What game did you last complete?

[jetfire]

I just finished Grandia 3 today. It was a good overall experience, but it contained some flaws that were hard to miss. The game starts out very fast paced like the sweetest parts of Grandia 2 for the first 10 hours, but then the story begins to take a dive, and you lose some of the characters which you have just began to get attached to (and characters that interacted very well with the ones you keep) for less interesting ones. The plot as a whole remains average, but the great pacing at the beginning of the story set me up for a lot of dissapointment. Another fault is the amount of leveling up that you have to do. It wouldn't be so bad if the leveling remained consistant throughout the game, but sometimes you get to a boss that requires you to level up 10 times to beat him, even when you've been fighting consistantly up to that point. There's about 8 hours of fun right there. Finally, it seemed like there were too few places to visit, and a shortage of mana eggs if you don't use them for fusion correctly.

However, the good points to this game are an awesome battle system that requires a good deal of strategy, beautiful graphics and cinematics, decent music, some good character designs (aside from Yuki's mother, who looks just as old as he does), some interesting environments, and the aspect of being a pilot gives a great feeling of adventure, which is an absolute must for any Grandia game.

Overall, I'd give the game a 76%.

[Saya-biki]

I completed Summon Night Swordcraft Story for the GBA. Well I completed it as Pratty with Sugar as my summon, I've seen one ending for the girl out of...let's see...I'd say 9.

I started another file as a boy though...renamed Cleru Einar X3

Anyway on to the actual game, the game focuses on your character tryng to become a famous and respected craftlord like your father was. It starts off as a simple tournament...

Well first let's examine the characters

Cleru/Pratty: you're character. Ya know...

Varil: The cocky, over-confident rich boy who declares you his rival after an event.

Sanary: oh she's so tsundere <3 even to the girl...
Well she could be more tsundere I suppose...oh and SANARY BEAM!

Razzy: Reverse trap, one of them kids who acts before they think.

Sakuro: The skilled, mature, responsible Craftlord who was once an apprentice to you're father. Makes you make curry.

Bron: The tough talking master of the Sliver Guild(your guild). Oh yeah he has a nice side and he thinks your mom is hot(of course he doesn't say that)

It takes place on a floating Island place called Wystern, also called the City of Swords. It has a large tower in the center which contains a labyrinth over 50 floors deep.

Being an apprentice Craftknight, you make all your weapons. Sword, Spear, Axe, Knuckles, Drill. You use the labyrinth the majority times as a means to get materials for the weapons you create. Creating is easy, select which technique for the weapon you want to use and if you have enough materials you'll make it. Of course your summon/guardian beast helps you.

At the beginning you're three questions, they determine which one you get.
There are four.

Sugar: A fairy, good with water spells and healing. Your father promised that she'd marry his son. She wants to marry you. Regardless of your gender.

Rasho: A demon, fire. Smartmouthed, blunt, and cocky. He seems to like your mom.

Zantek and Kutty: I dunno the last two are lame. I don't want them.

On to the battle system.
Whether you're fighting in the tournament or exploring the labyrinth fighting was always fun. You're allowed to use three weapons you made, except when you fight in the tournament, then it's only one. It's reminiscent of a Tales of game or a fighting game. You can move freely left or right and jump. You can switch between your three weapons with R. On top of that you can switch between your support spells/items and guard with L.

Different weapons give you different moves. For example a sword gives you a standing three hit combo and a stabbing combo if you press down. With a drill you can attack once, charge attack, drill them foward, or drill them upwards.

You can guard as much as you want but only use 5 support moves a battle. Be it using an item or having your summon use a spell. As you use your weapon, however, it's durability goes down. If it goes to zero in the match it's destroyed, but if you want to make it more durable you have to raise your TEC by using it.

After you beat the game you can still use that character, think Phantom Brave, now theres extras and stuff but nothing really in terms of plot.

Well, the battle system, crafting system, amusing dialouge, and multiple game paths make this game something special. A fun experiance I'd recommend you pick up as soon as you can, remember you're dealing with Atlus as the publisher!

Swordcraft Story 2 is going to come out, I hope thats not the end of the Summon Night series in America (considering there's 5(and a 6th coming out!) more in Japan exluding the two Swordcraft stories)

[Mana]

Recenrly beat Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. Definately a good game; I like the abilities to choose classes, and buying things out of battle makes SO much more sense. All in all, though... I still like 7 better >>;

[jetfire]

I just completed Jak & Daxter. It was an all-around great platformer. It didn't really offer up anything new, but it's presentation, puzzles and platforming elements were handled very well. I'll have to load it up again later to complete 100% of the game (it's kind of like Mario 64 in that fashion. You can beat it, or you can collect everything, then beat it). It's still a great game for being so many years old.

EDIT: Actually, I just fully completed the game today and got the second ending. Not much of an ending, and isnt really worth the extra time. It last about 10 to 20 seconds.

[Dark Lord]

I recently completed Final Fantasy X2... It was okay but the dungeons were just sooooo boring...
I also completed Final Fantasy Tactics Advance... I loved that game... I allowed me to create lots of cool character combinations...

[Syner]

Star Fox Command

Ending 3/9, you automatically get this ending no matter what on your first play through but theres nine other endings to get.

The gameplay is extremely well done and the touch screen flying is just great. Online play is smooth and also extremely fun also

[Tatumaru]

I finally finished playing Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker after a couple of years.

[Marlon]

Fear

Great game. First Class ending.

[SonicTHP]

I just finished Grandia 3 today. It was a good overall experience, but it contained some flaws that were hard to miss. The game starts out very fast paced like the sweetest parts of Grandia 2 for the first 10 hours, but then the story begins to take a dive, and you lose some of the characters which you have just began to get attached to (and characters that interacted very well with the ones you keep) for less interesting ones. The plot as a whole remains average, but the great pacing at the beginning of the story set me up for a lot of dissapointment. Another fault is the amount of leveling up that you have to do. It wouldn't be so bad if the leveling remained consistant throughout the game, but sometimes you get to a boss that requires you to level up 10 times to beat him, even when you've been fighting consistantly up to that point. There's about 8 hours of fun right there. Finally, it seemed like there were too few places to visit, and a shortage of mana eggs if you don't use them for fusion correctly.

However, the good points to this game are an awesome battle system that requires a good deal of strategy, beautiful graphics and cinematics, decent music, some good character designs (aside from Yuki's mother, who looks just as old as he does), some interesting environments, and the aspect of being a pilot gives a great feeling of adventure, which is an absolute must for any Grandia game.

Overall, I'd give the game a 76%.

Hey, did you see my name in the credits?

[jetfire]

Hey, did you see my name in the credits?

Nope. I didn't even know that you helped with it, and I don't even know your real name. Unless your screenname was written. I'm guessing that you helped with the game testing.

And who really reads the credits anyways? I let them scroll by incase there's something secret after the credits, but that's it. Anyways, I'll keep a lookout for your name next time I beat it.

[SonicTHP]

No problems. Yea, I tested it. As for my name, THP are my initials. It's not hard to find me from there.

[Risen Hell Fire]

I hoping some of you were wondering where I was for the past few days. Since Thursday I've been Playing Disgaea 2 since, and I beaten it yesterday in 50 hours, the story isn't as good as Disgaea 1 but I like the characters in it, though I'm not happy that some of the voices changed (unless I was wrong). I give it a 8.2/10

[SonicTHP]

Inspired by Mana's post, I also beat Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. I beat it with all the characters alive, and it wasn't that hard. That little dragon girl is broken, but then again, so was my Colm. Fun game, especially since I got it for free.

[L-sama]

Just finished two games: Star Fox Assault and Kingdom Hearts 2. I've had KH2 for a while, but I've been too lazy to finish it until now. Though I still like the first KH a little more, KH2 was very enjoyable. As for SF-Assault, it's a good game overall. It's just too darn short. I finished the game in bronze and silver mode in the span of a day and a half. A shame yes, but still pretty good.

[CRASH]

I recently beat F.E.A.R. and I must say it was intense fun. I loved how it made me jump when weird stuff happened. It is the best FPS I have played in a wile.

[Risen Hell Fire]

Just beaten Zone of the Enders: The second runner yesterday

One of the best mech games I've played because it's fun and fast (omega boost is in first).

[Kei]

Heroes of Might and Magic 5. My opinion of this game stays the same: Hate the maps, but love the battles. The voice acting was so hit and miss. Isabel's and Agreal's voices were horrible, but characters like Markal had amazing voices "Griffon...UNDYING!".

Since this game sets the events that take place before Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, to say the least I will be waiting at the edge of my seat for that game.

[Zeek]

Zelda Windwaker for the 6th time

[SonicTHP]

I've had KH2 for a while, but I've been too lazy to finish it until now. Though I still like the first KH a little more, KH2 was very enjoyable.

I tested that game too. Look for my name in the manual/credits. My initials are THP.

Just beaten Zone of the Enders: The second runner yesterday

One of the best mech games I've played because it's fun and fast (omega boost is in first).

Interesting. Omega Boost was first, but when I played it, I felt that it really wasn't that similar to ZOE or ZOE2 even. Now you must unlock the extra missions and Vs. mode mechs.

[LadyYuina]

Xenosaga 3. That game was awesome. I really liked the storyline... I hope they make more parts to this game.

[Major Tom]

I recentlly completed the single player tournament in Flatout 2. That is one hella fun game. Not only do you race cars, but you are encouraged to destroy them! Nothing more relaxing than cleaning up on a big prang and making big bucks out of it.

The cars themselves are more than likely based on real one, but I suppose because of licensing reasons they can't actually use the real names. They scrap really well too. The stunts and events are pretty good. How can anybody resist an event where the sole purpose is to crash your car in order to propel the driver at a giant novelty dartboard?

Like all games, it's not perfect. The game does suffer, as all car games I have played, occasionally from wonky physics, which at times can frustrate you because it always seems to happen when you are a nosehair's length in front on the final lap.

Some of the bots, in particular Sofia Martinez and the top tier bots, are just too perfect. No matter what you do they are always better and don't make mistakes, and no matter what upgrades for your car you purchase, they are accelerate faster and have a higher top speed. I ended judging my success by how far in front of Sofia Martinez I was on the boards.

Overall though, this is a mighty fun game, even better when you play with friends. I was actually surprised by how quickly this overtook Need for Speed: Most Wanted as my preferred car game.

[SonicTHP]

Finally put the time in to beat Metroid Prime Hunters for the DS. The game is pretty good. It really shows what the DS is capable of graphically, but as far as Metroid games go, it is not the best one. The levels are great as are the powerups, though scarce when compared to the previous games, but the main problem is the bosses. They reuse the same two bosses through the entrire game until you get to the last boss which really isn't very hard anyway.

