Amazing Drake

One word that simply describes Uncharted: Drakes Fortune has got to be amazing. This is not to imply that it is the best game, game-play wise, of all time. It is not to imply that it is even worth the average gamers time. But this is what it does imply. Drake has managed to do something that I haven't seen another video game do. It has incredible detailed graphics, no hiccups in the game-play, a detailed interactive environment, and my personal favorite, EXCELLENT voice acting. Though an argument could be made that other games have done other things that I have mentioned, none of them come close to the voice acting that Naughty Dog was able to implement with Drakes Fortune. It surprised me from the very first time I played this game how real it felt that the game was. I felt as if I was playing a movie because of the fact that the voice acting was so believable and so, normal. Other games have had terrific voice acting, such as Metal Gear Solid, but none of them come close to the believability of Drake, well done Naughty Dog.
Now, as far as the game-play itself. I like the climbing aspect of Nathan Drake, and the fact that when he does climb it looks believable. The motion control scheme was not forced, they did just enough to make you remember this is a PS3 exclusive game, but they did not try to go overboard. Here are two things that upset me while playing this gorgeous, well put together game. First of all, the gun-fights get repetitive. There aren't many times that you will be able to just go in and shoot. If you try to make this game a Stranglehold you will absolutely, without a doubt, fail. Duck and cover is the name of this game, and that can get monotonous at times. In accordance with that, sometimes it gets throw-your-controller-against-the-wall frustrating, and at other times it's just a matter of patience.
Overall thought, the game is well put together, has a treasure hunt feel story line, nothing extreme, but nothing boring, and I really enjoyed having one other, or at times two other supporting characters running along with me through the jungle. Bottom line, if you have an appreciation for gaming, and all that goes into it, you will enjoy Drake.

New Street Fighter Screen

Check this out....that is all.

Back then Assassins

I just finished playing an excellently produced, written, and all around meshed well type of game. Assassins Creed managed to do something that most history-type games do not do for me. It managed to engulf me and make me keep playing. It made me keep playing to the point where I bought it on a Wednesday and finished it on that following Saturday.
AC is in it's essence a stealth game. But the stealth part isn't as strict as a Splinter Cell might be. Granted there are times where it is best not to be seen at all, but to do that, with no map of where enemies are, is tough, but it is challenging in a good way. As I went through this game I thought to myself that the production team did a good job in that it made AC a stealth game, but also had pretty well-to-do fighting moves as well. It wasnt just, mash one button and be done with it, you actually have to be aware of your surroundings a bit.
The one big knock I have on this game is the fact that the dialogue could have been a lot more varied. Every time i would save a woman she would say one of two pre-determined dialogue lines. The men were the same. Honestly, that's the only thing I noticed that really bugged me. At times it can be a bit frustrating when you are trying to climb up a wall only to jump off of it back toward the opposite way you did not want to go, but that isn't major.
One of the great thinks about this game is the chatter that you hear from people when you are walking amongst them. If you start climbing a building people may say, "What is that man doing? He's going to hurt himself." Or they may say, "What a strange man." Or my personal favorite, "Wow he's going to hurt himself. And if he does I'M NOT going to HELP him!" As if to say that I wanted help.
I thought that the regeneration of life is extremely forgiving as you do not have to walk around looking for health. In the whole scheme of things this would have been extremely unnecessary and would have slowed the game down quite a bit.
What I do admire about this game is how it stuck to the subtle theme of a bird of prey. The tip of your character's hoody looks like the edge of a beak of a bird. When you jump from tall buildings after getting a birds eye view of the city, you hear the screech of a hawk. And most importantly, you are acting as a bird of prey while roaming through the city looking for your targets. All of the "side-quests" if you will are not a burden and actually help you in the game (climbing tall structures helps you get an understanding of where things are in the city, helping strangers from soldiers will allow you to have allies in the area). The only thing that is a burden, if you choose to do it, is looking for all the different flags in the area. Something I did not choose to do, and if I did, it would probably take me a month or so to find all of the flags. There seem to be about 250 or more in the game. And with such wide open spaces, that is a little more than I want to try and accomplish.
Overall this is a highly addictive game. The story line isn't something that you will drop your jaw on, but it does stay compelling. As far as the replay value, I am not sure because I just finished the game and am not looking to playing it all over again. But definitely, if you own an XBox 360 or a PS3, get this game.

