User Reviews

All Reviews by rickyraws

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - PS2

Pros Cons
Amazing visuals Not enough content
Awesome audio Unresponsive controls
Engaging story  
Tight controls  
Innovative concepts  
Just plain fun  
Time in an hourglass

An excellent game, the Prince of Persia The Sands of Time brings puzzles, combat, and time-rewinding action to consoles with a very atmospheric and ancient feel to it. This game is genre-defining, with nice detailed environments and characters, and a soundtrack that matches the era that it is in. The game feels very free, as the combat system is very loose, yet satisfying. The puzzles in the game are very smart and fun, and the story is very captivating, and well done. The one feature of the game that truly sets it apart from any other, and brings its uniqueness is the ability to reverse time, and replay sequences in the game. This feature is very helpful, and by the end of the game, you will depend on it so much, that you'll wonder how you could play other games without it. The feature works great both in combat, and exploring; for instance, the frustration is eliminated when you miss a jump, and unexpected traps can be avoided the second time around. The game's uniqueness is what makes it stand out to most other games. Bring up the issue of controlling time to anyone, and they usually make a reference to this game. The environments are vivid, the atmosphere is mysterious, and artistic. The soundtrack fits perfectly with the game overall, and even the song for the end credits is great. The folks at Ubisoft have just given themselves a new company defining game-one that should be experienced by all.

Jak II - PS2

Pros Cons
Amazing visuals Lousy camera/viewpoint
Engaging story  
Intense action  
Addictive gameplay  
Innovative concepts  
Just plain fun  
Badassery done right

The Jak series has started off with a humble little platformer that stole the hearts of many at its release. I'll admit, I had fun with it, but didn't really enjoy it as much as I did Jak 2. Jak has undergone a makeover. This is one that more or less makes him more badass. He has been tortured and experimented on for a year, and this put a dent in his personality. He is meaner than we're used to, stronger, and cooler as well. The visuals are great this time around, and the game has a lot of intense action waiting for who ever dares lift up a controller. The story is very interesting, and there are many missions that you must under go to earn respect, attain information, get new weapons, and eventually, save the world. You can hi jack vehicles that roam the streets, which is very fun, but make sure you are not seen by any of the Crimson guards, or you'll regret it. Jak has been given an array of dark eco powers, and his combating is great, due to the fact that you can use guns to switch up the action, . The guns are cool, and the missions are intense. Some are very difficult, while others are just plain fun. The characters are all very well described, and the plot has many twists and turns. This is a sequel done right. The game is long, and you will visit many different environments, but basically stay close to one central city. The humor in the game is fun, and isn't out of place. The sound is good as well, with nice music and great voice acting. This game is very, very enjoyable, and you will see yourself collecting items, protecting people, commandering machines, infiltrating fortresses, competing in races, and so much more. I think one of the things that make this game truly great is the variety. The game is never boring, and is a magnificent platformer. Occasionally the camera can get stuck/out of place in certain situations, but I'm just nitpicking here, because I can't really find anything wrong with this superb game.

Madden NFL 09 - DS

Pros Cons
Innovative concepts Annoying audio
Fantastic multiplayer Not enough content
  Doesn't live up to expectations
  Braindead computer AI
Another year, another Madden


