Being a dye-in-the-wool Nintendo fan, I have always enjoyed the new Mario titles that seem to be the stalwart of the franchise. I spent way too many hours of my life playing the original Super Mario Bros. (plus sequels), as well as Super Mario World for the SNES. Then, as with most people, Super Mario '64 absolutely blew me away with its 3-D graphic interface. However, I was disappointed in the Gamecube effort Super Mario Sunshine, which just didn't seem to have the right "Mario feel" to it. Super Mario Galaxy, however, brought me back into the Mario "universe" (excuse the pun) big time! The controls and premise of this game harkens back to the revolutionary Mario '64, in which players must collect stars (or, in this case, star creatures) in a variety of different ways. The graphics are pristine, the cut scenes are fun, and the controls are easy to pick up and play. Though panned as being a "kids game", Mario Galaxy offers something for both the beginning and advanced gamers. By collecting 70 of the 120 total stars (a task that is by no means impossible), Bowser can be defeated and effectively "end" the game. However, more advanced games can shoot for the full 120 stars and see the "true" ending. Overall, this game is another success in the long line of the Mario franchise. After mixed reviews for Mario Sunshine, Nintendo went back to the basics in this game and created a masterpiece. I'm looking forward to the next installment (rumored to be a sequel to this game?!).
As a result of Michael Phelps' astounding eight gold medals at this year's Olympic Games, many adults (and thus likely a fair amount of children) have been glued to their television sets night after night, cheering for the United States (or country of choice) to win a medal. Thus, if your children (or you yourself!) were swept away by Olympic fever, and you happen to own a Wii, then this game will entertain you to your wits end! Much like the U.S. competing against other countries in the real Games, this game pits classic Nintendo characters (Mario, DK, Peach, Link, etc.) against characters from the Sega brand (Sonic, Tails, Shadow, Eggman, etc.). Much like Super Smash Bros. "determines" who could beat up who, this game establishes victory based on athletic achievements in such events as swimming, track, and field. The controls are easy to pick up, taking full advantage of the Wii nunchuk format, yet challenging enough to keep you raring to drop that last .10 of a second to win first place. Overall, this is a great game for those who have caught Olympic fever, or just are intrigued by seeing the Nintendo and Sega franchises combine.
For the Nintendo '64 gaming system, the two pre-eminent adventure games were Mario and Zelda. Those games enthralled players with their tight gameplay and interesting stories. Unfortunately, DK '64 doesn't have that same tight gameplay, and the story was never the strong suit of the series. The problem with this game is obvious after about 30 minutes: It's all about collecting items, and very little else. Whether it is coins, tokens, or bananas, this game quickly devolves into little more than a scavenger hunt for miscellaneous items. Making matters worse is the fact that EACH CHARACTER needs to collect each item to unlock certain features. The game is tedious enough playing just as a single character, but add in the four others and it becomes ridiculous. The music in this game is engaging (the DK Rap might just be the highlight of the whole experience!), but other than that nothing really stands out. If you don't mind collecting item after item, you'll like this game more than I. If you prefer a developed plot, however, than stay away at all costs.
The last time I watched an entire professional basketball game was during the Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Malone/Stockton era. The last time I owned a basketball video game was NBA Jam for my Super Nintendo. Simply put, I'm just a baseball/football guy. Last week, however, my brother brought home this game and wanted to play a few games. I obliged, and quite surprisingly was **** in from the opening tip-off of that first game. Though I can't comment on the "frills" of this game (career mode, practice, etc.) as I will never use them, I have now played dozens of exhibitions against friends and have immensely enjoyed the experience. The biggest reason? The control scheme is very well designed (the key structure of any successful sports video game franchise). The controls are simple enough for beginners, yet "deep" enough for the seasoned vet to perfect his/her game. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised by this game and foresee more hours of fun with it in the future. Wheres 2K Sports have fallen way behind the curve in their baseball franchise, they are the "industry leader" in this NBA fare and I hope they continue into the future. Even if you aren't a "baller" you can still have fun with this one.
When "URU" was first released, I (as a huge Myst fan) completely bought in. I pre-ordered the game, updated the family's computer video card (this game took some serious juice for its day), and was all set. Then I anxiously set off on the newest Myst **** was severely disappointed within minutes. Easily the biggest disappointment from this game is the fact that it isn't a traditional Myst-canon story. Basically, it is your character exploring the ruins of the D'ni civilization. There really is no "story" to speak of whatsoever...only you exploring different worlds and collecting cloth squares. Also, the graphics are completely 3D-rendered in this one, not the traditional interactive still shots of the previous games. To me, this made the D'ni worlds look somewhat cheap and less-than-epic coming off the incredible beauty of the worlds we had seen to that point. Things just looked a bit cartoon-y and very un-Myst like. I realize that URU was supposed to be a great online experiment that failed miserably, thus rendering this game the "Chris Gaines" of the franchise (Garth Brooks fans will understand this reference quite clearly). I'll give it two stars because it isn't utterly terrible (exploring the first D'ni cleft even has its moments), but if you are expecting the great Myst images and storylines of the series up until that point, you will likely be as severely disappointed as I was. URU can easily be skipped in the Myst pantheon, with players moving right along to "Revelation".
After the great success of Myst IV: Revelation, I had very high hopes for "End of Ages". Plus, it is billed as the "final Myst game ever", so how could it not be utterly epic, right?! Well, I'll start with the positive: Some of the puzzles in this game are pretty fun and interesting. I remember having an intriguing time figuring many of them out. Even here, however, cracks began to form, as one world can be entirely beaten based on a logical guess, cheating the player out **** planet-based challenge. That is about where the positives end for this game. The graphics no longer employ actors or interactive still shots, instead improving upon the URU 3D-rendered approach. While it is a definite improvement over URU, I always felt that the "old way" of approaching the graphic interface was part of what made Myst, well, Myst! It felt real, not fake. "End of Ages" feels kind of fake. To top things off, the storyline is an absolute mess, especially when trying to wrap up the series. For fans of the Atrus-based Myst canon, this installment does absolutely nothing towards providing even a hint of finality to the series. I'm pretty sure that Cyan went belly-up after this game was released, effectively killing the Myst franchise, but the sheer inability of "End of Ages" to wrap up any of the true Myst mythology leaves the door open at least a crack for a true ending (or perhaps even more stories!). It seems unlikely at this point, to be sure, but I think I can speak for most (if not all) of Myst fans when I say that we would relish another chance to end this thing right. "End of Ages" (despite a few decent puzzling experiences) really doesn't come close to doing that.
After playing a lot of Mario Kart, Smash Bros., and Mario Tennis on my Gamecube, I went on the lookout for another fun multi-player excursion. I came across Mario Golf and decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, it was a very disappointing experience. The main problem with "Toadstool Tour" is that it lacks energy and excitement. Every hole seems exactly the same...blast the ball a few times and then fiddle around with the putting. There seem to be no "cool secret moves" or new things to discover. Not helping matters are the shoddy controls. Putting from short range is an exercise in frustration that immediately turned me off to the whole experience (kind of turned it into a button-mashing frenzy). This one will not stay in my collection alongside the previously mentioned Mario multi-players.
The state of professional wrestling (at least how that label applies to the WWE) right now is in a strange place. Besides Hulk Hogan's "TNA", which has a loyal following, the WWE basically has a monopoly on the entire business. They should be "bigger and better" than ever before. The truth of the matter, though, is that they simply are not, for the simple reason that they have almost zero effectiveness at developing iconic characters anymore. Once upon a time, pro wrestlers were household names even if you didn't watch wrestling. Now, you have to be a "wrestling fan" to know 3/4 of the current wrestlers this game comes with. Last year's 2K game got it close, offering a tantalizing portion of old-school wrestlers and game modes, but 2K14 goes all-in on the nostalgia factor and creates perhaps the best wrestling game I have ever played on a video game console. Basically, this franchise had to start offering up the classic wrestlers or the interest would have quickly faded. Now that I can use guys like Andre The Giant, Big John Studd, Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, and Razor Ramon (to name but a few), I feel like I will have hours and hours (days?!) of fun with this game in the future mixing it up with fellow old-school wrestling fan buddies. The possibilities seem endless! Of course, many sports games are completely and utterly doomed by clunky controls, but 2K seems to have created a very usable system. It is easy enough to "pick up and play" right off the bat, but also loaded with trickier combinations that will take time to master. The oft-maligned "reversal" system has also made a bit more difficult to master, which was a big plus. Simply put, now that "Madden season" is coming to an end, I can easily say I will log more hours on this game than any other for the foreseeable future. Whether playing the game modes to unlock more classic players or getting some friends over to virtually pummel each other in a TLC match, this game will entertain me for quite some time.
Ever since I was obsessed with the NES "Punch-Out!", I've been searching for the next great boxing sim. With playable characters like Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and Mike Tyson, I thought this had the chance to be great. Unfortunately, like with most pugilistic video game efforts, it is just too difficult to play without a steep learning curve. Though playing as classic boxers is fun, it doesn't make up for the fact that boxing video games have almost an impossible task when it comes to controls. I played this with some friends for a couple of hours, and after that time all we determined is that we would need more practice to truly be good. A LOT more practice. Until you completely master the various punching/blocking/dodging controls, you it is pretty much just randomly hitting buttons and hoping for results. For a comparison: Shortly after trying this game out, I also got WWE 2K14 for the XBOX 360. Within one match, I could easily pick up the controls and had great fun with the game. I knew there was more in-depth controlling I could do, but I didn't need to be an expert button-er to dive right in. This relegated "Fight Night" to the back of the gaming shelf. Overall, then, while this game is so tantalizing in offering all the classic fighters from days gone by, the controls still are not good enough to make it all that fun ****. Unless you really want to invest the time into perfecting it, don't bother picking this one up.
After the success of the original "Myst" game changed the landscape of computer gaming, its widely-awaited sequel created an even more engaging atmosphere. The only trouble? It is difficult to the point of giving up on far too many occasions. Basically, "Riven" follows the same point-and-click philosophy as its predecessor. You go around solving logic puzzles with the goal of saving Catherine (wife of age-writer Atrus) from the murderous Gehn. In terms of overall imagination and scope, "Riven" is, dare I say, easily the "best" of the Myst bunch. The puzzles are more engaging than "Myst", and the game just has an epic feel to it. Every single different island, creature, or pathway one encounters in the game leads to an amazing discovery. At least at the outset, it is almost impossible to not get swept away by the atmosphere and become completely immersed in the gameplay. The problem? Here it is: After playing all the Myst games through as a teenager when they first came out, I decided to tackle them all again and review them on Amazon this time. "Myst" was a grand experience, and so was "Riven"...until you actually have to begin solving the the mystery of the Golden Domes (which leads in turn to the infuriating dot-matrix puzzle). The difficulty level gets to the point where one most devote countless hours (and probably even some sleepless nights!) to wrapping one's brain around the mysteries. Unless you are fully, 100% committed to the game, you will waver at this point. An easy "fix" for the difficulty problem would have been having the islands be a bit more accessible. Whereas in "Myst" the action took place in relatively enclosed spaces, "Riven" sprawls out over and incredibly large environment. Thus, a "discovery" on one island is prompted not only by the thought of "I know what this does now", but also "how the heck do I get back there?!". Not having to spend valuable time traipsing across the entire game would have ratcheted up the experience quite a bit (instead of dragging it down considerably).
The idea behind "Super Mario All Stars" for the Super Nintendo is a great one. Put together all the Mario games (at least to that point) on a single cartridge and allow players to SAVE their progress. Wow! While the concept it a great one, the trouble I've always found with this collection comes from the individual games themselves. -Mario 3: 95% percent of my time playing "All Stars" was spent playing this game, as it is the one that easily translates the best from NES to SNES. It is the only game that doesn't feel like a "port", and it is the best all-around Mario game maybe ever (Mario '64 may give it a run). -Mario 1: A faithful re-creation of the iconic original. However, I've always felt that game was meant to be played on the original NES with the two-button control. It plays okay on the SNES, but it loses some of that atmosphere. -Mario 2: This is just a strange game to begin with. It is completely different (pulling up plants and throwing them?!) than any other Mario game. I know some people really enjoy it, by I always skipped this one because I thought it wasn't as good as the traditional Mario setup. -Lost Levels: The trouble here is that Lost Levels is just too doggone difficult (the reason why the strange Mario 2 exists in the first place, as game distributors correctly evaluated it as much too hard for U.S. gamers). It looks great and feels like a classic Mario game, but good luck getting anywhere past the first couple of levels. I can run through the entire Mario Bros. original with almost no damage, but I could barely even make a dent in this one. Thus, your overall enjoyment of "Super Mario All Stars" will likely come down to two factors: 1. Does it bother you to play a game on a different system for which it was intended?"; and 2. Will you play Mario 2 and/or Lost Levels enough to even make it worth your while? I had hours of fun playing Mario 3 from this cartridge, but all the others pretty much sat stagnant for the reasons described above.
As a child, the King's Quest games were what got me into "computer gaming". As such, they hold a tremendous nostalgic tug on me. So, when I heard that this new King's Quest was hitting the PS4, I knew I would be purchasing it. I went whole-hog and bought the entire collection, and overall I'm glad I did, as despite some hiccups along the way it was a fun trip back down memory lane. I'm not going to review all the Chapters individually here, but suffice it to say that some are better than others. For example, the second-to-last Chapter (devoted to a whole bunch of ice puzzles) gets a bit tedious, while the Chapter in the dungeon with the Goblins is probably the best. Anyway, what makes this new King's Quest a success is that the "Odd Gentleman" (production company) really understand the nostalgia involved, as there is something in each chapter that harkens back to the old games. Now, that being said, these Chapters aren't just re-treads of the classics, but rather new adventures of Graham and the Royal Family of Daventry. The game creators just do a really good job of incorporating storyline elements that players of the original games will remember. About the only reason I can't give this collection higher marks stems from personal reasons: I just don't have as much time to devote to video games as I did in childhood. As a result, I found myself "cheating" here from time to time, as this is a game that does involve some puzzling. None of it is extremely difficult, but I guess I just don't have the patience I once did. Overall, though, I enjoyed my experience playing the King's Quest Complete Collection, primarily for the nostalgic ability to run around once again as King Graham! It felt good to be beneath the adventurer's cap once again.
After recently purchasing a PS4 and wanting to check out what games would go along with my initial purchase, the title "Wolfenstein" caught my eye. The reason? I consider myself more of an "old school" gamer, very much intrigued by games (or re-workings of games) that I used to play once upon a time. I spent many hours as a child in front of my computer monitor playing Wolfenstein 3D, so I was excited to see the game given a modern tweak. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the story and a bit overwhelmed by the level of difficulty/controls. As far as shooter games go, this one is probably pretty good. I don't usually dabble in this genre, so I'm not really the one to be asking about this sort of thing. But, it seems straightforward enough: you have objectives to meet and you have a kill a lot of **** and **** robots/creatures to get them accomplished. The controls were a bit difficult for me to pick up, but I will readily admit that could be due to my newness to the PS controller after years of Nintendo/XBox. Anyway, the main reason I'm cutting ties with this game after only playing through a few of the missions is because it didn't provide any of the nostalgia factor that I was looking for. I really was hoping that the game would have more nods to its history, but after a number of hours playing it I concluded that wasn't the point. "New Order" is more about moving forward than it is about harkening back to a 1990s PC shooter. Thus, a 100% objective review of this game would probably bump it up a star (or maybe even two if you really, really like shooters). However, for what I was looking for, this game didn't cut it. I had to play on the easiest difficulty level to make any progress, and I kept looking for nods to the past when none were to be given. My advice to potential purchasers would be to examine what exactly you want from the game: If you are only buying it for the "Wolfenstein" name, you might very likely be disappointed.
Though I don't much consider myself a "gamer" anymore, I will always have a soft spot for the Zelda series, as I consider "Ocarina of Time" to be perhaps the greatest adventure game I've ever played. In recent years, I have tried playing through "Majora's Mask" (too difficult) and "Wind Waker" (the cartoonish animation never quite suited me) and came up disappointed both times. After always kind of knowing that "Twilight Princess" was compared favorable to Ocarina, I decide to final give it a try on my old Gamecube. First off, I have to say that I have not completed the game (and may not ever). My interests have shifted away from the video-game playing of my youth and I no longer seem to have the patience for long adventure games anymore. So, this review will be more about the "feeling" of the experience rather than the actual nuts and bolts of the game itself. That being said, I still wanted to comment on the quality of the game, as I could automatically tell that it was more kin to "Ocarina" than the previous two before it. The gameplay is basically the same (except now you get the horse right from the get-go!) and I could see similar themes between the two. "Twilight Princess" is set up as an epic adventure like "Ocarina", not a race against the clock ("Majora") or a swashbuckling cartoon ("Waker"). I couldn't give this game the full five stars, however, because it still didn't "fit like a glove" like Ocarina still does. Call me an old curmudgeon or awash in nostalgia if you will (and both of those things are probably true!), but even to this day I can still take out "Ocarina" from time to time and it seems like I can completely get swept away in it each time. I didn't have that "complete buy-in" with "Twilight Princess". Was that more because of my own personal **** was it that "Ocarina" is still the gold standard? I'm not sure. Either way, that doubt was even to drop it to four stars instead of a sparkling five. Bottom line of what you need to know if you are considering giving this game a try: It plays more like "Ocarina" than any other game in the series to that point. If you were disappointed with the frantic pace of "Majora's Mask" or the cartoon-y nature of "Wind Waker", this game will "feel like Zelda" for you right away.
