140 public reviews
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The first thing Eternal Darkness presents to the player upon booting up the GameCube system is a quote from Edgar Allan Poe’s masterpiece poem “The Raven”. It dictates much of the tone of the narrative about to be unfolded. Taking inspiration from Poe’s supernatural fiction, his violent depictions of bizarre occurrences, Lovecraft’s styled writings along with his creations of cosmic beings so powerful they defy our…
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but then again so wasn’t in 30 days. Yet, in Pikmin you have exactly 30 days to rebuild a spacecraft and fly back home before your life suit runs out of whatever keeps you alive; if you fail, everything goes to waste. Sounds a bit harsh when you think about it but Pikmin is a pretty straightforward puzzle game, the 30 in-game days just makes everything a bit spicier. You’re in control of…
People might complain a lot about the controls but this, my friends, is Resident Evil. This is what the series should never have ceased from being. It’s not that the series doesn’t work as action-driven third-person shooter, it’s mainly because anything works as action-driven third person shooter. Resident Evil took its massive brand, interesting story and memorable characters and swallowed the most mainstream genre…
I really wanted to be on par with the story of Halo before venturing into the third installment of the series, but it seems I’ll never be able to catch up so I decided to go ahead and play the game that has been sitting on my shelf for years now. I generally don’t expect much from action games in terms of story but I had noticed that a lot of people hold it in high regards, I tried my best to engage. I must admit…
This puzzle game is readily available to anyone willing to download it from the Xbox Live. It's free so the fact that you don't really have to pay a cent to have access to it makes it at least a one time event in worst case scenarios. Of course, anyone who wasn't born yesterday knows that must be a reason why this is free above all else. It's a pretty straightforward experience really, you're presented with a screen…
Every form of work put forth is ultimately part of the context in which it was conceived, be it some kind of artistic creation or simply something that serves a more objective nature. Sure for me video-games are, in one way or another, an art form in its own right, but that's hardly a consensus and neither should really be. The original Tomb Raider and many subsequent iterations in the series had their place in the…
Every form of work put forth is ultimately part of the context in which it was conceived, be it some kind of artistic creation or simply something that serves a more objective nature. Sure for me video-games are, in one way or another, an art form in its own right, but that's hardly a consensus and neither should really be. The original Tomb Raider and many subsequent iterations in the series had their place in the…
It took quite a while for the Deus Ex series to get back on track with releases since the second game, arguably weaker than the first one which is now considered a classic, this might have contributed to its hiatus. Fortunately the series is now revived in this new iteration and tries to live up to expectations, which are not exactly low to tell the truth. There's quite a lot here that is taken right back from the…
It took quite a while for the Deus Ex series to get back on track with releases since the second game, arguably weaker than the first one which is now considered a classic, this might have contributed to its hiatus. Fortunately the series is now revived in this new iteration and tries to live up to expectations, which are not exactly low to tell the truth. There's quite a lot here that is taken right back from the…
And finally the last game of the original hexalogy arrives. It is year 1993 and we’re halfway through the 16-bit generation, two years away from the release of the first Playstation console. It’s late, way too late for a NES/Famicon release, but Capcom doesn’t seem to care. It’s pretty clear to see why these last two Mega Man releases have been obscured by everything else going on in the industry at that moment…
And finally the last game of the original hexalogy arrives. It is year 1993 and we’re halfway through the 16-bit generation, two years away from the release of the first Playstation console. It’s late, way too late for a NES/Famicon release, but Capcom doesn’t seem to care. It’s pretty clear to see why these last two Mega Man releases have been obscured by everything else going on in the industry at that moment…
A whole new adventure for Mega Man arrived when the fifth game of the series was release for the NES/Famicon in 1992. One thing I realized is that most Mega Man games first came out in December of some year, this one did too. At that time the Super Nintendo had since long been released but Capcom wanted more, and apparently, gamers did too. The fourth game had brought some interesting stuff to the table, most…
