User Reviews

Need for Speed is one of the best and well-embraced racing games of all time. It gives you that adrenaline rush of how it is to be in front of a wheel, driving at a high speed while dodging other cars along the way. Coming from a very successful line, this PSP version falls quite short when compared to its console counterpart but still remains to be relatively better when compared with other portable racing games.

The PSP version still has that arcade feel to it, but minus the customization part this time. The only thing you could alter or change in your car is its color. Thus, all you have to do is just race, beat your competitors, and eventually try to win the race. Maybe they took into consideration the fact that most PSP players just focus on actually playing the game rather than making all those adjustments.

Without all those adjustments or upgrades available for your car, what is there to look forward to after each race then? Luckily, you get to drive different cars; a selection so wide, there are just enough cars to choose from to suit different types of players. But don’t get too keyed up just yet. You just can’t choose which car to drive from at the start. You still have to earn them by unlocking each one whenever you finish a race or when you beat other players in a game.

The game also loses the ability for the player to manually change gears. Instead, cars are set to automatic, taking away the thrill of how it is to actually change gears. Some may think it’s cool but many are of the opinion that it’s a total bust since you are just left with simply stepping on the gas and waiting until it actually climbs up speed. Since it automatically changes gear, it frequently fails to do so and you just notice that the car you’re driving is running low on revs.

The graphics aren’t that bad. There are some places indicating well-thought of locations; others are just downright dull and simply boring. In addition, when you make your way to the city, it doesn’t feel and look as though it is a city. For example, there aren’t much people you could see. And if you could spot a couple, they look kind of weird and just seem to just blend in the crowd instead of popping out.

Its audio however rivals those of its counterparts. Sound effects are placed just right and quite accurately at that. The screeching of the wheels, the changing of the gears, as well as the crashes, all of them sound pretty close to the real thing. The soundtrack of the game is also a good one. It offers you a wide variety of music unlike other racing games that only offer a couple at most, which can get pretty annoying with its repetitious playing.

The PSP version might not be the best among the Need for Speed games; but at least in this game you get to live the experience of driving the best cars in the world, in places you’ve never been to before.

Nintendo has been very busy with their gaming. On November 25, 2008 they released Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force for Nintendo DS console. Elite Penguin Force or more commonly known in the game for its shortcut EPF is a cool spy agency that aims to keep Club Penguin safe; the very same Club Penguin of Walt Disney you’ve been playing online.

Club Penguin is an adventure where a single player plays as a covert member of one of the penguins in the Elite Penguin Force. Here, the gamer travels around an island and is supposed to assist other penguins; and needs to sometimes crack mysteries along the process. There are also confidential missions that the player has to finish. These missions are exclusive for Nintendo DS consoles.

Being a game that is more geared into the adventurous side, it heavily relies on the plot; and luckily, Club Penguin has an excellent one. Children would really love the game for all its humor and action packed adventures.

Club penguin offers mini games that include fishing, dancing, snowboarding and other touchscreen games that can be played over and over at any given time in any place during the game. This is a way to earn coins which are important for getting costumes and other add-ons.

Earning coins is vital in the game; and Club Penguin, being inspired from an online Disney game, has the ability to transfer earned coins from the Nintendo DS version to the online game through wireless connections as long as they are using the same account. How cool is that! Moreover, players can simultaneously play on the online community and get those special features the game has to offer, through the Nintendo DS. Awesome! You can also make your own three-dimensional avatars, build your own profile, talk with friends and enjoy sharing Club Penguin accessories. Using the same wireless connection also allows you to get newer missions and achieve in-game honors. This game just reeks of absolutely fantastic!

Well, okay, so not absolutely; the features have its slight drawbacks, too. They are made for the younger generation; which means the interface design is leaning on a much simpler side where children can easily move along in the game. Its simplicity can be a bit boring for some adults who are much more used to high-tech graphics; but they work wonders for the little gamers. The game also has its ambiguities that can be confusing to players, making it tougher to deal with the game at times. Getting stuck can be an agonizing ordeal. The game also entails lots of reading; lots and lots of them. The saving factor is they’re easy to read.


All in all this is a fabulous game; not only for little kids but for teens, too. They are simple but adventurous enough for kids to enjoy. The ability to use wireless connections to relate your Nintendo account to the original online game is a huge plus; and you can just constantly play without having to put your PC to tremendous wear and tear every time you play. Given that there are still very limited adventurous games on DS at the moment, this charming game can serve as a gateway for more challenging games of this genre in the DS console format.

