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

MashButtons Reviews Thor For Nintendo's Wii and DS

Here we are, hot on the heels of Marvel's blockbuster movie release of Thor and here we go with reviews of not just the Wii version of the game, but the DS as well. Those that are not familiar with Norse mythology, the comic superhero, and big screen hunk, Thor is being brought back to life and thrown into our faces via just about any media outlet out there. Of course Sega has made sure to hold true to the comic series with the appearance of 12 ton frost giants and trolls in which you get to gleefully battle waves and waves of these beasts with your legendary hammer, Mjolnir, as Thor, the god of thunder. So here we go for the first time ever, multiple platform reviews for Nintendo’s iterations of Thor: God of Thunder, so on with the DS version’s hand on impressions.

Thor for the DS does not give away the spoiler of the movie, so you will not spoil the movie if you have not seen it yet. This title is a side scrolling hack and slash that features characters from the movie and comic book such as Thor, Odin, and Loki. Though it comes off as rather simplistic, the gameplay is what makes it entertaining. The action is fast and with numerous moves, it is easy to string along combos, but throughout the story, you will find equipable runes to boost speed, strength, special moves, and defense to help take down the onslaught of enemies thrown at you and the larger than life bosses at the end of each chapter. Unfortunately, there is not much in the way of variety between level designs and enemies, as even some of the bosses look alike. The graphics do not stand out to me, mainly because it has been a while since reviewing a DS title over the 3DS titles which just look so much better for a portable gaming system, and if Thor were developed for the 3DS I feel it would have been a better visual experience. The hardest parts of my playthrough were against the bosses as they often took multiple attempts due to the amount of health they have in comparison to Thor. The story of both the DS and the Wii renditions of Sega’s Thor comes down to the story as it is entertaining and adds a substantial amount to story behind the movie and this can quite possibly be due to the fact that the story was written by none other than the Thor comic book author himself, Matt Fraction.

Now for the Wii’s version to the god of thunder, full of remote and nunchuk shaking action. You all know I am not a fan of motion controls, but in this situation it works really well when trying to rack up large combos, as your basic moves are with buttons but you can then shake your controllers to really drive the attacks home. The action is fast and fluid, making the gameplay fun and what keeps you going from start to finish. The graphics are rather meh while still being able to deliver that comic book feel, and I though at one point I was playing Space Harrier when it goes to an on rails shooter. The voice acting was a good touch with Chris Hemsworth playing the voice of Thor. Like the portable version, the story does not follow the movie line so it doesn’t spoil anything if you haven’t seen it yet, but it you have seen the movie; the game provides an entertaining addition. Unfortunately like the latter, the levels and enemies look the same with small variations and battle tends to get repetitive because of this, but leveling up and unlocking new skills and abilities helps keep your mind off the monotony, and the boss battles are large and epic almost resembling a cross between God of War with quick time events and Shadow of the Colossus with the grappling system to climb and find weak point.

So all in all, there is some fun to be had with the two versions of Thor. Though it gets repetitive and lacks variation in character and level design, the gameplay is what carries the experience. Fans of Thor, either comic or movie, can enjoy as it is not a movie game but more of a substantial tie in. I felt like I enjoyed playing on the Wii as it looked and played better but the action on the go of the DS has me playing about an hour at a time before realizing the sun was shining and I should be out doing something more productive, but the Wii version had me flailing frantically while still having fun, despite how ridiculous I looked.

Kingdom Hearts Re: coded | Review

Synopsis: First off, thank you Square Enix for sending me a review copy of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded for the Nintendo DS. This new entry to the Kingdom Hearts series is a remake of the mobile title Kingdom Hearts Coded for mobile phones, with improved controls, revamped combat system, and new gameplay mechanics. The premise of the story behind Re:coded is that you once again take on the role of Sora in the “datascape”, called upon by King Mickey to find out how a mysterious message was placed in Jiminy’s journal used to hold the story of the first adventure against the heartless. Will this hold a torch to the console titles that I played through multiple times and even saw its debut announcement at my first trip to E3?

Praise: Gameplay, I can stop there but I am sure you would like me to elaborate. It is fast and action packed with massive, and I mean massive amounts of character development, in which you acquire chips to place on a circuit board to unlock boosts to your abilities. Throughout the story, Sora will also acquire new equipment and keyblades, along with skills that can be mixed to make bigger and stronger abilities and magic. In the beginning of the game you also get to choose your primary and secondary abilities whether it be magic, strength, or defense. The cut scenes look great for a DS title and the boss fights are pretty epic, making it feel as big as the consoles versions.

