Madden NFL 08		Grade: C-
	Publisher: Electronic Arts (2007) Reviewed: 2007/11/2 Rating: Everyone

When you graft Wii motion controls on top of Madden football, you get a game that's challenging and unique, but not very intuitive. In fact, the first time you play Madden 08 for the Wii, you'll probably think it royally sucks. The visuals are no better than the GameCube incarnations of Madden, and the new motion controls take a lot of getting used to. Let's face it - Madden was pretty complicated to begin with, and forcing you to swing your arms while playing doesn't help matters! Before hiking the ball you can hear the snap count through the controller's microphone, which is pretty cool. Hiking is done by pulling up on the controller, which is no problem at all. Unfortunately, any symbols displayed while calling audibles tend to linger on the screen after you hike the ball, obstructing your vision temporarily. Throwing the ball is performed using a real passing motion, but you'll also need to fiddle with buttons if you want to throw to a receiver other than the default. I wish you could just cycle through your receivers like you could in those old Tecmo Football games. To catch or defend a pass you have to quickly raise both arms. The passing game is a challenge, but I have to admit it feels extra satisfying when you complete a pass - probably because it's so much work! The running game is much easier, but jerking the controllers to perform jukes and stiff-arms takes practice to get the timing right. Be sure your Wii-mote is fully charged, because there's not much room for error in this game. I had problems navigating the play-calling screens, and sometimes had to call a time-out in order to get the play right. When playing against my friend Steve (who helped a lot with this review), I felt pretty silly flailing my arms around, and at one point began laughing hysterically. The graphics are minimal (the crowd is completely flat), but the excellent play-by-play features Al Michaels and John Madden - a huge upgrade from the droning "radio voice" of the 360. Otherwise, Madden 08 for the Wii is a pretty barebones package. Not only is there no half-time show, but you don't even get half-time statistics! When you challenge a play, the camera doesn't zoom in at all, making it impossible to see what transpired. Considering the unorthodox controls and lack of features, It's hard to recommend the Wii version of Madden if you own any other game console. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Manhunt 2		Grade: C+
	Publisher: Rockstar (2007) Reviewed: 2007/11/17 Rating: Mature (blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, strong sexual content, use of drugs)

The Wii controller was designed with three basic movements in mind: Swinging a tennis racket, steering a car, and bashing some poor bastard's head into a toilet bowl. In Manhunt 2, you play the role of an escaped prisoner on the run, forced to use brutal tactics to subdue his pursuers. Like a low-budget slasher flick, the game isn't great but provides its share of visceral thrills. Your journey takes you into some grimy "red light" districts of town where you'll prowl dark, rainy alleys and damp basements. These areas and their muffled sound effects help convey a feeling of uneasiness not unlike the movie Seven. Much has been made of the game's violent content, and at least in this Wii version, I was wondering what all the fuss was about. Yes, you do sneak up on thugs and initiate brutal acts by pressing A. To carry out the carnage, you must performing a series of controller movements in response to on-screen prompts. But even so, the visuals are so obfuscated with effects that you can barely make out what's going on! The most explicit aspect of the violence is the "crunching" sound effects. The graphics are about PS2 quality, and the visuals are in fact purposely degraded with fake "interference" in order to make the game look grittier. The controls lack precision, but swinging a controller to punch is cool. Likewise, breaking some low-life's neck by swinging controllers is far more satisfying than merely pressing a button (although still less satisfying than doing it for real). Manhunt 2 is simple stealth fun, and the only items you really need to worry are things like axes, circular saws, plastic bags, hypodermic needles, and crossbows. The cut-scenes and stages are short - which is a good thing. Checkpoints are well spaced, and you can save your progress at any time. Unfortunately, you have to sit through the same cut-scenes whenever you repeat an area, and that's just aggravating. Why can't I skip these? The background story unfolds as you uncover your past, and it's more interesting than your typical stealth tale. I tend to be jaded when it comes to complicated stealth games like Metal Gear and Splinter Cell, but I found Manhunt 2's straightforward brand of mayhem appealing. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Mario Party 8		Grade: B
	Publisher: Nintendo (2007) Reviewed: 2007/8/28 Rating: Everyone