-Jeremy

Usually when a game is pushed back, part of me is let down. When a game is pushed back it's as if the developer is toying with me. They are reeling me in, only to shoot me when I get close. I feel lied to because they told me it would be out a certain day, and then it isn't. But GTAIV is going to be worth it. I just saw another trailer for it, with more speaking from the characters, and I have made an observation. What is it with so many Russian video game characters. Maybe it's just me because the movie Hitman had a lot of Russians in it, and then that made me think of Metal Gear Solid 2 with Russians in it. Ok, it's probably just me. To the point though, this game looks as if it is going to be unbelievable deep and fun. I can't wait...actually...yes I can because I have already waited.

-Jeremy

Mario is definitely Super

When I used to play Super Mario 64 I looked at it as more of a chore that I had to get certain stars to open certain doors. When I played Super Mario Galaxy, I enjoyed getting every (for the most part) star. I enjoyed blasting off into outers space. I enjoyed being pulled in different directions by gravity and taking it into account. I enjoyed looking for the hidden stars. I enjoyed completing one level before going to the next even though (and here's the kicker) I DIDNT HAVE TO COMPLETE EVERY LEVEL TO BEAT THE GAME! BUT I WANTED TO! Every adventure was exactly that, an adventure. Every adventure had it's own unique, yet familiar twists and turns. From turning into a Bee to turning into of all things a Spring (not of water), this game certainly has everything that a video game is supposed to entail. A heartfelt story line. Creative game-play. Gorgeous graphics. A nostalgia like none I have felt since watching Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (and that's nostalgia from a movie to a game, not a game to a game). Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING about this game was thought out and put to perfect use. If every video game out there had 3/4 of what Super Mario Galaxy offered, every video game would be sold out. You read me right. The motion sensor controllers were PERFECT. I never felt as if any of the motion sensor controllers were just thrown together for the heck of it. Some may find the camera angles to be a bit of a problem from time to time, but hey, for the most part, what you see is where you need to go and Nintendo isn't trying to confuse you. In all honesty, Super Mario Galaxy is one of the best games of all time. And I haven't played a game that is truly a perfect 10 in a long time. If you need proof just go get it for yourself. If you love video games and love Mario, I promise you, a wonderful adventure awaits.

Rock Band...Small Land

I called my local GameStop today to see if they had the bundle for Rock Band which was released today. The bundle, if you are unfamiliar lets people buy the microphone, drums, and guitar peripheral along with the game for an astounding $180, individually the game would cost $60, the Mic $30, and the Guitar and Drums $80 each. So you are saving a pretty substantial amount of money. At any rate I found out that the game itself was for sale, but only those with a pre-order could get the peripherals, and that the peripherals themselves wouldn't be out until (get ready for this) MARCH!!! So I started thinking. Who were the idiots over in marketing at Harmonix who decided that their game would be for sale 4 months before the peripherals would be? Talking to worker at GameStop, I found out that Harmonix did this because they wanted to have more people pre-order. This makes sense, but at the same time, it makes only about 5% sense. Why have the game, that you really can't do anything with unless you have a wireless guitar, from Guitar Hero II or III. And if you do, why would you want to buy Rock Band in the first place. Oh Harmonix, you are about as confusing to me right now as I am confused about imaginary numbers in Algebra. It doesn't make sense, nor does it serve any (in my opinion) purpose in life. Ah, but the light at the end of the tunnel got a whole lot brighter. I called up my local Wal-Mart, and THEY HAVE ROCK BAND BUNDLES!!! So that whole thing about Harmonix wanting people to reserve it, really is just GameStop trying to get people to buy from them so they can rip them off with "trade-ins" and "get money for your games" Since when did getting 7 bucks (if that) for a game you've paid $50 for a month ago a good deal? If you really want a good deal, here's a website. www.getcheapgames.com. They compare prices across the internet and find the best deal for you. You will thank me when you see the price differences compared to GameStop's "great" used games prices. You will thank me.

-Jeremy

Lego Batman

For all the horrible karma Superman has had as far as a video game, Batman hasn't been heads and shoulders above ol' supes. While his games have been playable, they haven't been great. But here is something to satiate your "why do the best superheros not have great games" appetite. Batman is becoming a Lego. In thinking about this, it is kind of sad that people can't get excited for a real life Batman, and when I say people I mean me. It is odd that a lego batman can excite me as much as it has (and not in the way you think you dirty minded reader). I am actually looking forward to this like a kid who is looking forward to meeting the "real" Mickey Mouse in Disney World. I'm not overly excited because I have seen pictures, but I am giddy because I honestly don't know what to expect.

