Tag Archive: video games


EGM Review: Pokémon Black/White 2

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October 20, 2012

We won’t get caught again

When Pokémon Red/Blue hit North American shores 14 years ago, I don’t think anyone could’ve imagined the phenomenon it would become and continues to be to this day, as the franchise keeps churning out hit games (that, in turn, also lead to truckloads of other merchandise and media). In all that time, though, Pokémon‘s never seen a true sequel. Most of the time, we simply see the same game rehashed over and over again but with new opponents, new areas, or the most popular choice of new Pokémon, which has bloated the Pokédex to more than four times the size of that seen in Red/Blue. Finally, though, we get a direct sequel, and it’s a follow-up to one of the more beloved Pokémon games in recent history in Pokémon Black/White 2.

The game starts like every other Pokémon outing: You choose between a male or female trainer and then set off into the world to become the greatest trainer ever by collecting eight gym badges—and hopefully conclude your adventure by challenging the Elite Four and the Champion to become Champion yourself. Along the way, you’ll also try to bring justice to Pokémon and people in need and promote positive relations between Pokémon and humans by completing sidequests. Much of this revolves around crushing the resurgent Team Plasma, who wish to steal all the Pokémon for their own nefarious purposes.

But as you start to get deeper and deeper into the game, you’ll get a feeling of déjà vu; many of the areas and trainers you’ll meet are exactly the same from the first game—and this is Pokémon Black/White 2’s major flaw. Minor aesthetic changes can’t hide the fact that this game is a soulless carbon copy of its predecessor unlike any other Pokémon release before it.

Now, I understand that Pokémon has used this formula for years, but when you make a sequel and set a game in the exact same universe as the previous title, the story needs a little extra “oomph,” and players need to see more differences from the original game. The first Pokémon Black/White was so adored because it mixed things up for the first time in a long time while still sticking to the core gameplay values. These same values remain in Pokémon Black/White 2, but the story here makes it feel like you’re playing the exact same game most of the time but with a couple of meaningless new side areas like Pokéstar Studios.

The gameplay does at least shine through here, though—it’s still as tight as ever, and there are still few greater feelings in RPGs than capturing a wild Pokémon (especially a legendary one) or overcoming a difficult foe by knowing what types work well against your opponent and actually outplaying them. And some minor gameplay additions do augment the action in positive ways—like the new Challenge and Assist modes that allow you to raise or lower the level of your foes on a second playthrough. Still, all this doesn’t hide the fact that the game just feels like a sad attempt to doll up an experience that seems more like Pokémon Black/White 1.5 instead of Pokémon Black/White 2.

In the end, Pokemon Black/White 2 handles just as tightly as any other game in the franchise’s history, and it’s still fun to play; it would also serve as a great jumping-on point for any newcomers. But for veteran Pokémon players—or even fans of the first Pokémon Black/White—you’ll most likely end up disappointed.

SUMMARY: The story takes a step backward, and the new game modes aren’t that impressive. Mostly, it’s just the same ol’ Jigglypuff song and dance from Pokemon Black/White 2.

  • THE GOOD: A few interesting new locations and game modes.
  • THE BAD: The story takes a step backward and does little to differentiate itself from the previous game.
  • THE UGLY: The fact that the Pokédex is at almost 650 Pokemon now…

SCORE 6.5

Pokemon Black/White 2 are Nintendo DS exclusives. Primary version played for review was Pokemon White 2.

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EGM Game Over Podcast 013: Ben Franklin’s Brothel

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EGM Game Over Podcast 013: Ben Franklin’s Brothel

The EGM crew brings you the Game Over Podcast, our end-of-the-week conversation where we discuss some of the biggest recent events in gaming.

[Hosts] Andrew Fitch, Ray Carsillo, and Eric L. Patterson
[Date] October 5th, 2012

[News] Cliff Bleszinski leaves Epic, Mass Effect 1 coming to PS3 (and not Wii U), FIFA 13 copies are flying off store shelves, we bow to King Washington, and your Xbox Gamerscore will nab you discounts.

[EGM Reviews] Resident Evil 6, Pokemon Black & White 2

Want to send feedback to the show? Drop us a line on Twitter: @EGMLogin

[Subscribe via iTunes] http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/egm-radio/id538629924
[Subscribe via Feedburner] http://feeds.feedburner.com/EGMRadio

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Hands-On: Assassin’s Creed III & Liberation

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October 2, 2012

They may be two of the most anticipated games of the year, but getting information or extended playing time with Assassin’s Creed III and Assassin’s Creed: Liberation has been like trying to get blood from a stone. Until now. Last week, I had a chance to get some quality hands-on time with AC III’s single player campaign and new multiplayer modes as well as AC:L’s campaign as Ubisoft transported me back to colonial Boston to help immerse us in this revolutionary experience.

