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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.  

Liberation Maiden [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 11/06/2012 - 08:48
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Overall Feeling: 

The interesting plot and direct gameplay of Liberation Maiden are the highlights amidst a game that suffers from derivative mission design and clunky controls.  As a mech game Liberation Maiden may not be as sleek or fast as other titles, but it does some interesting things that make the most out of the platform it’s on.  Far from being one of the more memorable games to come out of Grasshopper Manufacture, Liberation Maiden is nonetheless a solid effort that provides a nice amount of arcade style replayability and enjoyment for $8.

The Pros: 

+ The touchscreen targeting mechanics work well.

+ Taking out enemy installations arcade style is enjoyable for what it is.

+ Boss battles are truly memorable and easily provide the best gameplay elements.

+ Cutscene and character art is nice and rather high quality.

The Cons: 

- Controlling the mech feels a bit clunky and that can make combat scenarios more difficult than they should be.

- Each stage literally follows the same pattern with minor exceptions.

- Elements of the art design, specifically the enemies, aren’t that memorable or stick out whilst playing.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

Sometimes it’s interesting to look at the different elements of a game and see how they all ultimately work together.  Usually there’s a common theme within a game no matter what the genre is, but occasionally there may be one or two elements which aren’t expected or were placed to provide some variety or add some extra layers to the narrative. 

Skylanders Giants [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 11/05/2012 - 08:07
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Overall Feeling: 

With a new element that really isn’t a game changer or an evolutionary leap for the franchise, Skylanders Giants is pretty much more of the same. For the legions of kids who enjoyed Spyro’s Adventure that may be good news but for the rest of us (older gamers) that means we have a game which once again is too easy for its own good and is simply built around buying new toys for $9 a pop.  Skylanders Giants may be a good game for a parent to have their child play without feeling like their soul is being chipped away, but it is disappointing to see the game be complacent and perfectly fine with how everything is, flaws and all.

The Pros: 

+ The detail on the actual Giants figures is impressive.

+ Plopping different figures on the portal still results in quick transitions devoid of technical hiccups.

+ Gameplay is still accessible so kids won’t have a problem plowing through the main adventure.

The Cons: 

- The abilities of the Giants and how they’re utilized within specific levels is disappointing.

- Not a lot of new elements have been added which results in an almost 1:1 match of what was presented in Spyro’s Adventure.

- Graphics are still a bit below average which is a shame considering the personality of certain Skylanders.

- The character of Flynn, his one-liner, and the voice acting of Patrick Warburton is still painful to endure.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
6

Last year Activision surprised us all with a somewhat startling piece of innovation, and dare I say originality, that still lived up to their reputation of releasing products with mass enough appeal to ensure a wide window to receive maximum profits. The game in question with Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, a quasi-reboot of the Sypro franchise which saw our favorite purple dragon return in a new adventure filled with supporting characters. 

Killzone HD [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 11/02/2012 - 06:56
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Overall Feeling: 

The game once dubbed as a Halo killer may still not be perfect or considered an instant masterpiece, but Killzone HD provides some entertainment amongst a consistent technical performance.  With a few exceptions such as levels that didn’t age well or dead Helghast still doing their crazy leg dance of death, Killzone HD finally presents us with a game that doesn’t have a painful framerate or other technical issues that chip away at our soul.  The game itself may not have aged too well, but fans of the Killzone franchise owe it to themselves to pick the game up as it’s a nice reminder of how the franchise first started out.

The Pros: 

+ The technical performance of the game is spot on thanks to a steady framerate.

+ Visually the game may not be amazing, but the HD upgrade that has been given is definitely obvious in the crisp character models and environments.

+ The combat variety offered in the game is still great, especially in the wake of it being absent in future Killzone games.

+ Hearing the voice of Sean Pertwee in any game immediately makes for a pleasing experience.

The Cons: 

- Story and dialog is a bit cringe worthy.

- Even though the game looks good there aren’t too many eye-catching levels due to the glut of grey.

- Any kind of supplementary in these PlayStation HD remasters is again an obvious omission. No BTS vids, commentary, trailers?

