Tag Archive: video games


EGM Review: WWE ’12

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November 29, 2011

If you smell what the WWE is cookin’

After a decade-long brand divide, the WWE’s recently made strides to show unity with their RAW and SmackDown shows and pay-per-views. In response, their yearly videogame’s dropped the annual SmackDown vs. RAW title to hammer home this brand solidarity—but that’s not all that’s changed in THQ’s annual wrestling sim. WWE ’12 finds a way to take the great customization and storyline strides that last year’s game made and refines them to provide the most authentic wrestling simulation to date.

Of course, what’s the first thing any player does with a typical WWE game? Check out the Create-a-Superstar feature! Even non-wrestling fans get caught up in the fun of creating a grappler from the ground up, and this mode sees much of the detail of previous versions return, along with new logos, designs, and physical-feature models to hit an even wider range of possibilities. But WWE ’12 also adds the new Create-an-Arena mode. Not only can you whip up your own wrestler from scratch, but you can also dedicate a squared circle to your grappler—or any of your real life-favorites. Hulkamania can run wild again with a ring drenched in red and gold, or you can show off your Macho Madness with a rainbow electronic ticker in honor of the dearly departed Randy Savage—and this is just scratching the surface of a mode I poured several hours into alone. And you can once again create logos, finishers, movesets, and even your own intro videos for the Titantron—and it’s all shareable via the WWE Creations online feature.

Another key to making this the most authentic WWE experience yet? The WWE Universe and Road to WrestleMania options. Now featuring stories that more closely mimic those you might actually see each week on RAW or SmackDown, these modes make every match and decision truly count. Maybe you’ll try to bring Sheamus back into the limelight of the WWE Title chase or push your created character to the top of the ranks and make him a legend in his own right. The Road to WrestleMania’s been trimmed, though—instead of choosing from one of five superstar storylines, you simply press play and begin the near-endless simulations of what you might see from varied wrestlers’ points of view.

But the action in the ring’s where you might see the biggest step up. The controls now feature a more casual-friendly A-button grapple prompt instead of the second analog stick, which actually gives the game a bit more of an arcadey feel, as you’ll find yourself button-mashing a bit more than you’re used to—the experience almost hearkens back to the No Mercy and WWF Attitude days in some ways. This might bother some people, but it isn’t striking enough that you won’t be able to adjust. The in-ring action’s further augmented by improvements like “wake-up taunts” to help set up finishers, better movement on the ring ropes, and an onscreen presentation that more closely mimics the actual WWE TV shows.

One element that’s definitely been criticized in past iterations, though—and it crops up again here, unfortunately—is the collision system. You’ll still see the occasional “quicksand” glitch where a wrestler’s suddenly waist deep in the mat, while an Irish whip against the steel steps can have you or your foe quivering and quaking for several seconds. Still, these moments happen more rarely than I’ve seen in any previous version of the game.

WWE ’12 is strong coat of polish on last year’s game, and when you combine that with even more customization and creation features and a beefed-up roster of several dozen wrestlers (including old standbys and never-before-digitized legends, like one of my personal favorites, the man they call Vader), and you’ve got by far the best WWE wrestling simulation we’ve seen to date—one that’ll layeth the smacketh down upon any and all wrestling haters.

SUMMARY: Some control improvements and fleshed out game play modes highlight the deepest WWE videogame experience yet.

  • THE GOOD: The most realistic WWE experience yet
  • THE BAD: Some collision and control issues remain
  • THE UGLY: Some of the created characters already uploaded to the servers

SCORE: 9.0

WWE ‘ 12 is available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii. Primary version reviewed was on the Xbox 360.

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Fallout: New Vegas Graphic Novel Available via Dark Horse Digital

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THE BUZZ: Bethesda Softworks and Dark Horse Comics announced today that their original graphic novel All Roads, originally released in the Fallout: New Vegas collector’s edition is now available for purchase via Dark Horse Digital for $2.99.

Serving as a prequel to the events of New Vegas, All Roads was written by creative director Chris Avellone and features art from Jean Diaz, Geof Darrow, and Wellinton Aves and is 48 pages long.

