Top 5 Games of 2008

2008 has been a fantastic year for video games and 2009 is loaded to the gills with potential. To commemorate such a nerd pleasing year, each of the One Life contributors would like to break down their personal"Top 5 Favorite Games of 2008". Don't let us do all the talking though. Be sure to let us know what games kept your thumbs (or pointer fingers for you PC nerds) busy this year.

Adam Ballard

5. Patapon (PSP)
While 2008 was a great year for games in general, the PSP wasn't exactly the bell of the ball. In fact, there seemed to be a software drought for the system. All of this lackluster pressure managed to forge a few diamonds though, one of which was Patapon. Part rhythm game and part RTS, Patapon is a stellar handheld offering. It's got amazing an amazing art style, an addictive soundtrack, and is ridiculously fun to play. Patapon is easy to pick up and get into, yet also offers in-depth customization of your minions. Marching into enemy territory to murder and pillage has never been this adorable (and catchy).

4. Dead Space (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
As a long time survivor-horror fan, it takes a lot to make me turn the lights on during a scary game. Mowing down zombies with a shotgun has become about as frightening as jumping on a goomba these days, so what's a cat gotta do to get his freak (as in frighten) on? EA Redwood Shores hit the nail on the head with their outer space survival horror title Dead Space. What makes Dead Space so frightening isn't just the grotesque amount of gore and walking abominations (which are aplenty), but the overall atmosphere of the game. Enemies come at you from all types of dark places, vents, and corridors and Dead Space does a great job of timing its scares. Also, gone is the tried and true head shot kill for enemies. Taking away such a fundamental law in video game rules is just one of many ways that Dead Space will have you playing in a well lit room with Disney's The Lion King playing on a separate TV. What? It calms me down.


3. Mega Man 9 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
In an age of quick saves and infinite continues, it takes a game like Mega Man 9 to put you in your place. Built from the ground up with 8-bit bricks, Mega Man 9 is an homage of the NES' early Mega Man titles. The level design, enemy patterns, and boss fights are all in top form for the series. There's a good feeling that comes with beating any video game but Mega Man 9's insane difficulty makes conquering it a truly significant feat. To put it lightly, you'll feel like Andy Dufresne exiting Shawshank after besting Dr. Wily this go round.

2. Little Big Planet (PS3)
There's just something that can't be ignored about simple pleasure video games. While Mass Effect might offer a choice related story ala branching dialog, is that any more fun than playing Super Mario 3? Rejoice believers, for a new super fun simpleton has been born in the form of Little Big Planet for the PS3. LBP is all about navigating your Sack Boy (or Girl) through stages featuring larger than life everyday environments. The gameplay is simple, but based on a very intuitive physics engine that allows for creativity in clearing the stages. Also, players can access level design tools to create their own stages and challenges. While this "create a level" concept could easily have been a terrible montage of poorly re-constructed Battletoad's levels, the LBP developers have made a decent working rating system to keep well designed stages easily accessible. Working together with others to accomplish a goal doesn't reinvent the video game wheel by any means, but this "wheel" is used in such an approachable fashion that's it an attractive wheel nonetheless. Kind of like TI's (or TIPS's) 24s.

1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
To me, MGS4 represents brilliance in gaming. The story of Solid Snake has lasted two decades and the idea of it finally ending was a tough pill to swallow. Suffice it to say that Hideo Kojima and company not only finished up all the loose ends of the story, but they did it as respectfully to the series (and fans) as possible. Combining the solid gameplay, its cutting edge presentation, and Mr. Kojima's unrivaled direction, gives you a game for the ages. Imagine if every Star Wars film had gotten progressively better like the jump between Episode IV and V. That's the caliber of game MGS 4 is. While Kojima and crew are already hinting at another MGS "project", I tip my hat to them for even attempting to overcome the industry high bar that they have set with Guns of the Patriots.

Brian Thompson

5. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
This one took me by surprise. When it comes to the DS, I fully expected my portable world to be rocked by the remake of Final Fantasy IV, which is one of my favorite games of all time. But after dying for the thousandth time fighting some monster I could beat blindfolded when I was twelve, I realized some of the shine was gone. It may be technically impressive to replace colorful 16-bit sprites with pastel polygons, but it's also charm sucking. So, I played Professor Layton on a whim. I'm a sucker for French animation (kneel before my masculinity!), but I kind of hate puzzles. Somehow, though, strolling through a quaint little town solving crime and figuring out how to get all you sheep across a river without them being eaten by wolves is a recipe for success! There are a few games that engrossed me, frustrated me, or rewarded me more than Professor Layton this year. And by "few", of course, I mean "four."

4. Prince of Persia (PS3, Xbox 360)
You can read my review on this very site, but suffice it to say that Prince of Persia is the best platformer of this console generation. The meticulous art direction, flowing graphics, and cinematic score only serve to heighten the old fashioned fun of leaping and lunging from ledge to ledge. Plus, the combat is the bee's knees. I didn't touch on this in my review, but a lot of people have been deriding the prince in this game and praising his magical female companion Elika. While Elika's powers add a dose of fantastic to the game without ever getting in the way, she's really nothing different from the other soulful, headstrong female characters we've come to expect from any game written with a modicum of intelligence. And while the new prince isn't the kind of serious, mission-focused destiny monger of games past, he's definitely not just a dumb surfer dude as some other reviewers have lamented. He's a lovable rogue in the tradition of Han Solo or that crackhead who digs through my garbage and jokes around with me most mornings. Gotta love that guy. Even though he's kind of a dolt.

3. Fable II (Xbox 360)
Sure, I was a little disappointed in Fable II, but who couldn't be after Peter Molyneux promised it would do everything short of curing cancer and bringing your dead puppy back to life? (I miss you Mr. Paws...) But even though he didn't deliver the Greatest Game of This or Any Age, Fable II is still an immersive action RPG with a simple and addictive combat system, hilarious writing, Dickens meets The Brothers Grimm art design, and enough nooks and crannies to keep you going well beyond the admittedly short main quest line. Favorite moment? Earning admission into the Brotherhood of Shadows by eating a handful of baby chicks. A lesser game would have watered down the fun by forcing you to go on a menial fetch quest for the fluffy little avians, but Mr. Molyneux and crew simply add them to your inventory and let you crunch away while a seemingly evil door guard gags in disgust. This is called fun people.

2. Grand Theft Auto IV (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
The only thing keeping Grand Theft Auto IV from the top of my list is the burden of comparison. This game looks and plays as well or better than any other. The new cover system adds a layer of fun missing from all the previous games' shootouts. The driving (which takes some getting used to) is fluid and tight. The missions never seem repetitive, cheap, or anything less than gripping. The characters and story are enough reason to play, and the multiplayer is fun enough to tack on another hundred or more hours for those of us with a high tolerance for emotionally stunted racists with headsets and Xbox Live accounts. But after flying around San Andreas on a jet pack, wearing a clown wig and Uziing ice cream trucks, even the deepest details of faux-realistic Liberty City come off a bit duller than they should.

