Video Game Reflections

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon (Xbox 360)

2011-12-20T08:41:00.000-08:00

Get your missiles primed and get ready to fire, because this an honest, fair review of the newest Ace Combat offering from Namco: Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.
This newest Ace Combat stands out to me, simply because of the amount of variety the game offers. In past Combat games, you're only flying jet fighters around. However, in Assault Horizon, you can do much more. You can pilot an apache helicopter, use satellite imaging to shoot down enemies, shoot a high-powered machine gun mounted on a helicopter, or just fly dozens of different fighter planes to decimate your enemies. Past Ace Combat games have always featured terrific music, and this one is no slouch in that department. Beautiful orchestral sounds accompany rock guitars for an extremely diverse soundtrack. There is even a choir in the background at certain times, mostly when the game discusses, the main enemy, Markov. Also different in this game, there are no more fictional locations or planes. Everything is real to life in this game, and so are the plane names. The graphics have to be mentioned, and this game delivers in that department. I noticed that it took a long time to install this game onto my xbox 360 hard drive, and it turned out to be almost 8 gigabytes of space. When flying after enemies, debris falls all over the screen, blocking your view. There are so many little touches to this game visually, that is really brings a level of realism to the game. This is certainly the most realistic Ace Combat game yet. Cut scenes play out when you fire a missile for that final kill shot, and your enemy plane falls to pieces. Also, there are extremely interesting cut scenes involving the key characters in the game, most of which you can control, that really help to bring depth to the story. There are about 5 different multiplayer modes to play with, and it really helps to bring replay value to the game. The controls are also dead-on in this game. Namco went all out for this newest Ace Combat. Gameplay is what shines the brightest here. Piloting the planes is a breeze, and there's some new touches to the gameplay design. Now, when you get close to an enemy, a circle surround your target, and you can begin a dogfight mode with the plane, following the plane at close range, making the fighting much more exciting and easier to kill your enemy. Most reviewers of this said it makes the game too easy, but I disagree. It simply makes it more exhilarating and fun. You can also counter maneuver your enemy, when he is tailing you.
Namco has done a tremendous job at making the newest Ace Combat a much more realistic, exciting, and most of all fun game than past Ace Combat games, which is why I can't stop playing it. Check it out for yourself to see what I mean. Fox 2!!

Graphics: 9.8 out of 10
Sound and Music: 10 out of 10
Presentation: 7.1 out of 10
Game play: 9.8 out of 10

Overall: 9.5 out of 10

RoboCop 3

2011-12-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

Start, continue, sound on, music on.

To win at this game the player must go through the levels strategically. Timing is very important. The right jump at the right time. Dodging the attacks from a gun or a random fighter. Getting past the levels takes a certain level of memory and repetition. The biggest problem with RoboCop is that it just seems to difficult to complete.

Overall I think this game is better than the first RoboCop game for NES but RC3 (RoboCop 3) is still a tough game.

Graphics: 8 out of 10
Sound and Music: 7 out of 10
Presentation: 7 out of 10
Game play: 7.2 out of 10

Overall: 7.5 out of 10

Star Wars Rebel Assault 2

2011-11-29T19:35:00.003-08:00

A reflection (review) for Star Wars: Rebel Assault II for the PlayStation.

The game plays differently than most Star War games. It's like watching a movie but you must play certain scenes to continue the chapters. Almost arcade machine like levels. The story is new for the Star Wars Universe. Simple controls. It is mostly flying and shooting lasers. On "easy" this game can be really fun and quick to play through. It gets more challenging on "medium" and "hard". The music sound like the movies. The graphics are really good for that time. The game play is a bit too simple but it works for Star Wars.

Overall I like this game. It is just fun to play. Not really that deep when it comes to Star Wars though.

Graphics: 9.5 out of 10
Sound and Music: 9 out of 10
Presentation: 8 out of 10
Game play: 8 out of 10

Overall: 8.5 out of 10

RoboCop

2011-11-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

The Future of Law Enforcement.

Data East presents this video game based on a movie. Robocop moves like a robot. He does not jump in this game. Bad guys pop out of windows and run down the street. This game does not shine a clear path. Sometimes it is hard to know where to go, for example a flashing wall indicates that Robocop must punch through the wall. Simple tasks such as walking up and down stairs can be difficult just because the game makes it that way.

The music is repetitive but not super annoying. The presentation is nice. Overall this game requires a number of replays just to get past the first three levels.

Graphics: 6 out of 10
Sound and Music: 5 out of 10
Presentation: 6 out of 10
Game play: 6 out of 10

Overall: 6 out of 10

Bioshock (PS3)

2011-11-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

This is a review for Bioshock for the PS3.
I went into this game with high hopes, but instead was very let down. Many reviewers gave this game a perfect score, but I was very disappointed with the game. It is a First person shooter, and for the most part, especially for the beginning of the game, it all work well. Soon, you find that you can get things called plasmids, which your character can buy with money he finds, or just find it from dead people. You shoot this drug into your arm with a needle, which I found to be very indicative of what drug heads do. So, this game already promotes drug use. Anyway, the plasmids give you power to use lightning and fire, and other magical type powers. That, with the included ability to hack service bots to help fight for you, and that fact that you can use many guns in the game, help out in the action department. The real problem, is that the game is way too hard. Even at the easiest difficulty setting, which I was playing the game at, it's still too hard to even do anything, because you find that you keep dying, because there are so many hidden enemies. Also, they're all really strong, which makes it all very hard. I couldn't get very far in the game. It seems to be very interesting story-wise, but it's all actually very strange. The story is so weird it may turn you off to the game. I can't recommend this game to many people, unless you want to try something very different. Who knows, you may end up liking it.

Graphics: 9 out of 10
Sound and Music: 8 out of 10
Presentation: 10 out of 10
Gameplay: 6 out of 10

Overall: 6.8 out of 10

Geist

2011-11-12T14:56:00.000-08:00

Geist for the Nintendo GameCube. This is an original from Nintendo.

Story: Something goes wrong and the main character becomes a ghost spirit. What makes this game fun is the ability to posses people, animals and things. To get through a level I may have to posses a rat or even a grenade. Playing as these different objects and things is interesting. The only problem I have with this game is that it is confusing to know what to posses at certain points of the game. Where do I go now?

Overall this game is fun to play but it can get cloudy at some points.

Graphics: 8 out of 10
Sound and Music: 7 out of 10
Presentation: 7 out of 10
Game play: 8 out of 10

Overall: 7 out of 10

Resident Evil

2011-11-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

This is a review for the GameCube version. The original Resident Evil game is for PlayStation.

The S.T.A.R.S. police team is trapped in a haunted mansion. You must figure out what is going on and survive against the zombies! You can choose to either play as Chris or Jill. The game play is unique. The camera angles are set in the game. Third person view. Your character must collect items and use them to solve puzzles in the house. Zombies, birds, dogs and monsters pop out unexpectedly and that is when the gun fire and blood shows up. This game has excellent graphics. The sound production is also very scary. What was that noise? The presentation is creepy too. The story is a bit strange and the items in the house are just too weird. This game is trying to scare you on a psychological level. You might have some difficulty knowing where to go next. The clues in the house are like riddles. A door knob might break and that path is no longer available.

Overall this game is time consuming and scary. The riddles in the game make this a bit difficult to play. You might need a strategy guide. If you have the time and can figure out puzzles them you will go far.

Graphics: 10 out of 10
Sound and Music: 9 out of 10
Presentation: 7 out of 10
Game play: 8 out of 10

Overall: 8 out of 10

NCAA College Basketball 2K3

2011-11-11T13:30:00.000-08:00

Get your game on. NCAA 2K3 is very much like the previous college games from Sega (the 2K series). There are over 300 teams to choose from. The players do not have real names but they can be named randomly. There are a number of generic names in the game. Create a player is also an option. The presentation looks like an ESPN basketball game on TV (with all the logos & font). Really cool. You can make your own tournament bracket in the game and play like it's a tournament. The game play is 2K style. It is somewhat realistic but not completely. I find it difficult to perform good basketball plays in game. I don't see this as a pick-up-and-play kind of game. Too get really good and beat the computer you must have the skills.

I think it is a solid men's college basketball game. There are a ton of teams but you have to really enjoy basketball to like this. This game is difficult to find. If you really want a NCAA basketball game I would suggest finding a newer 2K game. This isn't the best and it's not the worst.

Graphics: 7 out of 10
Sound and Music: 8 out of 10
Presentation: 9 out of 10
Game play: 7 out of 10

Overall: 7 out of 10

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

2011-11-09T06:07:00.000-08:00

Klonoa is a game that once you start playing, you won't be able to stop. It's that much fun. It's platforming at it's best, and it's got some beautiful, 'Namco' style music as well. This game involves a fantasy character called Klonoa, who looks like a giant cat. Anyway, Klonoa has these big ears that allow him to float for a couple of seconds when he jumps. Klonoa can best be described as 2.5 Dimension platform game. The graphics in the game are in 3D, with the exception of Klonoa who is a sprite, but the actually gameplay is all in the 2d plane. However, there are some points where you can move up or down into the other plane. Klonoa meets many friends on his adventures through this game, but most of all you will notice the attention to detail Namco put into this title. The game is very colorful and alive graphically, with the attention being put on the 2.5d aspect of the game. Solving puzzles and making jumps is what this game is about, and it works wonderfully. Go find yourself a copy of this game if you've never played it. You will love it.

Graphics- 8.9 out of 10
Sound and Music- 10 out of 10
Gameplay- 9.9 out of 10
Presentation- 9.5 out of 10

Overall- 9.7 out of 10

P. N. 03

2011-10-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

P. N. 03 is short for "Product Number Three". This 2003 video game from Capcom is vary strange.

You play as Vanessa Z. Schneider a human with a robotic uniform. I am not going to go into much detail about the story. This is going to be a short review. The game play is not that fun. She moves like a dancing robot. It is strategical and choppy. Sometimes it is hard finding the correct door to go through. The levels are similar. Overall it just isn't a fun video game.

Graphics: 8 out of 10
Sound and Music: 6 out of 10
Presentation: 5 out of 10
Game play: 5 out of 10

Overall: 5 out of 10

Battletoads

2011-08-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

This 1991 beat em up game from Rare is a 1 to 2 player video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
There are three battletoads in this game: Rash, Zitz and Pimple. The game begins with Rash. I really like this game because it is fun to play. The music is great, probably some of the best tunes on the NES. The graphics are great. The fighting is really easy to pull off and there are some cool effects with the punching moves. Some levels require a level of memorization such as the 3rd level in the game with the hover bikes. Levels like these take real skill. There are a number of continues that help but this game requires a lot of time to master the levels in order to complete the game.

Tip: try to get as many points as you can. When fighting the birds, keep hitting them for more points. Points equal extra lives. Also, look for warp zones. Warp zones look like a mass of dots hidden in some levels.
Overall this game is fun but it is also just a bit too difficult.
Graphics: 9 out of 10
Sound and Music: 10 out of 10
Presentation: 7 out of 10
Game play: 7 out of 10

Overall: 7.9 out of 10

The Adventures of Bayou Billy

2011-08-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

This game is from Konami, the same company that made games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
First, the game play is very interesting. This game is both difficult to play and yet somewhat realistic. The main character (Billy) is just a normal guy from the bayou. He has to fight all kinds of different things, including alligators. The problem is that the bad guys seem to be moving all the time. It is almost like Billy has to dance around them until he can get a good kick. The jumping in this game is only possible with a kick included. The graphics are not that bad but there are some screen glitches that do stand out. The music is the best thing about this game. It has a cajun feel throughout. There is also a sound test which is cool.
My final thoughts: This game is really difficult. The worst part is the fighting. If you can get past level one then maybe you can find a jeep to drive and then use the NES Zapper to shoot the bad guys.