For more information on the comic or to purchase it yourself for iTunes or on your iOS, click here.

EGM’S TAKE: As more and more games begin having their own special comic runs, either branching events between games or offering more back story, it’s no surprise to see one moving from paper to the more appropriate digital distribution realm.

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EGM Review: Saints Row: The Third

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Giant strippers, manapults, and luchadores…

You’d be hard-pressed to find a game that matches the debauchery and excess of Saints Row: The Third. Pushing its own boundaries and depravity to the limit, this sandbox action-adventure goes to great lengths to parody anything and everything in gaming and pop culture—even itself—all in the name of entertainment. Whether you’re driving around with a tiger in the passenger seat to prove your bravery, participating in Professor Genki’s Super Ethical Reality Climax Japanese-style game show to earn big bucks, or then using said Professor’s manapult to suck up unsuspecting NPCs into a giant cannon and using their carcasses as projectiles, this game doesn’t exactly get the meaning of “overkill.” But all that wouldn’t mean a thing if the game weren’t fun—and, thankfully, it’s an absolute blast.

Saints Row: The Third picks up shortly after the end of the second game. The Saints, the street gang from the first two entries, aren’t persecuted or hunted like you might think—far from it. Instead, they’re treated like celebrities—or even superheroes. So when they go to rob a bank in their hometown of Stilwater, it’s more like a day at the office. But things quickly go awry when more police than the Saints have ever seen drop in on them, and they realize this bank robbery isn’t quite what they had in mind when it came to putting in some overtime. It seems a new crime organization called the Syndicate’s moved into town and after some action sequences that would put Nathan Drake to shame, the Saints find themselves having to rebuild in the sleepy harbor town of Steelport where they’ll reclaim their criminal empire before taking revenge on those who have wronged them.

Unlike in the previous Saints Row games, The Third’s designed to be more of an open-ended experience, with multiple paths that affect the ending. You’ve still got three rival gangs to deal with, but now they’re all working together to form the Syndicate: the Luchadores, a Mexican-wrestling-themed gang led by a masked man named Killbane, the cyberterrorist Deckers, and the gun-running and human-trafficking Eurogang known as Morningstar. But instead of picking these gangs off one by one like in previous installments, you’ll often have to deal with them on certain missions at the same time as you pursue the larger goal of conquering Steelport. And your gang wars will erupt to the point that later on, a fourth threat will make itself known—a special military unit, STAG, designed specifically to put you down.

As great as the campaign is, it’s still got its share of problems. Considering the scale of the world, you can forgive some glitches that crop up from time to time in the game, but some definitely irritate—and there’s nothing more frustrating than having to start a mission over because your cover mechanics glitch or your car suddenly hits an invisible pothole.

Competitive multiplayer, a staple of the first two entries, has been removed in favor of an emphasis on co-op. The campaign co-op does play very smoothly and isn’t really affected by friends dropping in and out of your “gang” over the course of the game, but honestly, I’d still just rather play by myself, since most of my friends and I aren’t on the same gaming level.

To make up for the lack of the multiplayer, The Third offers another co-op option aptly dubbed “Whored Mode.” And, just like that certain-sounding mode from that other game that revolves around wave after wave of enemies, Whored Mode’s best played with friends, where you can enjoy the absurdity together as you take down giant strippers, midgets in hot-dog costumes, or zombies—just because everyone loves killing zombies. If I had to choose, though, I’d still pick the competitive multiplayer aspect over Whored Mode, no matter how funny it may be—it just doesn’t provide the challenge of taking on a human opponent.

Despite my gripes with the multiplayer options, the 10-to-12-hour campaign’s still very much worth the price of admission, and it needs to be seen to be believed—trust me, this game’s done more than enough to earn its “M” rating from the ESRB.

SUMMARY: Not perfect by any means—but still a fun, off-the-wall sandbox that’s more than worth the price of admission.

  • THE GOOD: As over-the-top a game as you’ll ever play
  • THE BAD: Glitches sometimes get in the way of gameplay
  • THE UGLY: The zany enemies you’ll find in the new Whored Mode

SCORE: 8.0

Saints Row: The Third is available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Primary version reviewed was on the Xbox 360.

