kent c. koopa @lazygamer
Reviews
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (CD-ROM) (Windows 3.x)
By kent c. koopa on September 15, 2017
Sonic Colors (Wii)
With feeling
The Good
Sonic is back once again for another 3d installment in the sonic
series originating on the Sega Genesis in the early 1990s. Quick
history lesson for those of you unfamiliar with this series, sonic is
a platformer/speed game where in you move sonic through levels
at a fast pace while dodging obstacles such as spike pits, killer
robot animals, and Mario style death holes.
Your objective in pretty much any sonic game in this long running series is to just make through level without dying while doing it fast and as stylish as possible.
The same applies to this game; you take control of sonic from an on rails 3D perspective as well as a more free open traditional 2D perspective. This provides a nice contrast because in most games 3D= freedom while 2D= linearity, it’s nice to sonic provide a different kind of balance that's not seen in most games that combine dimensions.
As far as the story Sonic once again is battling as evil nemesis and repeated animal rights abuser Dr.Eggman, who apparently gets off by capturing and then turning cute little animals into robots.
The story here is very silly and truly is childish and not in way that ignorant gamers like to throw that term around. This time Dr.Eggman has built an amusement park in space to lure alien animals there so he can...... pet them oh so gently I guess.
Some of the dialogue is so close to being witty and self aware but as I stated before the story is just to childish and cliché for even a lot of kids to take seriously let alone grown adults.
How about the controls? Well I'm glad you asked because they are actually quite good. Another if here but IF you have played older 3D sonic games you will know that sonic has a rough history with controls like a An alcoholic in a cheap liquor store. Sonic games tend to control a little bit clunky, unresponsive, and headache inducing. I'm happy to say that this sonic game controls quite well and every jump that I concentrated on and tried to make usually ended up the way I wanted it to, what I’m trying to say is that when I died in this game it felt like MY fault and not the game which is the case for a lot of other sonic games.
The level design is superb in my opinion, the game takes some design cues from super Mario galaxy but that’s mostly in the look of the game and less in the gameplay. The levels are bright, colorful and very imaginative because the takes place in an LSD funhouse space amusement park mind frakery.
The pacing is Goldilocks after eating the third bowl. The 3D on rail segments are fast and strict, while the 2D segments are slow and require you take your time and enjoy the fundamentals. Overall the pacing is jussstttt right.
The Bad
There isn't anything wrong with sonic colors. That doesn't mean
the game is perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but like an
angry old texas judge, sonic colors executes on all counts. The
only problems in this game are the ones Sonic Team (makers of
all the console sonic games) has layed down.
While the jumping is very precise, there is time where i felt like it was a little floaty when it did not mesh with the rest of the game.
The music is definitely a mixed bag.The opening song sounds like they lobotomized the Jonas brothers made them huff paint and perform in a Disney rave in 1992. The other progressive rock style tracks work really well with the art design and solidly stand on their own as some best music in a wii game, however other tracks fall flat and just downright annoyed me, which stopped me from completely liking the music and adding it as a plus.
The Bottom Line
Sonic Colors is an extremely good platformer that is a truly a
challenge to young or old. The graphics and art design are well done and are not just good for a wii game their good for any game on any console. The story is likely to only be enjoyed by the young and naive but it could have been a lot worse. The music is this close to being great but it sounds like it was scored by two different teams. Sonic Colors is nearly perfect in everything it does some good but slippery controls and restrictive design leaves something to be desired.
By kent c. koopa on March 27, 2011
Psychonauts (PlayStation 2)
A unique and funny adventure
The Good
The core gameplay (platforming, puzzling, and...uh...adventuring) is very good. Most of the gameplay challenges in the game are fun and satisfying. The puzzles aren't so hard that I got stuck but, at the same time gave me enough of a hard time that solving was satisfying.
The gameplay is woven very well into the level design, one level may be more about platforming, while another might be more about puzzle solving, etc., but each one has enough balance and flair that it still feels like a coherent experience.
The story is not bad. There is a particular plot point towards the beginning that's introduced a little clumsily, and the ending is a little predictable, but, other than that, the story is good and the dialogue is quite funny if you dig odd quirky humor. Unlike a lot of other comedic games, Psychonauts knows how to pull off the serious moments well. The characters come across as well-rounded and real despite the game being anything but real.
The level design is outstanding. Without giving anything away, you'll truly be surprised level to level, the brilliant art direction and architecture the folks at Double Fine have come up with. Saying the levels have some variety would be selling them too short.
The Bad
The controls can be a little slippy sometimes. Sometimes you might try to make a jump and maybe miss a little, and it's not entirely human error, but it's not a huge problem and it's kind of a sticky area because it really depends on what you individually think of the controls.
The load times between each area can get bad. We're talking time-to-take-a-nap bad. This really only happens in the overworld, not the actual levels themselves, so it's more of a small problem then a major one.
