Originally Published: October 2, 2010, on ClassicGameRoom.com
As a part of CGR Undertow, I give a review of the original Iron Man for the Wii from SEGA, Marvel, and Artificial Mind and Movement.
Tag Archive: wii
Originally Published: September 30, 2010, on ClassicGameRoom.com
As a part of CGR Undertow, I review Hoopworld for Wiiware.
Originally Published: July 15, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com
The beliefs and mythology of cultures long since past have a habit of still influencing much of our media today. From the Clash of the Titans movie from the beginning of the summer to many of our video games like God of War 3, mythology is a favorite of creators everywhere to tap into when coming up with different concepts. In that vein, I present to you Sega and High Voltage’s latest exclusive for the Nintendo Wii, Tournament of Legends.
A budget fighting game (only $30 brand new), Tournament of Legends takes random mythological beings from all over the world, like Baath, the Egyptian god of the sun, or Jupiter, King of the Roman Gods, and pits them against each other in a battle for the enchanted sickle of Thanatos (the god of death) in a bid for power that will propel them to a legendary status they had only dared dream about. So, basically, the standard fighting game plot where all the characters are looking for some form or another of ultimate power.
As fighters go, even for a budget title, this is a bad game. There are only eight playable characters to start with and two unlockables as the game goes along. Last time I checked, there were a lot more legends and mythological creatures out there than 10. For this to even be considered as a decent fighter, it would have needed at least five more playable characters.
And much like Sega and High Voltage’s last over-hyped Wii-exclusive, The Conduit, the graphics are abysmal. They look like something from the last generation of consoles with loose polygons and a lack of detail rarely seen in games nowadays. Include a lack of blood or anything overly graphic in terms of some of the big hits you can deliver and the game comes across as too childish to be taken serious as a fighter.
At least the audio is tolerable though to help even out the peripherals. A great job by all the voice actors involved makes the taunts of each character come across as much more personal that you typically see in a fighting game and the narrator does a good job laying out the story and the conclusion with each fighter’s end scene. Add in solid SFX and some decent instrumentals that try to make the game feel like the epic it was promoted to be and at least the composers seemed to have given their best effort with this one.
As for the gameplay, this is where Tournament of Legends leaves me most on the fence. If you use the Wii’s Classic Controller, then the controls are passable. You have your standard high, low, heavy, and light attack combinations. You have some really cool and unique special powers, like the Roman Centurion throws a slab of beef at his opponent (which I’ve nicknamed the “beefcake” attack) who then gets swarmed by lions if it hits. And you also have some great level design that incorporates traps like giant griffins and kraken that attack both players randomly. Unfortunately, if you use the Wiimote and Nunchuck control scheme though, the game is unresponsive and difficult to handle, making it harder to appreciate those glimmers of brilliance that Sega was able to fit into this game.
The game also really suffered with the replay value. As mentioned above, there are only 10 total characters to play with and unfortunately the game lacks an online vs. multiplayer. Without a lot of characters and being able to play against people online, there is very little to bring you back to this game should you be foolish enough to buy this in the first place.
Originally this game was supposed to be a 300 inspired action game that somehow morphed into this lackluster fighter. After playing this game, you only think of what could have been had Sega stayed with their original idea considering how awful this turned out. I know Sega has the potential to pull off great games for the Wii as I keep looking back at the gem that was Madworld, but Tournament of Legends does not even hold a candle to that masterpiece. I feel dirty even mentioning them in the same sentence as Tournament of Legends is just another example of Sega producing a game that does not live up to the hype or its fullest potential.
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.
Graphics: 4.0: No blood, no guts, and a lack of detail not seen in modern console games anymore. This game is one of the worst looking games I’ve seen since the last time Sega and High Voltage fell flat on their face with The Conduit.
Audio: 9.0: The instrumentals tried their best to convey the feeling of this being an epic game. It’s not their fault it wasn’t. Add in some well-done voice over work and the audio is one of the few aspects of this game that actually delivered all the goods.
Plot/Plot Development: 7.0: Your standard fighter plot where all the characters are looking for a form of ultimate power for some reason or another. Nothing special.
Gameplay: 7.0: With the classic controller, this is a solid fighting game with some creative and humorous elements thrown in to differentiate itself from the crowd. Unfortunately, if you use the Wiimore/Nunchuck combination, this game is a joke to play due to unresponsiveness and difficulty in pulling off maneuvers.
Replay Value: 2.0: Only 10 characters to play with (8 from the beginning) and no online modes makes this one of the flimsiest fighters I’ve ever played.
