50 public written reviews
The views here are this user’s only and are not representative of Giant Bomb's thoughts and opinions on the discussed video game. GB's official reviews reside at giantbomb.com/reviews.
Ratchet is a sort of feline type creature while Clank is essentially a small robot. Teamed up they make a force to be reckoned with. However where there are good guys there is always a bad guy and it comes in the form of Dr Nefarious. A creepy space alien who wants to take over the world and that's what you're here to prevent. Ratchet and Clank's personalities have never really been uncovered to a great extent in…
Great thing's come to those who wait and what a wait it has been. The big question is "was the wait worth it?" And i think you'll find the answer is a resounding yes. Half-Life 2 has a completely new gaming engine that works really well and still keeps the feel of the original. You reprise your role of Gordan Freeman, waking up on a train entering City 17 and soon discover the viscious aliens that featured in the…
The Phazon-rich planet of Tallon IV, once home to a sect of peaceful Chozo who have long since vanished. A race of space birds with philosophy on the brain. Long ago, the Chozo raised an orphaned human girl to be their savior. That girl is Samus Aran. Metroid Prime see's Samus delve into the world of first-person shooter land. Every other metroid game has taken place in two dimensions and sometimes when a game…
This is the latest title in the Command and Conquer series and has a lot to live up to after games such as Red Alert 2 were a resounding success. There are no ridiculous stories this time around, no time-travelling heroics or crazy blimp missions. Infact the Story Mode at times offers players the chance to play through missions that are every bit realistic and reflect modern day warfare perfectly. The main focus of…
Super Monkey Ball is an addictive puzzle game that offers players the chance they've always dreamed of, putting monkey's in large balls and rolling them around crazy mazes. The aim is to get your monkey through the goal at the end of each course without falling off the edge and it actually starts off pretty easy, with the goal being placed directly in front of you. The further you progress the harder you will find…
Mortal Kombat was once the king of all fighting games, it pulverised the competition with it's memorable characters, inventive moves and some pretty gruesome fatalities. The series however began to get a little stale and following the release of Mortal Kombat 4 people started asking questions. The series' high standards had dropped and so had many of it's fans along the way. This is Midway's answer to all it's…
Mario Party has always been a huge favourite amongst Nintendo fans and anybody who just enjoys a fun gaming experience. Mario Party 3 was arguably the pinnacle of the series with it's great mini-games and left fans anticipating the release of the next installment on a next-generation console. Mario and his friends return once more for a colourful adventure filled with more mini-games than ever before, but is the…
Anyone who has ever played a Nintendo system and i think it's safe to say that is almost anyone who has ever picked up a joypad has played a Mario Kart game. A racing game that includes all of your favourite Nintendo characters from past and present, armed with some whacky weapons and some zany courses, Mario Kart has always had a unique feel that keeps fans-alike coming back for more. This is the 5th installment in…
The names Bond, James Bond and it seems he has finally made it into the world of video games. It was only a matter of time before we got to step into the shoes of the smoothest secret agent around, drive his cars, play with his gadgets and sleep with lots of beautiful women. Ok i guess two out of three ain't bad. The game follows the movie so closely at times you feel you're living through it but in your own unique…
This is the long anticipated conversion of one of the best arcade fighters around and i suppose the big question would be "does it compare?" and the answer is yes. Unfortunately the graphics aren't as great but if possible they have made the gameplay even more outstanding with it's lightning quick control system. This is a must for fans of the fighting genre because not only does it bring you everything you have…
With so many poor titles for the DS at the time of this games release, which either touch on the novelty aspect of the system or are just plain uninspired it would be understandable to put this game in the same cateogory. The gameplay looks simplistic, the overall presentation isn't exactly what you would call sophisticated and it would appear the game relies way too much on it's touch screen potenital than it…
