Video game reviews: Holy Magic Century (N64)

INTRODUCTION

As the 1990's were drawing to a close, many video game companies were looking to set the ground-works and plant the roots for new RPG's to be created in the new millennium. This lead to a massive influx of RPG's coming to the many video game systems in existence in the world which included the Sega Dreamcast, Sony Playstation and of course, the Nintendo 64.

While the Sony Playstation was looked at as the "future of gaming", Nintendo and Sega of course had massive resumes when it comes to role playing games. Nintendo was famous for games such as "The Legend of Zelda", the series which put the Nintendo 64 on the map with the epic "Ocarina of Time", and Sega of course was no stranger to RPG success with their epic titles such as "Shining Force" and "Lunar: The Silver Star".

GRAPHICS

Needless to say, it was a battle for all out war between the three behemoths of video gaming. One of the titles that came into existence ever which was first previews in 1997 was an RPG by the name of "Holy Magic Century." Holy Magic Century was a game which prominently relied on colourful graphics and a detailed 3D world, as well as the classic magic and sorcery as a story and plotline.

STORY

The story follows a young wizard-in-training by the name of Ayron who lives at the Melrod Monastery, which is a Wizard's Guild. Ayron lives with his father, but one day wakes up to realize his father is missing. After speaking with residents in the town, Ayron learns that his father is pursuing thieves who invaded and stole the mysterious "Eletale Book". It is Ayron's quest to search and find the fate of his father, as well as recover the rare tome of Eletale all while honing his skills in the dark arts of wizardry.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS

Upon my first play-through of the game, I was quite shocked to learn that the game featured no cut-scenes or story enhancement scenes at all. Instead, you as the player are given the classic and vintage RPG experience of having to follow the clues, visit new places and speak to the right person in order to advance the game's story and plotline. While some would probably not enjoy this, it is quite a treat for those of us, me included, who are used to this form of gameplay with vintage RPG's such as Golden Axe Warrior and other vintage RPG's.

CONCLUSION

For those who are new to RPG gaming, I would not recommend this to you. I would only recommend this to hardcore RPG gamers who are a fan of classic RPG games. Chances are with the lack of "up-to-date" features, such as a save anywhere feature, cut-scenes and easy gameplay, you will not enjoy it. Of course, despite the lack of advancement scenes, the gameplay is quite simple to get used to and once you get stuck into it, you will realize the simplicity that is involved with the game. While exploration and big 3D worlds are evident, it is actually quite a short and easy game.

The only thing I can say is if you are looking for a good RPG experience on the N64, pick up Holy Magic Century. It is not the best, but certainly, it is not the worst. IT is quite a memorable game in some aspects of vintage and that "classic feel", but in terms of the widely available features on rival consoles at the time, it feels very bland and watered down.

I will give Holy Magic Century a rating of 6/10. It is nothing special in most aspects, but in terms of a fun, vintage RPG experience, it is right up there on the N64's list of iconic games.

Benefits of playing video games – Part 5

Actually getting a Wii is one obstacle to this, but once you are the proud owner of said equipment - it can be the best fitness tool you've ever had in your living room. The 'Wii Sports' disc comes as standard with a Wii, and once you've carefully created the 'Mii' (your own personal character to play with) you can get started on getting fit.

The games themselves are great fun to play either alone or with other people, and provide a good opportunity to keep fit in a sociable and effective way. However, if you want to see real results (and feel the burn the next day!) - you need to select the 'training' option.

Shut the door, stick on your favorite tunes, and get ready to work!

The Boxing training is great because it really uses all the arm, shoulder and back muscles. It will also incorporate ducking and twisting at later stages giving you a full upper body workout. It's great because you can release aggression and really put some power into the moves - just be careful you don't end up punching the TV! To get the best out of this game, try squatting between ducks as you dodge the trainer's balls, or try standing on one leg as you punch the bags. This challenges the thigh muscles and your balance.

Tennis gives you a chance to really move around the room, as you return balls to your opponent. Later stages involve aiming the ball at a target or moving net. A tip to get more of a workout, is to stand in a semi-squat position (with your knees slightly bent and legs apart) as you wait for the ball. This, coupled with bouncing, will work your butt and give you more power when you move towards the ball.

Golf and Bowling might seem like quite sedatory games (on the Wii at least!) unless you push yourself. The gold options involve putting and a driving-range style target option. The actual swing will work your arms, but if you twist from the ankles your leg muscles will also engage. You could also try jogging on the spot between swings, to get more out of it. The same can be said for bowling as there is usually some time between bowls. Try jumping jacks or dancing to whichever song is playing at the time.

The Baseball option is another good arm work-out. The swinging and bowling can both involve using power and quick movement. To add more to this, try to pull one leg up when pitching (as you would if you were doing it for real!) and putting your whole upper body strength into the throw. Another option is to choose to return pitches which tests endurance as well as aim - as there up to 30 balls pitched in quick succession. This can help build up fitness as you don't get a rest between balls as you would in the competitive version. As with the Boxing, a good way to use more muscle groups is to stand is a slightly squatting position as you wait to take a swing.

Between playing each game you can raise your heart rate by dancing to whatever song comes on, or try doing some jumping jacks or running on the spot. This means that you are constantly burning calories, even when playing the slower games.

You can monitor how the training is going by checking your 'Wii Fitness' which provides you with a 'Wii Age' depending on your skills. Its a great incentive to keep practicing!

Because the Wii is a games console, it doesn't feel like hard work, but follow my tips it'll definitely pay off!

Video game reviews: Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (PC)

The Warcraft series offers some of the best strategy experiences any gamer can ever have. From the first beginning it has been in the lead on the real time strategy scene and the latest addition Warcraft 3 is no exception. A fantastic game that is made complete by a even more fantastic expansion pack. The Frozen Throne following Prince Arthas road from the nice helpful Prince to the evil Death Knight. Everything in this game, the single player campaign, the multiplayer and the cinematic is just perfect, even this day today.

The single player campaign is driven by an truly epic story about Prince Arthas. Prince Arthas is sent out to stop some evil orcs attacking the human towns, but he finds something truly horrifying. There is a plague turning the human people into undead. And he have to fight it before it turns the whole human raise into mindless zombies. He eventually travels to the cold lands of Northrend only find a blade, a runeblade so powerful he can kill all the evil he face, but with one big downside. The blade has a will of its own and it starts to consume him, making him just as evil as the plague turns his people back where he came from. He travels back only to kill his own father the King and claim the throne. It is a truly fantastic story to play through together with some amazing cinematic videos keeping it all together. The best most addictive campaign I ever played through in a video game.

The multi player has thousands of players this day today and there is a reason for that. Blizzard is a fantastic game designer balancing the four races to perfection making interesting strategy gameplay and making it a game for LAN events. Every big LAN out there host Warcraft 3 competitions still and the reason is that the game is just simply amazing. This is a game that will live on forever or at least until they make a new one. Sadly it seems unlikely they will make a new one anytime soon since they are working on Starcraft 2 and World of Warcraft.

Warcraft 3 and Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne are games any gamer that likes strategy can't live without. In my eyes the best game ever made and the game I enjoyed most. The game is so cheap now it is almost an insult as the quality is higher than most games realized today. This game also have one of the strongest and easiest world editors out there leading it to a whole load of cool custom maps made for both single player and multi player. You will never run out of things to do on Warcraft 3. And you will never regret buying it. Overall a fantastic game.

Guitar Hero 3 cheats for Wii – Part 1

GUITAR HERO 3 CHEATS FOR THE NINTENDO WII

Before I dive into all of the cheats you could ever possibly want and more, it's important that you know a few things about the nature of cheats in Guitar Hero 3. First, it's always a good idea to make a backup copy of your saved game. Think of this as an insurance policy in case your data gets corrupted or you accidentally "brake" the game world with your cheating. Second, I recommend playing the entire game at least once without cheating. Many purists think that you shouldn't use cheats in a game at all. I don't swing that far, however. Cheats can be a fun way to experience games in ways that you could not have without cheating. Still, Guitar Hero 3 is a great game and fun on its own. Think of cheats as "enhancement". Well, I'll stop advising and get to the cheats. Happy cheating!

-To make it impossible to fail a song, insert the following code in the in-game cheats menu. Keep in mind that this cheat will not work

in Career Mode: Green & Red, Blue, Green & Red, Green & Yellow, Blue, Green & Yellow, Red & Yellow, Orange, Red & Yellow, Green & Yellow, Yellow, Green & Yellow, Green & Red.

-To unlock Hyperspeed, go to the in-game cheat menu (found under Options) and insert the following cheat on your guitar: Orange, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Orange, Yellow.

-To unlock any boss characters as playable character, simply beat them in the game and they will become unlocked.

-To unlock the Air Guitar, insert the following notes in the Options menu: Blue & Yellow, Green & Yellow x2, Red & Blue x2, Red & Yellow x2, Blue & Yellow, Green & Yellow x2, Red & Blue x2, Red & Yellow x2, Green & Yellow x2, Red & Yellow x2.

-To unlock the track "Through the Fire and Flames", beat the game.

-To unlock Performance Mode, insert the following notes in the Options menu: Red & Yellow, Red & Blue, Red & Orange, Red & Blue, Red & Yellow, Green & Blue, Red & Yellow, Red & Blue.

-To unlock Precision Mode, insert the following notes in the Options menu: Green & Red x3, Red & Yellow x2, Red & Blue x2, Yellow & Blue, Yellow & Orange, Yellow & Orange, Green & Red x3, Red & Yellow x2, Red & Blue x2, Yellow & Blue, Yellow & Orange x2.

-To unlock all of the game's songs for Quick Play Mode, insert the following notes in the Options menu: Yellow & Orange, Red & Blue, Red &

Video game reviews: The Legend of Zelda series

After the agony of cartoon like Legend of Zelda videogame coming out for the gamecube, many felt cheated out of their system now that next generation gaming systems are in and old hardware is out. Despite of the very late release for a Zelda game on gamecube, Nintendo and their Wii has had the opportunity to release "The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess" as a launch title.

The story is about Hyrule in trouble again and Link has to rise up from the slums to be the greatest warrior and protector of Princess Zelda. Your enemy is a force called the Twilight, the main enemy is Zant who wants to make all of Hyrule eventually all end up being twilight. Twilight Princess brings memories from "Orcinia of Time" via the artwork, music, and familiar characters moved onto the new Zelda game.

The new revamped controls on the Wii-mote are not a disadvantage if not the best advantage to any Zelda game ever. To actually sense that your swinging a sword to defeat an enemy is a great accomplishment. With your classic weapons such as the Hookshot, Bow and Arrow, etc. The game enters a few new items but does not change

the formula. Using the nunchuck function while aiming for items is very innovative. For the first time ever you can run and cut grass which feels great. The level designs are amazing and all of Hyrule is eminse. The boss fights are amazing but are very easy not putting up much of a challange.

With more than 50 hours of gamplay, sidequests, and Hyrule enviorment that is so large, larger than any other Zelda game ever played this is obiviously the best Zelda game ever made. This is an epic game to the genre, that why is called "The Legend of Zelda".

Why the video game industry is reaching new heights – Part 1

The video game industry has come incredibly far from its original days of birth. A large part of this incredible boom of popularity is parallel development with digital imaging, interactivity, multi-purpose consoles and the original generations of both arcade, console and PC gamers are growing, raising families and well, still gaming!

Despite political uproar, the entertainment factor and popularity of gaming hasn't diminished and continues to grow. Some individuals scream to the mountaintops about the dangers of video games, but in truth it is the ignorance and lack of involvement with their kids that is the most dangerous factor. If anything, as this older generation of gamers grow and raise families, they have better knowledge of what is appropriate for those young, squishy brains than any non-gamer could ever imagine from reading the ESRB label on the back of a box. And from what? Their own experiences.

One of the most incredible recognitions that has come about for this industry is that the process to create a video game is being recognized as an incredible art form, for deep conceptual theory as well as a finely-tuned science. The variable that is the "player" in the equation of game production is extremely complicated to work with already. But the fact that we have developers who are both aged and experienced in game development, as well as scrappy, young, self-taught whiz kids of the Internet era are coming together to create stronger bonds for new possibilities in interactive concept and stunning visual content. We have come a long way from Pong and from the Utah Teapot, and the curious researchers are only getting younger as they try to dismantle and decode how their favorite games work.

As far as the business side of things goes, more and more technological development and research is going into creating more entertaining games as well as more visually and cognitively stimulating products for all ages. The competition factor between the large console companies stirs an atmosphere that constantly requires new ideas, new concepts and plenty of beneficial risks to be taken. The fact that these consoles and PC games have reached such a high global popularity only increases the swell of research and new innovation. But outside of the big names, the reaching out to independent studios also allows for many fresh ideas to reach a range of demographics with the studio's own personal flare of style and gameplay.

