Film Junk » Game Review

The Rub Rabbits! (DS)

Sean — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 07:55:54 +0000

The Rub Rabbits! (DS) Developed and Published by: Sega "Warning: Continuous stroking, blowing and poking could lead to unwanted attention in public places." With Nintendo continuing to promote the fact that "touching is good", it is Sega's turn to conjure up self-gratification innuendos with their cute yet sensual new DS game, The Rub Rabbits! The Rub Rabbits is Sega's sequel to Feel The Magic XX/XY, which was one of the only halfway interesting launch titles for the DS. It's hard to deny the influence of the WarioWare series on these games, as they both consist of a large collection of zany mini-games recognizable by their surreal art direction. But where Feel The Magic and The Rub Rabbits differ from Wario is that there's an actual storyline tying the games together (albeit a very strange and disjointed story, but an amusing one nonetheless). Once again, you are in pursuit of the girl of your dreams, who, like all the other characters in the game is nothing more than a dark silhouette wearing a dress (or eventually, an outfit of your choice). Each step of the way you must compete in daring challenges to win her heart, from keeping a flower near her nose without pricking her with thorns, to dodging sumo wrestlers on an escalator, to closing all the virus pop-up windows on her computer for her, to blowing blasts of wind to foil other suitors who are parachuting down to steal her from you. The games just get more and more ridiculous, as does the story, which progresses through a series cut scene panels in between each completed challenge. I definitely like the fact that they tied all the mini-games into a Story mode; at the very least it gives you a bit more reason to keep playing, and makes it even more addictive. I also like that there are 3 save files for the story mode, something the WarioWare games don't offer. On the flip side, one of the minor annoyances is the series of 5 difficulty level that you must complete for each mini-game before moving on. While none of the games are really all that difficult, some of them definitely overstay their welcome and cause a fair amount of frustration. Thankfully, you do have the option to skip one (and only one) game in Story mode if it becomes problematic. Although the Story mode is fairly short (it features about 35 games, while Feel The Magic had only 25), there are a handful of bonus features and extra game modes that still make it a worthwhile purchase. One cool thing is that once you pass certain mini-games, they are unlocked in Battle mode, allowing you to compete against up to 3 other opponents via the DS wi-fi connection. Other silly game modes include "Maniac", which allows you to customize the appearance of your girl, "Hullabaloo", a relay party game kind of like Twister using your DS, and "Baby Making", allowing two people to work together in a cake cutting mini-game that determines your compatibility (and sperm count... just kidding). You can even then exchange your babies with friends and have them play together over a wireless connection. With The Rub Rabbits, there is definitely a feeling that the game that was thrown together rather quickly, but it has that "pick up and play" appeal that is sure to draw in casual and hardcore gamers alike. If you're not yet getting sick of these wacky Japanese titles with quirky minimalist artwork, cute music and hilariously simple but addictive mini-games, The Rub Rabbits is definitely for you. (Just be mindful of who might be watching whenever you decide to do a little rubbing.) -- Sean

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Electroplankton (DS)

Sean — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 07:51:07 +0000

Electroplankton (DS) Developed by: Nintendo Published by: Nintendo It seems like everything you read in the video game press nowadays is commending Nintendo for their innovation and willingness to take on brave new concepts with their games. Truth be told, it's not like they have a choice in the matter anymore... it's kind of become their schtick. On the other hand, they do also release a billion Mario-themed games a year, along with their own fair share of rehashed sequels. Are they really the creative trailblazer that everyone wants to think they are? Well, one thing's for sure. No other publisher in their right mind would release something as bizarre and indescribable as Toshio Iwai's "Electroplankton". This quirky little release for the Nintendo DS handheld is the strongest argument yet for convincing people that video games should be considered art. But while Electroplankton definitely qualifies as an artistic creation, it almost goes too far -- to the point where it can no longer be considered a video game. In the strictest sense, Electroplankton is a collection of 10 self-contained interactive multimedia installations that use your touch screen and/or microphone input to create music. There is no objective to these mini-games other than what you decide to do with them. In this way they resemble some of the little unlockable playthings in recent GBA games like Mario Party Advance and Warioware Twisted. I will admit that at first glance, many of these sound modules are fascinating and quite fun to fool around with. An early favourite of mine, "Hanenbow", allows you to ricochet a stream of fish off of leaves to create a cascade of melodies. By adjusting the angles of the leaves, you can create some pretty cool sounds, and with just the right set up, you can even get the leaves to sprout flowers! How pretty! Some of the modules that use the microphone, such as "Rec-Rec" and "Volvoice", provide a fun distraction by warping and reversing any sound samples you can get the microphone to pick up. On the other hand, "Lumiloop" seems a little like filler; just 5 donut shaped organisms that can be spun clockwise or counterclockwise to create different tones. "Beatnes" is probably the most fun and the most flexible in terms of creating actual music, and I'm guessing the section that people will want to spend the most time with. A loop of backing music plays while you improvise individual notes and sound effects over top. These are then repeated back at regular intervals so you can build on them... not unlike using a delay pedal on a guitar. The problem with Electroplankton, I think, is not that it lacks the challenges or goals of a typical video game. Rather, the problem is that there is not enough structure to allow people to create real songs with it. The game will attract budding musicians who want to actually use the plankton compose their own original pieces, but far too much of the end result is left up to randomness. Something like "Luminaria" (a grid of arrows with plankton following the directions of the arrows to strike notes) could be really powerful if it wasn't so unwieldy to control. "Beatnes" is the most structured of all the installments, but since you're only provided with 4 options for backing music (most of which come from NES games like Super Mario Bros and Kid Icarus), your creativity is a severely limited (not to mention, slightly hampered by copyright issues). You also can't play with any of the modules simultaneously or combine their sounds in any way short of recording it on your computer and doing some mixing after the fact. I have to agree with all of the other reviews I've read that said a save feature would be helpful to the creative process. Considering how random some of the music is, it's pretty damn tough to repeat something twice. To top it off, the visuals just aren't all that brilliant in my opinion. For a title that is supposed to be full-blown multimedia art experience, there really isn't all that much to look at aside from your basic on-screen controls. I was thinking Electroplankton would have the equivalent of a Winamp or Windows Media Player visualization -- some kind of psychadelic animated display that reacts to the sounds. Unfortunately the only thing you have to look at are the plankton themselves as they move around the screen, and for the most part they are just simplistic 2-D graphics. "Nanocarp" is one of the few pieces concerned with turning your input into a visual display rather than music, causing tiny fish to react with synchronized movements. I am usually drawn to unique video game concepts like this, and I take a special interest the idea of music being generated semi-randomly by computer software. Is there an underlying pattern to human creativity? How much of music is conscious skill and how much comes from unquantifiable inspiration? Unfortunately, Electroplankton does not really explore fascinating questions such as these, and the artwork it creates is not all that exciting. The game also has an "Audience" mode, which essentially allows you to sit back and let the music play itself. Again, a potentially interesting element, but in some sense I would argue this is nothing more than a glorified wind chime simulator. Is Electroplankton a unique and intriguing premise? Absolutely! Is it worth $50? Not by a long shot. I can't see Electroplankton giving the average person more than a few hours worth of entertainment, but it's still a recommended rental for anyone who is the least bit curious. -- Sean

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Guitar Hero (PS2)

Sean — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 06:08:23 +0000

Guitar Hero (PS2) Developed by: Harmonix Published by: RedOctane I've always been drawn to video games that use add-ons and gadgets to try something new. Sometimes they're just an excuse to sell another useless peripheral, but other times they end up being a truly unique and rewarding experience. What I haven't always loved, however, are music rhythm games like Dance Dance Revolution. While I can appreciate DDR for giving game nerds some much needed exercise, the fact of the matter is, you look like a goof when you play and the music for the most part just ain't my cup of tea. However, as the legends have foretold, a hero will rise. A Guitar Hero that is. Harmonix have gone ahead and invented one of the best game gimmicks ever: a custom controller shaped like a guitar, for use with a rhythm game that, quite simply, isn't for sissies. Harmonix are no strangers to music games, from the Karaoke Revolution series to the critically acclaimed Frequency and its sequel Amplitude, they've proven themselves to be more than up to the task. With Guitar Hero though, they've really knocked it out of the park... or should I say ROCKED it out of the park. The guitar controller itself is made to resemble a Gibson SG, and comes complete with a strap and whammy bar. It is included with the game, and although you can also play using a regular controller, why would you want to? I suppose it might work in a multiplayer pinch, but the person using a regular PS2 controller would be at a major disadvantage. Here's how the gameplay works: there are 5 fret buttons on the guitar neck, plus a strumming bar and a whammy bar. Fret symbols move towards you on the screen, and you have to hold down the appropriate button and strum as each note reaches you. It actually feels quite similar to playing a guitar for real -- buttons on lower frets can even continue to be held down while you play a higher note. Needless to say, if you can play guitar in real-life, you will be at a much higher skill level in this game than someone who hasn't. Since you're not actually playing real notes, however, your guitar prowess can only take you so far. (On the other hand, I can see this being a great starting point to teach someone to play guitar since it simplifies many of the necessary skills.) One of the additional strategies in the game involves something called "Star Power". As you nail a string of consecutive notes, your score multiplier increases and when you hit notes that are shaped like stars you will build up Star Power. You can extract even more Star Power by using your whammy bar on held notes that are shaped like stars. Once you have enough star power accumulated, you simply tilt your guitar upright (detected by gyro sensors inside the guitar) and enter Star Mode for a limited time, where your point multiplier doubles. Part of the strategy is knowing when in the song to use your Star Power in order to maximize your points. First and foremost, with a game like this, you need a solid line-up of tracks to shred to. Guitar Hero has this in spades... literally, from Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" to songs from guitar gods like Cream, Boston and Hendrix, to modern rock bands like Helmet, Audioslave, Franz Ferdinand and Sum 41. They've got just about every aspect of guitar rock covered. You should be familiar with almost all of these songs to some extent, and although the songs are not the original recordings, it's surprisingly hard to hear a difference in most of them. (A couple are a little off... Bad Religion's Greg Graffin has a distinctive gravelly voice that is apparently not so easy to mimic.) Although they probably could have gotten away with just the music and sparse visuals in this game, Harmonix also added full 3D scenes of your fictional band playing on-stage to accompany your performance. The animations are interactive and respond to how well you are doing -- when you're really nailing a solo your character will pull off some sweet moves on stage and the crowd will cheer you on. There are also fluid camera cuts and movement to simulate a live concert video. It might have been even cooler to have the likenesses of the actual bands performing on stage, of course the licensing fees for that probably would have been ridiculous. The thing that stands out most about Guitar Hero is the fact that when you play it, you look and feel like a real rock star. You actually feel like you're playing the notes. If you miss one, the guitar sound will cut out briefly, and an out of tune note will ring instead. You can instantly tell just by listening how well someone is doing at any given point in the game. The incorporation of the Star Power element was a stroke of genius. By forcing people to use the whammy bar and briefly hold their guitar upright, it basically encourages showboating. This is one of the things that makes Guitar Hero an amazing party game. The other cool thing about multiplayer is the fact that each of the two duelling guitarists plays different parts of the same song, sometimes trading licks and soloing back and forth. It calls for some serious back-to-back rock poses. The difficulty levels in the game are well-balanced, and Guitar Hero does a good job of progressing from the tutorial through to the harder songs. Even at the beginner level it's not ridiculously easy, although it's still something anyone can pick up with a little practice. The Hard and Expert levels get pretty insane though, leaving the hardcore guitar heroes with plenty to work towards. In the career mode you work your way through sets of songs and move up to bigger venues as you strive to achieve the pinnacle of stardom. You earn money for each performance, which you can use to unlock extra goodies that include behind the scenes videos, new guitars, new characters and new playable songs. None of the new playable songs are really anything noteworthy... mostly coming from unsigned indie bands, although Freezepop do make an appearance. It just wouldn't be a rhythm game on the PS2 without them! Guitar Hero is an experience like nothing you've ever played before and one of the most addictive games of the year. If you're a fan of rock music, you will love it. The only drawback is the extra cost of the controller (the game package itself will run you about $90 Canadian), but if you can afford it you will not regret the purchase. I'm already thinking about all the great things they could put into a sequel. Guitar Hero officially owns my soul... soon it will own yours too. -- Sean

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Mario Kart DS (DS)

Sean — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 02:22:36 +0000

Mario Kart DS Developed and Published by: Nintendo I still maintain that the original Super Mario Kart is one of the best multiplayer games ever created, but like most Nintendo franchises, at this point it has been nearly run into the ground. Last year, Mario Kart Double Dash for the Gamecube brought a bold new twist to the game by pairing up drivers two per kart. However, one of its coolest features -- the ability to play with up to 8 people in a LAN game -- was essentially useless because, well... who the heck owns a network adapter for the Gamecube? Enter the Nintendo DS handheld system. With its wireless connectivity, the DS is an ideal platform for a multiplayer game like Mario Kart, making it easy for 8 people to play together (assuming they all own a DS). Nintendo has sealed the deal by simultaneously launching their internet Wi-Fi service which allows people to play online against anyone else, anywhere in the world. But how does it play? Can Mario Kart on the DS generate the same frantic and irresistable fun as the original? The basic gameplay is, for the most part, a return to form for the series. There is only one player per kart, which will make a lot of old school Mario Kart fans happy. However, the graphics are true 3D (unlike the SNES and GBA games), which makes it at times closer in practice to Mario Kart 64... the worst of the bunch in my opinion. The precision of the controls vary wildly based on your character and kart of choice, and the items and power-ups are at times so powerful that they can severely unbalance the game. This time around they've added new items that include Bullet Bill (with a similar effect to the Chain Chomp in Double Dash) and Blooper (a squid that inks up the screen of a nearby opponent to obscure their vision). This is all good if you like unpredictability, but bad if you prefer a more straightforward match of skill. They've kept the "double dash" maneuver from the Gamecube version, and it's now an integral part of the game. Mario Kart DS gets difficult in a hurry, so at 150 CC you'd better know the courses like the back of your hand and you'd better be double dashin' at every turn, or else you will quickly be left in the dust. Still, even though they didn't entirely nail the core gameplay in my opinion, Nintendo has packed Mario Kart DS full of so many new options that it more than makes up for it. One of the major additions is a new "Challenge Mode", which adds Burnout-style mini-games with certain short objectives to accomplish such as collecting a certain number of coins, or passing through numbered gates within a certain time allotment. After a group of these goals are accomplished, the player is presented with a "boss fight" of sorts... definitely a Mario Kart first! The dual screen set up on the DS opens the possibilities for a persistent map in the bottom half of the screen. In past Mario Kart games it was always necessary to hold down a button to get a quick glimpse in your rearview mirror, or to have a small map superimposed over the screen to give you a basic idea of your position. The map in Mario Kart DS is a very useful tool, not only because it's always on, but especially since it also shows you the location of items and weapons as they hurtle towards you. Another long overdue feature is the addition of computer-controlled opponents in Battle Mode. Plus this time around Battle Mode has a new twist: you start with only 1 balloon, and you need to actually inflate the other 2 yourself by blowing into the microphone or tapping a button. Weird... but kind of neat. I didn't even realize how this feature worked until I read the instruction book... but seriously, who actually reads instruction books? A little pop-up message might have made this more obvious. Of course, the real major selling points of this game are the direct link wireless and online multiplayer modes. Despite a few hiccups during the first week of launch, the Nintendo Wi-Fi service appears to be working quite well, and faithful to Nintendo's easy-to-use mantra. There is an auto-detect network option, but otherwise you only need enter your wireless network name and WEP encryption key to connect. Some routers may not be compatible with the DS (check Nintendo's list online), so be warned -- you might have to head to the nearest McDonald's hotspot to play. Online play was extremely smooth and lag-free from what I've seen so far, as was direct wireless connection matches. There aren't any matchmaking options for online play (again, keeping it simple I suppose), but unfortunately this means you're probably going to get your ass handed to you more often than not. Thankfully, you also have a Friends list that you can use to create a custom online game (when you configure Mario Kart DS the first time, your game generates a unique Friend code that you can then share with others). It is a bit disappointing that Battle Mode is not available online, and that you are limited to 4 human players at a time. Also, it feels a bit quiet and empty when playing online since you have no way of communicating with your opponents. It really would have been nice to be able to speak to each other using the microphone. I guess this is forgiveable, considering Nintendo's strict need to keep their games family-friendly -- but why not simply restrict voice interaction to among friends only? At the very least you can still express yourself through your insignia, which is hand drawn using the stylus and touch screen. The other thing that really endeared me to this game is that aside from the new tracks, there are also 2 Retro Cup series accessible right off the bat, each one comprised of 4 tracks taken from the 4 previous Mario Kart titles. As a reward for winning cups, more tracks can be unlocked (along with additional racers and karts). Overall, Mario Kart DS is a very strong title for Nintendo this holiday season (lucky for them because they don't have much else on tap), and it's a great reason to own a DS if you don't have one yet. I wasn't completely wowed, mainly because, well... it's Mario Kart. But considering this is the 5th iteration of the Mario Kart series, they've still added enough new features to make this game feel fresh and exciting all over again. -- Sean

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Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS)

Sean — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 06:52:13 +0000

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS) Developed and Published by: Konami As Nintendo's newest handheld system continues to blossom and developers strive to prove the versatility of its unique feature set, some of the more traditional game types are being neglected on the DS. While Nintendo is busy flexing its creative muscles with quirky games like WarioWare Touched!, Kirby's Canvas Curse and Yoshi's Touch & Go, it appears that the concept of 2D side scrollers, RPGs and the like may soon be completely forgotten as the DS' predecessor, the Gameboy Advance, gets phased out. The delay of Metroid Prime Hunters until next year has also left a void in the DS line-up for games aimed at an older audience. Thankfully, Konami has delivered with the system's first must-have 2D action/adventure game, a solid continuation of their always popular Castlevania series. Of course, you can't make a DS game without playing to the system's strengths (Nintendo would have none of that), so Konami incorporated the touch screen in a few interesting ways. Most notably with the addition of "Magic Seals" -- arcane symbols that need to be traced correctly using the stylus in order to finish off a boss. There is also a nifty power in the game that allows you to scrape away ice blocks by dragging the stylus across them. The dual screen set up has its advantages here too, allowing a player to view a map or enemy stats while in the thick of the action. This saves a lot of time where you would normally pause and flip to a map screen over and over to make sure you're heading in the right direction. For the most part, however, Dawn of Sorrow is a direct sequel to the GBA game, "Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow". Our hero is the effeminate Soma Cruz (not a Belmont), who is once again drawn to the castle of Dracula, and his power to absorb dark souls is put to the test. Most of the characters from the last game return, such as Mina, Soma's lifelong friend, and Julius, a descendant of the Belmont clan. They've opted to keep the game 2D, which makes me happy, as the 3D versions of Castlevania have never managed to get it quite right. By taking advantage of the DS's power, they were able to make perhaps the nicest looking 2D Castlevania game yet. Some would probably argue that this is just a graphically enhanced rehash of Aria of Sorrow, and I wouldn't necessarily disagree. There is not a lot of truly new material here, and the level design feels somewhat bland and uninspired. Konami tries to wow us with the game's opening area which features snow-covered cars that react realistically when you hop on top of them. As the game progresses, however, the environments do not maintain this level of interactivity and detail. I wasn't really a big fan of the anime character designs either. All of the recent portable Castlevania games have incorporated RPG elements, continuing in the footsteps of the Playstation classic "Symphony of the Night", and Dawn of Sorrow is no exception. This is what really gives the game its depth and keeps you playing as you see your abilities steadily increase. There is all kinds of loot to be found along the way, mainly various weapons and armour, each with their own quirks. There is also a soul system in place (again, nothing new to Castlevania games) which allows Soma to absorb the powers of enemies that he defeats. Some are gained after defeating a boss and are needed for progression in the game (such as the Puppet Master, which allows you to teleport to hard to reach places, or the Flying Armor, which slows your fall), while others are just randomly acquired and add to your arsenal a new attack, defense or attribute enhancement. Some of the souls are little more than glorified keys to unlock a previously unreachable area of the map, but others are very rewarding and a lot of fun to use. One thing you couldn't do in previous Castlevania games is enhance your weapons, but in Dawn of Sorrow you can do exactly that, with the help of Yoko, a friendly witch who can synthesize new, more kickass weapons whenever you find a compatible soul you are willing to part with. You can also trade souls with friends using the DS' wireless connectivity, and engage in an interesting form of Versus head-to-head gameplay where you place enemies within a series of connected rooms and see who can get through them the quickest. The single-player game also has multiple endings. These bonus features are fun and add an extra layer of replayability. For the most part Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a reliable purchase and easily one of the best games currently available for the Nintendo DS. It's also one of the few that incorporates the touch screen in clever ways without having the gameplay completely defined by it. My only real problem with the game is that it felt somewhat repetitive, which is maybe a sign that Konami needs to take a cue from Nintendo and spend a little more time developing their key franchises. The glut of Castlevania games in recent years has made this game seem like old hat, with not enough new ideas to keep me completely enthralled. -- Sean

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Burnout Legends (PSP)

Chian — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Burnout Legends (PSP) Developed by: Criterion Published by: EA Oh Yippy! Yet another racing game on the PSP. As if the system didn’t have its fair share of racers already. Well... that would have been my initial reaction, but this is the next installment in the Burnout franchise -- often imitated but never duplicated. Burnout's arcade style gameplay suits the PSP platform perfectly. It’s a game where you can pick up and play in short bursts and still you’re able to unlock bonuses and other rewards like cars and tracks. You can race others, smash into them to gain speed boosts, and play other modes where you purposely cause massive traffic pile ups. Certain tracks have hidden routes and if you smash someone a certain way, like into a pillar, you can also unlock snap shots which will keep you playing even longer. Every race rewards you with points to unlock even more things. Personally that’s what got me hooked, because there is always something to do in this game. There are a few things I wish they could have included and excluded. I’m guessing it was a performance hit, but they left out that blurring effect for when you increase to top speeds. As for the music, I could have done without that generic soundtrack comprised of mostly crappy punk bands. Its sounds like music parents would listen to in order to impress their kids, trying to act hip. (Sorry I don’t feel like listing off the bands because I don’t have the list on me.) On the same topic of music, it is also annoying when the game switches tunes in the middle of the race because sometimes there is a 1 second pause in gameplay. This can be distracting and very annoying. It’s the equivalent of that one friend that doesn’t want you to win so they just randomly press the pause button to mess you up. With all that said, I think it’s safe to say that Burnout is the best PSP game to date. It’s one of those games that push the capabilities of the system. The graphic are clean, frame rate is fairly decent and there is still that overwhelming sensation of speed, known in every Burnout game. The best thing is coming home from work after having to sit through traffic jams and dumbasses who can’t drive, then playing the game. It is always nice to be rewarded for smashing into things rather than rewarded with hefty car insurance rates in the real world. -- Chian

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NHL 2K6 (X-Box)

Sean — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 05:00:00 +0000

NHL 2K6 (PC) Developed by: Kush Games Published by: Sega/Take 2 Interactive After a whole year of bickering, arrogant posturing and lost profits, the NHL players and owners have finally settled their differences and agreed to get back to business. The upside to last year's lockout is the fact that the upcoming hockey season may be wild and unpredictable with many team personnel changes and new rules to shake things up. However, if you thought that this year's crop of hockey video games would also be fresh and exciting as a result, you might be a little disappointed. Once again, the two major titles come from EA and Sega, each very similar but with philosophically different approaches to the game. After Sega's NHL 2K5 put a major dent in EA's sales last year, EA has fought back by landing exclusive access to the ESPN brand, chopping their own retail price, and attempting to reclaim the gameplay from their NHL 94 glory days. Sega and Kush Games, on the other hand, have quietly stuck to their guns and avoided any drastic changes. As a result these two hockey games are pretty evenly matched this year, and your preference is going to depend a lot on your style of play - arcade vs sim. NHL 2K6 is, as usual, the more realistic game of the two, and manages to feel a lot more like hockey should. But that doesn't mean it's overly complex and has a high-learning curve either. The controls are smooth and fluid, like you are actually skating on ice, and I'm glad to see that they decided to eliminate the multiple control schemes for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced this year. The ability to skate backwards with the puck while on offense is a neat addition, and the new goalie controls are fun even if it's difficult to find an adequate camera angle for such a thing. "Pro Control mode" is one of the main new features that the developers have been touting, and while it was a good idea in theory, I didn't find it all that practical. When you click the right thumbstick it associates a button with each of your teammates for precision passing... kind of like you might see in a football game. While it does avoid the problem of passing to someone you didn't intend to (which does occur occasionally using the regular controls), it's difficult to toggle out of Pro Control mode once your pass has connected. If it had been activated only when holding a button down instead it might have worked better. The only other obvious gameplay change is the new Enforcer system, which allows the tough guys on each team to reduce the effectiveness of opponents through physical intimidation. The system comes off as being a little gimmicky though, and with fights being so rare in 2K6 it doesn't really add any realism anyways. The Party Mode mini-games are back, and these are definitely a unique and welcome feature in my book. There have been definite improvements in the visuals since 2K5 too. The face models look much more recognizable and there are a lot more realistic animations, especially for the goalies. EA still has a huge lead in terms of presentation though; they even added real coach likenesses this year. As far as I can tell, 2K is still basically using the same game engine they've had since the Dreamcast days and it's probably about time for an overhaul. Some small but cool things that Kush Games did come up with this year are auto-generated highlight reels at the end of each period (X-Box only) and a lot more crowd cut scenes. Fellow Southern Ontario hockey fans will also be comforted by the fact that Bob Cole and Harry Neale are doing the Play By Play commentary. The biggest problem with NHL 2K6, as it seems to be every year, is the horribly inadequate user interface. It seems like there's a million different save files (profile, franchise, season, etc.) and most of the time the game won't save them for you automatically. Why should you have to remember to go to the Options menu and choose Save everytime you're done playing a season game? Why does the X-Box Live menu have to be so confusing? Why are there different roster updates for online and offline play? It all just feels clunky and unpolished. Speaking of unpolished, you are also likely to encounter at least a few bugs if you play the game for any length of time. Specifically, there have been a lot of complaints on their forums about crashes when saving progress in Franchise mode. While I haven't experienced any major problems myself, that is most certainly not good for business. Despite these issues, NHL 2K6 is still my personal hockey game of choice for the third of fourth year in a row. It just feels right; the A.I. moves in such a way that you can set up plays and strategize properly, and you can score realistic goals in a huge variety of situations. I was initially a little disappointed that there are no real noteworthy improvements or additions this year, but now I realize that it's all the small things that make the difference. To be fair, from what I've seen EA have done a decent job this year as well, but I still recommend that true hockey fans give Sega's lesser known title a chance first. -- Sean

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Meteos (DS)

