After reading just about every pre-release review of X-Men: The Official Game, it would be easy to think the game was the worst licensed title this side of E.T. and Superman 64. Certain naysayers even said the game's quality better not be indicative of the movie, because if it were, the sky was surely falling on Marvel Entertainment. But that misconception, dear reader, is why you come here: for the God's honest truth and an everyman's opinion of videogames. And having played through the game's entirety and seen the … [Read more...]
True Crime: New York City
The genre of games known as sandbox titles, where players have the illusion of free-reign over anything and everything in the game, really hit a high point with the release of GTA3 and its subsequent sequels. Trying to capitalize on that free-form aspect forced a lot of games into obscurity as they tried to mimic the series while separating themselves from the pack. Activision's first take at one of these "me too" games, True Crime: Streets of LA, included the twist of placing the protagonist on the right side of the … [Read more...]
007: From Russia With Love
I've insisted for years that as capable as Pierce Brosnan was, Sean Connery was the true James Bond. You just couldn't escape Connery's debonair, his grace, his ability to be believable both as a world-saving super spy and a dream-dashing womanizer. Connery was Bond, plain and simple. So when the latest 007 game was announced, and Sean Connery was providing both his voice and his Bond-era likeness to the game, let's just say I was a tad more excited than I was about the previous 007 games. From Russia With Love takes … [Read more...]
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Say what you will about movie-based videogames, but Electronic Arts scored big when it snagged the licenses to the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter games. Even if the games weren't successful critically, the simple tie-ins to those movie franchises were sure to drum up sales. The Lord of the Rings games have had a consistent theme, not to mention a steady demographic, which has led the development team to make some notable improvements from game to game. The Harry Potter games, meanwhile, have also largely targeted … [Read more...]
Pac-Man World 3
I still remember the first time I saw a Pac-Man arcade machine in the entrance of a local store. I watched over the shoulder of the kid who was playing, patiently waiting my turn. I was hooked after the first quarter I dropped into the slot. Every time I had some change in my pocket, I would walk to that store to get my Pac-Man fix. Here it is, 25 years later, and although his name and likeness have endured in my (and millions of others') mind, the little yellow guy has appeared in numerous mostly forgettable games. In … [Read more...]
GUN Review
The American Old West hasn’t exactly been kind to the world of videogames as a setting or a gameplay experience. Since the PC game Outlaws, a decade-old first-person shooter, no Western-themed game has come close to being fun, with some of them even being downright horrible. No matter the hype or potential, it seems the Old West was destined to deliver a stinker. Still, I’m an Old West junkie, so in spite of the genre’s dubious history, I was intrigued when Neversoft announced it was working on Gun, an Old West game in … [Read more...]
SSX On Tour
Snowboarding games come in one of two flavors: arcade-inspired fun fests and life-mimicking physics simulators. While there’s certainly a crowd for both types, I’m of the persuasion that real-life snowboarding is painfully realistic as it is, so when I sit down in front of a game I want to pull off moves like a physics-defying god. SSX On Tour mixes a bit of both styles, and as the game starts out it’s easy to think it leans more toward the realistic side. But advance a few ranks and buy a few boards, and you’ll soon … [Read more...]
Madagascar
The movie presentation of Madagascar may have been filled with humor that adults could enjoy, but there’s none of that to be found here. With its simple, cartoony graphics, Madagascar the videogame is aimed squarely at young children, and that’s something it does it very well. But if you’re a steady gamer and don’t have any kids, feel free to click away from this review now. This game just won’t be for you. The initial tutorial teaches players how to master moves one button at a time, showing youngsters the ropes in a … [Read more...]
NBA Street V3
If you can immediately tell someone what Bill Clinton, George Clinton and a 12-year-old named Air Dog have in common, you already know that NBA Street V3 is your type of game. Arcade basketball videogames really got their start with the original NBA Jam, which featured the aforementioned characters as unlockable players. Since then, NBA Jam has been supplanted by NBA Street as the leader in all things arcade hoops. With its most recent chapter, NBA Street V3, Electronic Arts has upped the ante again, with a new … [Read more...]
Showdown: Legends of Wrestling Review
Forget the WWE, WWC and (to a lesser extent) the XFL. For those of us who miss the old-school style of 80s entertainment known as “wrestling,” Acclaim has listened to our fond memories of the classic WWF and brought us Showdown: Legends of Wrestling. Legends like Andre, The Giant, Hulk Hogan, the Junkyard Dog … and let us not forget “Kaufman” the comedian who thought he could take on the big dudes. But unlike the classic WWF days, where fans didn’t care about the legitimacy of the matches because the production and … [Read more...]
