This Week's Releases: The Prince is Back Edition

Well, first, sorry I haven't been updating recently. I've been having some computer troubles I've been dealing with. I'm going to try and get a post up tonight while I have the chance. So, for the last big release week of 2008, here are my picks for games to get this week.

My Game of the Week

Prince of Persia (PS3, 360)-12/2

Was there really any doubt what I would be picking this week? Not only is this a down week for releases when compared to the last month or so, but my most anticipated game of 2008 is finally coming out. Prince of Persia hits the PS3 and Xbox 360 this week. This is a bit of a new beginning for the series with a new main character, a slew of new platforming moves like the gripfall and roofrun, and a reworked fighting system that has you taking on one enemy at a time. You also have a new partner Elika who uses magic to aid you in combat as well as help you perform amazing acrobatic maneuvers. This all occurs in a more open-ended game world and presented in the beautiful new illustrative artstyle. I'll finally get to see if the game lives up to the hype I've been giving it.

This is the part of the article where I tell you what other games are coming out, but I really think you should just get PoP for PS3 or 360 (or maybe pick up something you missed last month). If you're a PC gamer who hasn't gotten in on GTA's latest installment, GTA IV comes out for PC this week. There are also a pair of Mushroom Men games for Wii and DS. You can also pick up the Prince of Persia: The Fallen King for the DS, but I have to be honest, having played the demo I wasn't too keen on the stylus controls for the game and I'm not sure how it will turn out. Well, that's all for this week. I'll be sure to be back when I can with some more posts and hopefully some reviews.

Hands-on: Tomb Raider: Underworld

It will soon be time to get reacquainted with everyone’s favorite sexy spelunker, Lara Croft. With Lara’s new adventure Tomb Raider: Underworld releasing soon, Eidos and Crystal Dynamics decided to let loose a demo for 360 and PC late last month. Now that I’ve been able to play through the 360 demo a few times, I’m here to give my impressions of how the new TR is shaping up.

The demo opens with Lara on a boat off the coast of Thailand. After a cutscene that talks a bit about why you’re there, you’re put in control of Miss Croft. From here, you’ll take a quick swim to the shore fighting off a few sharks on the way and make your way up the cliffside through some caves. Next you’ll make your way into the jungle and to an ancient temple that you’ll work through for the remainder of the demo. The gameplay’s focus is mainly on finding a route through the environment and making the appropriate moves necessary to make it through the level. Lots of moves from the past two games are back, so, you can expect plenty of ledge shimmying, swinging on poles, hopping on top of columns, and swinging with your grappling hook. But they’ve augmented the platforming with plenty of new moves, too. For instance, by simply moving the left stick you can climb around on different outcroppings (sort of like those rock-climbing walls or how climbing was in Assassin’s Creed). You can also balance on beams and poles and bound between walls (think 3D Mario or Prince of Persia). The level design in the demo section was quite impressive. It was generally linear, but there were areas to explore and offshoots you could go off on to find treasures and health items. Some sections have alternate paths you can take to get places as well which is neat. The final section of the demo puts you in a large room and let’s you start what looks like it will be a large multi-faceted puzzle to get through that section, but cuts the demo off before you an really get into it.

Lara's new rock-climbing skills (plus the walljump shown in the image at the top of the article) add more depth to the platforming and exploration.

The game also has a bit of combat. In the demo, you’ll face off against a handful sharks underwater, a couple groups of tigers, and bunch of random spiders and bats. The combat feels a lot like the last couple games which is to say it isn’t very good. Basically, you lock on with the left trigger and shoot with the right. You’ll run around jumping and rolling to avoid the enemies and shoot them. There’s a new trick to getting headshots which is pretty good, but not all that much better than it was in Anniversary. You can also melee enemies and the addition of shooting while hanging on a ledge or on a balance beam is nice, but overall the combat just feels sub-par compared to similar games on the market.

There were a few other new features present in the demo. For one, the game allows you to adjust different things to help tailor the experience to your likings. Basically, you can make combat or platforming harder or easier or access hints or a map from your PDA for those that get stuck. The game also added a sprint button which should come into play during the game’s time trial mode. It acts as a dolphin swim of sorts to speed you up underwater, too.

Lara shows her passion for tigers and other wildlife throughout the demo.

It must be said that Tomb Raider: Underworld is really nice to look at. Lara’s character model looks great and they’ve added some new animations like how she braces herself when running into a wall or pushes brush away from her face when moving through the jungle. The environments looks fantastic as well. There were some glitches like a strange effect around Lara’s shirt in the opening cutscene and some clipping here and there, but it’s a demo. If they can polish off some of the rough edges, this game should look really good when it comes out. The music and voice acting featured in the demo also seem to be on the right track.

Overall, I came away pretty happy with the demo. New moves and less linear level design look to make platforming and exploration more enjoyable while the new engine really improved the look of characters and environments. The combat certainly isn't good, but with only a few confrontations in the demo to base my opinion off of, I'll wait for full game to really judge it. I think based on what I've played and seen, this could be Crystal Dynamics' best Tomb Raider game yet. In just a few days, we'll get a chance to see how Lara's latest turns out, with Tomb Raider: Underworld releasing on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, PS2, and DS. I should be back with a full review later this year.

Hands-on: Mirror's Edge

It’s nice to see original concepts in gaming and new takes on familiar genres. That’s what we have with Mirror’s Edge. And after getting my hands on the PS3 demo, I’m here tell you how DICE’s latest is shaping up.

The demo opens with a cartoon cutscene that introduces you to the story. I’m not sure this game wouldn’t have been better served with a Half-Life-esque story telling that kept you in first-person throughout the game, but I’ll hold off judgment on that part of the game until the full release. Now, I really want to focus on the actual gameplay. Mirror’s Edge is a game that you play from the first-person perspective, but it isn’t focused on shooting like most FP games. You play as Faith a female runner who has to make her way through the environment using different parkour and platforming moves. After a tutorial that teaches you the basic moves, you’ll be thrown into what is presumably the first level. Just like your typical FPS, the left stick strafes and the right stick looks. After that the most important buttons are L1 and L2. L1 jumps and generally moves upward (climbs up ledges, vaults over obstacles) while L2 generally moves down (slides, rolls when landing). You’ll use these commands along with a quick turn button (R1) and an interact button (X) to move around the levels. Chaining these moves together, you’ll be jumping from building to building, sliding under objects, climbing over fences, shimmying along ledges, balancing on pipes, and running on walls. Keeping your momentum is the key as you make your way over rooftops and through buildings to give a bag to your fellow runner Celeste. The controls are a bit odd at first, but once you get used to them the game becomes pretty addictive. It’s really fun to try and get through the level without having to slow down. There are some enemies in the demo, but the best way to handle confrontations is again not the norm. You’re better off avoiding or quickly disarming enemies (with triangle) and then just dropping the gun and moving on rather than shooting foes. The game uses a couple of things to help you get through the level. One thing is what they call runner-vision. This highlights objects in the environment in red to show you which way to go. I’m not sure this game won’t be more interesting with this feature turned off though. You can also hit the square button to activate slow-motion to help you navigate the environment.

Mirror’s Edge really has a pretty original look to it. The world the game is set in is very sharp and bright with tons of white and some vibrant blue and red accents amongst the tall skyscrapers. Things in the demo did look a bit jaggy, but nothing too bad. With focus on platforming in first-person, the game features some interesting animations where you see Faith’s limbs as you move about which DICE has a done a good job on. And it’s worth noting you stay in first-person when you roll which is quite strange when you first see it. If you’ve seen trailers of this game then you know that soundtrack is pretty catchy too especially the main theme.

Mirror’s Edge really is a breath of fresh air. As a big fan of platformers and parkour, it’s really interesting to see this type of game in first-person. Once I got used to the controls and perspective, I had a lot of fun trying to string together moves and find new routes through the level. Because of this the time trials that the full game will have should be great. If they can give you plenty of interesting scenarios and levels to work through in the full game, DICE could have a winner on its hands. Mirror’s Edge hits store shelves in the US this week for PS3 and Xbox 360.

This Week's Releases: Shooter Face-Off Edition

The great time for gaming that is Fall 2008 just continues to roll along this week. The focus here is on two big shooter sequels. Here's what we have this week:

My Game of the Week

Resistance 2 (PS3)-11/4, Gears of War 2 (360)-11/7 (tie)

Resistance 2

Do you hear that sound? Yes, it is in fact the sound of me copping out this week. I can't really choose at the moment between these two games. While I will not be picking up either this week (still busy with LBP), I will almost certainly have both these games by year's end. They both look great. Personally, I would pick up Resistance 2 first (which may make it my pick of the week... I don't know). But this is partly due to the fact that Insomniac is one of my favorite developers and I like Resistance's story a bit more. I really enjoyed the first game, but I'm not too happy with the decisions to not have local competitive multiplayer and move to a two-weapon load-out. I'm not much of an online player, but I really enjoyed playing 4-player offline with friends (still do actually). Not being able to do that (unless of course I got a wrong answer about it's inclusion on the Playstation Blog) or choose from a number of crazy weapons at once is a bit disappointing. Having said that I'm sure I'll really like the single-player and co-op campaigns and for those that are into online, there's not much to complain about.

Gears of War 2

Then, there's Gears of War 2. I really got a kick out of the first Gears. I mean I really have only played the co-op campaign, but it was still a lot of fun. I did try the local multiplayer, but one-on-one is pretty lame. But with Gears 2, they're adding bot support so that local will be more fun and adding the sweet new Horde mode. Plus, the campaign should be longer, so, I'll definitely be getting more value from this game then the first.

Despite a bit of complaining (games getting rid of local multiplayer is a pet peeve of mine), I'll probably get Resistance 2 first, personally, but I really think both of these games are going to very good and I'd advise either. If you only have a PS3 or 360, your decision is probably made for you. But until I play both, I can't say which will be better, but I'm guessing you can't really go wrong with either.

Other games of note this week include Tom Clancy's End War and James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace appearing on multiple platforms and the PS3 exclusive Valkyria Chronicles. Anyway, enjoy killing some locust or chimera if you guys get the chance. I should be back soon with some hands-on impressions of Mirror's Edge and Tomb Raider: Underworld soon.

My Legend of Zelda Jack-O-Lanterns

Well, I haven't managed to find my memory card with my Jak and Daxter ones, but as the title of this post says I have some new Zelda-themed pumpkin carvings to show off. I did two new Jack-O-Lanterns this year based around a couple of the main characters from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (one of my favorite Gamecube games) and it's sequel The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (probably my favorite DS game). I have one of Link's face and one of Tetra's face and I'm happy with how they both came out. Well, here are some pictures of the finished works (again captions refer to the picture above them).

A close look at my Link Jack-O-Lantern in the dark.

A close look at my Tetra Jack-O-Lantern in the dark.

A look at my Link Carving and pumpkin in the light.

A look at my Tetra carving from a bit further back, where you get a better look at the pumpkin.

My Link and Tetra Jack-O-Lanterns side by side.

I actually did them on Halloween night and here it is two days later and they're kind of a mess already. This is how it is with these type of carvings though. Tetra was a bit tough at times and due to her hair continuing down on either side of her face, after one day I had to start using a fork to prop up her face so it didn't just fall into the pumpkin. Her little curly hair thing at the top started falling down a day later, too. Also, since I started doing my own designs, I don't think I ever popped out a piece as big as Link's hair. That fact combined with some silly decisions I made on what parts to cut first (not sure what I was thinking) made it rather hard to cut out his hair without breaking another part (though luckily I didn't break anything). In the end, they both came out well without any mistakes. It's really satisfying that first night when you see your creations come together even if it is a bit sad to see them kind of fall apart the next few days. But I got plenty of good pictures, so, I'll always have them to remember my carvings with. Anyway, I hope you liked them and hopefully I'll be back on here with more at some point in the future.

This Week's Releases: LittleBigEdition

It's another good week for new games and here are my picks for this week:

My Game of the Week

LittleBigPlanet (PS3)-10/28

If you've been following my blog, you know that LittleBigPlanet is one my most anticipated games of the year. Having played the beta, I'm pretty convinced that this game will be a load of fun. Whether you want to just go through the story mode, create some levels, or play with some friends, this game will have you covered. LBP promises to be a truly unique experience and it's my pick for the game you should get this week.

Fallout 3 (PS3, 360, PC)-10/28

I have to admit that I wasn't too impressed with the demonstrations of Fallout 3 at E3, but it just doesn't seem to be able to demo well in a short period of time. Everyone who's gotten a chance to play it speaks very highly of it and I thought that Bethesda's last effort, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, was a really good game (even if it wasn't necessarily my cup of tea). So, despite not being too initially impressed, I have faith that the game will turn out well. RPG fans should check this one out.

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift (PS3)-10/28

I really liked the original Motorstorm. The driving mechanics were really well done and the graphics were some of the best ever when it released, but it was a little lacking in content. While Pacific Rift's graphics won't blow you away like the first one, they are looking to fix that whole lack of content thing. Twice as many tracks as the original and splitscreen multiplayer look to give this new game a lot more life. The demo played pretty well and this should satisfy Motorstorm fans and other racing junkies.

Fall 2008 continues it's stretch of great releases this week with two games that will probably be two of the highest-rated of the year (LBP and Fallout 3). Any of the above games should provide some serious fun for gamers this week. Next week will have another solid slate of releases and I'll be back with my picks.