The multi-purpose capability of the high-end consoles are also ensuring that these game pieces will eventually become a staple within the home. It is this appeal that will have a person investing in a console instead of three individual pieces of machinery. With a DVD player, burner, expansive harddives, internet-access and communication capabilities all in one convenient, little place...the list will only continue to grow! I don't think it will be too long until the Playstation will be cooking my Hot Pockets while my Wii pours a frosty brew and the XBox grooms my dog.

But hey, maybe someday we will have flying cars.

Online video game reviews: Democracy 2 – Part 1

It is not everyday that you see a political sim game that just rocks your world. I don't know about you but men in suits making decisions about money, health care, poverty, foreign relations, and the like don't really do it for me. Democracy 2, however, may have the power to make political decision making' a more appealing process. This game makes it easy to understand the process that our governments' officials go through on a daily basis and I dare say; make it fun.

Visually this game has very little going on. During most of the game you are looking at a screen that is split into several different areas that you need to manage as prime minister of your country. Within these areas icons are displayed (think a windows desktop but more organized). These icons are everything you need to know about what is happening with your country. On the up side, the simplicity sets a very low learning curve. You can easily see which policies are affecting which issues and in turn which voting groups are favoring those trends. It works well for the game but overall some of the images could be less repetitive.

One thing that you notice before even starting the game, while going through the tutorial, is the music in the background. Sure, it fits the game and comes close to elevator music but it does become less of a distraction during the real game play. It is repetitive none the less. For a less than ordinary game, less than ordinary music would be a plus.

It can be assumed that there is not much of a market for a game in which the main character is a prime minister or president to a country. When the video game market is made up of mostly testosterone fueled young to middle age males there may be more of an incline to invest in more explosions and guns. However, D2 may lure members of the majority in the video game world by sure promise of power over an entire country alone. Imagine it; you are the soul decision maker of millions of people who all have minds of their own. How do you please them all so you can keep your office for another term? D2 tries to answer that question and does it well. In D2 you have about a dozen different countries to play through and all of them have their own unique challenges. I give props to Democracy 2, it takes an untapped and unlikely video game concept and makes it fun.

I give Democracy 2 a 4 out of 5.

Defending video games: How more active games are getting gamers off the sofa – Part 3

Dance Dance Revolution releases in arcades everywhere, the world of boxing becomes a virtual reality masterpiece, police officers become in your control and the Nintendo Wii officially revolutionizes home game-play. Dance Dance Revolution has made it to one of the greatest games in its time. Everyone lines up to show their dance skills. In many arcades, you can use boxing gloves and battle it out in the ring. Gamers play as police officers to take down thugs and move around in a realistic matter under amazing sensors.

The Nintendo Wii lets you play virtual relity games in the privacy of your own home. Games like Red Steel and Wii Sports keep you moving and energized. This is a good thing for kids who love video games, but need to get into shape. Some games even give you a fitness statistic so, if wanted, you can create a fitness plan. These games can be very positive for a fit generation.

Video game reviews: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

The entire series thus far has been loved very much by many people who love video games. Certainly exciting, with endless action and adventure now is here to diversified and to guide us in the streets of a new virtual reality. "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreass is the fifth part of the popular video game series Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and released in summer of 2005 by "Rockstars Games. The video game is widely well-known for the criminal content and its story while unfolds at the virtual area of cities such as Los Santos, Las Venturas and San Fierro that reminiscent of California.

In the previous chapter of the series (Grand Theft Auto Vice City), Carl Johnson left his homecity, Los Santos. A city where dissolved by crime, drugs, corruption and generally characterized by a high crime rate. A city where the stars of cinema and many millionaires do their best to avoid drug dealers and gangs.

Somewhere in the early of '90s, Carl returned to the city of Los Santos of San Andreas state and learns that his mother is dead, that his family is dissolved and his friends have taken the wrong way, while himself involved in a homicide. As you can see, Carl Johnson (better known with the sort name of CJ) is the character that the gamer has the control of him during the game play and the goal is to save what have been remained of his family and to take control of the roads of the cities by making a long trip across the state of San Andreas.

This version of the game is about 5 times bigger in size than the previous (Vice City) and includes more cars and pedestrians with a higher IQ, an excellent graphical representation (lighting, colors, weather conditions, details of persons and other characteristics), a large number of primary missions (96 in total) which should be completed correctly in order to have progress in the game, many secondary missions such as taxi driver, ambulance driver, police vehicle driver, fire truck driver which all of them are already known from the previous versions but also added some new ones such as car porter in a hotel unit and truck driver. Plenty of missions have been released. Amazing things are about to be done!

In the positive side of the game are also the rich collection of musical selections (some of them are The Who, Toto, Faith No More, Depeche Mode, James Brown, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, Danzig, Cream, Alice in Chains, Guns N' Roses and many many more other), a well-written screenplay, a terrific casting (Samuel L. Jackson, Ice-T, MC Eiht are just some of them) and tons of other interesting features and variables appropriate to invest in making the game even more attractive

The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is much greater in difficulty than in Vice City and will probably need more time to finish the game. However, the long duration, the number of varied missions, the fantastic graphics (audio/video) make it even more impressive and more exciting as a video game, that actually may be blocking the player for long hours in front of the computer screen.

Downloadable game review: Lost City of Malathedra

Lost Enthusiasm in Malathedra

It is unfair in this age of optional secondary realities to call those worlds supported by the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii systems video games. A more appropriate term might be "video adventures," or even "artificial existence." With pixilation and graphics so sharp that it can mimic even the texture of human flesh, it is surprising that elements of a game, i. e. points, lives, health etc., manage to survive. In "The Lost City of Malathedra," EID Games has produced a world that defies this innovation by introducing us to the world of historian Jonathan Wolfe and his daughter Rebecca.

From the outset, the graphics are cringe-worthy. The copy and paste background elements are reminiscent of old school Nintendo. In the few areas where the designers got creative, they cheated by using digital reproductions of cartoon drawings that did not come to life so much as sit as silent, indigent clip-art. A perfect example of this was the moment Jonathan pressed four metal columns to make the jagged stone hanging from a string fall and break the grate to the floor below. There was no movement in the rock, whatsoever. It was as though someone had captured it with their mouse and yanked it down. The explosion that followed was not even on par with the cartoon element, but felt more like a child's sponge painting.

The logo image for this game promises an exciting, dark, puzzle-filled adventure that the game itself never delivers. There is nothing inspired about moving a rock to a plate and adding a coconut to open a barred gate. That is requirement and fulfillment. The fact that brambles obscured both plates did nothing to spark the imagination. There was no brainpower involved. In Playstation 1's hit game, "Silent Hill," the main character faced many challenges, but nothing so brilliant or original as the piano riddle in the schoolhouse, the one where a poem on the wall discussed birds that are commonly known to be white and black, all flying in different directions. These birds corresponded with keys on the piano, of course, but only the silent keys. In "Malathedra," gaining access to the next room merely involves blundering into the right fixtures.

If only the game had been as interesting as the music. An orchestra of dire sounds offers a glimmer of potential that never quite shines through. The unwieldy mechanics robs it of mystique, reminding the player with every fumbling mouse click that there are better conceived, far less restrictive worlds to explore. "The Lost City of Malathedra" is a disjointed collision of varying game-mythos ranging from the original "Diablo" to "Myst" with an even older point-and-click game engine. One might argue that this game has already been made under the title "Tomb Raider" by Eidos, except that, even for its age, that title remains far beyond this one in scope.

My rating 2/5 just for the music.

Video game reviews: Hitman Codename 47 (PC)

Released in the year 2000, Hitman Codename 47 is the first installment for the Hitman video game series. This game had definitely gained it's popularity even before a movie adaptation had been made.

Game-play:

Hitman is a single-player game. Of course in order to be a Hitman, you'll need ammunitions. In every beginning of the game, you'll have the choice to buy various weapons but it's important to note what mission you are about to do because you'll have a hint what are the most important weapons you'll most likely use and at the same time, you get to save money. After all, being a Hitman is like a hired assassin. Less ammo you bought, more savings for you.

Hitman's action in this video game is still pretty restricted. You could use mouse and keyboard controls. Of course he could walk, run, turn right and left, move forward and backward. But don't expect him to do some upper-cut or make some flying kick here. Hitman greatly relies on his weapons. Hitman have a "sneak" option though so he could move with out some one noticing him.

Most important weapons for Hitman are snipers, silencer, knife and my favorite weapon: garrote wire. He could also steal the weapons of his dead victims. But perhaps the most important function that Hitman can do in order to complete his mission is disguising. And he could drag the bodies of his victims so he could hid them.

Story line:

Hitman Codename 47 have 4 main targets but there's only one similarity for all of them: they are all wicked people. The game starts with Hitman hearing a mysterious voice giving him instructions what to do. Start of the game is basically a training level that will help you familiarize with the controls and movements of Agent 47. As the game progresses, you'll get to realize that the story is not just completing a mission and annihilating all these wicked people but it's also a search for Agent 47 true identity.

Graphics and Sound:

I actually like the graphics of the game. Although there are cases that I found it funny especially if he'd try to disguise like a Chinese because even though he is already dressed with Chinese clothes, I don't think he'd still pass as a Chinese. The game could really get gory and the sound (especially in the final stage) could be that scary. Although some non-player character's "acting" needs some polishing, but if we'd talk about the gunfire works, you can't ask for more.

Overall:

The game is definitely categorized as one of those violent video games. But this is not all about shooting, you have to keep that brain busy while playing as well. There was an instance that I spent the whole night figuring what the heck should I do to finish a level but I kept on playing only to realize that I have to buy a sniper first and kill the leader on the first opportunity.

Well, if you are not squeamish and you like the mission accomplish or failed scenario, this could be your game.

Rating: 7.5/10

Wii Fit and weight loss possibilities – Part 4

Wii Fit is Nintendo's newest game-packaged-with-fancy-perip heral. It's intended as a sort of personal tutor to help gamers trim up the rough edges under their bellies, but can also attract newcomers as a unique take on weight loss and health maintenance; the very idea of a video game keeping you healthy sounds like fallacy to most consumers, and Wii Fit is geared up to prove that notion false.

Purely as a tool, Wii Fit's abilities shine. The balance board's pressure sensitivity will weigh you in at the first startup, taking body measurements to draw some conclusions on your overall health, or lack thereof. You can tell the game where you want to be in a set time period, and Wii Fit will draw up some daily goals to help you along on your quest.

It's great for what it does, and I'm sure oodles of consumers will buy it and quickly drop some chub after starting the program, but like all dieting and exercise methods, the key to true success lies not in the tools, but in routine and self discipline.

I know, I know; old news; no results come easy, and excellent results are supposed to come purely from self determination and your own inner fire. If you want to lose weight, why don't you get off the couch? Put down the fork? Does anyone really need Wii Fit for successful weight loss?

The short answer; no. No one needs a video game to promote weight loss, just like no one needs a trainer, a gym membership, support of friends, or a calculated diet plan and nutritionist. But for anyone who intends to lose weight and change their lifestyle, something needs to inspire them, to spark that determination. Allure of an easy routine a-la Wii Fit can be just what you'd need to help you off the couch and into Yoga.

Dreaming is easy. Anyone who's finished a long project can affirm that; beginning is simple, but as the days wear into weeks, the picture of your ultimate goal muggies in your mind. All love labors become work sooner rather than later, and once you reach a plateau, moving onward and upward spikes in difficulty.

But every grand achievement begins with an inspiration, and for lots of gamers, Wii Fit could be just what the doctor ordered. It is easy to begin and accessible for all Wii owners, relatively inexpensive, and is, most importantly, fun. Wii Fit provides the tools to begin the journey to health, even if the route is treacherously paced past a thousand taco stands. Good potential is there for the ignition of healthy change.

Video game reviews: Gunners Heart (PC)

In 2002, the Japanese game company would release a cartoonish yet very fun 3D action-shooting game called SkyGunner. I bought a copy of the game around 2003 for my Playstation 2. Overall, I was satisfied with the game play. This had an interesting yet simple storyline behind it.

I myself happened to life the graphics.

The game play is of flight combat. You fly around while trying to shoot enemies. In SkyGunner, you would have just about full control of your motion and direction. To me, SkyGunner is a hidden treasure trove in regards to video games. If you have a Playstation 2, you should pick up a copy.

If you are a fan of the "steam punk" genre, SkyGunner is an interesting game to pick up.

However, this article is not about SkyGunner. This article is about a game called "Gunners Heart." Several years ago, groups of Japanese anime and game hobbyists started to create their own game titles. The groups were known as doujins. Their titles are known as "doujin softs." They would make doujin softs based off a variety of games, Japanese anime, and Japanese manga titles.

EasyGameStation, one of those doujin soft groups decides to make "Gunners Heart." Gunners Heart is a doujin soft based off of SkyGunner. One could say that it is a rip-off of SkyGunner.

However, it looks like the game is homage to SkyGunner. The graphics look more oriented towards the PC. So far, Gunners Heart is only available for the PC.

