Review by: Duane Simer
Published: January 3, 2006

Super Mario Strikers, while not exactly in the lineup of EA’s franchise games,  puts a nice custom twist on yet another sports game for the Nintendo Gamecube  system.  It is by no means Nintendo’s first iteration of a sports-game-gone-Mario, and like those other titles, they put a splash of fun on it to distract from the seriousness of the real game.  Mario is often associated in thought with games for the younger crowd, but this title manages to do all it has to add to the fun and appeal, while managing to maintain a thorough control scheme that will appeal to the most hardcore of soccer fans. ( read more… )

Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: August 30, 2004

Think back to the days of the original PlayStation; remember that venerable RPG series called Tales of Destiny? Didn’t think so. Like Valkyrie Profile or Xenogears, the Tales franchise was one that garnered little attention relative to juggernauts such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior, but gained a sort of cult following in subsequent years. How much things have changed just a generation later. With GameCube owners famished for a good role-playing adventure, the hype surrounding Tales of Symphonia has grown to a feverous pitch. ( read more… )

Review by: Curtis Hart
Published: April 15, 2004

When Samurai Jack first aired, it was the black sheep of the Cartoon Network family. Amidst more comic animations and Genndy Tartakovsky’s earlier work, the strikingly unique artistic style of Jack and its sublimely tacit method of storytelling were profound. Critics were quick to heap praise onto the newcomer. Years later, Cartoon Network has entered the console arena, translating many of its most popular franchises into interactive experiences, and the serene swordfighter is among them. ( read more… )

Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: February 19, 2004

With Square Enix’s Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, gamers searching for a traditional console RPG will be in for a disappointment, as this outing has less in common with its namesake than another title of theirs, Kingdom Hearts, or even Nintendo’s own Zelda franchise. Still, the action / RPG mechanics will be, for some, a welcome departure from the Final Fantasy formula, though the emphasis on Game Boy connectivity has many worried that the single-player element won’t live up to the series’ lofty standards. ( read more… )

Review by: Curtis Hart
Published: February 9, 2004

In July 2000, a small group of talented individuals broke off from Midway and founded Swingin’ Ape Studios. Such splits are common in the game industry, and these fresh companies are known as hotbeds of creativity and innovation. With titles like Hydro Thunder, Zork Nemesis and Cruis’n USA under their collective belt, it’s easy to expect great things from this team. Their first offering is Metal Arms: Glitch in the System, a third-person shooter designed to offer a variety of fast-paced action. ( read more… )

Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: February 2, 2004

Perhaps more than any other single entity, Sonic made it cool to own a Sega console in the early nineties. What else needs to be said about the blue hedgehog that single-handedly gave the Genesis era the “attitude” that made it a legitimate alternative to Nintendo’s juggernaut Super NES? The difference between him and longtime Nintendo rival, Mario, was simple: speed. ( read more… )

Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: October 16, 2003

Coming from the same Capcom development studio that gave us the original Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe, players were expecting two things from P.N.03. Similar to the aforementioned titles, this latest offering would likely exude style and elegance, but more importantly, it would hopefully feature the same non-stop action-packed gameplay. Capcom successfully delivered on both fronts, but as was learned with the failure that was Devil May Cry 2, those two elements don’t always spawn a winning formula. ( read more… )

Review by: Michael Rack
Published: October 10, 2003

It was in the modest beginnings of brief clips on the Tracy Ullman show, that the Simpsons crept onto TV sets. Amusing fans with madcap dysfunctional family antics, it wasn’t long before they were picked up for their own show. Bringing non-stop hilarity around the globe, the Simpsons claimed a fan base larger than Homer’s immense gut, leading to a line of products including action figures, posters, and eventually video games. Making the translation to home consoles is no small task though, and most TV/movie conversions end up as weak bargain bin pickups at best. Even Simpsons games tend to be little more than copycat titles, dumbing down the mechanics of existing offerings and slapping on shallow representations of the main cast. However, Radical Entertainment has attempted to set the bar up a notch with its release of The Simpsons Hit & Run. ( read more… )

Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: July 26, 2003

Even though it was one of only a handful of RPGs on GameCube, Activision’s Lost Kingdoms was still a niche title. The unique premise of blending real-time combat with the turn-based nature of a tabletop card game wasn’t for everyone. Add to that the fact that the story was an afterthought, and you have what would seem to be the makings of certain death for any console RPG. That wasn’t the case, however, as Lost Kingdoms was enough of a success to warrant a sequel and even a North American localization. Developer FromSoftware revisits the franchise, hoping to correct the errors made the first time without spoiling the brilliant card-based battle system. ( read more… )

Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: July 8, 2003

While Acclaim would undoubtedly argue that Speed Kings is entirely independent from their other popular racing franchise, Burnout, the similarities between the two are undeniable. From near-identical gameplay mechanics to a familiar graphics engine, it would seem that the success of the Burnout series has prompted a new line of extreme racing titles. ( read more… )

Review by: Michael Rack
Published: June 19, 2003

Marvel comics have enthralled readers with tales of super-powered men and women who selflessly overcome extreme adversity for the sake of mankind. Perhaps the only thing greater than reading about these astounding heroes, is taking on their role. Lacking radioactive arachnids and alien transmogrification beams, one may look to video games for the means to explore such fantasies. Vivendi Universal has released a cel-shaded title tied in to the upcoming Hulk movie, giving fans a chance to experience the green machine from a hands-on perspective. However, conveying an artist’s image in an enjoyable video game experience is not easily done. ( read more… )

Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: May 28, 2003

Originally a popular Japanese arcade title and then ported to Dreamcast, Ikaruga almost never saw the light of day outside the land of the rising sun. The 2D shooting genre isn’t exactly in its prime anymore, though dedicated loyalists who used to spend days on end in arcades could care less. Having passed on a Dreamcast version, Atari finally stepped up to the plate and gave fans something better, an enhanced version of Ikaruga on GameCube. What’s more, Atari gave western audiences a chance to view a most unique offering from one of Japan’s legendary development houses, Treasure. ( read more… )

Review by: Michael Rack
Published: May 1, 2003

Very few titles in the console industry have survived lengthy tests of time, giving way to new generations of games as technology advances. However, there are a few that seem to have strong enough core values to consistently draw a crowd, such as Final Fantasy, Mario, and Sonic. Great care must be taken to ensure that each following release lives up to the legacy it upholds. These sequels must provide a wide variety of gamers with something enjoyable they recognize, yet something innovative that lends itself to the series, lest they become shunned as the weak link in a otherwise solid chain. ( read more… )

Review by: Mike Laidlaw
Published: September 2, 2002

Super Mario 64 was a milestone of platformers. It broke with convention, it stretched its world to three dimensions and it managed to do just about everything so well that it’s still one of the best games ever released for the N64. That’s a tough act to follow. Nintendo decided to hold off on Super Mario Sunshine until they could follow in its predecessors footsteps, however, releasing the acceptable but hardly stellar Luigi’s Mansion concurrent with GameCube. Fast-forward a few dry months and Super Mario Sunshine looks poised to spearhead a massive lineup of top-drawer Nintendo titles. Impressions can be deceiving, and it’s hard to imagine anything approaching the radical changes introduced by Super Mario 64 happening in this jaded age, so gamers are likely asking themselves, “What makes this Mario different?” ( read more… )

Review by: Matthew Dujnic
Published: July 27, 2002

The first action / RPG on the GameCube. As we approach the one-year anniversary of Nintendo’s biggest console, companies can still boldly claim to be the first on the block with their software. Activision’s Lost Kingdoms is certainly a first, as there is very little in the line of lengthy medieval adventures for the platform. Not only is it first, but Cubists also have themselves some platform exclusive software to boot. There are some fresh ideas promised from this game, including the card-based battle system. Now, let’s see if this “genre first” can also deliver the genre goods. ( read more… )