Tag Archive: ray carsillo


The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Limited Edition Detailed

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November 9, 2011

The golden rule

The Legend of Zelda is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and it is a big deal as few franchises are as beloved, or last as long, as this one. And many of us who were around for the first go around, remember how we felt when we saw that golden NES cartridge for the first time and knew we had something special in our hands. Since then, whenever Nintendo has had a big release for The Legend of Zelda franchise, they have made sure to do something that incorporates that original golden finish that has since become iconic for the series as much as the Master Sword or the Triforce itself.

In that vein I give you the contents of the Limited Edition package for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Although not as involved as some of these other special packages from other publishers and developers we’ve seen over the past few years, it isn’t necessarily the size of the box, but the contents, that matter. For the suggested retail price of $69.99, as opposed to $49.99 for just the Skyward Sword game, you’ll also receive a limited edition golden Wiimote with the Hylian crest etched in white on it, as well as the smallest MotionPlus sensor to date built into the controller as it is required for the game to work its best.

On top of this, you’ll receive an 8-track sample of the 25th Anniversary The Legend of Zelda Symphonies that were held in Japan, London, and Los Angeles over this past month. The shows themselves usually featured at least 15 songs, but this disc still contains 45-plus minutes of the most iconic of music from the series and is a must have for any true diehard Zelda fan and might make you want to go grab a shield and sword and save a princess yourself!

So for only an extra $20, you get a limited edition golden controller and a soundtrack CD for one of the greatest video game scores of all-time. Well, consider me sold because that sounds like a bargain no matter how you cut it.

What do you folks think of this limited edition bundle? Will you drop the extra $20 for the CD and controller? How do you think Skyward Sword will compare to other titles in the franchise? Were you able to attend the special symphonies that were held around the world? How important is game music to you, especially for a franchise like The Legend of Zelda? Sound off below!

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ADMIT ONE – Movie Previews for Weekend of November 4th, 2011

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Well, I expected Puss in Boots to do well enough to be Top 5 as children’s movies always do well no matter what. But $34 million opening weekend and number one spot good? I admit to being a little taken aback by both that and the poor showing from Johnny Depp’s The Rum Diary, which only grossed $5 million. It might be able to bounce back a bit though this week as only a pair of new movies are coming out as we move into a slower movie season and neither one of these new releases really has blockbuster written on it.

1) Tower Heist – When a big business tycoon’s Ponzi scheme robs the workers of a building he owns and lives in of their pensions, they decide to exact a little revenge and rob his next egg of $20 million.

As much as I’d like this movie to do well, I just don’t see it happening. A star-studded cast headlined by Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, Alan Alda, and Matthew Broderick and directed by action/comedy veteran Brett Ratner in an Ocean’s Eleven type of heist movie, but with a lot more laughs and a lot less underhandedness just seems like it could be too much for an audience to get behind. Could this ensemble come together and pull off something enjoyable? Maybe, but it won’t be from their lack of talent as much as a lack of solid writing that comes from people trying to balance out all the screen time for that much star power and it could keep this movie from making a significant impact at the box office.

2) A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas – Everyone’s favorite bumbling stoners are back in action. Six years after the escape from Guantanamo Bay, the two end up stumbling into each other around the holidays and accidentally burn down Harold’s father-in-law’s prize Christmas tree as they try to light up for old-time’s sake.

As much as I hate to admit it, these movies are almost like a train wreck in that you can’t help but watch and with having the stoner comedy market cornered for a good while now, it’s no surprise these keep getting made as Kal Penn and John Cho have basically become the Cheech and Chong of a new generation. Throw in that these movies are the cause of Neil Patrick Harris’s resurgence in Hollywood and that they are worth watching just to see what debauchery he’ll get in as he plays “himself” and, although I believe neither of these movies featured this week will strike it rich this weekend, it wouldn’t surprise me if A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas outperformed Tower Heist at the box office.