AC III Single Player

We started with AC III’s single player campaign and were immediately thrown into a never before seen area of Connor’s world: the Homestead. Similar in many ways to Ezio and Monteriggioni from AC II and AC: Brotherhood, Homestead is Connor’s home base out in the wilderness. Acting as a bastion for Connor between missions where he can gather his thoughts, learn more about the Assassins, and also do favors for others in the wilderness, Homestead is a much deeper experience though than Monteriggioni ever was.

By doing side missions for friendly faces, NPCs will set up shop in and around the Homestead so Connor can trade goods, upgrade items, and perform many of the same functions that you did in Monteriggioni. Giving a little bit of back story to these side missions though allows you to build a deeper connection to these extra characters in AC III and even after just chasing some poachers out of the forest or collecting trinkets for a retired pirate, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the idea of directly influencing the start of a new community with Connor as the lead.

After making a few new friends in my little slice of the wilderness, I wanted to test out Connor’s ship skills and finally take a whack at the naval battles. Not only were there battles that could forward that aspect of the story, but it had its own set of side missions, or could just be used as a quick travel between port cities. But I wanted to blow some ships up and so I just jumped right on into the next mission in the naval story.

In the mission, I was tasked with escorting some merchant ships to port, and after disposing of some small British warships in my way and completing the primary objective of the mission, I found I had stumbled upon a larger Templar plot when a previously abandoned fort in Martha’s Vineyard was suddenly alive and bustling…and targeting my ship! As I switched from half mast to full, this after easily disposing of British mines in the churning waters of the cape, I began circling the fort, pummeling it with cannon fire until its three towers stopped trying to rain mortars and death onto my ship. The best part of this mission was just piloting the ship though as it didn’t feel like I was fighting the ship to maneuver it where I wanted and the cannon aiming mechanics were simple enough to quickly understand.

After docking my ship, I wanted to get into the main plot of the story. Walking around Boston, I was to meet with Samuel Adams and other Sons of Liberty. But I wanted to push Connor to his limits in a fight first. And the British weren’t exactly fans of me killing their soldiers in the middle of the street.

With my new favorite weapons, the rope dart and the tomahawk, I had the Boston streets running red with British blood by the time I was done. I began by pulling a sentry off a roof with the rope dart, and his death  alerted countless other red coats who then swarmed the town square. With the tomahawk, which is the first time in an Assassin’s Creed game that I preferred using a weapon that wasn’t the traditional hidden blade, I began hacking away at red coat faces, kneecaps, and anything that was within range of my righteous rage. I started by countering two guys at once and had them run each other through with bayonets before throwing my rope dart at a heavy’s feet to trip him up and then strike the killing blow in his neck with the tomahawk. Then, I would spin and roll over the back of another red coat, only to quickly whip around while he was off-balance and stab him in the back, grab him as he was dying, and use him as a meat shield as two other soldiers were now lining up rifle shots. Next, with the dead soldier’s rifle, I would take aim at the folks who just perforated their buddy, and take one out with a rifle, toss it away, and then take the other out with my pistol.

This is quite simply the most fluid combat system we’ve seen from this franchise and the bevy of options available to you in any given combat situation will blow your mind into itty, bitty pieces. I could not get enough of it and even after several hours play time, I was still seeing new animations, take downs, and maneuvers from Connor.

After taking part in my own little Boston Massacre, I knew it was time to actually see a little of the story and so I met up with Sam Adams at a bar, a fitting setting if there was one, and found out that my mission was to assist in the infamous Boston Tea Party. But first, I had to help an ornery French-Canadian chef named Stephane who was ready to wreak a little havoc on his own.

After protecting our friend from the north as he set out on his own personal crusade, I was pleasantly surprised that another feature from previous AC games was returning in that Connor gets recruits, and Stephane was the first. What has changed now is that each recruit has a much larger and detailed back story, much like the folks around Homestead, and so in order to help these characters feel more personal to Connor, there are only six recruits.

Another change is that Arrow Storm has been removed in order to help keep the game situations a bit more balanced once you begin unlocking your recruits. In its place, each of the six recruits has a special move besides assassinate. Stephane for example has ‘Riot’, which does exactly as it says and can incite a riot in order to help Connor move more easily through large open spaces. Another recruit has ‘Guard Post’, where the recruit can dress up as a red coat and help escort/sneak you through heavily guarded forts. Unfortunately, we’ll likely have to wait till launch to see what the other four recruits may have up their sleeves.

After I destroyed a lot of tea and killed a lot of red coats, the Ubisoft folks told me my time with single player was done and I needed to move onto multiplayer. Reluctantly (they had to pry the controller from my hands as I kicked and screamed, it took four guys), I left single player and moved into the multiplayer aspects of AC III.

AC III Multiplayer

So, many of the modes in AC III’s multiplayer are returning favorites in how to get your personal stab on, and so this section of the hands-on preview will focus only on the two new modes we saw and played: Domination in Versus and Wolf Pack Co-op.

