Monthly Archives: April 2009

Super C [NES, 1990]

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Super C
System: NES
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: April 1990

Super C is one of the first video games I truly fell in love with as a child, so needless to say, I have fond memories of it. Super C is the sequel to the very popular Contra (not quite sure why they didn’t just call it Super Contra, or Contra II). Basically, the game offers more of the same side-scrolling shooting action that made the first so much fun. All of the weapons from the original return, including the ever-amazing spread gun. In all my years of gaming, I still have not come across a gun that is as powerful and fun to use as the spreader. Super C is very challenging, as per Contra tradition, but the spread gun makes things much more manageable. One key difference here is the addition of the occasional overhead, vertically-scrolling levels. These are a refreshing change of pace from the frantic side-scrolling areas. The game uses the familiar formula of shoot everything in sight, learn the enemy patterns and then hope you don’t die. It takes just one hit from an enemy to die, which causes you to lose your weapon and go back to the original weak gun. To make things even more difficult, you only have three lives so you better have quick reflexes! Of course, you could always use the infamous Konami cheat code to stock up on your lives. Super C is truly one of the best games of all time, and it is definitely an underrated gem in the Contra series.

10/10

Pure [Xbox 360, 2008]

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Pure
System: Xbox 360
Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios
Release Date: September 23, 2008

Pure is an ATV racing game that doesn’t really do anything new, but still offers an enjoyable playing experience. The heart of the game is its ‘world tour’ mode where you choose from a ragtag group of characters and then build an ATV from scratch. Depending on what parts you choose, your vehicle can be focused on speed, handling, tricks or other traits. From there, you compete in a number of races which, depending on your performance, unlock upgrades and new features upon completion. Races are your standard fare – lap races, sprints and freestyle trick events. While racing, you need to perform tricks to gain speed boosts in order to have a chance at winning. It is best to use new tricks each time so your style stays fresh and you get more of a boost. Thankfully, the trick system is easy to learn. Within a few races, you should be a pro and able to stay at the front of the pack. Pure’s courses are well-designed, offering a number of different paths to take in each one. There are a number of exotic locales that show off the game’s beautiful graphics. Unfortunately, the game’s sound is a total drag. The music is as generic as can be (seriously, how many games is “Woman” by Wolfmother in?), and the character voice quips get old quick. Your best bet is to listen to your own music while you play. As a whole, however, Pure is a solid racing experience for fans of the genre. Just don’t expect anything groundbreaking.

7/10

Baseball Mogul 2010 [PC, 2009]

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Baseball Mogul 2010
System: PC
Publisher: Sports Mogul
Release Date: March 2009

Year after year, Clay Dreslough and Sports Mogul release a new edition of their popular simulator, Baseball Mogul. This year’s version doesn’t really offer much new, but it does clean up some bugs and improves upon some features. The most notable improvement is the computer AI. While still nowhere even close to perfect, or even great, the AI does not make as many boneheaded decisions as years past. Even though some bugs were cleaned up, there are still plenty of mistakes to be found. Scheduling errors are common, especially around the All-Star break. The newspaper feature still puts out shoddy writing, focusing on irrelevant statistics and jabber that was unimportant in the article’s game of choice. On the plus side, the game is still as addictive as ever even with these flaws. Play-by-play mode has been tweaked a little, and it makes “playing” the games more fun. The updated rosters are nice, as is the option to start the game in any year with the appropriate players. The online community is still very active, so there is no trouble making sure the rosters stay up to date, either. As far as baseball simulators go, Out of the Park is still the home run king, but Baseball Mogul 2010 is a worthy adversary. Mogul 2010 is a great time waster, just don’t expect a whole lot of improvements over its previous editions.

7/10

Tetris & Dr. Mario [SNES, 1994]

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Tetris & Dr. Mario
System: Super Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: 1994

I was incredibly happy when I found this cartridge. Tetris and Dr. Mario are my two favorite puzzle games of all time, and having them together on one SNES cart is a fantastic idea. Both games are pretty much direct ports of the classic NES originals, with touched-up 16-bit graphics. Perhaps the best feature of this handy cartridge is the ability to mix and match games. For example, you can play Tetris on the left side of the screen while your buddy plays Dr. Mario on the right side. You can also play two-player competitive where you alternate games and try to get the highest score total. This is truly an amazing feature for fans of both games. I honestly cannot tell you how many hours I have put into both Tetris and Dr. Mario. Another feature I love is the ability to play against the computer in Dr. Mario. If I were to have one complaint about this package, it would be the lack of a real high score list. The high scores reset themselves every time the SNES is shut off. Really, this is just a minor nuisance for what is ultimately one of the best puzzle game packages of all time. Highly recommended.