Multi-player is fun, but since I was never one to play FPS games with others very much, I stopped playing a while back.

A recommended game for Metroid freaks for me, but for everyone else, it's not so important that they play it.

[Syner]

Megaman ZX

omg this game is freakin awesome. its not like previous megaman games where your in a teleporter rooma nd you warp to the boss but instead you travel around on a world map thats will remind you of Metroid and Castlevania to get to the next location and its completely free-roam. The game took me roughly 11 hours to complete and I just <3 the Full Anime Cutscenes with Japanese Voice Overs..thats right capcom kept the japanese voices during the animated cutscenes.

I highly suggest playing this..the final boss and secret boss omega zero is a pain to kill, took me all life power ups and three full energy tanks to take them down on Normal mode.

i'm about to play through as Aile now on either Normal or Hard. But I highly suggest picking this up and its only at the $29.99 price tag

[PsychoSaiya-jin]

I recently beat F.E.A.R. and I must say it was intense fun. I loved how it made me jump when weird stuff happened. It is the best FPS I have played in a wile.
That is one very slick game. After going through ZOE2 again, I decided to pick up on some older games I'd missed completing like Devil May Cry [in anticipation of DMC3:SE]. Wacky story, fun game.

[Risen Hell Fire]

Okami: 10/10 or 9.5/10

Beaten this amazing game in under 60 hours, more people need to get this game right now. Beautiful cel shading, great Zelda-ish gameplay, great characters, this game is near if not perfect. Though the problem I have with some adventure games is in here as well, like after caving a city or somthing like that, going back there can get boring once you done everything there. But my problems are so minor it hardly keeps me from loving this game, definate game of the year nominee.

[Sae]

SUIKODEN II

my god this was such a great game...great story with many twists...sad ending

party level at final boss: 61,61,61,61,61,59

now its either me to play Suikoden I or go buy Suikoden V lol

IV I have already beaten and I will never own due to its crappyness.

IV disowned the series and I too now shun it from the Suikoden name like other suikoden fans

I thank thee Elric to showing me the greatness of II

I loved this game! That is.....till I walked outside of some gates and they don't let you back in. I totally had to start all over when I was like 20 hours into the game. :whine: :mad: But still I love this game so much! :sweat: It needs so much more attention though! What an awesome game!

Sae-chan

[Major Tom]

Hot off the presses!

I have just completed MechCommander 2. I had great fun with this game, and very little frustration. Visually and audibly, this game can still compete with the latest of RTS's out there, and with very limited resources to play with in game, it makes for some real brain powered gameplay. As enjoyable as this game is, though it doesn't quite hit the greatness scale.

The command and control layout is somewhat awkward, I still haven't discovered how to actually deselect something, and several of the order commands do not have a presence on the screen, so it is very easy to issue range stances and forget what you've ordered, especially when the sh!t hits the fan.

Bot pathing is pathetic. I have on many occasions had my warriors, who have had a shorter, more direct and immensively safer path available to them decide to go the long way round in front of a turret battery.

There are also anumber of small bugs and glitches that can get rather annoying at times. For instance, if one has a repair bay, when repairs are done, the bay doesn't reset to accept another mech until the previous mech has finished it's move out of the bay. Fine, but sometimes this move can be rather lengthy, and if for some reason it's path is blocked, the bay will not reset until the bot finds a way around, or you give it a new command.

Of course, being a follow up to a rather impressive game, a comparison with MechCommander is inevitable. Overall, whilst MechCommander 2 looks and sounds better, MechCommander is still the better game. The controls were more intuitive, all orders had a representation on screen, overall the control system felt easier.

Mech modification in MechCommander became a necessity, as weapons were lost in battle, they either had to be refitted (manually, you could prioritise which mechs received attention first), or if you didn't have any left in your inventory, a different one fitted. However, with the removal of weapon stockpiles in number 2, this function has become more or less superfluous. This also vastly reduces the value of salvage. Some other resource management functions were removed, and it lessens the importance of resource management between battles.

Perhaps it was done in order to simplify things for younger/new players, and I really don't have a problem making an easy mode, but when the game is limited to 'simple'......it's not as enjoyable.

Onto the salvage issue, I didn't like how it was implemented here. I shouldn't have to pay for salvage, in the BattleTech universe (those who have played Mech 2 Mercenaries should know) that salvage is often a part of the contract. In anycase, your employer would often take the good mechs for himself, and leave you with the rest......and there are a few other gribbles that a BattleTech fan like myself would only notice.

Don't be fooled by all the smiting I have done on this game, I did really enjoy this game, but it could have been much better. It didn't quite live up to it's predecessors name. Perhaps if I hadn't played MechCommander before Mech Commander 2, then I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more. I have a tendency to point out flaws in something that had great potential, rather than focus on the good bits.

I would still recommend this game to any RTS fan out there, it does produce some exciting and tense battles, but if you have played and loved MechCommander, don't get your hopes up too high.

[LakiDash]

Beat the crap out of Jade Empire. Loved every minute though. But I knew the game's plot and spoilers cause my friend spoiled them for me. Ah well.

I still prefer KOTOR but that's just cause I'm a Star Wars nut.

I do hope for sequels though cause they have a whole new worls they can expand on. And make it longer too.

[Tamanegi Sensei]

I had this hankerin to slice zombies with a skeleton by the name of Sir. Daniel Fortesque. So I found Medievil on the Playstation one and beat it in 2 days. It's a bit suprising that I found it since it is now a rare game, even in the midst of the transition from current to next gen.

It maybe on the PSP in the form of Ressurection, but nothin beats the original eh?

[Milkymagic]

Stretch Panic for PS2, took me 2 hours, being the gameplay is easy to master. Fun game, I think Treasure could've made something really great out of a sequel.

[Barrelhaven]

Okami: 10/10 or 9.5/10

Beaten this amazing game in under 60 hours, more people need to get this game right now. Beautiful cel shading, great Zelda-ish gameplay, great characters, this game is near if not perfect. Though the problem I have with some adventure games is in here as well, like after caving a city or somthing like that, going back there can get boring once you done everything there. But my problems are so minor it hardly keeps me from loving this game, definate game of the year nominee.

What an experience! It's been a good while since I played a game as epic and awe-inspiring as Okami. Clover Studios clearly put in tons of effort and passion into this game...damn shame this is the last game they'll ever make.

Alot of people compare this game to Zelda, but it brings enough originality of its own to the table, setting it apart as a truly unique experience. The creative visual style exudes Japanese influence, which is very fitting considering the mythology involved. Character designs are cute and colorful, and the environments are vast and sprawling. Easily among the best graphics to ever grace the PS2.

The gameplay was impossibly fun. There's just so many damn ways to kill things, and all the different options look equally as impressive to execute. Each type of weaponry (reflectors, rosaries, glaives) all have their pros and cons that provide a wide variety of killing style. That alone would've been fulfilling enough, but the added dimension of using the Celestial Brush Skills pretty much give you godly, over-the-top powers. You can avoid most battles if you want to, but with the fights being so fun, you'll probably be more inclined to actually seek them out instead.

So yeah, I give this game like a 9.0 or 9.5...it's as close to perfect as you can get. Only flaws were some framerate issues when too many things happen on the screen at once, and the major flaw: The game was just too easy. It took me about 60 hrs to complete (I did alot of side-quests), and I didn't get killed even once. Only times I died were if I accidently miss-timed a jump and fell down a pit or something. Bosses are fun to figure out how to beat, but once you figure em out, it's a piece of cake.

[SonicTHP]

I also just beat Okami after 60+ hours. I wanted to get all the unlockables on the first time through (mission complete). I can't say much that risen hell fire and barrelhaven haven't said already except that I thought the story telling aspect of the game was superb. The ending was especially touching to me.

Twilight Princess actually has to live up to the greatness of Okami now.

[Jayna]

Kingdom Hearts. ^^ That also qualifies as the FIRST game I ever completed. Now I go back every so often and beat the boss...just to laugh at him. (Although the fact that his shirt miraculously 'disappears' towards the end is a bit iffy....)

And I could finish KH2, I mean I'm already at The End of the World. But I don't want to, I want to make the game last as long as possible.

[AUrameshi]

I just finished (Meaning I finished it today) InuYasha Curse of the Mask. I've already beaten it before, but I had been renting it then. I'm borrowing it from a friend and I plan on getting all the stuff on there. I just completed the female part where she bonded most with Miroku. ^^ Next, I'm doing the male part where he will bond with Sango! ^-^

[Major Tom]

I've had a run of average games as of late.

My latest completion was a budget title Warhammer 40,000: Firewarrior. I didn't know it had been ported over to PC from PS2, hell, if I hadn't been into Warhammer, this title probably wouldn't have even made a blip on my radar.

Still, at $20 and being a WH40K game, I thought I'd try it out.

This game would never have gotten above average at best. The engine, whilst playable, doesn't do anything flashy or different, just follows the norms, though parts of it (holding 2 weapons, the shield recharge thing) tell me it was either based around or inspired by the HALO engine. Perhaps the single most frustrating part was the cone of fire used to simulate recoil. It made it extremely difficult to actually hit anything, even at point blank. The game also has a few bugs to do with sticking to terrain and getting stuck in doors. And I hate the check point save system with a passion.

However, where this game disappoints the most is in the 40K part. For those who are or have been Games Workshop enthusiasts and know about the various histories and mythos of the 40K universe, much of it just doesn't mesh well. Various parts from the game itself don't manifest themselves well (like the power of a plasma gun. There was many a time when I was thinking 'why are you still alive?', or more to the point 'why am I still alive?', or the newfound toughness of Imperial Guardsmen, who are known as being equipped with a 'T-shirt and a flashlight').

The story itself isn't done to well. There are plot twists, but they come out of nowhere and ultimately make little sense in the scheme of things. Some of them really could have done with some forshadowing.

Unlike some of the other average games I'm playing at the moment (Titan Quest, MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries), I didn't have much fun playing this one. I pretty much finished out of sheer will. I probably wouldn't really recommend this game unless you a) have run out of games to play or b) are a total 40K hardcore nutjob.

[Risen Hell Fire]

.Hack G.U. 8.9/10

Definite improvement over the first four, harder, better (looking) and faster (one more word and Daft punk would sue me). The story is much better and now I want to knwo what happens in Episode 2 (whenever thats going to be, Feb 2007 perhaps) If you've enjoyed the orginal then you'll love this new series. Not sure why I can't give a higher score but I feel this is the right one.

[Mana]

Trace Memory
Nintendo DS
Rating? 85% or so.

