And so I begin my latest review, for the latest entry in the Metroid series, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
So, let’s get this straight: I don’t go very far back with Metroid. While it was kind of far back for a 12-year-old (I got into it when I was six), the only thing I TRULY go far back on is Sonic the Hedgehog, but that’s a tale told too many times in the history of this site. Still, once I got Metroid Prime, I joined the legions of Metroid fans.
So, how is Metroid Prime 3 compared to its predecessors? Not as good. While still a great game, it has several drawbacks that keep it from being as fun as its predecessors. Still, there are several improvements as well, and I’ll go through those before I get to the more scathing part of the review.
So, I’ll begin with a less important aspect of the game that goes by the name of “The Graphics.” Well, Metroid Prime has always had Xbox 360-esque graphics, with minor improvements in each game, and this is no different. However, the textures are smoother and lighting effects better than in Echoes, so it’s all good. Still, the graphics are not what makes a game…well, a game.
It’s not the story, either, but it’s still a main point in the preliminary outline of a game (sorry, I’ve been studying how to make a research paper in school). Now, Metroid games usually don’t have much plot depth, and more emphasis on the core gameplay. Still, the stories are usually good, especially when they are like the first three Metroid Prime games (the third one is Hunters), in which the story is like chapters in a book, and you have to find the chapters in the game (as Chozo Lore or Pirate Data) to watch the story unfold. That kind of stuff is in Metroid Prime 3, but, outside of the Pirate Homeworld area, it mostly just gives interesting tidbits of a planet’s history. This game has voice acting to tell the story for you! And the voice acting’s not half-bad either! Still, that’s not the story itself, is it?
Basically, Dark Samus is back with a vengeance and begins to send Leviathan Seeds to several planets to corrupt them with the poisonous Phazon substance. Norion is the first victim, but Samus and the other Federation Bounty Hunters destroy it before it can reach the planet’s surface. Unfortunately, that’s not before Dark Samus can blast them with powerful bursts of Phazon and fly off into the distance, her work done…or not. Apparently, the Phazon blasts caused the bounty hunters’ bodies to produce their own Phazon, so Samus and the other hunters (Rundas, Gandrayda, and Ghor) get outfitted with a PED (Phazon Enhancement Device) to utilize this Phazon in their weapon systems, which they had already begun to do with normal Federation Troopers. But in the time that Samus was unconscious (a month, to be exact), Dark Samus had already successfully sent Leviathan Seeds to planets Bryyo and Elysia, and, with the disappearances of Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda, it’s up to Samus to do it. It’s better than the first two games (especially since Echoes was a Zelda Link to the Past rip off), and is overall a cool story.
Another improvement is the beam system. Metroid Prime has usually embraced the original beam-switching system. While I have no problem with that, there’s nothing like the system in which the beams’ attributes pile on top of each other, which started with Super Metroid. Both have special abilities (for instance, the Plasma Beam can melt debris and open orange doors, while the Nova Beam can shoot through Phazite walls and open green doors) that carry over to the other beam, just like Super Metroid.
There are several other items, too, such as the Grapple Lasso. Now, the Grapple Beam has had a huge overhaul since Super Metroid and the first two Metroid Prime games. Previously, its only use was to swing across chasms, but it has several other uses in this game. Of course, the normal function is still present, but you can now use the Grapple Lasso to pull certain objects using the nunchuk. Wayyyyyy later in the game, you get the Grapple Voltage, allowing you to siphon energy from powered clamps (or give them power with your own) and certain enemies (or overload them with your own).
Grapple upgrades aren’t the only items, of course. The Seeker Launcher and Screw Attack reappear from Metroid Prime 2 with the same uses, as does the Ice Missile from Metroid Fusion (since the new beam system would prevent the use of an Ice Beam). The Spider Ball and Boost Ball also reappear, and on a side note, you can now jump in ball form by flicking the Wii Remote upward. There is also a Hazard Shield that allows you to move around in acid rain and Fuel Gel without taking damage. The Super Missiles are gone due to the new beam system, as well as the Power Bombs, but they were relatively useless, anyway. Instead we get something entirely new: the PED Suit.
As you will remember if you read about the story in the review, Samus and the other bounty hunters have been outfitted with a PED, a Phazon Enhancement Device. This is actually incorporated into the gameplay, because everybody loved to use the Phazon Beam in the final bosses of the first two games. Just hold + to enter Hypermode, and then you can use the Phazon Beam until the bar at the top of the screen runs out...except it requires the use of one Energy Tank. There’s not only the Phazon Beam, though. Every time you destroy a Leviathan Seed, you get another Phazon-based power, such as the Hyper Ball (which replace the Bombs with electricity while in Hypermode, similar to Trace’s bomb variant in Hunters), the Hyper Missile, which allows you to use Phazon Missiles, and the Hyper Grapple, which allows you to overload things with Phazon energy with the Grapple Beam.
Samus’s ship is also put to further use. You now have the Command Visor, which allows you to…well, command your ship. You will obtain the Ship Missiles and Ship Grapple Beam throughout the course of the game, which are actually put to good use. You also find several landing sites where you can use your ship to save and recharge. And of course, what better use would there be than traveling from planet to planet?
There are also achievements, similar to a 360 game (they’re actually Credits, but I call them achievements), and you get them when you do something special, scan a creature, scan a piece of lore, beat a boss, or send Friend Vouchers.
But it’s not all fine and dandy in the world of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. There are a couple of flaws that need to be recognized. While you may know me as the “Supreme Overrater of Games,” (Sonic Next-Gen, Shadow the Hedgehog) I do believe this game is a fair bit overrated. That’s not to say it’s not great, as I do like this game very much, but it’s not as great as its Metroid Prime and Echoes for a few reason. For one thing, the game is way too linear. The level design is much more linear than in previous games, and the game simply just walks you through it on its own, telling you to “do this thing” with little exploration. This could be attributed to the interplanetary travel, as they had to design several entire planets (which sadly are only slightly bigger than the normal areas in the past two games, which were about as big as the United States if you think of going through a door in southern Virginia and coming out in Maryland). Of course, there’s still hunting for items, but they still don't add much exploration to the game.
The game is also far too short. Now, Metroid games are always short, but they’re usually so big that they don’t feel that way. But this and Metroid Zero Mission are the only ones that leave you begging for more after you complete them. Y’know, it kinda gives me the feeling that they rushed Corruption so they could get it out in time to compete with Halo 3, which is very likely (there are also several Halo 2 ripoffs in the beginning of the game, but that’s a different story). At least it lets you replay the game with all of your Logbook scans and on Hypermode (the hardest difficulty).
So, yes, it’s not as good as its predecessors, and is somewhat overrated, but it’s still a truly great game and should be bought by any Metroid fan.
So What’s Good?
+ The graphics
+ The voice acting
+ The story
+ The beam system
+ The items
+ The addition of the PED Suit, which allows you to use Phazon attacks
+ The uses of Samus’s ship
+ The addition of achievements
+ The replayability
…But Then What’s Bad?
- The game is too linear
- It’s way too short
- There are too many Halo 2 ripoffs in the beginning of the game
So What Are the Words?
Graphics: Pure Greatness!! Not very much improved, but it was already awesome to start with.
Story: Awesome! The voice acting is a nice touch, and the story itself is cool, too.
Gameplay: Awesome! Too short and linear, but there are too many improvements for a lower Word.
Final Word: Awesome! It’s overrated, but it’s overall a great game anyway.
So, let’s get this straight: I don’t go very far back with Metroid. While it was kind of far back for a 12-year-old (I got into it when I was six), the only thing I TRULY go far back on is Sonic the Hedgehog, but that’s a tale told too many times in the history of this site. Still, once I got Metroid Prime, I joined the legions of Metroid fans.
So, how is Metroid Prime 3 compared to its predecessors? Not as good. While still a great game, it has several drawbacks that keep it from being as fun as its predecessors. Still, there are several improvements as well, and I’ll go through those before I get to the more scathing part of the review.
So, I’ll begin with a less important aspect of the game that goes by the name of “The Graphics.” Well, Metroid Prime has always had Xbox 360-esque graphics, with minor improvements in each game, and this is no different. However, the textures are smoother and lighting effects better than in Echoes, so it’s all good. Still, the graphics are not what makes a game…well, a game.
