PK Gaming is Dead + Skyward Sword Review

So unfortunately, this blog hasn't been kept up. I really thought this would be something that would go on for a while. We almost had it going for a year, but then... well, I don't know what happened. Whether we were all too busy with school/work or if we just lost interest.

Anyway, most of what I and the others post about games will be on the Negative World forum from now on.

So, here's one last thing for those of you who follow us, if there are any of you left.

This is my review of Skyward Sword, which is my first ever video review:

You can visit the topic about it at Negative World here.

Retro Reviews: Ico

Ico was released in 2001 developed by Team Ico and published by Sony Computer Entertainment.

Ico is a fairly unique game all things considered. In an era of a game presentation becoming more and more complicated, Ico was presented as something relatively minimalist and spartan while giving those who played it a wholly immersive experience that attains an experience that many story-driven games wish they could reach.

Ico is about a boy born with horns, which is considered a bad omen by the people of his village. As a means of removing the omen from the village he is taken by his people to an ancient castle where he is placed in a sarcophagus as a sacrifice of some sort to the ruler of the castle, The Queen. After a quake causes Ico's tomb to crash to the floor, he manages to escape from it and starts looking for an escape from the castle. Soon after he runs across a mysterious girl locked in a cage and frees her. Unfortunately they do not speak the same language but Ico is determined to help the girl, Yorda, also escape from whatever fate she is to face in the castle.

It won't be an easy task as the castle Ico and Yorda are in is ancient, decrepit and filled with puzzles. Not only that, the Queen's minions, shadows, will try to steal Yorda away from Ico to take her back to the Queen. It will be up to Ico to not only fight off the shadows but to lead Yorda through the hazards of castle as well.

The best way I can describe the gameplay would be a somewhat simplified take on 3D Zelda. While not based around collecting keys or items and generally being more linear the use of block puzzles and pulling switches to alter the environment always give me that Zelda feel. Your basic goal is to guide Yorda from one location as another. Sometimes she can be used as a temporary weight but most of the time you just have to make sure not to get too far way from her for if you do, shadows will come. The biggest problem with Yorda is that Ico has to lead her by the hand up and over obstacles though occasionally her limited path finding abilities will have her climb up things and save you the hassle of leading her. She has a tendency to stray but she won't ever go to far and will usually come back if Ico gives her a call.

The battle system in Ico is also very simple. Since Ico obviously isn't a trained fighter what he has for a fighting style is more or less flailing around with whatever weapon he has at the time. It works for the most part but until you get access to swords later in the game, it takes a long time to kill the shadows with the 2x4 you find all over the place and the enemies can swarm you making it difficult to get to Yorda if she is taken to a location far from you. Though to be fair the fighting is not really a focus of Ico, even it is a common occurrence.

Simplicity is also a fixture of Ico's graphics. While beautiful to look at the surroundings are stark, perfectly fitting a long abandoned castle. This makes for a very atmospheric game that doesn't overload the senses with a ton of graphical effects, outside of generous bit of bloom lighting.

There are some signs of the game's origins as a Playstation title especially in Ico and Yorda's movements. There is something about how their models are built and animated that sometimes feel like they just upgrades from how it was on Playstation. There is a ragdoll style effect that is especially noticeable on Ico. Just makes him weirdly gangly despite not being particularly tall for a kid his age.

The music in the game is also appropriately spartan. The songs that are there are memorable especially the credits theme and the weird music that plays when the shadows attack adds tension to the scene. The rest of the background music is environmental sounds that further add to the atmosphere of the world. The voice acting for the game, the small amount there is, does the job well but since the game isn't in English and features I think two made up languages it is hard to judge.

In the end, Ico is a over-looked but classic early PS2 game. And the reason why I review it now is that the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection comes out for the PS3 next month. It'll not only be in HD but us in North America will get the better version that was released in Europe and Japan with extras. Frankly I can't wait. And this will hopefully lead up to Team Ico's next game, The Last Guardian finally getting its release next year. And hopefully like its predecessors will provide an engrossing story through its gameplay rather than overabundance of cut scenes.

Pros/Cons
+ Very immersive atmosphere
+ Great puzzle design
+ Sparse and gorgeous environments
+ Lack of interrupting cut scenes keep things immersive
+ Beautiful credit theme
- Very short
- Some remnants of Playstation origins evident.

Review: Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon

Ah, Xseed Games, what would us Wii gamers do without you publishing these lesser known games? Fragile Dreams was released here last year in Spring and I had been wanting to play it, but didn't order the game until a couple weeks ago. The game is an action rpg, though it seems to play more like an action adventure. You are able to equip items and weapons and level up throughout the game. None of it is very crucial to the main point of the game though, since the story and atmosphere are the things driving it.

You're given a short back story by the main character before you head off on your journey, and you're not quite sure what happened to the world, you just know that there aren't many humans left. The game revolves around finding this silver-haired girl that you meet early in the game. (Pictured in the reflection on the cover art to the left.) You do meet other characters in the game, but some of them aren't really living.

