We’ve seen the brawlers, the acrobats, and the big man…so the only class left is the grapplers! THQ has released the match/commentary combo on the grappler class, which pits Bret Hart against Triple H. Check it out here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The grappler class looks pretty sweet with those chain grapples. Within the first seconds of the match, Hart gives Triple H a neckbreaker into a backbreaker into a another backbreaker…all without ever letting go! And that combo took out quite a chunk of Triple H’s health. One of the developers mentions that the grappler class is one of the more hardcore classes and takes a lot of getting used to in order to successfully chain those grapples together. He even mentioned at one point that there is a potential to chain six to seven grapples in one combo! That’s nuts!!!

I really wish they had included the grappler class in the demo, since this is the class I am looking forward to checking out the most. I can’t wait for next week to start exploring the full potential of all the wrestlers and classes.

It’s almost here…only seven days to go until the release of THQ’s WWE Allstars video game. Today THQ released a demo on XBLA (and later tonight via PSN)  that allowed players to check out a singles match as either Ultimate Warrior or Rey Mysterio. Since I hate Mysterio with a passion, I selected Ultimate Warrior and took Mysterio to school. I should note that I downloaded the 360 version because I didn’t feel like waiting for some random time tonight whenever Sony decided to update PSN.

Since it’s a different style of game, the controls are nothing like SvR’s, and I was hoping that the demo would come with a tutorial of sorts, which it does not. So there was a lot of guess work as I punched, kicked, and slammed Mysterio around. The first match went back and forth, and eventually Mysterio was able to squeak a win from me after hitting the 619. The second match I did better, and was able to give him a Gorilla Pres Slam for the win.

The graphics look as good as they did in all the screenshots, and the characters are extremely large on-screen. As I already said, it will take time to get the controls down, especially if you play the SvR series. If you’ve been on the fence about the game, or haven’t even heard of it, give the demo a download and check it out. WWE Allstars is definitely going to be a promising alternative to the hardcore fighting games like Marvel vs. Capcom, Street Fighter, and Mortal Kombat that dominate the market. I pre-ordered the game a few weeks ago from Amazon (since I had a ton of credit there), and you can definitely expect some first impressions from me next Tuesday, and a full review of the game a few days after that.

The past two weeks THQ has been releasing matches showcasing the wrestler classes. Last week they did something different, and instead talked their way through a steel cage match between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio. Here’s the match:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The cage match does seem pretty fun. You can see Guerrero and Mysterio rebounding off the cage to do some damage, and you can also position moves just the right way to slam your opponent against the cage walls. You can also see that there are some mini games present in order to exit the ring, much like the SvR series. I did like that it does take quite a bit of effort to get out…it is shown that in order to escape you have to complete the mini game successfully five times.

The cage match appears to be quite fun, and I think it will be a nice change of pace from the singles matches that will make up the majority of the Allstars matches. PS- the demo drops next Tuesday, and you will be able to take control of either Mysterio or Ultimate Warrior in a singles match. I can’t wait to get my first hands-on opportunity with the game before it releases in two weeks.

If you were to ask me what fighting game franchise was the most important to the genre, I would say both Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. I grew up with both, and to me, they are both equally important and have paved the way for what fighting games are to this day. Growing up, while I played both, I heavily preferred Street Fighter to Mortal Kombat. The realism and the gore of MK just couldn’t compete with the bright, quick, and flashy gameplay of SF II, so while I would play MK if at a friend’s house, I actually owned SF II.

The MK franchise has done a lot to try and keep itself fresh over the years. MK eventually left the realm of a 2D side-scrolling world and the arenas began to be 3D, in that you could run about a circular arena. Weapons were also eventually brought in to try and liven things up. One of my favorite MK games isn’t even a fighting game, but the awesome co-op beat em’ up Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. Then MK looked at the success of the cross over franchise Marvel vs. Capcom, and decided to do a similar cross over in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. That game didn’t do well at all, as it took the violence that the MK series is known for and toned it down to such a degree that the game, while an awesome premise, just couldn’t deliver like the MvC series can.