Gripes: The bad, well I think that would be the story. I wouldn’t say bad is the word to describe it, but it did feel a lot like a Kingdom Hearts 2.5. the reason I say this is because it is a lot of the same worlds and enemies, and the story doesn’t differ much aside from the “datascape” element where you use a radar to locate rifts in the world to enter a matrix like mini level where you have to take out a set amount of enemies per floor to clear it, earning currency, experience, abilities, and chips for the circuitboard. The worlds are also pretty long taking me about two hours on average to complete each, and like the first and second Kingdom Hearts, some of them aren’t so much fun, making it harder to work your way through.

Overall, I had fun with the gameplay and since there is a good recap to the original games, newcomers can pick up this title and start where the previous games left off. Though I did say that the story is a little bland for me since I am still pretty familiar with the events of the last, it does not get old due to the fun and engaging gameplay along with the in depth character development. Whether you are an adult or a child it is still a blast to play through Disney’s bright and colorful worlds with the mechanics that Square Enix has always been great at providing.

Mashbuttons.com gives Kingdom Hearts Re: coded a 7 out of 10.

Kingdom Hearts Re: coded is available now for the Nintendo DS.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective | Review

Synopsis: Capcom has surprised me with their DS title Ghost Trick Phantom Detective, brought to us by Shu Takumi, the original maker of the Ace Attourney titles. As a fan of Capcom titles, I have to admit that I have not been looking forward to this title as Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and Okamiden were overshadowing this gem. In Ghost Trick, you assume the role of newly dead Sissel, looking into your reason for death, while altering others' fates along the way. This adventure puzzler is chock full of content, containing 15 stages, 25 areas, and one very short time limit to alter the fates of over 30 characters.

Praise: I must admit that I have not played any of the Ace Attorney titles, but after playing through the numerous puzzles, it looks like I will be picking them up before my weekend trip to Redding. I love a good puzzler, but one of my favorite puzzlers which immediately comes to mind is Puzzle Quest, mainly because it has a story and dialogue, and with Ghost Trick, the humorous dialogue almost overshadows the puzzles. That is not to say that the puzzles aren't fun, in fact the puzzles are a blast and unique, being interactive in a way I have yet to experience. The way in which the puzzles work, is by Sissel going back in time to four minutes before other characters' demise, locating items in which are interactive, before going into the real world and performing a "trick" to prevent death along with learning more about what happened in the few moments leading up to your murder, and the information acquired changes based on how situations play out.

Gripes: In regards to the downsides to this title, there wasn't much to complain about when it comes to the technical aspects behind this title. One thing in which I felt that took away from the gameplay was the lack of help when it came to trying to solve some of the later puzzles and while the game plays out regardless to your actions made, sometimes those aren't the actions in which you intended on. Also, the stages seemed pretty long, making it harder to pick up and play without having a full half hour to play through a stage, because the process consists of watching a character die, then solving a puzzle in both the ghost and real world, then performing tricks to alter fates, learn more about your demise and on to the next stage, so it is ill advised and hard to put down before completing stages.

Overall, Ghost Trick is definitely an experience for puzzle gamers, as its interactive puzzles are a blast to play and see how items act differently to try and see how fate plays out when you can manipulate the outcome. Whether you come for the puzzles and stay for the humor or vice versa, this title provides a good amount of content and with a great story and lots of replay value, it would be a hard title to pass up, and with it being on the Nintendo DS, you can take the phantom detective wherever you go, unfortunately poor Sissel spent most of his time either in the bathroom or in bed with me.

Mashbuttons.com gives Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective a 9 out of 10.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is available now for the Nintendo DS.

Etrian Odyssey shows off it combat system

If you are not an RPG fan then this may not be too appealing to you, but for those grinders that love to game on the go and get hours of gameplay with RPG titles, then listen up as I am sure you are wondering how the combat system plays out. Well wonder no more as there is a video short below just for that.

Dragon Quest release due to conquer Rockefeller Plaza

Releasing on July 11th, Dragon Quest IX's stateside release is not something to be taken lightly by RPG fans. If you are in New York on July 10th, you are invited to the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Plaza to experience all that this release has to offer in regards to it's multiplayer and customization. Everyone in attendance will have the opportunity to purchase the title a day in advance but the first 30 fans will get their copy signed by the series creator Yuji Horii.