The voice acting is spotty. Some characters like Raz the protagonist are really well done. Some characters, though...the actors sound like they just drank a gallon of cold medicine and decided to stand on their heads. In other words, they're in it for an easy paycheck.
The Bottom Line
Psychonauts is a great adventure game with a funny and endearing story and characters, and level design that may challenge you to rethink your opinion of games. A couple of technical issues keep it back from being perfect in my eyes, but to all others, I say jump right in.
By kent c. koopa on June 10, 2010
Dante's Inferno (Xbox 360)
A trip through hell.
The Good
The art design is terrifyingly beautiful. From the landscapes to the design of the creatures in the game, it's clear that a lot of Tender Love and Care went into the art design.
The controls themselves aren't too bad, serving the purpose while Dante is running, jumping, slashing, etc. They could be smoother, but they never really get in the way either.
The length of the game isn't too bad either, I clocked in around 10 hours, which isn't bad for a hack-n-slash action game such as this one.
The most debatable plus to Dante's Inferno is the nudity. It COULD have been used to enhance a mature story but nudity is really only used in Dante's Inferno for shock value or visual appearance only (the Lust Circle of Hell portrayed in Dante's Inferno). Still, it's nice to see them try to advance a part of video games that is considered taboo.
The Bad
The story is pretty much a gutting of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. The mature and sophisticated story was replaced with a typical video game/God of War formula. Brute Neanderthal warrior must rescue the love of his life (if you call a mild physical attraction a good enough reason to rescue somebody from Hell, but whatever) from the clutches of an evil one-dimensional villain who has no motives except to be an A whole. Seriously, you can't butcher something any more without being a short-tempered assassin at a blind amputee convention.
"Blah" pretty much sums up the gameplay. It's not bad, but it's not good, either. It's like the developers made a really good gameplay test demo, but stopped right there. Dante has a scythe and a holy-cross-laser-beam thing, both of which you can upgrade with holy and unholy points, but instead of each weapon having two halves which might have worked, the scythe is unholy and the cross is holy. (DUH) The thing is while the scythe is more visually satisfying to use, the cross is more effective because you can spam it as a long-range projectile and never get hurt. So, basically it comes down to if you would rather watch paint dry or beat up handicapped orphans, your choice. The puzzle are brain-dead easy (moving the box on the platform type of stuff), and the platforming either doesn't work because the camera is PMS-ing or it's just way too easy, like if there were no enemies in Super Mario Bros 2.
The Bottom Line
If you like weird and beautiful art design, Dante's Inferno is up your dark and very unusual alley. If you can enjoy the Raisin Bran gameplay and the paper-thin story line, I would recommend at least renting Dante's Inferno to see what the deal is. Have fun in hell.
By kent c. koopa on June 10, 2010
Yaris (Xbox 360)
By kent c. koopa on March 24, 2009
Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360)
mixed
The Good
The stories of past Grand Theft Auto games have been predictable and not very gripping (in my opinion), not so here because the tale of Niko Belic, the immigrant seeking revenge for the deaths of his friends and family is both interesting and exciting and seeing how it plays makes the game stronger on a whole.
As far the mechanics of the gameplay are concerned, the actual shooting works well, the game gives you the option to use auto aim (the default setting) or you can play the game without it. Playing without auto aim makes the game feel like gears of war or a standard third person shooter, I prefer turning auto aim off because sometimes you'll be in the middle of a firefight and accidentally target a civilian (if you have auto aim on), leading to some frustrating deaths.
The driving mechanics take some getting use to, mostly because the new physics engine (which makes the driving a lot more realistic) can be a pain, but once you do get the driving down, you'll like it.
OK, so the mechanics work well (for the most part) but what will you being doing with those mechanics, well, you'll being going on missions, a lot of missions, the missions range from stealing a bag of drugs from an abandoned hospital to chasing two bikers through a subway system. The missions have a lot more variety then past games, although maybe still not enough on a whole.
The tunes you'll here on the radio (while driving) vary from rock to reggae (theirs definitely something in here for everyone).
The Bad
The cover system is bad, really bad, its hard to choose where you want to go into cover at and even when you do, trying to get out of cover can be a pain(considering taking cover is needed to survive, this is a big flaw). Overall the controls aren't that great, to run you have to tap the A button and getting Niko to stop moving on a dime can be tough. The controls sour the experience more then they probably should. Besides the prettier graphics and better story their isn't much innovation over previous installments in the series.
The Bottom Line
Even though there aren't many flaws the ones that are here hurt really hurt the game, their is a noticeable lack of polish to just about everything. The bad controls and cover system (turned) will turn a lot of people off to Grand Theft Auto 4. The lack of innovation is very frustrating (you still cannot go in many buildings), When you add everything up Grand Theft Auto 4 makes for a fantastic rental.
By kent c. koopa on March 18, 2009
Spider-Man (Commodore 64)
By kent c. koopa on November 3, 2008