The fourth Mega Man still released for the NES/Famicon is once again one step forward in technical terms from the previous three. It’s both its best and its worst. After a trilogy of successful titles it was bound to show some wear and tear of the overall gameplay mechanics. Again, the additions are rarer and rarer as time goes by and the gameplay reaches a level of perfection that defies even the original…
This is the entry which Capcom went “all out” when it comes to Mega Man. Whatever it was that could be fixed from the second iteration you can be sure that they managed to do something about it. After the first two we could be certain that this formula was what Capcom had in store anyway, so it turns into a love/hate situation from now on. If you enjoyed the series thus far, there’s not much to dislike here, if you…
One measly year after the debut of Mega Man on video-games the sequel arrived. It was pretty clear that while the first game had great potential to establish a few ground rules when it came to the newly created series it came short on polish. The ideas were fresh and inventive, but the delivery was not. Everything came together with the release of Mega Man 2. It can be ultimately said that Mega Man 2 does everything…
This is the very first release for the Mega Man series and the first of the original hexalogy released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)/Famicon. It features many aspects that would later become standard for the Mega Man series, but most of them are still in a very archaic state and would get severely improved in subsequent games. The basic rules are simple, start a stage, fight a hoard of mechanical…
It's such a shame that Dragon Age carried so much depth in a sole game that only had one surplus version until it fell in the black abyss of mediocre releases. Dragon Age had way too much potential that it could feature at least two expansions with little to no problems while still carrying a heavy-weight brand name for the future. Provided, of course, that Bioware wouldn't mess things up, like they probably have.…
Launched as downloadable content which was also shelved as a standalone disc, I approached this expansion without any initial thoughts about it being completely built upon the skeleton of the main game. I actually thought it was something what Super Mario Galaxy 2 was for the first one, recycled ideas, concept, art style and basically anything they could to make for a new experience, not a quick buck out of it all.…
Decidedly Batman Arkham Asylum had lots of room for improvement and people usually don't hate money so a sequel didn't take too long to come. Two years after the first game Arkham City arrived and tried the somewhat easy task of making everything grander. The island home to the most dangerous criminals seems to have lost its initial purpose and the political forces have clashed within Gotham, when things came to…
Unfortunately when it comes to PC games -- and this review is based on the PC version of the game -- there are much more than the actual game to comment on. Sometimes it's sad to say that the complex structures of PC builds aren't up to the task of handling ports, in the case of this title however, there's pretty much no technical problems standing between you and the caped crusade's quest to save Gotham once again.…
People, people, comparing anything titled Smash Bros with Melee at this point is poignant. When a developer wants to make tweaks to improve upon a game they've established they have two ways. Throw everything into the rubbish bin to start from scratch, but people will go nuts and complain like there's no tomorrow because it has lost its essence; or you can maturely meddle in pretty much everything regarding to this…
Read the full review Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/Nintendo 3DS
This is the Wii version and follow-up to the reboot version of Mario released for the Nintendo 3DS a while back. I've already talked about the previous game, Super Mario 3D Land and argued that while it might seems strange at first it ultimately served its purpose and provided an adventure that was neither 3D nor 2D Mario, it was something in-between that felt and controlled like the 2D Mario as long as you stayed…
It was a decisive moment for Zelda at that time and age. The wheel was set in motion when Ocarina of Time broke the boundaries of 2D to delve into the 3-dimensional realm. Having sowed the seeds for the way Zelda was imagined in newer generations to come, any unexpected outcome would only surface after people were said and done with whatever was shipping within the confines of those cartridges so eagerly expected.…
Read the full review Rediscovering long-lost corners and shedding light into the darkness.