Now, Domination is pretty much like Domination in every other game out there. You have three markers scattered about a map with the objective being to control these markers for the majority of the match and you score points every few seconds based on how many markers are in control by your faction.  The difference is its done with an Assassin’s Creed flair in that a capturing team cannot kill players who control the section, they can only stun them, and it takes longer to capture a point then it does for someone to recover from stun. This presents the interesting dilemma of knowing when to expose oneself, if at all.

The big draw for multiplayer this go around though was the Wolf Pack Co-op. In this mode, you and three friends attempt to perform as many assassinations as possible and each assassination is scored. By hitting certain point thresholds, the assassinations start to get harder and harder as you move through 25 point thresholds.

The most interesting twist here though is that by coordinating your assassinations with teammates, you can earn larger and larger point bonuses so balancing both quality and quantity is the only effective way to progress through the higher levels. Not to mention communication becomes critical. There are also special side missions that can add to the score and your experience if you can accomplish them with the most impressive being the multi-sync kill. This is where all four members of the team must lock onto their targets and execute them at the same time, triggering an impressive cinematic and massive score bonuses.

After several multi-sync kills and floundering a few times around level 19, it was time for me to move on to the bane of my sausage fingers’ existence: the PS Vita in order to play Assassin’s Creed: Liberation.

Assassin’s Creed: Liberation

Admittedly, my experiences with the Vita have been less than stellar as gimmicks have polluted my favorite franchises left and right when they try adding chapters to their story via this handheld. But I was pleasantly surprised with my first time with Aveline. From assassinating Spanish lieutenants after scaling a massive ancient fort, to making costume changes faster than a Broadway lead, Liberation feels much like other beloved Assassin’s Creed adventures without forcing gimmicky controls on you. They are there, but they are options, not required, to advance through Aveline’s Louisiana.

Aveline’s combat and abilities also were a pleasant surprise as they rivaled that of Connor’s as she fluidly used her meat cleaver and various other tools to bring the pain to the Spanish who occupy and enslave much of her home. But the little bit of what we saw of Aveline’s story may have impressed me the most as she has an array of unusual allies and is torn between her sense of duty to the people, her own morals, and the Assassin’s order, which leads to a wide variety of missions for Aveline to perform. And watching how these all conflict with each other in the story is very intriguing.

There were some concerns though with certain aspects of Liberation. Possibly being spoiled from playing AC III first, I felt the AI of enemy troops was a little lacking in terms of reacting to Aveline and her actions, and her blow dart made her feel almost omnipotent as she could stealthily eliminate foes from a distance. She carries only a limited number of darts, of course, but when you only need one or two to carve a path through Spanish sentries, there was a lot less challenge it felt like.

I suppose part of the challenge as playing with Aveline though comes with her notoriety and the requiring of costume changes. Aveline’s Assassin garb has guards constantly on the lookout for her, whereas her slave garb has varying levels much like the other Assassin’s Creed games, and then her aristocratic garb has her always inconspicuous because no one suspects the lady in the flower dress. These costumes have their own unique positives and negatives, but if you’re like me, you welcome the challenge of constantly being under scrutiny from guards because the combat is so superb and so the Assassin garb was my primary choice.

When all was said and done after our trip up to Boston, the entire slate of everything we saw involving Assassin’s Creed blew me away. Liberation seems like it’ll be the first game for the PS Vita that I’ll thoroughly enjoy and AC III is quite simply a game changer for the franchise and possibly action/adventure games as a whole due to the most immersive and detailed story yet, plethora of side quests, and fluid combat system. After getting my first taste of these two games, I know I for one cannot wait to embody the spirit of revolution come October 30th and play as both Connor and Aveline in what are shaping up to possibly be the best AC games yet.

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EGM Review: Joe Danger 2: The Movie

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Danger is his last name

The original Joe Danger struck a chord with audiences everywhere by giving us the simple yet fun premise of being a motorcycle stuntman in the vein of Evel Knievel, making sure the control sensitivity was cranked to maximum, and throwing in a first-class level creator that you could share with your friends. Now Joe is back and looking to see if he can strike that same chord again in Joe Danger 2: The Movie.

In order to pump a little depth into the franchise, Joe Danger 2 actually has a story this time around. After another day of jumping buses and doing Superman poses on his bike in mid-air, Joe is approached by a huge Hollywood director who wants him to handle the stunts in all of his big budget action films. Knowing this could be the break he’s always dreamed of, Joe’s more than happy to jump on board. And thus our game begins!

Because of this movie shoot setting, many of the story chapters are themed around motifs borrowed from classic action films. From escaping a megalomaniac’s mountain fortress James Bond style to riding a rickety mine cart like Indiana Jones to being attacked by dinosaurs a la Jurassic Park, Joe Danger 2 offers a lot more variety and challenge than in the previous title, as Joe now has objectives that tie directly into these movies.