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James Bond’s New Movie Officially Titled

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Nobody does it better…

THE BUZZ: After much time spent in limbo, the 23rd installment of the James Bond movie franchise has been given an official title and American release date. Fitting that it would come the same week as the release of Goldeneye: Reloaded for Xbox 360 and PS3, the new Bond movie is titled ‘Skyfall’ and will once again star Daniel Craig.

At the London press conference this morning, director Sam Mendes and producer Michael G. Wilson were both on hand to answer questions, but only revealed what they wished to at this time. One tidbit they let loose with though was they were aiming for a November 7th, 2012, release here in the States (although it may actually be November 9th since that’s a Friday), and likely two weeks earlier in England (it is where Bond is from after all). Wilson also scoffed at rumors that were circulating that they were cutting the budget, saying they would be “in the same budget range as the last film”, which was $230 million.

In terms of plot, the only bit of information that was revealed was that a ghost from M’s past will come back to haunt her, attack MI6 directly, and that Bond must quell this threat to national security and that he would likely travel to at least Istanbul and China to do that. Producer Barbara Broccoli, who basically inherited the franchise from her world renowned father and producer of many of the original Bond films, Albert Broccoli, also mentioned that ‘Skyfall’ would be a stand alone movie and not tie-in as much to the first two Daniel Craig films. She also mentioned she wasn’t thrilled with the title and that she would like to see Craig do a fourth Bond film after ‘Skyfall’ if he was up to it.

The biggest surprise to come from the event though may be the reveal of relatively unknown French actress Berenice Marlohe as the newest Bond girl. Along with this Javier Bardem was confirmed as the main villain, but what his name or connection to Bond, M, and MI6 is, is still unknown at this time. Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, and Naomie Harris were also confirmed to have roles in the film.

EGM’S TAKE: I cannot wait to see this new Bond movie and what it is all about. It will also be interesting to see if there is a corresponding game to go along with it. As for Barbara Broccoli wanting Craig to do a fourth Bond film, I think we should worry about getting his third in the can first. And as for the new Bond girl, well, she at least has the figure for it, that’s for sure.

What do you folks think? Are you excited for a new James Bond movie? Are you fans of the James Bond films and which is your favorite? Who is your favorite actor to have played Bond? Where does Daniel Craig stand on the Bond actor list? Who is your favorite Bond girl?

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EGM Review: Batman: Arkham City: Nightwing DLC

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From the Shadow of the Bat

The first extended member of the Bat-Family in terms of crime fighters, Robin, the Boy Wonder, has been a comic staple for over 70 years, first appearing in 1940’s Detective Comics #38. The original lad who took that mantle though, Dick Grayson, has gone through many changes that fans of the DC Universe have been enjoying now for the past 25 years. In that time, he has worn the Batman mantle twice, but spent most of that time as his own crime fighter, ever evolving outside of Batman’s shadow, as Nightwing.

So, with Batman: Arkham City featuring Catwoman and Robin as playable challenge map characters, it would only make sense that the next member of the Bat-family to be featured would be the original sidekick for the Caped Crusader in the form of Grayson. But is he worth the $7 DLC price-tag (560 Microsoft Points) he comes with or should he simply retreat back to the shadows?

In the DLC, you get a pair of Nightwing costumes, one imagined for the Arkham City universe that features his better known black and blue look (the blue has since been changed to red in his most recent incarnation in the comics) and another based off his brief appearances in the last season of Batman: The Animated Series. You also get a pair of challenge maps, Main Hall and Wayne Manor, with one serving as a brawler challenge and the other serving as a stealth challenge. You also get the ability to use Nightwing in any other maps that come with the game or that you may have downloaded otherwise.

But, unfortunately, that’s it. Rocksteady didn’t even bother to record a voice over for the character so the load screen for each map is just Nightwing standing there, looking pretty ragged for a character who didn’t even make it into Arkham City’s story. At least Robin makes a brief appearance in the actual campaign. Not to mention that Dick Grayson, known for his quips during battle is dead silent because Rocksteady cut a corner with no voice actor there and yet Batman, who NEVER talks, starts every challenge map with a taunt. Very out of character for both Batman and Nightwing and a questionable move by the Rocksteady folks if you ask me.