It’s not the story, either, but it’s still a main point in the preliminary outline of a game (sorry, I’ve been studying how to make a research paper in school). Now, Metroid games usually don’t have much plot depth, and more emphasis on the core gameplay. Still, the stories are usually good, especially when they are like the first three Metroid Prime games (the third one is Hunters), in which the story is like chapters in a book, and you have to find the chapters in the game (as Chozo Lore or Pirate Data) to watch the story unfold. That kind of stuff is in Metroid Prime 3, but, outside of the Pirate Homeworld area, it mostly just gives interesting tidbits of a planet’s history. This game has voice acting to tell the story for you! And the voice acting’s not half-bad either! Still, that’s not the story itself, is it?
Basically, Dark Samus is back with a vengeance and begins to send Leviathan Seeds to several planets to corrupt them with the poisonous Phazon substance. Norion is the first victim, but Samus and the other Federation Bounty Hunters destroy it before it can reach the planet’s surface. Unfortunately, that’s not before Dark Samus can blast them with powerful bursts of Phazon and fly off into the distance, her work done…or not. Apparently, the Phazon blasts caused the bounty hunters’ bodies to produce their own Phazon, so Samus and the other hunters (Rundas, Gandrayda, and Ghor) get outfitted with a PED (Phazon Enhancement Device) to utilize this Phazon in their weapon systems, which they had already begun to do with normal Federation Troopers. But in the time that Samus was unconscious (a month, to be exact), Dark Samus had already successfully sent Leviathan Seeds to planets Bryyo and Elysia, and, with the disappearances of Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda, it’s up to Samus to do it. It’s better than the first two games (especially since Echoes was a Zelda Link to the Past rip off), and is overall a cool story.
Another improvement is the beam system. Metroid Prime has usually embraced the original beam-switching system. While I have no problem with that, there’s nothing like the system in which the beams’ attributes pile on top of each other, which started with Super Metroid. Both have special abilities (for instance, the Plasma Beam can melt debris and open orange doors, while the Nova Beam can shoot through Phazite walls and open green doors) that carry over to the other beam, just like Super Metroid.
There are several other items, too, such as the Grapple Lasso. Now, the Grapple Beam has had a huge overhaul since Super Metroid and the first two Metroid Prime games. Previously, its only use was to swing across chasms, but it has several other uses in this game. Of course, the normal function is still present, but you can now use the Grapple Lasso to pull certain objects using the nunchuk. Wayyyyyy later in the game, you get the Grapple Voltage, allowing you to siphon energy from powered clamps (or give them power with your own) and certain enemies (or overload them with your own).
Grapple upgrades aren’t the only items, of course. The Seeker Launcher and Screw Attack reappear from Metroid Prime 2 with the same uses, as does the Ice Missile from Metroid Fusion (since the new beam system would prevent the use of an Ice Beam). The Spider Ball and Boost Ball also reappear, and on a side note, you can now jump in ball form by flicking the Wii Remote upward. There is also a Hazard Shield that allows you to move around in acid rain and Fuel Gel without taking damage. The Super Missiles are gone due to the new beam system, as well as the Power Bombs, but they were relatively useless, anyway. Instead we get something entirely new: the PED Suit.
As you will remember if you read about the story in the review, Samus and the other bounty hunters have been outfitted with a PED, a Phazon Enhancement Device. This is actually incorporated into the gameplay, because everybody loved to use the Phazon Beam in the final bosses of the first two games. Just hold + to enter Hypermode, and then you can use the Phazon Beam until the bar at the top of the screen runs out...except it requires the use of one Energy Tank. There’s not only the Phazon Beam, though. Every time you destroy a Leviathan Seed, you get another Phazon-based power, such as the Hyper Ball (which replace the Bombs with electricity while in Hypermode, similar to Trace’s bomb variant in Hunters), the Hyper Missile, which allows you to use Phazon Missiles, and the Hyper Grapple, which allows you to overload things with Phazon energy with the Grapple Beam.
Samus’s ship is also put to further use. You now have the Command Visor, which allows you to…well, command your ship. You will obtain the Ship Missiles and Ship Grapple Beam throughout the course of the game, which are actually put to good use. You also find several landing sites where you can use your ship to save and recharge. And of course, what better use would there be than traveling from planet to planet?
There are also achievements, similar to a 360 game (they’re actually Credits, but I call them achievements), and you get them when you do something special, scan a creature, scan a piece of lore, beat a boss, or send Friend Vouchers.
But it’s not all fine and dandy in the world of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. There are a couple of flaws that need to be recognized. While you may know me as the “Supreme Overrater of Games,” (Sonic Next-Gen, Shadow the Hedgehog) I do believe this game is a fair bit overrated. That’s not to say it’s not great, as I do like this game very much, but it’s not as great as its Metroid Prime and Echoes for a few reason. For one thing, the game is way too linear. The level design is much more linear than in previous games, and the game simply just walks you through it on its own, telling you to “do this thing” with little exploration. This could be attributed to the interplanetary travel, as they had to design several entire planets (which sadly are only slightly bigger than the normal areas in the past two games, which were about as big as the United States if you think of going through a door in southern Virginia and coming out in Maryland). Of course, there’s still hunting for items, but they still don't add much exploration to the game.
The game is also far too short. Now, Metroid games are always short, but they’re usually so big that they don’t feel that way. But this and Metroid Zero Mission are the only ones that leave you begging for more after you complete them. Y’know, it kinda gives me the feeling that they rushed Corruption so they could get it out in time to compete with Halo 3, which is very likely (there are also several Halo 2 ripoffs in the beginning of the game, but that’s a different story). At least it lets you replay the game with all of your Logbook scans and on Hypermode (the hardest difficulty).
So, yes, it’s not as good as its predecessors, and is somewhat overrated, but it’s still a truly great game and should be bought by any Metroid fan.
So What’s Good?
+ The graphics
+ The voice acting
+ The story
+ The beam system
+ The items
+ The addition of the PED Suit, which allows you to use Phazon attacks
+ The uses of Samus’s ship
+ The addition of achievements
+ The replayability
…But Then What’s Bad?
- The game is too linear
- It’s way too short
- There are too many Halo 2 ripoffs in the beginning of the game
So What Are the Words?
Graphics: Pure Greatness!! Not very much improved, but it was already awesome to start with.
Story: Awesome! The voice acting is a nice touch, and the story itself is cool, too.
Gameplay: Awesome! Too short and linear, but there are too many improvements for a lower Word.
Final Word: Awesome! It’s overrated, but it’s overall a great game anyway.
Well, it’s February now; about four months since Guitar Hero 3 launched, almost a year since Rocks the 80’s, over a year since Guitar Hero 2, and two years since the original game, from whence all of this began, and now we have Guitar Hero 4 and some kind of Aerosmith game to look forward to. I don’t own Rocks the 80’s or Guitar Hero 1 (though I want the original game and might get Rocks the 80’s as well since I’ll already have a PS2 guitar), so I can only compare the two that I own: Guitar Hero 2 and 3. I’m also reviewing, so I’ll talk about an aspect of Guitar Hero 2 and then talk about that same aspect of Guitar Hero 3 and its improvements and…well…unimprovements. I’ll also be using different Words, just so ya know.
So, let’s begin with a less important aspect before we get into the bigger stuff, such as the graphics. Well, Guitar Hero 2 has cartoony, shiny graphics that are well-suited for its type of game. The menus look fine, the buttons look fine, the counters look fine…it all looks fine. But not exactly “great.” But for a music and rhythm game, we don’t need the graphics to be “great.” Still, it is nice when the graphics are “great…”
As for Guitar Hero 3, we have a different, more realistic, yet still cel-shaded and “rock-like” graphics that are overall better. In fact, the singer’s lips match with the song! Totally awesome, dude! Too bad they made him look REALLY ugly. The guitarist’s strumming also matches…but I think they also did that in GH2. It’s still cool, though. The fret icons also look cooler, and the hammer-ons are more distinguishable from normal notes.
Guitar Hero 2 Graphics: OK, I Guess…
Guitar Hero 3 Graphics: Grrrrr-ate!
Now, there’s the matter of character selection. There’s only one reason this matters: Slash, of Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s Snake Pit, and Velvet Revolver fame.
Yep, that’s right. Slash is a playable character in Guitar Hero 3. If you don’t think that’s even MODERATELY cool, then…well, you just don’t like anything. It’s just that sweet. In fact, he and Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave fame) are the only relatively cool characters in the game. Izzy Sparks had his day in GH2, but when they destroyed his looks…only Slash and Tom Morello were left.
Guitar Hero 2 Selection: Izzy Only
Guitar Hero 3 Selection: Slash-Tastic!
Because all Guitar Hero games have the same core gameplay, technically they’re equal in this aspect. Still, I’ll overview for those who know nothing about Guitar Hero.