As a result, Joe isn’t always on his trusted motorcycle, and one thing that Joe Danger 2 fails at is making sure you’re aware that mine carts, skis, snowmobiles, jet packs, and all the other new vehicles Joe pilots handle just like his motorcycle. You’ll eventually figure it out, but newcomers to the series may feel the first few chapters are far too simple, at least before they start to finally explore the stunt and high score potential of each board and just what it means to truly beat a level in Joe Danger 2. This gives the game some of its “hidden depth,” as developer Hello Games likes to put it, but I would rather my depth be a bit more obvious right off the bat.

Unfortunately, once you do start to realize the extent to which Joe’s abilities as a stuntman can be pushed, the game’s difficulty makes an extreme jump (ramp not included). Joe goes from being able to maneuver through most areas of the main story with ease, to being thrown into the Deleted Scenes, which see Joe sent through a series of grueling courses in the worst vehicles possible—like the dreaded unicycle. Not only must you avoid the dozens of obstacles in Joe’s path, you must also constantly try to maintain balance on the infernal one-wheel machine. And should you lose said balance—even if you avoid an obstacle in the process—you have to start over at the beginning of the level or one of the randomly scattered checkpoints some venues have.

That isn’t to say Joe Danger 2: The Movie isn’t fun. The humor of the story, the unique mission objectives, and the core controls from the first game still make this a worthwhile downloadable experience. It just seems that Hello Games was thinking more about the audience who would be coming back for more instead of those who might be playing as Joe for the very first time. But whether a noob or a wily Joe Danger veteran, one thing everyone should get behind is the online sharing and multiplayer functions. Online leaderboards for time and high scores with your friends on each level are just the tip of the iceberg.

Joe Danger 2 features a fun and frantic 4-player versus race mode, as well as a ghost replay feature for both the single-player and versus levels. The most addictive part of the online features, though, is the returning level creator. With whole new set pieces to build your levels with, Joe Danger 2’s level editor is just as technically good as the first, and with global online sharing capabilities, it should only be a matter of time before we start seeing some truly insane courses that might make the Deleted Scenes look like tutorial levels.

All in all, Joe Danger 2: The Movie should please many fans of the first and has enough depth to keep you playing this game until you start to develop some real-life helmet hair. Newcomers should be warned, though, as they’re in for a steep learning curve. Only through patience will they be able to overcome the insane challenges the folks at Hello Games have laid out for gamers this time around.

SUMMARY: Some new movie-based motifs added nice variety to the levels, but an unusually steep difficulty curve had a part of me pining for the original. Still, if you love Joe Danger, this new chapter is more than worthy of a look.

  • THE GOOD: More gameplay variety combined with a top-notch level builder
  • THE BAD: Difficulty ramps up way too quickly
  • THE UGLY: …I’m scared of unicycles

SCORE: 8.0

Joe Danger 2: The Movie is an XBLA (Xbox 360) exclusive.

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EGM Review: Double Dragon: Neon

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Fight for right with the might of the Dragon

Even after 25 years, few games have done more for a single genre than the original Double Dragon did for beat-em-ups. But the franchise has lain dormant now for years—content in its status as an all-time great, releasing some iOS ports, and enjoying its seeming retirement.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. And in the hopes of reeling in a whole new generation of gamers, Double Dragon is showing there’s no school like the old school in its first new chapter in more than 17 years—Double Dragon: Neon.

As the story goes, Marian has been kidnapped—again—and even after all these years, she clearly hasn’t figured out if she wants Billy or Jimmy Lee, as both chase after her assailants. But aside from this tribute to the original series, the story quickly takes a different turn, as a new foe known as Skullmageddon rears his skinless head soon afterward, with Marian strung up à la Kim Cattrall in Big Trouble in Little China.

And from that moment on, this goes from just a Double Dragon game and becomes a tribute to everything that was awesome about the ’80s. Whether it’s making your own cassette mixtape that changes both the soundtrack and your powers or bosses that spoof classic franchises like Mega Man, Double Dragon: Neon’s jokes may go over younger gamers’ heads, but those of a certain age should eat this up—and will be compelled to keep playing just to see what gets spoofed next.

Staying true to Double Dragon’s original key strength, Neon also adds some unique aspects to co-op—specifically the High Five. Another tribute to the 80s, the High Five is an over-the-top, flashy maneuver that you can perform with your buddy to share health, your special-move meter, or just boost attack power—but it does leave you wide-open for attacks if you time it poorly.