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

When a video game finally hits retail shelves that’s usually the only chance it has to make a good impression. After years of development a game is effectively completed, for better or worse, when it’s in the hands of consumers. In a few rare cases a development team may have the chance to fine tune some things via a sizeable patch that may see whole elements completely redone, as was the case with Hydrophobia: Prophecy, but most of the time such a thing doesn’t happen. 

Sixty Second Shooter Deluxe [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 10/31/2012 - 09:46
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Overall Feeling: 

Sixty Second Shooter Deluxe provides simple gameplay that’s pure in its essence and is far more addicting than anything I’ve played in recently memory.  As a mobile title the game gets the job done in providing quick gameplay sessions through its sixty second time limit, but that doesn’t mean the action is forgettable as it’s often intense and does require some skill to earn a six digit score.

The Pros: 

+ The style may be simple but the visuals serve as a nice throwback to the classic era of gaming.
+ Controls are super responsive.
+ Acquiring power-ups provides a nice level of depth to the game.
+ Sixty second time limit makes for an addicting experience since it’s easy to immediately want to top your prior score.

The Cons: 

- Having a few more items/levels/enemies would be nice since it’s possible to unlock everything in one sitting.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

Video games released in the 1980s were simple yet incredibly effective. It didn’t matter if a series of simple lines or blocks were used to represent a main character or a series of deadly asteroids since it all boiled down to one simple thing: how fun the game was. 

007 Legends [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 10/30/2012 - 08:55
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Overall Feeling: 

Instead of coming across as a love letter to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the franchise, 007 Legends comes across as a soulless and poorly conceived game.   A familiar presence may be felt through the inclusion of classic Bond films, but everything that made those films memorable is either missing or has been trimmed in a barely recognizable or cohesive form.  With gameplay that feels archaic and like it was merely trying to meet its assuredly short development deadline, 007 Legends is a huge missed opportunity and is yet another example of how future Bond games need to go in a different direction, specifically one that isn’t influenced by Call of Duty.

The Pros: 

+ It’s possible to play the game without any annoying technical hiccups.
+ Aiming at the countless goons of Auric Goldfinger or Hugo Drax is easy thanks to the responsive controls.
+ The fact that Eurocom created this whole game with a short dev cycle is commendable, despite the obvious shortcomings it has.

The Cons: 

- The retelling of the classic Bond films is horrible since its missing the character that defined those films.
- A constant shoot-em-up approach results in an experience that quickly becomes tiresome due to the uninspired level design.
- Graphics are ok but are nothing that screams of the high-production values and sleek presentation people associate with the 007 franchise.
- Multiplayer modes featured some noticeable lag alongside the rather tepid gameplay and predictability of everything.
- The voice over replacement for Daniel Craig works in some instances but sounds incredibly stiff at times.
- The ending is flaccid to say the least.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
3

For the last 50 years we’ve seen James Bond defeat massive crime organizations, save the world from the brink of WWIII, escape otherwise deadly situations, and of course make countless women fall in love with him in less than a week.  The character of James Bond may be legendary due to his extraordinaire feats as a master spy, but what’s more impressive is that the franchise itself has lasted as long as it has.

Aqua Kitty - Milk Mine Defender [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 10/23/2012 - 08:53
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Overall Feeling: 

With a retro appearance and challenging gameplay to boot, Aqua Kitty – Milk Mine Defender is a nice throwback to the old days of shmup games all while presenting something new to the genre and mobile gaming in general.  There may not be any new mechanics in the game, but the game as a whole makes for an enjoyable experience despite issues such as a difficulty level that may make people tear their hair out.  As a $4 mobile game Aqua Kitty dishes up enough content and more importantly it’s just fun to play.

The Pros: 

+ Gameplay is fun even amidst the challenges that may surface.

+ Art style perfectly encapsulates a retro feel without being too annoying in a hipster developer sort of way.

+ Music also captures the retro vibe and is even ominous in a good way at times.

+ Who doesn’t love deep sea diving kitties?

The Cons: 

- Increasing difficulty of certain stages can result in an overwhelming experience.