Sean — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Meteos (DS) Developed by: Q Entertainment Published by: Bandai What good is a handheld video game system without that one killer puzzle game more addictive than crack cocaine? Not much good, I'd wager. The simple elegance of Tetris was responsible for selling millions of Game Boy systems, after all. Since then there has been an endless stream of "falling block" clones and knockoffs, but very few others have managed to gain any sort of runaway success. This is where Q Entertainment have recently stepped forward and proven themselves to be game design geniuses. Founded by Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Space Channel 5, Rez), the company now has two brilliant titles under its collective belt in less than a year: Lumines for the PSP, and Meteos for the Nintendo DS. Creating a puzzle game that is both unique and compelling is a deceptively difficult thing. As low-tech as they tend to be, the design process for such a game is one that requires more raw creativity than any other. This type of game is an art form unto itself. With Meteos, I found myself hooked almost immediately; dazzled by the colourful combination of visuals and sound, and yet completely transfixed by the one basic, inherently unsolvable, task at hand. That task, in this case, is to line up 3 or more blocks of matching colours as they fall from the sky. Lines can be found horizontally or vertically, but individual blocks can only be moved up or down within their respective columns (which is done by dragging them with the stylus on the Nintendo DS touch screen). That, in a nutshell, is all you need to know to play this game, but as with all good puzzle games, Meteos goes much deeper. When you match up a line of blocks, they don't simply disappear; rather, they combine with everything above it and launch into the sky before slowly falling back down. While they fall, you can realign more blocks to form combos that will launch them even higher, and once they get high enough they will spill out into space, eliminating them from play. There are also occasional items that appear within the blocks, such as bombs and giant hammers that can clear large areas. I suppose I could also mention that the blocks are actually "meteors" sent from the evil planet Meteo, and that by clearing the atmosphere of meteors you are freeing planets from tyranny... or something like that. But although these things do add to the aesthetics of the game, let's be honest -- they're pretty irrelevant. Still, as flimsy as the story is, it works well within the whole experience. Stylistically, each level represents a different planet with its own unique look and feel, from the types of blocks, to the music and sound, to the gravity and behaviour of the blocks. Meteos is loaded with different gameplay modes (including one of the most fun wireless multiplayer modes on the DS so far), and also features a ton of unlockables in the way of additional planets, items, and music tracks. For a simple game, it really is packed with value. One unfortunate thing worth noting is the fact that the game's interface allows for a certain amount of "cheating", if you will, that can cheapen the gameplay experience (as you will find out when going head-to-head with a cheater!). When the blocks are piling up and you find yourself on the brink of annihilation, sometimes you need only to resort to some random scribbling on the screen in order to bail yourself out of a jam. Since ineffective moves are not penalized, quite often this strategy can work for a time. Still, there is enough subtlety to the game that such mindless tactics are not likely win out against a more skilled opponent in the long run. Meteos is one of those fabled games that is easy to pick up, but ridiculously hard to put down. The more intense the meteor attack gets, the more determined you will find yourself becoming. This game is highly recommended, although that recommendation comes with a warning: your Nintendo DS may never leave your grip again! -- Sean

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Battlefield 2 (PC)

Sean — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Battlefield 2 (PC) Developed by: D.I.C.E. Published by: EA Despite my misgivings about PC games, every now and then there is a game good enough that I will suffer through all the technical headaches just so I can play it. It's hard to say exactly what makes Battlefield 2 worthy of such efforts, but it is. While at first it appears to be just another first-person shooter, it quickly becomes more than that when you jump into battle against other human opponents. The one thing that always stood out about its predecessors, Battlefield 1942 and Vietnam was the Conquest game mode with its focus on teamwork to capture outposts and take control of a map, and of course, the vehicles. These elements return, but with some small but important changes to enhance the gameplay even further. First of all, the game takes place in the near future, pitting the U.S. army versus the Chinese Republic and the Middle East Coalition. (While we are told this is a fictional future, you can't help but feel a little bit chilled by the fact that these may indeed be the next major military clashes.) Each army has access to an awesome arsenal of modern warfare with advanced vehicles and weaponry. The biggest addition to the game is the new squad system. You can choose to join a squad within your team, which puts you in direct voice contact (assuming you have a microphone) with the other members, and shows you their locations on the map. Each squad has a designated leader, who can attempt to strategize by giving orders to the members about which point to attack, defend, etc. Perhaps the coolest thing about being in a squad that if you die, you can respawn alongside your squad leader, putting you right back in the thick of the action. Taking the leadership role a step further, each team can also have a commander. The commander can do cool things like scan for enemy locations, drop supplies to friendly troops, and rain artillery strikes down on certain areas of the map. These changes add a whole new dimension to the game, the only problem is that joining a squad is optional, and if some players aren't using them then your team might be at a disadvantage. On the other hand, if you don't want to worry about the extra micro-management, you don't have to. Once again you have your choice of soldier classes every time you enter (and re-enter) a game. There are 7 options this time around, from Medic to Engineer to Sniper to Anti-Tank. Each class has its own assortment of weapons and abilities, along with respective strengths and weaknesses. This is one area where strategy comes into play, and your team role and gameplay experience will change vastly based on the soldier class you choose. Medics, for example, can revive fallen comrades using shock paddles (and also kill opposing soldiers with them too). Engineers can repair vehicles and other equipment, while Special Forces are the only soldier type with access to C4 explosives. There's a lot of variety here. Also, if you play on a ranked server, building up a high ranking will eventually unlock even more cool weapons for you. Just another little gimmick to keep you hooked. The system requirements for BF2 are somewhat steep (1.7 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, ATI Radeon 8500+/NVIDIA GeForce 5700+), which is unfortunate because it limits the audience that this great game will reach. I love pretty graphics as much as the next guy, but the gameplay is the important thing for a fast-paced game like this, and it would have been nice if the game could be made compatible for people with older PCs. When you're playing a good, well-balanced game with a fair amount of human opponents, BF2 is absolutely addictive. Each game is never the same, and there's a good selection of maps, scalable by size (at 16, 32 and 64 player increments). However, even the smallest maps need at least 8 people or so to be interesting since this game is all about the large scale battles. One drawback to this is that sometimes you can respawn without a vehicle nearby and you have to do A LOT of walking to get back to the action (all the more reason to join a squad and stick with your leader). There are so many little moments that stand out in any given match; from tense firefights in narrow city streets, to dogfights in the sky, to battles on boats across winding rivers, and the game never feels repetitive -- which means a lot for a first-person shooter. Battlefield 2 may lack the epic historic backdrop, but it more than compensates with its faster-paced style of modern warfare. I don't know if it's necessarily better than the original, but it's definitely not a rehash and makes for a worthy sequel to this great series. -- Sean

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WarioWare Twisted!