Billy and Jimmy Lee also learn some potent new powers this time around, as they finally look to harness the full power of the Dragon. Fireballs, super spin kicks, shadow elbows, and more are all waiting to be learned and mastered as you collect mixtapes. Not only do these special moves keep the action fresh—many beat-em-ups have a bad habit of becoming dull quickly if you’re just mashing one or two buttons—but they offer a variety of strategies to overcome your foes. And you’ll need to mix it up against your enemies as much as possible, as the AI’s worthy of an old-school brawler. In other words, you’d better save all those extra lives while you can.

There’s one small flaw to Double Dragon: Neon, though—and I’m not sure if it’s just another part of trying to instill ’80s gaming charm into a new-look title or an actual flaw, but it irked me enough that I find it to be a negative. The hit detection in the game is, well, hit-or-miss. Much like many other side-scrolling beat-em-ups of the ’80s, the depth of field is usually difficult to judge, so you’ll think you’re about to wallop that pipe-wielding thug in the face with a devastating spin kick…only to miss completely. And when you think you’re out of range of Linda’s whip, she whales on you with a lifebar-punishing combo.

Double Dragon: Neon is still a ton of fun, and if you grew up with the genre or the franchise, then this’ll hit every sweet spot in your gaming core. If you’re not as familiar with the ’80s, lack a sense of humor, and have difficulty appreciating classic gameplay, then Double Dragon: Neon may give you some trouble. When you also consider this is a downloadable game with a fitting price tag, though, it’s an absolute must-have in my book.

SUMMARY: Some hit detection problems can’t hide the fact that Neon’s an awesome tribute to a bygone era—and it’ll bring a smile to the face of anyone who grew up playing beat-em-ups in the ’80s and ’90s.

  • THE GOOD: Classic brawler action with tons of charming references to a bygone era…
  • THE BAD: …but poor hit detection straight outta the ’80s is not one of those charming references!
  • THE UGLY: Highly detailed digital ’80s hair

SCORE: 9.0

Double Dragon: Neon is available on PSN (PS3), and XBLA (Xbox 360). Primary version reviewed was for PSN.

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EGM Review: NHL 13

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All it’s missing is the Zamboni

With another NHL lockout looming over the 2012-2013 season, folks who prefer frozen ponds to pitches and gridiron are itching to get their fix. That means that there may be added pressure this year for EA Canada’s NHL franchise to step up and deliver a lifelike experience, since this game might have to tide hockey fans over for the entire winter. Fortunately, in most regards, NHL 13 does indeed rise to this challenge.

The most notable addition to this year’s game is the True Performance Skating physics system. More so than ever before, momentum and contact with other players will affect your skaters in the most realistic ways ever seen in a hockey videogame. As soon as you start a game—whether in Exhibition, Be a GM, Be a Pro, or any other of the classic returning game modes—tactics that you’ve used in the past need to be thrown out the window. In fact, you’ll have to think more like an actual NHL player now if you hope to succeed in this game.

Once you get used to accidentally slamming yourself into the boards over and over again, you’ll probably notice the improved positioning and difficultly in getting around your opponents—and that’s because of an overhauled AI system. Opposing skaters, more than ever before, move exactly as they would in real life; you’ll feel like you need to pull out a dry-erase board before too long and start drawing up plays to get around it.

But even if you should find a way by the AI players, there’s always the goaltender waiting at the end. He’s the most important part of any team—and the best teams are always built from the netminder outward. And since a lot of flaws from last year’s version are now fixed—the wraparound glitch foremost among them—goalies now have dozens of new animations that allow them to react and play the puck better than ever before. If you’re not smart, you could end up making some scrubs like look brick walls, but no matter what, you’re going to have to work for your goals.

So, the gameplay’s seen a facelift for the better, but as far forward as NHL 13 may go in terms of the on-ice action, in other areas, it seems like EA Canada’s taken a step back. The new, broader rating system is one of these areas. I personally liked having players rated by their roles in a system, and I liked knowing if my winger was a tough guy or a sniper—it helped me lay out my four lines accordingly. Instead, players are simply broken down into forwards, defensemen, and goalies, and I have to look more closely than before at everyone’s individual stats to decide if this is the guy I want on the ice to send a physical message, or if he’s going to be taking faceoffs for me on the power play.

Another knock against NHL 13 is that even though the opposing GM AI is touted as “improved,” I think it looks more like it’s been lobotomized. I appreciate that the game highlights players who are more likely to be traded than others by an organization. But if you try to acquire a player who isn’t highlighted, the computer seems adamant on preventing you from getting him. Even when I tried to do the real-life trade the Rangers did with the Blue Jackets for Rick Nash, the computer refused! (Obviously, I played before roster patches went live, so I was trying to make the league as accurate as possible). I even tried sweetening the deal so it was better than the real-life one with extra first-round draft picks. And still, the computer refused me!