- A lack of a story isn’t a major issue, but it would’ve provided some nice humor here and there.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

It’s always interesting to see how certain things are combined and what the ensuing result is within a game.  Seeing the combination of genres or thematic elements may not bring us too many surprises these days given how the industry is, but once in a while there are exceptions.  The combination of retro gaming + side-scrolling shooting + kitties + hardcore gaming may be something that would be deemed silly, though in the case of Aqua Kitty – Milk Mine Defender it provides us with a fun romp that harkens back to the old days of gaming.

Samurai Beatdown [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 10/22/2012 - 08:38
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Overall Feeling: 

Taking the slice and dice genre in a different direction, Samurai Beatdown creates an identity of its own due to its inventive rhythmic touch mechanic and captivating visuals.  For $1 the game is worth the money despite being a bit short on content and not having secondary features such as leaderboards to obsess about.  If you’re searching for a quick action game that has beats to die for then Samurai Beatdown is a game you need to pick up ASAP.

The Pros: 

+ Music is the very definition of good buttery beats.

+ Touch mechanics work perfectly.

+ The three difficulty settings each provide a nice challenge without becoming too hectic or annoying.

+ Art design has a ton of nice flourishes thanks to the varying locales.

The Cons: 

- Having only five levels results in a rather abrupt ending and shortens the replay factor somewhat.

- Some additional samurai skills would’ve been nice to spice the action up.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

Over the last few years video games have changed in more ways than one, especially when it comes to how we actually play them.  Alongside the advances made in the field of motion control, gaming has also gotten a lot more touchy thanks to the advent of games that feature or revolve exclusively around touch controls. 

Code of Princess [Review]

Submitted by Michael R. Rousseau on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 12:26
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Overall Feeling: 

Code of Princess tries very hard to recapture the spirit and charm of its spiritual predecessor, Guardian Heroes, but ultimately fails to provide the same fast-paced, tight experience that it tries to emulate. There are rumblings of a greater game underneath the sluggish, frustrating combat that Code of Princess provides, but these never quite resonate, and remain buried under poor design choices.

The Pros: 

+ Fun, quirky characters

+ Robust combat system with a lot of room for personalized combos

The Cons: 

- Action feels sluggish and unrewarding

- Grinding is necessary to come close to scratching the game’s harder encounters

- Visuals are stunning up close, but drop in quality drastically when more than three enemies appear on-screen

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
4

A legacy is a double-edged sword. For a game with a great legacy, there’s a good chance that gamers will be into your concept based solely on a name drop. Conversely, if your game isn’t a worthy successor to a beloved classic, chances are it’ll get more flak than a bomber flying over France circa WWII.

Harry Potter for Kinect [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 10/18/2012 - 11:49
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Overall Feeling: 

The savior of the Kinect hasn’t been found since Harry Potter for Kinect is simply an okay game that will clearly please its target audience of children.  Some control issues are present such as certain motions not being picked up or taking too long to register in addition to endless pantomime wand waving becoming old over time. Even with those obvious and ever apparent issues, Harry Potter Kinect manages to provide some consistent entertainment partly because the production values are surprisingly good for a licensed based game, especially a Kinect one.  Longtime Harry Potter fans probably won’t be amazed by this new Kinect effort, but it is a valiant effort nonetheless.

The Pros: 

+ The essence of Harry Potter is captured from top to bottom in a way that doesn’t feel forced.

+ This may be a licensed game, but the production values are surprisingly high.

+ Playing the game is easy most of the time so it’s a perfect game for younger gamers.

The Cons: 

- The "best of" nature of the game presents an odd flow to things since the finer points of the film/book narrative and even certain scenarios are lost in the shuffle.

- Once again we have a Kinect game that isn’t perfect since certain movement commands don’t register properly.

- Occasional difficulty spikes are somewhat odd and annoying.

- Being able to put your face on an original character is cool, but it looks a bit creepy in a zombie/wearing a face mask sort of way.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
6

It may seem like Warner Bros. is beating a dead horse at this point by not letting a franchise bow out gracefully. I’m of course referring to how we’re still receiving Harry Potter video games despite being almost a year removed from the final chapter of the Harry Potter film franchise.  For ten long years gamers had to withstand some rather uneven Harry Potter games via Electronic Arts and now Warner Bros. is trying their hand by directly publishing the new wizard based video games.

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