Basically, you play with a guitar-shaped controller with five fret buttons, a strum bar, and a whammy bar and play several REAL songs. To hit most notes, you press a fret button and press the strum bar down, but sometimes there are long notes in which you need to hold the fret button down, during which you can use the whammy bar to make the note sound different.
While they are both equal in truth, the new graphical style of GH3 seems to make the game feel overall better to play…but that’s not relevant.
So, anyway, let’s get to the only aspect of a Guitar Hero game aside from core gameplay that’s truly important: the song selection. Now, GH2 has its fair share of winners: Sweet Child O’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses), Dead (My Chemical Romance), Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’ (Rolling Stones), Woman (Wolfmother)…the list just goes on. Heck, the bonus songs are mostly crap, but they were compassionate enough to put in Push Push Lady Lightning (by Bang Camaro) and Monkey Wrench (by Foo Fighters) in it!
But then you have GH3. Now, while GH2 DOES have a lot of really cool stuff, a lot of stuff on it is disturbingly mediocre (I’m looking at you, Jessica and Message in a Bottle), ESPECIALLY the bonus songs, which are only there because the creators had some extra money on hand and decided just to get rid of it. And then there are the classic and 80’s rock songs, and yet a LOT are hardly ANY good. But look at the bonus songs and classic and 80’s rock songs on GH3. All of it but a few (i.e. Black Magic Woman, Talk Dirty to Me) are awesome!
Now, there are many songs that were made by the same band as some that were on GH2, and we’ll need to compare those. Now, let’s start with a couple of better-known ones, Sweet Child O’ Mine and Welcome to the Jungle (Guns N’ Roses). Well, to put things lightly: I don’t like the Sweet Child O’ Mine cover that they used for GH2. But they did things right with Welcome to the Jungle by allowing Axl Rose to continue to sing HIS songs! So, Welcome to the Jungle wins. Now, we must compare Life Wasted to Even Flow (Pearl Jam). Well, Life Wasted isn’t that great, so Even Flow wins! YAY!!!!!! Then there’s Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’ vs. Paint It Black. Well…Paint It Black is just better...
But it’s not all comparisons. There are also great newcomers although I can’t list them right off the top of my head. Of course, Through Fire and Flames is a wonderful addition from rising star Dragonforce. Since Bang Camaro became more popular with Push Push Lady Lightning’s inclusion on GH2, this CERTAINLY won’t harm their popularity at all. Plus, the song is H-A-R-D!!! Now, I’m kind of mediocre at Guitar Hero, so I usually like to stay on Medium. BUT in Through Fire and Flames, even on Medium, your arm will nearly fall off and the tension will nearly put you in a coma. But, it’s an awesome song, at the very least...
So, overall, Guitar Hero 3 is better than its predecessor. I can’t compare the two Rage Against the Machine songs because I forget what the one in GH2 was. But Bulls on Parade is MUCH better. Yet, their rock-rap style isn't very...appealing to me. I'm gradually growing more fond of them, though. Maybe as time goes by...
Guitar Hero 3 Wins
So, let’s begin with a less important aspect before we get into the bigger stuff, such as the graphics. Well, Guitar Hero 2 has cartoony, shiny graphics that are well-suited for its type of game. The menus look fine, the buttons look fine, the counters look fine…it all looks fine. But not exactly “great.” But for a music and rhythm game, we don’t need the graphics to be “great.” Still, it is nice when the graphics are “great…”
As for Guitar Hero 3, we have a different, more realistic, yet still cel-shaded and “rock-like” graphics that are overall better. In fact, the singer’s lips match with the song! Totally awesome, dude! Too bad they made him look REALLY ugly. The guitarist’s strumming also matches…but I think they also did that in GH2. It’s still cool, though. The fret icons also look cooler, and the hammer-ons are more distinguishable from normal notes.
Guitar Hero 2 Graphics: OK, I Guess…
Guitar Hero 3 Graphics: Grrrrr-ate!
Now, there’s the matter of character selection. There’s only one reason this matters: Slash, of Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s Snake Pit, and Velvet Revolver fame.
Yep, that’s right. Slash is a playable character in Guitar Hero 3. If you don’t think that’s even MODERATELY cool, then…well, you just don’t like anything. It’s just that sweet. In fact, he and Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave fame) are the only relatively cool characters in the game. Izzy Sparks had his day in GH2, but when they destroyed his looks…only Slash and Tom Morello were left.
Guitar Hero 2 Selection: Izzy Only
Guitar Hero 3 Selection: Slash-Tastic!
Because all Guitar Hero games have the same core gameplay, technically they’re equal in this aspect. Still, I’ll overview for those who know nothing about Guitar Hero.
Basically, you play with a guitar-shaped controller with five fret buttons, a strum bar, and a whammy bar and play several REAL songs. To hit most notes, you press a fret button and press the strum bar down, but sometimes there are long notes in which you need to hold the fret button down, during which you can use the whammy bar to make the note sound different.
While they are both equal in truth, the new graphical style of GH3 seems to make the game feel overall better to play…but that’s not relevant.
So, anyway, let’s get to the only aspect of a Guitar Hero game aside from core gameplay that’s truly important: the song selection. Now, GH2 has its fair share of winners: Sweet Child O’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses), Dead (My Chemical Romance), Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’ (Rolling Stones), Woman (Wolfmother)…the list just goes on. Heck, the bonus songs are mostly crap, but they were compassionate enough to put in Push Push Lady Lightning (by Bang Camaro) and Monkey Wrench (by Foo Fighters) in it!
But then you have GH3. Now, while GH2 DOES have a lot of really cool stuff, a lot of stuff on it is disturbingly mediocre (I’m looking at you, Jessica and Message in a Bottle), ESPECIALLY the bonus songs, which are only there because the creators had some extra money on hand and decided just to get rid of it. And then there are the classic and 80’s rock songs, and yet a LOT are hardly ANY good. But look at the bonus songs and classic and 80’s rock songs on GH3. All of it but a few (i.e. Black Magic Woman, Talk Dirty to Me) are awesome!
Now, there are many songs that were made by the same band as some that were on GH2, and we’ll need to compare those. Now, let’s start with a couple of better-known ones, Sweet Child O’ Mine and Welcome to the Jungle (Guns N’ Roses). Well, to put things lightly: I don’t like the Sweet Child O’ Mine cover that they used for GH2. But they did things right with Welcome to the Jungle by allowing Axl Rose to continue to sing HIS songs! So, Welcome to the Jungle wins. Now, we must compare Life Wasted to Even Flow (Pearl Jam). Well, Life Wasted isn’t that great, so Even Flow wins! YAY!!!!!! Then there’s Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’ vs. Paint It Black. Well…Paint It Black is just better...
But it’s not all comparisons. There are also great newcomers although I can’t list them right off the top of my head. Of course, Through Fire and Flames is a wonderful addition from rising star Dragonforce. Since Bang Camaro became more popular with Push Push Lady Lightning’s inclusion on GH2, this CERTAINLY won’t harm their popularity at all. Plus, the song is H-A-R-D!!! Now, I’m kind of mediocre at Guitar Hero, so I usually like to stay on Medium. BUT in Through Fire and Flames, even on Medium, your arm will nearly fall off and the tension will nearly put you in a coma. But, it’s an awesome song, at the very least...
So, overall, Guitar Hero 3 is better than its predecessor. I can’t compare the two Rage Against the Machine songs because I forget what the one in GH2 was. But Bulls on Parade is MUCH better. Yet, their rock-rap style isn't very...appealing to me. I'm gradually growing more fond of them, though. Maybe as time goes by...
Guitar Hero 3 Wins
The Wii’s Virtual Console feature, accessed through the Wii Shop Channel. It’s an educational feature designed to teach kids what gaming was like when their parents were kids…with a fee, of course. The currency? Wii Points. You buy them at a game store of any kind, and take them home and redeem them on your Wii! Of course, interested in classic gaming, I bought two Super Nintendo games that go by the aliases of Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Let’s face it folks: kids my age don’t easily adjust to old games. I grew up on 3-D gaming, not 2-D sprites. When I played the original Metroid (for NES), I didn’t like it very much at all. And yet I simply ADORE Metroid: Zero Mission. And my cousin doesn’t even like the original Zelda and Mario games! I DO like those (well…Zelda 1 and the Mario games at least. I guess Zelda 2 is ok…), but the later entries (and remakes in Mario’s case) have been FAR better.
And yet Super Nintendo games are always as good as people claim. Not only do I love Super Metroid, but it also completes my Metroid collection, since I bought Metroid II: Return of Samus on the same day, and is also my favorite 2-D Metroid, and, should the Prime games have not existed, would be my VERY favorite.
