HD, dual soundtracks, Miles “Tails” Prower… Available on Steam, PSN, XBLA and many other platforms, the downloadable version of Sonic CD is the definitive version of the game. It’s the new shining example of how to resurrect an old game for new audiences. Pick up, errrr, download this game right now. It’s a must-have for hedgehog fans.
It’s been a long time–a seemingly eternity, really–since my mind had reason to focus on America’s earliest days. Sure, I love the works of Thomas Paine, but those philosphical and political pieces, don’t dig into the minutae of colonial and pre-colonial times. Likewise, Final Form Games’ Jamestown also doesn’t detail John Smith’s and Sir Walter Raleigh’s adventures in a settlement that would evolve into Virginia –it details John Smith’s and Sir Walter Raleigh’s Martian adventures to hunt down a crazed Spanish conquistador in a delightful 2D shmup.
It is understandable that this is a RTS for casual players, but I believe it’s catered toward the wrong market. Casual players aren’t going to pick up an RTS; heck casual gamers might not even know the meaning of the term “RTS.” If the difficulty would have been bumped up to a consistent level this would be a sure-fire winner. Instead we’re left with a game that has immense potential, but sadly falls short. I commend its impressive art style, amazing controls, and a unique take on what many consider an overwhelming genre. But for those looking for a deep game with a learning curve Eufloria isn’t for you, it’s for the person that is looking for a distraction from all the loud explosions, stressful situations and chaos found in other games.
The King of Fighters ’96 is stuck in the past with its old look and laggy online capabilities. SNK has always taken care of its fans and of its franchises but thankfully this is a re-release instead of the latest installment. If you aren’t a diehard KOF fan then this may be one to stay away from.
At the end, I was satisfied with this snappy, sharp game. It’s a brief one, with jokey end credits and a song full of film quotes and references that suggests the developers had a good time making the game. I had a good time playing it. I would’ve had a great one had they went that extra mile and addressed all those points I touched on to make it even better. Fans of Aliens and action games should check it out.
SNK Playmore gives fans of 2D, sprite-based fighting a delicious treat in the form of The King of Fighters XIII. This excellent three-on-three fighter has excellent graphics, tight gameplay, and a solid online experience that will make you forget the disappointment that was KOF XII.
Overall, Metal Slug 2 is a decent shooting game that can be an enjoyable history lesson. However nostalgia alone isn’t enough to make me erase its flaws. The brutal difficulty is only magnified by the horrible slow down, and makes this a tough purchase to recommend. At $9.00 it’s truly a hard pill to swallow, but if you’re a purist I doubt any of this matters.
The levels are so good, so imaginative at times — especially later modern levels like City Escape and Crisis City — I have to wonder why SEGA doesn’t do entire games like this. They obviously still got it in them! And the controls, a point of contention in Sonic 4, are spot-on this time. There are no gravity issues, no weird jumping caveats, or problems with control response or anything. This is the Sonic we remember from the Genesis days rendered in glorious, wide high-definition.
There are lots of quests, side-quests and knick-knacks to collect like photos and music, and various other things throughout the world to find. None of that matters though if there isn’t a compelling central game to anchor it all. There isn’t one here. Button-mashing the same ability over again and trudging through page after page of repetitive dialogue isn’t how I like to spend my time gaming on the Nintendo DS or any other platform, and I can’t imagine anyone else would either despite the beautiful and nostalgic artstyle Solatorobo uses. In that regard, the game’s aesthetic is like a Siren call. Get lured in by the pretty surface, get disappointed by the shallow insides. If there’s any audience for Solatorobo it’s the very young, very inexperienced or very forgiving. But even then, for all the playing there is to do in Solatorobo it’s more akin to a Let’s Play video than a substantial video game.
NBA Jam: OFE features the classic 2 vs. 2 nearly-anything-goes arcade action featured in the recent NBA Jam reboot. There aren’t any fouls, three seconds violations, double dribbles, or other momentum-stopping calls; shot clock violations and goaltending are the only observed rules. That’s old, but here’s what new: You can finally switch between teammates on the fly (previously, if you played a one-player game, you were locked in as one baller). It might not seem like a big deal, but this added mechanic gives you more control and opens up a huge amount of strategic possibilities.