Assassins creed rips "HOUSE" Theme

I was watching TV today and an Assassins Creed commercial came on with a familiar theme. I could not think of this theme for the life of me until I took a nap later on. The theme was from Fox's show House. I thought to myself, "Self," I said, "Why did they do this? I realize, self, that this is not a House produced song but rather a song that Fox paid to have the rights too, but self, if you were the person from AC doing the commercial, wouldn't you say, 'Hey, lets not do this song because everyone knows that from the hit show House.'" Self responded and told me yes, bu he understands that if people recognize it and figure out it is from House, maybe they will always remember, like me, the AC commercial ripped of House. Hmmm, I guess subliminal advertising really did work on me.

-Jeremy

Maybe it's just me

I just got done beating Stranglehold. And it has been out for not even a week. Which now begs the question, are fun action games too short? Or am I just playing through them too fast? I thought God of War and God of War II were kind of short even though common sense told me they weren't. But this past spring I thought Spider-Man 3 was way too short. Now I think I'm starting to realize that games with interactive worlds or highly destructible environments might have a lot in them, but not story or longevity of game-play. I have come to the conclusion that not every game can be a FF7 or any of the FF's for that matter. And not every game can be as satisfying as the Grand Theft Auto series, with so much more to do and look for. Therefore I have to give this game an 8 out of 10 because it is just so much fun. This is easily a game I can try to play through on hard, and even just play on 'casual' (another name for easy) mode. It's not about the longevity of the game per-say. It is the experience the gamer receives while playing the game and I have to say I've had a great experience. You should definitely pick this game up, or wait for the price to drop and then pick it up. This makes me think that maybe I'll pick up Heavenly Sword after all, even if the reviews say the game is too short. Experience is what counts.

It really does seem like a fantasy

I just got done watching the teaser for Final Fantasy Versus XIII and I have to say, I am pretty amazed. My sense of awe and amazement came before the video even began when I found out that the team that brought me Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and Kingdom Hearts 2, would be making this game, I knew right then and there that whenever that game comes out, I would be $60 (or if they make a special edition probably $70) short. This game looks fantastic, and if it feels as good as KH2, which it will probably feel better, this could quite possibly be the greatest game of all time in terms of graphics, story line, game-play, and music. I'm not ready to crown it yet because I still adore FF7, but if there is one game that looks as if it might be able to outdo FF7, it might be FF13 Versus. I dont know, but either way this is going to be one heck of a game.

Assassin of Prey

I knew hardly anything about Assassins Creed prior to the past two weeks. Now, as I watch the game-play videos and the art concepts and explanations video, I am finding myself interested, truly interested in what this game has to offer and how it is delivered. And now is the perfect time to become interested in the game since it's release date is two days after Super Mario Galaxy which I have been excited for for almost a year. AC looks smooth, crisp, and full of creative content. The only thing I worry about is how the final product is going to be delivered. This game has a potential to be a medieval, historical, fantastical Metal Gear Solid game (which I am also psyched for but it doesn't come out for several months). But it also has the potential to be entirely too slow. If there is one thing I hate more than a game with great graphics and bad game-play is a game that is hyped, such as Lair or Heavenly Sword, that does not deliver. Granted HS is much better than Lair but still, HS was entirely too short. Ubisoft, don't let me down.

-Jeremy

Insane in the Membrane

Manhunt 2 is the second game I know of that has almost pulled an Adults only rating (AO). The first, as you will recall, was by accident when Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas got hacked and you could...well you could do things you normally didn't have the freedom to do in a game...sexual...things. Anyway. Manhunt looks just crazy enough to work. The added bonus, or lunacy, is that with the Wii controls, you can actually execute the kills moving your hands in the motion as if you were really killing someone. I can see the headlines now, "Manhunt causes child to kill mother with paper clip, syringe, and fire hose." But the thing that I have to keep coming back to, in defending video games, is that it is an art-form. Don't get mistake what I'm saying here, to act out a murder on a video game system in the wrong hands could be deadly...in more than one way. But ultimately, it's not the game's fault that one capable human being murdered another innocent human being. Furthermore, this game looks very deranged, and it might be one of the first thriller/horror games that I actually play extensively, unless you want to count Loaded from way back in the day. Who knows I could even own it, but I probably will be playing with all of the lights on. So much for being a strong, "Man." (get it?)

-Jeremy

YAY RECESS!!!

