Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
Publisher: D3 Publisher
Genre: Hybrid Puzzle
Platform: Nintendo DS
Every once in a while a game comes along that literally changes
everything. You have to throw out everything you know about a
particular type of game and look at it with fresh eyes. That’s exactly
what Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords did. The idea of taking
the puzzle elements of Bejewelled and combing them with the
role-playing mechanics of Warlords was pure genius. The biggest thing
it did was to get people who have never given puzzle games even a
cursory glance, to sit up and take notice.
Now,
with the release of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, we have a newer, bigger,
and in some respects, deeper game to play. The fantasy world setting
has changed to outer space, and spells and magic enchantments are
replaced with lasers and shields. However, the game basics are the
same, you match at least three colored gems to gain the upper hand on
your enemies and increase the skills your pilot’s skills. Since the
gems are hexagonal shaped, you can match in six directions. Swap up,
and the board moves upward, opening up a whole new level of strategy
for players.
There’s no doubt that Galactrix is a much
bigger game. The whole Galactrix universe is huge and there is just
more stuff to do. Whether it’s playing mini-games, mining cargo,
negotiating with other aliens, or customizing your ships, Galactrix
provides many hours of addictive gaming fun. –dark abyss
Afro Samurai
Publisher: Namco
Platform: PS3
For
those many fans of Afro Samurai who couldn’t get enough of the
incredibly ultra-violent anime series, you can now be Afro on your
favorite console and big screen TV, and get this, it very faithful to
the series. You have Samuel L. Jackson’s excellent voice-over work as
Afro and Ninja Ninja, as well as Ron Pearlman and Kelly Hu as Justice
and Okiku. Last but not least, RZA created an all-new soundtrack for
the game.
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Developers
Namco Bandai have done an excellent job in capturing the sounds of Afro
Samurai for this game, but what about the visuals? Well, there’s no
need to worry because the graphics are absolutely stunning. The unique
world of Afro Samurai truly is a sight to behold, but it’s during the
fight sequences that the graphics really shine. Afro’s movements are
smooth and fluid and more importantly, extremely lethal. Make no bones
about it, like the anime itself, Afro Samurai is a hack and slash game.
In fact, while there a number different moves Afro can execute, you can
have loads of fun just running through the baddies and hitting only two
buttons. There’s even a bullet time mode that let’s Afro slow down the
action and literally cut through everyone in sight. There’s some
quirkiness with the camera angles while fighting, but if you play long
enough, you kind of get used to it. But for the most part, Afro Samurai
is a whole lot of fun and that’s what counts. With plenty of blood,
violence and nudity (female ninjas), what more could a gamer want? –dark abyss
Guinness World Records 2009: Gamer’s Edition
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Publisher: Guinness Hardcover |
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All
right, picture this for a moment, you’re hanging out with your friends,
spending time doing what you enjoy most, playing video games. You and
your buddies are working through the final stages of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
While playing, one of your friends, marveling at the great production
value of the game, says, “Man, this game rocks, this has to be the
biggest budget ever for a space game.”
Smiling to yourself, you clear your throat and say, “I beg to differ my good man, Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom is the most expensive space combat game ever made with a budget of 14 million.”
All your friends look your way in amazement and you hear, “Dude, how did you know that?”
Smiling, you turn back to the TV and continue to crush your foes with
all the powers of the Dark Side, all the while thanking your lucky
stars that you picked up that new copy of Guinness World Records 2009: Gamer’s Edition.
Sound like fiction? It’s not. You, too, can be a walking tome of nearly
useless trivia by picking up this truly impressive 216 page, lavishly
produced, hardcover book. The Guinness World Records 2009: Gamer’s Edition
really is packed with all kinds of gaming information and trivia.
There’s a gaming history timeline, thousands of interesting facts on
almost every gaming genre, and, of course, plenty of high score record
listings set by gamers. If you love video gaming, you can bet that
something in this book will interest you.
To see just how good this book really is, visit www.gamers.guinnessworldrecords.com to check out some sample spreads from the book. –dark abyss
Moon
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Publisher: Mastiff Games |
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Alright,
here’s the deal. If you are a DS fan, you’ve probably already played
most of the first-person shooter games for the DS. Some were pretty
cool, but most of the them just didn’t take full advantage of the DS.
So now with the release of Moon the real question is, do we really need another first-person shooter for the DS?