“T3h St4t10n W5z Und3r 4tt4ck!”
The game actually gets off to a great start, surpassed only by the openings of the Prime games. Samus Aran has brought the baby Metroid she found on SR388 to the Federation for testing. It was found that they could harness its energy for the good of mankind! Satisfied, Samus left. But she had hardly passed the asteroid belt when…
T3h St4t10n W5z 5nd3r 4tt4ck!
She races back, and you get to play! After passing through several deserted rooms (although one inhabited by dead bodies…), you find the baby Metroid…and Ridley. After an epic battle (or maybe not so epic), Ridley takes off with the baby Metroid! Oh crap.
But at least that’s where the rest of the game kicks off. Samus will chase Ridley down to the surface of Planet Zebes (anyone else think it sounds like Metroid Prime?), and pretty soon, you’ll be right back in that classic Brinstar area collecting the Morphing Ball (which will hereon be referred to as the Morph Ball since that’s its modern name).
Morph Ball Acquired
Of course, the Morph Ball isn’t the only thing you’ll be getting, cause what fun would that be? Super Metroid actually introduced several items that would appear in many later entries in the series. While the Grappling Beam (known as the Grapple Beam in later games) and X-Ray Scope (known as the X-Ray Visor in later games) would only appear in the Metroid Prime games afterward (and you can understand why, as these items are a bit awkward, yet still fun to use, in 2-D), such items as the Super Missiles, Speed Booster, Space Jump, Hi-Jump Boots, Spring Ball (connected to the Hi-Jump Boots in later games), Power Bombs, Charge Beam, Plasma Beam, Gravity Suit, etc. would appear in the later 2-D titles, Metroid: Fusion and Metroid: Zero Mission (although Super Missiles in Fusion were just your normal Missiles powered up and would be used in place of the normal ones).
Another feature that was new when this game came out was the ability of the beam weapons to pile on top of each other, rather than being interchangeable like in Metroids 1 and 2, and this feature would also later appear in Fusion and Zero Mission. I mean, after all, the boring old Power Beam can’t last ya forever, can it? Thus, you can get the Charge Beam in Brinstar, and after getting the Hi-Jump Boots in Norfair (or getting good at Wall Jumping), you can get the Spazer, a beam upgrade that gives the Power Beam a wider range, although both are optional. Later, after beating Kraid and getting the Varia Suit, you can explore more of Norfair and collect the Wave and Ice Beams. Best of all, all of these beams add each other’s function. When you get the Wave Beam, the Spazer effect is added to the Wave Beam, and when you get the Ice Beam, the ice effect is added to the Wave and Spazer Beams. You can also take some beam abilities off to use some secret attacks once you get the Power Bombs, but they’re not really that great.
Metroid games have always been characterized by exploration, and this game is no different. In fact, I can hardly get around without a walkthrough! There are several areas on Planet Zebes, each chock-full of items and exploration. Most are new areas, but the ones that appeared in the original Metroid are COMPLETELY different. While the room in Brinstar where you obtained the Morph Ball is still present, the rest of Brinstar is characterized by a dense, pink jungle, a red, reactor-like setting, and, of course--Kraid’s hideout! Norfair has the same terrain, but different setup, and there is another area here known as Lower Norfair where Ridley has made his home. Tourian is just the same--Mother Brain’s home and overrun by Metroids. As for the new areas, Crateria is mostly just there as a landing site for your ship, getting the Bombs, and entering the Wrecked Ship, but Maridia is an aquatic wonderland where you find one of the four main bosses AND the Space Jump! The Wrecked Ship also has one of the four main bosses--and it’s a ghost, WAAAAAAA!!!
And as always, I’ll speak of the graphics and sound before I end the review. The graphics are, simply put, and in a word: beautiful. You’ll wonder why Samus’s normal Power Suit is yellow instead of orange (I think it’s so the Varia Suit would have a more distinctive look…or the SNES couldn’t animate a light orange), but she moves so fluidly. Every animation is perfect, and the backgrounds are also beautiful. In fact, it might be the best-looking SNES game ever! The music sometimes seems to be fully composed (Brinstar), or using normal MIDI music (Norfair), and yet even the MIDI music is great. The sound effects are also normal SNES MIDI, but who cares about sound effects anyway?
And thus, I must give this game a Pure Greatness Word. It is the best 2-D Metroid, no questions asked. To say anything bad about it would be to bash it for no reason whatsoever. So, buy it--it’s worth your eight dollars (800 Wii Points).
So What’s Good?
+ The story
+ The wealth of items
+ The beam system
+ The exploration
+ The graphics are the best of the SNES
+ Sweet soundtrack
…But Then What’s Bad?
- Nothing. At all.
So What Are the Words?
Story: Awesome! I say and I quote, “T3h St4t10n W5z 5nder 4tt4ck!”
Gameplay: Pure Greatness!! The vast inventory and exploration make this game a winner!
Graphics: Pure Greatness!! The best on the SNES. Period. [literally]
Music: Awesome! Samus is as free as a bird now. AND THIS BIRD YOU CANNOT CHANGE!!!
Final Word: Pure Greatness!! The best 2-D Metroid, and again: period.
Let’s face it folks: kids my age don’t easily adjust to old games. I grew up on 3-D gaming, not 2-D sprites. When I played the original Metroid (for NES), I didn’t like it very much at all. And yet I simply ADORE Metroid: Zero Mission. And my cousin doesn’t even like the original Zelda and Mario games! I DO like those (well…Zelda 1 and the Mario games at least. I guess Zelda 2 is ok…), but the later entries (and remakes in Mario’s case) have been FAR better.
And yet Super Nintendo games are always as good as people claim. Not only do I love Super Metroid, but it also completes my Metroid collection, since I bought Metroid II: Return of Samus on the same day, and is also my favorite 2-D Metroid, and, should the Prime games have not existed, would be my VERY favorite.
“T3h St4t10n W5z Und3r 4tt4ck!”
The game actually gets off to a great start, surpassed only by the openings of the Prime games. Samus Aran has brought the baby Metroid she found on SR388 to the Federation for testing. It was found that they could harness its energy for the good of mankind! Satisfied, Samus left. But she had hardly passed the asteroid belt when…
T3h St4t10n W5z 5nd3r 4tt4ck!
She races back, and you get to play! After passing through several deserted rooms (although one inhabited by dead bodies…), you find the baby Metroid…and Ridley. After an epic battle (or maybe not so epic), Ridley takes off with the baby Metroid! Oh crap.
But at least that’s where the rest of the game kicks off. Samus will chase Ridley down to the surface of Planet Zebes (anyone else think it sounds like Metroid Prime?), and pretty soon, you’ll be right back in that classic Brinstar area collecting the Morphing Ball (which will hereon be referred to as the Morph Ball since that’s its modern name).
Morph Ball Acquired
Of course, the Morph Ball isn’t the only thing you’ll be getting, cause what fun would that be? Super Metroid actually introduced several items that would appear in many later entries in the series. While the Grappling Beam (known as the Grapple Beam in later games) and X-Ray Scope (known as the X-Ray Visor in later games) would only appear in the Metroid Prime games afterward (and you can understand why, as these items are a bit awkward, yet still fun to use, in 2-D), such items as the Super Missiles, Speed Booster, Space Jump, Hi-Jump Boots, Spring Ball (connected to the Hi-Jump Boots in later games), Power Bombs, Charge Beam, Plasma Beam, Gravity Suit, etc. would appear in the later 2-D titles, Metroid: Fusion and Metroid: Zero Mission (although Super Missiles in Fusion were just your normal Missiles powered up and would be used in place of the normal ones).
Another feature that was new when this game came out was the ability of the beam weapons to pile on top of each other, rather than being interchangeable like in Metroids 1 and 2, and this feature would also later appear in Fusion and Zero Mission. I mean, after all, the boring old Power Beam can’t last ya forever, can it? Thus, you can get the Charge Beam in Brinstar, and after getting the Hi-Jump Boots in Norfair (or getting good at Wall Jumping), you can get the Spazer, a beam upgrade that gives the Power Beam a wider range, although both are optional. Later, after beating Kraid and getting the Varia Suit, you can explore more of Norfair and collect the Wave and Ice Beams. Best of all, all of these beams add each other’s function. When you get the Wave Beam, the Spazer effect is added to the Wave Beam, and when you get the Ice Beam, the ice effect is added to the Wave and Spazer Beams. You can also take some beam abilities off to use some secret attacks once you get the Power Bombs, but they’re not really that great.
