Review: Goldeneye 007

One thing that has always seemed to struggle a bit on the Wii is a genre that should definitely excel on a console that uses pointer technology: the first person shooter. Sure there have been a few gems here and there, but overall, controls have been clunky and imprecise and players have glanced over them and yielded to the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 for their first-person shooter needs.

Just like the Nintendo 64 in the 90's, the Nintendo Wii is looking at Goldeneye to bring the system's first-person shooter genre into the forefront away from the other consoles. Sure, Nintendo 64 was trying to bring the market from the PC to the home console market, but the analogy is still more relevant than ever.

The game follows the same general storyline of the Goldeneye film, but as you know, they updated the game to feature Daniel Craig's James Bond, rather than Pierce Brosnan. This is much more than an aesthetic change, though. Craig's Bond is a little more rough and tumble and a little less refined than Brosnan's imagining, some events that don't necessarily drastically change the plot, have been updated to better reflect Craig's version of Bond.

The game is chocked full of nostalgia. From the difficulty levels, to the level design, to the multiplayer, everything feels like a true sequel to the original Goldeneye game for the Nintendo 64, which is something the previous generation's forgettable Goldeneye game, Rogue Agent failed to achieve. The first level in this game is even the Dam, which is based on the original game's starting level of the same name.

Sure, the level designs have been updated to be less simplistic and more engaging than it's Nintendo 64 source material, but fans will definitely recognize the continuous nods to the classic title. The multiplayer is definitely the most obvious nod, as it features many of the classic Bond characters that players were able to utilize in the original Goldeneye game. The multiplayer feels loyal to the original, but it is definitely limited to the capabilities of the Wii itself.

Visually, the game is one of the better looking and sounding Wii titles. The character models look very true to their film counterparts, but the level of detail is obviously lagging behind the competition that exists on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The main issue that was found in the visual department was the brightness. While calibrating the brightness, the screen instructs that the player should adjust the brightness so that the "Goldeneye" logo is barely visible in the black area of the calibration screen. It was found that on a high-end Panasonic plasma television, that the player would be required to turn the brightness of the screen, as well as the brightness of the game itself, all the way up in order to see the logo as instructed. This is a huge issue, as plasmas generally have a higher contrast and more vibrant colors, so it is unclear if the game would be playable if the player is less able to adjust the brightness.

Control-wise, the player has four options. The first, and defaulted option, is involving using the Wii Remote like a wand and then holding the Nunchuck with the other hand. The second option is for the player to place the Wii Remote and Nunchuck into the first-party Wii Zapper. The Wii Remote controls where the player looks and aims, with the crosshairs aiming and eventually moving the screen as the crosshairs reach the edge of the screen. This works well for the most part, but can become an issue if you are attempting to aim for a target near the edge of the screen. The controls are only as good, in this case, as the player's hand is steady, which makes the feeling more true to life than most shooters.

The big downside that we had with this control scheme is that we couldn't use our Nyko Pistol Wii Remote glove, due to the fact that the trigger actually hits 'A' rather than 'B' and there was no control option for such a setup. This was an issue with the House of the Dead franchise as well, so it's not to be held against this title, but it is more appropriate to levy this against the peripheral itself. We're just saying it would have been nice to have found a control scheme to work with this piece of hardware within the game's robust control selection screen.

The third and fourth options allow the player to use the Gamecube and Wii Classic controllers respectively. When using these options, the controllers function much like controllers in first-person shooters from other consoles, where the left stick controls player movement, the right stick controls the way the character looks and the triggers/bumpers are used for weapon control. This might seem like the method of choice for players that would like to play the title like a standard first-person shooter, but there are definite downsides to using these layouts.

The biggest and most universal issue with this control scheme is definitely the limitations of those controllers themselves. Shooters always felt strange on the Gamecube, so the fact that it feels slightly awkward playing this title on a Gamecube controller is no surprise. If you opt to play it on the Wii Classic Controller, you will have to deal with the struggle of playing a first-person shooter on what essentially equates to a Super Nintendo controller.

You can get a limited edition Classic Controller in specially marked Special Editions of Goldeneye 007. It would have been amazing if the Classic Controller included with the Special Edition was based on the Nintendo 64 controllers, but now we're just nitpicking. Sensitivity is another problem that was found, but that can definitely be remedied by adjusting the sliders within the options menu. The only other issue that exists with using the standard controllers is that you cannot use the "lean" move that is useable with the Wii Remote control schemes. This doesn't really come in handy with the single player campaign, but can really work to the player's advantage in multiplayer modes.

Looking at Goldeneye 007 for the Wii and comparing it to the groundbreaking title that is this game's namesake on the Nintendo 64 is unfair. This title isn't an incredibly innovative title, but it is as important to the console as the original was for the Nintendo 64. This game shows that a good first-person shooter can exist on the Nintendo Wii. The only issue with Goldeneye 007 is that it is limited by the very console it is raising up. If this game were a generation-wide release, rather than just a Wii title, this title could potentially rival this week's release from the Call of Duty franchise both in popularity and quality.

Instead, we are stuck to using the Wii Remote controls or using awkward control schemes on standard controllers with graphics that aren't comparable to those shooters found on more powerful machines. If you own a Wii and you've been looking for a shooter that will use the Wii's power to the fullest, look no further than the quality title that is Goldeneye 007. The biggest accomplishment that this game can claim, however, is that it is not an embarrassment to the Goldeneye video game franchise and that it can be viewed as a worthy recreation of a legendary and fabled video game.

XBLA Review: Pinball FX 2

In 2007, an HD Pinball simulation was released on Xbox Live Arcade. The game, Pinball FX, was praised for being the best looking Pinball simulation on the market, but as a game, it left players looking for more bang for their buck. The title featured three tables, with the ability to download more tables at a cost. Eventually, the number of tables available for the title increased to nine, but by then, players had spent much more than the original buy-in price of $10.

Now, with Pinball FX 2, players can carry on with the functionality of the original Pinball FX with upgraded features. You can even import the tables you may have from Pinball FX into Pinball FX 2. The only issue with this, however, is that if you never got into Pinball FX before now, the first title in the series, along with all of its DLC has vanished, meaning you will never be able to experience those pinball tables. Luckily, Zen Studios has released a "Classic Collection" DLC pack which allows those that may have missed some of the tables from the original title to grab some of them.

Visually, Pinball FX 2 is amazing. The tables look crisp and clear and the ball moves through the table in a very realistic manner. The HD graphics are so spectacular that sometimes you'll forget that you are playing a pinball simulation and not just a pinball game.

Several improvements have been made over the first title and the developers are definitely not bashful about it. When you first start up the title, you'll see a short tutorial about all of the new features. Covered in this tutorial is the new physics engine, the streamlined menu, the realistic graphics, the new table designs, splitscreen multiplayer, and the backwards compatibility with Pinball FX. There's even a really cool new feature that allows you to tune nearly every aspect of each table, down to exactly how level or un-level the table is.

One of the coolest features, depending on your friends list, is the Wizard Score feature. The feature automatically pools your friends top scores on each table to determine who the real pinball wizard is on your friends list. You can also team up with friends to see if you can achieve the highest team score.

So with all of these new features, the main remaining question is, how does the game play? Well, it plays like pinball, of course! But that description is doing it an injustice. You could say the game that comes preloaded on most PC's plays like pinball. This game, however, is without a doubt the most realistic pinball simulation ever released. The physics engine is amazing, and really shines when you're playing multi-ball.

The table designs are also very well made. There is a lot to do on each table and it remains realistic, while at the same time, does things that you would never see on a real table design. It's for this reason that Pinball FX 2 is perfect for those that love pinball, but don't have the room or the noise tolerance to stock up on several tables in their house.

Pinball FX 2, as mentioned before, is a great pinball simulation, but unfortunately, that means that the target audience is very limited and so is the scope of the overall game. The title does make some great strides towards improving upon the first title in the series, but at the end of the day, the game is still based on something that isn't so prevalent in today's culture. With arcades near extinction and pinball going with it, Pinball FX 2 is a great way to preserve a possible past time of yours, but if you aren't huge into pinball, don't expect the title to grip you for more than a few playthroughs of each table.

Review: Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor was once an illustrious war franchise on the previous generations of consoles. The games were very well received and were genuine competitors with the Call of Duty franchise. Fast forward into this generation of consoles, and the Call of Duty franchise rules the war genre with a totalitarian iron fist. Nary a single quality title has challenged the throne of the Call of Duty franchise since the dawn of this generation. Just when it appeared a chink could be in the armor with Call of Duty 3, Activision released the now classic title, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The title brought the war genre out of the 40's and into the present day in a big way. The title set the bar for any future titles in the genre and has yet to be matched, except arguably by its incredibly cinematic sequel, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Now, just when it appeared that nobody would be able to match the sheer strength and popularity of the Call of Duty series, the Medal of Honor franchise suddenly threw its hat into the ring once more. The initial title showed a modern war setting with a promise of a cinematic experience that looked to match that of Modern Warfare 2's film-like storytelling.

The game's engine is very much based off of DICE's other Call of Duty-competitor, Battlefield: Bad Company 2. In fact, if you didn't know any better, you might think you were playing a DLC pack for Bad Company 2. This is good because we absolutely loved Bad Company 2, but it also makes it difficult to justify the purchase of this title at full price if you already own that title.

This was definitely felt during the beta testing phase where fans complained that the multiplayer was essentially taken from Bad Company 2. Luckily, DICE and Danger Close tweaked the title to provide a different multiplayer experience. The multiplayer is squad based and forces players to take on the roles of Snipers, Riflemen, and Spec Ops. The great thing about these classes is that they force the players to craft their strategies completely around what class they take on. In a move that is taken straight from the Call of Duty multiplayer modes, players can earn killstreaks, which allows players to call in airstrikes or mortars in order to inflict more damage to the opposition. Players also level up and earn more weapons, much like in other games. While the multiplayer mode isn't quite as padded as the one found in Modern Warfare 2, the community seemed much more mature and goal-oriented, which leads to an inevitably better experience.

Now, to be clear and completely fair, though the gameplay is similar, the flow and story of this game is completely separate from the Bad Company franchise. Bad Company is much more about a tongue-in-cheek story about a group of knock around guys fighting in a war, while Medal of Honor is a very serious and realistic take on the current war in Afghanistan, starting directly after the events of September 11th, 2001. In fact, this title might be the most realistic title ever released on the subject matter of war.

That realism is definitely a plus, but at times it can hurt the title in terms of what it was trying to accomplish in competing with Modern Warfare 2's cinematic feel. Sometimes the realism actually prevents the title from achieving a level of epic-ness due to the "movie moments" being lesser. It has yet to be seen if players want a realistic account of a day-in-the-life of a soldier in Afghanistan, or they want a cinematic adventure of jumping through the ice-covered mountains, but as far as sales are looking right now, it's looking like fans prefer Modern Warfare 2's style of storytelling.

Bad Company 2 looked absolutely gorgeous, and Medal of Honor carries on that tradition. The character models look fantastic and the environments have a very gritty feel to them. Now, this game definitely falls victim to the typical war video game issue, where, due to the setting, the colors in single player tend to focus on brown and gray hues, which can be tiresome and boring to play through. Luckily the game is fast-paced enough to not let the player get bored at looking at the scenery and the multiplayer maps take place in a variety of locales, so you can break it up a bit that way.

As far as other aspects of the presentation, you can't get much better than Medal of Honor. The sound is phenomenal. As you make your way through the various missions, you'll hear conversations, you'll hear music of the culture and you'll hear battles off in the distance. The environment definitely feels as though its alive, which is a major key to why it succeeds in its presentation. One of the coolest moments comes as you realize that the gunshots echo based on where you are, which is somewhat surreal the first time you notice it. It's just little things like that which make Medal of Honor great as far as sound and graphics go.

Medal of Honor is, by all accounts, a good game. It suffers from the oversaturation of the market and the fact that it is trying to be realistic and cinematic at the same time. The overall experience is a blast. The battles are as intense as we've seen in war games and the firefights are strategic and realistic. The only issue is that there might not be a place for this game in the Modern Warfare dominated market. We hope this isn't true, because without competition, there is no drive for progress. Medal of Honor comes off as slightly bland and unnecessary, but the game is great on its own terms. If you are a fan of Bad Company 2 and are itching for more like that, look no further than Medal of Honor. If you are a fan of Modern Warfare 2 and are looking for something thats more like a film than a documentary, maybe check out games like Mass Effect 2.

Review: Rock Band 3

When Harmonix told us that we'd "be surprised by how big Rock Band 3 is", we were all skeptical, yet we were ready to be blown away. While we knew a little bit about what Rock Band 3 was going to accomplish, we had no idea as to what we were in for. With the announcement that the game would not only perfect the formula that has made them one of the heavyweights in the gaming world, but also actually take strides to teach players how to play real instruments, we realized the magnitude of what this game could mean.

The first thing you have to look at with a game such as Rock Band 3 is the massive list of improvements and additions that the game has over its predecessor, Rock Band 2. Rock Band 3 takes the core gameplay elements of Rock Band 2, which many feel to be the top in the genre, and adds one of the most robust list of features ever seen in any sequel of any genre. The additions range from small to enormous and impact the player's experience exponentially.

The biggest, and most heralded additions are obviously the new instruments and the impressive Pro-Mode. This time around, instead of simply keeping the instruments locked at vocals, guitar, bass and drums, Harmonix has filled a much-needed gap with the addition of the keyboard. The five instrument scheme works amazingly within the Rock Band formula and the keyboard peripheral is made of very high quality. With the keyboard, players can use the realistic keys to play in normal mode, which consists of the classic five colors found on other instruments, or they can play it in Pro-Mode, which assigns nearly every key a scrolling indicator that makes the player actually work to learn to play the keyboard as an instrument.

Pro-Mode isn't limited to the keyboard, however. Pro-Mode also works for every instrument in the game. For Pro-Drums, you attach cymbals to your Rock Band 2 or 3 drum kit. Then, once you select how many cymbals you have attached (anywhere from one to three), you'll be forced to not only hit the cymbal when it's time to hit the cymbal, but you'll be required to hit the correct cymbal. The way the game indicates this is instead of scrolling rectangular notes at you, cymbal hits will show as circular. This definitely takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you will find that Harmonix has completely revitalized the fun of drumming. As someone who lost interest in Rock Band drumming several years ago, I've now found that drumming is in tight competition for my favorite instrument in the platform.

If drums and keyboards aren't really your thing, but you still want to learn a thing or two from this game, you can purchase a Pro-Guitar and learn how to play the various Rock Band 3 songs on guitar and bass. The great thing about Pro-Guitar and Pro-Bass is that they are actually played on guitars that have real frets and use all six strings. For Pro-Guitar the game will replace the five colored rectangles with six strings that have a special tablature language that signals what fret and string must be pressed and plucked for individual notes and different shapes that show what chords must be played in the higher difficulties.

There will be two models of Pro-Guitars released for Rock Band 3. The first guitar, the Fender Mustang, consists of partial strings where you strum and uses touch-pad technology on the frets. This will, more or less, simply simulate playing a real guitar, while the Fender Squier, which comes out in 2011, will be a real guitar that is functional within the game. Unfortunately, neither Pro-Guitar controller has been released yet, so we have been unable to use this features as of yet.

For you vocalists, you aren't completely left out in the dark. Though there may not be an official "Pro-Mode" for vocals, there have been a few significant upgrades which will make the experience much better. The biggest addition is certainly the harmonies, which have been brought over from The Beatles: Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band. While it still remains that all three mics used in the harmonies must be on the same machine due to the slight lag that is created through playing online. This may seem like a minor detail, but there are very few casual players that have three mics lying around, as well as two friends that would want to harmonize with them. The other improvement that vocals has seen is the fact that the "shaky-arrow" glitch, which made the vocal arrow shake and fall outside of the vocal bars, has been fixed and is no longer an issue.

Outside of the really innovative Pro-Modes, there lies the classic mode, which made Rock Band famous in the first place. While this mode is largely the same as what we played through in Rock Band 2 from a gameplay standpoint, the layout of which you select your playstyle has been vastly improved. You can choose to "Play Now", which lets you opt to play through quickplay or complete several road challenges to increase your stardom, or go on to the career mode, which will allow you to progress through hundreds of goals separated across the five instruments and their Pro-Mode counterparts. As mentioned before, the entire setup and menu system is very intuitive and feels miles beyond anything we've seen on either the Guitar Hero or Rock Band side prior to this game's release.

Before you get to rocking, however, you need to create your characters and edit your band. The logo designer is pretty much the same as we saw in Rock Band 2, only with different designs. Once you have a logo and a name for your band, you can choose to create characters to put in the band. The character creator has progressed from Rock Band 2 as much as any other feature of the game has. Now, instead of simply choosing a face, skin tone and body type, you can go into a full-on edit mode where you can stretch and warp the face in nearly any way you see fit, much like we've seen in sports titles and Guitar Hero titles.

Once you create your character, you can dress them up in any accessories or clothing items you want. They did go a questionable route of including shirts from bands like The Doors and The Who, which you must pay $1 of real money to be made available for your character to wear, but you don't have to go that route if you don't want to. If you don't feel like going through the character creation process for four members of the band, you can always appoint stand-ins from the ready-made characters that we've come to know from the previous Rock Band titles. The only issue here is that there is no way to easily define what character plays what instrument, so if you want one guy to play guitar while your character sings, you have to jump through various hoops to achieve that.

Once you're ready to rock, you can navigate through the aforementioned menus to select the song, goal, or road challenge that you want to play. The best part about these three modes in this game is the fact that they are all integrated into progressing your band through their careers. This is something new to the genre. Before, if you wanted to gain more fans for your band, you had to play through World Tour mode, or if you wanted to achieve goals, you played different goals in career mode. Now, you can achieve goals and gain fans all at the same time. Even in Quickplay, you will gain fans for performances. This idea really meshes with the idea that you are here to "start a band and rock the world". As you progress through gaining more fans, you'll see cutscenes of your band. They start simple with your band sitting in a diner and deciding on a name, and work their way up to getting ready to run onto stage at a huge music festival. These also really add to the overall feeling of the game itself.

The most simple mode is Quickplay. All you do here is go through and play the songs you want to play. It's as simple as that, but Harmonix has taken this simple idea and created an enjoyably simple experience. Now, if you're a DLC hoarder, you don't have to go through the over 2,000 available tracks to find the one you're looking for. Now, you can sort by nearly any method you can think of. You can sort by song name or artist name like in Rock Band 2, but now you can sort by multiple options at a time. So if you want to only find country songs that you've gotten four stars on guitar and start with the letter "L", you can find that song immediately. There's even a new feature that allows you to rate any song, including on-disc tracks, so you can sort songs on songs that you really like. If that sounds like too much of a hassle, you can create a playlist and save it, so if you and you're friends like to play the same ten songs every time you get together, Harmonix has got you covered here.

With the Road Challenges, you will work you're way from being a locally touring band to touring the world by playing different sets at different establishments. These sets range from a pre-determined list of three tracks from a particular artist that you have in your library, to you playing to the interests of the crowd at that bar, club or venue. Either way, you'll always have a choice of whether you want to choose a custom set of classic rock songs, a three-set of Blink 182 songs or a random three-set of Nu Metal tunes. Another thing that Road Challenges implements is a system that awards "Spades" in addition to stars on songs. Spades are bonus currency that unlocks more venues to play and extra challenges. They aren't earned simply by playing well, however. You'll be given a random task at the beginning of the set, such as activating overdrive as many times as possible, or getting as many streaks as possible, or even nailing individual sections of the songs while you play through them. As you earn more spades, you'll unlock new tours that you can take. Touring will see you selecting a tour route and going across the country or even the world on those routes. Harmonix did an excellent job of creating a addictive feeling of being rewarded through this mode.

The final main mode is the career mode, which is essentially turned into the "My Goals" mode. In this, you'll be given hundreds of goals that are both general and instrument-specific. Some are tied to achievements and trophies, while others are simply tasks to shoot for within the game itself. The title does an amazing job of tracking your stats and accomplishments and lets you know exactly how far or close you are to achieving each and every goal set forth. This mode makes you incredibly prone to the "just one more hour" syndrome that every game, music or otherwise, should strive for. You can't begin to count the number of times you're ready to quit, but you see how close you are to achieving a goal, so you play another set. Each time you achieve a goal, you'll also unlock new customization items, as well as earn more fans. Goals aren't just tied to this mode, however. As mentioned earlier, everything is highly integrated, so if you achieve a goal in Quickplay, you'll be notified and it will be crossed off the list in your "My Goals" section.

Of course, every music game ever created is made or broken by the group of songs available. Lucky for Harmonix and lucky for us, the game with the most features ever seen in a music game also has the most robust library of songs. There are 83 diverse tunes on the disc with hundreds of tracks that can be imported if you are an owner of previous Rock Band titles, and a DLC library that stretches beyond the 2,000 song mark. With the recent release of The Doors' Greatest Hits and the promise of greatest hits releases from huge artists like Bon Jovi and Billy Joel, Harmonix shows absolutely no sign of slowing down or shying away from the model that has made them thrive in the music genre.

There is one thing that must be realized for anyone that is reading this and is thinking about delving into the Rock Band series for the first time due to the praise that this title is receiving. All of this entertainment comes at a very high price. If you are starting from scratch and want to get the full experience, you can expect to pay well over $1,000 in order to get all of the instruments, the game, and a decent amount of downloadable content. This is a very steep price for new players to the series and something that is definitely a commitment that many people will need to shy away from in this economic climate. Luckily, there is enough to do on just one instrument to justify the purchase of the game with just one instrument to start out.

Rock Band 3 is by no means a perfect game, but it really gets closer than anything we've ever seen in any genre. The graphics are improved over the previous title, the feature list is almost as robust as the song list, and incredible strides have been made to improve the series over the last two years. If every series took the Rock Band approach and improved their series by this much with every sequel, the gaming world would be a much better place. Rock Band 3 is, without a doubt, the best and most complete music game we've ever seen and will certainly be looked back upon as the game that turned the music genre away from the abyss of normalcy and the business-as-usual mentality.

Review: Fallout: New Vegas

War never changes. Those same words that fans heard at the beginning of previous Fallout titles echo through the introduction of Fallout New Vegas as well. Not only does that saying provide excellent commentary to the nature of mankind, but also to the nature of Fallout New Vegas. That is, not much has changed since Fallout 3. While all of the spectacular visual and gameplay based elements remain from the previous title in the franchise, it is, in fact, a double-edged sword.

The game takes place in a different location altogether, but it certainly has that trademark Fallout feel to it. The world looks desolate; scoured by nuclear war and all but conquered by gang members. Without a doubt, this trademark is the defining aspect of the franchise, so while it might feel repetitive and taken from previous iterations, the Fallout franchise knows how to create a mood better than any other series out there.

With the environment really being the biggest difference between this title and Fallout 3, it really means that the environment in Fallout: New Vegas needs to step it up a lot in order to differentiate itself from that of its critically acclaimed older brother. As far as the environment is concerned, the setting can be hit or miss. At times, it can feel like you're playing an apocalyptic version of Red Dead Redemption, since much of the game's setting takes place in the desert, but other times, such as when you go through towns and such, you'll see the life that helped make Fallout 3 not seem as empty as you thought at first glance.

Unfortunately, these interactions are more spaced out than in Fallout 3, so you can go a long time without talking to anyone if you so choose. Once you do meet up with individuals, however, the title uses the same style of conversation trees found in Fallout 3. Most of the time this method works, though sometimes glitches will occur and certain options will not be selectable. We'll get into the glitches of this title later on, however.

One of the huge disadvantages this game has when compared to Fallout 3 is that you aren't provided with as much back story for your character when you are cast into the role. In Fallout 3, you literally controlled your character from birth. You learned about what a big deal leaving the vault was, you learned about how important your device, the Pip-Boy, was, but most importantly, you learned to be emotionally invested in your character.

In Fallout: New Vegas, you start out as an adult that is left for dead in a shallow grave. While the introduction to New Vegas is much more cinematic than the introduction to Fallout 3, it takes much longer to feel that same connection to your character, if you ever achieve that connection at all. While we didn't expect Bethesda or Obsidian to take the same route of Fallout 3 and recycle it for New Vegas, it is certainly worth pointing out.

Another theme that has been migrated over from Fallout 3 is exploration. This game, and this franchise really, is almost 100% about exploration. There is little linearity in the title, unless you are trying to simply play through the story mode, at which point, you will experience the expected linear plotlines. What is great about this title is that, like its predecessor, Fallout New Vegas allows the player to complete side missions in any order. If you want to take your level 1 character with terrible weapons out into the area that has Deathclaw, the most fearsome enemy in the wild, colonies and take them on, you have that option. We can tell you from experience that this is a bad idea, but if you feel so inclined, go take on the Deathclaw Alpha Male with your handgun.

While often times we feel that open-world games really tend to give you a false sense of freedom to make the game seem longer, in special games, like the Fallout, Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption franchises, open-world sandbox type of design is perfected to the point that you will enjoy your exploration of the known world more than you will enjoy the story itself. This is why we can't encourage you enough to try to explore every nook and cranny in this title. Just like in Fallout 3, there are some serious "WTF" moments that will make you either laugh or groan audibly.

The gameplay is still the same style as the previous title. You can choose to play as third or first person perspective, but we prefer first person. In the third person mode, the game has always felt a little clunky to us. With first person, the gunplay is not nearly as accurate as it is in shooters like Halo or Call of Duty, but it is easier than when in third person. If you still don't like the aiming mechanics, you can utilize the V.A.T.S. system, which will calculate your chances of hitting the specific part of the target by factoring in several variables, such as distance, the character's proficiency with his/her current weapon, accuracy of the current weapon, angle of the targeted area, and even the size of the targeted area. All of these factors will give you a percent of how likely you are to hit the area before actually pulling the trigger, so if you want to go for the headshot, but you only have a 23% chance of hitting the head, you might want to aim for the leg or chest if those areas have a higher percentage.

In addition to the missions and exploration, players can also participate in side games that includes utilizing the various features found in the casinos, such as Blackjack and Caravan, which can net you serious money, or end your run at riches, just as they can in real life.

Fallout: New Vegas is certainly a large enough title to warrant being a standalone retail game, rather than DLC for Fallout 3, but the features might not quite back that up. The game is built on the exact same engine that was used for Fallout 3, so the differences are fairly negligible when it comes to the core experience. There are a few new features, such as being able to recruit multiple companions to assist you with a mission, rather than just the one that you could recruit in Fallout 3, but other than that, the features list doesn't really impress all that much.

The only major issue with Fallout: New Vegas is really the amount of glitches found in the title. While it's true that most of the glitches are minor and not game breaking, we've heard reports of players defeating the final boss by having him stuck behind a rock, as well as reports of players being unable to load saved games. Even the non-game breaking glitches have the potential to ruin the experience for one reason: immersive-ness.

The title really builds upon the notion that the game has a setting that the player will be able to find themselves completely immersed in. While this works most of the time, when you see an enemy run into the corner and stand facing that corner while you unload on him with a revolver, it kind of takes you out of the experience. Issues with not being able to advance in the title or being able to skip over missions altogether due to the conversation options being glitched have also been reported. Luckily, Bethesda has released one patch already and is working on another that will hit "soon".

Fallout: New Vegas is directed at those fans that played through Fallout 3 and couldn't get enough of the story arc. The title will definitely please those fans, but may leave many disappointed. With its spectacularly open environment, players could play the title for hours without ever completing a main mission. While everything good about Fallout 3 was migrated over, everything bad, like glitches and sometimes poorly structured missions, were as well. Fallout: New Vegas doesn't live up to the lofty expectations set forth by its predecessor, Fallout 3, but it is definitely a worthy title for those looking to dive back into the post-apocalyptic United States.

Review: Metroid: Other M

After the unbelievably successful Metroid Prime trilogy, Nintendo decided to enlist the assistance of Team Ninja, who are best known for their contributions to other well-liked series such as Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive to assist with the next evolution of the Metroid franchise. While some parts of this game shine and feel as though they are an updated version of the classic title, Super Metroid, not all of the changes and updates feel very welcome.

The first things that fans will notice is the stylistic change that has taken place in the visuals. In the Metroid Prime trilogy, Samus' first venture into the 3D gameplay, the visuals were realistic and very Halo-esque. With Metroid: Other M, however, there is a definite influence of Team Ninja. Everything looks a little exaggerated, as the graphics are in Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden, so they take a little bit to get used to. One thing that will remain familiar to Metroid fans is the theme of darkness.

As far as the quality of graphics is concerned, the game looks good, but it definitely suffers from the lack of HD capability on the Wii. The game truly looks like a higher end Gamecube game, showcasing some great color and contrast in the scheme, but in the end, they just don't pop off the screen as they do on titles from earlier on in the PS3 and Xbox 360 lifespan. Add that to the jagged edges that some characters will have in their outline and you have a title that looks good compared to other Wii titles, but pales in comparison to titles on other platforms.

Another area of this game that is heavily influenced by Team Ninja is the gameplay. Samus runs through the levels much like Ryu from Ninja Gaiden, athletically speeding through the levels and acrobatically jumping from platform to platform. While this is not unlike the earlier Metroid titles, the comparison can be traced back to not the way Samus is controlled, but how she feels when she is being controlled.

While the third person controls are tight and fitting for the game, those that do not like the controls in the Ninja Gaiden franchise will not like this change. The biggest issue comes when players switch to the often-used first person mode to target specific enemies or objectives. While this is the type of thing that the Wii should excel at due to its one edge over the 360 and PS3, this add-on to the core gameplay just seems forced and unnecessary.

It really has nothing to do with the first person view itself, to be frank. Instead, it has to do with the fact that it feels counterintuitive to be play the whole game with the controller sideways, then suddenly point the remote at the screen. That's not all that happens when you point the controller at the screen with the Wiimote, however. Once you make that slightly awkward transition, the camera will rush forward and the player will be required to find their bearings under the new view. It may sound nitpicky, but it definitely has the potential to give the enemies that are currently attacking an advantage.

Really, the only part where this game is anything but average is the story. The story features a much more feminine version of Samus. We hear about her struggles with being the only girl soldier and her difficulty in dealing with authority. The biggest downside has to be the voice acting. The characters will sometimes sound more disinterested than anything. While the story can be whiny, it has certainly been blown out of proportion.

One thing that has brought this game a fair amount of heat has been the so-called sexist undertones of the storyline. The game, despite the controversy, isn't sexist. As mentioned before, the game features a storyline that does, in fact, deal with sexism and the idea that its tough being a female soldier, but the game itself certainly isn't.

The part that has brought a lot of attention towards this subject is a part where Samus refuses to use her missiles and bombs until the man gives her permission. What the people stirring the controversy neglect to mention is that this man is the commanding officer and that she does it out of respect for his mission. The story may not be the most appealing to some, but it certainly isn't sexist.

All in all, Metroid Other M might be getting a bit of a bad reputation just because it is in the series that has constantly put out classic game after classic game. The game is a very average experience with a slightly below average story and some way above average moments that will stick with you. Fans of Metroid might be disappointed, but fans of the action/adventure platforming genre will definitely want to check this out.

Review: Super Meat Boy

There are few things more satisfying in the gaming realm than an excellent 2D platformer. Take that satisfying feeling and include some amazing puzzle elements, along with some overly simplistic controls and you have yourself a winning formula. This is the winning formula that Super Meat Boy, the sequel to the popular flash game, which makes its appearance as a full-scale downloadable title, has implemented to the fullest degree.

Super Meat Boy, as mentioned earlier, is based in simplicity. You control Meat Boy, who is dating a girl named Bandage Girl. One day, Meat Boy's arch nemesis, Dr. Fetus, kidnaps Bandage Girl and the game begins.

Each level requires that you reach Bandage Girl. While this sounds easy, it is definitely easier said than done more times than not. Once you get past the basic levels that are meant to teach you the very simple controls and objectives, you're thrown head first into the deep end. Before you know it, you'll be wall-jumping, free-falling, and sprinting past, through, over and under the likes of saws, lasers, lava pits and other environment-based hazards.

The gameplay of Super Meat Boy is part retro arcade and part 2D platformer. As we all know, in platformers, physics and controls play a huge part of the game. Luckily, Super Meat Boy has both super tight controls and consistent physics. There will rarely be a moment where you feel that you died and anything is to blame other than yourself. You truly have complete control over Meat Boy as you make your way through the various worlds.

No matter how good you get at Super Meat Boy, there will always be a high degree of challenge waiting for you. The most basic way to beat the game is to simply make your way through each level without dying. If you do the level quickly enough, however, you'll receive an A+ rating. Then, once you get an A+ rating on a level, you'll unlock the "Dark World" version of that level, which is simply an incredibly more difficult version of that level. Trust us, these levels can get VERY tough. It's new variations and offerings like this that will keep you coming back for more from Super Meat Boy.

The game is certainly a title that is meant for trial and error. Some levels you'll get the first try, but others you'll notice yourself dying upwards of fifty times before finally reaching the objective safely. The best part of this is not only the satisfaction of completing something you struggled with just minutes ago, but the fact that you get to watch and save replays of your run. These aren't just any replays, however. Instead of just showing your successful run, you'll see as many Meat Boys on the screen as you made attempts. They all start at the same time and the runs overlap on top of eachother, not unlike a "ghost" system found in other time-trial like games. It's really great to see all of your failures die in unique ways elimination-style on the way to watching your successful run reach its destination.

You'll even have some pretty epic "boss battles" at the end of each world. I put that in quotes because you don't really fight the bosses, as much as you escape them until they undo themselves. The battles/escapes each possess a very high degree of difficulty and you'll be very relieved when you finally escape the boss battle for the first time.

On top of the great controls, you have a fun, gruesome, and quite fitting presentation for the title. From the little cutscenes in between worlds to the fact that you'll actually be tracking a meat-trail everywhere you go, this game is one of those games that will have you appreciating the little things. And, as we mentioned, the replay system plays a big part in the presentation department.

All in all, we can't say enough good things about Super Meat Boy. The title handles incredibly solidly and the puzzle elements that force you to go trial and error don't wear on you as much as you might think. In fact, those very elements, combined with the large replayability-factor, is what will keep you coming back time and time again. The best part of all? Anyone can play this game. Hardcore and casual gamers alike will enjoy this title beyond most any other title in their libraries. There is no doubt that Super Meat Boy is one of the top games to ever grace the Xbox Live Arcade, and it will certainly stick out on the Wii as well.

Android Review: Angry Birds

In early September, one of the most popular game on the iPhone fluttered onto the Android platform in the form of a "Beta Lite" version. The beta included 15 puzzles, but definitely left Droid users salivating for more.

For those that don't know about Angry Birds, the game is a physics-based puzzle game that requires the player to launch birds at structures that house pigs. The object of the game is to collapse the structure in such a way that it crushes, skewers or impacts all of the pigs. Once the pig is defeated, he'll vanish and add 5,000 points to the map score.

For a game such as this, how well the gameplay works is almost fully reliant upon how well the physics work. Luckily, Rovio Mobile has done a great job fine-tuning the physics. From the way that the structures collapse to the amount of pressure or impact that is required to defeat each pig, Angry Birds will rarely leave you legitimately questioning the engine. There are occasional occurrences where a block of wood or cement will stick onto another in a strange way, but those times aren't incredibly noticeable.

The other part of the gameplay that matters to a high extent is the launch system that the player uses to blast the birds onto their final destinations. To launch, the player simply uses the touch screen to pull back and aim the slingshot. Releasing will fire the bird at the trajectory and power defined by the pull-back. This works just as well as you'd expect. The only issue that we've really encountered is a small glitch that will sometimes cause the camera to pan when pulling back to preparation to launch a bird. While it's a rare glitch, the consequences can result in the attempt at the map being completely over.

All of this gameplay leads to one basic concept being proven true yet again in the realm of gaming: complicated simplicity, as contradictory as it sounds, breeds addictiveness. Just as Tetris, Puzzle Bobble, and Peggle before it, Angry Birds takes a seemingly easy objective and builds challenging obstacles around that goal. The formula works perfectly and has helped the game elevate to previously unexplored levels for most mobile titles.

The way that Angry Birds accomplishes this is by ingenious level design. The maps are each very intricate, but not to the point that they will confuse you. The structural integrity of each map looks as though it was designed by an architect or an engineer of some sort. Not only do the structures stand up and collapse perfectly, but each structure is designed in such a way that chain reactions can be set off to allow the player to reach higher scores and eventually score three stars on the map.

The Android version is significantly smaller than the iPhone version, containing 63 maps, rather than the about 150 included in the iPhone version. That doesn't mean that the game is a poor value. In fact, it might be the best value in the Android app store. While the iPhone's full version is $3, the Android version is completely free.

The only downside to this is the fact that it is ad-supported. Every so often, you'll catch a small advertisement popping up in the lower right corner of your screen. It's no big deal, but you may accidentally touch the ad, which will immediately open in your browser, causing your session to go on hiatus. Luckily Rovio has implemented true multi-tasking since the beta, which means that just because you accidentally exit the screen doesn't mean you have to start the map over. If you really don't like the idea of having ads, Rovio has assured us that a paid version that is ad-free is coming down the pipes sometime soon.

Angry Birds is the perfect example of what a mobile game can and should be. The game is easy to play, accessible to nearly everybody and something that can be started or stopped at any time. You'll start off simply trying to make it through each map, but soon enough, you'll be replaying maps hundreds of times trying to achieve three stars on every map. If you are the owner of a Droid and you don't have Angry Birds, you need to get on over to GetJar.com and download the app for free.

Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1

16 years. It's been 16 LONG years since Sonic the Hedgehog 3 came out. Since then, we've gotten great games like Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic CD, but no Sonic 4. We've also had our fair share of subpar titles, which any casual or hardcore Sonic fan will be quick to remind you. After over a decade, however, Sonic Team has decided to bring its beloved Hedgehog back to his very solid roots; the 2D console game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has been hyped as the game that will bring the Blue Blur back to his glory days, but can this new title live up to that near impossible expectation, or will it just leave more fans struggling to defend their favorite video game icon? Let's just say this: it certainly doesn't bring Sonic back to his days of old.

Upon selecting the title from your respective console's desktop, you'll be greeted with the nostalgic "SEGA!" soundbyte. If that doesn't get you excited to run from left to right at a blistering pace, we don't know what will.

Once you start the title, you'll notice the nice fresh coat of paint that has been given to the title. Looking at the graphics, the title looks crisp, but Sonic just looks like he sticks out off of the background. The way Sonic interacts with the environment is fine, but his motions seem very unnatural. When he flies through the air, the motion looks awkward, but the biggest issue comes with the way he speeds up.

Once Sonic starts moving, he picks up speed, but his animations look like he's still walking or jogging. This is also reflected in the physics, which are at the point that they are both awkward and a problem with the core gameplay.

The gameplay is the main issue that older Sonic fans will find with this title. The controls are very much the same as Sonic 2, which doesn't sound like a problem at all, but when combined with the new physics, the unimaginative level design and the strange inclusion of the homing attack from the 3D titles, it just doesn't feel right. In fact, even as you come to the end of this very short title, you still don't feel used to the gameplay mechanics. The best way to describe the gameplay has to be "counter-intuitive."

Creative level design is where the 2D Sonic games have always florished. One would think that in the nearly 15 years since the most recent 2D console release, Sonic Team would have come up with some original level designs that could have been used for the grand re-entering into the genre. Unfortunately, original ideas are few and far between. Nearly every nuance and challenge in each level has been lifted from a previous game in the series.

The game is incredibly short, consisting of only four Zones. The first zone is basically the typical Green Hill Zone-type zone from Sonic the Hedgehog. The second zone is essentially a rip-off of Sonic 3's Casino Night Zone. The third zone is he most original zone, but still borrows many elements from Sonic & Knuckles' Sandopolis Zone. The final zone, the Mad Gear Zone, is basically an amalgamation of every previous final zone found in a 2D Sonic title.

Each zone does have its own gimmicks, however, which gives the title a bit of a fresher feel. From running through a dark area lighting bombs and torches with a flame you carry, to overturning cards to gain items and rings, this is where the most original ideas come to life. There's even cart-based segments like those found in Donkey Kong Country, but they end up feeling too scripted and very brief.

Boss battles have also been a bright spot in the Sonic franchise in the past, as well. Unfortunately, nearly every element of every Boss Battle found in Sonic 4: Episode 1 has been taken from previous battles. The most infuriating moment came at the end of the final zone. Dr. Eggman (a name that desperately needs to go back to Dr. Robotnik) and Sonic blast into space and unlocks a new world. Sega bills this world as an epic "Final Showdown in Space".

All this amounts to is Sonic fighting through all of the previous boss battles from earlier in the game. Once you make it through this insulting final level, you are greeted with the most incredible slap in the face. The final showdown is none other than another boss stolen from a previous Sonic title, the final boss from Sonic 2.

The final straw for this game has to be the length, or lack thereof. Four zones is not nearly enough to justify the price tag, especially when long, enjoyable titles like Dead Rising: Case Zero are only $5. To put things in perspective, the original Sonic the Hedgehog, which was released in 1991, had six zones. There is no reason that Sonic 4: Episode 1 should be charging $15, the price of a premium Xbox Live, PSN or WiiWare title. The fact of the matter is, though there are save and level select features, it is incredibly easy to beat the game in one sitting. The only redeeming part of the game's length is the fact that the search for Chaos Emeralds are back, which can allow you to re-attain Super Sonic status yet again.

There is no doubt that Sega wanted this game to succeed. They put a lot of work into it and even delayed the title by a full season, but the game still feels empty and rushed. There's no reason that this title should play like this. Sonic used to be about precision and speed, but Sonic 4 strips those aspects from the title. The biggest travesty is the fact that nearly everything in this game has been seen before in previous titles. The game puts all of its eggs into one basket: nostalgia. Nostalgia was obviously what everyone was looking for when they went for this title, but it can't fuel a title on its own. There has to be some innovation and sense of progression in order for the title to earn the right to be called a sequel to the great Sonic 3/Sonic & Knuckles. To be perfectly blunt, this game is nothing more than a glorified remake.