This isn't just a next generation game, it is the first next generation game released for the Xbox 360 and with that position comes a great deal of pressure. Many people will look to this game as a window into what Microsoft's new machine is capable of. Not only that but this game has been in developement for many years, right back to the Nintendo 64 days and you would think with that much time Rare should have made…
I was trying to think of a way to start this review, I usually start with a brief description of the game in question. However I really don’t see the point in this instance, I was trying to imagine a member of the prestigious Gamespot not knowing of Mario Kart and my brain just couldn’t comprehend such a preposterous thought. However pointless this is you will have to humour me, Mario Kart basically puts all your…
Burnout was once just another racing game with the gimmick of smashing up a few cars and blowing stuff up but with every instalment the series seems to evolve and improve and has really made a name for itself in the racing genre. Burnout 3: Takedown was when the series reached a level of racing that put most other racing games to shame with a perfect balance of speed and tactics. Now EA bring you Burnout: Revenge…
Project Gotham Racing hasn’t been around for too long but it has made a name for itself within the racing genre over the last couple of years. With its unique blend of racing and stylish moves and combos it really has hit a niche in the market that appeals to the masses. There is a lot of expectation surrounding this game, not only because fans want to know what direction the series is heading but more importantly…
How do you top one of the most succesful shooters of all time? By essenitally doing the exact same thing's for the sequel it would seem. I know many of you will be tired of World War 2 shooters by now, the same stuff recycled over and over again with a unique gimmick thrown in for good measure. Apparently nobody let the developers of Call of Duty 2 know about this so they went and made the game anyway. All i can say…
The concept of the game is rather simple; you’re a monkey inside a ball. Move your right analogue stick in a certain direction and the monkey begins to roll, get the monkey through the goal at the end of each level and you move onto the next. Sounds simple right? well that could not be further from the truth. The first level may only require a simple push forwards but as your progress onto more complexed and…
This is now the 4th installment in the ever popular Tony Hawks series and a welcome one at that. This game does not rest on the success of the previous games, infact the developers have completely changed the way the series is played while maintaining the core gameplay mechanics that have made Tony Hawks a hit to begin with. Gone are the 2 minute runs that saw you frantically rushing through levels to get all the…
Tony Hawks is back and while this remains a Tony Hawk game the name change isn’t entirely superficial. This is a Tony Hawks game with a slight edge and a slightly different feel than what you will be used to if you’re a regular of the series. The team hasn’t just rested on the success of the previous games this time around, it would have been so much easier to just implement a few new features and tricks and stick a…
Mario 64 is undoubtedly one of the greatest games of all time; you would find few people who would argue. Back in 1996 when the original game was released it took the gaming world by storm, just like the original Mario games did; it completely changed the way we played platformers. Everyone I’ve met who played Mario 64 still remembers where they were when they first played it, who they were with when they beat…
Advance Wars has finally taken the step up to the DS with it’s latest title Dual Strike, showing us what this series can really do when it has the hardware available to it. Dual Strike builds on what the previous games have done and makes everything that much bigger and that much better in pretty much every area. Fans of the series will feel somewhat comfortable here; the game follows the same pattern as the ones…
How do I start a review for what is now the sixth game in the Tony Hawk saga? I had a big presentation planned, I was going to crack open the champagne and let the good times roll; then I played the game. Without putting you off the review entirely I compiled a list of words that best describe this game: annoying, disappointing, uninspired. This game just like Underground before it takes a break from the concept of…
Tetris is the art of placing ‘Tetriminos’ into a grid with the sole aim of clearing them in horizontal rows, now we have the blatantly obvious out of the way lets go back to where it all began. Tetris made a name for itself way back with the release of the Game Boy, such a name infact that many gamers still consider to this day the original ‘block-busting’ classic their favourite game of all time. There has been…