For example, the first companion you meet is an artificial intelligence contained within a box of some kind. She is basically the tutorial level of the game, since she helps you along with all of the game mechanics you come across. Though the world seems to be rid of humans, you are never truly alone throughout the game, most of the time, you'll have a companion with you. The companions usually just help with hints but never help in combat. The world is full of wandering spirits, so you need to fight them off when you encounter them. The combat is a bit clunky, perhaps because there is no lock-on targeting, but I have gotten used to that mode of play thanks to Monster Hunter. The difficulty of the enemies never really exceeds a certain point, but some of them can get annoying. There is a bit of exploration, but most of the time, you are on a linear path and there are a few times where you need to backtrack, but thankfully it doesn't really slow down the pace of the game too much. You also find these items scattered across the game that give you the memories of people that once lived. Some of them are entertaining, and some of them give a bit of insight into the game's deeper story.

The game's art style really shows in the outdoor areas.

One of the main draws of this game is the atmosphere. It's unlike a lot of the post-apocalyptic settings in that it doesn't go for the nuclear fallout. I can't tell you the full details since that's part of the mystery of the game and I wouldn't want to spoil it. I think the main draw of the game is that sense of being alone and trying to find another person in the world. Though I did mention that you do come across companions in the game, they never seem to last that long, and there is quite a bit of heartbreak throughout the game's story, so prepare to shed some manly tears.

The game's music helps quite a bit in that brooding feeling of isolation and despair. Above is just the title screen's theme, and I think it's pretty moving emotionally. The game's music may be moving but the voice acting... well... isn't so great. Take my advice, if you want, change the dubbing to Japanese so you won't have to hear the English voice actors. All of it is subtitled anyway. The English voice acting just feels so drawn out. It seems like a sentence that should take five seconds to say will take twenty. I realize that some dialogue needs to be like that, but not all the time.

The Verdict:

Fragile Dreams is a pretty unique experience that I haven't encountered often. The only game I can think of that even comes close to something like this would be Ico. (Though Ico probably being the better game.) Fragile Dreams really felt like it had something going for it, the story, the music, the characters... but at the end of the whole thing I wanted more. Perhaps I just expected more out of an action rpg, but I can't blame the game for that. The game is still one of the better lesser known experiences on the Wii, and I would recommend it if you are looking for something different.

What I liked:

-The story
-Great atmosphere

What I didn't like:

-The English voice acting
-Ended a bit sooner than expected

Review: NBA Jam (2010)

Review based off PS3 version.

NBA Jam is one of those titles that if you are like me hold many fond memories. When NBA Jam came out in 1993 it was an revelation of a game. There were some arcade sports games around but as far as I can remember none had real players and real teams featured. NBA Jam did and revolutionized arcade-style sports games and created a new sub-genre that would last through the mid-90s. And while the console ports at the time weren't able to replicate the experience they still brought the same fast-paced style that made the game so fun to play.

Unfortunately as the franchise went on, in an attempt stay relevant, Acclaim would over complicate the formula that worked so well until 2003 when we all thought that NBA Jam was dead and buried. But along came EA after buying assets of the now defunct Acclaim and they decided to bring back NBA Jam and bring back what made the franchise so great: Simple, fast and satisfying.

The reboot of NBA Jam feels very close to what the arcade original did. We are back to 2 on 2 no holds barred basketball with massive slam dunks, lots of pushing and shoving, going on fire and a very fast pace. If you've played a classic NBA Jam you'll feel right at home with this game and it shouldn't take you more than a few quarters to get a feel for it. Of course there are some new wrinkles thrown in, like the cross overs and spins but when you break it down it is purely classic NBA Jam. There is a remix mode but as of this review I haven't really delved to deeply into it, preferring the classic style gameplay over the new stuff but the game has a lot of modes, a remix campaign mode, remix mode with more mini-game type rules, a boss battle mode and of course online mode (in the 360 and PS3 versions).

It isn't perfect though. For one, much like the old games, the computer AI tends to be really cheap, especially in the 2nd half. Even on easy the CPU will be all over you hitting shots and make defensive plays that seem unfair. You better have a fairly sizable lead or be very good on the higher difficulties or the CPU will come back and beat you if you get sloppy. You partner AI can be a bit up and down to, since the game doesn't allow you to turn off CPU assist, you have to hope your AI can hold up its part of the bargain because if it doesn't you'll hurt. It is overall capable and will be helpful to you if you want to win but in the 2nd half sometimes he will just go on vacation it seems, especially on defense.

Another thing the game really covers is the franchise's penchant for secret players and teams. You get a typical assortment of NBA legends (Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird), mascot players and special teams, including the Beastie Boys, Democrats, Republicans and the announce team. The variety is rather cool though some of the secret players seem a little forced just because they had to give all the teams a "legend". I mean really, Bryant "Big Country" Reeves for the Memphis Grizzlies? Also I as a Bulls fan love the addition of Scottie and Dennis Rodman to the Bulls team but I must once again ask, where is Michael Jordan? Seriously, is there any franchise that wasn't almost made in the image of Jordan's early career exploits?

