bittos+ Review: On The Heels Of Giants

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if two of the greatest puzzle games of all time have an illegitimate child, you can stop trying to figure it out, because the world now has an answer. “bittos+” is the latest block dropping puzzle game to find its way to WiiWare, and it’s very clearly inspired by the grand-daddy of any block-based game, Alexey Pazhitnov’s masterpiece, “Tetris” and a modern day reinvention of virtually the same formula, “Lumines.” Pulling from such impressive (and addictive) source material, it seems like “bittos+” has lofty aspirations to keep gamers playing for hours on end with its simplistic and familiar look and feel, but can it satisfy gamers’ need for yet another block-based puzzle game?

Yeah, it can. [Continue Reading]

Stop Stress: A Day of Fury Review: Walk A Mile In Jack’s Shoes

This console generation’s downloadable games were supposed usher in a whole new level of variety for gamers and developers alike. While Sony’s PSN and Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade have dabbled in introducing indie games to the larger gaming market, it’s becoming overwhelmingly apparent that, outside of XBLA’s dedicated indie games section, Nintendo’s WiiWare is the best way to go to discover new developers, and check out their latest work. Abylight is one of those young developers that has been using WiiWare to showcase their games, the latest of which is the ambitiously titled “Stop Stress: A Day of Fury.” [Continue Reading]

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles Review: Look Out! Behind You!

There’s something supremely natural about using the Wii’s remote as a gun. In fact, I think when the Wii’s remote was first shown off, most gamers probably jumped to the conclusion that Nintendo’s little white powerhouse would play host to a cornucopia of shooters. Three years in, and there have only been a small handful of shooting games that are actually worth gamers’ time and money. Well, thanks to Capcom, there’s now one more title to add to the list, “Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles.” [Continue Reading]

Bit.Trip Void Review: Into The Darkness

“Retro” video games are just about on the verge of becoming a marketing tool, instead of an artistic choice, where games are crafted to sell specifically to certain audience’s tastes, instead of developers making interesting games. Fortunately, we aren’t there just yet, as 8-bit graphics and chiptunes are still a hard sell to a lot of gamers out there. However, the relatively new “Bit.Trip” franchise that just released its third game this year that should be at the forefront of changing gamers’ minds about retro style. The most recent release “Bit.Trip Void” continues to proves what many old school gamers already knew; that you don’t need to have realistic gameplay to be fun. [Continue Reading]

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review: What’s Old Is New Again

Every once in a while, there’s a game that comes a long that revolutionizes the video games landscape, and without a doubt, the original “Super Mario Bros.” is the best example of that, ever. It, single-handedly, pulled the video game industry out of the rut that it had dug itself into by the mid 1980s, and turned it into the thriving business that it is today. There’s something simple and amazing about that game that many have tried to replicate, but none have ever really been able to achieve. Now, almost twenty five years after the original hit the market alongside the NES, Nintendo has released a Mario’s first 2D console game in almost fifteen years, “New Super Mario Bros. Wii.” It’s a game that’s created in the same style as the original, but takes it to a whole new level for this generation of gamers. [Continue Reading]

Mario And Sonic At The Winter Olympic Games Review: Going For Gold

Sometime in the late 1980s, my parents went on a trip to Jamaica without me. I assume they had a good time, and completely understand them not wanting to drag me, a seven year old, and my brother, we’ll say thirteen at the time, around a tropical island with them. I get that. So, when they returned, seven year old me was only really concerned about what they brought me back. Much to my surprise, my parents seemed to have gotten something right, and they brought me back a Nintendo game, instead of some lame painted rock… or at least that’s what I thought until I started to play it. The game was the NES port of the Epyx “classic” “Winter Games,” and God, was it bad. Okay, maybe it wasn’t bad, but it was boring, and I could never really figure out the controls, especially for figure skating. Fast forward to the present day, and if my parents were to head to the Caribbean this holiday season, and bring me back a winter games themed video game, namely “Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games,” I think I would be singing a slightly different tune.

Comparing “Mario and Sonic” to “Winter Games” is like comparing apples to oranges, in that the only two things they have in common is that they are both comprised of a collection of winter themed games, and that they are both, in fact, video games. It stops there. “Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games” just has so much more to offer. [Continue Reading]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up Review: Turtle Power

No matter how you slice it, “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” is a great game. It may have some problems, particularly in the online area, but at its core, the franchise is one of the most enjoyable fighting games ever created. Since the original was released, back in 1999 on the N64, a surprisingly small number of games have tried to duplicate the frantic fighting formula that worked so well for Nintendo. Enter “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up,” one of the first potentially worthy successor to the “Smash Bros.” crown, but does it have what it takes to really put up a good fight, or does it just end up shellshocked? [Continue Reading]

Groovin’ Blocks Review: Keep The Beat

About a year ago, Empty Clip Studios released their first game on Nintendo’s WiiWare platform called, “Groovin’ Blocks,” and, even though it is one of the highest rated games on the service, there’s a good possibility that some gamers (like myself) may have missed it, not having a chance to play it. Well, if there are any Wii owners that didn’t catch it the first time around, and are fans of the whole falling-block genre, you’re in luck; Empty Clip and Zoo Games have released a version 1.5 of the game at retail, and you can give the enhanced version of the game a shot, at a discounted price. [Continue Reading]

Wii Sports Resort Review: Nintendo Takes You On Vacation

“Wii Sports” was the game that sold millions of Wiis. Not only was it the first game to be packed in with a console in years, but it also demonstrated to the Wii’s unique motion capabilities to anyone that was willing to give them a shot. Three years later, the follow up, “Wii Sports Resort” has been released to show off what the new controller add-on, Wii MotionPlus, can bring to the table. But, as any hardcore gamer that owns a Wii can tell you, the shine on Nintendo’s White Knight is starting to fade, and, for some people, this release runs to possibility of crossing the line between innovation and over-hyped gimmick. Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes with the game to realize that the hype is well deserved, and that “Wii Sports Resort” is a solid product. [Continue Reading]

Bit.Trip Core Review: What Rhythm Games Would Have Been Like On The 2600

“Keep it simple, stupid.” It’s a phrase that’s been guiding the way for innovation for many, many years, and sadly, it’s also one that’s frequently overlooked when it comes to video games. Fortunately, the Bit.Trip series from Aksys Games is a new franchise that is looking to define itself with that exact phrase, and its latest entry, “Bit.Trip Core” manages to keep very true to that mindset. [Continue Reading]

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