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EGM Review: Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest

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No skin, lots of bones, and a little bit of heart

It’s rare that you see a game revolving around motion controls that also attempts to feature a deep, fleshed-out story like Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest. Unfortunately, you all too often see these types of games fall into the same gameplay traps that this one falls into as well—missteps that take away from the overall experience.

Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest is set in a fictional medieval kingdom where a boy named Edmund lives in the castle. Although he’s an orphan, Edmund’s built up an almost King Arthur–esque mystique, and he’s now destined for great things—including inheriting the crown. But for now, Edmund’s still too young and is simply tasked with guarding a mysterious, powerful stone that contains mystical powers. Guided by the ghost of a past king, the castle chef, and several other allies, Edmund’s well on his way to being a just, beloved ruler. That is, until a nefarious necromancer attacks the castle with an army of undead skeletons. Claiming the mysterious stone and its power for his own, the necromancer curses the kingdom and adds them to his skeletal army. But Edmund’s fortuitously protected by a magical stone pendant, so although his flesh melts away, his mind’s free from the necromancer’s control. Jokingly renaming himself “Deadmund,” he sets off on a quest to save his future subjects—and himself—from the dastardly deeds of this depraved demon.

I’ll admit that some aspects of Deadmund’s Quest flat-out impressed me for a motion-controlled game. The cartoony graphics work well with the lighthearted  writing—and when you couple that with some surprisingly competent voice acting by all involved, this game’s definitely aurally and visually pleasing.

That’s why it’s such a shame that, just like many other motion-controlled adventures, Deadmund’s Quest ends up being held back by the very technology that allegedly empowers it. The most disappointing part? It’s designed almost like a pseudo action-dventure game but instead comes off like an on-rails Legend of Zelda. This is almost an oxymoron—you can’t explore your surroundings or talk to townsfolk, and you must always engage enemies head-on. You’re simply herded forward to area after area, where you slash away at more of the necromancer’s skeleton horde with your sword or fire away with your arrows. The lack of gameplay diversity makes progression a dull grind almost immediately—you just won’t find the same variety as in Zelda or other more robust fantasy experiences.

And the tedious grind’s only compounded by major control problems, as too many different actions are assigned to various Move motions. Pointing up lets you drink milk to restore health, pointing down pulls out a grappling hook for jumping over walls, pulling back brings up your shield, and swinging away unsheathes your sword. But since you need to attack some enemies vertically or horizontally, you’ll often find yourself suddenly drinking milk in the middle of battle when you don’t want to, dropping your shield when trying to defend yourself, or hacking away when trying to pull out the grappling hook.

Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest has a wonderful concept, but like so many motion-controlled games before it, this one’s subject to a poorly implemented gimmick—it would’ve been much more enjoyable with both a regular controller and an open world instead.

SUMMARY: A fun, lighthearted medieval adventure held back by Move technology and on-rails design.

  • THE GOOD: Humorous characters and an entertaining plot
  • THE BAD: On-rails action and epic adventure really don’t mix
  • THE UGLY: Undead skeleton monsters everywhere!

SCORE: 6.0

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EGM Review: Carnival Island

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Carnies—now in videogame form!

When it comes to motion-controlled games, the experiences geared at casual audiences usually end up as the most polished, user-friendly products. Of course, you’ve also got the games you typically tire of quickly and don’t pull out again unless you’ve got company over and are looking to goof off—and Carnival Island is a perfect example.

This carnival-midway simulator sees you take control of a male or female avatar tasked with bringing color and life back to long-forgotten Carnival Island. As you play classic carnival and boardwalk offerings like skee-ball, coin toss, and ring toss, you’ll unlock various variations on these classic games. If you do well enough in each variation of the eight carnival contests—over 35 technically different games in all—around the island, you’ll succeed in bringing happiness and joy back to this carny paradise. OK, so the backstory isn’t the freshest idea—though, hey, how many games involving carnies have you ever seen?—but it works as an excuse to play these games without actually having to go to a carnival or boardwalk and drop hard-earned cash on rigged games that you’ll never win. Plus, each stuffed animal you win in Carnival Island will come to life and serve as a cheerleading sidekick. Try winning something like that down at the Jersey Shore!