EA is doing it again. Or rather, EA is just putting their name on it again. Either way, EA Playground came out TODAY! You might say, "Jeremy, I'm an adult, I don't do the whole 'playground' thing anymore." And then I would say, "That's because you are a loser that doesnt know how to play tetherball, handball, soccervolley ball, throw paper airplanes in a school's hallway, and do other...kid stuff!! So there :-P" Those are some of the games that you can play with in Playground. And, you know, for some of the people who don't do the playground thing...this Playground may make you change your mind.

-Jeremy

PS..Glee

I have been a DS man for over a year now. I have finally caved in and bought a PSP. Why? Well one because I found the Daxter Family Guy, 1GB memory stick, and slimmer silver psp for 190 on Amazon. That INCLUDES shipping and handling (for all of you not good in math, the price without shipping was 187...so it was only 3 bucks shipping). And I know am looking at different games for the PSP, not that I dont absolutely LOVE my Daxter game. Ok so I'm being a bit sarcastic cause I haven't played it much. The real reason I got the game was for the games that havent come out yet such as Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core and God of War: Chains of Olympus. Speaking of that....

-Jeremy

If three is a crowd...four is...WOW!

Over the past several weeks I had been wondering. I had been wondering about when, and in what form Capcom was going to make a new Street Fighter game. Now I'm hearing...what is this? Street Fighter IV!? Oh my goodness. When I saw the trailer it was some of the best animation I have seen to date, and if not the best, it is definitely one of the most unique. Check out the Hadouken at the end. It's...refreshing to say the least.

Kid Friendly, gamer approved

The more and more I hear, see, watch the new spider-man game, the more and more I say to myself ,"You know what, I'm going to get this game...what? I'm getting this game? Yes I'm going to get this game." But it's easy, it's cheesy, it's...it's. ..fun. Ok so I haven't played it yet, but if the trailer shows anything, how could I not have fun with this game? You might say, "But Jeremy, it's just another Spider-man game. Spider-Man Friend or Foe may be a "kiddy" game, but it's a kiddy game I'm willing to play. Just like the Cadillac commercial where it asks when you turn on your car does it return the favor. Well the same can be asked about a video game. When you put it in, do you yelp, yell, scream, say "OHHH" and "YEAH BOY!!" when you do well? I imagine Spider-Man will help me have fun once again, even if it is more "kiddy".

WHAT THE...FEBUARY!?

..........That's how I'm starting this......ellipses.....because I can't believe they pushed Super Smash Brothers Brawl back another two months. BUT, SONIC,thats right, SONIC ladies and gentlemen..will be in this new game. I haven't had a chance to play any sort of demo, but I already have a favorite character as of Oct. 14, 2007. It dissapoints me that I will not be able to play this game until AFTER I finish school, but in all actuality, that might be a great thing because I'll be done a semester early and I'll be able to play as much SSB as I want, without worrying about homework, papers, and all that stuff. Ok...so it's not so bad that it comes out in February.

Strangle.. Woah

Stranglehold is definitely a pleasant surprise. When I heard, "John Woo presents" I immediately decided that it would be a much more polished and well presented game, far from that of the matrix. Come to think of it though, the Wakowski brothers did the Matrix and John Woo had nothing to do with it. Either way, I figured it would be a good game. I got a chance to play the demo on PS3. I was simply blown away. The way you can slow down time and how it's not just jumping slowly, but jumping off of walls, sliding down railings, sliding on small push carts, shooting down a billboard sign, shooting a transformer pole down and watching it fall on your enemies, is all what makes this game unique and yet innovative. You can practically damage anything in the game, and the storyline makes for an entertaining premise of a 'one cop does it all' theme. The fact that this game isn't a franchise, and is not a sequel makes me even more excited. Because in today's "madden generation" of games that are only bought for franchise characters, or sequels, it is good to see a game with no predecessors come out and deliver in a well put together fashion that should be recognized positively by the general gaming public. Go get this game.

-Jeremy

The Crisis is that it isn't out yet

Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core is looking good...well at least the trailer looks good. I felt as if I was watching Advent Children. And if we know anything about Square-Enix, they know how to put a great story, mixed with great music, into a great innovative, enjoyable game. The only downside about this game is that it isnt out yet. I have yet to buy a PSP (but with the new price and slimmer model, that might change very soon), but if this game were out, I'd run to my local Target and get one now...right now..right as I'm writing this. That's simply how much I love the Final Fantasy series and virtually anything Square-Enix produces. And even though the game is coming out in Japan this fall, (Can Americans get it at the same time? Please? No? Ok I need to move to Japan) we can still expect a great game whenever it decides to grace us with its presence here in the U.S. I have found out that the game will take place in real time, but the battles will be random, opposite that of where the Final Fantasy series has started to go (see FFXII). I am very much looking forward to more and more details about this game. Until then, enjoy the video.