Graphics: 7 out of 10
Sound and Music: 9 out of 10
Presentation: 7 out of 10
Game play: 5 out of 10

Overall: 6 out of 10

Wolfenstein

2011-06-09T06:49:00.001-07:00

Wolfenstein is one of those great games you just can't put down once you pick it up. It's got that great 'hook you' moments rights from the start, similiar to Half Life and Half Life 2, the game throws you into great action situations that also move the plot forward, and makes you, the player decide what to do. Wolfenstein is a first person shooter based on the very popular Wolfenstein game series original created by Id games in 1992, it is one of the first games to use 3d graphics to showcase a compelling first person viewpoint. The idea of the original games is you traverse dozens of labyrinth style rooms fighting Nazis during WWII, ultimately to find what is going on in the giant castle. This new Wolfenstein is much the same, only ten times better because it's now on the next-gen consoles. Wolfenstein is still in first person, but now you can get missions from members of the golden dawn, or the Kreisau circle, (factions who are fighting against the Nazi regime) and help them defeat the ultimate evil- the third reich. The graphics here are stunning. I've played both Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, and I think the PS3 version actually looks a little bit better, although they are both amazing examples of new technology. I love when water or veil pools drip on the screen, the drips look real! Textures are beautiful, and this game encounters no hiccups at all in the graphics department, which is what I've come to expect from Id games. Quake 4 looked good, but Wolfenstein looks great. I also like the fact that missions are done by leaving the 'hub level', which is a level in and of itself, where you fight nazi forces and try to get to your objective. The game uses a terrific objective marker on the top of the screen, which tells you where you need to be heading. However, you can veer off the main path and find dozens of secrets like hidden gold and veil points you can only use with your veil powers, which brings me to one of the best aspects of the game. B.J., the main hero, encounters a magic crystal that the Nazis have been using, and you can then use it yourself to use magic powers to slow down time, or see in the dark. You find pools of veil power all over the game world, allowing you fill up your veil meter. It's brilliant game design, and add that extra bit of excitement to each stage. It's like playing the level in a whole new way.
Wolfenstein's sound and music are phenomenal, especially the sound effects of the guns firing, which echo in the city streets. The music is orchestral soundtrack, and it builds up when you encounter enemies. It's spot on. Perfect. It can really drive you sometimes to finish the mission.
Wolfenstein's gameplay is shooting at it's finest. This game is all about shooting. It's a first person shooter, and that's what the fun is all about. The weapons and controls are perfect, and very precise. I can't say enough good things about the variety of weapons, or the great zoom in with the L1 button mode. It's perfect for the game, and you can also upgrade your weapons with the gold you find! Do you want secrets in your game? This game is full of them! Not only can you find gold all over the stages, even the hub world, but also tomes of power, to unlock more abilities for your veil powers! This game seems to be endless with user custom design and tweaking, it's all very impressive, and that is just the single player campaign!
The bottom line is, you want a shooter that really lives up the the 'Wolfenstein' name, and gives you fun, and exciting Nazi killing first person shooting gameplay, this new 'Wolfenstein' is it. You won't be disappointed with Id games latest. I just can't wait to see what they have in store next!

Graphics: 9.2 out of 10
Sound and Music: 9.8 out of 10
Presentation: 8.8 out of 10
Gameplay: 9.7 out of 10

Overall: 9.4 out of 10

Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advance

2011-06-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

This game is actually 6 games in one. You get near perfect arcade ports of Frogger, Gyruss, Time Pilot, Rush'n Attack, Scramble, and Yie Ar Kung-Fu. Frogger is basically moving a frog to the top of the screen while avoiding highway traffic and other obstacles. Very fun, very simple. Gyruss is a shooter where you move a spaceship in a circle motion to kill enemies spawning from the center. It is addictive and has very good music, a very fun game. Time Pilot lets you pilot a plane while shooting enemy planes, and you transport to different time periods like the future and 1940. It is fun and mostly challenging. Rush'n Attack is a lot like the NES game, you kill enemies with your baton while going from left to right. It's challenging and a very good game. Yie Ar Kung-Fu is one of the best games on this cartridge. It's a fighting game, but only one on one, where you challenge all of the best kung fu masters, and they get harder as you beat each one. However, the game is very challenging because you don't have very many lives, and it takes a lot of trial and error. This game saves your high scores, with one problem: when you turn the system off, the high scores are erased. Bummer. But the gameplay you get with this cartridge is unparralleled, and you will be playing Arcade Advance for hours on end. These are some of Konami's best arcade games, too. A great budget title, and one of my favorite GBA games. Go play it!

Graphics- 5.9 out of 10
Sound and Music- 9.0 out of 10 (near-perfect port!)
Presentation- 6.3 out of 10
Gameplay- 10 out of 10

Overall- 8.5 out of 10

The Immortal

2011-06-04T10:36:00.001-07:00

This game is hard! It is a 3d isometric view, much like Marble Madness. So, the graphics are very good. I like them a lot. You play as an old wizard that looks much like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. You can shoot fireballs, as well as fight with your sword hand to hand with orcs and goblins. You are trapped in a huge dungeon with multiple rooms and must avoid all kinds of traps. Avoiding the traps is very hard until you get to grips with the controls. Because the view is isometric, it's hard to know which direction you will go when you press left or right, you may not go left or right. After much trial and error, you may get far, but I do not know how long this game is, because I gave up pretty early. However, I'm told that if you stick with it, you may be rewarded. Pretty good action game, with pretty NES graphics.

Graphics- 8.7 out of 10
Sound and Music- 8.1 out of 10
Presentation- 6.0 out of 10
Gameplay- 6.9 out of 10

Overall- 7.4 out of 10

Kung Fu

2011-06-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

I found Kung Fu for the NES to be very fun, but also very challenging. The main problem is that the enemies are too hard. You can high kick, and low kick, and low punch and high punch. You can also kick in the air. But it's all about timing. If you don't time your punches and kicks right, you will get hurt. The main character has a life bar, but any kind of damage that he takes makes it go down quickly. You fight other kung fu masters, and snakes and bats, but the game is very hard to beat. Some skilled player will make it to the end, but only after lots of trial and error. It's not as hard as Ninja Gaiden for the NES, but still very challenging. You must have quick reflexes and perfect timing. Good graphics, and the music is fun to listen to, somewhat annoying after about 45 minutes. Sound effects are very good. This is a challenging action game for the NES that will definitely test your kung fu skills!

Graphics- 5.5 out of 10
Sound and Music- 7.0 out of 10
Presentation- 2.0 out of 10
Gameplay- 8.0 out of 10

Overall- 5.3 out of 10

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

2011-06-04T10:09:00.001-07:00

This is a fairly new entry into the Grand Theft Auto series from Rockstar games. Made in 2006, Vice City Stories takes place in Vice City just like the PS2 game, however your main character is now Victor Vance, Lance Vance's brother, instead of Tommy Vercetti. You start the game on the other side of the city, opposite the one you start at in Vice City. Most of the gameplay is the same: you find a mission to complete and the graphics are the same, however most of the controls have to be remapped for the PSP. To look left and right and back in the car, you have to hold down the left trigger button and move the analog stick left or right or back. Other controls are simple for locking onto enemies, and firing your gun. They are the same as the PS2 game. However, I would say that the graphics in this game look far better than in the original Vice City. Also, there are all new songs from the 80's on your radio stations, and the game takes place in 1984, whereas Vice City took place in 1987. This is a fun and pretty lengthy game. Shooting up crime lords and common criminals is the name of the game, and the voice acting is well done. Also, some characters from other GTA games make appearances. I've never played GTA Liberty City Stories yet, but Vice City Stories seems to have everything that made Vice City such a fun game to play, and little more. You can now own 'front' where you can make extra money and do missions for. There are 'fronts' all over the city, and aquiring them and running them all will take some time and effort, so it bring replay value to the game. Overall, Vice City Stories is a very fun game, and one that will keep you playing just to see what happens next. I just wish it would have included some of the things that made San Andreas so much fun to play, such as a jet pack and parachuting.

Graphics- 8.8 out of 10
Sound and Music- 9.6 out of 10
Presentation- 9.3 out of 10
Gameplay- 9.7 out of 10

Overall- 9.3 out of 10

Far Cry Instincts

2011-06-04T09:49:00.001-07:00

Far Cry Instincts is a first person shooter from Crytek, who would later go on to make Crysis for the PC. The game is published by Ubisoft.
In Far Cry Instincts, you play as Jack Carver. Jack is out enjoying his vacation on his boat in the jungle, when it is attacked and burnt to the ground. Jack escapes alive, but unsure what is going on. He then soon finds out that some kind of 'terrorist' group, and I use that term lightly, is taking up stronghold in the jungle for some reason. You can't just run and gun in this game, you have to use some stealth. You can also set traps on the trees, and throw rocks to distract the enemy. You have a radar at the bottom left of the screen to help you know about your enemies. There are some pretty good weaponry in this game, and you can wield most guns in both hands. Far Cry Instincts is one of the best looking games I have seen for the Xbox, and it's very long as well. Think of Half Life, with it's long single player story mode and crazy story arcs, wherein you can mostly play, and lots of bosses in between. It's very much the same, only the story is much different. There is also a cool level editor in the game, where you can make your own levels for multiplayer, which was much better when Xbox Live was up and running. However, I played the single player all the way through, and it definitely took me more than 10 hours to beat. This is a long game. There is also a crazy twist in the middle of the game that I won't give away, but it makes the gameplay much more fun.
If you're looking for a fun, first person shooter that will take your breath away graphically, as well as aesthetically, then check out Far Cry Instincts. It shouldn't disappoint.

Graphics- 8.1 out of 10
Sound and Music- 8.2 out of 10
Presentation- 6.8 out of 10
Gameplay- 9.5 out of 10

Overall- 9.2 out of 10

Mafia II

2011-06-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Mafia II is a fun game, and a great sequel, but why is it so short? Here's my honest review of 2K's awesome sequel to an already awesome game.

Mafia II is finally out on the PS3, and it's great. I played through the game two times I enjoyed it so much. However, therein lies the games main problem: it is way too short! I beat the game in about 4 hours, and you could probably beat it faster if you're really good at shooting. Basically, Mafia II is a story-driven third-person shooter set in the 1940's to 1950's. The story follows a war vet named Vito, and you play as him throughout the entire game. You'll stay in your apartment, and call your friend who tells you about your mission, and you eventually join the mafia. The shooting part of this game is the best one. You have an on-screen reticule you can move, and you basically push a button to pull out your weapon, and then fire it with another. Your character can crouch, and the aiming is also extremely precise and accurate; you can shoot an enemy from over 100 yards away and hit him with a pistol. Very nice!
Other gameplay moments involve driving all kinds of vehicles around 'Empire City', the games fictional city that resembles New York City in the 40's, and after a few story moments I won't divulge here, you end up in the 1950's. It's cool because now the cars are nicer and handle better, and everything in the city looks different. You can hide behind obstacles and use a simple button press to interact with things, and it all works really well. It is very obvious that 2K has spent a lot of time with this game.
The music and sound in Mafia II really stand out, because the radio plays old time hits from the era which you'll know right away, seamlessly mixed with some commercials that sound just like they're from the 40's. There are only 3 radio stations to choose from, however, so not a lot of variety. But the game's awesome orchestrated soundtrack for all of the cut scenes and other parts out of the car, are amazing and make the game more real. Sound effects in this game are some of the best I've ever heard. The gun shots actually are loud and sound real, and the voice acting is top notch, another great part of this game. I enjoyed playing the single player mode just to hear more of the story and voices.
The story is what will really propel you to play this game all the way to the end, because there isn't anything else to do in the city. This is not a Grand Theft Auto game, and I can't stress that enough. The only thing you can really do in the city is look around, and maybe rob a few clothing stores or gas stations if you need the cash, but not much else. The NPCs however do say things when you walk by them on the street. But that's about it.
I almost forget to mention probably the single greatest thing about Mafia II: the graphics. If you want a nice new PS3 game to show to all of your friends about how great the graphics look, Mafia II would be a great game to do that with. This game looks better than some games that haven't been released for the system yet, and that's saying a lot. At times, when you're driving on the roads, it looks realistic. The characters mouths move when they talk, and they're animated really well, both in the cut scenes and when you're playing. Textures on objects are very realistic, and polygon counts on everything seem very high. This is a beautiful game, and I think even better looking than 2K's Bioshock.

Mafia II will please the gamers looking for a solid story single player game with strong characters and good 3rd person shooting gameplay. There are some pretty good downloadable content available, but it's just too bad the main story is so short.

