Sonic and the Secret Rings		Grade: B
	Publisher: Sega (2007) Reviewed: 2007/7/3 Rating: Everyone

Judged against recent Sonic outings on the Xbox 360 and PS3, Secret Rings seems downright inspired by comparison. This is easily the interesting and playable Sonic title we've seen since the Dreamcast console was on the store shelves. Boasting a unique control scheme, Sonic runs automatically as you tilt the controller to "steer" him. Sonic's "homing attack" is performed by shoving the controller forward, and it's very satisfying to "bash" the robotic creeps. Secret Rings is a huge game, and even sprinting to the end of a stage can take 10 minutes or more. Each world offers a list of missions that involve collecting rings, defeating foes, racing against a ball of light, or reaching the finish line before time expires. Sonic's route through each stage is largely predetermined, but moving side-to-side lets you snag rings, hit ramps, avoid hazards, and select occasional forks in the road. On the downside, memorization plays a key role, and there are large stretches where Sonic zooms around automatically and out of your control. It's really hard to "explore" with the new control scheme, so the missions that require you to locate items tend to be especially frustrating. In terms of graphics, this is the best-looking Sonic yet. The eye candy is off-the-charts as you race through exotic palaces, lush dinosaur worlds, and trap-laden castles. The "Pirate Storm" area looks phenomenal with its weathered shipwrecks, driving rain, and mammoth waves. The only stage I disliked was the Levitating Ruins, where you spend too much time "fighting the wind" and surfing on air streams. Sonic and the Secret Rings is tougher than most Sonic games, but the constant unlocking of new missions, worlds, items, and moves will keep you forging ahead. Sega was definitely on the right track with this one, but I think they made the game more complex than it needed to be. The idea of collecting pearls (in addition to rings) to power up your "soul gauge" is unnecessary, and before each stage you must equip a "magic ring" with a customizable list of special moves. Most of these moves are so trivial that they should just be "on" by default. For example, the "quick step" makes moving left and right smoother, and "hard brake" makes braking more effective. Pretty lame! The game's plodding storyline involves a talkative female genie, and the cut-scenes (rendered using still images) are as boring as they are pointless. They'd probably cost the game a letter grade if you couldn't skip them! The music is a mixed bag. Some of the repetitive pop-rock is hard to take, but the soundtrack does cover a wide range of styles. Sonic and the Secret Rings has its share of minor issues, but its innovative gameplay and attractive visuals make them easy to overlook. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players

Soul Calibur Legends		Grade: C
	Publisher: Bandai Namco (2007) Reviewed: 2008/2/8 Rating: Teen (animated blood, mild language, suggestive themes, violence)

Soul Calibur has been a popular one-on-one fighting series since the days of the Dreamcast, but Legends marks a major departure from that formula. Many have characterized Legend's gameplay as "moving from room to room, hacking up one gang of monsters after the next". That pretty much describes half the video games I've played over the last 20 years, so it can't be all that bad! Okay, I'll admit this game doesn't have the look of a big budget title. The lame intro and cut-scenes are rendered with semi-animated illustrations, and the gratuitous text dialogue between stages will have you tapping more buttons than a freakin' track and field game. The unremarkable stage designs feature repetitive angular hallways and square rooms that epitomize the term "cookie cutter". Within each room monsters spawn out of thin air, including knights, skeletons, wolves, mummies, and ninjas. Wii motion controls are used to attack, letting you execute horizontal swings, vertical swings, and thrusts. It's funny - a year ago everyone was totally psyched about using real motions to swing a sword, but now everybody just complains about it. Granted, these aren't the most precise controls in the world, but would you prefer button mashing? You'll occasionally stumble upon some entertaining special moves, like when Asteroth spins around and multiple enemies become wedged in his axe. Jerking the nun-chuck lets you dodge, and buttons initiate blocking, jumping, and power attacks. The A button cycles through targets, and it's pretty clumsy. Soul Calibur Legends is primarily a brawler, but you'll also solve easy puzzles and avoid run-of-the-mill traps like spikes and spears. You select two characters for each mission, and I like how you can switch between them on the fly. The Soul Calibur roster provides plenty of colorful characters including some scantily clad hotties. A two-player mode lets you fight alongside a friend, but that split-screen view really cramped my style. I enjoyed the game's short stages and brisk pacing when playing solo, but the difficulty is very easy - perhaps to a fault. Soul Calibur Legends isn't a great title, but it's enjoyable enough when taken in small doses. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Super Mario Galaxy		Grade: A+
	Publisher: Nintendo (2007) Reviewed: 2007/12/6 Rating: Everyone

Super Mario games have always served up colorful, imaginative worlds, but in outer space there are no limits! Galaxy's opening sequence depicts Princess Peach being abducted by Bowser's spaceship and whisked away to a far-off corner of the universe. To rescue her, Mario will have to hopscotch across dozens of galaxies composed of small planets and collections of floating platforms. Star-shaped portals are used to launch Mario from one location to the next with a flick of a wrist. Mario Galaxy toys with the laws of gravity and physics in a number of unexpected ways. More often than not you can walk on the sides and underneath platforms, and this new dimension allows for puzzles like you've never seen. Sometimes you can even pull Mario through open space by exerting gravity from stars around him. The camerawork can be somewhat disorienting at first, but in general the game does a remarkable job of framing the action. The stages are short but fascinating, and the themes are constantly changing so they never wear out their welcome. The scenery ranges from retro-futuristic floating space junk, to tropical islands, to worlds composed of sugary confections. You'll ride a stingray over a stream of floating water, participate in Monkey Ball-style "golf", and blow Mario in a bubble across a swamp. It seems like you're never doing the same thing twice! The graphics won't "wow" you, but the cloth-like textures, realistic water effects, and reflective steel structures indicate an attention to detail. Galaxy also seamlessly incorporates elements from classic Mario games (like the green pipes), along with dozens of familiar audio effects. Like the stages, the diverse soundtrack ranges from epic, to whimsical, to tranquil. Nintendo exercised restraint when incorporating motion controls, only using them when they compliment the action. One truly innovative feature is your ability to gather up "star bits" on the screen by pointing at them with the Wimote. Better yet, you can then fire these bits at enemies by aiming at the screen and pressing the B trigger! Super Mario Galaxy manages to feel both radically different and comfortably familiar at the same time. Its gameplay is extremely forgiving, and after each short stage you're prompted to save your progress. Reviewing this game was an absolute joy, and I looked forward to playing it a little bit more every day. Irresistibly fun, Super Mario Galaxy is to video games what candy is to food. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Super Paper Mario		Grade: C+
	Publisher: Nintendo (2007) Reviewed: 2007/8/26 Rating: Everyone

Super Paper Mario takes the classic platform jumping style of Super Mario Bros and incorporates puzzle and RPG (role playing game) elements to create a deeper but slower-paced gaming experience. The game takes a hell of a long time to get started, with an extended intro that takes forever to get through. I couldn't care less about this nonsense about prophecies and ancient books and dark clouds and blah blah blah... Get on with it already! I can sum up the entire premise in three seconds: "Find eight hearts to save universe". There - now was that so hard?? When you finally reach stage 1-1 (about an hour in), the game looks and plays deceptively like Super Mario Bros. as you pounce on turtles, knock out blocks, and crawl through pipes. You even hold the controller sideways in the classic NES style. But you soon discover Paper Mario's killer gimmick, which is the ability to temporarily switch to a 3D "side view" perspective at the touch of a button. Not only does this allow you to circumvent seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but the new viewpoint also reveals hidden items and new pathways. It's actually quite an ingenious mechanism, and you'll definitely want to employ it whenever you get stuck (or even just for fun). Another interesting feature is your ability to "point" at the screen to uncover hidden items and doors. You begin with Mario, but later add other Nintendo characters to your "party", although you only control one at a time. Likewise, floating companions called "Pixls" arm you with special abilities, such as grabbing enemies, planting bombs, or becoming invisible. You can toggle your characters and Pixls from a menu screen. I found the stages to be a mildly entertaining combination of puzzle solving and platform jumping - sort of a thinking man's Mario Bros. Unfortunately, the stages are sandwiched between boring intermissions where you must run tedious errands and page through verbose dialogue. These sections of the game almost put me to sleep. Paper Mario's simple but crisp graphics are illustrative in style, and the soundtrack is a nice collection of happy melodies. Nintendo fans will enjoy the game's classic game references and inside jokes, but Super Paper Mario's plodding pace will try the attention spans of casual gamers. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Super Smash Bros. Brawl		Grade: B+
	Publisher: Nintendo (2008) Reviewed: 2008/4/12 Rating: Everyone

If you thought the previous Smash Bros. games were unadulterated bliss, you might just keel over from pure unbridled joy when you play Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The basic formula is unchanged as up to four classic Nintendo characters pound each other into oblivion on raised platforms. But Brawl sweetens the deal with more characters, dizzying stages, and a metric ton of stuff to unlock. The action is fast and furious, and nothing warms my heart more than watching Kirby get his pink ass beaten like a redheaded stepchild. People tend to love or hate the Smash Bros. series, but it's hard to deny Brawl's astounding replay value. The expanded cast of characters includes many faces that casual gamers may find unfamiliar, including Pit (Kid Icarus), King Dedede (Kirby), Meta Knight (Kirby), Ike (Fire Emblem), Lucas (Earthbound), Olimar (Pikmin), and Pokemon Trainer. Pokemon Trainer is a young man that lurks in the background of each stage and let you control various Pokemon characters like Squirtle, Charizard, and Ivysaur. The pudgy Meta Knight is a great new addition, and "Zero Suit" Samus is hot! The most exciting new characters however are Sonic the Hedgehog and Snake (of Metal Gear fame). So why in the hell are they locked?! After selecting a character, you'll hear him shout through your controller's microphone - a nice touch! The impressive stage selection (which includes those from Melee) offer some pretty fascinating locations. The Pictochat stages are drawn before your eyes, and when the massive Metal Gear breaks through a wall on rainy Shadow Moses Island, it's positively jaw-dropping. I also love the Ice Climber stage with the huge iceberg careening down a slope until it finally crashes into the sea. The four-player fighting action is chaotic as ever, made even more confusing by the insane stage designs, over-the-top attacks, and "summoned" creatures that sometimes join the fray. For the first time you can jump down through platforms, which is nice, but sometimes the jumping controls are funky. Double jumps and ledge grabs can come in pretty handy most of the time, but sometimes don't kick in when you really need them. New weapons include a huge light saber and "superspice curry" that lets you breathe fire. The new "smash ball" allows each character to perform a devastating "final smash" attack. Kirby's will suck everyone into a pot to be cooked, Samus unloads a massive laser beam, Peach puts everyone to sleep, and Fox can call upon tanks and spaceships. Surprises abound in this game. In the Metroid stage, the entire playing field will abruptly turn upside down. A puppy from Nintendogs might block part of the screen temporarily, or the "face boss" from the original Star Fox might appear in the background, spitting out polygons. While the default Wimote/nunchuck control configuration is okay, but many will gravitate towards the GameCube controller, especially since there are no motion controls. In terms of graphics, the quality isn't any better than Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube, 2001). The characters look slightly harsher around the edges, but the lush, layered backdrops are more dynamic and boast more detail. Although the four-player action hasn't changed much, the side-scrolling "Subspace Emissary" adventure mode provides a very long, engaging quest for the solo player. I like how it gradually introduces each character, but sometimes it feels like a carrot on a stick. As I played through it, it was hard to tell if I was playing for the fun of it, or just to unlock new stuff. No matter what mode you play, the game constantly updates you about new items you've unlocked, which is satisfying. Super Smash Bros. Brawl has minimal load times, an intuitive user interface, on-line modes, and unlimited replay value. It won't convert the haters, but Nintendo die-hards can bump up the grade by a letter, because for them at least, it doesn't get much better than this. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players

Surf's Up		Grade: B+
	Publisher: Ubisoft (2007) Reviewed: 2008/2/8 Rating: Everyone

Considering the sorry history of both surfing games and movie-licensed games, you'd think that this surfing game based on an animated movie wouldn't have a chance. But Surf's Up manages to beat the odds. If Tony Hawk were a surfing penguin, I bet his games would be exactly like this. Surf's Up combines kid-friendly visuals, a killer soundtrack, and arcade-style gameplay to create a whimsical yet addictively fun game. Like Tony Hawk, you're mainly playing for score. You view the action from behind your penguin as a huge wave encroaches from the left side of the screen. By slaloming the wave you gain speed, and shaking the controller also provides a speed boost. Once you go flying off the wave, you can perform basic tricks (A button), holds (B button), flips (directional pad), and various combinations. In addition to riding waves, small islands and archways approach from the right, providing power-ups and opportunities to grind rails and jump ramps. I like how the waves and obstacles play off of each other, so you can launch off a wave to avoid an iceberg or vault onto a high rail. Everything comes together very nicely, and you often have several options at any given time. The graphics aren't spectacular, but the icebergs and tropical islands provide for attractive scenery. Since some stages take place in Antarctica, this is one surfing title you can even enjoy during the winter! The single-player mode offers a nice tutorial, and lets you gradually unlock new locations, boards, music, and humorous characters (which include a skinny, featherless chicken). The vertical split-screen mode is superb, serving up some really intense head-to-head action while providing a decent view for both players. There's even a "leaf sliding" mini-game that could almost stand on its own. So is there anything wrong with this game? Well, that little squid you use to navigate the menus isn't the most responsive thing in the world, and, well, it's a game about surfing penguins! Surf's Up didn't get much press and is easy to overlook, but those who give it a shot will be pleasantly surprised. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Table Tennis		Grade: C+
	Publisher: Rockstar (2007) Reviewed: 2007/11/2 Rating: Everyone

I was never a big fan of Table Tennis for the Xbox 360. It felt like a scaled-down version of Virtua Tennis, only more repetitive and laborious. Even so, I often fantasized about what the game would be like on the Wii, with your paddle mimicking your actual arm movements. Well, Table Tennis for the Wii is finally here, but it's not exactly what I had in mind. Yes, you do swing your arms to direct your shot, but it's not in "real-time" as it was in my wild fantasies. Instead, you swing as the ball is coming towards you, and your player reacts accordingly after the fact. You apply spin by holding in the directional pad, and the ball is "aimed" based on how you swing your arm. It's not a perfect scheme, but it's a hell of a lot more interactive than the Xbox 360 version. Once you begin executing high-powered "focus" shots by holding down B, the matches can get pretty interesting. Just be sure your wrist strap is tight! This Wii edition of Table Tennis obviously lacks the ultra-realistic graphics of the Xbox 360 version, but that doesn't matter at all. The gameplay is more fun, and the single player mode is less frustrating. There are three characters to begin with, including a Swedish dude and a lesbian named Haley, but you'll definitely want to stick with Lui Ping, because Chinese people kick ass at Ping-Pong! And Kung Fu! The arenas in Table Tennis aren't very interesting, but the crowd audio is realistic enough (is that a cell phone ringing?) My buddies got a kick out of this game, but I'm not seeing much long term replay value. One major flaw is the excessive load times. Just trying to set up a quick two-player match requires you to sit through countless menu and load screens. All in all, this game represents a step forward for Rockstar's Table Tennis, but it's still a far cry from the real thing. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07		Grade: C+
	Publisher: Electronic Arts (2007) Reviewed: 2007/6/9 Rating: Everyone

The Wii was tailor-made for golf, and Tiger Woods is the first name in golf, yet EA still somehow managed to screw this one up! PGA Tour 07 does deliver the goods in terms of realism and intuitive control, but sloppy design and a nasty bug prevent it from reaching its potential. Upon starting up the game, your initial challenge is to create a golfer in your own likeness, which involves wrestling with the most backward, non-intuitive menu interface ever devised. Not only does it sometimes prompt you to hit the wrong button, but you're constantly being sent to the save screen (where you can then save in seven easy steps!). Things improve considerably once you get out on the course. Swinging the controller works exactly like swinging a golf club, so if you tend to hook or slice in "real life", expect to do the same here. Form is everything, and it's satisfying to hear the "swoosh" sound of a solid hit emanating through your controller's microphone. When the ball is in the air, you can hold the directional pad and shake the controller to apply spin - not very realistic, but it works. Just try not to make an obscene gesture while doing this. One feature that's a real Godsend is how you can hold in the A button to "speed up" your shots and expedite those slow rolls. Each green is protected by a state-of-the-art laser security system - oh wait - that's the slope indicator! The putting game is terrific, and far more forgiving than Wii Sports Golf. Sadly, there's one serious glitch that wreaks havoc with this game. About once per round, a swing will inadvertently register just as you're beginning your backswing, resulting in a little squibbler of a shot. As any real golfer will tell you, one terrible shot like that can be the difference between having a great round or not making the cut. What a shame. In terms of presentation, Tiger Woods has plenty of room for improvement. The courses are well designed but the graphics are mediocre, with flat-looking terrain and blocky wildlife. The holes in Wii Sports golf looked better than this! The idiotic pair of announcers seem more intent on mocking you than providing commentary. If you take more than five seconds to line up your shot you'll hear them whine "will you swing already?!" Tiger's playing modes include the addictive Tiger Challenge where you complete various mini-games to unlock features. The target-shooting challenges are insanely fun, but the new "one ball" games are garbage. The menus are loaded with options, but I don't know what half of them mean because once again the cheap bastards at EA skimped on the instruction manual. There doesn't seem to be a way to save your progress in the middle of a round, and that's a glaring oversight. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is clearly a flawed product, but like real golf, you'll keep coming back to it for more punishment. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players

Wario Ware Smooth Moves		Grade: C
	Publisher: Nintendo (2006) Reviewed: 2007/8/26 Rating: Everyone

Smooth Moves mimics the formula of the insanely popular Wario Ware games for the Nintendo handheld systems, but isn't quite as much fun. As with all Wario Ware games, each stage begins with an animated introductory sequence. Depending on your personality (and attention span), these cartoons will either endear themselves to you or try your patience. Once the action begins, you're presented with a quick succession of brief mini-games. And when I say brief - I mean brief - we're talking a few seconds each! Before each game you're advised on how to hold the Wii-mote. There are dozens of these "forms", including the umbrella (hold straight up), elephant (hold out from the nose), sword (hold by side), waiter (hold on palm), and discard (set flat on a table so it can be picked up). These forms are gradually introduced by a slow, mellow, deep male voice using hilarious wordy descriptions that almost sound suggestive in tone. That's the type of weird, offbeat sense of humor that pervades the entire game. Half the fun of playing these rapid-fire mini-games is quickly figuring out what you need to do. Most involve simple movements, like shaving whiskers, sinking a pool ball, answering a phone, trimming fingernails, jumping rope, scrubbing a cow's butt, or shaking up a bottle of champagne. Sometimes you won't realize what you need to do until the game is over, and sometimes you'll accidentally win without knowing what's going on. Completing stages unlocks more challenges, and you can always replay old stages, which become tougher as you progress. A few "bonus" mini-games let you shoot targets, balance blocks, or hit a ball with a paddle, but it didn't find these to be any fun at all. One big drawback of Smooth Moves is the fact that it's one-player only, although it can be fun to take turns and watch your friends make fools of themselves. Smooth Moves is tough to rate. I really appreciate its crazy humor and fantastic sense of imagination, but the game is only fun in short spurts, and I tired of it quickly. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Wii Play		Grade: C
	Publisher: Nintendo (2006) Reviewed: 2007/5/4 Rating: Everyone

