Review: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII carved its name in the gaming world and with the anniversary of the original release of the game Square had prepared to release a series of sequels and add-ons to what they consider to be their biggest hit in the Final Fantasy series. As part of this compilation Crisis Core was released for the PSP handheld system. It was a prequal to the original Final Fantasy VII titles which finally gave all the details on the events leading up to the original title. I'm sure that you remember that a large majority of these events were reviled in the game however this time it takes a new point of view. This time around the story is through the eyes of a member of S.O.L.D.I.E.R named Zack Fair. The story actually starts quite a bit of time before the familiar Cloud even comes into the picture.

Many of the concepts from the previous Final Fantasy VII titles return with a bit more of a twist to them. Materia return as well with more or less the same use as the original game except for a few minor changes being the fact that you no longer attach them to your equipment however a set of ability slots are present. At first you start off with only three slots for equipping abilities however you will eventually rack up some additional slots. Equipment and accessories are added close to the same way and of course once again you start with a limited amount of slots but you will aquire more as you work your way through the game.

With the basic materia abilities like fire, blizzard, and thunder which should be familiar to all avid Final Fantasy players however there is also a method of combining materia to form stronger materia. You won't exactly start with this however as you move through the storyline you will eventually acquire it and you'll be sure to be making good use of it as the game gets increasingly more difficult.

Not only do many concepts from previous games return but characters as well. From main characters like Cloud, Tifa, and of course everyones favorite psychopath, Sephiroth who has yet to become the monster who will one day try to destroy the entire planet. One of the most epic scenes in the original Final Fantasy VII was of course the death of the character Aerith who died early on in the game leaving little known about her however she returns in Crisis Core giving a little more back story into the story of the character Aerith and her connection to the main character of Crisis Core, Zack.

The concepts and abilities in the game may be very similar to previous installments in the Final Fantasy series however the combat system is something completely knew to the series. If I had to describe it I would have to say it was more of a combination between the combat system of Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy XII. Random battles while exploring an adventure field are still present however but they are much more smooth with no screen transition in between like in many Final Fantasy titles before. The main attack basis is controlled by a series of actions all controlled by the X button however you will be scrolling through the separate actions using the L and R shoulder buttons. The actions are made of the basic attack icon followed by all the materia abilities you may have attached at the time and then the item menu item. When you select an attack command it will automatically lock on to the nearest enemy in the direction you currently have Zack facing. For the basic attack action it will automatically move Zack in towards that opponent however that isn't the case for all materia abilities so you should try to be as close as possible when using them until you learn the appropriate distance you need to be. The defensive moves are handled by the square and triangle buttons. There are two defensive moves, your standard block as well as a dodge roll. Keep in mind however that you can't use these defensive moves endlessly as the AP bar slowly drops after each use.

The newest of the mechanics in Crisis Core is the limit system used in battle. Limits aren't exactly something new to the Final Fantasy franchise however this time they've given a whole new twist to it. Using what is called the DMW which is basically a slot machine like mechanic made up of a series of numbers as well as mugshots of characters who appear throughout the game. By matching up certain series of numbers will level up Zack as well as the materia attached to him. By matching up the mugshots will unleash a limit ability with some connection to that character. Until you meet that character there will be a darkened silhouette image which will have a basic limit ability attached until you actually meet up with that character during the storyline of the game. There are also summon characters who will appear on the DMW from time to time after you manage to unlock the summon. The DMW will be rolling through the entire battle and once two of the images are matched up it will activate and you'll have a chance of either leveling up, using a limit, or even nothing at all may happen. After certain conditions are met the chances of matching the images up will increase. Using the DMW will become critical in tough battles and tight situations.

The music of the game is very similar to previous Final Fantasy titles and even has a few returning songs giving the series a very similar feel to the rest of the series. The voice acting in the game is the same as in Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus making it just as superb as before. The graphics are in fact some of the best on the PSP system possibly even the best that we've seen on the handheld Sony system thus far.

Overall as a prequel to what is considered to be on of the best Final Fantasy games Crisis Core gets the job done quite well. The familiar characters as well as familiar music gives the game a trust authentic Final Fantasy feel even if the combat system is completely new to the series. Crisis Core is a must for any Final Fantasy fans or for those wanting more Final Fantasy VII.

Review: Final Fantasy VII

I don't think there's a single gamer out there who wouldn't recognize the characters from one of the biggest games to hit the Playstation console. Characters like the spikey haired broad sword wielding Cloud Strife, the hot headed Tifa Lockhart or the psychotic mastermind Sephiroth should be familiar with gamers of all kinds. These were just a few of the familiar faces to put their mark on the gaming world when the first Final Fantasy game hit a 3D console and they're characters that we could never forget. Of course you should have figured it out by now but if you haven't I'm talking about Final Fantasy VII.

By the standards today we may look back and say that the in game graphics weren't exactly anything impressive however for the time they were average. The battle and cutscene graphics were the complete opposite as they were sleek and something we had never yet seen from a game before.

However even if the graphics weren't top par what made the game one of the best was the epic storyline. The story starts off with a revolutionary group fighting back against a corrupt corporation known as Shinra who is slowly killing the planet they lived on by draining its energy and using it for their own good. This group hired an ex-troop from the Shinra's army, a man named Cloud Strife who is only in it for the money at the start. Cloud soon got more and more involved when a nightmare from his past made a return, the man who had destroyed his hometown who had once been a fellow member of Shinra's task force, SOLDIER. His name was Sephiroth and he was always known as the strongest and Cloud even wanted to become just like him at one time. That was until Sephiroth found out about how Shinra was created. That was when he turned with the new sole purpose of bringing forth the destruction of the planet using a giant meteor.

The character design is some of the best which is something that's come to be expected from Square. Even without voice acting for their characters Square still did a great job of showing their characters personalities even if it was through only text.

The leveling system in the game isn't much different from other Final Fantasy games keeping to a very similar turn based roleplaying game format. The format is very much the same as in previous installments of the Final Fantasy series as the turned base combat is on a bit of a more real time. In order to attack you'll need to wait for an action bar for each character in your party to fill after each action. The same rules apply to the enemies too even though you won't exactly be able to see their bar.

The upgrade system which includes both the magic and abilities given to each character are developed in a unique way. They're given to each party member by equipping orb like objects known as Materia. These Materia are equip to your characters weapons, armor, and accessories giving them the magic and abilities attached to them. These Materia can include many familiar elemental magics as well as summons and even son brand new ones.

With the epic storyline crossing over three separate disks which was unheard of at the time. An all new massive world to explore as well as the all so memorable characters. The music in the game was orchestrated just for the game giving it a very similar feel to many of the Final Fantasy games from the past. At first I wasn't sure this was a game that needed no review but I couldn't exactly to pass up the opportunity to give my input on what is considered to be one of the greatest games of all time. The price of the game at this time is a little outrageous but it is a game that is worth a play for all Final Fantasy fans.

News: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

The release of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII in the United States is her at last. The first major Final Fantasy title to hit the PSP handheld system. We may just be ready to dive even deeper into Cloud Strife's past reviling in detail the true story which led up to the epic adventure which was the original Final Fantasy VII on the Playstation console so many years before.

This time around you'll be playing as a completely different member of SOLDIER, a man named Zack Fair. He was mentioned slightly in Final Fantasy VII however this time his true role in the story of Cloud's battle against the evil Sephiroth will be reviled to us.

Review: Super Smash Bros. Brawl Part 3

Besides the main modes included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl there are many and I mean many smaller side modes which will add to the replay value in the game. From collectibles to a few extra modes I could guarantee that this is one game that will keep you're hands full for quite some time.

For starters there are quite a few smaller modes under the category of stadium. The first of these modes is something that should be familiar to those who've been playing the Super Smash Bros. series from the start. It's a little mode called Break the Targets. That pretty much describes it all. The main objective is to move through the various stages breaking the targets spread throughout them. There are a total of five stages which each pick up the bar of difficulty. These stages are also present through Classic mode and this is actually the way of unlocking this mode as well as the multiple stages for play outside of Classic mode.

The next mode present in stadium should be another familiar mode from the melee days. It's a mode known as multiman brawl. There a few breakdowns for this mode including ten man brawl which will pit you up against ten of the unique enemies which are present in this mode. The next is a bit more of any extreme known as the one hundred man brawl. The name describes it almost perfectly, this time around you'll have to fight against one hundred opponents during an ongoing battle. There are also a few other modes like fifteen minute brawl, endless brawl, and cruel brawl which all seem to describe themselves and will all pit you up against these various unique to this mode only enemies.

The lase mode I will talk about in stadium is known as Home-Run Contest which is a new and slightly more unique mode. In this mode you'll have the option of playing as any of your favorite characters. You'll take up a baseball bat and time a charged it to a punching bag to send it flying as far as you possibly can aiming for a high score. There are many things that can affect how far the bag flies from the amount of damage done to it as well as which character you're using at the time.

There is one other mode included under stadium however it isn't exactly available from the start of the game so I won't go into too much detail on it in order to not spoil it for those who've yet to unlock it just yet.

Throughout the game you will find yourself fulfilling what is called a challenge. Challenges are series of objectives that will unlock various objects from collectibles to extra characters and even extra stages and music. The challenges are all posted on a large wall. The wall is covered by glass windows which break whenever you manage to fulfill one of the many challenges. Challenges can range from close to anything by simply finishing Classic mode on a certain difficulty to having to finish in a set amount of time. Once you complete a challenge the objectives for the challenges to either side of it will become visible to you. After clearing certain objectives you will also receive hammers which will allow you to break a window unlocking the object behind it. This will only work on the windows which have their objectives reviled to you. These hammers should be saved for objectives which you may be having trouble completing because you will only receive a total of five of them throughout the game.