Despite having been in decline over the past few years, the Mario Party franchise seems to have been reinvigorated by the Wii's innovative motion controls. The general formula remains the same, as players take turns moving around an elaborate "board" while engaging in mini-games and trying to collect the most stars. I love how each board looks and plays like a completely different game. On the pirate board you collect a star each time you reach the end of the path, but on the city board you must invest coins in hotels which gradually increase in "star value". Coins are used for other purposes as well, including buying "candy" that provides extra options like stealing coins or rolling an extra dice on your turn. But it's the mini-games that really steal the show, and that's how it should be. As everyone knows, the Wii's motion controls are well suited to mini-games, and Mario Party 8 makes the most of them. Whether turning the hands of a clock, navigating a river, shooting targets, or guiding an airplane through obstacles, most games tend to be easy and intuitive to play. Unfortunately, the one-on-three and two-on-two "team" games can be confusing, and should have been axed altogether. MP8's graphics are bright and inviting, with pleasant music and entertaining sound effects. I especially enjoyed the steel drum music of the pirate board, and how your character yells through that little speaker in your controller when it's your turn. Mario Party 8 is fun to play either solo or with friends. Even if you're losing, you'll want to stick around for the "closing ceremonies", since you might be awarded an unexpected "bonus" star that puts you over to the top! One obvious flaw with the game is its slow, plodding pace. You can blame the usual suspects: too many prompts, tedious spinning wheels, unnecessary "cute" animations, and inane, verbose dialogue ("Let's see you all do your best!") Even if you're only playing the 10-turn (short) contest against one person, it can still take over an hour! I can't even imagine playing 50 turns - you'd be playing all day! Had there been a "fast mode" to expedite the action, Mario Party 8 would probably be in "A" territory. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players

Mario Strikers Charged		Grade: A
	Publisher: Nintendo (2007) Reviewed: 2007/8/28 Rating: Everyone

Despite the system's unbridled popularity, one could argue that the Wii hasn't had an outstanding game since Wii Sports. Enter Mario Strikers Charged. I was a bit lukewarm on the original Mario Strikers (GameCube, 2005), but Charged won me over from the start. Not only is the single-player mode incredibly addictive and fun, but the multi-player action is the most raucous I've played in years! Making use of the nun-chuck attachment, the control scheme incorporates motion controls without feeling forced or contrived. The thumbstick moves your player, and shaking the Wi-mote effectively clobbers a nearby opponent. These "checking" controls are a great idea, but overly-enthusiastic gamers might accidentally smack their other controller (or hand) in the midst of the mayhem (not that I would ever do something like that). During powered-up "mega-shots" on goal, pointing the controller at the screen allows a defender to move around a pair of hands to block the bombardment of incoming shots. Mario Strikers Charged looks like the GameCube version, but the action is far more chaotic thanks to a healthy supply of weapons and arena-specific obstacles that appear when you least expect. You can lose track of the ball when things get crazy, but you're not likely to lose track of your player since large "player numbers" are displayed over people-controlled characters. Your team is customizable this time around, so you can select teammates with specific physical attributes and skill sets. Team captains possess their own special abilities, but unless you choose an oversized character like Donkey Kong or Bowser, it can be hard to discern your captain from your teammates on the field. Each match only lasts for three minutes, but those are intense minutes! Of course, should you end up in a tight overtime contest, it's not unusual for the match to run over ten minutes. The excellent audio is also worth mentioning, with high-octane music that really gets the adrenaline flowing. That cheesy "elevator music" that plays during the pause screen is pretty funny. Mario Striker Charged is an extremely fun sports title in the tradition of NBA Jam and NFL Blitz. This proves that a Wii game doesn't have to totally rely on motion controls to be a hit. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games		Grade: B
	Publisher: Sega (2007) Reviewed: 2007/12/6 Rating: Everyone