Graphically the game retains the fairly simple clean look of the old games. Instead of overcomplicated player models there are only two or three models that all move very well but are otherwise generic sans skin colors and uniform design. What really makes the models cool are their heads. Instead of 3D model they use actual photos of the players making various facial expressions. It both hilarious and awesome and does a great job of drawing you into the game. The arenas while nothing special look good for the most part. Unfortunately though the care put into the player models is not used in the spectators. Most of them are 2D with a few frames of animation and is really kind of boring to look at, which shouldn't matter too much since you shouldn't be focusing on them anyways.

The music in this game isn't as classic as the stuff from the original. A little too hip-hop for my tastes but overall not to bad. The little extra music that plays when you are on fire was a nice touch. What they did get really right is bringing back the original play-by-play announcer, Tom Kitzrow. His addition really adds to the game's classic atmosphere and while his calls can get repetitive and tiresome at times, there are few lines as awesome as hearing Tim call out "BOOM SHAKALAKA" on a massive dunk or saying "HE'S ON FIRE" when you are on fire. The on court sound effects have some oomph to them but you don't feel nearly as big as they should be but maybe it just me.

In the end though, NBA Jam is a faithful update to the classic original game. If sims aren't your thing but you still love yourself a little basketball you can't go wrong with this game.

Pros/Cons
+ Great revival of the arcade classic with a lot extra modes if you are also looking for something new
+ Nice clean graphics with heads being really fun
+ Lots of secrets to unlock
+ Tim Kitzrow's classic announcing
- Some of the hidden players leave a bit to be desired
- AI can be cheap and unbalanced even on easiest setting
- Really wish Michael Jordan could have been in it

Review: Rock Band 3

It's been hard being a music game fan for the past couple of years with all of the over-saturation in the market with multiple titles from Rock Band and Guitar Hero. I say it's been hard because it's very frustrating trying to defend some of the decisions that the players in the music game genre makes. Personally, I usually side with Rock Band and point out the flaws of the Guitar Hero side, but recently, Harmonix is starting to show its weaknesses. Thankfully, Harmonix has gone back to promising the idea of a 'platform' for the music game with Rock Band 3, but like the first Rock Band needed a Rock Band 2 in 2008, does Rock Band 3 need a Rock Band 4 in 2011? I hope not.

First of all, you might be wondering why I'm calling them 'music games' instead of 'rhythm games.' Well, I think music games are a sub-genre of rhythm games, where the object of the game is to play music literally, whether through a peripheral or real instrument, and that would define Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Other games in the rhythm game genre would include something like Parappa the Rapper or Rhythm Heaven. I would delve into these semantics more, but that's for another article. Anyway, on to the review.

Let's talk about the most obvious addition to the series first, the keyboard peripheral. Honestly, it feels like the first time I played Rock Band with this controller, mainly because I have never really tried to play the instrument before. Though, I'm talking about Pro mode, not the regular mode of the keys, which is very easy to me and boring, but with Pro mode, it's very challenging and I can actually transition my skill with the peripheral to an actual piano. Not only that, but I can also connect the keyboard peripheral to my laptop with a MIDI output cable and practice that way or create my own music with a program of some sort. It took me a while to get used to playing the keys, but that story is for another series of 'Diary of the Rookie.'

I can't comment on the Pro drums or Pro guitar, so I'm just going to talk about the gameplay and design next. I think the best addition to this was the drop-in/out feature that can be used anywhere in the game. Doing a Road Challenge and your friend wants to help? No problem, just connect a peripheral and have him press start and he's there. Another slight change that had a big impact is the new rating and recommendation system the game has for songs. You can rate all of the songs in your library, and whatever you rated higher, the game will recommend similar songs from the Rock Band music store. Unfortunately, there is still not an option to delete/hide songs from the on-disc setlist, but you can rate them 1-star so they won't show up in random setlists quite as often.

Speaking of random setlists, you won't have to worry about them much anymore, since in the new Road Challenges that have replaced the World Tour, you have three setlist options for each city. They usually consist of a pre-made setlist, a random setlist and a custom setlist, or some combination of two of those and one other. What I really liked is that it will incorporate the downloadable content into the Road Challenge setlists. For instance, I downloaded the Billy Joel pack they had available and now a 'Random Billy Joel Setlist' will appear in Road Challenges.

Along with the Road Challenges, there are also Career Goals that you can fulfill. Mostly all of them are quantitative, like 'play all the warmup songs on guitar' or 'get a 500-note streak on bass.' Just because their quantitative doesn't mean they can't be interesting though, some of the previous DLC actually have goals that unlock in Rock Band 3. A couple of goals that my DLC unlocked was 'Dave Grohl Band' which had me play 5 songs from any band that includes Dave Grohl as a member, and 'Face Melter' which had me play 3 metal songs from the 80's. The best thing about these goals is that you're always working on them no matter what mode you're in on the game. For example, if you just happen to play all of the warmup songs while doing a couple of Road Challenges or even in quickplay, that goal will be completed.

