Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Resident Evil: Revelations review: Any port in a storm]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/resident-evil-revelations-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/resident-evil-revelations-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/resident-evil-revelations-review/#commentsResident Evil Revelations review Any port in a storm The 3DS is no graphical slouch. Aside from the glasses-free 3D feature, the system can kick out some impressive scenery, and it did so with last year's Resident Evil Revelations, a well-made little horror shooter in a series that's been looking for a lifeboat lately. After launching Resident Evil 6 fewer than six months ago, Capcom seems to think HD platforms need even more Resident Evil love, and so this week Revelations hits Xbox 360, PS3, Windows PCs, and the Wii U.

Playing it in enhanced form on an HD console, however, feels just a little goofy. The textures do look excellent, but the game's models are clearly made for a more lightweight graphics engine, which means you get characters with hair frozen in place and enemies with just a few animations to use over and over again. Revelations was made for a handheld machine, and its designers cut corners that the other platforms would have let them curve around more gracefully.

But Revelations' saving grace is that it's a Resident Evil game, and it's a good Resident Evil game at that. For that reason, fans of the series who missed out the first time around will probably appreciate the chance to see it for themselves.

Gallery: Resident Evil: Revelations (5/20/13)

Continue reading Resident Evil: Revelations review: Any port in a storm

JoystiqResident Evil: Revelations review: Any port in a storm originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consoleshandheldmicrosoftnintendonintendo-3dspcplaystationportps3raid-moderesident-evilresident-evil-revelationsreviewwii-uxboxMon, 20 May 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Injustice: Gods Among Us review: From Outworld to Elseworlds]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/injustice-gods-among-us-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/injustice-gods-among-us-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/injustice-gods-among-us-review/#comments Comic books and fighting games have a lot in common. Both are known for featuring absurd, contrived premises, overly sexualized women and mythology so complicated even Tolkien couldn't reconcile all the pre-Crisis continuity issues. It's strange then, that up until now there's never been a solid fighting game set in the DC universe.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm Studios' alternative take on DC's heroes, hooligans and thieves. Its dark thematic overtones and mature ideas explore the psychological dangers of power, the temptations of absolute authority and the effects of grief on the psyche of metahumans, all while delivering a polished, thrilling fighting game experience. No, really.

Gallery: Injustice: Gods Among Us

Continue reading Injustice: Gods Among Us review: From Outworld to Elseworlds

JoystiqInjustice: Gods Among Us review: From Outworld to Elseworlds originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>injustice-gods-among-usmicrosoftNetherrealm-Studiosnintendoplaystationps3Warner-Bros-Interactive-Entertainmentwii-uxboxFri, 19 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Toki Tori 2 review: Not for birdbrains]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/toki-tori-2-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/toki-tori-2-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/toki-tori-2-review/#comments Despite the decade plus between the first and second Toki Tori games, Two Tribes's Wii U (and soon PC) evolution of the Game Boy Color game is striking. The 2001 puzzle-platformer was neat, charming, and challenging. Its compact levels and tool-contextual actions evoked Lemmings, albeit with the micromanagement filtered out. You controlled a dopey-looking bird in blocky 2D platform levels, making him manipulate his environment to open up paths to progress. This simplicity, however, was negated by some very specific solutions. It was, and still is, a likable little puzzler.

What's clever about Toki Tori 2 is how it doesn't deviate from that ethos, and yet it feels like a completely different game. If anything, its evolution of the first game's principles is to make them simpler, yet the result is something much more complex. It's weird, because there's a pungent minimalism about Toki Tori 2, but it's this minimalism that branches out in so many ways through the environment, and the result is distinct and, more than anything, clever. The reason it all works is because Toki Tori 2, with all its environmental nuances, makes you want to be as intelligent as it is.

Gallery: Toki Tori 2 (3/14/13)

Continue reading Toki Tori 2 review: Not for birdbrains

JoystiqToki Tori 2 review: Not for birdbrains originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>nintendopctoki-tori-2Two-Tribeswii-uMon, 15 Apr 2013 13:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Deja Review: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/deja-review-monster-hunter-3-ultimate/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/deja-review-monster-hunter-3-ultimate/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/deja-review-monster-hunter-3-ultimate/#comments Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is the latest revision in the long-running Capcom series, the last of which was seen on Western home consoles in 2010's Monster Hunter Tri. When the developer adds an "Alpha," "Turbo," or in this case "Ultimate," to a game's title, it typically signifies that the core parts of the game are unchanged. With Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, players get the familiarity of Tri with the excitement of more quests, monsters and areas in which to hunt.

