Review: Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3)

Graphics- 9/10
Sound- 9.5/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Replay Value- 9.5/10
Overall- 9.5/10

Resistance: Fall of Man is the must-own game for the Playstation 3. The game features excellent single player and multiplayer, which will keep you entertained for hours. Resistance is currently the best game for the PS3.

Resistance: Fall of Man was one of the launch titles for the PS3, but something sets it apart from the rest: it is actually good. The first thing I did when I played this game was play the single player. The story for the single player is very well done. Also, I noticed how good the graphics are. Since I don't have an HDTV, however, I wasn't able to fully comprehend how good they actually are. But the one thing I did notice is that it is definitely better than the graphics that can be produced on the PS2. In addition to the graphics, the sound is really done well, too. In some levels the background music really sets the tone for that particular level. For example, some moments seem pretty creepy, or others really tense, just because of the background music (or the lack there of). And while it is done in a rather simplistic nature, it creates the atmosphere for the game.

After I completed the single player, I played some cooperative. The lack of online coop is definitely a minus, but it is still more fun to yell at the person you are playing with when you can actually see them rather than over a mic. After a brief time playing coop, I went online. The online is done well, and the stat system is pretty interesting (except for that week when it didn't work...). The modes are all very fun, and the 40-player games are still fun, but are incredibly hectic since every where you turn, there seems to three opponents ready to gun you down. Speaking of guns, the weapons in this game are simply fantastic. The game is made by Insomniac, the developers of the Ratchet and Clank series, known for its interesting weapons. The variety available is incredible, and the weapons are evenly matched for both humans and Chimera (the enemy in the game). Take the human Carbine and the Chimera Bullseye, both the machine gun types for the separate races. The Carbine is more accurate, but the Bullseye has a higher rate of fire. In conclusion, if you have a PS3, get Resistance: Fall of Man. If you are going to get a PS3, get Resistance: Fall of Man. And if you have a PS3, want Resistance: Fall of Man, but cannot get it for whatever reason, sucks for you.

Pros: Great weapon design, good story, online multiplayer.
Cons: PS3 can do better graphics, no online coop.

Review: Eric

Review: Super Mario 64 (N64*)

Graphics- 9.5/10
Sound- 10/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Replay Value- 9.5/10
Overall- 10/10

This game was one of only two launch titles for the N64, and it's a good thing it was because this game helped start the system off because of the buzz it created. All that buzz you hear is true, it is what made future platformers great.

This is the next installment in the Mario series and is the first to make the leap to true 3D. Instead of the side-scrolling Mario games we were used to, this game incorporates many new moves such as wall kicks, long jumps and backwards somersaults. The other thing that was added was cap power-ups. The Wing Cap allows Mario to fly, the Metal Cap makes him immune to most damage and allows him to withstand wind and walk underwater, and the Vanish Cap renders him partially invisible and allows him to walk through some obstacles such as wire mesh. The great thing about this game is the wide selection of levels. There are fifteen main stages in total (25 if the games 10 extra mini-levels are included), and each stage is unique. As for the gameplay, it's rather straight forward. You are in Peach's Castle to defeat Bowser and rescue Peach, but the problem is that the doors that lead to beat Bowser require a certain number of stars to open. In order to get enough stars to open the doors you have to jump through picture frames in the castle that lead to all of the worlds where you can get the stars for various tasks that you complete.

The big problem in this game lies in the camera; it's terrible. It starts off being automatically handled by Lakitu, but you can move it on your own using the C buttons. Even that won't save the camera, though. It still manages to get stuck behind walls and other such objects, which over time can end up really frustrating you. There also is some clipping (getting close to a wall = you can see through it) problems but that didn't bother me a great deal. To this day this game is still a great play, because of it's high replay value. Since you are only required to have seventy stars to beat Bowser, most people beat him then. This means that there are still fifty stars left to get in the game, because once you get all 120 you get to blast to the roof of the Castle and see Yoshi himself. This is the game that you wanted to have when the N64 came out because of it's revolutionary effect on gaming and it will go down in video game history as one of the greatest games ever made.

Pros: Gameplay, high replay value, new moves.
Cons: Camera, minor clipping.

