potentially can be.
Details -
Genre: Platformer, 2-D Sidescroller
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone (Mild Cartoon Violence)
Revealed in the January 2011 issue of Game Informer, the new reboot of Lara Croft appears as very young, much less experienced version of the spelunking woman that Eidos has crafted over time. After embarking on a journey to the coast of Japan, Endurance, the ship sailing, crashes leaving Croft her stranded. Now Croft must take her few years of training and put it too good use in order to survive. It's definitely a much needed change in pace for the Tomb Raider series that's been plagued with stale games throughout last decade. A younger much more down to earth variation of Lara Croft is just what Eidos and Square-Enix are hoping to bring the Tomb Raider series back to the video game spotlight after so many years.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3 - 11/1/11)
Naughty Dog's third entry in the Uncharted series takes Nathan Drake to the Arabian desert. The trailer shown at the 2010 Video Game Awards shows Drake surveying and endless world of sand after apparently surviving a plane crash. The trailer showed a bit of gameplay footage of Drake jumping across buildings and running from waves of water. The trailer also displayed the released date of 11-1-11.
Mass Effect 3 (PS3, 360, WIN - Holiday 2011)
Electronic Arts takes the Commander Shepard to Earth to fight at home in third installment that is not only boasting a solid single player but multiplayer as well.
SSX Deadly Descents (TBA - TBA)
EA Canada, creators of Skate, announced that they were working on a reboot of the SSX snowboarding series saying they intend to take the series back to its roots. The trailer shows a much more serious take on the franchise. Included in the trailer which debuted at the 2010 VGAs shows an unknown snowboarder dropping from a helicopter named "Elise" onto what appears to be a mountain range somewhere near Mt. Everest. The snowboarder uses devices such as hooks to slow him down and wings to glide. These are all signs of a brand new style of playing but will it be at the sacrifice of the more cartoony feel of the originals?
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (TBA - 11/11/11)
The widely anticipated next installment in Bethesda's RPG epic has been announced at the VGAs. The trailer sets background for the story and displays the release date of 11/11/11.
Insane (TBA - 2013)
Displayed at the 2010 VGAs is a title from the mind of Guillermo Del Toro, and studios THQ and Volition brings a pretty frightening looking horror game. The trailer showed no gameplay, just a person crawling through a bunch of creepy crawlies. Seems pretty interesting but better put this one on the backburner as it's not intended to release until 2013.
The Oddboxx (PC - Early 2011)
Oddworld Inhabitants announced the PC collection of the Oddworld series; which includes Oddworld Abe's Odyssey, Abe's Exodus, Munch's Odyssey, and Stranger's Wrath will be available through Steam sometime after the Holiday 2010 season.
Never has the gaming community anticipated a Mickey Mouse game as much as they have with Disney Epic Mickey. As soon as gamers saw the cover of Game Informer over a year ago which displayed a darker style of Mickey Mouse, speculation and anticipation grew everywhere. Warren Spector and his Junction Point team promised to take Mickey Mouse into untraversed territory and turn Mickey into a video game star on the same par as Mario and Sonic. Epic Mickey brings a lot to the table but ultimately falls short in too many areas for it to be considered a classic.
The game starts out with a mischievous Mickey Mouse venturing through a magical mirror in his bedroom ultimately ending up in the workshop of wizard Yen Sid of Fantasia fame. There Yen Sid is putting the finishing touches on a land where forgotten Disney characters can live in peace created using a magical paint brush. After Yen Sid retires to his chambers, Mickey decided to add some of his own artistic touches to this wondrous world. Through his mischievous meandering with Yen Sid's brush he creates an evil entity known as the Blot and spills thinner all over the land sending the world into a spiral of disarray. Mickey escapes through the mirror leaving a blatantly obvious abyss where Yen Sid's new world once lied. Nearly a year later, Mickey is famous having made cartoons from Steamboat Willie to Fantasia. The Blot, stronger than ever, drags Mickey through the mirror and into the Wasteland. Mickey must now restore the Wasteland to its former glory and return safely home.