But even though this one’s clearly targeted at a very casual audience, Carnival Island actually offers a surprising amount of polish. The anime-inspired cutscenes that play as you unlock various sections of the island are actually very pretty—and almost enough to keep you playing once the gimmick of the cheesy carnival games wears off, just so you can see the next one…almost. But, fittingly in a game clearly geared toward the casual audience and children, the bright colors and themes really shine through.

And although the controls are probably the simplest you’ll find in even most casual of casual titles—most of these carnival showdowns are all about flicking your wrist or moving one arm around—they do their job well enough. I mean, who ever broke a sweat playing ring toss? Still, it feels good when you start racking up 100 points per ball in skee-ball or flipping the coin in the cup perfectly each time in coin toss.

The big flaw of Carnival Island—like many of these minigame-based, motion-controlled, gimmick-driven, budget, soon-to-be-bargain-bin titles—is the fact there just isn’t enough replay value. In order to try to appeal to the lowest common denominator, the difficulty’s set to preschool levels, and the rewards are few and far between. So, after a few hours of skee-ball, you’re ready to either hang up your Move controller or move on to a real game. Hey, maybe that’s why the Move is so aptly named—because, after playing most of the games that require it, you want to MOVE on to regular games.

Carnival Island certainly isn’t a bad game, but it’s just not something you’ll end up devoting a ton of time to in the long run, especially if you’re a hardcore gamer. If you’ve got a kid or a niece or nephew who really likes casual games—or maybe a grandparent on the opposite end of the spectrum—well, they probably have a Wii. But if they do, for some reason, have a PS3 and a Move, this might be more their speed.

SUMMARY: This carny simulator’s as simple as can be—but it’s surprisingly fun and definitely helps bolster the Move’s casual appeal.

  • THE GOOD: Responsive controls and fun games
  • THE BAD: Simple—and can get tiresome quickly
  • THE UGLY: The handlebar mustaches of the carniefolk

SCORE: 7.0

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EGM Review: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations

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Back to the past

Assassin’s Creed may well be the greatest videogame history-based epic we’ve ever seen. Each chapter finds a way to add nuance and layers to some of history’s most intriguing moments. Full of rich, vibrant characters outshined only by the detailed re-created and authentic historic cityscapes, Assassin’s Creed has become a favorite of gamers and history buffs everywhere due to its intriguing plot and stellar gameplay. So, how does the fourth chapter in this landmark franchise stand up overall?

Revelations picks up shortly after the end of Brotherhood. Modern-day protagonist Desmond Miles’ extended use of the Animus has left him in a coma; trapped inside the program, he must continue experiencing his ancestors’ memories in hopes of finding a way out of the machine to which he’s been tethered. As all this unfolds, Desmond experiences an Ezio adventure from later in his life that will see his Florentine ancestor travel to Ottoman Constantinople in the hopes of finding five keys to unlock a long hidden Altaïr library. In the process, Ezio has his own Desmond-like experience, as he uses these artifacts to relieve key moments in the Syrian assassin’s life—and begins to unravel the mystery that’s come together over the first three games of the series.

Though the narrative’s ostensibly always revolved around Desmond as he tries to learn what his ancestors knew, these games have always really been about the characters you play as in the past—so this is still primarily Ezio’s story. Revelations wraps up his tale beautifully—but, in true Assassin’s Creed fashion, it still leaves the door open for so many more potential twists down the line. Not to mention that by revisiting Altaïr as Ezio, we really get a sense of how all the characters are interconnected—and can now appreciate Ezio and Altaïr for their stark differences: Altaïr’s quicker on his feet, while Ezio feels heavier and more powerful.