Nightwing does handle solidly, yet still differently, when compared to the other characters in the game though. To make him feel special in a fight, Rocksteady made sure to focus a lot on his now signature Escrima Sticks that Dick mastered when he first took on the Nightwing mantle and became protector of Bludhaven as well as giving him a heavy MMA feel in terms of his takedowns like arm-bar submissions. He also has gadgets similar to Batman like the grappling hook and line launcher and some unique gadgets of his own, like a wrist mounted tranquilizer gun that stuns enemies on the brawler maps and knocks them out cold in the stealth maps. The tranquilizer gun only holds three shots for the entire stealth map though and doesn’t recharge, otherwise it would be too easy to work your way past the six thugs you have to take out. The Escrima Sticks have also been modified for the game so that they can act like the stun batons Batman faces in later parts of Arkham City. This gives him some interesting special moves with a lot of range as he can channel the electricity by crossing the sticks and stunning foes.

Despite his smooth handling though, the challenge maps are such a secondary feature to the game for me that to charge $7 for a character you don’t even see in the campaign is really disappointing. Now, if Nightwing had been given his own campaign missions or even could be used in the campaign, I think we’d have a different story on our hands. Or if the DLC was really cheap like one or two dollars. But the same goes for the Robin DLC that I got with the game; the campaign is the bread and butter of Batman: Arkham City and so something that adds nothing to that aspect of the game in any way just seems unnecessary to me, especially at the price that this content is listed as. And so unless you are a huge fan of the challenge maps and doing them over and over again, plus a huge fan of Batman’s history, then I really think overall that the Nightwing DLC for Batman: Arkham City is mediocre at best and unnecessary at worst considering its price tag.

SUMMARY: As wonderful and enthralling as Batman: Arkham City is, paying $7 for the two challenge maps and costumes in the Nightwing DLC is a rip-off.

  • THE GOOD: Another unique fighting style to use in the Arkham City challenge maps
  • THE BAD: Only two extra maps and no voice acting for the character
  • THE UGLY: Dick Grayson’s ragged haircut

SCORE: 5.0

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Hands-On: Lollipop Chainsaw

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And you thought YOUR high school was tough

Suda51 loves nothing more than to parody American culture as well as mix in some musical aspects to his games and so a lot of the elements to his upcoming hack ‘n’ slash zombie fest Lollipop Chainsaw should come as no surprise. Described as sex, blood, and rock ‘n’ roll, Lollipop Chainsaw follows one Juliet Starling, a former cheerleader of San Romero High School (named such in tribute to the father of modern zombie culture, George A. Romero) and how she must put down many of her former classmates who have been turned into the walking undead. With the help of several unturned, including her boyfriend who now lives as a disembodied head (imagine Ash from Evil Dead, but the “infection” went A LOT further) attached by a chain to Juliet’s waste and provides advice, Juliet must get to the bottom of this zombie outbreak. Let the Buffy the Vampire Slayer parallels commence!

Seriously though, I had a chance to grab Juliet’s preferred weapon of choice, her chainsaw, and dive headlong into the first level of Lollipop Chainsaw a short time ago. In terms of gameplay, although the premise is very different, it feels very similar to another Suda51 game in No More Heroes and so fans of that series should appreciate the ability to just pick up and play Lollipop Chainsaw from the get go. Aside from her chainsaw, Juliet can also shake her pom-poms and perform various cheerleading acrobatics in order to stun zombie crowds and give her enough time to decapitate her zombie foes, which is the only way to put them down for good. Of course, this makes me wonder about the source of the outbreak because whenever a pretty girl shakes her pom-poms in front of me, I admit I become pretty stunned and single-minded in my thinking patterns as well.

