During the build up to last year’s E3 in June, everyone wanted to know about the new Nintendo console. What would it do? What would it look like? What would it be called? Then we got our look at it. The Wii U.

Meh.

While the system itself was cool, if not gimmicky (read our hands on preview from the show here), but pretty much everything agreed that the name needed to be changed, and it looks like Nintendo may actually be looking at that possibility.

The rumor suggests that Nintendo is worried that the Wii U name would confuse potential customers in the same way that the 3DS did. Apparently some people weren’t sure just what the 3DS was. Word is we could get a new name by this year’s E3.

Tagging alongside the massive undertaking by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, “The Adventures of Tintin: The Game” attempts to capitalize on the undeniable hype surrounding the blockbuster film. It may be easy to categorize this game in the same spectrum as the unavoidable horrible movie tie-ins that come with nearly any marketable film. However, by shrinking its audience down to the younger fans of the film, Ubisoft has produced a not so terrible game tie in that may just please some of the more devoted fans of the Belgian journalist.

As is the case with many of these games, the story mimics that of the movie it is based on. There is no deviation from the plot and no interesting spin offs in order to show any further development of the characters. Worse, the game actually expects you to have seen the film before playing it, skipping over some not- so-important plot points in order to get you back in the action. It can feel heavily rushed at times.

Nonetheless, where the story fails to develop past the established base, the gameplay takes in interesting twist on how it captures the events of the film. The bulk of the game places Tintin in a 2D plane where he is able to ascend and descend levels at designated areas in order to avoid enemies. When they do spot you he combat is moronic at best, with the majority of enemies being taken down by a simple shake of the Wiimote. Certain bad guys will be more heavily armored and will require the use of projectile items to defeat them. When everything is working it plays like a simplified Metroid with some Metal Gear Solid elements, yet fails to craft the same level of challenge as those games. Bringing in another partner for co-op only makes the experience easier.

At about half way through the game, vehicles start coming more into play, with extended segments placing you behind the wheel of a biplane, motorcycle, and human torpedo. Unfortunately, the vehicles control like a blind whale with horrible turn angles and unnatural handling. The small joy you feel when the game sends other biplanes at you for some dogfighting action is quickly subdued as you have to fight with the plane you are controlling more than the actual enemy.

There is some rudimentary puzzle solving included as well as small segments where you play as Tintin’s trusty dog, Snowy. While entertaining, they wear thin by the end of the game and fail to add any more replay value to the already short adventure (clocking in at about 4 hours).
Another method of breaking up the action is by means of a flashback sequence in which you play as the Captain of the doomed Unicorn. In it you have a rudimentary, on rails swordfight against some pirates. Here is where some Wii Motion Plus action comes into play as the sword you are holding is highly responsive. It is a shame, then, that you can easily beat most bad guys by shaking it frantically. However, if you are willing to take it seriously, it can be a bit of fun.
In the end, after setting aside all the negative praise, you find yourself with a rather charming little game. It is functional, and the animations are pretty to look at. There seems to have been some genuine effort put behind this project, unlike most movie tie-ins. When it comes down to the grind, this is not worth forty dollars, but any kid who loved the movie will find certain enjoyment out of this title.

Blast Factor: Despite its unavoidable flaws, “The Adventures of Tintin” for the Wii is a functional game. The gameplay is enjoyable and varied and the environments have some charm. It is not made for the average gamer, with the challenge present being minimal for anyone who has played a game in the past ten years. However, it is sure to please any young Tintin fans as they find it wrapped at the foot of the Christmas tree.

The Nintendo Wii has a reputation of not being for the “core gamer.” Save for a few games, the system’s library is full of party titles and mini game collections; but it was never supposed to be that way according to Nintendo President Satoru Iwata.

“There was a misunderstanding that Nintendo was dedicated to such games at some stage of the lifespans of the Wii and the Nintendo DS,” Iwata said in an interview with IGN. “We have made efforts to develop video games that are in tune with various consumer tastes; however, we have not been able to gain adequate consumer understanding regarding our intentions, while in the common perception there are no or few core users playing Nintendo platforms, which is not the case.”

Iwata has been talking about the creation of the Wii, while trying to contain fears that the Wii U is in development trouble.

Regular readers here are no stranger to my strange obsession with Disney. Of course, we’re not talking the High School Musical Shake it Up version of Disney, but the old school, classic animation, Walt variety. I’m also a huge fan of Media Molecule’s Little Big Planet series of games, so when I first saw Disney Universe, which looked like a cross between the two properties, I was instantly excited – turns out I should have reigned that in a bit.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that Disney Universe is a bad game, it’s mix of platforming and collecting is great for its intended audience, but the game’s biggest problem is that it’s just simply too much; the game often feels like it’s too many ideas going on at once, and as a result, it feels overly hectic and poorly guided. Disney Universe is good for young gamers, but older fans will get frustrated quickly.

Disney Universe casts players in an admittedly unique story. Disney’s most famous worlds have been recreated in a virtual setting so people can experience them in real time, but as it seems happens with every “virtual world,” someone has hacked they’re way in and filled the worlds with dangerous creatures and hazards. Enter you – a weird looking non descript Sackboy-esque looking thing with a penchant for Disney cosplay. It’s your job to go in, eliminate the dangers and turn everything back to the way it was.

Disney Universe is broken up into worlds inspired by some of the company’s most well known movies and cartoons, like Pirate’s of the Caribbean, Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc. The majority of these worlds require little thought and are of the, run around, break stuff and collect stuff variety, but there are a few interesting twists, like the Lion King stage which has you running from left to right escaping a fire. Regardless, pretty much all of the worlds are impressive in their design, as they don’t borrow directly from the properties but are inspired by them. For instance,  I had a lot of fun in the Monstropulous section of the Monsters Inc level, which featured a somewhat new take on the classic “door hopping” scene.

Perhaps Disney Universe’s most glaring issue then is how misguided it is. More often than not your goal isn’t easily laid out in front of you, and what’s going on in the game at any given moment is so hectic that you’re bound to give up and just start smashing things until it becomes more clear. This becomes even more of a problem when using four players – though that can also be the game’s most endearing quality, playing with three other friends can lead to some hectic and fun gameplay moments.

The most endearing lasting piece of Disney Universe is unquestionably the costumes and suits of classic characters found in the game. Similar to Sackboy from the Little Big Planet series, your character can don suits from a literal who’s-who in Disney history. Everyone from the fab-5, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto to lesser known characters like the Sushi chef from Monsters Inc (no, really) are here and are a blast to collect. My only gripe was that there’s far more costumes from newer properties than the classics, which is understandable given the target audience, but do we really need characters like Angelica from the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie? Throw me some Roger Rabbit or Chernobog instead. This an issue that can easily be fixed via DLC, and I’m hoping Disney Interactive offers it.

The Blast Factor: It’s easy to see the appeal for a game like Disney Universe, it’s platforming and collecting that everyone can easily jump in on. Unfortunately though, it’s ideas never really feel feely thought out, and as a result, Disney Universe often feels like a mix of a lot of good but unfinished ideas. Still, you can’t knock it’s easily accessible gameplay, especially for the little ones.

We all knew the news wouldn’t be good financially for Nintendo when they release their first half financials tomorrow in Japan — but we didn’t know it would be this bad. The gaming giant is expected to announce a loss of roughly 100 billion Yen ($460 Million US),  almost double what the company originally forecasted.

It hasn’t been an easy year for Nintendo, amid struggling sales of their 3DS handheld, a declining Wii user base and the strengthening  of the Yen. Nintendo makes 80 percent of their revenue from international sales, and lost 40 Billion Yen (526 million) in other territories.

Nintendo came off strong a strong showing at this year’s E3 convention with the debut of the new Wii U console, but has since been marred with talk of development troubles and developers bailing on the system.

Nintendo did not return our request for statements. If they do, this post will be updated.

I try not to be too pushy with my reviews and let you readers make up your own minds about which games you’re going to buy, but there’s really no other way to put this – you need to play NBA 2K11.  Played last year’s game? Doesn’t matter – this year’s game trumps everything that came before it. Don’t like sports games? You’ll appreciate the level of depth and production values that the development team put in the game.  Simply put, NBA 2K12 isn’t just a great sports game, with all it has going for it — it’s a great game in general.

For the second year in a row, 2K spotlights arguably the greatest player to ever grace the hardwood  — his airness Michael Jordan, but this time he’s not alone. 2K12 celebrates the complete history of the sport with players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing and Scottie Pippen all unlockable and playable.  This opens up an incredibly awesome mechanic in 2K12; the ability to match up the best young stars of today with the greatest of all time. How would Jordan’s Bulls, in their prime match up with the Lakers’ dynasty? This year’s Miami Heat? Or what about a battle of the big-men, pitting an in his prime Shaq against someone like Dwight Howard? It’s here that NBA 2K12 really begins to establish its own identity; if Madden is a sports simulation, this is an all out love letter to a sport, its history and most importantly, its fans.

Of course, NBA 2K12 does not rely on the past, as its real strength, much like in previous years, is in its core mechanics. Most of last year’s game remains intact, but the developers have included little tweaks that make the game better, including addressing the faults from last year’s game. Chief among these faults; at least for most gamers was the AI, which had a reputation for being absurdly cheap, it’s been addressed this go-round, and even though it still happens, it’s much more rare. To the developers credit, they didn’t just dumb down the AI more, instead, they gave you more control; control over your players movement and your offense, but be warned, the AI is incredibly realistic and aggressive and will pounce on any weakness you show.

NBA 2K12 comes packed with a ton of depth, and each is sure to appeal to a different type of player. I for instance am a franchise player, it’s always the first mode I go to in any sports game I play, and in NBA 2K12, it’s incredibly rewarding. Unlike other franchise modes, 2K12’s Association Mode truly puts you in control of a team – through the good times and the bad. Play as a team just coming off a losing season and you’re playing to practically empty arenas, but start winning and watch the fans start to come back in.  For example, I took the Milwaukee Bucks, who had a so-so season last year, and through a series of business decisions, free agent signings and a lot of wins, I was able to turn a good profit.  The coolest addition to this year’s Association Mode is the ability to take it online and complete a whole season.

My Player also returns to this year’s game, and though much of it remains unchanged, it’s a much more streamlined endeavor than in years past.  You’ll still create your player, but instead of dropping in to a few pickup games to prove your worth, you’ll be dropped in to one game and then go into an interview to prove your mental wits and then it’s off to the draft.  Hearing NBA Commissioner David Stern call out your name (if you’ve given him a somewhat normal name), but the real payoff comes from the amount of time and depth you’ll put in to the mode. Your long term goal is to make it to the NBA Hall of Fame, and you’ll do that by reaching goals on both the per-game and season basis.  It’s not an easy task, but a rewarding one none-the-less.

Far and away though, NBA 2K12’s most remarkable feat is in its astounding production values. Of course, there are some hiccups, like some of the lesser known players still having weird alien like faces, but the big names, the Lebrons and the Kobes have all received a face lift and look much more like their real life counterparts.  Even the crowd, an aspect most sports developers have had a hard time with looks remarkably lifelike. The players, and arenas are impressively detailed and everything feels crisp. NBA 2K12 also features what could be the most lifelike commentary of any sports game, as while there is a bit of repetition, still feels remarkably fresh even after countless games.

 The Blast Factor: NBA 2K12 isn’t just a great basketball sim, with all of its depth and superb presentation; it’s a phenomenal game in general.  The perfect combination of accessibility and realism, NBA 2K12 tops every basketball game before it – becoming one hell of an experience in the long run. Simply put – it doesn’t get much better than this.

On paper, X-men Destiny sounds like a great idea. The game gives players the ability to take three characters brand new to the mutant universe, craft them any way they want and allow them to fight alongside (or against) famed mutants like Wolverine,  Cyclops, Gambit and Magneto. Not all ideas pan out like they should.

At times, X-men Destiny flirts with being a decent game, like when it delves deep into the X-men mythos, or lets you play mad mutant scientist by mixing powers and genes of your favorite heroes to create the mutant of your dreams – but it’s all combined with such messy, uninspired at broken mechanics that you’re unlikely to ever experience these things in full. Those who can’t get enough of the X-men should check out Destiny, if just for its fan service; just don’t expect a good game.

The stars of X-men destiny aren’t heroes like Wolverine and Cyclops, but three mutants you’ve never heard of. You take control of one of three characters created specifically for Destiny; Aimi, the mutant smuggled by her parents from Japan to escape incarceration, Grant the jock who knows nothing about the ongoing mutant VS human war and Adrian, the son of an anti-mutant to extremist.  Throughout the game you’ll interact with some of the Marvel universe’s biggest names and play an integral part in the human and mutant war that’s been raging since the death of Professor X. It’s here where X-men Destiny proves that it’s at least in tune with what makes the X-men cannon so unique. The characters origins actually have heart, and each of them (well, maybe not Grant) have a vested interest in the way the battles play out. The game may not portray this 100% of the time, but the game at least makes a valid attempt at giving us a story that fits in with those found in the X-men books on the market.

The beauty of starting with a brand new mutant is that you’ll get to craft them to your liking by finding and combining mutant genes to create a pretty cool arsenal of powers. As you play through Destiny, you’ll earn experience points by exploring, taking out identical no named thugs and even some of Marvel’s most well known mutants, you’ll use this experience to unlock genes, which in turns unlocks new abilities. Want the punishing power of Colossus combined with the speed of someone like Quicksilver? Go for it. Looking to create a badass combination of Wolverine’s berserker rage with Nightcrawler’s teleporting capabilities – you’ll just have to find the right genes. As someone who grew up creating his own X-men characters, I found this to be very intriguing and at times its incredibly rewarding; it’s just a shame that I found myself not caring about it less than halfway through the game.

For all that it has going for it, X-men Destiny falls apart when it comes to its core gameplay mechanics. Rather than fighting meaningful battles, you’ll be taking on a never-ending series of nameless thugs. The result is a boring and uninspired brawler which often feels like nothing more than a grind fest. Now, this would be alright if it were a brawler in the form of previous X-men games like Legends or the later Alliance games, but Destiny is nowhere near the quality of these titles.  Attacks have little or no weight to them and you’ll often get stuck in a sluggish combo that must be completed regardless of if your opponent is finished or not – leading to your character taking unnecessary damage. What’s worse is that these combos often cause the game itself to slowdown.  X-men destiny may present itself as a deep combat game, but it’s really nothing more than a sluggish button masher.

The game also asks you to explore quite often if you’re looking to get more of the mutant genes you’re looking for; but unfortunately, this to tends to drag the game down. Environments are often drab and uninteresting, and exploring becomes something you’ll have to do, rather than something you’ll want to do. At least the genes are hidden pretty much plain site more often than not, so you won’t have to look that hard for them.

The game’s problems don’t stop there as Destiny is an overall thin and unfinished experience. Destiny is a game that shouts its decision engine from the top of mountains, but you’ll find out very soon in the game that these decisions don’t make much of a difference at all. Throughout the game you’ll be asked to choose between two paths, one that aids the X-men and the other that helps Magento’s Brotherhood of Mutants. Making these decisions is supposed to open up new pathways and different missions, but in reality they all play out mostly the same – punch guys in the face and move on. All of this can be wrapped up in as little as 6 hours.

Presentation wise, Destiny is a mixed bag, the voice acting is surprisingly well done, but the rest of the game doesn’t feel as polished. We’ve already touched on the drab environments, but the characters as well feel incredibly awkward and move strangely at times. It’s most disappointing when characters and other elements in the game show up strangely or worse, not at all. These moments don’t happen all that much, but when they do, it’s enough to take you completely out of the game.

The Blast Factor: It’s not all bad though – if there’s one thing that X-men Destiny does right, it’s fan service. Playing through Destiny gives you plenty of different costume choices inspired by your favorite X-men characters. In that sense, there’s a ton of depth to Destiny if you really know where to look for it, it’s just a shame that it couldn’t be found in the game itself. Hardcore X-men fans, who pour of every page of the comics and have a notebooks full of sketches of their own mutant creations will get a kick out of Destiny – just don’t expect it to last too long.

They say that football is a game of inches. That it’s won and lost in the trenches, and not by the flashy plays that make the highlight reels. The same could be said then for Madden. The long running football series is built year after year by small improvements, rather than game changing new features (I’m looking at you quarterback vision cone).  This year’s game is no different, new features like Dynamic Player Performance are a welcome addition, and it’s still a satisfying game of pigskin, but there isn’t much new here to separate it from last year’s offering. Though it may be more Kerry Collins and less Peyton Manning, Madden NFL 12 is still a great time for fans of the sport.

The biggest addition to this year’s game is unquestionably the Dynamic Player Progression system. Essentially, it helps players act more like their real life counterparts. Player’s ratings are now effected by everything from the hits they take, to the flow of the game and even how they’ve been playing in the last few games, meaning you won’t be able to constantly rely on the same plays to the same players all season long. For instance, if Green Bay Packer tight end Jermichael Finley is on a cold streak and has been dropping open passes lately, I may want to look elsewhere when driving down the field for that come from behind drive. These ratings are pretty true to life, as players like Manning, Rodgers and Brady have remarkable poise in tense situations, yet rookies and those known for being rattled easy like Jay Cutler will begin making dumb mistakes if you don’t change your game plan up quick.

Dynamic Player Progression is a big part of this year’s Madden feeling much more realistic than previous editions ; as does the presentation – mostly. This year, EA has put an obvious emphasis on recreating the same camera angles and production aspects you’d see on TV and in stadiums around the league. The first few times you see these new angles, you’ll be impressed, but when they happen every single game, they get old rather quickly. The stadium specific introductions are well done, though shortened; really, teams only introduce two to three starters per game.

The biggest question though? Why stop there? Being the only licensed NFL game on the market and the only game that can use the ESPN license could be a huge deal, but the Madden series continuously throws the opportunity away. Where are the ESPN video packages? ESPN branding is almost nonexistent in this year’s game.  On top of that, why not take advantage of being the only actual NFL game on the market? Why not use the ESPN logos, tickers and graphics for games? I understand it would be hard to get the licenses for packages for each of the networks that carry NFL games, but how hard could it be to give me actual ESPN Monday Night Football presentation to make these games feel that much better. Hell, why not show me NFL network video packages?

Another disappointing aspect of the presentation of this year’s game is undoubtedly the commentary. Last year I applauded the addition of Gus Johnson, but somehow this year it just feels like it’s too much. Yes, it’s great when a remarkable, game changing play takes place and he shows true emotion, but Mr. Johnson is very excitable and makes every play, even short five yard passes seem like the best thing to ever happen to the game. Oh, and Chris Collinsworth? You may want to look into why they’re turning you into the game’s comedic value – I’ve had to listen on multiple occasions how you told me how great Greg Jennings’ arm strength is, and how he can riffle passes into tough spots. Yeah, Jennings is a receiver. I’m calling it – next year I want Joe Buck.

All of that aside, Madden’s core football gameplay is incredibly satisfying. Perhaps that’s as a result of the game’s hardest difficulty being ramped up to include smarter AI and better play recognition. The defense will pick up on tendencies and exploit them, and you better have a good adjustment plan.  New defensive animations and tackling systems makes that side of the ball a ton more satisfying to play. I honestly couldn’t get enough of wrecking guys with guys like Clay Matthews and BJ Raji.  With all of its downfalls, you can take solace in the fact that yes, Madden NFL 12 is still great fun to play.

Blast Factor: Madden NFL 12 may not be the best of the series, but it is a satisfying and fun football experience. The dynamic player performance system is an interesting addition the established formula, and should change how you at least play franchise mode. If Madden NFL 12 were an NFL team, they’d be the team that misses the playoffs, but only slightly.

Nintendo announced this morning that the long in development and anticpated Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will release November 20 in North America.

Anyone else suddenly feeling sick that week?

So you sat through Nintendo unveiling the Wii U at this year’s E3, but all you could ask yourself was — “But what about Modern Warfare 3?” Relax. Activision has you covered; the long awaited threequel is hitting the Wii along with every other platform you could imagine this November.

The publisher made the announcement during today’s conference call with investors. “We’re pleased to have recently confirmed that we will release aModern Warfare 3 Wii SKU this year, so as not to leave any of the community out of the excitement,” Activison Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg told investors.

So yeah, there you have it. You can waggle your way through the Russian invasion this fall.

You really can’t say Sega and Next Level games didn’t try. For Captain America: Super Soldier, the game loosely based on this summer’s big
budget adaptation of Marvel’s long running comic series, they took obvious inspiration from Batman: Akrham Asylum; widely regarded as
the best comic book video game of all time.  Unfortunately, they only borrowed the game’s ideas, and failed to capture what made the caped crusader’s latest adventure so memorable. That being said, it’s not all bad, and it may not be saying much, but Captain America: Super Soldier reaches heights that other Marvel games could only dream of.

Much like most video games based on comics book movies, the adventure in Captain America: Super Soldier takes place within the universe of the movie but doesn’t follow the events precisely.  This isn’t an origin story so you won’t have to take Steve Rogers from scrawny Brooklyn kid to National Hero, instead much like Arkham Asylum, the entirety of the game takes place in one location, a castle high in the Bavarian mountains.  It’s a sprawling complex, and it’s also home to scientist Armin Zola and his ruthless creations. Your job of course is to go in to the castle, stop Zola and destroy pretty much everything in the process.

What separates a game like Captain America from one like Arkham Asylum is simply how engrossing it is, and this is the game’s first misstep; as much of the game’s six hour campaign is incredibly dull and forgettable. Go into an area, punch a bunch of guys in their face, whip out the shield and move on. Of course, there are some moments that break up this monotony, but they’re few and far between.  Of course, the combat is not only responsive, but surprisingly rewarding, but even it’s not enough to break up Captain America’s monotony of bleak browns and grays.

That lack of detail also spills out into just how the game is designed. While playing the game, you feel the sprawling castle should be explored, but thanks to the tedious and dull level design it’s never quite as satisfying as it should be. It’s almost as if the developers realized this halfway through as they included a sewer system that goes underneath pretty much the entire castle to streamline travel and give you an option other than retracing your steps constantly through the castle. For what it’s worth, there’s a ton of collectibles you can find throughout Captain America, but none of them are things you’ll want. Beer steins? Whatever. Why not give me collectible comic book covers I can view, or movie art, or something other than random crap?

Captain America does its best to imitate a free-roam game, but is really a linear experience in every sense of the term. There are platforming sections that give the illusion that you’re free to explore and free to go about the game your own way, but in reality you’re still just moving from narrow corridor to narrow corridor. This has a definite effect on just how you’ll play through the game as you’re bound to get frustrated as you feel like you should get to that item, but it’s always just out of reach.

Captain America did nail one of the aspects from Batman: Arkham Asylum, the fact that you’ll never really get a quality boss fight with the one you’ve been waiting to take out for the entire game. Oh, there are some pretty frequent boss fights with some of Cap’s most famous recurring enemies like Iron Cross and Madame Viper, but you’ll never get that face with Red Skull you’ve been waiting the whole game for. You play through the entire game, slogging through tedious boss fight after tedious boss fight, waiting to get to the epic battle, but it never comes – it’s really all quite cheap.

There’s also something to be said for just how clean Captain America really is. Strangely, you’re playing as the same character who punched Adolf Hitler in the face on the cover of one the comics, but there’s absolutely no mention of Hitler, the Third Reich or the Nazi party. Instead, the soldiers with the goofy German accent are Hydra soldiers. I understand that putting such touchy topics in a game that kids will undoubtedly play, but these same topics are discussed in the movie, why hide it? Why make the game so squeaky clean?

The Blast Factor: Clocking in at just about 5-6 hours with no multiplayer, Captain America is slim on content and features, but that doesn’t mean it should be avoided at all costs. At the very least, it’s leaps and bounds ahead of Thor, Iron Man and other Marvel movie tie ins and that came before it, even if that’s not saying much. Still though, one of Marvel’s biggest names deserves better; there’s always The Avengers.

Want to know a secret? I’ve never seen a single moment of a Harry Potter movie, nor have I read a page of any of the books. Nothing against the franchise, I just never did. In fact, the only real concrete memory I have of the series is the god awful first Deathly Hallows game.  Is this really what people wait in line for?

The good news is that pretty much everything has been refined from The Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the bad news? It’s still pretty bad. Though there’s been obvious effort to tweak and tune the mechanics from the last game, they still don’t work and can be incredibly frustrating. With painfully bad voiceovers and a dull, short campaign, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II is not a good gaming send off for a franchise that defined a generation.

Much like its predecessor Deathly Hallows: part II plays like Gears of War in a Harry Potter mask. If that sounds weird…well that’s because it is. You’ll take cover and use your wand as your main weapon.  Different spells have different effects and can be used to take on different tasks – when they arise. That last part is key as the majority of the game is an incredibly repetitive affair.  Walk in to an area, cast a few spells, defeat bad guys and repeat until the game is over.  From time to time you’ll get new spells that will make the game feel a bit different (especially towards the end of the game), but for the bulk of the game, it all feels the same.

The most disappointing part of the game happens when you figure out just how paint by numbers the game is. Take the cover system for example; in a game like Gears of War, there’s multiple options for cover in an effort to be strategic, but in Deathly Hallows, it’s obvious that the developers put the cover points in where you’re supposed to take cover.  It gets to the point where you’ll see cover and instinctively know that death eaters are going to pop up right in front of it. This type of handholding becomes a bit more accepting when you take into account the game’s target audience; but it’s no excuse for the lazy level design.

One of the game's many different spells

For what it’s worth though, the game is full of great ideas – they’re just not implemented well. When you learn new spells, it’s a great deal of fun to experiment with them, but that feeling goes away when you realize that they all pretty much have the same effect. There’s a cool spell towards the end of the game that allows you to teleport between cover points, but it comes so late in the game that you never get the chance to truly explore what it can do. Perhaps Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II is most disappointing because it could have been much, much better.

The voice work in the game is done by impersonators, rather than the actual actors, and a few of them, like Harry, are rather impressive, but others are laughably bad. Characters like Voldermort come off as mere cartoon caricatures of their on screen personas. Visually, the game is a mixed bag. The screen is presented sans hub, which offers a nice and clean presentation, but the environments are so diluted and animations are so stiff that it doesn’t really matter. The first game had an embarrassing number of glitches that made the title’s faults stick out that much more, though most of those glitches are now gone, the graphical issues somehow still stick out.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II will only take most gamers about 3-5 hours to complete, which is incredibly short when you take into account the game’s $50 price tag.  There’s no extra modes, no multiplayer and thus no real reason to go back through a second time. With this being the last game of the series, why not offer collectibles or hidden nods to past stories for the fans? Sadly, Deathly Hallows: Part II is as bare bones as a game can get.

The Blast Factor: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II is miles ahead of the first game, but sadly, that’s not saying much. It’s a bare bones, flawed and unimaginative title that sadly never delivers on its novel ideas. So long Mr. Potter, sorry you never got a decent gaming experience.

Every year, I have a very distinct way that I play the NCAA Football series. At any time I have no less than two different dynasties going. I always start with the Wisconsin Badgers and continue my home state’s yearly dominance over winning countless national titles, but the other is a bit more interesting. I take a random small school and through recruiting and old fashioned coaching slowly turn them into a national powerhouse; then after a few years I change schools to see if I can do it again.  This usually means giving up my numbers and record and starting over, but thanks to the coaching carousel, a new feature in this year’s game, I’m able to play in one continuous game that allows me to think and more importantly react as an actual NCAA coach.

The coaching carousel mode is just one of many additions that makes NCAA Football one of the series premiere titles. Though it has its fair share of flaws and the majority of the gameplay hasn’t been changed much, there’s still much to like here.  From a slew of new presentation improvements to a notable amount of customization options, NCAA Football  2012 finally steps out from the shadow of its big brother, the Madden NFL series and it does so by celebrating the spectacle of college football and not just the product.

The addition of the coaching carousel to the Dynasty Mode is an interesting one. You start by creating your coach from style to alma matter and of course look (admittedly though there are some curious absences here. You mean I can make my coach wear a 3 piece suit but can’t give him a 60’s era hat?) and then you pick your first coaching job. Where you go and what role you take will have a massive impact on your experience: pick an offensive or defensive coordinator and you’ll only have control over that side of the ball; but if you pick a head coach you’ll have control over the entire team. At the beginning of each season you’re given a set of goals and these are how you’re judged at the end of the season. Once your contract runs out you’ll have the option to stay with your current team (if they don’t fire you) or testing the waters otherwise.  It’s an interesting twist and a brand new way to look at a mode that had become somewhat stale in recent years.

The mode isn’t without its flaws though. Key among them is the fact that regardless of what position you choose, you’re going to be responsible for the entire team’s recruitment process, thus giving you pretty much the same responsibilities and making the feat of getting a head coaching job seem that much more trivial. What’s more, it’s entirely too easy to pull of the game’s biggest feat – landing your “dream job.” Simply create your coach and set his alma matter to whatever team you want, then make him the head coach of that school, and you’re in (interestingly enough it’s also a way to get a 30 point achievement on the Xbox 360).

Coaching carousel isn’t the only notable addition to Dynasty mode as for the first time ever you’ll be able to change around divisions and NCAA rules to your liking. The impressive customization suite was included as an answer to last year’s talk of super conferences and a dramatic realigning and is a college football fans dream. Want Norte Dame to play in the Big Ten? Go for it. Want to move a small southern team into the SEC to play with the big boys? It’s all up to you.  What’s more, you can even change bowl bids and where the bowl games happen. For instance, you can make the winner of the SEC and the winner of the Big Ten play each other in the Orange Bowl if you’d like.

Another mode that’s grown stale in recent years but given an overhaul in the 2012 game is the Road to Glory mode.  The mode, which puts you in control of one single created player now starts you back at the beginning of your senior year of high school (teams are either automatically created or you can import them using the impressive team builder). Once you choose which school you’ll be playing for, the game becomes almost more like an RPG as you’ll earn experience points to level up your player through in game play and mini games like practice performance. While you’ll start as a simple backup, you’ll eventually work your way up to becoming a trusted starter that can call his own plays and audibles at the line.

As you’d probably expect, save for a few new animations and tweaks, not much of the game’s core gameplay has been changed from last year’s installment. Unfortunately, this includes a few key elements that desperately needed tweaking. Some of the game’s physics are still a bit strange (there were several times where the ball went directly through my receiver), and the AI still has a tendency to become unbelievably good towards the end of the game especially when trailing. Come on, it’s a bit strange when you’re dominating for three and a half quarters only to have the other team suddenly become experts at interceptions and sacks.

Not all of the game’s tweaks are of the gameplay variety though, as the game features an updated presentation aspect this year.  Key among the updates is the stadium specific introductions. While not all teams have big introductions, the key ones are here like Florida State’s Chief Osceola and Renegade running on to the field and the LSU Tiger. They’re great to watch the first few times, but what about the rest of the game? If you’re going to capture the true spirit of college football, why not do something special for the end of the game?  Why does it feel the same when I beat a no name opponent as it does when I upset a top ranked team? Also notable is the fact that the game’s crowd noise has been improved dramatically and you no longer get the feeling like you’re listening to 50 fans amplified to sound like 100,000 fans; you’re actually listening to the right amount.

Much like the gameplay however, the game still suffers from some of the same visual flaws that have haunted the series for years. At random times half of players will vanish and the ball will completely go through whole objects. The new presentation aspects are great, but I almost would have rather had them wait on those until they fixed these lingering problems.

Blast Factor: Though it has its fair share of flaws, NCAA Football 2012 is easily one of the best of the franchise. With its new customization suite and revamped modes, college football fans are sure to find enough to enjoy for some time to come – or at least until next year’s game releases.

When the Wii U was unveiled at E3 earlier this month, it left a lot of unanswered questions.  Enter Shigeru Miyamoto. The long running Nintendo developer, famous for creating loved characters like Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong opened up to Game Informer recently about the new system and how it’s development dates back to even before the original Wii.

Miyamoto told the magazine that the idea of a new HD console was originally being tossed around when the company was in the early stages of developing the original Wii console.  For several reasons, they decided not to go HD, but given the recent rise of popularity of HD TVs, they knew it had to be included with the new console. “We’ve seen the increase in HD TVs be very dramatic, so we felt this time is was important for us to include HD functionality in the system,” Miyamoto said.

Miyamoto also noted that Nintendo is not putting any restrictions on how developers choose to use the new platform, and that includes the motion control and the touch screen.  He noted that developers may have felt limited by the Wii-mote’s button layout. “The number of buttons on the controller was somewhat limited compared to what developers were used to developing for.” Miyamoto believes that some developers felt like they had to use motion control to achieve the type of gameplay they wanted.

Of course, with the Wii U, Nintendo aims to fix all that. How? A more traditional button layout on top of the touch screen and motion features. “Yes, it does have motion control and it does have a touch screen, but it also has a full complement of buttons to go alongside that,” he said. “So it’s really going to be up to the development teams to decide if they want to take advantage of button control, motion control, the touch screen, and they’ll be able to leverage their own creativity and find the gameplay style that’s going to be best suited to the games they’re developing.”

Miyamoto went on to talk about the creation of the Wii U and it’s controller. “The concept for Wii U came from, “where do we want to take the future of home console gaming?” Particularly with the thinking that the home console is something that’s connected to the TV, we started to think about how we can leverage the TV and interact with it in different ways and use that to change the living room entertainment experience. What we didn’t do is look at in terms of how can we connect a portable gaming device to a console.”

“One of the challenges with the home console is that up until now for the home console to function is it has to be connected to the TV. Particularly now when turning on the TV doesn’t instantly bring up an image, it takes time for the picture to come up, or someone else is using the TV, that then creates barriers for people to use the home console. What we thought was what can we do to make this device that anyone can access instantly at any time regardless of what’s happening on the TV? How can they use this controller to very quickly turn on the system, see what’s new there, see what their friends have been playing, and have instant access to that. What we decided is that in addition to the TV screen that the console is going to use, we needed an additional screen that is quick, easy access to everything that the system has to offer.”

You can read the whole interview here, as well as our hands on impressions of the new console here

LOS ANGELES — After months of speculation, we know that the Nintendo’s next new console will be the Wii U. Unveiled just minutes ago during the company’s E3 2011 Press Event, The Wii U is like nothing you’ve ever seen.

The controller as seen above features a 6.2 inch LCD screen and can be used in a variety of different ways. Of course, you can use it in the traditional controller sense, but you can also transfer the image completely to the LCD screen, allowing the device to become more portable.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect is how the device can be used as a tablet. The video shown at the briefing allowed two players to sit the controller on a table and play a game of checkers just as you would with an iPad or similar device. The Wii U is also capable of surfing the internet, displaying pictures and a lot more.

A slew of games were confirmed for the new console including Ninja Gaiden, Dirt, Assassin’s Creed and of course, Super Smash Bros.

Blast will be going hands on with the console later this week.

I’m a wrestling fan, but comparatively I despise sports entertainment. I long for the days of Gorilla Monsoon calling epic confrontations of warriors, immortals and immovable objects.  The days of Kayfabe. When the spectacle was the athleticism of off the top rope elbow drops, and not gimmicks. Back when the McMahon family wasn’t afraid of a panda.

It’s for those reasons that I thought I would love WWE Allstars, THQ’s over the top arcade style wrestling game that pits the top stars of yesterday against the new generation, but instead, after playing though the game, I felt unfulfilled and disappointed.  While the game can be fun when played with a number of people, it gets old incredibly quick and leaves a lot to be desired.

Unlike the WWE Smackdown VS Raw series which comes off as more of a simulation, All Stars presents the WWE stars as if they were action figures, and finds even the biggest competitors doing over the top, flashy maneuvers that send them flying into the air. The roster is full of legends like Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Andre the Giant and Randy “it’s about fucking time” Savage along with some of today’s biggest names like John Cena, the Miz and HHH. Oh, and they brought Kofi Kingston with them as well. The legends thing has been done before, like in the majority of the recent Smackdown VS Raw games and the Legends of Wrestlemania game that hit a few years ago.

Sounds great right? Strip away all of the WWE flash, all of the legends, all of the memories and you’re left with a rather thin package. Think about it, if the exact game was available, minus the license, how would you feel? All of the match types you’d expect are here, from single to tag team, extreme rules and steel cage match, but they all come off playing out remotely the same. The roster is broken down in to four categories, brawlers, big men, acrobats and grapplers, but there’s very little strategy since most of the roster plays exactly the same.  This goes a long way in ruining what is the biggest draw of the game, playing as your favorite stars of generations past. What’s the point in being excite to play as Jake the Snake Roberts if he plays exactly the same as say Bret Hart or Mr. Perfect?

To its credit, WWE All Stars is easy to pick up and play, at first. It employs basically the same control scheme as the excellent n64 WWE grappler No Mercy, with buttons for strikes and grapples, but then throws in a few odd additions. One button runs at the ropes, but you’ll have to switch over to another button to get out of the ring? There’s a different button to reverse grapples than there are strikes? Really? Finishers are another issue, as once your meter fills, you hit a button to activate an animation that sets you up for a your specific move. Here’s the problem with this though, your enemy can attack you while you’re doing the taunt that sets up your finisher, and if that happens, you lose the finisher. Oh, and AI opponents are constantly no-selling finishers.

Pow, right in the kisser.

The game’s best mode is easily the fantasy warfare, which pits a superstar from today against one from yesterday for a specific title. For instance, Andre the Giant VS The Big Show is for best big man, while pitting the straight edge superstar CM Punk VS the beer guzzling Stone Cold Steve Austin is to determine the better lifestyle choice. Each bout is presented via a click intro that chronicles both superstars careers featuring actual video footage. The matches are fun, and are no different than if you were to do them in exhibition, but they’re fun none the less. It would have been nice though to have the results of matches online so we can see who is really winning these fantasy warfare matches rather than just who is winning them on our consoles.

It’s a shame that the rest of the game doesn’t feature the fantasy warfare mode’s slick presentation values. In fact, the game feels like a missed opportunity in that aspect. Sure, the Path of Champions mode has animated and fully voiced scenes depending on which path you choose, but that’s just your opponent cutting a promo looking at the camera. Also, the choices of Path of Champions seem a bit off. You choose whether you want to try to fight Randy Orton at WrestleMania, The Undertaker at Summerslam or DX. Since when is The Undertaker associated with Summerslam? Wouldn’t it be cooler to try to snap the dead man’s undefeated streak at Wrestlemania?

There are also no Path of Champions modes for the newer guys to take on the legends. Why not build up to facing Hogan at Wrestlemania? The game seems void of any real sense of WWE history, when I pit Hogan against Savage, I want to see a video package chronicling the Mega Powers and their rivalry throughout the years. The Legends of Wrestling game from a few years ago did a great job celebrating the history of the company and the sport, WWE All Stars merely using it as an accessory. Oh, and the commentary of JR and The King is just and random and annoying as ever.

The Blast Factor: WWE Allstars is at it’s best when playing with a group of friends, but even then it feels like a thin, wasted opportunity. As a full $60 game, it’s tough to recommend, perhaps if it were a  digital download title for half the price it would be the other way around. WWE All Stars seems like a forced attempt to win over the market from yesterday, but still cram the stars of today down our throats.

Your Wii is about to get infected.

Gamers Digital announced that Zombii Attack, an arcade survival game that finds you cast as a survivor in a large city overrun with bloodthirsty zombies will hit Wii-ware this Spring.

Now I know what you’re thinking, and yes, there are a ton of zombie games out, but Zombii attack does things a bit differently. Armed with only a  controlled Wii-mote controlled slingshot, the game uses real life physics to initiate environmental kills.

Stick with Blast for more on Zombii attack.

When Nintendo says something is a limited edition, they mean it.

Nintendo announced today that it would be pressing one final run of the recently released (and reviewed here) Super Mario Allstars 25th Anniversary pack for the Wii before it’s gone forever.

The final release of the collection is expected to hit stores around March 13, but it’s not known how big the release will be. The $30 package includes a re-release of Mario 1-3, with the Lost Levels thrown in as well as a soundtrack CD and a history booklet.

If you’re reading this review to find out if the games found in Nintendo’s 25^th Anniversary Mario All-stars pack areworth playing, let me save you some time – they are. But be honest, you already knew that. These are three of the most influential and most classic games of all time that even the most jaded gamer will have fond memories of.  Where the value of the pack comes into question though is with its presentation and extras. A few questionable exclusions and a thin package make Mario All-Stars a bit of a surprisingly disappointing collection.

If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll recognize the Mario All-Stars pack from its original release on the Super Nintendo way back in 1993. Hell, it even says it on the back of the box. Now, this isn’t a new version of that game, it is that game. From the menu system to the copyright dates and everything in between, it’s clear that Nintendo just plucked the data from the cartridge and plopped it on to the CD. Some also might be disappointed that Super Mario World, widely viewed as one of the best of the Mario franchise. Nintendo even produced an alternate version of the original Super Mario All-Stars with the plumbers 16-bit debut included, why not include it here? The game is available on the Wii-shop channel, so it could just be a bit of smart marketing, but it would have been nice to see it in included.

This year and next, Sony is releasing HD collections of some of their greatest hits from the Team Ico collection to Sly, and none of them hold nearly as much weight as Nintendo’s perennial plumber – it’s just sad that this collection didn’t get the same retouches. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking for newly imagined and stylized versions of these classic games, but perhaps just a few touchups. The game runs at a disappointing 50hz, far below what even the Wii can do.

Technical nitpicks aside; the collection is a stunning reminder of just how timeless these games truly are. The original Super Mario Bros, its sequel, Mario 3 and Mario the Lost Levels are all included, and each one feels just as fresh as it did when it first launched. A bit of a history lesson, the Lost Levels game in this package was the original sequel to Super Mario Bros but wasn’t released in the United States in fear of it being too hard for American gamers. Instead we got the game that we know as Super Mario Bros 2, a re-skinned version of Japanese game Doki Doki Panic. Having both on the disc (much like they were in the 1993 version) showcases just how different the gaming industry was way back when. Super Mario Bros 2 proper is a distant  departure from the now famous formula, while the Lost Levels package is one of the toughest platforming experiences of all time.

Interestingly enough, the pack serves as away to educate newer gamers on just where the franchise and in many aspects the gaming industry as we know it came from. You know, the type of gamer that thinks that Mario’s history started with Mario Kart. It’s amazing that these simple mechanics are still so enticing, even to a generation that grew up with HD gaming.

The re-release of the Mario All-Stars collection is done so in celebration of the franchise’s 25^th anniversary and comes packed in a fancy red box, a history book and a collection of music from the series. While the package has been kept thin in an effort to keep the price down (the whole thing goes for $29.99), I would have gladly paid full price for more. Special Editions for games like Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed come with mini-busts and replica items; I would have loved to have seen something like this for gaming’s most famous protagonist.

The Blast Factor: Super Mario All-stars will remind you of just why you’re a gamer. It may not be as big of a package as you’d expect, but it’s still more than worth it. This is a collection of some of the greatest games in history, and they’ll always have a place in many gamer’s hearts.  Go out, get the Mario All-Stars collection and fall in love with gaming all over again.

Hello, my name is Joe Sinicki and I’m a Disney-a-holic. It’s okay, I can admit it. Now please understand, though – I’m not talking the everyone break into dance in a cafeteria, oh no they know my secret pop star identity tween version of Disney, I’m talking about the classic years. The Alice Comedies, the  Silly symphonies; the golden age of animation, age and wonder. Perhaps that’s what drew me to Epic Mickey from the start, the game’s lead designer and producer, Warren Spector, most famous for games like Thief and Wing Commander is just as big of a fan of the godfather of animation as I am, and I trusted him to craft an intriguing tale that also serves as a love letter to the Disney legacy.

He did. Disney Epic Mickey is a tightly wound, and even touching story that will even the most hardcore Disney fans won’t be able to resist; filled with nods and cameos by even the most random Disney characters, and theme park attractions, this isn’t your average Disney title. Yet, as a result of a number of almost broken mechanics, and one of this year’s worst camera systems,  the game feels almost unplayable at some points.  Still though, if you have any interest in the world of Walt Disney, Epic Mickey is not to be missed.

The game opens with a flashback to a few years ago in Yen Sid the sorcerer’s laboratory. On the sorcerer’s desk lies an intricate model, which really serves as a world for the forgotten characters in the Disney universe, or “things that have been forgotten” as they’re called here. Becoming interested in the model, Mickey sneaks in while Yen Sid is away and begins to play with it. After fiddling with it for a while, Mickey accidentally creates the Shadow Blot (a mischievous, smart and some say insane thief as seen in classic Disney cartoons) who, despite the best efforts of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and the other residents of the forgotten land, eventually takes over. To make matters worse, Mickey panics and tries to clean up the mess with a sponge, and a bottle of paint thinner, which in turn makes the forgotten world a desolate wasteland. Years pass, and Mickey’s transgression is forgotten until one day the Phantom Blot enters Mickey’s house through a mirror and drags him in. Sensing an opportunity, Oswald devises a plan to capture Mickey (who he’s become jealous of) and steal his heart.

This is perhaps the game’s most interesting aspect, how it treats its protagonist. In the world of Disney, especially lately, Disney plays it safe with Mickey, he does no wrong, but here – it’s his transgression that causes the game’s events to unfold. That mechanic plays out throughout Mickey’s journey through the wasteland as you’re able to decide just how you play through the game. Do you play the good side, using your paint brush to restore order to the wasteland, or do you take the easy way out and dissolve any of your obstacles with the bottle of thinner. Your actions and decisions will have a lasting effect on just how the world in Epic Mickey takes shape, and you’re going to want to play through multiple times to see just what could have happened.

Throughout Epic Mickey, you're going to meet many interesting forgotten characters.

There’s no doubt about it, those who know and are familiar with Disney lore will appreciate the work Spector and Junction Point have put into crafting Epic Mickey. There are references here to everything from them park lands, to old cartoons and even a tongue-in-cheek look at the mass commercialization of Mickey himself. The real treat though for folks like me are the small touches and nods to things that prove Spector cares about the brand, and the properties that inhabit it. That’s not to say that casual fans won’t  be able to jump in, as the game is instantly accessible despite its depth.

At its heart, Epic Mickey is a pretty straight forward platformer, and there lies a good portion of its problems. Theworld of Epic Mickey is so creative and fun to explore that using basic and seemingly uninspired platform mechanics can take you out of the game incredibly fast.  Oh, and then there’s the camera — Let me see how to put this most simple – you’re going to hate the camera in Epic Mickey, it could very well be the worst camera I’ve seen in a platformer this year. Using a dynamic system, the camera follows you around automatically, or  at least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.  The camera seems to be intent on placing itself in the worst possible places. Going down a series of ledges? You won’t be able to see your next jump. Fighting a series of enemies? You’ll have to take them on without seeing them.

Another issue is with the game’s targeting system. Your main attacks are either a paint stream or a thinner stream, which works great from a far, but up close it’s a mess. You’re going to have a tough time hitting any enemy that’s close, and you don’t have a dodge maneuver, which means Mickey’s going to be taking a ton of damage. Luckily the game’s auto save feature is pretty generous and you won’t have to start over too far.

The Blast Factor: With Disney Epic Mickey, Warren Spector professes his life-long love for the works of Walt Disney with a gripping and even touching tale. It’s a love letter to not only the legacy of Disney, but to a golden age long forgotten – it’s just too bad the game’s mechanics aren’t up to par. Still though, it’s an interesting enough tale that differs from anything available on the Wii.

Perhaps more than any other intellectual property, the Harry Potter series has defined this generation. Whether you’re a fan or not, there’s no denying that the works of J.K Rowling have had a lasting effect on the culture and personality of this country much like that of the original Star Wars trilogy over thirty years ago.

It’s a bit insulting then when things like this happen. Not only is the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 the uninspired, licensed dribble you expected – it’s a downright terrible experience. From game crippling bugs and laughable mechanics, to some of the most annoying sound bites you’ve played in quite some time, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is what’s wrong with the video game industry.

The reason the Harry Potter franchise works so well is because at its heart, it’s the coming of age story of three kids as they confront life, death, love and even their own mortality under the veil of the story of a wizard. The video game? Not so much. If there were to be a message here, it would have to be that if you’re annoying enough, all of your problems are sure to run away. The game features literally none of the heart, emotion or fanfare that has made the series so popular in the first place.

Following the book and movie very, very loosely, the first chapter of the final tale of Hogwarts finds Harry, Ron and Hermione tasked with getting rid of the evil Lord Voldemort, but to do this, they’re first going to have to destroy the rest of the horcruxes, or objects imprinted with the evil spirit of Voldermort. What exactly does that mean for you? A whole lot of nothing since the game does pretty much nothing in an effort to move the plot forward in favor of cheap sequence after cheap sequence.

So just how does Deathly Hallows play? It’s easiest to think of it as adventure game, mixed with the cover system of Gears of War – just really a really terrible one. Much like everything else here, the cover system is downright terrible, and you’ll often find yourself sticking to the wrong side of your proposed cover, or not at all. As fun as casting a ton of spells on hundreds of Death Eaters seems like it should be, it grows old after about the fourth or fifth second, as Harry’s constant yells of “STUPEFY….SPTUPEFY…” are yelled every few seconds. It’s made worse by the fact that pretty much every spell you do is a variation of said attack.

Hint, this guys bad -- but still not as bad as this game.

There’s a stealth element to Deathly Hallows, via the Invisibility Cloak. Again – a great idea in theory, but it fails miserably in practice. First, you’ll occasionally run into a bug that sends Harry to the left or right by about ten feet to the left or right, which really makes it hard to accomplish the whole sneaking through without touching anyone thing. Oh, and you have to stand still to charge it – what fun. The strangest part about the invisibility cloak is the fact that it never seems to play by a single set of rules. There are literally entire sections of the game, including the final boss battle that can be passed if you just stand in the right place at the right time.

On the Xbox 360 version of the game, there’s a bit of Kinect support, but it too is thoroughly disappointing. When we first got the game in, I thought it would be a good demonstration of what the new peripheral could do in combination with a new controller. It is not. The Kinect suite of the game is a mini game acting completely independent from the main content on the disc. Acting as an on rails shooter you’ll flick your wrist to cast spells on a series of enemies. All too quickly though you’ll realize that you’re not really aiming at anything, and the feature seems even thinner. Kinect could have been a huge part of Harry: Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but much like everything else in the game, that potential is wasted.

The game’s biggest crime? The fact that EA expects you to shell out $49.99 for this game, and then again when the second game comes out. Movies can do this, as a ticket to each half will run you $10 tops, but to ask consumers to pay $100 for one single experience is just plain ludacris.

The Blast Factor: The videogame adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 fails in almost every way imaginable. It’s not fun to play, it’s buggy and worst of all, it’s full price for half of an adventure. Harry Potter fan? You’ll be disappointed. Looking for a late way into the series, check out the books or movies instead, just avoid this game at all costs.

I’m what you might call a cynic. I’m not one for handing out praise and gooey words to games unless they really deserve it. Yet, I can’t say enough about Donkey Kong Country Returns. It’s epic, it’s fun, it’s gorgeous – it’s the best platformer you’ve played in a long time.

Strangely enough, Retro studios didn’t look to new technology or fancy new features for their attempt to restore faith in the once prominent franchise, theymerely returned one of Nintendo’s oldest heroes to his roots and in the process have surpassed everything Rare has done with the original.

Life is hard for Kong, he’s finally gotten rid of those pesky Kremlins, but now he’s got to worry about his fellow jungle animals running off with his banana horde. You see, the animals are under the control of the evil Tikis known as the Tiki Tak Tribe. As you’d expect, your goal is to traverse the jungle, defeat the Tik Tak Tribe and get yourself some potassium goodness in the process.

In essence, returns is the formula from the original Donkey Kong Country boiled down to its most simple assets. Anyone who remembers the last few games in the series will remember that they were filled with increasingly annoying King family members and stale gameplay. Save for our ape protagonist and Diddy (along with a few appearances by Cranky Kong), the extended family sits this one out in favor of a more streamlined story and classic gameplay.  Everything you remember is here, from the vine swinging, to collecting the gold K-O-N-G letters, the key here is that Retro Studios, the same team that revitalized the Metroid series with Metroid: Prime was able to make the gameplay feel fresh, without adding too much.

What’s most striking about Donkey Kong Returns is just how impressive and creatively brilliant the level design is throughout the entire experience. From striking set pieces like riding on the back of a whale to the series trademark mine car sections, every second of Kong’s latest adventure seems lovingly crafted to get the absolute most entertaining experience. Sprinkled throughout are clever nods to the original series, like characters and hidden rooms. It’s clear that Retro were fans of the original game.

That level design though isn’t just for show though, it also adds a world of difficulty. While it may not look as menacing as it is, there are sections of Returns that are unforgivingly hard. Much like the original, you’re going to gain a lot of lives, which will lure you into a false sense of security, but you’re likely to use them all during these punishing sections. More often than not, these sections will either be the boss fights or include them. Strangely enough though, the game feels instantly accessible and inviting even for those without an emotional attachment to the big monkey on the cover. Also aiding in helping frustrated players is the Super Guide. Much like in New Super Mario Bros, dyeing eight straight times leads to the option to see a prerecorded run through of the level.

For the first time in the series, Donkey Kong Country Returns includes co-op simultaneous gameplay, and while at times it can be a bit frustrating in the same way the multiplayer of New Super Mario Bros was, it mostly works. As you’d expect, Donkey Kong is more of a brute type character who uses mostly melee combat, while Diddy is quicker and uses projectile weapons. Undoubtedly, my favorite part of the co-op experience was the ability to have Diddy jump on Donkey Kong’s back, so it’s easier for less skilled players to advance while playing with a stronger partner.

The biggest letdown? Why no classic controller support? No don’t get me wrong, the Wii controller works fine in most cases, but growing up playing this very franchise on Super Nintendo and N64 and not being able to use a similar controller just feels wrong. There is some motion functionality in the game, by shaking the Wiimote, DK will perform a ground pound, but in some cases, the game confuses this motion for an attempt to get DK to roll, and it’ll likely cause you one of your lives.

The Blast Factor: With Donkey Kong Country Returns, Retro Studios proves that its talents aren’t just limited to first person shooters. The newest Donkey Kong adventure is a breathtakingly creative and fun instant classic that everyone will be able to appreciate. Whether you hold an emotional attachment to Nintendo’s monkey hero, or your experiencing the franchise for the first time, Donkey Kong Country Returns is one of the best games you’ve played all year.

According to Microsoft’s Don Matrick, Kinect, Xbox 360′s motion sensing camera has sold over one million units in its first ten days on sale.

Calling the sales “a great start to the Holiday season,” Matrick commented that the company hopes to up that number to five million by the end of the year, with launches in Asia, Japan and Australia later this month.

Not to be outdone, Sony pointed out that they have shipped a million units of their Move system since its early September launch, and Nintendo announced felt the need to add that they’ve sold 63 million Wii consoles since the system launched four years ago.

Blast reviewed Kinect and the Move. You should read those too.

Console owners, prepare to become addicted.

This week, at the Social Gaming Summit in London, Rovio CEO Peter Vesterbacka confirmed that console versions of the addictive puzzler Angry Birds, would be released in the next year.

Rovio and publishing partners EA and Chllingo and hoping to follow in the footsteps of PopCap and Plants VS Zombies, which made the transition to console earlier this year, and will be debuting on the Nintendo DS later this year.

Vesterbacka also shot down rumors of an Angry Birds sequel, but did mention that they’ve played with the idea of doing a spin-off title that exlores the game’s story from the pig’s point of view.

Though its seven titles have brought in over $3 billion in sales, Call of Duty: Black Ops has a lot to prove. After a tumultuous year, which resulted in one of the messiest breakups in gaming history, Treyarch had to prove that they were no longer the series B-team, and make people forget all about a little company called Infinity Ward.

The result? Call of Duty: Black Ops is simply spectacular. Filled with thrilling set piece after thrilling set piece, and tied together with a tight perfectly paced narrative, and a thoroughly impressive multiplayer suite — Black Ops is easily one of the best games in the series. It’s not just an impressiveTreyarch Call of Duty game – it’s a great game altogether.

Black Ops isn’t your average Call of Duty game, and that’s evident right from the start. Rather than opening with a big military effort like previous games, you find yourself held hostage and being interrogated by a mysterious voice man. Turns out you’ve been on some seriously hardcore missions, and the details of this mission will help unlock a puzzle of sorts for your captors. Thus, the story of Black Ops is told mostly via flashbacks as you try to recall the information. Most of the action takes place in either the Vietnam or Cold Wars, meaning that you’ll get at least a fair share of differing missions as you try to uncover the truth. It’s not exactly the most original mechanic, but it does tend to keep you interested throughout the campaign.

Interestingly enough, the title brings actual historical figures like Fidel Castro, Robert F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon into the story. It can be a bit daunting to see these recognizable faces throughout the game, but they’re used tastefully enough that it doesn’t get in the way of the game or its story.

Call of Duty is known for its dramatic action, and Black Ops is no different. From the first mission, you’ll go from one thrilling set piece to another, and the sheer thrill of blowing stuff up and shooting is undeniable. Sure, some of the things you’re asked to do are a bit on the super hero side, but it’s extremely fun to jump out of a plane about to take off and then use a massive gattling gun to clear the area of enemy troops. The varied mission locations and structures make for some interesting memorable objectives.

One of the biggest complaints about going back to World War II for Treyarch’s last Call of Duty game, World at War after the wildly successful Modern Warfare 2 is that the guns felt awful slower, and while Black Ops doesn’t feature all of the high tech weaponry of Infinity Ward’s series for obvious reasons, there is a sufficient amount of advanced weaponry that all feels incredibly realistic, weighty and fun to use.

As fun as the campaign is, it clocks in at a mere six hours, and there’s little reason to go back for another play through.  As you could probably expect, the majority of Black Ops life is found in the game’s competitive multiplayer suite. At its core, it’s the same basic experience you’ve played in games past – do well, level up, get awesome loadouts, repeat. The key difference here is that Black Ops introduces currency, or Combat Points into the mix. Not only are you able to use the currency to upgrade your weapons, ammo and gear, but you can also bet them in online competition. It adds another level of intensity to playing the game online when you’re risking up to 10,000 combat points in the process.

The much talked about Zombie mode from World at War makes a return in Black Ops, with new maps and a new and interesting set of characters. The dark humor and co-op gameplay make for an interesting time (seriously, try not to laugh at some of the one liners), but it quickly wares thin once you realize that besides the asthetics, almost nothing has been changed since the last go-round.

Blast Factor: Call of Duty: Black Ops is a remarkably fun and inventive shooter; sure it has its share of imperfections, but they’re all minor when the game is this fun to play. Though the main campaign is a bit on the short side, it’s filled with thrilling set pieces and a compelling narrative along with the always exciting multiplayer suite. Say goodbye to your wife and kids, kiss the sun goodbye – your new Call of Duty fix has arrived.

Greg Hastings Paintball 2 is an interesting departure from the typical shooter. It’s a strictly team-based title that is designed to be a hardcore, real-world paintball sim. There is a single player campaign that takes you through a series of real paintball tournaments and allows you to build a team of up to 10 shooters, while consistently unlocking new equipment and upgrades with money earned from the various events.  There is also a robust, highly customizable local multiplayer mode – and a map editor for folks who want to design paintball scenarios from the comfort of their couch.

It was a new experience for me to play a shooter where your opponents don’t get traditionally “killed” but are rather eliminated by taking a paint spec. What is not immediately obvious about this detail before you get into GHP2 is that it affects play by allowing users to periodically “cheat” and wipe paint off when they’re hit. It is a calculated risk to try, and best to do in deep cover. If the refs see you, the team loses two players instead of just one. Do it too many times in a match and you’ll be hitting the pine in hurry.

The other interesting game mechanic introduced here is the ability to slide. GHP2 features 3 vertical positions like CoD: prone, crouched or vertical. If players are vertical and hit the crouch button while on the move, they’ll perform a slide that stays low and puts them right up against cover if performed at the right distance. It certainly adds to mobility and can be used effectively to avoid danger in certain situations.

Screeshot is from HD version

When I agreed to review GHP2, I had the choice of either Xbox 360 or Wii. I decided on the Wii version because I wanted to know if a game like this could really handle itself with the Wii’s motion controls. If indeed that were true, it might be really fun. Several shooters, like The Conduit and Red Steel 2, are amazing on the Wii and I was hopeful this would also be the case with GHP2 – especially since it is one of the few to incorporate online play. Unfortunately, these hopes were quickly dashed.

First off, the Wii Zapper controls are so bad. Having to reach up to the Wiimote position and tap A to zoom from the Nunchuck position is a ridiculous chore – a deal-breaker really. You can’t win playing this way because you don’t have easy access to the whole host of game controls. Using the Wiimote/Nunchuck combo without a Zapper is slightly more manageable (although you should keep Zapper controls on), with easier access to the A button for zooming in and out. You will still have to hunt for buttons, however.

Unfortunately, all forms of motion controls in GHP2 are just entirely too spastic to provide any sense of real accuracy or room for effective strategy. Your slightest movements outside the field of view and most snap-back reactions will send you spinning wildly out of frame. If this happens while you’re running, diving or otherwise maneuvering, you’ll typically end up leaving yourself exposed in the worst of possible places. I gave the motion controls my best shot for a day or two. I really did. Ultimately, they were just too unforgiving for what is basically a stealth/ cover shooter though. You can widen the Wiimote’s dead zone so that aiming in the corners of the screen is more possible without the whole view changing – but it is still extremely frustrating to use.

Once I strapped up the Classic Controller, I started to enjoy GHP2 a little and understand the game of paintball. I have never played in my life, so a level of education was necessary.  Although GHP2 does not do a tremendous job of explaining the mechanics of the real game step-by-step, especially when it comes to equipment considerations and game types, it is really the best way to learn about the sport I can think of without actually going out and doing the real thing. After playing the GHP2, I feel like my first couple of moves on a real paintball field might not be all that terrible.

Screenshot is from HD version

GHP2 offers an absurd level of customization in both single-player and local multiplayer modes, and the incorporation of  real-life players, locations, equipment and even crowd noise all go a long way toward making the experience feel authentic. Fans of the sport will likely be at home with the title and have natural instincts on how to best cover territory and with which loadouts. Another interesting equipment wrinkle introduced here is the weight factor. You can pimp your gear out to the gills if you want, but it will cause you to suffer in the mobility department. It would literally take months to master all the various loadout options in GHP2, as you work to equip your team of (ultimately) 10 players with all the right stuff.

Blast Factor: While I did have fun with this game, there was rarely a moment when I didn’t wish I was playing something else. I liked the environment and gameplay variety. The sad fact here though is this is just not a good title for the Wii platform. It becomes playable and somewhat interesting once settling on a Classic Controller, but this is really just an argument for playing the game on another platform. If you have a 360 or PS3, don’t even think about this title for Wii. First off, it’s virtually impossible to find a game online, so that aspect of it might as well not even be there. Second, the graphics on the Wii version are really limited and present functional problems when trying to track your shots. You account for wind and gravity in GHB2 – which is cool and relatively original – but it doesn’t add much when you can’t see where the paintballs are going and the splotches you do see vanish almost immediately. The AI is nothing to sing about either. Your teammates are straight garbage.

For real fans of paintball, I might recommend this title on 360 or PS3. But definitely rent it first. If you do end up buying, you will get a free paintball pass for two that is valued at up to $300. If you use the voucher, I suppose you could say the game pays for itself.

Browsing through a record store, you’re sure to notice your essentials, The Beatles, The Stones, and Clapton.What you’ll see if you look closer though is there are multiple albums of smaller bands paying tribute to the greats – Activision’s new Goldeneye 007 title is similar to these tribute albums, it dares not to try to recreate the magic that made the original so unforgettable, but merely pays it respect.

It would be simple for Activision to slap the Goldeneye name on a subpar shooter and watch the profits roll in, but what they’ve done is much more. It may not be the Goldeneye you remember in every sense, but the development team nailed the feeling that accompanied 1996’s beloved shooter. What’s more – it’s also an extremely competent shooter filled with solid mechanics and fun additions that will keep you coming back for more.

One of the biggest changes of Activision’s Goldeneye revamp is the inclusion of current (or maybe former depending on who you ask) 007 actor Daniel Craig rather than the original’s Pierce Brosnan. While it may seem like a small change, it alters a lot more of the game than you’d think; Craig’s Bond is a much tougher, brute than Brosnan’s suave and debonair portrayal of the British spy and as a result, the entire game gets a sort of facelift in the process. There are a number of stealth missions that you’ll take on as you progress through Goldeneye, but the developers have obviously taken cues from the more modern shooters like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor. If you play through Goldeneye with a cool head, it’s possible to get through much of the game, but you may opt not to because of how impressive the game’s action sequences are.

A good portion of that satisfying gameplay comes as a result of the game’s incredibly sharp and intuitive control scheme. The safe bet for most will be using either the classic controller (Activision even released a special edition gold version to promote the controller’s use with the game) or the GameCube controller for precision and comfort, but the game controls remarkably well even with just the Wii-mote and nunchuck setup. The precision shooting is downright excellent and leads to the ability to pinpoint exactly where you’re going to shoot – be in appendage or limb.

Goldeneye’s single player campaign will last most gamers roughly around 10 hours to complete, but its longevity stretches far beyond that. Much like the original game, ratcheting up difficulty doesn’t just increase the enemy AI, it also adds new objectives – which of course means that you’re going to want to give the game multiple plays to see everything. Hardcore Bond fans are encouraged to pay attention to fine details throughout the game, as there are a few clever nods that they’re sure to appreciate.

One of the game’s shallow points though is with the story. Featuring a completely rewritten tale with a few nods to the original story, Goldeneye’s main game mode is a bit disappointing. Instead of an interesting tale deserving of the James Bond name, you get a story that’s filled with spy thriller clichés, terrible acting and unskippable cutscenes. You’ll be able to telegraph pretty much all of the plot twists from a mile away. I understand that Activision wouldn’t want to keep a more than 10-year-old story in a brand new game, but why strip away the heart the original had as well.

All of these problems aside though, Goldeneye’s legacy is built firmly on the game’s extensive and innovative multiplayer suite, and Activision has went to great lengths to ensure that the new game’s suite feels like it should. In essence, this new version of the legendary multiplayer mode feels like how the original would have felt if it had come out in the modern era. Combining a perk system made famous in games like Call of Duty and the ability to tweak options to make the game your own, the multiplayer suite is one you’re going to keep coming back to. There are a few things that are oddly missing, like Wii-Speak for the game’s online sessions – why can’t I talk to my opponents online?

Blast Factor: No, Goldeneye 007 for the Wii is not the second coming of the legendary first person shooter – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a competent shooter, with solid mechanics that could work without the Bond license. At its heart though, is a tribute to a favorite of millions of gamers. You’re sure to love the game’s lengthy campaign along with the re-envisioned multiplayer suite. Bond may not be back, but Activision has done a great job recreating the magic.

In previous console editions of The Sims, the series trademarked “play with life” formula was watered down with story modes that no one really wanted to play. With the Sims 3, the console editions have finally caught up with the PC counterparts. Or should that be the other way around? After all, The Sims 3 features new desire system that plays out like a story line, much like the earlier console titles.

Regardless, The Sims 3 is simply a must buy for fans of the series without a decent enough PC. Featuring all of the original release’s amenities including a brilliant character creation mode and an addicting gameplay system, The Sims 3 console edition may not be perfect, but it is one hell of a good time.

In case you’ve been living under a rock – The Sims series can best be described as a “life simulator.” You design your characters, known as Sims (see how that works?), design their world and then play Deity and run – or destroy their lives. You’re tasks will range from the everyday mundane duties of taking out the trash and eating to major life accomplishments like getting married and of course – death. You’ll assist them in making friends, getting a job and even controlling their bladder – in short, living life.

What truly sets The Sims 3 apart from those that came before it is just how fluid the game is. In previous games you could move freely within your household and the immediate area surrounding it with little to no lag – but if you wanted to go anywhere like a business or a friend’s house that was a bit away you’d be greeted with a lengthy load screen that seriously took gamers out of the experience.  The world of The Sims 3 is one massive map – free of load screens and disruptions.

While this new mechanic may seem basic, it adds an incredible level of depth to the gameplay mechanics.  A major aspect of the franchise has always been creating relationships with other Sims. This used to be done by inviting other Sims over to your house or to do activities around your world. In the past, this involved making a call, inviting that sim and waiting. Sure, you can still do that in The Sims 3 but the beauty is that you don’t have to – you can just zoom out on your map, pick where you want to go (and occasionally invite someone) and you’re off.

The true brilliance of The Sims 3’s new open world is the added level of exploration it provides. Of course, the focus is still on your lot but for once – you don’t feel confined. You can walk around, check out the sights of the neighborhood, peruse a business or two or even introduce yourself to a new Sim or two (just don’t be surprised if they’re a little freaked out by a stranger approaching them).

These social interactions are made all the more entertaining by the incredible depth of the customization available in The Sims 3. As before, you’ll be able to choose your Sims appearance and personality traits, but in The Sims 3 there’s just so much more to do. You choose up to five personality traits for your sim that will greatly influence just how you play the game.  You can be everything from an easy-going, friendly free-spirit, to an excitable, neurotic and everything in between.  There’s a ton of different options here and they truly do have an effect on gameplay; for instance a more social sim will be happier interacting with others while a neurotic will be content making sure the dishes are clean over and over.

One key addition to The Sims franchise is the ability to set goals for specific characters. These goals can range from being successful to having a happy family life and anywhere in between. You’ll have to make choices (like going to the bookstore and reading up on hobbies and chosen careers) to work towards these goals. These goals are optional – but you’re going to want to obtain them if you want your sim to be happy. In a series that has taken some flak for having no real goals – these new goals add an entirely new level of gameplay to the franchise.

Your character’s appearance has also received an upgrade. Sliders are used to customize a sim’s height, weight and age and you’ll be able to customize your own clothing and accessories. To say the level of customization is deep would be an understatement – you can make 100 Sims and still not make any that look the same.  While this is impressive, it’s quite evident that the developers are holding some features for future expansion packs. If the game is so advanced, why do we lose the ability to live with Pets, take your Sims to College or to an island if we could do it in a previous game?

The Blast Factor: The Sims 3 is a fantastically deep yet incredibly accessible addition to an already accomplished series. From the robust creation engine to the customizable personality traits – there’s something for just about everyone here. While it won’t do much to change the minds of the series’ doubters, The Sims 3 is an incredible experience that combines its core gaming element with a strong sense of community to form an almost social networking medium.  Those looking for a game they can really dig in and devote some time to will need to look no further than The Sims 3.

You know what really annoys me? Those episodes of TV shows where something huge happens, that’s sure to effect the entire show’s cannon, only to reveal that it’s all a dream at the end. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 feels an awful lot like one of these cheap TV moments. Spoiler alert – Starkiller, the protagonist from the original Force Unleashed game and Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, takes his own life for the better of the rebellion. Yet, there he is as we open up The Force Unleashed 2. Yeah, apparently, Darth Vader’s got clones.

Ultimately, The Force Unleashed 2 is a similarly disappointing experience altogether. Though it starts off with a bang, and features some amazing art direction, the tale of one of Starkiller’s clone’s quest seemingly hits a brick wall before it really starts to gain any momentum. Still, you can’t deny the fun you’ll mindlessly killing fleets of storm troopers and abusing your force powers. The Force Unleashed 2 may not be The Empire Strikes Back, but it’s no Phantom Menace either.

Taking place about seven months after the events of the first game, and a full year before what we ultimately know as the first Star Wars movie; a New Hope, The Force Unleashed 2 opens up with Starkiller ( or quite possibly a Starkiller clone) escaping from captivity on Kamino. You take out the Storm Troopers guarding your cell, and set off on a quest to find out the truth about your existence and who you really are. Of course, it won’t be that easy, as you’ll not only have to take on the entire Empire, but deal with the fact that Darth Vader has hired Boba Fett to track you down.

If Force Unleashed 2 succeeds at one thing, it’s the game’s ability to make you feel like a badass Jedi master. It’s insanely fun to wind-up a huge force push and let loose on an entire squad of Storm Troopers as if they were bowling pins. That’s really just the start though; you’ll be able to let loose an entire array of awesome Jedi powers, including Force Lightning and levitation. If you’re like me though, you’ll find the most fun out of using the awesome Jedi Mind Trick ability.  Call me sadistic, but it’s just plain fun to watch an enemy Storm Trooper dive head first to his doom into an energy field. Of course, these powers are almost exactly the same as the ones from the original; they just feel a bit more powerful in the sequel.

These abilities still have their downfalls though, namely with the telekinesis ability.  Much like in the first game, you’ll often be tasked with picking up an object or enemy with this ability, but will have a  frustrating experience thanks to a shoddy targeting system. Yes, it seems easy to pick up that bin over there to tae out the control panel, but the game seems incapable of doing such pedestrian tasks.

As fun as these abilities are though, they don’t offer much in terms of gameplay, as the Force Unleashed 2’s core mechanics wear thin incredibly quickly. To boil the game down to its most basic description, you’ll find yourself laying waste to storm troopers, walkers, droids and the occasional boss fight. Repeat ad nauseum. I couldn’t help myself but be reminded of old games like Final Fight and Double Dragon as I fought off the hordes of nearly identical bad guys. It’s mostly disappointing because the original game featured everything from wookies to Jawas. Why not include them in the sequel?

Save for a few moments, The Force Unleashed 2 is a pretty linear experience, and you won’t have much variation from the path the game wants you to take. A few of the quicktime events and boss battles are a bit tricky, but nothing was incredibly taxing and there’s no upgrading abilities here, so the Starkiller you start with, is the same that you end with – luckily though many of the enemies feel exactly the same throughout the title, meaning you’re not going to have a ton of trouble clearing it.

One standout area for the game though is clearly in its production values. Save for Darth Vader ( I couldn’t help but think of the Chad Vader series of viral videos when he was on screen), the voice acting is top notch, and you’ll be treated to one gorgeous set piece after another. The best moments of these set pieces are found in the game’s quick time events, which often require you to use force push to dodge enemies and debris. These moments are easily the best of the game, and the will keep you on the edge of your seat, even if the rest of the game doesn’t.

Blast Factor: Star Wars the Force Unleashed 2 isn’t a better game than its predecessor, nor is it a worse one – it simply is. Star Wars fans looking for a true saga experience are encouraged to wait for The Old Republic next year, but if you’re just looking to feel like a badass Jedi Knight who kills nameless enemies and asks questions later – you can’t go wrong with this uninspired, but fun sequel.

The music industry is filled with albums we’ll never forget. The Beatle’s Abbey Road defined a generation in transition. Michael Jackson’s Thriller announced the arrival of a new standard. Nirvana’s Nevermind was the voice of a changing American landscape. Rock Band 3 is all of this, and more; much more.

Rock Band 3 is a phenomenal achievement that not only rejuvenates a dying genre, it redefines it. With a slew of tweaks and a set of cool new features, the newest Rock Band title bridges the gap between musical game andmusic in general.  Simply put, Rock Band 3 proves that Harmonix are still the masters of the genre, even with a whole new set of challengers.

Rock Band 3 succeeds mainly on the strength of its own ambition of all else.  While most music games are okay with the idea of being just that – a game – Rock Band 3 aims a bit higher. With the game’s new Pro Mode, it becomes less about high scores with plastic peripherals and more about learning actual music notes. Rather than merely matching up the now expected colored boxes, Pro Mode tasks players with playing actual notes. Please note, the mode isn’t for everyone, in fact – some will hate, but it opens up a brand new, and much deeper experience for those already fluent, or looking to become so at their instrument of choice. Pro modes requires a new instrument – be it a drum-kit add-on or the insane pro-mode guitar complete with 102 buttons and the ability to use it as an actual guitar, but if you’re serious about music – you’re going to want to experience pro mode. Take that Prince.

The Rock Band experience has always been about vocals, guitar, bass and drums, but Rock Band 3 introduces players to a new addition to the band – the keyboard. Now, it may not seem as badass as the other choices, it is a great addition to the lineup, and tons of fun to play. There’s a ton of keyboard centric tracks here, and you can use the controller as an extra guitar for those songs that don’t make much use of the peripheral. While the keyboard feels just as rewarding as the drums or guitar, certain sections of certain songs can be downright challenging. While learning the ins and outs of the keyboards, odds are you’ll probably going to fail…a…lot.

Speaking of the set list, I can honestly say that Rock Band 3’s is easily the best of the franchise. Come on, how can you down a game that features both The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen? There’s a pretty wide variety of content here, and though not everything is going to please everyone, you should be able to find enough to keep you busy – especially considering that all of the previous songs from Rock Band 1 and 2 are compatible with the third game. Seriously, that’s over 2000 songs you can choose from. With that much content, it can be pretty hard to navigate, but luckily Rock Band 3 comes packed with a whole new way to sort your tracks. Now, you can sort by everything from number of vocal parts (the game also supports the three part harmonies introduced in Beatle’s Rock Band), decade, genre and more.

Rock Band 3 is also much more accessible than its predecessors. In previous titles, you had to earn fans strictly by playing the career mode, here though, you can do that in just about any game mode (save for the Tutorial of course). Players can now drop in and drop out of gameplay as they wish, as well as being able to navigate menus for each player without disrupting the experience of others.

The Blast Factor: If you’re into music games – Rock Band 3 is an absolute must buy. If you’ve been burnt out on the genre and haven’t played on in a while, here’s the perfect chance to come back.  Rock Band 3 is a cultural achievement because it questions what a music game can be. Simply put, it doesn’t get much better than this.

The video game industry is a very sequel driven. It seems that every week there’s a new Call of Duty, or Guitar Herogame being announced. With all of these sequels, one has to ask – where’s the creativity?

Kirby’s Epic Yarn is none of that. Not only is it one of the most imaginative and creative titles we’ve seen in years; it’s also damn fun. Featuring an irresistible sense of style and a world that’s genuinely fun to explore, Kirby’s return to consoles is one that you won’t want to miss.

Undoubtedly, the first thing you’ll notice about Epic Yarn is the game’s unique visual style. Characters and objects are seemingly constructed of yarn, while the environments themselves seem like they’re made of cloth. While it may not seem like much, the combination of the two makes for a fantastically vibrant world that’s stuck somewhere in between 2D and 3D. The game’s story is presented as if it were a children’s book, chronicling Kirby’s adventures in Patch land. Yes, it’s cute – but don’t let your hardcore gamer bravado get in the way, there’s also a ton of substance to back it up.

The gameplay of Epic Yarn is a perfect mix for the game’s visuals. All of Kirby’s abilities you’ve come to expect are here, only this time they’re handled a lot more contextual. Take for instance when Kirby is trying to traverse a rather wide gap – -like a fat kid, the odds are against Kirby, but hitting the number two button will make our hero turn into a parachute, letting you float safely to the next platform. There are roughly 50 levels in Epic Yarn, and each one offers new and unique challenges.

While Kirby’s transforming powers are great fun, they can also be incredibly frustrating. Many of these changes are performed with a quick press of the D-Pad in a specific direction, which happened accidentally on numerous occasions throughout the game. It gets even more frustrating when you accidentally transform into something you don’t want in an area that’s very hard to traverse, leading to having to restart the section. There are portions of the game where you’ll play the entire section in a different form, which changes the gameplay entirely. Some of these changes are ho-hum, like the train transformation, but others are spectacularly fun, like the UFO transformation.

Save for a few spots where the controls get in the way, Kirby’s Epic Yarn ‘s main story gameplay is absurdly easy. See, you really can’t die, and a lot of the puzzles are pretty easy to solve.Even the game’s bosses are easy to telegraph and don’t offer much of a challenge. You’ll find yourself focusing on trying to collect enough beads to get a high enough ranking to unlock the game’s secret levels than stressing about beating the bosses themselves.

That same easy gameplay though does not carry over to the game’s mini game collection. There’s around 100 mini games, broken up into five categories; hide and seek, bash the baddie, carry your friend, collect the beads and race. Each one pits you against an unforgiving clock and is chock full of the tension and challenge that’s not found in the main game. There’s a few prizes you can earn, and you can use those prizes to decorate an apartment, but you’re likely to skip this aspect during much of your time with Epic Yarn – the real allure of these mini games is finding ways to beat them all.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn also allows for the entire game to be completed cooperatively. Unlike most cooperative experiences on the Wii (yes, I’m looking at you New Super Mario Bros), the co-op gameplay in Epic Yarn is fantastic and allows for two gamers to play together without getting in each other’s way too much. Many of the levels feel like they were designed for single player gaming, but playing with a friend controlling Prince Fluff (a purple, slimmer version of Kirby wearing a crown) offers up new challenges and new ways to clear most stages.

The Blast Factor: If there were more sequels and franchises that took risks like Kirby’s Epic Yarn, the video game industry would be a far more interesting one. Kirby’s latest adventure is a cute, fun filled romp that no one should ignore. Sure, it’s a bit easy at times and there’s a few control issues to be found, but that’s all excusable when you’re talking about one of the most fun games of the year.

Rock Band 3 won’t hit shelves for a few more weeks, but that hasn’t stopped Harmonix from announcing the first slew of DLC for the title. What’s more, they’re giving some of it away for free.

Anyone who plays the game online during launch week will get three songs by the legendary band The Doors free in celebration of the game’s release. The songs “Touch me,” “Light My Fire,” and “Riders on the Storm” will be available via the game’s music store the week of launch.

At the outset of the Rock Band 3 project, we identified The Doors, with their powerful songs driven by intricately woven keyboard, guitar and drum parts, as an ideal partner for our game,” said Paul DeGooyer, Senior Vice President of Music, Electronic Games and Programming for MTV Networks. “As they are also one of the greatest rock bands of all time, we are tremendously proud that they will be the first artist featured in the Rock Band 3 download store and that we’re able to bring this special offer of their music to everyone who buysRock Band 3 the week it releases.”

In addition to the three tracks, players will have access to a slew of priced Doors tracks the week of launch including “LA Woman” and “Touch Me.” Several of the songs will also feature pro bass and guitar functionality, which enables the game to be played with a more realistic guitar peripheral, complete with actual frets and strings.

“I’m very excited that keyboards are finally a part of Rock Band. It’s about time you guys got hip to the necessity of keys in rock,” said Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors. “This is going to be great for all the gamers, because it’s a lot more difficult.  Rock Band 3 will require some brainwork, so let’s ‘Break On Through!’  By the way, get those free downloads: ‘Light My Fire,’ ‘Riders On the Storm’ and ‘Touch Me’ are all great keyboard songs. And look out for The Doors’ lost masterpiece, Live in Vancouver, when it releases Nov. 22!”

To those from my generation, NBA Jam is nothing short of a cultural landmark. When it was in the arcades, it ate up all of your quarters, when it came to consoles, it kept us up all night. Then, we grew up. We favored full-on simulations with complex button systems and mechanics and realistic player tendencies. Ladies and gentlemen; welcome back to fun.

EA’s resurrection of the NBA Jam franchise is unapologetically fun and harkens back to a day when arcade sports titles were king. If you can forgive a few missteps from the developers, you’re sure to find much to love here.

First things first, EA has done a superb job of recreating the original NBA Jam experience we all remember – for the most part. The game’s original announcer Tim Kitzrow is back to shout his classic catch-phrases, and the visuals come off as an HD twist on a retro style. Yes, this is the original NBA Jam you remember, it’s just spruced up. Player faces are far more detailed than earlier versions (even if they sometimes come off as looking like South Park’s Terrance and Phillip at times).

The most important aspect that’s returned though – the game is still insanely fun. You could be the most hardcore sports sim fan of all time, it’s still impossible to deny the feeling you get dunking an alley-ooped ball from the free-throw line in the faces of your opponents. Games are quick, and you’re sure to have plenty of oh-my-god” moments with your friends. The highlight of the game is undoubtedly the back-board shattering yet physics bending dunks. Even after 17 years, the rewarding feeling of dunking it in someone’s places with a blazing ball is the same. Now that’s longevity.

When it was announced, some gamers were apprehensive that NBA Jam was (at the time) a Wii exclusive due to the inevitable inclusion of motion controls. While you’ll will have their choice between using the Wii  remote and nunchuck, the Wii remote by itself (held sideways) or the classic controller; it’s the later that is surprisingly the most effective. I’m not the biggest fan of adding motion controls where they don’t fit – but they work here. Using small, mostly sweeping motions you can do everything from passing to shoving, and even dunking. What’s even more surprising is the fact that the classic controller doesn’t fit the game as well as it should. The game’s reactions to the Wii remote and nunchuck were easily quicker and much more effective.

Quick fun and flash may be a specialty of NBA Jam, but depth is not. As much fun as the game is, it wears thin very quickly. You’re likely to see many of the game’s animations during your first game, and the title quickly looses momentum shortly after. NBA Jam is at its best when its life is prolonged by being  played with up to three other friends and letting the trash talk fly. There are a multitude of modes to be found in NBA Jam, but you’re likely to have the most fun with the classic campaign which finds you playing against progressively better teams in an effort to defeat the entire league.  There are a number of other modes, including a few half-court modes and boss battles, and while they do offer a change from the normal gameplay, they’re nothing special and you’re not likely to go back to them much.

When a game company brings a classic franchise like this back to life, they often go overboard – stripping the franchise of everything that made it so interesting in the first place in exchange for modern flash.  With NBA Jam, EA went the complete opposite route, leaving much of the original intact, but leaving out what makes this era of gaming so interesting. For instance, with NBA Jam’s core experience being built on multiplayer – where is the online play? I grew up playing this franchise with my friends and family and now that we all live spread throughout the country, it’d be nice to get that back, but sadly the game is local multiplayer only.  It’s a minor complaint when the game is this fun, but a valid one none the less.

The Blast Factor: EA’s NBA Jam rebirth is as much of a fun and exciting experience that we all remember from the franchise. It’s over the top, it’s flashy – it’s just what you remember from NBA Jam. There’s a few missing features like online play, and you’re unlikely to ever stray far from the main portions of the game, but those are all more than forgivable. NBA Jam is a must own for sports fans of all ages.

If the seemingly 14 different permutations of the television drama CSI aren’t enough to satiate your crime solvin’ fix, Ubisoft and CBS Consumer Products will attempt to give you your fill with two CSI related games this fall.

The first game, CSI: Fatal Conspiracy features five new connected cases written by the same writers from the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Gamers will experience an authentic crime-solving videogame with real CSI characters, heart-pounding interrogations and enhanced graphics. A unique story structure that unveils the truth piece by piece brings a new level of suspense and intrigue to the top-selling franchise.

Developed by Telltale Games, CSI: Fatal Conspiracy will continue the crime-solving gameplay of Ubisoft’s CSI video game series and bring it to a whole new standard, and it will be available in October for the Wii, Xbox 360, Windows PC and PS3.

The second game, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Unsolved! will be exclusive to the Nintendo DS and DSi. According to the press release, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Unsolved! will make the most of the DS touch screen for an improved pick-up-and-play experience. Players will get to join forces with their favorite CSI characters from the show and solve five original murder mysteries, such as the death of a young pop star on stage or the discovery of a mummified body in the desert.

For more on these games, check out the official websites.
Here and here.

Gamers and Wii owners who’ve been getting down with Heavy Fire: Special Operations, the WiiWare on-rails shooter, can now use secret codes gained in the game to submit their best results to the world rankings for free stuff!

The game’s developer, Teyon, has started a new competition for all who have downloaded the game. The 3 best Heavy Fire: Special Operations scores, and one randomly picked results will be rewarded with a 2000 Wii Points coupon!

For more information on the contest, go to the official website here, or the dedicated Facebook page, here.

Come summer 2011, after you’re done watching the impossibly chiseled Ryan Reynolds as the Green Lantern on the big screen, the super hero’s adventures will continue on your home gaming console of choice (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Nintendo DS) in Warner Brother’s Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters.

Unfortunately, not much is known about the actual game as of this point, but as you can tell by the name and image that was sent out with the official press release, it’ll no doubt conjure up some bright neon green nostalgia for the first time you fired up the original Xbox, about ten years ago.

Blast's Bradley Ouellette takes it for a spin

LOS ANGELES — Gaming accessories company CTA has just come out with a fun new toy to accompany Mario Kart Wii, Need for Speed, Sonic, and Sega All-Stars Racing, and any of the other Wii racing games.

This inflatable racing cart can support 300 pounds and has a steering wheel that your Wii remote can fit into. This is a great accessory for children but also for adults: it’s pretty comfortable and gets you into the game just a little bit more.

At the CTA booth at E3 they had a child demoing the inflatable cart, and he seemed to love the cart, as did the adults that tried it out. The inflatable cart is also Wii Motion Plus compatible and costs $39.99. These inflatable carts are available at places such as BestBuy, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Toys ‘R Us, and online at Target. CTA also has many other great gaming accessories for the Wii Fit, like the rowing machine, weighted gloves, and adjustable dumbbell weights. You can check out all their products online.

For those of you who enjoy a good on-rails, light gun shooter (I know I do), Teyon games may have what you’re looking for. Here is the first official trailer for the very culturally sensitive, ‘Heavy Fire: Special Operations’:

You are able to run missions from the ground, a Humvee or a Blackhawk helicopter with 1 or 2 players. You will get additional points for smashing the environment. No mention if there are any bonuses for excessive civilian deaths.

As you rise through the military ranks, you will  get more and more powerful weapons that differ in features and controls. According to Teyon’s info, “You will need a quick trigger-finger to complete extremely dangerous levels and restore the balance of the terrorized region in the Middle East.” That last part doesn’t make a bit of sense, but it doesn’t have to because you’re about to peacefulize that ambiguous Middle-Eastern setting the only way you know how – with superior firepower, baby!

It is rumored that Teyon originally wanted to title the game, “America: Fuck Yeah!!”, but backed off of it due to  obvious copyright complications. No word on an official release date for Heavy Fire: Special Operations. You can check the website for additional info.