Reviews by Benjamin Woodhouse, page 4

Blitz: The League II review

With an official license out of their reach, Midway has created an intricate world that celebrates the most unsavory aspects of the professional sports crime blotter. Gratuitous violence is king on this penalty-free, 8-on-8 gridiron, but…

Benjamin Woodhouse · October 31, 2008

Staff Wii HG exclusive

Game Party 2 review

In November 2007, Game Party hit the Wii as a collection of seven simple minigames. Ten months later, six of those games return to a roster of eleven activities in Game Party 2. The major improvement: this time the motion controls work…

Benjamin Woodhouse · October 21, 2008

Reader PSP

Pump It Up Zero Portable review

PIU Zero Portable is the game PIU Exceed Portable should have been. Really. Zero actually co-ops a significant chunk of its PSP predecessor's set list, mixes them with favorite songs from the NX and Zero arcade flavors of Pump It Up, and…

woodhouse · October 12, 2008

Reader DS

Time Hollow review

On the night preceding his seventeenth birthday, Ethan Kairos' peaceful slumber is interrupted by a fiery nightmare. He sees his father and mother struggling to escape a raging inferno. The next morning, he bolts awake into a reality where…

woodhouse · October 10, 2008

Staff DS HG exclusive

Red Bull BC One review

Even if the simple gameplay were tweaked to its maximum amount of enjoyment, no link is established to the main attraction: breakdancing. Sure, if I refrain from moving the stylus, my tiny dancer will passively bob to a generic beat. And…

Benjamin Woodhouse · October 6, 2008

Reader Game Boy Advance Review of the Week

Yggdra Union: We'll Never Fight Alone review

Maybe it's not entirely original, but Yggdra Union is a marathon strategy game made especially for masochists. Its narrative begins like many others in the genre. A bloodthirsty despot overruns every kingdom in the land, with conquest and…

woodhouse · August 27, 2008

Reader PSP

Pump It Up Exceed Portable review

When it comes to dancing games in North America, Dance Dance Revolution is the biggest name to know. But there are other games in town, like Pump It Up. Through a dozen arcade and console releases in Asia, PIU has built a reputation as a…

woodhouse · August 24, 2008

Reader PC HG exclusive

Packaging Man review

All superheroes should hire image consultants. Most go awry with too-tight costumes or fluorescent colors. Packaging Man needs a little help in that area – a boring green shirt and hat will really only work for a plumber – but the real…

woodhouse · August 6, 2008

Staff DS HG exclusive

Guitar Hero: On Tour review

At its best moments, this mini edition will still fly you through hand-wrenching solos. For a franchise that pulls a lot of its thrills from shredding with a plastic axe, though, On Tour doesn't have the setup to be at its best enough.

Benjamin Woodhouse · August 6, 2008

Reader DS

Rondo of Swords review

For a strategy RPG set against a traditional medieval backdrop, Rondo of Swords tries to surprise you. It introduces a radically different method of moving around and engaging the enemy. The objectives of its stages can change at any time…

woodhouse · June 13, 2008

Reader PlayStation 2

Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis review

Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis takes you to school. In its world, ordinary people can't begin to understand the basic principles of alchemy. In fact, strict laws prohibit the practice of the art by anyone without the proper training…

woodhouse · June 4, 2008

Reader DS

Bleach: The Blade of Fate review

The window for importing Bleach: Souten ni Kakeru Unmei has officially closed. It will always be one of the standout fighting games on the DS, given its strong technical execution and popular anime appeal. The fact that it come the 2-D…

woodhouse · April 29, 2008

Reader DS

Professor Layton and the Curious Village review

“Raring to try another puzzle? Ooh, nothing gets my heart racing like a passionate man!” coos the corpulent innkeeper, laying bare her ulterior motive. Usually a proper English gentleman like Professor Layton would politely talk his tophat…

woodhouse · March 23, 2008

Reader GameCube

Baten Kaitos Origins review

Baten Kaitos Origins takes place two decades before the events of Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean. As such, it features a whole new cast of main characters. Sagi is the sympathetic orphan, striking out to support his…

woodhouse · March 16, 2008

Reader DS

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin review

It's a good thing the familiar characters from the three previous Advance Wars games didn't return for this fourth installment; most of them would be dead. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin takes place immediately after a devastating meteor…

woodhouse · February 18, 2008

Reader PlayStation 2

MVP 07 NCAA Baseball review

MVP 06’s greatest sin was one of omission. In 2006, 285 teams populated the ranks of Division I baseball, yet only 128 squads from the most high profile conferences found their way into the inaugural NCAA Baseball release. And many of the…

woodhouse · November 25, 2007

Reader DS

Luminous Arc review

As an institution that stands for goodness and light, the Luminous Church is quick to punish anyone and everyone. In the very first scene, an exalted Cardinal, second in Luminous command, seeks to imprison two monks innocently expressing…

woodhouse · September 4, 2007

Reader PSP

Gitaroo Man Lives! review

Now that you can shred through your favorite tunes with a plastic guitar controller, the idea of using face buttons and analog sticks to keep the beat must seem antiquated. As the handheld remake of a 2002 PS2 cult classic, Gitaroo Man…

woodhouse · August 4, 2007

Reader DS

Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 review

With DS rhythm games winning hearts on both sides of the Pacific, iNiS has developed a formula that works, and Moero Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu Tatakae Ouendan 2 doesn’t deviate from the mold. The musical adventure follows the (mostly)…

woodhouse · July 13, 2007

Reader PSP

DJ Max Portable 2 review

DJ Max Portable 2 hails from Korea, but it might as well sit on every retail shelf in America. The first time it’s loaded up, the game lets you select between options of English, Korean, and Japanese. From that point forward, all…

woodhouse · July 5, 2007