Ultimate spans two systems this time around, the Wii U and 3DS. Both versions kick off in Moga Village, putting you through the same tired paces as seen in the previous slow-burn introductions to the universe. Collect some mushrooms, defeat a Great Jaggi, catch three goldenfish, deliver some eggs and so on. Veteran hunters will have plenty of material to re-tread before the game resembles anything different than what they're used to.

Gallery: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 3DS (2/14/13)

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JoystiqDeja Review: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dscapcomdeja-reviewmonster-hunter-3-ultimatenintendowii-uWed, 03 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lego City Undercover review: Chip off the old block]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/14/lego-city-undercover-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/14/lego-city-undercover-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/14/lego-city-undercover-review/#comments Much like the toy these days, Lego City Undercover is both familiar and unfamiliar. Or, more to the point, it's two games masquerading as one, the first new and the second old.

The introduction of a tremendous open world, a plastic parody of a city full of whimsy to discover, and more importantly to collect, is what should define Lego's Wii U debut. This miniature metropolis sits alongside an almost wholly separate campaign, its tight, linear missions shuffling to the break-it-rebuild-it rhythm which has long been the Lego beat.

The first game, the exploratory open world collect-a-thon, is not just fresh, it's on the verge of greatness. It's unfortunate, then, that to fully enjoy it you must wade through the second game, the campaign, and all its relatively drab, through-the-motions familiarity.

Gallery: Lego City Undercover (12/17/12)

Continue reading Lego City Undercover review: Chip off the old block

JoystiqLego City Undercover review: Chip off the old block originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lego-city-storieslego-city-undercoverlego-city-undercover-the-chase-beginsnintendott-fusionwii-uThu, 14 Mar 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien review: Running down a dream]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/runner-2-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/runner-2-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/runner-2-review/#comments If you asked me in person for my opinion of Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, I'd probably just respond with a string of rambling praise, eager to explain the game to you and enthusiastically answer any questions you might have. In fact, every attempt to write this review so far has resulted in just such an imaginary conversation in my head.

So, I'm just going to go with it. Without further ado, here's my attempt to explain the radness of Runner 2 to a fictional, random gamer.

Gallery: Runner 2 (12/17/12)

Continue reading Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien review: Running down a dream

JoystiqRunner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien review: Running down a dream originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gaijin-gamesiosipadiphonemicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3runner-2runner2vitawii-uxboxFri, 01 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Cave review: Seven spelunkers, none decent]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/the-cave-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/the-cave-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/the-cave-review/#comments The Cave is an adventure game, obviously. It's littered with puzzles and pieces of junk destined to become the only objects in the world worth having. The cave itself is a sentient, subterranean narrator, enveloping seven different explorers in a patchwork of dream-like environments that not only pertain to them, but contain the kind of contorted contexts in which a femur and a parrot are essential parts of progress.

Those are all signs of the classic adventure, tinged with the incongruous vending machines, gift shops and eternally stranded island hermits you expect from a Ron Gilbert game. But there's something else inside The Cave, a familiar cynicism and cleverness that gradually emerges as each spelunker hits rock bottom. These people - even the monk and the chivalrous knight - are egotistical, unpleasant kleptomaniacs, and you're one of them.

Gallery: The Cave (9/4/12)

Continue reading The Cave review: Seven spelunkers, none decent

JoystiqThe Cave review: Seven spelunkers, none decent originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventurechris-remodouble-finemicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3psnron-gilbertsegasteamthe-cavewii-uxblaxboxTue, 29 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed review: Morphenomenal]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/28/sonic-and-all-stars-racing-transformed-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/28/sonic-and-all-stars-racing-transformed-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/28/sonic-and-all-stars-racing-transformed-review/#comments Kart racing games rank perhaps a notch above licensed cartoon platformers in the category of "assumed quality at first glance" - which is to say they don't rank highly at all. The only kart racer that a "serious" gamer will even give the time of day is the stalwart Mario Kart, and even that series has offered up some recent disappointments: Mario Kart Wii was utterly blasé, and Mario Kart 7, as fun as it is, squandered promising chances to deliver some much-needed retooling to the formula.