Despite a handful of infuriating moments like these, NHL 13 is still probably the best hockey experience yet once you actually take the ice. Plus, a lot of the other modes have a few new goodies sprinkled in to liven up those experiences. Be a Legend has all-new faces, including a pair of female Olympians, and the game also offers a new playoff format for Hockey Ultimate Team. Finally, the Be a Pro mode features the ability to demand a trade once you become a big enough star. All in all, this is a step in the right direction for the NHL franchise, and it gives me a lot of hope for future iterations.

SUMMARY: The actual gameplay is leaps and bounds ahead of NHL 13’s predecessors, but the GM AI has taken a couple steps backward in noticeable—and discouraging—ways.

  • THE GOOD: New physics system adds previously unseen levels of gameplay nuances.
  • THE BAD: Presentation and GM AI is worse than in prior years.
  • THE UGLY: Having my New York Rangers stand by and watch as the Los Angeles Kings raise their Stanley Cup banner to start the season! Argh!

SCORE: 8.0

NHL 13 is available on Xbox 360 and PS3. Primary version reviewed was on the Xbox 360.

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EGM Review: Kirby’s Dream Collection: Special Edition

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September 11, 2012

The pink puffball still packs a punch

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 20 years since I first put Kirby’s Dream Land into my Game Boy and bounced the pink puffball—though he appeared more white on the limited color palette of the handheld—around Green Greens. With almost two dozen more starring roles across all of Nintendo’s platforms since then—and, of course, a couple of smaller roles in games like Super Smash Bros.—few other gaming icons are as deserving of their own celebratory collector’s edition.

Kirby’s Dream Collection compiles six of Kirby’s earliest and most iconic titles in Kirby’s Dream Land (Game Boy), Kirby’s Adventure (NES), Kirby’s Dream Land 2 (Game Boy), Kirby Super Star (SNES), Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (SNES), and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64) in their completely original versions. The package also comes with a detailed art book highlighting Kirby’s designs over the past two decades; a 45-track, 60-minute-long music CD with original and remastered tracks from all of Kirby’s adventures, and three episodes of Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, the Saturday-morning cartoon Kirby starred in for 100 episodes.

Now, the skeptic would say that Nintendo simply just slapped some ROMs onto a disc in order to capitalize on Kirby’s anniversary, and they wouldn’t be completely wrong. Nintendo fanboys would say that Nintendo’s simply trying to keep the experiences authentic and preserve the classic gameplay. And they wouldn’t be wrong, either. But I know that, personally I would’ve loved some updated graphics or even some color in the Game Boy entries—and for the games to completely fit my 42-inch TV screen.

The lack of new polish on these older titles also hurts the collection’s appeal to younger gamers who may be less familiar with Kirby and want to learn about this classic gaming protagonist. Don’t worry—this won’t turn into a “back in my day!” review—but I’m sure younger gamers’ heads will explode at the concept of playing a game that looked like the original Kirby’s Dream Land compared to the kind of graphical output they may be used to with modern systems.

Now, just because the aesthetics of these classic games don’t enter the modern era in any way doesn’t mean the platforming and puzzle action don’t translate. The NES and Game Boy games feel just as tight as they did two decades ago, and they translate perfectly to the Wiimote. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the later games, especially Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, actually felt better than I remembered with the simple new Wiimote layout. Though, maybe it’s just that the Wiimote feels better in my hands than the N64 controller did.

Aside from the six original games, Kirby’s Dream Collection also features an interactive timeline showing key dates in Kirby history as well as a bevy of new challenge levels inspired by his most recent Wii adventure, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land. These unique levels have an old-school arcade feel as you specialize in one of Kirby’s powers, whether it’s Beam, Sword, Spear—or one of the many others featured in that game—and attempt to clear the level and set a high score while also beating the time limit. As you set certain scores in each level, you’ll then unlock the right to attempt other, more-difficult-to-wield abilities.

If you’re a big Kirby fan and grew up with him like I did, this is a nice total package. The games don’t completely stand the test of time, but this offers older gamers a nice chance to reminisce and see how far we’ve come. Plus, considering the $39.99 price tag and all the extra features the package comes with, Kirby’s Dream Collection reminds us that’s it OK to think pink every now and again.

SUMMARY: Not all of the games in this classic collection stand the full test of time, but for die-hard Kirby fans, the entire package is more than worth the price tag.

  • THE GOOD: Six games, an hour of music, an art book, and three cartoons makes this a sweet package.
  • THE BAD: No graphical enhancement whatsoever—really just a bunch of ROMs.
  • THE UGLY: You ever stop to think about what Kirby’s enemies must go through when they get eaten?

SCORE: 8.0

Kirby’s Dream Collection: Special Edition is a Wii exclusive.

