Forums > Contributor Zone > Review of the Week (08/10/08 - 08/16/08)

It's my turn this week and there were a lot of reviews to read through, but look how timely my topic is. See how much I love you?

The usual rules apply: no staff reviews and only one review will be mentioned from any particular author. Here goes!

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Runner Up Number 2: Castlevania (N64) by dagoss

What I liked about this review was the way it went right into the main thesis, that the game is cheating the player out of a great experience. There were some compelling arguments, such as the bit about not letting you see the end if you play on 'Easy' mode and the comments about having to play through twice because the experience as each selectable character differs substantially. Comments like that are persuasive on multiple levels, both because they talk to my own interests when I play a game and because they show that the person writing the review 'gets it' and is worth listening to when he makes other points. I liked how this review established other points, too, and the end of the reviw with its throw-away comment on skeletons on motorcycles was also a good way to bring things to a close because it ended with something that sounds so random yet still manages to feel typical of the game that has just been reviewed. I've probably made a mess out of my efforts to explain why I liked this review, but there you have it.

Runner Up Number 1: PilotWings 64 (N64) by Felix_Arabia

I've never played PilotWings 64 and I've never read any reviews of it that I recall. With my fresh pair of eyes, I came to this review not particularly expecting much (because, after all, one reason that I never played the game is that it never conjured up any interest from me). By the time I was partway into the review, I felt almost as if I were playing--and loving--the game. The enthusiasm behind many of the descriptions is infectious and I really got a feel for why this game was rated so highly at the end of the text. There were a lot of nice touches throughout that accomplished that--almost like the N64 flag the text referenced--so I won't point to one but instead will say lazily that it was all pretty good stuff.

Review of the Week: Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (DS) by JANUS2

I've commented on this review elsewhere, so I'll keep my thoughts here brief. Basically, this review took a potentially difficult point to sell--that the game is better for having appeared on the DS platform--and then proceeded to do so with apparent ease. The descriptions were great and the writing strong, plus the logic made sense and connected things together well. The review was both interesting and informative, too. That never hurts. Good going!

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Thanks to all who participated this week, and I hope that you'll put forth similar effort next week to keep EmP busy. See you next time!

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

Just to note, I will be deleting user reviews throughout the week to make my run easier. Thank you for your time.

For us. For them. For you.

Thanks for the mention, Jason. You should always expect something when you enter a Felix Arabia review. ;)

Congrats to Janus and Dagoss. Both reviews were great.

I don't have to boost my review resume because I have a real resume.

hey, thank you!

"fuck yeah oblivion" - Jihad