A good, if short, game. A creative use if the stylus, and a nice throw back to old adventure games. If I had any complaints, it would be that the game was too easy and too short. I was expecting to have some difficulty in the puzzles, but they were all rather easy; the only exception being a couple times where I had everything figured out, I just didn't know how to move the stylus to accomplish my goal. The story was interesting, but parts of it were very predictable. I also think Ashley Robbins definately earned herself a nomination for "Most F*cked Up Video Game Character of the 21st Century."

[SonicTHP]

God Hand.

Easily and by far the best beat-em up since Guardian Heroes on the Saturn. Good challenge and awesome gameplay. Fantastic music too. Highly recommended for those that like a challenge.

[Milkymagic]

God Hand.

Easily and by far the best beat-em up since Guardian Heroes on the Saturn. Good challenge and awesome gameplay. Fantastic music too. Highly recommended for those that like a challenge.

Guardian Heroes is the freakin' bomb! I love a brawler that incorporates RPG elements into a straight smackfest (magic, moves, experience points, etc.). Plus the characters were just absolutely entertaining, and the many branching paths kept things real entertaining! Cool to see the appreciation, given it's easily one of Treasure's best games, and probably one of the Saturn's best at that.

Of course, I also posted to note I just beat God Hand myself, and I think out of all the 3D Brawlers I've played, it's the best one yet! It's like Fist of the North Star meets...Clover's bizarre sense of humor. I also like how you can customize what your combos are too, I love to use a lot of faster punches with a high kick to blast people straight to the ground.

I also just beat Okami after 60+ hours. I wanted to get all the unlockables on the first time through (mission complete). I can't say much that risen hell fire and barrelhaven haven't said already except that I thought the story telling aspect of the game was superb. The ending was especially touching to me.

I'm currently playing this one coincidentially, and I'm just 20 hours into it. All I did was beat Orochi the first time through, and I've been hunting secret goodies a good amount of the time to beef myself up. I just love the gameplay elements (painting stuff around you and making things happen), and I agree this game is awesome so far. Definitely rivals the 3D Zelda games for fun factor, and it's sad Clover closed out with two great games (Okami, God Hand). They will be sorely missed...

[DarkKanti]

I just beat Marvel Ultimate Alliance and it is effin sweet. The gameplay is taken straight out of the X Men Legends games and perfected. There are more characters, more villains, and all around more fun. If you have a 360 I highly recommend picking this up.

Now onto my next game Pheonix Wright 2, which I got two days ago. ;)

[laborpilot86]

I just finished Marvel Ultimate Alliance on my PS2. I highly recommend it to any action game person

[Tamanegi Sensei]

Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater.

Finally, somebody can eat my snake. This game is really cool. It has lots of really cool elements that mesh together. From the unique boss battles that require more than just skill, to just simply healing, eating, and camo using.

This game is almost memorable, not for it's gameplay, but for hte boss battles. One in paticular would be the Sorrow.

The fight reflects on how many enemies you kill, including aminals (switch n and m, thats comedy), you killed and ate, and people. And yes even the ones you tranq. Worst of all this is his screamer attack. Occasionally he will unleash a blue tentacle at you and suddenly a disturbing image and a scream will happen. I'm regretting getting that surround sound and playing it loud in the dark on Halloween.

Also, that Ocelot was a pretty damn good man with honor. And that Raikov must have been an allusion to Raiden. I can also honestly say that Volgin is the scariest antagonist I've ever seen. My god that guy was sadistic and dark.

The controls could have been tweaked before released and some of the dialougue wasn't really Russian-like quality as I've expected.

Overall I'm glad to have gotten this game and will look foward to getting Subsistence for some nice outtakes and funny extras. And if I hear somethin about triple-crossing again I swear I will be in shock.

[jetfire]

I just finished Okami last night as well, clocking in at around 48 hours. I didn't collect absolutely everything, but I did find the majority of things. I was thinking about fully completing it, but I wanted to leave something for the second time around in the far future. The game itself was absolutely amazing. I have to give props to the charming story and characters, despite having the plot be about something so generic (a very typical good vs evil story at it's core). The gameplay was also insanely fun. As much as I could have rushed through this game, there was so much that I wanted to see and experience. Even when I knew that my objective was right ahead, there's just this "I'll just do one more extra sidequest or treasure hunt" that keeps repeating itself. By the time I knew it, I've been sidequesting for 3 hours, but I had enjoyed every second of it. The game does feel a little like Zelda at it's core, but it has so much character and diversity, that it's impossible to make a direct comparison between Okami and Zelda. It's in a league of it's own. Overall, I'd give Okami a 90%.

[Major Tom]

Warning: Being a BattleTech fanboy for the best part of 15 years, owning the baord game, enough mech miniatures to make a bloody regiment, and having played most MechWarrior games since number 1, this has the distinct possibility of descending into a rant, with references of 'that's not how it is in the board game' and of 'the good old days'. Let it be assured that I didn't find the game that bad, I just have certain expectations when it come to my favourite subjects, especially when previous incarnations have done a better job.

Last night I finished MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries, following an alligence to the Lyran Alliance and joining Clan Wolf. Being the latest in the MechWarrior franchise (and assumedly a representation of Mechwarrior 4 and the rest of it's exspantions), whilst it can (note can, some of the later missions do end up being a chore, but more on that later) be a fun game, frankly it is a step backward compared to what has come before.

The most noticable flaw is that the storytelling technique is disjointed and incohesive. At times I didn't really know why I was doing this particular mission, and after I had joined Clan Wolf the game just ended, leaving me in the dark about how Clan Wolf actually ties into the story and why I was joining in the first place. It left for a rather unsatisfying endgame experience. Perhaps in choosing one of the other 2 paths I might have gotten a better ending.

Onto game mechanics. A few minor flaws:
1) Lack of ammunition resources (that is, having to stockpile ammo as well as weapons)
2) A pathetic freemarket system (essentially, once you've bought all of a stocked item, it doesn't come back. There is no supply and demand whatsoever)
3) disjointed mission select system. You can leave anytime during the contract, go offworld even, and come back. I don't know about you, but I would assume that once I've been contracted, I would expect to see that contract out. The system used in MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries was better
4) No incentive to preserve yourself, your machine or your lancemates, seeing as the game doesn't actually continue (or end, if you die) if you fail a mission. It resets to before that mission.
5) a bit too much Clan material available.

I didn't like how mech modification and customisation ended up in this. The system used in Mech 2 and 3 was comprehensive, but it could be a little daunting, so I was initially pleased at the more visual style used here. But the ability to customise your mech has been drastically reduced. There are set things a certain chassis can carry, whereas in every incarnation of BattleTech, harking all the way back to the boardgame, essentially if you can fit it, you can carry it. The laser/missile/ballistic only racks annoyed me, particularly if I wanted to make a certain variation of mech. In some cases it is impossible to recreate the original versions of these mechs, or even the Clan standard version pf Clan mechs. I would say that from the previous 90% customisational, the new system goes down to about 50%.

Of all the things that should have transferred very well from the board game, that would have to be the weapon damage and armour points system. However, what has been done in this game is weapon damage has been toned down and armour values ramped up. That essentially turns the game into a slugging match. There have been several time when certain weapons against light mechs should pretty much tear them apart in a single hit (I know, I've checked up the weapon damage and armour values in the Technical Readouts), but time and time again I see them surviving. This also directly affects the number of weapon systems and amount of ammo I see on a mech, but that's nit pitcking a little too far.

Another thing that annoyed me was the loss of a leg. In previous versions it meant destruction (which is a bit harsh, a mech can survive the loss of a leg in the board game, but the poor pilot has to roll on his piloting skill with a huge negative modifier to get up and keep from falling down.) but in this game, it just means you go slower, and you don't actually loose the leg. Another damage related annoyance was the loss of a torso segment. In all previous games, the destruction of a left or right torso meant you loose the arm attached to it. Common sense, I thought, but that feature is gone in this version.

Visually, whilst the game does look good, MechWarrior 3 was a better looking game. More detail, a grittier more sim-like feel, a cockpit (not a functional one, but a cockpit nonetheless, not this simple texture thing that's a throwback to MechWarrior 2), better models. Oddly enough, there are just as many function buttons in Mech 4 as there are in Mech 3, but Mech 4 presents itself as more of an arcady type shooter where such buttons aren't necessary, whereas Mech 3 comes off as a more sim like game where all these extra buttons are useful. The thing with the later incarnations of BattleTech seems to be keep it simple. Not that I have a problem with simple, but the game it limited at simple.

Still, Mech 4 does have some neat features. The lance command system is far easier to use and far more intuitive than that of previous MechWarrior games, and the rear view feature is very useful. Makes me wonder why they didn't implement rear firing weapons, though. And some of the 3067 mech designs are very funky, the Fafnir and the Chimera being some of my favourites.

Thinking about it, I feel much the same way about this as I did Firewarrior. As a fun mech shooter, it's actually pretty good, but as a BattleTech game, it's not so hot.

Edit: I forgot to mention about some of the missions being a chore. I don't mind having to repeat a mission 2-3 times if it is a challenging one, but I often had to do over some of the later missions 6-7 times. The were often hard for hards sake, and some of that had to do with the mission pathing deliberately setting me up to be discovered or past the strongest defenses. Usually it was best to ignore the pathetic mission briefings (that was another sore point, the mission briefings in Mech3 where you knew you had not fresh intel were much more informative) and suit up in an assault lance.

[The Geomancer]

.hack//G.U. ~ vol.1 Rebirth

contrary to what some of the 'reviews' have said (this one comes to mind (http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200612/R06.1024.1154.57182.htm?CS_pid=G020120)) it was pretty enjoyable, most of the stuff that needed improvement was improved. The Towns feel more like, well...towns, the combat has been drastically improved, and it generally feels like what they were aiming with R:1 (but failed in some areas).

My only gripe is the lack of a system to easily switch between weapon types (i.e. Twin blades to Broadswords) though I hear this is fixed in vol.2

Overall: 80%

oh, and Endrance = Elk

[Tamanegi Sensei]

2 Words come to mind when you want virtual rockin goodness: Guitar Hero!

And I got 5 words to best describe the highlight of this: Bark at the Moon, Hard.

The bloods rushin, the excitement is all over, the songs, the guitar, the things I'm learning, oh man it's an overload of rock!

I anticipated this game as soon as I got in my hands. And I'm lovin it. I just finished the hard career mode and played Bark at The Moon on hard. as soon as I was finished and psyched, I fufilled my status as guitar hero.

I still wish this game had Stairway to Heaven. Synphony of Destruction may have earned me 20 bucks, but somethin more challenging than Spanish Castle Magic. Seriously, I want to play Stairway to Heaven, otherwise I be with the Cowboys from Hell. This is a 9 for sure.