The story brings a unique and bizarre twist to the lore of Mickey Mouse. It's interesting to see so many Disney characters living in a world of disrepair and gloom. The characters in Epic Mickey were once huge stars of the Disney world before being forgotten in the Disney renaissance of the 90's. Familiar faces like Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horse appear as major quest characters while more notable characters such Goofy and Donald appear as frightening robots but still have their familiar charm. The most notable character included in the game who drives the entire plot is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
Oswald once was Walt Disney's proud mascot and superstar but Disney lost the rights to him when he and Universal split ways in 1928. It wasn't until about 70 years later, Disney got the rights back to the forgotten animated star. In the Wasteland, Oswald acts as the world's leader, looking out for all of the forgotten characters by creating a safe home for them all. Oswald creates Mean Street (his version of Disney's Main Street), OsTown (a variant of ToonTown) and most notably a recreation of the famous statue of Walt Disney pointing to the sky but with Oswald, not Mickey, holding the creator's hand. Oswald's character is well developed, acting as the jealous older brother of Mickey who wants nothing do to with him. The character of Oswald drives the game's story the entire way and provides much depth. The story and characters drove the game and kept me interested in continuing. Unfortunately, the actually gameplay of Epic Mickey had the exact opposite effect.
Epic Mickey offers a plethora of main quest missions and sidequests but none of them are much fun. Every mission consists of either finding, painting, or thinning, a certain number of objects for various characters in order to continue. It's an experience that's fun and unique at first; painting a gear to make platforms move or thinning away walls to find hidden treasure, but after awhile the missions start becoming monotonous with a lack of variety. I can safely say that, with the exception of boss battles, the same type of missions you'll play at the beginning of the game, will be the same type of missions you play near the end and throughout. When something new does come it either isn't implemented nearly as much as it should be or quickly wears out its welcome.
The 2-D Sidescrolling projector sequences are examples of the latter. The projector sequences take away the use of the brush and bring the player a pure side-scrolling experience much like the older Mickey Mouse games on the SNES or Genesis but unlike such classics as Mickey's World of Illusion, it's not fun. The projector sequences were based on various Mickey and Oswald cartoons of the past. The game does a great job of bringing these old cartoons back to life through these levels; so much so that the presentation of the levels is the only enjoyable part of it. Seeing the old Steamboat Willie boat propped up like a cardboard set reminds the player that these are Oswald's attempts of creating a false glory for himself despite being forgotten. It's very interesting to think about but it seems that they spent too much time paying homage to the past and not focusing on whether or not jumping on platforms or dodging the stage-prop enemies was actually fun. The answer is no as the layout is much too simple and requires absolutely no thought process to complete.
The projector sequences act as portals that link to different areas of the Wasteland and only by completing them can one continue their journey. The worst part is that even after completing each sequence the first time, the game gives you no option to skip these stages any other time. So even during vital missions that require you to traverse back and forth between areas, you are forced to play through the projector sequences time and time again which really takes the player out of the story.
Another area of gameplay that really leaves a blemish on the game is the playability. First of all the controls are not layed out well. Everything seems to be cluttered; A to jump of course, Z to shoot thinner, B to shoot paint, d-pad to control the camera, plus to scroll through your items, minus to use them, 1 to place the camera in back of you and 2 to go into your menu. Every button has a purpose which is fine but during the heat of battle it can be difficult to execute.
The camera is bad. When up against a wall, the camera does not know where to go and ends up placing itself in a horrendous view that leaves you vulnerable to all enemies nearby. Controlling it is no cakewalk either. Changing your thumb placement to the d-pad takes away the ability to jump therefore causing death. The camera could have been executed much better but because of its awkward placement at times the game suffers greatly.
Unlike the controls, the graphics and music were done right. The character models look great and are animated to move in the same feel as they did in their glory days of Disney. The dripping affect on Mickey is an awesome touch as well. The paint/thinner splashes remind me of the water affects of Super Mario Sunshine which definitely isn't a bad thing. The areas represent a cartoony town in dismay and showing the difference between a painted object and a thinned one is done well with a favorable art style committed to both. The backgrounds are some of the most beautiful designs I've seen in any game.