Graphics- 9.8 out of 10
Sound and Music- 9.8 out of 10
Presentation- 8.9 out of 10
Gameplay- 8.9 out of 10

Overall- 9.2 out of 10

Killzone 3

2011-05-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

The flagship Sony first person shooter that debuted on the Playstation 2 is here, Killzone 3, and it's still awesome as ever. What really sets this game apart from other PS3 shooters is it's graphics. The developers really push the power of the Playstation 3 in this game, and it shows. Not only is there a pretty lengthy single player campaign, but a robust multiplayer mode with online game modes and a two player campaign offline. The story is okay, but mainly centers around the hero characters yelling at each other a lot. The sound is amazing, especially when it is drowned out when you get shot a lot, and your screen loses color and goes blurry. All of the elements come together to make playing Killzone 3 an unforgettable experience for PS3 owners.

Graphics- 10 out of 10
Sound and Music- 9.8 out of 10
Presentation- 8.9 out of 10
Gameplay- 9.0 out of 10

Overall- 9.3 out of 10

Tomb Raider Trilogy

2011-03-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

Ever since I played the original Tomb Raider for the Sony Playstation, I have been hooked on the 3rd person action adventure genre. Sure, Mario 64 came before it, but Tomb Raider was more realistic, more violent, and more engaging in an 'I'm Indiana Jones' sort of way. Lara has never seemed to fail to capture my attention, and the same is true with Tomb Raider Trilogy for the Playstation 3.
The game is a culmination of three games that were released for various platforms over the past 5 years. Tomb Raider: Legend and Tomb Raider Anniversary, which are included on the disc, have never been seen before on the Playstation 3, so it's nice to see them upgraded with new HD graphics. Tomb Raider: Legend almost looks like a PS3 game, the graphics are that good, and Anniversary looks great too, although it has already gotten the Hi Res update on the PC.
The formula is similar to anyone who knows anything about the Tomb Raider games, however, there are some big differences. First of all, is the control. In the old Tomb Raider games for the Playstation, you had to press forward to make Lara move forward, and no matter where the camera was, that is how it worked. Forward to move forward, sort of like Resident Evil 2. Well, Crystal Dynamics has redone the entire game engine, and it's now a whole lot easier to move around. The results are amazing. It makes exploring the vast environments so much more fun, and easy.
The graphics need to be mentioned here, because although Tomb Raider: Underworld, (the latter game of the bunch) is of course the best looking, the other two games don't look that bad at all. Legend has received an upgrade to the polygon and textures, as well as High Definition output to the tv, allowing for beautiful environment and characters that only the PS3 can allow. The games runs smooth throughout, with no slowdown at all.
Sound is beautiful, and the soundtrack on all three games is well orchestrated. From fast action violins, to trumpets, and slow music for the wandering/exploring sections of the game, it all fits perfectly to create the mood. And, of course, Lara's voice acting is some of the best you'll find in any game. That goes for the other characters as well. All three games implement the same idea: Lara is trying to uncover mysteries from all over the globe, from Peru, to Tokyo, in order to unravel the game's story. The story in all three games are very good and thought out, and I don't think it will take long for another movie to be made of this series. Again. Lara is such a recognized character, and everything she does seems to evoke mystery and wonder. This is an amazing collection titles for your PS3, and there are easily over 100 hours to be put in here. At around $40 for the whole trilogy, you are really getting a bargain in game value. And for Tomb Raider fans, there is a custom PS3 theme, and avatar for your 'Home' character, as well as Developer Diary videos for each game, and a few videos of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Life. You can't go wrong with this collection if you're a fan of Lara like I am.

Graphics- 9.1 out of 10
Sound and Music- 9.0 out of 10
Gameplay- 9.1 out of 10
Presentation- 9.1 out of 10

Overall- 9.1 out of 10

T & C: Town & Country Surf Design

2011-02-25T12:01:00.000-08:00

This LJN game is a Pearl City, Hawaii surfing, skating game.

In this game you can pick either 2 players or 1 player. This game is basically and extreme sports game. There are two different sports: surfing and skateboarding. The cast of characters include a cat, gorilla, Hawaiians and a beach dude.

The music is good and so are the sound effects. I feel like I am in Hawaii when I play this game (a little bit). The graphics are okay but the biggest problem is the control. The surfing levels is really hard to understand. All I know is that pushing "up" and "B" at the top of the wave is a good thing. Other than that it is difficult to surf in this game, which is probably realistic? The sessions seem to go on for a long time too (is there an end?). The furthest I got on the 'Street Skate Session' was round 06. Overall this game is just okay. It is fun to play. There just does not seem to be enough in this game. Don't pay a high price for T & C.

Graphics: 7 out of 10
Sound & Music: 7.9 out of 10
Game play: 6.9 out of 10
Presentation: 9 out of 10

Overall: 7.8 out of 10

Front Mission Evolved

2011-02-24T21:12:00.000-08:00

Action games are pretty easy to come by for a gamer, because whenever you have a gaming system, you've got to have a game that delivers straight up action. Front Mission Evolved is an action game through and through, and certainly delivers the player with much to enjoy and participate in. Right from the start of this game, the action begins, and it's fun till the end. The easy control scheme is what makes the game so much fun. It is extremely easy to control your 'wanzer' (basically a walking battle tank) throughout the terrain because the control is very responsive. You can glide and even hover over everything whilst firing you weapon(s) and avoiding enemy attacks. The camera takes a simple role in this game--behind the players mech. This makes it easy to see not only yourself, but enemies around you. The locales are very varied, ranging from tropical to inside space stations. Not only do you get to pilot a giant robot, but there on missions where you as the main character must fight on foot. These missions offer variety to the game. However, piloting your 'wanzer' is the most fun, and gladly, most of the missions have you doing this. The story is well played out, and the voice acting and characters do a great job of telling it. The story really helps the single player game go smoothly.
I have few complaints about this title, except that the graphics for the character models, (the humans, not the tanks) looked much better. They aren't that bad, but the developers could have done much better with the models, especially since this is the PS3 where talking about. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a fast, fun, action-packed game with pretty scenery and great music, you cannot go wrong with Front Mission Evolved. It's one of the best of 2010.

Graphics- 8.3 out of 10
Sound and Music- 8.9 out of 10
Gameplay- 8.8 out of 10
Presentation- 7.9 out of 10

Overall- 8.0 out of 10

Field Runners (PSP Minis/PS3)

2011-01-21T09:32:00.000-08:00

This is a mini review for a mini game.

Field Runners is a mini game that is for many game systems. This is a review for the PS3 (download) game from Subatomic Studios.

To begin, this game is easy to play. It is basically a strategy game where you must place weapons on a map. The "runners" are the bad guys. They will run from one point of the screen to the next. Your goal is to kill the runners before they get to the end of the screen. The good thing about this game is that there are over 100 rounds. There are also maps to unlock. This game ranges from being easy to difficult.

Overall Field Runners is a very basic game. Destroy the enemies before they get to their destination. This game can be fun but after a while it can get tiresome. It's just a bunch of killing.

Graphics: 7 out of 10

Sound and Music: 5 out of 10

Game play: 7 out of 10

Overall: 6 out of 10

Red Faction: Guerilla

2011-01-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

Red Faction has always been about one thing. It has lots of things that continue throughout the game series, but one thing stands out the most in every game. You get to blow things up. Lots of things. And not just items, but walls and buildings. You get to decide how to destroy the environment. Volition has crafted a wonderful in-game physics engine that allows the player to destroy the environment in any way possible. It's called the Geo Mod Engine, and it's updated to 2.0 for Red Faction Guerilla. Now, what you thought was possible goes to the extreme.

The story has always stood out in these games, and it's no exception in this one. You play as Red Faction freedom fighter Alec Mason, whose brother you watch get killed right in front of you by the Earth Defense Force. The Earth Defense Force, or EDF as everyone calls them, is in control of the planet Mars, where this story takes place, and is in charge of watching over the workers who mine the planet for resources. They want to basically build another Earth, and they will do whatever necessary to achieve that goal, even if it means killing the workers. All of the activity on Mars is watched over by the eye in the sky, Hydra, an orbiting space ship that monitors all activity on the planet, and ensures that the EDF are always in control. There is a small group of freedom fighters, called the 'Red Faction', who are beginning to see the atrocities the EDF perform and are doing their best to stop them. You join up with them right away, and the fight begins.
The other Red Faction games were first person shooters, but this game is third person, and it works because there can be a lot of action on-screen at one time, and it would be easy to get lost if you couldn't see your character. This game is completely, free-roaming, meaning you can go anywhere you want, and do whatever you like. If you want to level an EDF command center before you begin a Red Faction mission, you can do that. You get to choose what to do next. There are a ton of weapons and explosives to help you along the way. But, what has to be mentioned the most, I think, is the amazing Geomod 2.0 game engine that Volition has constructed for this game. Basically, nearly everything on the surface of Mars can be crushed, blown up, or smashed with the tools you carry. Also, it all acts like it would in real life; so if you shoot a rocket into the top of a building, the pieces will fall off and break the floors beneath them. It is all a site to behold, and only newer game consoles and PCs could deliver such breathtaking scenes.

The games sound and music are really good, and I must mention the music is astounding, sounding very much like high budget movie music. It really puts you in the mood and makes Mars come alive.

This game really makes you feel like you're part of something bigger than yourself, because the game world is so large and vast. There are desert badlands, and EDF controlled areas filled with vehicles and buildings. The graphics are amazing with lighting and textures on the surface of Mars that look real. Everything in this game runs smooth. I never saw any slowdown whatsoever.
I enjoyed playing Red Faction Guerilla very much, and I very much look forward to what Volition has in store for their next game in this series.

Graphics- 9.8 out of 10
Sound and Music- 9.5 out of 10
Gameplay- 9.9 out of 10
Presentation- 9.1 out of 10

Overall- 9.5 out of 10

Dragon Warrior III

2010-12-20T13:07:00.000-08:00

The RPG on GameBoy Color (only Color).

I heard the hype and read the positive reviews on the Dragon Warrior series. This is my take on Dragon Warrior III (2000). First, this game is very long. The amount of text that the story supplies is very large. Much reading is required, which is not always a bad thing. The characters move slow on a overhead-view map (similar looking to the original Final Fantasy game). The graphics are basic yet not very exciting. The music and sound: just OK. This is the first Dragon Warrior Game I have played. I did not find it fun. I have played a few other RPGs (Role-Playing-Games), but this one was just too slow.

If you are a fan of Dragon Warrior from the start, then maybe you will like this game. I found this game difficulty to play because the amount of time needed to understand the story was too much. You might differ from my view but this is my reflection on Dragon Warrior III.

Graphics: 5 out of 10
Music and Sound: 6 out of 10
Game play: 4 out of 10

Presentation: 8 out of 10

Overall: 4 out of 10

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

2010-12-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is upon us, and I give you my own personal review of it. It must be mentioned that I am a very big Metal Gear Solid fan, and I have been ever since I experienced Metal Gear Solid on the PSOne. That game is amazing, and I may write a review for it in the future, but for now, let's focus on Hideo Kojima's fourth opus on the PlayStation 3.
First of all, the graphics are beautiful. This game really pushes the power of your ps3, and you can tell in the in game graphics, which all of the game's cut scenes implement. The game needs to install in each of the chapters in the game, and it takes about 3 minutes each, which sucks, but it's worth it to see each new area introduced. I won't give away the story except to say that it plays a major part of the game. Most of the game unfolds during cut scenes, so you won't be playing that much, but there is a lot of gameplay too. I just think there is more cut scenes than gameplay, which makes for an unsatisfying game. You play as the legendary Solid Snake, who is aging because of the Fox Die in his system. The game is set in the future, with technologically advanced weapons and weapon launderers. The boss fights are great and epic feeling, and probably the most exciting part of the game. What I found to be disappointing is that you don't even need to sneak around, which Solid Snake is famous for. The action in the game is also too easy because you can buy weapons at any time from Drebin, using points you gain from picking up weapons on the battlefield. I just breezed through the environments, making my way to each boss battle, and eventually, to the end of the game. The game is also very short. It is definitely a game that needs to be experienced on the PS3, for the interactivity and graphics alone. The music is also very good in this game.
Solid Snake has seen better games. This is not one his best.

