Some say Earth was created in seven days…

…How many will it take to save it?

The folks at Square Enix aim to creatively answer that question with their new release 0 Day Attack On Earth.  In this un-railed Raiden-esque title, players must defeat a horde of aliens in 3 different major cities around the globe before everything is left in rubble.  At your disposal: a large variety of customizable aircrafts including jets, planes and helicopters; each complete with their own unique strengths, weaknesses and power-ups.

Each level in 0 Day Attack On Earth is represented by a day in which the squid-like, seemingly half-organic half-machine aliens are attempting to take over one of the cities.  In these levels, players will not only have to take out the massive hostiles, but they will have to halt the destruction within a certain amount of time.  Along with the most dangerous of the enemies, which are complete with fire-fuel ammunition and uber-quick tentacles, are slightly small and slightly less hazardous foes.  While these enemies are considerably less treacherous, the loot they drop (in the form of translucent green cubes and balls) can help you regenerate health or gain powerful upgrades for your ship (including shields, heat-seeking missiles and multiple-stream blasts).  Players will have to decide how much time they will dedicate to upgrading their ship and how much they will spend actually trying to clear the level.

Visually, 0 Day Attack On Earth looks pretty dang good.  Similar to Raiden, which this game seems to draw a lot of inspiration, 0 Day Attack On Earth features both 2-demensional backdrops with 3-demensional character models.  However, unlike Raiden, 0 Day Attack On Earth is unrailed and contains fairly large maps (a detail that I loved).  Background settings are vast, but lackluster in aesthetics.  While indeed the background images are 2D, it seems that there was no major effort to make the buildings and parks pop out or look interesting.  Sure, they had a few buildings enter the 3D realm, but it was mostly a miss for me.  Conversely, the enemies look very good in the game with their accompanying tentacle motion, flame-based weaponry and postmortem explosions.   Furthermore, the gameplay in 0 Day Attack On Earth is pleasantly intense at peak moments of chaos.

Another thing that separates 0 Day Attack On Earth from Raiden is the level of camaraderie players will experience.  Instead of a simple two player co-op, 0 Day Attack On Earth players will be able to enjoy a 4 player co-op experience or even two different 8 person versus modes, which include Capture the Flag and Control Point.  Unfortunately, 0 Day Attack On Earth doesn’t have many players, so actually joining a "quick match" is pretty much impossible.  However, if you and a group of friends purchase the game together, getting one of these multiplayer matches started should be no problem.

Also, the camaraderie theme continues within the gameplay.  Certain enemies will attach to your ship during parts of the campaign that one will not be able to save themselves from.  Instead, players will need to rely on their friends shoot off these attached foes and continue the purging of the aliens.  In fact, the camaraderie is pushed so persistently that, when you save a teammate, two voice bubbles pop up from the ships that fall victim and perform the rescue that say "Welcome!" and "Thanks!"

The controls in 0 Day Attack On Earth are heavily focused on the two joysticks on the Xbox 360 controller.  The left stick is used primarily for steering and forward motion while the left stick, when pointed in an outward position, is used a firing control, replacing both of the triggers on the controller which would be the most intuitive for that function.  Needless to say, for those who are not well versed in these controls will have a bit of learning to do.  Luckily, even the most challenge gamers (myself included) will not take much time to adapt to these odd controls.

Blast Factor: Overall, 0 Day Attack On Earth is a solid game.  For the relatively low bar many XBLA titles have set, 0 Day Attack On Earth is one of the good ones.  This Square Enix title brings a classic style back for a reboot and it is quite exciting.  While the multiplayer is ambitious, I was a little disappointed with the inability to actually join a game and try them out.  Given a good enough following, I can see 0 Day Attack On Earth becoming a very good overall game.  However, until we can actually try out some of the multiplayer, were just going to have to be patient.

0 Day Attack on Earth is available on 0 Day Attack on Earth is available on XBox Live Arcade for 1,200 points ($15). A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

With holiday season soon coming to an end, many iPhones will be opened and unwrapped over the course of the next few days.  Keeping that in mind, it’s probably most appropriate to start handing out some recommendations on the hottest and most intriguing apps for the newest bearers of iTech to download.

First on the list is an app that I just found out about called Turf Wars.  This GPS-focused gangster game allows players to not only enjoy the excitement of running their own mob, but to take over their local turf as well.  Nick Baicoianu, CEO of MeanFreePath LLC, was kind enough to take a few minutes during this very busy time of year and talk to me about his creation, Turf Wars.

BLAST: Can you give us a brief description of Turf Wars?

Nick Baicoianu: Turf Wars is a GPS-based Mafia game where the core aspect of the game is to control real world territory AKA "turf" from your iPhone or iPod Touch.  The gameplay is very similar to that of other games in the Mafia genre but the GPS adds several enhancements, not just with the idea that you’re taking over real world turf, but it also leads to a more enhanced economy and adds more to the social gameplay aspect as well.

BLAST: What was the inspiration for Turf Wars?

Nick Baicoianu: I got my iPhone in Feburary of this year and I noticed that there weren’t too many games that took advantage of the GPS feature.  As you know, the GPS feature has been on smartphones for many many years now, especially with the Blackberry and iPhone who’ve done a good job making that available for developers, but there just weren’t many games that took steps beyond just using it for navigation and Google Maps.  So, I thought it would be kind of fun to create an app that incorporates the fun with your GPS location.

BLAST: Incorporating standard features, such as GPS to iPhone games is an interesting way to get the most out of this platform.  Is this something you feel adds significant value to apps and games for the iPhone?

NB: Well, I think the first thing the players say when they compare Turf Wars with other games in the genre is that they love the location-based aspect; they love the idea of controlling their neighborhood, their favorite bar, favorite restaurant and kind of competing with people for that element.  So, yes I do think adding things like GPS does add a lot of value to games of this genre and I’m looking forward to, as this game gains traction, how the general public takes to it as well.

One thing that GPS adds to the game — or one of the side effects of having it, which turns into a pretty interesting gameplay benefit — is that you can have this sort of fake economy where you can own like 300 sports stadiums and only interact with players who are at a certain level, but you can do that with almost all games within the Mafia genre because everyone is playing in one giant universe, whereas with the turf and the GPS aspect, players have to see each other on the map.  So, there’s the whole scarcity of land, scarcity of money and things like that which isn’t available in those other Mafia games.  I found that I typically get bored with those types of games when I’ve made so much money and there’s nothing I can do but buy more stuff that will make me even more money, so I think the GPS feature adds a much deeper dimension to a game of this genre.

BLAST: The stylization of the game is interesting in that it’s fairly basic with the black and off-white colors; almost like a newspaper.  What made you and the developers pursue that route?

NB: The core style that I was going for when we were first storyboarding the app was to aim for a gritty, street-level feel rather than a sort of Godfather-like style.  You can imagine guys like the characters from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels fighting over a local block but you can’t imagine Sonny Corleone running down the street to claim the nearby restaurant.  We thought that a sort of grittier feel would reflect those who are playing the game and just getting started in their illustrious crime careers, so to speak.

BLAST: Version 1.1 was released a little over a month and a half ago.  What issues were resolved and features added with this update?

NB: Well, the core features that we added were primarily map related.  We improved the maps so that if there were turfs that were really small, as in they were just built, they would show up as pins; things like that which would make turf easier to locate on a map, as well as a couple of navigation improvements.  We also more tightly integrated the map with the other parts of the app, so if you were on somebody’s turf you could click over to the map and see that turf and where it was in context to the broader map.

BLAST: Are there any features you’re looking to add in the future?

NB: Well, we get a lot of feedback from our users and they’ve got a lot of good ideas, so we’ve got a few ideas in the pipeline.  Some of the more important ones would be like adding some more social features and were even considering an alliance feature where players can team up and get more involved and add a bit more depth to the game in terms of the combat and social intrigue.  For instance, two guys who wouldn’t be able to beat the local capo very easily could team up and try and take him out.  I’m really excited about the features because this is something that hasn’t been done in any of the Mafia genre games to date.  I think they’re going to add a lot to the game.

BLAST: The forums are a nice approach to get direct feedback from your customers and patrons.  Have you found this to be an effective way to communicate with the Turf Wars community?

NB: I would say that the forums have been very helpful.  The forums were actually a feature that was requested a lot by users in the beginning.  We liked it because it gives us a way of communicating directly with the community by making important announcements.  It also gives players a sort of way to interact with each other in order to put a face to a name, so to speak.  They can recruit for their mob, take down a local guy and offer each other tips and help on certain aspects of the game.  So, overall I think it’s been a very successful feature for us so far.

BLAST: What about MeanFreePath, the company that has designed Turf Wars?  Can you tell me a little about your firm?

NB: We’re a relatively new firm; we basically started when we released Turf Wars, which is our first release on the iPhone platform.  Our firm is basically me and a couple young guys — a developer and a designer — and we’re basically focusing on the iPhone platform as well as other smartphone platforms in the GPS aspect.  I think, in general, I think this genre is in its infancy and there are a lot of interesting ideas that have been thrown around that could lead to a long series of games.

BLAST: How does MeanFreePath feel about the potential of the iPhone as a platform?  Do you see it as a legitimate gaming device?

NB: Absolutely.  I think that it’s a platform that is very much in its infancy.  Although there are a lot of developers for portable devices such as the PSP, there is going to be a learning curve to get familiar with Objective C and other things like that.  But, I think that as you get more developers who are more familiar with the platform, I think you’re going to see an increase in not just the number but the production value of the games.  I also believe that the GPS capabilities are one major advantage that the iPhone and iPod Touch have over the existing portable platforms.

Even though GPS-focused games are still very rare, you’re already seeing a lot of gaming websites that focus on local leaderboards that are dealing with games that have nothing to do with GPS.  So, I think with all of that attention, I feel that GPS for the iPhone, the Android and smartphones will become a more valuable feature for the gaming aspect.

BLAST: Are there are any new or upcoming developments or projects you guys are working on or excited about?

NB: I don’t think we can talk too much about upcoming projects, but I do feel that the feature I mentioned earlier — the alliance feature — is something I’m very excited about.  I think that it’s something that hasn’t been done before in this Mafia genre and I can’t wait to see how it pans out.  I think it will be a very positive development.

It’s rainbow time! Rainbow Islands, one of the world’s most underrated platformers, has now made its way to the Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live Arcade. For those who are unaware, Rainbow Islands is a sequel to the immensely popular Bubble Bobble, which was initially released in 1987 for the original Nintendo Entertainment System, among many other platforms.  Though I would be hard-pressed to say that Rainbow Islands is cuter than Bubble Bobble, this Taito Corporation title gives everyone its share of warm-and-fuzzies.  Hell, even the rating is cute: E for Everyone due to “Comic Mischief”.

The basic premise of the XBLA release, Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!, is similar to the original in that you must make your character climb as high as he can to escape the sinking city within a certain amount of time.  Using magical powers to create rainbows, players will be able to jump higher and higher, while also attacking dangerous enemies (such as caterpillars, mini-tanks and giant blue bees!) in the process.

The gameplay for Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is incredibly simple: pressing the B-button makes your character jump and the A-button makes your character shoot out a rainbow.  While it isn’t the most fluid gameplay, with a title that is based on clearing stages in limited time allowances, simple controls are more than welcome.

What I really like about Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is the fact that your character has no life meter, which has been replaced with a timer.  This timer counts down for every second spent enjoying the rainbow-ey goodness; when the timer runs out, the game is over.  Instead of losing life, being attacked by enemies results in a subtraction of time.  Likewise, when a player defeats an enemy, their character can collect not health, but more time.  I thought this was a very fun and imaginative way to make a game finite without bringing the whole life-and-death scenario into play.

Another somewhat unique thing about Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is the fact that the rainbow magic can be used as both a climbing tool and a weapon against the evildoers that have overrun the town.  This becomes especially helpful when a platform you are jumping to is a bit out of your jumping range as you can just shoot a rainbow, use it as a stepping stool and be on your merry way.  Advantageously timed rainbows will allow players to jump higher, get rid of enemies and let your character collect the bonuses your fallen foes have dropped.

Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is also full of entertaining game modes as well, complete with Story, Challenge, Time Attack and Xbox Live Match modes.  In Story mode, players take control of Bub and Bob, whom were also the protagonists in previous games.  Bub and Bob must escape the city before the evil Dr. Crescent submerges it compeletely.  Bub and Bob will be able to collect gems throughout the game that will help them do a super move that can combat Dr. Crescent and his large destructive ship.  This mode can be played in single player and two-player cooperative styles.  In Challenge mode, players simply try to get as high as they can with a set number of lives, while Time Attack mode tests players’ speed by seeing how quickly they can complete a stage.  In Xbox Live Match mode, players race against other Xbox Live users on certain levels.

In the Challenge and Time Attack modes, players can actually use their Xbox Live avatars to take part in the action.  Unfortunately, those are the only modes that this feature is available in.  One could imagine that letting Xbox Live users incorporate their avatars would increase the entertainment value of both Rainbow Islands and the avatars themselves, but obviously the developers seemed to go in a different direction.  To many, this will seem like a pretty simple idea that was just not capitalized on for whatever reason.

In terms of aesthetics, this game brings as many colorful graphics as you would expect from an old school Japanese platformer inspired by rainbows.  At first look, players may confuse this title with one of the Sonic games for Sega Genesis as they seem to be designed with very similar graphics and stylization.  Each of the levels has many different shades and tones of pastels, while the enemies look like cute and colorful toys in lieu of anything threatening.  I wouldn’t consider this a negative, however, as I think most of use fell in love with Bubble Bobble for more than its gameplay.

Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! implements what many gamers have referred to as "2.5D" graphics, which is a sort of blend between the 2D and 3D styles.  Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is a good example of this because of the use of 2D scrolling environments and 3D character models.  Though I think 2.5D is a good strategy, especially for updating older games like Rainbow Islands, I thought the stylization of this title was a bit lackluster.  I’ve seen many iPhone adaptations of old games that make Rainbow Island: Towering Adventure!’s graphics pale in comparison.  For a system like the Xbox 360, I think the look of this game could have been stepped up at least one or two notches.

Blast Factor: Overall, Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure is as cute a game as you’ll find in the Xbox Live Arcade.  However, with flaws in the aesthetics, gameplay and general development of the game, it’s hardly the best value one can find.  For fans of the original, coughing up 800 points (about $10) will probably not sound too bad.  For everyone else, it’s probably not worth it.

Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is available for 800 Microsoft Points on the Xbox Live Arcade. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

It’s funny how similarly movies and video games can evaluated; both can be judged based on action, suspense, storyline, acting and, most of all entertainment level. Yet, when it comes to the creation of sequels, films consistently get worse and worse as the try to build on the residual plot, while video games seem to only get better.

Case and point (at least for the video game side of things): Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Perhaps 2009′s most anticipated game, this Infinity Ward production has only gained hype as the holiday season approaches nearer and for good reason: Modern Warfare was a hit, both in the multiplayer and campaign aspects. However, fans and critics seemed to agree that Infinity Ward would be able to step up their (ahem) game with the second title in the series, even given the seemingly flawless initial release.

And, for the most part they were right. Modern Warfare 2 makes improvements in almost every way. Though covering every new feature and wizbang would be impossible, I do want to focus this review on the three main game modes: Campaign, Multiplayer and Special Ops, a new mode introduced in Modern Warfare 2.

First, lets start with campaign. Infinity Ward made the very wise choice of making Modern Warfare 2 a continuous plot and storyline from the first game, beginning five years after the conclusion of the initial events. Starting with a quick montage filled with video and sound clips from the original release, players will get a quick reminder of the events that took place earlier (though, folks who skipped playing Modern Warfare 1 may be a little lost on the outset of things).

Players take control of multiple soldiers within the campaign (the most memorable of whom is Gary “Roach” Sanderson), while also being whisked away to various exotic settings. Being trained and mentored by high profile NPCs (such as everyone’s favorite Scottish killing machine, Captain MacTavish), the characters in Modern Warfare are quite diverse and offer a wide variety of experiences that players will have to adapt to. Needless to say, Modern Warfare 2 takes care of the goal of making the game challenging and interesting very quickly.

Relative to Modern Warfare 1, the sequel has a much more intense story that goes beyond the standard themes of war, death and ultimate loss. Modern Warfare 2 puts players in the most realistic conflicts and impossible decisions that I’ve seen in a first-person shooter to date. Take, for example, the airport mission. Being enlisted as a undercover agent to befriend the most dangerous terrorist in the world, Vladimir Makarov, players must take part in the most heinous attack I’ve ever witnessed in a video game to preserve your false-identity. This part is so gruesome and powerful that Infinity Ward actually had to make sure to implement a waiver that all players must agree to in order to prevent their customers to get too offended. Given that this waiver is presented when one pops in the game for the first time, players should know right away that they are in for a wild ride.

The campaign continues from the airport mission to follow the events and repercussions that Makarov triggers, letting players contribute to the anti-terrorism actions from around the globe. Though, sadly, you never get to be quite as undercover as when you take part in the airport mission, there are plenty of tense missions, expanded gun repertoire and snow mobile chases that are sure to keep players entertained throughout the entire game. I expect some of the sequences and missions will stick in players’ minds for an unhealthy amount of time.

On the whole, the campaign defines what Modern Warfare 2 is: an intense, incredibly detailed game that is full of weapons and unique features. The story in this title is like nothing I’ve ever seen from a FPS and is clearly superior to the very well made original Modern Warfare campaign in almost every way.

Let’s move onto the bread and butter of Modern Warfare 2, the multiplayer mode. When first writing this review, I just didn’t know where to start due to the incredible amount of features included in this mode. So, instead of mentioning every single one, I’ll just do a brief review of my person favorites and least-favorites.

For the pros of multiplayer, Infinity Ward seemed to do a complete upgrade of everything graphical. From the player models to the environments, Modern Warfare 2 blows its predecessor away in the visual department. I was sure to take notice of the shading and texturing of various obstacles (an area I felt was a bit lacking in the original) and, wouldn’t you know it, the game was completely upgraded. Instead of grey, often boring colors, Modern Warfare 2′s multiplayer levels are full of eye-popping colors from every part of the spectrum. Even the bullet hole that players can put in walls seem to have been revamped; that’s how completely improved the game is visually. I honestly think it is worth it to rent Modern Warfare 2 just to appreciate what was done to visually improve it.

The creators of Modern Warfare must have saw the added replay value of incorporating challenges and upgrades in multiplayer modes because this sequel is full of them. Every gun, sidearm and even perk is linked to a few challenges that players can pursue. Also, instead of having a standard amount of upgrades for every weapon, Infinity Ward was sure to differentiate each gun and weapon class more distinctly by not only adding more upgrades, such as thermal scopes and heart beat monitors, but by also encouraging players to test each upgrade out by linking challenges to them. For instance, I recently completed a challenge that involved me getting a certain amount of kills with the heart beat monitor upgrade. Without that challenge, I may never have had a chance to appreciate or even use this unique upgrade.