While the opening cutscene looks gorgeous in all its CG glory, I can't say the same for the in-game cutscenes. They chose an odd art style that is supposed to represent the paint theme of the entire game. It does nothing for it however, neither reminding the player of the classic style of art that Disney cartoons are known for nor providing any justice for the art style represented in the game. The game would be much better off using the CG graphics displayed in the opening cutscene.
The music is surprisingly tolerable. While every tune has a campy rhythm to it that I thought would definitely get on my nerves, they do achieve in quality. The campy style of every song is balanced by a dark portion of the song that reminds the player that this world, although cartoony in nature, is in distress. The OsTown theme is a great example to this. Dark alterations to old Disney themes such as "It's a Small World" sound awesome and definitely provide a unique take on the world Epic Mickey is trying to portray. The sound effects especially the muffled voices of the older cartoon characters and constant rolling of the projector wheel in the projector sequences are great as well.
An upsetting part of the sound is the lack of voice acting. Instead of speech, short grunts or chuckles are used to show that a character is speaking. The lack of voice acting is unnecessary and the game would have greatly benefited from the voices of the characters that created over 80 years of classic cartoons.
Warren Spector and Junction Point clearly focused more on rehashing the history and art of Disney rather than creating a gameplay experience worthy of playing. The game is all show and not much else. Disney Epic Mickey has enough content to keep a Disney fans and younger gamers content but more experienced gamers hoping to have a Mickey Mouse game that's on par with video game platform stars like Mario are going to be disappointed with this entry.
More like 'Vintage SNES Ass Pained Difficulty Returns':
After 15 years, the world finally returns to Donkey Kong Country. Back in the 90's, Rare created one of the most influential and widely remembered video games with Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo. The DKC games would go down as the defining series of the 90's for any console. Two generations later, Nintendo along with Retro Studios decided to bring Donkey Kong back to the glory days. While Donkey Kong Country Returns may not feel like the Donkey Kong Country 4 as fans had hoped for, it does bring a platforming experience like no other.
DKCR begins with an erupting volcano releasing an evil group of creatures known as the Tiki Tak Tribe. The Tikis use a serene melody to hypnotize the animals of DK Isle and force them to steal away Donkey Kong's hoard of bananas. DK and Diddy, immune to the Tikis hypnotic power, set off to rid the island of the Tikis and restore DK's precious bananas. Unfortunately, both King K.Rool and the Kremlins are absent from this story which is an omission that definitely lowers the nostalgic value while at the same time brings something a bit new.
When looking for the nostalgia factor, it'd be wise to open your ears. The music is a blast of nostalgic bliss. The songs are remixed versions of mostly DKC1 songs. Remixes of old classics such as Jungle Hyjinx and Minecart Carnage sound great while the remix of Forest Frenzy with its arrangement of instruments actually sounds better than the original. It really is a shame that David Wise wasn't on board for the game but the title seems to hold up well with both classic and original tunes. I'd bet that Wise would be extremely satisfied with the renditions made to his masterpieces. The new grunts that DK makes sound awkward while Diddy sounds too whiny but they are funny to hear, although it's not like you'll be paying attention to the sounds the monkeys make after those beautiful melodies hit your ears.
While not bringing forth any nostalgic emotions as the music was able to do, the graphics are beautiful. The graphics have that cartoony look that only Nintendo can achieve. The silhouette levels, that take place during a setting sun and portray DK, Diddy, and the entire foreground in black with the exception of the glowing red of DK's tie and Diddy's hat, look absolutely stunning. It once again proves how Nintendo can compensate graphical power for pure creativity. The backgrounds are full of vibrant colors, although it would have looked better if they focused on the pre-rendered background visuals that the first three games achieved so well. The visuals remind me nothing of the first DKCs but they are still pleasing to the eye.