[SonicTHP]

Beat Contact for the DS a little while ago. It is one of my favorite DS games, but then again, I like strange RPG's with lots to them and lots of grinding. I still need a couple of people to get my Wifi island.

[Sakito]

Lets see here, I just completed Splinter Cell Double Agent yesterday morning. The game was done very well and the story line wansn't that bad either. Multiplayer on XBOX live is fun as usual but a pain. {Game Rating (9.5~10}
Another game that I completed was Condemned Criminal Origins. This game freaked me out more than I wanted one thing is for sure you wont see me around manikins at night. {Game Rating 8.7~10}

~Sakito~

[Pedro The Hutt]

I completed The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction the other night.

It's like Spider-man 2 on testosterone. o: Instead of swinging everywhere and helping everybody you get to run and jump everywhere and of course, SMASH everything. Which makes it a great stress relieving game. XD The sheer amount of variety in which you can go about destroying stuff and defeating enemies is nothing short of impressive. From straightfoward punching and kicking to lobbing local scenery to smashing a bus flat and then using it as either a skateboard or a boomerang type tool. (or both)

It might lack the finesse of the aforementioned Spidey game, but it's a whole lot of fun in it's own right simply because you get to be the Hulk in all it's glory... and fury.

[LakiDash]

Me and my friends stayed up all night two days in a row to beat Marvel Ultimate Alliance.
Minor spoilers about characters in the game. No big deal but just in case this is a warning.
The game is awesome. Much like its predecssors in the X-Men Legends series only now with different, non X-Men characters and way improved graphics. For the most part, we had out Thor, Iron Man, Human Torch and Ghost Rider. But ocasionally we took out Wolverine, Spider-Man and Captain America. Currently, we are replaying in Hard mode as Nick Fury, Silver Surfer, Blade and Ice Man.

[Mana]

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

*fangirlgasms*

I can't believe I never managed to pick this up until recently, but, I suppose a game featuring a defense attorney doesn't really sound all that exciting until you actually sit down and play it...

Yet, it's awesomeness knows no bounds ;.; The characters are fun as hell, the stories and cases are interesting, and only get moreso as the game moves on. The challenge level is pretty decent.... enough to keep you thinking, but not enough to make you bang your head on the wall. And, of course, the humour is priceless. All the sprites have amazing, over-the-top emotion (think Ouendan), from witnesses to lawyers to everyone else.

It doesn't use the DS features too much until the last case, which makes sense, since it was originally a GBA game. The last case was added on for the DS remake. However, the fourth one, which is in production in Japan as we speak, is being made straight to DS, so hopefully, we'll get more DS features when that one comes around.

In all honesty, I really loved this game, and I can't wait until it's out of my mind enough to replay it.

Now just to convince Roark to let me order the Import of the second DS game >.>;; It does have English language support, after all...

[kyubichan]

After FIVE YEARS, well, more like a few months... I return to playing Reverse/Rebirth and finally finish it. It's so friggin' easy XD But I love Riku, so I endured the boring button mashing *huggles Riku* Ooh. The ending scenes are cool! *_*

[Azurael]

I think the most recent game I've finished is Castlevania: CotM for the GBA. It's a great game! You should try it! (Castlevania: AoS is good too) :D

[Dark Lord]

Spyro: A Hero's Tail (PS2)

I was disappointed at this sequel... There weren't enough good miniquests to satisfy... Plus, the game was too short... I miss all the different worlds and portals as well...

[Demon_Killer]

The recent game I just finish is Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater. It was good, but I'm confused because I have never play the first one. I have not played the second one in a while. I really want to play Superman Returns and Avatar. But need cash.:)

[Risen Hell Fire]

Well I've beaten Twilight princess saturday and well I loved it but it was barely worth the wait I had to do. But I give it a 9/10 If you want to see my full review on it, I'm goign to submit it to Gamefaqs. Just need to get and E-mail back from someone.

[Major Tom]

Probably getting into technically finished territory, but a couple days ago I finished the Space Marine campaign in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Dark Crusade.

Dark Crusade is a most worthy addition to the Dawn of War franchise, I particularly like the new campaign system, it is reminiscent of such great strategy titles like the Total War series. A few other new things have been added that add to the neatness.

I had quite a bit of fun playing this game, with both the scripted scenarios and the skirmishes being challenging most of the time. The game does have some balance issues regarding the Marines and the Necrons being over powerful, and the Tau not so effective.

Still, I'd still recommend this game for Dawn of War fans and Warhammer 40K fans alike (unless you're too much of a nutcase to not accept that it's not exactly like the board game)

I'm currently playing through as the Imperial Guard, and plan to go through with all the races on offer.

[Mana]

Children of Mana
Nintendo DS

This game was rather... interesting. It was a lot of fun, if you like dungeon grawls, which I do, so I did enjoy it :3 The plot felt really tacked on, though, and hardly made any sense. And it was actually very short. I suppose I could have kept it going longer by doing more of the optional quests, but most of them were rather uninteresting and added absoluetly nothing onto the game except another level or 2 onto your character. Well, that and I finally received Gyakuten Saiban II in the mail the other day, and I wanted to finish Children of Mana as soon as possible to play that >.>;;

As far as actually gameplay goes, there were a few things that irked me. Mostly little things, like the fact that the opening loading screen defaulted to "new game" instead if "continue," and the fact that you could only save in between dungeons or after every 4th level of a dungeon. Okay, maybe that last thing pissed me off more than a little bit. I like being able to save anywhere on my portable games, as I'll often take them places with me and play them sometimes in short spurts. The weapon system was fun to play around with, but there was absolutely no reason for me to use either the sword or the bow once I was in possession of the awesomeness that is the flail and hammer combo. Same with the gems; so many options as to what to do with them - different mixes, different fusings, different enhancements to aim for - but, again, most of them failed in comparison to the really good ones.

The game wasn't all terrible, though. What it really excelled at were the shiny things. The character designs were gorgeous, and the music was beautiful as well. As you near the end of game, you start getting actual full-blown animations of one of the characters at a tree.

But, most of all, it was just fun. Silly plot be damned, just go into those dungeons and whack stuff! It's been a long since I've played a beat-em'-up RPG, and it's actually really relaxing to sit there and mash the brains out of zombies, exploding pumpkins, and all other manners of wilde beastes. Most of the game wasn't too challenging, but there were parts here and there that made you think. The final boss battles were shittily easy, though, which was rather saddening.

All in all, I'd probably give it a 7/10. I probably would have played more of the quests had I not had GSII sitting there but, them's the breaks.

[Two-twenty]

Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun

If there was ever a series that would actually get me to sit down and game, it's the C&C series. The thing I love about this game is the array of weapons and the imagination put into the world's technology. Both the Brotherhood of Nod and GDI have such a contrasting array of ways to blow each other up, it makes it pretty fun (my god, I love the ion cannon). Also, the story itself and the cut scenes are always fantastic, especially for the Brotherhood of Nod. Joseph D. Kucan once again is fantastic as the charismatic and maniacal Kane, and I'm glad he's on board for the third. Compared to the last installment, the Brotherhood in Tiberian Sun really have more of a cult/nazi thing going for them. GDI was a little too America, f**k yeah! at times, but still good. The change from 1st to 3rd person was a good move.

Unfortunetly, there are two very big fauts with the game. Firstly, it's just too easy. Once your tech level gets a bit higher all you have to do is spam a base with engineers (now made evn easier by amphibious and underground APCs) and destroy it from the inside. The AI doesn't really respond all that well to it, so it's pretty much a guaranteed win. Both of the final levels were much, much easier than some of the earlier missions. Even if you don't do that, they're still pretty easy to take down with Titan/Artillary floods. Secondly, even though it's a bit of an old game by today's standards, the graphics just weren't up to par with what I was expecting for a game of that time.

If I had to rate it: 3.5/5

[Risen Hell Fire]

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin 8.5/10

Well this here is another great installments for the DS Catslevania, however, Dawn of Sorrow is still the better one likely because the touch screen gets more love. But atleast when you've beaten the game and play one of the two new characters the touch screen is going to be used in full force. But this one seems shorter the DoS, which I can't say is a smart idea, I mean I love to be in a huge castle just so I can roam around it and still discover new area. But I guess Konami doesn't want to make really big ones just yet.

[Zero]

Final Fantasy XII: 7.5/10

So much effort put into this game, and yet it fails to be a compelling FF title or RPG for that matter. Characters are dull, going through very few, if any, challenges or complications that beget development. As a result, storyline is docked down even further, suffering already from imbalanced placement of events (All good narratives have a beginning, middle, and end, the middle being what XII lacks). MMO-style gameplay leads to hours upon hours of grinding and treadmill leveling that ends up being worse than previous titles, at least in my opinion. With the vast majority of the score composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, the music, while certainly decent and matching the world of Ivalice, lacks the character Uematsu brings out in his works. Lastly, I would have otherwise given this title a 7.0, had the production values not been so high. Nonetheless, the half-point bump does little to really pull the game out of its frustrating designs.

A more specific rant of mine on this game can be found here (http://www.animeacademy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23830).

[Mana]

Gyakuten Saiban 2/Phoenix Wright: Justice For All

Japanese game, but full English language support. After hearing that it wouldn't be till January that PW:JFA was coming to the States, I had to find the Japanese one online, and ended up getting it cheaper (including shipping) than I would have been able to in the States.

While GS2 didn't have quite the "OMG AWESOMEZ" that the first one did, it was still a hell of a lot of fun. 4 new cases, a new ridiculously awesome prosecutor (see avatar), new characters and old characters coming together, and a whole lot of other cool things that I'm not going to spoil for those who are waiting for the American release.

Though, I must say, if you enjoyed the first Phoenix Wright game, buy this game when it comes out <3 It's more of the same silly fun that the first was, and it adds onto the storyline quite a bit. And, of course, the sales of the second game will affect American release of the 3rd game (as in, if it will happen or not), and we have to get the third game Englishized, bcause Godot is awesome ;____;''

[Lina A. Rose]

Well, the very last game I have completed was either Fable: Lost Chapters or Kingdom Hearts. ANd I believe somewhere in btween I have been attempting to finish Kingdom Hearts 2, FFX-2, Star Ocean 3, Guild Wars: Nightfall, Roller Coaster Tycoon 3,(which is really good if your into simulator games, already on the 3 level), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Repiblic, Ico, and many others. I have a thing about staring games and not finishing em. I think the first game I ever beaten on a newer game system was Kingdom Hearts. Kickin' game! I loved every bit of it. I also heard about Final Mix + and I am waiting as long as I can for it to release in the US. I also help my husband with Halo 2 and all his Legend of Zelda games. I like to play with him a lot. <-- Don't take that the wrong way. I'm the one who got him back into video games and I don't regret it! If we had the money we would go and buy the PS3 and the Wii. :)

[Kaze]

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin 8.5/10

Well this here is another great installments for the DS Catslevania, however, Dawn of Sorrow is still the better one likely because the touch screen gets more love. But atleast when you've beaten the game and play one of the two new characters the touch screen is going to be used in full force. But this one seems shorter the DoS, which I can't say is a smart idea, I mean I love to be in a huge castle just so I can roam around it and still discover new area. But I guess Konami doesn't want to make really big ones just yet.Damn you're done already?! I seriously need to get on that. But i'm still not done with Okami. Damn elusive beads.
I digress tho. Tell me how that game works with wifi. I'm curious to see what can be done with that feature.

