Game Reviews

I realize that manga is a change of pace. This is a game preservation site. A review of a chapter of graphic novels seems weird.

In all honesty, I wanted to do this because the story in these was such a vast departure from the games, and if you try to ask if it's the same as the anime, no. The anime was meant for more general TV audiences and the manga was geared towards older, more "hardcore" Pokémon fans.

I say that because of some of the subjects in the manga. The overall tone of the manga is very mature and serious one. I say that not because they use "naughty words" or hand gestures that mean the same, but because they are quite violent. The VIZ translations are a bit more toned-down, but the Singaporean English translations and original Japanese versions don't shy away from anything at all.

Without further ado, I will do my plot synopsis and give my opinion on it. Spoilers, duh.

[SPOILER="Click here for plot...

"Why the radio silence?" You might ask. "Where've you been and why haven't you posted a review in the last month?" You might also ask.

The short of it is I didn't know what I felt like reviewing. I haven't been on the big reviewing kick like I had earlier in the year. I had actually thought about another Evangelion game, but there wasn't a good enough translation. Neither online line-by-line text document, no patch, no nothing. Not saying which, as I may get to it at another time. I'll keep it a surprise.

Then I thought about Arkanoid. Returns was a good one, but I also thought of Doh It Again, the SNES game, as I had found a highly rare PC port of the game and then I just didn't really feel like that, either. Mostly just complaining about gold bricks, which is probably what the review will end up being like if I end up doing it. They went way too far with those gold bricks.


Honestly, they built in a function...

Anyone reading this remember Core Design?
You do, huh? Do you remember them for anything other than Tomb Raider? Yes?
Well it's good to know I'm in good company then.

Core Design made some pretty decent platformers back in their time for sure, and as a personal upside, they were huge supporters of the Mega CD. That console needed more games that weren't as i mentioned in my previous review, just fodder for mocking the add-on. That and lazy Mega Drive ports that were honestly just useful for putting out games that just cost less to put onto a physical medium.

Wolfchild isn't one of those games.

Wolfchild, a game initially started on the Amiga, was a 2D platformer with about 5 levels. One boss for each level. It's also not an amiga game that feels like it was put out for a quick buck like many arcade ports looks like. I haven't played them but they look like they play horribly. That however is in part due to the fact that the game was made for the Amiga market, that being Europe...

Since I did my Sonic CD review at least two years ago, I've had some things come up since I've done that one. One complaint I've been getting is a real pain in the ass because it's not really a legitimate complaint and moreso just "you're wrong", but I'll get to that when I get to it.

However, while my other reviews have been more objective, this one will be more subjective and abrasive because I keep hearing about how "bad" this game is.
Yeah. This game is "bad" with all of it's ways of making the game harder, like future signposts. The game is "bad" with it's special stages. The game is "bad" because it used to only be open to the masses for public consumption because it was on an add-on that was "so awful" because all that kept getting put on there were Digital Pictures' games. This game is "bad" because of it's special stages. This game is "bad" because of its level design. This game is "bad" because the music doesn't fit. This game is "bad" because it has "anti-piracy" that...

In my previous review, I mentioned a few things. One that Edie had only one waiting animation (during loading screens as well), which is incorrect as she does do a few things, at least more than (probably) take her hair out of her tank top. Something I didn’t mention is that the voice clips you hear in the game, two of them being when you input the Left, Right, Left, Right, A, B, C, B, which allows you to change your lives count and bombs count, as well as the same code, but replacing the last B with an A which unlocks classic Elevator Action without having to play through Returns, both of those voice clips are from Edie when she’s idle. The line “I’ll get you next time!” which is in the track “Blow Up”, track 25 which is also the first song for the final mission of the game (as each level has more than one song play and they’re all scattered throughout the disc, it’s a bit irritating, aside from Mission 6) is a line from Kart while he’s idle. Jad also has some lines while he’s...

Elevator Action Returns is arguably one of the best 2D arcade games made period.

A sequel to the ever popular Tortured Artist Effect game Elevator Action from 11 years earlier, Elevator Action Returns was released to arcades in 1994. It stands as one of Taito's best, and definitely outshines the original in every way, as a sequel should. Does that mean the original is bad? Not really.
The original is just hard due to your slow movements and how the game, at times, does feel a little clunky. If not, then with how everything feels a little slow, it feels a bit unresponsive at times. That, albeit is due to the hardware it was originally released on. In 1983, they didn't have the F3 to run the game on, to give a time frame, Phoenix was only released 3 years earlier. I'll let you think about that.

