 |
 Amped
2 |
P |
For the record, I loved the
original Amped. Like Amped, Amped 2 is more
of a real mountain simulation than an arcade
style game (such as SSX3). That's not a bad
thing though. Amped 2 is relaxing, fun, and
sometimes frustrating all at the same time.
Overall, it's just plain addictive. It supports
soundtracks and XBOX Live. It is also an XSN
title which means you can host and join online
competitions and packs. There has been some
XSN bugs early this year that have been annoying
but that doesn't detract from this being a
great game. I can't stop playing it. (BTW,
my pack is OLD SCHOOL) |
 |
Beyond
Good and Evil |
P |
This
is a truly great game that got buried by other
games that had higher marketing budgets. It's
too bad because this is one of the best Xbox
games I've played. It's an action adventure
that has you performing a bunch of task based
missions. They are very smoothly worked into
the storyline and interwoven with side quests
(such as photographing all of the wildlife
on the island). There's humor, puzzles, and
even some arcade style games within the adventure.
Beyond Good and Evil never felt repetitive
or boring. Definitely Beyond Good, it's Great! |
 |
 Breakdown |
D |
I've
read some favorable press about this title.
Playing the demo, I found the character control
to be so lousy that it over-shadowed any fun.
For me, that's enough to consider this a game
to avoid since there are so many better games
to choose out there. |
 |
Burnout
3 |
P |
I
loved Burnout 2 and now #3 blows it away.
This game is described as "arcade style
racing" which means it's a heck of a
lot more fun than the simulation race games
out there. The real great feature is the amazing
collisions. It's so good that half of Burnout
3 is simply crash contests where you cause
expensive pile-ups all over the globe. The
racing is a blast too. You can out race opponents
(including other humans via Xbox live) or
force them into a collision with another car
or roadside obstacle. Thumbs up to the developers
for making a racing game with a true sense
of high speed and a true sense of tension
when that speed comes to a halt in a spectacular
crash. Burnout 3 is the best car racing game
I've ever played! |
 |
 Carve |
D |
Fun
Wave runner game but nothing great. I can't
help but be influenced by the fact that this
game is under $20. For that price, I feel
like the publisher is at least being fair
about it. The fact that you can play online
is a major bonus. While it was a cool effect,
I really didn't like the "wet screen"
graphics during a race. They are more annoying
than cool. |
 |
Crimson
Skies |
P |
Microsoft
has rewritten history with this one (literally).
This was originally a PC game that was completely
redone for the XBOX (twice before it was final).
The effort paid off! This is an arcade style
dogfight game with a story. The graphics are
some of the best on the XBOX yet. Playing
the game has a slight freeform feel to it.
You can choose to attempt or ignore a lot
of the missions if you want but it will make
sure you play the ones essential to the story.
It is quite a thrill to blow up zeppelins
in a fight. Crimson Skies supports XBOX Live
and you can play a variety of modes online.
Capture the Chicken is a blast! This game
is a true future classic. |
 |
DDR
Ultra Mix
|
G |
I
really wanted this just to try something that
takes gaming into a whole new direction. I'm
not disappointed! If you're not familiar with
this, it's a game where you use only your
feet on a large control pad to rhythmically
step along with an on screen guide (arrows)
synced to dance music. It really is a lot
of fun to play and you can probably lose a
lot of weight too if you play a lot. It can
even track this for you in "Workout Mode".
Even one good session will have you sweating.
My only complaint is that there is a huge
learning curve to ever break out of the Light
mode (which is the easiest). Even in light
mode, a lot of the footwork required for the
more advanced songs seems impossible to master.
How anyone could do a hard song in the hardest
mode is beyond me (but people do!). Part of
the problem may be that the dance mat does
slip around a bit which does throw off your
footing. I'll never be hardcore about this
one but it is a completely fun change of pace
from usual seated gameplay. |
 |
Drake |
D |
Why
would a company release a demo of a game that
absolutely sucks? All I can say is "Thanks"
because now nobody will waste their money.
The game has horrible controls, a lousy camera,
lame graphics, and a stupid story. Drake is
pure crap. See the box shot? Remember it as
something not to buy. If you don't believe
me, click on the link and read what others
had to say at Amazon. |
 |
Grand
Theft Auto Double Pack |
G |
Here's
a game that will last a while. It's actually
two games for the price of one. I am currently
playing Grand Theft Auto 3 so my opinion is
based on that game. It also comes with Grand
Theft Auto Vice City. I'll add my comments
about that one later. GTA3 is a genre defining
game that puts you what feels like a truly
active city and allows you to do as much or
as little as you want. You steal cars, drive
(taxis, airplanes, cop cars, ambulances, the
list goes on...), beat people, shoot people,
and do missions for gangsters. Very little
character management required. The missions
are what really keeps the game going and keep
it from getting boring. It's very open ended
and seems to have very little world rules
that restrict play. Note: Not recommended
for kids. |
 |
Elder
Scrolls: Morrowind
(Game
of the Year) |
G |
I
know this game has been raved about by the
press. After all, it is the 'Game of the Year'
edition. I suppose I have to come to terms
with the fact that I'm just not into true
Role Playing Games. Technologically, this
game is amazing. It is a huge world that is
nearly completely open ended. There are hundreds
of hours of play available because you can
pretty much do anything you want in the game
world. Then why did I find it so quickly boring?