I've mentioned collectibles multiple times throughout this review already. The main collectibles are made up of trophies as well as stickers. Trophies and stickers can both be collected throughout Adventure mode as well as they can be collected using the coin launcher mini game built into the game which allow you to collect large amounts of both trophies and stickers depending on how many coins you've managed to collect throughout the other modes in the game. Coins are collected in close to every mode in the game and are usually collected at times when you don't even realize it simply by finishing fights in Classic Mode as well as for completing levels in Adventure mode. Stickers also have another use in adventure mode as you can equip them to characters in order to upgrade them and make them stronger. This isn't exactly necessary but is a nice addition and they do come in handy when playing on harder difficulties. There are trophies and stickers to close to every character and every game that you can possibly imagine.

Another nice extra in the game are the masterpieces which are short timed demos of multiple Nintendo titles from classic Nintendo consoles from the NES all the way up to the N64. Most of these titles also appear or are planned to make appearances on the Virtual Console built in to the Wii console. These demos are timed and only give you a short amount of time to play these game. Personally I see no point for this in the game and if Nintendo really wanted to give out some free demos then they should have just used the Wii Shop channel to give them for free download onto the Wii console.

Something else new to the Smash formula is the ability to build your own unique stages from sets of parts. This will allow you to create more unique levels and also send them from one person to the other using the Wi-Fi network. The stage builder is slightly lacking on parts to actually build levels with however giving very few possibilities for what levels can be build which is really disappointing a probably a mistake on the part of Nintendo as it had the possibility to be a very promising feature.

Keep in mind as you play that it is possible to take screenshots at anytime during a battle simply by pausing the game. It is also possible to record your battles for further viewing.

Overall Super Smash Bros. Brawl is one of the best games to be released on the Nintendo Wii console and one of the best games Nintendo has actually released in the last few years. It has a little of everything and has enough replay value to keep you playing for awhile. Online play as well as the stage builder features in the game could use work. There is plenty to collect and plenty of challenges to complete. For those who enjoyed previous Super Smash Bros. games then this is a must and even if you haven't played any previous in the series then you can still pick the game up and enjoy it.

Review: Super Smash Bros. Brawl Part 2

One of the main points when it comes to Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the multiplayer action within the game. Of course the new online brawls only add to the popularity of the game creating the possibility to battle with friends who could be on the opposite side of the country. Nintendo has gone out of their way this time to give us everything possibly imaginable when it comes to multiplayer and they've made it one of the more prominent features within the game.

Even if you don't have an online connection you can enjoy the many modes of multiplayer for you and your friends playing on the same Wii console. They range from just your basic brawl with differing rules like timed matches or matches with a set number of stocks to determine the winner. Of course you can play through any of the forty-one stages and play as any of the thirty-five fighters in the game. An interesting feature included within the game is the ability to add your name to a list of players on the game. This will allow you and your friends to add your names and create your own custom control scheme to fit your own personal preferences.

Want to get a little more technical with your battles then you might want to try adding some special rules. This isn't a completely new concept as it was present in melee. Giant or small battles should be familiar to those who played melee and they're back once again in Brawl adding another level of fun to the multiplayer action itself. Keep in mind that all these modes are playable with a single player playing against computer opponents at different skill level. This could be good practice for when you do get around to playing against your friends as well as skilled players over Wifi.

There are multiple other modes to keep you and your friends entertained including tournament mode which is a mode that allows up to thirty-two players compete against each other. Another very similar mode called rotation allows you to brawl with up to sixteen players rotating who plays in each brawl adding a bit more variety for when you have more then four players at one time.

Moving right on to the online portion of multiplayer. Utilizing the built in Wifi connection of the Nintendo Wii console in an attempt to bring us seamless gameplay with players across the country. However on opening day the online service was less then seamless due to the fact that the servers running the game couldn't handle the massive amount of players causing disconnections of all kinds. For the most of us we couldn't even get online operating properly until days after the release. Even now there are still quite a few flaws in connections over wifi which include disconnections and massive amount of lag even when it comes to players living right next door to each other.

With all these flaws aside online is made up of two basic modes. One allowing you to play with people you know by exchanging friend codes and entering them into each others friend list which will allow you to see when each other are online and when others are looking for games. Playing with friends includes basic brawls as well as some other modes which I'll go into a little more detail on in the final part of this review. The second mode included online is the ability to play against anyone who happens to be looking. You won't know the names of your challengers during this mode. There is no rating system or anything of the like in Brawl which is quite lacking leaving no real proof of any victories leaving the mode a little lacking.

Nintendo went through quite a bit of trouble to make the game comfortable for players of all kinds which is why they added in multiple control schemes. Including the original Gamecube controller which stuck to the same control scheme as was used in melee which makes the game easy for long time players of the previous installment to pick up and play without having to focus on learning the controls. Of course they've added the Wii Remote and Nunchuck as well as the Wii Remote on its own as new control schemes. The Wii Remote and Nunchuck seems to feel very similar to the Gamecube controls while the Wii Remote on its own forces you to hold it on its side which in fact is lacking on buttons. The last controller that can be used with the game is the Classic Controller used for Virtual Console games. With the large amount of buttons on the Classic Controller giving it a similar control scheme to the Gamecube controller as well.

During Brawls there are of course other returning elements like familiar items as well as all new items. There are of course the returning Pokeballs which summon a Pokemon helper to aid you in battle. There are another item similar to this call assist trophies which summon other characters from the game universe to aid you in battle. One of the newest and most helpful concepts in battle as the floating orb objects known as Smash Balls. By being the one to break these with a series of attacks you'll be able to unleash your fighters most powerful move, the Final Smash. Keep in mind that when these appear it will soon become all out war in an attempt to be the one to break the ball. Also keep in mind that even after breaking it that before using it the power of the Final Smash can be passed on by taking a large amount of damage making the ball fair game again. Every characters Final Smash is different meaning that you'll have to master each of them if you're to be able to utilize them properly in battle.

Multiplayer is one of the more prominent modes in the game yet in my personal opinion the online modes in the game could have used some work and weren't exactly ready to go live when the game was released. Either this or Nintendo wasn't prepared for the huge outcome of players to pick up the game on the first day. However it should have been expected by how much they were readying us for its release and just how much they made us wait. Even with the online mode a bit lacking the game still had plenty of offline multiplayer fun to be had and made the game work for close to anyone with the many control schemes.

Review: Super Smash Bros. Brawl Part 1

After months of waiting and multiple delays it finally arrived, the game that all Wii owners had been waiting on the edge of their seats for, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. As the third installment in the Super Smash Brothers franchise you could be sure to expect even more all out battle between everyones favorite Nintendo characters and this time were even got two third party characters to add a little more color to the mix. For this first part of the review I will be focusing on the single player action in the game.

Why not start off with the mode that should be most familiar to most of us, Classic Mode. This is very much the same as in melee and most other fighting games for that matter. Through this mode you will be fighting through twelve rounds of brawls with a variety of different characters making appearances and trying to get in your way. At the end of each time through classic you will be faced by a familiar foe, Master Hand. For those familiar with previous Super Smash Brothers games then this wouldn't have been the first time that you've had a run in with this opponent. Like all other single player modes in the game there are multiple difficulty levels ranging from easy to insane which is the hardest difficulty in the game. You will eventually be required to fight through Classic Mode with all the available fighters from characters available from the start of the game as well as the many unlockable characters.

Speaking of characters lets go into a little more detail on the area before moving on. At the start of the game you will have fifteen characters at your disposal. That may not seem like many however there are also twenty other unlockable fighters that won't be available to you at the start of the game. There are always multiple ways to unlock characters however they are all available through adventure mode which is yet another single player mode to keep you playing.

Adventure mode, or The Subspace Emissary which is it's full title, is more or less the storyline in the game. It will allow you to see connections between all the characters in the game and let you see how the story of the evil group known as the Subspace Emissary who try and take over the entire world. Of course the hero characters in the game such as Mario, Link, and Kirby will be trying to stop this from happening while villain characters such as Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario will be trying to edge them along a little more. For the most part in adventure mode you'll be playing through a series of side scrolling levels fighting off the enemies who get in your way. Every so often you will also be required to take part in a boss fight which could end up being another character playable in the game or a character completely unique to adventure mode. Keep in mind that all characters unlockable in the game are unlockable through adventure mode which is also the easiest way of unlocking many of them.

The last of the single player modes that I'll be talking about for now is the event mode. In event mode you will have a series of objectives to complete within a single fight between usually already set fighters. These objectives could be anywhere from simply finishing off an opponent to having to finish an opponent off at just the perfect time in order to complete the event. By the end of event mode you'll have unlocked forty different events however you may need to complete one or more other modes before they all become available to you. Once again all of these events have multiple difficulty levels however this time there are only three, easy, normal, and hard.

There are a few other single player modes like training mode, which really speaks for itself, as well as a few more minor modes which I will talk about in one of the later parts of the review. There are also a few unlockable modes which I won't go into detail on as to not spoil them for those of you who don't yet own the game or are yet to unlock them. However in the overall stand point for just the single player game play alone there is plenty to do for those who don't have anyone else to play or no online connection and even for those looking for a challenging game with plenty to do on the side.

