Swarm Review (XBOX Live Arcade Version)

Take control of up to 50 masochistic little blue creatures and try to earn enough points to feed Momma. That sentence sums up the premise behind Swarm, a recent downloadable release from developer Hothead Games. To get an idea of what the game is like, think of a more violent and backwards version of Pikmin, where you're not only rewarded for completing puzzles and getting to the end of each level, but also sacrificing members of your swarm along the way. If this new approach to a seldom-visited puzzle game genre sounds interesting to you, then this may be something you'd enjoy. After all, Momma needs to be fed and it's up to us gamers to do so. Just be warned that the ride isn't always smooth - there are some rocks along the way.

Swarm is a game that doesn't focus much on providing an in-depth storyline. All that players are told is that you must earn enough points to feed the hive mother (Momma) so that she can grow and open up new areas to explore within the game world. It's a very basic premise, but it fits the game well. It would have been nice if there was a bit of a back story about the blue creatures (referred to as 'Swarmites,') and their hive, but the game doesn't suffer from its lack of explanation. The basic premise is enough to go on and all it really is there for is a reason for the game's masochistic content. Feed Momma enough and she'll let you progress. It's simple enough and easy to grasp.

If you've ever played Pikmin before, then you'll be familiar with this type of game, which also has some things in common with the Lemmings series. In each of the game's ten levels (plus two boss fights,) players lead a group of 50 (or less) Swarmites as they try to gather enough nutrients for their hive mother. This is done by picking up purple or red collectible ions, as well as DNA strands (five of which are hidden in each level.) The coloured ions can be found strewn throughout the level but are also found in explosive boxes and through the activation of timed switches. In order to earn the necessary amount of points that are required to progress to the next level, players must try to time their collecting to earn multipliers. Each new ion you earn adds to your multiplier, and most levels are easy to fail unless you get a high multiplier going at least once during your run. Luckily, you'll be able to keep your multipliers going even when you can't find any ions or DNA strands, just by sacrificing your minions. It's a really interesting and helpful design choice/twist, and the game rewards you well for it. The smaller the amount of Swarmites you're in control of when you get to each checkpoint, the higher the bonus you receive will be.

As you progress through each level, your Swarmites learn new abilities. These abilities vary from a charged attack that can take out crates and assist in jumping to far away platforms, to the ability to form a tower with the blue creatures. Players are also introduced to the fact that they can spread out their swarmites or draw them closer together, using the left and right triggers on the XBOX 360 controller. Every new ability can be used to assist in solving puzzles, towards the goal of earning the maximum amount of points possible in each level. In order to pick-up some of the hidden DNA strands, you will need to use these special abilities. I was happy to discover that, once I picked up a DNA strand, I didn't have to pick it up again if I lost all of my swarmites. Each of these new moves is relatively easy to use, though I did find that too many moves were mapped to the trigger buttons. I also noticed that the controls weren't as precise as they could have been. Though it's not a game breaking issue by any means, it was a tad annoying at times.

Though what I just described may sound easy, believe me when I say it isn't. Each level is full of different traps, environmental hazards and even some dangerous elemental enemies. Progression alone is a challenging feat sometimes, but coupling that with the game's high score requirements creates quite a (hectic) challenge. Split second decisions are required a lot of the time, as you decide whether it's more important to keep a high amount of the suicidal blue minions in your pack for tough obstacles ahead, or whether you can spare a few to keep your score multiplier going. It's very easy to make the wrong decision, though the game doesn't beat you down for failing. Checkpoints are quite frequent and, when you lose your last Swarmite, you respawn at the last checkpoint you passed with a full group of 50 tiny blue guys. Sometimes this can even be a tactic that can be used if you've missed a collectible DNA strand or a pressure sensitive pad, close to the checkpoint. Though you will lose your multiplier if all of your Swarmites are eliminated and that can be annoying in itself, especially if you're on a roll. Players are continually rewarded for the varying types of deaths they inflict on their minions, through a scoring system known as death medals. These medals come in varying types such as incineration and electrocution, and can be leveled up from lower metals to gold over time.

Swarm's mixture of action and puzzle elements works quite well, with some smart design choices evident throughout the game. I was impressed with how each level was designed to allow for a myriad of different scores, depending on your play style and your luck (which can factor in quite a bit at times.) If you go through without worrying about timing and multipliers, it's likely that you'll get to the end of the level without enough points to carry onward. Though, if you have a pretty good run, you're likely to succeed. Those who are good at these types of games will appreciate the ability to earn insanely high scores through the smart utilization of Swarmite sacrifices and score multipliers. I was in the middle, earning some decent scores, but finding some sections tough to complete because I wasn't getting great multipliers. A lot of trial and error was required on my end, but I always felt that it was my fault I wasn't able to proceed at those times, and not a terribly frustrating design choice implemented by the developers. That's definitely a good thing when it comes to these types of games.

The experience is not without its flaws, however. There are some minor issues including the fact that the game can become quite repetitive, is overly-dark and can sometimes become frustrating when it causes you to lose score after checkpoints reload. However minor, they do affect gameplay at times and will bother some people more than others. Unfortunately, there is also a major glitch that annoyed me to no end, where the game will freeze at its level select screen. This morning, I played Swarm for approximately 2 hours and it froze on me three times. The other day, it froze on me once at the same menu. Hopefully Hothead Games will patch this glitch quickly because it puts a damper on a game that is relatively well-made otherwise.

The overall look of the game leaves something to be desired. There are some well-done effects, as well as creative level designs, but the game's locations don't vary much at all. After a few levels, the world tends to look drab, as almost every level takes place on metal platforms raised above a partially destroyed world, without many changes taking place as you progress. Most of the game is very dark, which makes it hard to see things sometimes. However, the developers did a pretty good job of utilizing the darkness at certain points in the game, forcing you to use the light from swinging lanterns and/or light bugs, to show you the way forward along treacherous pathways. The games look is serviceable but forgettable. I wish that Hot Head would have decided to use a colourful cell-shaded art style for the game, which would've given it more personality and would have been more in tune with the look of the level select menu.

On the other hand, its audio is pretty impressive. Its 1950s sci-fi inspired original score works well with the game's content and sounds good. It's eerie yet melodic, which I liked. Additionally, Swarm features a myriad of different sound effects for every type of potential death you can inflict upon your swarm-like minions, as well as sound effects relating to ion pick-ups. Each sound is quite well-done, and I didn't really find anything to nitpick when it came to the game's audio. It's well-done, albeit nothing you will remember in future years. The audio technicians did a good job of creating sounds that fit well into the game's world and were believable, never taking me out of the experience. A lot of the time, sound was the main indication that let me know when one of my little blue guys had met an untimely (and usually gruesome) end.

In conclusion, I must say that I enjoyed playing Swarm for the most part. It has some minor issues, as well as an incredibly annoying freezing glitch, but it's pretty well-made otherwise. Fans of games like Pikmin and Lemmings are sure to find enjoyment with it, as are people who enjoy puzzle games in general. The development team did a good job of melding the action and puzzle game genres to create something interesting that we haven't really seen before - at least not in this masochistic way. Just be warned that, despite the Swarmites' colourful appearance, this game is for a mature audience only. Though it could've used a few more levels and some more variety within its environments, Swarm is a game that is worth checking out, even at its fifteen dollar (1200 Microsoft Points) price tag. Hothead Games should be commended on trying to create something unique within a game type that we haven't seen much of, even though it does have some issues.

Rating: 7/10

Swarm was released as a downloadable game, for the XBOX 360's Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC on March 23, 2011. It is now available for 1200 Microsoft Points, which is equal to fifteen American dollars.

Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime Review (XBOX Live Arcade Version)

For those who aren't afraid of ghosts, Atari has released Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime for the XBOX 360 Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC. A top down, twin-stick shooter, Sanctum of Slime sees players taking control of one of four new rookie Ghostbuster recruits. Said recruits have been hired to help out after a huge increase in ghastly activity in New York City leaves the series' iconic heroes swamped with more work than they can handle. With a controller in your hand and your thumbs on each of its two joysticks, it's up to you (and up to three friends) to take on the ghoulish menaces that are trying to take over the city. If you're still trying to decide if it's a job you would like to take on, then this review is for you.

Though the game's action takes place in 1989 after the events of the beloved second film in the series, its story begins 4000 prior to the 80s' last hurrah. Told through a series of comic book pages before each stage, its story begins by showing a group of members of the Cult of Damazu, mourning the loss of their demonic leader, Damazu the Destroyer. Fast-forwarding to the late part of the 80s, the story is set up by showing insane museum curator, Janosz Posa (from Ghostbusters 2,) and his chance encounter with the last surviving member of the Cult of Dumazu, in a New York City mental institution. There, Janosz is tempted by his roommate to steal the Relic of the Nilhe, with the reward being the opportunity to have his love, Dana Barrett. With the relic, the Cult can resurrect their maniacal leader, and it is up to the new Ghostbusters team members to put an end to their plan, while taking on all of the new ghosts who are attempting to make New York City their new home. Needless to say, there's a lot of work to be done. I guess there's no such thing as a basic training period when you're a Ghostbuster.

The term 'twin-stick shooter' is used to describe a game like Geometry Wars, where plays move with one joystick and control weapons (and their 360-degree firing radius) with the other. Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime is exactly this type of game, though it adds a couple new elements to the standard formula, including a vehicular chase sequence and the Ghostbusters' iconic trap. Instead of using traditional weapons, the game's four main characters utilize four different types of rays, with each one being the weakness of at least one (colour-coded) enemy. In order to succeed (especially if you decide to bust ghosts alone since it's quite a challenge,) you must use the right weapons against the right enemies. Sometimes you may get lucky by taking one out with the wrong coloured weapon, but you won't do much damage without the right ray. Some of the weapons include the traditional red ray that was featured heavily in the movies and first game, a yellow spread shot,and a blue blaster that bounces off of walls. The trap comes in handy when you're trying to capture large (boss) ghosts, and it brings up a brief quick-time button-pressing event. You must get at least most of the buttons correct (and quickly) to trap them, or else they'll go loose and attack you some more. Overall, the game controls quite well with a simple control scheme that is easy to get used to.

The game's campaign is quite lengthy for a downloadable game, with twelve separate missions, including some boss fights. Missions take longer in single player than in multiplayer sometimes, but you're looking at several hours of gameplay or more. Replay value is dependent on whether or not you decide to go back into each level with new friends, or to find all of the hidden Marshmallow Man stuffed animal collectibles, with four hidden in each level (usually found in destructible items spread out within the environment.) Since I'm an achievement addict, I've been going back to levels I've completed to look for the collectibles and I still find them to be enjoyable a second time around. The locations that you visit vary quite a bit, but you'll see both familiar environments from the films and new ones. Some of the more memorable levels I played through were the New York City sewers, the Sedgewick Hotel and the downtown core. Level variety is important when it comes to this game, as it helps keep the game fresh, considering the gameplay doesn't evolve much. The scoring system also provides a good reward and incentive to keep going, especially with online leaderboards and score multiplier pick-ups.

There are quite a few different types of enemies to fight, as the developers did a good job of adding some variety to the ghastly ghouls of NYC. Throughout the experience, you'll find your team up against large flying beasts, small rodent-like blue ghosts and humongous slime monsters who can take you out in one hit. As can be expected, different enemies represent different amounts towards each player's score. This game isn't friendly towards its customers, throwing everything and the kitchen sink at you sometimes, so tactics are important. Try to prioritize targets. Boss fights are a relatively large part of the game and even some of them can get busy at times, but they're pretty well-done albeit somewhat basic at times. This is the first time I've ever fought a possessed subway train, so kudos to Behaviour Interactive on coming up with that interesting idea.

As I mentioned previously, the game is far from easy, especially if you play it alone. Multiplayer is a bit easier, especially if you have good players on your side, but the partner artificial intelligence is lacking. Sometimes your computerized allies will do great things, but they're also very prone to getting themselves taken out in stupid ways (especially by stepping into dangerous slime,) making them helpful at times and infuriating at others. They're generally quite good about saving you if you've fallen though they sometimes lose their own lives doing it. Sanctum of Slime throws a lot at you throughout the game, so you have to be on your toes, or else you'll be restarting the checkpoint over again. I was impressed with how the developers handled the checkpoint and respawn systems though. Tapping A to resurrect allies works pretty well and can become quite hectic if you have oncoming enemies inches away. Sometimes it's hard to tell what is going on, but it's usually quite easy to tell the characters apart by the different coloured ring around each Ghostbuster rookie's feet.

Presentation is another part of this game that is very hit or miss, with quite a few pros and cons factoring into the equation. It certainly feels like a Ghostbusters game (especially since the popular theme song is included,) but it lacks polish. The storyline is interesting, but it's not very well-written and the comic panels that serve as storyboards are tiny and hard to read with stilted dialogue and bad/forced humor within their bubbles. Unfortunately they don't appear during multiplayer. The comics themselves look alright, but the game's graphics are mediocre at best, as they look a bit hazy and are too dark a lot of the time (with no brightness setting to be found.) It certainly doesn't look awful - don't get me wrong. Though doesn't look that great either. Graphics don't make or break a game in my opinion - it's the gameplay that does and, luckily the framerate holds up well with the game's chaotic action and its multitudes of characters on the screen at any given time. The fact that it also features tons of destructible items and some nice effects, within its relatively well-detailed environments is also impressive. That is considering how much is always going on during gameplay.

The game's audio features a mixture of sound effects combined with an original score. It sounds okay, but isn't memorable by any means. Unfortunately, the game doesn't feature any voice acting, so most of the time you're forced to read dialogue bubbles. I didn't mind this a lot of the time, but there are sometimes a bit many to toggle through at one time. Most gamers (and fans) will be elated by the fact that the Ghostbusters theme song is included, playing as you scroll through the main menu. It's easily the most memorable piece of audio in the game, which is too bad, because there was a huge opportunity missed here. The developers tried to add character and humor into the game with their dialogue, but I think it would've gone over a bit better (and could have ended up being a lot more humorous) if they had hired some good voice actors to play the roles. Unlike the past Ghostbusters game, this game has serviceable audio but it won't stick in your head for years to come.

Despite its issues, I enjoyed playing Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime, and will be going back to it. This Arcade release doesn't have the polish and memorable character of other Ghostbusters products, but it's still pretty well-made. Plus, it's pretty fun in four-player co-op with friends. There are some definitely missed opportunities found within, as well as some frustrating moments, but you get a good amount of content for your buck. For only ten bucks, it's a pretty good buy for fans of the series and those who like twin-stick shooters. For the most part, bustin' still feels pretty good, though it has its moments of frustration due to inconsistencies. Still, it's not a bad deal at ten dollars.

Rating: 6/10

Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime was released on March 23, 2011. It is available on the XBOX 360's Live Arcade and the PS3 through the PlayStation Network. Its cost is 800 Microsoft Points or $9.99 U.S.

Steel Diver Review (Nintendo 3DS)

Have you ever wanted to be the commander of your own submarine? Fighting out on stormy seas in deep oceanic waters, watching the sonar and the periscope for any sign of an approaching enemy vessel. Well, it's your lucky day as Nintendo has released one of its most highly sought after 3DS launch titles, Steel Diver, which allows you to do all of the aforementioned things plus more. Developed by Nintendo EAD, the game pits you into the deep waters with the goal of completing your trip without being blown out of the water, in three distinctly different modes. It's a brand new intellectual property, and is like no other game I've ever played before. If this interests you, then enter the depths with me as I explain my thoughts of this sea-faring game. Just make sure to have your sea legs.

Taking place during a fictional war in the year 19XX, the game allows you to be the commander and driver of your own submarine (with three different types available - all of which drive differently, feel different, and are varied in terms of size, speed plateaus and torpedo abilities.) Its basic premise is that an evil nation has taken over its neighbours and has begun attacking others nations. Though the storyline is very basic and generic, each mission has its own general story, which sets up what is going to happen during the stage. However, it's not the type of storyline that you can become immersed in. Rather, it is just a set-up or extravagant excuse, for warfare. The problem is that it's just not interesting because it's so general, vague, undeveloped and lacks focus. I wish more effort would have been put into crafting a detailed, arching storyline, to add immersion, interest and intrigue.

When I think of this game, the term underwater platformer always pops into my head. Though, that's only because of the fact that you have to traverse a landscape, which is similar to most platform or action games. Other than that, there really aren't many similarities to those genres. The game's campaign is in the form of a side-view submarine combat game, featuring seven missions that ask you to get from one end of the map to another without being blown up, in one of three different types of submarines. You will face enemy subs, ships, and even sea monsters, along the way. You must navigate your way through or destroy the dangers you come across, such as the aforementioned enemies (with their depth charges, homing missiles and torpedoes,) natural obstacles and mines spread throughout the sea. It's tough, but with each new attempt, you develop new strategies and find ways of getting through early sections without taking as much damage. The seven missions all take place during major events in a fictional battle set-up through text description screens. They're all very similar though, and each one features a periscope attack battle sequence at the end where you can earn decals for your subs, by taking out enemy vessels. A separate time trial mode is also available.

This portion of the game is controlled exclusively through the use of the stylus and touch screen combination. Players must navigate their way through the rocky underwater landscape and its different types of dangers by moving two sliders that affect the ships forward/backward momentum, depth, incline and speed. Torpedoes are also fired vertically and horizontally through the touch of the stylus, though only one of the three types of subs can shoot torpedoes upwards. It's a really unique control scheme, but it takes a while to get used to. Not having the freedom to control the submarine with your hands (via a directional pad or joystick) feels really odd a lot of the time, but the touchscreen controls do work pretty well. It is very important to survey the upcoming passageways through the radar map, which is also on the touchscreen and can be tapped to zoom in and out. If your sub is ever hit with a critical attack, the hull will be breached and you must plug the leak using the stylus to swipe the water back towards the (randomly placed) hole. Health is regenerated when you go up to the surface, as is your air gauge, which depletes whenever you use the subs' masking ability to protect yourself from incoming homing torpedoes.

In addition to its interesting and challenging yet brief and lacking campaign, Steel Diver also features two other modes. The first is a the aforementioned periscope attack game mode, which can be played in a quick play session of one of three different types. You can choose to battle enemy ships in calm waters or during a violent storm that will cause gigantic waves that rock the ships around. There is also the ability to choose to take on enemy submarines underwater, through the use of radar. It's a relatively fun, but very basic mode through its design. However, it does make good use of the touchscreen and the 3DS' movement sensors, allowing you to spin around in your physical space to look around in a full 360 degree radius, in order to find enemy ships. If you don't feel like moving around, you can simply use the stylus to move a compass slider left or right. Missiles can be fired using the stylus or the A button. I enjoyed this mode the most, though there isn't a lot of depth to it. In my opinion, it's the most fun of the three modes.

The third mode is playable in multiplayer and in single player (against the 'computer.') I've thought of how to describe it and the best way I've come up with is to describe it as a variation of the classic board game, Battleship. In this mode, two players duke it out in a grid-puzzle battle, with the objective being to take out the enemy's submarine (of which there is only one, along with several attack ships and supply ships.) It plays out in a turn-based fashion, with a 100 turn limit. Players use the stylus to select the grid coordinate that they would like to move to (with the movement options shown after selecting the ship they'd like to move.) When you find where an enemy ship is, either by moving to where it's sitting or by using radar (which takes one turn to use,) you can attack. Your missiles can take out ships and your depth charges can take out enemy subs, though it's difficult considering the fact that you have to guess the right depth for them to explode at. If you choose 150 metres and your opponent's sub is only sitting at 100 metres of depth, then it will miss it. This mode is interesting and will please strategy fans, but it didn't do a lot for me. There are quite a few different grid map types, some of which must be unlocked.

One thing that stands out while playing Steel Diver is its visuals and use of 3D. Nintendo did a great job of utilizing the device's 3D capabilities to add depth and a sense of positioning throughout the underwater caverns and during attack sessions. Enemy subs are sometimes hiding in the background, allowing them to see you with sonar and hit you with missiles, though you cannot hit them. The 3D does a great job of showing that they're off to the far side, and it also does an excellent job of showing rock formations, cave walls and underground volcanoes in the foreground and background. I was especially impressed by the underwater volcano section, which looked great in 3D. In the periscope attack sessions, ships will occasionally drive towards you, coming from the background into the foreground with beautiful 3D effects. It's a great tech demo for the device, even if its gameplay is somewhat underwhelming. The visual style itself is different for each mode, though I found it to be quite impressive for the most part. I did not notice any lag or framerate issues.

Throughout your Steel Diver experience, you will hear people shouting things such as 'Ship damaged!' and 'Fired!' a lot. It becomes somewhat annoying after a while, to be honest. This is the only voice acting that the game features and it really is very basic and over-used. Though, the game does feature some good original music, as well as well-crafted sound effects. When you're underwater, you really feel a sense of mystery, brought on by both the visuals and sound. Though, when you're on the surface during attack sequences, you feel a sense of urgency and dread. Other than the annoying and over-used voiceovers, I don't really have much to complain about with the sound. It's pretty well-done, though isn't at all memorable.

Overall, Steel Diver is an interesting new experience that unfortunately lacks substance and isn't overly fun. It's a really unique game with some good ideas implemented into it, but it's certainly not for everyone. Strategy buffs and some action game fans will love it, but this is a game I recommend trying before you buy it. Its difficulty ramps up very quickly at a very steep incline, so it takes a lot of patience and retrying of different stages to complete, even though each level is quite brief (several minutes long on average.) I was really looking forward to this game, but my high expectations were not met and I found it to be just better than mediocre, overall. This isn't the best launch game I've played (like I had thought it would end up being,) but it's pretty well-made and is unique enough to interest a select group of gamers. It's for a more mature group of seasoned gamers though, and kids probably will not find much enjoyment in it. If you're looking for a good tech demo, it definitely will do the trick though. Unfortunately, it's lacking substance and has a brief campaign that doesn't feature much replay value other than trying each mission with all three submarine types, and/or trying to get the best time you can in Time Trial mode. Give it a try if it sounds interesting, but try before you buy.

Rating: 6/10

Steel Diver was released yesterday (March 27, 2011) for the Nintendo 3DS. It was developed and published by Nintendo, and sells for a suggested retail price of $39.99.

Bust-a-Move Universe Review (Nintendo 3DS)

The colourful orbs with monsters inside are back - in 3D this time. The incredibly popular arcade puzzle game franchise, Bust-a-Move makes its return today, via a Nintendo 3DS cartridge from developer Taito and publisher Square-Enix. It's the latest entry in the long running series (that is also known as Puzzle Bobble,) that first debuted in local arcades in 1994, eating many quarters throughout the years (including some of my own.) This time, the fast-paced puzzle action is taken to the final frontier: outer space, where the orb popping dinosaur duo must save their friends from their evil captors by completing colour-based orb puzzles of varying difficulty, throughout the galaxy.

Though the game doesn't focus heavily on story, there is a bit of one. It seems like a group of evil minions have captured the main characters' friends, taking them to different planets across the galaxy. In the campaign mode, it is your responsibility to not only beat all of the puzzles each planet throws at you, but to also find the keys that will help you unlock the bubble-shaped prison pods that your friends are unfortunately held captive in. If you're up to the task, you're next in line to blast off. Just be warned that the task is tougher than it may seem, and requires a lot of thinking and concentration.

The Bust-a-Move franchise is known for its gravity and colour based bubble puzzles. Players must eliminate all of the coloured bubbles (each of which contain monsters inside of them) from the puzzle screen by joining three or more similarly coloured bubbles together. When similar bubbles are joined together, they will pop, and will sometimes take other bubbles with them if they were their structural support. The goal is to try to eliminate all of the bubbles from the top screen before the roof caves in. Though, you must also be wary of letting any bubbles cross the bottom line because that is an immediate failing grade. It's a very basic design that has worked well for years, addicting some gamers and impressing many. This latest release sees the same structure, but with some new additions.

Players can always see what the next bubble type will be, as it's shown at the bottom left-hand side of the screen. Though special bubbles are also at their disposal (once a meter has been filled by popping a certain amount of bubbles.) These special bubbles can really change the playing field, as each of the several different types has its own abilities. There are rainbow bubbles which can be shot out individually and act as any colour, allowing you to eliminate a stubborn group of orbs. Though the most helpful one is a special bubble that pops every bubble in its cone-shaped radius. Other special bubbles are available, such as a bubble that alters the colour of a small group of bubbles (chosen by the player.) These special bubbles can help you finish a level quickly and do carry over into the next round, so you must choose wisely as to when you're going to use them. Since you can get large amounts of bonus points if you clear puzzles quickly, you will sometimes find yourself using them on easier puzzles just to get that bonus.

The game scores you based on not only the amount of bubbles you pop and with bonuses for completion and time, but also how you pop all of the bubbles on the screen. Bubbles that you pop by linking three or more together are worth a smaller amount of points than bubbles that are dropped. That means that you have to constantly be thinking ahead to plan your next move, in order to try to unlock the highest score possible if that's what interests you. The scoring system adds a lot of depth to the game and will keep people coming back for more, once they've completed the campaign. Bonus points are also awarded if you burst a bunch of bubbles at once, as you are given a certain amount of time to shoot bonus shots which pop after the time limit is up and take like-coloured bubbles with them. You are also ranked at the end of each level as to whether you finished all of the puzzles, defeated the boss and/or popped all of the key bubbles in order to unlock your friend's prison. If you missed something, you can go back anytime to revisit a planet. Luckily, if you ever do fail a round, you can restart at the beginning of it, without having to re-do the planet's previous puzzles. Badges can be earned for completing puzzles in certain ways.

New additions to Bust-a-Move Universe include survival modes, plus the aforementioned boss battles and key orbs. The survival mode challenges allow you to take on a set amount of bubbles, to try to get the best score possible in the shortest period of time. You can choose whether you'd like to face 100 bubbles or even unlimited bubbles, which is the variation that I found to be the most fun part of the game. I enjoyed having a constant stream of bubbles coming at me, as it can become quite hectic and is fun to work at. I've been doing quite well in that mode and still have a game saved that I will return to, as I've made it really far without failing at all. The varying backdrops during that mode are a nice touch, as you get to fly over the different planets from the campaign. Different difficulty options are available for this mode.

Boss battles are very simple, but are made challenging by the fact that you're on a strict time limit and do not get the chance to restart the fight at any time. Your goal during these fights is to shoot bombs at a floating boss orb, attaching three in a line to deal the boss an explosive blow. You're able to shoot them quickly, but later boss battles feature bombs of different colours that do not work together. This incorporates a lot of strategy into the boss encounters, and makes them a lot more difficult. I had fun with this mode, though it was brief. It was challenging and a new twist on the core gameplay experience that Bust-a-Move has been known for.

Players get to control where they will shoot their next coloured bubble or bomb, by rotating a wheel that is at the bottom of the top 3D screen. This can be done either by using the 3DS' new circle pad or its directional pad. I found that the d-pad was much more accurate, especially when I needed to make a really tough shot. The circle pad worked pretty well for the most part, but I encountered a weird issue where my movement would stop for a second or two, while using it. There were also times where the wheel would go the opposite way I was pressing it for a second. I'm quite sure it wasn't me screwing up, as it happened quite often and I glanced down to see where my thumb was angled. These issues would pop up a few times during puzzles, but I found that they weren't there when I used the d-pad. The touchscreen isn't used during puzzles, but can be used to toggle through menus. During gameplay, it shows your score, progress and keys earned.

When I popped the cartridge into the back of the 3DS, I wasn't sure of what to expect from the game from a visual standpoint (especially in relation to 3D.) Though I was quite intrigued. Overall, I was impressed with the game's visual style and its use of 3D. The game's art style is very similar to what it was back in 1994, but the moving backdrops as the camera swoops over each planet's base add some variety to the visuals, which I liked. You can see depth between the puzzle screen and the backdrop behind it, which was impressive. The coloured bubbles are vivid and also pulse towards you and back in 3D, which I thought was a nice touch. When their bubbles are popped, the monsters inside fall into oblivion, and you can visibly see the differences in depth as they fall into the background. Menus, congratulations images and your score lists feel like they're floating above the puzzle action when they're shown. I was impressed with the game's visual style, but I was even more impressed by its use of the third-dimension.

Though the game's sound isn't as impressive as its use of 3D, it still alright. Its original score is upbeat, but forgetting, though it deserves applause for not being annoying or overbearing. There are some sound effects which sound okay, but the one that you will hear the most (the sound that is played when you shoot a bubble or bomb) will annoy some people after a while. I didn't find the sound to be all that annoying myself, but can see how it could bug others. This isn't the type of game where you would expect outstanding audio and, though I wasn't blown away by its quality by any means, I didn't dislike it either. It's quite basic and ho-hum, overall.

In conclusion, I must say that I enjoyed Bust-a-Move Universe. I haven't had a lot of experience with puzzle games in the past, but this one impressed me with its addictive qualities and fun core puzzle gameplay. There is a lack of available game modes, but it's the type of game that is best played in short bursts, and should keep players coming back for quick sessions for a while. Fans will enjoy the new additions, and the game itself, despite the odd issue with the circle pad control option. Bust-a-Move Universe is worth picking up if you're a fan of the series, or a puzzle fan in general. It's easier on the wallet than most of the 3DS launch titles, as it's only retailing for $29.99 as opposed to the regular $39.99 price tag. Just make sure that you pop all of the bubbles before gravity takes its toll on you.

Rating: 7/10

Bust-a-Move Universe is out today (March 27, 2011) for the Nintendo 3DS. It sells for $29.99.

Pilotwings Resort Review (Nintendo 3DS)

One of the most revered, yet rarely revisited Nintendo franchises is the Pilotwings series. It debuted on the Super Nintendo and received a 32-bit sequel on the N64, but the series hasn't been heard from much since then. That all changes today, as Nintendo releases Pilotwings Resort as a launch title for their brand new Nintendo 3DS. With this release, the series that many Nintendo fans have been hoping to see a sequel to (or remake of) has returned. I've had the chance to put quite a bit of time into the game, so read on to find out if the long wait was worth it or not.

Featuring no hint of a storyline, Pilotwings Resort sees your Mii become a talented pilot, while vacationing on a beautiful island. Not only is he (or she) able to fly a plane, but he's also able to fly a jetpack and glider, as well as faster and improved versions of each. Your objective is to utilize these vehicles to complete challenges, which come in many different varieties and several difficulties, ranging from bronze to platinum. If you think you have what it takes, then sign your pilot's license card and set out into the open skies above. Just be careful not to crash, or you will be ejected from your seat, losing valuable time and incurring penalty points. This is a family friendly game, so there is no violence whatsoever.

Each of the seven different vehicles (six flying contraptions and a skydiving suit known as the squirrel suit,) control differently and feature their own gameplay mechanics. When you fly a plane, your main responsibility is to focus on its maneuvers and when to use its speed boost, as the game controls its basic propulsion. However, hang gliders require you to swoop up and down to gain or lower your speed (with wind gusts available to shoot you upwards) and the jetpacks are manually operated with the thumbstick and the A button. They're all easy to control and don't take long to become accustomed to, but there is a degree of challenge in maneuvering each one perfectly, in order to complete the task at hand.

The basic design of the challenges sees each one featuring a defined beginning, middle and end. When you start, you'll either take off from the water (with the plane,) fly off a landing pad with the jetpack or soar outward into the skies with the glider. The middle portion is usually different, but sees you completing tasks such as collecting items, flying through hoops, dousing campfires or shooting targets. Then, the end requires a safe landing, which you are graded heavily on. Perfect landings with both the jetpack and glider see you landing on the floating landing pads in the middle of the bullseye, even allowing you to get there after taking a couple steps to stop yourself if you originally land in the white (second) ring. The plane is different as you're graded on how close you can get to landing underneath a raised walkway above the far end of the runway (which is yet again set-up on the water.) There is quite a bit of variety in the middle sections as I explained, but you're always faced with taking off and landing, which you must always be practicing.

The game's scoring system rates you on a myriad of different aspects, such as your completion time, landing, picture taking abilities, aim and the path you take. Each challenge pretty much has its own list of ranked tasks, with some accounting for much more of your overall score than others. Getting a perfect score is something I haven't done, but I've come close with a few challenges. In order to even get remotely close to a perfect score (since points are at a premium,) you must follow the mission's requirements and suggested path to a T, while still making good time with a well-planted landing. A lot of the time, there will be special rings to go through which will bring up musical notes or score bonuses, which can be collected. Target shooting missions will also have scores that vary based on where you hit the target. Speed also factors in heavily later on in the game, in a different way, as there will be targets you must hit at certain speeds to earn points. The more you hit of the target, the more points you earn, but you'll bounce off if you aren't going at or above the required speed.

The game's challenge list (or 'campaign') can be completed relatively quickly (probably within 2.5 to 3 hours.) However, it's the type of game that hooks you by making you want to earn better scores in order to earn all of the available stars within the game. I find myself continually going back to try to earn higher scores on missions that I only got one or two stars on, and also replaying some of my favorites for fun. Though the campaign isn't the only mode the game has to offer, as there is also a Free Flight mode, which allows you to soar over the island with a time limit. Your goal is to collect as many orbs, Mii trophies, location markers and golden rings as you can. Each rounds totals add to a cumulative total and some of the aforementioned collectibles can be used to unlock dioramas (figures of your Mii in different vehicles.) While it's basic, it's fun for a little while and may hook some people more than others. I'm speaking of the completionists. You know who you are. If you do manage to get three stars on every challenge, you'll unlock three more (diamond) challenges.

I was impressed with how well the game controlled, and how easy it was to just jump in and play without much of a tutorial. The thumbstick does a great job of allowing you to control your Mii and his chosen aerial vessel, with the right and left shoulder buttons allowing for basic trick moves such as barrel roles, angled sweeps and the ability to fly upside down. The directional pad is used to change camera angles and the A button is also utilized, as it is your fire button for shooting at targets. Braking is accomplished by pressing B. The scheme is very intuitive, fun and easy to use. I didn't have any issues with it. The touchscreen isn't used much, though you can use it to cycle through menus and to sign your signature on your license card.

I know that the thing that most of you are interested in the most is the game's 3D capabilities and visuals. Pilot Wings Resort is the most impressive game in terms of visuals and 3D, that I've played thus far. It looks great and uses the handheld's 3D capabilities to add depth of field into the world. The difference between its 2D visuals and 3D is noticeable, as a lot of depth is added between things in the foreground and background. It's really impressive and works as a great tech demo for the device. When I first played it and saw how great it used 3D, I was blown away, especially when the sun was radiating in my 'eyes'. The styling of the visuals is reminiscent of Wii Sports Resort, and looks quite a bit better than the average regular DS game. In order to describe it, I'd say that it looks like a mix between a fully 3D Wii game and a DS game, though it weighs more towards the former. There is a lot variety in the locations (forests, towns, and even a volcano,) and the ability to fly during the day, dusk or night. Don't worry though: it also looks really good in plain 2D, for those who can't use the 3D capabilities.

The game's audio is another strong point, as it uses the 3DS' speakers virtual surround sound capabilities very well. Its original soundtrack features some great, relaxing and upbeat music, with various different instruments including a guitar. I didn't know what to expect from the music going in, but I thought it sounded great. The music wasn't annoying and fit the experience like a glove. The game's different sound effects (though there aren't a ton) also sound great. In general, the audio is very strong and quite impressive. No complaints here. The audio folks deserve a commendation, just like those who worked on the game's visuals and 3D effects. Though there is no voice over work - just text. Then again, you only ever meet one character - a guide who talks to you occasionally.

Overall, Pilotwings Resort is an impressive launch title that is fun and addictive, albeit short and lacking in long-lasting content. It's a great tech demo and will keep you occupied for a little while, but it's not something that features a long campaign or will keep everyone coming back. Completionists will get a lot out of it though, as they will find a lot of challenge in trying to get perfect scores on each challenge. Despite its brevity and the fact that the gameplay doesn't push the envelope, it's a very impressive title that I had a lot of fun with. I didn't know what to expect going in, but I was pleasantly surprised, for the most part. Out of the four launch titles I've played thus far, it's definitely my favourite.

Rating: 8/10

Pilotwings Resort is released today (March 27, 2011,) exclusively for Nintendo's 3DS device. It retails at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $39.99.

Nintendo 3DS Hardware Impressions/Review

Over the last several days, I've had a chance to test out the new Nintendo 3DS portable gaming system, thanks to Nintendo. I've had a blast with it and felt like I had spent enough time with it by now to post about my complete thoughts. I wanted to test everything out, as well as some games, before I wrote my full impressions. Here they are:

When I opened the box, I was greeted with a thin plastic baggie featuring a ton of different manuals, quick start guides (in English, French and Spanish,) as well as a pack of augmented reality cards (more about those later.) Underneath were three separate spots where the 3DS itself, and its charging base/charger were kept. The packaging resembles that of the DSi, which I still own and had been using a lot prior to receiving the loaner 3DS. It's quite easy to take out and put back in and the plastic baggie helps you keep everything together. It'd be annoying if the AR cards were ever to go missing, so I recommend keeping them in the box when they're not in use.