So when I heard that a new MK game was in the works, and was only being called “Mortal Kombat”, I was a bit interested. Then information began getting leaked, and it sounded good. There was a return to a 2D side-scrolling environment. Gruesome fatalities would make an awesome return. And it was revealed that the characters would be able to perform a new kind of move called “X Ray Mode” in which a character would deliver a devastating combo to an opponent, and time would slow down and give you an X Ray look at what was going on…meaning you would see bones breaking and organs rupturing. It all sounded like a return to the classic Mortal Kombat franchise, and I was excited. I got to check out the demo tonight (it was available this Tuesday to PlayStation Plus members, and next week to the general public), and was pretty impressed.

The demo allows you to choose from four characters: Scorpion, Sub Zero, Mileena, and Johnny Cage. The only mode available is the tradition “tower” mode, where all the enemies in your path are stacked up in a row, and you advance up the rankings as you take out each opponent. Goro was at the top of the demo’s tower, but once you reached him the demo ends, teasing you to purchase the game when it comes out in order to check out the awesomeness of Goro. I picked Scorpion and dove right in.

Right off the bat I tried for the all spear move, and it was there, as good as ever. I also discovered a fire attack where Scorpion sets his opponent on fire, which was a new move to me. The character models and the 2D environments were spot on and looked great. Another thing I liked was that there were only four buttons to attack with, and not six. One thing I didn’t like about SF and MvC was that I had to reach up and hit L2 or R2 to perform a heavy attack…there are only two punches and two kicks in MK, which made combat a lot easier for me to handle. While I was unable to perform a finisher or X Ray move, Sub Zero got an X Ray in on me, and it looked sick. You could see the bones in Scorpions leg shatter as he hit it, and Sub Zero then reached into my chest cavity, grabbed some kind of organ, froze it, and then smashed it. It was ridiculous! The craziest part is that it’s not even a finisher…I was still fighting in the match after, but Scorpion was kind of holding himself where he was damaged.

From what I’ve seen in the demo, Mortal Kombat has finally been successful in resurrecting the franchise to its former glory. The game looks and plays amazing, and I’m sure that any MK fan (or any fan of fighting games in general) will be happy with this game. It will be going on my Gamefly queue for a rental, but it’s not a purchase for me. While I loved fighting games back in the day, I have grown somewhat weary of the franchise, and can only play the games in limited engagements. But it is definitely safe to say that Mortal Kombat is back and possibly better than ever.

The PS3 and 360 each have certain features that give it an edge over the other one. In terms on websites, the 360′s is far superior to the PS3. The 360 site is easy to navigate, and you can purchase games or download free demos right off the site. I find it easier to navigate through the website than through the console.

The PS3, on the other hand, is quite cumbersome. The main complaint, and the reason why I’m complaining about it in this post, is that Sony has this need to advertise their upcoming games on the home page of the site. This is done with several flash movies, and due to this, it takes forever to load up the site, or to navigate to the section you want to go to. Not for nothing, but I know what Sony has coming out for the PS3 in November…I don’t need to be seeing all these stupid ads now. The 360 doesn’t do anything as annoying as this. Sure, it has ads, but they are not as massive, do not take up the whole screen, and no not cause any lag.

I’ve been trying to get into the PS3′s site for about five minutes now, just so I could update my Portable ID, and it just keeps showing the same ads for Killzone and the NPG over and over again. This is not I problem I have with my 360 Gamer Card, since it is done automatically without me having to go to the 360′s website, and when I do go to the 360′s site, it’s nowhere near as annoying.

Nice work, Sony. Your PlayStation has made a spot for itself on my shit list. If you ever want to get crossed off, you’re going to have to take down those lagging videos…and give us cross-game chat.

I was very happy with Dead Space, so I’m definitely psyched for the sequel. It’s definitely a great survival horror game, and did give me a few creeps as far as the gameplay, sounds, creatures, and environment are concerned. I downloaded the demo to Dead Space 2 on the 360 and gave it a whirl this morning, and it’s just as eerie as its predecessor.

The demo begins with some cutscenes, bringing the player up to speed on the story. Eventually you are dropped into the game and on your way. You start the demo with four weapons, all returning from the previous game, including the all-purpose plasma cutter and the awesome line gun (I think that’s what it’s called…the one that fires the wire like all the way down the room, cutting through multiple enemies.) The extra abilities also return, as you must use Statis to slow down time and then grab and interact with objects to get through puzzles. The store also makes a return, allowing you to purchase upgrades and ammo and sell off the stuff you don’t want.