Overall, Rock Band 3 is a godsend for fans of the series as far as added features and design goes... but there are some flaws and missing parts. The two-player Score Duel and Tug-of-War modes are completely gone, and the exports for Rock Band 1 and 2 have even more missing songs from the export than the first transition from 1 to 2. There is also the fact that many fans are angry at Harmonix for repackaging some of the pre-RB3 songs into downloadable content in the Bon Jovi pack and Queen (RB3 "Enhanced") pack. People who have bought DLC before RB3's launch feel a bit cheated because they will have to buy those songs again if they want keyboard and harmonies, and then an additional fee if they want the Pro guitar chart if it's available. In my opinion, I can understand the Pro guitar upgrade fee, but the keyboard and harmonies seems like something they would update on the original DLC rather than releasing another pack with the same songs on the marketplace. Another recent fiasco with the RB2 export is the Harmonix employees weren't included in the export, but was just released this week as a free pack. People assumed that since they didn't include them in the export, that they must have added keyboard and harmonies, right? Nope. Then why disclude them from the export? Seriously? Why, Harmonix?

Enough of my ranting about the flaws, time for...

The Verdict:

Rock Band 3 is the absolute music game. The addition of Pro modes and great design choices make it the best option for any person to have as their 'platform' for music gaming. Harmonix has stated that their next outing may include improvisation and composition, so while Rock Band 3 teaches you how to play music, Rock Band 4 may teach you how to make music... but for now I'm very happy with Rock Band 3, and wouldn't mind waiting until next generation for the next installment in the series. Just wait, Harmonix... don't saturate the market anymore.

What I liked:

-The Setlist. Some of my favorites included: "Good Vibrations (Live)" by The Beach Boys, "Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police, "Cold as Ice" by Foreigner, "Hey Man, Nice Shot" by Filter, "Foolin'" by Def Leppard, "Midlife Crisis" by Faith No More, "The Killing Moon" by Echo & the Bunnymen and sooooo many more. If you don't like at least half of the songs on this setlist, then you just don't like music.
-The new career goals. They add for a lot of replayability and an incentive for me to try the other instruments.
-The keyboard! I actually know how to play the riff to 'Werewolves of London' now!

What I didn't like:

-Export fees. I don't even think I'm going to export the songs from Rock Band 1 and 2 if they're going to continue to re-release them as DLC and have us pay for it again, because there are a lot of songs from the games I'd want to play on keys that have them.
-No Supertramp. They added a keyboard and they still don't have any Supertramp? How is that possible?! Oh well, hopefully they will have DLC for them in the near future.

Review: Angry Birds

Angry Birds (by Rovio) was a game I had heard a little bit about via some podcasts I listen to. I heard it was a lot of fun but I don't traditionally buy games for my Android phone. Earlier this week I discovered that it in fact was free! and Ad-based. Knowing that, I hopped right onto the Android Marketplace and downloaded the first great game to grace my phone.

The game is essentially a trajectory-puzzle game. You start with a level, a small arena if you will. On the left side is a small infantry of birds. The amounts and kinds of birds change depending on the level. On the right side are the pigs, the enemies. They are strung around a playground of sorts made of girders, glass, wood, boulders, and other obstacles you have to either bust through or get around. The purpose is to destroy the pigs via collisions by either the in-game assets or the birds. The birds fly, not with their wings, but with a giant slingshot. You choose the angle and the speed on the launch. This gameplay is simple yet addictive. I find that I get frustratedly determined to beat a level, only to find myself deciding I'll stop after the next. Then... the next... and another. It's kind of hard to break myself away from this game.

There are multiple kinds of birds found in your arsenal. The game starts by providing only your standard red birds. These are essentially balls because they do nothing but get launched and land and roll. No special powers. Soon though you are introduced to other birds. There are toucans that boomerang, bluebirds than act as shotgun shells, kamikazi yellow birds, egg bombers, and more. You don't ever get to decide what to use or what order to use them. That is level-dependent which is where part of the challenge comes from. The enemies eventually upgrade too with some of the pigs wearing cement helmets for instance. This makes them take longer to destroy.

The music is pretty simple but still nice. It's low-key so not to be distracting but still interesting enough to fit the theme. I however don't miss it when I have my phone's audio off to save battery. Same goes for the sound effects. They're nice and all but nothing special. You don't play this for the audio anyway.

There is a ton of content in this game. To start, the first level (and all subsequent levels) have a rating system dependent on a points system. If you do well, you'll earn three stars. If you just manage to barely complete the level, you'll earn one. So far it seems the stars might just be for completionists but I haven't yet beaten all the levels or even gotten more than just one star in them all to know if anything special happens. Still, even if you don't care about the stars or points, you'll find there to be a plethora of levels for you to play in. World 1, titled Poached Eggs, has three sections comprised of around 21 levels per section. Then there's three more worlds to unlock (which have been additional content released over the past year the game has been out). There's also a bonus section called "Bonus Eggs" which can be found in the levels. Collecting one opens up a special level to try.

