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Star Trek: The Game [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 04/30/2013 - 11:15
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Overall Feeling: 

Dull, repetitive, and lifeless. These are words I would’ve never associated with the Star Trek franchise but they perfectly encapsulate the experience that’s to be had in Star Trek: The Game.  As a companion piece to the movies there may be an ounce of enjoyment to be had since the film cast actually reprises their roles, with some actual luster and energy to boot, yet that isn’t enough to save a game that feels dated and like it missed every ounce of potential it held. 

The Pros: 

+ The film cast does a good job retaining the vibe found in their theatrical performances, especially that of Chris Pine.
+ Some of the locales do provide a nice visual style worthy of the Trek franchise.
+ Music is absolutely stunning.
+ If you ever wanted a co-op Star Trek game then now you have it.

The Cons: 

- Levels drag on endlessly and it doesn’t help that the actual variety is low.
- Visuals are below average and fail to convey the style found in the movies.
- Gameplay is dull and overly repetitive.
- A.I., both that of the companion character and enemies, is shoddy and often glitch prone.
- Story is passable, but has some major weak points and an enemy that’s nothing more than a tool rather than an integral narrative component.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
4

For the last sixty years we’ve had the Star Trek franchise as a key part of our culture, or at least our pop/geek culture.  Starting off small in a TV series that was in some cases ahead of its time, which is partly why it got the boot, Star Trek has gone on to become a major element of both the sci-fi world and genre TV in general.  Now rebooted under the direction of J.J.

Project Versus J/J-Stars Victory Debut Footage Released

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 04/08/2013 - 07:09
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Fans of anime and manga may be eagerly anticipating Project Versus J and now we have our first look at the project.  A bit scarce on game footage as it was only a mere commercial and not a full-blown media reveal,  things are shaping up to be good for the new cross-franchise brawler from Namco Bandai.

Power Rangers Super Samurai [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 12/22/2012 - 11:29
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Overall Feeling: 

Low quality may be expected out of most video games based on established licenses, but the gameplay and direction taken in Power Rangers Super Samurai is truly appalling since it totally misses the mark.  Failing to capture the dumb yet enjoyable charm that  has been present in the Power Rangers franchise for nearly twenty years, Super Samurai is a soulless action game that presents an annoying experience that for some reason utilizes the Kinect.  Those who grew up watching the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as kids will likely be disappointed with Super Samurai as well younger gamers who merely want to play a fun game.

The Pros: 

+ The main menu music is one hell of a buttery beat.
+ Controls may be horrid but there aren’t any sudden spastic control issues during combat.

The Cons: 

- Gameplay is atrocious. Combat movements are horrid and there’s no variety.
- Visuals look extremely dated and are plagued with recycled assets and noticeable environmental proportion issues.
- The Rangers and baddies may be there, but there really isn’t a pronounced feel in the game that one would expect from a Power Rangers experience.
-Voice acting is terrible even when compared to the sometimes stiff acting we expect from Power Rangers.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
2

If any of you were born between 1985 and 1992 then you likely grew up with one glorious piece of entertaining as part of your life: The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.  While we may have had things like The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe, or even Care Bears, the Power Rangers was something that struck a chord with a lot of kids. 

Star Trek: The Video Game Gets Release Date (No, There Aren't Any Khan/Gary Mitchell Teases)

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 12/20/2012 - 13:35
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Last week sci-fi fans were chattering about one thing they were waiting months for: the first trailer for Star Trek: Into Darkness, the follow-up to the franchise reboot helmed by J.J Abrams.  Say what you will about the finer points of the massive restart button that was pressed on the Trek franchise, but as an action pop-corn flick it gave us the goods thus a sequel was prepped. 

Project Versus J Screens Show Gameplay and Character Art

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 12/18/2012 - 09:44
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Those wanting more details on the anime/manga mash-up that is Project Versus J may have to wait a little longer for such thing, but Namco Bandai have shared the first in-game images from the potentially amazing game. 

Announced two weeks ago, Project Versus J has a premise that seems like it was dreamt of in a forum as it has various characters from notable Shonen Jump franchises beating the crap out of each other.  Basically, if you ever wanted to see Goku beat up a character from One Piece then your wish has been granted.

Project Versus J Could Be The Ultimate Anime/Manga Video Game

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 12/12/2012 - 14:03
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Mashing up franchises seems to be a hot thing these days given games such as Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, ACE: R, and most recently PS All-Stars, but now it’s time for the characters from the Shonen Jump world to collide in what will hopefully be perfect video game harmony.

Dragon Ball Z For Kinect [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 11/07/2012 - 09:39
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Overall Feeling: 

The only thing that Dragon Ball Z For Kinect excels in is being an example of what not to do when developing a fighting game for the Kinect.  The game may not have attempted to provide precision martial arts to Kinect owners, but its poor attempts at registering simple moves and providing combat that’s fun to experience is what drags the game down and makes it nearly unbearable to play by the beginning of the second saga.  Dragon Ball fans may be interested in dishing out iconic character moves, but I recommend that everyone stays away from the game unless they can rent it or pick it up in the bargain bin for $10.

The Pros: 

+ The graphics are good in conveying the characters and battlefields.

+ Key character moves (such as doing the Kamehameha) are presented well considering the circumstances.

The Cons: 

- Combat is horrendous in how it’s paced, the recognition of moves, and how the more extravagant elements are represented.

- The key DBZ plot points may be present but things feels disjointed since it’s just one battle after another.

- Content feels lacking since much of it is stuff DBZ fans have played endlessly already.

- Menu navigation is terrible.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
4

Sometimes there are concepts for games which are wonderful in every category while there are others that should never move past the initial pitch/prototype stage.  We’ve seen quite a few games this generation that should’ve never been greenlit but nonetheless were merely because it filled a particular genre a company was lacking in or fit mood of gamers at that given time.  

Three Major Franchises Unite For Heroes Vs.

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 11/07/2012 - 09:38
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I never cease to be amazed at all the cool games that come out in Japan.  At this stage the amount of truly amazing games that can be placed under the sometimes dubious triple-A moniker may be rare, but Japanese developers are still doing some exciting things, some of which see our fanboy dreams finally become a reality.

Kickstarter: The Success Of Ouya

Submitted by Adam Ward on Thu, 08/09/2012 - 07:14
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With over 63-thousand backers and an impressive $8.5-million raised, Ouya has reached the closing of their successful run on Kickstarter.

Back in early July, Ouya appeared on the backing website becoming an overnight success. The petite console will run on a smartphone processor created by Nvidia, and a Google Android operating system. The concept was simple, provide mobile and online game developers with a chance to create games for the television. It has since blossomed into a rather impressive project.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Gets an HD Collection

Submitted by Casey White on Wed, 07/18/2012 - 21:38
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I’m a fan of fighting games. Always have been, and the type is not exclusive. Sure, plenty of people are already well-aware of the fact that I’m a bit of a Street Fighter fan (in case you missed it I went on a year-long training spree to try and qualify for EVO). But that doesn’t mean that it’s the only fighter that I’m familiar with.

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