Well, I guess for me, I really don't want
hundreds of hours of gameplay. I have no desire
to micro manage a virtual character in a virtual
world. I'm a product of the classic arcade
generation and my tastes still reflect that.
For me, quick gameplay is my preference. I
don't like strategy games much, anything turn-based,
or (as in this case) RPG's. I guess that's
where I'll choose my path - in real life.
|
 |
Max
Payne 2 |
P |
If
you played the original Max Payne, this is
more of the same and with better graphics.
The story is dark but full of humor. It even
makes fun of itself on many occasions. For
the most part, Max Payne 2 is kind of easy
and a little short. I like short adventures
because it gives me a chance to play more
games. Plus, you can get this game for under
$20 now and it has much more than $20 worth
of gameplay value. I hope they keep this series
going. It's one of the best! |
 |
Ninja
Gaiden |
D |
I
look for a good first impression with a demo
and boy did this one have it! The graphics
are sweet. The character movement is perfect.
There are tips to show you how to play as
you are actually playing. It is basically
a challenging arcade style fighting game that
doesn't stop between "rounds". It
keeps moving as you adventure through the
level. You collect health and weapon enhancements
along the way. The demo was one level but
what convinced me it was a winner is the fact
that I just had to keep playing the level
until I finished it. This is what a demo should
be - a glimpse at the full game that leaves
you wanting more. |
 |
SpongeBob
SquarePants |
D |
I'm
not a big platform game fan, but I do like
SpongeBob. The show is pretty funny and the
game manages to do a great job at recreating
the show's craziness. You play as SpongeBob
and his friends, one at a time, each having
unique abilities. The scenarios seemed pretty
easy but since this game is mostly for kids,
that's a good thing. They managed to take
a lot of old platform game ideas and make
them fresh by incorporating them into the
SpongeBob "under the sea" theme.
If you like the show, and platform games,
than this is certainly worth a try. |
 |
SSX
3 |
P |
This
game is the over-the-top arcade style answer
to Amped 2. That's not bad, it's just different.
This game actually rocks! Primarily, you race
down the mountain against computer controlled
players. You can also explore free roam areas
and compete in trick events. One of the coolest
features is that you can spend your virtual
prize money on all kinds of character upgrades.
The full mountain race is a real endurance
run that can take up to a half hour of constant
playing. The mountain is artistically crafted
and as fun to play as it is to admire. My
only gripes are that I think the graphics
could be even better on the XBOX and there
is no online multiplayer. |
 |
The
Chronicles of Riddick |
D |
Awesome
interface! Too bad the game doesn't completely
live up to that. It's really good, but I thought
the lighting was way too dark. It was hard
to see where you are going and trying to figure
out where you've been. Character movement
was also a bit quirky. I don't understand
why nobody else has been able to match Halo
for smooth FPS control. As far as the gameplay
goes, it's standard FPS cliche once again.
I guess that's the best one can expect from
a movie tie-in game. |
 |
Tony
Hawk's Underground
(T.H.U.G.) |
P |
Maybe
it's just me but even though this is an improvement
over THPS4, it's still feels like the same
old game. In this version, you have a story
line where you are going from a nobody to
a pro so you must complete challenges along
the way to prove yourself. It's nice that
they added difficulty levels to this game
(unlike #4) but they didn't improve the graphics
much or add online play. PS2 players got a
feature to add their face to the game, but
the Xbox got stiffed on that too. To new fans
of the series, this one's worth a go. To old
fans, be prepared for more of the same old
stuff in a new package. It's a good game but
it's just not what I consider great. |
 |
XBOX
LIVE Arcade |
P |
This
is a nice concept for the casual gamer. It
allows you to download and play some classic
arcade games, new arcade games, card and puzzle
games, and more - online. Games are $10-$20
each. Not all games are multiplayer online
but they do keep a world score board. It comes
with Ms. PacMan, which has pretty lousy graphics
and should have been fixed up a little at
least. I downloaded Bejeweled for $10. It's
great but should have supported custom soundtracks
because the included music gets downright
annoying after a while. Overall, I like Arcade.
It will be interesting to see what kinds of
games they create for it in the future. |
 |
XBOX
Music Mixer |
P |
XBOX
Music Mixer is a jack of all trades but a
master at karaoke, and no others. It simulates
a karaoke perfectly with on screen lyrics
and mic controls that make you sound better.
You can even record your lousy singing to
the hard drive. I really didn't care about
karaoke so I was a little disappointed with
the other features. It will label all your
soundtrack songs (that aren't already) but
it doesn't use the CDDB so new CD's don't
work. It does have some nice new visualizations
but you need this disc in to use them (I was
hoping it would upgrade the dash). It also
allows you do copy music from your PC but
I have received digital rights errors when
I tried some songs. You can also do photo
slide shows but that's another feature I didn't
want or need. Overall, it's a lot of features
for the money but none of them really shine
unless you are really into the karaoke. |