Well, after playing through several hours of Moon, the easy answer to that question is yes. Moon is one of the better looking games on the DS. Yeah, the DS isn’t exactly known for its graphic power, but clearly Moon,
running at a steady 60 FPS, is pushing the DS to the limit. Basically,
the game pits your character, Major Kane, against a whole bunch of
alien scum. Fortunately, you have plenty of weapons at your disposal to
take them down. Also, during the game, you get to ride around in a cool
lunar buggy.
After playing Moon for a bit, it doesn’t take long to
realize that the game is a step above most first-person shooters for
the DS. The controls are tight, the ammo is plentiful and most
importantly, it’s loads of fun. –dark abyss
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Prince of Persia
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Publisher: Ubisoft |
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The Prince of Persia
franchise has always been a fan favorite in the video game world.
Excellent visuals along with some spectacular acrobatic action put the
game on everyone’s radar. Now, after what seems like forever, the Prince of Persia
arrives on the next-gen consoles. What we have this time out is a
completely new look and feel, as well as a new hero. One new addition
is the beautiful Elika, who seems to be there every time the Prince
needs help. In fact, Elika will never let you die; she saves you from
poorly fought battles and bad jump attempts.
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Gamers will find very few frustrating moments in Prince of Persia.
The game mechanics are easy to pick up. The Prince basically has four
moves mapped to the controller buttons. Thanks to a single button that
does different things based on your situation, you’ll be chaining
together some amazing combat combos in no time at all. New gamers, as
well as children will find that Prince of Persia is the
perfect introduction to the series. The ease of game play has to be
commended, as it let’s the player concentrate on enjoying the game, not
just furiously mashing buttons. Visually stunning and fun to play, Prince of Persia is a must-have for fans of the franchise.
–dark abyss
| if you like prince of persia also try: | |
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| god of war 3 Publisher: Sony |
devil may cry 4 Publisher: Capcom |
Guitar Hero World Tour
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| Publisher: Activision Genre: Arcade/Music Platform: Nintendo Wii |
The Guitar Hero
franchise has to be the best way to lure family members and casual
gamers into video gaming. If you watch someone play, you want to play;
it’s as simple as that. Guitar Hero World Tour gives up to four players a chance to live out their rock fantasies. The complete Guitar Hero World Tour package
is pretty impressive for the asking price of $190. You get a wireless
guitar controller, which features a cool touch sensor on the neck, and
a whammy bar. The set also includes a microphone and a six-piece drum
kit. The construction of the drum kit is probably the best of any of
the band-oriented games out there. The drum stand is solid and the
cymbals add a good deal of realism to the whole affair.
However, once you start playing, Guitar Hero World
really begins to shine. The absolute control to customize your own
characters and the mind-boggling number of features and modes of play
make this a well-designed game.
New to the Wii edition is the ability to download new songs to add
to the already huge playlist. But the best feature of Guitar Hero World Tour is
that it’s fun to play and that’s what counts. The many different modes
of play make it easy for anyone from beginner to expert to jump in and
start playing right away. Yes, the retail price may seem high, but once
you realize what you’re getting: excellent game play, quality
construction of game instruments, and a huge song list, it’s easy to
see that this game is worth every penny. –dark abyss
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Mirror’s Edge
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Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: First-Person, Action-adventure
Platform:
Playstation 3,
Xbox 360, PC
Every
once in a while, a game comes along that literally defies description.
You can play it for hours and hours and still lack an understanding of
its category. Mirror’s Edge is that type of game … in a good
way. Set in the future, where the government controls everything, a
runner-messenger named Faith finds herself mixed up in murder and
corruption. Now Big Brother is after her with guns a blazing and
there’s only one way out. And that’s where the split comes in. With
most games, her goal would be to collect various weapons and shoot her
way to the end of the story line; however, that’s not the case with Mirror’s Edge.
The only opportunity here is to run … and then run some more. In fact,
95 percent of the game involves running, with plenty of acrobatic,
evasive maneuvers performed by a very cute and speedy runner. Visually,
the game is stunning; the whole cityscape has a sort of futuristic,
bleached out, white look (similar to the movie Ultraviolent).
As far as difficulty, players will need to outplay challenging paths
and practice to get the timing of certain maneuvers. Winning will take
lots of patience and frustration, but the game is truly addictive and
the payout is big. –dark abyss
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Need for Speed
:Undercover
 Publisher: Electronic Arts Genre: Racing Platform: XBOX 360, Playstation 3 Still the best choice to get your racing fix on. NFS: Undercover |
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