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EGM Review: Walking Dead: Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead

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September 5, 2012

Lee walks a lonely road

We play a lot of games here at EGM. So many, that as much as we may enjoy a game, fall in love with its characters, or gush about its premise, it’s difficult for us to find the time to ever get back to a game after we beat it that initial time through for review, unless we make a concentrated effort. After playing just the third of five episodes to be released by Telltale in their The Walking Dead series though, I swear I will make that effort and find time to play this through from the beginning once all five episodes are out. Episode Three, The Long Road Ahead, sealed the deal because the story is just that damn good and I don’t just want, but need to play through it all again to see how some of the critical, and even no so critical, choices I’ve made so far have affected my game play experience.

And that’s the beauty of what Telltale has crafted here. The replayability for this game is through the roof because they successfully found a way to consistently make you care about these characters via every decision you make, because you don’t want to end up regretting something. And this is mostly because the zombie apocalypse, much like in Kirkman’s original Walking Dead comics, is just a setting as this franchise has always really been more about the human condition and how people react in crisis. And this episode is no exception. There were literally moments that had me laughing out loud followed up immediately by moments that shocked me so much I dropped my controller. There are few other stories in gaming that have ever sucked me in and wowed me like this series has with its brilliant plot development.

Speaking of plot, this episode starts about three months after since Lee and Clementine had their fateful meet-up outside her tree house and the Motel has all but run its course in terms of usefulness. Lilly and Kenny are still at each other’s throats, with the events of Episode Two having only driven them further and further apart, culminating in Lilly refusing to leave and Kenny ready to just barrel out of there in his RV with just his family. The title, The Long Road Ahead, kind of hints at what happens, but I can’t in good conscience tell you more about the story. Not to mention, I’m sure that depending on the decisions that you make in the first two episodes, your story might set up completely different from mine beyond that.

The pacing of the episode was a lot quicker this time around and transitioned better, a major problem I had with the more leisurely paced Episode Two, and so in that regard The Long Road Ahead took a nice step forward as I was constantly progressing it seemed by doing even the most menial tasks.

There was one minor annoyance this time around though and it came in the form of a shooting gallery mini-game where Lee was wielding a sniper rifle. I understand Lee may not be the best shot in the world, but I felt like I could never line up my shot just right because of the lack of proper crosshairs and the controls’ sensitivity. This can be somewhat forgiven though since, after all, Telltale’s The Walking Dead is more of a point and click style adventure game and not some Call of Duty-like shooter.

Once again though, the key for me was seeing the evolution of the characters over just one episode, and how the group dynamic shifted as the roster of characters changed once again, sometimes very rapidly. If you care about The Walking Dead, zombie games, or just spectacular storytelling, The Long Road Ahead will hook you to this series if you weren’t already. And if you were hooked to begin with, then you’re like me probably, begging Telltale to get on it and release the next episode already.

SUMMARY: Somehow, Telltale finds a way to keep working in emotionally powerful moments with this series that range from humorous to heart wrenching. Either way, these moments make only one thought come to mind…that we can’t wait for the next episode!

  • THE GOOD: Finds a way to yet again amp up the emotion and consequences for your actions
  • THE BAD: A couple of rough/out of place shooting sequences
  • THE UGLY: The human condition

SCORE: 9.0

The Walking Dead: Episode 3 – The Long Road Ahead is available on XBLA (Xbox 360), PSN (PS3), and PC. Primary version reviewed was for XBLA.

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EGM Book Review: Fable: Edge of the World

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August 28, 2012

Every adventure begins with the first step and ever since fans of the franchise Fable took those first steps eight years ago, they’ve been clamoring for each subsequent chapter since. And Fable: The Journey is bound to be no exception. But to help possibly satiate fans a little while longer before its October release, a prequel book titled Fable: Edge of the World has been released to help bridge the time gap that takes place between each Fable game.

Written by New York Times bestselling author Christie Golden, who is more than accustomed to writing in the world of geekdom with several Star Wars, Star Trek, Starcraft, and World of Warcraft books already to her credit, Fable: Edge of the World provides unique challenges because as it follows the hero of Fable III ten years into his reign, she is shaping the world around decisions many of us may not have made. This disconnect to the main character immediately left a sour taste in my mouth, but I somehow found a way to push onward.

The book’s basic premise is that the legendary land of Samarkand, best known to Fable fans for where Reaver and Garth ventured to after Fable II, has been overrun by the shadowy forces that threatened Albion in Fable III. The king and his trusted aides must now meet this threat head-on before it spreads unchecked as new and old villains alike rear their heads to cause trouble for the entire kingdom while the king is off in a faraway land.

Now, I understand that the entire premise of the book is to simply provide set-up for the upcoming game, but I couldn’t help but feel cheated after reading this book because the story felt wholly incomplete. That there was almost no feeling of resolution whatsoever and after spending all this time introducing new characters and changing what was actually the story of my personal Fable, I was left twiddling my thumbs, staring at the back of the book as if another 50 pages would magically appear to finish what Golden started here.