A new feature that the demo reveals involves floating in zero gravity. In the previous game, you were able to walk along walls and ceilings to navigate a room. Now in some instances, you are able to freely float around the room to get to a particular point. There are also plenty of new enemies to take out, including some creepy midget-looking nasties and some pretty giant ones as well. At one point you must also defend yourself from a giant creature that grabs hold of you, and this is a return concept that I enjoyed from the first game. It takes you by surprise, and you must quickly act to cut down the enemy that has a hold on you before it drags you to your death. This is the last image you see before the demo ends:

If you enjoyed the limb-severing action of the first game, then Dead Space 2 is definitely a must-play. It’s as creepy and eerie as the first game, and I’m sure it promises more as it attempts to live up to its predecessor. It comes out this Monday, and I would have had it on my Gamefly queue if only it was not for Two Worlds II, which trumps Dead Space 2 since I’ve been looking for a nice meaty RPG.

I got the game in Monday, popped it in once, and sent it back to Gamefly today. I was not a fan of the game at all. I really liked the demo, but I couldn’t get into the full game. I had a few problems with it. Firstly, it was too much like GTA. I HATE the GTA series, with the exception of I and II from the PS1.I don’t like having to drive around a city, and for a good reason…I suck at it! For some damn reason, this type of game is just one that I am not good at. I have a hard time controlling the car, and I always end up wrecking it or getting chased by the police. Plus some of the missions in those games are one where you have to drive a car from point A to point B without getting it wrecked, or the mission starts over.

I didn’t get far into Mafia II when I came across one of these missions, and I was unable to complete it. I either got the car wrecked, or the cops kept chasing me. The police in Mafia II are relentless, where even if you do lose them, any cop who catches sight of you will renew the chase. Also, there are a lot of cops patrolling the game. There is an option to go to a body shop and get the plates changed and the car re-painted (which will stop cops from chasing you), but it costs a heck of a lot of money which simply isn’t available that early in the game.

When it came down to it, I simply wasn’t enjoying the game, and instead I was becoming aggravated. Games are meant to be a leisure activity, so when I get pissed off when playing one, it’s a good sign that the game is just not for me.

I have been interested in getting the PlayStation Move for quite some time. I do like the Wii, but I was intrigued by the possibilities for the Move, particularly with the more accurate controller and the higher quality, HD graphics. However, at the price I was not about to buy it for myself. So I placed it on my Amazon Wish List, and I found out Christmas Day that my parents had purchased it for me. I already had the Eye, so all I asked for was the basic Move controller. After Christmas, I went to the PlayStation Store off of PSN and was happy to find that pretty much every Move-enabled game currently available had a demo. So I went ahead and downloaded all eight demos, and spent the next few days trying them all out. I want to share my thoughts on the demos for the games, but I’ll start with my initial view of the controller itself.

PlayStation Move Controller

Like the Wii, there are actually two controllers which “complete” the Move experience; the Move controller, and the Navigation controller. Luckily, the Navigation controller is not necessary for any of the current games (it will be when some FPS come out), so I haven’t bothered spending the $30 to pick one up. The Move controller may look like a giant lollypop/ ice cream cone, but it really is quite the interesting piece of gaming technology.

The ball on top is initially a white, soft plastic material. Once you start a game up, you will need to calibrate the controller with the system. It only takes less than ten seconds, but it’s totally worth it. Basically, the PlayStation Eye will detect the ball on the Move and sync with it, and the ball will change to the color that is most appropriate (ie: that will be the easiest to track given the current lighting of the environment.) So far I’ve only seen it turn pink, so I guess the generic daytime/evening lighting in my living room constitutes using the color pink. I’m curious to see if it is a different color at night, when it’s pitch black aside from the glow of the TV. You don’t need too much room to use it, and it’s recommended that you have at least eight feet of space between yourself and the Eye. We have a fairly small apartment, and I have plenty of space in the living room to use it.

The button placement on the controller does take some getting used to, particularly because the buttons from the PS3 are present on there. The main button is now the Move button, which does work as the primary button most of the time. But to do other little actions here and there, you will need to hit either the triangle, circle, square, or x button. Since they are all in different positions, it takes quite some getting used. The select and start buttons are also present, but they are located on either side of the controller, which was weird. Finally, there is a T button on the bottom of the controller which is used for Move games.

