Review: Torchlight

Posted on December 24, 2009 by geelw

Platform: PC

Developer: Runic Games

Publisher: Perfect World Entertainment/Encore

# of Players: 1

Rating:

The joke’s on me, folks. When I first heard about Torchlight late last year, I somehow managed to get it confused with Twilight AND Torchwood and it immediately got ignored. Sorry, but I’m not a 13-year old girl with a vampire death wish on one hand and while I do like Torchwood a lot, a licensed game based on the series made me shudder a bit for all the wrong reasons. Anyway (and, yes. a BIG duh to the me), I happened to pop open a recent press release about the game a few months back and was pleasantly shocked and surprised that not only wasn’t this a licensed game, it was in my favorite genre AND it was looking quite like a spectacular sleeper, to boot.

So, how did it all turn out? Read on and see…

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Review: Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked

Posted on November 23, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Red Fly Studio

Publisher: Namco Bandai

# of Players: 1 – 2

Rating: E

Official Site

Score: B

As someone who learned to cook as well as appreciate video games pretty early on in life, I’m always keen on checking out any title that mixes these two passions of mine. Some of the games I’ve played have been fun, some not so fun, but they’re all really interesting in one way or another in how they approach the experience of putting together (and sometimes serving up) a tasty meal. The Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked is very well done and in some respects, feels like one of the shows you’d catch on the popular cable channel. While entertaining and educational, the scoring system can sometimes be a bit too picky about some of your efforts. Nevertheless, as the first ever console game with the FN seal of approval, it hits almost all the right notes fans will appreciate.

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Review: Need For Speed NITRO (DS)

Posted on November 20, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Firebrand Games

Publisher: Electronic Arts

# of Players: 1 (2 – 4 Single Card/Wi-Fi)

Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: A

If you’re a fan of racing games on the DS, you can absolutely rely on Firebrand Games to cook up something really cool and incredibly fun to play that also allows you to tap into your creative side. Need For Speed NITRO is another superb racer from the team that nicely translates much of what made the Wii version so cool while adding a few DS-exclusive elements such as Single and Multi-card play for up to four players. While the game doesn’t have exactly the same deep paint scheme editor found in its console brother, there is a mostly great color and decal creator that will keep the arty gamer quite occupied as he or she blazes through the game’s wild courses.

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Review: Need for Speed NITRO

Posted on November 9, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: EA Montreal

Publisher: Electronic Arts

# of Players 1-4

Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 +)

Official Site

Score: B+

While the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Need for Speed: Shift are tightly focused on bringing more realistic racing elements to the long-running franchise, Need for Speed NITRO has been custom built for the Wii as a pure arcade style experience that’s a complete blast to play for the whole family. EA Montreal has done an excellent job here, bringing back the spirit of some of EA’s fun arcade racers from the past such as Rumble Racing and Beetle Adventure Racing while adding bits of Burnout, San Francisco RUSH and some familiar NFS police chase action to the mix. There’s also a fantastically deep and fun customization feature that lets players personalize and drive their rides using the Wii Remote, GameCube controller, WiiWheel or Classic Controller. Between the blazing fast 60 fps racing and the ability for players of any skill level to hop into the game and get racing, there’s more than enough action here to keep you stuck to the sofa for hours at a time.

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Review: Fairytale Fights

Posted on October 27, 2009 by geelw

Platform: PS3/Xbox 360

Developer: Playlogic Game Studios

Publisher: Playlogic

# of Players: 1 – 4

Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: B–

After a long development cycle it’s finally here, it’s pretty darn bloody and it’s a hack ‘n slash fan’s dream game. That is, provided your dreams are candy-colored and packed with mutated puppets dishing out damage on an epic, nasty scale. Fairytale Fights packs in its entire running time with tons of humor plus more gallons of blood and severed limbs than you’d find in certain zombie-killing franchises. Although the game probably isn’t going to impress those jaded players looking for total perfection and “innovation” seeping out of every corner, it’s got more than enough style to keep those who love the sub-genre playing ’til the cows come home. As a single-player arcade-style experience, it’s supremely hysterical, but can feel a bit lonely after a few hours. However, with up to three friends, the game is a complete blast to play – provided everyone’s platforming skills are up to the game’s deathtraps and occasionally brutal boss battles.

