Forums > Contributor Zone > Review of the Week (12/25/11 - 12/31/11)

Here it is, the last Review of the Week topic from 2011. As you may have come to expect as of late, this week saw contributions from a wide variety of writers. I didn't consider the five reviews from Lewis, which I had moved over near the end of the week from Gameroni. Otherwise, it was business as usual. Let's take a look at who placed!

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Third Place: TaleSpin (NES) by wolfqueen001

I was recently talking to Masters and I suggested that he ought to try TaleSpin on the NES, so it was a pleasant surprise when I saw this review in the queue. It's a well-written review, too, one that clearly explains the game's place in history and the general lay of the land, so to speak. I wouldn't say that there's anything especially remarkable about it, but this is exactly the sort of coverage that a lot of old NES classics need but don't necessarily receive. That's not enough to secure higher placement in this week's topic, but it's dang fine work just the same (and recommended reading for NES freaks like me).

Second Place: Akane the Kunoichi (Xbox 360) by JoeTheDestroyer

Gary already reviewed this one (and did a dang fine job at it, too), and now I read another review that makes Akane sound like exactly the sort of game that might prompt someone like me to say "I'd buy that for a dollar!" While at times the review did feel a bit rushed, complete with minor grammatical issues, that worked in its favor. This is, after all, a straight-forward downloadable title. Exhileration shines through in the writing and that might not have been the case if a more in-depth approach were taken. Of the two retro reviews you submitted this week, I liked this one the best.


Review of the Week: The Last Express (PC) by Typodragon

I read this review with interest because I'm familiar with Jordan Mechner's work thanks to Prince of Persia, which this review wisely mentions right at the start. The review continues to move expertly through some rather technical analysis of what sounds like a good game, and there are phrases throughout that show an understanding of what a reader might wonder about if he is interested in the game but unfamiliar with how it works. It's really just a solid review, with only a few grammatical rough spots throughout. I came away feeling like I knew everything I needed to know about a title that I may well end up playing someday thanks to the strengths of this review. Thumbs up!

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Thank you, everyone, for your contributions this last week and throughout 2011. I hope that I will see new content from each of you in 2012. The site could certainly use it. Reviews are and always have been the life blood of this site, so I look forward to many more topics such as this one in the months ahead. Enjoy 2012, everyone!

"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

Woohoo! Second place! Thanks, Jason!

The only thing my milkshake brings to the yard is a subpoena.

Cool. I wasn't terribly impressed with myself this time around, so it's nice to see a placement. Thanks for the vote. And thanks for getting this done so quickly.

Congrats to the winners.

[Eating EmP's brain] probably isn't a good idea. I mean... He's British, which means his brain's wired for PAL and your eyes are NTSC. - Will