Author: Josh Jackson

Imagine living in a world where the United States is occupied by a united Korea. People being pulled from their homes, people shot in the street and bodies dumped in mass graves. It’s truly horrifying stuff… Now, imagine a fate even worse; being forced to play a really crappy first person shooter. Homefront brings both scenarios and puts them in the gamer’s hands as a resistance fighter working to reclaim America, but if the America I’m fighting for is anything like this game, Korea can keep it.

Homefront has the right idea as far as needing to stand out in an overcrowded shooter market. The setting that’s presented in the opening moments of the game where you’re kidnapped and forced to watch gruesome scenes like families being executed is truly frightening and feels like nothing that’s been seen in a shooter before. Everything from the music to the scenes in this opening scenario paints a picture of the new world you’re forced to occupy… but then your would-be rescuer stabs your captor. The blood looks like the guy was filled with strawberry Jell-o. But besides knowing that the in-game enemies are probably delicious and that the Koreans really like Full Throttle energy drinks and Hooters restaurants, the laughable blood splatter sets the tone for the rest of the campaign.

Graphics are important to sell the environment that the game is trying to present, but despite the work that was put in to creating a believable world, it’s easy to get taken out of it when you have to make sure you’re not playing on a PS2 or original Xbox instead. Everything from the environments to the character models make the game look dated and it doesn’t help when your two support characters are annoying and generic. Let’s see, loud mouth, reckless teammate who curses like a sailor? Check. The level headed partner who curses like a sailor to get the other guy to stop cursing? Check. The few likable characters are hardly in the game so be ready for non stop cliched macho talk while mowing down enemies. You know, in case your masculinity needs a boost.

But graphics are only part of the experience. If a game plays well, then visual issues can be ignored, right? It’s too bad that Homefront offers nothing special in this department either. The best shooters in the genre manage to pace the game well enough so that you’re not always just shooting at things. You know, maybe a vehicle here, a scripted sequence there… but no. For the vast majority of the five hour campaign, all we get are waives of Koreans. Shoot, advance, kill another waive, it felt like there are more Koreans in this game than there are in Korea. It’s like a 3D Space Invaders except in that, I don’t heal after hiding for a mere 5 seconds. 

Despite the absurdly quick health regeneration and the dull game play, so much of the game just didn’t work for me. One instance forced me to restart a checkpoint after an intense firefight because your partners are the only ones able to open doors. Sadly for me, my partner glitched and wouldn’t go into the room, and I couldn’t go back out because an invisible wall kept me from going through a door that I just went through. But since the checkpoints are so far away from each other, I had to replay that whole sequence over again. Not to mention that simple things like the grenade indicator don’t work right either, since while most games will have the picture of the grenade fade out when I was farther away, this game has it listed as a permanently solid color. I died often because I wasn’t sure how for the explosive was from me. While the campaign only lasting about five hours is normally a negative, I was glad to be done with it.

Most FPS fans would read the above and say, “Well, FPS games don’t focus on the single player much anyway. The real game lies in the multiplayer.” Ok, so when I boot up the multiplayer, I noticed how awesome it was that everyone is able to teleport around the environment. But then I realized that this wasn’t supposed to happen and that most of the games I played either had mass amounts of cheating less than a week after launch, or horrendous lag that had me running forward one second, and in front of a fence the next. While the game gives you multiple classes to spawn as, it does try to be a little more creative with a point system that rewards you for your performance. The points can be spent for supplies such as body armor or new weapons, or you can save up for destructive vehicles that can tear apart the environment around your opponents. The problem is that the game didn’t give me many tools to fight off helicopters, which could fly absurdly high to the point where it was near impossible to hit it. Better weapons can be earned as you level up to fight off these threats, but without an online pass that you have to download separately if you’re not playing a brand new copy, the highest rank possible is 5, which is barely scratching the surface. You want me to pay an extra $10 or buy the game brand new to access all of its features when the game has a mere three modes and doesn’t play like one that deserves a $60 purchase? No thanks.

So despite its brutality on the battlefield, there’s much worse during the fight in Homefront. I commend the game for creating a believable world that’s complimented by the hidden newspapers and cutscenes, but with such dull, sometimes glitchy game play, it’s really not worth more than a few hours. It ranges from mediocre and cliche to downright broken at points, and while I appreciate the innovations in multiplayer and the approach the story takes, none if it matters if it isn’t worth playing. There’s no shortage on wars to enlist in, so there’s no reason to defend Homefront.

In major cities across the country, Nintendo has set up 3DS demo pods to give the public the chance to try out the new system in the DS family. From March 7th to April 3rd, the system is available to try at most of the locations. Hearing the news, I took a break from flailing my Wiimote and headed to Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade to see if the 3D had any depth.

Steel Diver:

The first of the three Nintendo titles launching with the new handheld, Steel Diver puts you in control of an underwater submarine. The 3D effect was nice, but unnecessary since not only did it not add anything to the game, but the game itself looked like it could have worked on the regular DS. The entire game was controlled by the touch screen, so shooting, steering and plugging leaks is all done on the bottom screen while somehow trying to control your submarine through a 2D environment. The 1st person scope sections work better, but after getting over the steep learning curve, it was a bit easier to get through.

Nintendogs + Cats:

For the heartless souls who have something against real pets, Nintendogs looks to recreate the popularity it enjoyed a few years back on the new 3D handheld. It looks like they succeeded a little too well, because besides the addition of the cat that wanders in the background, the game feels almost identical based on the demo. The only big changed I noticed was that walking the dog is behind the back instead of side scrolling, so steering the dog away from trash is required instead of damn near choking it to death with the leash. Oh, and Mii’s replace regular people. Ugh… Mii’s.

Pilotwings Resort:

One of Nintendo’s seemingly forgotten franchises, the stunt vehicle title is still as fun as it was on the N64 and SNES. Making it into a hybrid of Pilotwings and the recent Wii Sports titles, Mii’s complete challenges using hang gliders, jet packs and planes to rack up the most points. This title was one of the two retina burning games on display, because this game and Madden both gave me double vision while playing with the slider all the way up. And by the way, if I’m going to burn my eyes out playing, I’m hoping there’s more than just three vehicles in the final version.

Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition:

If the title didn’t give it away, the game is Super Street Fighter IV with 3D effects. Frame rate drops notwithstanding, the game plays just like its big brother on the home consoles. Maybe due to the lack of additional shoulder buttons or to give newcomers a fighting chance, super moves are mapped on the touch screen and can be activated with a simple tap. To get the most out of the 3D effects, the new “Dynamic” camera angle puts the view behind your fighter so the fireballs can really come at you. The fast, fighting action was fully intact and was one of the more impressive games on display.

Asphalt 3D:

Imagine Burnout with 3D effects. Now, imagine having the awesome ability to crash through cop cars, drive through chunks of the environment and having a city that builds itself as you speed down the highway. Wait, that’s not supposed to happen? Oh, well in that case, Asphalt managed to provide a fun race that rewards you for near crashes and forcing the cops that chase you to wipe out, but there were so many technical and graphical problems that this will likely be seen as one of the weaker launch games unless there’s a big turnaround between the demo and release.

Madden Football:

I’d like to say that Madden was revolutionized with the new system, but let’s be honest: Madden is what it is, so what is there to expect? The 3D effect caused double vision like I mentioned, so that was turned off quick. Otherwise, it was just calling plays and running them through. Nothing bad here, but nothing special either.