This Week's Releases

This is a new weekly feature I'm going to do that will talk a bit about each week's biggest releases. I won't cover everything, but I'll try to hit up some games that look really interesting to me or are pretty popular and this will be just retail stuff (I may do another post for download stuff after things release on the online stores). I'll also have a pick for what I think is the best game coming out that week. It's a good week to start as there are a bunch of huge games coming out. Unfortunately, LittleBigPlanet is no longer coming out this week, but there should plenty for those looking for a new game. Here's what you guys can get this week (oh and I listed "ship dates" whether they will release that day or the next is usually a mystery and depends on the store and game):

My Game of the Week

Far Cry 2 (PS3, 360, PC)-10/21

I really feel with the big hype surrounding Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2 (and deservedly so it seems) that Far Cry 2 may be kind of a sleeper in the shooter-genre. The new Far Cry ditches the jungle of the first game for an African Setting, but retains the open-world gameplay that should help set it apart from the other aforementioned shooters. The game also gives you a lot of choices in how you tackle missions and has a pretty sweet map editor, too. If I was going to get one game this week, it would be this one (though I'm going to hold out for some others later this year instead).

Fable 2 (360)-10/21

I've been hearing good things about Fable 2 lately. I'm not really an RPG player, but this one actually did look pretty interesting when I saw some demos a while back. It's co-op feature seems neat as well. 360 owners looking for a good RPG should check this one out. Oh and it features this awesome tree monster pictured above (at least I think that's what it is). That has to be worth something.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)-10/21

Castlevania is almost always solid. This is your typical Nintendo handheld "Metroid-vania," but it has a few things to keep it fresh like a new female protagonist, more outdoor environments, the new glyph system, and this cool new ability where you can fling yourself around environments. This was my pick for the Best Handheld Game of E3 and it looks like it should be one of the better handheld games released this year. Order of Ecclesia is likely a must for Castlevania fans and definitely worth a look for those looking for some good handheld action this week.

There are some other games worth noting. Guitar Hero: World Tour comes out this Sunday for a bunch of platforms. There's also a DS game coming out called Tornado which looked alright when I saw a preview of it a while ago. It's got this Katamari-esque feel where you suck a bunch of stuff up into a tornado. PS3 owners can finally explore Rapture when Bioshock hits the PS3 this week (unless they also own a 360 or capable PC, then they may have done so already). Also, for those interested Spiderman: Web of Shadows and The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon are coming out for most relevant game systems (unless you want Spyro on PSP, I'm pretty sure you're going to be let down then). Well, there's plenty of things to like here though I'm not sure another Spiderman game is one those things. And for those of you who were hoping to pick up LittleBigPlanet this week, I'm with you and it'll only be another week now (unless you don't live in the U.S., then a bit longer it seems).

Hands-on: Motorstorm: Pacific Rift

With the demo hitting the Playstation Store this week, I finally got to play Motorstorm: Pacific Rift which releases later this month. Having enjoyed the first game early in the PS3's life, I've been looking forward to seeing how this new Motorstorm would play.


So, how does it play? Well, actually, a lot like the first game which is to be expected and it's not really a bad thing. The game controls almost exactly the same. The R2 button accelerates, the X button is your boost, the circle button breaks, and the left analog stick steers. This is really all you need to know. I mean there are some other things like punching while on bikes plus new stuff like using L1 and R1 to bump opponents next to you. But the focus here is again on speeding through the course, powersliding around corners, and using your boost well (as using it too much will make you explode like before). The demo gives you access to one track, Rain God Spires, which you can play single-player or in two-player splitscreen. You also have access to different vehicles (bike, racing truck, and monster truck in single; rally car, buggy, and racing truck in splitscreen). Like before, different vehicles have a different feel to them and are better for different routes. Rain God Spires shows off how this sequel will again have multiple routes to take throughout the course. While this track doesn't have as many routes as some of the original's more elaborate tracks, it is very well designed with two main routes that intertwine throughout with plenty of jumps to get some big air. This track is in the jungle, but the actual portion you race on is a bit reminiscent of the dirt courses of the first game. I would have liked to have gotten to try out one of the courses featuring water which can be used to cool down your boost meter, but this course was still fun. The new monster truck plays well though I still prefer the faster vehicles like bikes and rally cars. I got the chance to try splitscreen as well. It's going to be a really great addition to the game. It does cut down on your view of the course which means it may be helpful for each player to try courses in single-player first to get a handle of the layouts. Otherwise, I think splitscreen will be a blast. While the game may not be one of the best looking games ever when it launches like the first game, it still looks good and runs well even in splitscreen (though it does take a bit of a hit there graphically obviously) especially considering this is seemingly an older build. And the crashes still look awesome. The soundtrack also fits well with the racing.

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift looks to be in good shape. The core racing elements from the original are intact and feel as good as ever. And they've added some nice new features like splitscreen multiplayer and the monster truck while also fixing issues like reducing the first game's long loads for choosing a vehicle. The full game promises to have more courses (twice as many as the original) and a larger variety of environments than the first (read: not all desert courses). All this points to a sequel that should satisfy fans of the first while fixing the game's major issue by adding more play value to the game. Racing fans can look for Motorstorm: Pacific Rift when it ships to stores October 28th.

LittleBigPlanet Beta Impressions

I was lucky enough to get into the beta for LittleBigPlanet which allowed me to get a taste of what the game has in store for us when it releases next week. Now that I've had the last two weeks to play around with the game, I'm going to share my thoughts on the LBP beta.

The game begins by throwing you into the story mode (after a bit of an intro). The beta had the first three levels of the game and a mini-game available. These first three levels act as a tutorial on how to play the game. It's basically a 2.5D platformer and is rather simple to play. The most important control aspects are the jump and grab button. The X button jumps, higher depending on how long you hold the button, and the R1 button grabs onto things. This can be used to grab things to swing on or move blocks to help you get up to places. This plus the left stick moving your character is basically what you need to get through a level. The square button will open up a menu that let's you customize your sackboy and activate switches with stickers you've found while other buttons will allow you to move around your sackboy's arms, head, and change their expression. All that is mostly just for fun though. The level design is a mix of platforming challenges and puzzle elements. You'll hit buttons and switches to get mechanisms to move, swing over gaps, use jetpacks to fly around, and avoid enemies. All this is really fun, though the first two levels are really just tutorials. The third level was really well-done and gets me excited for what the full game might have in store. Levels can be played with up to three friends online or off which makes the game even more fun. Also, doing various things within the levels like collecting bubbles or not dying will unlock new things that can be used for either creating levels or dressing up your sackboy (or girl).

Picking stuff up while flying around with a jetpack is pretty fun.

This brings us to the other main aspect of the game, the creation portion. The game allows you to make levels just like the ones already in the game. You can start with a template like a city or a temple or just start with a blank level. The game makes you go through a load of tutorials on how to use the different tools in the game, but after this you can really make any number of things. You'll have access to everything from different building materials like wood, stone, or cardboard to buttons and switches to winches and pistons and much more. You'll learn how to utilize different materials for different purposes. For instance, glass is slippery and acts like ice. You'll also need to become used to the physics behind the game. You can't just make a wood platform in the air and expect it to stay there. You'll have to prop it up somehow or use the dark matter material which will just stay where you place it. You must also get used to the fact the game world has three planes along which you can run. Once you get a hang of these things you can make some truly great levels. I was impressed with what I had seen from people in the beta. I especially liked a couple levels I saw made based upon the game Shadow of the Colossus and the TV show Ninja Warrior. I made my own level that had a number of platforming challenges like hopping on "icy" platforms, jumping up some piston powered sections, and running along teetering platforms. I had some other parts where you had to find a switch to move a door or start a mechanism to progress in the level. The level turned out pretty well. I also toyed around with making different vehicles with engines and wheels in another level. There wasn't a whole lot of stuff to customize your sackperson with, but if videos I've seen are any indication, the full game will have a lot more options.

The beta had a skateboard part similar to this which made for an exciting ride.

Overall, the game was a lot of fun. If you just want to play some levels, the ones on the disc should be great and you're bound to find a ton of great ones online when the game has a been out for a little while. I could see enjoying this game without ever touching the creation aspect. The platforming mechanics are simple yet work well and it seems there will be a lot of secrets for those looking to explore. The creation aspect is really cool and seems like it will only get better when more is available in the full game. It looks to be a good co-op game, too. Overall, I was pleased with what I played in the beta. LittleBigPlanet looks like it will please platforming fans and those looking to tap into their inner game designer. I'll try to have a more on LBP when I get the full version soon.

Tokyo Game Show: What Can We Expect?

With TGS starting in a few days (October 9 for those wondering), I thought I'd take some time to write about what we know will be there and some other things we can expect. The focus at TGS will be on games designed by Japanese developers (or at least it usually is). These will include both games that will be aimed at the Japanese market and the western market. That doesn't mean games by western developers aimed at non-Japanese markets won't appear. Sony and Microsoft are likely to have games like Resistance 2 and Gears of War 2 among others at their respective booths though I wouldn't expect much in the way of new updates on these games. Another thing worth noting is that with the show occurring in October, I wouldn't expect a whole lot of announcements (read: very few) for games coming out this year. But with E3 and GC focusing so much on this year's games, it will be nice to see a bigger focus on 2009.

So, what do we know? Well many publishers have announced their line-ups for the show (thought they may still have some surprises). Square Enix will have a number titles to show some in trailer form only like the three FF XIII titles and Dragon Quest IX, while other games like the Kingdom Hearts DS and PSP games, Star Ocean 4, and The Last Remnant will also be playable. I'm interested to see how From Software's new Xbox 360 game Ninja Blade looks in playable form. I wasn't liking the lead ninja's look in the teaser, but the game's concept looks promising. Sony is set to have a slew of games playable at their booth from Loco Roco 2 and Patapon 2 on PSP to many PS3 big hitters coming this fall. Sony is also going to have some third-party games like Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter IV playable in their booth too.

Will this be the year that this become's more than a tech demo? Could we see a Final Fantasy VII remake for the PS3? No... just no.

This is just skimming the surface of what we know will be there, but what's always exciting to me about these shows are the surprises. Sony along with their playable list announced they would 14 unannounced titles at the show (and these seem to be referring to playable titles). Three of these will be for the PSP from Sony Computer Entertainment. The other eleven will be for PS3, 1 from Irem Engineering, 1 from Konami, and the other 9 from SCE. The last issue of Famitsu seems to have filled in some these blanks. For one, the Irem PS3 title seems to be Spelunker HD a remake set to release on the PSN. One of the mystery Sony PSP titles is called Diamond and the Sound of a Gunshot. The most interesting tidbit from the magazine came in the form of the new action-RPG from...erm... From Software called Demon's Souls which seems to be one of the SCE PS3 titles. What he rest are is yet to be seen. Could we see a something new from Game Republic (who made Folklore and Genji)? Will they be downloadable games or full releases? What about non-playable games? And most importantly will Team ICO's PS3 game be there? I'm going to say it will. I said back at E3, it would be and I still think it will. As a pretty big fan of both Shadow of the Colossus and ICO, I can't wait to see what they're cooking up for PS3 owners. But hey it's not just Sony who will have surprises. Rumors suggest we may see the announcement of Kingdom Hearts 3 for the PS3. I'm also really excited to see the new titles that Team Ninja has said they would reveal that I already wrote about on this blog. Marvelous has teased that they have an announcement that involves a big Japanese game creator set for the first day of the show. Some have speculated that it could be former Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki or maybe even Final Fantasy XII director Yasumi Matsuno, but these may just be wishful thinking. We'll just have to wait and see.

How does Team ICO plan to top this? I'm not sure, but I'd like to find out.

All this is just a bit of what will be present at the show which I think could well be better than any gaming event of 2008 especially for new game announcements (though I'm going to try to keep my expectations low anyway as to not be disappointed). It's only a few days until the show starts up. I'll be sure to update with any big news and give my thoughts after the show with either some Game of the Show Awards or just some ramblings about the goings-on. Now let's all just keep our fingers crossed for something from Team ICO.

My Sly Cooper Jak-O-Lantern

The past few years for Halloween I've made a video game themed Jack-O-Lantern. So, with Halloween approaching I thought I'd share some of my creations before the holiday arrives and then I'd add my new one around Halloween this year.

First, I'm going to share my Sly Cooper Jack-O-Lantern from last year. This one is based off some art from the series and is a rather simple design (I didn't have much time last year). The front features a silhouette of the thieving raccoon with his cane in hand. The back features the symbol/icon that was used as Sly's calling card and for various other purposes in the games. It was made to shine light up on the wall and display the symbol against the wall behind the pumpkin which it did, but I couldn't get it to show up in photos, so, I just shot the carving with the pumpkin turned around. Anyway, here are some shots of my Sly Cooper Jack-O-Lantern. Hope you guys like them (Note: the captions refer to the pictures above them).

A shot from a bit further away of the front.

A closer look at the front.

This is the back. Like I said before it projected this icon up onto the wall, but I couldn't get a good photo of it, so, I just took a shot of it from the back. The one eye looks a bit messed up, but that didn't affect the projection, so, I didn't go crazy changing it.

This is a shot of it with the lights on just to show it is indeed a Jack-O-Lantern which isn't as apparent in the other shots.

Well, what do you guys think? Feel free to leave a comment below. I'm going to follow this post up with my Jak and Daxter one from a few years back. So, keep an eye out here for that one and some of my new creations for this year.

Lumines Supernova coming to PSN this Fall

I've mentioned this on my blog before, but I love me some Lumines. I've played plenty of both Lumines and Lumines II on my PSP. Despite how much I like the series, I haven't yet purchased one of the console versions yet. This is mostly due to the XBLA version's silly pricing format and that Lumines Plus is largely what I already own. I think I will take my first real dive into console Lumines this Fall. Q Entertainment recently announced that a new version of the music-based puzzler will be hitting the PSN (on PS3) this Fall called Lumines Supernova. This new iteration will contain new skins in Challenge Mode plus other previously featured game modes like Time Attack, Puzzle, Mission, and Skin Edit. There will also be two new modes. The first is called Dig Down Mode where you have to use falling blocks to get to the bottom of an already filled area. The other new mode is Sequencer mode which lets you make your own backround music for the game. It seems like a pretty good package. If you haven't played Lumines yet, I'd advise either looking into this game when it comes out or finding one of the PSP games. It's a really addictive block-dropping puzzle game infused with music. There's no price yet, but I'll try and update my blog with more details or at least when I've had a chance to play Lumines Supernova myself.

(Thanks to IGN for the info which can be found at the following link: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/907/907342p1.html and thanks to Joystiq for the screen which you can find more of at this link: http://www.joystiq.com/photos/lumines-supernova-1/)

Team Ninja to Show Three New Action Games at TGS

I just got a bit more excited for TGS. IGN reports that at the Tokyo Game Show next month Team Ninja will introduce three new action games. Many (myself included) have been wondering what was up with Team Ninja since Tomonobu Itagaki left a few months back and it seems we will find out in a little over a month. Tecmo president Yasuharu Kakihara said at a press conference today that three new action games targeting a worldwide audience from Team Ninja will be introduced at TGS. What those three games will be is unknown at the moment. Games like Dead or Alive 5 or Code Cronos who were in development before Itagaki left are good guesses (though these may or may not fall into the action category). I wouldn't mind seeing either of those (especially Code Cronos since it's a bit more of a mystery to me). Seeing a new DS game would be good too as I enjoyed Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword quite a bit. Since it would be a shame to not use the technology they built for the DS again, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the games was on DS. Plus, I couldn't imagine them having three games to show for consoles. I'd love to see what they could do with the PSP though that's a bit unlikely. It's also possible that a new IP not related to the DOA/NG universe is in the cards. I would imagine that Team Ninja would eventually have something unrelated to the Itagaki era, but it may be a bit soon for something like that though I wouldn't rule out some sort of CG teaser trailer. Anyway, this is just another reason to be excited about this year's TGS. I'll have more coverage of TGS leading up to and during the show in October.

(Here's a link to the original news story at IGN: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/907/907295p1.html)

Review: Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Level-5 has become a very successful RPG-developer over the past few years, but with the Professor Layton series, they are taking a step in a different direction. With the first entry in the series, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Level-5 has created a unique, enjoyable adventure game filled with interesting brainteasers and puzzles for the Nintendo DS.

The game follows Professor Layton, a renowned archaeologist and puzzle expert, and his young assistant Luke. Layton and Luke are invited to the town of St. Mystere by the family of a wealthy Baron who has recently passed away. They are asked to investigate the Baron's will, which sets them on a search for the family's treasure known as the Golden Apple. As the two go out to investigate they run into more mysteries along the way. The game mixes a bunch of interesting characters and even some laughs in to create a neat little mystery story.

Wolves and chicks... will they ever get along?

The game plays like a point and click style adventure game. You'll use the stylus and touch screen to move around the town and look into solving the various mysteries you're investigating. Basically, you just move around town tapping on people or things in the environment. This will help you get information. But to get this info, you'll usually need to solve some kind of puzzle, brainteaser, or riddle. These make up the bulk of the gameplay and usually will have you reading what the puzzle wants you to do in the top-screen and using the touch-screen to solve it. Some examples of the types of puzzles you'll run into are figuring out which of a few slots a crank fits into or you'll be tasked with moving blocks around to get a ball or another item from one spot to another. For other puzzles you'll have to divide a liquid into two equal portions using three different sized pitchers. Some of these puzzles will be story-related while others will be just an excuse to give you another puzzle. Also, some are necessary to move on in the game others are not. Either way they are for the most part pretty fun. There are things to collect around town too. Coins can be found and used to get hints on puzzles. Other things can be put together to get more puzzles or actually help you in-game in some cases. All the puzzles in the game are also worth a certain amount of points that both tell you the difficulty and add to your score (though with each incorrect answer the score added will decrease). Overall, the gameplay is a fun combination of adventure and puzzle elements.

The titular Prof. Layton (right) and his assistant Luke (left) on the run in the game's distinctive artstyle.

The game features an interesting cartoonish artstyle. It's certainly a breath of fresh air amongst the visuals we're used to seeing, but it's not really close to being one of my favorite styles in gaming. Okami it is not, but unique none-the-less. This artstyle is at it's best in the full motion video cutscenes which are pretty good especially on the DS, but do not happen too often. The rest of the game also looks nice and carries over the same style.

The previously mentioned cutscenes are all fully voiced and the voice acting is quite good. The story bits are told mostly through text, but their are a few voice samples that come up when you solve (or fail to solve) a puzzle. The original soundtrack is pretty neat and a good fit for the mystery story, but it won't blow you away.

You'll have to solve a number of puzzles similar to the one pictured above.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village has a pretty decent playtime your first time through especially for a handheld game. The story mode has over 100 puzzles along with the different parts to collect. Once you're done, you'll unlock some more puzzles to solve in the bonus section and there are also downloadable puzzles to solve (though admittedly I haven't tried any of these). So, the game has a decent amount of stuff to do, but the problem is once you've done it there isn't much to come back for. I mean the puzzles are kind of finished once you've solved them and since this makes up the bulk of the gameplay, I don't see much motivation to play through the story mode a second time.

Summary

Story
A neat little mystery story filled with interesting characters and some funny moments.
Gameplay
A point and click style-adventure filled with puzzles and brainteasers. It's pretty fun if you can get into the puzzle-solving.
Graphics
A unique cartoon artstyle combined with some cool fully-voiced video cutscenes makes for a pretty good package.
Sound
There's not a whole lot of it, but the voice-acting is good when it's there. The soundtrack is also a good fit for the game's mystery storyline.
Replay Value and Extras
The story-mode has a pretty good length for a handheld game. You'll also have items to find as well as downloadable puzzles and the puzzles you unlock by finishing the game to keep you busy for a bit. But there is not much reason to come back to the story once you've finished.
Overall
I had fun playing through Professor Layton and the Curious Village and I was quite addicted to the game while I was playing through it. If you're into puzzles and brainteasers, you should definitely take a look at this game. The story and cutscenes should keep you interested throughout as well. I'm looking forward to seeing what the Professor and Luke get into in future and applaud Level-5 for taking a chance on a different type of game.
Score-8/10

DJ Max Fever

I've been reading about how cool DJ Max Portable and it's sequel were the past couple years and I've wanted to try them, but as I'm not the importing type, I've never had the chance. Lucky for me and those like me, a version of the popular Korean rhythm game for PSP is coming to the U.S. called DJ Max Fever. For those that aren't familiar with the game, you tap and hold buttons on the PSP as notes corresponding to each button come down and pass a line. They have a large range of tracks, but it seems to focus on techno and some pop stuff from overseas. There are also some anime and other videos that play in the background and host of different modes available. It looks like a lot of fun, though it seems really difficult. You can't read about any of the games in this series without someone mentioning how hard it is. IGN said there will be a difficulty "...that will thankfully approach 'feasible for mortals'..." After watching some videos of the game online, I only thought I could do a few of the handful I watched. Hopefully, with this beginner level and some practice I'll be able to enjoy this game. DJ Max Fever is set to release this November for PSP.

(Thanks to IGN for the info and screenshot. You can find more info and screens plus some videos (which seem to be of one of the other games) at the following link: http://psp.ign.com/articles/898/898179p1.html)

Review: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

Late last year, Naughty Dog released their first game on Sony’s newest console, the PS3. After becoming known for their cartoony platformers (Crash Bandicoot on PS1 and Jak and Daxter on PS2), ND took a step in a different direction with their first PS3 game. Their latest game, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, is a realistic and mature offering and it’s also a lot of fun.

Uncharted puts you in the control of modern-day treasure hunter, Nathan Drake. You see, Nate believes that he is the descendant of Sir Francis Drake and a clue in his supposed ancestor’s coffin leads Nathan on a hunt for the lost treasure of El Dorado. The story here is a great of mix of action sequences and plot twists with a bit of humor mixed in which is made even better by the sky-high production values. Another big plus for the story are the great characters. Drake and his videographer friend Elena steal the show and their interactions are always amusing, but Nate’s friend and mentor Sully as well as the game’s multiple antagonists are good, too. Overall, Naughty Dog has spun an interesting tale full of excitement, adventure, mystery, and humor that will help drive you through the game.

The game's environments are beautiful whether it be a jungle area like this one or the various indoor environments Nathan will find himself in.

Lucky for us the gameplay is also very well done. The gameplay consists for the most part of platforming and combat. The platforming is similar to that seen in recent Prince of Persia and Tomb Raider games. Expect plenty of gaps to jump and ledges to shimmy along. You can also climb vines and chains as well as use them to help you run along walls to propel yourself to hard to reach spots. Uncharted also featured a neat mechanic where you could walk along trees and keep yourself balanced with the Sixaxis' tilt controls, but oddly it is only used a few times. There are also some sequences where platforms or ledges will fall or crumble which keeping the platforming more fast-paced. The platforming portion of the game isn’t as deep as some of it’s competition that I mentioned earlier, but it’s still a load of fun and controls extremely well.

The combat is for most part cover based gunplay. You’ll be able to take cover behind different pieces of the environment and then pop out to take shots at enemies (mostly pirates and mercenaries) or roll to other cover spots similar to what is seen in Gears of War. I’ve played with quite a few cover systems in recent years and I think Uncharted’s is the best. You can shoot from the hip as you run around which decreases your accuracy, but is good for repositioning yourself in the environment. You’ll have a number of weapons at you disposal and can hold one pistol and one larger weapon at one time as well as a few grenades (who’s trajectory is adjusted with the tilt controls). There is a decent selction of weapons including 9mm pistols, revolvers, assault and sniper rifles, shotguns, and grenade launchers. You also have the ability to shoot your pistol or lob some grenades while hanging from a ledge which does a nice job of blending the gunplay and platforming together. To go along with the gunplay there is nice melee component. While it consists of only a few combos, each has a number of different animations and you’ll perform different moves which depend on where the enemy is or how much damage he has taken. Sneak up behind an enemy or soften them up with some gunfire and you can take them out with one hit. Attack someone near a wall and you’ll throw them up against it a beat on them a bit. The Brutal combo which is timing-based will also give you a bonus ammo pick-up. It’s not a huge part of the game, but it’s a lot more than being able to just hit someone with the butt of you gun. It’s also fun to just duke it out with opponents to change things up a bit. Throw in some smart enemies and the combat system comes together really well and it’s a lot of fun to pull off headshots or just run up and dropkick some pirates.

The cover-based gunplay featured in Uncharted is top-notch.

There are a couple other elements to the gameplay to help mix things up. For instance, there are a few puzzles throughout the adventure. For these, you’ll usually have to consult a journal. Unfortunately, while you clearly are meant to use the journal, the puzzles are too easy for the most part with it and too vague without it. I like the idea of the journal, but I wish the clues were a little less obvious. As is, I thought the puzzles were too easy and too infrequent. Uncharted includes a few interesting vehicle sections as well. One plays more like a rail-shooter, but it’s fast and exciting and fits in well with the game. The other has you riding around on a jet ski while another character uses weapons to fend off enemies as you drive around. You have control of both and it retains the stop and pop style of gunplay of the rest of game. Unfortunately, this seems odd when you’re riding on the jet ski because you want to just zoom around on it, but you’re busy taking out explosive barrels and enemies. It was still fun, but I wish they would have added some more opportunities to just zoom around on the jet ski. There are also a few sections of the game where an AI partner will follow around and help in shootouts or work with you to open doors. All these additions help add some variety to the game.

There are a few other things gameplay-wise worth mentioning. For one, there isn’t much in the way of boss fights. It doesn’t necessarily hurt the game, but I would have liked to see more as I enjoy boss fights and think it could have improved the game. Also, the game is linear, but personally I feel like this was fine and that story driven action/adventures work better like this. Though a bit more exploration would have been nice. One other tiny gripe I have is that the game keeps a good balance between platforming, combat, and it’s other elements throughout most of the game. But in the last few chapters it kind of drops the platforming elements and becomes very shooter-focused. I’m not complaining about the shooting elements or the ways they change up how you approach the combat in these chapters, I just wish they would have mixed in more platforming.

The game features plenty of exciting moments where you'll be leaping across large gaps, running on walls, or climb around old structures.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is in my opinion the best-looking console game on the market now even months after it was released. Whether Nate finds himself in lush green jungles, inside old Spanish buildings, or in dark dank tombs, the environments look gorgeous. The character models are equally impressive as are the pre-rendered (though mostly in-engine) cut scenes. The star of this graphical showcase are probably the animations which are the probably the best in gaming. The way they blended together multiple animations for Nate like running, reloading, and ducking under gunfire at once is impressive. There are a couple of graphical hang-ups though. The game has a bit of screen-tearing and texture pop-in, but I never experienced any slowdown and the game doesn’t load (after the initial one). The combination of great art and the incredible technical side of things I described already makes for a truly stunning game.

The sound design in Uncharted is just about as impressive. The game features a fantastic score that can fit the situation whether it be an action scene or a moment of suspense. The voice acting is top-notch and voice-actors did the motion-capture for cutscenes which really helps to improve the acting and the cutscenes. Naughty Dog has done a good job with the sound effects too.

"No one makes fun of my beltbuckle."

One minus for Uncharted in my opinion is it’s length. My first time through it took me a little under eight and a half hours. I think this type of game should be around 12-15 hours to complete. On the plus side, the game has some pretty good replay value. ND has implemented a medal system which is similar to the 360’s achievements. For doing different tasks like getting a certain amount of headshots or melee combos, you earn points which will unlock different bonus content. The medal system has also recently been patched to unlock trophies in the PS3’s new accomplishment system. As I said you can unlock all kinds of bonus features like different skins, a weapon select, concept art, and behind-the-scenes features. There are harder difficulties to tackle plus a chapter select and cutscene gallery, too. I wish they had the cutscene commentaries that the last few Jak games had, but overall there are a plenty of bonus features and reasons to come back to the game.

