Reviews Archives - Page 113 of 129

Super Street Fighter IV Review: Rebirth of a Gaming Nation

Released to U.S. consoles last year, Street Fighter IV helped to reinvigorate the franchise, if not the entire fighting genre. Now, a little more than a year later, Capcom is at it again, perhaps with less lofty goals. Where Street Fighter IV introduced Capcom and Street Fighter fans to the notion of 3D fighters brawling…

By Brian Crecente Published April 27, 2010

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After Burner Climax Review: You Will Do A Barrel Roll

Adrenaline junkies who feel the need—specifically, the need for speed—but don’t have access to an actual F-14D or a deluxe arcade cabinet will be gleefully forced to settle for Sega’s console port of After Burner Climax, its 2006 aerial dogfighter. Rarely do Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network games feel as arcade-y as does After…

By Michael McWhertor Published April 26, 2010

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3D Dot Game Heroes Review: Connecting The Dots To The Past

Can the innovative implementation of 3D pixels and a good sense of humor save Silicon Studio’s 3D Dot Game Heroes from being labeled a gimmicky Zelda clone? The king of 2D Dotnia felt that sprites were outdated, so he decreed the kingdom switch to 3D, and so it did, though not in the way one…

By Mike Fahey Published April 24, 2010

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Left 4 Dead 2 ‘The Passing’ Review: The New Mutants

Valve’s first expansion to post apocalyptic zombie shooter Left 4 Dead 2 makes one appreciate the developer’s gift with wordplay and just how important being able to see through walls is when battling the infected. The Passing brings new things to Left 4 Dead 2, including a new three-level campaign set in a wet Georgia…

By Michael McWhertor Published April 23, 2010

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Does For the Win…Win?

Groups of massively multiplayer online gamers from around the world band together to form…unions. No, wait, stay with me! For the Win is the latest book from Cory Doctorow, known for his work at website Boing Boing as well as his best selling novel Little Brother. The book is set in the near future in…

By Brian Ashcraft Published April 21, 2010

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Espgaluda II iPhone Review: When Will My Phone Explode?

For me to review Espgaluda II, this thing, this manic greatest-grandchild of the Galagas and Space Invaders with odd soundtrack and as many bullets as there are water droplets in a fire hose, might be like a vegetarian reviewing meat. It is clear as day that Espgaluda II has appeal, but… what in the world?…

By Stephen Totilo Published April 16, 2010

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Kick-Ass Movie Review: Please Step Away From The Comic Book

An average high school student learns the painful answer to the question of why there are no real superheroes in Kick-Ass, a completely new kind of comic book movie. Based on the critically acclaimed comic book series from writer Mark Millar and artist John Romita Jr., Kick-Ass tells the story of one Dave Lizewski, an…

By Mike Fahey Published April 16, 2010

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Star Wars Cantina Micro-review: Serve Greedo First

Not since Bea Arthur’s spin as Ackmena the bartender in the Star Wars Holiday Special have we been as thrilled to revisit a classic Tatooine bar as we have in Star Wars Cantina for the iPhone. Star Wars Cantina puts you in the shoes and Dewback-sized beehive hairdo of Nia Adea, a drink-slinger at the…

By Michael McWhertor Published April 15, 2010

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Final Fight: Double Impact Micro-Review: Take Two and Call It a Classic

Beat-em-ups of the ’80s were long on action and short on story. Like Capcom’s Final Fight, re-released this week for consoles. Just how ridiculous is the idea that a former pro rassler could be elected to high office in America? Final Fight: Double Impact, a downloadable title pairing the eponymous game (starring a mustachioed politician…

By Owen Good Published April 15, 2010

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Alienware M11x Review: Ultraportable Gaming

Gaming laptops are often an oxymoron, a device that either is too expensive or too big to really be a laptop or a computer too underpowered to play games. But Dell and Alienware have been for years trying to find the proper balance between these two seemingly opposing issues. Their XPS was a monstrously large,…

By Brian Crecente Published April 14, 2010

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Splinter Cell Conviction Review: The Best Lurks In Shadows

Several years in the making, and at least one false start later, a new Splinter Cell is finally upon us. Fittingly, the best part of it sneaks up on you. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction is a third-person stealth action game offered in four parts: single-player campaign, single-player challenges, two-player cooperative adventure and competitive multiplayer.…

By Stephen Totilo Published April 13, 2010

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Mass Effect 2: Kasumi – Stolen Memory Micro-Review: Boredom Amongst Thieves

Mass Effect 2’s first substantial piece of downloadable content since the game’s release, “Kasumi – Stolen Memory,” does a lot of things right as far as DLC goes. Problem is, it also does a lot of things wrong Presenting gamers with the chance to add another member to their crew of galactic misfits, Stolen Memory…

By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2010

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America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking Review: Top Chef

America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking isn’t just a game. It certainly isn’t just an interactive cook book jammed onto the DS. This is one of three games that Nintendo thinks will convince people to buy the big-screened DSi XL. With more than 300 recipes, tons of written tutorials and 15 video guides, America’s Test…

By Brian Crecente Published April 8, 2010

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Dead or Alive Paradise Review: A Bikini Toll

Dead or Alive Paradise brings the lovely ladies of Tecmo’s fighting game series back to the tropical getaway of Zack Island, a chance to collect and model increasingly revealing bikinis in-between playing an equally skimpy selection of mini-games. The PSP game is a pocket-sized port of Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball originally released in…

By Michael McWhertor Published April 6, 2010

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Heavy Rain Chronicles: The Taxidermist Micro-Review: Let’s Try That again

Call it a missing chapter, an added short story or simply an extra sprinkling of Heavy Rain, but you may as well call for a do-over. The first downloadable episode of Heavy Rain, the acclaimed February serial killer drama for the PlayStation 3 from development studio Quantic Dream, offers a new chapter set early in…

By Stephen Totilo Published April 5, 2010

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iPad Review: Is This A Capable Gaming System?

Apple touts the newly-released iPad as a “magical and revolutionary device.” How much of that revolutionary magic was applied towards the gaming side of the spectrum? If you’re interested in the iPad as a video/MP3 player, eBooks reader, web-surfing, email-fetching device, then this might not be the review you are looking for. We aren’t going…

By Mike Fahey Published April 3, 2010

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Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening Micro-Review: Almost Going Number Two

The marauding Blight has scattered, but a new, more sinister evil rises in its wake, and once again the Grey Wardens rise to face a deadly foe in the Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening expansion pack. Forget your humble or not-so-humble origin. Whether pauper or prince, imported character or newly generated for the expansion, this…

By Mike Fahey Published April 2, 2010

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Mass Effect 2: Firewalker Micro-Review: Free Tanks, Enquire Within

Mass Effect 2’s “Firewalker”, the fourth piece of downloadable content for BioWare’s excellent sci-fi role-playing game, is the first to give you a bonafide land vehicle to play with. And it’s a tank, no less. The entire DLC revolves around the fate of the crew of a missing survey ship. You and your merry band…

By Luke Plunkett Published April 2, 2010

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Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Pack Review: Pricey Maps

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 remains the most popular game played on Xbox Live since its launch late last year, but that doesn’t mean that the fans of the fast-paced, first-person shooter couldn’t use some new ways to play. Enter the Stimulus Pack. The first Modern Warfare 2 map pack, coming to the Xbox…

By Brian Crecente Published March 31, 2010

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WarioWare: D.I.Y. Review: Homebrewed Improvement

After pumping out hundreds of lightning quick microgames for the WarioWare series, it’s up to you to design the next moneymaker for WarioWare Inc. Your tool? WarioWare: D.I.Y., the Nintendo DS game that lets you create games from scratch. What could me more perfect? The WarioWare series, famous for its lo-fidelity presentation and hasty game…

By Michael McWhertor Published March 31, 2010