The new trend in gaming are the infinite games that leave you with two main choices, you either pay for whatever currency it features or you'll have to stick to its sluggish presentation to advance. Since it finds its most fertile ground on smartphones, this false "free game" is somewhat understandable for the kind of deals often found in digital stores. It ultimately even makes sense, after all, they have to…
Not many games get to have a legendary status that dares to transcend the test of time, among this panteon of titles stands Chrono Trigger as one of the few that helped define the action RPG scene, moving a large fanbase over the years. The re-release of this beast makes a loud statement that games are not only meant to be carried on by nostalgic fanboys from days gone by. One of the most noble acts which the 3DS…
What do you expect from a lighter? Fire? Bring peace to the Middle East? Resolve math problems? There's some things which are simple because they don't need to be any more complexity. Picross Touch is one of those games. It's so simple it's hard to judge. Does it do its job well? It does. You have Picross which is some one type of game made incredibly easier in electronic formats. You're given clues about which…
Two dimensional Mario games are a sure way to earn some money while maintaining the faith in quality as well as refurbishing the same old thing for God-knows how many times. Nintendo is as guilty of rehashing ideas that have yielded great success as any other developer out there. Though not everything is as we had hoped. Some stylistic choices are immortal, they don't come close to ever being made outdated. Donkey…
I've said it before in 2004, it doesn't matter whether or not this is too classic to be messed with, it doesn't matter if it's Nintendo most serious game and when people buy it -- and they'll buy it if the box clearly states that there is nothing inside, just a blank disc with the Zelda logo printed in order to drive fanboys crazy. They misunderstood Zelda, it is not something made to be carved in stone, this was…
Read the full review The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
On the third main title after rebooting the series into a more action-oriented third person shooter with horror elements Resident Evil seems to have forgotten lessons learned with the fourth and fifth iterations as well as the minimal necessary to make a Resident Evil. While Resident Evil 4 was still the series we all learned to love, Resident Evil 5 was more of a “great game, mediocre RE”. This time there’s…
Right from the get-go you realize why this is called “Judgement”. Somehow, Damon Baird, one of the original four in the group since the first Gears, is being judged in a rather trumped-up trial. The form in which the charges are presented and how the seemingly superior ranked official storms on them makes everything seem conspicuously biased. Still, all of them are given the chance to speak and give his version of…
Some games can easily fool you into thinking they’re something else. Take Terraria for example, one might think it’s just a stylish platformer about going from point A to point B when it’s so much more than that. Toki Tori might be a cutesy, simplistic feat at first glance, but in fact it’s a pretty brutal puzzle experience. The levels are basic and the movements aren’t that fancy either. Most monsters just go right…
By now it shouldn't come as a surprise to no one but these new games don't really do the original Donkey Kong Country franchise its justice. The base games were the most spectacular experiences anyone could have in gaming, these new ones aren't exactly bad in the new style they've chosen, but the controls ruin it nevertheless. At first it was the abysmal wiimote, then came the 3DS version, and we were certain the…
I might be a minority here but I don't remember freaking out on Zelda's new style back in the beginning of the 2000's. I remember waiting for the magazine that contained all the information of the game that was about to be released, I came home from the bookstore reading it and getting amazed at each picture I saw, each word used to describe it. When it was announced I didn't give it much thought, I guess I was way…
The "new" in the name is pretty much redundant as of now, presented here is what we were all introduced in the Nintendo DS glory days of 2006. Ever since that DS game 2D Mario has been a constant for Nintendo. There's nothing that can really go wrong here so it's safe to say that anyone that found even the slightest reason to pick up a previous 2D Mario in this new era should be hooked within no time. The first…
Monster Hunter is one of those series that aren't exactly mainstream in the West so the hottest market for it is Japan, side by side with many other games that seemingly sell like water in a desert in Japanese markets yet the rest of the world doesn't feel so strongly about. The fact it's developed and published by Capcom never helped the game for me either. I'm not exactly the biggest Capcom fan around. So like…
I have good memories form the original Luigi's Mansion, one of those "hidden gems" from the GameCube days, since the GameCube itself is a hidden gems, it seems. It was a simple game that did many things right at the time. The follow-up, Dark Moon, is basically a simple game that does even more things right. The light story behind everything offers just the right amount of details to make up for its humorous outcome,…
