Game Review
iDracula Review
by Snake Pliskin on Aug.04, 2009, under Game Review, iPhone
Summary
You are a vampire hunter under constant assault from an endless amount of undead creatures including Dracula himself. You will increase your strength and acquire better weaponry as you slay hoards of bad guys. iDracula offers a small selection of levels and a few different modes of game play that will keep you on the edge of your seat. In the end you will always lose… How long can you hold out?
Control
I found the controls in iDracula to be excellent. Responsive and smooth. I also think this is one of the defining games for the two “analog” control wheels on the iPhone platform. The only thing I think that could use some improving is the controls for changing weapons. If your stronger gun runs out of ammo your weapon drops down to the next available gun that has ammo. If you pickup ammo again for your more powerful weapon, the game does not switch you back. You have to do it yourself or if you actually happen to pick up the same gun then it will automatically switch. As the game progresses it gets harder to move your finger off the controls to tap the weapon selector.
Gameplay
This game will keep you on the edge of your seat. It will also keep you coming back to improve your scores, survival time, and increase your status by collecting the Omens Dracula drops when you send him back to hell. Every so often you will recieve a “perk”. Once you activate a perk it will give you a couple of choices… Increase your health, increase your firing power, ability to block some attacks, and other interesting options. You can even choose to go out with a bang by becoming immortal for 30 seconds. This will let you kill and destroy all that you can but when the 30 seconds are up the game is over.
Game Play Modes
Survival: This was the original mode the game had when it was first released. Run and gun until you die… Activate perks when you receive them.
Super Survival: Same as above but sometimes enemies will drop 1 of 4 special power ups that last for a set amount of time. Rapid Fire, Time Stop, and two others…
Wave: Plays like survival mode except the monsters drop money instead of powerups and when the level is complete you get a break to spend your hard earned dosh with a mystical sales man who will sell you the stuff the monsters drop in survival mode.
Rush: This is insanity at its finest. Select this when you only want to play a quick game. When you start this mode you can choose from 1 of 3 weapons. That weapon will have unlimited ammo. Once you have selected your weapon be prepared to face a shit load of monsters. They come at you and they dont stop. Trust me when I tell you it will be a short game!
Closing
iDracula is one of many excellent games from Chillingo. This game has decent graphics, exciting gameplay, and a decent control scheme to bring it all together. This game is 9/10 Stars and a worthy app to add to your collection!
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Review
by bones22j on Jul.28, 2009, under Game Review, PSP
The battle between good and evil continues in this less than crappy adaption to the smash hit movie Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons. He he. Of course there can’t be a sequel without some twists and turns. Decepticons aren’t the only antagonizer this time as The Fallen return (from God knows where) to claim their universe…or wait…our universe.
Roll Out…
The only rolling I wanted to do the whole time was to take this UMD disc and drive a STEAM ROLLER over it. This games sucks. Let me say that again. This game SUCKS!!! It’s called Transformers BUT YOU CAN’T TRANSFORM!!!
You can pick Autobot missions or Decepticon missions. Each mission is THE EXACT SAME THING! YOU running around with a big gun and shooting hordes of robots until you excel to the end of the mission. Watch the crappy cut scenes and do it all over again until finally, you reach the end of the game where you get to kick the crap out of The Fallen (which is only one guy by the way.)
Each time you select a mission (whether it be Autobot or Decepticon) you are given a choice as to who your character will be. There are some familiars such as Bumble Bee, Optimus, Starscream, and Megatron; and there are some new characters who aren’t worth mentioning. Your main weapon is a gun which you can upgrade throughout the level until it’s just a clutter of lazer beams damaging everything in it’s path, and some bombs. Did I mention that you can’t transform? Yea, I did. There is one level that you get to drive as a transformed vehicle which I believe is Bumble Bee, but that level sucks. Oh yea this whole game sucks.
Movie Adaption Games Must Be Stopped…No Matter the Cost…
Seriously, I give up on buying movie adaption games for PSP. It’s like they don’t even try. EVERY SINGLE MOVIE ADAPTION GAME FOR THE PSP SUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKSSSSS!!! Harry Potter, Wolverine, Transformers etc. I happen to know for a fact that the PS3 has great movie adaption games. Why can’t the PSP? Why?