The controls take a while to get used to. There are two ways to play; with a nunchuck or with a sideways Wiimote. The nunchuck feels more appropriate as there is no way of getting out of shaking the controller in order to roll. With the sideways Wiimote, you'll just end up pressing 1 in hopes of rolling only to run right into an enemy or off a cliff not to mention how awkward it feels. The implementing of motion controls in this area seems very unnecessary. If Nintendo wanted to achieve the nostalgic feel that they had hoped for then they should have incorporated the use of the Classic Controller (I'm also confused as to why Sega did not do this with the WiiWare version of Sonic 4). I guess I just have it programmed in my mind to press B to roll.
New to the series are climbing on grass-covered walls and blowing wind. Blowing wind (holding down and shaking the Wiimote) is an unnecessary addition to the game as it just feels weird to slow down the flow of the game in order to blow a dandelion or a candle to get a puzzle piece. Climbing on walls is simple and adds a lot to the gameplay as it is pulled off so well. Looking back at the older games, I wish they would have implemented this technique back then. Ground pounding with the motion controls seems more appropriate and feels really satisfying flailing your arms as DK smashes down a stone block.
Multiplayer allows both DK and Diddy to play together simultaneously. If one player gets lost behind, he will teleport back to the other player. If one player dies, he can either press a button and come back to life immediately at the cost of a balloon or he can wait until the other person grabs a barrel and releases him. When riding Rambi or controlling a barrel, both players have the option to control so it comes down to either losing control and dying or to allow one player to sit back and watch.
It's a shame that Diddy cannot be played in single player. In single player, Diddy helps out by giving DK two extra hearts and by using his signature jet-pack to stay afloat for a short period of time. In multiplayer, player 2 takes control of Diddy. Diddy is a blast to play as. He's quick and nimble when he needs to be and not only can he use his jet-pack but he can also use his peanut shooter while ground pounding. It really is unfortunate that the game does not allow you to switch between the two in single player just like the good ol' days
Those who shun the Wii for its plethora of casual games be warned; this game is tough! The difficulty isn't a result of bad controls or poor game design, it's sheer ruthless gameplay that tries incredibly hard to prove that the player is no match to the games superior A.I. brain. You'll be surprised how many times you'll go to Cranky Kong to replenish your stock of life-giving balloons. You'll be needing them more than you'd ever imagine. Beating the game is tough enough, but achieving 100% (including collecting all of the K-O-N-G letters and puzzle pieces) is a true challenge. The levels are designed brilliantly to provoke split-second thinking and strategy. Despite no familiar faces like Gnawty the beaver, the bosses are unique and require more than just the normal 3-Hit-Pattern to stop these beasts in their tracks. DKCR is a great throwback to the old SNES games that took you many days, many tantrums, and many headaches to beat.
In the end, Donkey Kong Country Returns doesn't prove much of a nostalgia factor but instead gives us a brand new adventure with familiar faces that is of the same caliber as the first three games of the series. DKCR gives us a must-have experience tied together with tightly woven platforming along with cheerful graphics and groovin' music. If you want a game that will really put your gaming skills to the test look no further than Donkey Kong Country Returns.
Details -
Genre: Side-Scroller, Platformer
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone (Mild Cartoon Violence)
Player Options: 1-Player (recommended), 2-Player, Nunchuck (recommended), Wiimote
Here are the descriptions of each of the review categorizes given to a reviewed game. I will link to this blog post after every review to refrain from cluttering up the review itself and so you know what every score means.
Difficulty-
Easy:A game you'll beat in no time at all.
Medium: You might be stategizing a bit with this type of game.
Hard: A challenging game that certainly puts your skills to the test.
Expert: Better use all the gaming skills you have because this game will make even the most elite of gamers weep.
Learning Curve:
Pick-Up-And-Go: Literally simple enough to pick up the control and play the game to its fullest.
30 Minutes: It'll take you a bit to get used to the controls but when you do, it's smooth sailin'.
Harsh: Constantly changing controls or controls you'll have to memorize will keep you glancing down at your hands for a while.
Caliber-
0 – 10: Game Over!