The sequel improves in every way, undoubtedly. It plays more fluidly, everything looks better, you can jump from one platform to another whether or not the elevator is above or below...

So, I'm guessing what you were wondering I was hinting at with my review on Ridge Racer V, talking about Sugar & Rockets. If you're not wondering, well, I'll still tell you.

I.Q.: Intelligent Qube, on the PS1, was a fun game. You went back and forth on the stage to "capture" cubes that were either gray or white. You avoided the black cubes while also trying to capture the cubes that you could get to keep them from falling off the stage. The only ones that are supposed to fall off are the black ones. The green cubes though can capture everything in a 9-block radius, but when on the left or right edge, there are only 6 captured.

This continues with I.Q Final. This one was not released in the USA, but IQ was crazy popular in Japan. Like, award-winning crazy. These games, for some reason were called Kurushi in PAL regions, mainly Europe. Why? Who knows.

We then have the launch of the PS2. One of the games at launch was Ridge Racer V, another being Sony's Fantavision, to which I...

This review is being done because the show got released on Netflix. Otherwise I'd be holding out until I found something that would be less plot description and more gameplay description.

Shin Seiki Evangelion Koutetsu No Girlfriend, Neon Genesis Evangelion Girlfrien Of Steel/Iron Maiden to the fans in the west, is an Evangelion Visual Novel. Released on the PS1, Saturn, Mac, Windows, PS2, PSP, this game was very popular when it release and gained quite the following as far as something Eva goes. The meat of this review will be the Plot Synopsis, so if you want to play this game for yourself and not have the plot spoiled, you're not going to get a very in-depth review.

The Windows, Mac, PS2 and PSP versions were the "Tokubetsu-hen" versions, or the Special Edition version for those unknowing. Many updates and more content in the form of at least one scene and an extra ending, as well as remastered art that isn't blocky and any nuance...

Burnout Revenge is the peak of Burnout. Undoubtedly.

Burnout Revenge, a 2005 game for Burnout, and technically being Burnout 4, is a definite improvement over Burnout 3 in most aspects. It's enjoyable, with many hours I've clocked into the game, it sounds great and it looks good, though there is a problem I have with the visuals in this game. It was released on the PS2, Xbox and Xbox 360, with the 360 version being the "definitive" version. I've never bothered to touch it, though I have touched the Xbox version. I don't know whether my Xbox was messing up or the disc was messed up, but the Xbox version was very, very glitchy. Many times, the camera would clip through objects, a couple times I clipped through the floor, and in the "Eliminator" races, once it went down to me and only me, it'd go for a second and then say "You Win!".

Graphically, this game is very good. Progressive Scan is an option, being X and Triangle at startup, like most NTSC-U/C games, even across the pacific...

Metal Slug 3 is an incredibly enjoyable run'n gun game. Run to the right, blow shit up. Simple as that. Not much more to explain than that. The series just kinda didn't get better than this one.

Gameplay wise, it's a lot of fun. You run around, free and save hostages, and shoot everything that isn't a background object or is being used by yourself. Throw hand grenades, shoot with the "ROCKET LAUNCHER" and pick up the many, many powerups that will shout at you, "HEAVY MACHINE GUN". Granted, the voice shouting at you is a bit cheesy, but it does honestly add to the charm of the game.

The game has 5 levels, but also multiple pathways, usually having to do with a sub of some sort. They do add to the replayability, as they can change how you play the game. Levels 1 and 3 have them undoubtedly, and would be in places you wouldn't really expect under most circumstances. Level 5 though is a long, drawn out pain in the ass. First, your character gets abducted by aliens, then you go up to...

As I mentioned in my previous Tekken 5 review that I preferred Soulcalibur over Tekken, and not to mention, Soulcalibur III over Tekken 5, I thought it would be justifiable to explain as to why I like it more.

When I first got this, I was expecting a lot of fun out of it (other than knowing that it really split people's opinions on it), and expecting that this would be something to experience, after having had seen video of it being played, it looked like a lot of fun. I bought it, and I really enjoyed it when I first played it. Not to mention that I started with the tutorial since at that time, I wasn't very good at 1 v 1 fighting games, so I learned some basic commands that I soon forgot.

This game as a whole is pretty big.

Graphically, this game is astounding. It looks vibrant and colorful and it shows the graphical capabilities of the PS2. It does support Progressive Scan (525p). The game all around looks very nice and shows that a lot of time and effort went into this, but...