Like Wii Sports, Wii Play offers a collection of quick, easy-to-play mini-games best enjoyed head-to-head. The first game, Shooting Range (C), is a dead ringer for Duck Hunt, but instead of ducks, you're blasting targets, UFOs, and tin cans. It's not great, but if nothing else it demonstrates how well the Wii could handle a light gun title. In the next game, Find Mii (D), you locate faces in a crowd, but I didn't find its "find Waldo" style of play the least bit appealing. Table Tennis (C-) seems to have potential, but the limited, side-to-side movement of your paddle makes it feel like Pong with fancy graphics. In Pose Mii (D), you twist and contort your Mii into various positions to fit into floating shapes. It's shallow fun, but gets old in a hurry. Laser Hockey (C+) plays like air hockey, but its graphics are rendered in a neon light motif that makes it look a lot more compelling than it really is. Billiards (A-) is my personal favorite, offering a modified version of 9-ball where you score based on the number on the balls that you sink. Whether playing solo or against a friend, the pinpoint controls and close-up "windows" make it a pleasure to run the table. You'd think Fishing (F) would be a real treat, but its execution is extremely poor. Not only does the game insist you sit very close to the TV (or else a message blocks your view), but the rod control doesn't feel natural at all. "Charge" (C+) is hands-down the best cow racing game I've ever played. By tilting your controller you ram your charging bovine into scarecrows and leap over barriers. At first glance, Tanks (B-) resembles the classic "Tank Pong" variations of Combat (Atari 2600, 1977), but instead of shooting each other, the goal is to shoot more enemy tanks that your opponent. I was pretty psyched up about Tanks at first, but I think this game missed the mark. There is some enjoyment to be had with Wii Play, but the fun is fleeting. The most compelling aspect of this package is the free controller included with it. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Wii Sports		Grade: A
	Publisher: Nintendo (2006) Reviewed: 2007/5/4 Rating: Everyone

Has there ever been a better pack-in game than Wii Sports? This phenomenal title appeals to kids, senior citizens, and everyone in between. Its five sports included are played by mimicking the natural movements you would perform while playing the actual sport. Whether you're pitching a baseball, swinging a golf club, and rolling a bowling ball, the controls are responsive and intuitive. It's not necessary to make large, exaggerated movements (a flick of the wrist will suffice), but it's usually more fun. Wii Sport's graphics are extremely simplistic, with cartoonish characters that lack arms and legs. Still, the minimal visuals have a certain charm. Bowling (A) may be the most fully realized game in the package, with excellent controls and pins that bounce around realistically. The most challenging game is Golf (B+). Although there are only nine holes, they look gorgeous, and I love how I can use my actual golf swing to play this game! Putting can be problematic however, with controls that sometimes feel unresponsive. A scaled down version of Baseball (C+) is the weakest entry of the package. Contests are limited to three-innings, and everything is CPU-controlled except pitching and batting. Swinging the bat feels terrific, but there are far too many foul balls. Boxing (B) can provide a genuine workout as you use the nun-chuck attachment to control both hands of your boxer. The semi-transparent fighters call to mind Punch-Out (NES, 1987). Although the animation rarely keeps up with your hands, the punches land with impact and the action is intense. Tennis (A) is the highlight of Wii Sports. Your player moves automatically, but your ability to aim the ball and apply spin provides all the control you need. All five games offer tremendous replay value, but don't dismiss the training and fitness modes. The training mode amounts to a collection of awesome mini-games, which include hitting a golf ball onto a large bulls-eye, or bowling into a rack of 100 pins! The fitness mode measures you physical skill much like Brain Age (Nintendo DS, 2006) measures your mental skill. A few option menus would have been nice (like the ability to turn off the instant replays), but overall Wii Sports packs a wallop. When playing solo, the games adjust to your skill level, and in terms of multiplayer action, this is the ultimate party starter. Load times are negligible and your progress is saved automatically. If you're thinking about buying a Wii, Wii Sports is all the reason you need. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players