With such low expectations, it's much too easy to write off Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed as a cynical cash-in featuring a past-his-prime mascot. But I'm here to deliver an important message: if you do that, you will be depriving yourselves of what might be the best racer of its kind to come along in years, and that's no exaggeration.

Gallery: Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Gamescom 2012)

Continue reading Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed review: Morphenomenal

JoystiqSonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed review: Morphenomenal originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftnintendoplaystationps3segasonic-and-allstars-racing-transformedwii-uxboxWed, 28 Nov 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mass Effect 3 Special Edition review: Mapping the galaxy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/mass-effect-3-wii-u-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/mass-effect-3-wii-u-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/mass-effect-3-wii-u-review/#comments For Wii U re-releases of existing games, we're republishing our original reviews with added evaluation of the new material. Keep track of all of Joystiq's Wii U launch coverage on the Wii U hub page!

The Wii U version of Mass Effect 3, saddled with the puzzling subtitle "Special Edition," doesn't introduce much in the way of console exclusive features. Of course, even without the handful of extra features, you still have one of the year's best games, though the conclusion to an epic trilogy may make an odd starting point for Wii U owners.

Helping to ease new players into the series is an interactive comic prelude, "Mass Effect Genesis 2." This is an extended version of the "Mass Effect Genesis" comic available on the console and PC versions of Mass Effect 2. It covers the events of the first two Mass Effect games, allowing players to make many of Commander Shepard's key choices along the way. The comic itself is pretty substantial, lasting a bit longer than twenty minutes.

Certain choices may confuse new players, notably whether to make Udina or Anderson Earth's first councilor at the end of the original Mass Effect. Regardless of the initial choice, the events of Mass Effect 2 conspire to make Udina councilor by the beginning of Mass Effect 3, but those events aren't covered in the comic. As such, Wii U players may find it strange that Udina is suddenly councilor after making the opposite choice in the prelude. Still, the comic does an adequate job of catching up new players.

Gallery: Mass Effect 3 (Wii U)

Continue reading Mass Effect 3 Special Edition review: Mapping the galaxy

JoystiqMass Effect 3 Special Edition review: Mapping the galaxy originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareeamass-effect-3nintendostraight-rightwii-uTue, 27 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Darksiders 2 Wii U review: Scythe quest]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/darksiders-2-wii-u-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/darksiders-2-wii-u-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/darksiders-2-wii-u-review/#comments For Wii U re-releases of existing games, we're republishing our original reviews with added evaluation of the new material. Keep track of all of Joystiq's Wii U launch coverage on the Wii U hub page!

Death may be deficient when it comes to charisma and skin tone, but he boasts one of the biggest adventures of the year in Darksiders 2. The Wii U version of the grim reaper's star vehicle is as roomy as a hearse and comes packing nearly all of the game's DLC right out of its new blue box.

The Wii U revision isn't too ambitious in utilizing Nintendo's new hardware, though this also spares us from obnoxious mechanisms that don't do justice to the game's original design. Pairing different weapons, powers and protective outerwear with Death's taut physique is a simple time saver on the Wii U's GamePad, and it's a great deal faster than the sluggish menu that shipped with the other versions. You can, of course, keep the original menu and play exclusively on the TV or your handheld screen.

There's some graphical tearing on the smaller screen, but otherwise Darksiders 2 comes close to technical parity with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. There appears to be more shadow pop-in within the larger areas, but the framerate holds up just as well (which is to say, it doesn't always hold up when fighting gets frantic). Attacks feel responsive through the game pad - the light click of the right shoulder button works especially well for Death's graceful dodge - and they all work through the Pro controller if you prefer. The face-button commands are not remapped, however, leading to considerable travel time for your right thumb between jumping on B and manipulating the camera via the right stick.

Other Darksiders detritus ends up on the Wiipad too: you jolt the controller to spur on your undead equine transportation (that's the thesaurus result on "zombie horse"), and you tilt it to roll around the impractical, spherical keys that tend to litter ancient temples. Neither of these are preferable to doing it the old-fashioned way, so it's just as well they're optional control methods.