My first impressions of the black 3DS loaner review copy I was sent were very positive. It's a really smart looking device. It feels sturdy, has a nice glossy finish (with sparkling speckles) and looks great. The only issue is that it's susceptible to finger prints and is a bit of a dust magnet, like most electronics. Inside is the same - nice looking, well-made and features button placement that works quite well for my man-hands. I was quite impressed from the get-go and couldn't wait to play it after it charged. Charging took 3.5 hours and the average battery life has been about 4 hours for me. Though I haven't toned down the brightness (from its highest setting) and have been using a lot of different applications.

The main difference that really jumped out at me from the get-go was the screen size difference (the touch screen is close to the same size as a DSi screen, whereas the top screen is quite a bit larger. It is the only one that does 3D.) The stylus is also noticeably different, made from a much sturdier material and featuring an extendable top portion. This feature allows you to adjust the size of the stylus, with the smaller size being better for children and the larger one being easier to use for the older crowd who have bigger hands. Additionally, there is now a home button (which takes you back to the main menu once pressed, and allows you to quit applications,) which is under the bottom screen along with start and select. All three buttons are in a row and are on a pressure sensitive strip, which I liked. The power button takes the place of where start and select were on the older iterations of the Nintendo Dual Screen.

Those are large differences aesthetic differences, but the one main change that will alter how we play 3DS games in the future is the new circle-pad, which is like a joystick. It takes the directional pad's place at the top left of the bottom of the device, with the D-pad below. It's comfortable and works pretty well, with a good range of movement. The directional pad is now made out of a plastic-like material and, though it feels different compared to that of the DSi's d-pad, it works quite well. It was easier to use and more precise in some games, such as Bust-a-Move: Universe, which required minute movement changes.

When I turned the 3DS on for the first time, I was greeted with a set-up guide menu, where I had to input information, set up my wireless internet access for the device and create an account. I was then able to create a Mii (in a very similar menu to that of the Wii's. Though you can use the camera to help create your Mii, allowing it to analyze your face and create a rough estimate of what you'd look like in cartoon form.) The set-up was quick, painless and thorough. I wasn't kep away from the action for too long, but I got a lot accomplished in that short period of time, allowing for the device to be set-up with some of my basic information, settings and preferences. I should also mention that my Mii resembles me quite a bit, and looks a lot like the one I created for the Wii.

The menu system itself is in 3D (though you can toggle 2D visuals with the 3D slider on the right hand-side of the top portion of the device.) This was my first experience of the glasses-free 3D that Nintendo had been touting and, let me tell you: it works! The menus had depth and seemed to be popping off the screen at me. Whenever directions were shown in the middle of the 3D screen, they looked like they were further in the foreground than the menu behind them. Additionally, the menu that tracks your stats and the games that you've played has a really cool 3D effect to go along with its folder or notebook-esque style. The page you've selected is in the foreground, whereas the pages you've skipped through sit above, progressively going into the background. I was blown away when I first saw the 3D as I'm sure most people will be. Though the full 3D effects are only noticeable if you have he handheld directly in front of you, or else you will notice some ghosting. That's understandable though.

Nintendo was nice enough to send me review copies of three different games, with the unit itself. The games I was sent were Steel Diver, Pilot Wings Resort and Nintendogs + Cats: Toy Poodle and Friends. I was really looking forward to playing the first two especially, but I tried out some different applications before loading a cartridge into the device.

I tried out Face Raiders to begin with and was impressed with how creative it was (using a picture of my face and animating it to create flying enemies, which I was able to shoot by the press of a button.) Since the 3DS now includes a movement and gyro sensor, the system can now track your movement (horizontal, verticle and angular) and input it into games. Face Raiders uses this technology to allow you to move around your environment to find the enemies. Tilting is required to hit them in the perfect position (a jewel at the top of their heads.) It worked pretty well and the technology impressed me quite a bit. The cameras did a good job of tracking movement without a delay or lag. The game is pretty fun, though it's basically a tech demo. Its 3D was quite noticeable, especially with the depth that it provided. As enemies would get closer to me, they would come into the foreground more. Enemies who I shot would go spinning towards the background at times.

The other applications that I was able to use were the 3D Photo Mode, 3DS Sound, Street Pass/Mii Plaza and the Augmented Reality game. All three were impressive and really show off the handheld device's new technology in amazing ways, though I was most impressed with the photo capabilities and Augmented Reality. The sound recording was also impressive - don't get me wrong. It just didn't have the wow factor of the other too. That's to be expected though, as the others feature new technology. Kids will love the ability to record their own voices and play them back or create sounds, though.

Street Pass is a unique new idea that Nintendo has implemented into the 3DS. It allows your device to communicate with those of others who you meet, walk by or know. How it works is that, if you have your 3DS set to sleep mode (and the other person does too,) the units will communicate and transfer Miis. With the Street Pass/Mii Parade application, you can use these transferred Miis to help save your captured Mii in a minigame (where they're referred to as heroes,) and can also aquire puzzle pieces that fit into a puzzle in another minigame. You can purchase both of those things (heroes and puzzles) but they each require 2 coins, which you can earn by walking around and using Street Pass. Only ten coins can be earned per day.

I took some photos my kitchen table, as well as my cat sitting in a windowsill behind the table. I could see noticeable depth within the image, with a major difference between what was in the foreground and what was in the background. I could even tell a difference between my cat and the window she was right in front of, though it was a minor difference. This is something that I'm sure I will be showing family and friends when I'm around them, to show them just how far video game tech has come. Even non-gamers will be impressed with these 3D photo capabilities. It really is a wow factor for the handheld. Each 3DS comes with a 2GB SD memory card inserted into its SD card slot. This is used for storage.

The Augmented Reality application requires the AR cards that I mentioned previously. When you place one on a flat surface and line up the 3DS' front cameras with it (while standing approximately 17 inches away,) a 3D character will pop out. The question mark block card that is listed as card one is your menu. It allows you to do some target shooting, fight a dragon boss and also allows you to unlock fun minigames such as a pool game (where your table or flat surface warps into a 3D mountain with a hole at one end.) After defeating the dragon by shooting it in specific areas (done by moving around him in real life and using the gyro sensor to tilt and a button to shoot,) these other minigames opened up. The other cards allow you to bring some of your favourite characters (such as Mario, Link and Samus) to life, with each one having moves they can pull off. You can take photos of them and can also do so with your Miis. Really, really impressive. These AR cards can be used in different games, such as Nintendogs.

Since I've received it, I've put time into four different retail games. The three aforementioned titles, as well as Bust-a-Move: Universe. I was impressed with the 3D aspects of all of them, with Pilot Wings Resort being my favourite out of the four. It has great 3D (mainly used for depth purposes) and is very fun and addicting. The other three games are good, too. I will be doing full reviews of each one, with at least two of them being up by tomorrow at the absolute latest. Playing the games in 3D is a great experience that changes things quite a bit. Depth adds a lot to the experience and each game does a good job of showing off the tech in different ways. Some games use 3D more for depth of field, whereas others pop off the screen more. They all look great and feature impressive visual upgrades over the standard DS games. There are a lot more polygons used and the visuals are closer to 3D consoles than the Super Nintendo. They still resemble the DS' visuals in some ways, though. Each game I've played has sounded phenomenal, as the 3DS has the ability to output simulated surround sound, which I found had very good sound quality and volume capabilities.

Overall, I must say that I am very impressed with the 3DS. I look forward to picking up my pre-ordered handheld at EB Games tomorrow. I also look forward to spending more time with the device in the future, as new games continue to come out. The game I'm looking forward to the most is definitely the new Resident Evil survival horror game. Though I'm also really looking forward to titles such as Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater, Splinter Cell and Ocarina of Time.

