Review: Blood Stone 007 (DS)

Posted on November 26, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS

Developer: n-Space

Publisher: Activision

# of Players: 1 (2 – 6 via Wi-Fi)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: B-

Where the PS3 and 360 versions of the game focus on blending cinema-worthy storytelling elements, solid, familiar gameplay and high quality HD visuals into a solid Bond experience, the portable version of Blood Stone 007 proves you don't need stellar graphics to make a solid third-person shooter. The DS action shooter might look like a mid-range PSOne game and not have the best animation out there, but it's a surprisingly cool shooter that manages to capture the feel of the other games almost to a T. You're getting the same plot and most of the same locations with a few nicely done touches added for good measure. While it may not win any DS Game of the Year awards, it's definitely well-done enough to be a worthy addition to any Bond fan's game collection.

Review: Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom

Posted on November 23, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PS3)

Developer: Game Republic

Publisher: Namco Bandai

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: B+

Proof that decent single player game experiences aren't quite dead just yet, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is a nice surprise in this insanely busy holiday games avalanche. In this console cycle of endless AAA shooters, non-stop action games packed with multiplayer modes or games where some sort of mandatory online presence have become mainstays, Game Republic's lengthy and quietly beautiful little fantasy wants you to put down the caffeine, turn off the testosterone, pull up a comfortable chair and set a spell with the well-worn tale it wants to tell. Like Namco Bandai's other excellent single-player focused sleeper, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (and Game Republic's PS3 launch window title, Folklore), there's a lot of love that went into putting this one together and you can see it as you play. While the overall experience isn't flawless, the game is a guaranteed near-total joy for those who fully surrender to its charms.

Review: GoldenEye 007 (Wii)

Posted on November 16, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Eurocom

Publisher: Activision

# of Players: 1 (2 – 8 online)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A-

In my opinion, Eurocom’s stellar reboot of the classic N64 game GoldenEye not only surpasses the original in terms of overall presentation, it’s one of the best Wii shooters to date. As I’m NOT one of those folks nostalgically joined at the hip to Rare’s original (and brilliant) game, I can tell it to you straight as a gamer who understands the difference between a a mere rip-off and a true relaunch. As the back of the box says: “GoldenEye is Back – Grab Your Friends” – that’s all some of you need to know. This revival of the classic FPS brings both the story as well as James Bond into the current era and it’s important to look at the game in this manner, NOT as an attempt to remake the original exactly as it was back in 1996. You’re getting not only one of the best-looking games on the Wii, but one with an extremely customizable control layout, fantastic online play and a solid, lengthy campaign that can be played a few different ways depending on the difficulty level selected. Continue reading →

Review: Sonic Colors (DS)

Posted on November 16, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS

Developer: Dimps/Sonic Team

Publisher: Sega

# of Players: 1-2

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: A-

The stellar Sonic revival continues with Sonic Colors on the DS which, like it’s big brother on the Wii just so happens to be one of the best games on the platform this year. While it takes a few of its its visual and gameplay cues from the great Sonic Rush series, the blend of classic fast-paced 2D side-scrolling (with some nifty 3D boss battles and other sections) and super-colorful visuals makes for an exciting chunk of portable goodness. Like any platformer worth its salt, there area few really pesky spots where a careless jump or accidental nudge on that D-pad will send you falling to a Sonic doom. On the other hand, the game is so much fun that you’ll go back again and again until you nail every level and find every secret. Continue reading →

Review: Sonic Colors (Wii)

Posted on November 16, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Sonic Team

Publisher: Sega

# of Players: 1-2

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: A

Despite its higher powered (and priced) HD competition, The Wii has had some of the more interesting (and fun) 3D Sonic the Hedgehog games over the past few years. Sonic Colors blows away all of these other games combined and in my opinion, even gives Mario a run for his money in terms of accessibility, challenge and replay value. From the amazing, super colorful visuals and excellent sense of speed to the ridiculous amount of well-hidden secrets, this one’s a Sonic fan’s dream come true as well as one of the best Wii games of 2010. There’s a ton of game here thanks to a lengthy single player mode as well as some very tricky co-op action that requires pinpoint accuracy and timing for success. Continue reading →