Lego Star Wars 3:

Much like Street Fighter, besides the frame rate dip due to the added 3D effects, the game played just like the console versions. Hacking away at droids, building platforms out of Legos, collecting studs for future upgrades… Yep, it’s a Lego game. But it plays well on the 3DS, so handheld gamers just might have a viable version to take with them if they can’t get enough Lego destruction.

AR Games:

One of the new, yet somewhat neglected features of the 3DS are the augmented reality cards, or AR for short. The system comes with a set of cards that activate mini games when scanned by the system’s 3D camera. The card on display activated a few games, such as archery and fishing. Both used the tilt sensors in the system to position yourself at the fish or target in the real world. It’s hard to explain, but really needs to be seen… especially when a dragon popped out of the screen and I was forced to slay it. And what kind of thanks did I get? Lots of confused looks by beach goers who saw me spinning around with the game in my hand. Appreciation is overrated anyway…

Face Raiders:

Another AR game that was pre loaded on the system’s memory. The premise is pretty simple: take a picture of someone’s face, which is then plastered on space ships that surround your DS. You shoot the faces down until there are no more. It sounds shallow, but I imagine it could be a great stress reliever. Had a bad day at work? Shoot your boss into oblivion. Had a bad break up? Slide his or her face into the game and blast them away. Who knows? Maybe the world will be a better place after giving us such a great way to channel our hate. Thank you, Nintendo.

So that’s all there was to play in the demo pod. None of the games at this stage blew me away to the point where I felt that I needed to rush out and buy one of these things, but some of the technology was exciting, (but PLEASE fix the start, select and home buttons. I need something to actually press!) I’m hoping the tilt and AR technology shown in the cards will be implemented in some of the full games, (Zelda and Animal Crossing come to mind,) and the use of the 3D camera to instantly create Mii’s saves a lot of hassle. The newest console in the Nintendo family is showing lots of promise, and I can’t wait to find out if it meets expectations when I’m able to get the full versions in my hands.

As much as some of us would like, not every game can be about bloodbaths, giant guns and huge explosions. Sometimes it’s good to just relax and enjoy a game. The Undergarden hit Xbox Live towards the end of last year and has managed to find its way onto the shores of PSN as well. With it’s focus on underwater exploration, it’s a big change from what some of us are used to playing, but is this just the game you need after rage quitting an intense death match, or is it better off staying under the sea?

The Undergarden is a new title in the ever growing line of relaxation games in the vein of Flower from a few years back. Taking control of some kind of human-fish… thing, the barren, lifeless ocean floor needs to be brought back to its former flourishing nature. By collecting underwater pollen, spreading it throughout the ocean brings back the bright, vivid plants and brings life to the world as you play it.

It’s quite the sight to behold, because the visuals are beautiful to look at. Watching the ocean come alive around you is oddly rewarding in its simplicity, which is amplified by the relaxing music that accompanies the adventure. Collecting characters throughout the levels builds up a small band to bring even more life to the sound. If the developers were aiming to help gamers get lost in the presentation, then mission accomplished. The big issue though, was I never got lost in it as a game.

Atari has promoted the game to be a “Zen Puzzler,” but I found the game ended up being a little too Zen. It’s possible to be relaxing while still holding my attention, but Undergarden couldn’t keep me in the ocean. Despite the gorgeous visuals, I just couldn’t stay interested since many of the goals were very simple to accomplish, not to mention tedious for a few different reasons.

The controls felt too clunky for a game as simple as this, where constant dashing was the only way to get through the slow swimming. The puzzles throughout the 15 levels revolved mostly around growing different kinds of fruit that you needed to activate switches and open doors, but after a few short stages, I felt like I was constantly performing the same fetch quests over and over again. Grabbing specific items was frustrating, since the grab ability grabs a cluster of items at once instead of the specific ones you might need. And although the game itself was easy, putting up with the issues from beginning to end proved to be the biggest challenge to me.

But that’s not to say that The Undergarden isn’t an enjoyable game. There’s a fairly large amount of content considering the $10 price tag, with an ocean full of hidden areas and items to collect. Just swimming through the adventure takes a decent amount of time, but the big issue is if you’re willing to see it through to the end. There are better games if you want to sit back and relax, but if you’ve been through those and want another game to fit in between killstreaks and flag capturing, The Undergarden just might be the dive you’re looking to take.

It seems that more and more, RPG’s in particular seem to be more about high end graphics and hour long cutscenes as opposed to strategic and challenging game play. Enter Ys I & II Chronicles, the recently re-released classics that have been brought over to the PSP. Even in its heyday, Ys managed to be a unique title in the growing RPG genre that still feels unique to this day. Most importantly, it’s a reminder of when game play was king and all the bells and whistles came second. But as it also proves, the old school had its own share of problems.

Ys puts you in control of a lost adventurer who awakens in a small village after washing ashore from an apparent shipwreck. The townsfolk speak of a growing amount of monsters keeping them trapped in their small square of map. As usual, it turns out that a great evil is sweeping the land and a series of events prove that you’re the only one who can stop it. Now it’s up to you to banish the evil and save the day.

As I mentioned, Ys is a bit untraditional despite being about two decades old. It’s pretty much one of the first examples of an Action RPG. Outside of communicating with NPC’s to buy items and equipment, there aren’t many menus that control the game. So how’s one supposed to fight without words, menus and customizable borders to tell them what the character will do? Ys makes you dive in head first… Literally.

Enemies appear on the world map and wander around aimlessly. Attacking is done by running into them. It’s as simple as that. Hitting them head on does damage to both of you, but brushing up on their side or attacking from the back only hurts the enemy. So just keep ramming away until the opponent explodes into a pile of limbs! Of course, it would be hard to call it an RPG without magic, so you can eventually cast spells, but c’mon! Why not just headbutt everything to death? It might just be the remedy for gamers who feel RPG’s are too slow, since running full speed at whatever dares stand in your way is the best way to advance. That is, if you can manage to advance at all.

For all of the nostalgia releases like Ys can bring, older RPG’s such as these usually share one big flaw, and this title is no exception. Back in the NES days, it wasn’t uncommon to find 1-900 numbers on the back of the booklets. No, phone sex wasn’t included with every copy of the newest title, but the numbers were for tips on how to get through games, and it’s easy to see why it was needed while playing Ys. Rarely does the game give you any clue on what you’re supposed to do. Villagers are no help either, since usually they’ll tell you to talk to someone without knowing who that person is. After many wasted minutes, you’ll be lucky if they say anything that gives you the slightest hint of how to advance. So if you plan on finishing both games, good luck! Be prepared to spend hours wandering around like an amnesiac anime warrior until you find where you were supposed to be.

Even without this huge flaw, you can’t help but feel like you’re playing an outdated game. The story is pretty simple and there aren’t any memorable characters. It’s about as basic as you can get. Even with the addition of a handful of cutscenes, optional updated art, a remixed sountrack and a new translation, there’s little here to justify playing through if you’ve experienced these games in the past, and new players might be put off by the rough patches that aren’t found in newer RPG’s. 

It’s not the best example of a classic role playing adventure on the PSP, but if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic or want to experience the early days of gaming before online guides and in game tutorials, this collection is a lengthy experience that is worth a look. It’s hard to complain about two full RPG’s in one package, which are sure to keep the patient gamers out there occupied for a long while. Just be ready to have most of that time spent running in circles.

It’s been over a decade since a new Marvel vs. Capcom. Think about that… this can feel like an eternity, especially when gamers are known to complain when a game gets pushed back for a few weeks. But after 10 long years, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is finally in the hands of fighting fans waiting to put the beatdown on their favorite heroes, (and Taskmaster.) You don’t need me telling you that between the hype and the time it’s taken to be released, this newest entry in the Vs. series has galactic expectations to live up to.

