Reviews by Jason Venter, page 44

Beyond the Beyond review

I can say without a hint of malice that I've always liked the towns in such 16-bit titles, and that they are present in full force in Beyond the Beyond. Each town does look different from the next. Years later, there is the slim…

Jason Venter · June 18, 2003

Staff PlayStation 2

.hack Part 2: Mutation review

Old characters return, but they're hardly involved. Mia, in fact, only shows up in one mission with a reference to a practical joke from the previous game. Her presence here is token, as is the presence of the majority of the cast. It's…

Jason Venter · May 19, 2003

Staff Game Boy Advance

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow review

Nothing feels particularly refreshing. You've seen all the tricks before, they impressed you at the time, and now there's this overwhelming sense of deja vu. Some of the absolute coolest bosses in the game, for example, feel like they were…

Jason Venter · May 13, 2003

Staff Game Boy Advance

Rayman 3 review

Even more impressive are the numerous environments he'll explore. These for the most part are swamps, lava caves, and fortresses, but they all look vibrant. The level of detail is also amazing. Then there are the enemies to consider. Their…

Jason Venter · May 1, 2003

Staff PlayStation 2

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon review

No, multi-player doesn't truly shine until you unlock cooperative levels. This is done by completing those same levels in the single-player mode. Once that's done, the game suddenly doubles in value. Whenever a new friend comes over, the…

Jason Venter · April 26, 2003

Staff Game Boy Advance

Super Puzzle Fighter II review

While you're puttering about on your half of the screen, your opponent is on the other side doing the same thing. Whenever you score a combo or string of combos, blocks will be rained down on your opponent. These blocks do not solidify for…

Jason Venter · April 24, 2003

Staff Game Boy Advance

Metroid Fusion review

A general situation is that you save and refill your life, find a new boss, die, return with a strategy, die after almost winning, then come back a third time and find victory. There's never a feeling that the game is handing you the next…

Jason Venter · April 24, 2003

Staff PlayStation

Strikers: 1945 review

Everything remains steady the whole way through, even when enough sprites are flying around the screen that the sweating geek inside of you cringes and expects smoke to start pouring out of the Playstation. It's amazing to see so much…

Jason Venter · April 14, 2003

Staff GameCube

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker review

It's at this point, where you're wondering if you should just grit your teeth and sail against the wind or play the baton again, that you start scratching your head and wondering if something is wrong. The answer, of course, is 'yes.' This…

Jason Venter · April 5, 2003

Staff NES

Panic Restaurant review

A fun, well-executed game that ultimately doesn't succeed so much as it could have because it's over almost before it begins, Panic Restaurant is still a title worth playing. Particularly if you manage to find it in a bargain bin somewhere.

Jason Venter · February 28, 2003

Staff PlayStation 2

.hack Part 1: Infection review

Let the buff guy go in and take the damage while you back him up with healing spells to keep him from dying. If he should die, you can always revive him with the appropriate item. Unfortunately, your buddies won't return the favor. Even if…

Jason Venter · February 17, 2003

Staff PlayStation 2

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus review

As Sly Cooper, you'll be able to learn quite a bit as one page of the Thievius Raccoonus after another falls into your paws. There are somewhere around 15 moves--some of them merely enhancements of simpler ones--that you can learn. But…

Jason Venter · February 9, 2003

Staff PlayStation 2

Jet X2O review

Don't pass through enough gates or perform enough tricks and your opponents will leave you in their wake for certain. Get too experimental and try tricks you can't manage, and you'll wipe out and loose a huge chunk of that…

Jason Venter · February 4, 2003

Staff SNES

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time review

Part of the problem is that the turtles are mostly fighting the same enemies, no matter what twist the story may take. You see the same guys in just about every stage, with only the occasional difference that is likely to be the same guy…

Jason Venter · January 30, 2003

Staff NES

Darkwing Duck review

Play control is tight as can be. If you die, it's not because Darkwing Duck failed to jump where you told him to. He can hop with the best of them, grab onto beams above him, and fire several shots at a time. Switching to his special…

Jason Venter · January 27, 2003

Staff Xbox

Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball review

If you lose your team partner, it's a major loss. You then have to work your tail off to get another team member so you can go back to playing volleyball. This is done through what serves as the other majority of the game, the gift…

Jason Venter · January 24, 2003

Staff Xbox

Panzer Dragoon Orta review

Choosing the proper form for the task at hand becomes monumentally important. One part of a stage may seem near impossible with one skill set, but another will blaze through it in no time. Often, particularly in a boss battle, the best…

Jason Venter · January 18, 2003

Staff GameCube

BMX XXX review

There is some nudity (even if it's bad) and some humor (even though it gets old fast) and there's enough stuff to do that you'll be busy for a while (even though you won't be having much fun). If that sounds about like an experience you…

Jason Venter · January 3, 2003

Staff Xbox

Dead or Alive 3 review

It's easy to forget you're looking at polygons. When a butterfly flaps past, or a rushing waterfall cascades down a moss-covered cliff, you won't be thinking how many polygons that must've taken. You won't likely be thinking about anything…

Jason Venter · January 3, 2003

Staff PlayStation 2

Rygar: The Legendary Adventure review

Without a doubt, Rygar: The Legendary Adventure is a perfectly acceptable follow-up to its excellent predecessor, and a good title in its own right (particularly if you liked Devil May Cry and the sequel's release in 2003 seems too far…

Jason Venter · December 7, 2002