But, the game play is quite different from SkyGunner. Gunners Heart does not have open sky battles. Instead, the game play is limited to rail shooting. Instead of a 3D action open air shooter, Gunners Heart is a 3D action rail shooter. A rail shooter is a shooting game in which the stages take you on a motion like a rail.

It is somewhat similar to your racing games. In this sense, this feels like playing a game of "Panzer Dragoon," in which you have a set path. You simply need to shoot down enemies in your way.

I do have to say that with the graphics, the people of EasyGameStation have done a good job to keeping true to the essence of SkyGunner. The graphics and appearances of the characters are the same. It took a lot of effort to make an accurate portrayal of SkyGunner's character aesthetics.

So far, Gunners Heart's storyline is about the same as SkyGunner's storyline. It focuses upon the three main characters: Femme, Ciel, and Copain.

There are a bunch of differences contrasting between Gunners Heart and SkyGunner. The weapons in Gunners Heart are different from the weapons in SkyGunner. One of the important features is chaining combos in regards to destroying enemies.

That way, you get more money.

Money is used to purchase various items at the shop.

Overall, I found Gunners Heart to be quite refreshing. It seems that these doujin soft games play a lot better than many of the actual video games I have played. Gunners Heart, despite being a doujin soft, is a game worth picking up. It feels like SkyGunner got converted into a 2D arcade shooter. But I do not see a problem with that aspect. Gunners Heart was a very fun game to play. I am glad I installed it on my computer.

If you played and liked SkyGunner, you will probably like Gunners Heart. It is very decent for a doujin soft. On top of that, the game was professionally done in the highest standards. Overall, Gunners Heart is a game that is worth trying out.

Where in the World is Wii Fit?

Does anyone remember that show, what was it called, "Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego"? I think there was something called that. Anyway, that title should be replaced with "Where In The World Is The Wii Fit"?

As far as I'm concerned, the fact that Nintendo's Wii Fit is so incredibly hard to find, is an indication or shows that a shift or expansion of sorts is happening within this industry. The thing about Wii Fit is that you literally have to use your entire body to play the game.

Now, the crazy thing about this is that a couple of years ago, when Nintendo revealed their Wii console and gave a general indication of how games were going to be controlled, which was motion-based, it seemed that almost everyone was shocked with disbelief. Not in a positive light, but a negative light.

I can remember this almost as if it were yesterday. People were saying that Nintendo was dead. That they were going to go bankrupt. You name it, and someone probably said it. Fast forward a couple years later, and not only is Nintendo's Wii a success, but so is their Wii Fit.

The Wii Fit though requires your entire body, whereas a regular Wii game would require some hand and arm movements. What does this tell me? That there is definitely a shift happening within the video game industry. More and more people want to move their bodies in some way or another while playing games.

I'm not saying their is anything wrong with playing games that doesn't require any type of body movement. There isn't. But look at the bigger picture. The fact that more and more people are using their bodies while playing these videogames sheds negative layers off of the gaming industries image. For some reason or another, this industry has been looked at in a negative light for far too long.

But that's starting to change now, and Wii Fit is helping with that effort. People of all ages are using it. I've seen the news where gym trainers are actually incorporating Wii Fit's into their training programs. This is a huge positive for the industry. So, where in the world is Wii Fit?

Yes, for people like me, who want the game real bad, it's probably not a really good thing that it's really hard to find one. But for the industry as a whole, the fact that Wii Fit is so hard to find is another sign that video games are on it's way to being looked at as another legitimate form of entertainment.

Wii Fit Reviews – Marketing Hype or Worth It?

Let me start out this article by describing the Wii FIt. The Wii Fit is white, Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth): 13.00 x 20.00 x 3.00 inches It uses power of 4 x AA batteries and the unit weighs 4.5 kg. First of I want to say the the Wii Fit balance board is top notch in quality. Very Durably built, rubber feet on the bottom of it to make sure that it does not move around while in use.

If you haven't heard, the Wii Fit is latest device to take the wii consumers by storm. This changes everything from a pure games console perspective. The notion that game consoles are just for sit down on the couch and play type of situation has just been turned on it's head. Let me try to describe the core of the Wii Fit the inner functions, is called the balance board. What is the balance board you ask? Well it is a multi point electronic sensing weigh scale. Basically what that means it not only is able to measure your weight but it also can detect changes in your weight and pressure when your are standing on it. There is a sensor built into that checks weight changes many times a second.

NOw next question what is this thing going to do for me? Included with the wii fit are several games. The main game takes you through some exercise training drills, strength training, aerobic exercises,yoga, or even just balance training. The first thing when you switch it on it asks you a few things about your height and weight and age. This is to calculate your BMI aka body mass index. This is password protected in case you are shy and don't want others to know how much you weigh or your training scores. NOw while this is all good and dandy, I would take the Wii BMI reading with a grain of salt, for one it may output that you are a 20 year old with a BMI of a 45 year old does not mean that the unit is correct. The Wii BMI calculation does not factor in your muscle mass or heavier bone structure, so like I say don't take the readings to heart.

Does the Wii Fit actually work? Will I be able to lose weight with it and slim down. Well Let's put it simply it is like everything in life. The more effort you put into it, the more return you will get. The Wii Fit games have been testes by many and found that they were effective. The onscreen trainer instructs you to do sit-ups and push-ups and run in one place. While the balance board will measure how good a job you are doing or how poorly you are doing with the exercises. The balance board detects small changes in your weight on the board and it will move the onscreen figure accordingly. The way it works you start off by doing some simple exercises and move to more complicated ones the higher a ranking you achieve. You can set a female or a Male trainer, who will help you with the exercises. The trainers will also tell you if you are not doing well enough and areas were you should improved, so the interactivity is very good.

Don't be fooled by the Nintendo Wii name and the game console ring to it. Most of the exercises are very real and demanding,if you are not used to working out you will work up a sweat for sure. Some of the activities included aerobic and balance activities that let you do anything from rotating a hula hoop around the onscreen figures hips, by moving yours with the same circular motion, to doing a downhill snowboarding race. Like all games you could probably cheat after awhile by knowing exactly when you have to shift your weight around, but what would the point of that be. You would cheat yourself out of a good exercise and would be waisting your own time.

Some Negative points is that you can't just turn it on and start exercising, Also to customize your own exercise schedule is also not possible. For example you wanted to start of just doing yOga to worm up, then do some muscle toning exercises and then move on to aerobics exercise. Instead you will have to access the menu to go from one type of exercise to another which can get in the way of your workout.

To sum things up a bit the nintendo wii Fit is a very entertaining way to get fit, no it does not replace a full scale Gym. but on the other hand, being able to train in your own home or anywhere else for that matter. You can put the unit in a small satchel and take it to your friends house and train with a partner. These features alone make it worth. Many have said Exercising is boring, well the Wii Fit had been able to turn the tables on that old adage and find a way to make exercise fun and innovative.

Console reviews: The Nintendo Wii – Part 6

The Nintendo wii is a great system that really hit the nation. This system gives the player a chance to really interact with the game and feel like it is real. There have been studies where families tend to want to interact with each other when playing this motion system. The Nintendo generation was thought to have died and only lived on in some people that really grew up with the systems that came out for it every other year from 1977 to today of 2009. This global company founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi was (in 2007) one of the top must have game consoles. This wii is only one of the many systems that nintendo has released and it has been a good year of sales with the nintendo wii.

When I say that this system can really bring people together it's true. The interaction will help people understand that they can have fun while they excercise and learn a thing or two from their games. I'm not saying yuoi need to be one of those game potatoes that just plant themselves and never stop playing but it is quite healthy to play for about 20 min. every day. There are all sorts of healthy games that would keep people playing the wii. One of the games is called wii sports. In this game you can play against other people or with other people to win points and try to become a pro tennis player. This system is good for all ages because of the way the movement is set up in the games. There are some that don't need as much movement so you will not need to move as much and hurt yourself.

The console is one of many that has been introduced into society. It can come with a charger system for the wii remotes. It could contain multiple wii remotes for multiplayer modes or just single player. There are many different controllers that can be used when playing like guitars, drums, mats, and other different items made to fit the mood of the game you are playing. It also has a small memory disk you can find in the front compartment of the system where games and memory is saved. It can play gamecube games and wii games since the gamecube was the system released before the wii. The other systems that nintendo released was the super nintendo that only played super nintedo games and came with small devices as extras if interested in playing certain games for them. The N64 came out later and gave the perspective of the fact that you can use a joystick with left, right, up, and down controls as well also having more buttons for more uses in the games produced. The game systems got better through out the years along with the games and graphics.

The graphics of this lovely piece are excellent! They give you a great feeling of really being in the game and they have this tye of feeling where you have really worked yourself to get where you are. There are some games that involve movement like wii sports, and then there are others that only need you to move your fingers like Guitar Hero.

The Nintendo wii is a great system that can bring family, and friends together to share the wonderful expirience of it' graphics and it's interacting games. Whether you like the wii or not you should ask yourself one question: "Is it worth it?" My answer would be: "Definitely."

Which video game system should you buy? – Part 4

While I think all game systems have their good and bad points, I think a lot of your decision-making should be based on how often you play video games and the types of games you like to play.

I want to discuss what I think are the positives of the Nintendo Wii, Sony's PS3, and the XBOX 360 from what I consider a "casual gamer" point-of-view. Obviously if you're seriously into video games my perspective may seem a little basic, which I understand. I mainly want to address parents who may not play video games or people like me who play them on occasion and just want a good system for their needs.

Nintendo Wii:

The Nintendo Wii is a lot of fun to play, especially in a group setting where people have various skill levels. This is the only system my husband and I don't own yet because they're in such high demand still that it takes some effort or extra money to currently find them. I have however played the included sports game, Zelda, and Super Mario Galaxy.

Once you get the hang of the controls on the Nintendo Wii, the game play is very natural. Plus it's a game system where you get a little exercise in the process of playing, which I think is good for kids. I also think it's the best system for people who've skipped a few generations of game systems and want to get back into playing something.

Sony's PS3:

My husband and I do own a PS3, which we use more for a Blu-Ray player than a game system just because we work a lot right now. What's fun with it is hooking it up to a projector that uses computer connections, creating an instant high-definition home movie theater on a budget if you have a blank white wall with good quality gloss paint. (It's fun playing games on that big of a screen as well.)

Probably our current favorite game with this system is called Rock Band, which comes with a drum set, guitar, and microphone. Depending on the people you're with, it can be extremely funny or mentally challenging. My husband likes games such as Call of Duty as well.

XBOX 360:

You can't talk about XBOX 360 without talking about the Halo game series, which I believe has been it's best-selling set of games. I'm honestly not a shooter-game person, but my husband liked all three of them. From my point-of-view I can definitely tell a lot of quality went into making them.

This system also has a wide selection of games and has reasonable prices on most of them now. Guitar Hero III is very popular right now and is similar to PS3's Rock Band guitar. (I don't believe it comes with the drums and microphone however.) I've also seen our nephew play Cars and Lego Star Wars, which both look like good games. The XBOX 360 also comes with a standard DVD playing capability, and I've heard a HD-DVD (Blu-Ray's competitor) attachment is also available.

A Note About the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD Debate:

Some people treat the whole Blu-Ray/HD-DVD debate more seriously than government politics, but just from a practical standpoint it just didn't make sense for us personally to have both since we already had a Blu-Ray player with the PS3. We haven't had any issues come up with our Blu-Rays to where we'd want to own two different formats.

I would just recommend doing some research into finding out which format would fit your needs better if you're looking for a high-definition format with your gaming system, since I admit I'm not as impartial in this area as just talking about the systems themselves.

I hope this review has been helpful to you, and best wishes in your search!

Which video game console is better: PlayStation 3 or Wii? – Part 29

Well right know the Wii is ahead of the game.

the wii sold over 6 million console in the first year.

PS3 is a little behind,because there not selling

a lot of ps3's.the first day the PS3 came out some

guy got shot for not giving up his PS3..plus the

PS3 cost over $500 "thats a lot of money".

but know Sony is bringing the price down on the PS3,

because there going to make a newer version of the PS3

is going to have 80GB for the price of $699. that means that the 60GB

price is going down from $599 to $499 its a pretty

good price but i wish it was lower.Another thing about the PS3

is that they came out with a little bit of games the

only good game that came out when th PS3 was launch

is Resistance fall of men. its i cool game and one

of the best.on the other side of the wii Nintendo is

know the leader of games,Nintendo is creating a new

gun called the zapper is a gun were you put the wii

remote and nunchuk in the gun.The zapper is for shooting games like

resident evil umbrella or duck hunt.the other new thing that

Nintendo is making is called the wii fit is a balance board

use to play games...there's a lot of yoga practice and exercises

practice.Is not that cool if your 16 and under,its kind of a game that my gram pa would play.But if you like it you should buy ii,its kind of fun

and active.My opinion is that the wii is the best out there.

and i know there's going to be millions of new games coming out like

Super Smash brawl release date:December 3,meteoroid prime 3 corruption release

date:late 2007,wii Mario cart release date:early 2008,and many many more

games coming out...so if you don't have a wii go out there and buy one.

Video game reviews: The Orange Box (PS3)

While Half-Life 2 may have already made its debut years ago, it is more alive than ever with its new set of games titled The Orange Box. Considered to be one of the greatest first-person shooters ever to be created, the Half-Life series is able to intertwine the elements of great action and a great story, while bringing to life characters that live and breath as we do.

Upon cracking open your own Orange Box, you'll find that the package comes with five games all on one disc, which is being reviewed as the greatest gaming value in history. The titles within this disc include Half-Life 2, Episode One and Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. Along with the two expansions to Half-Life 2, Valve manages to insert one of the most creative first-person puzzle games, Portal, along with the sequel to the online success, Team Fortress 2.

Half-Life 2 and Episode One are two titles gamers have already been able to get their hands on, so the immediate attraction, at a glance, would be the included Episode 2, which propels the story taking place between Gordon Freeman and Alex Vance. The story picks up immediately after City 17 has been decimated, and Gordon opens his eyes to see Dog, Alex's pet, opening up the train wreck in which our hero has been imprisoned. The landscape is different than any previous Half-Life game, where the two protagonists go out into the White Forest, where the survivors of the City 17 have begun making a colony.

As for the Portal game, it succeeds in creating an entirely innovative experience that would have been worth purchasing on its own. In the game, the gamer plays as a test subject who has been being used for experimentations involving a Portal Gun. This gun allows you to shoot entrance portals, and exit portals, anywhere in the room, enabling the player to come in one way, and exit out the other. This new type of game play opens up a door of vast level design possibilities, and can sometimes seem so impossible, that anyone watching will have their jaw permanently dropped.

Just when you think that Portal can't get any better, a bit of storyline begins to coerce itself into the game play, where the player must escape the testing facility, its defense systems, and find the truth about the taunting cake, supposedly waiting for him... somewhere. The game also provides an unexpected amount of laughs, always keeping the minimal amount of dialogue fresh and interesting.

Team Fortress 2 is the final component in the Orange Box, where players can log onto an online world and play with other Half-Life fans in a war-like arena with humorously exaggerated graphics. The game is played on several types of courses, all of which have different purposes, such as capture the flag and control points. Also, a clever job system sets the game apart. There are a dozen classes the player can choose to be, all of which have their own pros and cons - an example of a few being Pyro, a large man with a flamethrower, and a Spy, a lanky and swift assassin who can disguise himself.

Despite your video gaming preferences, any player can walk away from the store knowing that they've purchased the first game worthy of the 60$ price tag.

Pros:

First game worth the money

Amazing graphics and animation

Innovative weapons

Great level designs

Realistic characters

Fantastic Storyline

Online capable

Unlike any other gaming experience

Cons:

Portal could have lasted longer

Score: 9/10

Wii Fit and weight loss possibilities – Part 2

Ever since I saw the Wii Fit advertised, I wanted one. I dreamed of getting a fabulous body while having fun. Of course, I begged my husband to get on board and we have been proud Wii Fit owners for the last 4 months. I must say that I am healthily addicted and it has been a great addition to my fitness life. I am more toned, more flexible, and my hubby is losing weight!

In case you are unfamiliar with the Wii Fit, it is an innovative new video game for the Nintendo Wii console. It features a balance board that measures your weight, body mass index (bmi), and center of balance. When you add a new Wii character, you are required to complete a "body test"; you enter in your height, your weight is measured, and the game calculates your bmi. Based on your bmi, you are classified as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. The system logs your stats and lets you set a goal to reach: a specific bmi or weight before a specified date. Every time you use your Wii Fit, you earn a stamp on the calendar and a new dot on your graph. This helps you track your progress and stay motivated!

There are 4 types of exercises/games: yoga (my favourite), strength, balance, and aerobics. Some are much more strenuous while others are mainly fun. I have personally found the yoga exercises to have improved my balance, muscle tone, and flexibility! I have always been petite, so I don't use the Wii Fit for weight loss, but my hubby has lost 10 pounds in the last month using it. The aerobic and strength exercises definitely can get your heart rate up and help you lose weight. The hula hoops and "run" (you run on the spot) especially can be pretty challenging.

As with any exercise weight loss program, the key to losing weight on the Wii Fit is dedication. Obviously, the games are pretty fun, but you have to be willing to treat them as a legitimate workout. Be prepared to put as much effort and time into it as you would a fitness dvd or class. Also, make sure you focus on the aerobic and strength exercises. When you consider the cost of a gym membership, the Wii Fit is very reasonable by comparison (45 bucks a months vs. 100 bucks for the game). What I love about the Wii Fit is that I can do it in my own home, work out for as long or as little as I want, and I can easily track my progress. I also love feeling sore the next day and knowing that I actually worked out my muscles! If you are committed to have a great time and get in shape, I would definitely recommend a Wii Fit! Happy exercising!

Video game reviews: World of Warcraft

You've seen it everywhere: T-Shirts, websites, magazines. You've heard about it from friends, foes, geeks at the game store. It's fully implanted itself into the mainstream psyche and will forever be an iconic staple of the American Pop Culture.

It is World of Warcraft.

A great many articles have taken to explaining the process of playing WoW so I'll skip the detailed How-To. If you're reading this, you're at least interested in what the hype is all about. This is fairly simple on one hand and complex on the other. So...

The simple answer: WoW has tapped into the very alive and growing sector of the population that is wholly fascinated and transfixed by all things fantasy and all things gaming. There is an audience for WoW that transcends race, gender, social status, age, career, etc. 35 year old businessmen play alongside 15 year old high school students. The game is so huge and so appealing because it's accessible to everyone that enjoys fantasy and/or video games. It's become a trend, to be quite frank. And trends are easy to jump on board with.

The more complex answer: Wow is a unique MMO. MMO-RPG is a standard acronym for Mass-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. Unlike others of its kind, WoW has been able to factor in all the possible interface and playability options that appeal to the casual gamer right on up to the hardcore, dedicated full-time gamer. All these variables of structure, graphics, and playability enhance the game's playing experience beyond many other titles.

Several MMOs have tried to mirror the many possibile modes of play that WoW offers but have done so quite unsuccessfully. WoW offers an auction house where players can buy and sell items and equipment they find In-Game. The game makes it possible to log on and go almost the entire range of levels (1-70) without ever having to group or play with the other strangers running around in the same game world. Of course, this isn't really the point of MMO, so you also have the option of playing with a partner, people in your guild (or in-game club), or large scale "raids" involving 40+ players attacking the same goal. A "professions" system allows players to choose a profession and make items to sell to other players in exchange for gold, the in-game currency. Consider it: a video game with an in-game economy! It's true.

All of these aspects of the game and more offer a unique playing experience that has attracted many a varied player. You won't find the ability for solo playing in Dungeons and Dragons Online, released in 2005. Nor will you find the complex auction house or trading system in City of Heroes/City of Villains. So many of these other games have much to offer in other areas but lack the well-rounded accomplishment the Blizzard has made with World of Warcraft.

WoW has cornered the market because they've been able to capture EVERY aspect of MMO play in a single game and this game will continue to grow and affect the gaming industry for years to come.

Video game reviews: The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (PS2)

Ultimate destruction is probably the best sub-title for a game such as this. For people who aren't familiar with the Hulk, its about a doctor named Bruce Banner, who, after a freak accident exposing him to gamma radiation, turns into the jolly green giant...the incredible hulk.

Now as much as i want to give this game a good review, i really must be objective, i should mention, i am a long time fan of the Hulkster, and may be a little biased, as a gamer though I'm both appalled and excited about this game.

First off, it is by no means a masterpiece, suffering greatly from clipping issues, tears and glitches in the geometry, dated graphics and the occasional lag. Also the story is very basic and derivative of old hulk comics, only, not as good. You'll be facing off against all the old, stock enemies such as the Abomination and his robot goon squad.

Honestly, i could care less about the story progression, i saw the movie, and thats basically all one needs to know, its lack luster voice overs usually lose my attention anyway...but all that aside, i WILL go as far as to say this is probably my favorite comic book hero video game on any console. why? well after all these issues that are sure to bog down any title, it all comes back to Ultimate destruction.

As the Hulk, you can leap, climb, and throw yourself all over the vast generic new york-Esq city, and much to my amusement DESTROY EVERYTHING. The Hulk can pick up and toss trucks, cops, cars, buses, burger signs, and fleeing civilians! you can smash almost everything in the game, pick up trees and play baseball with bus booths, throw rockets with your bare hands, toss cows at helicopters, smash whole buildings into smoldering rubble...but you cant swim!

The ability system allows players to learn and master a whole myriad of special moves and abilities that really do add to the experience of smashing stuff and the best part is, the points required to unlock all these abilities are rewarded to you for destroying things...imagine that, points for smashing EVERYTHING!

With all that said, this game will provide, at least to Hulk fans, an incredibly meat headed, no brain experience, and thats the way i like it. But the weak story and relatively short campaign will likely cause you to shelf this after your HULK SMASH addiction wears off, as cool as it is to play the hulk, it is a feeling that is most likely to be shared only by hardcore Hulk fans, and not the general public, but still, this is one PS2 gem that should at least be experienced once, so if you ever find it for a bargain, don't hesitate to pick it up.

My Score:

6.5/10 - A PS2 Gem!

Video game reviews: Mirrors Edge

Mirrors Edge Game review:

The only problem nowadays with new games being released is hype. Every time a new game is coming out in weeks to follow there is loads of hype around it and that can ruin a game. Big time. Like every time a new Grand Theft Auto game comes out the whole world is screaming in anticipation for their next outing with the anti-hero based game style. But every time a new Grand Theft Auto game comes out there is much disappointment and it leaves many players feeling unsatisfied. This is much the same for many games such as Halo or a new Tomb Raider game, although not the previous one as much. My review is based on a game that did not have too much hype behind it and was not considered to be a must have before release. My review is split into different sections here is a brief example so it will be much easier to understand.

Game play:

Here I will talk about the game play of the game and what it feels like to play the actual game.

So on with the review. Mirrors Edge is a first person game that is set in the distant future. It has set a new precedent for how games should be made in the future with having no predecessor or any other game like it. It uses a whole new style of game play and does it very well. Unlike any other first person shooter, a first person shooter (FPS) is a type of game where the gun is shown in front of the player and not the players body, the player does not use guns as a means of killing the enemies instead the main character, Faith, uses her acrobatic skills to get from place to place and kill enemies. Although you have the option to take an enemies gun from him and use it against him but it's much more fun and easier to dodge the foe. The game has many mixed reviews in the world of gaming some scoring it very highly and some scoring it at average claiming that the game becomes boring fast as it is very repetitive and same old, same old. But let me tell you this is not the case people who say that are very narrow minded and are obviously not accustomed to change in the style of games they enjoy so much.

Sound:

The sound of the game is very graceful and enjoyable to listen to but you will find yourself for most of the game having nothing in the background apart from the faint noise of the wind or the chirp of some far off birds. You will find that most of the levels take place outside so there is no need for background music as you are jumping and running on the top of massive open buildings.

What can video games teach young children?

Video games can teach your children good things, bad things, and very ugly things. It all depends on what games young children play. It also depends on what games you let your children play. To start things off, do not give little kids any games that are not rated as "E for Everyone" in accordance to the ESRB ratings. If you do that, then you should not have any problems with your children learning bad things from video games. If your child is not mature enough, then do not buy a game that is rated "M for Mature." That is by no means different from taking your child to go see an R-Rated movie.

I would compare video game ratings to movie ratings. If you are careful about the game ratings and what ages your children are, you can guarantee they can learn a bunch of positive things. If and when presented with the choice between video games and TV, I would pick video games. I do enjoy my fair share of TV shows. However, I only enjoy watching certain shows. Everything has been replaced by a slew of Reality TV shows. At least my children will learn something from video games. I am more concerned about Reality TV teaching children bad things rather than video games.

If your child is not old enough, do not go buying him/her something like "Resident Evil," "Grand Theft Auto," or "Gears of War." Also, you need to teach your children that video games are make believe. Video games are no different than movies. Most movies are also "make believe." Anyway, if you are debating what type of games to get your children, factor in their ages and take a look at the ESRB ratings in the games.

First off, we should start with games for everyone. One good game would be Dance Dance Revolution. This is a game that can appeal any demographic. Your children will become physically active by playing that game daily. You will not have to worry about your child becoming obese. Also, it does improve your child's reflexes, speed, and agility.

For the spiritual crowd, a game of DDR does prove to be an interesting form of physical meditation. When you are meditating, you have to keep a clear mind.

When you are playing DDR, you have to keep a clear mind.

Schools across West Virginia have started to implement DDR into its physical education curriculum. Schools are starting to see the potential of DDR.

If you have a Nintendo Wii, you can always buy a Wii Fit. There is also "Wii Sports" which requires physical output. It should increase your children's

Video game reviews: Mikyaku Impact (PC)

Mikyaku Impact is an interesting 2D fighting game I have come across. From what I have seen, Mikyaku Impact is a very decent fighting game with balanced game play, well done character sprites, and stylish game play.

As a fan of 2D fighting games, this is a game that I had to check out. So far, I am not disappointed. Mikyaku Impact is a game that has plenty of potential. This game is a rarity on various counts. There are plenty of reasons that a game like Mikyaku Impact is a rarity.

The first reason is that it is a doujin soft title. A doujin is a group or game and anime hobbyists. However, a doujin could be just one person. The doujin soft scene has been popular for the last several years.

Today, the doujin scene is still very popular. Japan's mainstream video game industry is taking close note. Many doujin soft titles let alone 2D fighting game titles have already been ported to arcades all across Japan. These doujin soft games are well done and they play better than a lot of the 2D fighting games I have come across. Mikyaku Impact is by no means an exception. Everything about this game is beautiful.

The second reason is that this game is exclusively for the PC. It is highly unlikely that Mikyaku Impact will be ported to home video game consoles.

Most doujin soft titles are usually exclusive to the PC. Not all doujin soft titles get ported to the arcades. On a few ever do get ported to the home game consoles.

The third reason is that this game has a cast of only females. Fighting games let alone 2D fighting games with an all-female cast are extremely rare. For a fighting game with an all-female cast, Mikyaku Impact is one of the best fighting games I have come across. Avid fighting game let alone 2D fighting game fans should definitely check out a game like Mikyaku Impact.

This is a game that has been beautifully done. The graphics are very sharp and clean. For a doujin soft game, Mikyaku Impact looks and plays like a professional mainstream game.

The mainstream video game industry should learn a thing or two from Mikyaku Impact. The game plays very great. Everything about the game play is smooth. It carries great music tracks and beautiful background stages.

However, there are a few cons to Mikyaku Impact.

The first con is that there are only five characters to choose from. For a great game, there are not that many characters. I was hoping that a game like Mikyaku Impact would have at least ten to fifteen characters to choose from.

The second con is that the game is too short. This is because that there are only five characters to choose from. If you do not end up fighting yourself, you only go through four opponents.

Despite the cons, Mikyaku Impact is a 2D fighting game that is very well worth checking out. If you are a fan of fighting games and you have a PC, you should get yourself a copy of the game.

Video game reviews: Immaterial and Missing Power (PC)

As a fan of fighting games, I started getting into the Japanese doujin soft games. For a bunch of games created by doujins (Japanese game and anime hobbyists), they tend to play very decently. They play far more decently than most arcade and console games I have seen and played. As a result, the mainstream video game industry is keeping a very close eye on these doujins. These doujins and their doujin soft games have started to become a very serious driving force behind Japan's video game industry. Several doujin soft titles have been ported to the arcade and Playstation 2 consoles. Most doujin soft games are exclusively for the PC.

As an avid fan of fighting games let alone 2D fighting games, I decided to download a good number of doujin soft titles. Doujin softs are usually inspired by games, anime, and manga. "Immaterial and Missing Power" is one of those 2D doujin soft fighting games downloaded and installed on my computer. Safe to say, I was very satisfied with the graphics, flow, and game play of Immaterial and Missing Power.

This game was a collaborate project between two doujins: Twilight Frontier and Team Shanghai Alice.

Team Shanghai Alice only has one member who goes by "ZUN." His fans call him "Kannushi." Immaterial and Missing Power is the between the seventh and eight installment of this doujin soft series known as the "Touhou Project." There have been prequels before this game. However, all the other games are vertical shooter games. This is the only fighting game in the Touhou Project series.

The storyline behind Immaterial and Missing Power is a very simple one. It takes place on the land of Gensokyo. Perhaps it is somewhere in the country of Japan. So far, an unknown restless spirit releases an aura during some sort of feast. The characters investigate.

The character designs are inspired between traditional Japanese and gothic Lolita designs. Also, they tend to look like a bunch of cartoonish chibi girls. However, the game is very fun and entertaining to play. But, the characters do seem to be a bit overpowered.

The flow of the game play is very smooth and sharp. For a doujin soft, the creators took this project very seriously. It is one of the most decent fighting games I have ever seen.

This is a big step of making the PC a formidable console for 2D fighting games.

For the game play, it has a very interesting game mechanics system. I do sense a bit of inspiration from Street Fighter III. Special and super moves are in the form of "spell cards."

You simply need to think of those Japanese anime titles in which spells and abilities are stored in special cards.

You can only have one special move spell card and one super move spell card. You have to select them before the start of the match.

Immaterial and Missing Power also has a new concept called "grazing." Grazing is a dash that lets you go through projectile attacks. However, it does not work on all projectiles. It does make the game interesting as there are a lot of projectile attacks in the game.

Immaterial and Missing Power is a very decent 2D fighting game. What got my attention is that the game had the excitement and intensity of the "Guilty Gear" series. If you have a PC and are a fan of fighting games, Immaterial and Missing Power is one game to check out.

Video game reviews: Dead Rising (X360)

When I first saw the previews for the video game Dead Rising, I was really intrigued. Could it be that us zombie fans, that we finally had a video game that didn't involve "genetic mutation," "government experimentation," and the really irritating trend of "zombie evolution?" Watching a commercial of a common looking guy using baseball bats, trash cans, a parasol, and even a bowling ball to fight off zombies made me smile. Maybe this was it. Maybe we finally had a zombie video game that would feel like a zombie world, and not just a cheap throw in for a shoot em up action game.

Well first off, let's say there is one major deficiency with this game: it was designed for high definition TV, so the text from characters talking can be hard to read if you have a small television, or even on a decent sized TV without high def. That being said, for me it was still readable and while annoying, it wasn't nearly enough to detract from the rest of this game.

You are Frank West, freelance photojournalist who comes into town after an unknown source reported that something big was going down. You find several survivors in the beginning, a hysterical old woman who cares more about her dog than anyone else's life, and all hell breaks loose when the flesh eating hordes break into the mall.

One of the extremely neat parts of this game is the fact that you are a photo journalist, and so you are trying to take pictures for your story as you fight the zombies. There is a main quest here, but you get plenty of points where you have time to wander around. You will get calls from Otis, who will tell you about survivors and psychopaths located throughout the mall.

As a warning, this is not G rated. This game is rated mature for a reason, and it has everything that zombie fanatics will love: tons of blood and gore, ultra violent death scenes, shock and splatter, and even a touch of "erotica." There's no nudity, but some scantily clad women, and add in a strange psycho cult, a sociopathic clown, and a Vietnam vet with a machete in full blown flashback mode, and you're in for the ride of your life.

Best of all, you're not expected to get every challenge one time throughthe game saves your attributes, so if you get one ending (there are about 7 possible endings, aside from you getting eaten) you can start over with all your level upsand it's much less frustrating the second time around.

Oh, yeah, there's also snipers, escaped convicts, attempted mutinies among any survivors you do find, and a nasty surprise at 7:00 your first night. Xbox 360 also has tons of "survivor achievements" on this game to add to the challenge, and as far as story lines go, this one is incredible and will chill you to the bone.

One of the perceived cons is the lack of save points, but I like this because it was intentional. The creators wanted "Dead Rising" to mimic "real life." So in real life if there's a zombie infestation over a huge mall, you're not always going to have time to save everyone, you're always fighting the clock. This was supposed to add a sense of desperation, which would mimic most survivors. I can see why the lack of save points bugged people, but I thought it worked really well.

As far as zombie video games go, for those players who are fans of true zombie movies, (and they will tell you Land of the Dead was an abomination), this is definitely the greatest zombie video game ever made, and its ability to be re-played over and over again only adds to that experience. For any fan of zombies, or shock and splatter video games, this is a must buy!

Video game reviews: Tantra online

Tantra Online: Game review 8.3

Tantra on-line is an online role playing game in the vein of such classics as Final Fantasy XI and World of Warcraft.

It is developed by Hanbitsoft who apparently are the korean distributors for Starcraft.

It is set in a fantasy world (think Final Fantasy) which is heavily influenced by Indian mythology and Hinduism. This setting and mythology is executed brilliantly and the aesthetic of it all is generally very pleasing.

You get Eight races to choose from, which seem to come in four pairs, Deva/Garuda which is your basic sorcery or attack magic class, Naga/Kimnara which would be your tanks or bashers, Yaksa/Gandharva which is your basic priest or healers and Rakshasa/Ashura who are the ninja/archer/thief type. So basically the usual RPG conventions in terms of classes. One interesting thing to note is that they all have male and female opposites.. those Garuda chicks well you gotta trust me, they are hot!

There are 4 vital statistics or Chakras in Tantra online, these being Muscle, Nerve, Heart and Mental. Muscle is about damage you inflict by hitting, Nerve is reaction time and ability to dodge blows, Heart is linked to your Health and how much damage you take and Mental is linked to spells and how many spells you can cast. So no real surprises there.

So basically you wander around the place killing monsters and making the statistics go up, pretty much like any standard MMORPG from WoW on down.. nothing revolutionary there. It all feels well executed and plays very smoothly however, it IS done well.

Any fan of India or Asia will feel right at home in the world of Tantra and likewise any fan of Asian RPGS, it really feels like the Korean answer to Final Fantasy XI and anyone who has played any of these kinds of games should have no problems with the click and point game-play.

Tantra online is based on the aging lithtech engine and this will come as either a positive or negative depending on your system.

For those with lower end gaming systems, the low system requirements make this game an option, World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XI require a minimum of 32mb of Video ram, Tantra only requires 16mb, this also makes it a good option for those with lower end laptops. You haven't played a MMORPG until you've played it lying in your bed!

This of course turns into a negative for those chasing high end graphical thrills and spills, although the game graphics never look or ugly or unappealing,

Does playing video games lead to a lower IQ?

Throughout the years, many people have taken offense to the rising popularity of the video gaming community. This community is stated as being under-productive and, more importantly, most likely to have a lower Intelligence Quotient. Being an avid gamer myself, I have researched this subject and have come to a few conclusions.

The first time I heard this question asked, I thought long and hard about my motives into video games. Was I really having my intelligence sapped by my inconspicuous technology? When I stated that I was in college and asked what they would prefer me to do, they told me to read a book. That is when I realized that the IQ argument could be made about almost anything. If reading a book is the more productive thing to do, then one could assume that the countless educational video games on the market are far inferior to the many books out there on subjects ranging from the healing properties of smelling feet, to the brutal slaying or one's mother. I would agree that there is some benefit to reading a good book, but there is also much to be learned from certain video games. The amount of reading involved in most games is immense compared to what normal people go through in a day.

The recent release of the Nintendo DS title Big Brain Academy has only further strengthened my belief that there is educational value to be had in many video games. The games feature a series of mini-games that are designed to increase the thinking capacity of a single person. The game has logic, reason, math, visual, and memory based questions with increasing difficulty. Prior to these games, there were many games that were used in classrooms as a tool to increase interest in previously unattractive subjects. Games such as Number Munchers make math fun by use of quirky characters and fast-paced action, while incorporating many math problems in the process. Other games may teach people about unfamiliar regions of the world, or find fun ways to increase their vocabulary.

The Nintendo Wii has also incorporated the use of bodily movement in video games adding an element of exercise to the popular video gaming community. As critics previously said that video games are prohibitive in the growth of children, the popular Japanese based company produced the Nintendo Wii in an effort to get children more physically active. Along with the system itself, Nintendo has also released the "Wii Fit" game that has a series of physical exercises that encourages people of all ages to get in shape through the use of the video game.

Although there is no real test that can determine the amount of intelligence that is either gained or lost through gaming, there are several games that have proven they have an educational value. As people in the media scramble to prove that video game violence is correlated to actual violence, there is a ray of hope in the fact that some children have escaped this diluted reality, and have adventured into the world of imagination and education.

Video game reviews: Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3)

For over a decade, Virtua Fighter has become a dynasty for Playstation users worldwide. The intense martial arts fighting styles of the main characters has eared the game a Mature rating for its violent nature, but at its core, it is simply an evolved version of classic arcade games such as Mortal Combat.

In general, the game has been geared for longstanding VF fans, who have honed their skills and techniques as the game itself continues to evolve technologically. The immense cast of characters remains the same as prior versions, although some additions have been made for the fifth installment.

Matches are selected depending on the mode chosen by the player. An arcade mode pits the individual against a powerful boss character who is not likely to be susceptible to novice and rudimentary moves and can only be beat with a profound knowledge and understanding of the complex controls.

Also, a single player mode allows users to follow a storyline which is the continuation of the previously established VF series. On the more advanced gaming console, the Playstation 3, VF5 runs at 720p which results in a high definition resolution which has become a staple of the new wave of video games, further enhanced by the increasing popularity of HD-TVs. Regardless, some areas of the game's maps are still slightly pixilated, and load times are elongated which can sometimes counteract the intensity and excitement of the matches, but can also provide ample time to relax after a round of concentrated gameplay.

Like most other competitive fighting games, a multiplayer option gives you the opportunity to compete against a friend in the same arcade backdrop. There is, however unfortunate, no room for customization as the game does not feature a "create your own profile" mode which has also become a common feature of popular video games today. In addition, there is no online game mode which may contribute to the failure of the game's sales overall, as more and more gamers are focusing on widely played online games.

Video game reviews: Lord of The Rings

If you ever find yourself with $8 bucks and a need to get involved in some epic video-gaming where you are pitted against the forces of evil, heavily out-numbered and have to be better than not just 1 or 2 or even 4 foes, but rather sometimes as many as 7 or 8 at once, than Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, is for you. What's great about old video games, is yeah sure, we all played them a long time ago, but it has been awhile and now it's like a brand new game for the price of well, not a lot these days.

For under $8 bucks you can have Lord of the Rings delivered to your mailbox, where you can not only play this great game again for what will feel like the first time, but will not break the bank for the experience. Obviously in the game, you play either the Elf, the Ranger or the Dwarf and you hack, slash and bash your way through ten levels of intense game play, including the dramatic stand at Helm's Deep, which for those who remember was the epic finale to the second movie which this game gets its name from, where man made what was almost its last stand against the evil armies of Mordor.

Great unlockables, including some behind the scenes DVD feature sort of things, as well as a hidden level and whole other playable character, make this game a great replay for those who long ago traded in their copy of this game for something newer and shinier.

I give the game 8 out of 10 Rupert Murdochs.

Video game review: Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (Wii)

It is agreed upon by many RPG enthusiasts, that the original "Tales of Symphonia" is the greatest game ever made. Few who have ever played it have left it off of their top ten lists. Not receiving the same fanfare as the likes of Final Fantasy, Tales of Symphonia wears the title of, "Cult Classic." In the face of that accolade, "Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World" was released for the Nintendo Wii, and few have even heard of it. Even the clerk at the store had to look it up when I tried to pre-order the game. The few of us who did hear, couldn't wait to get our hands on it.

It takes at least thirty minutes on any game before you can make a solid first impression. I was an hour into this game when the word, "disappointment" came to mind. The "hero" is a whiny, wimpy, unenjoyable character. The fighting seems slow and unintuitive. The cut-scenes have awkward pauses built in. The story is bland, contrived, and oh soclich. A disappointment nevertheless, but when compared to the great characters, cut-scenes, fighting, and story of the original, this is an epic let-down.

Thankfully, first impressions are not the be-all end-all for video-games. Every piece of the game gets gradually better. Theunlikablemain character gets very cool in spurts, and eventually evens out to someone you can accept. (For those who have played the first, he's still only about one tenth as awesome as Lloyd.) The fighting improves as characters advance. The story gets moderately interesting. Interestingly enough, the awkward pauses in cut-scenes get better. There are still many flaws, but compared to the game's beginning, this is a massive improvement.

As a stand alone game, RPG fans would likely see "Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World" as a half-way decent buy. It's got enjoyable customization aspects for characters. Even better customization aspects for the party, as players can enlist dozens of different monsters to fight for them. These monsters can be customized to some degree through standard leveling-up, feeding them, equipping them, and evolving them.

More likely, those who play this game will be those who played the original. These players will enjoy many of the elements listed above. They will also enjoy seeing some familiar places, and many familiar faces. However, they will also realize that the game has an unfinished feel to it.

"Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World" could have been an amazing game. Instead, it is simply a pretty good game. For that I am both grateful and, well, disappointed. With any luck, in a couple of years, I will be reviewing the third installment of this story, and giving it nothing but praises.

Video game reviews: God of War – Part 1

God Of War is a video game for the Sony Playstation 2 and it was released on March 22, 2005. God Of War is an action-adventure game based upon Greek mythology; this game has received the game of the year award from the academy of interactive arts & sciences. With the success of this game they have decided to create a God Of War 2 which is set to release on March 14th, 2007.

God Of War bring's together both amazing combat and puzzle-solving. The way this game is set up is great, in my personal opinion it has one of the best camera views for a PS2 combat game and it has a very unique takedown setup when an enemy or boss is low on energy.

This is truly a game that never get's boring, you can play it for hours on end and never want to give up because it's just that good, the in game movies are absolutely amazing, and the story line is one of the most attractive I've ever seen, this is a game that you don't only play, but it's a game that actually teach's you a bit about Greek mythology.

The game has so many different types of enemies to fight through it's crazy but in a very good way, for instance you have Undead Legionnaires, Lernaean Hydras, Minotaurs, Cyclops, Harpies, Wraiths, Gorgons, Sirens, Satyrs, Centaurs, and a Cerberus, now you may not know what some of these things look like and I'm not going to spoil the game for you, your just going to have to play it and see for yourself how awesome these enemies are to fight against.

In the game you are a mortal, however you have allied yourself with some very powerful gods and they give you special godly powers such as The Blades of Chaos, which was given to you by the God of War, Ares himself.

Poseidon's Rage which is obtained from Poseidon. This gives you the power of thunder and storms, allowing you to create powerful shockwaves and blasts of lightning around yourself to repel and injure foes.

Medusa's Gaze which is given to you from Aphrodite by battling and defeating Medusa, Queen of the Gorgons.

Zeus' Fury which is obtained from Zeus. You can use this gift to summon and hurl the very lightning bolts that the King of the Gods uses.

Artemis Blade which is given to you from Artemis, this blade is capable of piercing amour and hide that the Blades of Chaos may be unable to.

Army of Hades which is obtained from Hades. This grants you the power to summon the very souls of Hades it's basically an unstoppable torrent of undead warriors.

Finally the Rage of the Gods which is obtained from Athena. The ultimate power that makes you totally immune to all physical trauma and boosts your attack power exponentially, allowing you to decimate enemies.

This game get's my highest rating's among a game and in order for you to really understand what this game hold's you have to see it for yourself, some amazing video's of the game can be seen from the below URL, please make sure that the URL does not have any spaces in it, sometimes they are automatically placed into these articles.

http://media.ps2.ign.com/media /661/661321/vids_1.html

I hope you enjoy this game as much as I have and I bet after playing this game you'll be dying to see what happens in part 2.

Video game reviews: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PS2)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 attempted to display innovation without originality. Therefore will anyone beyond die hard fans enjoy this video game?

Instead of using the traditional fighting game format Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is made from a third person perspective, which is indeed more free roaming. The environments you have to explore, however, do not end up being fully 3D on a massive scale with force fields limiting your travel to certain spots.

The controls for the game are fairly poor and the camera system is awkward at best. People who enjoyed the first game in this 3rd person fighting game series will enjoy the immense amount of playable characters and features, however for those who did not like the first: this is just more of the same. The levels in story mode and any other mode for that matter just become repetitive button pushing to no end with the crummy controls. Sound for the game is okay, aside from the actual voice actors used who sound like they had better things to do. Multi-player matches are hindered by a horrible split screen set up.

This game has a lot of content to offer for fans of Drgon Ball Z in terms of story exploration and the overal length of the game will have someone going for long hours. However, for someone who is more a fan of video games as opposed to Dragon Ball Z particularly, then the length of the game is just a repetitive adventure with frustrating controls and camera angles and that is just a drag.

Which video game console is better: PlayStation 3 or Wii? – Part 27

Well the anwser depends on the person. If the person is looking for a console to buy their 6 year old kids, it would be wisest for them to buy the Wii due to the Wii being popular and best for young children, elderly, and nongamers. The Wii has the most child friendly games with things like Wii music, Hanna Montana, Wii Fit, and many other games. That is what the Wii is best at.

But overall, the PS3 is best. First, is has many media uses that include watching movies, listening to music, buying movies off of PSN, surfing the internet, and playing free online service. The PS3 has 100 times better graphics than the Wii. Also, with games like Motor Storm and Little Big Planet, it can become the best for all around use. Hardcore gamers are in love with the PS3 due having games like Resistance 2, Metal gear Solid 4, and Warhawk. PS3 also has a more advanced social networking system. That system is called Playstation Home. You can actually recreate yourself onto Playstation Home with its immense character characteristics. The PS3 has Playstation Network, which is a free internet service where you can buy games, movies, tv shows, and play online games. It is considered the best service out of the three consoles while the Wii has the worst service. Infact, the Wii has the worst games out of the connsoles. So real gamers would turn away from the Wii when they notice the horrible selection of games. The Wii may have more exclusives, but they are often worse then the Atarii 600 E.T game. I know people that bought the Wii think it will be a lot of fun, they returned it in one week complaining about the terrible games on it. it happens over and over again. I would rather take technological superiority over a children's based system. I mean come on, only children would by games like Cartoon Network Racing. The Wii truly has only 4 good games, mario galaxy, twilight princess, no more heroes, and Raving Rabbits. Besides those wii games ar very mediocre if not worse. Now lets compare them to the ps3 that has metal gear solid 4, dc vs mortal kombat, gta 4, motor storm, warhawk and many others. There is no way in the world Wii games will ever be better than ps3 games. I have a ps3, and i love everything about it. The music, the movies, home, and of course the games. So its not a contest what is better. This is only a cchild's question. Only absolute idiots won't agree that the ps3 is better than the wii.

Which video game console is better: PlayStation 3 or Wii? – Part 30

The Wii has completely revolutionized the way people interact with games. As you probably know by now, the Wii remote is physically used as the instrument in the game (the golf club while playing golf, the paddle while playing ping-pong and so on). Meaning no more having to think what buttons you need to push to obtain this or that movement, you just make the movement yourself while holding the remote and voila, the character on-screen does the same. So much easier, right? That's one of the very strong points of Wii, its ease of use, making it accessible even to young kids or older people. A console for the whole family as the commercial says.

Wii can also connect to the Internet and download games from there, the latest news or the daily forecast. Also you get to create your own alter ego (or alter egos) called a Mii. When you're connected to the 'net you have the option of sending your Mii to visit other people's consoles, and receive other people's Miis on your own. Oh, and you can also send messages from one Wii to another (also via Internet).

That's all good and nice but you know the main reason why I got a Wii? It makes you get up from the couch and move. It even has a fitness mode where it tests your reflexes and such and see how you've improved in time. I think that with certain games you're guaranteed to shed some calories and all by playing and having fun with your friends.

Video game reviews: I Wanna Be The Guy

Do you remember the golden years of video games? When programmers compensated for badly-made video games by completely stacking the deck against the player? Kayin does. He's the creator of I Wanna Be The Guy: The Movie: The Game (also known as IWBTG), who describes his game as "... a sardonic loveletter to the halcyon days of early American videogaming, packaged as a nail-rippingly difficult platform adventure." He's not kidding. IWBTG is easily one of the most difficult platformers of this era or any other, packed with not only challenge, but a healthy dose of sadistic humor.

The plot (presented in an opening sequence ripped off shamelessly from Megaman 2) is as basic as you can get: You are The Kid and your mission is to beat The Guy and become The Guy. Of course, this game isn't about the plot. It's about desperately trying to work your way through each screen without getting blown into a bloody pixelated mess. The Kid is armed only with a gun and a double-jump, and one hit from anything will kill him. In a merciful move by Kayin, save boxes throughout the game will keep you from losing too much of your progress. Depending on the difficulty, their frequency varies from once or twice per screen to one every ten or twenty screens. Only those with a lot of patience or a masochistic streak should attempt the game on its highest difficulty setting.

The game itself does a lot with very little. While there are some interesting special effects, IWBTG isn't about bells and whistles. It's about spikes, projectiles, and tons of pixel-precise jumps through screen after devilish screen. But the numerous screens are cleverly designed to push your reflexes and muscle memory to their breaking point. It's often necessary to die a few times before you figure out how to tackle an obstacle, but this is a minor issue since you can restart as many times as you want. Each screen presents a different challenge from the previous one, from the subtle to the outright bizarre. Throughout the game there are references to everything from Megaman to Mario Paint.

In case it isn't obvious yet, IWBTG is ABSOLUTELY NOT for everyone. The easiest difficulty level is Medium. This gives you the most save boxes to work with, but you'll be mocked by the "WUSS" label on those extra save boxes and a girly hair bow on The Kid. The first three screens of the game's upper path are a pretty good test of whether or not you can deal with IWBTG's merciless challenges. If you can get through the apple gauntlet, the moving clouds, and the spike-filled elevator ride, then you'll probably enjoy the rest of the game. Otherwise, all you're going to get out of IWBTG is frustration.

IWBTG's throwbacks to 80's and 90's video games will give veteran gamers a laugh and demonstrate to everyone else how mercurial game designers could be with the minimal tools they had available. Its goofy non-sequitors and witty lampoons on video game stereotypes are perfectly geared toward its target audience. And if you do manage to become The Guy, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you've triumphed over one of the most fiendishly-crafted games of all time. For introducing a new generation of gamers to the soul-crushing goodness of classic video games, I Wanna Be The Guy: The Movie: The Game gets a 5 out of 5.

Get it for free at: http://kayin.pyoko.org/iwbtg/

Is the investment in the Wii a worthwhile one? – Part 4

A friend of mine introduced me to the Wii a couple of years ago. At first, I was reluctant, as I'm not really into playing video games. I get bored easily and frustrated if I can't figure the game out.

We started with the basic games, the Wii Sports package, which is delivered with the game system. We played golf, we played tennis, we boxed, we bowled, and we sweated. We were off the couch and moving around, laughing and having a great time. To top it all off, we were two middle aged men, who don't play a lot of video games. For that matter, we don't really get off the couch that much either.

So, I bought one as well. One of the first games that I picked up was Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007. It was the middle of winter and I'm not really a cold weather person, so I wasn't golfing outdoors much. I don't know if it helped my game or not, but I still had fun. I've played tournaments and beaten Tiger Woods. (Don't tell him though, I'm not sure I'm ready to have him challenge me on an actual course.)

Recently, I bought the Wii Fit package, and I am still having fun. I am motivated every day to get up, do the body test to see how old I am, and exercise.

If you haven't tried it, then let me explain:

Each day when you start the system up, you have the option of taking a body test and or exercising. In the body test section, the Balance Board acts as a scale, and a balance sensor. It will take your weight, and can determine where your center of balance is for the day. This will give you a BMI, weight, and tell you if you are leaning to one side or the other. Then you are given the option of continuing the test, or stopping right there. If you continue, you are given two tests, which vary daily, to test balance and agility. How well you do on these tests, is factored in with your actual age, and you are given a Wii Fit age. If your Wii Fit age is lower than your actual age, then you are in good or great shape, depending on how much lower. If it is higher, then you need to work on your balance more.

The other option is exercise. You can do Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobics and Balance games. The goal of these games is not to make you into a hard body, but to get you off the couch and moving. You can get quite a workout, though.

You don't have to exercise continuously. You can do one exercise, turn it off, come back several hours later and do another. You may not get the same benefit, but you can do that. Or, you can do an hours worth of yoga one day, then nothing for a week.

Or, you can try some or all of the games, or exercises in the same workout. You have options, and can do it all when it is convenient to you.

I have read that the Wii system is being used in retirement villages. People are setting up Wii bowling leagues, Wii Tennis teams, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere a Wii golf tournament is going on. Hey, if retirees are motivated to play on a video game console, then I say it is a worthwhile investment.

For people who don't like video games, this system is more. Try it once to see. If you do like video games, try doing them off the couch.

Coming Soon Nintendo Wii Games: See What Waits

The world of video games and electronic games is expanding like never before. In the last few decades a wide range of games and gaming consoles have developed. New and innovative techniques of playing games in the PC developed, thereby enabling the players to enjoy more life-like gaming.

Nintendo Wii is also quite a popular gaming device which has redefined the whole concept of gaming. The games of modern day are not merely meant for sheer entertainment, but those introduced by Nintendo are designed taking in to consideration various childhood problems like obesity.

The revolutionary games introduced or the coming soon games are enhanced with physical elements as well as other interactive activities. Further the coming soon Nintendo wii games are more player-friendly and easily intelligible. From children to older adults everyone can participate in the games. The Nintendo Wii games have handy controllers and it allows players to move their whole body inorder to influence what they see on the screen.

Among its popular titles, Wii Sports is a very fascinating game. In order to play the game the player has to hit a virtual tennis ball exactly the same way he would swing an actual tennis ball in the court. So, instead of just sitting and playing the players have to physically move. Unlike earlier video games, the coming soon games of 2007 has a positive impact on the user’s health. It is also seen that many gyms also provide Wii rooms in order to help people with sedentary behaviour burn their fat and remain healthy. Studies prove that at least 125 calories of fat is burned while playing a single Wii game.

Nintendo, is still trying to create more innovative games involving more physical activity. Another of its game Wii Fit will be coming soon with advanced features. Wii Balance Board a new feature will be added to the game which will let the players that jump, lean and do other physical activities. The proposed game will be coming very soon to the market and is expected to be released in Japan before this Christmas.

Of course, the coming soon games of Nintendo Wii will bring along lot many benefits. So, next day when you go for Christmas shopping, keep your eyes open. You may find much more excitement waiting for you.

Video game reviews: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (PC)

Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords was by far one of the best video games of 2003. In fact, anyone who is a fan of the original Star Wars movies will almost certainly be a fan of the KOTOR series, as the video games actually feel like movies within themselves. The Sith Lords was an excellent continuation of this revolutionary series.

Gamers will immediately notice the very free style of gameplay; players have a wide range of options in deciding what parts of the game to experience. Make no mistake; that's exactly what the Sith Lords is: an experience. Fans of both action-packed shooters and problem-solving based RPGs will find something they like about the game, but won't find themselves completely in either world. KOTOR II gets its feet wet in more than one area, and gamers will be taken through an enjoyable mix of plot, action, problem-solving, and thought provoking situations.

As for plot line, KOTOR II is rock-solid. There are no noticeable gaps in the story, creating a believability for the game while still keeping its sense of mystery and drama. The game is a journey of self-discovery, with the end result dependent upon your choices.

Graphically, the game is a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. Gamers will certainly not be stunned by the action sequences, but in terms of environments and imagery, KOTOR II dominates any competitor. Spectacular environments and haunting, mysterious scenes add to the plot and to the overall dramatic feel. The landscapes, characters, and other visuals will stick with a player after gameplay is over, and more than make up for the lack of intense action sequences.

The game's audio is above average, although one could not call it the best. The music fits the situation and adds to the game; it only begins to detract from gameplay when one spends too much time on a single stage. It can then become repetitive. However, this seems to be a problem with most video games, and KOTOR II is no greater an offender than any other.

Finally, the gameplay ties it all together. Players are presented with choices in every situation and will find that there is often more than one way of getting through a particular stage. One can choose to use brains over brawn and avoid conflict or bypass any thinking and shoot their way through the game, although most will find that some combination of the two is preferable.

The main selling point of the game is the sense of adventure that it drums up, though. Anyone looking to escape to such an adventure will find that Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords does not only leave them satisfied but exceeds expectations in almost every way.

Console reviews: The Nintendo Wii – Part 7

This definitely won't be an uber-high tech review of the Wii, nor will it be extremely comprehensive...

I have both the Wii and the PS3. Haven't touched the PS3 in 2 weeks or so, however, I can't get enough of the Wii.

I've always been a huge Nintendo fan because the type of games that are released. I feel that the interaction and fun factor of Nintendo has always been a positive point for me which makes their systems stand out from the rest. I don't need the super processing speed or graphics amazement, I need to feel like I can't put the controller down because the games are involving, addicting, and overall fun. With the PS3 (and 360), I end up getting bored too quickly. Most of the 360 games are basically the same concept. Nintendo's creativity supercedes the other gaming systems, IMO.

I was a bit skeptical about the design of the controller. A long cable holding together two different controls wasn't appealing to me, however, I was curious about the motion gaming.

To my surprise, it was much more comfortable to me to use than a regular controller. I can practically lay down on the sofa and have my hands laying to my sides instead of having them in the air trying to hold one controller. I don't know if I can paint of picture of that, but it's extremely comfortable.

The motion gaming seems pretty accurate. I haven't had any issues with response.

Zelda, although a port with added Wii motion, has been entertaining. The storyline is detailed, the graphics are superb (of course, not graphically intricate as the PS3), the motion and gameplay are easy to pick up. I get involved in the fighting by swinging the controller to wield my sword, aiming my slingshot, and a slew of other things. (oooh, I'm looking forward to the new Zelda game for the Wii!)

Wii Sports was a great addition to the Wii system. I was thrilled that it was included in the package. Talk about breaking a sweat! They say gaming causes laziness... not with the Wii, that's for sure! I was never a fan of sports games, but the interaction and competitive fun of these games quickly changed my mind. Something I discovered yesterday was that the Wii Sports has a Fitness Age program built in that you can test yourself each day fitness-wise with the different games in the same concept of Nintendo DS's Brain Age.

Another game that has been nothing but entertaining is Rayman. It has a million mini-games that really get your heart racing as every single mini-game involves motion.

I'm really enjoying my Wii. $250 is small compared to the value of the gaming system and games. It's a major plus that it's backwards compatible with the Gamecube, has wireless built in (however, don't expect much from the wireless yet, it's not full of bells and whistles yet, the channels don't even have anything), it's compact and sleek.

I say wait till there are more games for the PS3 before you dish out the bucks for that. Don't get me wrong, the PS3 has amazing graphics, but there's not enough games.

Wii = 5 out of 5

Three Great Game Titles for Playstation 3

As Playstation 3, or PS 3 for short, is claiming its place as a premier video gaming system, comes the opportunity for a truly unique gaming experience for gamers of all ages and skill sets. With breathtaking graphics and spectacular features such as reduced save times, the PS3 has been all set to dominate the video game world for quite some time.

Now with all the talk of how great the Playstation 3 is, gamers should be expecting equally exceptional games to play. Here are several titles that gamers should be looking to buy:

Resistance: Fall of Man:
Resistance: Fall of Man, sometimes referred to as Fall of Man, Resistance and even RFOM in the video gaming community, was released by Insomniac Games as a PlayStation 3 launch title in Japan and the United States on November, 2006 and in Europe on March, 2007.

The game's plot begins in 1951, with a United States Army Rangers' 5,000-man task force where the protagonist, Sgt. Nathan Hale, works with the task force to help liberate Britain and to retrieve a secret weapon that the British claim can be used against the Chimera, a fictional race.

Among the awards received, Resistance: Fall of Man was awarded Gamespot's Best PlayStation 3 game of 2006 and IGN's PlayStation 3 Game of the Year 2006, Best First-Person Shooter on PlayStation 3 of 2006 and Best Graphics Technology on PlayStation 3 in 2006 among other, which speaks loudly about quality of the quality of the gaming experience.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground:
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, sometimes referred to as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 9, is a video game developed for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles by Neversoft and for the PlayStation 2 and Wii by Page 44 Studios. Proving Ground is the ninth game in the Tony Hawk's video games series.

Because of its appealing to an active game and adventure group and with Tony Hawk's name behind it, this video game is currently one of the hottest titles the PS3 has to offer.

Final Fantasy XIII:
Without a doubt, Final Fantasy XIII is one of the most anticipated titles set for eventual release for the Sony Playstation 3. So far, only information on two of the characters have been released: a mysterious woman wielding what appears to be a weapon that can seamlessly switch from a sword to a firearm, who goes by the name "Lightning", and all that is known of the other character is that he is an enormous man who is allied with Lightning.

In a departure from the usual feminine females that populate the worlds of Final Fantasy Lightning there's said to be a female version of Cloud, the hero of Final Fantasy 7.

Battles will be quite different in Final Fantasy XIII from earlier installments. Real time battles will occur with no arc between the character attacking and the one defending themselves. Summons such as the icy Shiva will be able to be summoned into battle and be made doubly useful by being able to morph into items such as motorcycles.

While the majority of games being released for play on the Playstation 3 are brand new titles, there are some mind-blowing sequels in the works as well. A new version of the already famous Gran Turismo and the finale to the epic God of War are in the works for eventual release for the PS3.

With a video game market hungry for new games and new advances in gaming technology continually in the works, video games titles for the Playstation 3 promise to provide the highest quality gaming experience possible for PS3 fans and a lot of work for reviewers, critics and cheat code enthusiast.

Top upcoming Nintendo Wii games – Part 2

Few things compare to the thrill of entering a burning building. Embers falling around your head. Feeling pressure as pieces of debris fall on you. Sheer exhilaration of pulling a person to freedom. Going home knowing that you have saved a life.

Until now these feelings were only available t firefighters. Nintendo Wii is making it possible for anyone to experience this. Ok, not exactly. But, as close as you can get without joining a fire department. Epicenter studios has announced the development of Rescue Heroes: Firefighter (firefighter).

Players begin as a rookie firefighter. You have been assigned to a busy metropolitan station. Using the Wii controller players, hack down doors, pry open cars and spray down flames. Sample videos illustrate some mind blowing graphics. Couple this with a wide screen HDTV and you could feel the flames on your neck.

Epicenter CEO Nathaniel McClure stated "Firefighting requires a lot more than spraying down fires, so we've included several game-integral puzzles to mirror the challenges and on-the-fly choices firefighters actually face in the midst of a blaze. We have tremendous respect for firefighters, so we've focused on its unique, exciting game play and distinctive art style to create an engaging game without being exploitative." (GamerSquad.com 2008)

So what do the professionals think? A sample video was uploaded to Firefighternation.com. A social site for firefighters with over 20,000 members. Within hours the video was a hit. Comments showed a growing excitement for the game. Several members stated that they would buy a Nintendo Wii just to play this game.

Yet another example of why the Nintendo Wii is so popular. Games are providing experiences that have not been available. I could one find one reference to a firefighting game. It was released years ago on the Sega Saturn. With little of the graphics or functionality of this new game. Neither the XBox 360 nor Playstation 3 have announced a game that is even close.

Requiring players to move around addresses video game opponents. Arguing that video games are teaching our kids violence and causing them to be fat. It is very difficult to argue about a game that teaches Yoga (Wii Fit). Very few people will argue with children acting like firefighters.

I see great things in Nintendo's future. New experiences and a family friendly approach is a recipe for success. Children again will be seen playing video games along side their parents. Parents can breath a sigh of relief at playing baseball not looking for prostitutes to kill. From this firefighter Rescue Heroes: Firefighter gets two thumbs up. I will be buying a Nintendo Wii this Christmas.

Video game reviews: Lair (PS3)

Lair is a PlayStation 3 exclusive video game about a dragon. When the game made its debut at E3 2005, people were elated. They were amazed by the environments and the open ended aerial combat. Players will begin to notice that the visuals in Lair are stunning, and the full motion video sequences look spectacular. The story is unique throughout the duration of the game, and the audio is flabbergasting. The protagonist in Lair is Rohn (dragon rider for the Asylian army) and the perverse Mokai. Asylia and Mokai used to live in harmony until a volcano transpired. Lair has a plot that appears to be taken straight out of a Hollywood movie script. It has its fair share of twists and turns that will keep any avid video game fan guessing. In addition, Lair contains a few poignant moments sprinkled in here and there. On the contrary, looks can only go so far. The old saying "don't judge a book by its cover" and "looks can be deceiving" should definitely be applied here.

The gameplay is an enormous disappointment. Even though blowing fire on things looks exemplary, Lair is a video game that people will detest. The controls in Lair are significantly egregious. I felt like my dragon was high on crystal methamphetamine or crack cocaine. Do not even get me started on the flawed targeting mechanic in Lair. Targeting a foe is worse than targeting in Gran Theft Auto III. You have absolutely no control aiming. The shoulder buttons are used to lock on an adversary, nevertheless it has its drawbacks. The artificial intelligence automatically selects what you should be focused on. I kid you not! Even if you are within five inches of your opponents, you could end up locking onto an innocuous object that is 1000 miles away. Unfortunately, gamers are coerced into using the six axis controller in Lair. This feature cannot be toggled on and off (unlike Warhawk) and is poorly executed in Lair (unlike Warhawk). The controls were fairly intuitive in Warhawk; conversely, Lair will give players a migraine. I pulled so many muscles while I was playing Lair. Factor 5 made a brilliant Star Wars: Rogue Squadron trilogy, but they laid an egg with Lair. Unreceptive controls is the biggest blunder in Lair. For instance, fending off a swarm of enemies at once is vexing. Turning around requires players to exert an exorbitant amount of stamina. Making swift and precise maneuvers through the air with your dragon are not feasible. What kind of ludicrousness is this? The one saving grace in Lair is the presentation; then again, that is just not enough to fully enjoy this game. In a nutshell, Lair is dreadful. It is not engrossing to play at all. My hands started sweating excessively every time I utilized the six axis controller. The gameplay is fairly redundant and insipid. Overall, Lair is like an IPhone. They both look stylish; however, they both drastically fall short of expectations.

Final Verdict: Lair is dreadful.

5 out of 10

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How to choose a video game thats right for you

What kind of gamer are you? Decide this first, then choosing games is easy!

1) The Chew Them Up and Spit Them Out Gamer

All you want to do is complete the game. You don't care if you have to use cheats and will hunt them down from magazines or websites. You play all your games on the easiest setting, even if it bores you to tears that way, just so that you can finish the games.

Genres and games for you -

Platform classics (especially ones with 'bosses' at the end of each stage)

Street fighter equivalents (more 'bosses')

Free trials from the Internet (usually easy to finish)

2) The Emotional Gamer

You really connect with your characters, and therefore they should be as cute and fluffy as possible. You care little for age-appropriate content and will happily play your niece's games.

Genres and games for you -

Pokemon (not too much death)

Kirby (terminally cute!)

Any of the many pet games based on the concept of caring for your critter, though try not to cry if he goes to doggy heaven!

3) The Sportsman/woman

You don't really want to be on the computer, but either it's raining or your league hasn't started its season yet. There is plenty around to interest you.

Genres and games for you -

Team sport games - Fifa series for soccer, etc.

Manager games - probably best played on-line so you can compete - eg. Fantasy Football

Active sport games - tennis games on the Wii, surfing games where you wobble around to control them, and lots of options if you make it to an arcade

4) The Obsessive Gamer

You want to be the best and you will be! You can spend hours on the most boring of games, simply because no one else will ever spend as long on it as you or get as good!

Genres and games for you -

Obscure games - try some of the free Internet downloads to see what you like

New, imported games - if no one else has it, you WILL be the best - you can move on if it becomes popular

5) The Intellectual Gamer

You want games that prove your superiority! Word games, maths games, logic games, you will excel at them all. Just don't let the ten-year-old next door get hold of your Brain Training game...

Genres and games for you -

Lots from Nintendo at the moment

Plenty of free down-loadable games

Scrabulous on Facebook

Basically, there are games now for everyone. If possible, play before you buy, on line, at friends or in the stores. Know yourself, know your preferences and don't be swayed by flash advertising into buying games you will never play.

Video game reviews: Tomb Raider

The first time I had played "Tomb Raider" was back in 1997. I was staying up at my mom's place for summer vacation. My uncle that was living with her had the Sega Saturn, which is still one of my all-time favorite gaming consoles. I was relaxing around the house and my uncle came back with three games: "Alien Trilogy," "Ghen War," and "Tomb Raider." For a first-person shooter, I did enjoy my fill of playing Alien Trilogy. However, my uncle and I did play a lot of Tomb Raider. I was attracted to the concepts of Tomb Raider.

During the time, "Tomb Raider 2" was in development. Lara Croft, the protagonist of Tomb Raider, would be a notable video-game icon, let alone female video-game icon. Lara Croft was considered to be the most beautiful woman of all time. Real life supermodels would get trumped by a video game sprite. While there was a lot of hype with Tomb Raider, the game play and storyline spoke for themselves. Tomb Raider did a good job of utilizing the technology available at the time: Sega Saturn, MS-DOS, and Sony Playstation. The game play had stunned me.

It starts out in the desert and then goes to the present day in which Lara Croft along with a man named Larson are hired to head down to South America. The name of Tomb Raider shows that Lara Croft is a "tomb raider." Overall, it is a good start on Tomb Raider's storyline. The game is divided up into different levels that are split into several arcs of the story taking the player around to different parts of the world.

At the end of arc of the story, you are engaged in a boss battle. Most of the boss battles are against human enemies. Your main enemies are mainly hungry wolves, tigers, and pumas.

However, they are not that easy to kill.

You have to keep moving around to evade their attacks.

Graphics-wise, Tomb Raider has done a good job. The graphics were pretty great during the time. While the game is a 3D action-adventure game, it is not a survival horror game. However, you are confined to tombs and caves throughout the entire game. Unlike a game like "Resident Evil," Tomb Raider is divided into levels. Each level has it set of objections to meet and secrets to discover. But, you do have full mobility such as climbing, somersault, side-flipping, and moonsaulting. Being able to use those abilities properly are essential by getting past obstacles such as enemies. When confronting enemies, you have to constantly move.

Luckily, there is the auto-aim feature. When

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Console reviews: The Nintendo Wii – Part 9

The Wii has captured the imagination of old and new gamers around the world. Nintendo have usually suffered at the hands of Sony and Microsoft in the console battle in recent years but not anymore. Quite what makes the Wii experience special cannot be fully answered until you play it.

It has been well-documented that the Wii isn't in the same class when it comes to processing power, but what it does make up for is sheer gaming fun. The key to its success is the motion controlled remote and nun-chuck, when utilised properly, can lead to an experience that few gamers have had before.

And this is where the Wii can truly be considered next-generation, it is a new level of interactivity, a bridging of the player and game so both become as one. You'd never think that actually taking part in virtual bowling could be this deep in a game; it's part of the Wii sports that comes packaged as standard with the console. You'll be twisting the remote left and right and getting the ball to spin in next to no time, trying you're hardest to better your score.

That is where Nintendo have struck console gold, accessible gaming for everybody. Not every game is family orientated but there are plenty of games already on the market with the idea of multi-player, multi-generational gaming in mind. Now serious gaming doesn't have to be the sole preserve of the teens to mid-20's, the age spectrum has broadened and gaming has grown up.

It would be nothing without solid titles in its games library, and Super Mario Galaxy is one such title. Graphically it's a work of art, and it puts to shame any critics that say the Wii is inferior when stood up against the Xbox 360 and PS3. A stunning world is realised, Mario has never looked as good as this, and a perfect demo of just what a Wii can really do in the right developers hands.

Once you get over the wow factor, the game is virtually flawless in its design, creativity and enjoyment factor. From stages that involve riding on the back of a manta ray, on a water course in the sky, to running through a course on top of a big ball, the game throws up different ideas on every stage. The Wii remote is used in many different and new ways from level to level, each feels unique, challenging and most importantly fun.

Nintendo have also seen fit to have a Wii shop that you can access via Wi-fi, this enables gamers to browse the virtual console titles, many past and popular titles from the NES, Mega-Drive, SNES, Gamecube, and even Neo Geo can be downloaded and saved to the Wii memory. With new games added every week, this addition is another reason why a Wii can be considered a solid purchase now and for the future.

PlayStation 2 game recommendations

Everyone will have different favorites, so here's a list of games that you should play no matter your preferences. Consider it an enrichment process for your gaming life: no way around it, these games are good. I won't even bother recommending Final Fantasty games, you know if you like them.

1) The Ratchet and Clank series (Ratchet and Clank, Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando; Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal; skip "Deadlocked")

Ratchet and Clank have offered up some of the most fun, and good-looking game play in my life. Destroy things a hundred different ways and save your bolts for the R.Y.N.O. You don't just jump on the baddies; you blow them to smithereens, turn them into farm animals, or hit them with something really heavy.

Bolts Cheat, RC1: return to Black Water City and go to the hoverboard race. Before you enter turn into your robot, then when you enter the other racers will disappear. Go to the large ramp and stand under the platform with all the boxes. Equip your Taunter and hold circle; even better, put a heavy book down on circle and go grab lunch. You will have all the bolts a Lombax could dream of.

2) Guitar Hero I and II

Awesome for playing with friends or for Guitar Hero parties (oh yes, I'm serious), the most amazing thing about this game is that you actually feel like you rock. A bonus is that you can convince your parents and non-gaming friends to play, and unlike the Wii-stick, the guitar poses minimal risk to your television.

3) Ico and Shadow of the Colossus

Two parts of the same story, I've lumped these two together. I've never played any games like these before. The environments are amazing, the puzzles fun and reasonably challenging (without experiencing a brain cramp), and the approach to gaming unique. Ico has only three characters and SoC just two (one of them unconscious). While Ico includes some nasty shadow creatures for you to dispatch, Shadow of the Colossus forgoes hordes of enemies for some truly cyclopic boss-style challenges. The weakness of each unique colossi must be identified in order to defeat him, giving the game its puzzle classification. Additionally, while the environment is vast there are no towns, dungeons, or similar staples to explore.

The Unique Nintendo Wii Games

These games can be basically played with out much confusion or restriction with its wireless remote control. These games have acquired great popularity because of this.

Some games are provided along with the console, but may not be much interesting as the new hot ones. Players can redeem the Wii point cards at the online Wii shop and can choose from wide variety of downloadable games and accessories. These games can be played for a long time as there is the provision for the saving the game at any point of time and restarting from there later.

Everything about Nintendo Wii games revolves round the remote controller just like any other Wii game. Even though video games usually have the image of a couch potatoe, the basic specialty of this game is the players movements. These games are usually intended for kids but it can be a family matter because of its range.

Since the Wii games have wireless remote controller it is very convenient for the player to move his body to control what is displayed on the screen. This advancement in technology has helped the Wii games to keep up with the demand of the market.

It is a good news that even parents find this interesting. There are a wide variety of these games in the market. There are Wii sports games where a number of sports games are included as well as a fitness test element. Thus, there is something interesting for everyone in this game.

Nintendo Wii games are very popular as they have set down new concept in gaming. The games rated for teenage group include intense challenges and stronger action compared to that of kids which has less complicated plots. Games rated E can be played by the entire family including kids.

Wii game players will never be tired of these games. In fact Nintendo game players grow up with these characters while playing the game. Nintendo is continuing their effort to produce better and more imaginative games acceptable to all age groups taking into consideration the need for physical activities.

Nintendo games are unique due to their special controller. These games involve physical movements extensively and are highly interactive. It is real fun to play the game. Nintendo Wii games can be purchased through games stores and are different from the usual computer games. Whatever others might say this is a highly popular game and is going to stay in the market for sometime.

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