Recently they released a Halloween themed pack and a Christmas themed one too. The Halloween pack, titled Trick Or Treat, is a set of spooky-themed levels. The other pack contains 25 levels but as of today, only ten are available. Each day until Christmas a new level can be downloaded and unlocked in the game. This acts like an advent calendar of sorts. Best part of all this is that it's free too! The holiday bonus levels include new terrain like snow blocks which easily wipe away for chain reactions and the enemies can be found wearing snow caps in the cold weather. Like I said, TONS of content.

I've been playing this on my HTC Evo phone. The large and bright screen makes for an easy to play game that is likely just as easy to play on smaller screens. It is available on the iOS, Android, Meeko, webOS, and Symbian^3 platforms. I don't know if it still costs money on the iPhone, but I was able to download it for free without problem on my Android device.

The Verdict:
A colorful and fun way to pass the time. Watch out for the addictive 'pringles' problem... the, "bet you can't have just one."

What I liked:
Levels are creative. Lots of bird variety for weapons. Physics are pretty solid. It's free.

What I didn't like:
The ads can occasionally be cumbersome in seeing things in the corner but this only occurs on select levels. The music, while not bad, could get annoying after a long game session.

Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns

Full disclosure, I have never played Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, or 3. But it didn't matter worth a damn because I still had more fun with Donkey Kong Country Returns than I've had in a long long time with any game.

At the core, the gameplay is the reason to own the title. Everything feels so natural as you play an ape jumping around collecting bananas and other goodies. Running, climbing, and rolling your way through the stages will be a challenge but ever time you see that finish screen, you'll feel nothing but satisfaction. I played the game with the nunchuk and wiimote combo and that felt very natural. You move with the joystick, jump with A, and hold on to things for climbing with B. It's all simple in a good way and then there's the motion controls which don't add a ton, but they certainly make for some fun. It feels satisfying to smack the wiimote and nunchuk in the same slapping-the-ground manner that Donkey hits for his move. You also can stop and blow air on things to either move platforms or dandelions to discover secrets, as well as more. I've heard a lot of complaints about how this stops the pacing of the game but lets be honest, it's all in how you want to play. I tended to seek out secrets during my first play-through but there's nothing stopping you from just running around however you like. You can always go back and find the secrets later.



I guess I'm already touching on the next section I wanna talk about, the content. This game contains eight worlds, each with their own boss, and a couple of extras thrown in there. Each standard level has the traditional KONG letters and each level also contains various puzzle pieces. Some of them are very very tricky to find but you can buy a Squawk item which will help you seek out your missing secrets. There is so much to find and do in each level and then you multiply that by how many levels... wow is the answer here. It's definitely on par with New Super Mario Bros. Wii as far as amount of levels but there's probably more to actually discover within Donkey Kong Country Returns. As you collect things and up your percentage, you unlock music and art in the galleries as well. Lots to do for completionists here. Besides the letters and puzzle pieces, there's time-trials to attempt medals for and even MORE to unlock and earn. Also, I wont go into much spoilery detail but hidden throughout the backgrounds of levels are allusions to other games as little easter eggs to spot. They should delight if you find them. While many of the levels are fantastic, some of the best are the 'Silhouette Levels'. I wish there had been more, at least one per world, but I guess their lack of quantity just allowed for me to love the ones that're there even more.

This game, like life, obeys a five second rule. The five second rule in this case though is that, if you don't hate the game after five seconds, you will in fact become addicted for weeks until it's completion. That. Is. Fact.

Like with Retro Studios' most recent outings with Metroid, Donkey Kong Country Returns looks fantastic in the graphics department. The levels are colorful and crisp. They do away with the old style from the SNES games, obviously though as that's obsolete. The game may be 2D but the 3D assets look great and their 2D textures help sell their look. The mossy areas you can grab on to for instance look absolutely wonderful. They look realistically lush. The character models for Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong look great also. The game features cutscenes before the boss battles and in the beginning of the game as well. You will be surprised at how good an elephant's ass looks.

I don't have that much to say about the music besides that it's rather enjoyable. Even without playing the original Rare series, I know that the music is classic in those titles. Donkey Kong Country Returns does a great job with the sound effects and music but for me anyway, nothing ever reached the heights of Bramble Blast for instance. In the levels that feature any kind of 'magma', you can definitely feel a hint of "Magmoor Caverns" from the Metroid Prime series. It's greatly appreciated and obvious why they did.

I'm not quite sure why I never played the original SNES titles, I certainly don't miss the Kremlings. I also don't know see an urge to go back and play those titles after this. From what I've heard, Retro Studios has made the DKC formula and made it even better. Maybe that's ignorant, and I'm sure I'll get around to them eventually, but Donkey Kong Country Returns has quenched my platforming thirst and made me hungry as hell for some banana bread.



The Verdict:

This game is amazing. Retro Studios is amazing.
Buy it at all costs if you like fun.

What I liked:
Level Design is impeccable and the gameplay is top-notch. Lots of levels too, and reasons to go back to previously beaten levels. Lots of replayability. Rambi is a blast to play with and I don't feel the need for more animals.

What I didn't like:
Once in a while, the game gets almost TOO-hard. The motion-controls work MOST of the time, but when they don't, it's rather annoying.