With the success of the well-received and widely popular Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, it was just too good an opportunity to pass and not make a sequel; so after two years, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games was finally released. It still offers the players the same 27 events based on the core disciplines of the Olympic Games which features both classic and dream events. The once popular sprints and pole vaults however, are now replaced with snowboarding, hockey, skiing, skating, curling, and many more. What’s great in this new version is that you can choose which sport to play from the very start.

The game’s dream events filled with beautiful settings like rolling hills, gleaming snow, and clear blue skies makes this game interesting. The only downside to this is that each dream event mode requires unlocking done by single-player mode or multiplayer mode. What’s more annoying is that most of the events in the game are not worth the time it takes to unlock the different dream events. But what did you really expect? It would be such a bore if everything was simply handed down, right?

The one event in this game which really rocks is curling. Not many people know what this sport is but I guess once they get to know what it is they’ll get hooked. Curling is a mix of bocce ball, shuffleboard, and horseshoes. Simply put, the player who throws rocks closest to the target wins. It might seem ordinary but what makes this game fun is that the developers incorporate the actual game into how you control each throw. Speed, strength, and different ways of countering each throw can be controlled giving you full power of how it turns out. Say goodbye to blaming it all on the computer for your failure.

Working your way through the game can be such a bust when it becomes repetitive. Each event can be replayed until you reach the necessary skill level you wish to have. The tracks and courses are predetermined so once you have already played it; it won’t excite you as much as it did the first time around. The controls were also made to be user-friendly making it somewhat easy even for casual players. But hey, not everyone gets good at it that fast.

Besides the different events, Mario & Sonic also offer players a chance to some party games namely balloon popping and wheel spinning. These are strategically placed randomly before the start of each Olympic event.

This game might get you hooked right away but it will also bore you as fast as it enticed you. The whole package could have been put together better if it had been more exciting games and if the controls were as engaging as it hoped to be. It fails in comparison to the previous Olympic game in terms of graphics but it makes up for it in terms of being imaginative. Overall, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is a disappointment. But if you are that type of person who enjoys unlocking levels and stages then this game is just enough to keep you distracted or busy for the moment since the events are really not that mind-blowing. Still, it will not stop anyone, both kids and those kids at heart, from enjoying it especially during gatherings.

God of War is probably one of the best fantasy games Sony has ever produced. Ask any game player about the game and they will probably give you not just a brief description but a very detailed one at that. Some may even give you a couple of tips. Give any new detail or development about Kratos and it becomes an instant Internet sensation. No doubt this game has a lot of loyal fans and the legion just keeps getting bigger by the day.

The God of War Collection is a collection of the two previous God of War games available in Play Station 3. Both were equally good games and to have them played side by side is really cool. The stories have not been altered which I believe is really brilliant on the part of Sony since altering it would have ruined the whole game and most like leave a lot of people quite upset with such change. This is a very good example of predictive maintenance or what the old school would describe as, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And since the stories work pretty well, Sony is quite smart in its decision to leave them be.

With no change whatsoever in terms of the game flow, there isn’t much to say about the gameplay but that it is similar to the previous ones. Even if it was released a couple of years back, the experience of playing would still have been as unparalleled as today. The game still remains to be at the top of the pack even after a long span of time and no matter how many times you’ve finished it, you still won’t get bored with doing it all over again. It’s like an addiction – the good kind, of course.

One good thing about releasing this game in PS3 is that you get to experience playing it in high definition. The players look better, the places look more natural, and the whole feel is just breathtaking. During battles, the characters are more responsive to controls and game lags are hardly experienced even when there are a lot of onscreen goings-on. If you’ve played the previous versions then you will most definitely love this improvement.

There are still some minor flaws already encountered in the past that stick with the new release. There are a couple of frames with some shaky camera movements and awkward camera positions. Also, there are collision problems that undeniably need some polishing. However, these are just minor setbacks which hardly make any difference to the overall quality of the game.

If you haven’t played any of the God of War games then this is the perfect opportunity to do so. If you had, then here’s a chance to relive the whole experience one more time. Whatever reason you may have for buying or playing this game, the satisfaction it brings about till the very end is absolutely worth your while. This is a must-have collection you shouldn’t ignore. Grab the opportunity now and start playing God of Wars.

