Tag Archives: video games

[Game Review] Resident Evil: Revelations (Nintendo 3DS)

Posted on by
Reply

System: Nintendo 3DS (Exclusive)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Horror/Adventure

Let me preface this by saying that I love Resident Evil. I have Resident Evil tattoos, have read three different Resident Evil books (and reviewed each one), and have tracked down and played every game the series has released on a dedicated console here in America. Hell, I even forgave Capcom for the direction they decided to head with Resident Evil 5, provided it never happens again. The only thing I haven’t done is watched any of the films besides the shitty first one.

Revelations has been on my radar for a very long time and, after much anticipation, it’s finally here. After all the hype that’s surrounded it, is it enough to quench 3DS owners’ thirsts? Yeah. It totally is.

Continue reading →

[Game Review] Disney Epic Mickey (Wii)

Posted on by
Reply

System: Wii (Exclusive)
Developer: Junction Point Studios
Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios
Release Date: November 25, 2010
Genre: Action Adventure

I can’t tell you why, but something about this game had me more than just a little bit excited before its release. It was very strange, because I’m not generally interested in anything Epic Mickey had to offer. I’m not really a huge fan of Disney. I’m not one who cares greatly about decision/consequence gameplay. And the game’s biggest selling point to hardcore gamers, having Warren Spector behind production, didn’t excite me in least because I had no idea who that even was.

Still, I couldn’t help but getting hyped up for what I had convinced myself was going to be the next great Wii game. And then it actually hit store shelves, and the flood of reviews stating it was merely “average” or simply “good” caused my interest to wane immediately, and the game fell off of my radar until Christmas, when I received it as a gift from Santa Claus.

I can now confirm that the game is merely “good,” as many other critics have stated, but there is something special about Epic Mickey that makes the experience much more satisfying than I had expected.

Continue reading →

[Game Review] Goldeneye 007 (Wii)

Posted on by
2

System: Wii (also on: Nintendo DS)
Developer: Eurocom
Publisher: Activision
Genre: FPS

Fans have been clamoring for it for ages now, and it’s finally here. This game is a remake of the classic Goldeneye 007 video game released on the Nintendo 64 in 1997, and without a doubt revolutionized the FPS genre on home gaming consoles forever. It was that N64 game that would lay the framework for titles like Halo and Call of Duty, paving the road for their success.

And now, in the form of this Wii game by the same name, Goldeneye 007 exists again, modernized and completely rebuilt from the ground up to take advantage of the Wii hardware. Developed by Eurocom, most known to Wii games as the devs who crafted the excellent Dead Space: Extraction, this modernized classic can be one of two things: a cheap cash in, or the real deal. Ladies and gentelemen, I’m here to tell you that not only is this game genuinely great, it may even be the best FPS the Wii has to offer.

Continue reading →

[Game Review] Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii)

Posted on by
3

System: Wii (Exclusive)
Developer: Good Feel
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Platformer

Not since Kirby Canvas Curse have I been so excited for a game so adorable. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Kirby, but it hasn’t been since his 2005 dual-screen debut that the pink ball of fluff that is Kirby has had a starring role in anything truly fresh and unique.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn pits you in a world crafted entirely from string, yarn, buttons, zippers and fabric thanks to the heinous and evil work of an evil sorcerer with a magical sock. Wait, what? Yeah, it’s as whimsical and childish as it sounds, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. I like realistic violence and gore as much as the next guy, but I love adorable, whimsical, imagination-driven tales twice as much. And thanks to Kirby’s brilliant art direction and impressive storybook-esque narrative approach, this is a game that’s had my full attention since its announcement.

Continue reading →

[Game Review] Minecraft (PC)

Posted on by
Reply

Developer: Notch
Publisher: Mojang Specifications.
Platform: PC

There is a game out there that successfully combines genres in gaming that I previously thought were not able to be blended. The game in question, Minecraft, is an indie game by programmer “Notch.” Notch is a swede developer who recently put forth the alpha version of his brainchild, and in the span of only a few months went from unknown indie dev to unknown indie dev MILLIONAIRE. But enough about Notch, you want to hear about Minecraft.

Imagine taking the build-ability of Legos, zombie/monster horror and survival, adventure games, and mix in a delightfully pixelated world and you’ve got Minecraft. Minecraft has several modes for you to enjoy, from the classic mode where you spawn in your world with unlimited resources at the tips of your fingers with which to construct whatever you see fit.