Review: Dan

*Also available for download on VC - Review based on original

Review: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)

Graphics- 10/10
Sound- 9.5/10
Gameplay- 9/10
Replay Value- 10/10
Overall- 9.5/10

Majora's Mask is a great sequel to Ocarina of Time. The graphics are mind-blowing and many of the elements that made Ocarina of Time a smashing success return, along with some improvements. However, the three day format that was used really bothered me and put a restriction on my open ended exploration, which is what makes Zelda games so good.

This game takes on the darkest tone of any Zelda game to date, mainly because the game is played in a continuous three day cycle that leads up to the moon crashing into the land of Termina, which is where the story is set, instead of Hyrule. The Moon is about to crash into the Earth because Skull Kid, while being his mischievous self, stole Majora's Mask and it took control over him, causing him to do many bad things including attempting to make the moon crash. Days pass as fast in this game as they did in Ocarina of Time, which on the surface makes three days appear to short to stop the moon, but once again some nice incorporation of music saves the day. The music is unfortunately not as easy flowing as expected, but still nicely done. The main songs in this game are about time control, whether it be traveling back to the start of the cycle, speeding up time, or slowing it down. The other big part of this game is masks (duh) there are so many masks - from the ones that make you run faster to the one that transform you into a Zora the masks definitely make the game and are nicely incorporated.

The problem with this game is that the three day format ends up putting a major restriction on what you do, and as a result you have to plan what you are going to do in each three day cycle beforehand. If you don't you might be forced to give up something mid-task and return to it later, which as you guessed can really piss you off. The other problem is that you might have to waste a whole cycle on a single sidequest you feel you must complete. As for sidequests, that is the game's strength, due in part simply to the sheer mass of sidequests, however some people might find this distracting. If it weren't for that, this game could top Ocarina of Time. Majora's Mask definitely tops it graphics wise because of what the expansion pack made the N64 capable of. There is so much going on in the game and on the screen at once it's almost unbelievable. The land is also as vast as it was in Ocarina of Time, although not as cleverly mapped out in my mind. Anyways the bottom line is that this game makes a nice sequel and is an excellent purchase for any N64 owner.

Pros: Graphics, good plot, easy controls.
Cons: Three day format, music not as good as expected (almost is).

Review: Dan

Review: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii*)

Graphics- 10/10
Sound- 10/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Replay Value- 9/10
Overall- 10/10

I feel like a dumbass for saying this but - buy this game... God, if you don't own this game well...you're a lost cause. There is a stat out there that says 3 out of 4 people who own a Wii own this game. That means 1 out of 4 Wii owners are, in fact, dumbasses.

Some people will ask if this game is better than Ocarina of Time. While some people will say that it is (and I can understand what they are saying), I think that Ocarina of Time is a better game. All the years of hype and build up, along with countless delays (of course) were well worth it.

When this game started up I was amazed by what the graphics look like, because unlike some people who have reviewed the game, I understand that this game was originally intended for Gamecube only and it was decided at the last second to port it onto the Wii. Which leads me to my other point that on some reviews they will criticize the fact that the uses of the Wiimote feel tacked on...well that's because they are. The controls on this game are very well layed out and done in the same style as Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, which I like a lot. The biggest change on the controls is the items. In Twilight Princess you set three items to the left, right, and down buttons. When you hit the button it switches to the A button for easy use. The overall gameplay starts out kind of slow, but picks up very quickly and it becomes very exciting. The other aspect of this game that I was curios to see and try out was being a wolf, which I heard is a major part of the plot and story. Well, it is a major part and while it seems like it would be hard to incorporate, it's done flawlessly.

The only minor flaw in this game is its replay value. The replay value is pretty high but it's not as good as Ocarina of Time, because after I beat that game I played it again right away (after I stared at the words "The End" for about an hour...I was in awe.) In this game I have played again but I ended up waiting a couple of days before I did. I am far from perfect completion and it will be a while before I get it. The bottom line is this game's replay value is slightly below what I expected, which might have something to do with the fact that this game isn't as earth-shattering as Ocarina of Time was.

Pros: Everything.
Cons: Slightly less replay value than expected.

Review: Dan

*Also available for Gamecube - Review for Wii only.