Singing is a great way of expressing oneself and one’s emotions. You can do it anywhere, anytime you feel like it. But for those who love to sound like pros with the music and on the microphones, you can now do karaoke in your own living rooms with your very own Xbox 360 console. The karaoke game Lips was released last 2008 and was the predecessor of Lips: Number One Hits; which let you do what you probably love the most - sing. Now, the second installment is released for the same Xbox 360 console karaoke game; and is called Lips: Party Classics. This second song pack contains 40 famous, well-played songs that many people love and are already familiar with.

This game is just an add-on which means you don’t have to buy new accessories (like the microphones); although if you feel like buying new accessories, it may interest you to know that there is also a new innovation on Lips microphones. These innovative accessories now come as wireless gadgets with some simple motion-sensing features that allow you to do moves like tapping on a tambourine, and the game kind of automatically recognizes your moves; thus making appropriate sounds.

This game has basically the same feature as its predecessor with the single player mode that has a ranking system for players; and the multiplayer mode that features a competition mode or a co-op mode with an add-on of three mini-games. This is a fun game for those who aren’t too competitive because there is no score that says you fail at singing, which could get you pretty much discouraged. The scores are essentially for hitting the notes right; if you can’t hit the high notes, then you get lower scores and vice versa. The motivation comes from endless number of awards you can get and the idea of elevating your rank when you sing the songs right.

Being attached to an Xbox Live allows you to correlate your standing with other singers in the Lips community. You can also buy new tracks to enhance your song list. The Party Classics edition also sport some upgrades like the ability to create your own playlist for convenience.

The modes have been altered, too. The jukebox mode is gone but there is a freestyle mode that lets you coordinate songs from external devices like the Apple iPod. This allows you to sing new songs without necessarily buying new tracks.
Alright, it’s not a perfect world, so even a seemingly perfect game comes with some snags. Since there are different installments and different CDs, jumping from one track to another can be inconvenient when songs are not in the same song pack. Players have to change CDs, which is really a waste of time. But it’s not really a big deal if you really love to belch it out.

For singers and aspiring singers; professionals or amateurs; young and old and just about everyone out there who could and would like to sing, practice and bond with family and friends, Lips: Party Classics is absolutely a great game to enjoy with your original Lips Karaoke Game. When it comes to singing, this game can definitely deliver.

Assassins Creed 2 is a sequel that’s a lot better than its predecessor in many ways. Put about 2 years of intensive development and you get a game that is this good. It is most likely one of the best follow-ups to date. What’s good about this game is that they tried to tweak almost all the flaws of the previous one; and surprisingly, they succeeded.

You could control the main character from the moment he was born. You can track how his character builds up making you understand the character better. The creative team should be given special credit for this. You don’t get to use weapons for about a couple of minutes or so but that isn’t a total bust. The story is so good that you don’t even notice you haven’t even battled yet.

As the story builds up, so does your skill and the number of weapons you can use. There are similar games out there that have the same flow but what sets this game apart from the rest is that each one is carefully crafted and nothing feels rushed.
Ezio, the main character, and all the things you can make him do, are the portions where the game truly shines. In addition, he can now do more things both in the offense and defense. Obviously, it takes some practice but once you get the hang of things, it takes you to a whole new level. You pick up a close encounter of how it is to be an assassin. From the preparation and strategy to the actual assassination itself, everything is placed in your hands. When you’ve fully discovered what Ezio can do, won’t be much of a problem to you.

The game is well known for its killing theme and this sequel has accomplished that, so you definitely won’t get disappointed. It offers players a wide variety of ways to kill an enemy. Whether you want it at close range, from a distance, or a good hand to hand combat; everything’s possible in this game. Some attacks are so gory; the game shouldn’t be played by young kids. It’s not just your usual sword fights and throwing of grenade sort of fights. You can stick a spear onto your opponent and drag him around; eventually killing him. This is just an example but things become quite brutal in most cases. Then again, you are playing as an assassin so that is what you should expect.

The graphics however isn’t quite at par with most of its competitors. The quality of the visuals is good but could have been better and adjustments could have been done with a thing or two. But what they lack in graphics, they try to compensate in sound quality. The soundtrack gives you a fairly good feel of the setting. The rustling of the leaves, the sound of hitting swords, or the sound of a knife getting buried in the opponent’s body; all vividly captured and delivered brilliantly, making it sound so real.