The best addition to Darksiders 2 on Wii U is the inclusion of post-release content, offered separately on other systems. You can start using some bonus high-level weapons and armor once you exceed level 5, while "Argul's Tomb," a bonus campaign that can be accessed from the main menu, offers extra traversal puzzles involving portals and Death's ghostly grappling hook.

The overall game doesn't get the polish on Wii U that it needed on other platforms back in August, but it remains a majestic blend of melee combat, puzzle solving and exploration. And if you squint, it's the best Steven Tyler game since Revolution X!

Gallery: Darksiders 2 (Wii U)

Continue reading Darksiders 2 Wii U review: Scythe quest

JoystiqDarksiders 2 Wii U review: Scythe quest originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>darksiders-2nintendothqvigil-gameswii-uwii-u-launchTue, 27 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Disney Epic Mickey 2 - The Power of Two review: Of mice and meh]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/21/disney-epic-mickey-2-the-power-of-two-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/21/disney-epic-mickey-2-the-power-of-two-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/21/disney-epic-mickey-2-the-power-of-two-review/#comments Keep track of all of Joystiq's Wii U launch coverage on our Wii U hub page!

When an earthquake rattles the denizens of Wasteland, a melancholic dumping ground for Disney creations long forgotten, the Mad Doctor emerges with evil mustache intact - but a nicer public act. He's changed his tune, he says and sings, convincing all within earshot that he's due for a second chance. And never mind that he just burst forth from the earth on a gigantic robot, just as the town broke in half. That's no cause for suspicion, surely.

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is something of a second chance for Junction Point's series, at least to my mind. The first game was tinged with a strange sadness as it caught up with characters discarded by their creators, though what empathy there was came in cutscenes more often than play. Mechanically, Mickey Mouse's house wasn't in order.

The sequel promises an improved camera, more elaborate choices, a musical flair, a playable partnership with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and the same exquisite appreciation and restoration of Disney's dusty history. Sadly, these claims of a better game are about as believable as the Mad Doctor's sudden turnaround, and Epic Mickey 2 slides into mediocrity after just a few steps.

Gallery: Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Wii U)

Continue reading Disney Epic Mickey 2 - The Power of Two review: Of mice and meh

JoystiqDisney Epic Mickey 2 - The Power of Two review: Of mice and meh originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Nov 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>disneyepic-mickey-2junction-point-studiosmicrosoftmovenintendoplaystationps3warren-spectorwiiwii-uxboxWed, 21 Nov 2012 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Little Inferno review: Burn it all]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/21/little-inferno-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/21/little-inferno-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/21/little-inferno-review/#comments Keep track of all of Joystiq's Wii U launch coverage on our Wii U hub page!

Take your TV. Just yank it out of your entertainment center. It doesn't matter if you unhook it from the cable box or your Wii U first. You're just going to stick it right in the fireplace. Burn that TV. Burn your plates, your sunglasses, your radio. Your favorite stuffed animal from childhood? Your precious family photos? Straight into the fire. All the stuff that's accumulating in your house, all the junk you work to pay for that sits untouched on shelves or in the back of closets, pull them out and toss them in your fireplace and burn them. I mean, you're already wasting your time. You're playing a video game.

That's what Little Inferno says. Except this weird little downloadable from Tomorrow Corporation (a team-up from the designers of World of Goo and Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure) isn't really a game. It's an anti-game, featuring few of the qualities necessary for an activity to be called a game. It has rules, but there's no challenge. There's a win state, but you can't lose, so it's more like an inevitable stopping point. Mostly, Little Inferno is an interactive story, but it's even low-key about that until an unforgettable conclusion. That story mocks us for fixating on this repetitive, unproductive activity and ignoring the world around us, arguing that this passivity and neglect is as destructive as if we intentionally tried to ruin the world. And somehow Little Inferno makes this subversive point about as adorably as possible.

Gallery: Little Inferno

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JoystiqLittle Inferno review: Burn it all originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eshoplittle-infernonintendopctomorrow-corporationwii-uWed, 21 Nov 2012 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge review: Sharpened]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/21/ninja-gaiden-3-razors-edge-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/21/ninja-gaiden-3-razors-edge-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/21/ninja-gaiden-3-razors-edge-review/#comments Keep track of all of Joystiq's Wii U launch coverage on our Wii U hub page!