Ever since Summer Games (Epyx, 1984) I've always had a "thing" for these multi-event, Olympic-style titles. In this case, the Sonic and Mario franchises provide a likeable roster of competitors, including Shadow, Knuckles, Tails, Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser. You can even play as your "Mii", who apparently has sprouted little arms and legs! The game is fun to play alone, but absolute gangbusters when played with three or four people. You can select from a series of "circuits" comprised of three events each, with the option to customize your own tournaments. Keeping the number of events small is a good idea, not only because it lets you play a quick game, but because some of these events will really wear you out! As expected, the Wii's motion controls add a new dimension to a genre formerly characterized by crazy button mashing. Running is performed by quickly alternating both hands up and down, which works great. During long-distance events, the game mercifully "locks in" your speed, functioning like cruise control. I love how the hammer throw requires you to twirl the controller around, but other events, like the javelin throw, are far less intuitive. Initiating jumps is done by raising the controller quickly, but until you've played the game a few times, it's hard to determine how much force is ideal. The swimming events require you to move your arms and press the B button at an even tempo. Table Tennis plays like a scaled-down version of Wii Sports Tennis, and is arguably more playable that Rockstar's recent full-blown Table Tennis game. As you might expect, the Wii excels at target-shooting events like skeet shooting and archery. A few events like trampoline and rowing require you to quickly react to button prompts on the screen. But the biggest surprise is the marathon events which resemble Sonic and the Secret Rings (Sega, 2007). Racing through exotic environments, you'll navigate around obstacles and employ power-ups like shells missiles to gain the upper hand. I found all of the events to be fun to some degree, but a few of the control schemes are more complicated than they need to be. "Powering up" before each sprint seems unnecessary, and clapping your hands to excite the crowd is just pointless. Even more annoying is the excessive number of superfluous screens you'll need to hit "A" to page through. Do we really need introductions before every event? How in the hell do I turn off these lame replays? Get on with the game already! Although most events clock in at less than five minutes, Ping Pong and Archery can easily run over a half-hour, wearing out their welcome in the process. Also, I wish the game would record world records based on initials instead of character names. Despite a few missteps however, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games offers competitive, fat-burning fun for the whole family. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players

Metal Slug Anthology		Grade: B-
	Publisher: SNK (2006) Reviewed: 2007/5/12 Rating: Teen (blood, violence)

Few software companies are as adept at mishandling their flagship franchises as SNK. Metal Slug Anthology should be an easy A+, but SNK crippled it by incorporating hideous control schemes and an awkward user interface. Since 1996, the Metal Slug games have represented the pinnacle of 2D shooters, featuring insane destruction, fantastic artwork, edgy humor, and imaginative enemies and locales. One or two players are mercenaries in a side-scrolling journey against legions of soldiers and oversized mechanical weapons. Anthology contains all seven editions of the game, which is quite a value considering Metal Slug games typically sell for big bucks on Ebay. But sadly, SNK did everything in their power to taint what should have been every shooter fan's dream. First there's the issue of the controls. Metal Slug games were designed for a joystick and three buttons (jump, shoot, grenade). That shouldn't have been a problem for the Wii controller, but somebody at SNK insisted that the Wii motion controls be incorporated. Consequentially, four of the five control schemes are unplayable. The best one allows you to use the remote like an NES controller, but inexplicably you have to shake the controller to throw a grenade! For a shooter that requires precision and quick reflexes, that's not a good idea! You also have the option of using a GameCube controller, but that's a pain to hook up, and its digital pad isn't even supported! Next there's this business with "continues". The default is "unlimited continues", which is idiotic, considering a chimpanzee could finish these games with that on! You can switch to "limited continues", but instead of letting you specify the number of continues, it's based on difficulty level. On easy you get 30 continues, on normal you get 20, and on hard you get ten. While 20 is reasonable considering how fast you can burn through lives in these games, that still amounts to quite a long play session. Have the people running SNK ever played a Metal Slug game? Besides these user interface issues, the games themselves are outstanding. Some are better than others, but they all feature the same style of non-stop action and spectacular visuals effects. I've always loved Metal Slug, but it's a shame that a new generation of gamers will be introduced to it in such a shoddy package. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption		Grade: B+
	Publisher: Nintendo (2007) Reviewed: 2007/9/29 Rating: Teen Adolescents (animated blood, violence)