If for some reason you managed to avoid the hooplah surrounding the series, Capcom has dug into the archives of both Capcom’s and Marvel’s history, (pre-Disney, so no punching Mickey’s teeth in,) to bring a 3-on-3 tag team fighting action. Aside from the usual suspects like Ryu, Spider-Man, Wolverine and Chun-Li come characters new to the fighting game scene like Resident Evil stars Chris Redfield and Wesker, the significantly less hairy Wolverine clone X-23 and Phoenix… not the lawyer but the intergalactic killing machine. With the exception of Akuma, each character feels unique and isn’t dominated by fighters who play exactly the same. And finally, all but four characters are available from the beginning with the other four being unlocked after a small amount of play time. It’s a far cry from the days where it took 30 hours in front of the Dreamcast to be able to fully play the game.

While the basic feel of the game is similar, veterans shouldn’t get too comfortable. Much has changed in ten years and I’m not just talking about online subscriptions and DLC. Rather than the four button attack scheme, it’s been reduced to a low, medium and high attack, similarly to Tatsunoko vs. Capcom a year ago. The fourth button is special. No, seriously, that’s what it’s called, and it’s used to pop up enemies to start air combos, send them crashing to the ground or activate new, nifty features like switching out mid air-combo, (also lifted from TvC.) Brand new to the series is a panic button called the X-Factor. Once a match, a player can go into this mode to double their power, speed and healing power. It can be cheap, but it adds a new layer of strategy to how one would tackle matches.

MvC3 delivers with its unique roster and deep, yet more accessible fighting system The visuals, music and presentation don’t disappoint, (although that horrible “Take You on a Ride” song comes back occaisionally,) But when it comes to game modes… maybe it’s not so super. After being promised an extensive story, what we get is a two frame ending for each character in arcade mode, some of which are only about four sentences long. And before someone complains that story doesn’t matter in a fighting game, go play BlazBlue and tell me that. This all star roster deserved more than what it got. Besides arcade mode is your basic training mode and the mission mode where players will practice preset combos with each character.

Online doesn’t fare much better. You have your ranked matches and player match lobbies, but the lack of a spectator mode really hurts the experience. In player match lobbies, there is nothing to do while waiting for your turn, (unless you want to make awkward conversation with the 12 year old that’s cursing you out.) Even a practice mode to brush up on your moves while you waited would have been much appreciated, but I guess we’ll have to wait another decade for an upgraded online mode. But at the end of the day, the game works near seamlessly online during matches, so that’s all one can really ask for.

So does MvC3 live up to its ridiculous amount of hype? Only time will tell if fighting game fans will still be playing this in the years to come, but I feel like it comes pretty damn close. The amount of unlockables is huge, and I can see the completionists out there putting in hundreds of hours to find everything. While the casual fan might wonder who the hell Amaterasu, Trish, Taskmaster and M.O.D.O.K. are, the depth in the unique movesets more than justify some of the obscure choices and the game is better for it. My biggest issue is that I feel like we should have gotten the full treatment after ten years of waiting, rather than a bare bones single and online mode that feels like it was slapped together at the last minute. Regardless, MvC3 takes us on a wild ride that will please Marvel, Capcom and fighting enthusiasts alike. Now, let’s go crazy!