Team Ninja has always done better on the rebound, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge is a testament to this fact. The technical excellence of the 2004's Ninja Gaiden was one-upped in Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Ninja Gaiden 2 was improved dramatically in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. Razor's Edge carries that trend forward into the series' latest entry, with surprising results. It's one thing to turn a great game into an even better one, but to turn a once-terrible game into a launch lineup highlight? Impossible!

Apparently not. Team Ninja cuts liberally from Ninja Gaiden 3 in Razor's Edge, stripping away everything from the obnoxious "steel on bone" QTE-style button mashery to the multitude of joy-killing sequences in which players guide a stumbling, curse-afflicted Ryu through neutered enemy encounters. Even the questionable presentation is erased, exemplified by an early moment that forces Ryu, and thus the player, to murder a man in cold blood as he pleads for his life. This insufferable moment has been excised from Razor's Edge, and for that we can all be thankful.

Gallery: Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge (9/13/12)

Continue reading Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge review: Sharpened

JoystiqNinja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge review: Sharpened originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ninja-gaiden-3-razors-edgenintendoteam-ninjatecmotecmo-koeiwii-uwii-u-launchWed, 21 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tank! Tank! Tank! review: Tread on your head]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/tank-tank-tank-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/tank-tank-tank-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/tank-tank-tank-review/#comments Keep track of all of Joystiq's Wii U launch coverage on our Wii U hub page!

Tank! Tank! Tank! review Tread on your face
The thesis of Tank! Tank! Tank!, I think, is that it's fun to crush your friends' faces. Or blast them. Either one works. Tank Tank Tank (henceforth rendered without exclamation points), allows its players to photograph themselves with the Wii U GamePad. These photos come complete with carnival-style cutouts (military helmets, pirate hats, tiger faces, etc), and once the photo is taken, the images are attached to each player's in-game tank.

It's a simple feature, but significantly adds to Tank Tank Tank's limited level of entertainment. Without it, you'd just be blasting tanks and monsters. With it, you're blasting the snarling face of your brother-in-law wearing a lucha libre mask.

Gallery: Tank! Tank! Tank! (TGS 2012)

Continue reading Tank! Tank! Tank! review: Tread on your head

JoystiqTank! Tank! Tank! review: Tread on your head originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>namco-bandainintendotank-tank-tankwii-uwii-u-launchMon, 19 Nov 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[ZombiU review: Anarchy in the U.K.]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/zombiu-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/zombiu-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/19/zombiu-review/#comments Keep track of all of Joystiq's Wii U launch coverage on our Wii U hub page!

I have twelve pistol bullets left, one crossbow bolt, a Molotov cocktail and about half a dozen zombies between me and freedom. I've spent the last half hour on an undead killing spree, emptying most of my guns and exhausting my medical supplies. I've become a fairly confident zombie slayer over the last few days, but rarely have I come across this many at once, especially in close quarters. They're just milling about on the other side of an open door. I know that because I can spot their pings on my radar.

There's no telling what kind of zombies are over there though. Run of the mill civilians? The Molotov would make quick work of them. But what if there are undead cops, decked out in bullet-proof, fire-resistant riot gear? I shuffle through my backpack, glancing away from the television and toward the Wii U's gamepad in order to do so - they haven't spotted me, so I feel relatively safe rooting through my supplies.

After some soul searching, I decide my aim - and certainly my nerves - just aren't good enough. I'm betting on the Molotov. I take a deep breath, listening to it hiss through my teeth, and step through the door. This is moment to moment survival. This is ZombiU.

Gallery: ZombiU (Gamescom 2012)

Continue reading ZombiU review: Anarchy in the U.K.

JoystiqZombiU review: Anarchy in the U.K. originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>nintendoubisoftwii-uwii-u-launchzombiuMon, 19 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Scribblenauts Unlimited review: Limitless tomfoolery]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/18/scribblenauts-unlimited-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/18/scribblenauts-unlimited-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/18/scribblenauts-unlimited-review/#comments Scribblenauts Unlimited review Limitless tomfoolery5th Cell's Scribblenauts Unlimited brought out the worst in me.