Sean — Tue, 31 May 2005 05:00:00 +0000

WarioWare Twisted! (Game Boy Advance) Developed by: Nintendo and Intelligent Systems Published by: Nintendo Nintendo has always been criticized for using cartridges instead of CDs or DVDs to distribute their video games, and indeed, the economics of that decision may well be the big reason why Sony was able to steal their market with the Playstation. However, one of the few advantages of using cartridges is that you can add new hardware capabilities right into the game itself, extending the functionality of the console. Sometimes in the past this has meant adding more advanced video chips or additional memory, or sometimes more esoteric and creative devices such as what Konami did with the Game Boy Advance game Boktai, adding a solar chip to detect sunlight. With their latest installment in the wildly popular WarioWare series, Nintendo has gotten all creative on us again by building gyro sensors and a rumble device in to the cartridge. The game comes in a box about twice as thick as a regular GBA game, and the cartridge itself is bigger and heavier than a normal one. What all this ingenuity amounts to is one of the few video games out there nowadays (aside from Dance DanceRevolution) that does not use a control pad for input at all. Instead, you hold your Game Boy Advance like a steering wheel, twisting and tilting it in order to play the games, with the occasional press of the A button. In a way, I guess you could say it is similar to the good ol' Atari paddle controller, but in the case of the GBA you are moving the whole system around in your hand (sometimes so much so that it's tough to see what's on the screen... but this just adds to the manic fun). The built-in rumble pack also gives you some tactile feedback to help you maneuver. I know what most people are probably thinking though... does this actually work or is it just another cute Nintendo gimmick? Despite my love of the original WarioWare games for the Gamecube and GBA, at first play, I had my doubts about WarioWare Twisted. The microgames seemed a little bit too simplistic, using only simple left/right movements, and being forced to use the gyro sensors for menu navigation was just kind of annoying. However, the microgames are broken up into sequential groups and intended to gradually ease you into the controls. As the complexity builds, so does the variety of games and the fun factor along with it. If you've played the original WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgames$, you will be familiar with the concept. You are presented with a random series of very short games in succession, and given only one or two words of instruction for each. Typically you have 3 seconds to complete the task before the next game is cued. If you manage to complete enough of the games without missing more than 4, you will will find yourself transported to the "Boss Stage", a slightly extended microgame. As usual, the microgames are divided into themed categories, this time around it is more by gameplay than by game content. One of the game categories in WarioWare Twisted breaks from the 3 second timer rule, in that you have a total of 20 seconds for the entire group, and if you complete a microgame quickly you will earn bonus time. Another features games with twice the allotted time limit. Everyone's favourite category has also returned -- a category dedicated solely to classic NES games adapted into microgames. The creative and zany flavour of the microgames will not disappoint WarioWare fans; there are still plenty of funny, amusing and downright bizarre games here, some of which build off of original classics. One of the highlights is the boss fight in Kat & Ana's "Tap Out"stage, which has you piloting a giant robot that shoots fingers into enemy noses. The controls are surprisingly precise and it doesn't take long to get the hang of it. (Interesting to note however, you can't play this game in a moving vehicle of any sort as the gyro sensors can't calibrate themselves properly.) Unfortunately, the intuitive controls are also kind of a bad thing, because a lot of the games are way too easy! It only takes 1 or 2 tries to master most of them, and since you can practice each of them individually outside of the Story Mode, that takes away a lot of the challenge. I'd say you can probably blow through the entire Story Mode in a couple of hours if you really wanted to. There is some replay value to the game in terms of competing for high scores and unlocking some extra games and "souvenirs", but some of the fun wears off when you've played most of the games numerous times already. It is kind of interesting to see some of the variations of the same microgames when you reach higher speeds and higher levels of difficulty though, and there are over 200 microgames, some of which you might not see the first handful of times you play through a stage. The unlockable souvenirs in the game are mostly useless. These are similar to what they did with Mario Party Advance and they are basically like little novelty "toys" that make use of the gyro sensors in various ways (like a wind-up music box or a record player). I think we also probably could have done without the lengthy animated cut scenes, that bookend the Story Mode, even if they are slightly interactive. Multiplayer gameplay is also absent; granted, the original WarioWare Inc. didn't have any connectivity either, but after playing Mega Party Game$ on the Gamecube it seems to leave a bit of a void. When all is said and done, I still find WarioWare Twisted to be more innovation than a cheap gimmick. I think the big thing keeping more casual people from playing games nowadays is the input device, and the idea of bypassing a standard controller really opens things up. Still, I can't see this game changing how most other video games are played anytime soon. WarioWare Twisted is still definitely not going to attract a lot of the over-20 gamers and the hardcore crowd. You just need to appreciate this game for the unique and refreshing experience it is, and for the fact that just about anyone can pick it up and play. Even if Nintendo is getting left in the dust when it comes to the next gen console race, I think there will always be a place for more intuitive, low-tech video games as long as they're still fun. Give it a chance and WarioWare Twisted will have you hooked in no time. -- Sean

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Guild Wars (PC)