Graphics- 9.9 out of 10
Sound and Music- 9.8 out of 10
Gameplay- 5.9 out of 10
Presentation- 9 out of 10

Overall- 5.5 out of 10

Shatter

2010-12-10T06:53:00.001-08:00

If you think that a video game cannot improve upon the 'Breakout' formula of game, then think again. Shatter is a downloadable title for the PS3 that takes much from the beloved game, but is much more fun and in my opinion, better. 'Arkanoid' by Taito made things interesting with power-ups, but Shatter really takes the cake by making boss battle and different worlds to explore. This is the type of game you will want to play over and over again just to get the highest scores on the leaderboards. There are 10 worlds to discover, and each of them has different music and backgrounds, and of course, the challenge level goes up on each. The main concept of the game is to hit a ball back and forth and shatter blocks in order to increase your score, using a paddle a la 'Breakout'. However, unlike the classic paddle game, you get to suck in air or blow out air in order to slightly guide the ball in the direction you want it to go. For instance, when you shatter some blocks, points fall out of the block that you can see, and you need to suck them into your paddle to gain them. Otherwise, they just float around the level. There are all sorts of power ups such as 1ups, and Manueverball, which lets you control the ball even more. The fun gameplay is here and it's very good. This game addicted me to it not long after I bought it, and it is still fun to play.
But, what must be mentioned about this game most of all, is the music. There's a terrific soundtrack for each world, by 'Module'. The music is perfect and catchy. It's a drum and bass sound with elements of house and techno/trance music, and it works perfectly for the game. I played through each of the worlds just to listen to the new tunes! If not for the game, try this title out for the terrific music. I will be honest, it's one of the best game soundtracks I have ever heard in my life.
Shatter doesn't disappoint, and for it's low price on the PSN ($7.99)it deserves to be added to your gaming library.

Graphics- 8.6 out of 10
Sound and Music- 10 out of 10
Gameplay- 9.5 out of 10
Presentation- 9.1 out of 10

Overall- 8.9 out of 10

The X-Files

2010-12-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

Is it about aliens?

The X-Files game is very much a "video" game. This is a 1999 point-and-click game (Myst, Riven) for PlayStation. This game can also be found on the PC and Mac. This is a review for the 4 disc PlayStation game. It has 4 discs because the video takes up space.

You play as FBI agent Craig Willmore. The story is that you must find Mulder and Scully after Skinner informs you that they are missing. This game really does seem like a true X-Files game. It has the story. The characters and video cut scenes that look like the show. What this game is trying to be is a really fun detective game with an X-Files twist. They want to put the player inside the X-Files world. A massive amount of recording and writing was done for the production of this video game. The problem is that this game is just too difficult to play on PlayStation. Clues have to be found if you want to continue the story. Some clues (such as a bullet in a wood post) are very difficult to notice, unless you spend hours trying to look for it.

The graphics are either still photos or video clips. The sound and music is very much like the TV show. The game play is good and bad. I would say mostly bad. If this game was easier to play I think most people would enjoy the story and overall game. It is just too hard to find out what to do next. Even for an X-Files fan. A strategy guide would help!

Overall, this is a unique game. It has some great ideas for what a video game can do. There are a number of game play problems that hinder the pace of the game. I can't recommend buying this game but if you get a chance to play it tell us what you think. I think the PC version is probably better.

Graphics: 9 out of 10
Music and Sound: 7 out of 10
Game play: 4 out of 10
Presentation: 8 out of 10

Overall: 5 out of 10

Tetris (Tengen Version)

2010-11-21T06:20:00.001-08:00

I had a chance recently to play the very much talked about NES game, Tengen Tetris, and let me just say, this is a great Tetris game. I have played many different versions of the game over the years, and this version is my favorite. The reason it's my favorite version is because of the many game modes this offers.

There is One Player which involves just one player trying to get the highest score possible. 2 Player is the same thing with 2 Players instead of 1. Co-operative mode lets 2 Players play on a giant game grid and the goal is to get the highest score. The 'with computer' mode is the same as co-operative, except you don't need a second player, you can just play with the computer.

The music is extremely simple but it works, and there are four different songs to choose from, or no music at all. They all sound like Russian dance songs, which makes sense being that Tetris was created by a Russian.

The gameplay is here and it works. The is Tetris, and if you don't know what Tetris is, it's basically this--blocks fall from the top of a game grid and you have to match them up in one or more lines to delete them. As the game continues, they fall faster and faster. The graphics are very basic like the sound. There is only one solid black in the background with blue colored tiles surrounding the grid. Each brick is a different color, but their is no detail in the bricks. Presentation is simple for this game, like everything else, but it works just fine. A game like this doesn't need fancy menus. This is Tetris as it's best, and it's fun.

Graphics- 4 out of 10
Sound and Music- 5 out of 10
Gameplay- 10 out of 10
Presentation- 4 out of 10

Overall- 10 out of 10

Tecmo Bowl

2010-11-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

1987 arcade/1989 Nintendo Entertainment System American football game from developer Tecmo. Some of the best sports games (for the Nintendo) was from the company Tecmo. This is a review for the game Tecmo Bowl.

This is one of the most fun football games around. It can be either one-player or two-player. The combination of a simple control, strategy and balanced difficulty against the computer is what helped make this game so good. Let's start with the teams. Tecmo was not able to use the real names from the NFL. But they did have the city names:

Indianapolis
Miami
Cleveland
Denver
Seattle
Los Angeles
Washington
San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Chicago
Minnesota

Some teams are better than others. Chicago and San Francisco are considered the top two teams. When I play against the computer I always seem to think that Minnesota is the hardest team to play against. The computer is smart in this game. After beating one game against the computer the next team is picked. In week two the computer really tries to intercept any pass attempted. You really have to carefully decide who to pass to.

The game-play control is basic and it seems to work. Your team can select to either pass or run on offense. You can run up, down, left, right or diagonally. The players seem to run a little slow. Overall the game-play is really simple and done right for the NES. It is easy to learn and there are many teams to master. Playing against the computer is basically a season game. You pick a team and then the computer randomly picks a teams to play against you. To finish this game you have to beat all 11 teams. The graphics look OK. You should be able to visualize the football elements. The sound and music is simple, not much variety. The music can get a bit old after a while. They did improve some stuff in the sequel "Super Tecmo Bowl".

Overall this is a sports game. If you really enjoy playing old style football games then Tecmo Bowl is one of the best sports games.

Graphics: 7 out of 10
Music and Sound: 4 out of 10
Game-play: 8.5 out of 10
Presentation: 6 out of 10

Overall: 8.3 out of 10

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

2010-08-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

Star Wars. The saga lives on in video game form and Lucas Arts is up to the task of making some fun games for the heroes, (and villains) of the Star Wars universe. This review is for the PS2 version of the game.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a different kind of Star Wars game. Yes, it's a action game like many, but in this game you play as the bad guy. The main character here has some qualms about being bad, but if I were to tell you here why that is, I would be ruining the story for you, and I'd rather you find out all the gory details on your own. Our main 'hero' in this game is sent on missions by the Dark Lord himself, Darth Vader, and you must complete these missions in order to be found as competent by Vader himself, and the Emperor. The game has many levels, across different planets, and the coolest thing about this action game is the force powers at your disposal. There are so many force powers to use at any time in this game. I will not list them all because there are so many. This is probably what makes this game so much fun to play. And, really, who doesn't like a fun game? Just to mention a few; you can throw your lightsaber out to impale enemies, you can use objects in your surroundings to pummel your enemies to death, or even use Vader's famous 'choke hold' and squeeze the life out of your foes. All of these force powers are easy to use, and fun to watch on screen, it reminds me of a great fighting game with lots of special moves to memorize, and use for the right situation. Your enemies may be lumbering AT-AT's, or Wookies, or storm troopers, but at the end of the day, they are all just thing to throw, choke, and swing around in your force-controlled universe. The gameplay here is top-notch for an action game--simply move your character in the direction you want to go with the analog stick, and control moving objects and enemies in your grasp with the right stick. Yes, there are some funny gameplay glitches, such as being able to stand on structures you shouldn't be able to, or enemies going through solid objects, but it never once ruins the game. So, it's almost a moot point to even mention. Truly, the highlight of this game is using the force powers in combat, and that's what you be doing most of the time. However, if you just want to swing your lightsaber around like a Jedi, you can do that whilst your 'Force Energy Bar' recharges. I would mention to seasoned action gamers, that, it would be repetitive doing the same things level after level, but since it's all so much fun to play, it's really not bad at all.

The graphics are certainly in a league all of their own, and this game is no slouch in the prettiness department. SWtFU really uses the PS2's particle effects to their utmost, and you can really see it in the sparks and fire, and other things the console is good at doing. Yeah, this is a later PS2 release, and yeah, it will look much better on the bigger brother consoles, but Lucas Arts managed to do a fantastic job with Sony's younger sibling, and the results are breathtaking, at times. There is no slowdown present in this game, and I don't care what anyone says, I've been playing it for hours, and I haven't seen it slow down once. This game is really a must see for PS2 owners.The only thing that hurts this game is the presentation. It seems ugly and tacked on, and the menus are also very simple looking.

The story is simply amazing, and it can be summed up in one word: unpredictable. When I was expecting the normal plot points to come out, and the main character do some simple story actions like take revenge, it never happened quite like I expected. Needless to say, it kept me playing. This is a fantastic story in the Star Wars universe. I like how movie characters were here in this game.

Music and sound are very good, Star Wars movie quality, and will not disappoint. The voice actors for the game do a terrific job. Playing this game with surround sound will only strengthen your involvement.

Closing Thoughts:

I tend to be hard on Star Wars games. I'm not sure why, but the series has been around for so long, and it's so easy to make some cheap game with Star Wars music and sounds in it, and place the 'Star War's logo on it, and call it finished. But, Lucas Arts and Krome didn't settle for some cash-in, and it shows when you play this game. You will be involved right from the start, and be surprised at the end. Star Wars fans need to take a look. Terrific job, Lucas Arts. Keep up the good work. I can't wait to see more.

Graphics- 10 out of 10 (Some of the best I've seen on PS2! Keep making games for this system, developers!!!)
Sound and Music- 10 out of 10
Gameplay- 9.1 out of 10
Presentation- 6.4 out of 10

Overall- 9.1 out of 10

Excitebike

2010-08-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

Excitebike is a 1984 motor cross (dirt bike?)racing game. The objective is to beat the clock and get in third, second, or first-place after two laps. The game is single player.

This game is all about timing. The timing of the jumps, speed, and track finishing time. There are three modes in this game: Selection A, Selection B, Design. "A" is just the biker. "B" is with other bikers. "Design" is make-your-own-track with the various ramps and obstacles. The game-play is the best part. "A" button is regular gas. "B" accelerates the bike to go faster (if held too long the bike temp will overheat). The ramps in the game can help or hurt your time. It is all about getting the fastest time. The bike landing and maneuvering is very important too. You can really master the control in this game and race for the best time. There are only five tracks in the game. The fifth track is special, because the minimum time requirement goes lower after a few wins. I don't think track five has an ending. Each time you beat the track a number is added in the lower corner of the screen. The gameplay is overall what makes this game. I really like it because it is simple yet it has a good balance between easy and difficult.

The graphics are good enough for this game, simple 8-bit. Every person in the crowd looks exactly the same. There is a clear line between the sound effects and the music. First, the music is mostly a few short jingles which are spread throughout the game. Then there is the sound which comes from the dirt bike engine. Plus a few other sound effects can be heard by jumping, crashing or finishing the race.

Overall this game has a basic layout with a few key features that I really enjoy. The design mode is great, I can make a track almost any way I want to make it. The game control is fantastic. It is easy to play but only a few can master it. Downside?A two-player option is lacking. Plus the never ending track five is an enigma.

In the end, I really like playing this game. It is one of the best Nintendo Entertainment System games. I would put it high on the list. If you like racing games you really should try to get the game Excitebike. Post your best clock times in the comments too!

Graphics: 6 out of 10

Music and sound: 6 out of 10

Game-play: 9 out of 10

Presentation: 5 out of 10

Overall: 9 out of 10

Tecmo NBA Basketball

2010-07-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are all playable in this 1992 basketball game. This game is 1-2 players.

This game is great. First, lets look at the presentation. It has the real players that played during the 1991-'92 season. You can pick any NBA team and play as the star players back in the day. This game is jam packed with stats and information! Each team will be provided with player names, pictures and abilities. A playbook can also be found (Use the D+Pad and the 'start' button during game-play). The game-play options are many: Preseason, Season, All-Star Game, Team Data, Game Speed, Period Length, Music (on/off). The NBA Leaders/Standings will show which players are the best shooters, etc. In a Season mode it will also show the top teams in the NBA.

The game-play is simply fun. It is 5 on 5 basketball. You can set shooting plays or just pass to the open man and make the jump shot or slam dunk. You also have the option of calling a time out (20 seconds or full). Plus substitutions of different players. The graphics are really good for this 8-bit game. There are some cool dunk scenes but there is also a little bit of flickering with the graphics. That can make the players flash a little bit and can cause some confusion while playing the game. The music and sound is basic. More music variety would be an improvement, but I can't complain too much.

Overall, this game is the best NBA game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game-play works great. The difficulty starts easy then becomes more difficult (depending on the team you pick). A vast amount of stats and players also make this game big. If you like basketball video games then you will have to play this game. The graphics are a little ....eh, but overall it is a fun game.

Graphics: 7 out of 10

Music and sound: 6 out of 10

Game-play: 8.8 out of 10

Presentation: 9 out of 10

Overall: 8.7 out of 10

Double Dribble

2010-07-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

Konami and basketball combine to make "Double Dribble". This game is 1-2 players.

As far as I know the ability to double dribble is not something that can be performed in this game. There are foul shots and out-of-bounds calls. The game-play is simple and there is a bit of strategy to it. I think it is an easy game once you figure out how it works. There is a shot in the game (three-points) that will go in 90% of the time. A three-point shot on the outside corners (when lined up correctly) will go in. The difficulty is most difficult on "level 3". On that level the CPU will steal the ball between passes more often.

This game is trying to be like a real NBA basketball game even if there are only 6 players on the court. The camera angle is an overhead side view. It works well. The teams: Boston, Chicago, L.A., New York. Not real teams but real cities. Clock options: 5:00, 10:00, 20:00, 30:00. The shot clock runs faster than normal. The graphics are good. Whenever a slam dunk happens a special picture will show the dunk in stop-motion slow-mo. The sound is basic and works well too. No music during the game but there is music during the half-time show. Overall this is a fun but very easy basketball game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. I would like to see some sort of tournament bracket in the game (too bad it was not included). If you like basketball video games then you might want to play it.

Graphics: 6.5 out of 10

Music and sound: 5 out of 10

Game-play: 7.6 out of 10

Presentation: 6.4 out of 10

Overall: 7 out of 10

Star Fox 64

2010-07-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

There are many space shooter video games. Nintendo was able to make a 3D shooter and it turned out good. This is a review for the second Star Fox (Lylat Wars) game for the Nintendo 64. Peppy, Slippy and Falco are back and it's time to travel to the different space levels to fight Andross; an evil scientist that looks like a monkey.

To begin, it took some time getting a good grip on the controls. There is a training mode in that game that will help with learning the flying ability and the different moves Fox can make. That can help. After I had that down I was able to play this game with a decent amount of skill. The game-play is very fun. The game control is very well done and it really makes this game fun to play. There is usually always something on screen to shoot. You play as Fox and he always seems to save the day. Peppy, Slippy or Falco might have a fighter on them and Fox can shoot the bad guys down. They will say "Thanks!" unless it is Falco talking. The graphics are nothing amazing but they do look good on the 64. At the end of the game you will get a ranking that has something to do with the number of enemies shot down.

A few things that could cause some problems for the player. As Fox, you can change the camera angle to first-person view or outside-of-the-ship view. Some levels are easier to play in first-person view. The perception of depth is always tricky in 3D games. It can also be tricky in this game. This game is kind of short too. Seven levels. More levels would be great but I don't think it will hurt this game too much. The replay value is high on this game, simply because it is a fun game to play. I recommend this game to anyone with a Nintendo 64. A great space-shooter game in my opinion.

Graphics: 7.5 out of 10

Music and sound: 8 out of 10

Game-play: 9 out of 10

Presentation: 6.8 out of 10

Overall: 8.9 out of 10

HeXen

2010-07-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a fist-person-shooter game from the same company that made Doom. This game is a sequel to the game Heretic.

The setting appears to be the Middle Ages. Monsters and creatures roam around the land as if it was some kind of ancient nightmare. You can pick your character: Fighter, Cleric or Mage. The Cleric seems to be the strongest out of the three. There are five different difficulty settings ranging from Squire (easiest) to Titan (most difficult). The game play is not that great. It is very much like Doom but more confusing. Many times I was unable to find the button/switch to open the door. The graphics are okay, but I think there are some problems with the texture maps and level designs. The buttons do not stand out in the game and for the most part they blend into the environments making them harder to find. Same with the doors. The levels consist of finding an item (fire key) and then finding the correct portal to continue. The music is a mixture of synthesizers notes and percussion. It does not stand out very much.

At the beginning this game is fun. Later, the game-play is tiresome. The levels are a maze and it will eat up a lot of time just to complete one area. I don't recommend spending a strong amount of cash on HeXen for the Nintendo 64.

Graphics: 6 out of 10

Music and sound: 6.2 out of 10

Game-play: 5 out of 10

Presentation: 4.3 out of 10

Overall: 4.5 out of 10

Terminator Salvation

2010-07-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

Terminator Salvation isn't really a bad game, it's just so darn short! So, I will be writing a short but sweet review. This game can be finished in about 4 hours. Seriously. Even on the hardest difficulty.

If you want some easy achievements, rent this game. If you play through the entire game on Hard difficulty, and finish it. You will unlock all of the achievements. The gameplay basically consists of taking cover from enemy Skynet machines and then shooting at them until they explode. There are only 9 stages in the whole game, and they are all short. You play as John Connor, resistance leader and fighter, and there are a myriad of different machines to fight against. The graphics are one of the best things this game has going for it. The characters and machines all look life-like. The explosions are beautiful and you will really take notice while playing. I like the presentation of Terminator Salvation a lot, mostly because it looks like the movies, and it isn't some ugly jpeg screen in the background the developers could have easily put on there. However, because the game only offers on foot running around and taking cover and shooting, and it's all so amazingly linear, this game might get boring quick for some. It is extremely repetitive. I know I got bored, but before I realized it, I had beaten the game. Twice.

Rent it if you like Terminator, or enjoyed the 'Terminator Salvation' movie. Otherwise, just play something else.

Graphics- 9.1 out of 10
Sound and Music- 8 out of 10
Gameplay- 5.1 out of 10
Presentation- 6.9 out of 10

Overall- 5.5 out of 10

Rallisport Challenge

2010-07-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

What a terrific racing game! If you are at all familiar with rally racing, then this game will be easily recognizable. 'Rallisport Challenge' came out in 2002 and is only available for the Xbox.

Hmm..where to start? First off, you need to know that I like racing games. Very much. And rally games are just plain exciting, with all of the slipping and sliding around on the track, what's not to love? This game somehow captures all of the high-speed excitement of rally racing, and does it beautifully too.

Graphics are phenomenal. For an Xbox launch game, this is one of the best looking. The licensed cars in this game look real, and they drive amazing. The dirt and even snow on the course will fly up and all over, really helping to put you smack in the middle of the race. If you flip or wreck your car into a wall, then you will damage it, and it will show by a busted tail light or window.

Gameplay consists of, you guessed it--racing! There is basic rally course, uphill driving, and snow driving, and of course, multiplayer racing modes. You can play Instant Action to dive right into the driving, or do career mode to open up more tracks to play on. The driving is so much fun in this game! It truly mimics real life rally driving. Your car will slide across the dirt if you don't slow down enough on a turn, and it might even flip over if you have too much speed. It is all fast and exciting racing.

Presentation is basic, and that works well for a game that is about nothing but racing. The menu are very easy to navigate, and it's so simple to tell where to go on them. The menus load fast and look great.

Sound and music are good, and especially music in my opinion. The music is fast paced thumping beats and really gets you in the mood to race. The sound of your cars on the dirt and the engines are good, and work well at putting you right into the racing action.

Bottom line here is, this is a fantastic racing game that all xbox owners who like racing games should own. It is fun and exciting just like a racing game should be, and the 'Challenge' in the title is true. This game is a challenge!

Graphics- 9 out of 10
Sound and Music- 9 out of 10
Gameplay- 9.5 out of 10
Presentation- 9 out of 10

Overall- 9.1 out of 10

Terminator 3: The Redemption

2010-07-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

Atari already has the rights to Terminator 3, so why not make another game? The company already produced 'Terminator 3', and 'Terminator: Dawn of Fate', so I guess they want to make another go at it. And this one is probably the best one yet.

In 2004, Atari released 'Terminator 3: The Redemption', and it is exactly that in my opinion; a redemption of the game franchise. This game is basically a shooter at it's heart, and all of the levels are based around that fact. The gameplay involves you controlling a re-programmed T-1000, aka Arnold Schwarzenegger, to run through the levels and eliminate skynet. He has lots of abilities in his pocket, like running and gunning, but he can also commandeer vehicles, and drive them throughout the levels. It's much faster than walking! The ability to use other vehicles really helps to give this game variety. The game is all on-rails shooting, in 3D, and you should think of it as such. The gameplay can be akin to arcade style action, where you just shoot and punch you way through a level until you complete it. The story is ok, but very weak, and really doesn't compel you to play the game more. I like the fact that Atari made a button to press on the controller that makes Arnold spew out a one-liner. He might say, 'Excellent'. Or he might say, 'Talk to the hand'. It always makes me laugh. The voice actor is an Arnold sound-alike, you can tell right away. But, it's not bad. The music is very good movie style orchestra, and the sound effects are great, but seem like they are all muffled. The graphics excel and look much better than 'Dawn of Fate's' did, (but that game is just plain ugly on purpose). Presentation is top-notch if you like Terminator type of things, like machines and wires. Basically, presentation is very well done.

There could have been lots more put into this game, like more modes of play, and playing as other characters. What we have here is a very exciting, graphically powerful action shooter game, and it works well as that. Try it out if you have any interest at all in the Terminator movies or games.

Graphics- 7.9 out of 10
Sound and Music- 7 out of 10 (very cheesy)
Gameplay- 8.8 out of 10
Presentation- 9.9 out of 10

Overall- 8.4 out of 10

Mafia

2010-07-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

This game was originally made for the PC in 2002, and later ported to the Xbox system in 2004. It is developed by a Czech based game company called Illusion Softworks, and published by Gathering of Developers.

The game stars a taxi driver named Tommy Angelo, and through a series of events, you later become part of a mafia crime family, a la Don Salieri. Salieri is a well off man, mostly due to the fact that he is head of his crime family and has his cronies do all of his dirty work for him. I don't want to ruin the story for you, because it is done very well, but rest assured, this is one of the best plot-driven games you might ever play.
The gameplay consists of doing jobs for the Don, and making sure he is happy with the result. The job might be stealing something valuable from an opposing crime family, or just ripping some random people off for lots of money. There are about 12 (or more) jobs in the entire game to complete, and they are all varied in gameplay. Right from the beginning, this game looks and plays a lot like a 'Grand Theft Auto' game, but actually, it's very different. There are not any 'odd-jobs' that you can perform in between missions, and you can't just walk up to people on the street and talk to them. This game is very different from GTA. The city is very big, and even though it is fictitious, it looks very much like New York City did in the early 1930's. The roads are all open, and you can drive your old time car anywhere you want to. If you run a red light or speed over the speed limit, you will get a ticket from the cops, and if you don't stop, they will arrest you if they can catch you. The gun play is very bad, and I expected more from it. You have to move your aiming reticule over the enemy to target him, and then shoot him. For some reason, this doesn't always work. Sometimes you will be right in front of a mobster, point blank, and you shoot him, and it doesn't hit him at all. Thankfully, there is a button to help with targeting. Just push the black button, and you will automatically lock-on to your enemy, making him very easy to shoot. The on-foot controls are kind of lame, and turning is different from most 3rd person action games, but once you get the hang of it, it's really not too bad.

The sound and music is very good, and I will particularly note the music. When you arrive into a certain part of the city, an old song will play that sounds like it's from an old radio, and it's usually jazz or swing music. It really helps to get into the mood the game's setting presents. The sound is very good and gunfire sounds great. All of the characters in the game are well-voiced by very good voice actors, and it in just icing on the already sweet cake. All of this just helps to propel the story, and it works great.