Available for 3DS, PC, and Wii U -- I played the Wii U version for this review -- the game begins with series star Maxwell pranking a hungry beggar, as he feeds the fellow a rotten apple conjured by his magic notebook. It's a useful pad that can summon any manner of objects players type into the Wii U's GamePad, or alter the properties of whatever it targets. Maxwell could have just as easily transformed him into a "satiated beggar" or pulled a "delicious steak" out of thin air, but we're dealing with a "cruel protagonist" here.

So that beggar returns Maxwell's favor by casting a curse on his sister (we're introduced to Lily and the many members of Maxwell's family in this game) that slowly turns her into stone. Our jerk of a hero is sent off to collect Starites that will save Lily from permanent petrification, but Maxwell can only gather them by helping others with his notebook.

Though it's meant to be a redemption quest, one that forces Maxwell to examine the way he's mistreated others and abused his notebook's powers, I was having none of that. It's a game filled with characters dropping their wishes at Maxwell's feet, and I wanted to be the venomous djinn, the nefarious wishmaster that only granted them with a terrible twist. I became the devil on Maxwell's shoulder, goading him into silencing my counterpart with his notebook by writing out "absent conscience."

Gallery: Scribblenauts Unlimited (9/13/12)

Continue reading Scribblenauts Unlimited review: Limitless tomfoolery

JoystiqScribblenauts Unlimited review: Limitless tomfoolery originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5th-cellnintendoscribblenauts-unlimitedwarner-broswii-uwii-u-launchSun, 18 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Review: Nintendo Wii U]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/18/review-nintendo-wii-u/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/18/review-nintendo-wii-u/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/18/review-nintendo-wii-u/#comments Wii U reviewThe Nintendo Wii U is an important system. It's the first step into the next console generation, after the longest generation to date. It's Nintendo's first console after the world-changing anomaly that is the Wii. It's an attempt to create a new standard for game controllers. It's a console with pervasive digital distribution of retail games. It's a delivery system for a really good Mario.

It also has some troubling issues that I'm not sure how to interpret. The system update enabling all online features - eShop, Miiverse, Netflix, system transfer, and even Wii backwards compatibility - arrived late Saturday night, just three hours short of this posting. I had reason to believe this update would be here in the middle of last week.

Not only does that mean this review had little time to evaluate broad swaths of the Wii U's functionality, it has me worried about Nintendo's ability to handle the new online network. I won't judge the online too harshly for something that happens before launch, but I can fairly say the launch is already suboptimal. This review will be updated as we have time to examine features.

In any case, the stuff that does work is pretty nice.

Continue reading Review: Nintendo Wii U

JoystiqReview: Nintendo Wii U originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Nov 2012 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>nintendowii-uwii-u-launchSun, 18 Nov 2012 00:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition review: Wonderful toys]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/18/batman-arkham-city-armored-edition-review-wonderful-toys/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/18/batman-arkham-city-armored-edition-review-wonderful-toys/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/18/batman-arkham-city-armored-edition-review-wonderful-toys/#commentsFor Wii U re-releases of existing games, we're republishing our original reviews with added evaluation of the new material.
Batman Arkham City Armored Edition review Wonderful toys
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition brings a little bit more to the excellent 2011 game than some action figure-looking armor. For what is supposed to be the marquee feature, the B.A.T. armor isn't really a big deal - except for the nice side effect of covering up Catwoman appropriately for cold weather. Poor Catwoman.

A meter fills as you punch people, representing stored kinetic energy. This can be released by tapping an icon on the GamePad or clicking both analog sticks, temporarily increasing your strength. It's a nice feature for big fights, but not really a big deal.

What is a bigger deal is the GamePad integration. This ranges from the usual "DS port" stuff like a persistent map screen and a touch menu interface to upgrade Batman's abilities, both of which are very appreciated, to AR tweaks like tilt-controlled Batarang aiming. I found these additions, and the use of augmented reality to search crime scenes in Detective Mode, pretty useful and natural. Aiming in particular augments analog stick targeting with tilt fine-tuning in the same way Uncharted: Golden Abyss did, and it's welcome.

