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ReviewsReview: Auditorium HD Goes Chasing Waterfalls
Why should anyone in their right mind pay good money for a console port of a game you can play on a PC, right now, for free? Auditorium HD is a console port of Auditorium, a PC game put out in 2009 that was itself a bulked-up version of a Flash-based puzzle and music title…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 2, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Fable III Understone Quest Is No Mystery
You’ve staged a revolution, you’ve saved the day. Now journey below Fable III‘s Bowerstone to discover the source of an enigmatic voice. Shame there isn’t much to solve, other than why this Fable add-on is so half-baked. Fable III is an action role-playing game in which players must not only gather forces to come to…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 1, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Splatterhouse Is Just Bloody Offal
Can Splatterhouse throw enough internal organs, flesh-ripping kills and liquid gore to keep players interested in a middling beat ’em up adventure that full of gristle and bloodshed, but little meat? Splatterhouse is a violent, excessively gory brawler, a mostly faithful retelling of Namco’s 1988 side-scrolling schlock horror game, that’s swimming in blood, guts and…
By Michael McWhertor Published December 1, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Golden Sun: Dark Dawn Relives The Glory Days
In the first two Golden Sun games the Heroes of Vale restored the awesome power of the Golden Sun, saving the world of Weyard from impending doom. Are their children up to the task in Golden Sun: Dark Dawn? Thirty years have passed since the events of puzzle-heavy role-playing games Golden Sun and Golden Sun:…
By Mike Fahey Published November 29, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Mafia II: Joe’s Adventures — The Third Strike For A Repeat Offender
Mafia II returns to Empire Bay with “Joe’s Adventures,” the game’s second paid DLC extension. Can its 24 new missions carry the game forward, or do they dwell on what made Mafia II a good-but-not-great action game? Mafia II: Joe’s Adventures is a flashback to the 10-year period during which Vito Scaletta went to prison…
By Owen Good Published November 28, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Gran Turismo 5 Is Premium Class
When I bought a PlayStation 2 my wife told me flat out, “If you are going to get a PS2, you need Gran Turismo.” I knew this, but it underscored the series’ impact. Nearly a decade later little has changed. Gran Turismo 5 is a racing game that brands itself as “the real driving simulator”.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 27, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Pac-Man Championship Edition DX Is A Spirited Thrill
Can venerable dot eater Pac-Man be modernized a second time? The spectacular light and sound show that was Pac-Man Championship Edition has been given a deluxe makeover, remixing the rules by which Pac-Man chows down on dots and runs from his ghost pursuers. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, like its predecessor, is about eating your way…
By Michael McWhertor Published November 25, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem Is More Donkey Kong Than 2010’s Other Big Donkey Kong Game
Some other Donkey Kong game came out from Nintendo in November 2010. Donkey Kong Country Returns, they call it. Yeah, sure. Like the essence of Donkey Kong is running to the right. The ape must stand defiant. Mario must run. Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem is the third fourth of the Mario Vs. DK…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 25, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: The UnderGarden Is A Relaxing Dip In The Ocean
I’m almost out of pollen. A nearby creature strums the guitar as I float about. I’ll just hang here for a few more seconds before bringing life to some undersea flowers and restocking on pollen. Right now, I float. Recalling games like Electroplankton and Flower, The UnderGarden is a puzzle platformer in which players explore…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 25, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Dead Nation Justifies The Existence Of Yet Another Zombie Game
Game developers, please stop making zombie games when you stop making good ones. The PlayStation 3-exclusive Dead Nation is allowed. It’s a good one. Dead Nation could have been a bad one. It’s not just another groaning zombie game, following Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising, Left 4 Dead 2, Dead Rising 2, Avatar Zombie Massage…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 24, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Sonic Colors Does Not Suck, It Merely Succeeds
What if Sonic the Hedgehog was not just a speedy mascot with a long list of furry sidekicks, but more like Mario, a loner with occasional superpowers that could let Sega’s mascot fly, drill through solid ground or become a laser? Sega’s Sonic Colors for the Wii explores the possibility of a Sonic the Hedgehog…
By Michael McWhertor Published November 24, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Is This Year’s Other Great Racer
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit promises to return one of the most successful racing video game in history to its roots, delivering an easy to understand, but still deep driving experience to gamers of all kinds… including fans of Mario Kart. Hot Pursuit is two games in one. Players can take on the role of…
By Brian Crecente Published November 22, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Shaun White Skateboarding’s Path Of Enlightenment
Some skating games show things that are, and ask you “why not?” Shaun White Skateboarding sees things that aren’t, and leaves you to ask “why.” Ubisoft hitches its hopes in the skating genre, populated by heavies like Activision’s Tony Hawk series and EA’s Skate, to Shaun White, a gold medalist snowboarder. The differentiator in this…
By Owen Good Published November 21, 2010 -
Reviews
This Week’s Kotaku Video Game Review Round-Up
In the past week, we’ve reviewed seven video games (and a bunch of Black Ops gear). Some were great. At least one was not. These are our bottom lines for seven notable games, with links to our full reviews. Review: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 Improves With Age The Bottom Line: Naruto: Ultimate Ninja…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 19, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Donkey Kong Country Returns Is Hypnotic, Hard Fun
The people responsible for turning Metroid on its head with Metroid Prime for GameCube now have their hands on Donkey Kong. What have they done with it? Delivered the expected, a Donkey Kong Country game that goes back to basics. Where others have experimented with Donkey Kong adventures in 3D worlds (Donkey Kong 64) and…
By Michael McWhertor Published November 19, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Guwange Is Bullet Heaven
Guwange is a scrolling shooter that was first released in Japan all the way back in 1999. It’s now being re-released on the Xbox 360, and it’s – pardon the pun – one hell of a time. Despite being more well-known in the West for games like DonPachi and Deathsmiles, Guwange is one of Cave’s…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 19, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Hoard Will Set Your Friendships On Fire
With so many multiplayer experiences these days revolving around perks and persistent characters, it’s nice to see a game that remembers the key to good competitive gaming is often just to keep things simple. Hoard is a party game that creates small boardgame-like maps, puts players in control of dragons then has them competing to…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 18, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Stupefies
What happens when you take the magical world of Harry Potter, mix in a little Gears of War shooting and Splinter Cell stealth gameplay, and shake vigorously? Things go boom. Dumbledore is dead, the evil Lord Voldemort has risen to power, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione are on the run, searching for four magical artifacts…
By Mike Fahey Published November 17, 2010 -
ReviewsReview: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Is The Best Assassin’s Creed
The first Assassin’s Creed was an interesting but repetitive experiment. Two years later, Assassin’s Creed II was an improvement in almost all ways. One year later, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, woefully misunderstood prior to release, is arguably the best one yet. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood returns gamers to Renaissance Italy and into the virtual body of expert…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 16, 2010