The graphics are also well done, and though I don't know how good 'Mafia' looks on a high-end PC, the Xbox version looks astounding. The characters faces are of particular note here; they almost look real. The smoking effects from characters cigarettes are also very realistic. The cars look like old timers, and everything is brought together nicely. When you cross the bridge into a certain part of the city, the game has to enter a short loading screen, but it's just that. Short. There is some ugly blur effect on walls and building that are far in the distance, and there is some weird slow down when you are driving very fast, but this happens rarely because most of the time you will be taking lots of slow turns on the roads.

The game's presentation is top-notch, and I hope that other crime game would follow suit. The title screen looks very good, and there is some more modes in the game, like free ride, which lets you ride around the whole city in any car you want, and earn money by causing damage, among other things. There is also a racing mode where you can race any car you'd like around a tied off track in the city. There are LOTS of cars in this game! They look like real ones, but are not real in fact.

This game shines the most in it's well told story. It is like a Martin Scorsese picture that he never made! The story is truly that good. It really kept me playing. If you like crime games, give 'Mafia' a shot. It might be just what you're looking for.

Graphics- 8.9 out of 10
Sound and Music- 9 out of 10
Gameplay- 5.9 out of 10
Presentation- 8.5 out of 10

Overall- 6.7 out of 10

NOTE: (Try looking into playing the PC version of this game, I hear that it's much better to control than the console versions. My review is of the Xbox version of the game.)

The Lengend of Zelda

2010-07-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is an adventure/RPG of sorts.

The story: Prince darkness Ganon stole the triforce of power. Princess Zelda divided the other triforce into 8 units. Then she was captured by Ganon. You play as Link. You must save Zelda and collect the triforce units.

This game is easy to understand with a good amount of difficulty within each area on the map. It is especially difficult during the later dungeon levels. Secrets are scattered throughout the land. Some of the items that need to be found are very difficult to find. Some of the dialog is puzzling too. The graphics and presentation is good. Basic 8-bit with an overhead view of the area Link is exploring. Classic tunes that loop can be heard in the music. Some of the songs loop very well, but the dungeon music can sound repetitive if not haunting.

This game is an adventure (fantasy) It takes a long time to finish. After beating the game you can play again while the dungeons are scattered/hidden across the land. Some items are hard to find so you might need some additional help. There are also 3 save spaces in the game cartridge. I recommend this game. It is a big game with many puzzles.

Graphics: 7 out of 10
Music and sound: 8.5 out of 10
Game-play: 8.7 out of 10
Presentation: 8 out of 10

Overall 8.9 out of 10

Shadow Man

2010-07-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

This is a review for the 1999 Acclaim video game Shadow Man for the Nintendo 64.

The story is based loosely on the comic book Shadowman. You play as Michael LeRoi a voodoo warrior. The story also involves Jack The Ripper and a talking skull face snake with a top hat named Jaunty. Many evil and dark elements are involved in this game. Your character must do what is expected from him in the dead side. The game-play is third-person view. A shooter/action platform game. The levels consist of finding items and opening doors. The graphics are dark and basic. The large environments help with the game-play but are also confusing. It is difficult to know where to go and what to do in this game. The music is a bit haunting and quiet. The control seems to be off. I don't know if it is the controller I am using or the actual movement in the game. The main character seems to move slow and turns like a car.

Overall, if you like horror games with a little bit of humor and magic then you will not be surprised. This was a hard game to play because of the various difficulties. Be aware that this game contains evil/magic/dark content. I do not recommend it.

Graphics: 6 out of 10

Music and sound: 5 out of 10

Game play: 5 out of 10

Presentation: 4 out of 10

Overall: 3 out of 10

Peter Jackson's King Kong

2010-07-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

In 2005 Ubisoft, Peter Jackson and his team helped make King Kong: The official game of the movie. This review is for the GameCube version only.

First, if you like Peter Jackson's King Kong the movie then you will like this game a bit more than most people. The game follows the story and characters of the movie with a little twist on the events that are seen on screen. The video game is more about Skull Island which is where most of the game is played. The game play is different than most "first-person-shooter" games. There is no display on screen (HUB) showing health or ammo. Spears can be found on the island from dead animals or dead people. The action is crazy and scary. The bugs are creepy. The other creatures are just as scary too and you can play as King Kong!

The graphics look good in this game. I'm not going to compare it to anything else but I will say that it is a really good looking game for the GameCube. The sound production is quality. The bugs come to life and will scare you. The dinosaur screams are as good as a real movie! The combination of these graphics and (more so) the sound really brings Skull Island to life.

In the end, I think this game is great. If you like the movie it is even better. After beating the game you can unlock more extra features (art gallery, old film mode). The game also has a ranking code that will rank your points online. It is too bad that this game will only use a one save user-name on the memory card. I wish there was more to New York city. It would be cool to play every scene shown in the movie too. Overall Peter Jackon's King Kong video game is exciting, fun and scary. It is an adventure.

Graphics: 9.5 out of 10
Music and sound: 9.8 out of 10
Game play: 8 out of 10
Presentation: 8.8 out of 10

Overall: 8.9 out of 10

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

2010-06-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

This game can be traced back to the comic book "Turok". This game came out in 1997 for the Nintendo 64 and the PC (from Acclaim and Iguana). This game is a first-person shooter.

Turok is a Native American (part of the Fireseed family) and he is fighting dinosaurs and aliens. The story of Turok in this video game is that he must protect the barrier from Earth and the Lost Land. An evil overlord is seeking the Chronoscepter; a weapon broken down into eight pieces. Turok is on a quest. Turok must collect the Chronoscepter pieces to stop the evil overlord.

The game play is a difficult to understand at the beginning. I had to get use to the controller setup which took some time. The levels are spread out. I have to find all of the keys if I want to advance to the next level/area. This can take some time. The levels cover a large area with transportation portals too. Some of the areas look the same. Jumping on tall pillars can also cause problems, it can be difficult to see the correct jumping distance. The music is great. It really has a nice jungle sound and beat with the sounds of animals. The music and sound effects will keep you on edge. The graphics are good. This was considered are very good looking game when it was released back in 1997. The boss with the two jeeps has way too much skill. It is possible to beat him but you must use the environment to your advantage. Overall, I like this game but the game controls can be frustrating. This is a fun first-person shooter but it is lacking a few things.

Graphics: 7.8 out of 10
Music and sound: 9 out of 10
Game play: 7 out of 10
Presentation: 7.7 out of 10

Overall: 7.7 out of 10

The Getaway

2010-06-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

This game really, truly, blew me away. First thing I noticed while playing is the extremely realistic graphics. And yes, I know that PS2 can only show realism so much, but this game really pushes the system to the max to make sure that the game looks like the real thing. The fact that the developers recreated almost all of London's streets really impresses me, and it shows when you're playing. Everything is integrated into the missions and game-play very well. Sadly, the controls are not very good. It's kind of difficult moving your character around the city on foot, however, when in a car, it's pretty easy to drive. The game is kind of short, clocking it at about 8 or more hours of game-play, depending on how fast you can beat the missions. The story is very, very good, and much better than the story in the sequel, The Getaway: Black Monday. One aspect of the game I must point out, is there is no on-screen help at all in the game. I mean, there is no health meter, and there is no map or directions. When you are in a car, the blinkers will go off letting you know where to turn and when. When you are shot by someone in the game, you character will weaken, and to regain health, you must lean against a wall for a limited time. This really just makes the game seem more realistic.

I won't ruin the story for you. Just play the game. If you enjoy playing through a game that feels real and looks real, and makes you feel like you're playing through a well-scripted movie, then you need this game. In my opinion, this game is a PlayStation 2 classic. Play it, you will love it.

Graphics- 8.1 out of 10
Sound and Music- 8.0 out of 10
Gameplay- 5 out of 10
Presentation- 9.9 out of 10

Overall- 7 out of 10

Frogger Beyond

2010-06-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

Frogger Beyond is another 3D Frogger adventure. This review is for the GameCube Frogger Beyond (2002) game from Konami. This is the first 3D Frogger game I have been able to play. I am impressed!

The story: Frogger is going to go before The Great Council a day before his birthday. He must prove that he is old enough to be a man. To prove that he is an old frog he must conquer each world that the elders put before him. The story seems a little "out there" but the game play is very fun.

This game looks like a "kids" game but it really is not. Each new world becomes more difficult to complete. The game play is very much like the Frogger we know. Frogger hops one jump at a time in a 3D world. On lily pads and floating squares. The camera views can be deceiving because it is a 3D world. The music is great featuring a rap song about Frogger and his pals. The graphics are good too. I think Frogger Beyond is a good puzzle game with a good number of levels. There are a few problems with the camera angles but the overall game is good. If you like Frogger or puzzle games then you should play this game.

Graphics: 7.9 out of 10

Music and sound: 9 out of 10

Game play: 8.8 out 0f 10

Presentation: 7 out of 10

Overall: 8.8 out of 10

Resident Evil Zero

2010-06-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

Resident Evil 0 is a 2002 zombie mystery game from Capcom. This game is one-player and it is exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube. This game is on two discs.

The story takes place before all other Resident Evil games, 1993. Reports of mysterious murders happening in Racoon City. A special police force called S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics And Rescue Service) is going to check it out. In this game two characters are playable. Ex-marine Billy Coen and new S.T.A.R.S. recruit Rebecca Chambers. The story gets stranger and never lets up.

The game play is exactly like all the other Resident Evil games. Except in this game you can play as Rebecca and Billy. You can also choose to go solo or team through the game. There are many puzzles in this game and all of them are solvable. Some are more difficult than others. The graphics are great, even if they are pre-rendered. Fixed camera angles and creepy environments. Sometimes the switching camera angles can change the controls based on the point of view. That can get annoying. This game is very violent too and can be scary. After beating the game a special mode is available: Leech Hunter. In that mode you search the mansion and collect leeches. It can be very frustrating. There are 100 leches hiding is some of the most difficult places in the mansion.

This game is a mystery/horror video game. You can play it on different difficulties (easy, hard...). If you enjoy playing puzzling and scary zombie games with the addition of a weird virus story then you will probably like Resident Evil Zero.

Graphics: 9.5 out of 10
Music and sound: 9 out of 10
Game play: 8.3 out of 10
Presentation: 8 out of 10

Overall: 8.6 out of 10

R-Type DX

2010-06-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

The original R-Type was a side-scrolling arcade game from the 80s by Irem. Here it is again on the Gameboy Color. 1999.

You play as a R-Type ship fighting against the alien empire. The game contains 5 R-type games.

R-Type I, II (regular black and white)

R-Type I, II (Gameboy Color)

All new R-Type DX

All of the R-Type games are very difficult. I think R-Type II could be the easiest. This game takes timing, patience and good reaction skills. Probably one of the hardest shooter games out there. Your ship must not run into anything on screen unless it is a power-up. You have to do a lot of maneuvering on screen while the screen slowly moves forward (or right to left). If you want a challenging shooter for gameboy they you should play R-Type DX (Deluxe).

Graphics: 8 out of 10

Music and sound: 7 out of 10

Game play: 7 out of 10

Presentation: 5 out of 10

Overall: 7.7 out of 10

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

2010-06-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

In 2001, Nintendo, Capcom and Flagship presented a new Gameboy Zelda game. Two actually: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons & The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages. GameBoy Color only!

The Oracle of Seasons begins with Link waking up in the land of Holodrum. He then finds a group of people and begins to dance with them. Then everything goes wrong when Onox "the general of darkness" impressions the oracle of seasons. Link is now on a quest to fix this world and bring the weather back to normal.

This game looks very similar to The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. This time there are a number of news items and additional features. In this game Link can change the seasons (Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter). Each season does something different to the map. This makes the game fun and puzzling. Link will also find a number of animal friends that will help him on his quest. I really like this game. The music is great. The game play is fantastic. Problems will occur when you must change the seasons in a certain order to unlock the next area. Some parts of this game are really hard to figure out.

Overall this game is very fun but it can be really confusing at some points. Watch out.

NOTE: This game is only playable with Gameboy Color or higher (GBA, Gameboy Player).
Also, at the end of this game they want you to play Oracle of Ages to really finish the adventure/story.