Assassin’s Creed isn’t just about the story, though—it’s also about the amazing simulations of historical locales. Revelations doesn’t falter on this end: Constantinople looks straight out of a history book, and you can even pick out spices in the marketplace while clearly seeing just how unkind age has been to dear old Ezio. This is a testament to how long Ubisoft’s been working with their engine; they can now get every drop of juice out of it to provide a trio of tremendously different settings. Whether it’s Altaïr’s 13th-century Masyaf, Ezio’s warm, vibrant 1500s Constantinople, or a TRON-like VR world that Desmond works his way through, Revelations delivers the visual goods.

But one other key addition just doesn’t jibe with me. In Brotherhood, Ezio had to conquer Templar towers in order to help quash the Order’s presence in various areas. That element’s returned, but there’s a new wrinkle in Revelations: Templars can now retake the areas they lose. Ezio, taking on more of a commanding-general role, guides various types of assassins around rooftops and barricades streets to subdue advancing enemy waves. A good idea in theory, but it’s implemented via a tower-defense mechanic—which works in Flash-based games, but not so much in Assassin’s Creed. Though the conceit makes sense in the context of Revelations—after all, Ezio’s getting up there in years and can’t risk taking on 20 Templars at once—it still feels like the developers tried to cram in too many different elements at once. Aside from this odd addition, the rest of the game stays relatively similar for Ezio, aside from the hookblade providing zipline assassinations—which never get old—and a variety of new bombs that provide some interesting effects depending on how they’re utilized.

Revelations’ multiplayer definitely takes a step forward for the franchise, though, and it’s one of the more novel online experiences available. You’ll play dual roles as both a killer and as a detective trying to sniff out enemies—that, combined with new play modes, will keep this game in your system for quite some time. In the end, Revelations gets the Assassin’s Creed formula as right as any entry before it—a compelling story tempered by familiar, entertaining gameplay makes this the latest and greatest chapter in this ongoing gaming epic.

SUMMARY: Ezio’s tale wraps up beautifully in this final chapter of his trilogy, but elements like a tower-defense minigame seem out of place.

  • THE GOOD: An epic, fitting conclusion to Ezio’s trilogy
  • THE BAD: New tower-defense element works but feels out of place
  • THE UGLY: The salt-and-pepper look isn’t very flattering on Ezio

SCORE: 9.0

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Primary version reviewed was on the Xbox 360.

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EGM Review: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

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Birth of a hero

As reserved and conservative as they may come across at times, Nintendo knows how to celebrate the big moments. Mario’s 25th anniversary saw the release of a limited-edition Super Mario All-Stars, reminding us that it’s OK to look back on the past and appreciate those old games for what they were—and what they’ve done for so many of us as gamers. Well, now another Nintendo mainstay’s joined the 25th-anniversary club, and he’s got a brand-new game that pays tribute in its own special way: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Featuring classic elements, characters, and enemies from many of the best Zelda games of the past—with plenty of nuances to make it its own standalone title—Skyward Sword’s conceived as a prequel to Ocarina of Time, a title not only considered by many to be the best Zelda game of all time, but also one of the best videogames of all time. Those are some pretty heavy Iron Boots to fill.

Skyward Sword opens with a brief history of Skyloft, an island in the sky created by the Goddess to save humanity from the massive monsters that populate the earth below. To protect the remaining people, the Goddess devised a cloud barrier that would both keep humans off the land and the monsters out of the sky. Once this backstory’s established, we find Link, as always, oversleeping. Zelda—who’s portrayed as Link’s lifelong friend in this game—sends a majestic bird called a Loftwing to wake up our pointy-eared hero, and he heads over to the statue of the Goddess as Zelda prepares for a traditional Skyloft ceremony. After a short opening quest that introduces Skyloft’s many denizens, Link must participate in the ceremony, which serves as the game’s flying tutorial. Once victorious, Link and Zelda embark on a celebratory flight across the clouds until a dark tornado from beneath the fluffy barrier reaches up and knocks Zelda off her Loftwing. Link must now find a way down below the cloud barrier—and, in the process, fulfill his ultimate destiny.