Etrian Oddyssey III video shorts welcomes newcomers

So you may not be familiar with the Etrian Odyssey series, well Atlus has just released a series of video shorts for those of you. The purpose of the shorts are to help you learn what has occurred over the past two titles, and for the obvious reason to get newcomers to purchase this Nintendo DS title without having experienced the previous entries. Below is the video short for all you devoted and new fans of the fun portable odyssey.

Super Scribblenauts is coming

Announced a few days ago, the sequel to the critical darling that is Scribblenauts, has an official name:

...Super Scribblenauts...

My guess is that Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment (heretofore known as WBIE); or 5TH Cell, the games developer couldn't think of a better moniker to give the creative puzzler, than Super Scribblenauts.  Frankly, sounds like a space-faring adventure, rather than it's actual puzzle based gameplay.  Perhaps what is old is new again, and the newest (lazy) way of naming your sequels is to just put a SUPER in front of it.  Oh we've seen this before, with your Super Metroid's, and your Super Castlevania's, and your Super Bases Loaded, es!

An alternative title we'd propse is:

Scribblenauts 2: The Revenge of the stolen Starites.  There, that's more palatable.

Super Scribblenauts will be available Fall 2010 for Nintendo DS/DSlite/DSi/DSi XL/3DS, etc.

Sonic Classic Collection | Review

Synopsis: Retro and handheld enthusiasts alike will appreciate this review as Sega is taking me back to the nineties with a review copy of Sonic Classic Collection. This title includes the complete original Sonic the Hedgehog adventures on one cartridge, showing the new generation of gamers to the revolutionary for its time classic franchise that had originally appeared on the Sega Genesis. New to the handheld experience in comparison to dusting off the Genesis is a new save feature, allowing the player to save their progress at any time while playing Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Another new ability is the option to play as Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic 2 and 3. With much ado, on with the review.

Praise: With remaking classic titles, it is hard to expect anything more than what you remember from the original, and Sega kept true with the series, by bringing back memories of hours spent with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Dr. Robotnik, and the beloved Green Hill Zone. With the four titles brought back in one cartridge, it is easy to play through the series from start to finish in the nostalgic worlds and levels, and the result being large amounts of replay value. Being able to play as Knuckles in Sonic 2 and 3 is a welcome and new way to play through the classics, while bringing in fresh controls to the old environments. The biggest new feature in my opinion has got to be the ability to save on the fly, for when you only have a few minutes to play or when the flight attendant demands you turn off all electronics until they say otherwise.

Gripes: The downside to remaking a retro title is the outdated graphics and gameplay, which it seems to affect all playable games on this cartridge, especially Sonic and Sonic 2. When I got to points that were familiar and a lot of movement was happening on the screen at once, the gameplay got noticeably choppy and experienced slowdown. Another thing that would have been nice to see in the Classic Collection would have to be some sort of graphical enhancement as these look exactly how they did years ago on the Genesis and seems like they pulled the previous games from their archives, threw them on a cartridge, and put them on store shelves.

Overall, this is a lot of fun to play as all of the previous worlds and levels you had once mastered, quickly come back to you and let’s face it, the original Sonic titles were good clean fun. Whether you grew up on the original games, or are new to the Sonic classics, it is entertaining to play through one of the biggest franchises the helped get video games where they are today.

Mashbuttons.com gives Sonic Classic Collection an 8 out of 10.

Sonic Classic Collection is available now for the Nintendo DS.

Ragnarok DS | Review

Synopsis: The folks over at XSEED wanted to make sure I was nice and busy over the weekend; luckily the title they sent us to review was Ragnarok DS, so I was able to take it with me. Ragnarok DS is based on the MMO title Ragnarok Online and boasts the same gameplay and customization to those who need their fix on the go. You take on the role of Ales, who is looking to make name for himself as an adventurer and eventually starting his own guild. On this path, you encounter dungeons, monsters, heroines in distress, and other party members who help your young adventurer on his unpredictable path. Ragnarok DS introduces a Flexible Character Development System, which allows the player to earn both status and skill points with each level increase to customize character attributes along with skills acquired through the numerous job classes. Weapons and armor are fully customizable and upgradeable by a blacksmith and or effect cards acquired from fallen enemies. Wireless multiplayer is also available via DS Wireless Play or Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing you to team up with two other players to take on the 50 floors of the Tower of Mirages.