Corruption looks just like the previous Metroid Prime games for the GameCube, but its intuitive control scheme propels it to the next level. Using a system similar to Red Steel, you move using the joystick and look around by aiming with the Wii-mote. The first two Metroid Primes were hampered by a lousy targeting system, but the Wii's ability to aim directly at the screen provides a fine degree of precision you won't find on another system. Motion controls are also effectively used to manipulate keys, grapple from hooks, and even disarm enemies! Another novel feature is the abilitiy to control your ship remotely. Your mission requires you to travel between several planets as you disinfect "organic supercomputers" while fending off invading space pirates. A trio of fearsome aliens play key roles in the game, serving as valuable allies in early stages before becoming "corrupted". One looks like something from Aliens, another is a shape-shifter, and the third wears an intimidating mech suit. Metroid Prime 3 contains some breathtaking sequences, including a lengthy battle with a bird monster as you both plunge into an abyss (not unlike like Gandolf versus Balrog in Lord of the Rings). Like all Metroid games, you have the power to transform into a small metal ball to penetrate narrow openings. Corruption incorporates a lot of imaginative morph ball sequences that let you navigate tubes like a hamster while avoiding hazards like giant birds, hovering robots, and electrical changes. For its first two hours, Metroid Prime 3 is linear and maintains a break-neck pace that suggests a major departure from the first two games. Upon arriving on the planet Bryyo however, its gameplay reverts to the more traditional Prime style, with sprawling levels, considerable backtracking, and mind-bending puzzles that will have you reaching for the FAQ. Hardcore gamers will relish the game's ingenious complex design, but casual players may struggle to maintain interest. As with previous Metroid Primes, you can only save your progress in specific rooms (or your ship), and these are strategically placed throughout the levels. Prime 3's graphics are more illustrative than realistic, but the artistry is impressive, as are clever touches like the reflection of Samus on her specialty visors. Prime 3's soundtrack is more organic that its predecessors, including one stage's ominous chanting refrain that calls to mind Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. All in all, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption effectively reinvigorates the franchise with the best FPS controls around and the strongest storyline of the series. Those looking for a more cerebral brand of first-person shooting will be thrilled, but gamers geared more towards mindless "fragging" are in for a headache. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Monster 4x4 World Circuit		Grade: D
	Publisher: Ubisoft (2007) Reviewed: 2007/6/9 Rating: Everyone

It's no prize, but Monster 4x4 World Circuit is at least more inspired than Ubisoft's insipid GT Pro racer. The problem is, the Wii already has an off-road racer (Excite Truck, Nintendo 2006) which absolutely kicks this one's ass in every which way. Monster's main mode is a series of contests over hilly dirt tracks in locations like Mount Rushmore, an Alaskan port, and a California amusement park. The game primarily focuses on racing monster trucks, but other oversized vehicles are available including a school bus and fire truck. Using the Wii remote to steer works well enough, and the plastic steering wheel attachment feels okay. The sense of speed is modest however, at least until you kick in your turbo by pushing the controller forward. Colored "stunt ramps" allow you to perform stunts for boosts, and these are executed with circular movements that initiate flips and spins. While fun to execute, these don't always register as well as you'd like. Barrels in the road become projectiles when you run into them, setting the trucks ahead on fire and slowing them to a crawl in the process. As you can imagine, these barrels are a major pain in the ass if you're in the lead. Monster's gameplay is not particularly exciting, partially due to its bland tracks. Heck, even the amusement park is devoid of personality. Certain tracks are also marred by ill-conceived flame-throwers which are nearly impossible to avoid (at least without a shield power-up). I was hoping the four-player split screen might redeem Monster 4x4, but its degraded graphics and lack of a map turned it into a muddled mess. My friends and I were ready to quit long before the races actually ended. As I pondered my last-place finish, my friend Scott asked, "Are you really surprised Dave? I mean, you were driving a freakin' school bus!" The single player mode might keep you occupied for a short period of time, but Monster 4x4 just seems pointless after a while. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players

Nights: Journey Into Dreams		Grade: D
	Publisher: Sega (2007) Reviewed: 2008/3/24 Rating: Everyone