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Review: Nostalgia (Nintendo DS)

Posted on October 27, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Matrix Software

Publisher: Ignition

# of Players: 1

Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: A

An excellent game for entry level players or seasoned JRPG veterans who can recall the “good old days” with a wistful smile, Nostalgia is one of the best games in the genre this year. The Matrix Software developed Tecmo/RED co-produced project, some ten years in the making, just feels right from the moment you start playing and it only gets better as the hours zoom by. What makes the game so outstanding are the combination of well-worn genre elements spiced up by a rewarding skills-based battle system and a huge game world absolutely packed with stuff to do and secrets to uncover. The game rarely misses a note throughout and despite a few minor flaws can easily stand up to some of today’s console JRPGs in terms of bang for the buck.

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Review: The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road

Posted on October 24, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Media Vision

Publisher: Xseed Games

# of Players: 1

Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: A

Thanks to the very wise folks at Xseed, Media Vision’s RIZ-ZOAWD has finally come to the US retitled The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road and it’s one truly gorgeous JRPG both genre and Oz fans will love. The game balances classic turn-based combat with a great, innovative stylus centered control scheme that’s sure to be copied in the future by other developers. Nearly everything about the game is grand and feels just right. What’s here is basic enough for entry level players, yet the level of challenge in some spots can make the game tricky enough for RPG veterans to appreciate. This revision of the classic Oz tale doesn’t overstay its welcome either, as the adventure clocks in at a decent enough length and has a nicely done ending that resonates long after you’ve watched the end credits.

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Diner Dash: Flo On The Go & Wedding Dash Hands-On

Posted on October 16, 2009 by geelw

If you’re a fan of “casual” PC games these days, there’s pretty much little to know doubt you’ve downloaded and played one of PlayFirst’s hugely popular titles. Thanks to a loyal (and expanding) user base that’s downloaded its games hundreds of millions of times, the PlayFirst web site is one of those games havens that’s doing quite well in this otherwise bumpy economy. With a huge library of all-ages games that range from fast-paced arcade action, “hidden object”, strategy, puzzle, role playing and adventure games, there’s pretty much something for everyone. Family-friendly games publisher Zoo Games, which has released titles for the Wii, Nintendo DS/DSi, PlayStation 2, PSP, iPhone, and PC has licensed two of PlayFirst’s key titles for the Nintendo DS just in time for the holiday season – here’s a rundown on what to expect.

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Review: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

Posted on October 13, 2009 by geelw

Platform: PSP/PSP go

Developer: Atlus

Publisher: Atlus

# of Players: 1

Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A

Revised back into its original version with the bonus Snow Queen quest and reworked to include new over world maps, anime cut scenes and music, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is one of the deepest, most cerebral RPGs currently available on the PSP. Atlus went all out with this updated version of the 1996 classic that introduced US audiences to the SMT series, making it accessible to players who came late to the party with Persona 3 and 4 while retaining its distinct visual style and gameplay. New players to the series should absolutely grab this version for its memorable characters and the offbeat mix of dramatic and humorous elements while those gamers who have played the original should also snap up the game, as familiarity absolutely won’t breed discontent.

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Review: Dead Space Extraction

Posted on October 6, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Eurocom

Publisher: EA

# of Players: 1 – 2

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A

In case you’re staring at that cover art and wondering (raised eyebrow and all), Dead Space Extraction works brilliantly on the Wii as both a solid horror game as well as a technical showpiece for Visceral Games and Eurocom. This “guided FPS experience” as it’s been dubbed manages to be scary as hell, spectacular to look and absolutely nails it in terms of the aural assault. In terms of story, the game dishes up an excellent prequel to the events in the PS3/360/PC horror hit Dead Space packed with some great emotional moments that make the original game’s plot all the more poignant. Of course, if you don’t have a PS3 or 360 and your PC can’t run Dead Space, all of this may mean nothing. However, what’s here is certainly solid enough that I could see a few formerly Wii-only gamers eyeballing a new console just to catch up on the first game’s descent into sci-fi themed fear.

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