The first thing you’ll notice is the distinctive look the adventure takes this time around. Strongly inspired by impressionist art, Skyward Sword will take your breath away as it mixes elements from Wind Waker and Twilight Princess to suggest the feel of a living painting. But this new graphical style also has gameplay elements in mind, as it allows for exaggerated enemy designs that still maintain elements of realism. That creates more obvious strengths and weaknesses in many of the foes Link faces, and it’s also an obvious nod to the controls—but more on those later. You’re constantly solving puzzles and meeting challenging foes even when you’re not dungeon-crawling, which adds a lot of playtime to the overall adventure. The audio’s also brilliant, featuring a full orchestral composition that seamlessly flows with the story. And, of course, music once again plays an integral role—a traditional Zelda motif for many years now. All in all, this game will please your eyes and ears better than any Wii release—aside from, perhaps, the Mario Galaxy titles.

Skyward Sword lays enough groundwork so you can see how this is indeed a prequel to Ocarina, but you’ll also notice parallels to later games in the series: Link’s crimson-colored Loftwing acts as Link’s transportation in the air much like the King of Red Lions does for Wind Waker’s oceans. And Fi, the spirit of the titular Skyward Sword, acts much like Navi does in Ocarina, locking onto targets and providing hints and information when needed. These elements work well, and I’m sure they’ll stir up timeline enthusiasts once they see all the connections, but it’s when you start to scratch past the surface of Skyward Sword that you begin to see some of the flaws. Though many key elements from past games are still present, like exploring diverse regions, conquering puzzle-laden temples, and collecting fantastic items to help you overcome larger-than-life bosses, some changes might irk fans—beyond the fact that Link starts with six hearts instead of the traditional three.

The most blatant annoyance storywise definitely has to be Zelda’s disempowerment. Though she still plays this society’s role of princess as the knight headmaster’s daughter, she almost comes off as pining for Link from the second you meet her. In the EGM offices, we likened it to Metroid: Other M’s unfortunate relationship between Samus and Adam. I understand that Zelda and Link are played off as best friends in this game, but she just comes across as reliant upon Link long before she falls below the clouds—following him around like a lovesick puppy and hoping he’ll win the ceremonial festivities so they can take a celebratory ride together above the clouds. You could argue that since this may be the very first Zelda, she hasn’t yet evolved the characteristics that come with being a princess of a large kingdom. Still, it just comes off wrong and dampens the moments when she tries to be the more strong-willed character we’ve grown accustomed to over the years.

In the grand scheme of things, this could be construed as minor, but what really keeps Skyward Sword from reaching the level of several of its predecessors is the control scheme. Remember how I mentioned that the visual design emphasizes enemy strengths and weaknesses? Well, this graphical quirk comes from the conscious decision to make Skyward Sword too reliant on motion controls and Wii MotionPlus—and it’s this element that singlehandedly holds the game back from elite status.

Twilight Princess’ motion controls worked because the game was more forgiving of your movements; simple flicks of your wrist would provide the desired results. Now, due to the enemy design revolving around the motion-control gimmick and being forced to use the MotionPlus—which follows you too well—you’re often pulled out of the immersion, because you’re constantly reminded that you are holding a controller whenever the controller doesn’t do what you want.

A perfect example is the miniboss you face in the first temple. It’s a Stalfos, a Zelda enemy staple from the very beginning. This dual-sword-wielding skeleton towers over Link, so in order to do damage, you must swing where the Stalfos isn’t blocking. If he’s holding his swords horizontally, you must swing horizontally through the gap; if he’s holding them vertically, you strike vertically. Unfortunately, if you’re like me and have played a good amount of button-mashers over the years—or even just older Zelda titles—your instinct is to attack hard and fast. But if you swing too fast, even with MotionPlus, Link won’t be able to catch up to you. Or, worse yet—since I’ve yet to meet someone who prefers to play games standing up—if you’re sitting down, it’s impossible to swing the controller perfectly horizontally or vertically every time, and you’ll often have to reset your position, destroying the illusion of immersion.

