Reviews by Jason Venter, page 29

Bully: Scholarship Edition review

Don't think for a minute that Bully is just about picking fights, either. The game actually has an engaging story, with voice actors and character models that bring it delightfully to life. It's easy to find yourself swept up in the…

Jason Venter · April 1, 2008

Staff DS HG exclusive

Puchi Puchi Virus review

Of course, let's also not forget the fact that swiping the stylus around the screen in a flurry of quick pokes is likely to lead to some moments where you can't see much because your hand or wrist is briefly in the way. You'd think the…

Jason Venter · March 20, 2008

Staff PlayStation 2 HG exclusive

El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera review

I say that because there's simply not much reason to play through the adventure multiple times. There aren't any hidden items to scrounge up, there aren't any alternate routes and there aren't even any particularly memorable moments…

Jason Venter · March 20, 2008

Staff PlayStation 3 HG exclusive

Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds review

Quite simply, you stand a better chance of knocking the ball out of the sand trap and managing an unlikely chip-in than you do engineering a successful putt from more than 4 feet (and yes, almost every putt you ever have cause to attempt…

Jason Venter · March 19, 2008

Staff Wii HG exclusive

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection review

The control scheme is pure perfection. Controlling the flippers means holding the Nunchuck device in your left hand and squeezing the 'Z' trigger to move that paddle, while holding the Wii Remote in your right hand and squeezing the…

Jason Venter · March 19, 2008

Staff Wii HG exclusive

One Piece: Unlimited Adventure review

As you wander throughout the island, you'll come across all sorts of 'ingredients' that can be taken back to camp and turned into useful items. For example, you might hack down some scraggly trees to acquire lumber, or slash at low-hanging…

Jason Venter · March 14, 2008

Staff Wii HG exclusive

Destroy All Humans!: Big Willy Unleashed review

It might not have occurred to you, but 'Big Willy' can be used to refer to, well... a penis. This gag is used repeatedly throughout the game, as Pox complains that the competition wants to milk his Big Willy dry, as he talks about covering…

Jason Venter · March 12, 2008

Staff PlayStation 3 HG exclusive

The Club review

From the opening cinema to the final curtain, The Club is designed to disturb you. Soldiers shower you with bullets and profanity. Men sag against the architecture as crimson stains spatter dreary concrete barricades and crumbling stone…

Jason Venter · February 29, 2008

Staff PC HG exclusive

Dream Day: First Home review

Dream Day: First Home is actually quite simple in design. The bulk of the game plays like someone ripped a page out of an old issue of “Highlights for Children” magazine and made it interactive. Stages provide a series of pictures—lovingly…

Jason Venter · February 18, 2008

Staff DS HG exclusive

Zoo Tycoon 2 DS review

It's easy to get sidetracked, since there's so much to do. For example, you might be asked to build cages for animals that all come from Africa. Of course, some of those critters can be pretty expensive, so you have to build up revenue by…

Jason Venter · February 14, 2008

Staff Wii HG exclusive

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Hard Evidence review

Often, the interface is the issue. The Wii Remote directs a cursor on the screen. Hover near the edge and, if there's more to see in that direction, the view will glide until you've reached a boundary. The same is true of vertical planes…

Jason Venter · January 31, 2008

Staff Wii HG exclusive

Furu Furu Park review

Consider Bubble Bobble. You can still capture enemies in bubbles and collect the fruit they leave behind, only now there's no advancing to another screen. You just keep playing for most of two minutes—if you can survive that long, which…

Jason Venter · January 28, 2008

Staff Wii HG exclusive

Super Swing Golf: Season 2 review

After earning your Pang, you can then then head to the clubhouse to spend them on things like cute bathing suits and alternate club sets, if they're available in the inventory. Most of these accessories affect not only how your chosen…

Jason Venter · January 25, 2008

Staff PlayStation 3 HG exclusive

MX vs ATV Untamed review

That means that if you hate the MX moments, you'll likely despise the frequent stretches where you're forced to drive a motorcycle. The worst news of all, though, is that you have to clear each track twice consecutively within a series of…

Jason Venter · January 9, 2008

Staff Wii

Super Mario Galaxy review

Once he satisfies the current requirements, a new launch pad appears and he can rocket off to his next adventure. Usually, it's another planet with a new assignment. Each area mixes objectives so often that it's almost impossible to get…

Jason Venter · December 17, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

Left Brain Right Brain review

After you've completed a set of exercises, the game will present a handy little chart that shows where you've proven your skills lie. Both left and right hand are rated, so you can see what difference there really is. For the most part…

Jason Venter · December 10, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

WordJong review

The change actually makes for a much more interesting experience, since your mind is now put to the test a bit more. There often will be a few options available, so your job is to figure out which will do the most to help your score. For…

Jason Venter · December 7, 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 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