Another addition to the Madden series is out, and as with tradition, the portable version is released along side its console siblings. Because it's a hand held version, it's safe to say that it's destined to be sub par, right? Nope, not necessarily. Madden NFL 09 for the Nintendo DS is a pretty solid addition to the football simulator series, and though it has many things that keep it from being perfect, it's still an okay choice to choose, if you have some patience, or haven't bought the '08 version.
There are many things fixed from the previous version, Madden NFL 08. There were a lot of glitches and bugs in the other game, and EA has taken the time to fix those problems that plagued the previous installment. However, this does not mean that they also upgraded the game play for the better. No, the game play is still in tact, but what we had hoped for in the 08 in still no where to be found in 09. The title provides a standard Madden experience, but you'd think that with the DS' capabilities, we'd see some touch screen plays, or other things that fans of the DS were wishing for. Touch screen plays are not seen outside of mini games, and the game's AI is not the most realistic. Don't get me wrong though, the folks at EA have taken the time to improve on the computer's behavior during matches, but idiotic AI is still present, though to a lesser extent.
Sometimes when newer versions of game are made, players enjoy them because they retain the good points of their predecessors. You can't blame yourself for expecting a better game sequel when the previous one carried so much promise. I guess that's what may put off a lot of return players; the fact that it does get better, but not by much. The game isn't too much at fault in this case because with a portable game, you just can't expect it to integrate every single player of the sports roster AND add new features than before. But when you bear to mind that the console versions have included new features like the Madden I.Q, and new ways to play, it seems to be a pretty stale effort when this game fails to innovate. All in all, the game play is not bad for a hand held, but it can tend to seem a little stagnant when you start pondering, 'what could have been.' Now it may be apparent by now, the Nintendo DS is not capable of high polygon, cutting edge graphics. The 3D athletes get the job done, and though the menu screens may not be eye candy it's forgivable.
They have also included an all new rec room mode, but it's basically a time waster. What good are mini games when you are engrossed in the rest of the game? Still, the game have about as much features as you'd expect, and while they may not be features you like, you can't fault the developers for wanting to add a little more value for your buck. Problems aside, this game is a fair DS title to pick up.
Now if you're a fan of Madden games, I'd suggest you pick this game up. It's a little better than average, and delivers what it sets out to do: bring the football experience of Madden to you on the go. It's more of the same, so the roster, and modes are really what will pull you into this game if you've played 08. You won't be missing much if you pass this one up, veterans, because it probably doesn't have what you wished they would implement, but, just like the console counterparts, it all depends on how much you like the sport.

Etrian Odyssey - DS

Pros Cons
Awesome audio Poor storytelling
Epic boss fights It's boooring
Addictive gameplay Repetitive gameplay
Old school dungeon crawling at its finest

Gone are the days of old dungeon crawling RPGs (mostly) like Wizardry. They achieved their fun from giving you a wide sense of exploration, and hard difficulty. Etrian Odyssey of the Nintendo DS is a refreshing experience because it is a throwback to the genre, and does a good job of doing this. Be warned, however, that this game is not for everyone. As an old school dungeon crawler, the game has an intense difficulty level that, at times, seems just plain unfair. You will explore a labyrinth and draw your own maps, and write notes without any real,deep story. When you start the game, you register the explorers in your party, and basically try to get as far into the deep dungeon as possible. The combat is good, with characters having the ability to use many skills, and the sprites you fight look detailed. The game is displayed in the first person, as you explore the 3D dungeon, and the characters are well drawn, but don't move or animate. The enemies as well, are basically just pictures that rotate slightly or shake as you attack them. One thing the game does superbly is give you a sense of not knowing what's next to come. Early on, you'll be seeing game over screens as you fight the weakest enemies. This is not exaggeration, but at the same time, this hard difficulty level is what will draw you into the game. There is a lot of customization, suspenseful exploring, and a good map making system. The game takes many many hours to complete, with bonus dungeons and bosses. Etrian Odyssey will punish you in many ways. But that doesn't necessarily hurt the game, because the punishment is half the fun.

Wipeout Pulse - PSP

Pros Cons
Amazing visuals Poor storytelling
Awesome audio  
Intense action  
Addictive gameplay  
Tight controls  
Fantastic multiplayer  
Just plain fun  
The future of racing is here

Wipeout Pure on the PSP was a great title available at around launch that introduced owners of the new hand held how fun the Wipeout series can be. This is not different in the combat racer, Wipeout Pulse. The game brings fast, action packed racing in a futuristic setting to players, and brings the Wipeout series to a speeding acceleration. The game, at first, may be difficult for newcomers. The controls aren't all that hard to get used to, but the tracks and faced paced gameplay can easily leave you eating the enemies' dust. However, it's this same fast paced, hectic and intense racing that stem this game's addictive qualities. The tracks are well designed, and take into account each vehicle's handling, drifting, and acceleration properties. There are many speed classes that only get harder the more you play. The CPU racers can punish you when you're in the lead by shooting deadly weapons at you, like electrocutive attacks, and rocket launchers. You can enter an array of race options from standard races, to standard races with weapons, to time trials, death match, elimination, and a zone mode, which has you playing by yourself, passing through laps at successively higher speed classes. You can change the skins of your ship, and the single player mode has enough races to keep you busy. There is an online mode here, which is fantastic, as you will be blowing up your opponents to high heaven. The sound is good, with futuristic beats, and melodies, and you also have to opportunity to put custom soundtracks into the game. The game does a lot right, and minimal things wrong, so you can't go wrong with it. Wipeoput Pulse on the PSP will have you speeding through the competition on your PSP.