This was nothing more than a 250-page tease that instead of holding me over until October, has driven me into a mad Fable-frenzy as I need to play Fable: The Journey now to know how the story ends, or at least continues. In terms of selling games, this is actually a brilliant maneuver. In terms of just being an avid fantasy reader though, this blatant attempt at playing off my consumerism is infuriating.

This does give me a glimmer of hope at least for the story of Fable: The Journey though in terms of providing an interesting and compelling tale that fleshes out the myths and legends of Albion, as well as making sure that we will all have a new and interesting adventure on our hands as the idea of exploring Samarkand in a game has me very excited indeed. Of course, this is just speculation from the book as the only times the character of Gabriel, your protagonist in Fable: The Journey, is even mentioned is in the Prologue and Epilogue, but with half the book taking place there and it having been referenced several times over in previous Fable titles, it only makes sense that we would visit there at some point and that something big is being set up.

Despite the potential opportunities for adventure this book may hint at though in the October game, as a read in and of itself, I found Fable: Edge of the World very unenjoyable. Considering Fable is an adventure game that revolves around choice and this book takes very little of what you have done before into consideration, I can’t recommend this at all. Maybe next time they should do a ‘choose your own adventure’ book? Do yourselves a favor, steer clear, and make the choice that when this book hits your local bookstores today to not pick it up.

SCORE: 3.0

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EGM Review: Darksiders II

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Darksiders gets a heaping helping of Death

It’s not easy for new franchises to break through in today’s videogame market, but the first Darksiders was able to find an audience by incorporating mature themes with familiar gameplay that hearkened back to classics like Metroid or The Legend of Zelda. So, with such a promising start, you wouldn’t expect a sequel to completely overhaul many major features. Darksiders II does just that, though.

In fact, if you were to put Darksiders and Darksiders II side by side in front of a player, they’d be hard pressed to say they come from the same universe. Yet not only does Darksiders II take place in the same universe, but it expands upon it in numerous ways, along with adding in features and gameplay mechanics from dungeon-crawling RPGs.

Darksiders II takes place at the same time as the original game; while War attempts to figure out who’s set him up for the crime that triggered the Earth’s early demise, Death figures the only way to absolve his brother of his punishment is to rectify the crime and try to restore humanity back to what it once was. To do this, Death travels to strange and foreign lands and meets creatures so fantastic and monstrosities so twisted that his own ghastly visage may have a run for its money.

From the second the story starts, in fact, the art design demands your attention, whether it’s Gothic architecture contorted into mountainous landscapes or massive rivers of lava weaving their way through hollowed-out gorges. And when you combine this with the epic scale—the open world’s four times larger than in the first Darksiders—you can easily get lost in the beauty of this distinct universe.

But Darksiders II isn’t just pretty on the surface. The hack-n-slash combat flows smoothly as you string combos together, the tight free-running controls make it feel like nothing’s unobtainable if you really pay attention to your surroundings, and the new RPG elements mean that your weapons and armor are constantly changing and upgrading due to the thousands of pieces of loot (which also directly affect how Death looks). No two players should have the same Death by the time they finish the game, as you can buff him up to the point where he resembles a traditional tank, make him more of a field general as he taps into his Necromancy abilities and calls forth his own undead army, or find a balance between the two.

My favorite part of being able to collect all the items is that you can actually dispose of trinkets you no longer need in an interesting fashion—massive piles of loot usually lead to inventory problems for many of us natural hoarders, after all! By finding possessed weapons, you can actually feed your junk items to these special treasures to power them up and cause untold levels of havoc. It’s definitely a lot more efficient out in the field than waiting to find a store, that’s for sure.

While many problems from the first game have been fixed—like imparting a more clear-cut feeling of character progression this time around due to the leveling system and a less-linear world outside of the dungeons—several new flaws have replaced the old ones.

The most glaring issue is the low level cap, which was instituted in order to prevent the idea that you might need to grind out levels to advance through certain dungeons—or that, by grinding early on, you’d have an easier time working through the game as a whole. Instead, if you naturally progress through the game, you’ll always be right about the same level as the enemies. But in Darksiders II, many sidequests require constant backtracking, so the low level cap means that the game doesn’t reward you any XP for vanquishing enemies several levels below you.

Despite minor annoyances with the level system and the occasional free-running glitch, Darksiders II is superior to its predecessor in every way. It’s got a larger, deeper world with a wide breadth of characters, a thrilling story that sucks you in and doesn’t let go, and some insane over-the-top combat. All those elements make this a must-have for fans of action-RPGs.

SUMMARY: Darksiders II trumps the first entry in almost every important way, even if a few new minor annoyances crop up in the process.

  • THE GOOD: Massive, beautifully designed open world.
  • THE BAD: RPG system creates a couple of new problems.
  • THE UGLY: Well, the dude’s called “Death” for a reason.

SCORE: 9.0

Darksiders II is available on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, and will be available for Wii U. Primary version reviewed was for Xbox 360.

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