The controller may have some odd button configurations, but it is pretty darn comfortable. It’s extremely lightweight, and it feels lighter than a Wiimote does. Also, not only is it lighter, but it’s a heck of a lot more accurate. It detects the most subtle movements you make, and this really shows off best in Sports Champions, where there is a sword-fighting gladiator game which is, hands down, the best thing I’ve seen on the Move to date (more on that later.) Another plus is that if you do have the urge to grab the Navigation controller, they are not tethered together like the Wiimote and Nunchuck. Basically, the Move is a lighter, more accurate, and more comfortable motion controller that has the ability to play beautiful-looking games thanks to the HD ability of the PS3.

Now on to the games!

Sports Champions

I’m starting with Sports Champions because that’s the only Move game I have purchased so far. I was fairly pleased with the demo, the game has gotten good reviews, and friends have had nothing but good things to say for it. So with my Gamestop gift card I was able to get the game cheaper than I expected (it was actually $30 in the store, which was a price I wasn’t expecting.)

Sports Champions, much like Wii Sports, is a basic game made to show off what the system and the controller can do. There isn’t anything fancy or in-depth, but the simple controls make the game fun and accessible for all. My favorite sport on the game is Gladiator, and just as it sounds, it pits you and an opponent off in a duel in which you each wield a sword and shield (though some of the characters have an axe, hammer, or mace instead of the sword). The movement is pretty spot-on, so if you want to make a left to right slice at their legs, you will. Thrusting and stabbing is also easily done by simply shoving the Move controller forward. Holding the T button will allow you to switch from controlling the weapon to controlling the shield, so you can easily (and accurately) block your opponent’s attack. I’m really having a blast, and I really wish the game was online so that I could duel my friends.

The other games are also entertaining. Bocce ball was interesting, and very simple. You simply throw out one ball, and then try and throw four other balls as close to that first ball as possible. The controls were pretty much the same as the bowling game from Wii Sports, so I was comfortable playing it, even though I had no idea what bocce ball was until today. The archery game was interesting, but a little too basic, with a simple point and shoot, and adjusting for the distance (aiming higher than the target to allow the arrow to come down a bit.) The volley ball game was my least favorite, as I couldn’t get the controls to really respond to what I wanted to do. I think it will take some time to get used to the timing. Frisbee golf was a fun new spin on golf, and I was glad to see it here. Basically you have to throw a frisbee until you reach a tower (which acts as the hole in a normal game of golf.) This little twist makes the game more interesting since it’s not just a rehash of Wii Sports golf.

All in all, if you pick up PlayStation Move, you should definitely get Sports Champions. Also, the bundle is a good deal, in that you get Sports Champions, a Move controller, and the Eye camera all for about $100.

The Shoot

The Shoot is a very basic rail shooter, which is a genre that I love for these motion controls. The main premise of The Shoot takes you through several stages based on stereotypical settings. You will get a taste of this with the demo, which takes you through the first stage…a western shoot out. The controls are very simple, as you just point and shoot. Occasionally you will come across an event (such as a dynamite explosion or a chain gun) where you will need to quickly move the controller down so make the camera jump down, thus avoiding the danger. Also, at one point you had to waggle the Move controller up and down as you pumped a mine cart alongside a train. Like any good rail shooter, there are enemies to shoot(who appear more as cardboard cutouts rather than live enemies) while you try to avoid shooting civilians. I enjoyed the demo, and I’m sure I’ll give it a rent from Gamefly, but I think it’s too early to tell if there is any replay value in The Shoot to warrant a purchase.

Start The Party

The Wii had it, and as is to be expected with any console’s attempt to hit the “casual gamer”, there is shovelware. Shovelware is basically a company going ahead and making a cheesy, lame, simple game in the hopes that it’s promising exterior convinces parents and families to buy it, not knowing that all they are getting is a game of “wave the controller around the room.” This is not the first shovelware game I’ve seen for the Move, and I’ll be mentioning others throughout this review.

Start the Party tries to be a family board game. I will admit that the initial concept is a good one…each player gets their picture taken and their name recorded, and then they start off across several events to see who gets the best score. Sadly, this novelty does not make the game too enjoyable. Some of the games I played against my sister included one where you had to swat flies, one where you had to color in shapes, and one where you had to…well, I forget. It was such a horrible mini game that my mind eliminated it from my memory. But it was the same basic thing…each player grabs the Move controller and waves it around, and whoever waves it faster (or is luckier, since there is little skill involved) wins. Start the party is definitely one of the downfalls of the Move, and should definitely be avoided.

Kung Fu Rider

When I first heard the premise of the game, I was a little hopeful…you play a guy rolling around town on an office chair fighting ninjas. Sadly, the demo did not give me that much enjoyment at all. I found the controls clunky, and I had difficulty steering the office chair around the tutorial stage. I was quickly frustrated, and the demo was deleted just as quickly. Based on my limited experience with the demo, I wouldn’t recommend the game to anyone.

Tumble

Tumble is one of the only non-retail Move games (meaning it’s only available on PSN.) Though I have not bought it, the $10 price tag is tempting for a game with a lot of potential. When I first heard of the game, it reminded me of Boom Blox. Tumble is quite different than Boom Blox, as there is a lot more tower building than tower destroying. Like Boom Blox, physics take a big part in the game, as you must use different blocks of differing shapes, sizes, and materials to build as large a tower as you can. I did also come across a demolition mode in the demo, in which you have to plant explosives on a pre-made tower and then destroy it to earn points.

The controls were a tad too sensitive in my opinion, but it was something that I think would be easily remedied with extended play (ie- getting used to it.) The simple game mechanics and graphics definitely make the game worth the price of admission, and I’m pretty sure I will be picking it up at some point in the near future.

EyePet

This is one of those games that I’m embarrassed to say that I was intrigued by. Though in my defense, everyone else who I showed it too enjoyed it as well. As the name and the box art implies, EyePet is basically a cute, lovable virtual pet. The demo is very limiting as to what the game is capable of, but it was interesting enough to peak my curiosity, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I rented the game at some point to see what else it could do.

After a short tutorial, the little EyePet comes out, and you can begin to interact with it. The game is played with the Eye camera pointed at the floor, which is where the EyePet will come out and play. Basically the Eye camera takes in you and your surroundings, then displays the video feed onto the TV, only there is now a little animal running around and that you can interact with. One of the great things is that you don’t always need the Move controller…the EyePet will often be able to respond to anyones hands, not just the controller. The EyePet knows if you pet it, or if you are trying to get its attention by tapping the floor or wiggling your fingers. With the Move controller, you can do more advanced interactions such as making drawings for the EyePet to play with and giving him a bath (it was fun the first time, but if it is a constant activity I could see it getting old fast.)

EyePet is one of the games that not only appeals to families and children, but even I got a kick of this little monkey-like thing running around my living room and jumping into my sister’s lap as she sat on the chair. I was sad to see that the demo was so limiting, but I could see the game having some potential…the question is whether I’m man enough or not to add it to my Gamefly queue.

TV Superstars

If I really wanted to, I could probably just copy and paste what I said about Start the Party right here. On the outside, it’s got a great premise. Players take their picture, record their voice, and participate in mini games. To its credit, TV Superstars tries a little harder, by setting the mini games within television shows, and you must take your character through reality shows and commercials to eventually get your own talk show. However, the mini games are once again fairly drab and not very fun. One of the mini games in which you had to spray deodorant on your character did not work in the least, and was extremely unresponsive to your actual movements. So while TV Superstars tries a little harder than Start the Party, in the end it’s just another piece of shovelware for the Move’s game library.

Beat Sketch

I didn’t like the sound of the game as I installed it, and after playing the demo, I am still not a fan. In fact, I don’t think I can say whether or not I’m a fan, simply because I couldn’t figure out what the point of the game was. After reading through a ton of tutorial screens, I finally got into the main game. However, once there I couldn’t figure out what to do. They had me choose some background music and sound effects, then give you a blank canvas (which is actually the view from the Eye.) Then you use the Move controller and wave it around to draw in the air. So I drew…and I drew…and I drew. But that’s all I did. There was nothing telling me what to do next, and I couldn’t find a menu screen to get the hell out of there.