Sequels are a disappointment most of the time and often just ruin the whole franchise. Luckily, Assassins Creed 2 didn’t fall under that category and took a better route instead. If you didn’t like the first one maybe this would turn things around and make you fall in love with the game.

Star Wars Battlefront Elite Squadron was released to bring back or at least regain what was once very popular among the masses -the star wars franchise. But just as expected, the new installment was a miss and it just continued the downward spiral that was started with the first battlefront release.

You could tell that they really tried to improve on a lot of things on this one. But all those improvements were just not quite right and still fell short of what most people wanted see and experience. The concept was great but it failed big time in the application. If only more work was put into it then maybe it would have turned out better.

What you could do with the characters was a big leap from the previous installment. You could do different attacks and defenses now. Everything was so promising. Then there’s the control. How do you expect to do it well when the controls are that complicated? It could have been made a lot easier and a lot more game-enticing.

The story mode is also a great disappointment. From the names of the characters to the mission that they have to do and your role in it, everything just seems uncreative at some point. You would even often times get lost with what is going on because what the character is narrating and what is being shown onscreen are frequently out of synch. You should be a really star wars fanatic to understand things really well. Its main campaign, despite its being relatively short, is a good thing in some ways since you can replay it again and again. You then just have to adjust the level of difficulty and then just start over again.

What saves the bad storyline is the high degree of customizing that you can do with your battle troops. You are fully in charge with what they wear and what weapons they use. If you are that type of player who loves to customize, then you probably would like this feature in the new battlefront installment.

Another thing that saves this game from being a total upset is that its graphics are really gorgeous despite being designed just for the PSP. It still looks as stunning as most of its console counterparts. Even in battles you couldn’t see any minor faults – in terms of the graphics, that is. Some games sacrifice game speed for a great visual but this game does not do that. Even when your screen is jam-packed with a lot of fighting, the speed still remains to be as fast as it was when you started the game.

If you are truly a star wars fanatic then you wouldn’t have any issues with this since you would definitely look past any flaws that it has. But if you aren’t.then this game is not for you. It may be a good past time and when a new game comes along, you will surely not miss it.

James Cameron’s recent movie is one those successful movies who fell for the trap of a movie getting tied-in with a game. As a response to the movie’s monstrous hit, comes James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game.

The game and the movie have the same setting which is from a distant moon called Pandora. You can still find the terrifying animals, carnivorous plants, beautiful sceneries, and of course the Na’vi. The problems being faced are still the same. There is still the constant battle between the humans and the inhabitants. Let me just end this movie and game comparison with this statement - if you’ve seen the movie, then you know what to expect.

If you were thrown off the edge of your seat when you watched the movie, I suggest that don’t get your hopes up that much for this game. If only it had the same amount of preparation as the movie, then it would have turned out quite differently and it would have fared better. You know that feeling when you see something and you feel as if it was finished for the sake of being finished on time? It’s like an anti-climax. Unfortunately, that’s what you get when you play this game. The only thing that saves this game is the graphics, which even the movie was well-known for.

You might feel a little blown off the game by now. But don’t fret just yet. The game might not be that good but at least it lets you experience what it is to fight the war from different sides. You have the choice to battle as part of the Na’vi and protect Pandora, or become part of the RDA and fight the inhabitants and finish your mission of extracting minerals in Pandora.

If machines and guns are your preference, then you should take on the RDA campaign. You are provided with different gadgets for you to use as weapons or as defense, whichever might be to your advantage. On the other hand, if you opt for the more primitive style like attacking in close range, then I suggest you fight for the Na’vi. You go back to the basics of having to use staffs, bow and arrow, and knives in this campaign.

The two campaigns are quite different and offer you a whole new perspective; a great strategy on the part of the creators of the game. But unfortunately, both campaigns are just average and neither one is a complete stand-out.

The best part of this game though is not the campaign but the Pandorapedia wherein you get to experience and learn a lot about Pandora. You get to marvel at its wonders and just simply enjoy what you see.

The game in its totality lacks a lot of the “game stuff”, like things that would make you want to throw the controller because you can’t finish a certain level; or if you do, you want to redo it all over again. The game is focused more on the looks of Pandora, leaving all the other elements behind. The controls are poorly developed, the missions lack depth and the fighting leaves you wanting for more.