Anyway, as we progressed through the level and took down classmate after classmate and even a math teacher mini-boss, the thing that was most evident was that this game has Suda51’s style written all over it. Big explosions of light and sound punctuated the climb of my combo counter climb higher and higher as I slay undead foe after undead foe. And along with the fountains of blood from the neck stumps of recently beheaded enemies, if I was able to “get in the zone” with Juliet by hitting a high enough combo, all the blood would turn into hearts and firework sparkles while my chainsaw became supercharged with one-hit knockout power. This obviously allowed me to mow down my enemies much quicker and just roll through the hallways of San Romero High.

Another interesting note about the style is that the game has at times a bit of a B-movie feel to it, again paying tribute to the good ol’ days of zombie films. This could be because of the work Dawn of the Dead screenwriter James Gunn has contributed to the game as he has been more than open about his joy in working on this game with Warner Bros. and Suda51 on his personal website and to us in the media. Along with James Gunn, top of the line voice actress Tara Strong has been confirmed as the voice of Juliet and who may best be known for Raven in Teen Titans, Batgirl in Batman: The Animated Series, Bubbles in The Powerpuff Girls, Harley Quinn in Batman: Arkham City, and has even been rumored, but never confirmed, to have done the voice of Bowser Jr. in Super Mario Sunshine.

After enough slaying of the hoi polloi zombie, that I might add is done in your more standard “shuffling” type that only really starts to speed up when Juliet gets within chomping range, we made it to the school gymnasium. Oh Juliet attended many a pep rally here in her preferred zombie bashing outfit, her cheer uniform, but now it has been taken over by a zombified Metal Goth named Zed, the first of many high school class stereotypes we are due to see in the game, who hates Juliet and her establishment supporting ways. Here is where we really get out first taste of the rock ‘n’ roll as Zed’s primary forms of attack deal with sound speakers and amplified sound waves that rush towards Juliet after Zed shouts some nasty things into his unholy microphone. You’ll look to mute Zed for good, but only after fighting him in several stages, where you get to see his true power as he literally pulls himself back together after several rounds, and this is all in just the first level.

Although we’re still lacking a lot of the major story details and what other classes we could expect to take on in this high school from hell, one thing is for sure: if you’re a fan of Suda51’s other work, then this game should be right up your alley.  Lollipop Chainsaw is expected right now to hack out a spot for itself on store shelves sometime in March 2012.

Are you folks Suda51 fans? Are you looking forward to Lollipop Chainsaw? What do you think of all the parodies that will be seen in Lollipop Chainsaw? What else do you think we might see in Lollipop Chainsaw? Let us know your thoughts on this game with comments below!

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ADMIT ONE – Movie Previews for October 28th, 2011

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No surprise to see Paranormal Activity 3 pull away with the box office win and it might repeat as there are no horror movies looking to compete with it this Halloween weekend. There are four movies that have their own merits though and the audience that saw Paranormal Activity 3, if they’re regular movies goers, will have plenty of new choices on their hands worthy of their bucks depending on their demo. So let’s take a look at the competition!

1) The Rum Diary – An American journalist looking for a change of pace and chance to hone his craft takes a freelance gig in Puerto Rico and ends up with more than he bargained for as he tries to balance his own overindulgence with island culture and the expatriates who live there.

Based on Hunter S. Thompson’s book of the same name, which in turn was based loosely on his own experiences in Puerto Rico, The Rum Diary looks to be a fun-filled romp that fans of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas will likely eat up as it has Thompson’s experiences as the father of Gonzo journalism written all over it. Fittingly, Johnny Depp plays Paul Kemp who was basically Thompson, who Depp has already played in Fear and Loathing, and so is not much of a stretch for him in terms of getting into character. If anything, consider this a prequel to Fear and Loathing and that fans of that original mind trip will probably enjoy this one just as much.

2) Anonymous – A political and historical thriller revolving around the theory that the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward De Vere, actually penned Shakespeare’s plays, but could not put his name to them due to political turmoil of the time and so set Shakespeare up as a celebrity.