10/10

Dead Space [Xbox 360, 2008]

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Dead Space
System: Xbox 360
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: October 13, 2008

Dead Space is definitely one of the biggest ‘sleeper’ hits from 2008. Despite being EA’s first foray into the survival horror genre, Dead Space feels like a seasoned veteran on the scene. Borrowing some of the best features from other games like Resident Evil and adding its own unique features, Dead Space offers a very enjoyable campaign. The game’s opening sequence throws you right into the action and sets the tone for the rest of the adventure. As engineer Isaac Clark, you are working with a small team to investigate the mining ship USG Ishimura to see why it has stopped its communications. Once aboard, the team finds a number of unpleasant creatures that make this rescue mission much more difficult than planned. Despite its obvious influence from a number of sci-fi flicks, the story is very well-written and is always engaging.

Dead Space offers up a unique way of killing these intrusive creatures: dismemberment, limb by limb. Shooting at their main bodies does not harm them at all, so you specifically have to target their limbs. Needless to say, there is plenty of blood and gore in this game. There are a number of interesting guns to accomplish this mutilation, and they can be upgraded periodically throughout the game by collecting ‘power nodes’. The game’s zero gravity areas are also worth mentioning, as you can jump from wall-to-wall with no problem. Of course, in zero gravity you have the danger of running out of air in your tank so you have to be quick about things. As far as the horror factor, Dead Space definitely delivers some scares early on, but as you get the feel for the creatures and the atmosphere the tension factor goes down a bit. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the stunning graphics that truly bring the game to life. The amount of detail is astonishing, and the gruesome decapitations will probably leave more than a handful of players feeling squeamish. While a bit short in length (it will take about 8-12 hours to play through the campaign for the first time), there are some nice bonuses presented after completion to make you want to play through at least one or two more times. Dead Space is simply one of the best efforts in recent years to be labeled ‘survival horror’ and is a must-play for fans of the genre or adventure games in general.

9/10

Doom [Xbox 360, 2006]

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Doom
System: Xbox 360 Live Arcade
Publisher: Activision (iD Software)
Release Date: September 27, 2006

The Xbox Live Arcade version of Doom is one of the better interpretations I have played. While the game is a definite trip down nostalgia lane, the gameplay holds up surprisingly well these days. There are four episodes (27 levels) to play through, with the added bonus of a multiplayer option. This is a pleasant surprise, as Doom remains a blast when playing with friends. All of the standard weapons and enemies remain from the original, so you can still blow demons away with your BFG. Truthfully, the only thing missing from this XBLA version is the ability to type in “iddqd”. The graphics have been touched up slightly, but most probably will not even notice a difference. One thing that has not aged well is the atrocious music. I really do not remember it being that terrible before. Still, Doom is worth a download for its timeless gameplay.

7/10

Uno [Xbox 360, 2006]

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Uno
System: Xbox 360 Live Arcade
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Release Date: May 9, 2006

Uno is a card game that I used to love as a child. I couldn’t even tell you how many times I have played this simple card game and its various offshoots. The XBox Live Arcade version is a faithful rendition of the popular game and it comes in rather cheap at 400 Microsoft Points ($5). The game offers both single and multiplayer support, and even to this day it features a lively community online. Ranked matches are my personal favorite, but there are options to play with ‘house rules’ where you set your own rules and point totals. The video game version of Uno also presents an interesting dynamic in which you can bluff on your “Draw Four” cards. Bluffing can be quite useful at some times and allows you to stick it to your opponent. At the same time, if someone calls your bluff you get screwed over and receive all four cards yourself. This is certainly an interesting feature and it is a welcome addition to the game. Uno is simple and addictive, and it is well worth the $5 on the marketplace.

8/10

Call of Duty: World at War [Xbox 360, 2008]

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Call of Duty: World at War
System: Xbox 360
Publisher: Activision Blizzard
Release Date: November 10, 2008

The fifth installment in the Call of Duty series (fourth on the 360) returns the series to its World War II roots. Developer Treyarch is once again at the helm and they retained the amazing CoD4 game engine from its direct predecessor. The game takes place in both the European Theatre and the Pacific Theatre (one that has been sadly neglected in most WWII games) and focuses on the tail end of the war. The levels that take place in the Pacific bring a whole new dynamic to the series. Japanese soldiers hide in the grass and storm at you with bayonets in Banzai attacks, while others snipe at you from trees. In Germany, things aren’t much different from other games other than the fact that there are now attack dogs, and you are now fighting on their land. The campaign is relatively short – the 15 levels breeze by on your first playthrough – but World at War has enough added incentives to keep you playing.

First of all, there is FINALLY the option to go co-op with the campaign. You can either do a standard co-op shared campaign, or a competitive co-op battle where the players try to get a high score by killing enemies and going on “kill streaks.” The multiplayer mode is retained from CoD4 and has the same level-ranking system with the appropriate changes from modern warfare to WWII. Perhaps the best (certainly most unique) addition this time around is a Nazi Zombie mode that is totally over-the-top and is there for comic relief. My only real complaint with the game is its cheap “Veteran” difficulty level. Rather than providing a legitimate challenge, the computer AI pulls some really lame tactics that includes throwing an insane amount of grenades directly at you. Worst yet, sometimes the grenades don’t even show up on the screen so you get blown up without even seeing the culprit. This problem is frustrating, to say the least. As a whole, however, Call of Duty: World at War truly is a great game and it is a (hopefully) fitting end to the series’ World War II saga.

8/10