Metroid games have always been characterized by exploration, and this game is no different. In fact, I can hardly get around without a walkthrough! There are several areas on Planet Zebes, each chock-full of items and exploration. Most are new areas, but the ones that appeared in the original Metroid are COMPLETELY different. While the room in Brinstar where you obtained the Morph Ball is still present, the rest of Brinstar is characterized by a dense, pink jungle, a red, reactor-like setting, and, of course--Kraid’s hideout! Norfair has the same terrain, but different setup, and there is another area here known as Lower Norfair where Ridley has made his home. Tourian is just the same--Mother Brain’s home and overrun by Metroids. As for the new areas, Crateria is mostly just there as a landing site for your ship, getting the Bombs, and entering the Wrecked Ship, but Maridia is an aquatic wonderland where you find one of the four main bosses AND the Space Jump! The Wrecked Ship also has one of the four main bosses--and it’s a ghost, WAAAAAAA!!!
And as always, I’ll speak of the graphics and sound before I end the review. The graphics are, simply put, and in a word: beautiful. You’ll wonder why Samus’s normal Power Suit is yellow instead of orange (I think it’s so the Varia Suit would have a more distinctive look…or the SNES couldn’t animate a light orange), but she moves so fluidly. Every animation is perfect, and the backgrounds are also beautiful. In fact, it might be the best-looking SNES game ever! The music sometimes seems to be fully composed (Brinstar), or using normal MIDI music (Norfair), and yet even the MIDI music is great. The sound effects are also normal SNES MIDI, but who cares about sound effects anyway?
And thus, I must give this game a Pure Greatness Word. It is the best 2-D Metroid, no questions asked. To say anything bad about it would be to bash it for no reason whatsoever. So, buy it--it’s worth your eight dollars (800 Wii Points).
So What’s Good?
+ The story
+ The wealth of items
+ The beam system
+ The exploration
+ The graphics are the best of the SNES
+ Sweet soundtrack
…But Then What’s Bad?
- Nothing. At all.
So What Are the Words?
Story: Awesome! I say and I quote, “T3h St4t10n W5z 5nder 4tt4ck!”
Gameplay: Pure Greatness!! The vast inventory and exploration make this game a winner!
Graphics: Pure Greatness!! The best on the SNES. Period. [literally]
Music: Awesome! Samus is as free as a bird now. AND THIS BIRD YOU CANNOT CHANGE!!!
Final Word: Pure Greatness!! The best 2-D Metroid, and again: period.
I hate digging holes! Thankfully, no one’s ever made me dig one! But that’s not the case at Camp Green Lake… (Oh, and just so ya know, this is a review for the book, not the movie. I love the movie, too, though.)
So, let’s begin with Stanley Yelnats (notice his last name is his first name spelled backwards), a lower middle-class boy who was walking in the street one day when…AWFUL-SMELLING SNEAKERS BEGIN FALLING FROM THE SKY!!! ZOMG!!!!! But it turns out they were the sneakers of famous baseball player “Sweet Feet” Clyde Livingston (whose feet apparently don’t SMELL so sweet), so Stanley, who had unknowingly begun to take them to his father (who was working on a way to recycle sneakers), was taken to court. His parents couldn’t afford a lawyer, and thought he would just tell the truth. Unfortunately for Stanley, the truth wasn’t very credible, and he was given two options: go to jail, or spend eighteen months at Camp Green Lake. Stanley, having never been to camp before, chose Camp Green Lake.
Did he make the right choice?
You would think that the name “Camp Green Lake” would imply that there is a lake there, right? Wrong. It’s actually the arid remains of a dried-up lake…and a dried-up town, too. Now, the only things living there are rattlesnakes, yellow-spotted lizards, Mr. Sir (yes…Mr. Sir), the Warden, Mr. Pendanski, (a camp counselor, and there are probably others, too, but he’s the only one mentioned since every Group has a counselor and Stanley is in Group D) and the temporary settlement of a group juveniles who have broken the law in various ways. Now, how does Camp Green Lake work as far as reforming children goes? Digging holes all day in the hot sun. Five feet deep, five feet wide. Of course, if any of them find something, they should report it to either Mr. Sir or Mr. Pendanski and if the Warden likes it, they get the entire day off. But once Stanley finds something and gives it to one of his delinquent buddies, it becomes clear that they’re not digging holes just as punishment--it’s that, and obviously, the Warden is trying to find something, but what?
And that’s just what you’ll find out when you read the book.
Final Word: Awesome! It’s not as good as Eragon, but it’s one of my favorite books nonetheless.
Coming Up Next… Look out for my review of the Virtual Console version of Super Metroid.
So, let’s begin with Stanley Yelnats (notice his last name is his first name spelled backwards), a lower middle-class boy who was walking in the street one day when…AWFUL-SMELLING SNEAKERS BEGIN FALLING FROM THE SKY!!! ZOMG!!!!! But it turns out they were the sneakers of famous baseball player “Sweet Feet” Clyde Livingston (whose feet apparently don’t SMELL so sweet), so Stanley, who had unknowingly begun to take them to his father (who was working on a way to recycle sneakers), was taken to court. His parents couldn’t afford a lawyer, and thought he would just tell the truth. Unfortunately for Stanley, the truth wasn’t very credible, and he was given two options: go to jail, or spend eighteen months at Camp Green Lake. Stanley, having never been to camp before, chose Camp Green Lake.
Did he make the right choice?
You would think that the name “Camp Green Lake” would imply that there is a lake there, right? Wrong. It’s actually the arid remains of a dried-up lake…and a dried-up town, too. Now, the only things living there are rattlesnakes, yellow-spotted lizards, Mr. Sir (yes…Mr. Sir), the Warden, Mr. Pendanski, (a camp counselor, and there are probably others, too, but he’s the only one mentioned since every Group has a counselor and Stanley is in Group D) and the temporary settlement of a group juveniles who have broken the law in various ways. Now, how does Camp Green Lake work as far as reforming children goes? Digging holes all day in the hot sun. Five feet deep, five feet wide. Of course, if any of them find something, they should report it to either Mr. Sir or Mr. Pendanski and if the Warden likes it, they get the entire day off. But once Stanley finds something and gives it to one of his delinquent buddies, it becomes clear that they’re not digging holes just as punishment--it’s that, and obviously, the Warden is trying to find something, but what?
And that’s just what you’ll find out when you read the book.
Final Word: Awesome! It’s not as good as Eragon, but it’s one of my favorite books nonetheless.
Coming Up Next… Look out for my review of the Virtual Console version of Super Metroid.
…Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty…
Classic songs, like Paradise City, by Guns n’ Roses, deserve to be in games that will one day be hailed as classics themselves. While the song has not as of yet made it onto Guitar Hero, it managed to weasel its way into a brand-new driving game that goes by the alias of Burnout: Paradise.
How do I know this? Why, because I bought the game, of course! For my twelfth birthday, actually. Along with Super Dragon Ball Z, Shenmue II (which just happened to be an edition that came with Shenmue the Movie), a glass diamond that looked like a green Chaos Emerald (which I bought because it was cool…and cheap…), Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, 2000 Wii Points (which I used to buy Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past), Metroid II: Return of Samus, (which officially completes my Metroid collection because I got Metroid Prime 3 and Super Metroid!) giant wooden replicas of the Buster Sword and Gunblade from Final Fantasies VII and VIII, respectively (which are probably the most awesome things I’ve ever bought!), and a wooden replica of the Master Sword (which is also awesome) and Guitar Hero 3 are on their way from Amazon, which is also where I preordered Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which, sadly, was delayed until March 9 (CURSE YOU, NINTENDO!!!). But this is a review, not an overview of my birthday presents! So let’s get on with it.
Oh, won’t you please take me ho-ome…
It’s fast. It’s furious. It’s the Burnout series and it’s back with its seventh installment. Actually, the only one besides this one that I’ve REALLY played is Revenge, the fourth game. I bought Burnout 3: Takedown, but the inability to traffic check got on my nerves too much for me to enjoy it. But maybe I’ll try to get into it sometime… Perhaps as soon as I’m done with this one. I haven’t been playing this one much lately, either, though, because I’ve been too into the games I bought for the Virtual Console! As soon as I get done with them, though, I’ll work my way to the Burnout License.
Oh, yes, there are several licenses to get. When you start the game, you have a Learner’s Permit. As you win more events scattered throughout Paradise City, your license will be upgraded. When you make it past Class A, you get a Burnout License. But, there is one problem here: the game is TERRIBLY difficult. When you begin, it’s not going to be too hard, but not painfully easy, either; just right. But once you get your Class B License, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Non-enemy cars will fly out of no where in an attempt to total your car, and your enemies are so fast, that even with a speed car that can perform infinite burnouts, you won’t win before much trial and error. And, unlike in Revenge, if you go to fast and the side of your car hits a wall, you, well, wreck. AND I CAN ONLY TRAFFIC CHECK WHEN I'M GOING SLOW?!!! Yet, it will still manage to keep you severely addicted until you get the fabled Burnout License.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. I still haven’t covered the most prominent new feature: the huge, open-ended world of Paradise City. When you think of Burnout, you probably think of a straightforward driving game. But not this time. You’re free to explore and try events at Paradise City to your heart’s content. When you come to a traffic light, just press both L & R triggers to start! It could be a race, a Road Rage challenge--you name it! I’m best at Road Rage, particularly. It’s all about getting Takedowns, the driving game equivalent of kills. Except, so the game wouldn’t get an M-rating, no one gets killed, because there are NO DRIVERS IN THE CARS!!! How little sense does that make?!!! Whatever…
Of course, this open-endedness CAN get in the way at times, particularly during Race, Marked Man, and Stunt Run events. During a race, when you come to an intersection and there’s a certain road you need to turn onto, the road’s name blinks at the top of the screen (and it’s positioned on either side of the name of the road you’re on at the top of the screen to tell which direction to turn to get onto that road), which is good. Problem is, you make a wrong turn, and you’re in eighth (or sixth in some races) place with no hope of winning the race. As for Marked Man, there are several enemy cars attempting to total yours. You make it to the place you need to go, and you win. Well, there’s this mini-map that helps you get around Paradise City, and important places (like places that paint your car, gas stations, junkyards, and auto-repair shops) are added to your mini-map when you find him. But the problem with THAT is, when the damage to your car is critical, you’re usually miles away from the nearest auto repair shop on your map, so you’re probably doomed. And as for Stunt Run…well, there are these Super Jump ramps that give you a LOT of points if you jump off them. But good luck finding them while doing a Stunt Run.
Burnout X100!
Not every car has the same characteristics anymore. While the usual strength/speed rules apply as to how fast it goes, that’s not all there is anymore. With the advent of the new Stun Run challenges, when you choose a car at a junkyard, the stunt performance of a car is also shown! But that’s not as big a change to the cars as this: there are actually Stunt class cars!
OK, there are three classes of cars that I’m familiar with: Stunt, Speed, and Aggression. Now, the Stunt cars are not made specifically for stunts--they’re actually all-around cars that will meet all of your needs. They’re usually fairly fast and have a good amount of boost in them, but my favorite class of cars is the Speed class, or, as I like to call it, the n00b class. Why is it the n00b class? Well, here’s the deal: you can’t use your boost until the boost bar is full. BUT once it is, you can let loose with it, baby! If you use it all in one go, you perform a “burnout” and the boost bar refills itself. Sometimes it won’t refill all of it, but it usually will. If you continue to use it up, you just keep performing burnouts and the bar keeps refilling. But if you do this, you’re in much danger of crashing, which I have apparently yet to learn. But anyway, that’s why it’s called the n00b class.
The last class of car is known as the “Aggression” class. This class of cars borrows an element from past Burnout games: whenever you get a Takedown, you can use more boost, but when you crash, the boost bar cuts down. But still, the n00b class always comes out on top.
It’s Showtime, Baby!
One of the best new features of the game is the Showtime mode. This AWESOME mode replaces Crash Mode from past games, but is ten times more AWESOME than Crash Mode, which was also AWESOME, but not as AWESOME as this AWESOME mode! Just press LB & RB at the same time on any road and suddenly you will begin to bounce around. When you hit the ground, just press A to jump back up. The goal in mind is to make as much money as possible by destroying other cars. To get a lot of money, you’ve gotta keep your boost up, which is depleting quickly. How do you do that? Why, by hitting cars, of course! If you hit a bus, then your score is multiplied! Why do I love Showtime, you ask? Because, in games that allow it, I love to wreak havoc. This game doesn’t exactly let you traffic check the way I’d like for it to, so this is a great way to wreak havoc! I can hit over 100 cars on major highways! In fact, Showtime could very well be my favorite thing to do in the game, especially online! I don’t care about challenges that much--I only like to do Showtime!
And to close my review, I have to cover the graphics and sound of the game. The graphics are some of the best on the console! Everything is shiny and detailed. When certain things happen (when damage to your car is critical, your boost is about to run out during Showtime, or when you wreck), the background changes to red and gray. Even though the wrecks are annoying, they sure are spectacular! And then there’s the sound. Sound effects are realistic, and the game has real music (outside of some Burnout-specific tracks). An unexpected entry this time was Avril Lavigne’s hit single from her album Best Dang Thing, Girlfriend. A-hem:
Hey hey! You you!
I don’t like your girlfriend!
No way! No way!
I think you need a new one!
Hey hey! You you!
I can be your girlfriend!
OK, maybe I don’t sing so well. But still, that’s JUST GREAT that they put it on there! Maybe in the next Burnout game we can hear Fergalicious! (Vomits in mouth)
So What’s Good?
+ The new open-ended world
+ Different car classes
+ Showtime!!
+ Graphics are some of the best on the system!!!
+ But best of all, GIRLFRIEND!!!
…But Then What’s Bad?
- Unbearably difficult when you get to a certain point
- Open-endedness CAN get in the way
So What Are the Words?
Gameplay: Awesome! The good points of the open-endedness outweigh its shortcomings, thankfully, but the ultra-harsh difficulty is unforgivable.
Graphics: Pure Greatness!! Some of the best on the system!
Music and Sound: Awesome! Girlfriend, by Avril Lavigne = instant winner!
Final Word: Paradise! Despite all of its flaws, its name does not lie.
Coming Up Next… Be on the lookout for my Holes review!
Classic songs, like Paradise City, by Guns n’ Roses, deserve to be in games that will one day be hailed as classics themselves. While the song has not as of yet made it onto Guitar Hero, it managed to weasel its way into a brand-new driving game that goes by the alias of Burnout: Paradise.
How do I know this? Why, because I bought the game, of course! For my twelfth birthday, actually. Along with Super Dragon Ball Z, Shenmue II (which just happened to be an edition that came with Shenmue the Movie), a glass diamond that looked like a green Chaos Emerald (which I bought because it was cool…and cheap…), Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, 2000 Wii Points (which I used to buy Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past), Metroid II: Return of Samus, (which officially completes my Metroid collection because I got Metroid Prime 3 and Super Metroid!) giant wooden replicas of the Buster Sword and Gunblade from Final Fantasies VII and VIII, respectively (which are probably the most awesome things I’ve ever bought!), and a wooden replica of the Master Sword (which is also awesome) and Guitar Hero 3 are on their way from Amazon, which is also where I preordered Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which, sadly, was delayed until March 9 (CURSE YOU, NINTENDO!!!). But this is a review, not an overview of my birthday presents! So let’s get on with it.
Oh, won’t you please take me ho-ome…
It’s fast. It’s furious. It’s the Burnout series and it’s back with its seventh installment. Actually, the only one besides this one that I’ve REALLY played is Revenge, the fourth game. I bought Burnout 3: Takedown, but the inability to traffic check got on my nerves too much for me to enjoy it. But maybe I’ll try to get into it sometime… Perhaps as soon as I’m done with this one. I haven’t been playing this one much lately, either, though, because I’ve been too into the games I bought for the Virtual Console! As soon as I get done with them, though, I’ll work my way to the Burnout License.
Oh, yes, there are several licenses to get. When you start the game, you have a Learner’s Permit. As you win more events scattered throughout Paradise City, your license will be upgraded. When you make it past Class A, you get a Burnout License. But, there is one problem here: the game is TERRIBLY difficult. When you begin, it’s not going to be too hard, but not painfully easy, either; just right. But once you get your Class B License, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Non-enemy cars will fly out of no where in an attempt to total your car, and your enemies are so fast, that even with a speed car that can perform infinite burnouts, you won’t win before much trial and error. And, unlike in Revenge, if you go to fast and the side of your car hits a wall, you, well, wreck. AND I CAN ONLY TRAFFIC CHECK WHEN I'M GOING SLOW?!!! Yet, it will still manage to keep you severely addicted until you get the fabled Burnout License.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. I still haven’t covered the most prominent new feature: the huge, open-ended world of Paradise City. When you think of Burnout, you probably think of a straightforward driving game. But not this time. You’re free to explore and try events at Paradise City to your heart’s content. When you come to a traffic light, just press both L & R triggers to start! It could be a race, a Road Rage challenge--you name it! I’m best at Road Rage, particularly. It’s all about getting Takedowns, the driving game equivalent of kills. Except, so the game wouldn’t get an M-rating, no one gets killed, because there are NO DRIVERS IN THE CARS!!! How little sense does that make?!!! Whatever…
Of course, this open-endedness CAN get in the way at times, particularly during Race, Marked Man, and Stunt Run events. During a race, when you come to an intersection and there’s a certain road you need to turn onto, the road’s name blinks at the top of the screen (and it’s positioned on either side of the name of the road you’re on at the top of the screen to tell which direction to turn to get onto that road), which is good. Problem is, you make a wrong turn, and you’re in eighth (or sixth in some races) place with no hope of winning the race. As for Marked Man, there are several enemy cars attempting to total yours. You make it to the place you need to go, and you win. Well, there’s this mini-map that helps you get around Paradise City, and important places (like places that paint your car, gas stations, junkyards, and auto-repair shops) are added to your mini-map when you find him. But the problem with THAT is, when the damage to your car is critical, you’re usually miles away from the nearest auto repair shop on your map, so you’re probably doomed. And as for Stunt Run…well, there are these Super Jump ramps that give you a LOT of points if you jump off them. But good luck finding them while doing a Stunt Run.
Burnout X100!
Not every car has the same characteristics anymore. While the usual strength/speed rules apply as to how fast it goes, that’s not all there is anymore. With the advent of the new Stun Run challenges, when you choose a car at a junkyard, the stunt performance of a car is also shown! But that’s not as big a change to the cars as this: there are actually Stunt class cars!
OK, there are three classes of cars that I’m familiar with: Stunt, Speed, and Aggression. Now, the Stunt cars are not made specifically for stunts--they’re actually all-around cars that will meet all of your needs. They’re usually fairly fast and have a good amount of boost in them, but my favorite class of cars is the Speed class, or, as I like to call it, the n00b class. Why is it the n00b class? Well, here’s the deal: you can’t use your boost until the boost bar is full. BUT once it is, you can let loose with it, baby! If you use it all in one go, you perform a “burnout” and the boost bar refills itself. Sometimes it won’t refill all of it, but it usually will. If you continue to use it up, you just keep performing burnouts and the bar keeps refilling. But if you do this, you’re in much danger of crashing, which I have apparently yet to learn. But anyway, that’s why it’s called the n00b class.
The last class of car is known as the “Aggression” class. This class of cars borrows an element from past Burnout games: whenever you get a Takedown, you can use more boost, but when you crash, the boost bar cuts down. But still, the n00b class always comes out on top.
It’s Showtime, Baby!
One of the best new features of the game is the Showtime mode. This AWESOME mode replaces Crash Mode from past games, but is ten times more AWESOME than Crash Mode, which was also AWESOME, but not as AWESOME as this AWESOME mode! Just press LB & RB at the same time on any road and suddenly you will begin to bounce around. When you hit the ground, just press A to jump back up. The goal in mind is to make as much money as possible by destroying other cars. To get a lot of money, you’ve gotta keep your boost up, which is depleting quickly. How do you do that? Why, by hitting cars, of course! If you hit a bus, then your score is multiplied! Why do I love Showtime, you ask? Because, in games that allow it, I love to wreak havoc. This game doesn’t exactly let you traffic check the way I’d like for it to, so this is a great way to wreak havoc! I can hit over 100 cars on major highways! In fact, Showtime could very well be my favorite thing to do in the game, especially online! I don’t care about challenges that much--I only like to do Showtime!
And to close my review, I have to cover the graphics and sound of the game. The graphics are some of the best on the console! Everything is shiny and detailed. When certain things happen (when damage to your car is critical, your boost is about to run out during Showtime, or when you wreck), the background changes to red and gray. Even though the wrecks are annoying, they sure are spectacular! And then there’s the sound. Sound effects are realistic, and the game has real music (outside of some Burnout-specific tracks). An unexpected entry this time was Avril Lavigne’s hit single from her album Best Dang Thing, Girlfriend. A-hem:
Hey hey! You you!
I don’t like your girlfriend!
No way! No way!
I think you need a new one!
Hey hey! You you!
I can be your girlfriend!
OK, maybe I don’t sing so well. But still, that’s JUST GREAT that they put it on there! Maybe in the next Burnout game we can hear Fergalicious! (Vomits in mouth)
So What’s Good?
+ The new open-ended world
+ Different car classes
+ Showtime!!
+ Graphics are some of the best on the system!!!
+ But best of all, GIRLFRIEND!!!
…But Then What’s Bad?
- Unbearably difficult when you get to a certain point
- Open-endedness CAN get in the way
So What Are the Words?
Gameplay: Awesome! The good points of the open-endedness outweigh its shortcomings, thankfully, but the ultra-harsh difficulty is unforgivable.
Graphics: Pure Greatness!! Some of the best on the system!
Music and Sound: Awesome! Girlfriend, by Avril Lavigne = instant winner!
Final Word: Paradise! Despite all of its flaws, its name does not lie.
Coming Up Next… Be on the lookout for my Holes review!
NiGHTS Journey of Dreams is a disappointing, yet fun sequel.
Published Friday, February 8, 2008 by T-Man.
NOTE: I have decided to name my rating system "Words" because I'm using words instead of ratings.
If you haven’t played NiGHTS into Dreams… for the SEGA Saturn, then you are missing out on a truly great gaming experience. But here’s the rundown, anyway. You play as two kids--Claris and Elliot--and fight off their fears in a set of eight dreams with the help of a flying jester-thing named NiGHTS. Sound good enough? Not unless you’ve played it. So, if you don’t already have it, go to eBay or Game Haven and buy it, along with a SEGA Saturn, of course (if you don’t have one). Once you beat it (which shouldn’t take long, since I can usually beat it in about an hour and fifteen minutes), look back at this review to see my opinion on its sequel, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams.
Yep, you heard me. A sequel to NiGHTS. Actually, you probably already knew about it, but who cares? But still, take a look at Sonic Next-Gen for a minute. Yeah, I know I like it, but I’m a super-ultra-hardcore, and even then, I’ll admit that it’s not as good as the older ones. Could SEGA have done the same thing to NiGHTS? Surely not…
Or could they have? Time to find out!
Let’s begin with one of the game’s high points for a sec: the story. Now, those of you who have played the original are probably thinking: “The story being the high point?” Yet, take note that it has been twelve years since the original came out (eleven when the game ACTUALLY came out). Certainly the story could have evolved. And it did. While it has the same basic setup (a boy and girl try to save the Ideya from Wizeman and NiGHTS’ evil counterpart Reala), it’s got much more development than the last game.
This new essence of plot development is started by the voice acting, giving personality to the characters. And the voice acting is actually pretty good! The characters are also fully developed, from NiGHTS himself to Reala, his evil counterpart. You actually grow to hate Reala and Wizeman! But for some reason, everyone is British. Whatever. Thing is...NiGHTS kind of…sounds like…a girl? And he’s referred to as a boy. Just wrong. But that has no bearing on anything else. Another good point is that it explains some elements in the first game that were not mentioned, such as Dualizing (when the kids fused with NiGHTS).
The story is this: two children, named Will and Helen, respectively, are having problems in their lives that are reflecting in their dreams. They both stumble upon Nightopia, the land of dreams, and must stop the evil Wizeman with the help of NiGHTS and the Ideya, which make up Nightopia. While I find Will a bit whiny and unlikable, I managed to actually have some feelings for Helen. Still, it’s just the story, right? You came for the gameplay, right?
Probably, and that’s just what we’re about to get into. Well, it’s just like the last game: go through several parts of a level collecting items and then beat the boss…except with a twist. Not a twist like the Wii Remote functionality (more on that later), but with a twist of variety. Not to say the original NiGHTS was monotonous and repetitive, but a little variety couldn’t hurt to improve its sequel! And it didn’t. You’ll be returning to a level until all missions are complete. All first missions are normal missions like in the original game, except you’ll be chasing birds that have swallowed keys (…yes) and ends with a boss. The others are randomized in how you play them, but the third mission of all levels but one involves chasing a blue octopus dubbed “Octopaw” and flying through the Rings it leaves behind in an attempt to get a bunch of Links (a sequence of collecting items and going through Rings), which ultimately leads to some of the most fun missions in the game. Otherwise, there’s way too much to cover--rafting across a river, riding on a roller coaster, collecting gems from a volcano--heck, sometimes, you even get to play as the children in platforming missions! Of course, while I DO like the variety, returning to a level many times before moving on to the next is a bit annoying. Maybe they should have just added more levels and made the other missions subgames…
OK, now I bet you’re asking: “How does the Wii Remote work?” Well, rather than motion, it uses IR. Using a colored pointer called “Mindsight,” you move NiGHTS around. The closer it is to NiGHTS, the better it receives. But, there’s a BIG problem. NiGHTS just jerks around and often goes the exact opposite way you point the Wii Remote. This ultimately means the game was rushed. I tried to deal with it, but…I just had to switch to the Wii Remote + Nunchuk setup.
And thank GOSH that you can use different control styles. In fact, that’s the only thing separating the game from crap! There are several different ways to control the game. You can use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Classic Controller, or a GameCube controller. I don’t have a Classic Controller, so I don’t have anything to say about it. But I can talk about the Nunchuk and GameCube controller setups. While the Nunckuk setup is good, nothing beats the good ol’ GameCube controller! Yet even then, it isn’t as fun as the original game…
Well, to close my review, I will overview the graphics and sound. The artstyle of the game is just as effective and beautiful as the last, while the low polygon count and resolution are a bit of a problem. In fact, the game could have been on Dreamcast without any major differences. And yet they made us wait many more years just for some crappy IR controls. Sheesh! The music is great, though. At least ten versions of the original game’s theme appear, each sounding better than the original version.
And thus, I have reviewed the long-awaited sequel to NiGHTS into Dreams… It may be a disappointment, but it’s still a great game in its own right, provided you don’t play it with the IR, and should be bought by any fan of the first game. While the “Pretty Good” Word (my new name for my rating system) may seem a little harsh, the new “Ehhh” Word I’m going to start using (for the stuff that’s merely OK) gives this game a little boost.
So What’s Good?
+ It’s the NiGHTS sequel!!! W00T!!!!!!
+ A fully developed story
+ Surprisingly good voice acting
+ The variety in missions is a good addition to the gameplay
+ Multiple control styles are a definite plus
+ The artstyle is just as effective and beautiful as its predecessor
+ The music is just as great
…But Then What’s Bad?
- NiGHTS’s voice?
- Returning to a level repeatedly is a little annoying…
- The IR controls are just terrible
- Just not as fun as the original…
- The game could have been made for Dreamcast without any major differences…
So What Are the Words?
Story: Pretty Good. It’s not the story itself; it’s the vast amounts of plot development.
Gameplay: Pretty Good. It’s got variety and great Nunchuk and GameCube controls, so what could be missing? Decent IR controls.
Graphics: Ehhh. Great artstyle, but this really could’ve been a Dreamcast game.
Music: Awesome! The game’s high point, by far!
Final Word: Pretty Good. It’s a disappointment, but a fun disappointment.
If you haven’t played NiGHTS into Dreams… for the SEGA Saturn, then you are missing out on a truly great gaming experience. But here’s the rundown, anyway. You play as two kids--Claris and Elliot--and fight off their fears in a set of eight dreams with the help of a flying jester-thing named NiGHTS. Sound good enough? Not unless you’ve played it. So, if you don’t already have it, go to eBay or Game Haven and buy it, along with a SEGA Saturn, of course (if you don’t have one). Once you beat it (which shouldn’t take long, since I can usually beat it in about an hour and fifteen minutes), look back at this review to see my opinion on its sequel, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams.
Yep, you heard me. A sequel to NiGHTS. Actually, you probably already knew about it, but who cares? But still, take a look at Sonic Next-Gen for a minute. Yeah, I know I like it, but I’m a super-ultra-hardcore, and even then, I’ll admit that it’s not as good as the older ones. Could SEGA have done the same thing to NiGHTS? Surely not…
Or could they have? Time to find out!
Let’s begin with one of the game’s high points for a sec: the story. Now, those of you who have played the original are probably thinking: “The story being the high point?” Yet, take note that it has been twelve years since the original came out (eleven when the game ACTUALLY came out). Certainly the story could have evolved. And it did. While it has the same basic setup (a boy and girl try to save the Ideya from Wizeman and NiGHTS’ evil counterpart Reala), it’s got much more development than the last game.
This new essence of plot development is started by the voice acting, giving personality to the characters. And the voice acting is actually pretty good! The characters are also fully developed, from NiGHTS himself to Reala, his evil counterpart. You actually grow to hate Reala and Wizeman! But for some reason, everyone is British. Whatever. Thing is...NiGHTS kind of…sounds like…a girl? And he’s referred to as a boy. Just wrong. But that has no bearing on anything else. Another good point is that it explains some elements in the first game that were not mentioned, such as Dualizing (when the kids fused with NiGHTS).
The story is this: two children, named Will and Helen, respectively, are having problems in their lives that are reflecting in their dreams. They both stumble upon Nightopia, the land of dreams, and must stop the evil Wizeman with the help of NiGHTS and the Ideya, which make up Nightopia. While I find Will a bit whiny and unlikable, I managed to actually have some feelings for Helen. Still, it’s just the story, right? You came for the gameplay, right?
Probably, and that’s just what we’re about to get into. Well, it’s just like the last game: go through several parts of a level collecting items and then beat the boss…except with a twist. Not a twist like the Wii Remote functionality (more on that later), but with a twist of variety. Not to say the original NiGHTS was monotonous and repetitive, but a little variety couldn’t hurt to improve its sequel! And it didn’t. You’ll be returning to a level until all missions are complete. All first missions are normal missions like in the original game, except you’ll be chasing birds that have swallowed keys (…yes) and ends with a boss. The others are randomized in how you play them, but the third mission of all levels but one involves chasing a blue octopus dubbed “Octopaw” and flying through the Rings it leaves behind in an attempt to get a bunch of Links (a sequence of collecting items and going through Rings), which ultimately leads to some of the most fun missions in the game. Otherwise, there’s way too much to cover--rafting across a river, riding on a roller coaster, collecting gems from a volcano--heck, sometimes, you even get to play as the children in platforming missions! Of course, while I DO like the variety, returning to a level many times before moving on to the next is a bit annoying. Maybe they should have just added more levels and made the other missions subgames…
OK, now I bet you’re asking: “How does the Wii Remote work?” Well, rather than motion, it uses IR. Using a colored pointer called “Mindsight,” you move NiGHTS around. The closer it is to NiGHTS, the better it receives. But, there’s a BIG problem. NiGHTS just jerks around and often goes the exact opposite way you point the Wii Remote. This ultimately means the game was rushed. I tried to deal with it, but…I just had to switch to the Wii Remote + Nunchuk setup.
And thank GOSH that you can use different control styles. In fact, that’s the only thing separating the game from crap! There are several different ways to control the game. You can use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Classic Controller, or a GameCube controller. I don’t have a Classic Controller, so I don’t have anything to say about it. But I can talk about the Nunchuk and GameCube controller setups. While the Nunckuk setup is good, nothing beats the good ol’ GameCube controller! Yet even then, it isn’t as fun as the original game…
Well, to close my review, I will overview the graphics and sound. The artstyle of the game is just as effective and beautiful as the last, while the low polygon count and resolution are a bit of a problem. In fact, the game could have been on Dreamcast without any major differences. And yet they made us wait many more years just for some crappy IR controls. Sheesh! The music is great, though. At least ten versions of the original game’s theme appear, each sounding better than the original version.
And thus, I have reviewed the long-awaited sequel to NiGHTS into Dreams… It may be a disappointment, but it’s still a great game in its own right, provided you don’t play it with the IR, and should be bought by any fan of the first game. While the “Pretty Good” Word (my new name for my rating system) may seem a little harsh, the new “Ehhh” Word I’m going to start using (for the stuff that’s merely OK) gives this game a little boost.
So What’s Good?
+ It’s the NiGHTS sequel!!! W00T!!!!!!
+ A fully developed story
+ Surprisingly good voice acting
+ The variety in missions is a good addition to the gameplay
+ Multiple control styles are a definite plus
+ The artstyle is just as effective and beautiful as its predecessor
+ The music is just as great
…But Then What’s Bad?
- NiGHTS’s voice?
- Returning to a level repeatedly is a little annoying…
- The IR controls are just terrible
- Just not as fun as the original…
- The game could have been made for Dreamcast without any major differences…
So What Are the Words?
Story: Pretty Good. It’s not the story itself; it’s the vast amounts of plot development.
Gameplay: Pretty Good. It’s got variety and great Nunchuk and GameCube controls, so what could be missing? Decent IR controls.
Graphics: Ehhh. Great artstyle, but this really could’ve been a Dreamcast game.
Music: Awesome! The game’s high point, by far!
Final Word: Pretty Good. It’s a disappointment, but a fun disappointment.