After burning through the brief and deplorable Xbox 360 version of Jumper: Griffin's Story, we wondered if the cel-shaded PS2 iteration could be any worse (or any longer, for that matter). The answer to both queries is "no" - the full campaign still weighs in at about two hours in length, but the rest of the beat-'em-up experience doesn't fall quite as flat on its face for one obvious reason: it doesn't try as hard. ...
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7 Mar 2008

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

PS2 Review

PS2 - Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

Sometimes, explaining the mechanics of a puzzle game is nightmarishly difficult. It's usually some variation of "this colored widget goes there, and if you make a certain shape, more widgets blast in from some direction", but filling in the details is a pain. Not so with Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. If you've ever played Bejeweled - and several million people have - you know 90% of what this game is about.The remaining ten percent ...
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4 Mar 2008

Iridium Runners

PS2 Review

On paper, the premise of Iridium Runners is, well, dumb. It’s a futuristic racing game with weapons - in other words, a blatant rip-off of Wipeout - but instead of driving hovering ships, you’re running. On foot. As in the films The Running Man or Run Lola Run. Except that no one’s trying to kill you or make you put your shirt back on, you’re just running. Running, running, running. It's not the premise of Iridium ...
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3 Mar 2008

Nobunaga's Ambition: Rise to Power

PS2 Review

PS2 - Nobunaga's Ambition: Rise to Power - Nobunaga's Ambition: Rise to Power

Before we go any further into this review, please answer the following questions: Do you enjoy unit- and micromanagement-heavy, PC-style realtime strategy games? Would you prefer a realistic, historical setting over the usual sci-fi and fantasy establishments common to the genre? Do you get excited at the thought of sifting through hundreds of non-English terms, place names, and character names? If you answered “no” to any of the ...
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29 Feb 2008

Asterix at the Olympic Games

PS2 Review

PS2 - Asterix at the Olympic Games - Asterix at the Olympic Games

Apparently the live action movie of Asterix at the Olympic Games is European cinema’s most expensive ever film production. WTF? We had no idea the film was on its way until we got the game through the post, and even then we’d already started playing it before we realised that fact.We’d clocked the real-life actors - none of whom we recognised - cleverly spliced into the game’s cutscenes, and thought it was a rather nice, ...
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29 Feb 2008

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3

PS2 Review

PS2 - Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 - Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3

Talk about truth in advertising - check out the slogan adorning the print campaign for Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3: "Introducing, among other things, some people you haven't had a chance to punch in the face yet." That's the long and short of it in the third iteration of the Budokai Tenkaichi fighting franchise, and the sixth such title based on the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z anime series to bear the Budokai brand on the ...
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27 Feb 2008

The Spiderwick Chronicles

PS2 Review

PS2 - The Spiderwick Chronicles - The Spiderwick Chronicles

Maybe you love The Spiderwick Chronicles book series or know someone who does. Or, perhaps you saw the recent movie and wanted to stomp the goblins yourself. Regardless of the reasons you have for taking an interest in the video game based on the movie, we're here to give you a big old Thimbletack style warning: The Spiderwick Chronicles game is the kind of dull, tedious 3D adventure that gives movie cash-ins a bad name. There's nothing wrong ...
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21 Feb 2008

Yu-Gi-Oh GX: The Beginning of Destiny

PS2 Review

PS2 - Yu-Gi-Oh GX: The Beginning of Destiny - Yu-Gi-Oh GX: The Beginning of Destiny

Nothing irks us more when game companies try to make us pay for things we’ve already bought. The box copy of Yu-Gi-Oh GX: The Beginning of Destiny promises a heaping helping of hot card-battling action and interaction with a multitude of characters from the Yu-Gi-Oh GX universe. What the packaging doesn’t tell you is that The Beginning of Destiny is actually part of a rather obnoxious new trend – the PSP-to-PS2 port. Yes, this ...
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13 Feb 2008

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore

PS2 Review

PS2 - Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore - Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore

Few expected the pairing of the Karaoke Revolution franchise and the popular American Idol television license (previously tied to a horrifying 2003 dance game) to produce such a genuine, revitalized iteration of the aging sing-along series, but it happened - and we're better singers because of it (maybe). Thirteen months later, Konami is back with Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore, and the addition of that final word to the ...
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6 Feb 2008

Twisted Metal: Head-On: Extra Twisted Edition

PS2 Review

PS2 - Twisted Metal: Head-On: Extra Twisted Edition - Twisted Metal: Head-On: Extra Twisted Edition

How much do you love Twisted Metal? If the answer is "more than anything else," then hoo boy, has your game arrived. Extra Twisted Edition is a gushing fan letter/developer pat-on-the-back that celebrates everything about the series' 13 year history. For a measly $20 you get the full PSP game Head-On, lost levels from Twisted Metal: Black and a boatload of bonus content that's more interesting than the aging gameplay.See, Head-On was a PSP ...
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