Poképark 2 Wonders Beyond answers a very important childhood question for me: How do wild Pokémon spend their time when they aren’t being chased by Pokéballs? If I’m to believe the world of Poképark 2, Pokémon live on a magical tropical island and engage in fights and item fetch quests in their spare time. As a child, I always imagined that they were like regular animals, battling through a Poké food chain. Apparently I was wrong. It’s obvious Poképark 2, which will probably be one of the last Nintendo published Wii titles, is aimed at a very young audience–it’s simple and repetitive. You control various Pokémon (the main character is Pikachu) and complete simple missions. You chase other Pokémon, attack them in short button… (more…)

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I first started playing Journey. Developed by thatgamecompany of both Flower and flOw fame, Journey boasts amazing visuals, a minimalist narrative, and a co-op experience that I wish we saw more of in the contemporary videogame world. Journey has you taking on the role of a wanderer in the middle of a desert. In keeping with its less is more nature, the game provides you with no information as to your goals, rather it leaves it up to you to traverse the world. Of course, there are obvious markers along the way that give you a general direction to your next destination… (more…)

Rhythm Heaven Fever is absolutely bizarre. One of the last major Wii releases, it’s the kind of game that only appeals to a very specific audience. It’s quirky, interesting, and at times also amazingly unforgiving and frustrating. The game features over 50 rhythm related mini games. For the most part, these games are all relatively ridiculous and feature extremely cute characterized animals, occasionally catchy retro video game music and impossibly difficult rhythm tasks. Some of these mini games are entertaining but there are many that feel like they are almost impossible to complete. I personally commend anyone that’s able to get past the game that forces you to high five… (more…)

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning does a great job of setting itself apart from other role-playing games. At its core, it has all the basic elements of a traditional RPG. You get to create a character (male or female) in the beginning, choose which class you want to play as, and level your character to your liking.  The beginning of the game acts as the tutorial and introduces you to elements of each of the game’s classes such as a Fighter, Mage, and Rogue.  It’s all pretty basic stuff for any RPG right? The twist is that your character died and has been brought back to life as the ‘Fateless One‘ meaning… (more…)

Kirby’s Mass Attack for DS features ingredients common to great video games, but it just doesn’t manage to get them together.  The title offers vibrant graphics and a classic Nintendo character (Kirby), but that’s where the appeal ends. I’m a big fan of Nintendo’s long-running Kirby franchise and I’ve played a number of titles in the series.  I even recently reviewed Kirby’s Return To Dreamland, a solid homage to the pink puffball’s platforming roots. I wish I could say that Kirby’s Mass Attack was a solid game, but I can’t. It’s the control scheme that really holds the title back. Kirby’s Mass Attack is controlled by taping the DS’s touch… (more…)

Kirby’s Return To Dreamland is possibly the easiest game I’ve played in my entire life. Usually this is a bad thing, but in this title’s case, it’s simplicity and ease actually works in its favour. The game’s levels are varied and extremely long. Early stages are very easy, but towards the end of the game, the difficulty ramps up significantly (I found the final boss insanely difficult). You don’t have to really try very hard to make it to the end of every level and surprisingly I actually enjoyed this. Kirby’s Return To Dreamland is the kind of game that’s a ton of fun after a rough day at the office or school because… (more…)

Mario Kart 7 introduces a number of new features to Nintendo’s fan favourite kart racing franchise, but it still ends up playing almost identically to its predecessors.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, because Mario Kart is the kind of franchise where too much tweaking of the core mechanics mean it just isn’t Mario Kart anymore. Mario Kart 7 attempts to maintain this delicate balance, keeping enough of the game the same, but also introducing new original features to keep things fresh. The ability to customize your kart with various different wheels, body types, and hang glider attachments adds a welcome dose of customization to the relatively simple franchise…. (more…)

Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS has convinced me that three dimensional effects can actually add to a game’s overall experience. The recent remake of Ocarina Of Time on the 3DS looked amazing, but the 3D effect really didn’t alter the game’s gameplay in any meaningful way. In Super Mario 3D Land, it’s almost impossible to play the game with 3D disabled (something I’ve actually done with other 3DS titles). The extra spatial sense that the added dimension provides, makes traversing the game’s vibrantly designed levels significantly easier and way more fun. The game also utilizes the three dimensions to their full effect, enemies pop out from the… (more…)

Ten years ago, the original Xbox launched with a title that revolutionized console FPS gaming and took off in student dorms everywhere.  The game was called Halo: Combat Evolved, and it swiftly became one of the biggest franchises to come out in the past ten years (alongside Call of Duty, Gears of War and Uncharted). Most of you know what Halo has become over the past few years, but not all of you may know how it all started. Halo was originally a Mac real-time strategy game before Bungie changed directions when purchased by Microsoft after a powerful showing at MacWorld. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, a remake of the original,… (more…)

My name is Kory and I’m addicted to the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  I can’t stop ‘chasing the purple dragon’…and I literally mean winged monsters from the sky. Skyrim, a single-player epic RPG from Bethesda Softworks, is the fifth and arguably greatest installment in the celebrated Elder Scrolls series. Set in the Viking-inspired Nordic nation of Skyrim, the game is open-world, open-ended and filled with enough content to be virtually inexhaustible to the average gamer. For these reasons, I have been unable to tear myself away from the game since I first received my copy. During those brief times when I have been forced to take a break, I talk… (more…)