Praise: Ragnarok has all the features that you would see in what seems to be a saturated RPG genre for the Nintendo DS. So what sets it apart? Well, there are a number of things through the ten plus hours put in so far, that made me feel that this game was less about constant grinding but more about making your character the baddest in the land. First off, the characters have a lot of personality and aren’t the generic NPC’s seen in similar titles and you are able to adjust their passive actions as needed throughout gameplay. Leveling and grinding is not too tedious as leveling up happens at a good steady rate, without having to grind for hours just to go up a level. Various job classes allow you to make your own unique character, focusing on the skills that suit your play style without the difficulty of trying to figure out new skills and compatible equipment. As far as story goes, it is not the best I have encountered but is solid enough to proceed through and see the ultimate fate of your party. While the story is pretty linear, there are a number of side quests to take on should you want to help those in need and level up without the tedious grinding, this also provides you with effect cards to customize weapons which you WILL spend quite a bit of time doing trying to optimize your party’s full potential.

Gripes: Like most RPG titles or any other game for that matter, there are things that take away from the gameplay and this is no exception. The opening dialogue/tutorial for Ragnarok DS is long and slow, taking about an hour to completely get through, but once you get past the first hour, your patience will be rewarded with all the RPG goodness you originally purchased this title for. The actions are controlled strictly by the stylus, with slashing, circling, and taping enemies to attack and unleash spells. Some may prefer this type of gameplay, but it would start to get uncomfortable holding the DS after extended amounts of play time. Lastly, trying to find where I needed to go to complete missions, and trying to go off of the descriptions, such as head west, really wasn’t helpful, but I would eventually find my destination.

Overall, Ragnarok DS is a deep action RPG which does provide a lot of missions, side missions, and character customization to any fan of the genre. I have not played Ragnarok Online for the PC, so unfortunately I cannot compare it to the original, but after playing this version of Ragnarok, it is easy to see how it has over three million users in the United States alone.

Mashbuttons.com gives Ragnarok DS 7.5 out of 10.

Ragnarok DS is available now for the Nintendo DS.

Ragnarok Goes Gold And Provides Gameplay Trailer As Proof

XSEED games recently announced that their upcoming title Ragnarok DS has gone gold and quickly followed up the announcement with a gameplay trailer. I am all for RPG'ing on the go, but because I have not played Ragnarok Online on the PC, I am reserving judgement until release day. Being that the PC version is enjoyed by over three million US gamers, the DS portable version, which includes multiplayer through Wi-Fi, and judging XSEED's RPG fan base, it should be a hit.

Dementium II pre order poster announced to haunt your dreams

SouthPeak has recently announced that the first thousand people to pre order the survivor horror sequel for the Nintendo DS from Renegade Kid and send in a copy of their receipt to DementiumII@southpeakgames.com will win a Dementium II poster signed by the game's creators. The only restrictions for the offer would be that the title would have to be pre ordered from an authorized retailer, scan or take a picture of the receipt, and send to the above email address. This offer is only available to US and Canada residents and limited to one per household. Dementium II is scheduled for release in February of 2010.

Nostalgia | Review

Synopsis: From the makers of Final Fantasy III and IV for the Nintendo DS, comes their most recent role-playing game, Nostalgia. This title takes place in the 19th century and places the player in a world of treasure hunting, dungeon exploration/battles, and airship battles. You take on the role of Eddie, son of a world famous adventurer who has gone missing, on a mission to find his father. Nostalgia places real world locations into the title such as London, New York, Cairo, Tokyo, South Africa, and Russia, something rarely found in RPG titles.

Praise: The number of missions available from story and character missions to Adventurer’s Association missions provides enough to keep any gamer busy for a long, long time. There is a steep learning curve, which can be rather overwhelming, but the first hour of the game takes you by the hand to ease your way into traveling, fighting, and in depth character development. The graphics and cinematic cut scenes are beautiful for the DS on top of the strong storyline; this title does a great job at making the 19th century world and characters memorable. Battle mechanics and controls, whether it is character or airship battles, are similar to those found in the Final Fantasy remakes, which is a plus as it is something RPG fans will be familiar with while also being easy for newcomers to pick up.

