Reviews
Review: Contra 4 is a cruel, loving mistress
For a few hours today, as I played through the first three levels of Contra 4, I was transported back to the late 1980’s in mind, body and gaming experience. For a moment, I had reverted back nearly 20 years into the immature little troll that had stamped his feet on the floor of his parents bedroom (that was where the NES was back then). Almost immediately, I realized I was using language s...
You review Contra 4
There have been a spate of reviews on Infendo lately, each written by several different Infendo writers in their own unique style. Today, I’m adding a twist. Do you have Contra 4 yet? Have you played it inside and out? Do you have an opinion about it? Coincidentally enough, I too am about to embark on an alien ass kicking mission of my own, and like the Borg want to combine your biological u...
Review: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
With a huge Mario title coming out this week, a would-be huge game is going overlooked. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for Wii is a testament to the quality of game you can get when huge game companies put their heads together. Graphically, the game is almost flawless. Sound is also well done, with the exception being the lack of national anthems for the country you choose. Playing as char...
Review: Carnival Games
Creating a game that captures the spirit of a carnival shouldn’t be too hard. Carnival Games brings you almost everything you’d find on a midway, minus the smells. Most of the minigames are fun, you’re not required to “walk around” to play games, and the sound effects are perfect. I’m not a fan of collecting items in games, but they’ve made it pretty simpl...
Fire Emblem on Wii – great, but only for fans?
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn came out for Wii this week with very little fanfare. Metacritic shows an average score of 83, ranging from Nintendo Power’s 95 to Game Informer’s 70. A common thread in many reviews for the title say that it is a great game, but will mostly appeal to existing fans of the series. Having played the GameCube edition, I’m pretty excited to check out this new...
Review: Donkey Kong’s Barrel Blast a bust
If it has achieved anything, the recently released Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast has proven Nintendo-produced Wii software is certainly not immune from negative criticism. Dave Rudden of GamePro called Donkey Kong’s latest outing “offensive to all senses” and warned its “rancid nature…is likely to give you acid reflux.” IGN’s Mark Bozon bluntly called it a “waste of a game,” and A...
Review: Guitar Hero 3 on Wii plays like a headliner but sounds like an opening act
Activision got lucky this time. If it weren’t for the rocking gameplay of Guitar Hero III, the audiophile in me would advise against the $90 purchase on principle alone — don’t ship a music game with mono-only sound while in game mode. Inexplicably, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for Wii does precisely that. Fortunately, there’s an abundance of saving graces.
Weigh In – Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck
I grew up watching Looney Tunes, Popeye, and pretty much every classic cartoon there ever was. It was always a special thrill when the Duck Amuck short would come on Saturday morning TV. When I heard that an entire game based around the toon was coming to DS, I thick I actually tittered out loud. The game was practically everything I expected. Daffy appears on screen and you poke him with ...
Weigh In – Thrillville: Off the Rails (Wii)
Being a big fan of the RollerCoaster Tycoon series of PC games, I figured that Thrillville: Off The Rails for Wii would be a big hit for me. Nope. The game makes little to no sense. You’re a kid that runs an amusement park, picking your look in a Sims like configuration when you start the game. I assume this would appeal to someone under the age of 13, but then the game includes a bunch of p...
Chibi-Robo Park Patrol – review from Hooked Gamers
One of my favorite GameCube titles was the original Chibi-Robo. Now he has a new adventure on DS. I was going to review this game for Infendo, but this excellent (if a little lengthy) review at Hooked Gamers covers everything I would say. They do make an excellent point about the game not being for everyone, but fans of the original Chibi-Robo or Animal Crossing should give it a look. [Thanks, Fal...
Penny Arcade proves that reviews don’t need scores
A lot has been said about video game reviews and how they should be scored. Scale of 100? Scale of 10? Four stars? Five stars? I’m not saying I don’t look at Metacritic’s aggregations, but scores are pretty arbitrary. Until you find a specific reviewer who can consistently replicate your tastes, it’s hard to trust random gaming journalists and the number they assign to a ga...
Review: Dragon Blade is worth your $40
Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire is retro gaming bliss made anew with engaging motion-controls. It’s not even close to being one of the most memorable games of the year, but its gameplay, somewhat impressive visuals, and old-school storyline sans superfluous “cheese” make it a worthy purchase. The extremely linear gameplay evokes fond memories from my gaming past; sorta like playing a...