The coolest use of the GamePad, however, is in the environmental audio. When Batman receives radio transmissions from Oracle or overhears a conversation with his surveillance equipment, the audio comes in over the GamePad, simulating Batman's earpiece. As you get close enough to a conversation that Batman would be able to hear it unassisted, it shifts over to the TV audio. It's cool.

You can also play the entire game directly on the GamePad, which is an absolute boon for absentminded Riddler trophy searching while watching TV.

These extras - along with the presence of all previously released DLC - would all be fine reasons to opt for the Armored Edition over the normal, uh, Spandex Edition on other consoles, but there is one Bat-Caveat that must be noted. The framerate is nowhere near as smooth as it is elsewhere. Armored Edition doesn't really have slowdown - instead, there's a consistent choppiness to animation. I hope this is a problem Unreal Engine 3 developers get sorted out quickly. In any case, it's not a reason I would avoid Armored Edition (it still looks great), but be aware you're not getting the best-looking version.

Original Batman: Arkham City review by Griffin McElroy:

Continue reading Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition review: Wonderful toys

JoystiqBatman Arkham City: Armored Edition review: Wonderful toys originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Nov 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Batman-Arkham-Asylum-2Batman-Arkham-Citynintendowii-uwii-u-launchSun, 18 Nov 2012 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Sing Party review: Vocal opposition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/sing-party-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/sing-party-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/sing-party-review/#comments My wife is a karaoke person. She's not a hustler, but when we lived in a small town with nothing to do, we'd hit the same dive bars and Mexican restaurants every week so she could sing while I slowly got soused. We own a karaoke machine and a hundred or so discs, and instead of hiring a regular DJ our wedding reception was one big karaoke party. My wife doesn't play games but she owns almost every Karaoke Revolution and breaks out the Rock Band mic every few weeks. She knows karaoke, she knows karaoke games, and she knows that Sing Party isn't particularly great at either.

Gallery: Sing Party (Review)

Continue reading Sing Party review: Vocal opposition

JoystiqSing Party review: Vocal opposition originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionfreestylegamesnintendosingsing-partywii-uwii-u-launchThu, 15 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendo Land review: Controller coaster]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/nintendo-land-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/nintendo-land-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/nintendo-land-review/#comments Nintendo Land review Controller coasterNintendo Land is not Wii Sports, but it occupies a similar territory in the lineup of its new console: it's a pack-in (with one particular bundle), it's a minigame collection, its games are designed to teach players how to use Nintendo's latest weird controller, and, most importantly, it acts as a statement of intent for the console as a whole.

For Wii Sports, that meant simple games, based on familiar real-world sports and built around real-world movements, all designed to be comprehensible and fun to people who had never played a video game before, and, it would turn out, would probably never play another.

But the Wii was a console designed to be less complicated than any previous, whereas the Wii U is in fact more complicated. Nintendo Land, accordingly, expects a deeper video game background and a more complex skillset from its players. Wii Sports wouldn't be caught dead with dual-analog shooter controls, for example. Nintendo Land demands a more literate audience.

That's not a condemnation. It may not be for every single person on the face of the Earth like Wii Sports was, but if you can find four other people who know what Pikmin are or will recognize the two cops from Animal Crossing, you will have ridiculous fun.

Gallery: Nintendo Land (E3 2012)

Continue reading Nintendo Land review: Controller coaster

JoystiqNintendo Land review: Controller coaster originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>nintendonintendo-landnintendolandwii-uwii-u-launchThu, 15 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Super Mario Bros. U review: A return to form]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/new-super-mario-bros-u-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/new-super-mario-bros-u-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/new-super-mario-bros-u-review/#comments New Super Mario Bros U reviewSuper Mario World ruined me. Ever since it was released in 1991, I've been waiting for Nintendo to top it, to one up its brilliant levels, wonderful music and sheer creativity. Don't get me wrong, the 3D Mario games are great, but I grew up with 2D games and will always have a soft spot for them.

New Super Mario Bros. promised to return Mario and friends to their 2D roots. While the series has produced three solid platformers thus far, it's never really recaptured the old spark. The unbridled chaos of cooperative play in New Super Mario Bros. Wii is certainly fun, and romping around as a giant is novel, but nothing has compared with donning the cape for the first time, or being swallowed up by a hidden keyhole. With a few exceptions, the series has been, in a word, rote.