1. Fallout 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
I enjoyed the previous two Fallout games on PC, but I was never a fanatic like some others. They're hilarious and a lot of fun to play, but they're also painfully slow, and the mechanics of a top-down PC RPG have always been a bit clunky. On the other hand, I am obsessive about The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I've played and replayed and wandered around Cyrodil so much that at times I start thinking about reality in terms of Oblivion. Did you know if you murder a random person on the street, you don't have to options to pay a fine, go to jail, or resist arrest? Well, you have to of those options. Anyway, Fallout 3 has been described as Oblivion with guns. In other words, holy crap. But the best part about Fallout 3--even better than the bloody and hilarious combat, the beautifully desolate post-nuclear Washington, D.C., and the swinging soundtrack--is the simple fact that this is possibly the closest to a hobo simulator we're ever likely to see. A lot of time is spent wandering the wasteland digging through garbage bins and bombed out houses looking for food and junk to sell. And in these trying economic times, it couldn't hurt to learn a bit of the hobo code. Now if only there were a suit of armor consisting entirely of an old pickle barrel with shoulder straps...

Jason Leavey

5. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (PS3, Xbox 360)
Growing up on all of the Super Street Fighter II games, I felt abandoned when Super Street Fighter III debuted. It felt so unnatural to, so wrong, like Christmas in July. But luckily for me, Capcom came to realize that when you have a great formula, sometimes it's best to just reuse it as much as possible. Taking an incredible fighting game from the nineties, and updating it with HD Graphics, remixed music, and an improved control scheme helped make this one of the best games of the year.

4. Wii Fit (Wii)
I'll be the first to admit that the game only ranks high because it's half game, half peripheral. But what an incredible peripheral it is. In all of my experiences, it really works perfectly. The yoga and strength training exercises are responsive and really give you a workout. But for me, what it comes down to are the balance games. I could easily head soccer balls all day on Wii Fit.

3. No More Heroes (Wii)
This is one of the few games where I wasn't constantly punching the A button to skip through the story. And Travis Touchdown might be the coolest new character I've seen in a long time. Overall, everything about the game was extremely fun and the sequel can't come soon enough.

2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
Despite the broad criticism of the Subspace Emissary, I thought it was extremely enjoyable. Having an all-star lineup of characters to defeat a common foe was epic and masterfully executed. Plus the new characters, Wi-Fi multiplayer, and traditional melee modes are top notch.

1. Mario Kart (Wii)
If you were to tell me there would be a day where Mario Kart would use motion controls, I would have slapped you across he face and asked you not to get my hope up. Because nothing could possibly be cooler. Well, in 2008, Nintendo pulled it off and it was incredible. Mario Kart Wii featured double the courses of the previous installment, a boat load of characters, online tournaments, Wi-Fi racing and battle modes, and a new trick system. All of these factors help to make Mario Kart Wii the best installment in the franchise and the best game of 2008.

Club Nintendo: Overview

Finally, North America Joins the Club

North American gamers are generally spoiled when it comes to release dates, as we always seem to get products first, or close to it. But Nintendo burst that bubble when years went by with no Club Nintendo in our sights. Finally, after Japan, Europe, Australia and even South Africa, Club Nintendo opened its doors to North America.

Most North American gamers probably hadn’t heard of Club Nintendo until somewhat recently, but you should thank the hardcore Nintendo fanatics that constantly begged and pleaded for the service. It really is because of strong fan reaction that we have the service in the first place. Club Nintendo started in Japan as a reward system for those consumers loyal to the Nintendo brand. Members are rewarded “Stars,” in Japan or “Coins” in North America, that you use to purchase “Rewards.”

Before any coins can be earned, you must create a Club Nintendo account on Nintendo.com. Luckily, if you previously had a “My Nintendo” account, you can easily sign in and your information will not need to be reentered. If not, signing up is easy and only takes a few minutes. Once you’re ready, it’s time to beginning earning some coins. Earning coins can be done in three ways:

* Register a Wii or Nintendo DS game and complete a quick survey.
* Indicate your intent to buy a game and you'll earn 10 extra Coins after you buy it, register it and complete the survey.
* Register a Nintendo game and complete a quick survey within 4 weeks of its launch and earn an additional 10 Coins!

Coins are unfortunately not given based on how many products you register, but how many surveys you take based on those products. Luckily these surveys are quick and easy to do. Now you can begin registering some of your Nintendo products, which is simply done by entering the PIN or Serial Number given with your software or hardware.

Once you register the product onto Club Nintendo, a survey will pop up in the “To-Do” section on the main page. By clicking on the survey, you’ll answer less than 10 questions about your purchase. As of now, the surveys are the same exact questions for any product you register. After you have completed the survey, you will see your Current Balance with a newly deposited amount of coins. Members are rewarded coins in different amounts, based on what type of product you registered.

The breakdown is as follows:

* Wii games = 50 Coins
* Nintendo DS games = 30 Coins
* Wii Shop Channel games/Wii Channels = 10 Coins


By filling out surveys, indicating your intent to buy a game, and filling out surveys close to the title’s release date, Club Nintendo gives you plenty of opportunities to increase your Coin Balance. However your Coin Balance isn’t just important for purchasing Rewards. Club Nintendo members can gain “Elite Status” by earning enough coins to hit one of the two benchmarks within a Club Nintendo year. The Club Nintendo year starts on July 1 and ends on June 30. A Gold Status is achieved by having 300 or more coins. A Platinum Status is achieved by having 600 or more coins. Members who hit either of these benchmarks by the end of the Club Nintendo year will be given a special reward. In Japan, such rewards have included a Super Mario Galaxy OST, or a new Super Famicom controller developed for use on the Wii.

The Glorious Super Famicom Wii Controller & Super Mario Galaxy OST

At any time, you are able to view what Rewards you can redeem with your coins, but special gift rewards given to Gold and Platinum members are kept secret. Currently, the Rewards selection is small and includes Nintendo themed playing cards for 500 coins, a Nintendo DS Game Rack for 600 coins, and an exclusive Club Nintendo DS title, “Game & Watch Collection,” for 800 coins. Out of the 11 rewards currently available, only 4 are less than 600 points, which is a little surprising. I’m fairly confident however that the Reward section will update several times each Club Nintendo year, with array of great prizes.

The Club Nintendo website is less than a week old, and some kinks are to be expected. However the launch was more of a catastrophe, plagued with login errors, registration trouble, coin misinformation displayed and so on. As of now, the website seems to be running much better, as traffic has inevitably died down since launch, but it’s still not perfect.

I’m still continuously being logged off or told my username/ password isn’t correct. None of my WiiWare or Virtual Console titles had surveys to accompany them, many of which are first-party Nintendo titles. It’s unknown if Nintendo plans to go back and allow users to earn points on other past purchases, or if we are just looking to the future from here on out. It’s also unclear if you lose your Gold or Platinum status if you spend your hard-earned Coins. It would be awful to spend your Coins on a 600-point prize, at the expense of your Platinum status, and not getting that Special Reward at the end of the Club Nintendo year.

The website is setup nicely with tabs clearly indicating where to go to find what you’re looking for. But some information doesn’t seem to fit within those tabs. In order to view products you’ve registered that weren’t accompanied by surveys, you have to click on the “My Account Settings” tab, which seems pretty counter intuitive to the old My Nintendo page.