For anyone who is planning to purchase a 3DS, despite the worry that the 3D isn't overly impressive: rest at ease. The 3D works as stated and is very impressive. So is the 3DS in general. It features great tech, is comfortable to use and will impress gamers and non-gamers alike. Just remember that the 3D capabilities are recommended for those of us who are seven and older. Kids can still play the games in 2D though (and they still look/play really well!)

I'll see you guys online. Enjoy.

Nintendo's highly-touted 3DS will be available tomorrow (March 27, 2011.) Some lucky early adopters will be able to pick it up at midnight launches. It sells for $249.99 and games average at $39.99.

Homefront Review (XBOX 360 Version)

It is the year 2027. The United States of America has seen years of major economic downturn and is now dealing with its greatest threat yet: occupation by the Greater Korean Republic. Major American cities have come under strong Korean control, meaning that it's up to small civilian groups to form together to try to take out this occupation. The fate of the United States of America and her future depend on your success or failure. Will you sit idly by and let the occupation continue, watching all of your countrymen suffer under the Korean hand? Or, will you fight for your freedom?

Homefront, a first-person shooter from developer Kaos Studios and publisher THQ, uses the aforementioned plot (written by Apocalypse Now and Red Dawn writer John Milius) as its scary backdrop. Players control a former pilot (and resident of Montrose, Colorado, where the game begins) named Jacobs. After being captured by the Koreans and sent on his way towards a labor camp where he will surely have his mind manipulated, Jacobs is saved by a small band of civilian resistance fighters and quickly joins their cause. This aforementioned cause is just step one in the planned large scale battle, but it's imperative that you and your allies are able to steal and safely transport a convoy of fuel trucks to San Francisco. The incredibly important fuel will help power helicopters that will assist in the effort to re-take San Francisco and its iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

The game's single player only campaign is split up into seven separate missions, which span the distance between Montrose, Colorado and San Francisco, California. There is quite a bit of variety to be found, which is a plus, as you spend time as a rifleman, sniper, helicopter pilot and stealth assassin. However, the campaign is quite brief - clocking in at between three and four hours on lower difficulties. I played through it twice: once on guerilla (its hardest difficulty) and then a second time on easy, in order to unlock the achievements for beating each mission without being taken out. Guerilla was quite difficult and added quite a bit of length to the experience, but it was also very frustrating at times due to several issues. The fact that you're always being led along and yelled at by your allies to move on amidst heavy opposing fire will also annoy some people.

Despite featuring an interesting storyline (with several shocking set pieces,) and a good amount of variety, the game's campaign is unfortunately generic. The game never steps out of its comfort zone and plays a lot like almost every other shooter on the market, never feeling unique in its design. I felt that it relied too much on its premise and shock value than great game design, which is unfortunate. That's not to say it's a bad campaign by any means, but it's mediocre at best. In addition to being generic, the game currently features a lot of bugs that marred my experience, especially on its guerilla difficulty. During that first playthrough, I became frustrated by moments where I was shot through cover (something that never happened on easy) as well as a checkpoint that reloaded twice with a grenade in front of me. The latter glitch was weird because I wasn't taken out by a grenade the first time. These are just a couple of the glitches that I experienced, as there were others such as visual glitches, A.I. issues and cheap A.I. I only noticed minimal framerate hiccups which was nice.

Throughout my life, I've generally been more interested in the single player portions of games than multiplayer modes. However, there are the odd games that blow me away with their competitive offerings and keep me coming back for more. Call of Duty is a franchise that, despite its issues, has hooked me, whereas Halo doesn't interest me. Homefront's multiplayer component captured my attention. It's a well-made mode that is very competitive and quite a bit of fun. I was especially impressed with how well-balanced everything was, as well as its spawn system. Each of its several maps are incredibly large, allowing for up to 32 players to battle it out (in specific modes.) The map sizes work well with the game's design, creating constant tension as you never know where an enemy is going to emerge from (or shoot you from.) With their large scale, the game's maps are able to feature different spawn points, providing the game with a chance to alter them if one team invades the other one's spawn point. This works as well as (or possibly better than) any other multiplayer game I've played.

There are two main modes available for competitive online warfare, including Ground Control and traditional Team Deathmatch. Ground Control pits two teams of up to sixteen players each against each other, with the common objective being to control three objective points (A, B and C,) for as long as possible. Points are earned by the team who holds at least two of the three, with the points leader winning once they hit a certain point plateau or if time expires. It's a fun and competitive mode that plays similar to Battlefield: Bad Company and its objective-based control mode. One of the most impressive features of this mode is the fact that it doesn't feature any loading screens between each of its three rounds. Once one round is up, the game immediately alters the locations of its control points and the next round begins. I really liked that because it keeps you in the game and is quite impressive from a technical standpoint.

Additionally, the game features a mode known as Ground Commander, which is a deviation setting that alters the way the two modes play. In keeping with its name, the mode features an artificial intelligence commander on each side. What it does is mark important targets, such as players who have large killstreaks, awarding large amount of points if you can take them out. It is the only mode that features the general system, which awards players general ranks based on killstreaks, up to the rank of five-star general. It is very difficult to get to this plateau though, because you are usually marked on the opponents' radar once you reach 1-star general status. I got lucky and became a four star general once, before someone took me out with an air strike. Though traditional Ground Control is quite fun, this mode steps it up a notch and I preferred it.

Instead of being an arcade run and gun experience, similar to Call of Duty, Homefront's multiplayer is a much more tactical experience. You need to be smart with how you proceed throughout each map, making sure to be aware of your surroundings at all times. Melee kills are available, but they're not nearly as prevalent or easy to pull off as they are in Call of Duty. Though, their scoring systems are somewhat similar. One of the other major differences between the two is the Battle Points (BP) system that is employed in Homefront, allowing players to spend their earned experience points towards secondary weapons (like a rocket launcher,) drones, a flak jacket, or vehicles. Other items are unlocked as you progress through the game's leveling system. The aforementioned vehicles and drones can really help turn the tide of a battle and I was impressed with how they were incorporated into the experience. Vehicles are not always available though, as some of the more confined maps do not have room for them. Battle Points are limited to the match you earn them in.

When it comes to the game's overall presentation, there are some major pros and cons. The campaign begins with a bang, featuring a great opening cinematic that starts with Hillary Clinton advising the American people about last year's attack by the North Koreans against their South Korean neighbours. It then cuts to animated sequences and news footage, showing North Korea's nuclear missile program. I was quite impressed as it really set the tone for the game, but it was unfortunately the only good cutscene in the game. Most of the game's storyline is told through in-game dialogue between its colourful mix of characters, with 61 hidden newspaper collectibles used to tell the rest. I liked the fact that the developers tried to tell a very intense story, but I found the newspapers to be more of a hindrance to the game than anything, as they took me out of the game too often. Since there are so many of them, you're constantly finding flashing papers everywhere, which cut to a black screen with a white text overlay (usually over three separate screens, or pages.) In order to find out every last detail about the story, you must find every paper, because the news articles cover a sixteen year period from 2011 to 2027. Unfortunately, though they're well-written, they're sometimes hard to follow because they aren't found in succession - instead, you'll find a 2016 newspaper and then a 2026 paper close to each other.

With Homefront's visual style, Kaos Studios went with a realistic and detailed approach. I was impressed with the amount of detail in some of the environments and the variety of textures, but the overall look of the game was underwhelming with several visual glitches. From far away, things looked a lot better than they did up-close, as some environmental items seemed to be at a lower resolution than others when I approached them. There were also quite a few jaggies. The first time I went through the game, the only major visual glitch I noticed was a handicapped parking spot sign (painted on the asphalt) that would disappear when I went close to it. Though, during my easy playthrough, I encountered a glitch that persisted through multiple level playthroughs, where some shanty-town shacks showed blue edges. What I mean by this is that rooftop edges that were supposed to be brown were glitching into broken blue lines (both light and dark blue,) which looked like Christmas lights. Overall, the visuals are a mixed bag due to these issues and a lack of variety within the enemy designs. Multiplayer actually looked a bit better in some ways, as it didn't have many visual glitches. Though it did freeze on me twice.

