User Reviews

All Reviews by lanmandragoran

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - DS

Pros Cons
Amazing visuals Doesn't live up to expectations
Awesome audio  
Engaging story  
Tight controls  
Just plain fun  
Portable Wind Waker

This game is best described as Wind Waker Lite. If you love Zelda and have not purchased this game, please stop reading and go get it now. I'll wait. Ok, you've got it? Good. As I was saying, this game is Zelda through and through; you have the obligatory dungeon-item structure, side quests, and thoroughly engrossing adventure that we have come to know and love, only this time the action is stylus-driven. This is a pretty bold move on Nintendo's part, and for the most part it works flawlessly (you HAVE to try the boomerang "free but there are times when your input isn't detected correctly, although these moments are relatively few. The Phantom Hourglass concept itself is pretty neat, with a central dungeon that you can progressively explore as you gain more "sands," or time in your hourglass. One point of annoyance, though: The Phantoms in the dungeon are invulnerable to attack-a fact that is fairly contrived, and is more of an inconvenience than a clever design feature. In addition, the game is fairly easy, at least in classic "how many times you die" parlance-the puzzles are intelligent, as always, and as with all Zelda games, as you progress you ultimately are rewarded with both that familiar sense of accomplishment and the desperate yearning to play the next installment in the classic franchise.

Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition - Wii

Pros Cons
Amazing visuals  
Awesome audio  
Engaging story  
Epic boss fights  
Intense action  
Addictive gameplay  
Tight controls  
Scary Good

I have to be up front about one thing going forward: I was not a Resident Evil fan. I thought the scare factor was overrated, and from others' accounts, the controls never matched neither the series' graphics nor its ambition. In the interest of full disclosure, I had never played a Resident Evil game myself. RE4 held me enraptured within the first five minutes: The moody setting, the strange village inhabitants, and the everyman cool and witty banter of Leon S. Kennedy marked this game as something immediately special. Resident Evil 4 is noteworthy on several counts: The gameplay is sterling, and using the Wii remote to pop zombies and other creatures of the night feels as natural as could be. Reloading and knife slashing are serviceable, and the waggle factor is never so cumbersome as to be noticeable, but rather is used subtly to great effect. The game is still one of the prettiest on Wii, and the audio is superb, setting a mood that is at once both suspenseful and jarring. Character dialogue is top-notch, with Mr. Kennedy's parts stealing the show. In terms of overall design, the game is a lengthy 15-20 hours long, if one sticks to the main quest only, and is well balanced in terms of exploration, action, and "other" sequences, including the dreaded escort missions, which quite honestly in this game are not so unpalatable as in other games with this feature. Plenty of goodies such as the Ada Wong missions only add to the game's value, though most will first and foremost relish the main quest. I do not have enough superlatives to describe the overall experience; perhaps the highest praise I can give the game is that I constantly itch to pop it back in my Wii and go Leon Kennedy on the undead.

Super Mario Galaxy - Wii

Pros Cons
Amazing visuals  
Awesome audio  
Addictive gameplay  
Tight controls  
Innovative concepts  
Just plain fun  
The Mario we all know and love

This game is vintage Mario: The controls are immaculate, the worlds are varied and engaging, and the innovation is constant. How many games allow you to roam about a near-infinite variety of celestial bodies, make gravity your plaything, and experience the sheer joy of exploring the cosmos? Mario games, at their core, invite all audiences, but yield their ultimate secrets to only the most experienced or determined players; this game is no different. Each level allows you to dip a toe into the proverbial waters and earn enough stars to progress to successive levels, but true fans will revel in the ability to tackle the challenge of speed-runs, one-hit deaths, and more. The visuals are nothing less than what one would expect from Nintendo's best, while the symphonic score is both whimsical and evocative. If you feel that videogames of late have lost their magic, give Mario Galaxy a try- it is the essence of what makes us want to stay up late at night, playing just to see what's around the corner.

Viewtiful Joe - GameCube

Pros Cons
Amazing visuals  
Awesome audio  
Epic boss fights  
Intense action  
Addictive gameplay  
Tight controls  
Innovative concepts  
Just plain fun  
Henshin-a-Go-Go, Baby!

This game redefines the action-platformer...Viewtiful Joe is an unappreciated gem, emblematic of the now-defunct Clover Studios, but a game that, in the of the best old-school games, demands to be played over and over again. The Special Effects that Joe unleashes on his hapless foes are nothing short of breathtaking, and, when chained together, are simply addictive and ooze cool. Joe himself is an everyman, but his Viewtiful alter ego is brash, stylish, and has arguable the best catch-phrase in all of video game-dom. You will find yourself uttering the words "Henshin-a-Go-Go, baby!", and desperately tapping your watch in hopes of being able to slow time, speed up your own movements, and capture the unique brand of cool that VJ represents. The sights and sounds are top-notch, and if you have any bit of old-school in you, you will fall in love with this game immediately.