Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Forza Motorsport 3 review video and launch trailer
Forza Motorsport 3 is avaiable soon in North America (October 27th) and Europe (October 23rd) and as such, Microsoft has released a launch trailer for the game.
Forza Motorsport 3 unites the racing game genre, making it possible for everyone to experience the thrill of the world’s most exotic and exquisite cars. Live the most realistic racing experience ever as you take the wheel of more than 400 of the most-beloved cars on over 100 renowned real-world tracks and exotic road courses from around the globe. With breathtaking high-definition graphics and the most advanced vehicle performance modeling in a video game, Forza Motorsport 3 includes a host of driving assists and adjustable skill levels to make the game a gripping pick-up-and-play experience for audiences of all ages and skill levels.
Here is the Forza 3 launch trailer.
Key features of Forza 3 include:
* Featuring the latest and greatest production offerings as well as the world’s fastest and most exotic street cars, Forza Motorsport 3 offers more than 400 fully customizable and tunable cars from over 50 of the world’s leading manufacturers.
* In addition to the return of world-famous tracks from previous Forza Motorsport games, including Suzuka, Nürburgring Nordschleife and the Sebring International Raceway, Forza Motorsport 3 invites you to conquer the corners on more than 100 tracks, including some of the most beautiful road courses in the world.
* Using a myriad of cutting-edge driving and gameplay assists such as auto-braking, gameplay rewind and auto-tuning, Forza Motorsport 3 delivers an experience where everyone can have fun behind the wheel, regardless of your skill and dexterity.
* Painters and tuners will once again be able to showcase creativity through the celebrated Livery Editor, Auction House and deep tuning garage in Forza Motorsport 3.
Is it a must-have? Find out in Jeff Gerstmann’s great video review for the game. Article continues »
1 comment »Metroid Prime review. Samus returns to gaming in glorious 3D from an all-new perspective
Metroid Prime was Nintendo’s first modern shot at the Metroid series. Nintendo had tried but failed to bring the series into the “modern” era back on the Nintendo 64, as a follow-up to it’s beloved creation of 2D gaming perfect, 1994’s Super Metroid.
However Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario and Zelda and the guy who would take over as exectuve producer after the death of Metroid creator Gunpei Yokoi, has stated in interviews that he could not figure out a proper way to bring Samus into the third-dimension.
The adventures of bounty hunter Samus Aran have a completely different feel than that of Mario and Zelda, and that is likely where Miyamoto fell short. Thus, Metroid would not return to the videogame scene at all during the 32/64-bit era, with the exception of a cameo appearance with Samus as a playable character in the four-player brawler Super Smash Bros., which was a huge hit.
During these dark times for Metroid fans, Nintendo eventually bought out the Texas-based developer Retro Studios, at a time when they made a string of developer acqusitions in order to supercharge development on their then-new 128-bit console, the GameCube. Which would succeed the Nintendo 64 with a graphical prowess that matched that of Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Microsoft’s Xbox.
But instead of making a 3rd-person Super Mario 64 platform-style action adventure, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto did the unthinkable and chose to make Metroid Prime a first-person-perspective, “see through her eyes” game. This news created shockwaves throughout the industry and led fans to cry out in agony that a bunch of wayward, cowboy, horse-riding American Yankees were going to destroy their beloved Metroid by turning it into a first-person shooter! And the first actual showing of the new Metroid game at E3 2001 did not relieve those fears.
However, on November 17, 2002, Nintendo finally released Metroid Prime to the American masses after many delays. And as you probably already know, fan’s perceptions and fears of the game were as wrong and unfounded as could be. Samus, had returned.
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Metroid Prime Trilogy review. Samus re-lands on Wii in a three-game set of her previous Prime missions
Nintendo’s most famous Bounty Hunter, Samus Aran, has landed on Wii once again. This time in a three-game collection which pairs her most recent mission (Metroid Prime 3) with her two previous missions (Metroid Prime 1 and Metroid Prime 2, originally released for GameCube).