It’s not logical to review a service based off of a website’s debut. The site can only get better, and I’m sure the bugs are being worked on as we speak. For whatever the website lacks, the service makes up for with its free exclusive Rewards, available just for showing your devotion to Nintendo. As a fan, it is nice to get a little back from a company you give so much to. I’m fairly confident that Club Nintendo will continue to take care of us. As a company Nintendo might be stubborn, but they always come around in the end. So start buying, registering and surveying to get whatever Rewards you so desire. And let us all keep our fingers crossed for the day we might see the Super Famicom controller debut in North America, courtesy of Club Nintendo.

UPDATE: A response about whether your Gold or Platinum status goes away after spending your coins was given by Nintendo of America's Ryan Cardiff:

"Great question. Elite status is based on coins earned within the year, not remaining balance. So as long as you earn 600+ coins within the year, you will be eligible for the special reward. In the meantime, you are free to redeem your coins!"

So there you have it. Thanks Nintendo!

Prince of Persia Review

About halfway through Prince of Persia, I found myself standing on a platform that towered over the area below. A terrifyingly narrow little plank pointed from the edge. With nowhere to jump or run from its tip, I stepped out on it anyway. I just wanted to take in the scenery. And for that, the fine folks at Ubisoft Montreal awarded me an achievement. All I had to do was wiggle the right thumbstick. Aside from the time I earned the Irony achievement for just following by base sociopathic instincts in Bioshock, those were the easiest gamer points I ever scored.

And that about sums up the experience of playing Prince of Persia. The first thing you notice after firing it up is also its best feature. Namely, the thing is gorgeous. (Okay, if you're an Xbox owner like myself, the first thing you notice is that it hasn't red ringed your system. Unless it did. In which case, bummer.) I've seen the world "painterly" used to describe the games graphics. It skirts a line somewhere between the cartoonish cell shading of The Wind Waker and the grimy grays and browns of Grand Theft Auto IV. It's closest graphical cousin may be Okami, though considering how dismally that game sold on the Playstation 2 and Wii, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. (Seriously Wii owners, you ignore a masterpiece like Okami and spend your hard earned cash air hula hooping? Have you had your frontal lobe scanned lately?) Anyway, PoP's colors do blend and merge like brushstrokes, but this isn't a static world you're presented with. Sure, the game looks great in photos, but it looks even better in motion. It's a world of rocks and vines and rickety wooden jungle gyms left to bake to a golden tan in the sun. There are towering Arabian spires and delicately tattered windmills. Also, balloons. I have a thing for balloons.


But there's no denying that PoP breaks one of the cardinal rules of gaming in that it doesn't really provide a challenge. This is where it will be maligned by a sizable chunk of gamers, and I can't say I blame them. The rumors are true: you can't die in this game. Your magical companion Elika will use her mojo to grasp your hand and pull you back from a free fall, and she'll use her shimmery fingers to knock an enemy across the room before it can deliver a killing blow. Of course, this isn't instant gratification. When pulled back from a rocky squish of doom, you might find yourself at a checkpoint dishearteningly far away from where you were when you took the plunge. And if you need your girlfriend's help to keep the scary monsters off of you, you'll trade your life for a refill of that scary monster's energy bar. But with patience and a modicum of skill, you'll always succeed. And you'll have a hot sorceress by your side while you do it.

So your enjoyment of PoP boils down to how much you're willing to invest in the experience. I loved running along walls, swinging off of poles, and flying across chasms in one fluid move. But in order to give you such fluid lines of acrobatic awesome, the controls have been simplified to something approaching rhythm game button pushing. If you jump towards a wall at an angle, you'll scurry along on autopilot until you lose your momentum or hit the jump botton. If you're climbing up a ledge and see a conveniently placed brass ring above you, one push of the B button will grasp the ring, propel you up, and keep you in motion for several feet. Given a long line of platforms, planks, poles, and other implements that begin with "P", you can conceivably bound across an entire area with only the occasional button tap.

But its this ease of use that also makes PoP such a breeze to soak in as entertainment. Fans of the series will definitely want to compare this outing to the famed Sands of Time, last generation's platforming masterpiece that wasn't just the high water mark for this series but for games in general. In Sands, it was all about meticulous jumps and giant environmental puzzles. But the new PoP is just a different game. Timing a leap or aiming for a pillar won't be that taxing, but in the meantime you'll be able to appreciate the beauty and the history of this world. And whenever you want to chat with Elika, she's just a trigger press away.


In the game mechanics department, there is one area where the new PoP has Sands beat. Combat this time around is more exhilarating than ever before. You won't face rooms full of undead sand soldiers. In fact, you won't face any enemies at all through most of the game. Your battles are always one-on-one against any of the four bosses enthralled by the evil god Ahriman, who's the central antagonist of the game. Like in the platforming segments, combat is all about timing and spacing your attacks rather than mashing buttons to rack up hits. It's sort of like the rhythm-based fighting in Assassin's Creed, though your move set and combo options are much broader here. You use one button for your sword, another for your spiny gauntlet, a third for acrobatics, and a fourth for Elika's magic attacks. These can be mixed and matched to different effects. And while it may sound limiting that all fights are mano-a-princo-a-magico-girlfriend...o(?) and ultimately in enclosed arenas, this actually adds to the immersion and tension of the fights. The camera doesn't have to worry about watching your back, so it can zoom in for dynamic angles unlike anything you'd expect from a simple platformer. Combat in PoP is almost like a fighting game, only with characters you care about and no sweaty friends throwing controllers at your head.

But combat isn't the focus of this game. When you defeat one of the bosses, a fertile ground is healed and an area is cleared. This means that Elika washes away the evil stink and glowing blue orbs called light seeds spring up all over the place. You'll have to hop and swing all over the area to collect the seeds and unlock new magical powers that you and Elika can use to access other territories. This can mean backtracking through a newly beautified area you've already explored or going off on your own jaunts. In essence, this is the tried and true collection mechanic you'll find in every 3-D platformer since Mario learned to butt stomp. But the beauty of the world and the excitement of the acrobatics on display as you flip and slide from light seed to light seed is what this game's all about. If you don't get it after the first few boss fights and fertile ground healings, you probably never will. And you've probably sold your soul. I just hope you traded it for some rocking guitar skills.

The Game

Prince of Persia is a classic. It's no Sands of Time, but it isn't trying to be. This is a new story with new characters in a new world with a new look and focus. Let's hope the solid foundation built here isn't squandered in the inevitable sequel. If the thief/prince from this game sports a greasy mullet and rocks out to Nickelback in part two, I'm going to have words with some of the cheese-eating Quebecois responsible. (8.5/10)

The Time

The whole game will last you 10-15 hours if you stop to smell the light seeds (oddly, they smell of cumin). But if you love it like I did, you'll want to play through again and again. Plus, Ubisoft promises downloadable expansions of some sort in the future. It's a decent time investment, but the structure of the stages allows you to pick it up, play as much as you want, and save anywhere you need. In short, you won't feel cheated in the value department, but it doesn't demand all night gaming sessions that dry your eyes and alienate your loved ones. (9/10)

The Verdict

The holiday season of 2008 will probably go down in history as the deathknell of giant end-of-year release jams. Since September, we've had Fable II, Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, and countless other huge profile games raiding our wallets. Reportedly, titles like Dead Space and Mirror's Edge got lost in the vortex and will end up costing EA a pretty penny. And if the sudden and swift price cut of Prince of Persia is any indication, sales for this wonderful game may have been a little soft as well. If you've been hesitant to sell your first borns for this game, I'm here to tell you to go ahead and put little Billy on the black market. If you're willing to put down the chainsaw guns and molotov cocktails and slip into something more fantastical for a while, you won't regret picking up Prince of Persia.

Playstation Home: First Impressions

Welcome Home?

After it was unveiled in early 2007, many wondered what Playstation Home would offer gamers, and how the service would impact the appeal of the Playstation 3.


Sure customizable avatars were a given, but what other features would it bring to make us want to play and explore in a networked environment? Finally, after nearly two years of waiting, Home beta has debuted.

Before you can roam like a nomad through your virtual paradise, you will begin by creating your personal avatar, naturally by altering the usual facial and body specs. Clothing choices are few and far between, but you are able to purchase additional choices later. After your avatar is complete, you are then welcomed to your apartment, which starts as a pretty empty and basic pad. Luckily, you can purchase additional items to compliment your taste, which I will discuss later.

Unfortunately, I already noticed a bug in Home where I got stuck within the glass doorway outside of my apartment. I was only able to move repeatedly in a circular motion, as if blindfolded like a piñata awaiting its impending bashing. I was forced to access the main Start menu in order to spare myself from a continuous nauseating torture.

The Home "Central Plaza"

The Home setup is essentially a virtual playground of different areas to explore, while being able to interact with other Playstation Network users. After leaving your apartment, you enter The Central Plaza, which basically serves as your main hub world. You can approach the real users’ avatars as they roam around, voice or text chat with them, and can even hear them speaking over their microphone headsets when you’re nearby. From here, you are free to wander around, talk with people, or visit some of the surrounding areas within the plaza.

The Central Plaza hub world is somewhat large and can be tiresome to walk through. Luckily, at any time you can access the Main Menu by pressing the start button, where you can shortcut key your way to any location without having to walk there. You also have immediate access to your wardrobe for a quick clothing change.

Another area to explore is a beautiful two-story Mall. The Mall includes shops such as "Threads," a place to update your avatar's lackluster wardrobe. A lot of clothing options are marked as "coming soon" but at least there's potential.

My biggest gripe is that like in “Second Life” you actually have to spend money on your digital threads. I'm pretty sure my avatar doesn't need a new $0.49 hoodie at this point, but I could be wrong.

They also have a furniture store within the Mall, where you can buy furnishings and accessories for your pad. Perhaps you want to splurge on a new Summer House Armchair for $0.99? A lot of the other stores are more of a "coming soon" ad for what’s to come, which is promising.
What is extremely cool about the upper level of the Mall is the big screen TV, which streams Pulse, a video presentation of The Playstation Network. The video is essentially a run down of all things Playstation, including games, TV and Blu-Ray releases. The big screen element really makes you feel like your avatar is a true representation of yourself, where you and a bunch of the Playstation avatars crowd around and actually watch what is on the screen. It's a really neat element that is explored further in the area called Home Theatre.

Currently, the only thing to view in the theatre, at least while I visited, was a trailer for the motion picture “Twilight,” which wasn't anything groundbreaking.

It may low on content now, but I can see the Theatre becoming a great way for Sony to share exclusive news and information about upcoming titles.

The next area, The Bowling Alley, was the most crowded area amongst the avatars and where I spent most of my time. There, you are able to play several arcade games, shoot some virtual pool and of course bowl. Being able to walk up and bowl or play pool with other Home users is a really cool feature, especially for free.

What makes the Bowling Alley somewhat lifelike, or annoying, is that the occasional microphone equipped teenager will scream and generally be obnoxious for all to hear, similar to a crowd at a real bowling alley. Luckily, if you walk far enough away you can't hear them anymore.

What I don't really understand about the Bowling Alley is that there are only five lanes, which for me meant not ever being able to play because they were always occupied. I attempted about a half dozen times, but to no avail. I'm not sure why there aren't infinite lanes open, but again, Home is only in beta and things will probably improve.

Overall, my impressions of Home do leave me a bit underwhelmed. It has great potential to be a feature that could draw gamers in. I think the key is having more to do within the environments and more interactivity between the users. Home should strive to be more of a virtual theme park, rather than a virtual museum.

I would be thrilled to have Home act as my Playstation’s start up menu, where when I start up my PS3 game or Blu-Ray disc, I feel like I'm in a virtual world. Maybe people on my friends list see what I’m watching, and opt to join in watching with me. Again, just ideas, but I see potential for Home which is exciting. And in all honesty, there's no reason for Sony not take big risks and try new things to increase hardware sales if nothing else. But at this point, this is not a service that will get anyone to go out and buy the system.

If Blu-Ray hasn't been a surefire selling point for the PS3, Home certainly will not be.



Jason Leavey

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix OST Breakdown

Rock out with your hadouken out.

To keep fans happy until Street Fighter IV’s February '09 release, Capcom has unleashed Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (HD Remix for short). HD Remix is a graphically revamped version of Capcom’s legendary Super Street Fighter II Turbo.

Capcom’s artist went back and redrew every sprite of Super Street Fighter II Turbo giving the game a much smoother, vibrant animation layout. Each of the game’s environments also received a graphical facelift. In a nutshell, HD Remix is the exact same game as Super Street Fighter II Turbo, but with sprites and environments displayed in full 1080p glory.

(Left) Ken Masters from the original SSFII Turbo

(Right) Ken Masters from HD Remix

However, the graphics are not the only aspect of HD Remix that was updated. HD Remix features a top notch remixed soundtrack. What’s so cool about the new soundtrack is that Capcom turned HD Remix’s music over to the fans at OverClocked Remix (ocremix.com).

OC Remix is an online community dedicated to remixing all manner of video game music. While this may sound like “Nerds Gone Wild” in theory, the fine folks as OC ReMix are good at what they do. Entries were submitted for each of HD Remix’s tracks, and the best of the best made the final cut.

If you’re a fan of Street Fighter music, or of video game music in general, check out what OC ReMix has to offer by clicking here.

Also, the entire Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix soundtrack is freely available for download (in flac or mp3 format) by clicking here. Be warned though, you may find yourself in an exercise montage while listening.

Wario Land: Shake It! Review

(Insert Polaroid joke here.)
by Adam

As far as side characters go, you've got to tip your hat to Wario. The man has come from humble beginnings as a game boy antagonist, and now has successful platforming and party game franchises under his belt. The Wario games are well known for their quirky characters, which often rival Mario's lineup in absurdity.

With his accomplishments recognized, I'm proud to say that Wario's 2-D sidescroller legacy continues in top form as Wario-Land: Shake It for Wii.

Shake It starts out in an anime cut scene that explains how the Evil Shake King has kidnapped the Shake Dimension's Queen Merelda and stolen the kingdom's infinite coin bag.

These events throws the Shake Dimension all out of whack and its inhabitants know they need help fast.

Luckily for them (I suppose), a pirate named Captain Maple has stolen an artifact that will allow her to access the Shake Dimension. Maple plans on claiming the infinite coin bag for herself, but doesn't feel like doing the work. She tells Wario of the kidnapped queen and the infinite coin bag, knowing he would want to help.

In true Wario fashion, our yellow and purple clad anti-hero agrees to help, but could care less about saving a princess. To Wario, it's all about that infinite coin bag.

Once the exposition has passed, it's time to play. Wario must traverse five continents, finding an artifact in each that will reveal the Shake King's stronghold. Each continent has four levels standard, with a few hidden ones that can be unlocked. Each stage contains various treasures to be found, and defeating a continent's boss will reward you with an artifact needed to access the Shake King.

To conquer each continent and find all the treasure, it's up to you the player and your trust Wii remote. The game plays ala classic NES style with the Wii remote turned sideways. Pressing the one button makes Wario dash (through walls and other object), and the two button makes him jump.

Being a Wii game, Shake It has several motion based moves available as well. Shaking the remote up and down will cause Wario to smash his fist into the ground, which has numerous effects on level environments.

Picking up an enemy and pressing the one button will initiate a throwing sequence. Simply press and hold the one button with an enemy in hand and tilt the Wii remote. An arrow will be displayed that matches the angle you are tilting your controller to, and you will fling the enemy in your desired direction upon releasing the one button.

And what would a game called Shake It be without shaking? Grab any stunned enemy and shake the controller like mad to receive coins or items. Shaking a coin bag will release an onslaught of shiny currency. Coins are an essential part of the game as you will need them to buy health items and maps to new levels.

Another move at your disposal is the classic (from the 3D era) Mario butt stomp. Pressing down on the d-pad and one in the air will initiate a butt stomp that can harm enemies and destroy weak floors. Holding down the buttons through a long fall will initiate an atmospheric burning effect on Wario's butt that will help get through the toughest of destructible floor sections.

You will need to use all of these moves in order to figure out Shake It's puzzles. You will have to throw enemies into switches, pound the ground to knock over loose set pieces, dash through certain walls, and butt stomp through certain floors. All of these concepts sound simple, but the developer's saw to it that critical thinking skills were required to one hundred percent Shake It's levels.

The ultimate objective of each stage is to rescue the Merfle (bird/elf creature) locked away by the Shake King. These Merfles use their power to give you access to each continent's boss. Freeing a Merfle from its cage at the end of each level will alert the Shake King. To escape his wrath, you have to race the clock and try to get back to the beginning of each stage.

The "escape scene" mechanism offers a great contrast to regular gameplay which can focus on exploring and puzzle solving. While racing the clock, it's all about speed. You will need to use any means necessary to dash, jump, and dive back to the beginning of the stage. While it may sound tedious, it actually allows you to go (gameplay-wise) from a traditional 2-D Mario experience to a more Sonic-esque speed-centric approach.

In all, you might think that five continents with six or so levels each would make a short game. If you play straight through the title, it will take a few solid sittings. However, the game has a challenging built in achievement system to keep you playing through levels. These level challenges can range from speed runs to not taking damage, and will push your skills to the limit.

I mentioned that the intro is told through an anime style cutscene, but let's talk about the in-game graphics. Shake It has a very unique art style that comes off as a mixture of cell shading and flash animation. The characters and environments are very colorful and look more cartoon like in their animation than a lot of Wario (and Mario) titles.

The enemy characters fit very well into the Wario universe. Everything from the lowliest of grunts, to the absurdest of bosses are colorful and interesting. Speaking of bosses, each one requires a different approach to take down, and ultimately serve as fun challenges. A quick word of warning about the bosses, be wary if you're of the "scared of clowns" variety.

In a nutshell, the game looks great and the look matches the game's whimsical cast. The only visual drawback is that the game doesn't support a 16x9 aspect ratio. The game is played in standard 4x3, with borders filling out the left over screen room on the left and right sides. The lack of 16x9 doesn't kill the experience, but it is annoying that such a fixable problem was not addressed.

Shake It also features a decent soundtrack. The music has a generic matching to the themes of each level (exploring an Egyptian-ish tomb yields Egyptian-ish music) but the tracks always manage to capitalize on the goofy nature of Wario.

On a sound related tangent, the game is ultimately devoid of any voice acting other than Charles Martinet's handful of "Waaaario's" and other one word sentences. Ultimately though, the game doesn't need a whole lot of useless banter, so the lack of voice acting could be said to strengthen the experience.

The Game:

Shake It is loads of fun. The bright colors will also reel in the not so hardcore gamers, like my wife, who really enjoyed it. The controls might seem like a recipe for Wii waggle blandness, but trust me they work. Fun levels plus fun characters plus fun controls equals a very fun game. (8 / 10)

The Time:

Wario's latest entry is ideal for the short on time gamer. Levels can be beat quickly, but completing level achievements will take time and dedication. All in all, if you've got time to play, you can feel comfortable investing it in Shake It! (8/10)

The Verdict

In closing, Shake It! is a great game for the busy nerd. As mentioned above, every level is beatable in an average sitting, but completing every level objective will keep you busy for a long time. The 4x3 will irk some folks (myself included) but that is quickly dismissed as you take control of Wario. With that, it's safe to say that the sheer fun of Wario Land: Shake It, will have you coming back for quite a while.

Gamer Swag (Not a Limited Edition Pokemon Card)

Ballin. The game industry is full of it. Sony wins a format war with what? It's ballin blu-ray support. Nintendo makes gaming more mainstream than ever; ballin. The ballers at Microsoft's X-box 360 offer hardcore gaming delight.

It's straight ballin across the board. And the fashion industry is taking notice. No, not just Hot Topic. Game swagger hits a new benchmark with these kicks from Nike:
These NES inspired Nike Air Max are set to hit the streets soon. The colors resonate strong from Nintendo's first console outing and the start (hopefully select) accents add even more floss to the overall pallet. No word on price yet, but it'll likely cost you some serious cake.

A little further off the radar, kicks producer Globe has thrown together a nice looking Gears of War set of shoes.


They'll set you back $80, but just tell your significant other that you bought some shoes and not: "These really awesome shoes based on X-box 360's blockbuster first person shooter Gears of War! (Catching Breath) Star Trek!"

It’s 1987 Again… And Doc Brown is Strangely Absent

Mega Man 9

When people talk about hard video games, there are a few names that always crop up: The recent Ninja Gaiden , Devil May Cry, etc. And while these games are indeed difficult, few things in life can induce fear in gamers like Nintendo’s original grey box, the NES.

The Nintendo Entertainment System was (and still is) like an abusive parent. You know as its child that you have to love it no matter what, even when it wants nothing more than to beat you within an inch of your life and constantly remind you of what a disappointment you are. If this sounds personal, that’s because it is.

The NES has a rogue’s gallery of games that are harder than Superman’s knuckles: Castlevania, Contra, Metroid, Punch Out, Ikari Warriors, Battletoads, Double-Dragon, Ninja Gaiden… and the list goes on. How many times have you knocked out Mike Tyson (or Mr. Dream)? How many times have you cleared the speeder bike level in Battletoads? How many bushes did you have to burn before you found a dungeon in Legend of Zelda? How many times have you beat Contra without the Konami code? These are just a few nightmares gamers of old have suffered through.

However, just as the discussion of hard games leads to discussion of the NES, discussion of hard games on the NES lead to one road. Mega Man. It’s almost a love hate relationship that gamers have with the Blue Bomber. The games are so hard that controllers are thrown, obscenities are screamed, and of course the biggest testament to the rage that Mega Man induces, actually getting up and turning off the console.

Let’s look at the facts: Mega Man falls like the deadest of weights. Enemies are placed where they are guaranteed to kill you. Mega Man’s greatest weakness (spike pits) are waiting for his fast falling body with a baited breath.

So why do gamers love Mega Man so? How can something so punishing be regarded as a fun gaming experience? The answer is simple but honest nonetheless; victory. Sweet, sweet victory: watching the closing credits roll and dropping the NES controller like Chris Rock’s mic at the end of a stellar performance. It’s not like gaining a level in World of Warcraft, you (the gamer) and you alone defeated a mad scientist, his army of minions, and his eight plus robot masters. Cue Queen’s “Princes of the Univerese.”

Now fast forward to 2008 and Capcom’s announcement to create an entirely original 8-bit Mega Man experience for modern consoles. Some people loved the idea while naturally, others hated it. Personally, I looked at it gratefully as a return to form. While the original Mega Man games are considered holy, the X games seemed to become diluted down the line. And while some great Mega Man titles have popped up on the handhelds over the years, an increasing number of card battles are taking the series further and further from its roots.

So hearing that Mega Man 9 would be a full fledged 8-bit game got me excited, and scared. I knew the nostalgia factor would be high, but the anger of youthful failings would surely follow suit. After playing through the game, I can say I was right on both counts.

Mega Man 9 starts off with a cut-scene showing infamous series antagonist, Dr. Wily, begging for forgiveness for his crimes. He vows to use his creative prowess to better mankind when all of a sudden robots start going berserk. Dr. Wily then tells the masses that Mega Man’s creator Dr. Light is behind the rash of robot roid rage (And-roids people). Taking the theatrics up a notch, Wily plays a video showing Light proclaiming his plans for world domination. Wily, in true hero fashion, then asks people of the world to send him money to build robots to battle Light’s abominations.

Obviously Mega Man and Roll know that Dr. Light has been framed and set out to clear his good
name. This fun, whimsical story is told in traditional NES cut scenes that really take you back. Mouths don’t move, eyes don’t blink, just still drawn images with scrolling text to relay dialogue. Good stuff.

Following that lengthy forward, let’s talk about the game. Mega Man 2 set the scene with its Eight Master Robots. MM9 continues this tradition with one interesting exception. Traditionally, all Mega Man bosses have been male, whereas MM9 introduces the series’ first femme fatale, Splash Woman. Believe you me, this is no small feat as Women’s Rights Activists have been picketing Wily’s male chauvinistic practices for years.

The bosses: Concrete Man, Galaxy Man, Hornet Man, Jewel Man, Magma Man, Plug Man, Splash Woman, and Tornado Man, all offer interesting challenges. Each one requires a different strategy that can be hard to figure out with the default two lives.

The abilities obtained after beating the bosses range from traditional to experimental. Attacks like Magma Man’s Magma Bazooka and Jewel Man’s Jewel Satellite are very familiar to Heat Man and Wood Man’s skills respectively. Fresher feeling powers include Galaxy Man’s “Black Hole Bomb” which allows you to shoot a black orb, direct it around the screen, and detonate it where you please to absorb enemies into a small black hole.

While the bosses are a big part of the gameplay, getting to them is half the journey. The level design in Mega Man 9 is very well done and extremely challenging. Galaxy Man’s level has parts that are like a watered down (but still fun) version of portal and Tornado Man’s level features some infuriating gusts of wind determined to keep you from jumping to the next platform. All levels have one thing in common though, enemies programmed to be in the right place at the right time to knock you into a pit.

Speaking of enemies, Capcom did a good job of creating a diverse set of enemies for Mega Man’s latest outing. Traditional grunts including the Metools are abundant, but every stage has its own unique flavor of baddy to drive you mad.

To help combat the gnashing of teeth, developers included a store on the stage select menu. This store lets you use screws (found throughout levels in the same manner as power pellets) to purchase everything from extra lives to a new hair style. With enough screws you can stock up on Energy Tanks, Mystery Tanks, Beat assist items, and more. The fact that these items are purchasable helps take a bit of the sting out of beating bosses.

So how is the game “so hard” if it allows you to stock up on supplies for each level? Well, the game’s built in challenges will encourage the hardcore elite to avoid such power-ups. Mega Man 9 includes built in challenges such as “get to a boss without stopping” and “beat the game without dying.” These challenges range from easy to borderline impossible. Do you think you can beat the game without using an E-tank? How about without missing ONCE with the buster? If you want to one hundred percent the challenges, keep a punching bag handy and keep your game face on. This game does not play.

Another cool aspect that’s been added is the time attack mode. This mode allows players to speed run through levels and compare their times to players all across the world. To break into this top ten requires surgical accuracy and the patience of a saint. For example, the current record for Concrete Man’s stage as of this posting is something in the neighborhood of one minute, twenty one seconds. That’s clearing the level’s obstacles and beating the boss in eighty one seconds. Game faces people.

Not only does this stellar package have a built in store, in game challenges, and a globally ranked time trial; but downloadable content to boot! If you’re done with everything you can possibly do in Mega Man 9 (which I doubt people will do anytime soon), why not download Proto Man and play through the game? For a few dollars, Proto Man is available for download giving you a different take on MM9’s demanding gameplay. For starters, Proto Man comes with a readily available buster charge shot AND his trademark shield for deflecting blasts. However, Proto cannot use energy tanks and gets knocked back twice as far as Mega Man, creating a very challenging experience.

Other downloadable content includes the Infinity Mode which allows players to progress through an endless succession of screens filled to the brim with enemies. Every time you get to a new screen, you get a point. Get the most points and you earn a spot on the coveted leader board. Once again, game…face.

All that being said, let’s get to what you came here for… to hear a skeptical nerd pass judgment on a game.

The Game: 8.5 / 10
This game is borderline perfect for what it is. It’s a fantastic addition to the classic Mega Man franchise taking full advantage of both 8 bit glory and current gen features. However, this game is not for the faint of heart. Everything from the creative level design to the extreme difficulty makes this game a diamond in the rough as far as recent Mega Man games are concerned.

The Time: 7 / 10
If you sit down with Mega Man 9, each stage is going to take a serious commitment to master. If you only have an hour a day to play, you may find yourself stuck in one level for several days. Everything from enemy locations to exactly what pixel of a corner you have to land on take serious concentration and memorization. The thrill of Mega Man games come from becoming more and more streamline in clearing the levels, which will take more time than the working gamer may have to offer.

The Verdict:
This game is a highlight reel of the original Mega Man franchise. Series elements feel right at home and new approaches to level designs are greatly appreciated. In game challenges, speed runs, and downloadable content add legs to a game with a significant built in lifespan.

The 8 bit nostalgia is truly a beauty to behold and a joy forever. The graphics, the music, the tough as nails gameplay, are all masterful in its own retro style. If you’re looking for a test of your gaming skills, look no further. Mega Man 9 is the Beijing Olympics of modern games and the difficulty level might as well be called Michael Phelps mode. Top notch.

October's Got Game(s)

We're one week into October and there are a ton of big games coming down the pipe. Let's take a look at what October has to offer:

Heavy Hitters:
October 7, 2008
NBA 2K9 (PC, PS3, XBOX 360)

October 14, 2008
Dead Space (PC, PS3, XBOX 360)
FIFA Soccer 09 (PC, PS3, XBOX 360, Wii, DS, PSP)
SOCOM: Confrontation (PS3)
Saints Row 2 (PC, PS3, XBOX 360)

October 19, 2008
Rock Band 2 (PS3, Wii)

October 21, 2008
BioShock (PS3)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)
Fable II (XBOX 360)
LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (DS)
Star Ocean: First Departure (PSP)

October 26, 2008
Guitar Hero World Tour (PS3, XBOX 360, Wii)

October 28, 2008
Fallout 3 (PC, PS3, XBOX 360)
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift (PS3)

"Honorable" Mentions:
October 13, 2008
Blitz: The League 2 (PS3, XBOX 360)

October 14, 2008
Golden Axe: Beast Rider (PS3, XBOX 360)

October 20, 2008
Midnight Club: Los Angeles (PS3, XBOX 360, PSP)

October 21, 2008
Eternal Sonata (PS3)
Far Cry 2 (PC, PS3, XBOX 360)
Legendary (PC, PS3, XBOX 360)
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (PC, PS3, XBOX 360, Wii, DS, PSP)

October 28, 2008
SingStar Vol. 2 (PS3)

The Dealy-O:
Personally, I think this is a supple month for gamers. My definite plays include Dead Space, Little Big Planet, and Fallout 3. I would also love to get my hands on a 360 and play Fable II.

In case you noticed the lack of love for the Wii, there is a simple explanation... It's a barren wasteland.

Nintendo's not the only slacker, more DS games are coming out this month than the PSP will see the rest of the year. But let's stick to the issues at hand(held).

On the portable scene, DS has a new Castlevania and PSP has a Star Ocean revamp, both of which look to be nothing short of sweet.

Music fans can finally let the battle of Rock Band vs. Guitar Hero play out. I'd love to play either, but I need some scratch (Word? My bird.) Plus you've got SingStar coming to boot.

Any way you hack it, there's more than enough to keep you busy this month and we'll do our best to let you know what's worth your time. But don't let me do all the talking, please leave comments and let me know what October games you are most looking forward to!


One Life out.

Downloadable Content for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

While playing through The Force Unleashed, did you ever wish that you were Luke Skywalker? I know that you wish you actually were Luke every waking moment, but I meant in the game. Well get ready to live that dream as X-Box Live and the Playstation Network rev up downloadable content (DLC) chock-a-block full of nerd fantasies. Not only will you be able to play as Luke in the campaign mode, but also Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Kit Fisto. Wipe that sweat off my fellow nerdlings.

In other Force Unleashed DLC news, a whole new campaign mission is being added to the PS3 and 360 versions that was originally exclusive to the PS2 and PSP. This second expansion will come later in the year, most likely around Christmas.

Force Unleashed's Executive Producer, Haden Blackman, shed a little light on these developments via the Kotaku gaming blog. Blackman told Kotaku: "I wouldn't rule out any future content on The Force Unleashed. We hope gamers hold onto the game. There is already a lot of replayability built into it. If you enjoy the story and gameplay the first time through, you should enjoy this."

I don't really understand the purpose of playing as Luke when his character at this point in the story is a wee babe, but who cares right? Besides, if enough people download the new content Lucas will probably make a new movie where Luke time travels and hunts down the remaining Jedi only to get amnesia and end up back on Tatooine. You're laughing, but I've seen what Lucas can do... don't put it past him.

We'll let you know the second we find out any more specifics so stay tuned, and may the Force be with you!

The Force is Strong With This One… Everything Else is on the Fritz.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Star Wars. Admit it, if you clear your mind and say those two words, delusions of grandeur fill your mind. Then you quickly remember Jar Jar and start looking forward to J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie. Have faith though! The fine folks at Lucas Arts have unleashed the Force in the form of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Force Unleashed takes place between Episodes III and IV of the Star Wars saga. You play as Darth Vader's secret apprentice, a Sith that goes by the alias "Starkiller." As Starkiller, you jet about the galaxy with your femme fatale pilot, Juno Eclipse and your holodroid Proxy. Without spoiling too much of the story, suffice it to say that your primary objective is to wipe out the remaining Jedi while secretly helping Darth Vader pull off a military coup d’état behind the Emperor's back.

This brings me to my first point. The story in the Force Unleashed is the best thing to happen to Star Wars in a very long time. Compared to the new trilogy, the Force Unleashed (and SpongeBob) is a Shakespearian masterpiece. That being said, I was delighted to enjoy a Star Wars story this much.

Let’s jump into gameplay. Armed with your lightsaber, the Force, and a pocketful of wit, you trek across the galaxy doing thy master’s bidding… and it feels pretty good. Saber combos are aplenty and there is a lot you can do with the force (push, pull, throw, shoot lightning, etc). Some things in the game work better than others though, so let’s break them down.

Starting with the lightsaber, there are a decent number of combos to be unlocked throughout the game and most of them are fun to pull off. Combos can further be infused with Force techniques such as ending with a Force Push, or enveloping your saber with Force Lightning. It’s no God of War, but it’s solid nonetheless. Speaking of God of War, quick time events are a nerd’s dream in TFU. Once any boss like characters health is near empty, a button sequence will pop up on screen. Pressing them correctly results in super stylish kills with all kinds of Matrix style action sequences. Nice. Plus things get more interesting when you further explore the Force.

From a marketing standpoint, the use of the Force in TFU seemed to be the key selling point, and rightfully so. Your left analog stick moves objects and enemies left to right, front and back; the right stick moves things up and down. This gives you a full X,Y, and Z axis through which to move things and it is swanky. Using both sticks at once allows you to throw a Jawa to the right and into the air (or any desired direction) at the same time. What could be more fun? (I know it would be more entertaining to throw Ewoks, but sadly their presence in the game is naught.)

Another important point regarding the Force is the in game physics engine. TFU uses the critically acclaimed Euphoria Game Engine from Grand Theft Auto IV for extremely realistic (Star Wars) physics. For example, if you pick up a Stormtrooper with the Force and he is near a crate, he will grab onto the crate and try to pull himself back to the ground. While you can still manipulate the Stormtrooper and the crate together, it changes up the dynamic. The weight ratio is shifted and will handle differently than either object by itself. It’s an impressive system and well implemented into the game.

Force techniques and lightsaber combos are further developed through the use of an RPG style level up system. You earn experience for killing enemies and will earn greater amounts by killing them stylishly ala Devil May Cry. The system works well and does a good job of rewarding you regularly for hard work. At the same time, to adjust your levels and acquire new skills, you have to access an upgrade menu via the select button. This is my biggest problem with the game. Accessing the upgrade menu and any submenu therein requires you to sit through a load screen. This may not seem like much, but it can quickly lead to four separate load screens between accessing the menu, changing sabers, upgrading Force skills, and exiting the menu. It may sound like a trite complaint, but it’s annoying to deal with and really takes you out of the action.

One more quick complaint involves environmental issues. I’ll stay away from global warming at the moment and focus on programming bugs. Some boundaries in the environment are not clearly defined and are easy to get stuck in. Several times I found myself trapped between the wall and any number of random objects. At other points, objects in the environment seemed to have no definition. Some platforms I had to jump on to obtain Jedi holocrons (cubes that unlock new abilities) would leave me bewildered as I would pass right through them. It felt like I had to jump on the right square inch of certain platforms not to slide off or otherwise fall right through it. Likewise, once after killing a Rancor, my character was left stuck in mid-air. These events may be rare, but getting stuck in place often means restarting the game.