The first Nights (Saturn, 1997) was one of the more innovative titles for the system, developing a cult status over the years. Fans have waited an eternity for this sequel, but sometimes you need to be careful what you wish for. While Journey Into Dreams maintains the same magical, fairytale style of the original game, it's not nearly as fun. As in the first Nights, a kid-turned-fairy glides through wondrous 3D environments while flying through hoops and looping around foes. Although the action takes place on a 2D plane, a swinging camera conveys the depth and visual wonder of a rich fantasy world. In the original game your goal was to collect chips in a certain period of time, but in Journey you chase down birds to obtain keys. It's not nearly as fun, and your proximity to the bird seems controlled in large part by the CPU. There's a slew of bonus stages including a wild river ride, but your objectives are rarely clear. Journey Into Dreams is also guilty of an unnecessary, overwrought storyline, complete with cringe-worthy, unskippable cut-scenes. Instead of sensible dialogue, we get garbage like "It's the white Ideya! This is the purity that was missing from my heart!" Your dream world is populated with giggly "Nightopian" midgets, and these things are the worst idea since Ewoks! I wish very much for harm to come upon them all. The pinball-inspired boss stages feature creepy clowns, but these would be better if you could tell what was going on, as the camera has a mind of its own. Last but not least, the controls are terrible. Pointing a Wii-mote to "aim" your flying character is counter-intuitive and awkward. The classic controller fares slightly better, but the ridges around the thumbsticks limit the ability to fine-tune your angle. I finally settled on the GameCube controller, which also has ridges, but they are a bit less pronounced. The sad fact of the matter is, this game would have been better suited to the 360 or PS3. The scenery is colorful and pleasant, but not spectacular. The musical score offers a gentle, dreamy theme that blends well with the action on the screen. The game's design and user interface could have used some fine-tuning. It took me a while to realize the little book on the corner of the screen indicated my game was being saved. Would displaying the word "saving" have been too hard? Likewise, the obscure objectives and sometimes hard-to-read screen indicators make you wonder if Sega fired their entire Quality Assurance department. And you might as well forget about the headache-inducing two-player mode. After about 15 seconds, my friends exclaimed "Ugh! Turn this [expletive] thing off!" Not only does Journey Into Dreams fail to live up to expectations, but it calls into question the viability of the franchise as a whole. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

No More Heroes		Grade: B+
	Publisher: Ubisoft (2008) Reviewed: 2008/5/7 Rating: Mature (17+) blood and gore, crude humor, intense violence, sexual themes, strong language

A lot of game designers would prefer to be making movies, so they incorporate convoluted storylines, lengthy cut-scenes, and "adult" themes. They have it all wrong. The real key to a cinematic experience is style, and No More Heroes has style to burn. Using dramatic camera angles, quick-cut editing, stylized graphics, and immersive controls, No More Heroes manages to be remarkably cinematic without forsaking its video game identity. The protagonist is a young man named Travis Touchdown who's armed with a "beam katana" which looks a heck of a lot like a light saber. With his slim build and glasses, Travis is more of a techno-geek than a prototypical action hero, but that "everyman" quality is refreshing. His goal is to become the world's number one professional killer by working his way up the ranks, and the parallels to Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies are unmistakable. The gameplay offers some exploration, a healthy dose of mini-games, and a truckload of sword-fighting mayhem. The visuals are more artistic than realistic, and the violence is way over-the-top - like the most brutal comic book you've ever seen. Initially I was concerned about using buttons to perform basic attacks (instead of motions), but my fears were short-lived. Orienting the Wii-mote lets you assume a high or low stance, and swinging the controller delivers devastating finishing blows, which are always punctuated by fountains of blood. I can't express how satisfying it is to decapitate a henchman or filet a thug with a simple flick of the wrist. Recharging your katana is done by shaking the Wii-mote in a fairly obscene manner, and considering the game's irreverent tone, I suspect that was by design. Between boss encounters you'll scour the city on your motorcycle looking for odd jobs so you can save enough cash for the next "entry fee". This is the weakest aspect of the game, as you're forced to play marginal mini-games that include cutting grass, pumping gas, and picking up trash. Yes, No More Heroes takes mundane chores to the next level! Whatever you do, do not blow your cash on upgrades like I did! The boss encounters are set in diverse locations including a subway, beach, school, and exotic mansion. Naturally, you'll first have to work your way through an army of henchmen who all look alike. These sequences tend to be repetitive, but there are a few surprises. In the stadium stage, enemies hurl baseballs which you can hit back at them by swinging the Wii-mote! Although a hack-and-slash fighter at heart, there's plenty of room for technique, including the ability to execute elaborate wrestling moves. The action on the screen gets pretty insane at times, and when Travis yells something crazy like "cranberry chocolate sundae!" that means you just got a power-up. A quirky sense of humor pervades the entire game, and I like it a lot. Just before you meet each boss, your female advisor calls on your Wii-mote "cell phone" - very cool and quite imaginative! The boss battles themselves are sandwiched by brief but dramatic scenes that feature some outrageous (and utterly profane) dialogue. No More Heroes celebrates the fact that it's a video game with pixelated icons, old-school sound effects, and numerous classic game references. Even the fine electronic music soundtrack sounds like a throwback. It's not perfect, but No More Heroes is genuinely fun and one of the more memorable titles for the Wii. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Rapala Tournament Fishing		Grade: F
	Publisher: Activision (2006) Reviewed: 2007/9/14

If you thought Rapala Fishing was lame on the Playstation 2, you might want to brace yourself for this wretched Wii edition. The Wii motion controls should make the game more involving, but instead it's just more confusing! The main menu presents several modes including free fishing, tournament, and arcade. You'll want to begin with the free fishing, because its sparse hints are the closest thing you'll get to a tutorial. During the loading process you're presented with a series of multiple-choice questions, like "On an average cast, how deep does a size 3 mini fat rap dive?" Where's the choice for "Who gives a [expletive]?" You can fish at many locations worldwide, but the scenery always looks grainy and unattractive. Clearly these graphics were ported directly over from the ugly PS2 version. Rapala's controls are terribly unresponsive, and even the simple act of casting the line feels totally wrong. Considering Sega perfected these motion controls seven years ago on the Dreamcast (with their fishing controller), Rapala has absolutely no excuse! As you move your lure around in the water hoping to attract a fish, the view is blurry and moving your rod jars the camera in a disorienting manner. Your fisherman is superimposed on the left side, making it look like you're having some kind of out-of-body redneck experience. Reeling in the line can be done by moving the nun-chuck attachment in a circular manner, but since you can just hold in the A button instead, what's the point? I do like how the reeling sound effect plays through the little speaker in your controller. These fish aren't shy, so it doesn't take long to get a bite. Once on your line, the fish typically provides zero resistance as you drag his scaly ass through about 50 feet of pixelated sludge. Once he approaches the boat however, that fish goes buck-wild! During the ensuing fight, the game instructs you to do stuff like releasing the line, despite the fact that it's never explained how to do that. The instruction manual assigns that function to the A button, but that's what I use to reel, so what the hell? Upon pulling in a catch, your fisherman raises and lowers the fish, only to have it disappear over his crotch! "Did that guy just stick a fish into his pants?" I asked my friend Scott. "Well Dave, it was a wide-mouthed bass, after all. You know what? That fish is all-right!" Rapala Tournament Fishing should have been a slam-dunk on the Wii, but it's just terrible. Will somebody please notify the Coast Guard about this horrible port? © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Red Steel		Grade: B-
	Publisher: Ubisoft (2006) Reviewed: 2007/6/9 Rating: Teen (language, mild suggestive themes, violence)

Critics have been pretty rough on this Wii first-person shooter, but I suspect that's mainly due to it not living up to some very high expectations. Personally, I found Red Steel to be one of the more immersive, enjoyable first-person shooters in recent memory. The action begins with the hi-jacking on your hottie Asian fiance in a lavish hotel. Brief cut scenes are used to propel the dramatic narrative, but the real story is the controls. The Wii's remote/nunchuk combination makes aiming a gun, opening doors, and just sneaking around feel natural and effortless. Intuitive motion controls are used to push buttons, flip tables, and roll grenades with ease. With certain weapons, pushing the remote forward allows you to "zoom in", although this requires some practice. Your gun sight moves with a degree of accuracy comparable to a mouse, making it easy to zero in on each target. There's plenty of sniping action and strategically placed exploding barrels. One aspect of the game that disappointed critics was the Red Steel's sword-fighting action. If you're expecting your sword to move in sync with your controller, you'll be sorely disappointed. The swordfights feel totally staged, and the controls are very much "by the numbers", as you methodically block weak attacks, dodge strong ones, and quickly counter to strike your opponent. It's not nearly as natural as the gunplay, but still challenging and intense (although somewhat cheap in later stages). Even the gun aiming controls tend to suffer in advanced stages when the action gets hectic. Red Steel is forgiving though, with a Halo-style health meter that fully recharges if you can remain out of harm's way for a few seconds. Despite what the title would insinuate, there is no blood in this game. The graphics are decided low-resolution compared to other recent first-person shooters, but I still enjoyed the Japanese settings and attention to detail. Yes, there are boring locations like factories and warehouses, but also imaginative areas like dance clubs, massage parlors, a working car wash, and a fun house. I really enjoyed riding the conveyer belts during factory shootouts. Red Steel's musical score is terrific, and I love how it picks up the tempo during critical confrontations. Topping it all off is a nice four-player split-screen mode. Red Steel may not have lived up to its lofty expectations, but judging it for what it is, I'd have to say that it's a lot of fun. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition		Grade: B
	Publisher: Capcom (2007) Reviewed: 2007/10/7 Rating: Mature (17+) blood and gore, intense violence, language