[Risen Hell Fire]

I can't say, I don't have the Wifi device yet.

[SonicTHP]

I haven't beaten it yet, but I can tell you how WiFi works. You have two options, open/visit shops or co-op (which is a boss rush mode).

The shop allows you to set up items you have collected and place them in a shop where other players can buy them (though you do not lose the item at all). When a player buys something from you, you get the gold for it and it is saved to your normal game save. It's a neat option, but isn't necessary if you don't mind farming enemies for a long time to get rare items.

The co-op mode is fun as you and another person take control of one of the unlocked characters and are able to fight a bunch of bosses while being timed. Depending on how well you do, you can get items that you are able to use in the main game.

Both modes can be played via local wifi and the internet wifi and are both very interesting and fun.

[Major Tom]

Prey

To be honest, I didn't really know much about this game, except for the whole spirit walk thing. However, I ended up with a copy, so I decided to check it out.

I was rather impressed with how this game has been handled. I found the situation to be rather unique, the weapons (for the most part) interesting and well handled, and the story is rather compelling. It is based on a more tried and true formula, and I would suppose that something similar has been done before, but this is done in a interesting manner.

The most interesting part was the levels themselves, the use of portals and gravity control made for some freaky and seriously disorientingly fun gameplay. Very good use of the Quake IV/Doom 3 engine.

Still, it's not entirely perfect, but it's flaws are rather minor. For one, it's a tad short. It clocks in at about 8-9 hours gameplay. The plot develops in a predictable manner (not that impacts too much on the surrounding story), and the spirit walk function, whilst interesting and unique, isn't utilised all that much.

One final personal minor gripe the lack of an ironsights function. Since the game lets you turn the crosshairs off (which I did), it would have been nice to be able to place some accurate shots rather than spray and pray all the time.

Overall, a highly recommended game. Looking forward to the sequel.

[Ghostmaster]

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas - I stopped playing this game for a while and was on the last mission so I finally beat it YES! That's right, In your face after a year.

[SonicTHP]

Just achieved the good ending on Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. A great game. I consider it as good as Dawn of Sorrow and Aria of Sorrow (which I also believe to be the best Castlevania games). There is still a lot to do, as I have to do pretty much everything in the game, reset it and do it again on hard mode. It's become sort of a ritual for me. Either way, this game make me love my DS even more.

[Syner]

Full Metal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy

I got this game yesterday at gamestop using a giftcard given to me for the holidays. the game follows the anime exactally and its a really fun side scrolling beat-em-up. The only problem is it was way to short..only 10 levels to be exact.

Its really fun for a FMA fan and its friendly if you know nothing of the fma series for it basically tells you everything that happened in the anime.

I give it a 8.5/10

[Dark Lord]

I'm currently trying to complete One Piece: Grand Adventure... It's so much fun just unlocking stuff...

I'm also finishing FFXII... I'm really impressed by the new battle system, but I hate the fact that many or the party members are only temporary...

[Major Tom]

I recently completed Far Cry. This was one of those games I had heard about but knew little about, so I picked up a budget copy. Far Cry was the underdog of the big 3 that came out that year, Doom 3 and Half Life 2 being the other 2, and unfortunately, it's easy to see why.

The core of the game is quite good. It looks fantastic, and it plays out like a well executed Hollywood action flick. This does mean that the plot is somewhat predictable, complete with ZOMG! twist!, but with anything that's nicely done that usually doesn't matter much. The AI is devilishly smart (except troopers with rocket launchers, they will shoot rockets left, right and centre without regard for their or anybody elses safety), and will often get the better of you. This encourages the use of stealth, trying your best not to be seen. That tactic tends to go out the window by the end, but it's a nice touch at the beginning.

But it's a number of seemingly little things that drag the game down. The biggest and almost game breaking problem is that lack of a save function. The game relies totally on checkpoint saves, and this can get incredibly annoying at any one of the tricky parts of the game. Especially after you've pulled something incredible out of your arse, like taking down 7 guards without taking a hit or raising the alarm, only to run afoul of the rocket trooper on the tower and having to do it all again. Several times. It is very easy to spend an hour or so on small sections of the game. I probably spent more time thumping the table and swearing at my moniter in this game than any other.

All weapons have a zoom function, or a scope. This is all well and good, but with the exception of the sniper and the Rocket launcher, the zoom/scope is not toggleable, so you have to hold down the zoom button to remain in that mode. With the function set to the right mouse button, it does put a strain on the hand and reduces reaction time, and if it's bound to another key, that ties up a finger that could be used for more important tasks.

I jumped straight to the challenging difficulty setting, but my brother played on medium and had the same complaint, and that is the enemies have more hit points than a Final Fantasy boss. My record would have to be 3 magazines (that's 90 bullets) to take down a basic trooper. Combine this with the no saves, and the game turns from being a fun shooter to tedious and frustrating, bordering on boring. I would suggest using a little mod called enhanced realism, which buffs weapons and nerfs enemies which enhances the game balance. But even with this mod, some of the later levels are only just playable, and after spending an hour and a half in the final level trying to get through 1 corridor filled with 10 or so of the biggest, baddest mercs around (full body armour, best assault rifle in the game, a few guys with bullet proof shields and a rocket dude. These guys take at least 2/3 of a mag even with enhanced realism), I resorted to cheating to finish the game.

So, even though I found the game more frustrating than fun, I did like the core premise of the game. With this in mind, I will look forward to Far Cry: Vengence, with the hope that these problems are solved.

[Zero]

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops 8.8/10

Finally, Kojima schools other game developers on how a PSP title should be done. MGS:PO brings the traditional MGS3 gameplay to the system, while throwing tactical measures into the mix with its recruitment aspect.

At the forefront of this particular MGS installment is the ability to recruit enemy soldiers into your own team (and even bosses, for a greater challenge), putting further emphasis on the series' subtitle Tactical Espionage Action. I spent many a good hour sneaking into an array of stages, knocking out and dragging baddies to teammate boxes or the truck, hoping to score a recruit with good stats and/or abilities. Although your initial few are mostly test subjects (read: cannon fodder) for this gameplay advancement, the innate stats or abilities that you find among other baddies captured later come to be of considerable importance as you assemble units for spy, technical, medical or miscellaneous purposes.

The visuals of this game, while limited by the specs of a portable system, still manage to make full use of the PSP's engine. FPS decreases through drastic movements and camera changes are barely noticable if not rare. And while the polygon count is reduced in comparison to past console titles, MGS:PO still manages to maintain the impressive consistency in the art and design of its environments that MGS3 fans will find familiar. Additionally, the MGS team took a different route this time around in presentings its cut scenes, utilizing comic-book-style animations previously seen in the MGS: Digital Graphic Novel. Not quite the eye candy that fully rendered CG can be, but it certainly had its own charm in its rough style.

My only possible complaints in regard to this game is the storyline, or rather, it's somewhat open-ended conclusion. Don't get me wrong, as a direct sequel to Snake Eater, MGS:PO answers some of the questions left behind by its predecessor and manages to fill in even more of the gap between MGS3 and the events of Outer Heaven in the original Metal Gear. Yet, Snake Eater left the player in a state that was more emotionally involved in its characters rather than having the intention of revealing everything about Big Boss's past. Especially having seen the trailers, I was expecting PO to present its events as "final tragedy" of Big Boss that would lead him to the drastic measures he would take decades later. Not only were the characters not quite as compelling this time around, but the ending still lacked any sort of tragedy or emotional rollercoaster that would push Big Boss over the edge. Metaphorically, the camel had a lot on its back, but the straw was not yet placed as its final burden. Perhaps I will be more forgiving of this aspect in the future, as Kojima signaled that another sequel would be possible should PO be highly successful.

That aside, PO is an amazing title both for PSP owners and MGS fans to pick up.

[jetfire]

I just finished the main quest of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii tonight, and I would probably score it a 9/10. It wasn't as good as the Ocarina of Time (I think it's mostly due to the fact that when Zelda was brought into 3D the first time, it was completely fresh, original and mindblowing. In TP, you've basically seen a lot of what the game has to offer in OoT, but it's bigger), but it definately had a style of it's own. I certainly liked the story better in this game, and the ending was very satisfying. Most of the dungeons were very fun (except for the 2nd last one in my opinion), and the boss battles were very impressive, even though they were on the easy side. Also, all of the items in the game were fresh and exciting to use, and the scale of the game was enourmous. The wolf element was a very interesting addition, but the only part I didn't like with it, was killing all of those bugs to remove the twilight from areas, since the gameplay slowed down to a crawl at those points. I also found fishing incredibly frusterating in this game. Finally, I'm not really complaining about the graphics or the sound. It is a very colourful, artistic world, and the music tracks are beautiful. It may have been nice to hear actual voices for every character besides Link, however. All in all, a fantastic game. I'll have to play it again soon to uncover every little secret (finding the remaining heart pieces, obtaining all the poe souls, catching all the bugs, etc...).

[Major Tom]

Beyond Good & Evil
The French seem to enjoy making neat little innovative games that just don't quite get there in the gaming world. BG&E isn't quite perfect, but it sure comes damn close, it is a pity it didn't do too well in the retail arena though.

Freelance reporter isn't one of the most common types of heroes around, so that marks the game as different to start with. The gameplay is a mix styles, from all out smash and bash, to the more common sneak and peak.

The character designs are nice and lovely, and the game itself plays really well, at least until you get used to the camera controls. The camera is probably this games greatest flaw. Your view can change drastically in the course of combat, so it can be difficult to keep up, and for some odd reason, to look left, you must move the mouse right (and vice versa). You do get used to it after a while, but every now and then the more natural feeling move right to look right kicks in, leaving you in a tight spot.

The plot itself is rather interesting. I can't really say I've seen one that plays out like this one. It does use some of the more tried and true stuff, but it does something a little different with them. The story only falls down at the end, with a rather massive plot twist coming in that is not foreshadowed at all. I now know that this is because the game was originally meant to be part of a trilogy, but still, some foreshadowing of things to come could have helped the story a lot.