-Jeremy

I may Cry

Devil May Cry 4 is finally coming out...sooner rather than later, or is it the opposite? It seems as if the good games, or at least the anticipated good games, always come out later than expected and Devil May Cry is no different. It doesnt debut until next year, and when it does it should be a solid game. Even though the main character, Nero, not Dante, is headlining the game, and looks almost identical to Dante (where is the creative juice here?), the game is supposed to be much better. At the Tokyo Game Show the booth around Devil May Cry was packed and it was found out that Dante is actually going to be a boss fight against Nero. Good luck trying to remember which white hair, blue eye character you are. Every time you think you are winning, it might actually be Dante kicking your butt. But we wont know until early 2008, that sucks.

SMASH HIT!

Ok So I havent played this game yet, but it HAS to be a good game. It is pretty safe to say that if this was the ONLY game for the Nintendo Wii I would buy the Wii and play this game. I cannot wait for this game to come out in December. And from the screens I have see, there looks to be a significantly deeper cast of characters including Diddy Kong and Solid Snake. If excitement was a high fat food, I would be gaining weight all the way until the game came out. Enjoy the video.

Super Mario Galaxy looking good

Super Mario Galaxy is looking better and better each time I check out a new video or read about a new feature of the game scheduled to launch in early November. Maybe we will finally be able to see a quality Mario game that we have been starving for. As for the Video Game Aid, you know I will be all over this game the day it comes out because it looks as appeasing as any solo Mario game I've seen since the release of Mario 64 eons ago. Dare I say it, this game looks to be more fun, and more interactive, and more likeable, and whatever other adjective you want to throw in there, than Mario 64 was, and that was one of the best games of all time. Lets just hope it lives up to the hype.

Yawniro- Party 8

Dice blocks. Red spaces. Blue spaces. Mini-games. Green Spaces. And the ever present star. These all are part of the experience that is Mario Party 8. Wait...isnt that what the experience for Mario Party 1-7 was? Ok ok, so not much has changed for the italian plumber and all of his friends. The one innovation that was expected and known was that the minin-games were to feature the Wii remote in motion sensing capabilities such as that of Wario Ware. So if you are looking for a game that features the roll of the dice, many heartaches from stars being taken from you, and only six levels of game-board playing, then look no further than Mario Party 8. There is nothing inherently unique about this game other than the fact that there are motion sensor controllers involved. The biggest knock I would have on this game is that it is only 6 levels of playability. Sure it can get fun when you have 2 or more people playing but overall it is too stale of a game to be fully enjoyed alone. If you are looking for a party experience with friends, roommates, and siblings, this is a great game, if you are looking for something to just pick up and play by yourself, this is not your game.

Spidey needs more web fluid

I was extremely excited for Spider-Man 3 the game. I expected it to be much better than the first two installments of the series and hoped it would be fast paced and non-repetitive. I was hoping that it would be like Ultimate Spider-Man minus the shortened story line. Well I got two out of three. The game starts off fast and gets faster, especially when you are playing with the black suite. The only thing about this game that makes it repetitive is the fact that some of the missions become frustrating enough where you might just want to chuck your $50.00 siaxis controller out of the window. Common sense prevails in this case because you realize that one controller is as much as a new current generation game. When you get your cool back all of the missions are beatable. The God-of-War-like in-cinema game-play is a nice shift from the traditional cut-scene. Rather than boring some with a cut-scene, or having others enjoy the cut scene but not be involved, Spider-Man 3 does a good job of making some great cinematography while also including the player in the game. Some of the button combinations got tough, especially on the last boss fight as you are supposed to press certain buttons the instant you see them with little or no accident or miss-timed forgiveness. All in all you basically have to memorize some of the combinations when it comes to trying them over again after you have failed the first few times. The bad part about this game, and I don’t know why this happens with Spider-Man, it’s too short. The game could have so much in it and it’s too short. Ultimate Spider-Man was the same way, it was a great, fast paced, no busy work, game. But it’s ultimate downfall was that it was too short, I feel the same way about Spider-Man three. One of the big things one of the creators of the game relished on was the fact that there were ten different story lines that could be taken throughout the game, but what he failed to mention is that each of those story lines probably had only five to 10 missions, the latter number being for the main story line. Fun game, too short.