A game that absolutely fails in every way imaginable. Horrible graphics, horrendous story elements, laughable sound, game-breaking glitches and bugs leave games in this category virtually unplayable. Stay far away from these abominations.
11 – 15: Bad
Basically Bad games are Game Over! games that you can actually play through without going insane although you will ask yourself why you bothered to even boot it up in the first place. You know you're playing this type of game when 10 minutes into it you'll constantly argue with yourself whether or not to shut it off and throw it out the window.
16 – 19: Weak
A potentially decent game with obvious flaws that bring it down in value. It may have some appeal but its buried under a grave of mediocrity and awful mechanics.
20 – 24:Decent
Very appealing to certain gamers but has flaws major enough to deter many others away from seeing what it has to offer. Certainly not a bad game and may excel greatly in certain areas but its appeal is sorely limited.
!25 – 29: Solid
A pretty good game with some set-backs. Although everybody may not be on board for this game, it can't be argued that it is a damn good game and can hold its own among the best.
!!30 – 32: Superb!
A game good enough to not allow the few flaws it has to distract the player and allow good times to be had by all. These games definitely should be in most gamers' libraries as they would go down in history as examples of gaming's greatest titles. If all games aimed to be in this category or higher, we'd have no excuse to leave the house.
!!!33 – 35: Amazing!!
An absolutely brilliant game with only a few minor flaws. Everything excels in a title like this and it would be to your benefit as a gamer to own these must-have games.
!!!!36: Flawless!!!
A game perfect in absolutely every way. Jaw-breaking graphics, beautiful sound, and controls that flow as if it were second nature. A flawless game only comes around once in a blue moon but when it does make sure that you own it, love it, and cherish such a masterpiece until the day you die.
I went to an outdoor SwapMart and found a bunch of cool games and memorabilia. Wading past the toilet lids, old tires, and cell phone accessories I found a few vendors who had a decent selection of nostalgic to modern video games. Here's my trip to the SwapMart along with what I managed to salvage.
for the WiiWare, Playstation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade
Released October 11th, 2010
Sonic's back! . . . kind of:
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is Sega's attempt to wipeout Sonic's tarnished reputation as a video game character and bring him back to his glory days back on the Genesis. While I cannot say that they have truly brought the glory back to Sonic, I can say that Sega has succeeded in making a Sonic game that isn't terrible.
Graphics:
The graphics are appropriate for a game that is trying to blend the old with the new. The graphics are definitely not bad but nothing really stands out either. The background scenery, enemies, and Robotnik's ship are designed to bring nostalgia back to the player and it indeed does.
Sound:
The old Genesis Sonic sounds are back! The rings, the tv boxes, and the chimes of the intro theme all bring the player back to the good ol' days. The music is cheesy at best. The tunes that seem catchy at first quickly wear out their welcome. It makes me wish Michael Jackson were still alive in hopes of creating a soundtrack on par with Sonic 3 but alas one can only dream.
Controls:
Controls are simple. Running fast. Very fast. Jumping. Spin dashing. They're all included once again. A homing attack has been added which takes nothing away from the game but rather helps out in certain situations and to rack up points.
Lasting Appeal:
The games is very short. Just going through and beating the levels shouldn't take you much more than 3 hours. Collecting the chaos emeralds perhaps brings the total time to about 5 hours. Once you've done everything there isn't much else to do except to try to beat each level as fast as you can in hopes of making the leaderboards but the absent of any extras or minigames makes the replaying Sonic 4 pointless.
Final Cutter:
Underneath the heavy critique lies the same platforming game that I fell in love with almost 20 years ago. The game isn't "party out with all my friends" fun. It's the same sort of fun that you had sitting front of your tv, making a chubby blue hedgehog run as fast he can, collecting as many rings as you can, earning as many chaos emeralds as you can, and and thwarting Dr. Robotnik's master plan as awesome as you can. Sonic 4 isn't just a sequel it's a blast to the past. It may not live up to Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and it may not be the greatest platformer ever but it's good enough to be considered a true sequel to all those Genesis games that helped create an icon.
