For over a decade now, From Software has been producing Armored Core games for the masses in Japan and here in the States. While the series has undoubtedly been more popular on the other side of the ocean, there is a cult following of fans that have been driven to the series like moths to a flame. It should go without saying that Armored Core is definitely not for your average gamer. The customization gets very in depth and there's more material that anime gear heads will go for more so than. If you have never played an entry in the series before then picking up any of the recent titles will be a bit challenging because few things are explained. It almost seems as though From Software knows who its audience is and assumes they'll have the patience to figure things out ...Review: Armored Core: For Answer
Sunday, October 12th, 2008
For over a decade now, From Software has been producing Armored Core games for the masses in Japan and here in the States. While the series has undoubtedly been more popular on the other side of the ocean, there is a cult following of fans that have been driven to the series like moths to a flame. It should go without saying that Armored Core is definitely not for your average gamer. The customization gets very in depth and there's more material that anime gear heads will go for more so than. If you have never played an entry in the series before then picking up any of the recent titles will be a bit challenging because few things are explained. It almost seems as though From Software knows who its audience is and assumes they'll have the patience to figure things out ...Review: Silent Hill: Homecoming
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
Purists, heed caution; Silent Hill: Homecoming isn't a carbon copy of the rest of the series. Similar to the shift in the Resident Evil universe that occurred when RE4 surprised the horror-survival gaming niche, Silent Hill has experienced a re-engineering of sorts. Gone are the gripes of unpolished and narrative-serviceable controls, while newer gripes of actual, tangible difficulty arise. Come at it with an open mind, and you might just find the strongest gameplay experience of the lot. However, Konami's highly-anticipated new installment in their long-standing film-like horror series unquestionably departs from the conventions that you've grown accustomed to. ...This week on the Wii
Monday, October 6th, 2008
Two WiiWare Games and Two Virtual Console Games were added to Wii Shop Channel.
WiiWare
Midnight Bowling (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Plunge directly into the trendy and electric atmosphere of Midnight Bowling. With awesome playing sensations, prepare for ultra-fun gaming thanks to a new physics engine that lets you control your throws precisely and easily with your Wii Remote controller and make spectacular spins that will impress your opponents. Face up to three friends in the fun party mode.
MadStone (Riverman Media, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Time is short. Earth trembles as the forces of nature stir and grow restless. Can you turn the tide? In this dynamic puzzle game, you must clear the path for your elemental MadStones to reach the bottom of the screen. Blocks can be broken by striking them directly or by the force of falling objects. Experience the mystical single-player journey, or challenge a friend in competitive two-player mode.
Virtual Console
Mario Golf (Nintendo 64™, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Choose from 10 different modes of play and six 18-hole courses in a variety of environments for a golfing experience with endless replay value. Add in fun, colorful graphics with a Mario touch (a Boo indicates wind direction), intuitive controls, incredibly deep game play and multiplayer support (taunt your opponents), and you have a game anyone will enjoy.
Shining Force II (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): It’s a dark and stormy night in the kingdom of Granseal when a thief steals two jewels from the Tower of the Ancients. He sets in motion strange events that lead to the resurrection of Zeon, the Devil King. Granseal’s king falls sick, the princess is kidnapped, and a door to Arc Valley, the Devil King’s home, is opened. The young swordsman, Bowie, realizing the grave danger Granseal faces, must lead the Shining Force to find the Holy Sword and the stolen jewels, and protect Granseal against the invading armies of Zeon.
WiiWare
Midnight Bowling (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Plunge directly into the trendy and electric atmosphere of Midnight Bowling. With awesome playing sensations, prepare for ultra-fun gaming thanks to a new physics engine that lets you control your throws precisely and easily with your Wii Remote controller and make spectacular spins that will impress your opponents. Face up to three friends in the fun party mode.
MadStone (Riverman Media, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Time is short. Earth trembles as the forces of nature stir and grow restless. Can you turn the tide? In this dynamic puzzle game, you must clear the path for your elemental MadStones to reach the bottom of the screen. Blocks can be broken by striking them directly or by the force of falling objects. Experience the mystical single-player journey, or challenge a friend in competitive two-player mode.
Virtual Console
Mario Golf (Nintendo 64™, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Choose from 10 different modes of play and six 18-hole courses in a variety of environments for a golfing experience with endless replay value. Add in fun, colorful graphics with a Mario touch (a Boo indicates wind direction), intuitive controls, incredibly deep game play and multiplayer support (taunt your opponents), and you have a game anyone will enjoy.
Shining Force II (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): It’s a dark and stormy night in the kingdom of Granseal when a thief steals two jewels from the Tower of the Ancients. He sets in motion strange events that lead to the resurrection of Zeon, the Devil King. Granseal’s king falls sick, the princess is kidnapped, and a door to Arc Valley, the Devil King’s home, is opened. The young swordsman, Bowie, realizing the grave danger Granseal faces, must lead the Shining Force to find the Holy Sword and the stolen jewels, and protect Granseal against the invading armies of Zeon.
Review: Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Monday, October 6th, 2008
Quake Wars: Enemy TerritoryEnemy Territory: Quake Wars is a first person shooter that’s based on the Quake series. The game is a port of the 2007 PC version and is similar to the Battlefield series. There isn’t much of a narrative to accompany the single player game. An alien force named the Strogg has invaded Earth in 2065 and the Global Defense Force is battling the attacking forces in a variety of countries. The maps really don’t identify with the actual countries and all look fairly non-descript. The story doesn’t go anywhere and the single player campaign only serves as a bridge between Quake 1 and Quake 2.
Gameplay
Enemy Territory essentially tosses the player into an enormous battlefield and assigns objectives to be completed for success. ...
Review: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 All-Play
Saturday, October 4th, 2008
Every year EA inundates the market with the latest installment of their sports franchises. This has been a practice that has gone on for quite some time and given fans appetites for the most up to date experiences, it's not a trend that we're going to see dissipate any time soon. In particular, Tiger Woods PGA Tour is the named successor the old PGA Tour franchise. The Woods leg of EA Sports' journey began ten years ago with the first release for the original PlayStation. A couple console cycles later and we're looking at the 2009 edition of the series, which sees a great amount of variety offered on the Nintendo Wii.
Gameplay
It's no secret that the Wii has the potential for a distinct advantage over the other consoles for sports titles ...