After playing Grand Theft Auto IV for the first time, the first thing I said to myself was, “You know what this game needs?  More drugs, violence and storylines!”

Of course, this was clearly an exercise of sarcasm as Grand Theft Auto IV was a perfect representation of how to develop a game.  Yet, it seems that the people at Rockstar went ahead and fulfilled my request anyway with their release of Episodes from Liberty City.

This stand-alone title, available for around $40, allows veterans and new fans of the series to play the add-ons for GTA IV, the critically acclaimed Lost and the Damned and the highly anticipated release of The Ballad of Gay Tony, without actually having to own a copy of the original game.  This set-up is perfect for those who played Grand Theft Auto IV as a rental or just never bothered to download the additional episodes, combined with the drop of The Ballad of Gay Tony and a fair price (costing as much as downloading the two separate add-ons in the Xbox Live Marketplace) make Episodes from Liberty City a very intriguing title heading into the holiday season.

First, let’s briefly go over The Lost and the Damned before we focus on The Ballad of Gay Tony and then review the complete package of Episodes of Liberty City as a whole.  (For our more in-depth review of The Lost and the Damned, check out this link). The Lost and the Damned allows players to take control of Johnny Klebitz, a member of the biker gang called The Lost.  Johnny, vice president of the club, is tasked with spending most of his time fixing the mistakes of the president, Billy, who has been in rehab for narcotics possession for a long while.  Of course, upon the release of Billy from rehab, the club is divided by those who prefer Johnny as their leader and those who prefer Billy.  Now, players must find a way to reunite the club, while also dealing with controlling Billy’s out-of-control behavior, gang wars, jail raids and other craziness.  Like The Ballad of Gay Tony, The Lost of the Damned has plenty of mini games and multiplayer modes unique to the add-on.  By itself, The Lost and the Damned is worth downloading due to its unique story and decent amount of gameplay, but how will it look when combined with another add-on?

The Ballad of Gay Tony is the newest release from the folks at Rockstar, which will be available both in downloadable and hardcopy format as found in Episodes From Liberty City, which we’ve been focusing on in this article.  This add-on has a completely different vibe than the previously described The Lost and the Damned episode, which should not really come as a surprise.  Instead of being centered around the gritty activities and conflicts of a biker gang, The Ballad of Gay Tony focuses on the not-so-glamorous life behind the velvet ropes and glitz of the Liberty City club scene.

Players take control of Luis Lopez, a juvenile delinquent turned club-owner body guard.  Luis is introduced as Gay Tony’s (AKA Tony Price) confidant, muscle and eventual business partner.  Of course, coming from a childhood of crime and mischief, Luis has plenty of profitable and questionable connections and opportunities with his life back home as well.  Throughout the game, Mr. Lopez will have to deal with the struggles of balancing business with family in order to become the biggest success he can be.  Plenty of in-game decisions will have to be made by the player, so be prepared to have to make some moral choices as you try to make it to the top.

The Ballad of Gay Tony begins with a funky intro; the term “funky” meaning filled with 70′s and 80′s style of music, complete with synthesizers and heavy bass slaps…. not strange or odorous.  Anyway, the point is that The Ballad of Gay Tony lets you know right from the start that this episode is not like any other Grand Theft Auto title that you’ve seen.  This installment will be filled with a new level of flamboyancy and classiness that players have only gotten mere tastes of in the previous games.  However, rest assured that there are plenty of drugs, swearing, murders and conflicts in this episode, which will surely keep the GTA purists satisfied to a reasonable extent.

Since the inception of the App Store, customers and skeptics alike have debated whether or not the iPhone could handle serious gaming productions.

There is now confirmation that the iPhone is a legitimate, all thanks to Tarver Games’ new production, Ghosts Attack. This game, which should be released in the coming week, is probably one the deepest and most interesting releases I’ve seen.  From the interface, to the gameplay, to most everything in between, Ghosts Attack is one upcoming iPhone App that I am quite excited for.

To give a short overview of the plot, Ghosts Attack puts you in the middle of a rescue mission to help 13 scientists get rescued after an experiment goes terribly wrong.  Apparently the scientists were trying to invent a teleportation machine in the 1960′s.  Instead, and I think we’ve all ran into this issue from time to time, the scientists accidentally opened a portal to a alternate dimension where they were transported, never to be found.  Now, 40 years later, it is your task to help find these scientists in this dangerous, ghost-filled world.

In the beginning of the game, you are a new recruit in the world of Ghost hunting.  Most of the game’s opening missions are just a tutorial, but they are quite entertaining given what most iPhone games put you through.  You are led by Karl, your mustachioed guide and Torgan Science Rover Technician, who shows you the ropes on how to use your new vehicle.  Using fairly straight-forward missions, awesomely-poor voice acting and some uber-nerdy wit, the tutorial is over before you know it and the game begins.

The controlling scheme is quite intuitive and easy to use.  On the left side of your screen, there is a bar that allows you to change the speed that your Rover will travel with a slight slide of your thumb.  On the right, there is the button to shoot, which helps the destruction of enemy ghosts.  To steer, players must tilt the iPhone in the respective directions.  Getting used to the controlling scheme is going to take some time to master, but experienced gamers should be able to catch on quickly.

One good thing about the game is that the Rover is upgradable, specifically in the firepower and handling of the vehicle.  This adds some customization to an already deep production from Tarver.  Buying these upgrades are a fun way to spend the “credits” that you accumulate during the game.  Credits are earned by distance traveled, items recovered and ghosts killed, letting players have fun not only by spending money, but by making it as well.

Ghosts Attack uses the different functions of the iPhone in ways not even imagined by many other developers to enhance the gameplay.  For instance, with the use of the Google Maps interface, players can take their Rover to any place in the world to combat the Ghosts and recover important objects.  Selecting a region by use of Google Maps will let the game invent new levels for you to roam about, making the potential replay value virtually unlimited.  Ghosts Attack also implements less-common-but-not-previously-unused features such as Facebook Functionality, which will allow you to invite friends to play the game with you, coordinate rendezvous points or leave a package for fellow Ghosts Attack patrons.  Tarver Games’ upcoming title will also incorporate episodic content, which will allow players to download more missions, add-ons and Rover upgrades as the year progresses.  This will be a form of in-game transaction, costing each player about $0.99 per episode.

Ghosts Attack also has a very intriguing storyline.  Though I haven’t played all of the levels, many of which will be released at a later date, the plot develops pretty well for a mobile game.  Karl offers plenty of comic relief while the ghost characters are quite scary.  Let’s put it this way: I laughed, I cried and I cant wait to see what additional twists and turns will be made available as we move through the comings months.

My favorite part of Ghosts Attack was how impressively deep the game was.  Not only was the story good, the graphics tolerable and the gameplay entertaining, but the sheer number of levels was unexpected.  I think that Tarver Games really has something going here.  They have really pushed the bar to which gaming on the iPhone was thought possible.  Though it is a completely different style of game, I almost got a Half-Life vibe from Ghosts Attack.  It’s just that interestinh.

However, this brings me to one of the few negative aspects of Ghosts Attack.  First, I must add a disclaimer that this has nothing to do with the gameplay or in-game controlling schemes (things of which have been know to be very picky about).  No, instead this is more a broad, couldn’t-help-it criticism that should be taken very lightly.  I just wish that Tarver Games could have expanded on this title a little more.  It is already great, don’t get me wrong, but I would’ve liked to see this title go another step forward in development.  I know that Tarver doesn’t have unlimited resources or capital, so it is very hard to put any blame on them for this.  Let’s just hope that this game is a success, so Tarver is swiming in revenue and can kick even more ass with the sequel.  Also (and I’m nitpicking here), some of the loading times for the game were a bit slow.  Hopefully that will be taken care of to a certain exent by the time the public release is live.

Blast Factor: The significant thing about Ghosts Attack is not that it’s the best game that’s ever been made for the iPhone; that’s just not the case.  This title has shown the potential that iPhone has as a gaming platform.  Furthermore, the fact that Ghosts Attack came from a smaller developer like Tarver Games is just icing on the cake.  I cannot wait to see what Tarver brings in the future and, if we’re lucky, what a major developer can do if they sink enough resources into a project for the iPhone.  Ghosts Attack can be picked up for $4.99 at the iTunes App Store, which is a very fair price.  If you’ve got the iCash, I say give this App a shot and let your visions for the future of the iPhone as a gaming platform unfold.

Ghosts Attack will be available exclusively at the App Store for $4.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

Get your drill sharpened and your air supply filled because it is time for Namco’s latest throwback release, Mr. Driller. Yes, the folks at Namco have revived another classic character from games’ past.‚  However, instead of an iconic game like Pac-Man or Galaga, this time’s revitalization is of a lesser character, everyone’s favorite too-excited, slightly flamboyant driller.

For those who don’t know, Mr. Driller stars Susumu Hori, who coincidentally is the son of Taizo Hori of Dig Dug fame.‚  Susumu’s task is much like his fathers, to drill, drill, drill.‚  The further and faster Susumu drills through the multi-colored underground blocks of his domain, the more points he accumulates.‚  However, this task is not without its perilous dangers.‚  The deeper Susumu drills, the higher the chance of unsupported pieces of earth will collapse upon.‚  Worse yet, Susumu can run out of air if he drills too long without getting his supply replenished.

Now that a little background information has been laid out, lets talk game modes.‚  Mr. Driller for the iPhone comes in three modes: Survival mode, Arcade mode, Time Attack.‚  In Survival mode, players drill as deep as they can for as long as they can.‚  Players will have to keep an eye on their air-level meter, however, if they want to survive.‚  Luckily, each level in Survival mode will have air-replenishers, which look like little blue pills, dispersed throughout the drill-scape.‚  Still, even an unlimited amount of air will not protect the younger Hori from the falling rocks”¦

Arcade mode has a more level progression-based type of gamplay.‚  On the initial menu screen for the mode, players can choose whether they would like to play levels are that 500m or 1000m long, depending on if they consider themselves “beginners” or “experts.”‚  It would have been nice to see a less extreme designation for what players consider themselves, if only to let me feel something other than severe modesty or tremendous cockiness.‚  Arcade mode is quite similar to Survival mode in that, both modes are evaluated on the distance they drill while also providing air-refilling pills.‚  However, Arcade mode does have one main distinction from Survival mode: Arcade mode players are able to go through multiple lives before the dreaded Game Over screen is bestowed upon them.‚  This one feature definitely made Arcade mode my favorite of the three.

In Time Attack, time subtraction tokens are scattered on the level instead of air bonuses.‚  This is because players are only evaluated on the time they take to clear a stage, rather than how many points they can accumulate.‚  Time Attack is fun because players can choose which level they would like to play on, making it the most customizable of the modes.

Though the game modes are entertaining, my favorite aspect of Mr. Driller is the high-quality nature of its visuals.‚  The Japanese stylization is fun and colorful, making for a less graphics-intensive gaming experience.‚  This does wonders for battery life and making Mr. Driller one of the iPhone’s most unique looking games.

Still, not all of the aesthetic features of Mr. Driller were satisfactory.‚  Every level design in this game is repetitive.‚  It seems like each level was built nearly identical to one another.‚  Sure, the backdrops change for each stage, but Mr. Driller always works on the same blocks with the same colors.‚  The game is certainly cyclical, but never really boring, which is a nice change when compared to other games of the genre and platform.

Namco also continues to implement my favorite controlling scheme in its games, with Mr. Driller being no different.‚  The use of a virtual arrow pad is key for any game like Mr. Driller, so it makes sense for Namco to maintain that approach.‚  To control Susumu, players need to simply point his drill in the desire direction by pressing down on the corresponding arrow on the pad and then pressing the drill button.‚  That’s it.‚  This is a very easily learned controlling scheme and can be used by even the most novice of iPhone gamers.‚  Namco also continues to offer the Swipe and Accelerometer controlling schemes options, but I’m not sure why.‚  It’s always nice to try and attempt to use the iPhone’s amazing features in your product, but that doesn’t mean one needs to do it.

Finally, Namco decided to add a Facebook connect feature to Mr. Driller.‚  This allows players to post their top scores on their Facebook page while also talking a little trash as well.‚  This will add a whole new level of competition between players and friends.‚  I think this is a great addition and will be key to replay value of the game.

Blast Factor: Mr. Driller is a very fun and addicting game.‚  Though it does lack diversity in its levels, Mr. Driller does have some excellent game modes and visual features to make up for it.‚  At $1.99, it has a great price and a great value.

Namco’s Mr. Driller is available exclusively at the iTunes App Store for $1.99.

Pac-Man is back and he’s hungrier than ever. Yes, everyone’s favorite dot-eating, ghost-munching, maze-navigating yellow sphere has been resurrected by Pac-Man Remix.‚  This iPhone app, brought to you by the now throwback masters at Namco, brings all the excitement of the classic Pac-Man title, while amping up the graphics and adding tons of extra features in the process.

Though it sounds great, there are sometimes mixed results with updates of classic franchises on the iPhone. Pac-Man does hold a special place in my heart though, so I especially wanted to keep an open mind, even if the possibility of a poor controlling interface or unimpressive graphics was still present.

When first launching Pac-Man Remix, I knew I was in for a treat. The splash screen instantly brought me back to my classic Pac-Man days, while the interface gave the game a more modern look.‚  The opening menu lets users know what game modes are available: campaign and free play.‚  Though fairly self-explanatory, I’ll go ahead and describe them anyway.‚  The campaign mode, not surprisingly, is most in line with the classic Pac-Man gameplay.‚  Players go through a sort of Pac-Man adventure island, exploring different and unique maps.‚  When each area of the island is completed, a new region is unlocked and available to be played.

Each region of the island is unique due to the diverse features found in the maps.‚  At one area, maps will resemble (to an extent) the classic, simple maps of the original title.‚  However, a few levels later, one will run into such additions as elevating platforms, acceleration devices and even teleportation pads.‚  Each map also has its own color scheme and design, again dependent on the region in which the player is trying to complete.

Free play mode essentially has the same meaning in all Namco iPhone releases, but it’s always good to touch on because I see it as an important feature.‚  This mode allows players to go back to their favorite levels and experience the fun again.‚  For a game like Pac-Man Remix, with the very diverse levels and mere depth it provides, having a mode like free play can really help the replay value of a game.‚  With so many games that can downloaded for free at the App Store, a game like Pac-Man Remix , which is currently running for $4.99 at the iTunes App Store, will need any additional features it can get to compete with the competition.

Though game modes are great, the majority of Pac-Man Remix’s value comes from the revamped graphics it features.‚  First of all, instead of the flat, pixelized graphics of the past, Pac-Man Remix brings some eye-popping, colorful 3-D visuals to the table.‚  These graphics make what was once a super simple game into a complex and interesting title to play.

Pac-Man Remix also features one of the best controlling interfaces that I’ve seen from Namco as of late.‚  Though it still offers the (dare I say) awful “Flick” controlling system, which requires players to flick their finger across the screen to dictate what direction Pac-Man should go, Pac-Man Remix offers an arrow pad option that is infinitely superior to the other option.‚  The arrow pad resembles what one would find on a keyboard, making it fairly natural to use.

Blast Factor: Overall, Pac-Man Remix is a fun little app for the iPhone.‚  Sure, its not the most innovative thing anyone has ever seen, but it is quite fun and very addicting.‚  For the price ($4.99), it might be a questionable buy for a lot of iPhone gaming enthusiasts, but for fans of Pac-Man and classic games in general, this is probably a must-have title.

Pac-Man Remix is available exclusively in the iTunes App store for $4.99.

Batman didn’t really need to get better.

Already one of the greatest comic book characters of all time, Batman has had a bit of resurgence in the last 5-10 years, accruing massive popularity deriving mostly from the latest installment of cartoons, merchandise and, of course, films.

Still, other than the super-cute Lego Batman game, the Caped Crusader has yet to leave his mark on the video game world, especially in the 21^st century.

Until now.

Say hello to Batman: Arkham Asylum, one of the newest releases from developers Rocksteady Studios and publishers Warner Brothers and Edios Interactive.‚  This multiplatform action adventure title has had a lot of hype surrounding it leading up to its release in late August.‚  So, the big question about Arkham Asylum wasn’t if the game was going to be highly anticipated, but rather if it could live up the excitement.

Having getting a chance to demo it at Comic-Con this year, I felt the heat that Arkham Asylum was generating even with the most casual of batman fans.‚  Yes, even I decided to join the Arkham hype-machine with my hands-on preview, hoping and praying that somehow this major release from a small, independent developer could live up to all I had come to expect from it.

Would Arkham be that great title everyone has been craving or would it end up being just another over-hyped letdown?‚  I guess you’ll have to read through and find out”¦

What would any video game review be without a short overview of the plot?‚  Batman: Arkham Asylum takes place on — wouldn’t you know it? “" Arkham Island.‚  This island is home to Gotham City’s most famous maximum-security correction facilities where Batman has recently delivered the Joker.‚  Though he is being processed and surrounded by many security guards, the Joker’s actions still seem suspicious to Batman.‚  Unfortunately for the Dark Knight, everyone’s worst fears are confirmed when the Joker escapes the clutches of the Arkham security personnel and creates total chaos.‚  It is up to players to use Batman’s strength, tools and allies to stop the Joker and his plans to destroy Gotham City.

The very first thing one notices when playing Arkham Asylum is its very effective cinematic approach to the game’s cut-scenes.‚  Driven by Mark Hamill’s incredible vocal portrayal of the Joker, Arkham Asylum really set a new standard when it comes to incorporating quality voice acting in games.‚  The dialogue was well written for every one of the characters and the visual aspects found a perfect blend between comic book stylization and realism. ‚ Furthermore, the in-game music for both the cinematic and action portions of the game coupled well with Arkham’s tremendous thespian endowment.

However, though most of the verbal talent was quite impressive, some of the most dry and uninteresting acting came from Batman himself.‚  Whether this is tribute to Batman’s stoic nature or just more proof that the Caped Crusader’s enemies are just much more interesting and complex than he, I wish we could’ve gotten a little more out of the protagonist’s lines.‚  Still, no one should be surprised if Arkham Asylum is used as a prime example of how effective direction and acting can help a great game become legendary.

Arkham Asylum did not only look good, but it felt good too.‚  Running on Unreal Engine 3.5, this title ran smoothly and beautifully.‚  Like many games that use the engine, Arkham Asylum has many characters that have an “epic” look to them.‚  That is, many of the character models are large, muscular and overall physically fit.‚  With this in mind, the folks at Rocksteady made a great choice with the Unreal Engine.‚  As I discussed in my preview for Batman: Arkham Asylum, Sefton Hill, director at Rocksteady games, told me that the developers wanted to make sure Batman looked and played like he was someone who was in chief physical condition.‚  Batman’s (as well as other character’s) sturdy, brawny build went well with the graphics engine without looking too over-the-top in terms of physique.