Metroid Prime Trilogy was released in the U.S. on August 24, 2009, in Europe on September 4, 2009, and will be released in Australia on October 15, 2009.
Technically Metroid Prime Trilogy is the latest in Nintendo’s string of GameCube re-releases with updated Wii and Nunchuck compatible controls, which Nintendo calls its “New Play Control” line (simply labeled “Play on Wii” in Japan). In America the New Play Control releases included: Pikmin, Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat and Mario Power Tennis.
Japan got a few more games including Metroid Prime 1, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Chibi Robo and Pikmin 2. So when it came time to bring Metroid Prime 1 and 2 to the West, Nintendo decided (smartly) to put both games AND the third game on a single disc, and sell it in the West as “Metroid Prime Collection” instead of releasing them individually.
What’s more, Nintendo even sweetened the deal by making the North American version a “Collector’s Edition”, which comes in a metal tin with a plastic slip-cover as well as a little fold out art booklet which features a history of the franchise, pieces of art and other information on the game’s lore.
So is this a collection worth buying? Or is it a Wii rehash?
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Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones Review (PS2)
For additional context — and if you’re enthusiastic! — it’s advisable that you check out the reviews of the two previous games in the series: Sands of Time and Warrior Within. Furthermore, here a summary of the ideas and relationship between games of the Prince of Persia trilogy can be found, with more Prince of Persia series-related posts to follow.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time will be remembered for two things: its revitalization of the platforming genre (without need of the “kiddy” attire) and almost ungame-like narrative. Its sequel Warrior Within will be remembered as an abandonment of these ideals; a return to shallow video game tropes paraded about in all their triteness. The Two Thrones attempts to meet these two games in the middle; a pastiche of both flavours, borrowing graciously and carving a new identity for itself from within the hybridity.
System: PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Microsoft Windows PC, Wii and PSP (titled Prince of Persia: Rival Swords on Wii and PSP)
Genre: Adventure, Platforming
Release date: December 1st, 2005 (April 3rd, 2007 Wii & PSP)
Players: 1
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Origin: Canada
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Wii Sports Resort review. The game that made Wii famous gets an upgrade
Wii Sports Resort is the sequel to the original Wii Sports, a game that was not only a launch title for the Wii system but also a pack-in game (this means that every Wii system sold comes with Wii Sports, therefore every Wii owner has the game).
This propelled the game into superstardom, as Wii Sports is the best-selling game of all time (selling 45.71 copies worldwide as of March 2009); Thanks to the insane sales of the Wii system itself and the game’s pack-in status (in all territories except Japan, where it’s a standalone product).
Not only did the original game serve to give new costumers something to play with from the get-go, it also served as the best tech demo of the Wii’s motion-sensing technology that is built into the Wii Remote and Nunchuck controllers. Something that in 2006 had never been seen before in a home console.
The game was a rather simple collection of five simulated sports, including: Tennis, Bowling, Golf, Baseball and Boxing. And in each game players would mimic the actual actions that you would use in real-life to perform the sport on-screen. Such as swinging the Wii Remote in Tennis, Golf and Baseball, making a “throwing” motion in Bowling and literally punching using both Wii Remote & Nunchuck controllers in Boxing.
Wii Sports became a worldwide phenomenon, and in a lot of ways has become a part of popular culture (making appearances in movies, TV shows, the news, talks shows, youtube videos, etc.). It was also highly praised by both critics and consumers alike.
With Wii Sports Resort, Nintendo aims to take that to the next level by packing in the Wii MotionPlus Accessory to make the Wii Remote simulate real 1:1 ratio motion and control (meaning the game literally moves as you do). Nintendo also adding all-new activities that would go beyond the sports seen in the original game.
Does Wii Sports Resort match what made the original so great? Or has the charm been lost in 2009?
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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra videogame review
GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra game is an all-new run-and-gun shooter based on the movie of the same name, which hit theaters on August 7th.