Continue reading →

[Movie Review] Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

Posted on by
2

This is the movie Kick-Ass wanted to be.

While that film occasionally sought too hard at times to blend action and comedy in a stylistically violent environment, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World does it so effortlessly that the entire film ends up playing like an erratic sugar high of pure, raw adrenaline.

Scott Pilgrim is played by Michael Cera, who once again shows little range but does his schtick better than anyone else. Scott’s in a band, has a young girlfriend, but becomes infatuated with a girl he keeps seeing in his dreams. When she happens to drop by to deliver him a package, Scott can no longer contain himself. The two end up having quite the spark, but there is one catch: Scott must square off with her seven evil exes.

Continue reading →

[The Top Five] Legend of Zelda Clones

Posted on by
21

It’s a very exciting time to be a Zelda fan, as it always is when a new game in the series is slated for release. It’s been a long wait since the last console installment in the legendary franchise, as it’s been four long years since Twilight Princess hit shelves, but thankfully we’ve had multiple games in between to keep us from cracking. Two new handheld games in the form of Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, and the entire backlog of Zelda games from the NES, SNES, and N64 have finally been released on the Virtual Console. Still, it’s not enough.

That’s why I’m making this list. We’ve got less than a year (hopefully) before Skyward Sword gets an official release and if you’re anything like me you’ve already burned through the Virtual Console offerings, and are ready for something fresh. Something new. Something different. These five clones should give you exactly that: a break from Hyrule so you don’t get burned out on saving the princess before it’s time to go back to work next year, while still offering very similar experiences so you don’t get rusty while waiting.

Enjoy.

Continue reading →

[Game Review] Pearl Harbor Trilogy 1941: Red Sun Rising (WiiWare)

Posted on by
8

System: Wii (WiiWare)
Developer: Legendo Entertainment
Publisher: Legendo Entertainment
Genre: Flight Action

I randomly logged into the Wii Shop Channel the other day, simply because I hadn’t done so since downloading Max and the Magic Marker and I wanted to pass the time before I went to work by browsing through the most recent releases. To my very humble surprise, I found that I had 800 Nintendo Points just sitting in my account, waiting to be spent.

I thought about going for a Super NES or Genesis game, but decided instead to check out what was new on the WiiWare front. After browsing through a few games and glancing at reviews by other sites for each title that caught my eye, I ran across Pearl Harbor Trilogy. An arcade style World War II dog fighter for seven bucks? Sign me up!

Continue reading →

[The Top Five] Reasons Not to Dump Your Wii Just Because Nintendo Announced the 3DS

Posted on by
2

The title pretty much says it all.

Ever since the announcement of the 3DS, some Nintendo fans have been bringing up a silly argument in message boards. They feel, for whatever reason, that because the 3DS has 3D, superior graphical capabilities, and tilt and gyro control just like the Wii, that Nintendo’s current home system is inadequate and deserves to be pulled from their entertainment system shelves and tossed in the garbage.

What?

Here are just five reasons why everyone who has made that argument needs to step back, take a breath, and reevaluate their stance.

Continue reading →

[Game Review) Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360, PS3)

Posted on by
1

System: Xbox 360, PS3
Developer: Rockstar San Diego/North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Genre: Action Adventure

Earlier in the year Rockstar hit the dusty trail with what was sure to be their new giant, Red Dead Redemption. The old western “GTA Goes West” is just that, a sandbox action game set in a fictitious area on the US/Mexico border circa 1910. The Old West is a dying place, industrial revolution, Federal government, and all sorts of new found trickery and deceit have made their way across the Mississippi and into Rockstar’s final bastion for Cowboys, Indians, and outlaws.

The game starts off by introducing us to John Marston, our stoic cowboy anti-hero who is being lead off a boat into a small town, Blackwater. The cutscene continues with two men, clad in suits, bowlers, and sporting badges, escorting John to an expecting locomotive, with a trio sharing a few back and forths. Jon takes a long train ride far into the heart of the state, all the while hearing conversation from two snoody rich ladies, and a young woman talking to a priest. After following a bit more of this linear, cutscene-infused prologue before Rockstar cuts you lose into the Old West.

Continue reading →