Reviews by honestgamer, page 38

Staff Xbox

Sid Meier's Pirates! - Live the Life review

When you talk to the barmaid one time, all is fine. A few visits later, you might find her being accosted by a surly captain of the guard. Time for a duel! When you head over to the mansion and talk to the governor’s daughter, she may…

Jason Venter · July 23, 2005

Staff DS HG exclusive

Polarium review

You’re in the middle of a long string that will clear all visible blocks at once. As you whip your stylus over the top row to put the final touches on your combo, suddenly you find that the on-screen detonator has not followed. Why?…

Jason Venter · July 21, 2005

Staff Dreamcast HG exclusive

The Typing of the Dead review

Sometimes, the word will be simple, something like ‘Montana’ or even a simple phrase like ‘Adios’ or ‘Game Over.’ Other times, you’ll be asked to type something ridiculous. It’s funny that whoever put the game together thought to include…

Jason Venter · July 15, 2005

Staff Dreamcast HG exclusive

Hydro Thunder review

Yes, Hydro Thunder employs what some have described as the rubber-band sort of mentality. Here, though, it’s worse than ever. It doesn’t matter if you have the best time anyone has ever managed when playing the game. There’s about a 70%…

Jason Venter · July 14, 2005

Staff Xbox HG exclusive

Still Life review

I use the term ‘playing’ rather loosely. Still Life doesn’t usually feel like a game. Instead, it’s like reading an interesting mystery novel but all of the pages are stuck together and you have to fight just to keep reading. Though you do…

Jason Venter · July 12, 2005

Staff Xbox HG exclusive

Conker: Live & Reloaded review

Each location contains a few attractions and links to one or two other zones. You’ll have to dash between them throughout your adventure if you want to uncover everything, Metroid-style. This was probably intended to make you feel like…

Jason Venter · June 23, 2005

Staff SNES HG exclusive

True Lies review

Considering all the options available these days, there’s no excuse for True Lies to continue existing. Someone should gather the cartridges, bundle them with a two-ton weight and toss them into a massive swimming pool. Then maybe Arnold…

Jason Venter · June 2, 2005

Staff SNES HG exclusive

Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team review

There’s a reason for this irritating flaw, though: Rare wanted you to play with a friend. Though the game lets thugs gang up on you and throw you into an endless circle of punishment, you and a buddy can turn the tables. One of you can be…

Jason Venter · June 2, 2005

Staff Dreamcast HG exclusive

Giga Wing review

While it’s true that you can hang near the bottom of the screen and weave like nobody’s business, such tactics aren’t nearly as much fun as worming your way right into the thick of things. Take out a foe from a distance and you can gather…

Jason Venter · May 8, 2005

Staff SNES HG exclusive

Super Off Road review

Whereas playing alone gets old quickly, it’s hard to tire of the multi-player option. The true fun here comes from consistently finishing just ahead of your human opponent, then talking trash as he can barely afford any upgrades in the…

Jason Venter · May 5, 2005

Staff Dreamcast HG exclusive

Looney Tunes: Space Race review

The game depends too much on those gag items for its own good. There are moments where things get downright frantic and every racer seems to be throwing down anvils and storm clouds like they’re going out of style. Racing jets are piling…

Jason Venter · April 30, 2005

Staff PC

The Sims review

Underneath the slick interface, beneath the elevator music and the gibberish we’re to take as conversation, The Sims is just a waste of time. It may amuse you for hours, days or even weeks. For those hours and for the sadistic relationship…

Jason Venter · April 28, 2005

Staff SNES HG exclusive

Joe & Mac review

Besides the fact that Joe and Mac toss weapons as if their arms are made of string cheese, there’s the matter of narrow platforms. Most of these are saved for the end of the game, in the last level or two. It’s easy to spend a few lives…

Jason Venter · April 18, 2005

Staff PlayStation 2 HG exclusive

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga review

If you make a stupid blunder, the enemy will take advantage of it. Similarly, if you happen to manage something clever or you’ve learned the right spells, you can trick the enemy into wasting its turns with ineffectual magic. The robust…

Jason Venter · April 5, 2005

Staff PlayStation 2 HG exclusive

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time review

At this point, you have two options. Either you can mash buttons like crazy and hope for the best, or you can press the 'L1' button. Go with the second choice and the game will stutter. You'll relive the last few seconds you played…

Jason Venter · March 2, 2005

Staff Xbox HG exclusive

OutRun2 review

Though your car flips end-over-end after a collision and lands on the roadway pointed exactly where you need to drive, such diversions cost you precious seconds you can’t possibly afford to lose. While your female passenger looks at you…

Jason Venter · February 19, 2005

Staff DS HG exclusive

WarioWare: Touched! review

With only a few exceptions, this is all done with your stylus. That’s what differentiates this game from the original in the franchise. Adapting to the new style won’t take you long at all, and suddenly you’ll wonder how you ever played…

Jason Venter · February 18, 2005

Staff NES HG exclusive

Swords & Serpents review

Like I said, there’s not an in-depth plot. The game is more about exploration and the occasional adrenaline rushes that come from knowing you’re only surviving by the skin of your teeth. It is the very definition of ‘dungeon crawler,’ and…

Jason Venter · February 7, 2005

Staff NES HG exclusive

Kiwi Kraze review

No matter what your surroundings, though, the game doesn’t provide a lot of variety in terms of mechanics. You’re still just running through one level after another (mostly swimming between underwater pockets of air in the case of the…

Jason Venter · February 6, 2005

Staff NES HG exclusive

City Connection review

The problem is that all the timing in the world may not always be enough to save you. This is because some of the enemy sprites move so quickly and come so unexpectedly from off screen that only lightning-fast reflexes will save you…

Jason Venter · February 3, 2005