Review: Blood Stone 007

Posted on November 13, 2010 by geelw

Platform: PS3 (also on Xbox 360, PC)

Developer: Bizarre Creations

Publisher: Activision

# of Players 1 (online 2 – 16)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: B

With former movie powerhouse studio MGM now pushing up daisies (they'll be sorely missed), the future of the James Bond series on film seems bleak at best. On the other hand, what could be the final product to bear that familiar Leo the Lion logo is a pretty solid licensed game that looks and feels like one of the recent Bond films in the series. Blood Stone 007 isn't supposed to be some sort of amazingly groundbreaking game that will send you over the moon from the moment you touch the controller (and shame on you if you look at EVERY game you play in this manner). Nevertheless, what the game does right it nails near perfectly. It's exactly what an interactive movie experience should be in terms of making you feel as if you're watching a film while letting you control the action as the story elements push you forward.

Review: Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare

Posted on November 7, 2010 by geelw

Platform: PS3 (also on Xbox 360, PC)

Developer: Rockstar San Diego

Publisher: Rockstar Games

# of Players: 1 (online 2 – 4)

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A+

“Before we resume with a bang and boom…”, let's just say that Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare is absolutely going to be the best ten bucks (or 800 Microsoft Points) you'll spend on any DLC this year. The zombie-packed expansion makes a great game even greater, packing in a decent amount of single-player content and some fun multiplayer action while transforming the familiar Old West setting into an undead filled wasteland that needs a bit of purification. If you've somehow managed to miss Red Dead Redemption, it's definitely a must-buy and this expansion makes it even more so.

Review: Rock Band 3

Posted on November 4, 2010 by geelw

Platform: PS3 (also on Xbox 360, Wii)

Developer: Harmonix

Publisher: Electronic Arts/MTV Games

# of Players: 1-7 (Online/Offline)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A

Like a bottle of cosmic aspirin, Rock Band 3 is the wonder game that does it all. It's an instant party starter, getting fans of nearly any type of popular music up and grabbing whatever peripheral is available for their chance at virtual stardom. It's a virtual (and growing) encyclopedia of rock featuring 80+ bands and a whopping 1600+ tracks that can be downloaded (with more to come, no doubt). It's got a stellar edit function that allows you to tailor the songs, gameplay and overall experience to your liking through a bunch of game types from casual to pro. Speaking of, (and yes, it's about time), it's got Pro Mode, which beefs up the challenge immensely while allowing actual musicianship to be a bigger part of the game.

Review: Rock Band 3 (DS)

Posted on October 29, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Backbone Games/Harmonix

Publisher: EA/MTV Games

# of Players: 1 (2-4 via Wi-Fi)

Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: B+

You'd have to be crazy to even think of making a direct comparison of any portable game to a console version these days, but that's probably what's going to happen with the console and portable versions of Rock Band 3. I'm not (that) crazy, so I'll tell it to you straight – the DS version is a solid, challenging and fun music game with some excellent songs, plenty of unlockable gear and a peripheral-free control system that's pretty much perfect once you get the hang of it. The game could have used a few more songs, but such are the limitations of the DS hardware. What's here, however sounds great and combined with the overall polish, the game makes for a great on the go RB3 experience.

Review: Superstars V8 Racing

Posted on October 29, 2010 by geelw

Platform: PS3 (via PSN)

Developer: Milestone

Publisher: O-Games

# of Players: 1 (online 1 – 8)

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: B

At a mere twenty bucks, the PSN download-only Superstars V8 Racing offers up a fast and fun chunk of quality racing at an excellent price. While comparing it directly to Sony's upcoming Gran Turismo 5 point by point is a bit of a stretch, the game is certainly worth picking up for its selection of V8-powered European cars, fun to drive real-world tracks and the handling model which balances simulation and arcade elements without going overboard on either. Like other Milestone-developed racers, there are a few menu and GUI quirks that make jumping into races take a bit longer than it should. Nevertheless, you're certainly going to be getting more than enough serious mileage out of the game that you'll be back for more for as long as it's on your hard drive.