<p><span style=”font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; “>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; “>So there are plenty of gift guides out there. Some for the gamer, some for the girl gamer&hellip; but what about those groups of friends that everyone forgets? We all have some sort of need, so here&rsquo;s a last minute gift guide for those gamers who usually get forgotten – because no one thinks that they are gamers at all!</p>
<h2 style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; “><strong style=”font-style: normal; “>The Stuck Up Music Enthusiast Gamer</strong></h2>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; “>Everyone knows at least one music enthusiast. You know the one&hellip; the one who thinks good music hasn&rsquo;t existed since the 70&prime;s and that he or she was totally born in the wrong decade since their deep souls can&rsquo;t connect with any of the trivial drivel that&rsquo;s released nowadays. We’re looking at you, William Bibbiani! Obviously, there&rsquo;s only one gift for these people&hellip;</p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: center; “><img style=”vertical-align: middle;” src=”http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/www.ign.com/5703/2010/12/Rock-Band-3-Cover.jpg” alt=”Rock Band 3 Cover” width=”260″ height=”365″ /></p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: center; “>&nbsp;</p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “>Sure, they might not like all&hellip; or any of the music on the disc, but at least they can download all of the Grateful Dead tracks and tell everyone how they&rsquo;re infinitely better than everything else on the set list. And if all else fails, they can spend all day on Internet message boards telling everyone how their taste is so much better than everyone else&rsquo;s. After all, there&rsquo;s no better gift than an extended e-peen.</p>
<h2 style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong style=”font-style: normal; “>The J-Pop Gamer</strong></h2>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong style=”font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; “><span style=”font-weight: normal; “>Some gamers won&rsquo;t be happy with Rock Band though, but that&rsquo;s no fault of yours. It&rsquo;s only because the songs are in English. We all know that the best songs are in languages we can&rsquo;t understand with a few poorly pronounced English words thrown in. That way, they don&rsquo;t have to pretend to sing the WHOLE song. Chances are these Japanese culture obsessed gamers would have a DS, so I&rsquo;ve got the perfect gift in mind.</span></strong></p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: center; “><img src=”http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/www.ign.com/5703/2010/12/Ouendan-Cover.jpg” alt=”Ouendan Cover” width=”300″ height=”300″ /></p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><span style=”font-style: normal;”><span style=”font-weight: normal; “>Osu! Takake! Ouendan!</span></span><em><strong><span style=”font-style: normal;”><span style=”font-weight: normal; “> </span></span></strong></em><strong style=”font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; “><span style=”font-weight: normal; “>The rhythm game for the DS that directly inspired Elite Beat Agents might be a bit hard to find, but it will be well worth it when you see their face light up at the sight of the kanji they could never hope to read. Just be prepared to listen to horribly butchered Japanese lyrics whenever you&rsquo;re around them for the next few months&hellip;</span></strong></p>
<h2 style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong style=”font-style: normal; “>The Weeaboo Gamer</strong></h2>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “>So music games are fine and dandy, but not everyone wants to spend their gaming time with music. That&rsquo;s what iPods are for, right? But what about the otaku gamer that wants something more? Ask yourself this: does the person have a Japanese alter ego who happens to be a forum role playing master? Is anything dubbed, translated or scripted in English inferior to the Japanese release in every way unless it&rsquo;s fansubbed by a bootlegger with a loose understanding of both languages? And do they constantly try to convince you that Bleach is better than Naruto? Don&rsquo;t fret, I&rsquo;ve got their gift too.</p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: center; “><img src=”http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/www.ign.com/5703/2010/12/Jump-Super-Stars-Cover.jpg” alt=”Jump Super Stars Cover” width=”300″ height=”300″ /></p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong>Jump Super Stars</strong> is another fairly hard to find import, but imagine the total nerdgasm they&rsquo;ll experience at the thought of Goku going toe to toe with Ichigo or Luffy and Naruto finally settling who&rsquo;s better between pirates and ninjas, (watching Yugi own Vegeta with trading cards is great in itself.) And the best part is that there&rsquo;s hardly a lick of English, so they might have a hard time figuring out how to unlock new characters, but at least they won&rsquo;t have to lower themselves to the English viewer&rsquo;s level of inferiority. Believe it!</p>
<h2 style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong style=”font-style: normal; “>The Lonely Gamer</strong></h2>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “>Let&rsquo;s face it, not everyone who shares our passion for games can be studs like us here. Sadly, some unfortunate souls have only had interaction with the ladies if they were animated and plastered on a pillow. A good friend would step in and help, but luckily, it&rsquo;s easy to mix gaming with dating.</p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: center; “><img src=”http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/www.ign.com/5703/2010/12/Sakura-Wars-Cover.jpg” alt=”Sakura Wars Cover” width=”260″ height=”365″ /></p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong>Sakura Wars</strong> for Wii and PS2 combines everything this gamer could want. Mech battles with the fate of the world in the balance and a group of beautiful women who will fall for him if he makes the right moves. Your team becomes stronger depending on your relationships with them, so there&rsquo;s extra incentive for treating them right. And besides, at least these ladies won&rsquo;t be put off by the odor of potato chips and basement.</p>
<h2 style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong style=”font-style: normal; “>The Younger Sibling</strong></h2>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “>Some might think it&rsquo;s a bad idea to buy a young sibling a game for Christmas. They&rsquo;re probably already bugging you enough to play the ones you own. While you do run a risk of addicting them to your passion even more, I think it&rsquo;s fair to share every once in awhile. So without any further ado&hellip;</p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: center; “><img src=”http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/www.ign.com/5703/2010/12/Clock-Tower-3-Cover.jpg” alt=”Clock Tower Cover” width=”260″ height=”365″ /></p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong>Clock Tower 3</strong> will potentially scar them. As a school girl who has no real weapons to speak of, she&rsquo;s constantly hunted down be freaky, grotesque serial killers who are waiting for their first chance to bludgeon or stab her to death. Sure, it might not be appropriate, but with any luck, they&rsquo;ll never want to touch a video game again and you can play in peace. And besides, it&rsquo;s only about $5 now, so at least it&rsquo;s cheap.</p>
<h2 style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong style=”font-style: normal; “>The Roommate</strong></h2>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “>Not everyone lives at home anymore, so at that point the scare tactic above won&rsquo;t work on a roommate. Most of them will borrow your stuff without asking and end up taking up your space at the most inopportune times. It&rsquo;s practically a marriage! So what can you do to spread a little Christmas cheer while flipping this scenario in your favor?</p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: center; “><img src=”http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/www.ign.com/5703/2010/12/vanquish-cover.jpg” alt=”Vanquish Cover” width=”260″ height=”365″ /></p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “>There&rsquo;s no specific reason for picking Vanquish except that it&rsquo;s awesome. So this is what you do; give them this present at Christmas. Then, when your roommate is in a drunken stupor from the campus Christmas party, snatch it up. That way, you have yourself an awesome game, and he or she will hopefully forget that you even gave it to them. It&rsquo;s a win/win!</p>
<h2 style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong style=”font-style: normal; “>The Achievement Whore</strong></h2>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “>Achievements have changed the way some gamers treat games. The only thing that matters to them is not whether or not the game is good, or if the developers put any hard work into it&hellip; but if it&rsquo;s easy to get that coveted 1000/1000G. They&rsquo;ll love you forever if you stuff their stocking with this gaming gift&hellip;</p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: center; “><img src=”http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/www.ign.com/5703/2010/12/Avatar-Burning-Earth-Cover.jpg” alt=”Avatar 360 Cover” width=”260″ height=”365″ /></p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong>Avatar: The Burning Earth</strong> is awful, it&rsquo;s short and it doesn&rsquo;t have very many redeeming qualities. BUT&hellip; all of the achievements can be earned by spending about two minutes in the tutorial. This gift is great because the recipient doesn&rsquo;t actually have to play it much at all. The achievements will be cheap, easy and short, just like they would want them.</p>
<h2 style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong style=”font-style: normal; “>The Holier Than Thou Gamer</strong></h2>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “>Lastly, what about the gamer that&rsquo;s played it all? He or she has had every system from the Atari and Intellivision to the PS3 and Wii. They feel that games aren&rsquo;t what they used to be. The dumbed down pieces of crap that come out today can&rsquo;t scrape the boots of classics like Mega Man and Super Mario Brothers. Nothing pleases them and any game you get them would be an insult to their self professed intelligence. It&rsquo;s okay though, when all else fails, go&nbsp;<em style=”font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; “>old</em>&nbsp;school.</p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: center; “><img src=”http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/www.ign.com/5703/2010/12/Donkey-Kong-Jenga.jpg” alt=”Donkey Kong Jenga” width=”340″ height=”344″ /></p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><span style=”line-height: 24px; “>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “><strong>Donkey Kong Jenga</strong> manages to do three things that are sure to satisfy this picky gamer. First, the game is older than most of the consoles he or she has owned, so the experience factor means nothing. Second, it has cool Donkey Kong themed pieces, reminding them of the &ldquo;glory days.&rdquo; Third, it&rsquo;s hard. Frustratingly hard. And since it has no save system, they&rsquo;ll have to start all over again&hellip; just like they would want it.</p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “>So that covers just about everybody. Now, there&rsquo;s no excuse as to why anyone should be missing from your Christmas list. With this wide variety of options, I&rsquo;m sure that there&rsquo;s someone out there that can appreciate these selections. Now, don&rsquo;t let all of this Christmas cheer make your heart grow three sizes. I&rsquo;m sure that can&rsquo;t be too healthy.</p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left; “>&nbsp;</p>
<p style=”margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: center; “><img id=”__mce_tmp” alt=”” /></p>
<p>

The thought of a Deus Ex and Mickey Mouse mash up is one of those ideas that seem like a crazy urban legend, kind of like Walt Disney’s frozen body underneath Disneyland. Since the beginning of this year however, with the announcement of Warren Spector’s collaboration with Disney to revive the company’s greatest icon in Epic Mickey, it was a hot topic amongst gamers and became one of the biggest announcements that no one really asked for. With Spector’s reputation, how the team at Junction Point would create a platformer that centered around choice and consequence while trying to re-establish the roots of one of the world’s most beloved characters was a mystery to all, but now that it’s finally out, does it live up to the year’s worth of hype? Or will it be locked away in the vault of shame faster than you can say Home on the Range?

It was promised early on that the smiley do-gooder version of Mickey that we’ve all grown accustomed to over the last few decades would be replaced by the more mischievous… and dare I say selfish version that was prominent from his inception. The game firmly establishes how big of a d-bag he can be in the opening moments of the title. Mickey wanders in a world through his mirror where the sorcerer Yensid has created a world for all of the forgotten Disney cartoons using his magic paint and paint thinner. Being the curious little one that he is, the mouse tries playing with the paint, only to spill the paint and thinner all over the newly created world and utterly ravages it, destroying the lives within and spreading chaos across the land. Showing his compassionate side, months go by without batting an eye at the destruction he caused… until a giant paint monster reaches across the mirror and pulls Mickey into the world he destroyed. Now, Mickey has to find a way out of this world, but only with the power of creation and a little help from some unlikely allies.

When Mickey got dragged into Wasteland, he didn’t show up empty handed. The most important mechanic in the game is brought in thanks to the paint brush. Using either paint or paint thinner, the world is at your disposal. While the entire environment can’t be toyed with, most of the world can be erased and recreated at your discretion. At its best, the paint and thinner opens up so many possibilities, from carefully hidden extras to creating platforms and accessing different areas. In combat, aside from flicking the Wiimote to smack enemies around with the brush, paint can turn them into loyal allies where as thinner melts them away. Boss fights also present different outcomes depending on how you fight the battle, giving it an interesting dynamic. Using each one grants different side abilities that come in handy in a pinch, and you’ll want to use them a lot because exploring the worlds in the game is one of its highlights.