Review: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

I seem to have come down with the sniffles, but I will attempt to do a review today, though it may be shorter than my previous ones. I appreciate Dr. Finkelstein contributing this week, so go check out his articles! Anyway, onto the review...

I bought this game at the beginning of this year and... well, I didn't finish it, until now. I just restarted the whole game because I don't like to pick up a game after several months of not playing and then try to beat it, especially if it's an RPG or action/adventure. I've been a big fan of the Mario RPGs, I've played and beaten every single one, with the exception of Partners in Time, which I did have at one point, but, like Bowser's Inside Story, I didn't finish it when I first bought it.

Out of all the Mario RPGs, this one probably has my favorite story and writing. Bowser eats a bad mushroom from the main protagonist and he sucks in all of people in Peach's Castle. The main protaganist in the game is a little guy named Fawful from the first Mario & Luigi who speaks almost like he was hilariously mistranslated from Japan to the US, but that was completely intentional. I suppose Fawful was chosen as the villain because he has had a big cult following and the fans wanted to see more of him.

Like the other Mario RPGs, the battle system in this game relies on timing and expects the player to pay attention when the enemy is attacking so you can avoid damage or counter. With that system, the game feels like an action rpg without being one... if that makes any sense.

Other than the battle system, there are various mini-games through the story that Mario and Luigi will have to complete inside Bowser's body. You won't be doing the same mini-game too often, each one you will only have to do 3 or 4 times throughout the entire game. One special mini-game is a short shmup that allows Bowser to become gigantic, and that takes you to another battle system where it's like a turn-based fighter. These segments were my favorite part of the game. You turn the DS on it's side, book style, and you use the stylus to control bower's actions. It feels very satisfying to slide the stylus and see Bowser punch your enemy halfway across the battlefield.

The Verdict:

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is a fine installment in the series. I'm not entirely sure when we'll see another game like this, since it's been announced that the next Paper Mario will be on the 3DS, will there ever be another 2D Mario RPG? Well, if there isn't, this is a good close for the series if they decide not to make any more.

What I liked:

-The writing and Fawful: I HAVE CHORTLES!!!
-Fun turn-based fighting Bowser segments.
-Battle system that requires attention.

What I didn't like:

-The ending felt abrupt, but maybe it's just me.

Review: Goldeneye 007

I told myself today, "You cannot play anymore Goldeneye until you write the review. Stop neglecting your duties!" Well, here I am because dammit, I wanna play.

Where do I begin though? Goldeneye 007 is a re-imagining of the film with some elements borrowed from the Nintendo 64 classic. Note I didn't say it was a remake of anything because a remake this is not. I wont dive into it much for why this isn't a remake but a few reasons off the top of my head... here that goes. You wont find the classic multiplayer maps, nor some of the 64-based weapons, and the plot of the game itself doesn't entirely match the film. That last one said, luckily they hired one of the original writers of the film to write the script for this game. The story actually makes enough sense to not bother me personally and I'm a huge fan of the original film. It's my favorite Bond film in fact. I have a slight bigger issue with the cast changes but only because I love Pierce Brosnan and I miss Robbie Coltrane (who played Valentin). Any sane person however should be able to get over this and enjoy what the game is really about, being a fun FPS on the Wii.

The single player mode was something I was looking forward to just as much as the online multiplayer. From the first level through till the last one, I was completely engulfed by the presentation. There is a lot of effort here to immerse you into the role of Bond. While the first level, the classic Dam, has a lot of scripted segments, the rest of the game doles out these moments sparingly so that they don't become overwhelming. They pretty much always add to the experience. I loved the way that the EMP blast was done and how the final Cradle battle was handled. I played the game initially on the easiest mode, which does include regenerating health, but the fourth and final difficulty level borrows the health bar and health pickups of the 1997 Nintendo 64 title. Purists quit your bitching! Hurrah! I did play the highest difficulty level in the form of their Time Trials... and well my experience so far has been less than pleasant. It's insanely difficult, for me anyway. You have to pretty much run past every enemy in order to traverse these lengthy levels in typically under 10 minutes (not including the cutscenes). To me, that's not fun. I would have preferred either they make the time restrictions a bit more lax, or just changed it somehow that I can't think of. I don't find it fun when a game about being stealthy and accurate as Bond should be, becomes just how well you can be a bullet sponge without dying. Not fun at all. That's okay though because when I got frustrated with that, I just hop online and get frustrated some more... in a good way.

