Game Reviews

[Drace]

The score of Gamespot.com on Killzone should be burned. I like the game very. I would review it, but I haven't finished it yet.

[Archem]

Well, I do endorse the reviewing of games by others, so feel free to tell us once you finish it. Or whatever. And if anyone disagrees with my review, feel free to write up a second (or third) opinion. Just so long as you mention that it's a second opinion.

[Drace]

Got my review from SS on Shadow of Rome.


Shadow of Rome
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Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Action/Stealth
Platform: Playstation 2
Release date: Feb. 2005
Number of players: 1
ESRB Rating: Mature
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Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Storyline: 7/10
Multiplayer: N/A
Replay Value: 10/10
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REVIEW

Shadow of Rome is a game to remember. Not only because it's one of the best action games of the year, but also because it's one of the few games which feature Roman Gladiatorial battles.

The story is simple in the beginning with Caesar being murdered. But later on you'll find out that the story unwraps itselfs in conspiracy after conspiracy. Your main character is Agrippa, a big Roman soldier who's fighting against the Barbarians. After destroying the camp, of course with lots of other Romans fighting at your side, and defeating and capturing the bear-sized leader Barca, you return home. But when you walk into the city of Rome, your friend Octavianus runs towards you, telling you that Caesar is murdered and the suspect is none other than your father. His punishment, being murdered by the winner of the Gladiatorial games which honor Caesar. The two seperate. Agrippa becoming a Gladiator to save his father's life. Octavianus finds it a better way to reveal the truth and goes in search of it.

Thus the gameplay splits in two. Agrippa's part being filled with action and Octavianus' part being filled with stealth. As Agrippa you'll fight through the battles, using every weapon you can, breaking every bone, slicing of every arm, decapitating, cutting in half, pleasing the crowd, using bow and arrow, setting people on flame... well, there are hundreds of ways to hurt or kill your oponents. As Octavianus you'll try to evade battle. And if you get spotted, you'll have to run and hide.

The graphics, beautifull. Seeing your oponent walking around with those two arms you broke or sliced of is awesome. Or try cutting him in half, you'll love it. Well, do we have a clean arena? Of course not! It's filled with blood and body parts! The weapons look awesome too.

The sound is great. Great music that fits in perfectly. Endless shouts of pain, the roaring crowd. Just imagine a Gladiatorial battle or watch the movie Gladiator.

Replaying the game is 99% likely. Not only to replay those great battles(they have a mode to just replay those battles for points) but also to collect enough points for extras, secrets and cheats. No mather if you give this game a 10 or a 6, you'll replay it. At least I did to cut up some more people.

Sadly, there's no mutliplayer option and there's no way to cut of legs. The Stealth missions are mostly fillers, irritating and boring till you get to the parts that count.

The pros: Great gladiatorial battles. Great sound. Great graphics. Hundreds of ways to hurt or kill your oponent. Great story. Lots of plot twists.

The cons: Dumb A.I. while playing as Octavianus. Stealth mode is more of a filler, irritating and boring. No multiplayer option. Can't cut of the legs(maybe an option in a sequel )

Conclusion: A must-play, even if you hate Gladiatorial battles and ancient Rome.

Overal score: 8/10

[Archem]

Good review, but I'm curious. Who or what is "SS"?

[Meiscool-2]

Originally posted by Drace
The score of Gamespot.com on Killzone should be burned. I like the game very. I would review it, but I haven't finished it yet.

Killzone was pretty good. I never completed it, but I liked the features with the gun movement.

A: You could see your damn hands, so it was real first person instead of a camera in the chest.
B: You shook when you got hit.
C: Very "Unreal Turny" style weapons, which is gewd.

[Archem]

I want KillZone, but I never bought it because a) I never get to play the PS2 at my dad's house, and b) I never got comfortable with the looseness of the joysticks on the PS2 when it came to FPSs. But given the opportunity, I'd still buy it.

[Tomi]

Originally posted by Archem2
Good review, but I'm curious. Who or what is "SS"?

Star-scape

[Archem]

Ah. Thanks for clearing that up, Tomi. While I'm at it, let's make good use of this post.

New Super Mario Bros. - Nintendo DS
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Platformer
Graphics: The entire world is just as you'd expect it to be; that is, 2D. But much to my delight, the enemies and characters are all in stunningly detailed 3D, just for eye-candy. 9/10
Playability: Everything has been tweaked from your last outing with Mario, so now he can stop on a dime, make picture-perfect leaps, and perform all his trademark moves with ease. 9/10
Sound: As with always, the classic Mario-style has made a return. Sadly, although they're good, the songs are somewhat less memorable than I would like.
Entertainment: Remember what got you into gaming? Mario. And if not Mario, then you aren't really into games yet. Well, it's all of what you remember, and more. Best Mario game in my book. 10/10

Ah, the glory days of Mario, when console gaming was just taking off, when simple thrills could keep you glued to your tv all day. Don't you wish there was a game nowadays that could do the same? Well there is. And, unsurprisingly, it's the same game that did it the first time around!

New Super Mario Bros. is the game to own for all you handheld gamers out there! Twenty years have come and gone, yet this iconic jumpman hasn't lost a step! Jumping is as simple as you can imagine, yet as complex as you want it to be, now that Mario has brought over his ground pound and his wall jumps, leading to endless hours of exploration, close saves, and awesome moves. The same old story is set up for you: Princess Peach is kidnapped by Bowser Jr. while Mario go to investigate a fire at the castle, so you have to lead him on his next adventure, with interesting twists and turns all around, waiting for you to discover them.

The level design is everything you could hope for: tedious jumping, Bullet Bills flying every whichway, fun new bosses, innovative new tricks like ropes and giant mushroom platforms, coins, and secrets in almost every level! I doubt that many people can find all the secrets to each level in just one go, but the challenge is always ther for you to try again at your leisure!

The high-flying new features include everything from spinny jump pads (which make you spin about like a helicopter for a while) to new foes and topsy-turvey rotating levels! Expect the unexpected when you pick up this game, and don't be afraid to feel humbled when you fail to meet a challenge that you thought was beneath you, that's just the charm of the series.

This is a tough review to type up, since not too many new things have been added, but that's possibly the best part! And if you've had your fill with single-player (I doubt that'll happen for a while, though), there's also a whole host of minigames available to play alone or with up to for friends... Off of just one game cartridge! And there's also a head-to-head versus mode where two players can make runs through single-player maps to see who can collect all three stars first!

All told, this game's a bit on the short side (you can go from start to princess in a few hours if you're good and can find enough shortcuts), but there's still plenty to explore and discover after you've beaten the game, such as finding all the Star Coins and finding every secret level! New Super Mario Bros. is the number one reason to get a Nintendo DS, and if you already have one, it's the number one reason to be glad you bought a DS. I give this game a 9/10.




WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!












To play as Luigi, hold L and R while selecting a file to play on.
It is very possible to skip worlds 4 and 7; I still haven't found them!
Despite the fact that they make you extremely vulnerable, Mini-Mushrooms should be held onto, as any small pipe can be used when small, and most contain secrets or unlock hidden levels.
Don't use an Item House Or a Mega Mushroom House unless you have an empty item slot, or else your new item will be wasted.
Don't rush to a Mushroom House, save them for when you need to save the game or when you need an item.
Coins can be collected by kicking turtle shells at them.
Hold down while doing a ground pound to continue your ground pound, as only tapping down will make you fall, then get back up immediately. By using this trick, you can get all the coins in a multi-coin block, as well as a mushroom.












SPOILERS END HERE!!!