Now, before you think I'm going to go and obsess over this again, no. That isn't what is happening. Yes, I have had the urge recently to play it again, but I don't really want to do it like I did. I have not been playing it that much (if at all) recently, and after playing it again, I wanted to change my opinion on this game. it is not perfect, but it's pretty decent, if not actually pretty good.
It starts out with an intro (like the other volumes) but this time with the ship (I will explain it later) going past all of the museums before it, with the games' characters from each museum (the ones that were the most noticeable at least) either running up to it or teleporting themselves on top of it. Afterwards, the characters from the games on this volume teleport themselves on top of it, and somehow get inside as the ship zooms off into space.

Graphically, the museum is underwhelming. It is a real step back from what the previous games were (Volume 5's museum was really good), and...

Ridge Racer V is a game enjoyable by many people, but I believe that it is most enjoyable by Ridge Racer fans.

First of all, to start this review off, I initially HATED this game. I couldn't do any free run tries to get a feel for my car. When you start the game, it is just Gran Prix at the beginning, and that made me mad, but I continued. I liked Free Run because it allowed me to figure out how to drive well with the car I had selected and master the tracks. It was a good time waster as well, and that too was a positive to the game, just allowing me to waste my time playing around in the same track. Anyways, the whole thing of limited retries and lack of free run initially made me put it away and tell everyone to avoid it. I don't know how many months I had put it away for, but it has been a while since I put it away. I took it out one time and played it, and I had a lot of fun again.

Graphically, for the PS2 (especially since this is an early game), this game...

To start this review, I'm going to mention that I am reviewing the Playstation 2 version of Crazy Taxi. I have played the arcade version and they were the same game, so don't come crying to me that I'm not playing the version on the DC. I don't own a Dreamcast, and therefore, I would not have had played the Game on the DC, but i have seen footage of it, and I will say that saying that there isn't a significant difference between the PS2 version and the DC version of Crazy Taxi. Maybe a little bit graphically, but that's not much.

Crazy Taxi is a fun game. It's a fun expierence driving through busy city streets and going so fast that you make a jump off of a hill. It's all really fun trying to do this within the time limit, because then you have something to be worrying about other than the customer's timers, not to mention that this was an arcade game, so a time limit would be necessary for limiting how much a player can play.

Graphically, this game looks...

the latter half of this review was a bit half-assed admittedly, but i wanted to leave the rest of the games open to re-review and their own reviews.

The reviews are back and even more sporadic than ever. Keep on the lookout.

"Why are you reviewing a collection? Aren't these all games you could review on their own?"

I'm merging them all together into a huge review that should satisfy most. It's to fill in for time until I review the next thing, coming 2035.

Sarcasm aside, last time I reviewed things, I wasn't really interested in playing games. Some might call it gamer's block, which is the term I use to refer to it, but I just wasn't feeling like playing anything, really. I was so incredibly bored of nearly everything at the times that I couldn't bring myself to play games. Not to mention a lack of getting new ones as at the time I was watching a lot of movies, and with those movies, I also didn't have anything on my mind to buy at the time.

Sonic Gems Collection is an...

I am not rewriting this one, and seeing with my recent poll, this is going to be important, though I did make a few edits to reflect my current opinion.

I'm quite the odd one out here. There are many people that like this game, as well as many people that hate it, too. I, being one that likes it, don't still have a few issues with the game, not to mention that I'm not a big fan of the 2011 remake or the 1996 PC port.

I've played this game through and through a few times. It's a really interesting experience, and very unique, too. The maze-like levels are an interesting thing to get though, and very unique. I'm also the odd one out here and say that I like Sonic CD more than Sonic 2, but I've also played Sonic CD quite a few times. One of the advantages for me is the level design. It's very maze-like and labyrinthish, but it's quite fun. I usually ironically play a Sonic game slowly, or otherwise I'll just run off a cliff or into a pit of spikes, or something...

This was not my first review, but I mentioned this one in my introduction thread so might as well start with it.

This game. This game is probably my least favorite game in my collection. This game is something that I never want to be reminded of again, but I go back to it constantly. Why?

The short answer is probably that I hate myself.

Graphically, this game is a mix. It has nicely animated pre-rendered cutscenes, but it also has cutscenes that are rendered by the in-game engine. The pre-rendered cutscenes look beautiful and are very high quality. They are very grphically detailed and all around look really good. It's a shame that more often, you'll come across the cutscenes that look like garbage. They're better than in-game models from the 5th generation, but that's only because they're a lot smoother. Otherwise, the in-game cutscenes that are rendered by the game's engine look like trash, but the game's models when the game is being played looks a bit...