Reviews & Articles

I remember the original Legend of Zelda back on the NES. There was something magical about it — and it had the potential to be exceptionally frustrating at times. To be fair, this was back in the day when games did not hold your hand at all. I also was only 3 or 4 years old at the time, and it amazed my mother no end how I was able to memorize the game and beat it. I probably should replay it, though the system does have a tendency to “randomly” reset on me. But I digress. This game created the beginning of one of Nintendo’s “holy of holies,” a series it would continuously hold close from that day forward and continuously counted on to sell not only copies, but systems as well. It is no wonder Nintendo tends to keep its “mega hitters” close to its breast. The last Zelda game released on a traditional system was released on the Wii and GameCube. That game is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. For a game that would be considered the GameCube’s last hurrah, it is more than competent to compete with other games.

Oh man, do I love to hunt.

Oh man, do I love to play hunting games.

Oh man, do I hate it when baboons attack me.

Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 for the Wii is an overall good game — a different type of hunting game than I am use to, but that is a good thing. The hunting genre is plagued by less than boring games, while Activision makes it more exciting.

I remember 2010’s E3 and going into sensory overload at the multitude of information waiting to be digested by the press. It was then The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was announced. The line of people waiting to play the demo was massive as it spanned the entire length of the main showroom floor (at least it seemed that way). As much as I wanted to play it, I figured I would have a better chance of obtaining the game than getting a chance to play right then and there. So imagine my delight Christmas morning when I opened Skyward Sword. Was it worth the wait?

If you have been a gamer since the mid ’90s, you know who and what Rayman is all about. However, Rayman has been on a bit of a sabbatical of late. We have seen somewhat recent titles such as Rayman Raving Rabbids, but the game is as far from being a Rayman game as it possibly can be. Rayman Raving Rabbids is a good game in its own right, but this isn’t what I intend to review. For now at least.

Chances are, you’ve probably heard of Pavlov. He was not a psychologist; he was a physiologist and did research with dogs. He had a laboratory, and he measured how much a dog salivated before being fed and after the food was presented. While this was a pretty basic experiment, he forgot one variable: The door to his lab had a bell. Eventually, the dogs associated the bell with being fed. Imagine his surprise, coming into work one day and finding dogs salivating for no apparent reason. So what does this have to do with videogames? In many ways, games are set up to be rewarding and to engage the senses. Now throw in a recognizable developer and publisher. What happens? People get excited and anticipate the possibilities of what could happen in any number of scenarios. This is what I had in mind when writing my review of Super Mario Galaxy.

As the weather starts to turn cooler as we approach autumn, many athletically inclined people start thinking of sports played in ice and snow instead of sports played in the water or grass. It can also be said the season for winter sports videogames is coming up, too. Enter Winter Stars. Developed by 49Games and to be released by publisher Deep Silver, Winter Stars is a motion-controlled game for the Xbox 360 Kinect, PlayStation Move and Wii and the Balance Board. In other words, couch cushion-gamers need not apply!

I’ve been a huge fan of Kirby since my childhood. I remember the old television commercial that painted the original game as a bit grosser than it actually plays. It was an accessible game and one I had completed several times. Thus, it was with great happiness that I picked up a copy of Kirby’s Epic Yarn for the Wii.

When you think of Nintendo, one man usually comes to mind: a chubby little plumber named Mario. Mario has become the stamp for what Nintendo is, but Mario wasn’t the original stamp for Nintendo. No, that actually goes to a barrel-throwing ape named Donkey Kong. Yes, Mario first made his appearance with Donkey Kong, but back then, he was just called “Jump Man.” But when Nintendo went from arcade to home console, Donkey Kong slowly became a lost legend as Super Mario took over with all the fame.

Mario is a staple of gaming; there is no denying it. He’s done it all and seems at home in almost all environments, though those with a 2-D view feel the most natural. There’s no need to make certain the camera is in the right place, no uncertainty and a nice overview of it all. So what if multiplayer was added to the traditional playing mix? Then you would get the New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and it is a great single-player game but a horrid multiplayer game. The latter is a bit harder to explain, so let’s start with the basics.

I’ve yet to meet a little boy who didn’t want to be a “fireman” at some point in his youth. I don’t know if it’s the equipment, the fires or the trucks. Maybe it’s all of the above. Most boys (except one of my cousins) seem to grow out of it by adulthood; I don’t know if it’s the heavy equipment, the dangerous fires or the lumbering trucks. Again, it could be all of the above. Perhaps it’s the long hours. Real Heroes: Firefighter is a stunningly well-produced, educational and surprisingly fun title that lets any little (or big) boy (or girl) experience the cool tools, raging fires and big trucks from the safety of home.

Nintendo announces the Wii U, which is a Wii too, or two, for you. And you and you and you and you. That said, one of the catchiest things about the Wii U, is the interesting controller. Although the controller looks clunky, it actually feels quite comfortable in your hands.

I hate medical tests. Health class wasn’t just boring for me back in high school, it made no sense! The interesting little tidbits that I latched onto were never, ever, on the tests. What’s a femur? Don’t the biceps belong in the leg area? What about the location of the ribs? Don’t those belong on a cow or something? How does one pass the necessary classes when it is a painful experience? I don’t know how I passed, but I did. Although I don’t think Trauma Center: Second Opinion would have made my life any easier, it certainly would have made learning everything a lot more interesting.

I have to say that after the previous installments, the Madden franchise is back on track. I have every single (yes EVERY) Madden game to date, dating all the way back to the Apple II series — I have a nostalgia problem!

Almost two years, there were commercials for the latest Final Fantasy game on the Wii: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. Peppered with rave reviews from mainstream magazines, the commercial showed the beautiful game in action. However, something didn’t feel right to me, and I let it fall off my radar until a few weeks ago. After playing the game for a while now, my initial impressions were not only spot on but incorrect as well.

Whimsical. That’s the word that keeps buzzing around my head when I look to describe Gods vs. Humans. It’s similar to other games I’ve played but, at the same time, holds its own uniqueness, its own quirkiness that, to me, sets it apart and makes it both exciting and fun. You start each level in the guise of a deity within a certain era of human civilization. Of course, with a name like Gods vs. Humans, there’s got to be a little bit of conflict between the two aforementioned groups of beings, yes? If you said yes, which I’m pretty sure you did, then you’re right.

Do you remember those short cartoons back in the day? Some played before your movie, or some played during commercials on Disney. Even Warner Brothers had them with the Looney Toons; they were timeless and carried over into my generation for a while. What happened to them, where did they go and why are they pushed away for such bland cartoons nowadays, even though Mickey Mouse still very much exists as an icon? If you are like me and miss those classic cartoons and enjoy video games, then I have the game for you: Epic Mickey.

For those willing to make the investment, Rock Band 3 is one of the best multiplayer experiences around. I shudder to think how much money I’ve spent on Rock Band games, instruments and song downloads since I first got into it, but few games are as purely joyful to play as Rock Band 3. Far from being just a new songlist, Rock Band 3 represents a great leap forward for music rhythm gaming.

I do not think there is a gamer alive (above the age of 18) that has not heard of or seen the name Tom Clancy. If you have not heard of him, then go to your local game store and browse around, because eventually, you will see the name across a few titles. One thing I have always known Tom Clancy for is, of course, Ghost Recon.

Do you remember those times sitting at home on a snow day, rocking it out on GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64? I can honestly say I am not the only one who remembers these types of days. You would call over a few friends, blow into the game cartridge and fire up a game of multiplayer.

What is the human condition? What does it mean to have a “soul?” How do we fill this hole inside each and every one of us? These questions are existential in nature and ones we typically do not care to approach or adequately solve. It’s scary. Who really wants to deal with these questions and many more like them on a daily basis? There is one game that is braving those questions: Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon.

Do you love trucks?

Do you love BIG trucks?

Do you love BIG engines?

Do you love to crush things?

If so, Monster Jam: Path of Destruction is for you!

Rock Band 3 is the newest installment in the “rock star simulation” genre — for this review, there will be an assumption the reader has either played or experienced or has a passing familiarity with this genre of game. The buzz leading up to the release of Rock Band 3 was that this game would be taking leaps forward, blurring the lines in a transition from simply playing a game to actually playing in a band. So, did it succeed?

Many years ago, mascot rivalry was a huge deal. Everyone was on the mascot bandwagon, but no one seemed to be able to overcome the looming tower named Mario. In 1991, Sega brought a brash blue hedgehog with an attitude to the table, and Mario finally got a run for his money. The competition never looked more aggressive. I took my side back then. I didn’t hate Mario, but Sonic was just all the edge and speed a little one could ask for. So if you told me back then that in 2010 the new Sonic game, Sonic Colors would be a Nintendo-exclusive, that may have upset me greatly.

Dood’s Big Adventure is a game that harnesses the power of a child’s creativity and the function of the uDraw GameTablet. The game is a platforming game and allows the customization of the protagonist, Dood, as well as the Baddies. There are also the obstacles and traps known as Doodads that can be colored and Balloonimals — balloon animals hovering in the background that animate when customized.

Minute to Win It is based on the game show of the same name. They even got the real host, Guy Fieri, to do the voice of the host in game. You’ll use both the Wii-mote and the nunchuk in the game, and it’s compatible with the Wii MotionPlus add-on. I have seen other reviews talk about it using the Wii Balance Board also, but there is nothing on the box to that effect, and the games I’ve been able to try have not said anything about the Balance Board.