Anyone who’s ever been to a Disney theme park will immediately recognize Wasteland. Each section is designed like a distorted version of each locale such as Main Street and Adventureland. The characters that populate the world are all forgotten Disney characters that only the most loyal fan could recognize, such as many of the different incarnations of Goofy, Horace the Horse and Clarabelle Cow. The bulk of the game will come from these characters with the many side quests they offer. Depending on how you solve these problems brings about different rewards, but do you want to help them for some admiration and a potential power up or do you want to screw them over for the sake of curiosity and some extra cash? Traveling between worlds brings about 2D side scrolling stages that pay homage to some of Disney’s history in the form of cartoon themes with level design that’s sure to bring back a memory or two. Topping it all off are the individual stages that render some of Disney’s most famous rides and movies, creating an ultimate nerdgasm for the choir of Walt. Sounds good, doesn’t it? If only this was all to the epic adventure…

Epic Mickey shows signs of greatness throughout, but when it fails, it fails hard. When playing with the thinner, Mickey must have erased a functional camera system, because while it’s passable in the beginning, later stages constantly snag the camera and make it hard to spot secret areas. Those 2D stages I mentioned also have to be played EVERY TIME that you travel between hub worlds, making them redundant and annoying. Some of the “good” or “bad” choices are so cookie cutter that I’m surprised that they made the cut, sometimes giving no reason to be a rascal other than for the sake of it. Most of the side quests are fetch quest after fetch quest after fetch quest, and guess what? They usually make you travel between worlds! So yes, more replaying the same stages… To make things worse, this has to be the only game of its kind that I can think of where you can’t revisit completed stages, and here lies the biggest problem. If a side quest isn’t completed by the end of the stage, it’s gone for good. Well, not exactly, but do you really want to play a new game plus and spend another 12 hours or so just to get back to that point? What makes side quests fun is the ability to do them at your leisure, but strong arming you into finishing them in one go is incredibly dumb, (unless you REALLY like fetch quests. You’ll be doing them for awhile.) The saving grace is how much fan service the game pays to its fans with all of the references, but if you’ve never been to Disneyland or if you’re young enough to hold The Lion King in the same regard as High School Musical, most of that will be lost on you. It was a huge missed opportunity to have collectible film reels but only have two actual cartoon shorts as extras on the disc. Having most of the game’s reference material could have helped some get up to speed, but keep in mind that this is the same company that thinks paying almost $100 to spin in a giant tea cup is a fair price…

But I trudged on through the Wasteland, and its story was one of the biggest reasons. Besides the atmosphere and nostalgia trip, the greatest asset the game has is its story, specifically surrounding Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Walt Disney’s first creation is the ruler of Wasteland, and is instantly at odds with Mickey. His jealousy stems from being forgotten and feeling like he should have everything Mickey does, which is part of the reason the world is in the image of Disneyland. As the two characters grow together through the stylistic cutscenes, I really cared about the dynamic between them and how Oswald would possibly come to terms with his unfortunate place in Disney’s history for the sake of restoring his world. But how would he react when he finds out that Mickey, the one who took everything that should have been his, was responsible for destroying his second home? I never thought I could be so engrossed in a game about anamorphic mice and rabbits that wear nothing but shorts, but that’s exactly what happened thanks to the fantastic writing and the care taken with weaving real events into a story about cartoons.

Junction Point took on a huge task trying to reinvent and revive an icon at the same time, all while creating a unique game in a genre as timeless as a platformer. The game shows signs of brilliance with the paint and thinner mechanics, and Wasteland is truly a sight to behold, but with so many basic faults holding it back, it’s just too much to ignore. The game could have been a contender with a better camera and the common sense to allow replayable levels, but Epic Mickey is still a must buy for any hardcore Disney fan. For the genre, the game is a decent length and collectable Disney trader pins require multiple play throughs to find all of them, giving quite a bit of reason to replay it, but for the casual Disney fan, be cautious. It might not be as epic as the title leads on. So as a whole, Epic Mickey succeeds in bringing out a side of Mickey that’s been dormant for too long. Let’s just hope that next time, the camera and design problems won’t be dormant in the mouse’s place.

Developer Good-Feel had a great idea when pitching a new IP. Imagine a yarn world where the protagonist could interact with the fabric in the world and have a constantly changing effect on his surroundings. Nintendo looked at their recent string of hits with their new IP’s such as Geist, Chibi Robo and Glory of Heracles… they decided to throw Kirby into the mix. It may silence the fans who have been shouting for years asking for a new Kirby on consoles, but can it truly be Kirby if he doesn’t suck and blow? Copying powers may have become a staple for the pink puffball, but Epic Yarn proves he doesn’t need old mouth tricks to be entertaining.

If there was an award for having the most awkwardly awesome story in a video game this year, Epic Yarn would win hands down. After a wizard made of yarn, (appropriately named Yin-Yarn,) wanders into Dream Land, he decides it would be a good idea to turn everything into yarn with his threading needles of doom. Being the glutton that he is, Kirby steals the wizard’s tomato, which enrages him enough to send Kirby to the yarn world with his magic sock. Yes, I said his magic sock… Kirby’s body was transformed into yarn, which makes items he inhales go straight through him. So what’s a one move wonder to do? He befriends Prince Fluff, who teaches him how to control his new found yarn-ness and aids him on a quest to save both worlds from the threat of the evil thread.

It’s hard to imagine a game based around yarn would be so visually stunning, but Epic Yarn’s style is the biggest stand out of the game. Traveling across various worlds, Kirby uses his new yarn whip to latch onto buttons, pull back loose fabric to reveal hidden items and tear pieces of the environment away to alter the stage’s landscape. Some familiar enemies make appearances to mix in with the mostly new cast, but this time, the Star Warrior shows no mercy. Viciously crushing enemies into balls to throw at obsticles or completely disemboweling anyone that gets in his way, Kirby shows off his brutal side. But since everyone’s made of yarn, it just comes off looking really cute like.

Just because Kirby can’t absorb enemies this time doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any other tricks up his hollow yarn sleeves. His yarn body allows him to change into various forms, like a car or parachute for your basic platforming needs. Certain stages give him special transformations that bring a completely different game play dynamic so it’s not all just running from left to right. Rockets, giant tanks, UFO’s… there’s little he can’t do as long as it has nothing to do with what he could do before. On the subject of previous games, each stage has a plethora of unlockables that can be used to decorate Kirby’s rent free apartment. Decorating will attract friendly residents who will ask you to complete side missions, few of which are actually fun but give you something to do if you’re a completionist. Players are also ranked for how much currency, (appropriately called beads,) they can gather by the end of the level. Kirby can’t die, but each hit drains a huge chunk of beads, so aiming for those gold medals can become its own challenge. Each world ends with entertaining boss fights that take advantage of the unique graphics the game brings, but also uses them as a device to complete the fight. If there was ever a game to show off how an old concept like a 2D platformer can still feel fresh with enough innovation and imagination, look no further.

A second player can take control of Prince Fluff and play the entire game with jump in co-op that plays similar to New Super Mario Bros Wii, except nowhere near as refined. It’s obvious that Prince Fluff, (the original protagonist before Kirby butted in,) holds a grudge over having his game hijacked, because it’s very easy to sabotage your partner by knocking them off a stage, leaving them behind or throwing them into enemies. Let’s just call these “accidents.”