News: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

After multiple delays it's finally here, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the game Nintendo Wii owners have been waiting months for. With tons of features and the long awaited online battles Brawl should prove to be one of the top games on the Wii, for the time being at least. With the appearance of numerous familiar faces from previous Smash Bros. titles as well as all new faces to the battlefront. Numerous modes of battle for both single and multi player and of course the much awaited online play which will allow you to play against opponents all across the globe. Four different controllers can be used giving you the ability to choose your own personal favorite which may or may not give you an edge on your opponents. Lots of extras such as collectible trophies, stickers, and all kinds of other goodies should give the game quite a bit of replay value for you to get your moneys worth out of.

I haven't picked up my copy of the game just yet but you can bet that I will be picking it up first thing in the morning and you can expect a nice detailed review in the coming week.

Review: Sonic & the Secret Rings

Sonic the Hedgehog games have been on a spiral downwards ever since they first hit a 3D platform. We saw the worst yet on the Xbox 360 and Playstation3 awhile back however it wasn't the last Sonic Team would have up their sleeve. Their next attempt would be on the Nintendo Wii under the name of Sonic and the Secret Rings. However it wouldn't be much of an improvement considering that the controls are highly flawed and the game itself gets very repetitive in no time at all.

Let's look at the game in parts however, starting with one of the up points of the game, the storyline. Sonic Team actually came up with a bit of a unique idea this time around. Sonic finds himself inside the pages of a book thanks to the help of a genie of a ring he finds named, Shahra. The world in side the book in in danger of being destroyed because of an evil genie by the name of the Erazor Djin. It seems that the coming of Sonic to that world has been predicted and that it will be up to him to save the stories of the world from being completely destroyed. Sonic won't be the only familiar face within the game either as some lookalike characters who Sonic will often mistake for his friends will also make appearances. The storyline elements are depicted in a bit of a unique way, by unique I don't exactly mean that it's a brilliant style but it's different from what you're used to seeing. This unique style I'm referring to is that most cinematic scenes in the game are depicted through a comic book style instead of the usual animated format. This is an attempt to stick to the storybook theme of the game and it is an interesting idea that gives the game a little more character that sets it apart from the previous Sonic games of it's kind.

Moving right along to the game play now and once again it isn't bad. That is when the controls are actually cooperating but I won't get into that just yet. The game play throughout most of the game is that Sonic is on a set track and that you'll be moving him right and left in order to avoid obstacles. Throughout the game there are eight different worlds which each have a series of missions to complete. The first mission you will have unlocked for each world will of course be to just generally make it through the level in one piece. After clearing that general mission you will be able to unlock more difficult missions which a few examples of would be, finishing the level in a certain amount of time, collection a certain amount of rings, or collecting no rings at all. Of course rings return as the general form of health in the game like in previous games before it, as long as you have one ring in your possession you'll be able to take damage and not die. Of course playing through so many missions on a single level is going to get quite repetitive and fast. There are two new abilities added to the arsenal of Sonic for this game, they're known as speed break and time break. These abilities can be used to do pretty much what their names imply, speed Sonic up for a short period of time or slow time down allowing Sonic to painlessly avoid difficult obstacles. In order to use these abilities you will be required to collect magic orbs which are scattered throughout the levels much like rings.

Leveling up abilities, now this is one thing I would have never wanted to see in a Sonic game and it's on thing I never want to see them include again. This only adds to the painful amount of replay value of the game. When you start the game you won't even have Sonic's full speed until you manage to level his stats up. You can do this simply by completing missions or add more by killing additional enemies throughout each level. This only adds to the annoying repetitive nature of the game which I mentioned above as it's impossible to max your stats by just clearing each level a single time forcing you to have to play through the levels multiple times to even come close to maxing.

Close to each world had a mission where you would be fighting against a boss. Some boss fights were a bit more repetitive then others as for most of them you would be chasing them along a path just waiting to get in a hit every now and then. After most boss fights you will collect what is known as a World Ring which will be your main objective to collect in order for you to advance through the game.

Now for something that I've been putting off talking about for this game through the entire review so far, the controls. I have to admit at first the controls don't seem horrible but once you start getting into harder levels you will begin to notice just how unresponsive the controls can be. The main control scheme of the game will be tilting the remote left and right in order to move Sonic from the right and left of the screen. As I mentioned before Sonic will be running on a preset path so you'll have very little control where exactly he's going except for moving right and left. Of course you can still jump by pressing the 2 button on the remote. Keep in mind that when playing this you'll be playing with only the remote and you'll be holding it on it's side using it almost like a steering wheel. Attacking is another slightly unresponsive element. You'll attack by flicking the controller forward while in mid-air. This it the term the game itself uses, flicking, but a more fitting word that I myself would use would just be any sudden movement of the controller since it all works the same. However the problem comes in when the movement doesn't register. That also works in the reverse as sometimes it may just activate whenever you make any sudden movement even if you didn't intend it to happen. Getting Sonic to walk backwards is another problem. You are meant to be able to tilt the remote back and simply go back but it's never that simple is it? Of course not, half the time he will start to back up and then start going forward again if you tilt it back too far. There are a few other sets of controls that are awkward and often unresponsive but I'm not even going to go into them as I believe that I got my point forward already.

The graphics really aren't all too impressive and are really just identical to those we've grown used to from Sonic games from the previous generation. The music all happens to be lyrical music which is another thing which has become common throughout Sonic games over the last few year. Some of the music is really great and addictive but some is just alright and can actually take away from the level although for the most part the music is a plus.

It doesn't end there though, Sonic Team also decided to try their hand at a multi player mode. Now I bet you're thinking, alright some one on one racing with my buddies, sorry but no. Instead they've gone Mario Party on use and added a party mode to the game. That's right they called it party mode seems like they didn't even try to hide the fact that they obviously copied the idea from Nintendo's hit series, Mario Party. There's absolutely nothing special here and unless you have someone to play along with then this mode isn't even worth wasting your time on. There are multiple modes each with different methods of playing but it would all come down to playing a short mini game in each. Of course there was a section that allowed you to play just each mini game separately but most of the mini games weren't a whole lot of fun and just made better utilization of the remotes capabilities.

Overall Sega tried to put an end to their long line of mediocre Sonic games and I am sorry to say they didn't quite do it. The game was an improvement from Sonic the Hedgehog on the Xbox 360 and Playstation3 however it still didn't match up to what we all remember Sonic being capable of. For hardcore Sonic fans then I would still say that it is worth a play but for those who are easily annoyed by sloppy controls then I would have to say it would be best for you to simply steer clear of this title and move on to one of the other many great games on the Wii.

News: God of War: Chains of Olympus

The prequel to one of the greatest hit games on the Playstation2 hits the PSP. Some would think that the designers may find some trouble putting out a button masher like God of War on the PSP due to the lack of control yet somehow they managed it. This time around you'll get to dive into the past of Kratos as he battles through legions of all sorts of mystical monsters once again.

Now I can't guarantee that Chains of Olympus will quite be cut out to be considered anywhere near as good as the other two in the series but it may well be a must buy on the PSP system. Of course we still have God of War 3 to look forward to but who knows when that will be here so for the time being just enjoy this nice little prequel.

Review: Killer Instinct

Now what we refer to as button mashers haven't exactly had the best response among gamers lately however there were quite a few games in the good old days that managed to pull off the magic of button mashing perfectly. One of those games was Killer Instinct on the SNES.

Killer Instinct introduced game play that allowed for endless combo chains as well as a large variety of unique characters. It was a port of an arcade title which at times the console versions wouldn't come out to be quite as fun as their arcade counterparts but that wasn't the case this time around. The game looked almost identical to that of the arcade and, except for a few minor changes, it was the exact same game but now you could play it at home whenever you wanted without coughing up quarter after quarter at the arcade.

I can't exactly say that it's an easy game that you an pick up and master in your first play. However it is more or less your average fighting game which you will need to take time to master the combo moves for each character before being able to dominate the computer opponents. Of course there are multiple difficulty levels in the game from easy to an extremly hard difficulty for those who've mastered the game.

Every good fighting game needs to have multi player. Killer Instinct is no different as it has two distinct modes of multi player. Te first of course being basic 2-Player action where you and another friend can face off against each other. That's the basics but there is also a tournament mode that will allow you a multiple friends play against each other in a series of battles. Tournament mode isn't anything too special and should just b avoided unless you have multiple people to play against. If it's just you and one other person it would be better to simply stick to the basic one on one two player mode.

Overall Killer Instinct has everything that you look for in a fighting game. Originality as well as simple controls. The multi player in the game isn't anything extraordinary but it doesn't need to be since it is just your basic fighting game after all. It's one of the best fighting games for the good old SNES and this still holds true today.

Review: Donkey Kong 64

Donkey Kong's first and only major adventure on the N64 was none other then the memorable title, Donkey Kong 64. It was Donkey Kong's first real 3D adventure game and it sure was worth it back in the day. Packed with a memory pack upgrade for the console making it obvious that the game was going to be one hell of an adventure.