Here's an idea: why not keep it to one release? Why bring it out episodically? There's no reason that they couldn't have delayed it until 2011 and made it one full title, much like the company's previous main competition, Nintendo, has done in the past with the New Super Mario Bros. franchise. Sonic 4 was supposed to reaffirm a sense of hope in the Sonic franchise, but instead all the game did was make the remaining believers question their faith. If you are still curious about the title, do yourself a favor and check out the trial version first.

Review: NBA 2K11

Do you like Michael Jordan? Well, it doesn't matter if you like Michael Jordan! 2K Sports' Visual Concepts has gotten into bed with arguably the greatest athlete (all sports withstanding) ever. Does this holy matrimony work in the end? Yes, yes it does.

When you boot up the game for the first time you'll be presented with what can be called a Michael Jordan fan's orgasm of a moment. Assuming that you're well aware of the lore Michael Jordan carries with him, the first glimpse of the game is Michael running out of the old Chicago Stadium tunnel as very familiar music plays from the stadiums sound system as the crowd goes wild in anticipation of MJ joining his team on the court. The camera follows MJ out the tunnel and you're put immediately into the throws of the 1991 NBA Finals with the Chicago Bulls vs the Los Angeles Lakers.

Scottie Pippen with his famous flat-top fade is all there, as well as Horace Grant with his "scubaman goggles". Additionally the commentary is on point with tons of references back to 1991 stats and other random quips. Mind you, this isn't an all Bulls affair once you complete all of the Jordan Challenges and soared through the rest of the Jordan specific experience Visual Concepts has tailored. All of the teams that come along for the ride via the Jordan Challenge as Chicago Bulls opponents can be selected for regular exhibition play as well so you can get your Carl Malone or Larry Bird on at anytime.

Where the overall game shines is in the details. Even in the pause menu, faded in the background of the buttons on screen you have Lebron James clutching his newly adorned Miami Heat Jersey from the infamous "The Decision". Pause the game again and you'll be greeted with yet another image of someone else from around the league. Occasionally, while taking the ball up the court stats of the current ball handler will make it to the lower third stat breakdown so you can see how that player is doing so far. Again, a very subtle inclusion, but something that adds that little touch to the presentation. 

During any given game what you'll immediately notice if you've played any of the previous NBA 2K titles is the dramatic improvement in the defensive play. Passing lanes are covered in such a way that it will require you to rethink the way you play the entire game. No more are the passes to players who are clearly out of position only to magically still receive the ball even if their back is turned to the play viable anymore. Lazy passes will get stolen. If you're thinking about passing the ball up court, think twice or maybe even four or five times before you make that pass. If you go into this game thinking old habits will roll right into 2K11 you will be frustrated beyond belief when pass after pass is tipped or straight up stolen time after time. An issue found when going into the paint a few times though is that your player will literally get stuck and not be able to shoot the ball even if you have driven into the paint only a few feet from the basket. Commanding your player to pivot is the only response that still works if this happens. It's something that is extremely infrequent ( and hopefully just a bug), but nonetheless is infuriating when it does happen.

Again, when was the last time you played a basketball game and actually had a 'kicked ball' happen? That's the amount of detail found in NBA 2K11.When was the last time you saw a computer controlled team get a back-court violation called on them? Never, right. The AI in the game makes mistakes which really adds to an experience that feels authentic.

Then there's My Player. And as you'd expect, My player is where you can create a player and draft him onto your team of choice assuming you get that far through the Draft Combine that is now included in the game and not a separate experience as in the past with your created player. The usual is all there, like creating the physical appearance, play style for every possible signature move, what type of eye brows your doppleganger will have down to what brand of shoe (including various styles offered by the selected brand) you want to parade around in.

Expect to put a good deal of time into creating your player if you at all care what he looks like. If options are what you like, that is exactly what you get. Unfortunately all is not rosey. During this entire process the "2K insider" will popup on the bottom right side of the screen with random and mostly off the wall comments and quotes from figured around the basketball world. Calling this annoying after only the 3rd time hearing it is a brash understatement. Whoever okayed this needs to be slapped on the wrist hard.

Collecting up to 40 different JORDAN shoes is also apart of the overall process. Complete drills and other accomplishments and you'll get rewarded by being able to equip certain special items. While in a Jordan Challenge you may notice Michael Jordan with his signature shoes on, but the rest of the players on the court are wearing current day Jordan shoes. A weird omission for sure, but a small distraction it definitely is. During a quickgame or NBA Today game you'll get previews for upcoming games that are on the real NBA Schedule so you can play them on that day for yourself which is now a staple of the 2K Sports games all around in general, but the interface has been overhauled this time around. Some may not like it, some will.

One of the often omitted or just plain skimped on portion of any sports title is the Half time show. There's no Chris Berman like genius like the fabled NFL 2K5, but instead you're greeted with the majority of advertising you'll see in the game as highlights from the first half of the game and around the league are recapped. The entire thing is draped in the colors and logo of HP in the guise of the HP Halftime update. Much like certain other brands in other games (*cough* Snickers *cough*) you will see HP ALOT. 

There's a 'see who's online' option in the menu much the same as some other titles so you can page through your friends list without having to step out of the game into the friends list of the system (Dashboard/XMB) which is becoming somewhat of a standard. Then there's the nail in the coffin for virtual sports gamers everywhere in the direction of whether you should pick this game up. Relegated to the PC only for the longest of times in sports games was a feature that allowed you to save and quit mid-game. NBA 2K11 has this feature on a console and it is glorious. Have something interrupt your b-ball action like "real life", so what. Pop into the menu, select 'Save and Quit', and feel at ease as you load your saved game for when you return to the court at a later time.

When it comes down to it this game is not for the faint of heart looking to just throw the ball around from time to time. Basketball fan's will literally get all hot and bothered by the sheer amount of detail found in NBA 2K11. Whether you're a Jordan fan or not, you'll be given a taste of what so many consider the golden age of the NBA with some rather convincing recreations of basketball yesteryear.

Pickup and Play modes are there (NBA Black Top), but the meat of the game is in its astoundingly good simulation of the NBA. With today's technology and know how, this is easily the best simulation of basketball you are going to get.