So in the end, was it a wise move to add Kirby? After spending so much time in this yarn themed world, it’s hard to deny that the pink hero’s cuteness brings a certain level of familiarity. Other than his presence and the lack of difficulty that’s common with the series, there’s very little that reminds us of the super star game play of old, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. What we have left is a fun, charming title that makes the most out of its graphics and seamlessly intertwines it with the core of the game play. It may be on the short side, but the experience more than makes up for it. Of course, you can always extend the length and challenge with a friend, but only if you don’t plan on being friends for much longer. Maybe next time, the yarn residents will get their time in the spotlight, but for now, Kirby’s console comeback is easily one of the best adventures he’s ever had, even if he doesn’t “suck.”

Sega and Sonic Team have tried everything to make Sonic relevant again in the eyes of gamers. Putting him in a storybook didn’t work, giving him a laughably large RPG sword didn’t do much either and most of us would love to forget that the Werehog ever existed. But here’s a crazy idea… why not let Sonic be Sonic? Remember the fast hedgehog that had the occasional platform challenge topped off by crazy speed based level design that we played before we even knew the phrase? Somehow, this is the impression I get from Sonic Colors, the Wii exclusive foray back into 3D platforming. No weapons, overbearing gimmicks, figure skating and especially no relationships with human girls here; only fast, fun and challenging gameplay which just might be the blue hedgehog’s saving grace.

Colors almost feels like a fresh start for Sega’s mascot. Sonic and Tails both have new voice actors, the heroes are sent to a world never seen before in the series and for the first time in way too long, the game takes center stage in front of the story. After Eggman claims to turn a new leaf and creates a theme park to apologize for his misdeeds, the cynical Hedgehog decides to destroy it simply because he doesn’t believe it. Luckily, it turns out that Eggman is taking aliens called Wisps and siphoning their powers to help take over the world, so Sonic won’t be charged with slander, trespassing and vandalism since he’s saving the world once again. That’s pretty much the beginning and end of it.

Much like the daytime stages in Sonic Unleashed, the game changes perspectives on the fly between 2D side scrolling and 3D acrobatics. Colors does a great job of creating a sense of speed, but unlike Unleashed, the speed is constantly broken up with platforming challenges that reward players for exploring through roughly. And these stages can be huge, some of which Sonic can’t explore fully in one run, but finding each secret ring feels immensely rewarding, especially when you finally reach the surprise you unlock for finding all of them. But Colors needed something to set itself apart. Otherwise, you could just get your annoying younger sibling to play the boring stages so you could get to the good stuff. But no, Colors does something that Sonic has rarely done in the past aside from Super Sonic, which is rely on power ups to add variety to the game. Using the Wisps encountered throughout the game, Sonic can reveal new platforms, drill underground and fly into the air for starters. They bring a new dynamic that fits right in with this world where talking animals are perfectly normal.

Venturing across the different worlds that make up Eggmanland brings its own surprises aside from the power ups introduced. Each world is distinct and brings its own style, keeping the level design fresh. Certain areas such as running through a neon track through space and bouncing off of meteors are not only exciting, but really show what graphical power the Wii can pull off when the developer decides to show some creativity. 3D games in the series have usually had really bad trial and error based challenges where there was no way to know what to do without dying and memorizing layouts over and over again. While later stages retain this in moderation, gamers are given fair warning for the most part, with a red glow and caution signs at and before pits. So there should be far less of Sonic bolting off the stage this time. It has to be mentioned that running through these levels is perfectly complemented with Eggman’s hilarious commentary over the park’s PA system, (which were written by Sega’s previous Wii gem, Madworld, only with 100% less swearing… and Bender.) The writers continued one of the few upsides to the recent Sonic games, which was giving Eggman and his henchmen well defined personalities that steal the show… especially when Sonic and Tales have five facepalm worthy lines for every good one. There’s so much that Sonic Team does right in Colors that it’s hard to believe that they’ve had so many missteps recently, but that doesn’t mean all is well either.

While Colors is a huge improvement, the blue blur still stumbles in a few key areas. The game isn’t very long to finish, which wouldn’t normally be a problem except that out of all the bosses, three of them are repeats from the previous one. If the boss fights were at least entertaining, that would help some, but they’re either way too easy, short or drawn out that you’ll use the speed to rush through to a level that’s actually good. While the game does feature a two player co-op mode, (which is also required for that awesome secret I mentioned before,) it feels tacked on because the levels are so short and some barely use any team work. Then again, maybe I’m just put off by the option to use Mii’s… and by Mii’s I mean Mii heads on Sonic’s body. It’s the stuff nightmares and broken dreams are made out of, (it’s probably a byproduct of Sonic’s bestiality escapades from Sonic 06.)There are some interesting ideas brought to the dance like bouncing off of each other to get across gaps and combining powers, and I hope the concept is revisisted and refined in Sonic’s next game. But these issues combined with the trial and error late in the game hurt the overall experience, but not enough to keep it from being enjoyable.

Did I just say that? Did I say a new 3D Sonic game was enjoyable? Well, believe it. Sonic Colors is the best game the hedgehog has seen in years, and Wii owners have a title worthy of the legacy that was paved so long ago. With a game brimming with personality, gorgeous stages, inventive game play and plenty of reasons to play after the credits have rolled, let’s hope Sega can keep this momentum going forward. Despite a few hitches, any fan of the series would be crazy not to have Colors in their library, and even though he’s about a decade late, the hedgehog we know and love is finally back.

So which gaming icon gets to run around wearing nothing but a tie, causes mass destruction in his wake and has been known as both a thief and kidnapper and still be considered a hero? That’s right, Donkey Kong. It’s been over a decade since the last Donkey Kong Country game was released. Sure, he’s dabbled in the realm of rhythm, racing, puzzle and “other” platforming games, but after so long, we’re finally able to head back to the country courtesy of Retro Studios. They used their magic to reinvent the Metroid series, and it seems like they saved a little bit for everyone’s favorite family of apes.

Returning to this familiar land starts off similarly enough. A group of apparently evil Tikis hypnotize most of the animals on DK Island. After forcing them to steal the Kong banana stash, (again…) Donkey Kong and his BFF Diddy travel the island in order to recover the stash and defeat the Tiki threat. With help from familiar animal buddies like Rambi and the 4th wall breaking grump, Cranky Kong, the two Kongs have plenty of support… and they’ll need all the help they can get.

Traveling across eight worlds with multiple stages in each, the game starts off very familiar. Many of the music tracks are remixes from the classic SNES tunes on top of some catchy new arrangements, the lush jungles and hop and bop platforming will feel right at home for gamers longing for a new DK fix and collectable items like floating KONG letters litter the stages. But c’mon, knowing Retro, the game wasn’t going to be a straight rehash. After the first world, each one has many new themes that haven’t been visited in the series. Rather than tag team game play between Donkey and Diddy, Diddy is treated more like a power up in single player, where he rides on Donkey’s back and gives him the ability to float courtesy of his jet pack as well as an extra two hit points. Co-Op play steals the show where both players can control the two Kongs individually as well as combine into one. Oddly enough, Donkey sucks bad compared to Diddy, who has the jetpack AND a peanut gun. It’s good to see that he’s willing to give up the spotlight to his sidekick every once in awhile… unlike some other Nintendo platforming icons I know.

