Staff reviews, page 205

The Flintstones: The Rescue of Dino & Hoppy review

Fortunately, there are plenty of reasons to keep trying, even when you find yourself dying more than you might like. For one, the levels themselves are quite pretty. Sure, they don’t boast a lot of polygons or even colors, but the artists…

Jason Venter · January 26, 2005

Staff NES HG exclusive

Paperboy review

Of course, there are threats to your little newspaper empire. That cute little dog you see cowering in his home on the front lawn may very well bite you in the butt if you don’t toss a paper at just the right moment. And there are rumors…

Jason Venter · January 24, 2005

Staff Game Boy Advance

Doom II review

The pillars in front of you open to display a veritable cornucopia of hellspawn, and you are quickly made aware that the ones behind you are doing the same. You are standing in the very centre of a rapidly closing circle of death: imps…

Gary Hartley · January 24, 2005

Staff NES HG exclusive

Captain Skyhawk review

To play the game well, you’ll have to adapt to the rapidly-changing environment. Glide left past one hill, then quickly rebound to the right as an imposing rock wall threatens to turn your aircraft into a charred stain. The whole time…

Jason Venter · January 24, 2005

Staff PSP

Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower review

Though it may have always been the black sheep of an over-achieving family, if one were to be honest it would be hard to deny the PSP release of Vampire Chronicle some well deserved dues. For yet again Capcom have put together a solid…

Michael Scott · January 23, 2005

Staff PlayStation 2 HG exclusive

Mega Man X8 review

You see, not every stage takes place with you watching from the sidelines. Sometimes, you’ll get an over-the-shoulder perspective. However, this is perfectly acceptable for two reasons. Firstly, only two areas make this deviation. And…

Jason Venter · January 22, 2005

Staff NES HG exclusive

Time Lord review

Suppose that you play through the Castle Marman level one time. You find one orb after picking mushrooms, one hanging on a tower high above a wide space, and a flying monkey (dragon?) drops another. Then there’s the one you randomly find…

Jason Venter · January 17, 2005

Staff Turbografx-CD HG exclusive

Puyo Puyo CD review

The Minions of Satan came to learn the customs of the PuyoPuyo, and used this knowledge to subjugate the pitiful little blobs by forming them into like-colored sequences of four or more. This was a great and vicious evil, for when the…

Zigfried · January 16, 2005

Staff Turbografx-CD HG exclusive

Legion review

Legion's not cool at all. It sucks. And the depth of the developer's blunders amounts to a lot more than the vague cop-out synopsis, "it has good ideas but just isn't fun". Legion takes reasonable ideas and makes them look dumb.

Zigfried · January 16, 2005

Staff Nintendo 64

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask review

At times you may have to transform into a Goron to roll over that narrow hill, engage the Deku scrub's helicopter technique to cross a canyon, or use the boomerang fin trait of the Zora to hit that far off switch. The classic puzzles that…

Branden Barrett · January 13, 2005

Staff PSP

Lumines review

What makes all this such a standout success however is how Mizuguchi-san has played with established genre concepts in blending the puzzle based action with his own particular passion for synaesthesia style music. The more squares you…

Michael Scott · January 12, 2005

Staff PlayStation HG exclusive

Bloody Roar review

Bloody Roar, a 3D fighter released during the modern glut of 3D fighters, relies on style over gameplay. I believe you can make the connection here. Fond memories of the title crop up every now and again, but when I yearn to play a PSX…

Zigfried · January 11, 2005

Staff Saturn HG exclusive

Cotton Boomerang review

As you play the game and a vicious spitting flytrap smacks Appli down, Needle will zoom in and take her place, in King of Fighters fashion. If Needle bites it too, your third character will take the creepy critters on — all by herself!

Zigfried · January 10, 2005

Staff Turbografx-CD HG exclusive

Ai Cho Aniki review

If you've played Forgotten Worlds, you have some idea what Ai Cho Aniki is all about. Basically, I'm talking an airborne Contra, with multi-directional attacks and hand-to-hand combat . . . and naked bodybuilders.

Zigfried · January 9, 2005

Staff NES

Dragon Warrior review

Step outside the castle and you might make it fifteen or twenty steps. Or you might make it one step. Or two, or three. Suddenly, that village a half-screen away can seem almost out of reach. This is compounded by another problem: the hero…

Jason Venter · January 8, 2005

Staff PC

World of Warcraft review

It is an MMORPG at its finest and the first of such to intrigue me in such a fashion since Asheron's Call. As previously mentioned, it is the obsession you have while playing the hero or villain you have created in these games, that…

Branden Barrett · January 8, 2005

Staff PlayStation

Breath of Fire III review

Cue two miners innocently going about their jobs when they stumble across a rather rich vein of chrsym ore. Overjoyed, the anxious two set their explosives, planning to blast free their latest find, but instead of the deceased fossil they…

Gary Hartley · January 8, 2005

Staff Saturn HG exclusive

Sakura Tsuushin: ReMaking Memories review

The images — both characters and backgrounds — have been marinated in pungent hues of brown and red. I find such kwality to be inexcusable, considering the artistic excellence of Pia Carrot, Can Can Bunny Extra, High School Terra Story…

Zigfried · January 6, 2005

Staff Xbox

Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis review

Thankfully, forgotten are the earlier attempts which have Jurassic Park as a shoot-the-nasty-dinosaurs snorefest. Instead you're presented with a simulation which gives you the chance to build and run your own park full of dinosaurs. While…

Gary Hartley · January 6, 2005

Staff Nintendo 64

Tetrisphere review

Picture a spinning orb floating in space. It’s comprised of a bunch of tetrad blocks, meshed together flawlessly to form a prison of sorts. Inside this fragile abode, a robot anxiously darts about like a firefly caught in a bottle, trying…

Jason Venter · January 1, 2005