Anyone who enjoys history and literature will probably enjoy what looks to be a smart and compelling case for Shakespeare to be nothing more than a figurehead for these plays. Whether or not this is true, we will never know, but the dramatic speculation set up by the movie will definitely make for good conversation if you can follow along with what looks to be a bit of a cerebral 130 minutes. Rhys Ifans, best known as a comedic actor, continues to spread his acting wings with another dramatic role, this time as the lead as the Earl of Oxford.

3) Puss in Boots – A spin-off of the Shrek movies that serves as a prequel/origin story for the Puss in Boots character before he meets up with his ogre and donkey companion later in life.

If movies like Lion King 3D and A Dolphin Tale prove anything in recent weeks, its that kids movies do well no matter the season and this looks to be a kids movie that could also appeal to adults if it features any of the classic humor of the Shrek movies. Although I doubt it will hold a candle to the Shrek movies, it should still be a worthy choice for the family and with a star-studded voice cast featuring Antonio Banderas reprising the role of Puss in Boots, Billy Bob Thorton and Amy Sedaris as Jack and Jill, Selma Hayek as Kitty Softpaws, and Zach Galifianakis as Humpty Dumpty, could be a solid choice for your family activity this weekend.

4) In Time – In the future, people don’t age past 25 years old, but are engineered to die anyway at 26. Some though can afford more time, literally, and can buy them and their family a way to immortality. Enter Will Salas who suddenly wakes up with a lot more time on his hands than he should and must escape “the timekeepers” who are looking to set things right.

As much as I hate to say it, this looks like a very interesting sci-fi action thriller. Justin Timberlake continues to flaunt his acting chops as the lead Will Salas. More impressively though he is pitted against Cillian Murphy, who I believe is slowly becoming this generation’s Christopher Walken, as he looks to brilliantly pull off another villainous role, this time as the head of the timekeepers after Salas. Throw in Amanda Seyfried as the love interest in very tight and skimpy clothing for the necessary eye candy and In Time has me very intrigued indeed.

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The Pullbox #11 – 10/26/11

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Marvel continues to rollout some of their re-launches this week while DC begins forwarding some more stories they launched in the New 52. Meanwhile, in the Indies, we go back to a galaxy far, far away. So, check out this week’s Pullbox!

1) Marvel – Daredevil #5: After a strong start to The Man Without Fear’s new series by seeing Daredevil take down Claw and The Spot, Matt Murdock accidentally begins to stumble upon a huge smuggling conspiracy amongst the world’s most nefarious organizations like Hydra and A.I.M. As he begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together, all the while trying to protect some new clients, he also happens upon a new villain whose strength and reflexes are something that could put Daredevil down for the count! Honestly, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed Daredevil so far and if you’ve missed the first four issues, I’d really recommend trying to find them in the back issues of your local comic store, while also picking this issue up to see just how far things are going to go. Great writing combined with innovative art to show the world through Daredevil’s “eyes” make this re-invention of Daredevil a must have in your pullbox.

2) Marvel – The Incredible Hulk #1: Part of the fallout of Fear Itself sees the Hulk somehow separated from Bruce Banner. You would think that both would be as happy as they could be, but that is not the case. As the Hulk finds himself feeling like a hero for the first time since Planet Hulk really as he becomes a champion for the mole people, Bruce Banner is turning into a Dr. Frankenstein of sorts as he cannot cope without the Hulk around. Hulk must now venture back to the surface to try to calm down Banner as it seems that Banner has been committing some crimes against nature in his attempts to move on with his life after the Hulk. A great way to kick this new series off is the role reversal of Banner and the Hulk as Hulk is the more rational being and Banner is being portrayed as the monster. You know at some point the Hulk and Banner will have to reunite, but until then to see them actually fighting against each other makes me look forward to the second issue of this new monthly more than any other re-launch we’ve had recently. Top it off with the great art from legendary artist Marc Silvestri and Hulk #1 is a must have for any and every comic book fan.