Ok let me get to the graphics and sound….Graphics=suck. Sound=sucks. Fun=sucks. I’m sorry to be so drab but this was too much for me. It’s like asking for a motorcycle for Christmas and getting a BMX bike instead. I’m sick of this crap. This game gets a third of a quarter of a third of a star out of five for me. DON’T BOTHER!!! The only good thing about this game is when you beat it you get some old Transformers episodes to watch from the G1 era. That’s all folks.
I can’t even find any cheats or codes for this piece of crap.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Review
by bones22j on Jul.13, 2009, under Game Review, PSP
Our favorite wizards are back for their sixth year at Hogwarts School of WitchCraft and Wizardry. In this installment Professor Dumbledoor needs Harry to learn more about Lord Voldemorts (a.k.a. Tom Riddle) past in order to find out where he hid his soul, which has been split into seven pieces called Horcruxe’s. Harry must travel through Hogwarts and many other destinations dueling it out with students and Death Eaters alike while continuing his education at school and various other academic obligations. As always there is new characters to add to the mix such as Professor Slughorn, who is Harry’s potions teacher and source of information about Lord Voldemorts past.
But I Am the Chosen One…
Patience is a virtue in this chapter of the Harry Potter saga because there is a lot of running around to be done. For instance, you are assigned missions throughout the game given to you by teachers, students, and various other people. As you run throughout the castle you are given clues by students and teachers of where you should be headed. The only problem is that once you’ve made it to the person or place you were told to go, a bunch of other tasks are added to the list. It gets a bit predictable once you go through it enough times. There are also little mini games throughout the game you can play for fun, and to earn items to trade for other items and so forth.
Quiddich is here…and it sucks. I was so exited to play Quiddich when I first started playing this game, but boy was I disapointed. It’s just an aerial view of the Quiddich stadium, and the players look like little Matchbox cars floating aimlessly into one another. I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on the first time I played it because I was in shock of how bad it looked. Get the ball, dodge your opponent, get to the goal, and throw the ball in. Repeat until you win and voila, you’ve just won Quiddich. They could have made this part of the game on the old Super Nintendo. I’m talkin 16 bit graphics man, and controlling your player is a royal pain in the arse.
Speaking of Controls and Graphics…
I’ve haven’t been looking forward to doing this review because I’m a Harry Potter fan, and this game just gives it a bad name. The graphics just don’t look good. Harry’s head is too big and everything just looks too cartoony. I haven’t really come to expect much from the Harry Potter Game series because I’ve played all the other games and they weren’t that great. Basically what I’m trying to say is that this games suckyness comes as no big surprise. The graphics look like crap and the controls are a mess. You can only cast spells on books, plants, spider webs and stupid little things which is just plain lame. Even the Order of the Pheonix’s spell casting style and options were better.
The only good things about this game is the dueling sequences and the music, and I guess the mini games too. Obviously the music was straight out of the movie so they couldn’t have messed that up too much. The dueling is (just a little) fun because you get to shoot someone with your wand, but even this blows because you just stand there while you shoot and block…shoot and block…shoot and block. The spells take an hour to get to your opponent and they go down way too easy. The mini games are a mix between bowling and pool, mixed with a little pin ball. Some of the games are reminiscent of the old “remember the card and find the ones that match” games which I always had fun with, but all in all I would have to say to skip out on this one unless your a straight up die hard fan. I give it a 2 out of 5 stars.
No cheats yet.
Trailer
Marvel Nemesis: Rise Of The Imperfects
by bones22j on Jun.11, 2009, under Game Review, PSP
A fighting style game with all your favorite Mavel heros, Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects allows to kick the crap outta your least favorite characters with your favorite ones. Use your characters special abilities to conquer and defeat those who stand in your way(but use it sparingly because it has to recharge after a certain amount of usage.) A 3D fighting arena with Marvel Super Heros is baaaaaad news.
What the…
Start your game with only two available characters? What the hell is this crap? Johnny Ohm and The Thing are the only two characters you are allowed to use until you unlock all the others. Let me just tell you how grueling it is just to unlock other players. You have to beat a campaign mode of ten challengers in a best out of 3 round match just to unlock 1 or 2 new characters. This can take a long time so knowing me, I just looked up to see if there were any cheats to make this less of a pain in the butt. Well the answer is a big fat NO! You have to play the campaign (and beat it with every player) until you win. That’s it in a nutshell.
On the bright side, after defeating each character you get to select a card that gives you a limited amount of extra energy, or lets your powers recharge faster, or extra strength etc. There is also online game play for the competitive type. It can be fun but it gets awfully repetitive after you have been playing for a while.