The game's audio is much stronger than its visuals. I really liked its haunting and melodic original score, which featured some very eerie piano pieces that really fit the game well. Sound effects are also present in full force, and they sound quite well. There are a ton of weapons in the game which feature some nice sounding effects to go along with detailed designs. Additionally, the game's voice cast does a pretty good job overall, with the inclusion of the narrator who does voice overs during the game's loading screens. The sound designers did a good job and their hard work is noticeable.

Overall, Homefront is a game that strives to create a unique and engrossing experience, but only achieves mixed results. Though its multiplayer is impressive and happens to be much better than most multiplayer components available, its single player experience is mediocre overall. Its issues are much more prevalent on its hardest difficulty, where the opposing forces are sometimes more cheap than fair and seem to have perfect aim, resulting in some frustrating moments. I also felt that some sections of the game (featuring unlimited amounts of respawning enemies) were based more on luck than skill. Despite its issues and generic gameplay, the game's story shines through and it's still worth checking out. Though I don't recommend a blind purchase.

Rating: 6/10

Homefront was released on March 15th, 2011. It is now available for three platforms: XBOX 360, PS3 and PC. It features an online pass, but online multiplayer is still available for those who do not purchase a new copy of the game to get a code. Though, without the pass, gamers are limited to a level cap of 5.

Battle: Los Angeles Review (XBOX Live Arcade Version)

On a peaceful March day in the year 2011, all Hell breaks loose around the globe. As unidentified pods crash land into the water around Los Angeles, its citizens begin to dawn upon the fact that their city, and their country, are under attack by an unknown enemy. This war between humanity and an unknown alien entity is the backdrop for all sorts of first-person shooting in Konami's XBOX Live Arcade/PSN release, Battle: Los Angeles. A companion to the recently-released blockbuster film of the same name, the game pits you into the role of one of the military heroes tasked with fighting back against the alien invaders, in an attempt to save the City of Angels from impending destruction.

The plot that is shared between the two entertainment mediums tries to provide a very personal story of courage, amongst the grand backdrop of a large scale battle. This is done by focusing solely on a small group of several marines and their personal experiences. The aforementioned group is made up of several marines, with a commander who was forced out of retirement by the attack. Players take control of a young rookie who fights alongside this heroic group, as they fight their way through the city to try to find the root of the attack. People who have watched the film will recognize the fellow marines in the unit, as they're taken straight from the film with recognizable likenesses.

After a brief tutorial, the game quickly gets into the action and never really lets up throughout the course of its brief campaign. Structured into three separate missions, the game's campaign only takes about an hour to complete on its hardest difficulty. However, despite its brevity, I had some fun with it. The game features a decent amount of variety, pitting players into the different roles of a traditional marine, protective sniper, airship destroyer and turret gunner. Each mission is broken up into different segments with differing types of gameplay, but each is full of near-constant action. You're almost always in the thick of it, which keeps you invested in the experience without many lulls.

Though the campaign is fun, it's far from perfect. In addition to being very brief (I beat it on all three difficulties within a 2 hour period,) the gameplay is very generic and basic, and the overall design is lacking. Playing through Battle: Los Angeles feels like you're playing through a B-movie, which has its pros and cons. I get the feeling that the developers (Live Action Studios) knew that when they developed the game, based on how it plays as well as the fact that they included leaderboards that compare your completion time and accuracy against others. It seems like it was developed as a short burst experience which would hopefully keep players coming back over and over again to try to best their top times. This is something that will most-likely turn a lot of gamers off, but others will enjoy this type of design.

In order to entice gamers to play through the game more than once, the developers included a ton of difficulty-specific unlockables. In order to unlock the achievement for unlocking everything, you must play through the game on each of its three difficulties. There are no hidden collectibles, so all of the unlockables based upon making it to the game's end credits. There are different types to unlock including making of videos, posters, and cheats. In addition, the game's achievement list has achievements for completing the game on each difficulty, which do not stack. This means that, if you beat it on hard, you will not get the achievements for beating the game on easy and normal as well.

Controlling your character will be second nature for anyone gamer who has played a first-person shooter in the past, as the game features a control scheme similar to that of Call of Duty. Three control schemes are available for customization, which was nice to see, because this was one of the first games where I actually wanted to alter the basic scheme. I just wish that the game featured fully customizable controls because, despite being able to find a scheme that suited me more than the default one, I would have appreciated the ability to change a couple of the button commands to create my ideal control scheme. That is a very small complaint though. Generally, though the controls felt a bit sluggish, they worked quite well. The sniper rifle had a decent amount of feedback recoil, though I didn't feel the same way about the machine gun, which didn't feel very immersive due to a lack of full recoil.

Presentation is a mixed bag when it comes to Battle: Los Angeles. Its visuals are quite colourful and feature some basic destruction with decent effects. However, they can be a bit blurry at times. There is some nice detail on the weapons, though there are only three weapons available to you (a sniper rifle, assault rifle and rocket launcher.) It looks okay for an Arcade game, apart from the enemy animations, which are very stiff and limited. Most of the time, the aliens will stand in a similar pose, with their gun outstretched, moving in a very stilted manner when they do alter their position. It was impressive to see that the developers went an extra step to include some alien blood into the visual design, because it adds to the game's immersion. The game also features support for 3D TVs but I was unable to test this feature.

The majority of the game's story is told through the use of animated comic panels, as opposed to computer generated cutscenes. These animated comics include a lot of detail and look pretty good, though they feature very limited amounts of animation. An introductory cutscene is shown as the game loads, featuring a narrator who is discussing how human beings felt invincible before the attack, as archival footage from wars in years past show on the screen. The narrator does a good job of setting up the game, though it's definitely the best voice acting in the game. Each character features his or her own dialogue, but most of the voice acting is mediocre at best, unfortunately. I do not believe they employed the use of the film's cast for the game's voice work, which is too bad.

In addition to the inclusion of some voice acting, the game also features several different sound effects and an original score. Most of the sound effects sound alright and do a decent job of representing what is happening in the game world, though there are some that don't sound as good as others. Most of the time, these sound effects (gunfire specifically) drown out any other sounds around you, which is to be expected, though this also means that it's hard to hear the game's rock-heavy score. What I heard of it (at a low volume during most of the game's combat-heavy sections) sounded decent but generic.

In conclusion, Battle: Los Angeles is an interesting experience and has become somewhat of an anomaly in my mind. Its design is very generic and it features one of the shortest campaigns I've ever played, but I still had some fun with it. Though its brief campaign and lack of any sort of multiplayer will turn some people off, those who enjoy to challenge their friends' completion times will perhaps enjoy the experience the most. I recommend giving the trial a chance first and proceeding if you really enjoy it. Overall, Battle: Los Angeles is a generic and brief experience that lacks a lot of content, but there's something compelling about it.

Rating: 4.5/10

Battle: Los Angeles is available now on the XBOX 360's Marketplace and PlayStation Network. It retails for 800 Microsoft Points or ten American dollars.

Slam Bolt Scrappers (PlayStation Network) Review LINK

My second review for Video Game Talk is now live on their website. It's a review of the recently-released PlayStation Network game, Slam Bolt Scrappers - an interesting mixture of a puzzle game and a beat 'em up.

Here is a link to the full review: LINK

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