Oh yeah, about the health…. it takes two hits to die now instead of one. But wait, put down your pitchfork and torch, the game isn’t any easier than before. In fact, it will make good use of the extra health… Later stages will really challenge your platforming skills, so you’ll be prepared to die a lot. Co-Op costs two lives for every death or a dead player can pay one life to float back onto screen, but be careful. If your partner doesn’t catch the barrel that life is lost. Replacing most of the animal buddies are rocket barrel stages which will really try your patience. The returning mine cart stages are just as brutal as you remember, some even more so. Part of the challenge lies in the fact that the stages are all so unique, and I’m honestly amazed at how much creativity was infused in the game. From transforming stages to the stylized silhouette areas, 2.5D set ups that blast characters into the background and a few surprises like a spider stampede and menacing bats, that’s just a taste of some of the unique aspects that have been brought by the new game. Completing all of the time trials, finding all of the hidden puzzle pieces and KONG letters can prove to be it’s own challenge, but brings sweet rewards. You’ll have to search high and low because bonus stages and hidden areas return, with new ways to hide those items like blowing out flowers and flames. And if you really suck, don’t worry. Nintendo brought back the super guide to play the game for you… if your pride has already been sucked away by then. Sadly, the ONLY excuse you can have for failing at the game is the controls. There’s no classic control option and even with a few free buttons with the Wiimote/Nunchuk combo, you have to shake to roll, ground pound and blow flowers. It’s not hard to get used to, but a few too many lives were lost by rolling when I was trying to pound away. So I guess I’ll forgive you if you blame the controls this time.

Rarely has a game done so well at staying fresh and imaginative for so long. That honor is usually held by Nintendo’s main mascot, but the Kongs give him a run for his money in Donkey Kong Country returns. Even late in the game, Retro introduces new ways to play that keep it fast, frantic and fun. Save for the minor control issues, there’s no better 2D platformer this year, and a great way to spend a weekend with a friend thanks to the stellar Co-Op mode. Yes, that’s right everyone, Donkey Kong is back, and back in a big way. And I hate to say it… but it’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys…. especially when the monkeys are throwing barrels at your face.

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been over a year since the stellar Batman: Arkham Asylum showed the world what a comic book inspired game could really be. After so many months of waiting, we finally have the next title brandishing the Batman name… the new game we’ve all been waiting for! No, of course it’s not Arkham City, I’m talking about Batman: The Brave and the Bold, a Wii exclusive beat em up based on the cartoon series of the same name. While it may be seen as the “other” Batman game, this campy version of the Dark Knight does plenty to entertain. And he brought a few friends along this time…



Developer WayForward has proven to be a master of the old school style and they further show their talents with this title. Much like the SNES games of yesteryear, players can team up in jump-in jump-out co-op while taking on the crime of the world. Choosing between Batman or one of his always present sidekicks, players will use various attacks, grabs and a bit of waggle to unleash powerful techniques and solve the occaisional puzzle. Stringing together combos forces the enemies to explode into money, which can be cashed in to upgrade special attacks. Rewards such as boosts in health and money reward those willing to search the stages as well, all in the trademark Brave and the Bold style, (incredible animation, voice acting and hilarious dialogue between the campy teams.)

Much like the show, the game is separated into episodes, each one with a different setting, villain and sidekick. The DC Universe is rich with super heroes, so we were sure to get the cream of the crop to fight alongside the Dark Knight, right? All stars like Hawkman… Blue Beetle… and Robin. At least Green Lantern is playable, but don’t get too excited… it’s Guy Gardner. Well… at least Batman has so many great enemies to choose from. Not this time though, because we get the likes of Clock King, Gentleman Ghost and Catman. Even the one shot striker heroes are some of the more obscure characters the DC world has to offer. Remember Plastic Man, Black Lightning and Red Tornado? Didn’t think so. But at least they’re useful, because the sidekicks are the standout of this beat em up.

At the beginning, you’ll notice something peculiar. The sidekick is a lot more awesome to control than Batman, (save for Hawkman. I hate that guy.) While it’s obvious that everyone will want to jump on to the chance to play as the titular character, Batman slowly builds up an arsenal of gadgets, weapons and abilities while the sidekicks usually start off with unique abilities from the get-go. From Blue Beetle’s array of gadgets to Green Lantern’s awesome motion controlled ring abilities, I never felt like I was getting shafted when using the sidekick in a co-op game. By the end of the game, Batman is definitely the king of Wayne Manor, but the game manages to be fun no matter who you’re playing as.

Unfortunately, it seems to be the nature of this genre to have two major flaws; repetition and length. The game is fun, sure, but pressing the same buttons and performing the same combos gets as old as Alfred after awhile. The game is best enjoyed in sections, since I was ready to spray shark repelent in my eyes before playing any longer after an extended session. But even without marathoning the game, Batman’s adventure is over pretty quickly, with a meager 5 hours to finish the game, upgrade all of the equipment and finish the unlockable challenge map. Even at a reduced $40 price tag, you’d have to be brave and bold to shell out the cash during such a competitive season.

Even still, Batman: The Brave and the Bold is a worthy purchase for fans of the caped crusader. The attention to detail in the animation, the laugh out loud humor and the multiplayer features, (including DS link support,) are worthy of any super hero team. It is best played in pairs, so make sure you have your own personal Robin to sit around and play it with you to get the most out of it. If this game had been released 15 years sooner, it would be considered a classic, but even when released in an HD era, Brave and the Bold manages to be a well made throwback to when games were basic, simple and most of all, fun!

James Bond has been the epitome of manliness since his first film was released. He’s an international super spy, has all the coolest gadgets, he can take you out with his fists as well as his wit and he gets women from all around the world. Henchmen take notice when Bond is around, and no other game has exemplified this better than Blood Stone from Project Gotham developer Bizarre Creations. Cars are pretty manly too, so it seemed like a perfect fit for the developer, but it turns out it’s for all the wrong reasons.

Since it’s been so long since a Bond film has been released and Activision wants to get the most out of its license, Blood Stone is treated as a film in video game form. Daniel Craig and Judi Dench return as Bond and M, but especially in the case of Craig, it sounds like it was recorded through Bond’s smart phone with dry delivery and half hearted acting. SInger Joss Stone is pulling double duty as the performer of the Bond song at the start of the game and the voice and likeness of the game’s love interest, where she does a pretty good job compared to the “real” actors. Like an actual movie, the game has a plot that spans the globe while 007 tries to stop an international threat, complete with gun fights, espionage and explosive car chases. So far, it has everything that you would expect from Bond, but it’s taken and distorted in a way that results in laughable game play.

So Blood Stone has taught me one thing about the spy that I’ve never known… his manliness makes him the most intimidating man in the world. Dozens of foot soldiers can do nothing but quake in fear as Bond nears them, which makes it very hard to shoot straight. It makes it very easy, (not to mention more efficient,) to just punch everyone to death. Why wouldn’t  you be afraid of him though? His awesome Bond-ness heals gunshot wounds in a matter of seconds as long as he doesn’t get shot again and punching enemies makes him invulnerable. Even harder difficulties don’t make it much more difficult, since the foes can’t seem to got their shots to hit, even when Bond is right in front of them. A decent cover system is used if you actually want to avoid being shot, but if you really want to show off, Bond has a focus shot ability that he gains for every melee kill. At the press of a button, the cursor automatically points at an enemy’s head no matter the distance. That’s right, instant head shot. Is there anything he can’t do?

Being a spy isn’t all about shooting and fisticuffs, so the game play does give you a break by throwing in stealth and driving stages throughout the main story. Stealth works really well, but the enemies do what they can to make it as easy as possible. As if they’re cowering in fear, there are many times throught the game where enemies are positioned facing corners or staring at a wall. No movement, no patrolling, no nothing. It’s not hard at all to sneak up on someone who’s scraping gum off the wall instead of searching the area. Each stage has a vehicle section that are pretty well done. The cars have tight controls with impressive locals that are a real treat to look at, but these areas are a very small part of the game. It’s too bad the graphics and game play take such a drop in quality outside of driving. Oh, and there are also secret files and security cameras that can be hacked by Bond’s super cell phone. It can do just about everything except make the game good.