Hows It Look and Sound?
The graphics are “eh” and the music is “eh..er.” The gameplay and controls are a hastle sometimes and only allow two control setup options (I hate games that do that.) I can’t really say too many things about this game. To make a fighting game with Marvel characters sounds awsome but it doesn’t deliver like you might hope (or at least like I would’ve hoped.) I’m gonna give this game a 2 1/2 outta 5 star rating. It’s just not that fun.
For some tips and tricks go to http://cheats.ign.com/ob2/068/681/681937.html
Spiderman 2
by bones22j on Jun.11, 2009, under Game Review, PSP
Peter Parker a.k.a. Spiderman is tossed into another villainous situation where friends become mortal enemies, and college professors turn into…well Doc Ock in a game adaption of the ever popular movie Spiderman 2. Play throughout warehouses and museums fighting thugs and rescuing civilians until finally meeting some expected and unexpected bosses. The game follows most of the movies story, but for extra fun (I guess) they decided to throw in a couple of added bonuses such as Shocker and a couple others I won’t mention for those who haven’t played it yet.
Do What Ever a Spider Can Do…With Limits
This isn’t exactly a free roaming game, but it is, but it ain’t, but still it is kinda. Those of you who have played The Spectacular SpiderMan for the PS2 shouldn’t be expecting the same thing with the movie adaption games. I thought I was in for another go at New York City when and where I wanted, but this game is based more on missions and such. There are a few levels where you get to swing around, but it’s during a mission and you don’t get to explore much (unless you sneak away somehow.)
If you have seen the movie, then you pretty much know what to expect for the storyline. They did add a few things to spice it up, but nothing too amazing. Actually the added things can be a bit annoying. For the most part you can assume that your playing a souped up version of the actual movie.
And?…
The graphics are what you would expect in gameplay, but the cut scenes look great. The music is just average with the heavy metal guitars at boss fights (you know what I’m talking about.) They tried to get the animation to fit the movies sequences to a tee in some scenes, and they did a pretty good job. As far as game play and controls are concerned, you have no worries there. The only thing that is a little bothersome is when you climb a wall and the camera goes crazy and you can’t figure out which direction you going. Also when your swinging webstyle it can be a little confusing at first.
All in all I’d say it’s a pretty good game. If your a fan of the series you might as well grab this one to add to your collection. Don’t let the box and the commercials fool you though, this might not be what your expecting in a SpiderMan game but it’ll probably do the trick for ya. 3 1/2 stars outta 5 for me.
Trailer
Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters
by bones22j on Jun.10, 2009, under Game Review, PSP
Join Ratchet and Clank on a hand held adventure through the universe. Access Ratchets arsenol of weapons to blow up your targets to bits with the biggest and most rediculous weapons available. Isn’t that what the games all about anyway, blowin stuff up? I mean come on, how does he even carry all those weapons at once huh? Can somebody explain that to me? Please?
Size Don’t Matter, It’s How You Use It….Your Guns That Is
Just like your favorite R&C games for the PS2, this one is all fun all the time. The game pretty much takes place in outer space as you travel from planet to planet killing robots with huge guns…thats pretty much it…but how fun does that sound? As you progress through the game you collect bolts from all the enemies you kill until you can purchase the latest and most expensive blaster available. Some of these guns are so destructive that you can actually send your enemies into a black hole (you gotta play the game to know what I mean.)
Not all the levels require Ratchet to jump around and smack robots with a giant hammer, some levels use Clank as the hero. In certain levels Clank turns into a giant with Ratchet as the passenger. Also there is an arena where you can collect some bolts to make more purchases. Fly around, walk around, even swim your way through the mud in an adventure that is sure to run your PSP battery to no bars.
Graphics, Sound, and Fun
As you may or may not know, I’m a huge fan of fun (that’s sarcasm for those who can’t understand it.) Insomniac knows what the general gamer enjoys and gives you lots of it. The graphics are no less than its PS2 cousins, and the music is on point as well. I’m gonna go ahead and recommend this one to ANYBODY in the world because it’s that good. In fact, I’m gonna go ahead and recommend all the R&C games for every console to everyone in the world. If you don’t like this game or any other R&C games, come see me and we’ll fix ya right up with a nice lobotomy. Need I say more?
For Cheats and Walkthroughs http://cheats.ign.com/ob2/068/824/824315.html
Trailer
Free Running
by bones22j on Jun.10, 2009, under Game Review, PSP
Parkour is the art of fluid motion through an urban evironment (so they say) and you are a tracier…one who practices Parkour. Ahh yes that sounds fun doesn’t it? Well if your interested in jumping off of building onto another, or running against walls and jumping off and all that good stuff then this games for you. If only I had an athletic bone in my body…………..oh well I’ll just stick to video games.
Just Do It:
Select a character and get started on your training as some guy named Sebastien guides you through the steps of Parkour. Learn how to run up walls and jump off while hitting the right button combo upon landing. Actually running up walls is the least of what you’ll get yourself into in this Mirrors Edge wannabe. The only difference between this game and Mirrors Edge is the 3rd person view that you have throughout the game aside from the graphics and fun. After you finish training you are ready to get to the real action. Go through levels with your skills and unlock newer levels.
This game is pretty basic in that you defeat a level and move on to the next, but at your own discresion. The moves arent always easy to pull off because there’s so many button combos you have to remember, but once you have them down and become a real live tracier you’ll start having the limited amount of fun that this game offers. It’s like acrobats, but in the city. As in most games like these you can unlock videos and clothes and such but nothing really special.
Whats the Deal?
Well here’s the deal…I can’t really say that this is a great game because it’s not. I mean, it’s ok but nothing great. The graphics are mediocre and the music is repaticious (meaning all you hear is the tamborine and the urban drum sound throughout the whole game.) The controls are iffy and sometimes pulling off moves is a little tough. If you’ve mastered them then there isn’t much of a problem, but it could take a while.
My honest opinion is if you want a game that claims to be a free roaming game, then get Spiderman or something. I’ve often sat there and wondered why I was playing it, but at times I was happy that I was. It’s just fun to run and jump around and do all the tricks for a while, but then it gets tiresome. I’ll put this game in the rainy day section.
Cheats and Walkthroughs are not yet available for this game.
Trailer
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
by bones22j on Jun.10, 2009, under Game Review, PSP
Enter the wizarding world as Harry Potter himself in a gassed up version of the movie. With Ron and Hermione by your side throughout the entire game, you must complete certain tasks and learn new magic until the final battle with Vuldi himself. To the movie fans, this is good news because this game is very identical to the movie.
The Tri-Wizard Tournament:
Just like the movie, Harry gets chosen to participate in three dangerous tasks known as the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Travel the exterior of Hogwarts and beyond as you work your way up to the final fight with Lord Voldemort. You can also play mini games to earn magic beans which help to increase your abilities. Unlock the three tournaments as you play through the levels and Professor Moodys challenges.
The three tournament tasks are way fun. In the first one you have to ride your broom in an effort to escape a fire breathing dragon. The second task is an underwater mission in which some of your friends must be rescued from sea creatures. The final task is the maze, but if you have seen the movie then you already know all of this. Finally you get to kick The Dark Lords behind in the graveyard.
I thought this game would be boring, but it proved to be very entertaining and I couldn’t put it down. The first few levels follow no real order so you can play those levels in any way you want, and go back when you want. You have to collect magic shields to progress and some of them are hidden. You must solve little puzzles in order to find some of them which has always been a favorite of mine, but for the most part they are easy to find. The mini games are the type where you must flip a picture and match it with another and so forth so if you don’t feel like playing the real game, you have these to play. A plus to this game is that you get to equip yourself with spells inbetween levels, so if you know what your up against you can plan ahead.
Graphics, Gameplay, Sound, and Fun:
The graphics and sound are ok, but it would have been better if the real actors would do the voices. The response time for spells and the attacks is off by a fraction of a second so you kinda have to think ahead. If you get the controls down and your comfortable with casting spells then your going to have a good time playing this game. The only problem I really had was the response time. If this game had spot on controls, it would be a lot better but all in all it’s still a great game.
I recommend this game to fans and non fans alike. The developers could have really messed this game up if they didn’t try, but it turned out to be a great game. If you missed out on this one and you like the series, go out and pick up a used copy. You won’t regret it.
For the walkthrough go Here
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
by bones22j on Jun.10, 2009, under Game Review, PSP
The Rockin 80′s
In the 80′s Miami was the place to be… according to Tony Montana. Ah yes, the hot sun, the hot babes, and the hot car you just stole off a police officer. Nothing can compare to the activities you can get yourself into in a GTA game. Your name is Vic and you just got kicked out of the army for holding drugs to give to a superior officer. We all know you can’t trust a drug dealer, but a drug dealer in Vice City is even worse. In an effort to get rid of you, your superior officer turns you in. Now you have nowhere to turn so you have to resort to violence and corruption to make ends meet. It’s the perfect story line to start out our new GTA adventure.
Its Like That and Thats the Way It Is…
Much like every other GTA game, you find yourself in the middle of a constant war zone consisting of guns, drugs, hookers, and gangs (just to name a few) in an attempt to gain respect and maybe get rich. You know the old saying right? “Same s#@! different day.” Well it’s kind of like that but instead of the word day, we’ll use the word game. Although the GTA series has held true to its roots, there are some stand out differences in this edition. For instance, the cars are from the 80′s. Ummm the girls hair styles are from the uhh 80′s also. Oh and uhh the music is from the 80′s. Who could forget such classics as…..what are the names of those songs again? I forget but I think you get the idea.
There’s a Reason It’s Called Grand Theft Auto Ya Know…
Aside from all the drama that exists in-game, your able to open up your own businesses and try to monopolize the city. OK I guess that could be considered drama too, but when your getting paid it doesn’t matter. Gang wars ensue while trying to keep your head above water and cops patrol the areas looking for trouble. Steal any car you like and go on a killing spree, or play the game and conquer your enemies. You decide.
But How Does It Look, Sound, and Play???
Well, I’m pleased to tell you that the game is up to par with the PS2 versions, and the music is the typical soundtracks from the era the game is from. The control is as good as the PS2 versions also, but the steering is a bit sensitive when driving due to the small size of the analog stick. Other than the sensitivity issue, this game is a must buy for anybody who likes to fantasize about what they would really do if there were no laws. Fans of the series will enjoy this as another istallment to an already rockin game franchise, and for the “never satisfied gamer” this oughta shut’em up.
I was pleased with this game in all its blood soaked glory. The series is becoming a bit like the Madden series with few editions every year, but you can’t deny the amount of fun you have playing it. This is also the first installment on the PSP, so us PSP owners are happy to recruit another game (especially one of this caliber) to our already overflowing library. Go out and get this one.
For cheats and codes go Here
Trailer
God of War: Chains of Olympus
by bones22j on Jun.10, 2009, under Game Review, PSP
Size Matters
Everything in this game is BIG. From the boards to the enemy bosses to the challenges (while engulfed in gore,) your fighting to survive on a mission from the gods to do their bidding. A slave to his masters, Kratos or The Ghost of Sparta must free Helios the sun god from the evil clutches of Morpheus whos obviously not a very nice person. Ride the Sun Chariots of Helios and earn your way through massive beautiful levels as you travel through citys and mountains until finally reaching the dreaded Hades. Earn new spells and gain new attacks with your good ol’ Blades of Chaos or punch through your enemies face when you finally gain access to The Guantlet of Zeus. Many surprise twists and familiar faces await your approval in this story of good gods gone bad vs. the rebel slave.
Graphics and Gameplay:
I was impressed with the amount of story they had in this game. The graphics look just as good if not better than the PS2, and they fit lots of cut scenes in there. The controls are on point and combos are easy to execute and believe me you’ll need it. The only problem I had was how much the game slows down during big fight scenes with a lot of enemies. It can be really frustrating when your surrounded and the games going in slow motion. Other than the slow motion moments I have no complaints and couldn’t put this game down.
Challenges and Extras:
There are four different levels of difficulty: Mortal, Hero, Spartan, and God which is borderline impossible. Play through the different levels of difficulty to unlock certain extras. The extras are o.k. but nothing great. You can earn new outfits to play through the first three difficulties with, but you can’t use anything on God Mode. Let me just say, if you are planning on playing God Mode be ready to pad your walls with pillow or something soft. You wouldn’t wanna break your PSP would you?
Unlock the Challenge of Hades which is a five level bloodbath pretty much. Its challenges consist of one room to dodge duck and weave between the bad guys using only spells, or not getting hit once, or killing everything without running out of time… you get the idea.
You can also unlock all the games movies and image galleries. All in all I’d say this game is worth a buy. If your not satisfied with the normal difficulties or the extras then you could always play it on God Mode. You’ll get your moneys worth because you’ll be playing it until your in your 70′s… because it’s not possible to beat… unless your… a god.
For tips and walkthroughs click http://guides.ign.com/guides/886122/
Trailer