The home island of Donkey Kong, which was oddly enough in the shape of Kong's head, was soon approached by the the floating fortress of none other then Donkey Kong's arch nemesis King K. Rool. Plans to destroy the island were about to get underway until the fortress of the evil reptile crashed into a rock near the shore of the island. However his plan was already underway as he had stolen Donkey Kong's collection of golden bananas and hidden them throughout a total of eight worlds. However if it wasn't enough to have Donkey Kong running about trying to reclaim all 201 of his stolen bananas the King had also kidnapped four of Donkey's close friends and locked them up. Of course it's up to you to rescue them and once they are free they will actually become playable allowing you to use each of their distinct abilities in order to collect more golden bananas.

Each of the eight worlds in the game contained 25 golden bananas each however each of the five playable Kong's could only collect five of these bananas themselves meaning that it would be necessary to switch between them quite often. This would be done by jumping into the many tag barrels scattered throughout the levels.

Upgrades were major in Donkey Kong 64 as each of the five playable characters all had their own abilities as well as each of them got a unique firearm weapon as well as a musical instrument. With these abilities you would be able to continue to collect golden bananas and with so many abilities at your disposal you can guarantee that you won't be doing the same thing over and over again.

Of course golden bananas won't exactly be the only thing you'll be collecting throughout the game as you will also be required to collect multicolored bananas which will eventually allow you to reach the boss fight for that world. Multicolored coins act as the currency in the game and will be what is used to purchase more advanced abilities and upgrades. Each world will also have five multicolored blueprints in them which will allow you to claim a golden banana from Snide the original maker of the blueprints.

The boss fights in the game are all quite unique except for a few repeat boss appearances throughout the game however other then that they are actually really enjoyable and never exactly get too difficult. After each boss battle you will receive a large key which will allow you to unlock one of the eight locks on the cage of the large reptile, K. Lumsy, who has been locked away for disobeying a direct order from King K. Rool to destroy Donkey Kong island.

The multi player is a bit of a disappointment as for the most part it is only comprised of a few of the many mini games seen throughout the game itself. The replay value of many of these mini games isn't exactly enough for you to want to play them along with friends making the multi player a bit of an ignored and sometimes completely unnoticed feature in the game.

Overall Donkey Kong 64 is one of the greats on the N64 system and it is a memorable and a game worth a play for those who have yet to experience the adventure at hand. The multi player may be a little less then appealing but the rest of the game play makes up for this quite well.

Review: Wii Sports

So you're thinking of buying yourself a Nintendo Wii? Well let me tell you about this insanely fun and addicting game packaged with the console. Some might not think of this being an actual game but just a collection of sports related mini games to help you get used to the control scheme on the Wii but I myself consider this packing to be it's own game. For those who already own the Wii and this title there is really nothing that needs to be said so this review is mainly directed at those who are planning to buy the console in the future.

Wii Sports is a collection of five different sports related games that utilize the control of the Wii perfectly. Those five sports include tennis, golf, baseball, bowling, and boxing. All of these games include multi player, all of them for up to four players except for boxing which is for up to two players only. Of course you can play single player games against computer opponents while you slowly rank up your own unique Mii until you can actually reach pro level allowing you to play against even more challenging computer opponents.

Boxing is possibly the most interactive of the five as you will be in complete control of your character as you will be able to move side to side as well as backwards in order to dodge blows from the opponent. Of course you will also have complete control of your own hits as you can throw both high and low blows, including blows so low you would have to question where exactly the ref is during the fight.

From what I can tell tennis seems to be the most popular of the games included in the package. This may be because it's possibly the second most interactive of the games and even though you won't be required to move much more then your arms but when playing you will often feel the urge to move along with your character on screen. For tennis you will be able to either team up with your friends and play in teams of two against each other. The truth is though that things can get a little crowded with a group of friends trying to play this so unless you have a large space to play as well as a large television set to play on. From my own personal experience with playing with only myself and one other I've noticed that things quickly get much more difficult to play with the limited space between both players.

As for baseball, golf, and bowling there is very little to be said about them. They are exactly what they sound like they are, nothing extremely exciting about the two mentioned above. Of course golf and bowling are a bit of an acquired taste just as they are when it really comes to the actual sport. However baseball being one of the more popular sports would be expected to be a bit more exciting then it is however as most of the actions are able to be performed by a simple flick of the wrist. Of course you can play like you were actually batting or pitching a ball although it isn't exactly required and is actually easier to play sticking to the simple flicking of the remote.

There are a few other extra modes to add to single player game play including a training mode that will let you do a little practicing before facing off against either your friends or the computer. The other of these extra modes is what is called a fitness test which will tell you how well you play in a series of training levels by giving you an age which if low means that you've down well and if excessively high meaning that you didn't do so good and that you might need a little more practice.

overall I wouldn't exactly say that Wii Sports would be enough reason for you to buy the console just for that but it is a lot of fun to play, especially with friends but of course the space restrictions are a bit of a pain but it still turns out being a lot of fun.

Rant: Online Games

Playing games online has become extremely popular over the next few years and more times then not these games are impressive but there are a few major problems I have with many of these games. One of these problems which will be the first that I'll talk about it the lack of creativity when it comes to titles for games that are playable online. What I'm talking about is the fact that at least half of the games out there that are mainly directed at online play include the word 'online' in the title. Sure this may be trying to make it a little more obvious as to what the game contains but I'm sure they could come up with something a bit more creative then that.

Final Fantasy XI would be a perfect example except for the fact that online is only a subtitle in the name so I have no choice but to give Square credit for that but that doesn't mean that I have no problem with the fact that they made Final Fantasy Online into one of the main numerals in the series. Then again I'll rant about that some other time.

A lot of game developers are taking the concept of online gaming a little too far now for example a few weeks ago I started looking into the different titles that use the word online in them and you know what I found? A game titled Hello Kitty Online that's scheduled for release some time in the future. Now do you see the problem with that? Who's really going to want to play an online game related to Hello Kitty? Maybe some little kids but that brings me to the next problem with online gaming, the cost.

Many games like Final Fantasy XI as I mentioned earlier as well as possibly the most popular online game, World of Warcraft cost not only for you to get the basic software for the game also but a fee in order for you to play the game itself. Most games these days which use similar mechanics to these now have monthly fees which if you ask me is a bit of a waste as well as a huge rip off. You payed the money for the game itself so you should be able to play the game as much as you like without any boundaries right? Wrong, companies want to get as much out of you as they possibly can. Xbox Live is similar to this as well except for one thing, most of the games that are playable online through Xbox Live also have single player games for those who don't have Xbox Live.

Even after making you cough up the money for the game itself as well as the monthly fees to play companies soon come out with expansion pack after expansion pack adding onto the game but of course they don't just give these expansions away, you have to cough up even more of your hard earned cash for them. I guess some of these games may be worth the cost but I still believe it to be a huge waste of money to pay so much for just one game when you can obviously get multiple games for the price of just one of these online games.

Mysteries: Banjo-Kazooie/Tooie - Stop n' Swop, Part 1

Ever since the release of Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie back in the good old N64 days the hunt for the mysterious device within the game known as Stop n' Swop. Stop n' Stop was a play mechanic that was meant to connect the two games together through a process known as hot swapping. Hot swapping required the player to remove one cartridge from the console and inserting the other within a few seconds without turning the power to the console off. Now Rare had announced their plans to do this before the release of the original Banjo-Kazooie game and that's where the problem began as Nintendo had a bit of a problem with this concept as it seemed that the process of hot swapping wasn't exactly good for the N64 console and even created the possibility of ruining the players console. With that Nintendo decided to put an end to Rare's plan which was probably the right choice but by that time Rare had already finished the development on Banjo-Kazooie with all the mechanics required for hot swapping included. So what did Rare do? They tried to hide the evidence but ended up doing a plain horrible job of it creating possibly one of the biggest game investigations in the history of gaming.

Now I'm not going to get all technical with this as I'm no hacker and half the stuff I've read on this subject related to hacking has only left me more confused. The bottom line is that Rare did a horrible job of hiding the items required for the fabled Stop n' Swop which was comprised of six multi colored eggs and an ice key. These items were left in the game itself and only required the proper codes to be inserted in the sandcastle cheat room within the game in order to allow them to be acquired which would then add them to your statistics screen under the label of Stop n' Swop. These codes were however not given within the game but were at some point found when the game was being hacked however they are quite easily acquired now and are believed to have been the codes used for the testing of the eggs when the game was in production to to the simplicity of the codes. The method in which these items would have originally been unlocked is still unknown as the true method was either completely removed or hidden to the point where it no long operated without the codes.

Rare left one other major clue to Stop n' Swop within the game in the form of the video sequence after finishing the game 100% which had Mumbo show Banjo and Kazooie a photo displaying the locations of two of the eggs as well as the ice key. Of course the items weren't accessible but why exactly was that video not removed? I can't believe that they just forgot to remove a clue as big as that but instead I believe at that time they were still planning to go through with Stop n' Swop and the true method of unlocking said items was to be hidden within Banjo-Tooie. It was either that or Rare just said screw it we'll put the game out the way it is and just drop the whole idea in the next game. Either of those are completely possible but the first just seems a lot more likely.

Were there originally only two eggs instead of the six that were found throughout the game? Or was it that those two eggs and the ice key were the only items that were originally able to be unlocked within the first game while the other four eggs would require you to link up to Banjo-Tooie to unlock? Much of this is still unknown but there are many other clues as well as theories that may connect to Stop n' Swop which I will discuss in the second part of this as there is far too much to this to try and explain all at once so take in what you've learned now and wait as the next part will be coming soon.

