Monster Closet 2008

Marooned on a derelict mining vessel out in the vastness of space--already starting to sound like a bleak situation, eh? The main protagonist Issac and his panic-stricken comrades search for a way off the ship while inquiring for answers on what happened in the first place. The story and situations will seem standard to sci-fi horror movie/game fans--because they are.

You're immediately lobbed into the lunacy of Dead Space--narrow corridors, taut atmospheric lighting, and enough unsettling sounds to freak out the most resolved horror fans out there. The game is set through missions in which you must traverse through--much like Resident Evil 4, unraveling the story as the missions unfold.

You'd be surprised how many exceptional environments are embraced--blood curdled walls, unfathomable engine rooms, quasi-safe medlabs, and fortuitously beautiful greeneries. Dead Space will have you frightfully dashing from one end of the ship to the other in a frantic haze to achieve your mission--survive.

Dead Space is an innovator in hud-less games. I feel that the fluent onscreen information and inventories is extremely important to the game--since it adds a layer of apprehension. When Isaac accesses his inventories the camera sweeps in closer depriving the player of precious peripheral vision--add that and the perpetual frightening such-and-such, you'll be sure to pick through your pockets with the uttermost quickness.

Dead Space has also made me happy because it offers a key feature most games really don't anymore, and that's a damn good challenge. This game will impale your stomach, head-butt your face, then slice your mandible like some sick sadistic sociopath. However unlike real-life, you get to experience these sensations over and over again! Ammo is scarce and appropriate cover is disingenuous. All of the well-organized factors EA Redwood team aimed for have been accomplished. From art to sound and controls, it's spot on. This game will irk you unsettled and keep you up at night.

There's really only one major problem I have with the game--redundancy. Ultimately, the game coins the term "monster closet". Search for an objective, finding that objective initiates the trigger for a notorious baddie to leap out at you--eventually diminishing returns will set in. But that's why fans of these games purchase them. You can't get these sorts of visceral emotions from simply watching horror movies. You need to experience it for yourself! Frankly, I feel bad for horror fans who aren't gamers, they'd absolutely eat this title up.

EA has hit it's mark with Dead Space. I can see it becoming a venerable franchise for the company and the fans. Don't miss out on this title if you're a survival/horror fan.

White Dwarf?

Super Mario Galaxy. Let's get a few things straight right off the bat. If you're a Wii owner and have not purchased this game yet...

You Suck. And, deserve to get slapped in the face by a gorilla with scurvy.

I'm going to take you through the highs and lows about the game(yes there are lows). But, this game is still a title that is a must-have this holiday season, if you haven't picked it up yet.

The Good:

First off. Music. Sweetness, sweetness, oh, so much bloody sweetness booms out of the soundtrack for this game. You have new orchestrated goodness, and it ranges all the way to the golden Mario oldies that a lot of older gamers will get nostalgic over. Making them wanna go back and play older Mario titles. =0)

Another thing about this game that's bloody awesome, is the controls. A lot of Mario fans may be discouraged about the Wiimote and Nunchuck, thinking they'll have to be jumping around the room to make Mario do the simplest of tasks. Well, no. You don't have to worry, gamers. These controls are spot on. They're responsive and shaking the Wiimote to make Mario spin feels really good. While the controls are stellar. It's actually a reason I think its a con as well. We'll get into that later, though.

The levels in the game range from smaller planet hopping and jumping, to the bigger stages kind of reminiscent to Mario 64. The creativity really is the best thing about this title. I find myself liking to smaller planet hopping better than the big worlds. I like the gravity manipulation. On top of the creativity, they're bright and colorful and a lot goes down in the game that you'd wish you can see again and again. Which you can. I usually find myself playing certain stars just to see a certain sequence of explosions.

Which brings me to the graphics. You know a lot of people will disagree. But, I don't think graphics mean jack. I see kids running out and buying PS3's just to have the "1337 Gr4ph1c5". Well, I'm not that guy. And, I seriously think that Super Mario Galaxy can play with the big boys. And, why can it do this? Simple, Artistic Style & Direction. The vibrant colors and animations just scream,"LOOK AT ME". Beautiful water effects; enemy facial expressions; Mario's movements. I mean, it's all just there, working in perfect harmony. To put it short. This is definitely eye candy. And the yummy kind. Not that, candy corn crap.

The Bad:

Yeah, I told you there was bad. I'm really not going to be modest about it because it hurts the game for me. Why is this game so polished? And why is it so easy? Two questions, that I continue to ask Nintendo. Back when Mario 64 came out. The difficulty was actually a lot harder than this game. Do you know why? The controls. Everything just works so good. Jumping works, turning on cue works. Everything just works. One of the reasons Mario 64 was difficult was due to the controls.

Now, I understand that this is a gripe more than a problem. But, I'm actually kind of thinking out of the box and trying to relate it to the difficulty. The difficulty curve just seems way too light. I appreciate the "comets" that take past challenges and making them harder. It's just to far in between, and scarce for me. This game is just too easy.

The Bottom Line:

Parents, if you have children. This game is perfect for them and their little brains and tiny hands(creepy) this holiday season. If you play games casually along with your children, you'll probably like this, too. But, hardcore gamers, beware! This game is not fulfilled for $50.00. And, is merely a rent, sadly. Since you're going to knock it out in 2 days, rent it. Enjoy, then take it back. But, if you're a Nintendo fan and want to support the Jumpman. You better go buy it now, you can squeeze the most out of it, get 120 stars. And, then start again with Luigi, I know I did