Summary

Story
An enyoyable, treasure hunting tale with a great mix of excting moments, plot twists, adventure, and humor. Great characters and presentation help bring it to life.
Gameplay
The cover-based gunplay is superb, the platforming is solid, and the game controls like a dream. There are a few bumps in the road (the puzzles could have been harder and more plentiful for one) and it isn't too inovative, but overall it's extremely well done.
Graphics
Great from the technical and artistic sides. There is a bit of screen tearing and texture pop-in, but not too much. A truly stunning game to look at and probably the best looking game on consoles right now.
Sound
An incredible soundtrack. Terrific voice-acting. Both top of the line. Quality sound effects round out the excellent sound design.
Replay Value and Extras
A bit shorter than I'd like it to be, but it's got a lot of replay value. With treasures to find, medals (and trophies with the new patch) to earn, and harder difficulties to tackle, you'll have plenty to do even if you're likely to finish the game in under ten hours the first time through. There are also a ton of extras to unlock like skins, concept art, and behind the scenes features.
Overall
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is my favorite game on the new set of consoles. That may not mean it's the best (seeing as how I haven't played all of the big games that have come out so far it would be hard to say). I mean I wish it were longer and there were a larger focus on puzzles, but what's here is great. Uncharted is an extremely fun action/adventure game with a good story plus great graphics and sound design. I'd recommend it to just about anyone.
Score-9.25/10

Review: Ninja Gaiden II

Back in 2004, Tecmo brought back the Ninja Gaiden series with a new Xbox version of the game named... wait for it... Ninja Gaiden. It became one of the premier action games on the market. Admittedly, I didn't get a chance to play it until the PS3 remake Sigma, but it was still quite impressive. Now, four years since the Xbox reboot, Team Ninja has finally crafted an NG sequel for the Xbox 360. But how did Ninja Gaiden II turn out? Read on to find out.

Ninja Gaiden II again puts you in control of ninja extrodinaire Ryu Hayabusa. It seems someone is trying to resurrect the archfiend and it's Ryu's job as a member of the Dragon Ninja Clan to stop him. The story is really just an excuse to have you hop-scotching around the world killing all types of rival ninjas and fiends. While the story isn't anything to write home about, the cutscenes can be pretty amusing. They'll usually have Ryu engaging in some ridiculous action sequence where he's gliding through the sky like a flying squirrel or telling some enemy he's going to kill them. But in a day when many action/adventure games' stories are quite good, NGII's is pretty dissappointing.

The new Eclipse Scythe is brilliant...

Luckily, the gameplay makes playing through this game worthwhile. The brilliant combat system from the original remains the focus of the gameplay and it’s just as deep and fast as ever and a bit bloodier too. What you’d expect is back: light, strong, and ranged attacks; charged Ultimate Techniques and aerial attacks; Ninpo magic; long combo strings; counterattacks; upgradeable weapons (which unlocks more combos and moves), ninpo and lifeline upgrades. All that works well and they added some new elements to the mix though to freshen things up. For one, they’ve added some new weapons like a giant scythe and a pair of claws with blades for your feet. These along with a few others join some old favorites like the Dragon Sword (which is as awesome as ever) and the lunar staff. Overall, the weapon set is much faster than the first game’s. One major addition to the combat is the Obliteration Technique which ties in with the new bloodier combat. Basically, while in combat you’ll lop off all kinds of limbs. These enemies will continue to try and hurt you though (even resorting to killing themselves in order to deal you a lot of damage). To finish these enemies off, you just tap Y next to them which will launch a cinematic finisher. The move will be dependant on the enemy, missing limb, and weapon. They’re pretty cool, add a new wrinkle of strategy to the frantic action, and can even be used against bosses. Another addition to the combat is the ability to charge up your ranged weapons like your bow and arrows. They’ve added enemies and even bosses designed to take advantage of this new skill.

... the Tonfas, not so much.

Some other changes have been made that affect the combat as well. Your life will now fill back up (at least partially) when no enemies are around and can be filled back up completely when you first use a save statue. On the Path of the Warrior difficulty (which is basically the original's normal, they also added an "easy" mode which I didn't play), this regenerating health meter makes normal encounters a bit easier than in the first game, though the bosses as a group are just as plentiful and about as difficult. Having said that, the bosses altogether aren't as strong in quality as the first game's and there were a few I could have done without (not because of difficulty, but because of design). There’s also a mix of new and familiar enemies. Just like before there are a good variety of enemies from ninjas to demons with all types of weapons like claws, magic, and rocket launchers. All the different enemies take different strategies and techniques. As a whole, the combat is about as good as before which means it’s still one of the best combat systems in gaming and the new elements are welcome.

There are also some platforming and puzzle elements to break up the action. The platforming will have you running on walls and swinging on poles. It's not all that compelling though some of the wall-running techniques are pretty cool. Running on water is also cool, but I think they missed some opportunities to flesh that out more. Controls while moving along and swinging on poles are kind of clunky as well. Puzzles are for the most part of the completely archaic “find a key to open some door” variety and even more simple than the first game's. These portions of the game are pretty meh, but the focus is on the action so it doesn’t really matter too much.

The level design has changed a bit in the sequel. The game has become much more linear, but has more diverse environments as you'll be going all around the world from a futuristic Tokyo to a rebuilt Hayabusa village to New York and many other cool places. I like the added variety of levels, but I actually preferred the original's capitol Tairon with it's outlying areas and it's less linear design. Overall, the level design is okay though some sections made me scatch my head in what the were thinking when the came up with them.

Slicing up fiends is great fun and the combat is still really sweet.

One of the big issues with the gameplay is the camera. For my money, it's maybe a bit worse than in Sigma, but not too much. Basically, it's gets caught in bad places sometimes and makes it possible to get hit by an off-screen enemy. And on the occasion that you must fight two bosses at once, it becomes a complete mess as neither the "focus on the boss" option or the free option is ideal. There is a set-behind button, but the camera is pretty bad (I got used to it, but that doesn‘t make it alright).

Ninja Gaiden on Xbox was probably the best looking console game when it came out and maybe the best looking game of last generation. Ninja Gaiden II doesn’t have the same impact as the original. It’s still quite the looker. The game hosts some nice animations with blood and limbs flying everywhere as Ryu swiftly takes out his foes. The art is kind of a mixed bag though. Ryu, some of the enemies, and most of the levels look really nice. On the other hand some of the character designs are pretty bad (Genshin I’m looking in your direction). The game runs fairly well, but there are some framerate drops and mid-level loads. When these happen during a fight, they can negatively affect your play which is annoying. Overall, the game is a good-looking game, but I expected more from Team Ninja and some art and performance issues drag down the look of the game.

The game has a pretty good soundtrack. It fits the action well switching between ambient pieces and more rock inspired ones for the fights. The English voiceovers have gotten beaten up pretty bad by players, but I don’t believe they are that bad. I mean average at best I suppose, but they wouldn’t sound so bad if the writing (particularly for the fiends) wasn’t so terrible. The sound effects are what you'd expect and well-done.

This is the first chapter's boss. After a while you'll just be fighting him as if he was a normal enemy. Awesome.