Details -
Genre: Side-Scroller, Platformer
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone (Comic Mischief)
Player Options: 1-Player
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Curve: Pick-Up-And-Go
Stats -
Graphics: 4/5
Sound: 3 /5
Controls: 4/5
Lasting Appeal: 1/5
Fun: 4/5
24 Hit-Combo
Decent
Quick Review:
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Developed by Hal Laboratory and Good-Feel
Published by Nintendo
for the Nintendo Wii
Released October 17th, 2010
As great as it is adorable:
Kirby's back in a brand new adventure that's as fun as it is adorable. If great platforming and co-op are what you're looking for, look no further than one of the Wii's best game of 2010.
Graphics:
The thread style graphics of Epic Yarn are beautiful. Adorable is probably a word I'm going to use a lot in this review but it's appropriate. Epic Yarn is an example of creativity and innovation making up for a lack in graphical power.
Sound:
Kirby and Prince Fluff's grunts are overly cute as is the narrator who tells the story of the game as if he's reading a bedtime story to his young daughter. The music is cheery. While there are a few good songs in the game, a lot of it will be forgotten.
Controls:
Nothing about this game sucks especially Kirby. Kirby's signature sucking move is absent only to be replaced with a whip that you use to destroy your enemies (or your partner, however, you decide to play). You and your partner, during certain parts, turn into ufos, tanks, and other machines or gadgets to rack up as many jewels as possible. Speaking of jewels, the entire goal isn't to beat the level, but to beat it with as many jewels as possible. You can't die, you can only lose the jewels you feverishly collected (which could end up with some colorful commentary between you and your partner).
Lasting Appeal:
It'll take you perhaps six to eight hours to beat the game but getting 100% will take you a little longer. Besides getting 100%, you can take pictures, and decorate your apartment to your liking. None of these really add much to the experience but they are pretty fun time wasters.
Final Cutter:
If you play with a friend, Kirby's Epic Yarn is a cooperative gem. You're guaranteed a great run every time you put in the game. If you're a Wii owner and don't have Epic Yarn in your library, you ought to be ashamed
Details -
Genre: Side-Scroller, Platformer
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone (Mild Cartoon Violence)
Player Options: 1-Player, 2-Player (recommended)
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Curve: Pick-Up-And-Go
Stats -
Graphics: 5/5
Sound: 4/5
Controls: 5/5
Lasting Appeal: 4/5
Fun: 5/5
33 Hit-Combo!!!
Amazing!!
Quick Review:
Vanquish
Developed by Platinum Games
Published by Sega
for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3
Released October 19th, 2010
A linear adrenaline rush:
From the mind of Shinji Mikami, the man who brought the world Resident Evil and Viewtiful Joe, and the team that responsible for Bayonetta comes an extreme-paced sci-fi shooter that gives the player mass amounts of animated testosterone.
Graphics:
The fast paced action flows well and looks great. It's amazing how much stuff can be on the screen at the same time without the game stalling.
Sound:
The voice acting is pulled off pretty well and the sound of firing weapons and exploding robots are satisfying. The music is generic and forgettable and often gives way to the sfx of the battle field.
Controls:
The controls work well and allow you to quickly maneuver Sam Gideon through hordes of evil Russian robots. The main complaint here is that it's hard to aim while boosting across the battlefield. If the camera isn't positioned in the right place, boosting forward while aiming backwards will make you slide in the opposite direction of where you're headed.
Lasting Appeal:
The game is fairly short and there is not much to do after you beat it. You can beat your old scores in each mission, complete challenges, or play on God Hard mode. It isn't anything special from what other games offer and it shouldn't take too long to complete.
Final Cutter:
After playing Bayonetta and MadWorld, Vanquish seems pretty tame. It may not be fair to compare it to these games but I feel it should have been more outrageous. Vanquish seems very linear in its gameplay and offers little on-screen button command scenes. It's a fun game but you'll soon find the it gets repetive after a few acts. Vanquish is an example of game holding back, not with its visuals, but with its gameplay.
Details -
Genre: Third Person Shooter
ESRB Rating: M for Mature (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language)
Player Options: 1-Player
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Curve: 30 Minutes
Stats -
Graphics: 4/5
Sound: 3/5
Controls: 4/5
Lasting Appeal: 2/5
Fun: 3/5
24 Hit-Combo
Decent
Quick Review:
Fallout: New Vegas
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment
Published by Bethesda Softworks
for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC
Released October 19th, 2010
A new skin for Fallout 3 has arrived:
Fallout 3 is one of the greatest games of this generation which quickly made New Vegas one of the most anticipated games of 2010. Despite all the accolades, Fallout 3 did have its fair share of flaws and New Vegas is no exception. New Vegas is covered in glitches and flaws that at times overshadow this otherwise solid and massive rpg.
Graphics:
New Vegas isn't the most visually appealing games out there. The scenery looks great from afar but up close everything appears blurry and outdated. The animations are hilariously and unrealisticly awful. Due to the sheer mass of New Vegas, the graphics were unfortunately compromised.
Sound:
New Vegas has a better variety of voice acting than F3 did but it still sounds very monotone and uninspired. Gunshots sound like gunshots and footsteps sound like footsteps. The background music is eerie which suits the post-apocalypse Mojave desert. The music played on the different radio stations further emphasized the futuristic-vintage theme of the game. There's nothing cooler than taking the head off a raider with Marty Robbin's Big Iron blasting through your Pip-Boy.
Controls:
The controls feel pretty smooth. There's nothing horribly confusing about the set-up without a little getting used to. You may find some trouble jumping and trying to get out of awkward places such as being stuck between some debris. At times, the VATS won't work. A quick fix is to simply reload the file. However, this appears to be more of a glitch problem than a control issue.
Lasting Appeal:
New Vegas is bigger than Fallout 3 as there are more missions to complete, more areas to discover, and more factions to befriend or massacre. Completing everything in New Vegas is a task that will keep you traversing the Mojave Wasteland for months to come.
Final Cutter:
A definite gamebreaker for New Vegas are the incredible number of glitches you will undoubtedly encounter throughout your journey. Some of these are harmless but annoying mishaps such as one of your allies disappearing. But some of these glitches can greatly damage the player's experience. These include the disabling of buttons, NPCs who are vital to a quest suddenly getting buried underground, and the constant freezing of the game. The game is definitely good as there's just so much to get into but there's a limit to how much glitches will stop being annoying and actuality force you to put down the controller and rethink playing again.
Details -
Genre: First Person Shooter, RPG, Third Person Shooter
ESRB Rating: M for Mature (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs)
Player Options: 1-Player
Difficulty: Hard
Learning Curve: 30 Minutes
Stats -
Graphics: 2/5
Sound: 3/5
Controls: 4/5
Lasting Appeal: 5/5
Fun: 3/5
25 Hit-Combo!
Solid
Quick Review:
DJ Hero 2
Developed by FreeStyle Games
Published by Activision
for the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3
Released October 19th, 2010
Play it again, Mr. DJ!:
After a year, DJ Hero is back with improved gameplay mechanics, more in-depth multiplayer, and a plethora of ear-pleasing new remixes that will keep you scratching and mixing for awhile.
Graphics:
The characters models are much less impressive than the environments. Activision has been known for creating hideous looking characters in the Guitar Hero series and the ugly has certainly transferred over to the DJ Hero series. The venues, on the other hand, are gorgeous. The lighting and camera movements dance in perfect sync with the music. The animations of the DJ track board, although subtle, also look good.
Sound:
Needless to say, the sound is great. As in the first game, you will find mixes never before heard. While the quality of the mixes vary from person to person, I find that there are much more good ones than awful ones. Glad to say there are no DJ Yoda Tutti Frutti/Beats caliber of noise mess mixes as in the first game. The addition of the freestyle crossfading sections are a welcomed addition. The random sample sets given to you at the beginning of each song in the first DJ Hero have been replaced with sample sets from the actual song for a more authentic sound. So no longer will we be forced to hear "YEEEEAAAAAAH BOOOOOYYYY!" every twenty seconds in a mix.
Controls:
The game plays the same as DJ Hero did with the exception of a few minor tweaks. We now have freestyle crossfader sections, and stream button sustains. These add much more variety and difficulty to an already complex gameplay style. DJ Hero 2, however, does not suffer from the complexity of the gameplay but rather offers a great and unique experience in exchange for a high learning curve.
Lasting Appeal:
The most dissappointing aspect of DJ Hero 2 is the fact that you cannot transfer the songs from the first game into the second game much like how Rock Band offers. The game does offer the player to play any downloadable content that was purchased before the release of DJ Hero 2 (although the player must download a free add-on to do so). The multiplayer offers different modes to enjoy with friends and family. Battle modes such as Checkpoint and score battling are entertaining. The replacement of guitars with vocal modes are much more appropriate and allows for a much more casual experience.
Final Cutter:
DJ Hero 2 is an addicting game that reminds me of how I felt a the beginning of the Guitar Hero era. It's something fresh and new. By playing through Empire mode you wonder what awesome mixes are coming up, what new items for your avatar will be unlocked, or which famous or fictional DJ will you have to go up against. The game is a blast by yourself or with friends and is surely enough to keep anyone content until the next DJ Hero hits shelves.
Details -
Genre: Music/Rhythm
ESRB: Rating: T for Teen (Lyrics, Mild Suggestive Themes)
Player Options: 1-Player (recommended), 2-Player
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Curve: Harsh
Stats -
Graphics: 3/5
Sound: 5/5
Controls: 4/5
Lasting Appeal: 4/5
Fun: 5/5
30 Hit-Combo!!
Superb!
Quick Review:
Rock Band 3
Developed by Harmonix
Published by MTV Games
for the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3
Released October 26th, 2010
Innovation at its musical finest:
Harmonix, the leader of musical innovation, brings the third installment of the Rock Band series. Rock Band 3 gives the same great gameplay experience that fans have come to love but also gives wannabe rockers the opportunity to learn how to play a real instrument with its new peripherals and game modes.
Graphics:
The graphics are miles beyond Rock Band 2 but lacking compared to The Beatles: Rock Band. The colorful claymation rockers look awesome performing on venues that range from vibrant to murky. Crowd animations along with animations of the drummer appear robotic and awkward. It's a shame they couldn't replicate the cutscene animated style as presented in The Beatles: Rock Band.
Sound:
The variety of music seems to be more on the pop side of things but gives the game a balance of instrument playablity. It wouldn't be a Rock Band game without the music. The create-a-character and some other menu screens play odd jingles but its nothing that anybody would really pay more attention to than the songs.
Controls:
Everything is as it should be. The guitars and drums play great as usual. Depending on how you're holding the keyboard it may be difficult to go into overdrive. It goes without saying that the pro instruments have an extremely difficult learning and are sensitive to the touch. But as far as the pro instruments go, they make learning how to play a much more entertaining experience.
Lasting Appeal:
You'll be playing for months trying to complete all the career challenges, master every instrument, learning a new one, getting 5 stars on every song, and purchasing all the dlc songs you're heart desires.
Final Cutter:
Rock Band 3 brings another great multiplayer experience but this time turns it up a notch by adding a fifth player and the option to perform harmonies. The keyboard is a fun new instrument that gives the player another peripheral to master. The keyboard is the best investment to make for the game if you aren't a rich fat cat. The Mustang pro-guitar controller is ridiculous. You're better off waiting until Spring to purchase the actual guitar that they plan to release (with real strings, pick-ups and everything!) so you can play Rock Band 3 and then go out and play in a real band without looking like an idiot. Otherwise, Rock Band 3 is perhaps the funnest game you'll play with a group of friends and family this year.
Details -
Genre: Music/Rhythm
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone (Language, Mild Lyrics, Suggestive Themes)
Player Options: 1-Player, 2 - 5 [potentially 7] Player (recommended), online multiplayer
Full Review:
