F-Zero GX
Genre: Futuristic Racer
Players: 1-4
Visually, the game is amazing. There are 29 crafts around you and each is designed in a different way. The boost animations help you feel like you are going fast.
The music is mostly techno, so it's a hit or miss to people. I like many of the songs, especially the remakes of the classic themes. Many songs are fast paced, which make racing much more tense and suspenseful. Each character has their own song, which is quite a lot of content. Some songs are absolute hits, while others are... odd. Sound effects are not disappointing, but not outstanding either.
Gameplay is fast... and furious. The best part of the game is not the racing. It's the hybrid of gameplay that makes the experience enjoyable. Racing is one thing, but you also have to factor your race with your boost meter. The boost meter is used for boosts, but the catch is, it's also your health. If it goes to zero, you respawn, which slows you down considerably. Your craft also has attacks such as the side or spin attacks. These take energy to do, but if you destroy another craft, you gain energy. This unique combat/racing gameplay makes the game interesting, as you can decide what you want to do in the game. 30 racers mean it'll take time to master the game. What's better is that there is no "best" racer, which means each craft has a weakness and a strength. Some may boost faster than others, but some can take more damage.
You are also given a create-a-craft mode which allows you to make your own custom craft, down to colors and driver. You can also make your own emblems and stick them on your craft. The parts are also balanced, meaning a craft that has all A rankings on body, boost, and grip doesn't mean it will do well. In fact, chances are that cart will be hard to control. There are many parts, which equates to many combinations.
You can also bring your memory card to a F-Zero AX arcade, but for most people, these are hard to find. It was a joy to do this while I played at the arcade, but it's been removed, so I can't use this feature anymore. However, you don't need the arcade to unlock stuff, but it's much harder in the game.
Multiplayer at best, is stiff. All the excitement from 30 racers is gone. You are left with only the people that are playing (2-4 crafts). It's nice you can race custom crafts, but when playing the game, things do get stale. A decent player will dominate newbs any day. While in Mario Kart, the lagging players get better items, this game requires you to be at the same skill level to get the most out of the game. Once a player is ahead, that's how it will be until the end, unless that player messes up.
Rating:
Singleplayer - 3/3
Multiplayer - 1/3
Lifespan - 2/3
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
Genre: Action Adventure RPG
Players: 1-4
This is a unique real-time rpg that strongly encourages teamwork and gameplay. The notorious feature is the fact that multiplayer REQUIRES each player to have a gameboy advance and a cable.
When playing alone, the game can be challenging and frustrating. Spells like Life or Clear become less important as you will need to use spells like Cure a lot. As a team, you can have many spells to use, but by yourself, it becomes annoying to switch between spells in your inventory. The quest is still epic but lonely.
As for the storyline, it's true that it's not as moving as other FF games, but at least it's unique. I hear there's a major plot twist at the end of the game. The story is that the world is covered with a poisonous air called Miasma and certain crystals purify the air, so villagers can live. However, these crystals dry up, so caravans must venture into monster-riddled dungeons and gather the few, precious drops of Myrrh.
Graphics are amazing and rank among Metroid Prime and F-Zero Gx. Music is beautiful, but can get annoying after a while. As for the controls, You only need the L, R, A, and B button, but it's a waste how the other buttons aren't used. As for using the gameboy, I feel that the d-pad is not suited for 3d games because my fingers started to ache after a few hours.
Gameplay is, for the most part simple. You have a command list, where Attack and Defend are staples and you have free slots to place spells, items, or equipment. You can only select one action at a time, so scroll often. In singleplayer, a computer controlled animal, called a Moogle, can carry the chalice around. This chalice is the area in which everyone who is playing must be contained in. As for multiplayer, a player has to carry the "bucket" around. You have a total of 256 player combinations, which involve choosing gender, race, and job.
Multiplayer is where this game truly shines. One person HAS to carry the chalice around, but the great part is other players can push select and enter menu mode, and the on TV characters will automatically follow the chalice person. Spells can be fused to create new ones or more powerful versions. Players can swap items, but menu browsing is awkward. You can enter towns and upgrade equipment or buy items. Also minigames are available for a break from the main game. The amount of teamwork is amazing, and I'd say this is the best multiplayer experience I have ever had.
There is plenty of things to keep you playing. There are unique items to find, lots of towns to visit and multiple strategies to try. At each dungeon, each player gets a different bonus goal that will make things refreshing each time. Also, minigames can be unlocked by finding secret areas. Finally, the 256 combinations of characters means each play can be different.
It doesn't mean this game is cheap. Four gameboys, cables can be hard to get, but I found alternatives. Used gameboys can cost only $20 at places such as Gamestop and the cables can cost only $5 at Blockbuster/Game Rush. Even if that is still expensive, there is no multiplayer quite like this.
Rating:
Singleplayer - 2/3
Multiplayer - 3/3
Lifespan - 3/3
Soul Calibur II
Genre: 3D Fighter
Players: 1-2
The graphics are absolutely amazing. From the beginning movie to gameplay, these are the best graphics in any fighting game. Each character has their own unique style and have a pair or so of extra costumes. The backgrounds do their job and aren't distracting. I see no problems here.
Music is well orchestrated and several songs feel epic. The music that flows in the opening movie matches exactly. It's a mix of classic with some dramatic pieces. The music complements fighting well.
Playing by yourself is still fun, despite the nature of fighting games. You have more than twenty characters, each with nearly a hundred moves. Some characters are very similar and share attacks, but they have different styles. Mastering a character will take you a long time, which makes the lifespan long.
The main modes are either arcade or weapon master mode. The arcade mode has you fighting 8 or so matches until you face the boss, and the ending. Playing is enjoyable, but you feel empty after beating the boss.
Weapon master mode is an attempt at a RPG, where you can purchase weapons, costume or movies. The developers have added a flaky story, but at least it's in there.
Multiplayer is the best feature of this game. You can show off your skills to your friends and they will be impressed. Every match will NEVER be the same, thanks to the large amount of moves. Games like SSBM feel repetitive, but this game always changes. The game is easy to pick up for beginners, since it has only 3 attacks and a guard button, while Capcom games can have 6 attack buttons. This ranks among the top multiplayer games ever made.
As for extra features, there are A LOT. You can unlock custom art, extra costumes, movies, and many more. There are many modes such as survival, team, and timed. The modes do feel the same, but at least there are many of them. As for the cube version, it has Link. He is arguably the best compared to Heihachi (who doesn't have a weapon), and Spawn (people say he is slow). He is a very good character, but isn't too powerful.
Overall, this is a game that nobody should be without. It will take months to master characters and unique weapons allow even more strategies. Matches are NEVER the same as there are so many moves to use. The cube version is the best with Link and none of the long loading times that the PS2 has.
Rating:
Singleplayer - 2/3
Multiplayer - 3/3
Lifespan - 3/3
Resident Evil 4
Genre: Action Adventure
Players: 1
Graphically, this game is gorgeous. Every model is detailed and you can see facial expressions on enemies. Fire looks like fire and when it's night, you actually feel like it's dark.
The sound is spot on as well. Each gun has a unique sound that feels like you are doing lots of damage. The enemy voices have a creepy accent to them which helps the atmosphere. Leon has a decent voice, but some of the jokes are... bad.
The gameplay is what makes any game a game, and again, this does not disappoint. The story is thrilling, but not emotional. The laser system works very well, and it's fun to choose whether to go for the head or feet. Headshots aren't always the best thing to do in this game... hehe. Boss battles, while epic, feel a bit easy to defeat. Overall, the atmosphere created by this game is intense with suspense, action, and dry humor. The item system in this game is innovative. You probably won't be purchasing too many guns, but each gun however, can be upgraded. The treasures allow a puzzle sort of game where you can combine pieces to gain the most money. This game is well worth the money as the main game has a good length of twenty hours, and more with the bonus modes, which comes on 2 disks.
Rating:
Singleplayer - 3/3
Multiplayer - N/A
Lifespan - 2/3
Donkey Konga
Genre: Button Matcher
Players: 1-4
Graphically, this game is a failure. The most amazing thing you will see is banana's with feet stick it inside Diddy.
The music is... interesting. You have an odd variety of songs. There are some addicting songs such as swing,swing, pokemon and whip it. There are some recent songs like all the small things, and older ones like jailhouse rock. Then there are odd songs like bingo or kirby... The song selection is small at most, and I wish there was more.
The gameplay is very unique. You have four combinations of bongo motions. You can either hit the left, right, or both bongos, in addition to clapping. The easy levels are very easy, and hard is... very hard.
Multiplayer is either a blast or stale. The key factor is how many bongos you have. If you only have 1, the people with controllers won't have as much fun. The bongos really do make the difference in the experience. Bongos however, cost 30 dollars a pop, so you might reconsider buying 3 more.
There is nothing too exciting to unlock in this game. The best you will get is three minigames which are decent, at best. You don't get to unlock more songs, however, you can buy harder versions of the songs. After that, you can unlock different bongo sounds which can get annoying as you play. It would have been nice to have a song creator mode, which even a DS game can do.
The game, while shallow, is a good deal as you get the game AND the bongos, a eighty dollar value for only fifty dollars. Overall, you would only buy this game for the creative gameplay with the bongos.
Rating:
Singleplayer - 2/3
Multiplayer - bongos 3/3, no bongos 1/3
Lifespan - 1/3
Time Splitters Future Perfect
Genre: First Person Shooter
Players: 1-4
Graphically, this game is above average. There maybe people who prefer realistic designs, but I enjoy the cartooney style. Blood is imminent now, as the series now uses the "M" rating. The guns and animations look fantastic. The improvements between TS2 and TSFP is quite noticeable.
Every gun sounds unique and gives a good sense of power. The explosion and sound effects are a pleasure to hear. My only gripe is some of the sounds were recycled from TS2, as I would rather have completely new sounds. Voices sound accurate and are clear and concise. The music is very catchy and even I listen to them on my computer time to time. Overall, a great job in the sound department.
The campaign mode, while longer than TS2, is still short. I found the partner system gimmicky, as they seemed to progress the level rather than me at times. The future system was decent, but not too revolutionary. It's humourous and interesting the first couple times, but you will eventually get sick of watching the same clip twice. The cut scenes have clever jokes, and are a good break from the gameplay. The arcade league mode offers some challenges to satisfy those who thought the main mode was too easy.
Multiplayer is done right in this game. 4 Players with 10 bots is absolutely insane. The included maps are great, and you can choose how you want to play them. Even by yourself, the game is a blast with 10 bots. Most FPS games do not have multiplayer with bots, and this game sets the standard. Co-op is another great feature, as it is much more deeper than the mindless deathmatch of multiplayer.
The sheer amount of content in this game is unthinkable. Matches can be customized with kill/time limits, one hit kills and much more. There are 14 multiplayer modes to choose from which means it will take a while to master. There are more than 150 character models in the game, each with ratings in speed, stamina, fire and shock proof. I would have liked it if instead of the rarely used fire and shock proof settings, they had stats in accuracy, reload speed, etc. If you want a challenge, you can change in options if you want autoaim, crosshair, and with handicaps, your health. New to the series is the feature of melee gun attacks. This means you can hit your foe with your actual gun, just like Halo.
Overall, you get a product with tons of features and options. The fact that it has mapmaker mode should make this an instant buy for people here. I believe the Xbox version is the best version only if you have Xbox Live. The cube and PS2 versions are based on preference really. If you like playing mostly by yourself or mainly online, the PS2 is the way to go. However, if you have many friends over, and want a better looking, faster loading game, the cube version is the one to get.
Rating:
Singleplayer - 2/3
Multiplayer - 2/3
Lifespan - 3/3
Eternal Darkness
Genre: Third Person Adventure
Players: 1
I noticed in some areas of the game, graphics seemed to stand out, but in other areas, they were pale and dull. It's inconsistent, so I really can only say that it's not bad, but not amazing.
The main feature of the game is not the gameplay, but the story. The story is well-crafted, and influenced by many sources including H.P. Lovecraft's, Call of Cthulhu, and Edgar Allen Poe. Chosen people spanning history have been chosen to fight the ultimate evil, known as Eternal Darkness. Find out the rest for yourself.
As for the famed insanity effect, my experience was mixed. At first, the first effects were shocking, and I was surprised. However, later on in the game, you expect things to happen and these effects become annoying, especially the constant wailing.
The ambience is haunting and often feels like Resident Evil. Your expecting to be scared, but the dark tale and sound effects will impact you the most.
Overall, the gameplay isn't great, but the puzzles are clever. The story is probably the best out of any game, and will cause you to wonder what happens next. There are no unlockables, but the game does have three paths to try. There are also several secrets worth finding.
Rating:
Singleplayer - 3/3
Multiplayer - N/A
Lifespan - 2/3
Pac-Man Vs./Pac-Man World 2
Genre: Third Person Adventure/Arcade
Players: 1/2-4
Before I start this review, I want to point out that these two games are packaged into one case, so I will count them both as one.
Graphics are alright for Pac-Man World 2 (PMW2), and are very clean. As for Pac-Man Vs. (PMV), they are very simple, and could be compared to Playstation graphics. These graphics are very colorful and poster paint style. The characters aren't detailed as Pac-Man is just a yellow ball, but the background does have different colors.
Singleplayer on PMW2, is okay. There are more than 20 levels to explore, with different themes. The game is overall, very simple, and can be enjoyed by younger people. It's a mixture of platforming and action, but they blend well. There is also an emphasis on collecting, which I hate, but others may enjoy. Finally, there is a bonus of many classic Pac-Man games to enjoy such as the original or Ms. Pac-Man.
Multiplayer on PMV is great. It's original and interesting. Again, younger kids can enjoy this as it is very simple, as all that is needed is moving your character. A gameboy advance is required for the Pac-Man player.
There is no button that is needed to be used. Three players play as the ghost and the fourth is the Pac-Man. The three ghosts watch themselves on the tv, but each with a limited view of the map. The Pac-Man player, however, can see the ENTIRE map, ghosts and items on the gameboy.
The ghosts must team up and catch the Pac-Man. The ghost that catches him becomes the new Pac-Man. Players can set how many points are needed to win for short or long games. Fruit allows ghosts to see more of the map, and gives points. Power Pellets let the Pac-Man eat the ghosts. It's very simple, but fun.
The only problem about the multiplayer is that cords can get tangled up as you must switch gameboys and controllers. People can also move, but from my experience, my friends were too lazy to even do that...
Overall, you have a decent adventure by yourself, but have access to many Pac-Man classics. If you have friends, a gameboy advance and a cable, you can have lots of fun on PMV. The reason I say this game is great with kids is not it's lighthearted theme, but because of it's simplistic gameplay. It's also great if you want to play a game with friends that aren't great gamers or people that don't play games much.
Rating:
Singleplayer - 2/3
Multiplayer - 3/3
Lifespan - 2/3
