Rayming Raving Rabbids Wii

So being a big Rayman fan, when I first heard that a new Rayman game was coming out, I was very excited. Then, when I heard it was going to be a collection of mini-games I was feeling a bit let down. OK, I'll be honest ... I was feeling a
lot let down. But here's the great thing ... the game is a BLAST. These rabbids will just crack you up and the games are well crafted. They range in difficulty but there is nothing wrong with that, and nothing is so frustrating that makes you want to stop playing or anything. I think they reused a lot of the mini games over and over again but for the most part they made it fresh and innovative. Good job Ubisoft, Rayman Raving Rabbids (Wii Version) gets an 8.5 out of 10 from me!

Tak 2: Staff of Dreams

When I finished Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer, I moved quickly into Tak 2: Staff of Dreams on the Playstation 2. It was an interesting choice, but I really didn't do it on purpose. You see, I had planned on playing the second Tak game since finishing the first over a year ago. Yeah, I know, I'm way behind. It's true -- this often happens to me. I rarely play a game when it first comes out unless it's a huge blockbuster (in my mind anyways) and now that I review games professionally, it makes it a bit harder because the limited time I do have to play games now competes with the games I have to play to review. Anyways, I'm glad I got the chance to finally give Tak a go. I noticed an awful lot of similarities between Tak and Brave. Tak definitely has more polish, but the difficulty level in certain spots ramps up to the insane. Overall, the game is what you would expect from an action platformer. You run around, collect things, beat up things and solve puzzles to continue. It does the job well with lush environments and good sound. There is also a lot more variety in this version of Tak with vehicles and the types of puzzles that you are challenged with. The game is certainly long enough and the ability to become different animals (with their own distinct abilities) offers an interesting (if not sometimes frustrating) twist on the genre. There were essentially two parts of the game that I had to repeat about 6,324 times (approximately) and wanted to throw the controller. Going online, I found other people with similar frustrations. To my big surprise, the ONLY person that has written an online FAQ/walkthrough for the game stopped right about the place where I was stuck. That's right, even the people telling you how to finish the game GAVE UP or died from swallowing the controller (I'm not sure which). I even emailed the guy with no response, so I'm thinking he died a 'controlled' death. Yeah. Anyways, I finally got past the bad part and finished the game. There is a surprise at the end (no I'm not going to ruin it for you) ... you will just have to find out for yourself. If you haven't given this one a try, I'd recommend it... it's fun, but the frustrating moments make you shake your head in and whisper "WTF" to anyone that will listen. An 7.5 out of 10.

God of War II

I apologize for not getting these comments up sooner - just too much else going on! I finished God of War II awhile ago now, and yet it's still in my head. How many games can you say that about? If you've played the first one, then you are going to feel right at home here. The game definitely feels more like a straight evolution of the first one, and truly, that's what we were all looking for I think. I didn't want to have to relearn a bunch of things and feel like the developer was just trying to do something new for the sake of doing something new. That doesn't mean there aren't new things - flying on Pegasus for example is new, if not a little short. The threesome mini-game is back (though not much different) and there are more boss encounters although only the first one is what I would truly call epic. This game definitely starts out on a high note but in some ways, never quite gets back to that level of awesomeness. There are a couple of frustrating moments, but overall this game delivers what we were all expecting: one hell of a lot of fun. A 9.5 out of 10!

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters

Size Matters? I thought it didn't. Apparently I (and many other delusional males out there) were WRONG. Size does matter because the latest great Ratchet & Clank game is pocket sized on the PSP. Fortunately, I bought one of those "hook up your PSP to the TV" thingy-ma-jigs (the official term) and I was able to project this game onto my 42" Plasma TV. Size matters, indeed.

Anyways, this game was pretty decent - it sure FELT like a Ratchet and Clank game that you are used to on the PS2. And until the PS3 title comes out later this year (how excited am I for that!?), this stop-gap will keep you going.

8.5 out of 10. For a more detailed review, check out what I wrote at Armchair Empire.

I'm not sure what it is about Eragon that has drawn me to the movie and to the game ... maybe it's the idea behind it. The movie was 'ok' - nothing great. I was perhaps a little let down and I knew something was wrong when I started looking for more and more Star Wars references during the film. However, I still was looking forward to playing the game.

The game is pretty much like the movie: it's nothing great but you're not going to look at it and say it's a real stinker. It's just average, like the movie. If you LIKED the movie you will probably really enjoy the game.

The 'finishing' moves had a camera that reminded me of God of War, but I'll be honest: this is no where near as fun. The levels are relatively easy and if you're just looking for a game that you can experience and get through, it's not bad. The levels that you fly around on the dragon are not that great though, I spent more time with them in some ways but that was just out of frustration.

Overall, I'd give this one a 6.5 out of 10.

Lego Star Wars II

When I first heard about Lego Star Wars, I thought it was going to be cheesy. Well, guess what? I was right. It's cheesy. Not just a medium brick kind of cheesy, but a full jar of cheezwhiz kinda cheesy. What I wasn't expecting was for it to be a good game.

Now along comes Lego Star Wars II and I'm happy to report everything that worked in the first one is here, and most of what was broken has been fixed. The ship flying modes are better than the original (and less frustrating) and the challenge is a bit higher, although overall I think the game is too easy. At the same time, sometimes it's nice to just experience a game and not get frustrated trying to get past a certain point. This game fills the bill just perfectly.

Is it game of the year? No ... but it sure is a lot of fun, especially seeing Stormtroopers in a Hot Tub!

Be careful what you wish for!

Well I feel like I finally hit the big time. Last Friday, I got home and received a free game in the mail. What's the catch? Well, I have to review it of course. At first, I was so excited....1) because I had a new game and 2) because it was free. Then, moments later, reality set in. I HAVE TO PLAY THIS GAME. Not that I wouldn't... but knowing me, it would be 2010 before I ever popped it into the machine. So now not only do I have to play this game LIKE NOW but I have to write about it too. Don't get me wrong: I am NOT complaining (honest). It's just a different feeling when you know you have to do something. Just a different sensation that's all. Look for a new review soon!

Dragon's Lair - Back into the Lair

I recently had the privilege of interviewing David Foster from Digital Leisure about the Dragon's Lair series. Dragon's Lair, the hit arcade game from 1983 has lived on over 20 years of popularity and will probably continue to do so for another 20. I was thinking about what makes Dragon's Lair so popular and I think I've come back to "the experience". I don't think anyone would disagree with me in saying that Dragon's Lair is not about the gameplay ... after all, 4 directions and a sword button all timed events? That's not much of a formula for in-depth gameplay.

What's it's all about is the experience. The experience of Dragons' Lair is immersive and somewhat magical. That's why I keep playing it and enjoying it. I think more games should consider that.

The article is on Armchair Empire and you can find it here: http://www.armchairempire.com/Interviews/dragons-lair.htm

God of War II - Release Date Confirmed

So now it's official ... on March 13, 2007 Sony will release God of War II. I have to admit: I'm both excited and cautious about this coming out. The first game was amazing, but I find myself fearing Star Wars Syndrome (ok I just made that up). Will the new one create the amazement and wonderment the first one did? Unlikely, but I'm sure I'll be happy with just "more of the same". The experience was so immersive the first time around, especially the sound which is often overlooked. I'm also a little worried since this is most likely the last PS2 title ever created with a big budget and AAA specs all the way around, something I'm a little sad over. The PS3 and 360 have yet to deliver any great platforming / adventure games (save Tomb Raider Legend on the 360, but that was more of an up-port than a true next-gen game). Is this going to be like playing Zelda, where I kept playing longer than I needed to just because I didn't want the experience to end? I hope so and I hope not. Here's to you Kratos: it's going to be bittersweet.

Crackdown Includes Halo 3 Beta - It's Official

Well it's official ... after months of speculation about how to get into the Halo 3 beta program, and then the black hole signup on their website (I call it that because you signed up, and then jumped into a black hole--waiting to here anything). Now, you can get yourself into the Halo 3 beta program by purchasing a copy of Crackdown ... only the first print run will include keys to do so ... others will be SOL and have to wait for the masses to play this monster upcoming game.

The good thing is that Crackdown looks like it's going to be a good game, and it should be -- it's coming from the mastermind, David Jones, behind the original Grand Theft Auto and -- surprisngly perhaps -- the cute Lemmings title that won numerous awards in the 90's. I've seen some initial footage of this game and it looks pretty interesting ... it's more of a 3-D free form playing game than ever so we'll see how this all pans out when it releases on February 20.

December 2006 Video Games Sales Numbers

The NPD released the following game sales numbers:

HW Sales (month and LTD)
Nintendo DS 1.6 mm 9.2 mm
PS2 1.4 mm 37.1 mm
GBA 850.7 K 35.1 mm
Xbox 360 1.1 mm 4.5 mm
Wii 604.2 K 1.1 mm
PSP 953.2 K 6.7 mm
PS3 490.7 K 687.3 K

Top 10 Video Games
360 GEARS OF WAR - MICROSOFT 815.7 K
PS2 GUITAR HERO 2 W/GUITAR - ACTIVISION 805.2 K
PS2 MADDEN NFL 07 - ELECTRONIC ARTS 737.1 K
GCN LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS - NINTENDO 532.9 K
WII LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS - NINTENDO 519.2 K
PS2 WWE SMACKDOWN VS. RAW 2007 - THQ 484.5 K
NDS NEW SUPER MARIO BROS - NINTENDO 427.5 K
360 CALL OF DUTY 3 - ACTIVISION 410.8 K
NDS YOSHI'S ISLAND 2 - NINTENDO 407.2 K
PS2 CALL OF DUTY 3 - ACTIVISION 365.3 K

So the XBOX 360 is dominating the next gen for the end of the year ... no big surprise, considering the Wii was unavailable for most of the month. The PS2 is still kicking butt though with its lower price point ... so all 12 of you that don't have one can get one for sure.

I am a little surprised at some of the software numbers.... not that Gears of War was #1, that is a no-brainer...but that Guitar Hero with the controller is number 2 ... that is a LOT of units for something with hardware, so good for them -- it's a great product, but that doesn't always translate into great sales.

I was also surprised to see there are over 6 million PSP's ... the media tends to kick the PSP a bit, compared with the DS (maybe because the DS is the underdog when it comes to power, the same with the Wii) but really, 6 million is respectable and they should be able to get some decent software sales out of it ....yet, there isn't a PSP on the list of best selling software. That is a bit worrisome and I think about myself -- I'm only buying PSP stuff when it's cheap but have no qualms about buying a 360, PS3 or Wii game for full price..... maybe if the PSP games weren't $50 or $60 new (in Canada anyways) that would be less of an issue.

The other big surprise I saw was that the Gamecube version of Zelda outsold the Wii one ... but that's probably only because of a lack of systems.

I've been taking a bit of a game break since finishing Twilight Princess but I should have some new reviews up here soon.

Zelda: Twilight Princess on the Wii

It's over. I hate to admit, I hate to think about it. 92 hours later and it's over. Why did it take 92 hours for me to complete The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess? Well, that's what happens when you get every heart piece (sans 3 that I just couldn't be bothered with) and open pretty much every treasure chest and spend a couple of hours just fishing.

There are few games out there that offer what Zelda does. Maybe it's the environment, the music, the awesome controls on the Wii ... or maybe it's all of those things. It's the familiarity of the universe combined with new things like snowboarding and boating and incredibly improved fishing (by far the coolest min-game I've ever played). Most of all, it's Zelda.

I don't want to ruin the story for anyone that is playing through it or will play through it ... but there are some great twists and turns especially near the end.

The bad: some people have critcized Zelda's presentation (ie: no voiceovers) for being outdated and due to the "cartridge" sized mentality...clearer that's no longer an issue although I'd be curious to know how much of the disc space they used without voice...I imagine it's quite a bit. Maybe the gameplay is a little bit rehashed from what we've already done, but that's not necessarily a bad thing--especially when they added in some new stuff. The worst part of the bad? Waiting. Please don't make us wait another 1336 between Zelda games.

The good: pretty much everything else. It's hard to find fault in this game ... it might start a little slow but once the ride begins you don't ever want it to end. Despite the minor notations, I can't give this game anything other than a 10 out of 10!

Here come the Christmas Titles

Christmas is always brutal for me when it comes to games. I have to go on a "buying freeze" at least for newer titles and that always sucks. I see now that the Gamecube version of Zelda: Twilight Princess is out. I'm currently playing TP for the Wii and let me tell you: it's awesome. My full review will come out later but right now I'm in the middle of it and it's just great... I am not sure how the Gamecube version will be in terms of the controls...here I thought the Wii version would be gimmicky but now I wonder how tough the Gamecube controls will be ... the Wii ones are just awesome.

I've also heard that the 'Cube version may be in short supply. This HAS to be a temporary situation. I know that any hardcore Zelda fan (myself included) will be suckered into buying both versions. Why? Because. We. Have. To. Just ask George Lucas--he knows what it's all about.

Genji: Dawn of the Samurai

Genji is beautiful, there's no doubt about it. Although it's not made of fully 3-D environments, the ones that it does provide are just amazing. There has never been in my experience a nicer looking Japanese architectural review. You truly feel like you are there and that's a great thing.

So what's the bad thing? Well, Genji's depth isn't really there in the gameplay department. Other reviewers have claimed it's too short ... well, I didn't find that but maybe it's because I had a hard time mastering the 'killer' move that makes defeating the toughest enemies easier. So I died. And died. Yep, there's me dying some more.

But I finally made it through and the ending was quite the battle and a little disappointing ... but it was a beautiful ride that's for sure. This is one of those games that makes you appreciate the culture in this world and the beauty that other cultures have to offer.

This game is not for everyone, but if you like some hack-n-slash with your hashbrowns, this one won't disappoint. A 7 out of 10.

PS3: My first impressions

It's big, it's black and it's beautiful? I seem to remember everyone making fun of the Xbox and described it this way when it first came out in the last generation. This time, things are reversed: the Playstation is the bigger, bulkier and most certainly heavier brand ... and, the most powerful. I find it somewhat amusing that Sony fanboys (and Sony themselves) laughed at Microsoft for releasing two sku's on the 360, and yet here's Sony doing the same thing. Just goes to show you: choose your battles. But what about the machine?

The PS3 is a great machine and does deliver on the bulk of the promises Sony made, although to a lesser degree but that is Sony for you. The graphics are great, the sound is great and the games are decent for launch titles (those that I've played anyways). Resistance: Fall of Man does not disappoint as a great launch title even though first person shooters are not really my thing. I gave it a chance because of Insominiac (developers of one of my favourite series, Ratchet & Clank).

So here's what is good: built in Wi-Fi (even though I probably won't use it) and this is only on the higher priced version, HDMI output for my LCD TV, Blu-Ray movies are a nice bonus: but I'm not rushing out to replace my DVD collection...oh wait, I couldn't if I wanted to (but I can get 'Click' with Adam Sandler .... HOLY! rolling my eyes), the graphics and sound, rechargable controller with motion sensitivity....jury is still out on the games but they will come.

Here's what's bad: the menu system: it looks and works like my PSP but unfortunately that is NOT a good thing. The monochromatic display may be functional, but annoying: the 360 wins out here hands down....their "Online system that will rival Xbox Live" -- sorry Sony, not even close. Not that we blame you: it's free and it's first generation for you. Just don't sit there and tell us it will be better than Microsoft's because it isn't. The online store is nothing more than a webpage and it feels just like when you move around the web browser on the PSP: ok in a pinch but you wouldn't want to live there. Not being able to do anything else while downloading something is a major bummer and Microsoft fixed it with an update to their service--why would you not have learned from that? Finally, no rumble in the controller. Yeah, it makes the controller yet: and yeah, that makes it feel kinda cheap actually. I will miss rumble in my games, although it's not a showstopper...it's disappointing that business issues and legal issues for Sony are resulting in the consumers losing out. Pony up the cash to Immersion and fight them about it later, for chrissake.

Bottom line: The PS3 is a great console... it's potential will wait to be seen (just like the 360 which is now starting to get some great titles, one year later). The bigger question is, with Sony losing many exclusives will they be much like Nintendo is and the only exclusives become ones from their own studios? That could be . There will still be great exclusives. That's why I'm lucky to have all the consoles: they are all great in their own ways and will have games on them I want to play. The 360 will have Halo 3 and the Wii has Zelda and the PS3 is going to have another Ratchet & Clank.

I'm going to give the console an 8.5 - TODAY. Maybe by this time next year it will hit a 9 or higher but it loses points for price, lackluster interface, no rumble, poor online mode and a less than stellar launch lineup. These are all things that can be worked on, let's hope they do it right!

Death Jr. for the PSP

Well I finally finished this puppy up after a long time, but I have to admit something: I had to enable a cheat to get past a few parts....it just got NUTS with the guns and ammo and everything else. It was challenging but then it went a little beyond challenging to plain annoying. Overall though, I found the game to be good. A lot of people complained about the camera and I didn't find the camera so much of an issue as I did trying to line up to do the jumps that were required....it just required that you be really precise, which I was.

Overall, given the format I think they did a very good job and I give Death Jr. a 7.5 out of 10... of course, I would finally finish it up just in time for a sequel!

The artwork featured here is from the limited edition, which I have ... sort of. I picked up this version (with the different artwork) and apparently it comes with a comic (which I don't have) and that's it ... otherwise, it's exactly the same. I picked up this one for completeness in my collection (I like to do variants, except the whole "value priced" stuff on all the platforms).

Playing with my Wii Wii

OK so I was one of these lucky people who has received their Wii early. Don't worry Nintendo, I didn't break any legal agreement with anyone and "purchase at retail" prior to Sunday. Let's just say I got it, and leave it at that.

I was actually surprised to come home Thursday evening to find it waiting for me! It was a great present.

The only downside? The games weren't there... just the included Wii sports. But that's ok, early adopters have to suffer sometimes. Hopefully the games arrive later today (it's now Friday at 5:59 am). Why is it so early? Because I decided to go see if I could pick up an extra PS3 from Wal*Mart or Future Shop. Didn't happen. I got up at 3am, and headed over before 4. At Wal*Mart, they told me they only got six and they gave out the coupons for them already and the line had disbanded. When I headed over to Futureshop, I saw tents...and a line....small line...looked promising. However, they also had handed out their coupons but these guys were waiting until 8am to actually pick their units up. I thought I was hardcore. Yeah, right. Anyways, the Wii: I played with it last night and am happy to report it was a blast. The 5 sports games that are included are all a lot of fun. There seems to perhaps be a little something going on with the remote where it jumps a bit but I'm not convinced I have it set up perfectly. The baseball was great--I think I actually pulled a shoulder muscle though! Boy games are getting more physical. I have only two complaints: 1) The video cable included is a composite video cable. Nintendo, I realize you need to accomodate the lowest common denominator, but I have news for you: COMPOSITE SUCKS AND IT SUCKS LARGE. At least make s-video and preferably component available AT LAUNCH not sometime later. You are going to piss off the people that have the TV's to go with it. The second complaint I have is that I have a problem with the Internet connection: it's just not working and I don't know if it's because it's prior to launch or what. I'm getting an error 32001 and it says to go to support.nintendo.com for more information. Well if you go there you get an Apache error ... nice. Again, I'll reserve complete judgement until Sunday but you'd think this stuff would be working early for retailers setting up demos and such. Anyways, enough bitchin. I tried out my Zelda Collector's Gamecube disc just to make sure it boots and works. It does. So for those that have it, I guess you can save those Wii points by NOT downloading the Legend of Zelda from the classic gaming service-- really, why bother it's got to be the same. I am not sure why I'm thinking of downloading ANY of the games since I have pretty much all of them as originals, but it might be nice to load up Dungeon Explorer on a high definition television. Well, I guess I should get some other work done or I'm going to end up playing that Baseball game again. I really think this system is going to be fun. And Sony: screw you. You made me get up at 3am for nothing. At least I had a nice breakfast at Tim Horton's with my brother. Did you know some of them start making those breakfast sandwiches at 4am? At least I learned something. Other than low blu-ray yields suck. Bad.

Xbox Emulators

I've been playing around lately with some classic emulators for the Xbox... ones that emulate laser disc players (Daphne), the original Nintendo, the Super Nintendo, and the Genesis. I don't have overly big expectations from the little box with the hefty weight in terms of processing power compared to today's modern PC's, so running things like a Nintendo 64 emulator to me just seems like you're asking for trouble (even though they exist).

What a pleasant surprise. I haven't spent an extensive amount of time with them yet, but the MAME emulator runs the classics with ease and the Genesis emulator does it spot on. Dragon's Lair looks awesome on the Xbox - just awesome.

It's getting to the point where I might almost consider not having the actual machines out to play on. In the museum, I am definitely going to put the emulators out there because I don't have the space for the classic machines ... so running Pac-Man on the 122-inch screen has got to be an experience every arcade kid should have.

The amount of dedication and work that has gone into this stuff is truly amazing - to all those who have worked on these emulators, a big THANK YOU. Your work is very much appreciated.

Will I put away the three N64's I have out? Not yet. But maybe. One day. Maybe.

The Sense of Achievement in Gaming

When the Xbox 360 launched it introduced a new element to games - achievements that are shared on the Live system. Having bragging rights about completing things in games has been standard for years, but now your achievements are posted publically so everyone can see them. Does this make it more desireable to achieve things? Damn right it does. The last thing anyone wants is to feel "lame" so maybe we play a little longer, explore a little further in a game to make sure we hit those achievements. It actually got me thinking about game completion too. In the old days, "completing" a game meant simply tiring of it, or reaching a point where the difficulty went beyond impossible (Space Invaders aliens starting out on the bottom row anyone?). Almost all games today are more like movies, with "stages" and levels with a definite beginning, middle and end.

Is that sense of achieving the end making us play games through to the end we might have otherwise tossed aside for the next iteration of Grand Theft Auto? In my case, I'd have to say yes. I have many games that I've started and "abandonded" and I find myself reluctant to try new games until I've finished those ones off. I feel guilty about those abandoned games and so I go back and finish them up. I'm playing NeoPets: The Darkest Faerie ... yeah another kid's game, but it's pretty decent... long though (just by the nature of what it is, in general it's not a long game).

So are games guilting us in to completion? Maybe. What do you think?

Indigo Prophecy

David Cage's Indigo Prophecy (known as Fahrenheit outside of North America) is an adventure game for the PC, PS2 and Xbox. I played the PS2 version, but the other ones are very similar.

The game is all about story, with the gameplay elements consisting of some arcade-type simon-says action sequences with the dual analog joysticks and some simple puzzles. The game also uses a fairly unique "mental health" meter than can go up and down based upon the things you discover and the dialog choices you make.

The creators call the game "elastic" in that you can slightly change some of the game paths, but only to a small degree--hence, elastic. You are still bound to follow the main story arc, but you hear different dialog and find some other clues depending on your choices.

There are also several different endings, which I discovered after reading an FAQ on the game...turns out I got the "best" one if you can call it that. The story does fall pretty flat at the end, and Cage admits it in his post mortem on Gamasutra.

I did enjoy this game for the most part. The climbing sections (especially climbing down) I found overly difficult and frustrating compared to everything else and there are a few stealth sections that were interesting, just sometimes the difficulty level was uneven. Overall, a good experience. I give it an 8/10.