Review Archives (Staff Reviews)

You are currently looking through staff reviews for games that are available on every platform the site currently covers. Below, you will find reviews written by all eligible authors and sorted according to date of submission, with the newest content displaying first. As many as 20 results will display per page. If you would like to try a search with different parameters, specify them below and submit a new search.

	Lunar: Dragon Song review (DS) Reviewed by Gary Hartley on December 27, 2009 - # Without any real depth to the characters aside from the obligatory teenage spunkiness and sugary-sweet sense of justice in their battle for racial tolerance, and their efforts to prove themselves worthy, just about everything that the Lunar franchise had been previously built upon has been thrown to the side to make room for ideas that I can only assume Game Arts discovered while rooting around in other developer’s trash for discarded gimmicks they knew would never work.
	God of War Collection review (PS3) Reviewed by Zigfried on December 25, 2009 - # God of War Collection was a good experience, because it proved one thing to me: almost five years later, the original God of War is still a phenomenal game. Its evocative settings, clever twists on classical Greek mythology, morbid puzzles, and responsive combat still deliver a stellar experience. Episode two, also contained on this disc, continues to mix straight-up fighting with button-pressing and stick-twisting minigames. It's not a style that everyone will appreciate, but those who do won't find the same experience anywhere else.
	Berserk: The Millennium Falcon review (PS2) Reviewed by Zigfried on December 22, 2009 - # With its emphasis on fast-paced, cinematic action and strong storytelling, Berserk: The Millennium Falcon successfully brings these memorable encounters from the manga to life while providing some fun, if imperfect, action across several varied backdrops. Just make sure you watch the TV show first.
	Bakugan Battle Brawlers review (WII) Reviewed by Benjamin Woodhouse on December 20, 2009 - # Entrenched fans should approach Bakugan: Battle Brawlers with all these changes firmly in mind. This isn't a rote recreation of the live game they've come to love, and it's missing that game's more evolved mechanisms. But they should also approach it with an open mind. The basic changes create a more dynamic experience.
	Asuka 120% Maxima Burning Fest review (TGCD) Reviewed by Zigfried on December 15, 2009 - # The idea of schoolgirls beating each other up in sanctioned one-on-one combat is absurd, but the energy, competitive arrogance, and youthful vitality ring true. The concept may not translate as well into American culture, but this club-vs-club extravaganza struck a chord with Japanese gamers. Although outdone by its descendants, Asuka 120% Maxima Burning Fest delivers a fun, hyperkinetic look back at what once made the PC Engine "the" system to own.
	15 Puzzle review (X360) Reviewed by Zigfried on December 13, 2009 - # Snowcap Games' 15 Puzzle is exactly what it claims to be: an electronic version of the classic sliding tiles game. Even if you didn't know what it was called, you probably know the one: it's a flat four-by-four grid, containing fifteen tiles and one empty slot. The goal is to slide tiles around until they're in the correct order.
	Return to Mysterious Island 2: Mina's Fate review (PC) Reviewed by Will Roy on December 12, 2009 - # Despite a couple of hiccups, Return to Mysterious Island 2 does enough of the important things right to deliver a unique and slightly nostalgic experience, and is sufficiently different from its older sibling to justify its place on the fence between Sequel and Expansion.
	Qix++ review (X360) Reviewed by Jason Venter on December 12, 2009 - # These changes at first seem to provide some welcome depth to the experience, but they come at a cost: instead of allowing you to play through an endless mode—which would have been a nice challenge and would have felt true to its arcade roots—the game now replenishes your stock of ships with each new stage and switches to a credits sequence once you finish the eighth zone. Then you can complete a second batch of eight stages. Once you've done that, you're done with the single-player mode unless you feel like going back to obtain a better score.
	Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple review (DS) Reviewed by Benjamin Woodhouse on December 07, 2009 - # An undeveloped plot is this title's catastrophic failing. A casual game like this, without providing much challenge or variety in its gameplay, has to tell a compelling story. Curse of the Ancient Temple builds layers of intrigue and conspiracy, but then whimpers to an ambiguous ending.
	Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble review (PSP) Reviewed by Brittany Vincent on December 04, 2009 - # The payoff is a hilarious look at the world of delinquents, at least as it's portrayed in several anime series. If that aspect of youthful Japanese culture sounds interesting, then you'd be crazy not to pick this game up and at least give it a whirl for a few minutes. It's weird, wacky, and completely insane. Come on -- do I need to Smash Talk you into a purchase?
	NBA 2K10 review (X360) Reviewed by Louis Bedigian on December 02, 2009 - # Excluding the My Player mode, NBA 2K10 is a good (though very familiar) basketball game that still manages to capture the essence of the sport.
	Cars: Race-O-Rama review (X360) Reviewed by Louis Bedigian on December 02, 2009 - # Cars: Race-O-Rama is essentially a streamlined version of the first game with new collectibles, bigger environments, superior controls, and fewer story developments. If you’re a kid who loves Cars, this drive is going to feel like a highway to Heaven. If not, the repetition and lack of challenge could make this game feel like a road with no exit.
	Tropico 3 review (PC) Reviewed by Sohail Saleem on December 02, 2009 - # A city building game that adds enough new gameplay elements to make it stand out of the crowd.
	Bleach: The 3rd Phantom review (DS) Reviewed by Benjamin Woodhouse on December 01, 2009 - # The 3rd Phantom generates its joy by including a wide range of characters, showing them in positions you've never seen, and ultimately letting you focus solely on your favorites. In that regard, this otherwise mediocre game is a resounding success.
	Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space review (X360) Reviewed by Jeffrey Matulef on December 01, 2009 - # While [Sam & Max: Beyond Space and Time] doesn't progress the genre beyond where it wads a decade ago, it's still a solid resurgence of a lost art.
	Insanity review (TGCD) Reviewed by Zigfried on November 29, 2009 - # Insanity is the first TurboGrafx homebrew game in eight years, and the first to ever feature PSG music in addition to a CD soundtrack. Aside from some assistance on the artwork, this Berzerk clone (to use the creator's own words) was essentially programmed by one guy in under one year.
	QuickSpot review (DS) Reviewed by Gary Hartley on November 24, 2009 - # Nice try, Hideo. But your attempt to dampen my courageous heart will be foiled.
	Crosstown review (X360) Reviewed by Zigfried on November 23, 2009 - # Fun action games made by smart people: that was the driving spirit behind the 1980 arcades' early successes, and that's the driving spirit behind Crosstown. I highly recommend any fan of the old fixed-screen classics download Studio Hunty's gem as soon as possible.
	Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 review (WII) Reviewed by Benjamin Woodhouse on November 23, 2009 - # If there's one thing that may never change about this established series, it's the basic fighting mechanics. And they don't need any adjustment. Clash of Ninja is a two-button fighter with the rare ability to cater to both novices and experts. Any Naruto fan should get their hands on this game.
	The Last Remnant review (X360) Reviewed by Jason Venter on November 23, 2009 - # Some battles will be a bit more difficult than they could be and you'll catch vague references to towns you've never heard of, but odds are significant that you won't really feel that you're missing a thing. It's easy to assume that the names are being dropped in an effort to artificially add color to the environments. Complete a few side quests, though, and you'll find out how wrong such assumptions were.

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