Reviews Surfing - The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)
December 9, 2009 by Mike · Leave a Comment
Link and Zelda team up in Spirit Tracks!
There’s no denying it—the biggest DS game right now is The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. You may be a bit disillusioned with the last Legend of Zelda because of a certain recurring level, so you may not be your usual Zelda-loving self. It’s perfectly understandable! But good news—Nintendo has learned its lesson in Spirit Tracks, and has ditched the punishing design of the previous game.
Despite this improvement, Spirit Tracks‘ overall rating is slightly lower compared to Phantom Hourglass. But you know what? I’ll take a slightly-lower score over better overall design any day. Here’s what the critics think of Spirit Tracks:
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Reviews Surfing - Bit.Trip Void (WiiWare)
December 2, 2009 by Mike · Leave a Comment
You'll be sucked in the Bit.Trip Void.
Highly anticipated games are great, but sleeper hits are just as agreeable. Today, we’ve found another one for the WiiWare called Bit.Trip Void. What’s surprising about this under-the-radar quality title is that it’s already the third in a series of games. The first is Bit.Trip Beat (released last March), while the second is Bit.Trip Core (came out in July). Like its predecessors, Bit.Trip Void is generally liked by critics. See how it fared with the reviews:
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Reviews Surfing - Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii)
November 25, 2009 by Mike · Leave a Comment
This Resident Evil looks sooo good.
While the DS has a dearth of survival horror games, the Wii, on the other hand, is releasing scary titles left and right. Perhaps the most widespread of these survival horror games are those of the rail shooting variety. Just last month, we’ve seen the critics weigh in on Dead Space: Extraction. Today, the experts speak their minds about Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, which is based on the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica. What do the critics think? Find out after the jump.
Atomic Gamer: (92%) “In essence, what the game may lack in exposition or narrative complexity it makes up for in nostalgic capital, a refined weapons system and a classic Resident Evil feel. This is, for the most part, more than I can say about RE5; perhaps the dev team for the inevitable RE6 would do well to delve into their own past before deciding where to go from here.”
Destructoid: (85%) “Where many on-rails shooters are content to offer a short, standard arcade adventure, The Darkside Chronicles offers a campaign experience on-par with just about any action/horror game out there. If you don’t like the on-rails genre because you think the games are always too short or too shallow, you may want to rethink those notions. Games like Darkside Chronicles and Dead Space Extraction are evolving the genre in a fantastic way, and that’s something you might not want to miss out on.”
1UP: (83%) “And though I’m sure Darkside Chronicles can elicit a yelp or two from more casual players (co-op monster killing is always better with a friend or loved one!), storied Resident Evil fans likely won’t bat an eye at the umpteenth zombie ambush. About the only moments of real tension I had were when I spotted an herb or other valuable item, and frantically tried to grab it before the camera swung in the other direction. Not to say the game is boring, though, because even though it’s a little more passive, this will probably be the closest thing to a complete RE2 remake in our lifetime. Darkside Chronicles looks great, has a good amount of content, and is mindlessly fun without the mindless gaffes of its predecessor.”
Game Informer: (80%) “Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles acts as a fantastic primer for those who started with the more action-centric Resident Evil iterations, while simultaneously providing fan service and fun for dedicated followers. Novices and veterans alike would be doing themselves a disservice by passing up this game.”
The Darkside Chronicles is a Resident Evil I wouldn’t want to miss. I don’t normally say such things about a game I’ve never played, but this rail shooter might just be the exception. Consider: The Darkside Chronicles looks so good that certain Capcom 5 producers think it’s possible to bring Resident Evil 5 to the Wii. If you want to experience Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, then go for it—the game is already out.
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Reviews Surfing - New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
November 18, 2009 by Mike · Leave a Comment
Itsa me! Mario!
After two years of waiting, Nintendo fans finally get another Super Mario game on the Wii. While New Super Mario Bros. Wii isn’t quite a 3D installment like Super Mario Galaxy, there’s no mistaking it: the new Mario platformer is a marquee game on the Nintendo console, through and through. New Super Mario Bros. Wii has the obsessive coin collecting, devious jumps, and multiplayer cooperative play, the source of all homicidal frenzy. Just what do the critical curmudgeons think of New Super Mario Bros. Wii? Check out the reviews after the jump.
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Reviews Surfing - Band Hero (Wii)
November 10, 2009 by Mike · Leave a Comment
Band Hero is Guitar Hero with less guitar.
Say what you want about the glut of music games like Guitar Hero or Rock Band—the genre is white hot and you know it. This is why Activision is striking continuously riding while the wave is at its zenith. One of the top publisher’s latest outings is Band Hero, which is actually a spin-off of Guitar Hero. So what’s the difference between Band Hero and Guitar Hero? Band Hero veers away from the focus on lead guitars, and is replaced by kid-friendly tunes. What do the critics think of the Wii version? See the reviews after the jump.
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Reviews Surfing - Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS)
October 21, 2009 by Mike · Leave a Comment
Back in the 90s, the console war was between Nintendo and Sega, among Mario and Sonic. As luck would have it, the two companies and their mascots teamed up in last year’s Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the DS and Wii. Unfortunately, the partnership wasn’t exactly well received, garnering mixed reviews from the gaming critics.
The unlikely duo returns for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. Does this sequel have what it takes to exceed its predecessor? We check out the DS reviews and see if we truly have a better game on our hands.
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Reviews Surfing - Wii Fit Plus (Wii)
October 13, 2009 by Mike · Leave a Comment
Wii Fit Plus is an enhanced version of Wii Fit.
Is your Balance Board gathering dust? Considering that there aren’t too many games that support the Wii peripheral, it’s entirely possible. If you own a Balance Board and you’re looking to bring it out of the closet, then you’re in luck—Wii Fit Plus is out.
What exactly is Wii Fit Plus, you ask? It’s an enhanced version of Wii Fit. It comes with all the Wii Fit exercises, plus the following:
- 3 yoga and 3 strength-training activities
- 15 balance/aerobic exercises.
The best part: all normal exercises are unlocked from the get go. So how exactly is Wii Fit Plus doing ratings wise? Find out after the jump:
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Reviews Surfing - Dead Space: Extraction (Wii)
Dead Space: Extraction forces you to unlearn that headshot habit.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, rail shooters on the Nintendo Wii are here to stay. The initial reaction to Dead Space: Extraction may not be very upbeat, but so far the reviews are mostly positive, save for one particularly low score. If you’ve been curious about what this “guided first-person experience” hubbub, then check out what the critics think—you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
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Reviews Surfing - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS)
September 30, 2009 by Mike · 2 Comments
Kingdom Hearts DS is here.
The formula behind Kingdom Hearts practically guarantees success–just combine characters and settings from Final Fantasy games and Disney cartoons, and presto! Kids eat it up. It’s no wonder people are looking forward to Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for the DS. The game may be a hit among the younger crowd, but what do the jaded critics think about the new Square Enix action RPG? Find out after the jump.
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Reviews Surfing - Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (DS)
September 22, 2009 by Mike · Leave a Comment
Remember the saying about reality being stranger than fiction? The world of video games can prove that. In a weird twist, a Mario game has been buried under the massive hype surrounding Scribblenauts. Sure, not all Mario games may be that awesome, but you have to agree that ratings-wise, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story has gotten higher reviews when compared to Scribblenauts. How high? See what the jaded critics think.
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