Overall (not an average): 4.0: A lack of fighters, no online mode, poor controls, and shoddy graphics show that this game didn’t just lack polish, it lacked all the essentials. Avoid Tournament of Legends at all costs.
Tournament of Legends is available now (not that you should care) for the Nintendo Wii.
-Ray Carsillo
Originally Published: July 14, 2010, on Lundberg.me, NationalLampoon.com, and SportsRev.TV
This week I reviewed Batman Odyssey #1 (of 12) and Tournament of Legends from Nintendo Wii. My hot chick pick of the week this week is Daisy (or Daysi, still not sure on that one) Araujo.
Originally Published: July 7, 2010, on Lundberg.me, Examiner.com, Original-Gamer.com, PlayerAffinity.com, and ESPNNewYork.com
I know that E3 was three weeks ago, but with the craziness of the World Cup, NBA Free Agency, and the approaching MLB All-Star break, to say we’ve been a little busy here at ESPN would be an understatement. But in our spare time, my expert cameraman/editor Jared Bodden and I, have been toiling away trying to finish these videos to show you some of the great games we saw at E3 and bring you some exclusive interviews with the people behind those games.
One of the most difficult things in this process has been whittling down what we felt were the most worthwhile games to look at, so we broke it down into four videos. The first video is a compilation featuring online and DLC games with the following three videos being a summary of the rest of the best from each day. For the games that we had to cut for the sake of time, I apologize tremendously. I also wish we could have given every game we did feature their own special video.
On that note, without further ado, below is the culmination of my three days at the L.A. Convention Center for E3 2010. I hope you all enjoy.
The first video was my online/DLC game special that features looks at the new Deadliest Warrior game from Spike Games that comes out next Tuesday, DCU Online from Sony Online Entertainment, QuickHit.com and their brand new NFL license, and Blacklight: Tango Down from Ignition Entertainment.
Our first day at E3 was a special day overall and had us see some spectacular looking games for consoles. Our video of Day 1 features Tron and Epic Mickey from Disney Entertainment, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow from Konami, and Test Drive Unlimited 2 from Atari.
On the second day of E3, console games and their peripherals were well represented once more as we looked at Vanquish from SEGA, Shaun White Skateboarding and Ghost Recon: Future Solider from Ubisoft, WWE All-Stars from THQ, and the new Wii Exercise Bike from Big Ben Interactive.
On the last day of E3, we had a chance to look at some of the most hyped games for consoles and some sweet accessories when we looked at Call of Duty: Black Ops and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions from Activision and some sweet products from Nyko and iGUGU.
Videos by Jared Bodden
-Ray Carsillo
Originally Published: June 29, 2010, on Examiner.com, ESPNNewYork.com, and PlayerAffinity.com
For well more than twenty years, Transformers has permeated our pop culture in ways few things have. Several successful cartoon series, a successful movie franchise, and the action figures that started it all still fly off the store shelves. The one place that Transformers has lacked proper representation though has been in video game format. Until now.
Transformers: War for Cybertron is a look back at why the robots in disguise that we all know and love were forced to leave their home planet of Cybertron and take to the stars before their fateful landing on Earth. Starting off as Megatron and his band of evil Decepticons, you are left searching for a weapon to turn the tide of war in your favor in order to rout the Autobots and claim Cybertron for yourself.
Left to grasping at legends, Megatron invades an Autobot space station that was supposed to at one time manufacture an unstable element only known as “Dark Energon”. Megatron feels if the legends are true and he can harness this element, he could strike at Cybertron’s core and take over the planet in one fell swoop. After recruiting former Autobot Starscream into his ranks, Megatron begins claiming the station for himself and soon his plans for global domination are under way.
It’s at this point, with Cybertron completely under siege, that you take over Optimus and his band of Autobots in an attempt to thwart Megatron’s grand plans for dominance. Only by Optimus embracing his destiny and taking the reigns of Autobot leadership can the Autobots overcome Megatron and attempt to save their home planet before this ages old war wipes out both Autobot and Decepticon alike.
The first thing that fans will notice right off the bat is these are not the movie Transformers. These are the cartoon and action figures that we grew up with. Megatron transforms into his classic white and purple tank form, Bumblebee is not a Camaro, and Soundwave comes along with Rumble, Frenzy, and Laserbeak in tow.