3) DC – Green Lantern: New Guardians #2: Kyle Rayner must fight off representatives from the rest of the power ring spectrum and get to the bottom of why these rings have all sought him out. But when Kyle looks for help from familiar allies, will he find what he’s looking for or just more problems? Continuing the feeling of what we had during the Blackest Night with all the various ring wielding forces coming together, New Guardians is clearly laying some groundwork for what will be a massive shake-up in the life of Kyle Rayner and what it means for anyone to wield a ring, green or otherwise. Great art, a tremendous ending, and an unfortunate fate for a long time friend of Rayner makes this a very compelling book and if you’re going to be able to follow all the craziness that is sure to follow, you had better get on board now while you still can. New Guardians may be the best Green Lantern related book out there right now as part of this New 52.

4) DC – Batman: The Dark Knight #2: After the crazy cliffhanger of the first issue of this new series, we finally learn about what is happening to many of Gotham’s villains as a new one dressed as a white rabbit (very Mad Hatter-esque) is leading Batman along a trail of drugged up arch enemies. Two-Face, the Ventriloquist, and even the Joker look as if they bathed in Venom or the Titan formula from Arkham Asylum and Batman must find out where this new drug is coming from and just how he can put a stop to it. This comic has piqued my interest right now because I admit I just don’t know where it is going to go. The new villainess dressed as a white rabbit has me thinking she’s not the brains behind the drugs, but it doesn’t fit the Mad Hatter’s modus operandi and so I wonder if there couldn’t be someone else pulling the strings. Either way, this mystery has me itching for the next issue of this Batman series just to see what other villains may get doped up and how Batman will find a way to bring it all to an end.

5) Dark Horse – Star Wars: Crimson Empire III #1 (of 6): The Empire is in shambles. The final clone of the Emperor has been flushed out and destroyed. And only a lone soldier in the once elite Crimson Guard remains. This is the continuation of his story. Set about a decade after Return of the Jedi in my personal favorite part of the expanded universe, as in events that take place after the original movies, we see the last Crimson Guard, Kir Kanos, established as a tremendous warrior as he easily…removes…several bounty hunters after him, but in the end is caught by Boba Fett. Yes, Boba Fett miraculous survived the Sarlacc Pit. It is what happens when you wear Mandalorian Armor and it takes 1,000 years to be digested. What could Boba want with Kanos though and what purpose does this lost warrior have without the Empire to serve? If you’re like me and a fan of the expanded universe of Star Wars then I’m sure there are many Dark Horse comics in your collection. This particular series though looks especially interesting though because it deals with the rarely mentioned Crimson Guard and features some of our favorite characters, including the greatest bounty hunter ever in Boba Fett. This issue is a must pick up for Star Wars fans.

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EGM Review: The Cursed Crusade

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The Crusade isn’t the only thing that got cursed

The Cursed Crusade revolves around the idea that those who commit heinous crimes against their fellow men—whether in the name of God or not—see their bloodline marked for generations, and that their descent to hell is guaranteed. So when Templar Jean de Bayle fights in the Third Crusade, his bloodline’s tainted, and death stalks him for the rest of his days. Years later, his son, young Denz de Bayle, struggles with his family’s curse and learns that by possibly collecting artifacts of Christ like the Crown of Thorns or a piece of the Crucifix, he might be able to remove the taint from his family.

But in order to find an excuse to get to Jerusalem, he—like his father before him—decides to sign up for the Fourth Crusade. As young Denz, you befriend a Spanish mercenary also tainted by the curse, and the two of you begin your secret mission to save your souls while also uncovering the sinister plot of the men behind the Fourth Crusade—and learn that Jerusalem may be farther off than originally thought.

The best part about The Cursed Crusade is the same thing that makes the Assassin’s Creed series so riveting—it finds a way to bend true history to its own tale. The game’s primarily set against key moments in the Fourth Crusade, like the conquering of Zara in Croatia in 1202 as a favor to the Venetians to fund the Crusaders’ warships and the subsequent conquering of Constantinople later in 1204, permanently dividing the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. All the while, de Bayle and his Spanish friend attempt to stave off hell’s attempts on their souls while looking for the artifacts that could save them from eternal damnation.