Due to poor sales (a poor release date was chosen, it apparently had some really big competition), the project has been in development hell for the past 3 years. I do hope Ubi decides to take a chance with it, BG&E is an excellent game, and I want to see the sequel.

[SonicTHP]

Kirby: Squeak Squad (DS): It's Kirby. A fun game with a decent amount to do. If you like Kirby games, you will like this one, because it has lots of powers (including my favorite, Ninja!). It didn't take too long to complete, but I can still go back for the fun mini games and to izuna drop a Waddle Dee or two.

[Kei]

OUEN!
DAI!
SEI!
KO!


(Got Ouendan the other day, and just beat the last stage on Normal: "Ready, Steady, Go!")

[Illjwamh]

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

I got to the last dungeon in about a week and then was doing other stuff for most of December. Finally sat down and finished it this afternoon. Awesome.

[Chr0nic_STDs]

Last game i beat was Gears of War. that game was tight, i don't care wut anyone says i liked the story (well at least the small part of the story that was given.) even though i beat it, i went back to try to beat it again on insane, but got sidetracked by the ridiculously addicting online play :D. After i get Gears out of my 360 i think i'll move on to Lost Planet (which i think comes out next week or the week after)

[Kei]

AGENTS!
ARE!
GO!

Since I finished Ouendan, I picked up EBA (way better game than I thought it was going to be.) It was a fun challenge, but it was just like playing Ouendan on easy mode. The last song (Jumpin' Jack Flash) is about as hard as the 13th or 14th song on Ouendan, nowhere near the level that "Ready, Steady, Go" is on.

Time to start hard mode for each game.

[Pachinko]

ZELDA:MAJORA'S MASK

FINALLY. I've beaten it @ least 20 times, but I finally bought it.

And somehow, every time I play it, I am reminded of how much more amazing OoT is.

[isolatedotaku]

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (about a month ago) 9/10

Awesome game, it was really fun to play another game like The Orcarina of Time. My only problem with the game is it seemed too easy.

Trauma Center: Second Opinion 9/10

Another great Wii game. SO is a lot more fluid than UTK (for the DS) and the Wii-mote functionality is pretty cool. "Turn your living room into the O.R.!" Heck yes.

[Sakito]

Gears of War on every Difficulty...Casual...Hardcore....Insane

Great game...online can turn into a bunch of people bein ass holes but that always happens...graphics were amazing and the story line is just like every other alien vs human game.


~Sakito~

[Chr0nic_STDs]

Gears of War on every Difficulty...Casual...Hardcore....Insane

Great game...online can turn into a bunch of people bein ass holes but that always happens...graphics were amazing and the story line is just like every other alien vs human game.


~Sakito~

but......they arent aliens:bcuss1: .......my bad my gamer geek is showing :D

[Zashiki-Warashi]

I just finished Castlevania Portrait of Ruin a week or two ago. It was probably the best new handheld game I've played this year. It was a good thing I had it too. It was what entertained me during two eight hour drives.

[Risen Hell Fire]

Super Mario 64 (Wii) Even if I own it on my N64 and it still works, it's Mario 64. Still fun then and still fun now.

[Kei]

God Hand. Holy crap, what an amazing game. One of the best games I've played on the PS2. Style, comedy, fantastic battle system, this beat-em-up had it all. It was one of those rare games that I wish would just go on forever, rather than ending after the (amazing) end boss fight.

I reccomend this game to anyone who is a fan of fighting games, beat-em ups, or just could use a good laugh.

[Roark]

AGENTS!
ARE!
GO!

Since I finished Ouendan, I picked up EBA (way better game than I thought it was going to be.) It was a fun challenge, but it was just like playing Ouendan on easy mode. The last song (Jumpin' Jack Flash) is about as hard as the 13th or 14th song on Ouendan, nowhere near the level that "Ready, Steady, Go" is on.

Time to start hard mode for each game.
And here I thought you BEAT Ouendan. As in, insane mode.

[Kei]

Because I only complete the game if its on the hardest difficulty? I've seen alot of Ouendan elitism! Anyway, Nope, just beat Hard mode so far. Going through as the cheerleaders as soon as I finish some other things up.

[Roark]

Because I only complete the game if its on the hardest difficulty? I've seen alot of Ouendan elitism! Anyway, Nope, just beat Hard mode so far. Going through as the cheerleaders as soon as I finish some other things up.
Damn you. Mana and I can't even squeak through Ready Steady Go hard.

[Kei]

Sorry to misunderstand your post! I don't know if its psychological or what, but I switched to the slightly smaller stylus that came with the original DS, and I seemed to do better with that. I'm pretty sure it was all in my head though.

And to make this not spam I uh...just beat a level of minesweeper.

Go me.

[Roark]

And I, um, just beat a day at work.

That's more impressive than it seems.

[oompa loompa]

i just beat Need for speed Carbon for the PSP and locoroco (<-- really fun game, kinda like katamari)

[JOJO]

I beat DMC3 Special Edition last week. They say its easier than the normal DMC3, but at least you get some worthwhile extras after you finish the game, playing as Vergil wasnt so fun once you realized that only his intro and ending are different from Dante's game (he starts the game in Dante's office, even when in the intro clip you see him entering the tower).

[Tamanegi Sensei]

Bully. Some anti-gamer at my new job told me that Bully was a Columbine Simulator. And he works in software why I don't know. But no it isn't. A gripping powerful story about a misfit who goes against bullying. Theres nothing more satisfying than throwing a brick at the same car that just hit you. With an arsenal of childish weapons including a potato cannon and bottle rockets just makes this game all the funner. Also since your going against bullying, you don't really have to. I mean you can give all your enemies or people everything: hertz donutz, wedgies, stop-hitting-yourselfs, Indian rope burns, polish bike rides, Texas chilly bowls, etc...well not the last 2. If theres one thing that I hated the most in this game, it wouldn't be the rare bugs I found at the end, but the snotty rich spoiled preppies. Argh, those greedy vanity filled attitudes drove me insane, but at least I can torture them with a spud cannon in the crotch. This game has to be in your library. It's simply a fun childish departure from Rockstar's notorious GTA streak and ping pong.

[Sanda]

Mine were Final Fantasy XII and Kingdom Hearts II. Both are great, but my favorite out of the two of them was Kingdom Hearts II.

[EMY23-23]

Finally, after two months and countless hours I 100% completed New Super Mario Bros. for DS. Needless to say, it was not worth the time, effort, or cracked DS screen.

[Alex San Lyra]

Sanda and I completed a few in the end of last year... "Final Fantasy XII", "Kingdom Hearts 2"... I completed "Tenchu - Fatal Shadows" on my own this year (with Sanda watching)... Tenchu was the last one, it has a lame story, but the gameplay is awsome!... Hiding and wandering in stealth to kill unseen... it's just great! ^_^

Edit: Errrr............ Sanda posted before me... XP

[Roark]

So, yeah.

Finally beat Twilight Princess. I can get my life back, now. I'll post more details by reviving that thread, but suffice to say it lives up to its reputation for exceptional awesomeness. I actually enjoyed it more that OoT, I think.

[Kei]

And here I thought you BEAT Ouendan. As in, insane mode.

And now I have.

I beat EBA on Hard, doing Diva mode now.

but last night I finally got around to finishing Ouendan on Cheerleader mode. I was severely dissapointed with the insane mode of RSG. It was litterally just RSG on hard, but upside down. If you can beat RSG on hard, you can beat it on insane. I had a harder time with insane mode Shanghai Honey than I did RSG.

I really hope for a sequel.

[DarkKanti]

Finished up Pheonix Wright Justice For All not too long ago. Great sequal to a great game. I was a little dissapointed that this installment didn't have a bonus case like the last game.

[Mana]

Finished up Pheonix Wright Justice For All not too long ago. Great sequal to a great game. I was a little dissapointed that this installment didn't have a bonus case like the last game.

Well, they're busy making DS cases for the new DS game, so can't blame them too much :D

In on-topic news, just beat Twilight Princess. An insanely fun game.

[DarkKanti]

Well, they better have at least 2 bonus cases in the next game to make up for this game's lack of bonus case. :bcuss1:

[SonicTHP]

I just beat Another Century's Episode 2. This is the second best mech game I have played, only surpassed by the great Zone of the Enders The 2nd Runner. It's basically like Super Robot Wars/Taisen where you have a lot of mechs from different anime series, but unlike the famous series, this is an action game where you directly control your unit to complete missions of destroying targets, escorting targets, and other cool fighting giant robot stuff.

I was simply excited to be able to finally directly control my 2nd favorite mech ever, Deathscythe Hell Custom. So yes, all the Gundam Wing Endless Waltz robots are in there, and Wing Zero has a super ridiculous buster cannon that has to reload after every 3 shots. There are also other great series, many of which I am not familiar with such as Macross, Nadesico, Dragonar, Aura Battler Dunbine, Gundam: Char's Counter Attack, SPT Layzner, and Wings of Rean.

If you love giant robots, then I can't think of a reason for you to not own this game. Just don't ever expect an american release.

[Risen Hell Fire]

I've beaten, Elite Beat Agents on Hard Rock difficulty. I didn't have much troubel with that then I did with the third hardest difficulty. Another great music game but I would've like some other songs replace other ones. I reccomend it to anyone with rythm. 9.2/10

[LakiDash]

The Punisher. Some people didn't like this game, I on the other land, LOVE it. It ties in with the movie(which, also, many people loved or hated) but mostly connects with the main Marvel Universe. The story is well told and scribed by Gath Ennis(who brought back the Punisher from the dephs of mediocracy in the comics industry). Voice acting is great, with many hilarious lines(like Yakuza's discussing who would win in a fight between Sunfire and Captain America). The gameplay is great. Slick 3rd person shooting, it's easy and smooth to control Castle and take on hordes of no good mafia members and other hoodlums. Graphics are nice, nothing special but they still look sharp.

The only thing that should set anyone back about this game is the brutality and violence. Cursing too. I mean, that doesn't phase me, but those who think GTA is violent, haven't played this game. From the quick kills to slaughter mode and really bloody and intense interrogations, this game is pure comic violence. I'd give it anywhere from an 8.5 to a 9.0 out of 10.

[Ieyasu]

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion

Well. I say completed. I finished the main quest and now stand upon the edge of the vast abyss that is the collection of side quests and the numerous dungeons.

[The Green Man]

The game I last completed was System shock 2. Had the game since it was first out, it was then as it is now, the best computer game ever written...


Just so annoyed that it took me so long to complete... but then again... I am so happy enjoying playing now just as much as did then.