Review: Sonic the Hedgehog

When I say speed I'm sure that there's one series that comes to mind, the Sonic the Hedgehog series. However the newer Sonic games can't exactly hold up to just how much speed was present back in the good old days when Sonic the Hedgehog first appeared on the Sega Genesis. Of course when the now familiar blue hedgehog appeared nobody really knew what to expect but one thing that we soon realized that he was going to blow our minds away.

Sonic the Hedgehog was a one of a kind game combining speed with plat forming madness. Sonic took many familiar elements from other side scrolling games of the time and improved on them. Of course you'd be jumping from platform to platform avoiding all sorts of obstacles from various enemies to spikes jetting out of the ground below. Of course when it came to enemies you didn't exactly have to simply dodge them as you could also take them out by jumping right atop them. Of course by taking out the enemies will allow you to accumulate more points which will be added to your score and although the score really has no effect on the game play it is always fun to see just how high you could get it.

Speaking of points there are of course many other ways of racking up points throughout the game. Of course one of the easies ways of racking up points is making it through each level in record breaking time which will cause your score to shoot up. Of course it would help if when you finish you manage to rack up a large amount of rings, which are the currency as well as the health system inside the game. There are many rings scattered through the level and as long as you manage to keep one of them in your possession then you'll be able to take damage without losing one of your hard earned lives. Of course once you take damage you better be ready to race to collect all your rings as they will quickly scatter.

The game itself contains seven separate worlds, with most of them containing three separate acts in which at the end each have a boss fight with everyones favorite mad scientist, Dr. Robotnic who has turned all the animals throughout these worlds into robots leading to a slight, basic storyline in which Sonic sets out the free the animals from the Doctor's rule.

Sonic the Hedgehog may have been one of the earliest games to incorporate multiple endings as well. Throughout the game you will be able to collect a series of gems known as the Chaos Emeralds by passing through giant ring like gateways at the end of each level. Of course to unlock these gateways you will need to have fifty rings in your possession at the end of that level. Once inside of this portal you will be transported to a large rotating maze where you will have to carefully navigate Sonic through until you manage to locate and obtain one of the eight Chaos Emeralds. Of course within these levels you will have to keep your eye out for the goal panels which if you touch them will transport you out of the bonus level and onto the next level in the game.

Overall there really isn't much that needs to be said about this game as there are actually very few people out there who haven't played it and if you're one of the few who haven't played the original or one of the many collections with the game included then what kind of rock have you been hiding under? Anyway Sonic the Hedgehog was the first of the Sonic series and one of the best which none of the newer games could even come close to comparing too, but of course will get to that some other time.

News: Devil May Cry 4

That's right the next addition to the insanely addictive button mashing masterpiece is here and it is also the first of the series to hit current generation consoles. Dante is back but this time not as the main playable character but instead as the main villain of the game. Instead of Dante you'll now be playing as a Dante lookalike named Nero.

Of course the action in this installment is no different from others as it still has insane button mashing fun as Nero's Devil Bringer arm makes it possible for even more combos then ever before. For fans of the series as well as owners of the Playstation3 and Xbox360 would deffinatly enjoy this title which was just released in store all across the country today.

Rant: Pricey Games, Gold Mine or Rip-off?

This is something that I've been thinking about since a few weeks ago when I coughed up fifty dollars for a copy of Final Fantasy VII to add to my collection. It made me wonder if I had simply wasted my money, sure Final Fantasy VII is an amazing game and possibly one of the best Final Fantasy games out there but was it worth that much when it wasn't even sold for that much when it was originally released.

This also made me realize just how much games could go up in value after only a few years which had me thinking if more recent games will also sky rocket in worth in the future. Chances are, no but of course there will always be those gems that are demanded to the point where in five or six years they just may do something very similar.

The Final Fantasy series is a fine example of this as the other day I was taking a look at Final Fantasy III Complete at a local used game store and guess what? It's forty dollars for an SNES game. Sure that may seem a little extreme for those who don't have it but think about if you did have it and were looking to sell it, I bet that would make you really happy to get a nice load of cash for a game that you had probably payed about half of that for when it was originally sold in stores back in the day of the SNES.

I'm not saying that these games arn't worth the cost but it seems to be more of a rip off to have to pay so much for a game that could have been gotten for about half that price when it was brand new. Of course that's a problem with everything as whenever something in high demand starts to become harder to get they slowly begin to pick up in price.

One sad thing is for new gamers who pick up on a series in later parts and even if they wish to go back and play some of the older in the series but they soon discover that in order for them to do this will cost them a lot of money, usually more money then the newest in the series cost.

I only used the Final Fantasy games as an example here and of course there a lot of other series in similar situations. Take Super Mario RPG for example which costs in the upper twenties which is quite a bit for a SNES game. I guess this is to be expected from such an extensive game such as Super Mario RPG.

Whether it's a blessing or a rip off for us gamers what is certain is that the prices on games are completely unpredictable but from what we've seen it's to be expected for popular and extensive games to be the most likely to become the more valuable of games so if you are a collector who's looking to make a profit in the future make sure to keep your eyes open for these sorts of games as they may actually be worth far more one day.

Review: Super Mario World

Back in the good old days with the SNES first came out we knew that the next Mario was going to have to be amazing after seeing just how good Super Mario Bros. 3 was and boy were we right. In August 1991 the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was finally released overseas in the United States and Super Mario World was packaged in with the system and boy were we in for one hell of a massive first 16-bit adventure for Mario and Luigi.

Beautiful colors, massive worlds, and of course the first appearance of Mario's dinosaur companion, Yoshi. This may have been Mario's biggest side scrolling adventure yet with over 70 levels, from green plains, to massive underground tunnels. The thing that made all these worlds completely unique from any other games before it were just how colorful these worlds were, and how detailed they were for a game of it's time. Of course there were many other types of levels from underground labyrinths, haunted houses, and of course the occasional castle where you'll have to face off against one of Bowser's offspring, the Koopa Kids, in each.

Mario has become know for his various forms throughout his past adventures and this time the forms throughout the game aren't quite as impressive as what you've grown to expect after Super Mario Bros. 3. Throughout the game the only real forms are the returning fire flower and a new form, cape Mario. Cape Mario is very much similar to Racoon Mario from Super Mario Bros. 3 except for giving Mario the ability to fly and float for a short period of time, making it possible to reach higher platforms and cross otherwise unpassable obstatcles. Of course the fire flower remains the same as in previous games, allowing Mario to shot fireballs from his hands, allowing him to take out enemies without putting himself in quite as much danger.

One of the most well known new additions to this game of course was Yoshi who took away the need for quite as many forms for Mario as he could now ride on Yoshi's back allowing Yoshi to devour enemies in their path which will also allow you to at times give Yoshi more advanced abilities like the ability to to shoot fire, stomp the ground, and fly. There is even a way for you to take on all of the above abilities at once after eating a multicolored koopa shell.

Many of the enemies appearing through the game should be very familiar, from your basic Koopa Troopers to all so familiar Goomba's which were the first enemies we were introduced to back when Super Mario Bros. first made an appearance on the NES. Of course there are also a bunch of new enemies, some of which are unique to this game and are to never again be seen in a Super Mario game.

The storyline of the game doesn't stray very far from the basics, Bowser's kidnapped the Princess once again and it's up to Mario and Luigi to set off on another quest to rescue her once again. Just like in the third installment of the Super Mario Bros. series Bowser has sent his offspring to stop Mario however they soon fall and Mario ultimately faces off against none other then Bowser himself.

The over world in Super Mario World is very similar to that in Super Mario Bros. 3 except for the fact that it's eliminated much of the board game like elements from the previous game. One unique thing in the game is the fact that several levels throughout the game have multiple exits making it possible to reach special levels that could allow you to skip over most of the game and even reach the last boss without playing through the entire game. Another interesting feature is the fact that if you are to clear all the exits in the game it will change the over world a bit as it will also upgrade certain enemies and obstacles to make the game a bit more challenging and to also allow for even more replay value if you are looking for even more of a challenge.

Of course multi player returns allowing one player to play as Mario and a second to play as Luigi. The two players will take turns playing through levels making it a bit more enjoyable and interactive for you and your friends which could make the already long game even more fun as you'll want to play through again with your friends playing along side of you.

Overall Super Mario World is possibly one of the best of the 2D, side scrolling, Super Mario games to date. With the extensive game play and replay value with the addition of a new save function makes the game last longer then any Mario game before it. The colorful atmosphere makes for a perfect Mario game and of course Yoshi's introduction may be one of the most memorable moments in the Mario universe. It is deffinatly a must for fans of the series as well as collectors.

News: Super Smash Bros. Brawl Japan Release

On January 31st Super Smash Bros. Brawl has officially gone on sale in Japan meaning that players over there will finally get the chance to duke it out with their favorite characters as well as their friends. Of course most of you know that the release of Brawl in the US has been delayed yet again, this time it won't be making an appearance until March 9th which is a huge upset for those eagerly awaiting the release of possibly the most awaited game on the Wii so far. Of course those of us in the US should be feeling lucky as for those living in Europe still don't even have a sold release date announced meaning it could be quite some time before they get their hands on the game.

There are a lot of rumors going around related to the delay most of which seem to focus around Nintendo making an attempt to stockpile the Wii console across the country in an attempt to sell one Wii for every copy of Brawl sold. If this is true it is sure to cause an upset over those who already own the console and have been waiting for the game just to find out that Nintendo decides to pull it right out from in front of them yet again just because they aren't selling enough consoles and that they plan to use Brawl as a way to sell more.