Chian — Sun, 22 May 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Guild Wars (PC) Developed by: ArenaNet Published by: NCSoft Ah yes, yet another fantasy style online role playing game. You uber nerds can’t get enough can you? I guess each one has its own thing that makes it unique, but what does Guild Wars bring to the dinner table? In total there are 6 professions to pick from and you are also given the ability to combine any 2 professions together. In terms of character creation, it’s fairly basic and there really isn’t anything too complex in terms of options and selection. There is also 2 different modes you can play, the role playing and PVP. Role playing is the story mode/quest oriented game play, and the PVP mode allows you to create a high level character you use in player to player battles. The thing that makes this game different from others is that you get your very own world to play on, unless you invite others to join you. This means that you won’t be seeing others run around during your quests. The only time you will see other players are in certain cities where you can hang out chat and do all those Geekalicious things people do in online RPGs. So in other words it’s not a persistent world where everyone lives. Sounds lame at first but there are benefits and drawbacks from it. For example lag issues that bog down frame rates are rarely evident because you’re usually the only one in the world using bandwidth. Guild Wars manages to borrow and fix most of the setbacks in MMO style games. The tedious traveling issues have been solved by allowing the player to freely teleport to cities they have already visited. Instead of traveling halfway across the world only having to find out you have to return back to the same guy. Why not teleport your punk ass too him/her? Another cool feature is the ability to hire mercenaries to help you conquer harder quests rather then going through the hassle of gathering a team together. Overall the quests are typical style: find this, kill this, and talk to this, but it's still fun walking around and absorbing the stunning environments. Overall Guild Wars has its minor annoyances of having to reform you party every time you teleport, invisible walls, not being able to jump, and enemies aggravating you from great distances. But the game will be improved over time as more and more chapters are created. With all those things set aside; Guild Wars is definitely worth a try. The major thing that attracted me to this game is no monthly fees and I’m sure I’m not the only one. I know that many people will want to compare this to World of Warcraft and if I had to pick between the two I would pick Warcraft simply because its more in-depth. But with free monthly charges, you don’t have to worry about committing vast amounts of time in order to get your money's worth. -- Chian

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Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith (X-Box)

Sean — Fri, 13 May 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith (X-Box) Developed by: The Collective Published by: Lucasarts The final installment in George Lucas' space opera is almost upon us, and what would a new Star Wars movie be without its multimillion dollar marketing and merchandise campaigns? For a lot of movie studios, video games are just another tool in their promotional bag of tricks, but Lucasarts has (so they claim) always been committed to making games that are more than just a cash grab. Would the Star Wars Episode III video game be good enough to stand on its own, or would it just be a sub-par experience coasting on the Star Wars brand name? Right off the bat, this game has caught a lot of flack from some of the major game publications. Hungry for the opportunity to lambast any game that makes Star Wars look bad, they have jumped all over it and accused it of being sloppy, short and boring. But wait a minute... not so fast. This game follows an almost identical formula to EA's Lord Of The Rings arcade-style brawler games for The Two Towers and Return Of The King.Both of those games received favourable reviews, and while Revenge Of The Sith is clearly not in the running for game of the year I do think it holds enough fun to satisfy most Star Wars geeks. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith was not developed by Lucasarts in-house but rather by The Collective, the same people who did the first Buffy The Vampire Slayer game for the X-Box (which was quite good, all things considered). The game follows Anakin and Obi-Wan on their quest to protect the republic against the droid army. Each level opens with a cut scene taken from the actual film, before fading into in-game cinematics. Those who are worried about spoilers need not be too concerned, as the cut scenes are short and disconnected enough as to be mostly harmless. Besides, it's not like you don't know what's going to happen anyways, right? The game is definitely best described as a "brawler" in a style that harkens back to the old arcade games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but with a lot of cool lightsaber combat to carry it. For the most part it is a lot of button mashing, but the variety of moves and the quality of the animations make it an exhilarating experience. I especially enjoyed the ability to deflect laser blasts by twirling the right thumbstick, and the force powers that allow you to throw objects and enemies around. While the physics are not as well done as they are in a game like Psi-Ops, it still enhances the gameplay a lot and adds to your Jedi arsenal. Just like in EA's Lord Of The Rings games, you earn style rankings based on how skillfully you take out each enemy in a level. The more impressive your moves, the more experience points you will receive. At the end of each level you can spend these experience points to increase various force powers and gain extra combos -- a slight RPG twist that gives you some customization options. Some of the combos are a little bit frustrating as they take a long time and leave you vulnerable to enemy attacks, but I didn't ever find myself getting bored of the combat. For the most part, you are very limited in where you can move in the game and the levels definitely feel restrictive and provide the very definition of the word linear. Invisible barriers will always keep you from falling off cliffs and railing, and herd you along in the right direction. Of course, this is par for the course when it comes to arcade brawlers. The camera angles in the game are a little annoying and you don't have any control over them so sometimes you will be find yourself fighting enemies off screen that you can't see. I see most of this stuff as forgiveable though, particularly for a game that doesn't claim to be anything more than a simple beat-em-up actioner. My biggest complaint is that the co-op play was so underdeveloped, because as we all know brawlers can be a lot more fun with a buddy. Although the game box claims that it includes a 2 player co-op mode, they neglect to mention that the co-op mode consists only of special bonus levels that need to be unlocked in single player missions. Why they couldn't include 2 player simultaneous gameplay throughout the single player missions is beyond me... after all, most of the time you are playing alongside a CPU-controlled Anakin or Obi-Wan anyways. There is also a multiplayer duel mode, which gives a bit of added value, however it's not as fully formed as, say, Jedi Academy's duels and you can't play online either. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith is definitely short, and for the most part it's pretty easy to fly through with the exception of some of the major boss fights. However, there are unlockable bonus missions (some of which can be played co-operatively) that pad it out a bit more. I found the game to be mostly enjoyable despite its shortcomings, but I do think it's more of a rental game rather than a purchase. If you like Star Wars, this game might be just what you need to hold you over until the opening night of Episode III movie. -- Sean

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