Online has also been thrown in, which is exclusively team based. It has a wide variety of modes such as team death match, team elimination and mission mode where MI6 takes on terrorists to defend objectives… wait, those are all the modes? With only three modes of play, (two of which are nearly identical,) it’s easy to get tired of it fast. Each action such as a head shot or melee kill give different amounts of experience points which unlock new weapons and character skins, but I honestly can’t see anyone playing for long.

So in short, the epicness of Bond feels like it’s shown off in all the wrong ways. Outside of the well done driving sections, the main game is riddled with terrible AI, a health system that’s way too linient and a gunplay that holds your hand through the game. There’s little to fear when enemy’s can’t seem to hit you, and something has to be wrong when melee is more effective than shooting in a shooter. Online isn’t much better, with a tacked on, bare bones mode that is sure to get old quick. All you have left is an average story with a few good stages scattered through the five hour experience. Give it a rental if you’re a Bond fan because there is fun to be had, but in the case of Blood Stone, 007 might want to keep his escapades on the big screen.

Hey, what do you know? We’re in the tail end of 2010 and we’ve only had one Guitar Hero release! Am I imagining things? Is it the apocalypse yet? The balance of the universe has shifted somehow… All joking aside, Activision and Neversoft promised to create a more focused, single effort with Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, the 6th main entry in the popular music game franchise. So, did focusing all of their creative efforts on a single title help the game bounce back and regain its focus?

Continuing from previous years, gamers can grab their plastic instruments, (or pick up this year’s model of toys,) and rock out on drums, vocals, bass and of course, guitar by hitting the notes as they descend on color-coded screen. Since this is the only possible way for most of us to be rock stars without having to put in the effort to learn a real instrument or sell our souls, it still stands strong as a party favorite, especially with over 90 songs and an expanded GH Tunes feature to create your own content. Drop out play returns from last year, as well as the objectives within each track to give players individual goals. The online features also got a full band expansion for certain modes, and a new twitter like feed lets you follow what your friends are doing within the GH universe. Gone however, is last year’s career mode which integrated these mini-chievements into the experience and the celebrity caricatures with them. What’s in its place is something completely different… or so it seems.

Every year, the main Guitar Hero titles have added a major feature to try and add variety to the tried (tired?) and true game play, (i.e. distracting you from the fact that you’re playing the same game over again.) This year, your favorite virtual rockers are becoming warriors, but not just any warriors… WARRIORS OF ROCK! Ahem… so the story goes that a legendary battle between the Demigod of Rock and something known as The Beast raged on for years. When the Demigod is seemingly defeated, he calls out to the greatest rockers in the world to help him win the battle and transform them into soldiers to basically do his bidding so he won’t have to. Each Guitar Hero character within this mode has an individual perk that serves various functions. Some might generate Star Power, (the point boost power up if you’ve never played these games,) some might go past the point multiplier cap and some have extra health for example. The individual rockers have their own mini set lists that they have to earn a certain number of ranking stars in to boost their power and earn their warrior transformation. These powers even carry over to quick play modes to add a certain freshness to the potentially stale formula. While these features may rock hard at first though, they bring along new problems that prevent me from wanting an encore.

Remember how I mentioned that the characters have their own set lists? Yes, this is one of the most annoying parts of the quest. Within a game featuring so many songs and an entire downloadable library, why am I stuck with playing seven or eight songs that I don’t like just to advance? Being so limited makes it even more apparent that the difficulty of the songs is all over the place. Neversoft promised to get back to the roots of the series by focusing on difficult guitar charts, but you’ll go from excruciatingly easy to frustratingly hard within the same set. There’s really no balance in the difficulty within quest mode, so even though you can raise or lower the challenge level, I’d rather have a natural progression that didn’t force me to stop the game after every few songs. 

Some of these problems carry over to the rest of the game as well, since the focus on guitar does show to the point of featuring many songs lacking in any real drum or vocal presence. You don’t necessarily need to kick your drummer out of the band, but he or she might feel a little left out. Besides, the biggest problem with the game is the one that’s plagued it all along. There’s very little that’s new here. Despite their efforts, the game feels more scattered and hazy than a night with the groupies, on top of feeling like it’s all been done before, more than a few times, by you.

So in the end, it seems like Guitar Hero has turned out like many of the bands it’s featured. They hit it big, got a bit of an ego and branched out on multiple projects. After tours with Van Halen, Aerosmith Metallica and Taylor Swift didn’t pan out, the group tried to focus on their roots. Just like with real bands though, it’s still sounds like the same, tired sound. If you’re a Guitar Hero fan, I’m sure you’ve already made up your mind about purchasing this, but if you feel it’s played one hit too many, there’s nothing here that will change your mind. If you’re willing to pay $60 for essentially a new mode and a very large track pack however, then have at it. Warriors of Rock does enough to please its loyal fans when it’s all said and done, but most of the bandwagon has already moved on, and I’m not sure this does enough to lure them back.

Decades have passed since the release of the original Space Invaders, but much like the best games of its time, the iconic franchise has managed to stay relevant in the hearts, minds and thumbs of gamers past and present. Long gone are the days where people would spend their hard earned quarters blasting pixilated aliens, so how does one manage so stay relevant so long? By adapting and evolving. Space Invaders Infinity Gene takes this idea to the max by taking what’s familiar about the classic coin-op with a more modern flair.

Infinity Gene features three modes of play, Normal, Challenge and Music modes. Normal mode is the standard level progression against increasingly difficult waves of enemies and challenge mode is a series of mission based stages. While I’m sure you’re excited to play these modes for the 1000th time, the stand out mode was easily music, where the game generates stages based off of the music on your hard drive. It’s a bit of a pain to set it up since it only reads playlists instead of individual songs, but it’s worth the wait to be able to blast pixilated aliens to the sultry sounds of the High School Musical soundtrack, (don’t judge me!)

So one thing becomes completely obvious after booting up this title… the aliens technology has advanced so much since the original that they can now move in more directions than left, right and down! I know, it’s pretty groundbreaking stuff. New enemy types, fearsome ships and the loathsome killer rectangles stand in your way, but the aliens aren’t the only ones with a few surprises. As you continue playing, your ship will also become stronger, using the in game points system as a type of experience meter that helps your ship “evolve.” Suddenly, your ship can gain new upgrades like homing shots, rapid fire and the ability to fly through enemy fire, which are essential to fight off the wire frame armadas sent by this alien threat.

Speaking of the wire frame armadas, the visual style is unique for the series, comparable to something along the lines of Rez. As the stages progress, the backgrounds become more vibrant, with a slick presentation that modernizes this classic without compromising the sprite based style we’ve come to expect. If I may ask though, is it possible to create backgrounds that don’t obstruct my vision? About a dozen little space ships would have been thankful for that before I flew them into a wire frame wall. 

While the feature set might seem thin on paper and it might have its fair share of flaws, Infinity Gene has a way of pulling you in and never letting go. Outside of the achievements and trophies rewarded for playing on harder difficulties, playing each mode unlocks evolutions that carry over to every other mode. Finding out what new ways your ship can perform is part of the appeal to Infinity Gene, not to mention the typical online leaderboards where you can show off your high score. The music mode keeps the stages fresh while normal and challenge can really crank up the difficulty for those looking for a hardcore fix. All in all, Space Invaders Infinity Gene is a worthy download for fans of vertical shooters, and gamers will be happy that these aliens have landed.