[Milkymagic]

Kirby's Sqeak Squad (8/10) - Not as inventive as Canvas Curse, but easily as enjoyable as the past incarnations, this new Kirby game keeps the tradition strong with added extra features and new forms you can change into.

Lost Planet (8/10) - Not as great as I thought it would be, but Lost Planet manages to compliment Capcom's other effort Dead Rising by providing an online experience you can enjoy after completing the single player. I also enjoyed climbing walls, jumping into mechs, and blasting hordes of aliens in graphically beautiful arctic landscapes. It was a good time, but a shame there wasn't more in the single player.

[Luggles]

Technically, I just beat Guitar Hero II on Expert, I still to 5 star a few songs but Guitar Hero 1 and Uni are too distracting at the moment.

[Saya-biki]

Me & My Katamari

I took a chance with this one, I heard mixed reviews (well my friend Jimmy said all the reviews he read on it were bad, I looked and found good reviews...on gamefaqs) so I decided to finally buy it...I mean 20 bucks, why not?

I love it! The controls are alittle hard at first, but afterwards, oh it's great. Finally, I can roll katamaris anywhere! In the classroom! In the car! In the bathroom!

Whats more there are some new songs but there's also all the ones from Katamari Damacy and We Love Katamari. Super Fabulous.

In short this is successfully holding me over until Gurumin <3

[Luggles]

And there goes Guitar Hero 1 on Expert. Need to work on 5 staring everything on GH1 and GH2 now >_>

[Jedinator]

Stubbs the Zombie. Very very fun game.

[Risen Hell Fire]

Sonic and the Secrets rings. While the controls take some getting used to, the 2 button will be the death of you many times, the game is very good and proves that life is still in the series. However, I wish it was like true Sonic, where you go through three acts and fight Robotnik at the third act, instead of having to go through many different challenges just to advance the plot. Plus the music I don't care for, except for one and only one song. Otherwise this is the Sonic game some have been waiting for but hope Sonic team will make it true to it's roots next time. 8.2/10

[SonicTHP]

Sonic and the Secret Rings: I am have very much enjoyed the game. It was kind of like Sonic Riders in that I had to get used to it's mechanics and that took a little longer than in most Sonic games, but once I got the hang of it, I was having a lot of fun. The level designs are really good (especially the last level). The music is love (all the stage music, especially the last stage) or hate (the theme song and the ending song). It also had a nice final boss battle... ...right after defeating Erazor Djinn, you fight a powered up version of him using a new super form of Sonic called "Darkspine Sonic." I personally like the fact that thye made a new super Sonic just for this game, even if he looks like a little like shadow.
Over all, I am very happy with the game, even if the party games aren't good. I definetly recommend it.

[Tamanegi Sensei]

Thanks to some negotiations and some built up hyperactivity, I finished Kingdom Hearts II. Hyped or not I still don't like this. Fighting Sark and MCP is the only thing I liked out of all this, but if your goin to make a crossover at least find a place for the other cast of characters. 7 out of 10. I await the kingdom Hearts fanboys and fangirls' witchhunt.

Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga

Theres more, but I can't seem to recall them all.

[Major Tom]

Yesterday I completed Rayman 2. I pretty much picked it up on a whim, it was bundled with a few other Rayman games for $50. It also is the brainchild of Michael Ancel, who was behind Beyond Good and Evil, a game that I really enjoyed.

Overall a fun platformer, I had a good time playing this. Nothing too deep, a neat game to while away an afternoon with. There is little frustration to be had, aside from the fire and lava level, which involves steering a bouncing plum.

It has a free floating camera which didn't really bother me, surprisingly. I often have camera angle issues with games of this type, but there were comparitively few of those, partly because I have a more direct control of the camera in Rayman 2. Most times I can change the angle around so I can see.

So for fun 3D platforming, give this one a go.

[Milkymagic]

Bullet Witch (7/10) - It took me a couple days to blast through this, and yet I could've done it in one day if I wished, but the results are pretty good.

Graphics weren't bad for a game much older than our country's current release leads one to believe, with a nice menu presentation and gorgeous cut-scenes, along with some fairly large levels. There isn't a huge variety of monsters to look at, but a few of them were generally interesting to observe.

The controls are pretty nice, the spells were fun to play around with, and the different weapon upgrades were useful in many situations. There's also no jump button, but this game really doesn't need it, just use the "flip" function to evade and you should be okay (also acts as a jump if you need to get over anything).

However, it's not terribly difficult on normal mode thanks to a fairly easy enemy AI, but in large groups the enemy can still prove to be a challenge, and yet with enough running around with the shoot button held down I found ways out of any situation (make sure to evade!). There's two bosses in this game, and both remained entertaining battles that allowed you to mix up your attacks effectively, otherwise the rest of the game came down to how coordinated you were with enemy fire (be it bullets, magic, or flying vehicles).

Once beaten, you can select the levels from the story mode anytime you wish, and your score is entered into the Xbox Live Leaderboards. There's also supposed to be downloadable levels and costumes on the way, but with nothing on the marketplace yet and a poor reputation following it here, I wouldn't be surprised if this aspect of the game was canned quick.

Overall, a fun shooter with a good sense of style and a quirky spell system to keep blowing people up more interesting. But if you're seriously thinking of buying it, you might want to wait until it's $20, being I buy a lot of different stuff when I'm generally bored. :D

[Major Tom]

Over the weekend I survived the grand campaign in Medieval II: Total War.

The current pinnacle of the Total War series, this is one seriously awesome game. The ability to control everything, from ecomonics to individual units on the battelfield makes for a very engrossing game. One that you will spend many early mornings, so much so that I had to make a rule that I will only play this game on weekends or if I have a day off the next day, the game just oozes 'one more turn'

Graphically, the game is amazing, considering that you will rarely get a battle with less than 200 men per side. That's a lot of models and they all look great, even on the lower settings. It does mean that it does require A bit more grunt from your computer. Mine had trouble in battles with over 1500 men, or when sieging large towns/forts and larger.

The controls in both the campaign and battle maps are easy to get used to, making for fluid battles (unless the computer is chunking up, resulting in many 'I didn't mean to order them to do that! moments).

The game isn't perfect, though. Diplomacy, whilst much improved over Rome is still rather abrupt. Many neutral nations will simply turn on you with no apparent reason, even if relations with them were good. I would have at least wanted some demands first. There is also a lack of an ability to intercede on behalf of your allies, or to ask for help in a specific task like relieving a siege if you are not able to. Once a faction has decided they hate you, it is almost impossible to make peace with them, even if they have 1 territory left that can easily be overrun by spare second line troops from the empires backwaters.

In battles, the AI does suffer from the predictive thing that many games have. I have on a few occassions noticed that when bringing in reinforcements (in numbers greater than what's on the battlefield) and ordering them in a position to surprise the enemy, the computer has realigned it's army to deal with the new threat. Cavalry still does some odd things, like pulling up short when charging spearmen from behind (utterly ruining the power of their charge), and it can take cavalry ages to run down 1 or 2 men.

One final gribble. Note I said survived, I didn't actually win. The game says I lost because I failed to get 45 territories including Rome, but with the black and Yellow of the Holy Roman Empire colouring the map like this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/tomeast/map.jpg
and with these 3 territories about to fall into my hands at the end of the game:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/tomeast/map2.jpg
I don't think it's fair to say I completely lost and my Empire has fallen into heathen hands. I was regualrly topping the charts for military, economic, production and population. A different ending should have been used.

Even though, the problems I encountered are actually pretty minor on the whole, they don't affect the overall enjoyment of the game much. I've actually started the Empire over again on a higher difficulty setting, that's how much I loved it.

I also finished Rayman 3. This one was.....different. Unlike Rayman 2 which was innocent and magical, Rayman 3 had a more smart-alecky feel to it, and it didn't fit too well. Globox's character in particular was changed from bumbling but well meaning to plain stupid.

The game itself played well, apart from having to go into look mode to control the camera, the control set is better than 2. There are some neat ideas as well, particularly the costumes, and i liked the skyrail type minigame inbetween levels. The lack of the checkpoints that were present in number 2 was annoying, but tolerable.

Still, I found Rayman 3 to be a more frustrating game. The camera angles had a lot to do with this. Changing constantly, my view on where to jump next was often obscured by a wall or by the camera facing back to me. Many of the puzzles were needlessly difficult, particularly the time based ones, where there is no leeway at all. Even if you do it perfectly, you will get there with less than a second to spare.

Overall, not a bad game, but a little too frustrating.

[sakura_blossom]

Finally after not picking up the game since around the time that I had bought it, I beat Okami. Overall I'd give the game a 9/10. I loved the storyline, the art, and the characters, but every so often there was a scene or two that I'd want to skip over. Or some of the sidequests I wish I could skip. Other than that it was a fun game to play.

[Milkymagic]

Sonic The Hedgehog (6/10) - Yes, this game has glitches and nasty camera angles. No, it isn't the worst Sonic I've played. A really debatable beast to battle through, the camera angles weren't always a problem (as I had the reflexes to get myself out of many situations), and the whole speed element was flawed thanks to some possible sloppiness to the level design (being you can fall to your death rather easily if you go too fast). But at its best, when the camera functions like it should, and there's plenty of space and speed to put you forward in a level: Sonic works.

And in all honesty, the flaws weren't bad enough to prevent me from beating the game, as I still had little trouble blasting my way through, minus a few genuinely frustrating sequences. But I'd be lying if I said this was the best Sonic game in years, as it still disappoints even when I was having fun rushing through a good amount of the levels. Playing as Silver The Hedgehog was surprisingly fun, and Shadow wasn't even a problem. You can even control Knuckles, Rouge, Tails, Amy (the worst to play as), and Blaze the Cat (who was actually the most fun side character). There's some creative layouts to how everything is designed for the characters, but again, it's all very sloppy when considering how easy it is to die in the wake of a few missed jumps due to camera angle or possibly speed control issues when you're going off of edges.

IN FACT, when everything works, I get a glimpse of what should've been THE BEST SONIC GAME IN YEARS. Sadly, there's too much chaining this game down to let it shine. Not even the town missions add much, they're diversions if you've already beaten the game, but all the loading screens that you have to plod through make them fairly tedius if you're a completionist.

And will somebody stop giving Sonic a story? Please!? I mean, if you're going to ham it up with some epic bullshit, then at least put Cream back in the damn game! Because Cream's the shit! xD

If you're a desperate Sonic fan with only a 360 or a PS3, you'd probably still want to wait until it's $20 before bothering with it. Or get Sonic Rush for the DS and wait until you can try the Wii Sonic when there's an availability of a system.

[SonicTHP]

Milkymagic, I like you more because you said good things about Sonic.