Every gamer has at least some memories of a Sonic game; he is one of the biggest gaming mascots the world has ever seen and has a global following to match. The series has gone through many changes over the years from the 2D retro classics right up to the not so classic adventure games of the past few years. This time Sonic takes a step back and truly returns to his roots in Sonic DS. A fast-paced 2D side-scroller…
The universe is threatened by an evil planet named Meteo, the only way to stop it is to fuse blocks known as Meteos together and send them rocketing towards the hostile planet in the hopes of defeating it once and for all. OK this isn’t exactly the most believable of plots but since when did the story behind any puzzle game ever make the slightest ounce of sense. In order to fuse these blocks and save the universe…
For those of you who remember the Mega-Drive or infact still play it to this day you will most certainly have fond memories of Golden Axe. You would be forgiven for thinking this game was inspired by Streets of Rage because the similarities are rather shocking. The basic concept is near identical; you take a character through a series of areas and are then asked to clear out the enemies within each section to…
Rhythm games by their very definition are dull and repetitive, thankfully every so often one breaks down the stereotypical barriers set by poor titles that have gone before it; Guitar Hero is one of those games. Harmonix have made some questionable games in the past but it seems with Red Octane and their impressive SG guitar controller on board they’re ready to finally make a name for themselves. The controller is…
For those who have experienced such games as Breakout and Ankroid you will be very familiar with the concept of Alleyway, you controlled a small paddle with the aim of hitting a constellation of bricks with a ball. Each brick you hit disappeared until the whole screen was void of bricks, once acheived you moved onto the next level which became that little bit harder. Let the ball drop below your paddle and you lost…
The wait is finally over, Mario has returned to his roots with New Super Mario Bros which to no great surprise is the next installment of the popular Super Mario Bros series. Fans have been crying out for a sequel for close to 15 years and this is Nintendo’s offering after a long vacation; nobody would deny that Mario’s 3D platformers have been integral to not only the franchise but to the entire platform genre but…
GunBound was a game that completely took me by surprise, I’d heard it’s name mentioned a couple of time here and there but it was only when my best friend at the time recommended it to me did I stand up and take note. The game is centered on small vehicles equipped with all manner of weird and wonderful projectiles, similar to games such as Worms each user takes turns firing these at their opponent until there is an…
Harmonix have teamed up with RedOctane once again to bring you one of the most anticipated sequels I can remember for quite some time. Guitar Hero surprised everyone after the majority of people labeled it a failure even before it’s release, boy were they wrong. This time around in a complete turn of fortune everyone who had played the original was now expectant; fans were speculating which songs would make the…
Donkey Kong Country was the first of a 3 game series released by Rare back in 1984, this was their chance to get back on the map after releasing some less than impressive titles under the name of Ultimate. The game is based around a rather half-assed story in which King K Rool has stolen your banana hoard for reasons unbeknown. It’s your job as the rather aggrieved marsupial to get them back with the assistance of…
ClayFighter 63 1/3 is an unforgettable experience but sadly for all the wrong reasons. The unoriginality of this game reaches whole new levels, they didn’t just steal traits from one rival title but a multitude of fighters; Street Fighter, Killer Instinct and a plethora of others all falling victim to Interplays lack-luster effort at a spoof release. Amazingly even with all this potential they still manage to screw…
Brain Age is an unusual game in respect to its unique concept. Some scientists claim that playing this game for just a few minutes per day will not only entertain you but also make your brain feel physically sharper; these same experts say that the game is designed to stimulate your prefrontal cortex and boost your intelligence in the process. It’s hard to say whether the game achieves any of those things or simply…
Read the full review Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!