The videogame is developed by Double Helix and Backbone Entertainment (DS version)and published by EA for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, DS, PSP, PC and Mobile. It was released on August 4th ahead of the feature film. My review only covers the console version, the Xbox 360 version in particular. But I imagine that the other versions (outside of the handhelds) are the same.
In G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra the videogame, players take control of famous “Real American Heroes” squad of military soldiers as they take on wave after wave of oncoming enemies in search for their comrades and the answer to why their previous arms dealer is now apparently working for the evil Cobra forces.
G.I. Joe is a classic brand and this is the first game to be based on the brad in quite a long while. Does the game live up to it’s name or does it dissemble upon playing like a busted action figure?
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Madden 10 review video (Xbox 360, PS3)
Madden NFL 10 promises, with the all-new Pro-Tak animation technology, to give players more control over the outcome of each play. Whether driving a receiver towards the first down, or battling for a fumble at the bottom of a pile, the play won’t end until the whistle blows. Add to that the most immersive broadcast presentation and online innovation in the series to date, and Madden NFL 10 captures the authenticity and emotion of the NFL like never before. Check out our Madden 10 cheats and tips page for more info on the features.
For the first time in the Madden NFL series, the cover features two players: Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals. Both players participated in Super Bowl XLIII.
The running and tackling are better than ever, but does the rest of the game hold up? Find out in this Madden NFL 10 review video.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: The Manhattan Project review (NES). Is it as good as the others?
TMNT III: The Manhattan Project is the sequel to Turtles 2: The Arcade Game, which was one of the most well received Turtles games and is the most fondly remembered.
Because Turtles 3 is sandwiched between two of the best Turtles games in the series (Turtles 2 and Turtles 4: Turtles in Time), that means that it is also the most overlooked. In fact, the reason I choose to review the game is due to the fact that you always hear people talk about Turtles 2, but they never seem to remember or mention Turtles 3. Which is a game that I have fond memories of from my childhood.
Unlike the game before it, Turtles 3 is NOT a port of an arcade title, but rather it was built and released specifically for the NES after the second game proved to be one of the biggest sellers for the system.
Like the previous game, Turtles 3 is a side-scrolling beat-’em up, where you play as one of the four Turtles (Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo or Donatello). As you’d expect, you then take on wave after wave of Foot Clan soldiers, each of which has a unique method of attack and a unique weapon. The game can either be played with one person or with two people.
So is Turtles 3 as good as the other Turtles games? Or is it forgotten for a reason?
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Turtles in Time: Re-Shelled review. The Turtles hit Xbox Live once again in a remake of the arcade classic
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled is the name of the newest TMNT release. This time it is a remake of the arcade/SNES classic, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time.
Although the Ubisoft developed and published title is debuting on Xbox Live Arcade, it will also be released for PlayStation Network and WiiWare later on.
It is important to note that Re-Shelled is based on the arcade version of Turtles In Time, NOT the Super NES version which is the more remembered game. This means that the game is shorter in length with fewer levels and fewer bosses. It also features some different bosses and other changes from the Super NES version.
So how does this new Turtles game stack up in today’s Xbox Live line-up?
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The King of Fighters XII review video
Our King of Fighters XII review takes a look at the newest game in SNK’s long-running 2D “KoF” fighting game series.
This latest installment has been completely redrawn graphically to upgrade it to the HD graphics players expect from the current generation. Each character in the game has been 100% hand-drawn. Although the game looks very nice, there are some issues with it as I and my brother address in our video review.
There are 22 King of Fighters XII characters in the game with most of the returning favorites from the classic series available in this newest installment. Although this is the lowest cast of any modern KoF title. The game features two “console exclusive” characters in Mature and Elisabeth Branctorche.
The online play has been heavily criticized because of the intense lag (scroll after the break for more info and a work-around), but hey at least it features online play, better some than none. The PS3 version has an exclusive online feature that allows you to form clans while the Xbox 360 features the exclusive TrueSkill leaderboard system.
So how does the game stack up for the casual player who is interested to check out this new installment in the series? And how about for those KoF veterans?