Graphics: 8.8 out of 10
Sound and music: 9.7 out of 10
Game play: 8.7 out of 10
Presentation: 10 out of 10

Overall: 8.9 out of 10

Contra: Shattered Soldier

2010-06-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

Contra Shattered Soldier is a fun PS2 game. There are no doubts there. The action is very straight forward, and the objective is clear--shoot everything in site!

Only available on the PS2, Contra: Shattered Soldier tells a strange story about two guys trying to save the world. But the story is not what this game is about. This
game is about ACTION. LOTS OF ACTION. And that is what you get with CSS. You can play with up to two players, just like the NES Contra, and all of the awesome shooting action of that game is here, only bigger and much better looking. You might see a gigantic eyeball up ahead that wants to kill you, but then it gets squashed by an even bigger monstrosity. The game is extremely difficult. I can't get this point across enough. Even if you memorize all of the patterns of the enemies and bosses, you will still have to have quicks wits and quicker reflexes to stop them. The game is also very fast-paced. You must think fast or you will die. It's not too bad on easy mode because you get a lot of lives. You could probably beat the game on easy mode. I still haven't.

Graphics- 8.0 out of 10
Sound and Music- 8.0 out of 10
Gameplay- 9.0 out of 10
Presentation- 9.9 out of 10

Overall- 8.9 out of 10

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

2010-06-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is the fourth game in the series, and it's yet another fun one from Rockstar. I have been a fan of Grand Theft Auto ever since Grand Theft Auto 3 came out on the PS2. Vice City is not much different, except for the fact that the main character talks now, and the city is much larger than in
GTA 3. The graphics also look much better. I will be reviewing the PS2 version.

You would think that being a gangster is easy. Stealing cars, money, or drugs is simple, right? Wrong. Not in this game. There are multiple ways to complete each mission,but the easiest way is not always clear. You have to shoot, drive, and fly you way to victory, and sometimes, with rival gangs and all-around thugs trying to stop you, things can get a bit messy. If you're familiar with GTA 3 at all, then the core gameplay is still the same. Rockstar has been kind enough to add helicopters, motorcycles, and even scooters to the mix of available autos to steal, and you will be glad they did. The motorcycles are much faster than a car, and can fit down a tight alleyway much easier than a truck. In GTA: Vice City, people in the city give you jobs to do. The jobs might be stealing some drugs from some Haitians on a boat, or flying into a forbidden area in a chopper to get a picture of a seedy lowlife congressman. The jobs are all varied, and the game is full of them. There are so many ways to complete each mission, you could do each of them different every single time you play. The radio is also much better this time around, and since this game is set in the 80's all of the music comes from that era, and it's a great soundtrack. Michael Jackson, Blondie, and even Phil Collins are all here, just switch to a station you want to hear, and go catch some bad guys. I like the story in this game much better than in GTA 3, and it helps out a lot that the main character actually talks this time around! Ever since I got this game, I have always considered it a PS2 classic, and since I can pop the game in my PS2 today and still have fun playing it, that really says something to me. Check it out, and see for yourself.

Graphics- 8.5 out of 10
Sound and Music- 9.2 out of 10
Gameplay- 10 out of 10
Presentation- 8.7 out of 10

Overall- 9.6 out of 10

Alien³

2010-06-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Alien³ is based on the 1992 movie Alien³. It is a 1993 one-player game from JLN/Acclaim Entertainment.

You play as Riply. You must find all of the prisoners who are tied to the wall, in each area in order to advance to the next level. Aliens will pop out on screen and some will come from the ceiling. There are a number of different weapons to use but the ammo is limited. This game is a race against time. You must rescue all of the prisoners and then escape the building before time runs out.

The challenging part of this game is memorizing where the prisoners are located.The game begins as an easy one. It then starts to get more difficult. Time runs out quickly on the later levels. You can have up to 9 tires before you get game over. Jumping is a bit hard at times and shooting is easier. In "configuration" there is a music and sound test mode. You can also change the difficulty (normal, easy, hard). Plus, the "tires" can be changed up to 9.

This game can be fun but it later becomes very frustrating. It will take many different tries before you can complete this game. Finding the prisoners and stopping the aliens is the hardest part.

Graphics: 6.5 out of 10
Music and sound: 8.8 out of 10
Game play: 6 out of 10
Presentation: 7 out of 10

Overall: 6.8 out of 10

Bible Adventures

2010-06-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

Wisdom Tree presents the 1991 one-player video game Bible Adventures. True to the title this game features three games in one: Noah's Ark, Baby Moses and David and Goliath.

It starts with the title screen and music (Bach, Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring). You can pick to play one of the three games. Each game has the same style of game play but different stories and missions in each game. Noah's Ark is a collecting game where Noah must collect two of each animal before the rain comes. Plus food! Game two: baby Moses must be carried to the end of each level. Game three: David has to collect sheep and later he must fight Goliath with a sling.

I like that this game contains three games in one cartridge. The game play consists of jumping and picking up things. A simple game that works well. The music is very subtle throughout each game with simple sound effects that pop. I think this game is commonly criticized as one of the worst games. It does have a few problems. It can be easy and it can be hard. I would not add this to any worst game list.

I find it to be very fun. At times slow paced. It contains more strategy than action. Bible Adventures is a well made game with the addition of Bible elements.

Graphics: 7 out of 10
Music and sound: 6 out of 10
Game play: 8.5 out of 10
Presentation: 8 out of 10

Overall: 8.7 out of 10

Metal Storm

2010-06-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

Irem presents this single player 1991 side-scrolling video game called "Metal Storm".

You play as a robot and shoot the robotic enemies on each level. The game is not very long but the levels are really well made. The game play is very fun and something new! You can flip and play through the levels upside-down. Many levels require you to jump and flip to shoot the enemies and get past obstacles. Your M-308 gunner explodes if he is hit (one time). There are power-ups throughout the game that will help you attack and survive.

This is one great game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The music can get old, but most of the time it is worth listening to. The graphics are stunning for an 8-bit system. The presentation is sleek and simple. This game provides challenges and the levels get more difficult. I think there should be more levels. In the end, this is a fun game and one of the best 2D "plat-former" games I have played. If you can find this game it is worth a play.

Graphics: 9 out of 10
Music and sound: 8.4 out of 10
Game play: 9.5 out of 10
Presentation: 8.8 out of 10

Overall: 9.2 out of 10

Impossible Mission

2010-06-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

In 1984 Epyx released this game from game programmer Dennis Caswell. This review is for the Commodore 64 version.

It begins with a man in an elevator. You play as a secret agent on a mission to stop the mad professor. You must go to multiple rooms and search for clues. Robots try to stop you in each room. Time is running out, you must complete the game before it is too late. Ten minuets is subtracted each time you die.

The game play is simple yet difficult. You can jump, run and search. Some items can be found in computers (robot Zzz) that have the ability to stop robots. The pieces that are found are puzzling. Their is no music in this game. The sound effects really stand out. The voice of the evil professor can be heard at times. This game is really hard. There are so many rooms to search. The clues are also difficult to figure out once you get them.

Overall I like this game. It is very challenging but not impossible. If you like long puzzle games then you will probably like this game.

Graphics: 5 out of 10
Music and sound: 3 out of 10
Game play: 6 out of 10
Presentation: 2 out of 10

Overall: 6 out of 10

Smuggler's Run: Warzones

2010-06-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Rockstar Games and Angel Studios presents Smuggler's Run: Warzones. This is a 2002 game that puts the player behind the wheel. You are a smuggler. Two and four-player support.

The game starts with Frank telling you to get out there and smuggle the items. It is uncertain what the items are being smuggled. You must drive across the land, pick up the item and deliver it to a checkpoint. Most of the missions are a race against time. The story also has a good number of video clips (cut scenes). Live action clips of Frank the smuggler meeting new people and wanting to get paid.

There are many different vehicles ranging from an ATV to a huge truck. There are 36 story missions. Turf Wars, Checkpoint races, Joyriding and extras. The game play is very fun. You can go almost anywhere on the map. The vehicles drive very easy and fast. It reminds me of an arcade game. The music can be repetitive at times, but it also sounds like dance music. Most of it fits with the action which is good. The graphics are nice and the geography of the map really stands out. Presentation looks like a smugglers computer.

This game is just fun. Jumping from location to location is a blast. The vehicles seem to do the impossible; climbing up huge mountains at an almost 90 degree angle. It is a very fun and somewhat easy game.

Graphics: 7.7 out of 10
Music and Sound: 8 out of 10
Game play: 8.7 out of 10
Presentation: 7 out of 10

Overall: 8.4 out of 10

SSX 3 Review

2010-06-11T05:23:00.000-07:00

Wow. What can I say? This is the game that SSX fans have waited for.

After the release of the ps2 launch title SSX, it was clear that there was a place for snowboard themed video games. SSX combined the fun of racing with wild, unrealistic tracks to make a super fun snowboard racing game. A few years later, EA went on to create SSX Tricky, which added more tricks to the gameplay of the original. And now, in 2003, EA has created the best version of this game yet; SSX 3.

There are now 3 huge mountain peaks to board down, and each of them is more crazier in it's course design than the last. There are all of the same, popular snowboarding events like Super Pipe, Race, and Jam, but now they are much bigger and more elaborate. The gameplay is a perfect mix of doing tricks and racing with high speed. Most of the time it feels like you are just 'falling' down the tracks, not racing, but it feels great, and very realistic. The controls are perfect. Want to grind a metal pole? Just steer your boarder towards it and he/she will grind it. All you have to do it stay balanced.

The music has to be mentioned. Some great music tracks from Fatboy Slim, and N.E.R.D. are here, and fully remixed for each track. What I mean by that is, when you reach a cave section of the track for instance the song will actually change the beat and remove some instruments to sound completely different. When your boarder flies into the air, the music will 'dampen' and sound muffled. All of this really immerses you into the whole experience. The sound effects are great too. From firewords shooting off around you as you fly off a ramp, to carve deep into the snow to take a wide turn. It sounds real. And it's all presented in THX surround sound and Dolby Pro Logic (on the Gamecube version).

I played this game not long after it was released, and I am still playing it today. And it's still fun! That is the lasting ability of this game. There is so much to see and unlock! There are a lot of secrets in this game too. You will wonder how EA managed to fit all of this on one disc.

Graphics- 9.8 out of 10
Sound and Music- 10 out of 10
Gameplay- 10 out of 10
Presentation- 9.9 out of 10

Overall- 10 out of 10

Xevious

2010-06-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Xevious is a scrolling shooter game by Namco. It was released around 1988. This is a 1-2 player game. The original arcade game was first seen in 1982.

The game begins as you play as one the the Solvalou ships. Object fly on the screen attacking your ship. You must dodge them as they shoot from many different directions. The screen continues to move throughout the game. It looks like earth.

The game play is very basic. Move around on the screen and shoot either a fast gun or drop a bomb using the aim box. The graphics are very simple. The sound and music is very basic also. Very little amount of music and sound is heard. The presentation is like an arcade game. Overall I like this game. It is a simple shooter, not the best but still fun.

Graphics: 3 out of 10
Sound and Music: 2 out of 10
Game play: 7 out of 10
Presentation: 2 out of 10

Overall: 7.3 out of 10

Final Fantasy Tactics

2010-06-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

This is a role-playing-game (RPG) that uses a tactics game play. Developed by Square this game was out by 1998 in America.

The game starts with a story that involves a family, magic, kingdoms and churches. The story is complex and is always changing with new twists and surprises. The biggest problem with this game is the boss Wiegraf/Velius. At that point it the game the difficulty jumps to a very high level. If your war party of characters are not at a very high level of experience in the game, then it is close to impossible to get past this part of the game.

The strategy and different jobs a character can have is great. I really like the stadegy presented in the game play. But the overall game has some major problems and the difficulty jumps from easy to hard too quickly. The game play is very fun at first but the boss Velius seems to take away the fun. The graphics are really well made with a blend of 2D and 3D. The best part of this game is the sound and music. Mostly the music. The presentation is very nice. I just wish the game was as good.

At the end I was not too thriled. It began as a good game and ended as a bad game. There are too many problems with the story and some boss battles are over the top. Time consuming.

