Reader reviews, page 143

Reader DS

FIFA Soccer 09 review

Developing football games on the DS used to be like playing both Gerrard and Lampard on the same pitch, never quite worked, and the amount of titles made shows. Gameloft's acclaimed Real Football series stands as its only competitor; the…

bigcj34 · December 30, 2008

Reader PC HG exclusive

Half-Life review

The RPG genre has generally been understood to be exclusive to games that are, in some form, driven up front by visible statistics. If there is a screen that displays HP, STR, MAG, or any other common abbreviations, the game in question is…

dagoss · December 25, 2008

Reader Genesis HG exclusive

Shining in the Darkness review

The Labyrinth is no joke. It may not change a lot graphically, but its endless traps, constant confusions, and expansive size more than make up for it. A maze of winding corridors and twisting passages, you’ll get lost quickly if you’re…

wolfqueen001 · December 24, 2008

Reader Genesis Review of the Week HG exclusive

Twinkle Tale review

Sadistic level design will try its best to prevent your strength-conserving efforts. In its attempt to maim and weaken you, you’ll find yourself weaving through a sea of rolling boulders while blasting oozing slime creatures in a castle…

wolfqueen001 · December 24, 2008

Reader Genesis

Golden Axe review

Golden Axe for the Sega Genesis will always be one of those memorable moments from my childhood. It was such a simple title, but that's why I liked it; when I wasn't in the mood to play one of my other favorite, yet lengthy games, like…

dementedhut · December 24, 2008

Reader DS HG exclusive

Guitar Hero: On Tour - Decades review

Organization stands out as the major selling point of Guitar Hero: On Tour - Decades. Traditionally, games from this successful rhythm franchise grouped songs only by difficultly. Weezer would sit right next to Blondie; the Foo Fighters…

woodhouse · December 21, 2008

Reader DS

From the Abyss review

It’s a worthless way to live. Everyone will tell you otherwise, of course. They’ll say that you’re valiantly defending your homeland. That you’re saving countless innocents for your daily sacrifices. They promise to pay you handsomely for…

disco · December 20, 2008

Reader PlayStation 2

Shadow Hearts review

There's a lot of complaints about role playing games nowadays. People say they are nothing more than glorified books, with stale battle systems (I got to push X again? Sigh.), boring storylines (save the damsel in distress or save the…

psychopenguin · December 18, 2008

Reader Wii Review of the Week HG exclusive

Bleach: Shattered Blade review

Almost every character in Bleach carries a sword, which opens up Shattered Blade to a swashbuckling Wii control scheme. Of course, this one-on-one fighting game doesn't tell you what those swords, those zanpakuto, mean; they're the…

woodhouse · December 15, 2008

Reader DS

Ninjatown review

Ninja Gaiden? Ninja Raiden? Forget those, this is an entire game about a town of ninjas. Ninjatown takes two things they most probably hadn’t ever expected to see together: cute animated ninjas based on a plush toy line, and the classic…

Probester · December 15, 2008

Reader PC HG exclusive

S4 League review

S4 League (which stands for Stylish eSper Shooting Sports), while although hailing from Korea, is probably one of the easiest games to get into and has a surprising amount of depth compared to most other free MMO games. The game was…

Lusio · December 15, 2008

Reader Wii HG exclusive

Alone in the Dark review

I find it to be strikingly painful when I come across a game with such enthusiasm only to be let down with my face bashed against the rubble like a children's toy forgotten about after a shining afternoon's adventuring. As the storm clouds…

beverage · December 11, 2008

Reader Xbox 360 Review of the Week

Sonic Unleashed review

I wasn't expecting much from Sonic Unleashed going into it for the first time. After the wreck that was Sonic '06, I'm surprised I still ended up buying this title when it came out. I guess when you've been a Sonic fan ever since the…

dementedhut · December 10, 2008

Reader NES HG exclusive

Ys review

Whether you’re struggling against some seemingly overpowered boss or plowing through a horde of minor enemies like some sort of god, you’ll realize just how well the two elements go together. They actually make exploration fun, and how…

wolfqueen001 · December 9, 2008

Reader Wii HG exclusive

Samba de Amigo review

Samba de Amigo on Wii has the unenviable task of reinventing a cult classic. Rhythm games weren't exactly plentiful when the original Samba hit the Dreamcast in 2000, but its specially-designed maraca peripherals made it a wholly unique…

woodhouse · December 7, 2008

Reader Xbox HG exclusive

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time review

The brainchild of Jordan Mechner is undoubtedly among the icons who defined the term "oldschool"; Prince of Persia is right up there with Sonic and Mario and the like. The original Prince of Persia, released in 1989, was a masterpiece of…

Fedule · December 6, 2008

Reader Xbox 360

Prince of Persia Classic review

Almost 20 years ago (1989 to be precise), Prince of Persia blazed onto the gaming scene and was successful enough to create an entire subgenre of games, the Cinematic Platformer. Besides featuring fun puzzle and combat gameplay, Prince of…

Fedule · December 6, 2008

Reader Genesis HG exclusive

Virtua Racing review

Pushing a games console to its limits can be risky business for developers. Try too hard and the game will get panned for looking ugly and having choppy frame-rates, but games are expected to make some use of the systems potential…

bigcj34 · December 6, 2008

Reader PlayStation HG exclusive

Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! review

There was a time when Spyro games were good. Out of absolutely pure coincidence, this was the same time when Spyro was made by Insomniac, who since moved on to Ratchet and Clank. The original Spyro the Dragon was the start of what would…

bigcj34 · December 6, 2008

Reader Game Boy HG exclusive

Pokemon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition review

I remember the days when Pokemon was all the rage in my primary school years. Trading card swapping was everywhere, rushing from school to catch the program on TV and eventually most schools banned any merchandise being brought in because…

bigcj34 · December 6, 2008