You'll come for the single player and stay for the online multiplayer. Matching up with random people works exceptionally well, with the exception of hosts quitting mid-match. Luckily that's not that often. Matching with your friend-code friends works pretty well too. The only downside is the somewhat awkward invite system. It works, but it just doesn't work perfectly. There's a great selection of maps to play and I having loadouts is unique. I suspect this might be an old feature for the FPS genre but still, it's pretty new to me. The only downside is that when you're just starting out, you wont have a loadout with neat gadgets or bonuses yet you'll battle someone who will. It's not a match-breaker though. If you're good, you're good no matter what. There's also a lot of different types of matches from your classic Conflict and Team Conflicts to the more unique ones like Heroes and the Black Box. It's been sucking my time like crazy the past eight-nine days. Part of the drive to keep this addiction up is the fact that the game utilizes a points earning system to unlock more modes and weapons and bonuses. Sometimes it feels like leveling up takes too long, but I guess I wont know until I continue. I'm around level 15 right now, and I know that some stuff wont unlock until level 52 or so... that'll take a long long time of online battling. I haven't played any off-line multiplayer but I would assume it's not much different. However, there is split-screen multiplayer. I don't really have the need for it anymore because my gaming friends have all since moved away or quit playing. Still, I really appreciate that they put it in there regardless.

One last thing I want to say is that the version I purchased was the one with the Gold Classic Controller Pro. I've never owned one and while I never did play this game with that controller (I used the Wii Remote + Nunchuk combo) I love the controller. It looks great, it feels great. It's not any cheaper getting the bundle versus buying a controller separately but it is the only way to get a gold colored one. If you haven't yet purchased a classic controller, I really would recommend getting one this way. If you already have one though, it's probably not worth it. I wont be using it for Goldeneye but you better believe I'll be using it for my VC and WiiWare purchases.

The Verdict:

Simply put; You should BOND with this game because it will BLOW you away. Well, I hope it will. It's a very solid shooter for the Wii with controls that are rather customizable in an almost Conduit quality. Lots of variety and it'll excite any Goldeneye-lover assuming they don't have a stick up their ass expecting something that was made thirteen years ago.

What I liked:

Brings Goldeneye to life in ways the 64 game couldn't. Online is very addicting! Production values are high.

What I didn't like:

Online can be unfair slightly. Music isn't as iconic as the 64 game, but blame that on nostalgia. Time Trial mode, while appreciated, is way too difficult for anyone but the most serious first-person shooter gamers.

Retro Review: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was released in 1999 by Eidos Interactive and published by Crystal Dynamics. It's from the same company that created Gex and the later Tomb Raiders.

Before owning a PS3, I had never heard about this game before. After seeing it as a PSone classic and doing some research, I decided to fork over the six bucks and buy it.

It seemed like standard 64-bit era fare when I started it up. Pre-rendered cutscenes and all that jazz. After the opening cutscene ended, I was treated to the smooth, booming voice of Tony Jay, explaining gameplay elements as I went through a sort of introductory stage. The voice acting is nothing short of fantastic. None of the characters sounded bored or wooden, unlike several other games I could mention. The writing is great as well, with the story almost on par with classic RPGs of old. The combination of storytelling and voice acting immediately won me over, and I kept playing.

Raziel, the protagonist of the game, controls really well. The controls aren't frustrating or confusing and you don't have to worry about whether or not you'll miss that jump. The gameplay is very reminiscent of the Metroid series, in that you have a giant world to explore, but areas are blocked off until you gain extra abilities, such as phasing through gates. Combat is very simple, but it works well for the game. It's all a manner of dodge/attack/dodge until you can finish off your opponent and absorb his soul. Weapons are plentiful in this game, often found along the walls. Later on, you can eventually get the Soul Reaver, so you won't even need a weapon to combat your enemies.

You can't really lose in Soul Reaver, due to Raziel's situation. Since he's already basically dead, all that happens when his life bar empties is that he goes back to the spectral realm, where he may regain his health by absorbing souls. The most that you'd lose is progress, since you'll have to backtrack a little to find a point where you can go back into the material realm.

The layout of the world of Soul Reaver can get a little confusing at times, though. There is a portal system allowing you to travel between points, but that requires a bit of memorization as to which portal goes where.

Final Summation:
+Great controls
+Fantastic story
+Voice Acting is incredible
+Metroid-styled gameplay (I'm biased for Metroidvanias)
=Combat is pretty simplistic
-Really confusing world layout

Review: Bit.Trip Fate

I got into the Bit.Trip series with Bit.Trip Runner earlier this year. The chiptune soundtrack and fun graphics, melded with the unique style of platforming gameplay really sucked me in and engulfed me. I was consumed by that game until I beat it, but not always a completionist, I didn't even try to best each level, despite knowing that's what the Bit.Trip games are really all about.

So when I heard of this next installment, I may have been behind on the storyline, which there is one. Still I didn’t care. I realized that my Wii’s storage space needed a bit of reorganizing but once I did that, I nabbed Bit.Trip Fate for a measly 800 points and 300 some odd blocks. The start-up screen was familiar and I heard that lovely little sound upon starting the game. For me, the music and sfx in these games is half the fun.

Again, like Runner, the menu was simple and I was able to jump right in. The first level is easy enough but I still found my head boggled as it tried to make sense of all the different projectiles and on-screen assets. I’m not one for shooters of this kind mind you. I like a good FPS but I never cared much for the on-rail shooters, nor the fixed-shooter classics like Galaga. Here I was, playing a mix of both the latter. Weirdly enough, I really enjoyed the mix of these two genres into one here. While the scrolling level reminded me of those damn annoying levels in Super Mario Bros. 3, I felt it was necessary to keep me from camping out in one spot. There was a lot of “dual viewing” from me, where I had to literally keep my eyes on two separate spots on the screen at the same time. It’s kind of like when you’re driving a car and focused on what’s in front of you and yet you subconsciously know what’s on the side of you at the edge of your vision. This really gets you focused into the action.