Batman would need to use all of that strength of his if he wanted to survive the high-intensity third-person gameplay that Arkham Asylum features.‚  Most of the combat involved an easy, free-flowing hand-to-hand fighting style.‚  With an Xbox 360 controller, a few taps of the X button would string together impressive and dynamic bone-breaking combat combinations that could be effective against many enemies at once.‚  When one of the Joker’s thugs is about to strike (as evident by attention-grabbing stripes protruding from said thug’s head), pressing Y will perform a jaw-dropping counter-attack, which can also be used in massive fighting combos.‚  When armed foes arrive, pressing B will make Batman spin his cape, disorienting anyone in range, turning potentially dangerous enemies into exposed and vulnerable beings.

However, though it can play like one, Batman: Arkham Asylum is not your simple brawler.‚  In fact, it is more of a stealth game (albeit a VERY aggressive stealth) than a fighter.‚  Being the world’s greatest detective, Batman has to do a significant amount of snooping and sleuthing during the game’s campaign.‚  This is where Detective Mode comes in handy.‚  This mode, toggled by the LB on 360 controllers, accentuates key details in environments necessary to solve puzzles, find clues and identify proper courses of action.‚  For instance, say you want to determine how to attack a group of enemies in the next room.‚  Simply activate detective mode to see where the thugs are, how many of them have weapons and even how scared they are (based on BPM).‚  This information will be key in determining how and when to attack.

Detective mode also comes in handy when following or tracking NPCs and completing the Riddler’s numerous and very addicting challenges.‚  Batman also has many tools at his disposal, progressively adding more and more to his repertoire throughout the game.‚  Look forward to using Batarangs, Batclaws and Explosive Gels to your advantage.

Finally, no review of Arkham Asylum would be complete without an overview of the extra goodies that are in the game.‚  First, Batman: Arkham Asylum rewards players who complete tasks and find clues with Character Bios.‚  These bios give each gamer deeper insight into the Batman Universe.‚  Each bio includes background stories and physical details of each enemy, friend and family member of Batman identified throughout the game.‚  This is a great way to get hardcore Batman fans and newcomers involved in the same game.‚  Also, players can find recorded audiotapes of therapy sessions and interviews from supervillians like Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and even the Joker himself.‚  Again, this is just another way to add depth and intrigue to an already interesting game.

While all the previously mentioned features were very entertaining, Arkham Asylum is not without flaws.‚  There are two main problem areas that come to mind: Boss Battles and Riddler Challenges.‚  Both of these aspects were both fairly lackluster in my very humble opinion.‚  Though the boss battles were challenging, they often got repetitive and came to unspectacular conclusions.‚  Similarly, the Riddler’s challenges were solid, but also become more tedious than entertaining at times.‚  I would have been more satisfied with my experience if my reward involved more than a few gamer points and a sense of achievement.

Blast Factor: Still, all things considered, Batman: Arkham Asylum is probably the best game of the year so far.‚  In fact, I think it would be fair to say that Arkham may be one of the best 5-10 games you can get for Xbox 360 and possibly the PS3, as well.‚  It is beautiful, addicting and, most of all, very fun. ‚ It is not often that a ultra-hyped game can truly live up to the excitement that surrounds it, but Arkham really broke from the mold here.‚  Batman: Arkham Asylum is a title that every gamer should own and, coming from an independent developer in Rocksteady Studios, it’s a title that every gamer can feel good about owning.‚  I’m glad to give Arkham Asylum the highest grade I’ve ever bestowed on a game.‚  Go buy this one ASAP.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is available for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 for a suggested retail of $59.99

Time can be a fickle beast.

Luckily, Activition will soon allow you to manipulate it.

Coming in Spring 2010, a game called Singularity will drop for Xbox 360.‚  This time-traveling first-person shooter has some hype around it. ‚ Still, I was able to get my hands on Singularity during Comic-Con 2009 and I was quite impressed with what glimpse that Activision had to offer.

Let’s start with a little plot overview.‚  Singularity takes place in Katorga-12, a small island that passing backwards and forwards through time thanks to the finding of an element called E-99.‚  Players take control of an Air Force pilot of has crash-landed on this isle-in-limbo and are tasked with the need to solve the mysteries of the experiments and discoveries made on Katorga-12.‚  There always seems like time-traveling games have interestingly written scripts.‚  Singularity seemed like its following suit beautifully.

The unique draw to Singularity is that, beyond the use of your basic first-person shooter firearms, this title makes use of another tool called the Time Manipulation Device, or TMD.‚  The TMD allows the main character to “use time as a weapon” as the folks at Activision put it.‚  Players can use this TMD to rapidly alter the age of certain objects in the environment in order to make a situation more advantageous.‚  For instance, if a staircase has rotted and fallen apart but you’d still like to get to the next floor of the building, just use the TMD to restore the stairs to their former state and walk right up.

My first hands-on experience with Singularity was quite enjoyable.‚  From the beginning, I loved the feel and look of this first-person shooter.‚  To describe the gameplay, I’d have to say that Singularity is a mix between FEAR and Bioshock (with perhaps a dash of Portal mixed in as well).‚  The overall scheme of the graphics was definitely similar to FEAR, while the dark and mysterious look of things (not to mention the fact that players use their enhanced hands as a main weapon) reminded me of Bioshock.‚  Singularity also resembles both FEAR and Bioshock in its use of ghost-based flashbacks and creative problem solving requirements.‚  The Portal comp comes from Singularity’s use of a dual-function weapon in the TMD.

The best part of Singularity (during my brief exposure to it) was the many different ways players could fight enemies.‚  The first way is not very surprising: via the use of a gun.‚  Most enemies can be taken down with a few bullets to the head.‚  However, I quickly realized during my demo that ammunition comes at a premium in this game, making complete reliance on guns impossible.

The second and third methods of combat are much more entertaining than the first.‚  Remember that handy TMD I mentioned a little earlier?‚  Yeah, well that gizmo also has the capability to mimic what Star Wars fans would call Force Push.‚  Basically, players can use this function if a group of enemies are charging you and don’t seem worthy of your precious ammunition.‚  A simple toggle of a button will quickly incapacitate that once extremely hostile group of enemies.

Finally, players can also use the TMD to either age or un-age objects to create cover.‚  Say you see a giant partially destroyed pipe on the ground while you’re facing heavy enemy fire.‚  Just point the TMD, press a button and “" Presto! “" you’ve brought that pipe back to its former luster.‚  It’s now a convenient piece of concrete cover.‚  This diversity in the combat aspect really meshes well with the similar mixture seen in the problem solving portions of the game, making me more and more interested in what else Singularity has to offer.

Overall, Singularity seems like it’s going to be a pretty good game.‚  It’s been a little while that I’ve been this excited over the storytelling potential of a FPS.‚  Time manipulation is a hard concept to implement into a game, but the fine people at Activision may be on to something here.‚  At worst, I see Singularity being a rentable game.‚  At best, I see one of the must-have titles of 2010.

Grab your flashlight because it’s almost time to visit Silent Hill again.

Yes, Konami Digital Entertainment, creators of the original Silent Hill, is looking to have players return to that dreadful place in the upcoming Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

Due out in October, Shattered Memories will be a reimagining of the first Silent Hill.‚  With this in mind, though some general aspects of the game may seem familiar (man looking for his daughter in a mysterious town, etc), Shattered Memories should play like a completely different experience thanks to its development for the Wii console.

Helping nurture this “completely different experience” was the developers’ idea to customize each game for every player.‚  This is accomplished through a number of in-game mediums.‚  The first method used is a psychological survey in which a series of questions are asked about the player.‚  These questions can as impersonal as how easily the player makes friends, to something as forward as how much does the player enjoy role-playing during sex.‚  Each question plays a role in how the game plays out later.‚  For instance, when the player is asked if they have ever cheated on a partner and says “yes”, the game will feature more provocative clothing on some characters (ex: the female police officer will show more cleavage, etc).‚  When taking this survey during an exclusive demo in Konami’s offsite event at Comic-Con, I felt like it could have been legitimate.‚  Though it was short in length, the survey seemed to be personal enough to be a psychological analysis, but distanced enough to be tolerable in a mature video game.

The Shattered Memories gameplay also helps further customize a player’s experience.‚  Using the Wii Remote to control the flashlight, the in-game computer monitors how often a player will stop to admire certain paintings or points of interest in the environment.‚  The game will also keep track of how quickly or tentatively a player will “peek” through a doorway before entering a room.‚  All of these aspects (and possibly more that we don’t even know about) will be constantly watched by the game, making every play and replay of Shattered Memories unique.‚  Sadly, however, my demo was too short to be able to appreciate most of the customization features that were in store for me.

What’s great about Shattered Memories’s gamplay (besides the fact that it is constantly monitored), is the fact that it really helps promote the overall creepy feel to the game.‚  Developed as a third-person adventure game, Shattered Memories really captures the loneliness of the main character.‚  Armed with nothing but my (lack of wit) and a flashlight, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness during my entire hands-on experience.‚  Also, as mentioned in an earlier paragraph, players must “peek” through every door they want to enter to check if the room is safe.‚  Gamers will have the choice of either slowly opening each door to prevent unnecessary attacks, recklessly entering every room with little regard for their safety, or doing something in-between.‚  This peeking feature was especially affective with me because I take a very conservative approach when it comes to these types of games.‚  Well played, Konami.

Shattered Memories gameplay is also fairly simple.‚  Walking around is as simple as moving the joystick on the Wii Nunchuk, while shining the flashlight, as mentioned earlier, requires players to point the Wiimote at the screen.‚  With the simplicity of the controls and sophistication of the Wii’s technology, making a Silent Hill game for Nintendo’s current console seems like a no-brainer now.‚  Again, well played.

Overall, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories looks like it’s going to be a pretty solid game.‚  The gameplay was fun, the customization is fantastic and the title is a perfecft fit for the Wii.‚  Though I wasn’t able to enjoy all of the customization that Shattered Memories had to offer during my demo at Comic-Con, the details the devs gave me and the excitement they showed make me a believer of this feature.‚  I know how much fun the Wii can be, but now I’m excited to see how thoroughly it can scare the crap out of me with the release of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, dropping this fall.

Batman is back and he’s better than ever.

Thanks to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Edios Inc. and Rocksteady Studios, the next major release featuring the Dark Knight may be 2009′s next big hit.

The game, called Batman: Arkham Asylum, will be a third-person action adventure title due to drop on August 25.‚  With all of the hype surrounding Arkham Asylum, it’s no surprise that Blast Magazine wanted to get a closer look at the highly anticipated game.‚  With an exclusive sneak peak at Comic-Con and some additional hands-on time with the recently released demo, we at Blast have the inside scoop on what to expect from the upcoming title.

Batman: Arkham Asylum takes place at Gotham City’s high-security center for the criminally insane, where Batman has just returned the Joker to be imprisoned once again.‚  Batman’s suspicions rise when he starts to realize that the Joker was captured with little resistance.‚  The Dark Knight’s worst fears are confirmed when the Joker escapes from the clutches of Arkham’s security guards.‚  Batman’s green-haired foe reveals he is now running the facility with all of his villainous pals. It’s now up to the Caped Crusader’s save the facility and its employees from total devastation.

As with any comic book-inspired game, the first aspect I look at is how authentic that is.‚  Too often do these types of titles drift a bit too far when it comes to being accurate to the original canon.‚  However, though I cannot speak for the full version of the game, Batman: Arkham Asylum seems to stay true to the initial stories of the characters while also having some addition stylized flair from the developers.‚  Case and point: Harley Quinn.‚  Also known as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, Ms. Quinn is described in her in-game bio correctly (according to my research and cross-checking), but is also presented in a newer, sexier outfit than seen in the original comics.‚  This seems to be the case for many of the villains (especially of the female gender) and is a welcome change to‚ the outdated costumes of the past.‚  The folks at Rocksteady did a fine job of dancing on the right side of the fine line between respectable, unique interpretation and overdone elucidation.

The unique interpretations do not end with the enemies.‚  Rocksteady seemed to pay homage to the comic book that may have partially inspired the game, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, by giving it a very dark and gritty feel.‚  Also, the developers decided to make Batman’s character model to be almost superhuman.‚  Looking more like a linebacker than a billionaire, Sefton Hill, director and owner of Rocksteady Studios, told me that they wanted to make it clear that “Bruce Wayne represents the peak of masculine strength and endurance.”‚  Message received.

Arkham Asylum’s gameplay is quite interesting.‚  Using the Unreal graphics engine, Gears of War comparisons will be inevitable.‚  Still, Arkham Asylum has enough unique features to distinguish itself from other Unreal games.‚  First off, Batman, being a vigilante who refuses to kill, does not use guns to take his enemies down.‚  With this in mind, Rocksteady made Batman use a “panther approach” in his conflict suppression.‚  This stealthy-but-aggressive style lets the Caped Crusader use the shadows to his advantage while also putting his hard-hitting martial arts training to work.

My favorite aspect of Arkham Asylum was the need to think like a sleuth.‚  Acting as the world’s greatest detective, players are required to do some major problem solving (or at least that’s what the demo alludes to).‚  In short, you have to think like Batman to succeed in the game.‚  Whether it is with attacking enemies or just putting clues together, taking a Batman mindset is essential when playing Arkham Asylum.‚  Helping with this is an interesting feature called Detective Mode.‚  This mode, activated when the Left Bumper is toggled, illuminates nearby enemies, useful objects and points of interest.‚  Detective Mode will surely come in handy when deciding a course of action to complete missions and tasks.

From what I’ve seen so far, it’s no surprise that Batman: Arkham Asylum is already being deemed as one of the best games of 2009.‚  With both my hands-on experience with the game and discussions with the owner of Rocksteady games, I have found nothing to dislike with Arkham Asylum so far.‚  I don’t want to get too excited about a game that hasn’t even come out yet, but I’m finding it harder and harder to imagine me not picking up a copy of Arkham Asylum when it drops on August 25.

The Lone Wanderer has saved Alaska, saved Pittsburgh, woke from the dead and visited Point Lookout; all in a span of a few months.

Now, Fallout 3′s protagonist has one more frontier to conquer: Space!

Mothership Zeta, Fallout 3′s fifth and final Downloadable Content, takes the Lone Wanderer on a galactic adventure filled with Aliens, spaceships and, best of all, advanced weapons.‚  However, with many other DLCs to compete with, how will Bethesda’s most recent Fallout 3 add-on stack up against the competition?

Mothership Zeta opens like most other DLCs; with a mysterious radio signal that ultimately reveals a new location on your map.‚  The location, aptly named Alien Crash Site, is where a small round ship called Recon Craft Theta had crash-landed in the Wasteland.‚  Upon arriving at the location, the Lone Wanderer will notice that there is fairly heavy radiation surrounding the ship.‚  Eventually, when players approach the ship, the Lone Wander is beamed up to Mothership Zeta.

Once the Lone Wander teleports to Zeta, players find themselves trapped (and stripped of all armor and weapons) in a holding cell with a Waster named Somah.‚  Somah doesn’t know much more than you when it comes to general information about the ship, but she has learned that your Alien captors would prefer to keep their human specimens alive.‚  With this in mind, Somah suggests that you should fight her, making the Aliens have to open the cell and break up the scuffle.‚  Once you agree to the plan, it is executed perfectly and the escape begins.

One of my favorite parts about Mothership Zeta is the unique cast of characters you meet during your attempt to escape.‚  First, the Alien enemies on the spacecraft were very cool.‚  Each Alien looks similar to what we all imagine an extraterrestrial would look like: small, green and with a big head.‚  Still, even with this classic interpretation of extra-terrestrials, the natives of Mothership Zeta are quite interesting because of their beautifully animated armor and masterfully recorded voices.‚  These aspects alone were probably two of the best things about this DLC.

Also, the Aliens of Mothership Zeta seem to have been in the abducting business for quite a while, judging by the types of folks you encounter.‚  The Aliens cryogenically froze many different types of NPCs, good and bad.‚  Some of the frozen enemies that are frozen (and possibly unfrozen) include Slavers, Super Mutants and those ever-pesky Feral Ghouls.‚  The allies you meet on Mothership Zeta are from Earth’s present and past.‚  Characters such as a cowboy, a little girl who survived the Great War (and is very helpful throughout the DLC) and a medic from the liberation of Alaska.‚  My favorite NPC was a cryo-frozen Samurai, complete with ancient Japanese armor and weaponry.

Speaking of weapons, the Aliens on Mothership Zeta really know how develop some tools of destruction.‚  In addition to the massive device called the Death Ray (useable only at the end of the DLC), the fallen Aliens usually leave behind impressive loot.‚  Items such as the Shock Baton and Electro-Suppressor serve as viable weapons for melee characters.‚  The Alien Atomizer and Disintegrator are found often throughout the DLC and do considerable damage against your extra-terrestrial adversaries.‚  My favorite weapon in Mothership Zeta was the Drone Cannon.‚  This weapon, which is found on the Aliens’ security robots, fire large spheres of energy that bounce around and eventually explode.‚  This was especially helpful when I wanted to eliminate enemies who were hiding around corners and behind objects.

Sadly, the characters and the weapons were the only things I really liked about the Mothership Zeta DLC.

The great thing about Fallout 3 is the fact that it is driven by such an interesting storyline.‚  Unfortunately, Mothership Zeta fails to provide anything resembling an intriguing plot.‚  I found myself becoming bored with this DLC very quickly, not caring about whom I talked to or what information I uncovered.‚  Instead, I seemed to just be playing Mothership Zeta so I could get my character to level 30 and be done with it.‚  Though I was able to get to that pinnacle level, I still wasn’t happy with the story that got me there.

Similar to the plot, the quests in Mothership Zeta were quite bland.‚  Many of the tasks that the Lone Wanderer must complete tended to be tedious and uninteresting.‚  There was no real problem solving during the quests.‚  Instead, the Lone Wanderer is forced run from one location to another, having no say in the way he or she completes the task.‚  Fallout 3 is all about making the right or wrong choice.‚  However, for the developers of Mothership Zeta, it seems that this DLC is all about making *their* choice.

Not helping the entertainment value of the quests was the confusing nature of the spacecraft’s environments.‚  Though each room and hallway on Mothership Zeta looked clean and futuristic, I found it very easy to get lost while trying to find important points of interest.‚  The use of teleportation pads came in handy quite often, but they often made things much more confusing than they needed to be.‚  I applaud the effort by Bethesda, but they just didn’t do anything for me.