Another failure of Wii MotionPlus comes with bombs. For the first time in the series, you can roll bombs into crevices and holes instead of just dropping them or throwing them, and this is necessary at certain points to open doors or take down particular enemies. The problem, though, comes from the way most people hold a Wiimote. Think about it: You have your thumb on the A button, your index finger on the trigger, and your other fingers wrapped around where the batteries are stored. If you attempt to roll something, like in Wii Sports Bowling, you’re going to turn the Wiimote to its side so that the bottom of your hand faces toward the sky. The problem in Skyward Sword is that this makes the bombs sail far off to the right of your intended target and forces you to overcompensate with an uncomfortable palm-down technique more akin to throwing a bocce ball.

So, yeah, the controls are pretty rough. And it breaks my heart, because I think this could’ve been one of the greatest Zelda games yet had the controls just worked. But, despite the controls, this is still a great Zelda game. You’re looking at a 30-hour-plus adventure if you’re a Heart Container fiend like myself—and probably still a good 20 hours if you’re just looking to complete the story, even if all those fetch quests get a little tiring after a while. Even with cruddy controls, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is still an epic adventure worthy of the franchise—and it should absolutely be played by all fans of the series.

SUMMARY: Skyward Sword has all the elements of a spectacular Zelda tale, but poor controls prevent this from reaching an Ocarina-like level.

  • THE GOOD: Classic Zelda elements remind us of 25 years of greatness
  • THE BAD: Poor motion controls remind us of 5 years of flailing futility
  • THE UGLY: The hole in my living-room wall after throwing the Wiimote through it in frustration


SCORE: 8.5

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a Nintendo Wii exclusive and therefore reviewed only on the Wii.

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Sony Announces Adrian Gonzalez as MLB 12: The Show Cover Boy

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THE BUZZ: Sony announced today that the 2011 Gold Glove Winner at first base in the American League, Adrian Gonzalez of the Boston Red Sox, will grace MLB 12: The Show’s cover.

Gonzalez came to Beantown in the 2010-2011 off-season via a trade with the San Diego Padres and showed that the big market pressure would not faze him as he produced 27 HRs, 117 RBIs, and a .338 batting average in 159 games.

Gonzalez also marks the 3rd Red Sox to grace The Show’s cover in its 7th year after David Ortiz did it in the inaugural year of the franchise in 2006 and Dustin Pedroia did it in 2009. This selection also continues the trend that no outfielder or pitcher has ever graced the franchise’s cover.

EGM’S TAKE: This Boston bias that Sony is showing is a little ridiculous. Pedroia and Ortiz both made sense when they graced the cover, but Gonzalez will be lucky to even make the Top 5 in AL MVP voting after stellar years from guys like the New York Yankees’ Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson, Toronto’s Jose Bautista, Texas’s Michael Young, the White Sox’s Paul Konerko, or Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander. Not to mention National Leaguers like Ryan Braun or Prince Fielder of the Brewers, Matt Kemp of the Dodgers, or World Series Champion pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals Chris Carpenter, any of whom also would’ve been more than worthy to grace the cover.

Although Verlander was snatched up first by 2K and you wouldn’t want a pair of players from the same team to grace the only baseball games on the market so that eliminates Cabrera, there are still clearly better selections for the cover. Not to mention it is arguable that Gonzalez shouldn’t even have been in the Top 3 for the Gold Glove this year as he robbed players like the Yankees’ Mark Teixeira, the Rays’ Casey Kotchman, and Detroit’s Cabrera again, showing once more that offensive numbers somehow influence defensive awards. Heck, Gonzalez is barely in the Top 3 in the division when it comes to fielding and I’m tempted to put Toronto’s Adam Lind ahead of him.

All of this on top of the fact that he was part of the greatest collapse in baseball history blowing a nine game Wild Card lead with his Red Sox in the last month of the season.

The only explanation I might have is that Sony’s San Diego based studios have a soft spot for the guy for all the time he put in with the Padres and as long as he had a good year, this may have been planned ahead of time. It still seems fishy to me though when there are clearly better choices available to you.

What do you guys think of Adrian Gonzalez making the cover? Are you bigger fans of 2K or The Show? Is The Show showing a Boston bias? What other athletes may have been more deserving?

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Market Analysis Shows More Cash Coming in for F2P Games

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THE BUZZ: Newzoo, a market research group that specializes in video games, released a report yesterday that Americans are spending 24% more money on the micro transactions of free-to-play (F2P) games this year than they did in 2010.