As the level progressed, I started getting new power-ups but not really being sure why. I saw Super Meat Boy in there helping out Commander Video, but I know little about him besides he’s the star of an upcoming (and equally intriguing) game. As you begin to learn the patterns of the enemies, you begin to develop a sixth sense and your own natural strategy begins to kick in. The game gradually picks up pace, even in the first level alone. Another fun thing about the game is how the enemies die to the music. Those little touches make these Bit.Trip games something special in that sense alone.

At the end of the level I fought a boss. The letters B.O.S.S. scrolled across the screen and I was giddy considering the excitement I remembered from the last time this happened, in Runner. I had a simple sin wave to move on while the boss could move any which way he pleased. Of course he had his patterns, both in movement and also in projectiles. It was easy to spot the patterns in this first round but in true Bit.Trip fashion, it was tricky to time it right and to slide past while still keeping your aim on the boss. Again, there was that dual viewing, keeping your eyes on two places at once.

I scored a whopping 57,316,500 points… who knows if this is good or not for the first level though. I’m not one to care about high scores ever, so I know that aspect of the game will go over my head. Still I know that those who do care about high scores will find this game to be perfect. Each run through even the same levels will come out a little different every time so there’s always room for improvement. That was a complaint I’ve heard with Runner, how Runner had a finite score for the end of a level. This was great for people who wanted to be completionists, but not for those who wanted to always be competing for the high scores. Bit.Trip Fate fixes that and goes back to the scoring style of the previous three games.
At least early on, I found the levels to be rather easy compared to the boss battles but really the trick there too is memorization. The overall difficulty seems to lie lower than Runner to a point but I think it's because you have more options on how to attack the levels themselves. There is still a lot of frustration that might be too annoying for some gamers. I teeter on that line, and I think in some weird way that's what keeps me coming back. These games are the kings of making me rage quit, I'll tell you that. Still though, I return.

All in all, I’m satisfied with my download and excited to proceed to the bitter end. The first three Bit.Trip games might have missed me but Runner and Fate have both capture my attention and I eagerly anticipate the sixth and final installment in the Bit.Trip series. Who knows though, there’s rumors they’re already working with the 3DS… which would be something incredible.

How badly did you beat my score? Tell me in the comments so I can try to one up you, only to be one upped back I’m sure.

The Verdict:

If you liked any of the previous Bit.Trip games, you'll likely enjoy this one too. Even as someone who isn't a fan of this genre, I still find myself invested in this title. Glad I picked it up and I thank Gaijin Games for being so fresh and unique in an all-too-often stale gaming market.

What I liked:
Continues the distinct graphical style of previous Bit.Trip games, gameplay is fun and mellow while being challenging and suspenseful.

What I didn't like:
Music is lacking, especially compared to the ear-sex of Runner.

Review: Metroid: Other M

What better way to start off the blog than to review one of the games that has been causing quite a stir in the gaming media! Now, I'm a big Metroid fan, in fact, it's my favorite Nintendo franchise. I've played every game in the series (except Metroid II: Return of Samus) and I just love the gameplay design in every one, even if... it's a bit familiar.

Before I get to the issue that everyone is talking about, let's just talk about the game. This Metroid reminded me a lot of Metroid Fusion, I would go as far as to say that this game is the 3-D version of it, because well... it copies a lot of things from that previous installment. Is that bad? Not really, borrowing concepts from a game in the same series that was released 8 years prior isn't really a problem.

The problem is, the level design. The environments are much too familiar, and nothing really jumps out at you. With the Metroid Prime games, the level design was brilliant, but for this... it's just... meh. BUT, with that said, I did enjoy the enemy/boss design. One problem with the level design in the game is the irritating issue of not knowing what to do kept coming up for me. It may just be me though, because others have breezed through the game without any trouble.

Now let's briefly talk about the elephant in the room: Samus. (I hope she doesn't think I'm implying she's fat.) She now has a voice and a bit more character development. Metroid fans went ballistic. I didn't really mind much of what they made Samus to be, but some fans are exaggerating the issue, saying that Samus has been turned into a whiny, emotional bimbo who can't function without the help of a man. All I hear is: "How dare they give Samus emotion! She should have a cold, robotic personality forever!" Now I may be exaggerating, but fans just aren't getting the point: Samus is human. We only knew some details about her history before, and now we get a better understanding of her character. Personally, I think it's a step in the right direction for Metroid's story, but it wasn't handled quite as delicately as everyone wanted.

The Verdict:

What I liked:

• Enemy/Boss Design
• Classic Metroid Gameplay
• Throwbacks to prior games

What I didn't like:

• Some of the level design
• Only able to use missles while in visor mode
• Who did what now? (Convoluted subplot)