Unfortunately, once you look past the story, you see a very unpolished game. Whether it’s characters blinking in and out of existence during cutscenes or getting caught against invisible barriers in the middle of open roads, calling the game “unpolished” may actually be going easy on it. On top of this, the combat’s very hit or miss, as the enemy AI—even on the “Nightmare” difficulty—is simple enough that all you need to do is constantly parry their attacks with a click of the right trigger before going in for your button-mashing combo. The only difference on the harder difficulties is that the game tries to overwhelm your character with more and more enemies that can absorb more hits—but they don’t actually get any smarter. And, like in most hack-n-slashers, even though the game offers the chance to unlock various combos that mix the myriad shields and weapons you’ll collect on your journey, you can just mash light and heavy attack and get the desired results.

The overall aesthetics disappoint as well—the character design, death and blood animations, and scenery all have last-generation graphics written all over them. Couple this with OK music and horrible voice acting, and this game’s tough to listen to and even tougher to look at. Like my sister after Christmas dinner when she’s had a couple of glasses of wine. Ugh. Nasty. What a mess.

Sure, the game offers a little replay value with a bevy of collectibles in each level, but why would you want to replay something that you shouldn’t even want to play once? The Cursed Crusade lives up to its name, because this budget title is cursed to end up in its own personal hell: the bargain bin.

SUMMARY: An interesting twist on a historical setting—but far too many technical shortcomings to make it worth your time.

  • THE GOOD: Story fits into its historical setting
  • THE BAD: Glitch-riddled, repetitive action
  • THE UGLY: The majority of the game’s animations

SCORE: 4.0

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EGM Review: House of the Dead: Overkill: Extended Cut

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A lifeless, zombified PS3 port

Back in 2009, an arcade classic was in desperate need of a makeover—and, of all places, it came from the Wii, surprisingly enough. The House of the Dead: Overkill served as a prequel for the immensely popular lightgun House of the Dead games and explained, sort of, both the origins of Agent G (the series’ main protagonist) and the zombie-causing formula he’s fought for 15 years—all wrapped in a ’70s B-movie setting with over-the-top voice acting, tons of sex and swearing, and cheesy moments galore. Looking to capitalize on that surprising success, Sega’s ported the game over to the PS3 with some upgrades in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle with a new audience.

Unfortunately, anyone who played through the original House of the Dead: Overkill will note Extended Cut for PS3 just feels…off. For as many problems that have been fixed from the original—like repetitive zombie skins and short game length—new ones seem to have cropped up. And the most glaring is way the game looks.

See, the poor graphics were actually part of the original’s charm. Throwing in a film grain to cover up the Wii’s weaker processing power was a masterstroke that helped give Overkill a B-movie look that fit perfectly with the depraved humor and unabashed, over-the-top moments. Bringing the game into full HD on the PS3 actually takes away from the original experience and shows that film grain and great graphics just don’t mix. But the visual changes don’t stop with the HD upgrade—Extended Cut also includes added 3D. Enemies chuck weapons in order to add a few 3D moments to the experience, but it feels forced and unnecessary the whole way through, and it’s just another knock on these new-and-“improved” visuals.

Another flaw comes with the controls, since most players don’t actually own a PS Move—and that’s how this game is meant to be played, with the Move serving as a makeshift lightgun to help re-create that arcade experience. If you don’t own a Move, the controls don’t translate to the DualShock, since you’ll more than likely try to overcompensate with the reticule and overshoot your target, making the game’s multiplier combos almost impossible. Looking back, the game worked so well for the Wii because the Wiimote’s essentially designed as a light gun to begin with.

Extended Cut includes two new levels that follow zombie-fighting stripper Varla Gunns when she’s not with Agent G and Isaac Washington, and those definitely add some replay value and extra humor—though the spotlight still shines on the relationship between Washington and G. These areas introduce new characters while also bridging what some might consider plot gaps—but I just think of them as part of the charm.

