Mario Kart Wii, like Smash Bros, is hedging its bets when it comes to control schemes. Probably because, like Smash Bros, it’s ostensibly a GameCube title, with its gameplay mechanics in place long before the now-mandatory waggle was ever brought to the table. Which explains why, when you sit down to play it, you’ll have a choice of five control schemes, a mix of the new (waggle) and the old (no waggle). Having played the game for the past week, and played using all available control schemes, I figured I’d let you know how the five shape up.
Wow, I’m not sure where to begin with this one. I’m not often overly critical of games, especially ones that haven’t released yet, but I have to say here and now that I was very disappointed in the Fifty Cent game. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t what I was presented with.
Time for a Frankenreviewreview. Let me explain. Mark has his Frankenreview feature running like a well-oiled machine. Mike’s GTA IV write-up is the only review of the game this site’s ever going to need to write. So this isn’t an exercise in reviewing GTA IV. Or in comparing the reviews of GTA IV. It’s an exercise in reviewing the reviews of GTA IV. Or, to be more precise, the hyperbole. Because when a game gets 10/10, 100/100 and five stars across the board, you’ve gotta do something to break up the monotony, right?
A few months ago, I spoke with EA Sports’ Chris Erb about Madden. Guy said that every year they had “100 guys calling us, begging to appear on the cover”. So it’s odd that when settling on a cover star for Madden 09, they went not for a player who’s Madden crazy, but a guy who positively bah humbugs the thing.
Good old Crash Bandicoot, he takes a licking and keeps on ticking. And tick he will in his next game, for the Xbox 360, PS2, PSP and PSP. It is a follow up to Crash of the Titans and this time the story takes form in a spoof of the iPhone. A techno device has hit Crash’s world that everyone wants and MUST get their hands on. What they don’t know is, this device is being used to control their minds by nefarious forces. The only one who seems to not be affected by the device is Crash who must use his powers to save the day.
I post a lot about SingStar here. And when I do, I get a ton of Americans saying “who cares?” Here’s the thing: a lot of people do. Just not necessarily Americans (and not necessarily that woman on the right up there). Take Europe, for example. Europe cares. SCEE have let us know this morning that since the first game launched on the PS2 in 2004, they’ve sold over 12 million copies of SingStar. Those are big numbers for any game, but for a game that’s only really popular in PAL territories? They’re very big numbers. Oh: SingStar PS3′s out in the US on May 20, in case you’re wondering.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Spyro franchise, Sierra and Estranges Libellules are teaming up to bring you The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon. This title will complete the trilogy of Spyro games that includes A New Beginning and The Eternal Night. Spyro has long been considered a kids game and while it is still being marketed to a younger audience, the franchise has definitely grown up.