I don’t think I can give this demo a fair review since I didn’t know what the heck to do, but the fact that the demo was this unclear is not a good sign as to what the rest of the game has to offer.

Racket Sports

I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t have much expectations for this game. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that the game was actually quite enjoyable. It definitely feels a lot like Wii Sports Tennis, in that there aren’t any crazy advanced controls. You just use the Move controller to serve and to hit the ball. The sports included in the demo were tennis and badmitton, and the full game had a few more, including table tennis.

I was happy with how simple the controls were. Not being a big tennis fan, I don’t want a complicated tennis game that is authentic to the sport, much like how I love the complexity behind EA’s NHL series since I’m a huge hockey fan. The controls proved to be very responsive, and I was able to serve, hit forehand, and backhand with no problem. The other thing that caught my eye was that it there is an online option, though it was locked out of the demo. I’m definitely interested in this game, and I’ll be renting it in the future to check the full game out. Heck, I might even end up buying it at one point, I enjoyed the demo so much.

Games I Missed

There were two Move games I was curious about, but sadly they did not have a demo available on PSN. The Fight looked interesting, but it has received some pretty nasty criticism. Still, I would have liked to have been able to check it out to see how it was. The other game I’m interested in getting my hands on at some point is Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest. It looks like a very simple and basic game geared to younger gamers, but I think I would enjoy renting it just to see what it’s all about.

In Conclusion

The PlayStation Move is indeed a large upgrade over the Wii. The controller is definitely superior, with more accuracy and comfort than the Wiimote has. Also, the fact that the Wii can’t process HD games is quite a disappointment, so it’s nice that Move can now allow for HD motion controlled gaming. Also, the price of admission is quite cheap, with you only really needing the Move controller and the PlayStation Eye. So long as you rent from a place like Gamefly (which I always recommend) you will be able to get your mitts on a bunch of different Move games without ever really having to buy one. There were some shining games I checked out like Sports Champions, Tumble, EyePet, and Racket Sports, and some of the others were either a little out there or just plain sucked. That being said, renting is the way to go with this, as many of the games that are either already out, or are coming out, will be nothing but gimicky shovelware. Always rent before you buy, unless you’ve done your research and know exactly what the game will be able to deliver.

Sonic 4 is yet another classic game revamp with today’s hardware to give it the nostalgic feel while still looking damn good. Mega Man did it, Super Mario did it, heck, even Earth Worm Jim had a tweeked game (mind you it was still the original game for the most part), so popping out a Sonic game along the same wave length was a great idea. Sega has been claiming from the start that it picks up where Sonic & Knuckles left off, and maintains the same look and feel. Once the demo popped up the other night, I couldn’t wait to check it out. Sadly, the demo only allows you to play through Act 1 of the first stage, so there isn’t a whole lot to do, but you do get a feel for what’s in store.

First and foremost, I have to say that the game is beautiful. The graphics are simply amazing, and you can really tell that it incorporates today’s technology while still sticking to a classic 2D Sonic game. It really feels like you’re playing an HD remake of the classic Genesis game, except that the world and enemies are different. The game plays the same as the originals, where you run, jump, and roll around collecting rings and busting up robots to release little woodland critters on your way to the end of the stage. Of course, there are a few things that are different.

One of the first things I noticed that felt “off” was the music. The title menu track did not sound very “Sonic-ish” to me, and I found myself humming the old song in my mind while I navigated the menu. Another thing that is different from Sonic & Knuckles is that Sonic now has the ability to lock on to enemies, making it far easier to hit them. When you jump in the air, a mini lock-on icon will appear over an enemy. Hitting the jump button again will automatically send Sonic flying at the enemy, thus making for simple kills. I remember this being a feature in Sonic and the Secret Rings on the Wii, but I don’t know if it appeared anywhere before that. Still, I liked it, especially when you are able to chain it over multiple enemies and thus remain in the air for extended periods of time. Sadly, as I made my way through the demo, I was unable to determine how to activate the Chaos Emerald mini-games. Also, oddly enough, I did not come across any item boxes, so I don’t know what special goodies will be in the game along the lines of force fields, fire shields, and speed boosting sneakers.