One good thing about Ninja Gaiden II is that while most action games are lasting less than ten hours to complete these days, this game clocks in between 15 and 20 hours long. Sure, some of that is due to dying and restarting, but I was happy with game’s length. As far as reasons to come back, that really depends on how hardcore a player you are. Big NG fans will eat up the harder difficulties and tougher to get achievements. There are also leader boards and the ability to take videos of your play that add some replay to the game. One new addition I enjoyed was the ability to carry your weapons over to a second play through on the same difficulty. There are also some hidden skulls to find and a series of special fights within the game to beat if you haven’t in your first run-through. I’m a bit disappointed that Mission Mode wasn’t in the game (it was released as DLC), but the game has a pretty decent play value for a single-player game. There isn’t a ton of extras to unlock, but you do get some alternate costumes when you finish the game.

Summary

Story

Don't come here for the story. While some of Ryu's antics in cutscenes are amusing, the game's story is pretty bad.

Gameplay

This game is all about the combat which is deep, fast, fun, and challenging. New elements like the scythe, claws and obliteration techniques among others are good additions. The games platforming and puzzles are unsatisfying, the camera is pretty bad, and I think the more linear level design is a step backward, but if you are looking for great action and combat, it doesn't get too much better than this.

Graphics

I expect more from a Team Ninja game, but it's still a good looking game. Some art and performance issues do hold it back a bit.

Sound

The soundtrack is pretty good and the sound effects are well-done. The American voice-acting isn't too good, but the bad writing makes it seem worse than it is in my opinion.

Replay Value and Extras

The game is a pretty good length (15-20 hours on Path of the Warrior) and longer than your average single-player action games these days. Secrets within the game, achievements, and leaderboards also add some longevity to the game. The lack of Mission Mode on the disc is a bit dissappointing, but the game has some good value. Unlockable extras are minimal and in the form of some different costumes.

Overall

Ninja Gaiden II is a very good action game. It's not quite as great as the first game (even if just comparing the combat), but it's still a solid game. The combat is still awesome, but the other gameplay elements and story are kind of dissappointing. But if you're looking for good challenging combat with smart enemies and cool boss fights, Ninja Gaiden II is a good choice.

Score-8.5/10

LittleBigPlanet Pre-Order Bonus Details and the Thoughts That Followed

First things first, I'm not a fan of pre-ordering games (especially when Gamestop is involved, but I'll leave my feelings about them out of this). But when you can get some kind of sweet bonus item for pre-ordering, sometimes you have to do it. This brings us to LittleBigPlanet. The game looks incredible, but that's a discussion for another post. The Playstation Blog brings us news of what you can get for pre-ordering LBP. Depending on which retailer you go to you can get a number of different bonus items: mini-strategy guide (meh), sticker book (eh), pouch (eh), and then there are the two exclusive downloadable costumes (oh heck yes). Here they are:

Kratos Sackboy Costume

Nariko Sackgirl Costume

Those are great. I mean really great. While I realize that Kratos has the better games, Nariko's sackgirl is just so awesome. But it seems Sony wants to make me choose between them which I think is stupid. I mean I'm fine with that as long as you let me download the one I don't get. But of course, I want more. I'm hoping they'll have a bunch of outfits in a downloadable pack or something. How about a Jak with Daxter on his shoulder sackboy. How about a Ratchet with Clank backpack sackboy. How about Nathan Drake with the half-tuck sackboy. Solid Snake sackboys, Sly Cooper sackboys, Ico or Wander sackboys, and I could continue, but you get the idea. Plus, one look at those pictures above and you have to think about the idea of actual sackboy and girl figures (or toys or dolls, whatever you want to call them). Well hopefully LBP does well and Sony sees the opportunity for some of these things to come to fruition. I can see a Kratos sackboy climbing his way out of a 2D Hades in my head as I write this. Now, let me have the same opportunity with a Jak sackboy (not in Hades of course, you know Haven City, the Monk Temple, or something like that). Make it happen Sony (I'm always saying this, but really Sony make it happen).

(Thanks to the Playstation Blog for the info and pics. You can find the original info at the following link: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/08/05/littlebigplanet-pre-order-goodness/)

E3 Awards-Part 2

I'm back with the second half of my E3 2008 awards which include the best handheld, downloadable, and overall games. Games were picked based on how good the actual game was (based on what I was able to see) as well as how well it showed at E3. These aren't to be cofused with my most anticipated games (which I may post later). These are what looked and showed the best at E3. Now let me hand out some awards:

Best Handheld Game

This goes to the best game that appeared on a handheld at the show. This award goes to:

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (Konami, Konami)

Of all the awards, this was the hardest one for me to pick. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia and Resistance: Retribution were basically dead even. They both look spectacular on their respective systems. Ultimately, I gave the edge to Castlevania. The art feels more reminiscent of Symphony of the Night than the other DS games which is a good change in my opinion. They also added some other good additions to this entry like a new female protagonist, the new glyph system, a power-up that allows you to slingshot yourself around levels, and more environments outside the castle. It seems this could be the best Castlevania game in a while (and that's saying something with the quality of recent titles). Having said that Sony Bend seems to be doing a great job in bringing Resistance to the PSP and adapting the controls to Resistance's faster pace (compared to Syphon Filter). It also deserves a mention for how good it looks.

Runner-up: Resistance: Retribution

Best Downloadable Game

This goes to the best game at the show that will be available by downloading it through one of the three console's online stores. This award goes to:

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (Sony Computer Entertainment, Insomniac Games)

There were a ton of great downloadable games, but Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty rose above the crowd. This new Ratchet actually picks up where Tools of Destruction's cliffhanger ending left off and even though it's a downloadable game it has graphics and production values as good as most full games. It's basically a 3-4 hour mini-Ratchet adventure for $15. But it also looks to change things up with a bigger focus on platforming and puzzles along with a new wrench that allows you to manipulate things in the world. It looks like a great way to hold over fans until Ratchet's next big adventure while adding some new ideas to keep things fresh.

Runners-up: Fat Princess, Flower, Galaga: Legions, Mega Man 9

Overall Game of the Show

This award goes to the game at the show that impressed me the most. It had to both seem very promising and show well. My Game of the Show is:

Prince of Persia (Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal)

Of all the great games at E3, Prince of Persia impressed me the most. It started with the gameplay being shown in motion for the first time in a very well-made trailer. That was just the start though as the gameplay demonstrations that would occur over the course of E3 really showed off a lot more of what this game has in store. The Prince's moves have been overhauled as he has many new ways to move about the environment including cooperative moves with his new partner Elika. The game features what you'd expect from PoP with influences from games like Ico and Okami along with the new duel-type combat and more open level design which all look to make the game stand out among others in the genre. I'd heard about many of these features, but seeing them in action in the beautiful new artstyle was really impressive. It's tough to know how all these changes will ultimately work out, but the game looks extremely promising and fresh. It definitely earned my Game of the Show.

Runners-up: Far Cry 2, Gears of War 2, inFamous, LittleBigPlanet, Mirror's Edge, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, Resident Evil 5, Resistance 2

Well, that wraps up my E3 Awards. I may follow up this up with some eyes-on previews of some of the video demonstrations I saw from E3. I'm also going to now start to get to work on some reviews. So, keep an eye on Video Game Oasis for more new posts soon.