Moving on to the issue of time, The Force Unleashed is a fairly short game. Not that that’s a bad thing. It took me a smidge over ten hours to complete it the first time at a little over an hour a day. In that sense, it’s a great game for someone who has to study a lot, or kids to entertain, etc. You can play it for a short while everyday and still make progress. At the same time, I died a lot. Sometimes due to a lack of skill and other times due to the level design. Starkiller falls faster than Mega Man, so an hour of play may lead up to twenty minutes of trying to jump a pit. Also, the later game bosses offer a decent level of difficulty and it will take you a couple of times to figure out what attacks work against each one. This is an enjoyable challenge and will leave you feeling like a pimp, so go on brush your shoulders off.

The Game: 7/10

The game is almost a polar opposite of the new film trilogy. Episode I-III looked amazing, but the stories were weak. The Force Unleashed has a great, almost refreshing story, looks amazing, but suffers from a few technical issues.

I feel that if the game had been delayed to a Christmas release, Lucas Arts could have produced a much more polished product. Taking that with a grain of salt, TFU still stimulates a lot of childhood/fanboy nerves. The use of the force is better than any Star Wars game out there, and the combat is intense and challenging. The game is fun and worth a play through.

The Time: 8/10

At the end of my ten hour run, I felt like I was done with the story. Its length almost guarantees the game to be on my ‘to rent only’ list for a while. In my first time through, I managed to unlock a majority of the combos, force techniques, and lightsaber colors/attributes. The nerd in me wants to one hundred percent the game, but the one life gamer in me just wants to move on to different waters. It is a fun and enjoyable game I just don’t know how often I would like to revisit it.

The Verdict:

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a good game. It’s fun for what it is, and it’s the best story Star Wars has seen on a screen since Empire. That’s enough reason to play it alone. However, feeling complete with it after a ten hour play through, really keeps me from wanting to purchase it. If you own every Star Wars movie / game, sure go out and buy it. You’ll have a great time. For anyone else, go rent it. It doesn’t take to a huge investment to beat, and you’ll get a tiny bit of your soul back from that scruffy nerf herder Lucas.

Coming Soon!

First off, thanks to everyone who has visited and critiqued the site. I'm working slowly but surely to make it flow. As of right now, the only reviews I have up are for games on the PS3 and PSP systems, but that is about to change. In the coming weeks, you will see reviews and news for Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PC, Cell Phones, and Web Based games. It's been a long time coming, but please continue to check in regularly. Also, if you or someone you know would like to submit reviews or news articles, please e-mail me at theadamballard@gmail.com.



There's a lot of games to review and news to cover, but here's to things to come!

Adam

For Those Who Wish Cloud had Sexy Black Hair

Crisis Core:
Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy. With every iteration, they become final-er, and much more fantastical. For those who may not be familiar with the franchise, let me break it down: save the world, look sexy, fight monsters, level up, laugh, cry, cross dress (looking at you Cloud), and push systems to their brink.

To summarize, they’re everything you want from an epic adventure novel polished into a video game. Final Fantasy games have appeared in several flavors across the board from console, to pc, to handheld, to card game. FF’s done it all and always maintained a top notch production value, and Crisis Core has style to spare.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is the story of Zack Fair, an elite member of the military group SOLDIER. The events that transpire in the game provide a clearer picture of events before the blockbuster game, Final Fantasy VII. The story covers everything from Zack’s ascension in the ranks of SOLDIER, Sephiroth’s downward spiral into madness, and Cloud’s inspiration to fight.

Long time VII fans will no doubt rejoice at hearing Sephiroth’s leitmotif “One Winged Angel” again, while newcomers can experience the story from a more canonically linear take. But where does Crisis Core fit into the busy lives of busy gamers?

Make no mistake, while Crisis Core falls into the handheld category, it offers up a console sized experience. Apart from the main story, there are three hundred side missions to keep you busy and the missions are what give the game legs. In a nutshell, the missions are short. While main story events can take upwards of an hour to complete, the missions accessed at save points can typically be completed anywhere from five to fifteen minutes. And with hundreds of missions to choose from, that’s pretty swanky.

The game also boasts some heavy customization. Equipment will help you boost stats, counter ailments, and learn new abilities. And what iteration of VII could be complete without its trademark materia? Equipping materia allows you to learn new spells, increase your stats, and acquire new moves. But that’s not all! In Crisis Core you also have the option of Materia Fusion, which allows you to fuse two materia together to create new or more powerful materia. Throw in fusion items for better results and you’ll jump from having 9,999 HP to 99,999 in no time! And how do you get the awesome equipment and materia? By playing the hundreds of short and sweet missions!

Sorry to sound like a car commercial, but if you’re into RPGs at all, it’s addictive. For Final Fantasy fans it’s almost mandatory to get the best equipment and max out your stats, and to do that in Crisis Core, it’ll cost you around a hundred hours. So how does a game this demanding amount of time stack up to one life standards?

Quite well.

The Game: 8.5 / 10 (Fantastic)
Easily the most beautiful game on PSP, Square-Enix pulls no punches in the graphics department. The controls are simple, but refined. The missions can be somewhat repetitive though. Oh yeah, and the story is Square-Enix caliber: incredibly epic and unnervingly sweet.

The Time: 9 / 10 (Top Notch)
But you said 100 hours?! That’s 100 hours of story and hundreds of side quests. While the game is every bit a Final Fantasy, the fact that you can pick up your PSP at any moment and bust out a five minute quest (and be rewarded for it) makes it a dream for the busy gamer on the go.

The Verdict:
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is everything a rushed gamer wants. If you want to sit down for hours, you’re good to go; if you only have five minutes to stifle your gamer jonesing, you’re set. It’s really an amazing little package.

That being said, I have two chief complaints, and only one of them is a pressing matter. For starters, the missions can be repetitive. There are maybe ten different maps all in all, and each mission uses different areas of the map, or the same areas with different monsters. If you find a clear afternoon where you can spend more than two hours on missions, you may find yourself getting bored. On the flipside, if you've got that kind of time you can always further yourself into the story and see a lot more diverse areas with a truly engaging story.

My second and much less serious of a complaint is the reference to a play within the game called LOVELESS. Without spoiling too much, this character named Genesis is constantly quoting from the fictional play in an attempt to foreshadow. Now I love a good Final Fantasy mysticism as much as the next nerd, but there's only so much, "The Wings of the Goddess will spread into the fruit of the farfignuegen, yada, yada, yada," that I can take. Seriously, the cat can ramble. I know it's meant to sound cool and mysterious, and he's sexy because he can recite poetry, but this crap is far from Macbeth. He just throws out these mystique-laden terms that get nerds antsy. He might as well be saying, "Trench coats, vampires, Neo, explosions, boobs, ninjas." It's almost that ridiculous.
Sigh... Now that that's out of my system, allow me to say that the game is great. It's beautiful visually, it has a sweet story, the action is intense, and a universe that you know and love feels a little warmer in your soul. While you might feel bad knowing how things end up, it's still charming to take the ride with so many familiar faces. In closing, it's games of this quality that make you glad there will never be a true, final fantasy.