Battle Chess has been quoted as “a chess game for people who don’t like chess” and that sums it up perfectly. Bringing each piece to life by adding comical animations to them, moving across the board and violently attacking one another, quashing the stereotypes and vivifying what is now considered an old-fashioned board game. The best way to describe it would be to think back to the original Star Wars when C3PO and…
American Gladiators was released in 1991 following the huge success of the TV show, and like most TV-based video games it isn’t very good. Alarmingly similar to titles such as California Games, you partake in a series of mini-events, only this time they vaguely resemble that of their on-screen counterparts. The five events are: Joust, Powerball, Human Cannonball, Assault and the infamous Wall. Each one requiring…
When referring to Pokemon each and every person falls into one of the following four categories: The first being those that have never actually heard of Pokemon and if that's the case then give yourself a sharp smack on the wrist for living in a bubble for the past twelve years. The second being those who have no interest in it whatsoever and if that's the case then I don't want to keep you, please take this escape…
Pro Evolution Soccer is a gaming series you felt could do no wrong, with consistent quality titles being released year upon year. This latest installment however brings things to a crashing halt, a game that feels rushed and ultimately incomplete and in my opinion has no right lining up next to its six predecessors. You can clearly see the lack of progression from the moment you load up the game, you only need…
Pushover is a platform puzzle game developed by Red Rat Software for the Amiga. It’s similar to games such as Lemmings in the fact that the game is simple on the surface yet when you delve deeper you find some pretty tough gameplay that can become pretty darn vexing. You take the helm of an ant called Colin Curly who at the time was the mascot for Quavers crisps, advertising anyone? In fact I’d go as far to say that…
Read the full review A simple yet compelling platform puzzler.
Tekken originally made a name for itself in arcades, it was such a huge success and it was only a matter of time before it made that leap onto consoles. Sony cleverly obtained the license and unsurprisingly it became an instant success, introducing more gamers to the franchise than ever before through the power of accessibility. Now the series tries its hand on the PSP in an attempt to keep up with Nintendo who have…
I often wonder how the WarioWare series ever came to be, a collaboration of the most insane mini-games you could ever wish to play all bundled into one package. I can just imagine now, a room full of crazy Japanese game designers blurting out bizarre ideas such as poking over-sized nostrils with over-sized fingers or shaking the bugs off of an ape’s banana for pleasure. However WarioWare came to be there’s no…
I was rather apprehensive upon buying this game, it would be pretty easy to label this as a cash-in of a beloved game show and that’s exactly what I did. I could envisage mindless drones buying this game purely for the ginger haired nut on the box; the spawn of Satan herself. As a general rule games based on TV game shows are just plain awful, infact thinking through as many as my memory will allow I struggle to…
Read the full review Breaks down stereotypes set by poor quiz-based games before it.
Wii Play comes packaged with a “free controller” which means the game would cost around £5 or $10 if it was being sold separately. This has to be taken into account when reviewing it because as a full priced game this wouldn’t even be worth writing about. It’s all built around nine mini-games that are all designed to showcase the controllers fundamental mechanics, ok lets go out on a limb and call this a ‘tech…
Zany Golf is probably a name many of you are unfamiliar with, it didn’t redefine a genre and it didn’t change the face of golf games for a generation but what it did do was bring silliness to the sport with a whimsical approach to its courses and its overall gameplay. Compared to games such as Mini Golf which were released around the same time Zany Golf truly excelled, taking their boring 2D graphics and bringing…
The majority of you may never have heard of Zool, you would probably look rather bewildered if I uttered the name Amiga. If this is indeed the case then stop reading now and go back to your snazzy next generation consoles because it doesn’t matter how these games came about as long as you enjoy them right? Wrong. Infact if you haven’t heard of either it’s rather imperative you read on and discover the root to many…
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Tekken originally made a name for itself in arcades, it was such a huge success and like all great arcade games soon made the leap on to consoles. Sony cleverly obtained the license and unsurprisingly it became an instant success, introducing more gamers to the franchise than ever before through the power of accessibility. Then last year the series delved into the portable market and once…
Welcome to the craziest, most peculiar yet addictive rhythm game you could ever wish to experience. The Elite Beat Agents are a band of secret agents who wouldn’t look out of place in the next Men in Black movie, infact you even get to play as agent Smith who doesn’t look all that dissimilar to Big Willie himself. The premise is simple yet disturbing. Somebody faces an utterly bizarre problem and shouts for help,…
Welcome to Paradise City, a place that packs more punch than a heavy-weight boxer, more pizzazz than a back-street burlesque, and err, more yellow than The Simpsons. Burnout Paradise is essentially an open sprawling world chock-full of Burnout goodness, and a huge world at that. In fact it can take up to ten minutes just to drive from one side of the map to the other, which is pretty impressive when you consider the…