Blast Factor: Overall, Mothership Zeta was a real letdown for me.‚  Though the characters and advanced weaponry in this DLC were a pleasure to interact with, important aspects such as the plot, quests and environments were either flawed or just plain boring.‚  If $10 means little to you, Mothership Zeta may be worth purchasing if you have all of the other Fallout 3 DLCs and would like to reach level 30.‚  However, if you’re still lacking any of the previous DLCs, I suggest you invest in those first.

Mothership Zeta is currently available exclusively on Xbox Live and Games for Windows for 800 Points / $9.99.

It’s almost time for The Warriors to come out and play.

Thanks to the folks Paramount Digital Entertainment, soon Xbox 360 owners will be able to feel like they are inside one of the most beloved cult classic films of all time.‚  Starting sometime in September, gamers will be able to buy The Warriors: Street Brawl on Xbox Live Arcade for a mere 800 Points.

However, before we get too excited, a thorough examination of the features and gameplay must be performed.

Luckily, Paramount Digitial Entertainment was kind enough to let me have an intimate, hands-on preview with The Warriors: Street Brawl.‚  Below are some of my thoughts, impressions and gathered information of the upcoming Paramount title.

First, let’s have a little refresher course on what exactly The Warriors movie is all about.‚  Released in 1979, The Warriors is a film based around a gang of the same name.‚  During a gang summit in New York City, Cyrus, leader of The Gramercy Riffs, the most feared and respected gang in New York, was assassinated during his speech.‚  Wrongfully accused as the murders, The Warriors must make their way through the streets of New York and reach the safety of their home turf, fighting numerous other gangs in the process.

Making a video game from a movie of this fashion is no easy task, but Paramount did a service for The Warriors: Street Brawl by implementing the most logical game style for the title: side-scrolling brawler.‚  With this approach, players can get a true feel of what The Warriors movie was all about.‚  Whether it is used to introduce new fans to the film or just for old fans to get a closer look at the action, the side-scrolling style of Street Brawl is a perfect fit for a game inspired by a film such as The Warriors.

I really liked the dynamic nature of the side scrolling, as well.‚  As I fought my way through groups of Baseball Furies and Turnbull AC’s, I noticed that the screen would zoom in and out as I progressed through the level.‚  This would allow the side scrolling to be functional while also being something other than boring.

The makers of The Warriors: Street Brawl also did their due diligence in regards to staying accurate to the movie that inspired it.‚  When starting a new game, players can select from some of the main members of The Warriors, including Swan, Cochise, Vermin or Rembrandt.‚  Each of these characters will have certain strengths and weaknesses in their speed, strength and fighting style, which could greatly help them in their quest to get back to Coney Island.‚  Also, the environments and enemies also come straight from the film as well.

Speaking of environments, I’d have to say that the backgrounds for Street Brawl were probably my favorite parts of the game.‚  Each environment had a very gritty, dark comic book feel to them, making it clear that my character was traveling through a very dangerous place.‚  The fights taking place on the subway and in the subway station were by far the most detailed and intriguing backgrounds I’ve seen in a side-scroller in a long, long time.

However, not everything in Street Brawl was quite as aesthetically pleasing as the environments.‚  What especially stuck out to me as a let down were the character models.‚  Unlike the game’s backgrounds, the character models were very bland and lacked detail.‚  The motions of Cochise, the Warrior I chose to play with, were scripted in a way that made every attack and step seemed unnatural and stiff.‚  A special move that stuck out in my mind (a long-reaching spinning kick) looked good, but fell short of redeeming the overall motion flaws in Street Brawl.‚  Perhaps I’m overlooking they comic book stylization of the game or maybe I’m just simply spoiled by my experiences with Battlefield 1943, but it just seems like XBLA games should have better graphics than what I saw with Street Brawl.

Still, I think the main entertainment value from The Warriors: Street Brawl will not come from the way the game looks, but how the game plays.‚  Street Brawl is a title that uses very simple controls.‚  Toggling the X, Y, A and B buttons serve as a medium to punch, kick and pull of special moves.‚  Players will also be able to pick up and use weapons, such as knives, bats, crowbars, 2×4′s and pool cues, to deal more damage against the rival gangs.

Street Brawl also has a wide variety of game modes.‚  First, there is the campaign.‚  Though I only got to play the single-player campaign, Street Brawl has single player, local multiplayer and Xbox Live co-op campaign modes.‚  As described towards the beginning of this preview, campaign allows players select a character and fight their way through New York and reach the safety of Coney Island.‚  Each player will be able to accumulate points by defeating enemies, picking up bonus items (rings, coins, gems) and advancing further into the game.‚  Players must continuously fight throughout the campaign or else the AI will punish you for stalling by sending in many enemy reinforcements.‚  Also, the longer you can survive through the campaign, the more characters you can unlock and fight with in future Street Brawl sessions.‚  Other game modes include Boss mode and Versus mode.‚  Boss mode lets players fight every boss they’ve seen in the campaign in succession.‚  This allows players to be immediately challenged without having to complete the entire campaign again.‚  Versus mode allows players to fight their friends to see who is the most skilled gang member.

Overall, The Warriors: Street Brawl looks like it could be a pretty swell XBLA title.‚  Running for just 800 Points (about $10), Street Brawl wont convince people to buy an Xbox 360, but it is an affordable option for those who don’t want to buy an entire $60 game.‚  Fans of those classic SNES and Sega Genesis side-scroller titles should keep an eye out for Street Brawl in September.‚  Those who are not quite familiar with the genre might want to just check out the demo.

And, well, for the true fans of The Warriors, the question isn’t whether or not they will buy Street Brawl.‚  The real question is: Can they dig it?

Want a new perspective of the Halo universe?

Then look no further than Bungie’s upcoming title, Halo 3: ODST.

Halo 3: ODST (the acronym standing for Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) is a stand-alone first-person shooter extension of Bungie’s Halo 3.‚  In ODST, players take control of “the Rookie” who is a normal, non-Spartan soldier in the UNSC army.‚  Unlike Master Chief, ODSTs are not blessed with the speed, strength or resilience an enhanced soldier.‚  Instead, these troopers must rely on teamwork, defensive cover and smart tactics to survive and complete missions.

Microsoft was kind enough let to get my hands on Halo 3: ODST during Comic-Con this year.‚  During my brief preview, I was able to get the inside scoop on what is soon to come from Bungie’s upcoming creation.

The first thing I learned about ODST was the fact that each purchase will come with two discs.‚  The first disc will include ODST’s unique campaign and Firefight modes.‚  The second disc will include a fully functional copy of Halo 3′s previously released multiplayer mode, complete with 24 maps (including the Heroic, Legendary, Mythic and one previously unreleased map packs).‚  With each map pack being sold between 600 to 800 Microsoft Points, the inclusion of the Halo 3 multiplayer disc is a worthy addition to the ODST package.‚  This is especially true for those Halo 3 veterans who haven’t bought the maps already or just the casual gamer who is simply late on jumping on the Halo 3 bandwagon.

With the success of Halo 3′s multiplayer and Bungie always seeming to be able to churn out an interesting campaign, I was mostly concerned with how the Firefight mode would work.‚  Luckily for me, Firefight was exactly what the folks at Microsoft let me demo.‚  Firefight is a cooperative multiplayer mode in which teammates must defend themselves from increasingly difficult waves of enemies, similar to Gears of War 2′s Horde mode or Call of Duty 5′s Nazi Zombies.‚  What was fun about Firefight was the fact that players will be able to face of against waves of classic Halo enemies, including Grunts and Brutes.‚  All of the classic enemies still have their memorable quirks and movement styles, allowing Halo fans to enjoy a little bit of nostalgia as they try to complete Firefight.

I also appreciated that the increased difficulty of enemies was very dynamic.‚  Unlike in similar game modes, Firefight does not just improve the shield strength or just increase the sheer number of opponents as you advance to high levels.‚  Instead, each wave in Firefight will have certain characteristics.‚  For instance, one feature that I found to be most memorable was when the game alerted me that the next wave of enemies would be more prone to throwing grenades.‚  It was refreshing to see such a creative addition to a simple idea for a game mode.

From a gameplay standpoint, one thing that bothered me about ODST was the fact that the troopers (who are supposed to be normal, non-enhanced infantry soldiers) had Master Chief-like vertical leaping abilities.‚  During my time with Firefight, I would often find myself jumping over tall enemies, such as fully armored Brutes.‚  Though it could be considered nitpicking, I still found this unbelievable jumping to be a flaw in this one of this game’s goal: giving games a view of the Halo 3 universe from inside of the average soldier’s helmet.‚  Hopefully this will be something Bungie will eventually address as they develop the game further.

The ODSTs do have plenty of differences from Master Chief, however.‚  First, ODST soldiers are all equipped with a night vision function, which is toggled by the X-button (the only button that had a different function when compared to Master Chief’s controls).‚  What made night vision helpful was its ability to highlight enemies (outlining them in red) and objects (outlining them in yellow), even if they were behind barriers and obstacles.‚  Not surprisingly, night vision gave me an incredible advantage on enemies whenever I had it on.‚  In fact, I didn’t really see a point to not having night vision activated at all times.

To compensate for the addition of night vision, ODSTs are unable to use dual weapons.‚  So, those of you who enjoyed the days of doubling up SMGs or Laser Pistols, your days are numbered.‚  I found the removal of the dualing feature was a classic example of “addition by subtraction” and I look forward to the challenges it is sure to bring.‚  However, even though dual weapons are out of the picture, the addition new weapons is certainly not.‚  Halo 3: ODST will allow players to get their hands on a silenced SMG and a silenced pistol, both of which are unique to the game.‚  Though the silenced SMG was fun, I would have to say that the silenced pistol was my favorite of the two new guns just because of the fact that it shoots much faster than its previous counterpart.

My favorite part of my hands-on experience with Halo 3: ODST was the grittiness of the graphics.‚  Unlike times in Halo 3, ODST looked to capture the look and feel of war in a more authentic fashion.‚  The settings were dark, the graphics were gritty and the action was nonstop.‚  It just seemed that ODST could provide a more “real” campaign experience than Halo 3.‚  I am looking forward to seeing what Bungie has in store.‚  It should be a good time.

Overall, it looks like Halo 3: ODST could be a success.‚  Initially, I was afraid that Bungie could be using ODST as a means to gain some revenue without producing a top-notch title.‚  Instead, I have found myself nearly convinced that ODST will be worth every penny used to purchase it.‚  The only thing holding me back from completely buying into ODST’s hype is the campaign.‚  If Bungie can live up to its storytelling resume, ODST will be a worthwhile investment.‚  However, if Bungie falls short in the campaign department, things could get ugly.‚  Let’s hope that the former scenario comes through.

SAN DIEGO — Do you want to play a game?

Konami would sure like you to.

I was lucky enough to go to Konami’s offsite Comic-Con event and get some hands-on action with Saw.‚  Though I am usually a little skeptical about the quality of many movie inspired games, my demo with Saw made me think twice about disregarding Konami’s upcoming title.

For those who don’t know, the Saw series is a wildly successful collection of psychological thrillers based around the antics of the man known as Jigsaw.‚  This antagonist puts various everyday people in impossible situations by making characters often solve puzzles and put themselves (or others) to death or through incredible physical and emotional pain; the ultimate goal being for the characters to appreciate life and reflect on mistakes.

Konami’s Saw game hopes to become a seamless transition between the first and second movies as players take control of Detective David Tapp (Danny Glover’s character).‚  When the game is started, Tapp finds himself in one of Jigsaw’s traps.‚  From there, players must find a way out of the deadly game and escape to safety.

All things considered, it is no surprise that Konami decided to make Saw a very puzzle-intensive game.‚  In my short demo, I was able to solve more than a few riddles and tasks to prolong my life.‚  The clues in the game are dynamic in that they come in a variety of forms.‚  Sometimes a clue will be as blatant as some numbers written on a wall, while other times a hint will only be revealed when a player looks at a mirror in a certain angle.

Saw stays true to the movies that inspired it.‚  The developers worked very closely with the folks at Lions Gate Entertainment to bring gamers the most authentic and interesting Saw experience possible.‚  Players will be introduced with chronologically past and future characters while also escaping from classic traps and solving puzzles that are unique to the game.

One thing that makes Saw stand out when compared to other movie-inspired games is the way it looks.‚  From the shadowing to the cut scenes, Konami’s creation is impressive in a variety of ways.‚  One of the things that really impressed me from a visual standpoint was the look of the environments.‚  Each room that I got a chance to see established a sense of creepiness and helplessness, complete with rotting and bloodstained walls and that very recognizable cold tint that Saw fans have grown to love.

Unfortunately, not all visual aspects of Saw were so impressive.‚  What especially stood out to me as lacking were the character models and motion.‚  I was thoroughly unimpressed with how Tapp looked after I found myself so astounded by the environmental look of the game. Also, being a third-person game, character movement is an important part of the experience.‚  Sadly, Tapp’s walking seemed awkward.‚  Furthermore, although the traps in the game looked very good, the motions involving activating the solutions were lackluster as well.

Saw incorporates both mental and physical types of gameplay.‚  Not surprisingly, Saw, being focused on solving puzzles and riddles, involves a lot of cognitive exercise.‚  Taking clues from the walls or in the messages from Jigsaw will likely kick your brain into gear as you attempt escape from the latest situation Tapp finds himself in.‚  Physical challenges include the pressing of buttons or rotating of sticks.‚  An example of the physical gameplay is when Tapp needs to escape from the classic reverse bear trap.‚  In this challenge, players must unwind the clamps from the trap within a certain amount of time or else the trap will spring and inevitably kill Tapp.‚  To safely remove the trap, players must follow the on-screen instructions by rotating the joysticks in a certain sequence, resembling the unwinding actions that would be necessary in reality.

Overall, Saw seems like it has some potential.‚  With the already impressive visuals and‚  dynamic, creative puzzle-intensive gamplay, Konami’s movie-inspired title has kept me optimistic.‚  Keep an eye out in late to 2009 for Saw (which should be at a rentable game, at worst) when it drops.

The first set of dominos was dated from around 1120.

The first game of Tetris was played in 1984.

So, what do you get when these two classic games are combined in 2009?‚  Puzzle Domino for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Puzzle Domino, created by 415 Games, is a simple and addicting Tetris-esque app where the player must manipulate falling white domino blocks in order to eliminate buildups and prolong the game.‚  However, this isn’t your run of the mill Tetris game where players must make complete horizontal rows with random shapes.‚  Instead, making vertical, horizontal and diagonal combinations of three like domino numbers purges the blocks from the screen in this title.

Puzzle Domino is the definition of a simple game.‚  There are no levels.‚  Instead, it seems that this game is a mere test of addiction and endurance.‚  What’s amazing about Puzzle Domino game is that the simplicity does not take away from the replay value.‚  Instead, 415 Games takes the classic gaming approach and just leaves players with their Highest Score and the opportunity to beat it.‚  It would have been nice to see an online leaderboard for Puzzle Domino’s best players or even a top-10 Scores list for each phone, but perhaps 415 Games didn’t want to venture too far from the simple nature of the game.

The simplistic approach in Puzzle Domino can also be noticed in the gameplay.‚  To rotate the blocks, players must tap the falling domino.‚  This action will make the current item turn clockwise.‚  To move the block horizontally, just take your finger and drag the block across the screen.‚  Finally, once you have a domino positioned where you want, simply flick the block down to speed up the falling process.

There are a few different types of domino blocks that fall in the game.‚  First, there are the standard domino blocks, complete with two squares containing an assortment of dots designating the number each side represents.‚  Next are the single, randomizing blocks.‚  Instead of containing two sides with different numbers, this block is a single square that switches its number designation in rotation fashion.‚  The only way to use this block is to use careful timing and strategy.‚  If you don’t, you’ll probably end up messing up a chance to remove some squares from your screen.‚  Additionally, there are the bomb blocks.‚  This mistake-eraser is good for only one thing: eliminating squares.‚  When this block shows up, the strategy is to find the biggest and most unruly mess on your screen and slam your bomb block into it.‚  If used correctly, the bomb block can take out a large chunk of any troublesome squares.

There are certain parts of the game in which the screen gets noticeably darker and black dominos start falling.‚  When this happens, players must maneuver these blocks the same way they would the white dominos.‚  However, the dark blocks can only be used to eliminate dark blocks.‚  This adds a more difficult aspect to the game and increases the level of fun.

One of the great things about Puzzle Domino is that it is an App that loads very quickly.‚  Too often do iPhone and iPod Touch owners are burdened with slow loading Apps, which cut into crucial gaming time.‚  It’s a small detail, but one that will certainly be noticed and appreciated.

Puzzle Domino is one of those games that could easily become a big hit.‚  It’s simple, it’s fun and, above all, it’s addicting as hell.‚  The only thing holding this 415 Games creation from reaching its selling potential is the price tag.‚  It is currently selling for $1.99 when it plays more like a $0.99 title.‚  For big Tetris fans or bored gamers with some extra iMoney, Puzzle Domino makes sense for that price.‚  However, for the average iPhone or iPod Touch owner, it seems like there are cheaper options that make more sense.

Back in the Good Old Days, pretending to be a super hero required going to the store to buy costumes, training hard with your local Kung-Fu sensei and, of course, walking to the Justice League headquarters (AKA your friend’s DC-decorated basement) barefoot in the snow uphill both ways.

Soon all you’ll need is a PS3 or PC and a copy of DC Universe Online.

Yes, the age of sewing your own costumes and jumping off tall structures is over now that Sony Online Entertainment will be their new super hero MMORPG based in the DC comic book universe.‚  I was lucky enough to sit with Wes Yanagi, Senior Producer at SOE, as he showed me all the cool features in the upcoming game.

Yanagi chose to describe DC Universe Online in an interesting way.‚  He decided to call it an “Action MMO” making it clear that this game was unique when compared to the numerous Massively Multiplayer Online games available today.‚  What makes DC Universe Online an Action MMO is that none of the combat sequences need to be scripted and waited on.‚  Instead of planning out attack sequences, players can improvise with the control their super hero by rattling off seamless punching, kicking or power attack combos instantaneously.

The features in the RPG portion of the game are exciting as well.‚  Upon creating a character (using the character creator as described a few paragraphs below), players will be able to decide if they would like to become a villain or hero in the DC Universe.‚  This choice will determine how characters will approach quests and which famous super hero NPCs (Batman, Bizarro and Wonder Woman, just to name a few) they will interact with.‚  As characters level up, players will be able to “build their own legacy” as they game namesake within the super hero/villain communities.‚  Eventually, players get their characters invited to join the Justice League or Legion of Doom, depend on which moral route they take.‚  Also, with the in-game stories and quests being written by some of DC’s most famous writers, the RPG aspect of DC Universe Online is an exciting prospect for even the most casual of comic book fans.

No DC Universe-based game would be complete without the ability to visit some famous landmarks.‚  The folks with Sony Online Entertainment recognized this need and developed their upcoming game accordingly.‚  Players will be able to take their characters to such places as Metropolis, Gotham City, Justice League and Legion of Doom headquarters, STAR Labs and many others.‚  Though I wasn’t able to get a look at places like Gotham or Metropolis (the concept art of these places is available in our gallery below), I was able to look at some in-game action inside STAR Labs and the Justice League HQ.‚  The environments seemed authentic, clean and rendered well, which is no surprise given that many of the game’s locations were created and designed by legendary comic book artist Jim Lee.‚  I especially enjoyed the intricate and brightly colored designs in STAR labs.‚  I can’t wait to see more in-game renders as they are unveiled.

Sony also stepped up and created a legitimate character creator for DC Universe Online.‚  The creator is based on three basic concepts of customization: the super power of the character, the power source of that super power and the movement style of the character.‚  The super powers include options such as fire, ice or mental abilities while the power sources can be anything from a simple ring on your character’s finger to something as complex as your character’s eyes.‚  Finally, the movement style of your character can be walking, flying or possibly something in-between.‚  The character creator also allows players to completely customize their character’s costume, color scheme and accessories, making it nearly impossible to find someone else who has the exact same super hero as yourself.

Once a color scheme and costume is established, all items that are picked up and equipped on a player (such as a helmet or body armor) will automatically adjust to your character’s design.‚  For instance, say you find a green item but your scheme is red.‚  DC Universe Online’s developers have found a way to change the item’s color to match your scheme when it is equipped.‚  Also, lets say you’ve found a helmet that looks good on your character, but you’ve also acquired a less-fashionable helmet that has better stats.‚  Instead of having to choose between the two, players can now just take the statistically better helmet and make it look exactly the same as the better looking one.‚  These two features allow players to avoid that multicolored “hobo” look that many gamers encounter in MMORPGs.

There’s very little to not like about how DC Universe Online is coming together.‚  It’s a game that is clearly staying true to its roots and addressing many issues that MMO fans have grown to hate.‚  Unless there is some fatal flaw in the gameplay or gaming engine, there wont be much that could hold DC Universe Online back from becoming a very popular and entertaining RPG when it drops sometime late 2009 / early 2010.

SAN DIEGO — Many believed that Rockstar Games reached the pinnacle of the open-world gaming experience with their release of the Grand Theft Auto series.‚  While the GTA titles are as fun as any open-world game on the market today, it seems that no studio has been able to create a (successful) stylized title in that mold.

That might be about to change.

Pandemic Studios is the developer behind The Saboteur, a distinctively designed open-world action-adventure game.‚  Set in 1940′s Nazi-occupied France, this multi-platform title is focused around Sean Devlin, an Irish car mechanic looking for revenge.‚  Devlin, whose character is based on an actual person of the same name and profession, roams an exciting and sexy open-world as he kicks ass and takes names.

I was lucky enough to get a close look at The Saboteur at San Diego Comic-Con 2009 months before its December 8, 2009 drop date.‚  The following is what I gathered from what I saw from the anticipated title.

The first major thing I noticed about The Saboteur was how it looked.‚  Overall, the graphics of the game were not much more realistic than what you would expect from a Grand Theft Auto game.‚  Instead of being boring though, The Saboteur makes up for its lack of realistic graphics with a uniquely stylized visual presentation.‚  For the most part, the streets of France are brightly lit and often full of colorful detail.‚  However, when Devlin enters an area inhabited by numerous Nazi soldiers, the color fades leaving the oppressed district colorless, dead and dry.‚  The only colors you see in these instances are black and white, with deep reds highlighting enemies and important quest points of interest.‚  It was seeing this unique, noir-esque feature in person that turned The Saboteur into a game that mildly interested me into a title that I am truly excited for.

The Saboteur also captures the action-adventure genre beautifully with its cinematic features.‚  Devlin embodies a character which every woman wants and every man wants to be (AKA he’s a grizzled, tough dude who has an accent), perfect for an action game such as this.‚  The women Devlin interacts with are all sexy and seductive, while the Nazi’s are evil and constantly scheming.‚  The Saboteur is full of explosions, blood and car chases, leaving players on the edge of their seat.

Helping contribute to the adventure-centric nature of the game was the use of the Odin Engine.‚  Odin allows Devlin to climb up, drive in, shoot at and interact with anything a player could possibly desire.‚  This permits gamers to approach different quests and tasks in many different ways, hopefully giving The Saboteur a diverse experience and significant replay value.

The Saboteur does not only stay true to the genre of a WWII action-adventure game, but to the era as well.‚  The developers did a nice job of finding authentic cars, clothing and weapons.‚  Even the in-game maps and loading screens have a 1940′s look to them, as everything seems to be displayed on fresh-but-rustic parchment paper backgrounds.

The gameplay in The Saboteur continues the unique theme to the game.‚  Obviously, the GTA comparisons are inevitable.‚  However, it’s the ability to climb and interact with almost anything that really gives The Saboteur’s gamplay a different feel.‚  With elements of both stealth and action, I think the best way to describe it is Grand Theft Auto meets Assassins Creed, which is not a negative description to say the least.

Unfortunately, not everything about what I saw from The Saboteur was impressive.‚  As I touched on before, The Saboteur didn’t show everything I was hoping for graphically.‚  Though I saw a lot of things that I liked (such as the detail of the foliage and a lot of the NPC and vehicle designs), I was left wanting more from the game.‚  The modeling of the streets as well as other important portions of the environments seemed overlooked and rushed.‚  Luckily, there are still a few more months until The Saboteur goes gold, leaving time for the devs to work out the remaining graphical kinks in the game.

One of the best things about The Saboteur is that it is headed by Tom French of Pandemic Studios.‚  Mr. French is a veteran of the video game industry who has incrementally moved up the ranks by contributing to such titles as Mercenaries, Icewind Dale and Fallout 2.‚  French was at the EA Showcase when I got my first look at The Saboteur and was beaming with confidence for his game.‚  During interviews, one could tell that French had put a lot of himself into The Saboteur, which a very good thing when coming from the Lead Designer of a game.

Overall, all signs are point to The Saboteur becoming a hit.‚  There are very few things not to love about The Saboteur, thanks to some creative developing, a keen game engine and a veteran game designer at the helm.‚  I think more great things are to come as the December 8 gets closer.‚  Be sure to keep an eye out.

Comic-Con is known for a lot of different things. ‚ From ‚ the unbelievable collection of comic books to the massive amount of video game demos, Comic-Con has become one of the most exciting an entertaining events on the west coast.

Though Blast is very much aware of these famous aspects of Comic-Con, Boston’s most interesting online magazine is also a fan of the event’s lesser known entertainment factors, namely cosplay. ‚ Blast did their best to snap pictures of some of Comic-Con’s sexiest and most impressive costumes.

Check out what we would like to consider “The Best of Comic-Con” in the photo gallery. ‚ Let us know what your favorites are!

November 18, 2008 was a great day for gamers and zombie fans alike.

It was the day that Valve’s immensely popular Left 4 Dead title was officially released.

Since that fateful autumn day, both PC and Xbox 360 owners were finally able to truly know what it took to survive the zombie apocalypse.‚  With shotguns and health packs in hand, even the most average Joe (such as myself) were able to star in their own undead cinematic adventure while harming thousands of zombies in the process, leaving many wanting more.

Valve has recognized the zombie bloodlust they have nurtured and have started development on the sequel for Left 4 Dead, called Left 4 Dead 2.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on Valve’s next apocalyptic first-person shooter at San Diego Comic-Con 2009.‚  Though the game is still in development, the creators of Half-Life and the Source Engine did not disappoint with what they had to offer.

Taking place in what seems to be various parts of the southern region of the United States, Left 4 Dead 2 focuses on four new playable characters as they move from safe house to safe house, trying to survive until rescue arrives.‚  Each character has‚  their own back story and contributes some subtle Cajun twang, giving Left 4 Dead 2 an authentic southern feel throughout the game.

The first thing I noticed when getting my hands on Left 4 Dead 2 was how visually stunning it was compared to the initial title.‚  I believe Marc Normandin, my boss and temporary Comic-Con roommate, said it best by gasping, “This looks 100x better.”‚  The longer I played the game, the more I realized that I would not have to stare at dark, grainy NPC models and environments any longer.‚  It was truly a sight to see.

Helping with the previously too-dark-to-see nature of the original Left 4 Dead had an easy solution: making some of the movies take place during the day time.‚  In both of the abbreviated stories I played, my team fought through hordes of undead Southerners in almost broad daylight, evoking memories of certain scenes from 28 Days Later.‚  The motions of the zombies were “completely redone” according to Valve reps, allowing seamless transitions from resting to attacking states.‚  The developers also made the zombies’ detachable limbs more realistic and thoroughly more enjoyable.

Beyond the impressive visual qualities, Left 4 Dead 2 also had plenty of new content to enjoy.‚  Valve did every zombie fan a service by adding various melee weapons to the game.‚  Items such as chainsaws, cricket bats, axes and even frying pans have been added to the mix.‚  Though I didn’t have the pleasure of using the chainsaw nor the cricket bat, I can vouch for the high level of satisfaction that using the axe and frying pan can bring to the game’s experience.‚  Melee weapons can be used in two ways; a player can either use a normal attack or a power attack.‚  Normal attacks or quicker, but take multiple hits to kill enemies while power attacks are slower, but offer a faster and more gruesome takedown of the undead.‚  Melee weapons are carried similarly to the gas tanks in the original title; players can hold the weapon without having to drop their main gun, but will have to drop the frying pan/axe if they would like to access any other item in their inventory.

The folks at Valve were also kind enough to add some guns as well.‚  I had a chance to take a sneak peak at the new AK47 and grenade launcher weapons in the game and I was very impressed.‚  The AK47, though not noticeably different to the M-4 in the way it fired, added some diversity to the upgrade guns received when players progressed to the later parts of the stories.‚  The grenade launcher, or “friendly-fire hell” as a Valve rep described it, is a completely new weapon added to the game.‚  Shooting high-powered explosives, the grenade launcher can take out numerous amounts of zombie foes and, as I unfortunately learned, your teammates as well.

Those new weapons will be very helpful when taking out the added “special infected” enemies unique to Left 4 Dead 2.‚  The two new infected I battled were called the Charger and the Spitter.‚  The Charger looked like a mix between a Boomer and a Tank, attacking the survivors with power, speed and a terribly destructive arm.‚  Chargers focus on one character, stampede towards them and smashes them into the ground.‚  Though the Charger is virtually unstoppable when it is running towards you, teammates will be galad to know that it is fairly weak and can be eliminated quickly.‚  Spitters had the opposite approach when compared to the Charger.‚  Instead of running towards enemies, Spitters (shown below) shoot projectile similar-to-napalm saliva at their targets.‚  The substance covers the ground and does damage to whoever remains standing in it.

There are also unique-to-movie infected within the game.‚  In one of the movies, players will fight off zombies that are dressed in SWAT gear.‚  Though these undead officers look like your ordinary horde members, they are actually very difficult to kill as they are unaffected when the front of their bodies hit with bullets.‚  The quickest way to take them down is a melee attack, making the nearest frying pan your new best friend.

Valve also answered my prayer when it came to final showdowns.‚  In the first Left 4 Dead title, every movie ended with a final showdown that took place in a small building or shack.‚  Players would essentially have to hold the fort until help arrived every time they wanted to beat the game.‚  However, it seems that Valve has developed a new diverse collection of endings for their new game’s stories.‚  In one of the demos I played, the final showdown actually took place on a bridge.‚  My team and I had to run across the bridge, killing dashing zombies as they funneled through abandoned traffic.‚  Once you cross the bridge and survive certain doom, players board a helicopter and finish the movie.‚  This is a perfect example of how changing even the smallest details can satisfy the most hard-to-please gaming critic.

The Artificial Intelligence (AKA “The Director”) in Left 4 Dead seemed to be over hyped prior to its release in 2008 and, to a certain extent, I feel that there was legitimate disappointment in how it played.‚  Left 4 Dead 2 hopes to change my mind with its revamped AI 2.0.‚  Though I don’t have the specifics on the modifications in 2.0, I can say that Left 4 Dead 2 seemed more difficult than its predecessor when it came to spawning health items and pacing.‚  At worst, Left 4 Dead 2 should be a more exciting and challenging experience if the alterations to The Director are maintained.

A main concern for many fans the first Left 4 Dead title was that Left 4 Dead 2 would end up being what the original “should’ve been”.‚  While it would have been nice to see the enhanced graphical presentation in the earliest game, Left 4 Dead 2 seems to have plenty of features to be something more than a slight upgrade to the original.‚  As a fan of the original and optimist for the sequel, I am looking forward to picking up my copy of Left 4 Dead 2 when it drops in November 2009.

Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2 will be released in November 2009 exclusively for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows.

Video games and movies are both quite enjoyable when separate.

However, like eating sandwiches and sex, the end result is rarely good when the two are combined.

With this in mind, there is no surprise that I was a bit skeptical when I heard there was going to be a new Ghostbusters game to be released for the Xbox 360.‚  Yet, upon hearing about how this game was going to have a good distributor and all of the same main actors and writers from the original movies on board with the project, my skepticism quickly turned into cautious optimism for the title.

Ghostbusters takes place in Manhattan just two years after the events in the movie Ghostbusters 2.‚  With all of the main characters present, the stage is set perfectly for players to seamlessly jump into the post-movie action.‚  When starting a new game, players take control of a recently hired Ghostbuster team member.‚  While some of the members have a hard time trusting you at first, you quickly become a major cog for the team.

After completing a quick tutorial, your rookie character jumps right into the action when a Manhattan hotel calls to complain about some paranormal activity within its walls.‚  When the team arrives, it is revealed that your old friend Slimer is wreaking havoc in the hotel.‚  Following the clues and slime piles left behind, the team is locked in an adventure that expands far beyond the presence of Slimer and the premises of the hotel.

The main Ghostbusting function within the gameplay is utilizing the “Sap ‘em, Cap ‘em, Trap ‘em” technique.‚  Resembling the actions from the movies, your character must drain a targeted ghost’s energy (AKA sapping), prevent the ghost from running away (AKA capping) and put the ghost in one of the high-tech, Pokeball-like trapping devices (AKA”¦ well, you get the idea).

Sapping involves some eye-hand coordination, as this part of the technique requires some quick and accurate shooting.‚  Upon finding a powerful ghost (some small ghosts can be eliminated without the use of the entire three step technique) players must follow their ghastly enemy manually with their sapping ray by pressing the RT button.‚  Once you have sapped enough energy out of the ghost (as indicated by a small meter located on or near your target), it is time to trap it.‚  If your proton pack hasn’t done so automatically, press the left bumper to activate your capture stream.‚  When this ray is being used, players will be able to crash the ghost into the ground and walls in order to further weaken and eventually daze the enemy.‚  Once that is accomplished, players should throw out a trap and slowly drag the phantasm into it.

The control scheme is pretty much as difficult as it sounds.‚  Even with the very helpful tutorial portion of the campaign, it seems like most of the controls are not quite as intuitive as many gamers would like (tracking ghosts and even sprinting seems like a bit of a chore). ‚ With this in mind, it is no surprise that combat can be a little longwinded and repetitive. ‚ Expect to be methodically learning and relearning the different processes, especially the Sap “Ëœem, Cap “Ëœem and Trap “Ëœem technique, for a slightly longer period than most games.‚  If you are having much more trouble than you would like, consider customizing your control scheme through the in-game settings menu to accommodate your style of play.

What is really cool about this game, especially to fans of the films, is that the game stays true to its roots.‚  From the actors to the original music from the motion pictures, Ghostbusters really impresses with its attention to detail and continuity.‚  With the game being written by the original writers, comedy legends Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, it is no surprise that the dialogue in Ghostbusters is full of wit and sarcasm.

The voice acting is not without its flaws, however.‚  Though Ghostbusters’ cast has returned in full force, there seemed to be some volume issues with the in-game dialogue.‚  While the sound effects would come through crystal clear, I would have a hard time hearing some of the characters’ voices, especially Billy Murray’s character, Dr. Peter Venkman, whether it was due to overpowering background music or action.‚  This is especially unfortunate because it really leaves the player out of the loop when it comes to hearing the surely priceless comedic value hidden within the inter-character conversations.‚  This problem could surely be solved within the in-game the audio settings, but it would have been nice if the default settings worked a little more effectively.

The attention to detail in Ghostbusters doesn’t end at the writing; the game is filled with little visual features that will make even the most critical gamer pleasantly surprised.‚  The first thing that stands out is the highly functional proton pack located on the back of all of the Ghostbusters.‚  These proton packs are probably as intricately designed as any piece of equipment I’ve seen in recent games.‚  They are covered in bright, flashing lights with dark, well-textured crevasses and curves.‚  When cooling down the proton pack after a good Sap “Ëœem, Cap “Ëœem and Trap “Ëœem session, flurries of steam are emitted beautifully from the lower part of the pack as the energy rods are extended out of the pack and exposed to the air.

Beyond its visual beauty, the detail in the proton pack also comes in handy because it serves as a replacement to a traditional HUD.‚  So, even though the lights make the pack look pretty, they also have a real purpose to them as well.‚  Complete with health and energy meters, players will have no trouble appreciating all of the intricate and useful doodads and wiz bangs attached to the always-trusty proton pack.

The impressive visuals continue throughout the level designs.‚  Each level’s environment is colorful and full of outstanding shading.‚  A player’s surroundings are almost completely interactive, making even the simple act of walking through the game a pleasing experience.‚  Furthermore, a player can use their capture stream to change the environment around them.‚  A piece of furniture in the way?‚  Use your stream to pick up the annoying chair or table and toss it to the side.‚  Players will also quickly notice that the capture and sapping streams will tear holes in walls and even destroy some items, leading to some good clean fun involving scribing words and messages on ceilings.

Another fun feature in the game involves the customizing and upgrading of your equipment.‚  By capturing ghosts and finding hidden treasures, your character will acquire money throughout the game.‚  This expendable cash can be used to buy more powerful gear for a stronger, more effective ghost wrangling experience.‚  Weapon improvements are always loads of fun, however it seemed like one could max out the upgrades without having to beat the entire game.‚  Perhaps a character leveling system could have been utilized to fix this problem.

Blast Factor: Ghostbusters is not a flawless game.‚  However, it is far from a worthless game, as well.‚  Ghostbusters is one of those rare games where all of the main aspects of the game are solid but, for the most part, are somewhat removed from spectacular.‚  While that may not be great news for most games, it is really the best-case scenario for a movie-based game such as this.‚  Ghostbusters stays true to its roots and is visually impressive, making it at least a solid rental for the casual gamer and close to a “must have” for the serious Ghostbuster fan.

So, if you are looking for a movie-based video game that actually worth playing, who you gonna call?‚  Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game is available for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 for $59.99

Well, it’s officially summer and you know what that means: carnival time!

However, in the video game world, mainly in the Fallout universe, it doesn’t mean just any carnival.‚  Remember, this is Fallout 3, where only the creepiest of carnival settings will suffice.

Welcome to Point Lookout, the newest addition to Fallout 3′s downloadable content.

Point Lookout takes the Lone Wanderer on a foggy, swamp filled adventure to the previously-unknown-to-me bayous of Maryland’s marsh country. In this DLC, players will encounter interesting quests, interesting characters and one very cool psychedelic drug trip.

Like most of Fallout 3′s DLCs, Point Lookout begins when the Lone Wanderer receives a radio transmission indicating that a ferryboat called the Duchess Gambit has docked at the Riverboat Landing location in the Capital Wasteland.‚  Upon arrival, you meet two non-player characters named Catherine and Tobar. Catherine reveals that her daughter, Nadine, recently stowed away on a ship to travel to the mysterious settlement of Point Lookout and begs for you to find and return her.‚  Tobar, a coastal trader and owner of the Duchess Gambit, provides safe transit to Point Lookout for the price of a ticket”¦ running at $330 a piece.

Still, even with the hefty price tag, traveling to Point Lookout is well worth the cost, as the action begins right away. As you travel to Point Lookout for the first time, you watch a cinematic cut-scene (a medium I feel is underused in Fallout 3), which shows smoke rising from a mansion, later revealed to be a major location in the DLCs main quest. Once landed on the docks at Point Lookout, the Lone Wanderer talks to Tobar and the adventure begins.

Point Lookout has no lack of intrigue within its storyline. Once the Lone Wanderer lands at Point Lookout, he finds himself in the middle of a conflict between a surly ghoul named Desmond Lockheart and the native people of the region called Tribals. From there, players are called upon to complete quests for both sides, eventually evolving the storyline into one of the most morally gray adventures available in the world of Fallout.

One of my favorite moments in this DLC is when the Lone Wanderer goes on an incredibly bizarre hallucination after collecting the seeds from a giant plant. In this psychedelic trip, the Lone Wanderer walks through the mysterious swamplands of Point Lookout, having strange and sadistic visions of some familiar faces of his past. The environment is turned upside-down (literally) in this short offshoot in the plot, creating an important time of reflection for both the Lone Wanderer and the player himself.

There is no lack of side quests in Point Lookout either. In fact, some may argue that some of the side quests are actually more fun than Point Lookout’s main quest. Though I wouldn’t necessarily agree, I do feel that Bethesda really went above and beyond when it came to writing the plot for this DLC.

Point Lookout is unique in that it has a very unique ambiance when compared to the other available DLCs. There is a certain old Louisiana feel to the environments, full of haze, swampland and, of course, mutated hillbillies. The NPCs have a different crusty flavor to them, delightfully contrasting themselves from your basic Fallout Waster.

The folks living in the tattered carnival region of Point Lookout are as diverse as the services they offer. In the belly of the swamp, on the other hand, is where a few new breeds of characters reside. Some of the most interesting and unique enemies you will find are called the Swampfolk. These radiated marsh dwellers resemble your classic country bumpkin stereotype, complete with buckteeth and aggressive behavior. Whether or not they are inbred is still unknown (take a look at an attacking Scrapper in the screenshot below). Also, keep an eye out for the previously mentioned Tribals: a group dedicated to the growth and preservation of Punga Fruit, a crop with precious healing properties that is exclusive to the region.

The variety does not end at the citizens’ local flavor, however. Point Lookout also offers an abundance of new weaponry as well. Basic arms, such as the double-barreled shotgun, axe, and lever-action rifle add to the already strong country feel to the game. Unique items like moonshine, fishing poles, and workman’s coveralls will make you feel like you are a real backwoodsman.

Blast Factor: Point Lookout’s plot is as interesting as it is different. Along with the diverse characters, weapons, and environments, Point Lookout is definitely one of the most creative DLCs available. With that said, however, I couldn’t help but ask myself how necessary this add-on was to the overall Fallout 3 storyline. With the base Fallout 3 game combined with Broken Steel (my favorite of the DLCs, which extends the level-cap from 20 to 30), there are definitely enough quests to get to level 30 without spending another dime. All things considered, Point Lookout is a fun addition to Fallout 3, but should only be downloaded by those who have already bought Broken Steel and are ready for some new, exciting content.

Point Lookout is available first on the Xbox Live Marketplace and Windows PC for 800 Points.

Never has being dumb been so fun.

Thanks to Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima, a new brain training iPhone app released by Namco Bandai, no longer do I need to pretend that I know how to read in order to seem like I have a single iota of intelligence.‚  Nope, instead all I have to do is turn on my handy iPhone device and start playing the various games that Brain Exercise has to offer, boosting the power of my frontal lobe in the process.

However, with the ever-growing number of apps available, can Dr. Kawashima’s latest creation validate its price tag?‚  Let’s take a look.

The first thing you notice when booting up Brain Exercise is the very clean and colorful presentation found in every menu within the game.‚  If I was told that a sophisticated, educational game heavily used pastels and metallic color schemes throughout its menus, I would have been very skeptical.‚  Nevertheless, Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima makes it work.

After admiring the aesthetics, players must create their own personal, reusable account to login to the game.‚  Each of these profiles allow players to track the progress of their brain training and their improvements “" or regressions, as the case may be “" throughout certain mini-games within Brain Exercise.‚  Account holders can measure their progress through charts, graphs or even by use of a calendar.‚  If you end up deciding to download Brain Exercise, expect to be visiting your profile page religiously.

Once logged into a profile, players can begin their brain training.‚  There are two different ways to do this: either through Brain Training or Brain Age.‚  Each of these modes has their benefits and unique quirks as they test the different regions of the brain with their diverse collection of games.

When starting a brand new profile, I suggest starting with Brain Age.‚  This mode challenges players to complete a certain mini-game at the best time possible.‚  Players will only get one attempt at the game.‚  The more accurate and swiftly one can complete a game, the lower their brain age will be.

The difficult part of Brain Age mode is the fact that a player cannot attempt to lower their age more than once a day.‚  This offers a challenging experience to any player with a competitive, self-improvement mindset.

However, because Brain Age only allows one attempt at a single, brain area specific game each day, a player’s brain age is only determined by testing a single brain region.‚  This would lead to me scoring a low brain age when tested on a certain region, but a higher age when tested on another.‚  It just seems like something as all-inclusive as a brain age should test all regions of the brain, not just one.‚  I would much prefer a “brain region age” with this format.‚  However, I don’t have a PhD and leave much of my education up to the completion of games on iPhone Apps, so I’ll leave the decisions up to Dr. Kawashima.

Once you have established your brain age, it is time to get to work with Brain Training.‚  This is the mode where players will probably be spending most of their time in. ‚ Brain Training lets players complete three different games per day in order to condition their brain for success in their next Brain Age attempt.

Using the Brain Training mode is a great way for players to learn all of the different games that Brain Exercise has to offer such as: Inverted Numbers, a game in which players must type in which upside-down or backwards number they see on the screen, testing the Parietal lobe of the brain; Rolling Shapes, a game in which players must decide position a shape is lying after its silhouette is rolled, testing the Temporal love; and Add 3, a game in which players must do simple math problems while also adding 3 to the resulting answer, testing the Frontal lobe.

The great thing about Brain Training is that it is able to test more than a single brain region at once by letting players complete multiple games.‚  Brain Training also collects all the data from your attempts and adds it to your progress tracker in your profile.

Brain Exercise is full of extra goodies as well.‚  First, Brain Exercise will keep the casual Sudoku player satisfied with an additional bonus game.‚  Also, players can enjoy a multiplayer experience by using the Challenge function, which allows players to duel their friends by playing a certain game on the same iPhone.‚  Finally, players can also download high scores from around the world and also upload their personal profile to the web.

There are very few negative things to say about Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima.‚  Sure, the price might be a little higher than a lot of Apps available for the iPhone.‚  But, given that Brain Exercise is a game that can be used every day, the price is justified.‚  Another potential negative aspect of Brain Exercise is the lack of clarity within the game instructions.‚  The presentation of the instruction screens is great, but it usually takes a run-through or two before a game is fully understood.

Overall, Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima is a great App.‚  It is fun, addicting and, most impressively, educational.‚  This is a great release and has already become one of my favorite Apps.

Brain Training with Dr. Kawashima is available in the iTunes App store for $5.99.

Get your shovels ready. It’s time to get your Dig Dug on.

Yes, once again Namco has come out with another throwback title for the iPhone. This time Namco has reached all the way back to 1982 to recover the popular arcade game Dig Dug, a game in which players control a single futuristic miner whose sole mission is to eliminate the dangerous monsters who inhabit the underground, to create Dig Dug Remix.

In Dig Dug Remix there are two versions of the game. First is the original version, which is identical to what you would find in an arcade in the 80′s, just in a smaller package. Second, there is the Remix version, which gives players a more updated and impressive presentation of the classic title.

(A look at the classic version of Dig Dug.)

Of the two versions, the Remix is quite impressive and is definitely my favorite game to play. Though this version does not closely resemble its more famous, classic counterpart, Remix really brings a different and exciting look to an old-school game.

The Remix edition also shows an incredible attention to detail for such a simple game. From the character animations to the movement of the dirt, the Remix is sure to please even the most fickle of visual critics. Even things as small as the flowers, which are located in an area that is rarely used in the game, sway back and forth in the wind. I found that the small mole that pokes his head out of the topsoil during random instances in the game to be the most enjoyable of these features.

(A closer look at the Remix version of Dig Dug. ‚ Notice the higher quality graphics.)

However, beyond its nostalgic value and great graphics, Dig Dug for the iPhone has one major flaw: the control systems. Dig Dug Remix offers two different ways to control your character. One of these is by use of the basic arrow pad; the other by means of “flicking.” Though both of these control systems have their advantages, neither is particularly useful for this game.

As mentioned earlier, the default control system is by using your thumb to press a basic arrow pad. The pad itself is fully functional. However, the size of the pad becomes very bothersome. When trying to press the up arrow, you end up going sideways instead. Trying to use your index finger to press the arrows is worth a shot, but it feels quite unnatural. Overall, this system was not fun to use. Not fun at all.

The second control system is called flick. With this system, players flick their finger anywhere on the screen in the direction that they want Dig Dug to go. Though it sounds simple, flick is equally as frustrating as the directional pad. All too often my flicks would not register within the game, resulting in many deaths. Also, I would find myself flicking across the main part of the screen in order to make sure my instructions register. However, this would often interfere with the in-game visibility, resulting in more deaths. In a game that relies heavily on precise directional control, these problems are incredibly disappointing.

Dig Dig Remix is definitely a fun app for the iPhone. Namco has been doing a solid job reincarnating the classic titles of the past for use on mobile devices. In the case of Dig Dug Remix however, the control system, which is frustrating enough to make fans new and old very frustrated with this beloved game, makes it quite apparent that there may be more worthy investments for your iCash.

Dig Dug Remix is available exclusively for the iPhone for $5.99.

War never changes.

However, according to its most recently released downloadable content, Fallout 3′s ending does.

Bethesda Softworks, creators of the most recent installment of the Fallout series, has released the final of three Fallout 3 DLCs to be released this year.‚  This DLC, named Broken Steel, was highly anticipated due to the exclusive quests, items and, of course, the raised level-cap which will allow characters to go to all the way to level 30, significantly higher than the traditional 20.

However, will Broken Steel live up to the hype that surrounds it?‚  Or will Bethesda once again fall into their bad habit of releasing borked DLCs?‚  Let’s take a look.

Broken Steel takes place after the main quest is completed.‚  Though the Lone Wanderer actually dies at the end of the main quest, Broken Steel allows the Brotherhood to conveniently revive you.‚  This allows you to complete all of the Broken Steel and incomplete traditional quests without having to deal with that whole “being dead” thing.

The story starts with the Lone Wanderer waking up after being unconscious for two weeks.‚  Elder Lyons, the leader of the Brotherhood, greets you when you wake.‚  He informs you that the Enclave, though significantly weakened, is still running rampant throughout the Wasteland.‚  According to Lyons, it is up to you to finish what the Brotherhood of Steel has started.

Your first quest, called Death From Above, involves the Lone Wanderer to travel with a small Brotherhood taskforce in order to destroy a small Enclave outpost.‚  Armed with powerful weapons and Liberty Prime, the giant Communist-crushing pacification robot that many players will remember from the quest Take It Back!, you and your team must suppress the Enclave soldiers and retrieve intel regarding their communication methods.

Unfortunately, the mission ends up being a bit of a failure.‚  The Enclave turn out to be a little tougher than you and your team anticipates, as your rivals have gotten their hands on some heavy-duty missile technology.‚  Your company is almost completely wiped out and Liberty Prime is damaged beyond repair, setting the Brotherhood back “years!”‚  From this point on, it is your job to do some very intense reconnaissance missions for the Brotherhood.

Broken Steel offers a ton of new weapons to the Lone Wanderer, though most of them are of the “heavy” variety.‚  Items such as the Heavy Incinerator and the Slo-Burn Flamer are sure to whet the appetite of any character who likes a slow kill.‚  Likewise, the (very) cool Tesla Cannon is sure to satisfy those who are looking to quickly annihilate their opposition.‚  The DLC offers some very good armor as well.‚  Tired of those pesky fire-based attacks from the enemy?‚  Then try Enclave Hellfire Armor on for size.‚  Looking for something special to wear for a night with Nova?‚  Then let the All-Nighter Nightwear set the mood.

There is no lack of new enemies in Broken Steel, either.‚  Keep an eye out for some nasty creatures such as the Albino Radscorpion, the Feral Ghoul Reaver and the Super Mutant Overlord.‚  Each of these critters are significantly tougher than their traditional counterparts (for example, the Albino Radscorpion has three times as much health as a Deathclaw).‚  The Enclave has improved their infantry, too.‚  The Lone Wanderer will surely encounter the Hellfire Trooper and Sigma Leader, which will give every user more trouble than they bargained for.‚  Each of these enemies provides a challenge that is unmatched in the other DLC’s, making Broken Steel very satisfying in that aspect.

However, the best part about Broken Steel is the fact that it wasn’t broken (well, for Xbox 360 users at least).‚  For those who haven’t heard, Bethesda has had some issues regarding the bugginess of their DLC releases.‚  Their DLC’s, most notably the first and second release of The Pitt, have been frustratingly glitchy.‚  There have also been horror stories of players had their 100-hour campaign file corrupted by these DLC’s.‚  Luckily, Broken Steel has been perfect for Xbox 360, which is very refreshing.

The only real problem with Broken Steel was its difficulty.‚  I can’t imagine many beginning players who could beat the majority of this DLC without dying an obscene amount of times.‚  Pro-tip: use the expanded level-cap to your advantage.‚  Try not to beat the traditional main quest until you are at least level 16.‚  Otherwise, you will probably just be in for a world of frustration.

That said, Broken Steel was probably my favorite of the three released DLCs for Fallout 3.‚  None of the other releases even came close to the depth and intensity of Broken Steel’s quests.‚  Also, Broken Steel had many more interesting weapons and armor than its sister DLCs.‚  Along with the extended level-cap and bug-free functionality, Broken Steel is far and beyond the best $10 investment a Fallout 3 player can make.

At some point in every kid’s life, one wonders what it would be like to try to survive a zombie apocalypse.

However, the folks at Monkey Wrench Games take this thought to a whole “Ëœnother level.

Say hello to Kids Vs. Zombies, an exciting new game for the iPhone. This tower-defense(ish) app has a lot going for it, but will it be intriguing enough to purchase over the deep field of similar titles?

Kids Vs. Zombies has two different versions: Full and Lite. With only 2 levels and limited functionality, Lite has significantly less entertainment and replay value. Today, we will be looking at this Lite version to see if it warrants the purchase of the fully functional edition.

The object of Kids Vs. Zombies Lite is to defend your base from the increasingly difficult undead onslaught. As the zombies approach your fort, it is your job to kill them before they can do any damage. The more levels you complete, the more money you will receive to repair your base and upgrade the weapons and intelligence of your characters.

Your tools for defense come in the form of a few weapon-savvy kids. Dexter, the demolitions expert, is responsible for taking out large groups of close to medium-ranged zombies. In the Lite version of Kids Vs. Zombies, Dexter shoots large orange balls that will take out just about anything in its path. Scarlett, the long-range sniper, is the character I found myself using the most. She is able to hit zombies at long ranges by launching golf balls out of a slingshot. Finally, Marcus is the close-combat specialist. He is only effective when the zombies are very close to the base. Each kid has their own unique skill set and can come in handy in each game.

To play, users must aim one of the kids towards a zombie, pull their finger back in order to determine the distance of which to fire your weapon, and then release. Aiming involves pointing an arrow in the direction of the targeted zombie. Don’t expect to be accurate from the get go as it will take you a few tries before you really get the hang of the targeting system.

Initially, the gameplay of this app seemed a bit unnatural. Turning the separate characters in order to use their weapons to your advantage can get a little hectic, but one gets used to it fairly quickly. Also, when the zombie get close enough to your base, the characters that you aren’t using will pitch in with a few shots. Unfortunately, when aiming at distant zombies, the targeting system can be unforgiving. Luckily, the characters have nearly unlimited ammo, so one can just keep pumping out rounds until the enemies are cleared.

An interesting aspect of this game is that every level represents a new night of survival. This means that every level is taking place in the dark, making zombies tough to see. Luckily, aiming Dexter, Scarlett, or Marcus at an area can also be used to illuminate zombies that may be approaching in the darkness. This element makes Kids vs. Zombies Lite much more exciting and VERY addicting.

Other helpful features include the ability to save a game in mid-level. I have been waiting for more apps to implement this feature because most of my gaming is on-the-go. Kudos to the guys and gals at Monkey Wrench Games. The tutorial was also surprisingly accommodating.

In terms of graphics, Kids Vs. Zombies Lite is pretty good. The game runs very smoothly while it’s also visually impressive. The zombie models are diverse and move realistically. Also, the models for Dexter, Scarlett, and Marcus are satisfactory. The different types of ammo that are fired, the colorful menus and even the battle grounds are detailed as well, making it quite apparent that Monkey Wrench Games did not cut corners when it came to graphical presentation.

Overall, Kids Vs. Zombies Lite is a good, addicting game. With four difficulty settings and two levels, this app will surely keep any mobile game player enticed for a while. However, it is clear that purchasing the regular version of Kids Vs. Zombies is undoubtedly worth the $1.99 price. Happy hunting, kids!

I love the smell of gunpowder in the morning.

However, my days of outdoor hunting are over, thanks to Hands-On Mobile’s release of 3D Hunting Trophy Whitetail Championship 2009 for the iPhone.

Sure, I’ll miss the smells, tastes, and adrenaline rush of actually hunting. But now that I can stalk bucks from the comfort from my own home, office, or anywhere that I take my iPhone, I think I’ll live.

3D Hunting, a franchise that has already sold millions of units, has successfully breached the mobile gaming scene with their offering of this deer hunting title. The impressive graphics, diverse weapon repertoire and easy gameplay makes this game a good offering at the App Store; however, is it worth the price?

The first thing you notice when playing 3D Hunting is the incredibly clear and sharp visuals. From the menus to the hunting action itself, 3D Hunting’s clean graphics are some of the best available among iPhone applications. The animal models look especially impressive. For comparison’s sake, 3D Hunting has PS1/N64 quality graphics. Now, this may not seem impressive, but consider the following points:

1. The iPhone was not made to be a gaming device
2. N64 might be one of the greatest systems of all time (See: Super Smash Brothers, Golden Eye, Mario Kart)

3D Hunting has two different hunting modes. The first mode is simply called Hunt. In Hunt, you have pretty much unlimited time to shoot critters in a pretty much infinitely large environment. This is where you practice your aiming and other hunting skills.

The second hunting mode is called Action Hunt. This mode is the campaign version of the game. After you’ve mastered your skills, you can now put them to the test by traveling to different areas and hunting various game.

Controlling your hunter is pretty straightforward. The buttons for movement are found in the bottom corners of the screen. In the left corner you will find your forward, backward, and side-to-side motion buttons. On the right: your look up, down, and side-to-side buttons. At times, controlling your hunter with these controls feels unnatural and delayed, but it works. This is not a game in which you would want to use an accelerometer. Firing involves tapping a small target button which is also found on the bottom right of your screen.

You will also find more buttons on the top of your screen. These are some extra functions that one wouldn’t expect to find in a mobile hunting game. Some of these functions are the use of a scope, the use of a call, the use of scents and the use of binoculars. Each of these options come in handy during your expeditions and really go above and beyond mobile hunting expectations.

Another great aspect of 3D Hunting is the Trophy Room. Head here to find your archived collection of your best kills throughout the game. Each entry has a rotating, fully intact version of your trophies for your viewing.

However, like most games, 3D Hunting can be a little rough around the edges.

First, if you’ve read any of my prior reviews, you will know that I believe in-game crashing is a very negative thing. For 3D Hunting, things are no different. I have to give 3D Hunting a break because of how complex the game’s graphics are, but there is still a significant amount of crashing that happens in this game. Luckily, Hands-On will be releasing an update for this game which should help with this issue. Also, like with any app you download from the App Store, be sure to restart your iPhone to ensure the highest quality experience.

Is 3D hunting a perfect game? Clearly, no. Is it even the best iPhone game I’ve played? No, probably not. Still, 3D Hunting brings one of the best available mobile hunting experiences. The price is right at a cool $.99. It’s worth a try for hunting and gaming enthusiasts alike.

Before 1981, killing bug-like spacecraft with your own galactic ship was a thing of dreams.

Then Galaga hit arcades. The world was never the same.

Before 2009, reliving your Galaga memories on your mobile was impossible.

Then Galaga Remix was launched for iPhone. Get ready for your world to be rocked once again.

Galaga Remix, brought to you by throwback-extraordinaires‚ Namco, is the most recent installment of the classic space-inspired video game. Like in its predecessors, users take a space ship and guide it using a side-to-side scrolling function to aim and shoot at enemy crafts. The longer you last, the more points you accumulate.

However, what makes Galaga Remix a remix?

Simply put, Galaga Remix allows users to play two versions of the same game. If you are looking to relive the days of Sandra Day O’Connor’s supreme court nomination and Belize’s declaration of independence, look no further than playing Galaga’s classic skin. However, if you are looking for a newer, cooler, flyer, and smoother version of the classic, you will also have that option as well.

Though I am a sucker for “the original” form of everything and I usually dislike anything resembling a remake, I have to say that the updated version of Galaga is quite good. Instead of the grainy graphics of Galaga circa 1981, Galaga Remix has dramatically better animations and models (though nothing to write home about by today’s standards). Allowing players to choose which of the two versions they would like to play in the same app was a welcome change to the game.

Galaga Remix did not just offer better graphics, however. This edition allows users to also enjoy the perks of nine unique powers found throughout the various stages of the game. These bonuses allow your ship to add additional firepower to take on the bug-alien onslaught with higher efficiency, which is a massive upgrade to the single shot arsenal provided in 1981. Galaga Remix makes it quite obvious that it is not your father’s version of Galaga.

Looking beyond just improved graphics and additional powers, Galaga Remix does not forget to focus on the little details as well. For instance, when playing the original edition of the game, Namco remembered to include the same soundtrack and sound effects that you would have found at your local arcade in 1981. For the updated version, a more advanced sound library is used, but one can still tell that it was greatly influenced by the original. Galaga Remix also implemented progressively changing backgrounds on stages to help foster plot development. The interfaces on both editions of the game correspond nicely with their era, as well.

Unfortunately, not everything in Galaga Remix was flawless. One of the things that stood out as imperfect were the control types. In each of the versions of the game, users can choose between the three available options of how they would like to steer their ship: with either the arrow keys, slider, or the accelerometer. Using the arrow keys involved tapping arrows in order to move your ship. The slider option allowed users to glide their finger to the left or right to guide where you want to go. The final and most unique-to-iPhone method, is by use of accelerometer, which involves tipping the iPhone in order to move your spacecraft. Each of these steering methods, though functional, are very delayed and unnatural. Prepare yourself for some frustration here.

Porting any classic game to an advanced piece of hardware like the iPhone will always be a challenge. However, unlike many games, this difficulty, especially in the adaptation of the controls, really showed in Galaga.

Overall, Galaga Remix is a very good game. Though there are some flaws with the controls, this game is really a beauty to behold. Whether you are a quarter-hoarding veteran or new to the title completely, Galaga Remix will surely have something for everyone. It is clearly worth the $5.99 price tag.

This Article Was Originally Published on March 27.

In the‚ beginning, Bethesda Softworks took gamers on an exciting adventure through the Nuclear Wastelands of Washington DC in Fallout 3. ‚ Next, Bethesda took patrons back in time to witness the liberation of Alaska from Chinese Communists in the Fallout 3 downloadable content pack Operation: Anchorage.

Now, the company that brought you these two exciting bits of content is now taking you‚ on an adventure in…

Pittsburgh?

Yes, Pittsburgh. ‚ Though it seems like an odd idea, The Pitt seemed to have the potential to be the most interesting and entertaining DLC for Fallout 3. ‚ The only question was: would it reach that potential?

The Pitt puts the Lone Wanderer in the middle of a skirmish between the large network of Slavers and their large slave population. ‚ From there, players are posed with morally ambiguous decisions while encountering numerous new characters, weapons (including the hyped AutoAxe) and enemies.

After downloading The Pitt, players will shortly find a message pop up in their HUD stating that there is a distress call being broadcasted on the radio. ‚ Soon after reading this message, a quest will be added as well as a marker designating the location where the message is being broadcasted.

At the broadcast station, you find a man named Werhner who has been ambushed by Slavers. Once you help him, he explains the message he broadcasted across the Wasteland’s airwaves. In short, Werhner says that he needs your assistance to help free the slaves (or “workers” as the leaders of The Pitt would say) and to remove the evil monarchy running what’s left of the war torn city.

The first step in the plan, as Werhner explains, is to, not surprisingly, enter The Pitt. To do this, you must look like a slave. This means that you must wear slave clothes. You also cannot have any of your weapons, armor or anything of value on you when you try and get into The Pitt. If you do try and smuggle your items into The Pitt, a less-than-charming Slaver name Mex takes all of your items (which you will eventually be able to recover later in the quest).

Once you actually get into The Pitt, you are told to meet with a slave named Midea. Midea, who is noticeably cleaner and more polite than many of the other NPC you will encounter in The Pitt, plays the role of a sort of leader and representative of the slaves. Once you tell her that you are the one who is helping Werhner, she tells you to work in the Steelyard. There, she explains, you will be able to blend in with the other slaves while also staying out of sight of the Slavers. However, she fails to tell you (well, initially anyway) that working in the Steelyard is actually the most dangerous job in The Pitt, putting the Lone Wanderer in the middle of a breeding ground of the Trogs, a demented once-human‚ life-form‚ looking to attack you at any moment.

From there, you slowly work your way up the slave/Slaver food chain, gaining more power and access around The Pitt as you go. How you use this power, however, is entirely up to you.

The Pitt is brilliant in it’s writing and the morally grey choices that it presents (including taking a page out of‚ Amalia Tabata’s book giving players a choice to kidnap a child). The DLC, unlike many that I’ve encountered in the past, did not seem forced into the overall storyline nor did it seem like it was made just for Bethesda to get some extra revenue. ‚ The attention to detail with the character models was superb. ‚ The slaves looked convincingly affected by the harsh working conditions and heavy radiation. ‚ The dialogue was also excellent.

In short, the Pitt had purpose and was fun at the same time. However, The Pitt had its shortcomings as well.

The first release of The Pitt, as you might have heard, was a bit of a disaster. Customers of version 1.0 reported terrible glitches and lagging within the game. Also, some users even had their entire saved game file corrupted, causing some completely lose upwards of 40 hours of work.

I, luckily, waited until Bethesda (who, to their credit, quickly took off and replaced the bad version) posted a new and improved version of The Pitt on Xbox Live. But, when I downloaded the DLC, I was still disappointed with how The Pitt ran.

The game was virtually glitch-free after the update. ‚ I was very satisfied with how well Bethesda cleaned up The Pitt in a relatively short time. ‚ Sure, it would have been nice if it worked correctly the first time, but I’d take a delayed-but-working game over a never-going-to-be-fixed glitchfest‚ any day.

However, beyond the quality of the game’s programming, some of the quests within The Pitt were flawed. Within The Pitt’s main quest, players will find themselves running back and forth between areas that were quite distant from each other to have very short conversations with other characters.

The Pitt, though flawed, still makes for a decent DLC. I’d say that this DLC beats Operation: Anchorage hands down. ‚ The Pitt will last for as many hours as it’s users want it to. With the decent number of side missions and moderately complex main quest, this DLC will last you somewhere between 3-8 hours. If you’ve got an Xbox 360, a copy of Fallout 3 and a spare $9.99, The Pitt will be a worthy investment.

In the brief time that they have been producing apps, Namco has already become one of the industry leaders in bringing classic games and characters from years past to today’s hottest piece of technology: the iPhone.

With that in mind, it was no surprise to a lot of folks in the business that Namco was releasing another bit of nostalgia with Inspector Gadget.

Inspector Gadget, a character who recently celebrated his 25^th birthday, is up to his old habits as he solves the world’s toughest cases one goofy mistake at a time. With the help of his niece Penny and their trusty dog Brain, players will be able to guide their favorite characters throughout the many complex, maze-like levels while collecting clues and points along the way.

Inspector Gadget gives players the option of playing a New Game, which is essentially a campaign mode that saves your progress, or a Quick Play, which allows players who are short on time to try and beat their top scores in single levels.

The first thing players will notice when starting a New Game is how cluttered the screen is. The game takes you through a quick-and-dirty tutorial (which pretty much involves arrows pointing at the buttons with a two or three word explanation of what function they perform). Once you look past the sheer number of buttons and how visually intrusive they can be, you start to realize that the layout is fairly straightforward and intuitive.

First, on the top left and right corners of your screen (when the iPhone is held in with a landscape orientation) you will find a button consisting of two arrows. This is the jump left/jump right button.‚  You can also use these buttons to change your direction while you are in the air. Right below the jump buttons you will fine the walk left/walk right buttons. Below those are the crawl left and crawl right buttons.

Finally, right next to the walk buttons are the action buttons. These buttons, signified by their red color, activate the various amounts of gadgets made available throughout the game. However, these buttons, though arguably the most important in the game, are also the most disturbing as they are the ones closest to the middle of the screen. So, as easy and intuitive as the controls of Inspector Gadget are, the intrusiveness of their placement really offsets a lot of their value.

You really get your money’s worth with the length and complexity of the levels in Inspector Gadget. Players will have to explore the majority of the levels to unlock certain areas and to continue the investigation. Levels also have some variability in their types. Though most of the time levels will require players to walk, other levels will be put on rails, putting players in a race against time.

One thing that stood out in Inspector Gadget was its lack of replayability. Levels usually took too long to reattempt in short time periods (which, in my experience, seems to be when the majority of gaming apps are used). Also, the built-in high scores are not very challenging, and easy to beat.

Overall, Inspector Gadget is a quality game. It is fun, lengthy and, best of all, will bring you back your days of youth and cartoon watching. You may not want to play it more than a few times, but you will be able to get some decent mileage out of it with the complexity of the levels. At $4.99, it’s a stretch to justify the price. However, if you like maze games and would like a bit of nostalgia, it might be worth spending the extra iCoin.

During my short (yet quite astounding) iPhone game-reviewing career, I have had a flashback to a time in my childhood. ‚ Not surprisingly, this review is quite similar.

Namco has recently started selling Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World, another addition to the seemingly endless remakes being released for the iPhone.‚  Growing up in the 1990′s, I took part in my share of the Tamagotchi (and Tamagotchi knockoff) phenomenon.‚  However, Tamagotchi was never one of the fads that really stuck with me like Pokemon, Moon Shoes and Furbies.‚  So, when I heard Namco was going to bring back the original digital pet, my feeling was indifferent.

For those of you who don’t know, Tamagotchi was a hand-held, low-bit, digital pet-raising game.‚ The game was stored in a small, egg-like console with a small screen on the front. ‚ The pets were cute, the game was cheap and the keychain was a must have for all the cool boys and girls.

Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World, however, is still hand-held, but in a slightly more high-tech device: the iPhone.

This Namco title is, essentially, the same basic game as the original.‚  You are trying to “raise” a tiny little creature.‚  Still, though the basic premise is the same, Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World is a bit more complex than the original Bandai game.

First, the iPhone title offers players to raise different breeds of Tamagotchi.‚  These breeds, named Mametchi, Memetchi, Kuchipatchi and Violetchi, don’t really perform any different tasks than any other; they just look different.‚  All cute, just different.‚  Other unique features include the ability to play five mini-games, which include Rock Paper Scissors, Bubble Game, Move It, Beach Ball and Dancing as well as three more “activities” called Tickling, Memory Match and Math Puzzle.

The ultimate point of Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World is to complete the various missions that you encounter.‚  To complete these missions, you need to interact with the friendly environment. And by friendly, I literally mean friendly.‚  The trees, bushes and geysers all have big, smiling faces.

The missions require you to do different tasks involving these friendly faces.‚  Sometimes you will need to do a Rain Dance near a geyser.‚  Sometimes you may need to play rock paper scissors with a tree.‚  Other times it might be as simple as pooping on a bush seedling.

Whatever the case, the missions all end up seeming the same.‚  Sure, the Tamagotchi breeds rotate in-between missions and the environments change, but it definitely was not enough to keep my interest for very long.

The movement and gameplay was fairly bland.‚  Moving involved pointing and clicking to a location.‚  Doing key functions required the same: pointing to a location and choosing an action.‚  This idea is perfect for the click-wheel iPods, but for a touch screen, I think a drag and drop feature would be much more fun and interactive.

One thing that I did liked about Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World was the infinite environment.‚  No matter how far left or right you send your pet, it would always end up in the same general area.‚  Think mouse wheel.‚  It was a creative way to keep the game simple and the players from getting confused.

This review has sounded critical, but in all fairness, Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World is a decent game for kids.‚  The gameplay is simple, the environments are clean and friendly and the pets are pretty cute.‚  For adults, however, the Namco title will grow quite bland quite quickly.‚  Tamagotchi ‘Round the World is a solid title for iPhone and iPod carrying younguns, serving as a cheaper ($4.99 price tag, less the cost of the device, of course) substitute for Webkinz.

Back in the days when I used to leave my dorm room, snowboarding was one of my favorite hobbies.‚  Yes, believe it or not, this incredibly gifted writer/reviewer/King of Awesome used to partake in physical activities.‚  Nowadays, I enjoy the simpler things in life such as sitting with my iPhone, playing video games and sitting while playing video games on my iPhone.

Thanks to Alpine Racer, however, I can now enjoy one of my prior favorite pastimes with one of my current favorite pastimes.

Alpine Racer is a Namco snowboarding/skiing racing game for the iPhone and iPod touch. ‚ It is simple, fun and perfect for the platform.

In the game, players choose characters to race down certain courses in one of two possible playing modes: Time Attack which players try and beat their best times on certain courses, or Story Mode, where players compete against computer controlled opponents.

Players steer their character down hills using either a touch system or a tilt system.‚  The touch system allows users to use their finger to steer while the tilt system uses the built-in iPhone technology to determine how far you physically turn the iPhone, adjusting the direction of your character accordingly

In its Story Mode, Alpine Racer casts the players in the role of either Shogo Saga (a snowboarder) or his sister, Rina Saga (a skier).‚  Both siblings are competing for the all-important “King of the Mountain” competition.

The first race that players compete in is the Time Trial.‚  In this race, you are just seeing how fast you can complete the Nostalgic-EX course, theoretically determining where you will be seeded in the semifinals.

After the time trials are completed, you are put in a head-to-head semifinal competition against your sibling, either Shogo or Rina, depending on who you chose to be.‚  In the semifinal, you both race down a course called High-Jump-Mountain, simultaneously.‚  The first Saga to finish advances.‚  Luckily, players have an unlimited number of chances to beat your opponent, conveniently guaranteeing you a spot in the definitive race.

The last race in Story Mode is called, well, the Finals.‚  In this race, you compete against a mysterious last-minute entry into the tournament whose identity is later revealed at the Spiral-Night course.‚  Similar to the semifinal, you will have an unlimited amount of attempts to beat this mysterious skier.‚  If you do end up beating the mysterious skier, you will obtain glory and unlockable characters.

The Story Mode in Alpine Racer was fun, but that is really all that can be said about it.‚  The plot isn’t interesting, the character development is insignificant and there are only three races.‚  If this was a major platform game, I would be quite disappointed.‚  However, because I tend to go easier on the evaluation on iPhone apps, I found that the Story Mode was just about the perfect length and complexity for this platform.

There were plenty of positive aspects in Alpine Racer.‚  First, I would like to compliment Namco on their inclusion of both skiers and snowboarders.‚  Although I have been a lifelong snowboarder, I really appreciate a game that doesn’t focus on just one of the two major snow sports.

I also thought that the upgradeable character feature was great.‚  After each semifinal and final race, you are able to improve the Power, Acceleration, Style, Max Speed ratings of the character you are using in Story Mode.‚  The best part about this feature is that the upgraded ratings will carry over into future Story Mode attempts.

In regards to negatives, there is nothing “wrong” with this game.‚  I really did enjoy it.‚  I just wish the there were a few more levels to play and more characters to use.‚  Also, the $5.99 price tag might not seem like a lot to the average gamer, but may seem expensive next to some other apps on the platform.

Overall, Alpine Racer is probably one of the better racing games for the iPhone.‚  It has kept me entertained more than most apps, earning itself it’s solid rating.

Riddick is back and he is badder than ever.

Yup, everyone’s favorite futuristic escaped convict will once again be showing up on gaming consoles around the world in Atari’s The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.

This demo, produced by Starbreeze Studios, is a preview of the sequel to the previous Riddick game called Escape From Butcher Bay.

Though not everyone enjoyed the movie, I have a feeling that a lot of people are going to enjoy this bloody game (which blurs the line between stealth and FPS gameplay) even with the lackluster Vin Diesel voiceovers.

The Dark Athena demo jumps right into the storyline, so I recommend reading up on your Riddick beforehand. Here is the long and short of the plot: Riddick finds himself upon a shipped called the Dark Athena. When the ship’s captain, Revas, finds out that the fabled convict is aboard her ship, she quickly orders her soldiers to hunt him down. From there, you must guide Riddick through the dangerous craft using nothing but your stealth skills, wit and awesome weapons.

One of the first things I noticed about Dark Athena were the very impressive graphics.

Still, even with the great graphics, the very dark shadows along with the mostly black enemy character models led to frustration. Riddick does have a sort of night vision capabilities, but I often found that to be more distracting than helpful.

Controls will initially be confusing for new players, especially for those who are used to playing Call of Duty titles. Switching weapons will always seem to be a chore and some attacks seemed to be a bit longwinded. Attacking is very easy; just toggle the right trigger. Reloading is B and crouch is X. Everything else gets a bit more complicated. In short, Dark Athena needs more than a loading screen to explain the buttons and controls of the game, so hopefully the full title does a better job.

When it comes to features, one thing that really stood out to me was the Drone Control. This is an excellent aspect where you can take full, first person control of the robot-like Drone soldiers. Each Drone is equipped with a fully automatic rifle and decent health. After one of your Drones is killed, you can take control of another one rather quickly, so don’t be afraid to run your soldier into a messy situation.

Another interesting characteristic of this demo was how unobvious the objectives were. This could be a very good thing or a very bad thing, depending on the kind of gamer you are. If you are the type who likes to quickly knock out achievements, I would call this part of the game quite frustrating. However, if you like a good challenge in your video game experience, Dark Athena will probably be a pretty pleasurable experience for you.

For those who have experience in the previous Riddick title, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, you probably have noticed that this hands-on reminds you quite a bit about it. It is true, most of the gameplay hasn’t changed much from the original game. From what I can tell, the only significant differences between Dark Athena and Butcher Bay are the improved graphics and character animations.

If you do plan on downloading this demo (and I do recommend that you do), be sure to determine if you want to use the stealth abilities or just go out and kill some people. If you would rather take the more homicidal route, be sure to turn the difficult settings of the demo WAY down. It will be nearly impossible to take on your gun slinging enemies, especially during the early goings of the demo when you are only equipped with shivs. If you want to take the slower, more traditional route, feel free to play on a harder setting.

Though playing the actual demo was quite fun, I would almost consider the opening video (viewable by staying idle at the starting screen) to be a much better preview of the game, giving players a better appreciation of the enhanced graphics and animations.

Go ahead and download this demo. To some, it may be an acquired taste. To others, it will be a nice little bit of nostalgia. But, for most, it’s going to be a fun ride.

Sometimes game reviews shouldn’t be based on first impressions.

For example, take my experience with NANO, a musically inspired app available for the iPhone and iPod Touch from Rustcycle.

Upon downloading the game, I wanted to launch it, of course.‚  As I clicked the app icon for the first time, the loading screen popped up.‚  And it sat there… and sat there.‚  And sat there some more.

Yup, that’s right.‚  It froze on its first launch.

Some reviewers may have given up right then and there, but I was still intrigued by NANO’s clean, black and white loading screen and the interesting (albeit small) reputation that it had built.‚  Luckily, the second attempt of booting the app was a success and, for the most part, so was the game.

NANO’s opening screen is simple.‚  You have three options: start a new game, resume an old game or learn about the rules of NANO.‚  I suggest learning the rules first.

The object of the game (if there really is an object) is to guide the benign particles (recognizable by their blue, green and white colors) to the grey Assembler nodes. In order to direct the particles where to go, you must make a path using the “magnetic flow lines” by using your finger to paint their alignment. The Assembler nodes will acknowledge your progress by slightly changing color as the benign particles start pouring into it.

However, watch out for the malign particles, which are red, orange and yellow.‚  If any of these particles enter the Assembler node, all of the progress you may have made will go to waste.

The key to enjoying NANO is to have the sound on.‚  Without the sound, NANO will seem quite dry.‚  However, with sound, NANO really starts to make sense.‚  As you guide the benign particles to the Assembler nodes, the pitches and tones of the music begin to change.‚  The quicker you can activate the nodes, the more interesting and complex the music will get.

NANO has very little structure or guidelines.‚  For the most part, the game is open to interpretation.‚  There is no progression through levels, per se.‚  Instead, players sort of do the same thing over and over again, though the levels do progress in difficulty and there are 255 overall.

As frustrating as this might sound, NANO actually is quite relaxing.‚  Along with the music, the smooth motion of the particles and the soft glowing of the Assembler nodes really makes the game quite enjoyable.‚  Rarely will you notice how similar each of the stages are because NANO isn’t about the stages; it’s about the experience.

Ever since I downloaded NANO, I have found myself playing it after a hard day of class.‚  It has really become a sort of an electronic stress ball for me.

With that said, NANO does have it’s share of flaws, too.

The app still has trouble loading on occasion, either by taking a long time or just freezing the entire device.‚  I have also noticed that if you get a text message during the loading process, your iPhone will most likely freeze.

Although NANO has great, relaxing music, I would have really liked to see (or hear, in this case) more variety in the tones within the game.‚  If Rustcycle could have added more tones and songs as you cleared stages, I think it would have been a great improvement to the game.

Overall, I thought NANO was pretty good.‚  I admit that I was quite skeptical of this app upon hearing about it, but it really proved my gut wrong.‚  Sure, the game freezes when loading every once and a while, but that is really its only (real) negative aspect.‚  I think NANO is a good investment for those stressed-out iPhone and iPod Touch owners who are looking for a 5-10 minute escape every once and a while.‚  Plus, with a $0.99 price, it is worth purchasing just out of pure intrigue.

Nano isn’t perfect, but it sure is delightful to have, especially for less than a buck.

Bethesda Softworks has released three new screenshots for the upcoming Fallout 3 DLC, named The Pitt.‚ ‚ The new screenshots include pictures named Trog, Steel Mill and Courtyard. ‚ Steel Mill and Courtyard show the new environments and areas. ‚ Trog is a picture of one of the many new types of enemies you will encounter in The Pitt.

The Pitt is based in the city of Pittsburgh years after a nuclear attack.‚  The Pitt, not unlike how Washington D.C. is portrayed in the basic version of Fallout 3, is full of mystery, danger and new areas to discover.‚  Your character will be posed with a quest to solve the burgeoning conflict between the Raiders and their slaves, dealing with “morally grey choices” along the way.

The Pitt will be available to Xbox 360 and Windows PC users for download later this month for 800 points / $10.‚  These are the second wave of screenshots of The Pitt that have been made available to fans.‚  You can see the other screenshots here.

In video games, there are a few assumptions that you can almost always count on:

1. Being able to control a beautiful woman for the entire game is always a good thing.
2. Killing massive amounts of enemies is always a good thing.

However, combining the two does not always mean success, as proven by Gaijin Entertainment’s X-Blades.

X-Blades (available for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC) is a third-person hack and slash adventure where you control the (barely clothed) Ayumi in her quest to search for treasure, killing everything you see in the process.‚  This game is essentially Tomb Raider on steroids; it stars a more scantily clad heroine fighting larger amounts of enemies with unlimited ammo. However, as fun as this sounds (and it is pretty fun, at times), X-Blades is spoiled due to an almost invisible plot, repetitive levels and an annoying main character.

The game begins with a short monologue by Ayumi explaining that she is searching for an ancient artifact which she believes will grant her limitless powers, fame and fortune.‚  You can tell she is very cocky and confident.‚  Though initially I found it cute, Ayumi’s dialogues with the bosses and other characters became quite annoying.‚  I quickly learned to skip past cut scenes as quickly as possible.

From the tutorial, you start the first level, which is appropriately named “ËœEntrance into the Ruins”.‚  This stages serves as sort of a tutorial, allowing players to get a good grasp of the controls.‚  The controls are pretty easy to get a handle of.

Here’s a quick rundown of those controls: You press X to slash with your blades.‚  You can also press X multiple times to do long combination of hacks and slashes.‚  To use the guns, just press the trigger.‚  For a steady stream of shots, hold down the trigger.‚  Toggling the A button serves as the jump function, allowing you to leap in the air and slash at airborne enemies.‚  X-Blades is equipped with an auto-aim feature that isn’t great.‚  Basically, you turn Ayumi towards an enemy and it aims for you.‚  However, due to the massive amounts of enemies, the auto-aim system is somewhat pointless to pay attention to until you’re facing a boss.‚  The tutorial also explains how you can slot your special moves into certain buttons in the controller.‚  As you add more and more special moves (by purchasing them with the souls you collect from the enemies you kill), you can slot them in the Y, B, RB and LB buttons, giving you easy access when you need that extra oomph in battle.‚  You can also change where your specials are slotted by going to the game menu.

Though the tutorial did a good job explaining the battle system, it did not go over the interface at all.‚  I wasn’t sure which bar on the screen represented my health, my rage (a mana-like meter for special moves) and my progress in the level. I eventually figured it out, but it would have been nice to know from the get-go.

The actual game gives you very little background and history of Ayumi, which will leave many players wondering why she seems so motivated to find the treasure at seemingly any cost.‚  People who purchase the game will be able to read the manual booklet for the brief history behind the protagonist.‚  For renters?‚  Well, they may be SOL as many game renting services lose the booklets within the first week of availability, if they even provide them at all (for example, Gamefly does not).

Without a background and without a good sense of the plot, you continue to explore through different stages whilst fighting waves of different enemies and bosses.‚  You eventually cross paths with a young male character named Jay who serves as a source of dialogue and aids Ayumi on her quest to”¦ wait”¦ what was the main quest again?

Along with the poor plot development, X-Blades takes you through many levels that pretty much look and feel the same.‚  Though the enemies change in shape in size, they all attack you in similar formations and styles.‚  The wall textures seemed fairly uncreative, as well.

The positives of this game, though hard to identify at some points, were present during the campaign.‚  First of all, being equipped with “Gunblades” (which are exactly what they sound like “" Guns with Blades) is always a good thing.‚  When I first heard about these weapons, I thought to myself, “I don’t know what those are, but I like them already.”‚  The hacks and slashes of the blades, though boring from an animation standpoint, are able to supply unlimited combination potential.

Speaking of animations, some of X-Blade’s most entertaining graphics come from Ayumi’s special moves, which tend to be quite effective against large hordes of enemies.‚  Some of the foes in the game can work together for a special move of their own.‚  They do substantial damage to Ayumi, but are also fun to watch.

The fact that this game had two different endings was a worthy addition to the game and added some replay value as well.‚  The endings are brought about depending on whether you align yourself with light or dark magic, which means that your play style will be different the second time around. Also adding replay value were the collectible artifacts, which are hidden throughout stages, but when the game is this repetitive and lacking in plot, you may not want to go through all of it a second time just for some treasure or a different ending.

Overall, X-Blades just isn’t that good.‚  The flaws in this game are much too visible and annoying not to damage the entire experience.‚  There is very little reason to actually purchase this game for the $59.99 sticker price.‚  If you’re going to be supremely bored for an evening, sure, drop a few bucks to rent it.‚  Beyond that, it’s not a great value.

Let me put it this way, X-Blades, like Ayumi herself, might be worth taking home for a night.‚  However, if you spend too much time with her, you’re going to regret it”¦ no matter how hot she looks.

Fallout 3 fans rejoice! Bethesda Softworks has released a few screen shots of their newest upcoming Xbox 360 downloadable content for Fallout 3 called The Pitt. The new screens include a preview of one more interesting new weapons in the approaching DLC called the AutoAxe.‚  The other screens show the impressive environments that will only be discoverable with a download of the Pitt.

The Pitt put characters in the middle of a struggle between the Raiders and their slaves in what is left of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Unlike Fallout 3′s previous DLC, The Pitt will be based in a present day reality and offer many different karma driven options.‚  Also, throughout the quest, players will be put through many difficult and often “morally grey” choices.‚  Be prepared to fight foes, find weapons and enjoy new experiences unique to the soon-to-be-released DLC.‚  The Pitt will be available through Xbox Live in March 2009 for 800 points/$9.99.

As a writer, I was excited to do the F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin review. After all, the Monolith production has been one of the most advertised, hyped, discussed and anticipated release of 2009. Plus, how could a writer not enjoy the endless possibilities of F.E.A.R. puns?

However, playing Project Origin, (a continuation of the original F.E.A.R.) is a horror-filled first-person shooter available for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, to my surprise, was almost disappointing. Let me explain.

F.E.A.R. 2, not unlike the demo, starts with a chilling sequence in which Delta Force member and protagonist Michael Becket, wakes up in the middle of a war-torn street. The buildings are on fire, the cars covered in ash, the landscape left in ruins.

In the distance, you see a vaguely familiar figure and are encouraged to follow it. As you get closer, you start to realize that it is the fabled Alma, a young woman with psychic powers and a constant rage due to the experiments her father put her through as a child. You continue to follow her, wandering further and further down the rabbit hole.

Eventually, Becket recovers from this dreamlike state to find himself sitting in an armored vehicle with some of his Delta Force squad members. It is explained to Becket that he and his team must arrest Genevieve Aristide, president of Armacham Technology Corporation, for attempting to destroy evidence regarding the experiments that Alma was put through. AKA Project Origin.

From that point on, players take Becket through many different spooky scenarios and environments, trying to figure out exactly what happened to Alma and the Origin project.

The story surrounding the Project Origin campaign was not always clear to me. As an experienced FPS player, I understood the main premise of the game: shoot anything that looked evil. However, throughout most of the game, I found myself wondering what exactly I was looking for and why exactly it was important.

Luckily for us “Objectively Challenged” folk, there is a very helpful feature to keep us plugged in on what is going on. Located on the loading screens between chapters, there are very helpful tidbits of text to help you catch up on the minor details that may come into play later in the campaign.

Though a significant portion of the storyline was unclear, F.E.A.R. 2 did some excellent things as well. First, lets start with the dialogue. Like most mature FPS, Project Origin has very adult-content dialogue. However, unlike most mature FPS, Project Origin actually makes it worth listening to. It was affective, decently acted and, best of all, it was funny. The humor really shined through when you are introduced to the character “Snake Fist” as some of the exchanges with him had me in stitches.

It’s 1997 and I’m in a movie theater arcade.‚  In one hand, I have my light gun.‚  In the other, a large cup of Hawaiian Punch.‚  I have been shooting enemies left and right while dipping behind makeshift cover such as barrels and cars to reload and buy myself some time.‚  I have cleared the stage and I am now facing the boss.

His mouth opens and I hear a voice:
“Chase, what do you think is the most important factor to consider when launching a new entrepreneurial venture?”

I snap out of my trance and realize that the year is actually 2009, I’m in class, and, most shockingly, I’m playing Time Crisis on my iPhone.

Since its release on February 4, this nostalgic flashback scenario has surely occurred many times thanks to Namco’s release of their iPhone adaptation of their popular title Time Crisis.

Time Crisis Strike is a very simple railed first-person shooter app for the iPhone.‚  Much like the original title, Time Crisis Strike does not only focuses on the quick shooting skills needed for most FPS but also uses the concept of using cover to one’s advantage as well.

The two main functions in Time Crisis Strike are to shoot and to duck.‚  To shoot, players simply use their finger or thumb and tap the screen.‚  To kill most enemies, all one has to do is tap on the foe once.‚  However, some enemies take more than a single shot, so tap accordingly.

To take cover, players won’t have the luxury of stepping on and off a pedal like in the classic arcade version.‚  Instead, users need to tilt the iPhone forward (or backward, depending on what setting you use) to hide from enemy fire.‚  Tilting also serves as your only method of reloading.

Though a creative idea, tilting the screen also provides some visibility issues.‚  Playing indoors is fine, but outdoors with a heavy sun glare makes the game nearly impossible to play.‚  Also, if you have a protective film cover for your iPhone screen, be sure it’s polished and free of bubbles otherwise, you won’t be able to see.

Time Crisis Strike provides players with a few different playing options.‚  First, lets go over the arcade mode.‚  Not surprisingly, this mode allows users to travel through a completely railed mission.‚  Initially, there is only one mission is available to play, but once you beat “Get “Ëœem All”, four more campaigns will be waiting for you.

Second, Time Crisis Strike also has the option of playing in “One Stage Trail” mode.‚  This mode allows players to trying a beat their high score on a certain chapter of mission.‚  However, players will not be able to play on a chapter they have not already beaten.

Finally, users have the option of playing in a “Crisis Mission” mode.‚  This mode challenges players to perform tasks such as shoot all the enemies within a certain time or only shoot the enemies of a certain color.‚  “Crisis Mission” will certainly pose a challenge for even the most advanced of iPhone users and gamers alike.

Time Crisis Strike is a success.‚  Sure, the graphics aren’t incredible and the interface isn’t exactly perfect.‚  But, does any iPhone FPS really succeed at one of these, let alone both?

Nothing will quite beat the feeling of stepping on and off a pedal and shooting a peripheral gun, but Namco did as well as they could given the platform.‚  The game is challenging and the campaigns last long enough to keep one entertained for a while.

At $5.99, Time Crisis Strike could be a questionable purchase for some, especially for those new to FPS.‚  However, if you are an experienced gamer and need a way to spend all that iDough from those iTunes gift cards you got over the holidays, Time Crisis Strike isn’t a bad option.