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This is where I will post reviews for the newest games (that is, anything on the Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, and PC). I hope you enjoy it!

So, I was bored one day and wanted a new game to play. My younger brother had this game, and I had played it a little before, but I had never really taken much interest. The all-stylus control was a little awkward at first, me being a longtime Zelda player, so I didn't really enjoy it much. But when I picked it up again, I couldn't put it down. This is a beautifully crafted game. Let's get to the review...

 

GAMEPLAY

Phantom Hourglass uses an all-new control scheme. You use the stylus for EVERYTHING. There are a few shortcut buttons that are optional, but you can't play the game without the stylus. It was a little weird at first, but after adjusting, this game hooked me. I really got into it, especially as I unlocked new weapons and items. You actually draw the path for your boomerang to follow. You draw a path for your ship to follow, and blast the baddies with your cannon (when you are able to buy it) by tapping them. Sword swings are a piece of cake; just make a swiping motion with the stylus, and Link will slash in whatever direction you tell him to. Oh, and don't even get me started on the boss battles. I'll just say this: they are the most innovative and creative boss battles I have ever experienced. I would say more, but that would border on spoilers. The controls are incredibly smooth, and despite some skepticism at first, I love the new style.

SCORE: 10/10

 

PLOT

The story is pretty good. It's not the best that the series has come up with, but it's not half bad. The story picks up at the end of Wind Waker, where you sail with Tetra and her pirates to find a new world. There has been a great deal of fear, however, as some kind of Ghost Ship has been sinking ships. Tetra decides to go take it on, but ends up getting captured by it. Your quest is to save her (obviously), and that's all I'm saying. I don't do spoilers here, like I said earlier.

SCORE: 7.5/10

 

GRAPHICS

The DS version keeps the same cell-shaded style from Wind Waker, and it looks mostly intact. I always liked the style, even though some don't. Phantom Hourglass doesn't look quite as good as Wind Waker (being a DS game compared to a Gamecube game), but it keeps it's dignity, and the dual screens are used to perfection (particularly against many of the bosses).

SCORE: 7/10

 

SOUND

Same style of music from Wind Waker, with some tracks brought back (like the Great Sea music currently playing). Sound effects are also great, providing just what is expected whatever you might be doing. Not much more to say here; although not top-notch quality, Phantom Hourglass does a fine job.

SCORE: 8/10

 

CONTENT

I really can't think of a single thing that might offend in this game.

SCORE: 10/10

 

REPLAY

Er, this game kinda... lacks replay. After you beat the game, you can start at just before the final boss and go do whatever. Go treasure hunting, save up some money to buy new ship parts, or just sail the seas in search of uncharted isles and enemies that think they actually stand a chance against you . But after I beat it, I kinda put it down. It doesn't have the highest replay, but I'm sure that it would be a blast the second time through, if you waited a bit before replaying it.

SCORE: 6/10

 

MULTIPLAYER

There isn't a co-op in this game, but there is a very well-designed battle game in it. Single-card multiplayer and Nintendo Wi-Fi means plenty of options for playing. Basically, one player controls Link and has to run around one of various stages collecting force gems. The other player gets control of three phantoms, and draws their paths on the touch screen. To catch the swifter Link requires strategy, however. When Link is in a safe zone, he becomes invisible and immune to the phantoms. When he carries a force gem, he slows down, but can see the phantoms on his map. After Link is caught or time runs out, the players switch places and can steal each other's force gems if they so desire. Each player controls Link three times, and the phantoms three times. The multiplayer is awesome and addicting, as long as you have a buddy to play or access to Wi-Fi. I haven't tested the Wi-Fi feature, but I'm sure it works great, and I have tried download play with friends and family.

SCORE: 9.5/10

 

BONUS: INNOVATION

The all-stylus control, like I mentioned earlier, is nearly flawless. The dual screens are used perfectly. Wi-Fi and download play are included. Even the DS microphone is given a decent workout. This game uses just about every feature of the DS and does a wonderful job with them all.

 

OVERALL (not an average)

Phantom Hourglass shows just what the DS is capable of. Near-perfect use of every feature, excellent multiplayer and single player, and completely clean. It isn't perfect, but it is well worth your money. I give The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass a...

9/10

I had a blast with this game, as long as it lasted. The puzzles were a great challenge, too. This is a must-have for all Zelda fans and DS owners.

The famous plumber returns, only on a far grander scale. Check back again for the review of...

Probably the most anticipated Wii game to date, Brawl has hit stores. And it goes far beyond anything it's predecessors could produce. I'm not saying that Smash Bros and Melee weren't good games. They were incredible, groundbreaking games that finally let you see just what might happen if Mario and Link met on the field of battle. Here's the review of Super Smash Bros: Brawl.

 

GAMEPLAY

Nintendo did a wonderful job of opening this game to all kinds of gamers. There are four possible control styles (Gamecube controller, Wii remote sideways, Wii remote with nunchuck, and classic controller), and you can customize any button to perform any action. This means that Melee veterans will adapt very quickly to the new style, since they can use the same old controller. The game lasts for many glorious hours without getting boring. The story mode, called "The Subspace Emissary," is pretty lengthy, and to unlock all of the characters and levels requires dozens of hours of gameplay. Here's a comparison to Melee: 26 characters became 35. Over 40 new stages, with old maps from Melee and a custom stage builder. Destructible terrain and changing maps (such as in Castle Siege, where you start on top of the castle, and end up inside). Brawl has expanded in every area possible to make the best game in the series thus far.

SCORE: 10/10

 

PLOT

The Subspace Emissary has a decent story. I don't want to give anything away, but it's just gripping enough to keep you going. Well-designed cutscenes set the stage for each level you do, but I still didn't understand everything until I read about it online. Most of it makes sense, so it's good enough for me.

SCORE: 7/10

 

GRAPHICS

Another game, another level up the scale in looks. If you thought it couldn't improve from melee, you were wrong. Brawl gives Mario even better definition, Link looks like his Twilight Princess counterpart, and Kirby... well, not all the characters look better just standing there. The particle effects (explosions, fire, magic flashes, and so on) look much better than before. It's not the best graphics to hit a console, but it does all that it needs to serve up one intense game.

SCORE: 8.5/10

 

SOUND

The soundtrack is epic, with at least a hundred songs (probably many more) from countless games. Every musical score is fully orchestrated and sounds beautiful. Without a doubt the best musical score for any Wii game to date. And what about sound effects? Every one matches the character, attack, or item perfectly, and every character has just the right voice (even those that had never spoken in games before, like Pit).

SCORE: 10/10

 

CONTENT

Nintendo continues to keep it's games family-friendly, proving that it doesn't take language, blood, or skimpy outfits to make a game good. The only thing that I could come up with was the character Zero Suit Samus, whose outfit was a bit, er... skin-tight. I still think that this game is clean. Oh yeah, and Wario farts as one of his attacks, but that is more funny than crude in my opinion.

SCORE: 9.5/10

 

REPLAY

This is a game that you will never get bored with. I mean, if you play it for six hours in one day you might want to take a break. But you'll always come back, every once in a while, to play again. There is even more draw to fight daily, with daily downloaded content. Every day, Nintendo sends a new replay, snapshot, and custom course that other players had made. If you don't want to miss any, you have to play every day. I have already spent countless hours on this game (I would guess at least forty), and I don't plan on stopping any time soon.

SCORE: 10/10

 

MULTIPLAYER

Without a doubt, mutiplayer is where Brawl truly shines. For years, fans of the original Smash Bros and of Melee have been fighting, showing off their supremacy by defeating their friends. Now, with Brawl, it is easier than ever before, because you can battle over WiFi. Fight your friends anytime you want, or set up a match with completely random people all around the globe. The WiFi play is generally flawless, with very little lag and very few disconnections. You can still play with friends when they visit or in case they don't have their own Wii. The new items are awesome for the most part, particularly the Smash Ball. Whoever can break this by attacking will be given their ultimate power: A FINAL SMASH. Every character's final smash is unique, and they are always devastating. If an enemy has their final smash, it is generally a good idea to run away. If you're feeling courageous, you can attack them before they trigger their ability and maybe cause them to fumble it. When a Smash Ball appears, it is a mad rush to get it, and it is an exhilarating experience to be able to hit your enemy so hard. Multiplayer is the best thing about Brawl. Period.

SCORE: 10/10

 

OVERALL (not an average)

This game is currently my favorite Wii game. There was never any question in my mind as to whether or not I was going to get this game, from the moment I heard the news that Melee's sequel was being produced. I give Super Smash Bros: Brawl a...

10/10

Not that a different score was expected after a review like that. If you own a Wii, don't think twice. This is the best game the Wii has to offer. Go buy it as soon as your schedule and wallet allow you to. And IGN gave it a 9.5! Hah!

I was always sorta nervous about buying this game, so I decided to try it first when a friend of mine got it. I have to say... it is a LOT of fun. I had always been more of a DDR person, but this game really impressed me with it's awesome style, even though I only knew three songs before I tried them.

 

GAMEPLAY

This game has kept me entertained for a fair amount of time. The guitar controller is well designed, and the songs are well put-together. I love how the Wii has a wireless guitar that actually vibrates and emits sound (because you stick a Wii remote inside it). The learning curve is a slight bit sharp, meaning that it is annoying at first, but given some time, the experience is totally worth it.

SCORE: 9.5/10

 

PLOT

The story starts out just fine, a somewhat cliche'd story of a band and it's rise to fame and fortune. There isn't a WHOLE lot of story there, but enough to keep you going. And then the final part of the game rears it's ugly head: THE BATTLE FOR YOUR SOUL. I did not like this one bit. Apparently, you are pulled down into Hell and forced to play for some demonic character named Lou. But more on content later. I was very disappointed with this ending.

SCORE: 5/10

 

GRAPHICS

I'm not a big graphics guy; as long as a game looks decent, I don't complain. Guitar Hero provides decent graphics (at least on the Wii), although the characters tend to look, er... kinda creepy. Especially the male lead singer. My younger brother thought he looked kinda like a monkey. But the graphics serve their purpose, and don't distract from the awesome gameplay.

SCORE: 8/10

 

SOUND

This is important for Guitar Hero, seeing as it is a game of rhythm and music. What I loved about this is that if you make a mistake or miss a note, the guitar actually stops playing. If you're not playing, the game plays the song without the guitar. The songs are mostly pretty good, and some of the expletives are (I believe) removed. This game definitely delivers where it matters.

SCORE: 8.5/10

 

CONTENT

Now, this is where the game failed miserably in my opinion. Several of the female characters are in revealing outfits (not necessary). Like I mentioned earlier, the language in the songs have been removed, but the theme of the songs are still iffy at times. Songs such as "Raining Blood" and "The Number of the Beast" compose the end of the game, as you literally play in Hell. If you still want to play on (I didn't; my younger brother beat the campaign while I was on my computer), you end up dueling with Lou, who is a demonic character with a guitar made of human bones. If you beat him, you unlock him in the shop, and if you buy him, you can actually play as him. As you can see, this part of the game deeply disturbed and disappointed me.

SCORE: 0.5/10

 

REPLAY

Ah, on to more positive stuff. This game offers great replay value, as you can go in and play songs as much as you want. There is even a practice mode where you can play parts of songs at reduced speeds to get the hang of it. I have spent many hours in free play, just trying to beat my old high scores. Unfortunately, once all the songs are unlocked, there isn't a whole lot of new content, but there isn't really a need for it anyways.

SCORE: 9/10

 

MULTIPLAYER:

I hate to say it, but I only have one controller. I didn't get to try direct multiplayer. I did, however, give WiFi a shot (which is free on the Wii version). It was REALLY fun. Even if you are playing someone who is much better than you, both players can set themselves to different difficulty levels. And the battle mode... ABSOLUTELY EPIC!!! I had so much fun pwning people in battle mode, even though I only play on level medium.

SCORE: 9.5/10

 

BONUS: INNOVATION

A completely unique controller and a radically different style of gameplay unlike anything seen before it (except for Guitar Heroes 1 and 2).

 

 

OVERALL (not an average):

I was very satisfied in this game's playability, but sorely disappointed in it's content. If you could download more songs, or something like that, this game would do much better. I give Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock a...

7/10

Whew! Glad that's done! And now, my first game review is officially over. See you guys next time!