I just got my PS3, and I was planning on picking up Sonic as my 3rd or 4th game (no need to disuade me anyone, it won't work). I already know what I'll be getting myself into, even what parts I probably will like and the parts I won't. I like Sonic levels, I dislike everyone else's. It's been that way for a while now.

[Milkymagic]

Milkymagic, I like you more because you said good things about Sonic.

I just got my PS3, and I was planning on picking up Sonic as my 3rd or 4th game (no need to disuade me anyone, it won't work). I already know what I'll be getting myself into, even what parts I probably will like and the parts I won't. I like Sonic levels, I dislike everyone else's. It's been that way for a while now.

Don't worry, if you love Sonic as much as I do, then you'll definitely have fun with the game for the most part. The glitches just prevent it from being a "Top-tier Sonic Title" aside from other creative choices they should've passed on, namely the campy storyline.

The first few levels as Sonic do feature some great moments of speed, and all the loops look fantastic, as well as all the moments where you fly through the air and jump off of walls to get around the level. Plus, the lock-on jumping attack is incredibly effective in tight situations, and the controls are actually pretty responsive. Just watch out for the segments when Sonic's running forward and you have to guide him around objects to prevent yourself from crashing into them, those parts weren't easy beat.

I also thought Silver The Hedgehog was fresh with his psychic powers, he can use Telekinesis and throw objects at enemies as well as float around. Shadow's not bad, he's like Sonic for the most part, only he gets to ride vehicles and perform slightly different combos for his attacks.

Finally, the bosses are actually pretty easy, so it's the levels that will pose the greatest challenge overall. Good luck!

[jetfire]

I also thought Silver The Hedgehog was fresh with his psychic powers, he can use Telekinesis and throw objects at enemies as well as float around. Shadow's not bad, he's like Sonic for the most part, only he gets to ride vehicles and perform slightly different combos for his attacks.

What confuses me, is why on earth would the developers need to give Shadow vehicles? He's on par with Sonic, speed-wise, which is at least 10 times faster than the fastest vehicle out there. It makes no sense. Even in Shadow the Hedgehog, when they gave him a gun. Shadow should be faster than a freaking bullet! I liked playing as Shadow better in Sonic Adventure 2, where his presence made more sense.

[Akito]

What confuses me, is why on earth would the developers need to give Shadow vehicles? Even in Shadow the Hedgehog, when they gave him a gun.

Maybe the designers have played Halo one too many times?

Whatever. Shadow's a little faggot. Metal Sonic would totally curb stomp that little wussy-ass bitch.

[Milkymagic]

Maybe the designers have played Halo one too many times?

Whatever. Shadow's a little faggot. Metal Sonic would totally curb stomp that little wussy-ass bitch.

And then Cream would whup the shit out of them both.

Where the heck is Mecha Sonic when you need him? Kind of reminds me when I played through that final level in Sonic 2, in which you fought a couple of bosses and had to beat them without using any rings, did anyone else have any trouble beating that at first?

And I do agree with Jetfire that the vehicles were highly unnecessary for Shadow. Luckily, for anyone who plays the Sonic game for the 360/PS3, you don't have to ride the vehicles to beat the levels with the exception of a few select instances (like when you fly a plane/glider/hovercraft, or blow up five towers in the first level). Otherwise, Shadow doesn't use any guns in this new title either, he just gets to use the jump attack with some punch/kick combos and do some sliding kick moves.

Of course, I'm not trying to butter up the game or anything, because not everyone's going to like it from what I can imagine. Sonic Adventure is still the best 3D Sonic hands down, that series was easy to play and the levels were quite accessible, it's just a shame that Sonic Heroes was the first game to spell how average the series would get in due time. Still, Sonic hasn't quite crossed the point of unplayability for me just yet, especially since there's Sonic games that still rock the house (namely Sonic Rush, and I hope to try the Wii Sonic too). Plus, Sonic in 3D is just a more turbulent project to undergo than a 3D Mario title because Sonic is meant to be fast, while Mario can gracefully jump across platforms because that's how his games generally run. Here's hoping Sonic Team can reach the perfect compromise between Sonic's 2D speed runs and typical 3D platforming adventure elements.

[Akito]

Agreed. Cream would totally.... cream them both!
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/439/200pxcreambandsd0.jpg
.....I apologize. Your eyes must've fallen out from rolling around so much.
And yes, Milky, I do know who you're talking about. Just making sure.
But it remains that this Cream is the most badass of them all.
((Well, aside from whipping cream, that is.))





Man oh man, I can't believe I actually finished...

Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES)
Sadly, "Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A" doesn't work for this game, which explains why I hard such a hard time playing it. And that was on easy mode... =(

The funny thing, however, is how I had a harder time dealing with the stupid dogs than those classically over-sized bosses. When you're fighting legions of enemies, it's a real drag to have to duck down for just one stupid dog. It's those freaking dogs! Seriously, that wasn't just with Contra III, but also a lot of other games. Is it just me, or did a large portion of side-scroller action games during the SNES/Genesis generation have those damn annoying... things? Really!

What? Oh.

Overall, Contra was a kick-ass game that spares the gamer from boring attempts at plot* and puts him** in the middle of the action right from the start. Awesome!

This piece of badassery totally deserves a solid 8/10.

*I'm looking at you, 99% of JRPG's.
**No matter what they tell you, girl gamers are a myth.

[Tamanegi Sensei]

And while most of you guys are enjoying your glitchy Sonic 360/ps3 fun, I'm enjoyin Kibry's Super Star...which I've completed.

The work was fun and the reward...not so much. You get a sound test after all that hard work. The Arena was the most difficult since it's boss rush with limited health powerups. Believe me, using mirror and plasma made things alot easier.

[Milkymagic]

And while most of you guys are enjoying your glitchy Sonic 360/ps3 fun, I'm enjoyin Kibry's Super Star...which I've completed.

The work was fun and the reward...not so much. You get a sound test after all that hard work. The Arena was the most difficult since it's boss rush with limited health powerups. Believe me, using mirror and plasma made things alot easier.

Wow, I've actually heard from a few sources and friends that this was the best Kirby game of them all. Too bad I've never had the pleasure to try it yet, but so far I'd say Kirby's Adventure and Kirby's Canvas Curse were the two best I've played.

But I take it this game is probably a little overhyped in comparison to the other Kirby titles?

[Pedro The Hutt]

Finally, the bosses are actually pretty easy, so it's the levels that will pose the greatest challenge overall. Good luck!

Would that be because the level design or the controls work against you? =D

On-topic: I most recently completed Excite Truck... more or less, after the credits rolled by I unlocked yet another mode to complete. o:

[Kaze]

Just finished Touch Detective for the DS. Kiddy as hell, yes. Cute as hell, yes. Fun as hell, it's alright.

[Legend Saber]

Kind of reminds me when I played through that final level in Sonic 2, in which you fought a couple of bosses and had to beat them without using any rings, did anyone else have any trouble beating that at first?

At first? I got that game some two and a half years ago, got to the final boss within two days of playing it, and I still haven't gotten past that goddamn Robotnik! :bashhead

But I take it this game is probably a little overhyped in comparison to the other Kirby titles?

It's one of only two Kirby games I've played (the other being Kirby's Dream Course, another title I thoroughly enjoyed), but from what I've seen it deserves the hype it received. Certainly Super Nintendo gaming near its peak.

Regardless, the last game I completed is a wonderful Game Boy Advance experience by the name of Riviera: The Promised Land. This is certainly one of the greatest RPGs I've had the joy of playing in a very long time. It shatters all the typical clichés and standards set by the genre, especially as far as gameplay goes.

The story presented within is interesting, but somewhat similar to what would be expected of your standard 26-episode anime series. You essentially play as Ein, a grim angel sent by Heaven to dispose of the land of demons. Sounds easy, right? Well, things go awry, and you soon find yourself within the realm itself, discovering benevolent creatures who have made such a land their home in the process. You befriend them, eventually deciding to fight on their side, going against demons and former friends to prevent an event you once fought to cause.

Gameplay is new, interesting and exciting, mixing old concepts with new to create a tactful and simple battle system which makes strategy a necessity but is easy to use and understand. Essentially, you are allotted three characters to use in battle, and are permitted the use of four items, including weapons, armor, accessories, and support. This sounds restricting, but considering each character uses each item in a different manner, it leads to nothing but an endless plethora of possibilities for defeating your enemy. Even the exploration aspect of Riviera is new and interesting, rather than directly controlling your character on the field, you move directly from room to room using the D-pad. You can then examine various objects using a different system. It makes the pace of the game quick, easy and efficient. It also has the added bonus of making it near impossible to get lost.

The music is refined, of quality, catchy, varied, and fitting. Each chapter has its own base theme, in addition to other tunes used depending on battle or mood. The sound effects blend in perfectly in this environment, and as one of the few Game Boy Advance games to use voice clips in gameplay, I must say that the clips are well used and of above-average quality.

The graphics as used are also delightful, the entire game presented with prerendered backdrops from an isometric perspective. All the sprites contained within are well designed and colorful, and many of the more powerful attacks are executed with blazing speed and fluency as unseen in any other Game Boy Advance titled I've played to date. Character portraits in dialogue and CG stills are also contained and look amazing; just as well as one would expect them to be seen in a true anime series.

In conclusion, Riviera: The Promised Land is a delightful title which brings a new color to an old mold. It is executed with near-perfection, excelling in every regard, and easily the best RPG title I've experienced to date. Were I to grade it on a 10 point scale, I would grant it a 9.0. I strongly suggest that if you own a Game Boy Advance, you check this marvelous title out as soon as possible. You won't be disappointed.

[Major Tom]

The story mode in Rayman: Raving Rabbids was completed over the weekend

The bunnies. The bunnies are what sold this game to me, and the bunnies make this game. If it wasn't for the bunnies, the latest installment of Rayman wouldn't be half as much fun.

This is a pretty good game, for what it is. A series of mini-games, there isn't an overarching story as such. Which is a bit disappointing, as the bunnies make great villans. But the games are fun, ranging from easy to challenging. There wasn't a frustrating game amongst them, which is....odd, really. I can't really remember any game that didn't have a frustrating side or mini-game to it at all. Some of the them were a bit too easy, though, like Bunnies don't know what to do with cows, and Bunnie don't like Bats part 2. I was playing this on a PC, so I don't know how it plays on the Wii. I've heard that some games are somewhat harder on the Wii.

It was also just the right length as well. Just as I was tiring of the game, it ended. So, aside from no real story and a couple of easy peasy games, I give this a thumbs up.

Now it's on to unlock those funny hi-def bunnies videos. Well, higher def that the crappy youtube videos I have. Bunnies don't like taking a bath always makes me smile.