Shrek is big, but stupid

One day some fat suited types sat around a boardroom table and said, "I really love this idea about the big, green, farting ogre. I reckon we’re onto something here." I expect there was some kind of golden handshake. They all left the room with dollar signs in their eyes, high on the prospect of major marketing tie-ins; lunch boxes, bed spreads, games, maybe even a TV show. This could be the next Toy Story, they promised themselves. Shrek was good. I liked Shrek. But the same cannot be said for the string of games it has spawned. This time … Continue reading Shrek is big, but stupid

Primed for Action!

The original Metroid was one of the first games I played when I got my Nintendo Entertainment System. That was over 15 years ago, and back then it was a milestone in adventure games. Keep in mind that this was during an era when most adventure games only involved horizontal scrolling, and Metroid’s vertical depth added a unique addition to the mix. While it went unnoticed in Japan, Metroid was a huge hit in the States, and went on to span a GameBoy sequel, as well as the Super Nintendo successor, which expanded everything about the original game. I regret … Continue reading Primed for Action!

Robotech: Battlecry is Anime Action

Revival is a word becoming more and more common in the game industry. TV series that have gotten canceled are continually seeing their stories continuing through the art form that is video gaming. Such is the case with Dark Angel, the Fox sci-fi series that got the hook unfairly some months back. It’s getting a game continuation of its storyline. A similar case has been speculated to happen with Farscape, another sci-fi series that suffered the same fate as Dark Angel. There is currently one Farscape game on the market, though many people hope there will be a story-based sequel … Continue reading Robotech: Battlecry is Anime Action

Hunter: The Reckoning Rocks Xbox

I’ve had trouble trying to put my thoughts on Hunter: The Reckoning (Interplay) in a coherent format. Some aspects of the game appeal to me and some don’t. And those that don’t almost repulse me. I received an assist on this recently when I hosted a party at my home. The kids fired up the XBox and began playing Hunter. Most of the kids thought it was cool (except for two who thought it was dumb) and every single one of the adults thought it was terrible. That’s when I think I discovered what was bothering me: this isn’t a … Continue reading Hunter: The Reckoning Rocks Xbox

Egg Mania is Eggcellent

Puzzle games are one of those genres that has decreased in popularity over the years. Like fighting games, puzzle games used to be a premiere genre back in Tetris’ heyday. Now though, a constant stream of copycat games and a general lack of originality in the genre have made the genre much smaller than it once was. With the ushering in of the 128-bit era, puzzle games have become even fewer in number. In light of the new technology, it seems that companies have been more intent in putting their money into graphical showcases that will grab public’s attention, rather … Continue reading Egg Mania is Eggcellent

2002 Football Report Card

Finally after a long, slow summer fraught with talks of baseball strikes, boring tennis matches where we already know the Williams sisters will win before the first serve, and a downward NASCAR season where Jeff Gordon finally won his first race of the year at Bristol, the return of football is upon us. Unlike last year when I had the heavily underrated XFL to hold me over, this year was a longer cross to bear. Don’t even mention Arena football to me, as I do not believe a real football game can be played in only 50 yards. A couple … Continue reading 2002 Football Report Card

College Ball Touchdown

Football is one of the most difficult sports to participate in. Aside from the obvious reasons (how many of you had mothers who wouldn’t let you play?), there are several other reasons football is one tough cookie. Having played on a football team for eight years, I can tell you from experience that some people just can’t take how rough the game is. Fortunately, for you people who couldn’t join a normal team for whatever reason, EA has come through to offer you NCAA Football 2003. Don’t worry about not being able to play football though, because NCAA Football 2003 … Continue reading College Ball Touchdown

Freekstyle is Motorcycle Madness

Back when the PS2 launched, many were disappointed by the lack of quality to be found within the game’s launch titles. One of the few exceptions was EA Big’s revolutionary snowboarding game, SSX. Since that time, EA Big has churned out many fast-paced extreme sports games much like SSX. Some, like Sled Storm, didn’t live up to expectations. Others, like SSX’s follow-up title SSX Tricky, were simply astounding. The latest in this string of EA Big titles is Freekstyle, an SSX-style game with motocross as the main sport as opposed to snowboarding. Freekstyle’s main mode is Circuit. Inside Circuit mode, … Continue reading Freekstyle is Motorcycle Madness

Dreamcast launches to fanfare, worthy titles

Stop dreaming, It’s here. For a while, it seemed as though 9-9-99 was never going to arrive. For three months, I waited oh so impatiently for this magical day to arrive, because I knew that on that day I would be a proud owner of Sega’s new 128-bit Dreamcast system. Even test runs on imports and severe cases of insomnia during the final days didn’t hold me back. And on that great day of 9-9-99, I was the first person in line at my local Software Etc., ready to dedicate my life towards the new world that Dreamcast would offer. … Continue reading Dreamcast launches to fanfare, worthy titles

Zelda levels console market, aims at Metal Gear’s dominance

Zelda 64 is the most anticipated game on the N64 platform. For months we’ve seen it plastered in all the major gaming magazines and read about its progress at the most popular Internet Web sites. Its ratings have even earned it a segment in NewsWeek. There have been what seemed to be hundreds of canceled release dates on this title. N64 fans have tossed and turned in their beds for over 40 days and 40 nights. We’ve stared blankly at our clocks from sunrise to sundown waiting for some sign of it’s arrival. Tick…Tock…Tick…Tock. They tried to send us "Quest … Continue reading Zelda levels console market, aims at Metal Gear’s dominance