House of the Dead: Return – Review
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Posted on March 25th, 2008 by
Who’s that mouldering in that big old house. Is it you? Is it you? Come on out! I want to show you my Wii Zapper! There, that’s better, hey, wait a minute, didn’t I kill you once with a typewriter?
That’s my fancy way of telling you I “content reviewed” House of the Dead 2&3:Return for Nintendo Wii over at WhatTheyPlay.com. (I’d say… 4/5 stars, and while it’s rated M-Mature, I think the green blood and shootin’ gallery nature of the game makes it okay for 14 and up assuming zombies and guns aren’t a problem for you.) more…
Review – Puzzle Quest (PC, Mac, Wii)
Posted on March 23rd, 2008 by
Take a Bejeweled style ‘match 3’ game, come up with a load of variants on that concept, wrap a classic fantasy RPG story around it and what do you have? Possibly the best game of the year! Most genre-melding efforts fail to produce anything that fans of either genre enjoy, but Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is both a great puzzle game and a great RPG. The puzzle aspect is a simple variant on the jewel matching game that millions have enjoyed since Popcap introduced Bejeweled in 2001, while the RPG is an interesting mix of Japanese and Western styles, with a high fantasy setting and characters presented in a distinct anime flavor.
Review – Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery (DS)
Posted on March 20th, 2008 by
The Anno series of strategy / simulation games is very popular in Europe, and the 2006 North American release of A.D. 1701 (why the name change?) enjoyed some popular success (read my GamerDad review here). However, for all but fans of the series the news released over a year ago that a DS version of the game was planned never registered. The game was released in Europe last August, and has finally arrived in North America with the subtitle “Dawn of Discovery” … but at least it keeps the Anno moniker.
Review – Sam & Max Episode 202: Moai Better Blues (PC)
Posted on March 18th, 2008 by
Season Two of Sam & Max has already hit its groove – the first episode was an absolute blast, and the laughs and crazy fun continue. I had it on my laptop during the vacation we took with my wife’s sister’s family to Disney World over Christmas, and there were loads of laughs for everyone. My kids have finished Season One and the first episode of Season Two and have just been dying to get their hands on this one. The new naming scheme that Telltale adopted for the previous episode continues – rather than the ‘Season X Episode Y’ naming convention they have simplified to ‘Episode 202’, indicating season and episode in a single number. Something that has not changed is the high quality of the writing and jokes.
Review: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney–with BONUS!
Posted on March 17th, 2008 by
Video games allow us to try out all sorts of occupations. A brave explorer, a criminal, master surgeon, or princess-saving plumber. But only one game series lets you be a…lawyer? The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series has delighted Nintendo DS gamers with three great titles. Now for the fourth game, there’s a new attorney in town. Can Apollo Justice prove that he’s got the Wright stuff?
Review – Buzz Jr. Robo Jam with Family!
Posted on March 12th, 2008 by
I’ve written about Buzz here before, about how I think the creation of a quiz show game with special controller where the big red “push me” button glows invitingly, and about the PS2 remains a fine family bargain given the Eye Toy and Buzz concepts. Is Buzz Jr. more small-child friendly on the Wii? Yes. Moreso. Here’s why…
Review – Mario & Sonic at the Olympics (DS, Wii)
Posted on March 10th, 2008 by
You’ve got SEGA in my Nintendo! No you got Sonic in my Mario! Regardless, what you’ve actually got isn’t a very good game – we have much higher hopes for Sonic’s inclusion in Nintendo’s battle royale (with cheese), Super Smash Bros. Here’s my review at CommonSenseMedia.org – good for 6+ in terms of content and ability but only 2-stars because…. has there ever been a good Olympic game since Epyx’s Summer/Winter games back in the early 80’s? (Hint: No)
Animal Doctor – with Maggie!
Posted on March 7th, 2008 by
One day not long ago two packages arrived at my door. One was a new star in Ubisoft’s intriguing “Imagine” series and the other was part of the “Pals” series. Both were for DS. One was Imagine Animal Doctor – a game whose packaging looks more like edutainment than a a video game – and Pet Pals Animal Doctor from Majesco – a game that looks like a kids game. Which is better? I wondered. Since I have an aspiring veterinarian in the house, I asked her. more…
Review – Ninja Gaiden Sigma (Xbox360, PS3)
Posted on March 7th, 2008 by
CrispyGamer.com had me review the PS3 version of this mind-numbingly challenging and very violent sword fighting game. I reviewed the Xbox 360 version for Common Sense Media last summer (that review gives more parental information so I’ll link it here as well). It’s bloody and violent, it earns its M-rating, but only the most persistent and skilled teens or adults will be able to see all that blood and gore. The game is really, really hard! In addition to the blood there’s a scantily clad secondary character. The decapitations are gone, but the game is still violent. Read the review here.
Review – Mario Strikers Charged (Wii)
Posted on March 5th, 2008 by
CommonSenseMedia.org has my Mario Strikers review and it’s got all the parental information you need in it. Like Mario was going to suddenly get foul-mouthed? My, that would be a surprising turn from Nintendo – wouldn’t it? Anyway, the game is rated 10+ in terms of content and ability (some younger more experienced kids and tweens will have an easier time) and I gave it 4 of 5 stars.