In this latest entry, however, that's all changed. In New Super Mario Bros. U, Mario comes closer to his glory days than he has in years.

Gallery: New Super Mario Bros U (E3 2012)

Continue reading New Super Mario Bros. U review: A return to form

JoystiqNew Super Mario Bros. U review: A return to form originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>new-super-mario-bros-unintendowii-uwii-u-launchThu, 15 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 review: War on three fronts]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/13/call-of-duty-black-ops-2-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/13/call-of-duty-black-ops-2-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/13/call-of-duty-black-ops-2-review/#comments
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 succeeds in many ways, living up to promises of a branching campaign, expanded Zombies mode, and a new spin on multiplayer customization. The ideas coming out of developer Treyarch are exactly what the annual franchise needs, especially under the intense scrutiny of a vocal shooter audience.

There's a charm missing from Black Ops 2, however, and it resonates throughout many of the enhanced modes. The mystery surrounding the characters from the original Black Ops is abandoned, and clandestine operations are pushed out of the way in favor of bombastic, public battles. That charm is especially missed in the open-world zombie mode, which expands at the cost of becoming less inviting.

Despite those missteps, Black Ops 2 showcases a powerful multiplayer component that betters its predecessors, setting a new series standard for customization and features.

Gallery: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (11/13/12)

Continue reading Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 review: War on three fronts

JoystiqCall of Duty: Black Ops 2 review: War on three fronts originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-of-duty-black-ops-2microsoftnintendopcplaystationps3wii-uxboxTue, 13 Nov 2012 03:01:00 EST<![CDATA[007 Legends review: Live and let (this game) die]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/19/007-legends-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/19/007-legends-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/19/007-legends-review/#comments Remember those scenes in License to Kill where James Bond hacked an office PC using mini-games on his Sony smartphone, massacred 100 henchmen with his custom-configured assault shotgun, bounced his car off some invisible walls, then had a Punch-Out!!-style QTE fist fight with villain Franz Sanchez? Neither do I - but that's how 007 Legends remembers things.

Admittedly, such inaccurate adaptations are not entirely to blame for 007 Legends' failings; certain concessions need to be made to create an engaging video game. But the degree to which developer Eurocom and publisher Activision fail to successfully capitalize on any of the crazy action sequences or exotic settings of the five films featured in Legends is astounding. Bond's most memorable moments have been mutated almost beyond recognition to fit the mold of a safe first-person shooter, and the result is a bland, boring mess.

Gallery: 007 Legends (Die Another Day & License To Kill)

Die Another DayDie Another DayDie Another DayDie Another DayLicense to Kill

Continue reading 007 Legends review: Live and let (this game) die

Joystiq007 Legends review: Live and let (this game) die originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>007-legendsactivisioneurocommicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3wii-uxboxFri, 19 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Skylanders Giants review: Big toys, small changes]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/18/skylanders-giants-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/18/skylanders-giants-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/18/skylanders-giants-review/#comments Skylanders Giants review Big toys, small changesOf all the good fortune I've been afforded in my life, little compares with the joy of becoming a parent. That probably goes without saying. However, being able to justify the ludicrous cash outlay that comes in the pursuit of a hobby was, for me at least, an unexpected side benefit of having a son. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, Activision and developer Toys for Bob's experimental marriage of gaming and collectible toys, was just such a ridiculous expense. Fun, truly, but ridiculous just the same.

A year on, Skylanders: Giants deviates little from this tradition, with new purchasable plastic figures to collect and gameplay that again feels a bit like experiencing Diablo or Gauntlet through the lens of a Saturday morning cartoon. It's simple, yet addictive, and like Spyro's Adventure before it, Giants has quickly become a household favorite. Countless late nights and early mornings have already been victimized by this game's ability to draw us in for "just one more level."

Gallery: Skylanders Giants (Gamescom 2012)

Continue reading Skylanders Giants review: Big toys, small changes

JoystiqSkylanders Giants review: Big toys, small changes originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsactivisionmicrosoftnintendoplaystationps3skylanders-giantstoys-for-bobwiiwii-uxboxThu, 18 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST