Staff reviews, page 162

The 80's Game With Martha Quinn review

I was a little scared by the box’s blatant abuse of the word “gnarly,” but let all be forgiven by the image of one woman – Martha Quinn. If you grew up with cable TV, you shouldn’t need an introduction to this illustrious VJ.

Brian Rowe · December 4, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

Draglade review

You can choose from four characters. Each has a separate plot, but they all go through the same checkpoints. Once you've finished one tale, the only reason to brave the massive amount of recycled material is the character you'll unlock for…

Jason Venter · December 4, 2007

Staff Nintendo 64 HG exclusive

Monopoly review

I'd meant what I said about the iron. He's easily the most expressive of the available choices. When you land on his property and have to pay rent, he'll chuckle silently but deviously. When he arrives on a space that is to his financial…

Jason Venter · December 3, 2007

Staff PC HG exclusive

Painkiller: Overdose review

The game does a lot right, and is worth a playthrough just to see what each level has for you. They all have a similar feel, but at the same time are all very different. Enemies aren't reused. There aren't any palette swaps in this…

Josh Higley · December 2, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends review

Sit back, let the timer run out, and you will still end up with a perfectly presentable dish and one of 68 new recipes for your lack of effort. Doing well gets a good score, but I’m not really the kind of guy who calls up friends to brag…

Brian Rowe · December 1, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass review

Things starts how they always start in the Zelda multiverse, with the kidnapping of that dappy bint of a princess whose only point of existence is to be spirited away by dark forces at the start of every new adventure. In a new development…

Gary Hartley · December 1, 2007

Staff Wii HG exclusive

Trauma Center: New Blood review

With two doctors available for each stage, you can partner up with a skilled buddy to zap viruses and set bones. As the timer ticks down and you combine your skills, you'll be sharing an experience unique to Trauma Center. It's fantastic…

Jason Venter · November 30, 2007

Staff NES HG exclusive

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord review

You’ll open the battle against a shadowy figure with an vague name like “unseen entity” and have to wait a turn or two before the foe’s real name is revealed. And that can be dangerous, as this “unseen entity” could be a Murphy’s Ghost…

Rob Hamilton · November 30, 2007

Staff PlayStation 2 HG exclusive

Luxor: Pharaoh's Challenge review

If you've played a lot of puzzle games besides Tetris, you've probably encountered one where your goal is to stop colored marbles from rolling too far along a winding track. This is typically accomplished by tossing a few marbles of your…

Jason Venter · November 29, 2007

Staff PlayStation 3 HG exclusive

Time Crisis 4 review

Time Crisis 4 doesn't stray far from the formula its predecessors embraced. There's really no reason it should. As your characters walk into an airport, someone tosses a smoke bomb their way and just like that, the action has begun. From…

Jason Venter · November 28, 2007

Staff Xbox 360 HG exclusive

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock review

Guitar Hero III is the best game in the series by far, and a great game in its own right. Prior experience with the series isn’t necessary because anyone can pick the game up and have fun. The range and quality of music helps in making it…

Paul Josua · November 28, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker review

Just as the upgrade and customization features abolished everything Pokemon has shown us in the past five years, DQM scores another point for monster synthesis. You could literally spend hours testing monster combinations and still have…

Louis Bedigian · November 27, 2007

Staff PlayStation 3 HG exclusive

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune review

Of course, Uncharted is a game. It's not a perfect one, either. That means that for all of its visual splendor and for every moment you're so immersed that you'd jump out of your skin if the phone rang—and really, that side of things can't…

Jason Venter · November 26, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

Strawberry Shortcake: The Four Seasons Cake review

Of course, whether or not little girls are ready to solve some of the challenges here is a matter that's up for some debate. There's nothing particularly taxing until right near the end, but at the same time, sometimes the answer might not…

Jason Venter · November 25, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

Luminous Arc review

The more ‘professional’ reviewers out there have all led their reviews by saying something along the lines of “It’s no Final Fantasy Tactics” and I fully agree with them. Luminous Arc isn’t a dull, monotonous trek through a featureless and…

Gary Hartley · November 25, 2007

Staff PC HG exclusive

Condor review

Condor deals only with gliding and it does so extensively, but as long as you're interested, you don't need to have previous flight-sim experience. But get used to the ground. You'll be seeing a lot of it.

Martin G · November 25, 2007

Staff Xbox 360 HG exclusive

Assassin's Creed review

When you first enter a city, you'll generally follow the same process: climb a tower to reveal more of the map, visit your guild, investigate until you have enough clues to find your target, then take his life. Along the way, you can stop…

Jason Venter · November 23, 2007

Staff Xbox 360 HG exclusive

Clive Barker's Jericho review

Clive Barker's Jericho is a tale of tremendous promise. This first-person shooter's storyline — penned by the author of Hellraiser and Candyman — follows the final voyage of seven futuristic warriors, seven warlocks and witches who…

Zigfried · November 21, 2007

Staff Wii HG exclusive

Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2 review

Regardless of the game type you choose to play, you can't lose. That's literal, since your goal isn't to survive, but to rack up the highest possible score. If your Wii has an Internet connection, you can then check online leaderboards to…

Jason Venter · November 20, 2007

Staff PC HG exclusive

rFactor review

It’s a little unfair to hold rFactor’s lack of accessibility against it as it has clearly set out to be a simulation racer. It does a fine job of that, but those who don’t demand flawless simulation are better served looking elsewhere.

Paul Josua · November 20, 2007