I think that Sonic 4 has promise, especially for someone who has the “Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection” and wants even more Sonic on their PS3 or 360. My biggest concern with the game is the price for admission: the game is being released in “Episodes”, and the one currently available (Episode One obviously) will run you $15. I’m concerned about the length of the game, as Episode One only has four zones with three acts each. So $15 for twelve Sonic levels is asking a bit much I think, especially when most of the levels should be pretty straightforward and not really offer much of a challenge. I think that the game would be much easier to support if the price sticker was $10, but for $15 I really don’t think Sega is giving players their money’s worth. I know I for one would be tempted to make the purchase if it were a tad bit cheaper. Still, if you are really a die-hard Sonic fan then this is a must-have purchase for you, since the game is as classic to the old school Sonic days as you will ever find these days.

I was pretty unfamiliar with the whole concept of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. I had never heard of the graphic novel, and was not really interested when I heard about the movie. When I first heard about the game, I ignored it thinking it would be another cheesy movie/game tie-in. But then I started hearing good things about the game…it was a multi-player beat em’ up with  retro-esque graphics and soundtrack. The more I heard about it, the more interested I got, and after playing the demo it wasn’t long before I made the full purchase. I can’t say much about the graphic novels or the movie, but I can say that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World makes for one hell of a great downloadable video game!

The game does follow the basic storyline of the graphic novel and (I’m guessing) the movie: Scott Pilgrim is a kid in a band who meets and falls for a girl named Ramona. However, in order to date her, he must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends. Thus, you take control of Scott, Ramona, or two other friends who are in Scott’s band, and you take to the streets of Toronto to track down and defeat the ex’s. Right off the bat, from the main menu, the display, music, and sound effects all take you back to the hayday of the NES and Sega Master System. In fact, the game feels like you are playing River City Ransom, as you walk through town, beating up bad guys with your fists or weapons, and walking into shops to purchase health and stat upgrades. The main world map is extremely reminiscent of that of Super Mario Bros. 3.  Each level ends with you taking on the boss of the stage, who is one of the seven ex-boyfriends, and each one has some kind of unique power/ability that makes each fight a little different.

The character’s are all upgradable, meaning that they all start at level one, and as you kill badguys and gain experience, you can level up some of your stats. Other stats, such as strength and defense, are actually purchased at one of the shops. It could be in the means of food, clothing, books, video games, or something else. One of the downfalls to the game is that you don’t know what each item does until you purchase it, so you will be spending lots of money experimenting with different items to determine which are the best to buy. This whole shopping system adds a bit more to your average beat em’ up, and will have you playing through multiple times in order to get more money to purchase more upgrades for that character.

The actual game play is your standard beat em’ up…you walk around punching and kicking countless, generic goons. There is a basic punch and kick attack, but as you level up you unlock additional moves, including grapples, throws, sliding and running attacks, back attacks, and others. To further mix up the combat, there are tons of weapons to pick up and wield against the baddies, including the traditional baseball bat and beer bottles, and expanding to new things such as camera tri-pods and giant icicles. Of course, playing through with a friend (or three) will make the game experience even better! However, I must sadly report that it’s only local co-op, and not online. The action is fast and furious, but most importantly fun, and you will have a blast beating your way through each stage to get to the boss.

The boss battles are diverse and intense, as some of them are straight-out brawls, while others will require figuring out the boss’ attack pattern, which is a total throwback to old school boss battles. Some of the bosses are immune at certain times, so it is smarter to run and avoid them then trying to attack, and others will have extremely powerful special attacks, which if avoided, will leave them open and vulnerable to incoming attacks. It’s all about watching the boss and figuring out the best strategy to taking them down.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is an amazing game that will give you pure feelings of nostalgia as you enjoy the classicy-looking graphics, sound effects, and soundtrack. Offering four different characters that can be leveled and upgraded adds to the replay value of the game, and the local co-op will definitely make playing through great for a late night gaming session. The game is definitely worth the $10 price ticket, and will not disappoint if you’re into mindless button-mashing, goon bashing beat em’ ups. The one and only flaw to the game, in my opinion, is the lack of online play…had the game included that feature, it would have made the game ten times better than it already is. But even without online play, the game is still awesome and is an extremely enjoyable experience. If you don’t trust me, check out the demo…it will have you sold in no time!