Gripes: Be prepared, at least in the first few hours of the game, are my strongest words of advice. Through the first couple dungeons, it is easy to lose a character or have to restart from the previous save point, due to the random battles, minimal save points, and lack of preparation. A little bit of grinding can prevent this along with making sure you have enough items to keeps hit points on your characters. Lastly, I love a game with a lot to do and that can keep me playing it without blowing through it too quickly, but there may almost be too much to do, making me lose track of the story when spending hours seeking out character and side missions.

Overall, Nostalgia did not pull any punches when creating this game for RPG fans, both old school and new to the genre. This is a great portable game in which if you take your time and explore all that it has to offer, there will not be disappointment. I have saved a little something for the end of my review, which is an open ended playable epilogue. This means that when the final dungeons and bosses are defeated, you are able to continue exploring an open ended epilogue, which the publisher states that it contains “many of the game’s coolest secrets”.

Mashbuttons.com gives Nostalgia a 9 out of 10.

Nostalgia is available now for the Nintendo DS.

Need for Speed Nitro goes gold, Wii and DS fans of the series rejoice

Electronic Arts has not only announced that they newest entry to their hit racer series, Need for Speed, has gone gold...but will also be releasing early on November 3rd in North America and November 6th in Europe. NITRO claims to deliver exciting gameplay, accessible controls, and competitive multiplayer events to Nintendo Wii and DS owners alike, after being crowned by IGN as the Best Racing Game on the Wii and DS at E3 this year.

Also in Need for Speed news today, EA has announced that the series has sold over 100 million copies to date, generating over 2.7 billion dollars from the series.

Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road | Review

Synopsis: Dorothy and Toto are at it again, but this time in RPG form, taking the classic characters on an adventure to help the ominous wizard continue his reign over Oz and ultimately be sent back home to Kansas. The story begins in the same way as the timeless classic film, with a tornado that consumes our pretty little damsel and her loveable dog, sending them to the faraway Land of Oz, where she follows the yellow brick road to team up with the Strawman, Lion, and Tin Man on her journey to the Emerald City. Four witches are trying to take over the fabled land and your task is to help the wizard prevent them from taking over, because if the wizard leaves his castle, he will lose his kingdom to them. This new interpretation the well known story and what happens after the foursome reach the Emerald City is brought to you by Media. Vision, the same team behind the Wild Arms series.

Praise: The new control system is unlike anything previously seen on any other title for the DS and DSi, using a trackball on the touch screen, so that navigation of your character strictly involves the stylus. Movement is based on the direction and speed of interaction with the trackball, and works amazingly well. The turn based combat is easy to learn, while keeping strategy in mind when determining which characters to use against the different types of enemies. Character customization is in place allowing the player to upgrade weapons and clothing to help as they progress through the story and encounter stronger enemies and bosses. The storyline does a great job to keep the player engaged while also providing large amounts of content so one cannot just blow through this title in a few hours. The soundtrack is also something that is not to be missed which is not something I normally do not rave about, but fits well to the gameplay had me remembering tunes from the movie.

Gripes: This title is great for beginners as combat is automated with suggested moves when health gets low, and also determining who each character is to attack. You are able to change your move set, but in most cases, you do not need to. While most will appreciate this type of help, those who want a challenge, will think this assistance takes away from the strategy of completing the game. Beyond the Yellow Brick Road also boasts of innovative graphics superior to previous titles for this console, unfortunately, I was unable to notice a difference from previous high production RPG’s for the DS.

Overall, this trip back to the land of Oz is a strong game that will spend a lot of time in my DS, as I am about ten hours into the game and not even half way to being sent back to Kansas. The new control flows extremely well with no frustration through execution. The characters in which you grew to love in the movie have the same persona and have their own special strengths and weaknesses to ensure they will be in constant rotation, without emphasis and any single character as seen in most RPG’s. Fans of action adventure and role playing genres alike will enjoy picking up this game and not be disappointed in amount of time spent to try and find their way home to Kansas.

Mashbuttons.com gives Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road an 8 out of 10

Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road is available now on the Nintendo DS and DSi.

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

Nostagia trailer looks to the skies

The recent trailer for the new high flying RPG on the DS has been released and full of airship adventure. This airborne exclusive also provides treasure looting, world travel, and random battles. I can't think of any necessary RPG elements left out, so chalk this up as something to put on the playlist.

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.

Renegade Kid is still trying to make me lose sleep

The follow up to the 2007 action horror DS game, Dementium, is in the works and being brought to us by the same dememted mind of Renegade Kid. While not much has been released except that title to be available in 2010, we have gotten screenshots from SouthPeak Games to haunt our dreams.