Reviews | Mitch Rukat

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Review

Game Reviews, PSP, Reviews

Rating: 9 Out of 10

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is the first PSP game in the Kingdom Hearts series. This game is a prequel to the events of Kingdom Hearts 1. The game lets you play as 3 different characters; Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. These 3 are keyblade warriors training to become keyblade masters. The combat is fun, flashy, and it evolves as you play. The boss fights put a fun spin on Disney characters and the environments have some great visuals that immerse yourself in the world. The campaign is a decent size and they even added a multiplayer mode where you can play against other people. The only problems I had with the game is that the load times can be long and the camera can be a problem at times. Overall though, it is nice to have another Kingdom Hearts game to play when we are all still waiting for Kingdom Hearts 3 to show up.

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Super Mario Galaxy 2 Review

Game Reviews, Reviews, Wii

Rating: 10 Out of 10

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is another Super Mario game in the Galaxy era I guess you could say. Bowser yet again steals Peach and it is up to you to stop him by collecting stars. The game is structured a little bit differently this time around when you want to go to a level. Instead of going inside huts, it is styled more to the old Super Mario games or even the New Super Mario Bros. on the DS where it is a side scrolling from level to level. The levels are still the same as the first game giving you an awesome space like scenario. The levels have tons of different objectives and there are new power ups to spice up the action. The later levels offer more of a challenge and the soundtrack is catchy mixing old classics to new beats. Overall, the game is very fun, and if you like Mario or Galaxy 1 then I highly recommend that you get this game.

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Crackdown 2 Review

Game Reviews, Reviews, X-Box 360

Rating: 6.5 Out of 10

Now Crackdown 1 was an alright game. Many people didn’t expect the game to be that good and got it for the Halo 3 Multiplayer beta. I was impressed with what Crackdown had so I figure I give the second one a try. So what you come to know of Crackdown is still in place. You can explore the city, grab orbs everywhere, do rooftop and car races, and gain abilities the more you use them. This game adds 4 player cooperative play, but that is about it. You literally setup 3 stations, drop a bomb on some zombies, and repeat cleaning out breaches and enemy camps along the way. The game also has inconsistent climbing mechanics and lacks momentum and narration. The announcer can get on your nerves too. Overall, if you want to see what the next Crackdown game is, try it, but this is not a significant improvement over the original.

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Sports Champions Review

Game Reviews, Playstation 3, Reviews

Rating: 8 Out of 10

Sports Champions is the game that is bundled with the Playstation Move and many different demos that you can test the new motion controller for the Playstation 3. The game is the equivalent to Wii Sports where you have 6 different sports. The controls are responsive and there is plenty of variety in the 6 sports as well as their reflective minigames. Most of the events are also easy enough for just pick up and play style games and you do not need to be an expert to play them. If you have trouble though, they have tutorials and a gentle learning curve to teach you the ropes. The only problems I had with the game is that some of the games get old during solo play and the presentation isn’t all that great. Overall though, this shows off the new motion controller and if you want to see how it works, give it a shot.

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Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Review

Game Reviews, Reviews, X-Box 360

Rating: 9.5 Out of 10

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is a remake of the classic Hot Pursuit only this time made by the people who brought you Burnout Paradise. When the trailer was shown at E3, people were immediately excited for this game. Now that the game is out it is safe to say that this is the game that brought me back to the Need for Speed series. The races and cop chases on and offline are exhilarating and with the new Autolog system you can beat your friend’s times and rub it in their face. The controls, graphics, and music for this game are great and there are a ton of great cars and online options to choose from. The only problem I really had with the game is that when the camera cuts out to a wreck or successful spike strip, it can sometimes mess you up. Overall though, this is the best Need for Speed racing game I have played in a long time and if you want to play as both cops and racers, give this a shot.

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