My Burnout Paradise Review

Being a huge fan of the Burnout series, I was super excited about this game, but for some reason, didn't buy it until it dropped in price. I heard mixed reactions on this game, but I'm always one to make my own decisions. This Burnout is very different than the other titles in this series.

First off, the game is set in an open world. No more menus to choose your races, you are able to start an event at any intersection in the game. It's a great way to familiarize yourself with the map and know the ins and outs of each shortcut. And a lot of shortcuts there are. You will find yourself looking for every single shortcut, smashes, billboards, and super jumps in this game. The graphics are amazing in detail, and the controls are very smooth. This doesn't mean that I have a few gripes about this game though.

There is no retry option if you fail a race, so if that race took you to the other side of the map, you now have to drive all the way back to do it again. It's not too bad until you are almost finished with the game; thats when it starts to become a pain. They replaced the Crash Events from previous games to a new mode called Showtime. On any street you can activate this mode to start bouncing up and down the street, crashing into cars until your boost meter runs out. Personally, while this mode is fun, it doesn't compare to the old Crash Events found in the other Burnout's. And then there is DJ Atomica, the voice in the game that randomly tells you how you are doing. It's a feature I wish that could be turned off, cause he starts to get really annoying.

Overall, this is a great game to pick up, and at $30 brand new, I believe it's a must buy. But there will be some fans of the series that will be turned off by the drastic change in this series. Maybe a demo or rent is in line first if you are not sure.

My Castlevania - SOTN Review

The first time I ever played this game was at a good friends house. I watched him play for a whole day; I had never played a Castlevania game before this one. After seeing the game, I went and bought my own copy. With its 2D platforming/RPG mixed elements, awesome boss battle, and open ended gameplay, this game is amazing.

The game has you playing the reawakened Alucard, son of Dracula, when Castlevania manifests out of nowhere. Your goal is to explore the castle, find out why it has returned, and to exterminate your father once again. When you first enter the castle, you have some good moves and equipment, but that changes when you run into Death, and he steals all your items. The game features a non-linear castle, letting you choose how you want to proceed through the game. You can collect special orbs that allow you to take the form of a bat, wolf, or even mist to tackle obstacles. Most rooms feature secret areas that are not accessible until much later in the game. Much like an RPG, you are able to collect different weapons, articles of clothing, and other items that have their own stats and attributes. The boss fights in this game take on strange and bizarre forms, and they are a blast. The game features multiple endings, depending on the percentage of the game you unlock. You can even fight an additional boss fight if it is high enough. The music score for this game is top-notch, especially considering how old this game is. The game has won multiple "Game Of The Year" awards, and is even in some lists of "Greatest Games Of All Time".

This game is a must buy, no matter what type of gamer you are. I find absolutely no flaws in this game.

My Boogie Bunnies Review

My fiance wanted a game that she could play, so we ended up getting Boogie Bunnies on XBLA. The point of the game is too match three of the same colored bunnies to remove them off the board. Do this enough times, and you advance to the next stage. It a pretty simple game, and its not too bad for a short play. After a while though, the colors start to fade into each other from staring at the screen too long, and it starts to hurt your eyes. There are two bunnies that are almost identical in color, and it cn be frustrating to pick them out. The game starts to get very difficult, requiring you to beat 5+ stages before you are able to save the game. I got to a certain point and just couldn't advance anymore. If they toned down all the bright colors it would make for a better experience. The gameplay starts to get stale after a while as well. Could really use different modes or different types of power ups or something like that.

My Castlevania - SOTN Review

In my honest opinion, I believe this game is the BEST game that you can purchase on XBLA. Having owned the original on the PS, I knew exactly what this game had in store for me. With its 2D platforming/RPG mixed elements, awesome boss battle, and open ended gameplay, it was worth every Microsoft Point.

The game has you playing the reawakened Alucard, son of Dracula, when Castlevania manifests out of nowhere. Your goal is to explore the castle, find out why it has returned, and to exterminate your father once again. When you first enter the castle, you have some good moves and equipment, but that changes when you run into Death, and he steals all your items. The game features a non-linear castle, letting you choose how you want to proceed through the game. You can collect special orbs that allow you to take the form of a bat, wolf, or even mist to tackle obstacles. Most rooms feature secret areas that are not accessible until much later in the game. Much like an RPG, you are able to collect different weapons, articles of clothing, and other items that have their own stats and attributes. The boss fights in this game take on strange and bizarre forms, and they are a blast. The game features multiple endings, depending on the percentage of the game you unlock. You can even fight an additional boss fight if it is high enough. The music score for this game is top-notch, especially considering how old this game is. The game has won multiple "Game Of The Year" awards, and is even in some lists of "Greatest Games Of All Time".

This game is a must buy, no matter what type of gamer you are. I find absolutely no flaws in this game.

My Geometry Wars Review

Geometry Wars is an XBLA game that is the new age version of Asteroids. You take control of a ship in a rectangular playing field with enemies spawning all over the place, and your goal is to survive. The controls are as simple as they can be; the left control stick moves the ship, and the right stick controls your firing direction. As the game progresses, enemies appear more frequently and swarm you from all sides. If anything touches your ship, you lose a life. Lives are gained with points, and weapons are upgraded as you continue to kill your opponents. You start off with a few bombs, which clears the playing field. The game is played on grids that have psychedelic movements as you move and destroy enemies. Even though this is a very basic game, it is super addictive and before you know it, hours have passed. A definite buy from the Live Marketplace.