Come explore the Disney Universe with me | Review

So I just recently received a review copy of Disney Interactive's latest title, Disney Universe.  If you know anything about me at all, I'm a huge Disney fan/nut.  In fact, my review is only slightly delayed since I just spent the last 4 days in Disneyland.  So yes, my last week was full of Walt's legacy.



But in this forum, I'll only be speaking of the latest platformer, Disney Universe.  This is a wholly new IP that is in the vein of the LEGO franchises, with a great focus on the worlds inhabited by Disney Characters.  In the title, you begin by only having access to the Pirates of the Caribbean (also a game already in LEGO form), and it plays very similar to those titles.  However, the difference is you don't play as characters from, you play as a unique character, who wears caricature versions of Disney Characters.  It's like a non-descript character wearing costumes of Disney Characters.  This is where I bring in the similarities to Little Big Planet.  Though your avatar isn't quite as cute as a Sackboy by itself, the fun combinations of famous Disney staples are fun in their own right to mix and match.  Running around with a Stitch costume, playing through Pirates of the Caribbean scenario's is quite the juxtaposition.

Continue Reading...

Phineas & Ferb: Across the Second Dimension "Gelatin World" Trailer

So a game based off a Disney cartoon, huh?  And one that I'm actually excited about?  Yes, it's actually happening!

Aren't I a little bit old to be watching a Disney cartoon?  Why no, no I'm not.  I guess it helps that I have a young son, who also loves Phineas and Ferb; it's just a great program filled with clever references, topical jokes, and over-the-top scenarios.  A perfect fit for a game!  That being said, it's launching NEXT WEEK, on PlayStation 3, Wii and Nintendo DS (no love for Xbox I guess), but of course, you'll want to get it on the PS3 for the HD graphics.

Anyhow, here's a final trailer showcasing the "Gelatin World" as part of the title.  We have to bring you an official review sometime next week.

Enjoy

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Review

Synopsis: Travis Touchdown returns with his crude, over the top action and comments in this sequel, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. This is the latest review copy we received from the very generous folks at Ubisoft, Kudos to them. Travis returns to the United Assassins Association on his bloody quest to reach to top of the charts and exact revenge. No More Heroes 2 (NMH2) has received many much needed tweaks that prove that director Suda51 was listening to what the gamers really wanted and improved on the outrageously successful No More Heroes.

Praise: Much has changed in NMH2 and most of it for the better. Gone are the open world maps that provided most of the game play in the first and moves everything into a stylish looking map that lets you choose the location and the game opens up at that destination. This greatly helps out with your revenge missions and going to various locations to beef up your weapons and character as you are instantly there. Also a great change is there are no more Entry Fee's into the UAA to progress, making the side jobs in NMH2 a great change of pace and a way to just relax and play some mindless game. Also, the side games come in a stylish form that really uses imagination. They come in 8-bit adventures giving a sense of nostalgia to old time gamers. They even have a slightly vibrating sound with the one word dialogue that really reminds you of early Nintendo days.

Another great change are the graphics. They have a great cell shading feature that is becoming more common in Wii titles, and the cell shading cause the characters and action to jump off the screen and in your face. The intelligence of your enemies has been increased which is great as this will keep Travis on his toes as enemies will block and dodge more. Also the addition of two new characters, a school girl looking deadly assassin Shinobu and Travis' twin sibling, Henry get thrust into the mix.

Unchanged is the basic formula for success in the hack n slash of Travis' Beam Katana. Blood and gore fountain up in a crazy over the top style as you slash enemies in half, throw your katana into the air, body slam them and your beam falls into their back or stomach. All in all great moves and great animation. Since you start the rankings in 51st, there are plenty of wacky, not of this mold style bosses that will leave you laughing or shaking your head thinking WTF. Each boss battle brings something new and also is very fun to watch the characters interact. All in all a great experience.



Moans:There were a few in this game but not too many, and none of them really draw anything away from this title. One of them is that you may start the rankings in 51st place on the list, but Travis will take major jumps in the rankings which completely shorten the game. (One jump is from 50th to 25th place) The game is around 9-10 hours of play to the distress of most fans, but at least they are filled with blood, gore, sexy women, and Beam Kantanas. The extent of time you get to play as the new characters is short and would have been nice to have some more time with them. Once again, a minor thing. There were certain places that had lag when some of the more crowded fight scenes occurred. Nothing too bad and really doesn't draw away from the total game play aspect. Another is the sometimes shotty camera angles that can be a pain sometimes. However these things are minor in reality.



Overall: Blood, Babes, Gore, Babes, Beam Katana, and oh ya did I mention, Babes? This game is a hit and a very successful follow up to No More Heroes. I look forward to more games from Grasshopper Manufacture and directer Suda51 as they are becoming heavy hitters. This game is solid from start to finish with only a few minor tech issues that are minor in comparison in this huge action packed game.



Mashbuttons give No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle a 9 of 10.

Heeee's On FIRE!!!!

We've certainly come a long way since the glory-days of the SNES and Sega Genesis, but not many current day gamers can say they haven't played the classic NBA Jam from EA.  Check out the montage below, let it just play to your nostalgic senses.



Okay, now that that's out of the way, you are probably salivating over wanting to dust off your old machines and pop this baby in.  What, you don't have this game/your SNES is broken/your Genesis was stolen by your little brother?  Whatever your excuse, you won't have to wait much longer to, as EA has finally announced a long-due remake of the classic franchise for the Wii in 2010, (EA, please don't neglect the Xbox and PS3).

The new game will feature old-school gameplay, similar sounds from the original mixed with the new features and graphics only time and technology could improve.  There will be the classic NBA JAM experience, but they're adding in new features as well, new game modes to add depth to the title.

Be sure to come back for more updates as they're released, and as always check out the official site here, where you can go on and vote for your favorite players from your favorite teams to be added in NBA JAM.  Check it out!

Hey you, wanna RIDE?

So you've given up playing Tony Hawk, that by the 13th version, you had enough?  Well, along comes Activision to inject some new life in the tired franchise.  11/17 marks the release of Tony Hawk: RIDE, with it, introducing a new way to skate or die!

This time you won't just be using your thumbs, as you'll need to get your lazy bones off the couch and use the included wireless skateboard controller to pull off your ollies and kick-flips. 

Considering the abuse a real skateboard gets, I'm surprised Activision isn't offering an inurance package for this, ha!

Check out the launch trailer below

Tony Hawk: RIDE is available now for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii all for a MSRP of $119.99.  That's about $20 more than a real skateboard.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | Review

In case you haven't already picked up your copy of the latest installment of Infinity Ward's classic take on near-future gun-shooting, and you say you're "on the fence" for this game, then please read on.  Apparently, analysts are predicting over 7 million day-one sales world-wide, and Activision estimates 4.7 Million copies were from North America and UK alone.  So what's the big deal? Why do my feet stink?  All very good questions.

Press on after the jump to get our full impressions.

Marvel Super Hero Squad | Review

Synopsis: THQ has just released Marvel Super Heroes, an action adventure game based on the animated series, on a handful of systems, both console and handheld. In this title, the player is tasked with recovering Fractal fragments of the “Infinity Sword” throughout the city and ultimately to help or destroy the city. There is two available games modes available, adventure mode consists of six campaigns based on the TV series, and battle mode allow four players to fight to their demise. There are more than twenty Marvel characters available in this game, each with their own special powers and abilities to choose from and play as.

Praise: It is Marvel we are talking about here and almost everything they touch turns to gold. You start the game choosing two characters to play through the mission as and since there are a number of characters to choose from, the variety is there to keep you coming back to either master their moves or just to change things up throughout the story. The graphics and gameplay are targeting a younger audience, so it is easy to pick up and play, while the graphics are bright and characters, both playable and not, have the cute look of those in the animated series. The battle mode adds to the replay value when you have played through the story or have a group of people that are up for some arena fighting. Controls are easy to get the hang of, as you use the remote and nunchuk buttons for movement and attacks, and it does use the motion sensors to execute character specific special attacks.

Gripes: The first issue I had with this game from the start and throughout the game was the camera, it never seems to be where you need it, especially when in heated fights and you see you are being shot at but can’t find the enemy to attack due to the camera placement. Enemy AI and the level of ease are the only other issues with this title as I was able to play through without even worrying about dying as health is easily replenished. The problem with the enemy AI is that a number of times, characters of the opposing side, would sit in one place, not moving or attacking at times, while this could be put in place to make the game more playable for a younger audience or a game glitch, it was a little frustrating.

Overall, Marvel Super Hero Squad is an entertaining game to play through for a Marvel fan. However, the main focus of this title is towards a younger audience, which may turn away adult gamers such as myself, but makes for a great game to buy for a child. Since the Wii is an easier console to play with multiple people, this game is good for two people to play through and if you have a group, battle mode is even more fun to play when you have two to four people trying to prove who the better gamer is.

Mashbuttons.com gives Marvel Super Hero Squad a 6 out of 10.

Marvel Super Hero Squad is available now for the Nintendo Wii, DS, Playstation 2, and Playstation Portable.

A Mini Ninja Review

I'll begin this review with a story.  The first time I had a chance to sit down and dig into IO Interactive's latest title, Mini Ninjas, was when we had company over.  I was hot on the heels of finishing WET, but due to the age of said company, I didn't feel that "running around, duel-wielding death blows and doling out carnage" to be of a tactful decision. 

I fired up Mini Ninjas...

After a few hours of play, the 7-year old I was sharing game-time with, turns to his mother to describe the gameplay. 

"Mom, this game isn't like 'real' killing, you see, the evil bad-guy turned all the rabbits, frogs and bears into evil ninjas.  So when you 'kill' them, they just turn back into an animal."

Join us after the jump for the full review

DiRT 2 | Review

Synopsis: DiRT 2 is the sequel to its critically acclaimed predecessor that was released in 2007, adding new technology, race types, large scale events, locations, drivers, and vehicles. Players are taken on a World Tour, consisting of over 100 events across nine different locations, combining solo and multi car races. Up and coming rally racers Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, and Dave Mirra compete with and against you throughout your career, along with voicing their strongdisapproval when you’re trading paint or sending them out of control. Online gameplay allows for two to eight players, racing individually or on teams, to gain experience towards increasing their online level or just make their way up the leaderboards. To help provide that fast paced racing style that Codemasters is known for, DiRT 2 includes a garage, chocked full of the “best-in-class” licensed rally cars and off-road vehicles.

Praise: The graphics in dirt 2 are amazing and with everything going on at the same time the game play does not give the player a slowdown in frame rate. There are a large number of events across the globe to keep anyone busy for hours on end, while the variety of vehicles, keep racing along the same tracks fresh. The ability to choose the skill level before each race is a great feature, so you can begin your career on casual as the game starts while moving to a higher difficulty to make more cash as you get more familiar with how each car and race type plays. Flashbacks are a godsend with the white knuckle gameplay as it is easy to lose control or total your vehicle, and if that happens, there is the ability to rewind to a few seconds before you are out of commission to correct the mistake and complete the event. Online play is great, whether playing ranked or practice matches, there was virtually no lag, finding a match is quick, and I found myself saying “one more level and then I can turn it off” a few too many times.

Gripes: The ability to tune your vehicle is missing from DiRT 2, and while you are able to choose cars that vary in regards to speed, acceleration, and drivability, I was hoping for the ability to fine tune the performance and handling of vehicles. Some of the personalization abilities such as dashboard and mirror ornaments are not noticeable unless you choose to race in the first person view, however, the vehicle wraps, known as liveries, help you personalize the way each vehicle in your stable looks. My biggest gripe with online play, which has nothing to do with the development of this title, is that occasionally, you will race against the person who expects to win the race by barreling into or through you without any sort of penalty, and this concern would not exist if there was any sort of penalty for crashing.

Small gripes aside, DiRT 2 is a perfect rally racer with loads of replay value, after the world tour is completed. As long as you have your Xbox online, there is just as much time to be spent, if not more, racing against the online community. From the stunning visuals to the break neck speed of the white knuckle gameplay, any racing fan should pick this up as they will not be disappointed, as Codemasters has stayed true to the sport of racing once again.

Mashbuttons.com gives DiRT 2 a 10 out of 10 to a very well executed title for any rally racing fan to enjoy until DiRT 3.(Here is to hoping for a sequel)

DiRT 2 is available now for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP, Wii, and DS.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade | Review

Synopsis: Boasting such rewards as best Wii game, best artistic design, best action game, and best platformer, Muramasa: The Demon Blade is Vanilla Ware’s recent title to be launched exclusively on the Wii. The graphics and background environments have all been hand drawn and beautifully executed to stimulate while revolutionizing the new side scroller. In Muramasa, the player takes on the role of either Kisuke or Momohime, which each have their own separate quests to gather the demon blades. Players are able to use the Wiimote and nunchuk, Gamecube controller, or the classic controller to play through this innovative entry to the Wii’s library.

Praise: Muramasa sticks to what it did so great in Okami, which was adding RPG elements to a solid action title. However in Muramasa, Vanilla Ware decided to pay homage to the old school 2D platformer. With a hundred and twenty different swords to seek out, each with different strengths and special attacks, equipable items and the ability to forge weapons, so it is hard not to go back through the map and seek out challenges that you could not try on the first pass, due to not having a strong enough demon blade. The simplistic controls of the game make it easy to get into, and the leveling up to get the next, stronger sword, along with striving to get high number hit combos on top of the beautiful artistic backgrounds make it hard to put down...

Fishing finds it's way to your couch via the Wii

Activision has announced the first fishing game developed specifically for the Wii, Rapala: We Fish. Since this is an Activision title for the Wii, you know there will be a game specific peripheral, which is a rod and reel to attach the remote and nunchuk that allows the player to set the hook, cast, and reel in. The title was also designed to be over the top and humorous so it does not have that Saturday afternoon lure infomercial feel.

We Fish has game play modes that include co-op tournaments, 4 player split-screen, and multiplayer modes where each player is able to chose from the five characters Activision provides or their custom Mii. With eight locations, twenty four tournaments, and fifty species of fish, I am looking forward to doing even less from my couch. Thanks Activision!

Rapala: We Fish is scheduled for release on September 29th.

Madden NFL 10 | Review (Xbox 360)

Since Dom and Joey’s sports prowess is *cough* lacking, they needed my expertise to review the biggest video game of the year, Madden NFL 10. This is a game that I anticipate moments after the NFL season wraps up, scouring the internet, pouring over screenshots, reading every blog I can for any scrap of information of the next installment. This year, my patience, has been rewarded with a very polished and extremely well done product.

Just looking at the cover of the game, gives me something to look forward to; the Madden curse. If you're not familiar, the Madden curse, is the belief that every cover athlete will have a horrendous season or become injured, etc. This year the cover athletes are Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals) and Troy Polamalu (Pittsburgh Steelers), of my two least favorite teams.

From the second you fire up your first game within Madden you will see an instant difference in the presentation of the game and a new level of realism. Games start with an outside shot of the stadium and zoom to fans buying merchandise and concessions within the stadium. The coolest part of the pre-game presentation is showing the star players of the home team with their helmets off, standing for the national anthem while Airforce jets fly over head. They've also added a more realistic broadcast touch by giving a real TV-like sign out at the end of the game.

This year, they've slowed down the pace of the gameplay to make for a more realistic speed for the players, and also make their moves seem more fluid. The biggest feature add in Madden NFL 10 is the Pro-Tak tackling system that causes the player to “fight for every yard”. It just means that instead of the ball carrier just falling down when tackled he will fight to stay up and sometimes even fight off the tackle for more yards. They also added multi-player tackles and players even fight for the ball in the scrum, adding several additional layers to the realism.

The franchise mode is by far the most important aspect of the game for me (yep, I’m an armchair GM). This year’s franchise mode has its ups and downs, but overall I am ok with the finished product. They removed the ability to improve players through weekly drills and instead give every player a potential grade (A-F system), that will determine how good a player can get in their career. Other factors that play a role in play progression are age and how they did the previous season.

Overall (Mashbuttons) I give the game a 9 out of 10. The realism of the game play is above and beyond what I’ve ever seen in any sports game. The franchise mode isn’t great but it’s still really good (but then again I am really picky when it comes to the mode). Finally, the soundtrack is great, including a lot of 80’s rock and even a Slipknot song (big plus with me).

Madden NFL 10 is available now for Xbox 360, Playstion 3 and Wii

Mini Ninjas sneaking onto your consoles soon | demo and release

The newest game from IO Interactive, better known for their creation of Agent 47 from the Hitman series, is just about to release; their quirky, and unique ninja title entitled "Mini Ninjas".

Mini Ninjas, takes you on a journey to feudal Japan where you join Hiro, Futo and the rest of the ninja clan on their biggest adventure.

The game drops on September 8th in North America and September 11th in the UK. The demo is out THIS Wednesday, so if you have time between the complex of your shadow, you should do yourself a solid and check it out.

Here's a trailer below, showcasing the Tora character.



Mini Ninjas is releasing on most consoles. Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PC and the Playstation 3

Things to do on 8/14 | Madden

So apparently there's this game coming out today, some sports thing, something to do with a tear-shaped ball, that's tossed arond a field of sorts - I think they call it Football. There's usually some running, some hitting, it's apparently a real man's game.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, please direct your attention to the release of EA's Madden NFL 10. Apparently this is a BIG deal to millions of football fans across the globe. Personally, I'm looking forward to going to a Ponyo/Time Travelers Wife double-feature tonight.

All kidding aside, it really is the beginning of the gridiron season, the "Fight for Every Yard", the road to the big game, not only on the videogame front, but we're already into the first week of Pre-season for the NFL.

Madden NFL 10 (actually the 21st iteration of the game, not the 10th), continues the tradition of the most realistic NFL experience on any console, cause they're the ONLY NFL experience on any console. Either way - it's out, you want it, go get it.

Madden NFL 10 is available now on Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Wii, and PSP. Will also be on the App Store in September for all of you who want to take it on the road.

A look at Muramasa gameplay as Kisuke

Ignition is steadily teasing those of us waiting for Muramasa to hit the Wii.We have previously posted videos for this title, but it is hard to pass up watching each new trailer and vignette, mainly because the game looks great and I will be able to dust off my classic controller to play through it.

In Muramasa, you play as one of two ninjas, working to collect all 108 swords, each containing special abilities to fend off waves of baddies.

Expect Muramasa: The Demon Blade to be available for the Wii in Fall of 2009.

Little King’s Story | Review

Synopsis: Little King’s Story is a light hearted game with subtle hints of RPG, life simulation, adventure, and real time strategy. The objective of this title is to gain wealth and expand your kingdom by use of your townsfolk while keeping a favorable reputation and not working them to death. The king’s advisors help guide the player through the game with hints on how to get more followers, uncovers secrets, and reveal side quests to keep the peace. While you spend a lot of time commanding your minions…I mean followers, you are still able to get your hands dirty with boss battles and fighting homicidal Onii.



Praise: From the cartoon look, to the classical soundtrack, and strongly finishing with great gameplay throughout the game, Little King’s Story is an instant hit. The controls use the remote and nunchuk, not my favorite way to play through the game, but the button layout is easy to get a hang of without looking like you are having a seizure trying to play through. Yes, there is no motion controls used in this game. The story is comical, with subtle adult humor that also adds satire to some current day events. Classical pieces make up the soundtrack that will have you humming along, keeping a happy feel to the game as you work your villagers to death or lose them in battle, it’s okay they eventually comeback.



Gripes: There is a long learning curve to the game, as you are walked through the first few events by your loyal advisers for the first hour and a half. But, if you work through the tutorial and put in your time, you are rewarded with being the type of king you always wanted to be. The only issue I have with this game is the camera, while you are able to rotate the camera as needed, the camera control is the d-pad on the remote, which can prove to be a problem when sending soldiers to battle and trying to simultaneously rotate the camera to find the next Onii to kill.



Overall, XSEED did not hold back with the creation of the title by using the creator of Harvest Moon, art director of Final Fantasy XII, and the main programmer of Dragon Quest VIII to create a very well rounded release to add to the Wii’s quickly expanding library. There is a large kingdom to conquer, while providing a number of side missions to complete along the way, keeping you busy for longer than the normal ten hour play though found in most recent games. Little King’s Story is a fun and engrossing game that you can pick up to kill some time and end up losing precious hours you did not know you had to spare.



Mashbuttons.com gives Little King’s Story a 10 out of 10

Little King’s Story is available now on the Nintendo Wii.

50 tons of sand in New York City equals Wii Sports Resort

Nintendo recently turned Times Square into an island that is found in the most recent Wii title, Wii Sports Resort, using mass amounts of sand, palm trees, a wading pool, and kiosks showcasing the game of the hour and the motion plus. The attached video is a testimonial from those that were able to partake in the tropical festivities away from their normal everyday hustle.



Wii Sports Resort is available now for the Nintendo Wii and includes the MotionPlus accessory for $49.99 in the states.

Muramasa may have what it takes to pull me away from my 360

I am still catching up from the fourth of July weekend, and came across the gameplay trailer of Muramasa: The Demon Blade. After watching the trailer, I think my Wii may be used for something besides Boom Blox and Tiger 10.

Muramasa is an action RPG from Ignition Entertainment in which two heroes from the feudal Genroku era fight to collect swords to prevent those bad mofo's called the Shogun mastering their dark powers.

Muramasa is supposedly coming out in September for the Nintendo Wii.

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, the Wii finally gets a solid fighter

So this was announced quit a while ago, but with additional news circling about the Wii exclusive fighter, I am more than interested in adding yet another Capcom fighter to my library, bring on the the Wii arcade stick bundle.



Tatsunoko VS. Capcom Ultimate All Stars, is another uber long title that uses Capcom's finest fighters and pits them against Tatsunoko anime series' in a 2 on 2 tag team match. Sure, it is true i have no idea who any of the Tatsunoko fighters are, but come on, have Capcom ever steered anyone wrong with their fighter mash ups? Lets just hope there will not be any DLC content on the disk that is available for purchase a week after release.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game | Review

Synopsis: As part of the 25th anniversary of the original Ghostbusters film, gaming fans of the franchise will now have the opportunity to play as part of the team on the console of their choice. The game is written by the writer/actors that were a part of the original blockbuster hit and also sees support from the original cast members to help make this new pop culture sensation. The basis of the story is set two years after Ghostbusters 2, with Manhattan once again being consumed by the supernatural. You play as a new recruit working alongside the original team, with a variety of equipment and gadgets at your disposal to wrangle and trap phantasms gone awry.



Praise: This game is something adults and children alike can come to enjoy and even play together as long as you have two remotes and nunchuks. Even though the graphics strongly resemble a familiar Pixar movie about superheroes, the Ghostbusters feeling is there and just as enjoyable. The soundtrack and the voice acting are fitting to the flow of the game and is the same music found in the first and second Ghostbuster films. If you are unfamiliar with the movies, you can still enjoy the game while not be completely lost. The coop feature of the game does make playing the game more enjoyable when there are other people around.



Gripes: As the game starts, a tutorial walks you through the controls and objectives needed to complete the game. You look around with the remote and move with the nunchuk, however, the sensitivity of looking around is a little too much. It is too easy to spin too far, and then over correct yourself while trying to find objects and ghosts to scan. Luckily, you can use the “Z” button to lock on to ghosts, easing the issue of motion sickness while looking around. Lastly, the levels can be rather short, before having to watch long cut scenes leading into the next level.



Overall, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a fun, entertaining, and interactive addition to the Wii’s growing library. It is always fulfilling to throw a ghost against the wall, ceiling, and floor, before capturing it. Though the game has some minor quirks that can be frustrating at times, the voice acting and soundtrack teamed with the storyline are strong elements that help make this a solid and enjoyable game. Playing the game from start to finish only takes about five hours, but it is easy and still fun to go back to the game with a friend and play some levels on coop mode.

Mashbuttons.com gives Ghostbusters: The Video Game 7 out of 10

Ghostbuster: The Video Game for the Wii, hit store shelves on June 16th.