Demon's Souls: Black Phantom Edition (PS3) Review – Remorselessly Cruel and Merciless.

A morbid, bloody, cruel and desolating game is about to conquer all your PS3’s. From Namco-Bandai, a new Japanese-Role Playing Game; comes the Demon’s Souls: Black Phantom Edition, just recently released. There’s one sure thing in this game – it’s all about DEATH!

It is a coldblooded game set against the backdrop of the gloomy and deserted world of Boletaria; a world filled of demonic auras and inhabited by mischievous creatures. In this game, you are alone and your feelings are like in the vortex of despair struggling to survive. However, the story won’t even matter since the main point of this game is about death and hardships. Ruthless battles will come your way.
In order to survive, you have to make a character befitting this type of play.

You need to choose from and customize (yes, there’s a diverse customization scheme available) different characters with unique weaponry such as, casting spells and magic, providing yourself with long range weapons, or fighting with the use of a sword and shield. You have to kill everything you come across. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. This game is designed to challenge the players to proceed to the next level. You will die countless of times. Monsters and demons will reappear even after you have slaughtered them.

Not challenging enough for you? Well, don’t speak too soon. Even If you have been grinding your way for the longest time and have collected numerous souls and you die even just once; you have to go back to the initial entry point and restart the journey again! Yes! At the starting point. There are no save points in this game. That entire grinding struggle and all your soul-collection vanish into thin air. Everything you worked hard for turns into … zero, nada, nothing. Although it’s kind of frustrating, that’s what makes this game interesting. You are challenged with each passing stage; but when you do conquer a level … there’s always an extreme sense of achievement and satisfaction. And get this … your thirst for blood rises from the depths of your soul. You’ll ask for more!

Quick reflex and tactical thinking are necessary to win the combats. Some bosses are difficult to kill. You need to blend you skills and attack in order to defeat a certain boss. You can also upgrade your weaponry, armors, battle skills and magic options for more powerful attacks and gain the upper hand against your opponents.
The game also has an online multiplayer system. You can play along with your friends and leave messages and warn co-players. You can even give them hints on how to kill a particularly difficult opponent or how you created and built up your character. One interesting thing about this game is that bloodstains are left where other players have died. Through this, you become aware the number of other players that have been killed on that certain level. This can provide you the clue to be more cautious when fighting certain monsters.

You don’t have to friendly with other players all the time, though. You can hack and kill other players and steal souls from them by being the so-called, “Black Phantom”. Being online definitely offers a great advantage for you to win the game. The exemplary control system of the game – combining responsiveness with clever design – sees to that!

Demon’s Souls: Black Phantom Edition absolutely tests your determination to finish a certain task even if there are gazillion difficulties that come your way. Dying is just a part of the game. Get up and kick back some ass when you’re revived!

If you think you are a good strategist, then you had better try Disgaea 2. I blieve I am a good strategist, but it really did challenge me. I have a lot of mates that agree with me, as well. This game has tons of challenges that will tickle your minds and make you want to play more. This is the perfect strategy game to play if you like being challenged up to your limits. This is no easy game to play, and without a proper strategy and accurate thinking, you will certainly have a difficult time going through the game.

This game is all about Adell and Rozalin who are on their journey to find the villains of the game. They will be going through tons of challenges and they need to win these in order for them to come closer to their mission. You will be going through tactics that you can use during battles or combats. Each chapter will take you long hours of playing already. Though it may sound like it is just like the other games around, you can first check out on the challenges and obstacles that the main characters will be going through. This game is difficult as you may have several trials before you can actually go to the next chapter.

What is unique about this game is that you can choose from English or Japanese characters to play your part. If you are a fan of Japanese characters, then this is your chance to play them on this highly challenging PSP game. The graphics are excellent. The scenes are clearly shown in this game. The audio and voice acting are also done well. The presentation and plot are very good which makes this game a highly recommendable one. Sometimes, gamers wanted to be challenged and make thing difficult for them to get into a game for hours. Digaea 2 is a game for people who loves challenges and would like to test their skills. All in all, this game is fun, exciting and challenging. It will definitely make your mind work overtime.

Take my word for it, I would highly recommend you buy this game. You will get your monies worth out of it.