Well kiddies, it’s been a while, I know. Work sucks. However, things in the gaming world are just peachy! The Wii is performing swimmingly, and I even managed to get a good wireless router. The Opera web browser on the console is pretty cool, even in it’s beta stage. Flash enabled, fairly quick surfing, and simple to use. That said, here goes. In today’s post, we’ll be discussing several games - for the Wii, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, and Excite Truck. For the Xbox 360, we have Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, Rainbow Six Vegas, and Star Trek: Legacy.
10/10
Well, screw saving the best for last. I just can’t do it. This game is awesome. Those who have played a few Zelda titles before will feel right at home, while those who are new to the series have some unexpected surprises in store. This latest installment definitely has a more “grown-up” feel. Gone are the cel-shaded graphics of the cartoonish Wind Waker, giving way to more gritty, dark art direction. Without giving away too much, I can tell you that Link is once again on a quest to save Princess Zelda, and of course, the world. This time, he will have to defeat the forces of Twilight and restore light to the land of Hyrule. Along the way, you’ll discover new items like the Clawshot and Zora’s Armor, which will, of course, help you on your journey. The dungeons are innovative and clever, and absolutely huge. If you want a game to really immerse yourself in, this is it.
6/10
I had high hopes for this game. Being one of the only “medical” games on the market, it has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, being basically an overhauled DS game hurt it quite a bit. The story is basic. You’re a rookie doctor, with a bad attitude. All the other doctors are always yelling about how lazy you are. However, after a few surgeries, you start to improve. Anyway, the surgeries are the main focus. While the Wii controls allow for a bit of error, they are never really explained very well during the game, leaving you wondering exactly what to do while your patient bleeds out on the table. All in all, I’m a little disappointed. Let this be a lesson, Nintendo! Don’t port a game to your fancy new machine…build it from the ground up!
8/10
Ahh, nostalgia. When I saw Excite Truck, I immediately thought of that childhood favorite, Excite Bike for the NES. While the two ARE both racing games, that’s where the similarities end. Excite Truck is crazy, furious, 4×4 racing over big tracks with big jumps. Power-ups boost your speed, make you invincible, or even change the terrain. This is great fun, and you can even listen to your own music from an SD card while you race! My only complaint is probably my own fault, in all honesty. The controls are a little hard to get used to. The trucks feel pretty damn squirrely, and sometimes you can’t help but fly headlong into a wall. However, as you unlock more trucks, it gets a little better. But hell, if that’s my only complaint, then it’s not to shabby, eh?
6/10
Yes, I know. Girls in bikinis, playing volleyball. What the hell would make me want to play such a superficial game? Hmmm. Actually, the volleyball is pretty fun. But that’s about it. I played the original on the Xbox, and liked it quite a bit, so I thought the sequel would be a good bet. Nope. This game is confusing. And hard. Did I mention confusing? The volleyball is no longer the main focus of the game. Instead, there are several different activities for your vacation, such as jet-skiing, gambling, or various watersports (not that kind of watersport, pervert). The real bitch about it is, all the acheivements are based on making friends with other girls and collecting swimsuits. I couldn’t even get one achievement after playing this game for two weeks. The girls are all bitches, and picky about what you give them as presents. They all have a favorite color, and if you don’t pick the right one for their present, they dislike you even more than before you tried. Basically, a fun volleyball game, but social interaction of bikini-clad hotties eludes my grasp.
8/10
What’s that you say? Finally, a shooter from the Gunslinger? Yes, yes. Good ol’ Tom Clancy. Bringing us terrorists to shoot for many years now. Rainbow Six: Vegas - the redeemer of a dying franchise. After the last few RS games, I was ready to give it up, but this one has revived my interest. Definitely NOT for beginners, this game is difficult. Not because of things like controls, or confusing story, but because it’s fairly realistic. One good shotgun blast, even from a decent distance, and you’re toast. So it’s nice to have a couple of guys with you, to send into a room full of terrorists, before you head in yourself. And with the Xbox 360 headset, you can actually yell at them to do it. Also good is the multiplayer, where you have a persistent character that levels up and gets better as you play. Sort of an RPG aspect, which is neat. And if you have the Xbox Live Vision camera, you can even put your own face on your avatar. Innovative and refreshing, but frickin hard.
7/10
The last one? OMG! I bet you never thought you’d get here. First off, w00t for Star Trek. This game is very pretty, and the battles (at least in HD) often look just like the show. However, it is plagued by sluggish controls that usually leave you flying around in circles, trying to catch up with enemies that are flying around in circles. As for content, it’s got it. There’s got to be around 30 or so starships to choose from, 4 or 5 different alien species, all with their own ships, and you can have up to 4 ships at your command at one time. But let me tell you. 4 of the best Federation ships are NO match for a single Borg Cube. It’s amazing. Anyway - if you’re a hardcore Trekkie, or just love space games, then sure, pick it up. But if you have very little patience (like me) then just give it a rent.
Well, there you have it, loyal reader. If you actually read every word of that, then you deserve kudos. Of course, I don’t have any kudos to hand out, so go ask someone else! Next time, whenever that is, should be DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, and perhaps Gears of War or F.E.A.R.