Originally released for the GameCube in 2004, Resident Evil 4 (RE4) was universally acclaimed and is widely regarded as the greatest survival horror game ever conceived. Set in an isolated European countryside, this imaginative adventure oozes with atmosphere and tosses out surprises at every turn. The game begins in a dilapidated house in a wooded area, calling to mind films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Blair Witch Project. Later you'll explore an old church in a graveyard, engage in a shootout on ski lift, ride a high-speed mine-cart, and have a boat encounter reminiscent of the film Jaws. RE4's pacing and difficulty are dead-on, with frequent checkpoints and strategically-placed typewriters to save your progress. Its controls are a compromise between a first-person and third-person shooting perspective, offering an "over the shoulder" view. Except for a few minor bonus missions, this Wii edition is almost an carbon copy of the GameCube version, with no perceivable graphical or audio upgrades. The only difference is the Wii's motion controls, which have been grafted onto the game in a rather clumsy manner. Especially after experiencing the comfortable controls of Metroid Prime 3, I found RE4's to be awkward and remarkably non-intuitive! Being able to aim directly at the screen is nice, but everything else takes time to grasp. To look around, you hold in the B button on Wii-mote while moving the joystick on the nun-chuck, and I often found myself staring at the sky as some madman was slicing into my flesh. While aiming, the camera "zooms in" a bit, effectively obstructing the left side of the screen with your character's head. Even navigating the map and item screens feels clumsy. I guess Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition serves its purpose as a port of the classic game, but I would hardly regard this as an upgrade. Those who never played the original can bump up the grade by a letter, but those who experienced the GameCube version will find themselves wondering what the point of this is (to make more money, silly rabbit!). © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles		Grade: D+
	Publisher: Capcom (2007) Reviewed: 2008/2/1 Rating: Mature (blood and gore, violence)

It's amazing how Capcom managed to botch this up. Umbrella Chronicles is basically a light-gun shooter that takes you on a whirlwind tour of older Resident Evil (RE) games beginning from RE0 and leading up to RE4. Consequentially, the game reuses a lot of the code from the GameCube RE remakes. Your character moves automatically as you blast the hell out of zombies, dogs, apes, and other converging creatures. Weapons, ammo, and grenades are scattered about, and can often be revealed by blasting scenery. The crosshair controls are quite responsive, providing excellent aim with minimal lag. You can shake your Wii-mote to repel zombies or wield a knife. At first glance, Umbrella Chronicles seems like a dream come true for Resident Evil fans, with its straightforward gameplay, precision controls, and rich visuals. But the game is not as fun as you would expect, for a variety of reasons. For one thing, the first chapter (based on Resident Evil 0) is infested with leaping slugs, whose only purpose seems to be to aggravate the hell out of you. Countless in number and continually cluttering up the screen, these things alone should cost the game a letter grade. Next, monsters can absorb an inordinate number of shots. Even the weakest zombies will keep coming after taking several shots to the face at point-blank range! Don't even get me started about the bosses, who consume bullets like they're Doritos. At one point the game told me to shoot some shapeless boss in the mouth, and I couldn't even tell where its [expletive] mouth was! Unlike Sega's House of the Dead games which offer fast, arcade-style carnage, Chronicles tends to be slow going, and the action is constantly interrupted by load screens, dull cut-scenes, and checkpoints. Dying often forces you to repeat a large chunk of the game. Even the two-player simultaneous mode is lousy. I like the idea of both players sharing a health meter, but it's really easy to get those crosshairs mixed up considering they're both glowing red half of the time! The Umbrella Chronicles should have been a joyride of a game, but it didn't take long for me to grow weary of this. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players