I have good memories form the original Luigi's Mansion, one of those "hidden gems" from the GameCube days, since the GameCube itself is a hidden gems, it seems. It was a simple game that did many things right at the time. The follow-up, Dark Moon, is basically a simple game that does even more things right. The light story behind everything offers just the right amount of details to make up for its humorous outcome,…
Good thing this release has the number on the name because, frankly, after Double Dash I simply lost count. Mario Kart seems stuck in time for all the good and bad reasons anyone could think of. There's little to no room for improvements and whatever this room may be it's pretty much covered here, online gaming. Race picturesque tracks against Nintendo's all-stars using all sorts of nonsensical items aiming for…
Lately I had the urge to play a stealth game, I often have this urge but end up replaying stuff like Team Fortress 2 anyway. This time I was going to hunt down some game that had me slow-pace through it as a main objective, nothing meta prepared like getting any famous action game like Half-Life 2 and try to low-profile it. I wanted the real deal, something that resembled what I experienced back in the day when I…
What you get from this collection is simply the first three games ported to recent generation hardware and put together. We all know them well, all great games that might appear better in our nostalgic mind than what they really are today. As fighting games they're simple but effective; as single player game they're disastrous; as multiplayer online it's pretty cool, though not so hot as it used to be. They play…
Let's judge this for the collection itself and how much effort was put into making this worth the money. In a world where downloading an emulator with a ROM for a game that could run on a calculator it's not so easy to make profit. Also, in my humble opinion, if there is one game company that does deserve to be ripped-off is Capcom, so why is this a big deal? It's a big deal because it's god-damn Mega Man. You…
Here we go again, another Zelda for a handheld and a surprise; this pretty much might be the best Zelda released on a handheld. I remember Minish Cap with vagueness and good will. The both Oracle ones were pretty sweet. Still, this might be better suited for a comparison between the two most recent ones. Phantom Hourglass brought back the boat from Wind Waker and took it to a whole new level, not necessarily a good…
Read the full review The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
It's been a while now since Resident Evil drifted away from pure survival horror for the sake of surviving an ever-growing industry with increasingly more dynamic control schemes. Anything outside this territory is niche and should be treated as such. A franchise like Resident Evil had too much potential to aim merely on the horror buffs with its tank movements and sluggish gameplay. I'm one of "those guys", I'm…
You can always count on Mario delivering the goods, at least it seems. Nintendo has been one disgusting company for quite a while now, releasing obnoxious games in a landslide, but Mario is Mario, you can't miss it. Lackluster spin-offs and a few disappointments here and there aren't enough to scratch the plumber's credibility. The formula is so carved in stone it's almost impossible to screw up; still, Nintendo has…
Spirit Tracks is not known for being the best Zelda game around, this little fact made me pretty cautious about how to approach this Zelda game. Some people tend to overestimate Zelda games, they have them in some kind of pedestal of games that should only be released if they will somehow change the way we see games as a whole. Not every Zelda game is meant to be breathtaking. The first DS game wasn’t anything…
The first Crysis, as I’ve written about in a previous review, is much more than an average first-person shooter. The fact you had at your disposal the possibilities of your “super suit” actually made it a much more dynamic experience than what we were accustomed. Things haven’t changed much, FPSs maintain the “all flash, no substance” unofficial motto, so clear in much of today’s games. The fact that it’s probably…
I have to admit that after the two successful Zelda re-releases on the 3DS I'm ready to rebuy everything from the Nintendo 64 days. Just keep 'em coming and take my money. Would be great to have a portable Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64. The only two decent and noteworthy iterations of Mario Party are the first two on the N64 so why not work around an online -- someone should break the news to Nintendo about the…
This is a neat little game that can be downloaded freely from the 3DS store, though you can hardly play it without paying. Unless you are extremely casual and play something like one or two puzzles a day just for fun the purchase is almost required. This is extended demo at best, not at all free to play. The game features 30 locations which require the in-game currency to unlock; the Picrites. Each puzzle you…
