[Game Review] Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Wii)

System: Nintendo Wii (Exclusive)
Developer: Climax Studios
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Horror/Adventure

In Shattered Memories players take control of Harry Mason shortly after he wrecks his car in a small, snow covered town named Silent Hill. After he regains consciousness and discovers that his young daughter Cheryl is no longer with him, he grabs his flashlight and heads out onto the icy streets in an attempt to track her down.

This is where the game starts, and from here things get extremely interesting in terms of story. Full of twists and turns, the ever evolving story proved to be much more interesting that the initial premise may lead you to believe. From start to finish you will likely be enthralled with trying to piece the mystery together and figure out what is going on before the game tells you, something I don’t often do with games. Continue reading

[Book Review] “Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy” by S.D. Perry

The Umbrella Conspiracy was the first entry in a series of novels based on the popular Resident Evil video games that eventual reached a length of seven books. The original Resident Evil game for the PlayStation, the title this book is based on, is one of the greatest and most influential video games of all time, so it’s obvious that gamers (such as myself) have pretty high expectations for a novelization of the game.

Of course, life is full of disappointments.

About a week after I read Zero Hour (review), the series prequel which I rather enjoyed, I decided to pursue the series and read more of S.D. Perry’s RE novelizations. When I picked up The Umbrella Conspiracy, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what kind of quality to expect based on my experience with Zero Hour: a mostly faithful, largely nostalgic novelization of one of my favorite games that manages to hold my attention and entertain me throughout the experience.

While almost exactly what I wanted, The Umbrella Conspiracy still manages to disappoint on multiple levels.

Continue reading

[Game Review] The Beatles: Rock Band (Xbox 360)

System: Xbox 360 (Also available on PS3, Wii)
Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: MTV Games
Genre: Rhythm

After all is said and done, The Beatles are ultimately the most influential band in the history of music. Literally every musician is influenced by them in some small way, so it’s only fitting that they receive their own edition of Rock Band. The popular music game franchise that introduced drum and singing elements to the already successful Guitar Hero formula has added a new installment based on the career and music of The Fab Four.

I love Rock Band, and I love The Beatles. Predictably I got ahold of the game as soon as I possibly could. I’ve been basking in Beatles glory for about nine days now and trust me it is amazing. Continue reading

The Top Ten Video Games of the Decade (2000 – 2009)

It’s the end of the first decade of the New Millennium already. We’ve survived the Y2K bug, four years of George W. Bush, a terrorist attack on America, four more years of George W. Bush, Global Warming, the passing of icons such as Michael Jackson and Billy Mays, and what do we have to show for it?

Games. We’ve seen countless titles released for several systems. We’ve witnessed a generation’s death which birthed a fresh generation that then perished to make room for yet another generation. And we’ve played through all of this until our thumbs began to bleed. But what were the highlights of this decade? What were the best games from 2000 – 20009?

That’s something that we’ll never be able to agree on. In this post we have listed the Top Ten Video Games of the past decade as it pertains to six different members of the Everyview staff. You’ll love some picks and hate some others, so feel free to compliment us or call us idiots in the comments section. Also, feel free to leave your picks for the top ten games this decade. Continue reading

Third Party Woes on Wii – Who’s to Blame?

Recently the president of EA said finding success on the Wii was “confounding”. I found this statement rather confounding myself due to various reasons. This seems to be a common thing with third parties on Wii. Many publishers are hesitant to put forth big budget content since it’s failed them in the past. That’s a self-fulfilling prophecy if I ever heard one.

Firstly, third parties have no one to blame but themselves. Answered that question quickly, didn’t I? They were the ones who created the current market on Wii by filling it with garbage. What games that aren’t garbage they produce get limited marketing and next to no commercials. Again, compare the marketing of the “biggest” Wii third party game, The Conduit, with the marketing of Rogue Warrior, a B-level action game for the HD consoles. Rogue Warrior has received much more of a push. What games deserve to sell on Wii? Little King’s Story? Muramasa? Dead Space: Extraction? Maybe. But which ones received proper advertising? Oh, yes. None of them. So none of them “deserved” to sell. Quality can only do you so much in the games business.

Read the rest of this fantastic entry on SuperPhillip Central.

[Game Review] The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)

System: Nintendo DS (Exclusive)
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Adventure

It’s always a phenomenal event when a new Zelda game hits store shelves. The legendary series has been going strong for over 20 years without a single bad entry (except Zelda II. And those awful CDi games don’t count either). Some of the games are better than others, sure, but every notch into the convoluted Zelda time line represents a timeless classic and a memorable adventure. Now that Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS, the latest entry into the renowned series, is finally here, it’s time once again to venture through the land of Hyrule on an epic quest to save Princess Zelda. Continue reading

[’09 Holiday Buyer’s Guide] PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 has seen a resurgence in both sales and interest. Part of this is due to a new PS3 model with an appealing $299 price tag. The other is a catalog of interesting titles for both young and old. As the big three battle for the inside of your wallet, here’s what Sony’s PlayStation 3 has to offer this holiday season. Continue reading

[’09 Holiday Buyer’s Guide] PSP

While a distant second place in the handheld war, the PSP has come out fighting with a plethora of enticing new software for the platform. This year also saw the release of the PSP Go, a download-only system with a sleeker physical build. Whether you’re picking something out for an old or young, veteran or inexperienced gamer, the PSP has something for everyone this holiday season. Continue reading