You’ll then notice the great control scheme and third-person shooter action. Finding the balance between your vehicle form and your robot form is a fun challenge as both have their positives and negatives and the game forces to you to use both on different occasions and is a brilliant way to build in gameplay variety. And that’s not the only balance you have to find. The Decepticon and Autobot campaigns are so different that you’ll find yourself feeling like you’re playing two different games altogether.
There are some flaws with the gameplay though. The lack of a duck and cover mechanism is the first and most obvious problem. Although there is plenty of cover to hide behind, not being able to hug it and fire around corners or even duck to fit in behind smaller crates makes some of the firefights you get into a lot harder than they need to be.
Another problem is the enemy A.I. Some of the lower enemies you have to face in this game redefine the term “cannon fodder”, but at least the boss battles are epic. In this vein, although the game is compelling and pulls you in, with most enemies having a relatively low A.I., you should be able to blow through this game in about 10 hours, even on hard mode.
These flaws in gameplay though are more than made up for in other areas. The graphics for this game are flawless. From the seamless transformations of each character with their classic cartoon designs to every piece of Cybertron, this game’s look shines like Energon crystals. When you combine this with a spectacular voice cast spearheaded by Peter Cullen returning as Optimus Prime and the peripherals are almost second to none.
Possibly the best feature of this entire game though is the multiplayer. Of course, almost any shooter nowadays has to have a “Horde” style mode a la Gears of War and Transformers: War for Cybertron provides that with its “Escalation” mode. Your typical Deathmatch and Capture the Flag modes really steal the show though as they’re done in the Call of Duty style (no surprise being an Activision game; if something isn’t broken don’t fix it) and you just hope the Transformers fans truly appreciate this
Beyond some minor flaws, the game really sparkles while setting a new standard for what a Transformers game should be. Good gameplay coupled with a top-notch multiplayer and some pretty graphics makes this game a must have for Transformers fans old and new alike.
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.
Graphics: 10.0: This is how I imagined Cybertron would look like. Add in these are the cartoon designs and not the movie ones and the look of this game is flawless.
Audio: 10.0: Perfect voice acting from all those involved including the legendary Peter Cullen leads the charge for a stellar auditory performance. The music is a little generic at times, but it artfully sets the mood and the end credits being set to an old classic makes the audio flawless.
Plot/Plot Development: 10.0: A brilliantly executed story that helps to set up the canon that fans are familiar with while answering some age old questions. It flowed perfectly over the game’s 10 levels and left me wishing they had started even farther back to explain more of the history.
Gameplay: 6.0: Poor enemy A.I., only 10 hours in the story mode, and the lack of duck and cover mechanism left me looking for a little more while I blasted away robot drones.
Replay Value: 7.0: “Escalation” mode was a predictable addition to the basic Call of Duty multiplayer shell this game uses. That doesn’t make it any less fun. A lack of something to bring you back to the story mode does hurt the experience though.
Overall (not an average): 9.0: Brilliant story, great peripherals, and a proven winner in terms of multiplayer mode and this game is a must buy for any and every Transformers fan.
Transformers: War for Cybertron is available now on all systems.
-Ray Carsillo
Originally Published: June 29, 2010, on Lundberg,me, NationalLampoon.com, and Sportsrev.TV
This week I reviewed Green Lantern Corps #49 and Transformers: War for Cybertron. My hot chick pick of the week is Jennifer Walcott.
Originally Published: June 25, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com, Lundberg.me, and Examiner.com
Maybe that proclamation is a little more dramatic than necessary, but when a gaming journalism fixture like Shane Satterfield takes a few minutes out of his hectic schedule, in the midst of the pinnacle of the gaming year that is E3, you make sure to let him know you’re appreciative.
Shane, of course, is the Editor-in-Chief for GameTrailers.com and has been covering the games industry for well over a decade. With that in mind, and with us having finally finished putting together all of our E3 videos, I felt it would be a great way to kick off my look back at E3 2010 with the interview I did on Day 2 with Shane.
We covered a bevy of topics from the future of gaming in general to his thoughts on this year’s Expo while we waited for the doors to open to the Los Angeles Convention Center’s South Hall.
Check out my interview with Editor-in-Chief of GameTrailers.com Shane Satterfield below!
It’s always nice when you actually get credit for something. Thanks to the fine folks at Atari for passing this along. Check out the :26 mark.
Originally Published: June 16th, 2010, on PlayerAffinity.com and Examiner.com
I had a chance to catch up with Sega, Atari, Spike Games, Disney, and Konami on the first official day of E3 2010!
RayCarsilloWrites.com 