The Smash Bros. Dojo which has been the source of news on the upcoming game for quite some time now has announced that they will be continuing to update and announce some of the hidden content in the game for those already playing the game. They say that these updates will continue on for about two more months as they plan to make the site more of a guide for the players to make it possible for them to get the best out of their experience.

More information on the game should become public now with the game actually out over across seas and even though us here in the United States still have a little over a month wait I am sure that we will soon learn whether the wait is worth it or not or if it's all been a bit over hyped this entire time.

Compare: Banjo-Kazooie & Banjo-Tooie

The Same

Many of the basics between Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie stay the same, including the graphics and much of the music which some of is even recycled between the two games. The sound effects in the game stayed the same as well as the mumbling which gave the characters the same voices as in the previous game, if you consider them voices that is.

Many of the moves from Banjo-Kazooie return in the sequel but that doesn't exactly make it the same as there were a whole set of new moves that were very different from the previous game. The jigsaw pieces return with the very same purpose as well as the same way of acquiring them throughout the different worlds.

There are many returning characters in Banjo-Tooie from the original including the main enemy of the game, Gruntilda, of course she gets a new look in Tooie but she is more or less the same character. Many other characters from the previous game return in Tooie appear in similar worlds from those in Banjo-Kazooie and they even go ahead and explains how they ended up showing up there.

Of course cheat codes return once again and are entered more or less the same way, through a code room in one of the initial levels in both games. Many of these cheat codes are the same except for a few special cheat codes for each game.

The Different

As mentioned before in Tooie there are a whole new set of moves some of which include, allowing Banjo and Kazooie to go separate ways, a first person shooter mode, and the ability to aim your eggs before firing. One of the other changes in the ability system is the fact that Bottles is not longer the one teaching you the abilities but instead his brother Jamjars due to the fact that Bottles is dead.

Unlocking new worlds is done in a new way now as you're forced to work out an actual puzzle before the worlds will open up. Where in Banjo-Kazooie the different puzzles were hidden throughout the over world, in Tooie all the worlds are unlocked from the same place once you have the right amount of jigsaw pieces. The worlds in Tooie are also much more complex and harder to navigate then in the original making the game far more challenging.

Mumbo has been given a new role in the game as he is now a playable character which you can control and use to open the path to reach more jigsaw pieces. Of course the transformations that Mumbo handled in the first game are back in Tooie but with an all new character in charge of them. A new female shaman character named Humba Wumba is now in charge of the transformations.

The Jinjo's return in Tooie with a slightly new role as well. In Kazooie each of the worlds had 5 Jinjo's hidden throughout them and once they were all collected in that world you would receive a jigsaw piece however in Tooie you must collect all the Jinjo of one color which are randomly scattered through all the worlds in order to receive the jigsaw piece for each of those separate colors.

Another concept between games that changes is the music notes which in Kazooie use a record system when if you were to leave the level or die the note count would reset and you would have to collect all the ones you had before and more in order to get your count up. However in Tooie you will be able to leave the level and come back and finish collecting the notes without having to collect them all over again.

Review: Banjo-Tooie

After their first adventure in Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo and Kazooie promised a sequel that would allow you to connect the two games together using a little thing called Stop n' Swop. Alright so we didn't exactly get Stop n' Swop but what we did get was yet another amazing game even bigger then the last in the form of Banjo-Tooie.

On the box for the game it read, the bear and bird are back, and wasn't it the truth as this time they would be back in an even bigger and more complex adventure. Banjo and Kazooie are once again facing off against that evil with, Gruntilda who's been trapped under the rock where she was left at the end of Banjo-Kazooie for two years now. Now that is a long time to be trapped and just as you would expect it's taken a toll on her as she is now nothing more then a skeleton of her former self. This time however she's not along as she's accepted the help of her two sisters, Mingella and Blobbelda. Of course Gruntilda's right hand servant Klungo will be making a return appearance through out the game as you'll actually get to face off against him in several boss battles throughout the game.

Moving forward lets talk about the storyline of the game. The majority of the main storyline is Gruntilda and her sisters trying to restore her to her original body. Of course they're not going to take any sort of nice approach to his as they plan to drain the life from those in the new over world, the Isle o' Hags, and transfer them on to none other then Gruntilda. Banjo and Kazooie have problems with not only that but the fact that the trio of witches destroyed their home and killed their mentor from the previous game, Bottles.

Just as I mentioned Bottles is out meaning he can't teach you any new moves so it'll now be up to his slightly more strict brother Sergeant Jamjars. To make things even more exciting you start off with every single move you learned in the previous game meaning that things could only go up from here with all new moves most of which are completely different then anything from the other game. This time around you won't be using music notes to open doors but you will need a certain amount of them in order to learn each new move. Also the music notes work much different from the previous game as the record system is thrown out the window allowing you to collect notes and leave the level and come back and collect the rest whenever you feel like it.

Next up is the worlds in the game and boy are there a lot of them this time around and you know what? They're even better, they may be a little bigger and size and harder to navigate them but they are a hell of a lot more detailed. the over world is also much more detailed this time around as it feels much more unique as in the previous games you at times felt trapped as you were only exploring Gruntilda's lair where no you have an entire continent to explore. The method of unlocking each level in this game is different as well as in Banjo-Tooie you'll need to actually solve the puzzle before you can unlock the world but it also keeps all the puzzles in one place instead of scattering them out. What I mean by having to solve them is that you will have a time limit in which you will have to place all the pieces into their appropriate place in the moving picture in order to open the next world. Of course you will still need a certain amount of jigsaw pieces which are collected very much the same as in the last game.

Of course Banjo and Kazooie won't be able to pull of a huge adventure on their own as their good friend Mumbo makes a return with a completely different role this time as you'll actually get a chance to play as him in order to help the duo reach some of the out of reach jigsaw pieces with his magic. When playing as Mumbo you can use his magic to affect the surrounding whenever he's standing on one of the pads with his face on it. However Mumbo's not alone this time around as yet another shaman, a female shaman named Humba Wumba, joins in as well as she takes up Mumbo's old job of transforming Banjo and Kazooie into all sorts of things, most of which are completely different from the previous game. Of course since Mumbo isn't the only magic user in the game they could no longer go with Mumbo tokens but this time the changed it up adding a magical creature know as the Glowbo into the mix. Another change is that you'll actually only need one Glowbo to activate each of Mumbo and Wumba's magics in each of the worlds and all the Glowbo's seem to be place in stupidly obvious locations right near Mumbo and Wumba's homes.

Another thing within the game that has changed ever so slightly is how the ever so lovable Jinjo's work as now you don't have to collect five in each world but you'll be trying to collect all of one color which the amount of each color in that family differs by color. Other then that they remain mostly the same as they still have their famous catch phase as they'll yell help whenever you get close to them. Once you collect all of one family you will be awarded with, of course, a jigsaw piece. Beware of the evil Jinjo's which will instantly try and kill you whenever you get near.

The stories in each of the separate world remain separated just like in the previous game where they seem to have a storyline of their own. However a few of the worlds are actually connected by tunnel systems which will make it possible for you to travel between one world to the other in certain cases which will allow you to collect a few extra Jigsaw pieces.

The controls in the game really stay more or less the same as in the first game and the same really goes for much of the other features in the game including the graphics and music in the game. Some of the music in Tooie is also heard in the original. Of course the mumbling returned oonce again as it gave all of the returning character their exact same voice making it feel like an extremely similar game from the last.

Overall Banjo-Tooie sticks to a close to identical system from Banjo-Kazooie except for a few game play mechanics that changed in the production. As for the things that stayed the same, as they say if it ain't broke don't fix it and both Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie were never broken and are two of the greats on the N64 system.

Review: Banjo-Kazooie

,Back in the days of the N64 it was said that Super Mario 64 had changed the way platforming games worked and had been the first true 3D platformer but that wasn't the only good platformer to come out of the N64 one of which being the game I'll actually be talking about today. Banjo-Kazooie probably wasn't as well known as Mario but I wouldn't exactly say that it wasn't noticed as it actually had quite a large fan base as it was quite a memorable game.

Banjo-Kazooie was a game created by Rareware which starred and unlikely duo of a Bear, Banjo, and bird, Kazooie, who would take shelter in a large backpack which Banjo would carry around on his back. These two heroes would soon set out into the lair of the wicked witch, Gruntilda, in order to rescue Banjo's younger sister, Tooty.

Throughout the witch's lair Banjo and Kazooie would come upon the gateways to all sorts of unique worlds where you're main goal would be collecting the ten jigsaw pieces also called a jiggy for short. Of course there was more to them then that including music notes which each world contained a hundred of these and the more you had the deeper into the over world lair you would be able to go. The method of collecting these notes was possibly the most complicated thing in the game as it worked on a record system where whenever you leave the world the notes go back the way they were and the only way to actually accumulate more from that world would be to collect all the ones which you had the previous time as well as any new ones you might find with the new ones being the ones added to your grand total. This meant that in order to collect all one hundred notes in each world you would have to collect all of them at once without leaving the world or dying as this would only reset their locations throughout the world forcing you to start all over again. Each world would also contain small multicolored creatures called Jinjos which when all five of these creatures in each world are collected they would present you with one of the ten jigsaw pieces for that world.

In order to unlock all of the various worlds throughout the game you will have to place the appropriate amount of jigsaw pieces into the appropriate picture for each world in order to complete the picture. Of course as mentioned above there will also be doors which can only be opened by having the appropriate about of music notes and the numbers required will really get up there by the time you reach the end of the game meaning that right from the start you should try and collect as many notes as possible, if not all of them in each world.

All of the many moves in the game are easy to use and all of them are taught to you by a friend of Banjo and Kazooie named Bottles. Throughout the whole game you'll actually be looking through the levels for him in order to learn new abilities and moves that will allow you to reach the jigsaw pieces that you were unable to reach without that ability. There are also a few temporary upgrades through the game as well in the form of shows which Kazooie will put on her feet allowing her to either walk through piranha infested waters as well as quick sand or give her the ability to run at much higher speeds then she is normally able to. Of course before you can use these shoes you will have to talk to Bottles and learn to.

There is actually a set of cheat codes built right into the game but of course you'll have to find and talk to Gruntilda's spell book in order to receive the codes of course there are plenty of sites around the net that actually have all the cheat codes making it so that you won't have to actually go through the trouble of learning them. Be careful however if you use too many cheat codes it will mean game over, and I mean it, your game file will actually be deleted and I've actually tested this and it is true so just keep that in mind.

Along with the text, used as the main method of getting the storyline acrossed, each of the character were given a unique way of speaking with what has been named, mumbling, it's more or less the closest thing to speaking with out actually speaking making it seem as though the characters are talking using a language of their own.

The main storyline of the game really isn't too deep as through most of the game you will only be going through the individual and disconnected worlds storyline wise as none of the smaller stories having absolutely nothing to do with the main storyline of the game. The graphics in the game were average for the N64 as they were very similar to graphics used for many other games on the console back in those days. The music of the game is actually one of the best features in the game featuring quite catchy tunes while you play through the already overly addicting game.

Banjo-Kazooie was also the holder of possible the most well known mystery in the gaming world in the form of Stop n' Swop which would have connected game play in Banjo-Kazooie with it's sequel game Banjo-Tooie. I won't get into too much detail on this at the moment however as I will talk about this in a future article.

Overall Banjo-Kazooie may have been overshadowed by some of the other platforming games with more well known characters but Banjo-Kazooie still ended up becoming, in my own person opinion, one of the best games on the N64 which still holds a place in my childhood. When I had originally played this game I was only a kid but even when I play it now I still have just as much fun with it as I did back then. The graphics weren't anything overly impressive but they were among some of the best in the N64 age which was enough to say they were pretty damn good. The music was amazing and the unique style of voice acting made the game seem like something completely different from many games at that time. The storyline wasn't too involved in the actually game play of the game but you know what? It didn't have to be because all of the individual worlds could stand on their own without involving the actual storyline in them. The game would be worth a play, that is if you've never played it in the past and if you have played it then you could always play through again as it does have enough replay value to actually play through the game again.

Review: Super Mario Galaxy

So you take one of the most famous video game character and stick him in space, sure that sounds cool but what if that character is a red overall wearing Plumber? Well you know what? It's still pretty damn cool in fact it makes for probably the best game on the Wii and probably one of the best games of all time at that. Of course I'm talking about Super Mario Galaxy which was the well known plumbers first adventure on the Nintendo Wii and it showed us what the Wii was truly capable of.

At a first glance at the game play of this game would give you the indication that the odd camera angles and 360 degrees of running across sphere like planets would be a bit disorienting and sure it may be at first but you quickly get used to this aspect of the game since it is one of the main aspects of the level design in the game. Of course gravity also plays a huge role in the game as at times many different objects are given separate gravitational pulls then other surfaces allowing you to jump from one sphere to another just by jumping into that objects gravitational pull.

The storyline in the game is very linear as the game works much like many of the previous Mario games for the N64 and Gamecube as you'll be collecting stars which are in fact almost identical to those from Super Mario 64. The main story of the game is that Bowser once again attacks the peaceful Mushroom Kingdom raining fire down upon the kingdom as he rips Princess Peach's castle right out of the ground taking it into space with him where he plans on creating a galaxy of his own. Of course Mario is right there trying to stop him but Mario only ends up getting blasted out of the castle and into space. He soon wakes on a small planet where he meets a group of creatures called Lumas which oddly enough look like stars themselves. You will eventually get a Luma partner of your own as well that will allow Mario to perform all new moves that he's never been able to do before including the basic attack in the game, the spin attack which I'll talk a little more about a little later on. You will be traveling to distant galaxies using the observatories located in the main over world, the Comet Observatory. These galaxies go from being different themed worlds to being nothing more then small planets and debris floating in space.

The controls in the game are really quite simple and not much different from those in previous games. The control stick on the Nunchuk will allow you to control Mario's movements while the A button on the remote will allow you to jump. Of course they utilize the motion controls of the Wii giving Mario the ability to preform a spin attack just by shaking the remote or nunchuk slightly, this will be the primary attack through the game but you will quickly realize that there is a second or two delay between each spin attack which will leave you vulnerable during those instances. Another new mechanic to the game is the ability to both pick up and shoot what are called star bits simply by pointing the remote at the screen and directing the star like curser over them, to shoot you simply need to point the cursor at the target and press the B button on the remote. Other then that the controls are more or less the same as in previous games as the Z button on the nunchuk allowing you to crouch as well as perform the long jump with a combination of running, crouching, and jumping in short succession. With the Z button you will also be able to do the butt stomp when you press the Z button in mid air, this move proves to be quite useful throughout the game. The camera angles at most time cannot be changed but at times you'll be able to change them using the control pad on the remote although these instances are quite rare.

Of course a Mario game wouldn't fell right without the unique forms that Mario is known for acquiring and Galaxy takes this aspect to a completely different level giving Mario all sorts of new forms including Bee Mario, Boo Mario, Spring Mario, and Ice Mario. Of course there will also be returning forms like Fire Mario and of course Rainbow Mario which is the new form of Mario with the invincibility star. Each of these forms present new abilities to Mario which will enable him to collect the stars which were unreachable without them.

After each group of galaxies Mario will of course have to fight through a boss stage which will more times then not be against Bowser and Bowser Jr. who are the main villians in the game. Of course there is a boss in almost everyone of the levels which most of them turn out to be all new enemies which had never been seen before as well as a few that are returning from previous games.

The graphics this time around look better then ever as I mentioned before that this may be the best looking game on the Wii so far. The sound effects really haven't changed from previous games but then again would we really want them to? The music throughout the game is amazing and probably the best music we've seen in a Mario game since we first heard that catchy Mario Bros. theme back on the NES.

Overall Super Mario Galaxy is the closest thing to Super Mario 64 that we've seen so far as it takes many aspects from previous games as well as all new Wii specific additions. The story may be lacking but hell when has a Mario game ever had an innovative story so we really couldn't expect anything special this time around either. of course sticking to the basics of Bowser kidnapping Peach could never be a bad since that has been the basic story since the beginning and it never gets old. The graphics and music in the game are top par and maybe some of the best music to appear in a Mario game to date. The story in the game seems a little short but that's only because you only need half of the stars to reach the final level which leave sixty more stars to collect in order to unlock something let's say, special. Mario's return to the 3d platforming scene is in no way a disappointment as Nintendo obviously still knows how to crank out a good Mario title, when they want to that is.

Review: Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII has become one of the most well known games out there and after a few years Square realized this as they had decided to actually release a sequel to the game that sequel was known as Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. Fan of the original Final Fantasy VII may have been a bit disappointed with Dirge of Cerberus due to the fact that it didn't exactly feel like a Final Fantasy game due to the one simple difference between this and every other Final Fantasy game out. That difference is the fact that Dirge of Cerberus was a third person shooter with traces of role playing elements throughout the game.

The main playable character this time around isn't Cloud but instead another returning character from the previous game, Vincent Valentine. Three years have passed since the events at the end of Final Fantasy VII and another dark scheme to destroy the entire planet had risen once again this time from a group known as Deepground and a bunch of super powered humans known as the Tsviets. The Tsviets seem to be looking for Vincent and they're taking out anyone else who gets in the way as thousands of people begin to disappear as mysterious screams echo from the city of Midgar. Of course Vincent won't be the only farmiliar face to appear as many other familiar characters will arrive to lend a hand to Vincent and an army force known as the W.R.O.

For a third person shooter the game plays very well with a few of the characteristics from Final Fantasy added into the mix including the ability to level up your guns as well as the use of potions and other items from the Final Fantasy universe. The guns in the game can also be customized by a number of different upgrades which can give them magic abilities and such but there really aren't too many of these upgrades leaving much to be desired from this feature.

Updated graphics along with the added voice acting almost identical from those that were featured in Advent Children makes for a great addition to the Final Fantasy VII experience. One thing that all the Final Fantasy titles up until X lacked was voice acting and that changes in this addition to the series with an amazing set of voice actors added for a group of characters that were considered some of the most memorable even when they had no voice.

One downside to the game is that it could be considered a bit on the easy side especially considering that anytime you get stuck on a boss or difficult situation you have the ability to use what is know as a Limit Breaker. Limit Breakers are items that will allow Vincent to turn into a beast like form by utilizing the beast, Chaos, that lies within him. This form gives Vincent upgraded attack power when it comes to close range attacks as well as a long ranged attack making it possible to make it past most obstacles with ease. There were also a few other things making the game a little easier including the item, phoenix down, which should sound familiar as in previous Final Fantasy games would allow you to revive fallen party members but this time around you'll be able come back after dying once for every phoenix down you use on yourself before dying. Some boss fights even go ahead and put shops right on the screen where you'll be fighting the boss giving you the ability to continue to buy potions as long as you have enough for them.

Overall the storyline adds on to the memorable storyline of Final Fantasy VII with many returning characters as well as a group of all new unique enemies. The style of the game doesn't exactly fit a Final Fantasy game but it is an average shooter and although it is a little on the easy side it is worth a try especially if Final Fantasy VII left you wanting more as this is the more that you've been waiting for although Crisis Core may fill that void a little better only time will tell.

Review: Silent Hill Origins

Silent Hill Origins promised to reveal the events that led up to the small town of Silent Hill becoming what we know it to be but the only problem was that very little that we didn't already know was revealed.

The main playable character in the game, Travis Grady, a trucker who seems to have a bit of a troubled past causing him all sorts of nightmares but the real nightmare is just about to begin for him when he sees a figure run in front of his truck. He decides to investigate when he finds a house that's on fire when he realizes someone is inside and instantly rushes in to save them. He finds a half dead girl inside which he brings to safety before collapsing himself and when he wakes he's right in the middle of the fog covered town of Silent Hill.

The town of Silent Hill should be familiar to those who've played any of the previous games, other then Silent Hill 4 that is. One problem I see with this game is the fact that it's meant to show us how the town got the way it is but wait a second the town is already pretty fucked up by the time you get there and other then Travis there are very few people in the town other then the usual monsters. There are four other characters of interest that you meet in the town which among them is a nurse, a mysterious doctor, of course the familiar little girl Alessa, and Alessa's mother who should also be familiar to those who've played the original. Other then these four characters a few cult members appear near the end of the game however other then them it would seem that the entire town is completely deserted.

Moving right along the graphics are on par with the Playstation and Playstation 2 games which is impressive especially for this game being on a portable system. The voice acting could be better although it is once again on par with the previous games of the series. The music on the other hand is on a completely different level from the previous games. The music is especially good if you do as the game suggests and play through with a set of headphones on. The same goes for the sound effects throughout the game and although they're not much different from previous games, listening to them through a pair of headphones makes them even more realistic adding to the feeling of the game.

The controls in the game stay very similar to the previous games except for the game becoming much more of a button masher then the last. There are slightly different weapons from just random objects like toasters, portable televisions, and all sorts of other objects that you would never have thought could be weapons. The other two groups of weapons are the ones you've seen before including melee weapons like pipes and wooden planks and the other of course being a wide array of guns which seem to be the most useful this time around even though through the other series the guns were usually only a last resort as ammo was quite rare. The final method of combat is something else that is a bit new as well giving you the ability to fight with nothing but your bare hands which seems to prove that Travis is even more of a bad ass then any of the other main characters in the previous games. One problem with the combat system that makes the game a bit more difficult is the fact that after a series of attacks there will be about a two second period before you can attack again giving any monsters you're fighting the opportunity to get their own series of attacks in on you. Another new feature are the series of button combination sequences whenever certain types of monsters use a specialty attack on Travis during this point you will have to press a series of buttons in order to escape, sound familiar, yeah that's right Resident Evil 4 was based around this exact same basis, the only difference was that Resident Evil actually did it right and from the looks of things these challenges really had no point in Silent Hill Origins and if anything they were only an attempt to make the game similar to Resident Evil 4.

So I've had some good things to say about the game and a few low points which seem to balance it out but here comes the real problem in the game, that problem is that the game is so damn short. Now on my first time through the game I finished in three hours and I didn't know what I was doing yet so I started to wonder what the fastest possible time in the game was so I started to browser around for some speed runs for the game and what I found was that the game could actually be finished in a little over thirty minutes and yes I know Silent Hill games are known for being a bit on the short side but never quite as short as this.

So overall the game is not too bad but it could have been a lot better. The game was quite a bit more difficult from the previous games mainly due to the period of being almost completely defenseless after each series of attacks forcing you to rely more on firearms which are usually rare in a Silent Hill game however this one seems to be an exception as they seem to appear quite a bit more then usual. The storyline was a little disappointing due to the fact that not a whole lot of new material was revealed and the fact that the game was so short made the game seem as thought it wasn't worth the thirty dollars that I had payed for it.

Review: Kingdom Hearts 2

After Square and Disney's last best selling Kingdom Hearts game on the Playstation 2 a sequel was next to come in the form of Kingdom Hearts 2. Sure there were a lot of delays in the release but it eventually came out and it turned out to be even better then they're first two game of the series. Of course there are even more Disney and Square crossover appearances as well as an even deeper storyline that will only leave you with even more questions by the end of the game.

Now as soon as you get into the game you will realize that you're playing as an all new character instead of Sora. You will soon realize that this new character, Roxas, is connected to Sora as he begins recall memories from Sora' past and the previous Kingdom Hearts game. After close to two hours of play you will eventually finish up this introduction level as Roxas and finally reach the title screen, that's right the title screen after two hours. Now things will get a bit more familiar as you will finally get to play as Sora once again.

Not far into playing as Sora you will soon learn of an all new group of enemies known as Nobodies which are the empty shells left behind when a person loses their heart to the Heartless. These lower ranking Nobodies are controlled by a group of even more powerful Nobodies known as Organization XIII. Of course the Heartless aren't out of the picture just yet as Pete, one of Malificent's old henchmen is still busy trying to build a Heartless army, the only problem is that he still doesn't know that Malificent was destroyed by Sora.

Sora soon gets an all new costume that gives him new powers know as Drive Forms which with the help of Donald and Goofy will allow him to take on multiple different forms that will give him separate abilities. There abilities will vary from being able to wield two Keyblades to being able to attack from long range when you're able to shoot a series of energy shots from the tip of your blade. Of course these forms can be powered up by leveling each specific form up as this will grant you some special abilities form normal combat as well as abilities just for each specific form. There is also a special form within the game that could put you at either an advantage or a disadvantage. This form is known as the Anti-Form and looks very much like the dark Sora from the original Kingdom Hearts title. In this form you will move much faster then usual and be able to deal much more damage but the only disadvantage is that you'll take more then double the amount of damage then you would if you were in any other form. This form comes on randomly when you're trying to transform into one of the other many forms unlocked throughout the game.

Donald and Goofy as back once again as your primary party members and of course other familiar and new Disney characters will at one point join you're party. Limit commands are a new attack very similar to the trinity's in the previous game. The Limit commands will allow you to use special attack moves with the help of one of your partners and almost every character who teams up with you throughout the game eventually and some are a bit more useful then others. Of course these commands will use up all of your mana in order to limit how often you can use them but mana restores much faster then in the previous game as it will slowly refill even if you're standing still. I wouldn't exactly say that this has made much of an improved since now all cure abilities will use up all of your mana meaning that you'll either need to stock up on potions as well or run stand around waiting for it to refill which could get to be a bit boring to say the least. With this there are of course new magic abilities and of course we still have the basic fire, ice and thunder abilities and as mentioned above the cure abilities but with those there are quite a few all new spells but once again just like in the previous game it is more then possible to finish the game without using any of these spells other then a few cures here and there.

One of the major problems in the previous game was the controls and a good amount of improvements were made for Kingdom Hearts 2. The menu still remained the biggest problem in the game which remained more or less the same making you scroll through it to access your magic and items as well as your drives this time around and they just went and made it a little worse by adding a second half to the menu giving you a few more options including summons and limits but in order to access it you would have to hit left on the control pad and then right in order to switch back to your normal menu again. Using combos became much either however with reaction commands that will allow you to simply press the triangle button when a certain combo is available as well as to perform simple tasks such as opening treasure chests without scrolling through the menu. One problem that wasn't touched on was the fact that the game is still a button masher and if anything this time the game is even more of a button masher then the last as you're given even more opportunities for chains of combos which will have you pushing the X button over and over once again.

You will once again be traveling through many different Disney worlds as well as all new worlds some of which will be familiar to you as well as some all new worlds that have yet to appear. This time around there are quite a bit more mini games which will add a little more fun to the game but none of these mini games are really all too challenging and most are just plain easy. That is for most of the game though as the difficult of Kingdom Hearts 2 is much lower then that of the previous game so if you're looking for a real challenge then you'll want to play the game on a harder difficulty for more of a challenge.

One of the low points of the previous games were the Gummi Ship levels and sadly that is yet another bad element that still remains although they have been improved a bit yet they still remain one of the lowest points in the game. You will only have to play through each Gummi Ship level once this time around unless you want to go through all of the separate missions on each of the tracks which isn't necessary for finishing the game.

As you may know the last game had a lot of extras for you to complete at your own pace and this time around there aren't quite as many but there are still a few there including a few optional boss battles as well as a secret ending just like in the last game. Another optional extra is to try and complete the journal 100% which will require you to do every possible thing in each of the worlds as well as complete all of the Gummi Ship missions on each of the tracks.

Overall Kingdom Hearts 2 has made quite a bit of improvements to the system from the previous game but it could still use quite a bit of improvement especially with the controls which are better yet still not perfect. The storyline of the game is even more in depth compared to the last game as many of the questions left unanswered at the end of the previous game will finally be answered only to create all new questions. Not much has changed about the character design and music as they still stick to the same style and use very similar Disney music and to follow the adicting theme of the previous game they've made yet another just as addicting theme from the same artist of the last giving it the same feel. With this in mind this is a game that is worth a play especially if you enjoyed the original.