In the end, I can’t believe I actually found myself pining for the Wii version, as this PS3 incarnation found a way to use technology to suck out all the fun and charm of the original and deposit it in a steaming pile of disappointment on my living-room floor. If you’ve never played the original House of the Dead: Overkill and happen to own a Move, then this game might be worth checking out. Otherwise, I hope you’re ready to dust off your Wii—because I’d actually recommend that version, which you can probably find in the bargain bin these days, to get the better overall experience.

SUMMARY: It may sound preposterous, but you’d be better off checking out the far-better Wii version of this PS3 port.

  • THE GOOD: Two new levels extend the campy, on-rails romp
  • THE BAD: HD graphics with a film-grain effect is like a visual oxymoron
  • THE UGLY: The Mother boss in full 3D

SCORE: 6.0

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EGM Review: Kinect Sports: Season Two

Filed under: EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Written — Leave a comment

The defending champ looks for a repeat

When Kinect launched last year, several titles showed off the possibility of the peripheral, but few had the lasting appeal of Kinect Sports. Fun when played individually—but truly appreciated with a group of friends—the game made a clear, lasting impression on the casual market. Now, Microsoft looks to see if they can reel in soccer moms again with Kinect Sports: Season Two. American football, baseball, golf, darts, tennis, and skiing are all featured in this newest iteration—and if you thought you broke a sweat before, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

I tried out football first—and it was easily the most grueling, as I had to run in place for receptions and kick returns. On top of this, I had to get down under center; standing signaled my virtual center to hike the ball. Though I had a lot of fun playing offense, I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I could’ve also played defense instead of just watching the box score to see how my AI opponent did during its possession. But when it comes to picking-up, throwing, and kicking motions, the game’s almost more exciting than a real-life pick-six.

Moving to baseball, I tried my hand at a home-run-derby-style minigame before stepping into the batter’s box for a couple of quick two-inning games. Again, a lot of running was involved, as I beat out ground balls for infield singles whenever I couldn’t drive the ball into the gap or over the fence. But there was just one problem: The game seemed to have issue with my swing—because of my power-hitting demeanor, I have a big leg kick. Anyone who’s hit the diamond in real life knows that the leg kick comes first, but I guess I have a few too many moving parts in my stroke, and I’d sometimes trigger the swing a couple of seconds too early. Once I reined in my herky-jerky motion, though, the game worked a lot better.

Darts was a lot less involved physically—but also much more frustrating, because I just couldn’t seem to get my shots lined up correctly. It was also the only game where I couldn’t even beat the Rookie CPU, because I’d always just miss my mark. Skiing was also relatively simple, as I leaned left and right to make it through the series of slalom gates, but I had a lot more fun with the obstacle course, since that was a lot more involved—I jumped, ducked, and swerved on a much more regular basis.

Tennis wasn’t very involving, either, since the game controls all of your lateral movements. You’ve just got to focus on your swing, whether it’s a forehand or a backhand. In fact, the best part of tennis might’ve actually been the hot chick doing the tutorial tennis video!

Finally, it was time to hit the links, and this was the first golf game I’ve ever played where the putting mechanic worked so well that I actually ended up with a score under par. Between my practice swings, my caddy offering advice, and the Kinect sensor picking up my movements precisely, I started to realize why some people actually enjoy playing a sport that’s so horribly boring to watch on TV.

All in all, each game’s quite polished, and the sensor bar does its job throughout—which, to me, is the most critical element of a Kinect game. My only concern is that Season Two could lose its luster in single-player, so you’ll need to rely on the Xbox Live challenge mode, where you and your pals try to one-up your best scores, or get really obsessed with the new calorie counter. Also, hearing a British dude talk about American football felt weird, but I can forgive that because of the awesome licensed music. All in all, Kinect Sports: Season Two is a worthy successor to the first—and easily the premiere casual Kinect experience.

SUMMARY: A worthy successor to the first—and easily the premiere casual Kinect experience.

  • THE GOOD: Six new sports in the vein of the original Kinect Sports
  • THE BAD: Some motions—especially in American football and baseball
  • THE UGLY: Several of the sport-tutorial video models (not tennis girl, though—she’s hot!)

SCORE: 7.0

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