User Reviews

All Reviews by noleafclover

Pikmin 2 - GameCube

Cool game

My other review was pretty gay and borrowed heavily from the jargon that Star Dingo used in his, so I'll just say the game rocks.

Viewtiful Joe 2 - GameCube

Henshin-A-Go Go, Baby!

If theres one thing developer Capcom can do that perhaps no other company can, its milking it's franchises dry...and getting away with it. And now it has done it again, with Viewtiful Joe 2, the sequel to Joe's err, viewtiful debut on the GameCube in 2003. Once again the movie realm's stability is at stake with the nefarious Gedow(reigned by the mysterious Black Emperor) trying to take away the happy endings from popcorn flicks, although you could guess by the premise that theres another entity taking it's fair share of rattling. While the first Viewtiful Joe was more of a sattire on the superhero staple(made clear by Joe's over-the-top powers), this second installment turns the most creaking B-movie cliches to their heads- sattiric humor is apparent from the villain desings to the settings- , and Joe's self- awareness as a movie geek carries out this purpose flawlessly. The gameplay is equally stylish. Consisting of fighting and puzzle-solving using Joe and Sylvia's time warping and bone crushing abilities, it is obvious at first glance that its not much different than the first game, save for the appearance of Joe's sexy girlfriend and her included new VFX power. But this is still no match for what Capcom initially promised- a 2-player coop-mode and various transformations of Joe's trusty Six-Machine(the finished product has only a "submarine" level). And it is here that Capcom's trademark power of reusing franchises comes into play: instead of saturating a sequel with new features, the developers stuck with what worked best, and it shows- the puzzles are a work of art, requiring visual imagination and offering deep satasfaction, and there's not a single uninspired boss battle in the game, each growing progressively harder and requiring careful use of Joe's abilities. In conclusion, Viewtiful Joe 2 doesn't offer any new gameplay, but gives us every bit of action we want- with resounding techno-metal music signaling beatdowns to come- in a single, complete package.

Resident Evil 4 - GameCube

The true gem of the new year!

The moment the intro movie begins, a sense of freshness is diplayed in true dramatic fashion. Instead of the ol' boring "looking for the other members" premise, a dark, slick secuence unfolds with Leon narrating the fall of Umbrella while a creepy orchestration plays on the background. The new beginning here foreshadows an "anything goes" enviroment and a vast scope for the plot to fill. As soon as the game begins, you'll also realize how life-changing the new camera is. In a stroke of genius, Capcom has decided to leave the control scheme(save for the excellente new aiming reticule) totally intact. This new perspective(literaly) brings Capcom's vision of how a survival horro game should handle to completion and shows that they weren't wrong, just misunderstood. The other big change for the gameplay is the action button system, in wich you press the A button for performing certain actions(woo!). This mechanic could've easily turned into the most overhyped gimmick of all time(and that means pretty crappy considering the little hype it received) but it turns out to be a very strong ally, mainly because you use it for everything, including the cutscenes, wich blend smoothly on account of this. Wich leads us to the graphics, of course. A totally revamped gameplay means at least some sort of big change in the graphics and it comes in the way of no pre-rendered enviroments. The characters now look more convincingly alive, animate amazingly realistic, and are as detailed as the surroundings. In fact, the new graphics engine is so buffed up that Capcom decided tu format all the cutscenes in real-time. The sound is just as good, with the Leon voice actor providing a strong performance on a strong character. All the elements round up a survival-horror with a new focus on it's mind(more combat) that winds up making it one the best revamps to a dear franchise. With news spreading of a weak PS2 port on the way, all that's left to do is get a GameCube and this masterpiece.

Star Wars: Battlefront - PS2

Star Wars on the PS2!

As the gaming generations have passed and new consoles have surfaced, we(the gamers) have been gifted with exceptionally good Star Wars games, such as Knights of the Old Republic, Rogue Leader, and Jedi Outcast. These gems have expanded the Star Wars universe while providing state-of-the-art gaming, although, sadly for Sony lovers, none of these titles came to the PS2. Enter Battlefront. The much anticipated and hyped game seemed a no-brainer, mixing Battlefield gameplay with a Rebels vs. Empire-Trade Federation Droids vs. Clone Army overcoat, although there is some disturbance in the Force(...surprise!!). The game is a mixed bag, and the only thing balanced here is the light vs. dark struggle of the game(in this case light being the detailed character models and enviroment, terrific squad gameplay[with various types of infantry units], and carefully crafted levels, and dark being an unbearable choppy framerate, thoughtless flight controls[no brakes!!], and dumb A. I. that leaves all the work to you). Also included are vehicles that are meaningful only with many soldiers fighting the same war, so online play is highly recommended(wich doesn't fix the graphical issues, so the Xbox version is also highly recommended). In any case, rent it so you can laugh about your initial "damn, its cool to kill gungans" reaction.(And sorry about that long intro on the story of Star Wars games on this generation-the PS2 hasn't found it's match yet.)

Metroid Prime - GameCube

A triumph of triumph

Metroid Prime has been victim to the same controversy that couldn't harm The Wind Waker and Mario Sunshine, but it ultimately triumphs a hair above the other two. Even with the first-person view and a risky move to 3D, it retains what made Super Metroid so damn awesome. First of all, Prime is not a shooter nor a combat game. Tallon IV is an inmensely satisfaying planet to explore with vivid and varied enviroments and lots of secrets to discover in the expertly designed terrains of the planet. The first-person view is a welcome addition that couldn't have been better executed, and it comes equipped with a scan visor to help Samus explore the alien planet, and actions like jumping are effortless to execute. And this is why Metroid Prime rocks so much. Although it's not a FPS, the game does everything right concerning the usual genre staples. You'll find yourself loving the combat just as much as the exploration(and yes, that means alot) thanks to your gradually growing strength that feels just as balanced as the level design and all your helpful upgrades. Even though initial impressions from reading this ill-written entry into the user review universe might be that all the attention went to the gameplay balance of Metroid Prime, the sound and visual aspects are just as outstanding. While there are a few unpolished surfaces, the animations, physics, framerate, details, and special effects make our jaws drop while remaining faithful to the Metroid Universe. The sounds are a real treat since the effects have a nice futuristic ding to them but the music really steals the show with new songs and old remixed themes that really immerse you in. And it's all done in MIDI!!! The only bigger compliment I can give is that the game was developed by newcomer Retro Studios. Anything's possible.