Graphics: 8.1 out of 10
Sound and Music: 9.4 out of 10
Game play: 7 out of 10
Presentation: 9.5 out of 10

Overall: 6 out of 10

Contra: The Alien Wars

2010-06-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Contra The Alien Wars for Game Boy. Also known as "Probotector". This 1994 game from Konami is set in A.D. 2636. I find this game to be a really fun action game for the Game Boy.

The story begins with aliens invading and causing massive problems to the city. "It's time for revenge". This game is the Contra III for the Game Boy. This game does not have very many levels, but if you play on a harder difficulty more levels are present. The different settings of difficulty: easy, normal, hard, maniac. There is also a sound test that features: Mono (one speaker?), stereo (two speakers) and fx (only sound effects). There is also a song test mode in the options.

The game play is much like all the other Contra games. He may run a bit slower but the jumping and shooting are all the same. I like the option of difficulty. This game can be played on easy or hard. The sound and music are really good for a Game Boy system. With 10 songs. The presentation is basic, not much going on. The graphics are OK. Very much like the other Contra games and it plays well.

Graphics: 7 out of 10
Sound and Music: 8 out of 10
Game play: 7.2 out of 10
Presentation: 3 out of 10

Overall: 8.1 out of 10

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

2010-06-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Nintendo brings back this Super Nintendo classic to the Game Boy Advanced handheld system. Released in 2002 this role-playing-game also features Four Swords. A multi-player adventure.

The story begins with the magic of Agahnim messing up the world. Link hears Zelda calling for help in a dream. Is it a dream? The adventure begins as Link searches for Zelda. Link must complete each dungeon while exploring the world. This game is very close to the original "Link to the Past" which can be found on the Super Nintendo (SNES). This is a top down action video game much like the original Legend of Zelda. There are three save slots too.

There are a few changes in this game. Link now yells and screams which can be annoying at times. There is also an extra dungeon hiding in the game. Plus this game also includes Four Swords (that game can only be played if at least one other person has a Game Boy Advanced, another copy of the game and a link cable). Four Swords can be up to 4 players.

The graphics are very nice just like the SNES game. The sound and music is also well done. I think they could have left a few sounds out. The game play is much like the original Zelda but better. It can be confusing at times. Where is the next dungeon? Collecting rupees is too easy. The game difficulty isn't really hard either, it is just a long game with a big map. The presentation is well done with a few improvements. Overall I like this game. Four Swords can only be played if there are other people but "Link to the Past" is a big game. If you like long story games and have not played this on the Super Nintendo then you might want to play it.

I reflect on this game as a good one.

Graphics: 8 out of 10
Sound and Music: 8 out of 10
Game play: 9 out of 10
Presentation: 8 out of 10

Overall: 8.8 out of 10

River City Ransom

2010-06-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

Also known as "Street Gangs" River City Ransom was released in 1989 by the developer Technos Japan. It was available in American by 1990.

Story: Two high school students (Alex and Ryan) must rescue Ryan's girlfriend Cyndi from a gang member named Slick. Along the way they must fight all the different gang members throughout the city. There is a boss every few streets. To progress in the game you must defeat the boss in order to get in River City High, where the last boss is located.

This game is either one player or two. The game play is very much like a beat-em-up style of play. Much like Double Dragon or Battletoads. In one player mode the option can be made to play as Alex or Ryan. Throughout the game your character can collect money after beating down the bad guys. That money can be collected and used to buy food, vitamins, juice and even books. After reading a book you may learn a new fighting move. You can also run pass all of the bad guys and go on to the next screen but you must beat all of the bosses to open up the doors to River City High (the last area). The last boss is the hardest.

The game play is simple and fun. With punch, kick and jump kick. Weapons can be used too (bat, pole, chain, box...). The graphics are nice and easy to understand for the most part. Jumping on a box may be hard to do consistently every time. The sound and music is well done. Both go well with the action on screen. The game may be too short for some players but you can play the game on either "novice" or "advanced" skill level. Overall it is a fun with easy game play and simple story. If you like fighting games then this one you should play.

Graphics: 7 out of 10

Sound and Music: 8 out of 10

Game play: 9 out of 10

Presentation: 6 out of 10

Overall: 8.5 out of 10

Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection

2010-05-28T10:54:00.001-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to play 'Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection' for the Xbox 360. It is a compilation disc of more than 40 classic Genesis games. For those of you who don't know about the games on the disc, I'll break it down for you. You get:

Alex Kidd in the Enhanted Castle
Alien Storm
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis
Bonanza Bros.
Columns
Comix Zone
Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dynamite Headdy
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco: The Tides of Time
E-SWAT
Fatal Labyrinth
Flicky
Gain Ground
Golden Axe
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe III
Kid Chameleon
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
Ristar
Shining Force
Shining Force 2
Shining in the Darkness
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Sonic 3
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic and Knuckles
Sonic Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hegehog 2
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 3
Super Thunder Blade
Vectorman
Vectorman 2

You can also unlock some Sega Master System games and Sega Arcade games which are:
Golden Axe Warrior(Arcade)
Phantasy Star (SMS)
Alien Syndrome (Arcade)
Altered Beast (Arcade)
Congo Bongo (Arcade)
Fantasy Zone (SMS)
Shinobi (Arcade)
Space Harrier (Arcade)
Zaxxon (Arcade)

Like I tell most people when they ask me about this game, 'It's got a lot of gameplay here!' There are so many games on this disc to keep you busy for a long time. And, they are all sorts of genres too. From action, to rpg, to shooter, there is something for everyone here. Also, if you've played a lot of these games before, playing them again will just bring back some good memories. So, if you're into nostalgic gaming, and you really want to get that good ole' feeling you got when you played Altered Beast on your Sega Genesis for the first time, you will get it all over again. If you've never experienced any of these titles before, this is the perfect time to play them. This game can be found for pretty cheap now. I must also mention that you can upgrade the video quality of the games to 16:9 aspect ration, and they are all in HD. Trust me, they look real good. There is also a 'smoothing' option you can turn on to make the graphics look even better, but I didn't prefer it.

If you're a Sega fan, then go for it. Get this amazing collection. If not, you are missing out on some really fun games.

Graphics- 5 out of 10
Sound and Music- 6.9 out of 10
Gameplay- 10 out of 10
Presentation- 7.9 out of 10

Overall- 7.9 out of 10

Medal of Honor: Rising Sun

2010-05-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

Electronic Arts presents their 5th Medal of Honor game in 2005. Medal of Honor: Rising Sun. This game takes place during the Pacific War. This is a review for the GameCube version.

The game begins with the events at Pearl Harbor. The opening is very action packed. The story then goes on with a series of battles and a few sneaking missions. The GameCube version comes with two discs and the multilayer option. The missions are fun, ranging from the jungle to a train bridge. There are a few different difficulty settings too. The game is not too easy and not too hard. The problem is the glitches. There are times when you shoot at an enemy and then they Then there are times when your team members (who are AI: Artificial Intelligence) run around as if they were lost or scared. The glitches in the game play are the worst thing about this game. The music and sound is really well done much like the other Medal of Honor games. The graphics are OK. Good enough I would say.

This is a fun war game but not the best from the Medal of Honor series. The glitches really do cause some problems while playing the game. If you like the Medal of Honor games then you may still want to play this one.

Graphics: 8 out of 10
Sounds and music: 9 out of 10
Game play: 7 out of 10
Presentation: 7 out of 10

Overall: 7 out of 10

Back to the Future

2010-05-27T14:32:00.001-07:00

Back to the Future, released in 1989 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Beam Software and LJN brought us this game based on the 80s movie.

Marty McFly is the main character and he begins his journey on the streets. The screen moves down while Marty walks and jumps around the dangerous objects that show up on the street/screen. Marty cannot hit anything except: the clocks, skateboard and a ball/blob that can be used as a weapon. If Marty does not get to the end of the level in time then you loose a life. You must also collect the clocks to keep the fading picture from going away

The later levels include Lou's Cafe where you have to throw milk shakes at the Biff clones? That part of the game is similar to Root Beer Tapper. To beat that level Marty must hit around 50 Biffs without loosing a life. After that it is more street walking. Then the school building. I have not yet completed the game so the ending is up to you to find out.

This game is very difficult. Many people say this is one of the worst games for the NES. It is bad.... but not unplayable. The music is the worst part. A short song that loops. Does not sound like it is from the movie at all. The graphics are very simple and nothing fancy stands out. The game play is simple and takes time to master. Reminds me of a space shooter game. Not the best game but for a very low price ($2) you can try your reaction skills and see how far you can get to the end.

Graphics: 7 out of 10
Sound & Music: 2 out of 10
Game play: 6 out of 10
Presentation: 5 out of 10

Overall: 6 out of 10

Red Dead Redemption

2010-05-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Rockstar is already becoming well known for it's 'Grand Theft Auto' game franchise, and now it looks like they have got another popular property under their belt. 'Red Dead Redemption' can be classified as a 'wild west shooter' game, and it is a very fun one indeed. You play as lone cowboy John Marston, who is looking for a man he used to work with so that he can reclaim what was stolen from him. Right from the start, you play as this main character, and the story begins unfolding right before your eyes as you meet the man Marston is looking for, and get shot and nearly killed by him. I won't ruin the story for you if you haven't yet played the game, but let me just say, a LOT of thought went into it.

If you are familiar with the Grand Theft Auto games, then you will be right at home with RDR. This game uses the same engine as GTA IV did; Euphoria, and it works just fine. Marston can jump, draw his weapon, and walk or run or jump over a fence if you want to. The gunplay is simple and looks good. Just press a trigger button to lock-on to an enemy (or a friendly person) and use the other trigger button to fire your weapon. There is also a lasso in the game, if you choose to take the non-lethal approach to catching bad guys. Lassoing is good for those of you who want to bring in a most-wanted killer alive, because the reward is much more if they are kept alive. Marston will meet all kinds of people in his adventure and befriend most of them, all to seek revenge on his old partner. It's hard for me to describe the gameplay, except to say that it is simple and fun. Shooting down a gang of robbers is as easy as shooting a deer to sell at the local general store for cash, except robbers will shoot back. That's okay, because you can hide behind any objects in the game world that you want to.

Speaking of the game world, this is where Rockstar has outdone themselves. The wild west world of the 1900's is brought to life here in astounding detail. From the dust on Marston's boots, to the grass and weeds on the prairie, everything looks amazingly life-like, and much better than the graphics is GTA IV.

The sound and music of this game are also top-notch. The sound and music were expertly recorded, immersing you even more into the game's environment. For instance, if you are outside in the sun, and you walk into a dusty old saloon, the sound that your boots make on the wood floor sound real, as does everything else in the saloon. I've never heard a better game that adapts to changing environments. Riding a horse is fun too, and easy; just saddle up and start riding. However, if you dig your boots in too deep in the horses sides, he may buck you off. The voice acting in the game is amazing, and the actors that were chosen for each part are very good. Rockstar deserves credit for choosing good actors to portray these characters.

All in all, this is such a fun experience of a game, and, in my humble opinion, the best cowboy game ever made.

Graphics- 10 out of 10
Sound and Music- 10 out of 10
Gameplay- 8.2 out of 10
Presentation- 10 out of 10

Overall- 8.5 out of 10

Metal Gear Solid

2010-05-10T14:10:00.001-07:00

It is called Metal Gear Solid (USA) and it is for the Gameboy Color. It was released by Konami in the year 2000. Only for GameBoy Color.

A secret project to revive another Metal Gear robot is the story plot in this game. Solid Snake must stop it. The story is new and in some ways it is not as confusing as the other Metal Gear Solid games. The game play is simple and fun. Solid Snake can crawl, shoot, climb and do many of the things that can be seen in the Playstation Metal Gear game. The graphics are really good for Gameboy Color. The sound and music is original and blends well with the story. There are bosses in this game and they can be puzzling to beat at times but not too difficult. Some points in the game can be complex and confusing. Finding some explosives and finding the correct wall to explode can take too much time.

There is also a "time trial" mode after you beat each level. A training mode too with a virtual simulation. The biggest problem I have with this game is that it can be hard to know what to do at some points. Sometimes it is just too hard.

If you can find this game for the right price and if you like the Metal Gear games then you should play this. I think it is one of the best Gameboy Color games.

Graphics: 9 out of 10
Sound and Music: 9 out of 10
Gameplay: 8 out of 10
Presentation: 10 out of 10

Overall: 8.6 out of 10