This number equates so far to a total of $4.9 billion dollars across the nation being poured into F2P games. The report also warns via a prediction for 2012 that a time for consolidation could be at hand due to the market being saturated with high quality F2P games and that some may fold up shop before even getting started.

EGM’S TAKE: This report comes hot on the heels of the news that World of Warcraft lost 800,000 subscriptions last quarter and really seems to be painting a clear trend in the MMO market in that gamers do not want monthly fees anymore. With such high quality MMOs like FireFall, WildStar, Auto-Club Revolution, and more coming out as F2P in the coming months, it should be interesting to see just how much consolidation happens as Newzoo predicts.

It is also interesting to note that DCU Online, City of Heroes, and the soon to be re-released All Points Bulletin, games that started as subscription based, have also all switched to F2P in order to survive. It makes you wonder about games like The Secret World that have announced subscription plans at launch and if they will be able to buck this trend. You would think though EA would have learned this lesson after APB tanked last year.

What do you guys think of F2P MMOs? Are you fans? Do you prefer subscription based MMOs? What do you think of the micro transaction business model? Let us know your thoughts with comments below!

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Hands-On: UFC Undisputed 3 Pride Mode

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

Back in September we went hands-on with an early build of UFC Undisputed 3 and detailed the new control schemes and new weight classes you could use. We recently were able to go hands-on with a more complete build and while the controls still amazed us with the ease we were able to pick them up and play, and many of the fighters seem to be better balanced than before, we were more focused this time around in taking a step back into the MMA past.

For 10 years Pride Fighting Championships hosted some of the best MMA fighters in the world and saw the rise of superstars like Rampage Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, and Mirko Cro Cop. Taking place in Japan, the men who competed in Pride were the ones who helped put MMA on the map as when they launched in 1997 they immediately began an AFL-NFL type of rivalry with UFC that propelled both organizations into the limelight. Unfortunately, the larger, American based, UFC would buy out Pride and attempt to perform an AFL-NFL merger circa 2007, but instead simply absorbed many of Pride’s best fighters and let go of everyone else, basically disbanding the organization. But, since UFC owns all the rights to Pride now, they decided to tip their hat to their former number one rival and offer a Pride rules and fighter mode in UFC Undisputed 3.

From the second we hit the character select screen we knew we were in for an intriguing new experience. Since many current UFC fighters cut their teeth in Pride, we were able to choose from both Pride fighters and UFC fighters who once competed in Pride and given new, younger looks to reflect the time period in their lives for which they fight with Pride. We saw a leaner, younger looking Rampage Jackson, a meaner looking Wanderlei Silva, and Mirko Cro Cop with a better head of hair. Their stats were also very different from their UFC versions to help represent where they were in their careers. It’s not just about the fighters though. Pride mode sports a completely different feel to it. The announcers are different. The arenas, rings, and referees are different. And most importantly, the rules are different.

Pride was so intensely popular with some people because it was also so brutal compared to many other MMA organizations as it allowed moves that would be considered fouls elsewhere. And all those moves are allowed in Pride mode. Piledrivers (called ‘spiking’ an opponent in MMA), elbows, soccer style kicks, and (my personal favorite) foot stomping an opponent’s face while they are down are all legal and even encouraged in Pride mode in order to get the victory and adds a whole new level of brutality to the game. On top of this, the time and weight class rules are laid out much differently to UFC and so fighters who might be in different weight classes and can no longer compete against each other in UFC, can go head-to-head once again in Pride.

After several bouts in Pride mode, I admit I can see why it was so popular and had me wondering if it was based in the US instead of Japan if it would have been able to compete better with UFC. But what’s done is done and all I can say about this new game mode is that if you were a fan of Pride more than UFC, you have a big reason now to buy this game now as this is easily the most accurate representation you’ll ever get now of that once great organization.

What do you folks think? Are you a former Pride supporter or is it UFC all the way for you? Will you dabble in this new mode? What do you think of the different rules? Let us know with comments below!

 

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