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]

Hasbro Family Game Night Review Amendment: Boggle

“Boggle.” It’s a game that has been played for many years, many different ways, but the crux of the game has always been the same – make the most original words by stringing together letters on the 4X4 game board. It’s simple enough to comprehend, but challenging enough to keep players and families coming back to it time and time again Xbox Live now has its own, official version of the game courtesy of EA as part of the “Hasbro Family Game Night” compilation of games, and it is one heck of an addition.

The sixth of seven games to be released for Hasbro’s “Family Game Night” compilation, “Boggle” attempts to bridge the gap between vocabulary and board games, and it does a good job doing it. Much like my “Sorry!” review, this will be an amendment to my original “Family Game Night” coverage, and will include an individual game review, as well as an updated rating for the entire package. [Continue Reading]

A Closer Look at The Casual Gamer

Gamers, look at the Nintendo Wii. I mean, REALLY look at it. It’s the first console in a long time to feature simplistic controls, have a plethora of puzzle and mini-game titles readily available for it (both at retail and via digital distribution), and and it has a very streamlined and easy-to-understand display and menu system. Boiled down, it’s a console that livens up a room and puts a lot of focus on the audience. All of these aspects appeal to a sub-genre of gaming culture that usually doesn’t make its way into mainstream gaming; casual gamers. [Continue Reading]

Hasbro Family Game Night Review Amendment: Sorry!

“Sorry!” is one of two board games that I actually cherish from my childhood (the other was “Mousetrap,” even though mine was always missing just one piece), mostly because I can remember playing it forever. My memories of the game predate the arrival of an NES in my household, therein ruining the any ability I had to enjoy simplistic board games. Sorry! was, and still is, a very basic game where all you needed to be able to do is count to twelve, and you could very easily begin your first lesson in organized schadenfreude. Hopefully your memories of this board game are as fond as mine, but if they aren’t EA and Hasbro are giving you a second chance to enjoy the game courtesy of the “Hasbro’s Family Game Night” on Xbox Live.

Since “Sorry!” is essentially an expansion pack, and an entirely separate purchase, for “Family Game Night” I’m going to treat it the same way I did of the other games that have already been released for the package. First, I will review the game on its own merits, and then take another look at how it fits into the grand scheme of the “F.G.N.” package.

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Hasbro Family Game Night Review: Mr. Potato Head’s Wild Ride

For the past few years, EA has been doing their damnedest to grab as big of a slice of the casual gaming market as they can. They’ve taken ownership of one of the biggest casual online portals in Pogo.com; they’ve made all of their prized sports franchises more “accessible” courtesy of their All-Play line; and they’ve partnered with one of the biggest toy companies in history, Hasbro. It’s this last partnership that has spawned many recent releases across many different platforms for the publisher in an attempt to get games into the hands of as many potential fans as possible. The latest, and possibly their most creative, release from the two companies is “Hasbro Family Game Night” for the Xbox Live Arcade, which is essentially a port of last year’s Wii release of the same name. While it may not have the “fun” motion based controls integrated into it, “Family Game Night” on the XBLA is something that both traditional gamers, as well as their non-gaming families can enjoy together.

Right now, “Family Game Night” consists of video game remakes of four of Hasbro’s most beloved board and dice games – “Battleship,” “Scrabble,” “Connect Four,” and “Yahtzee,” with the promise of three more to be available for purchase soon, “Sorry,” “Sorry Sliders,” and “Boggle,” and potential for even more after that. Each of the games that are available offer an original style of play, as well as an updated, more video game-centric type of play. Each game offered as part of the “Family Game Night” package is its own purchase, and a separate download, and it’s for that reason that this review will be broken up into a few parts. [Continue Reading]

Peggle Review: So Many Pegs On My Xbox 360

“Peggle.” I know, it’s freaking “Peggle,” that game that your Mom and/or sister are probably significantly more familiar with than you are, but now it’s “Peggle” on Xbox Live Arcade, and that makes it more bad-ass, and “hardcore” now right? Well, no, it’s still the same game as before, just on your TV, and in HD. Don’t write cutesy, casual “Peggle” off though, it’s a highly addictive, and surprisingly rewarding title, that I like to lovingly refer to as video game crack.

So, you’ve never played “Peggle” before, it’s cool, really. It’s exceptionally easy to get into; all you need to do is shoot a ball at the orange pegs on the board, and score points. You have ten balls to clear all the orange pegs off the screen, and when you do that’s it, you’re done, time to go to the next screen. There’s no real story mixed in, but there are some power ups (hit the green pegs) and some bonus points (hit the purple pegs) along the way to either help, or distract you. But, really, that’s pretty much all you need to know about “Peggle.” [Continue Reading]