Afternoon Quickie: Sonic Generations

Played on PS3

There's a new Sonic Game! Woo! Essentially, they remade Sonic into a 3D world. They made some new levels/remakes, but also included some of the favorite older levels. The game is pretty cool to watch. I will be honest though, the 3D levels messed with my head at first. Sonic speed, really colorful three-dimensional levels flying by you... I felt like I was tripping. However, I soon got used to it. The only thing I didn't like was the same thing I don't like about old Sonic games, or really, any old games from that era: Everything has a sound effect! Sonic can't pick his nose without some loud high-pitched noise accompanying it!

But honestly, that's the only downfall. It was fun to watch. The story was simple, but cute and allowed you to see all the side characters. The levels were well made and fun to watch. There weren't really many options for the observer to get involved, but I would say, your girl could just pick up a controller and play a little bit. Sonic's too fast for me, I'm more at the speed of Tails, but it's a blast from past that really works and is worth playing.

Me as Gangster Sonic. Word.

Review: Batman Arkham City

Played on PS3



So, I'm really glad I didn't let anyone spoil the ending for me. I know it got leaked early and tons of people already knew what was going on, but I didn't, and I'm not telling you! Anyways, in this sequel to the previously released, and awesome Batman Arkham Asylum (read my review here) we get a new Batman. This isn't the Adam West Batman you may have grown up with. He's not PC nor PG in anyway. This game really gave us a Batman in line with the current comics: he's dark, he's angry, he's brutal, but he's just. The game also gave little nods towards some of the newer comics in regards to certain costumes or buildings.

Now, that I've shown my comic-nerd-y-ness, on to the game. This game is set in Arkham City. Arkham City is essentially a prison colony. Think of the early penal colonies except replace the debtors with organized crime thugs and super villains. Batman ends up inside Arkham City and has contracted a very quick and deadly disease. He must then work with and through many of our favorite super villains in order to obtain a cure and save himself and Gotham.

There are also plenty of cameos from our femme fatales. Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Talia al Ghul all make an appearance. (And without getting all worked up over the sexism debate out there, these ladies are very in line with the newer comics. Just check out Gotham City Sirens.)

Visuals: This game is really dark visually as well as plot-wise. The world of Arkham City is very detailed, but the darkness of it all makes much of the landscape blend together. However, they did an amazing job with the character design. Each thug is dressed differently depending upon which boss he follows. Each of the super villains are impeccably done. They were able to combine some traditional elements of each villain (such as Joker being tall and lanky) while also incorporating some of the newer comic elements (the Mad Hatter is absolutely amazingly done). The variations of Batman as well as wonderful. Also, I love how they make Catwoman move, especially when she licks her "paws" while waiting.

Audio: They did a good job here of making sure you can hear what's being said. The local surveillance lets you hear what's being said by the thugs who may be many feet away, but this adds to the storyline little bits at a time. The way they did the Riddler's recordings was also really neat. Every now and then, it just breaks up a little bit, and has a really cool sound to it. My one annoyance was that there was this thunder sound every time Batman took out a thug. In the bigger fights, this got a little bothersome, but that's pretty minor.

Involvement: Similar to the last Batman game, the Riddler's riddles can provide a great way to get involved in the game without having to handle a controller. Also, there's quite a bit of strategy involved in this game, which I don't recall being as important in the first. This means that you can get involved by helping to plan how to reach certain points without being seen, or how to use certain game mechanics to your advantage.

Overall: Seriously, I loved this game. I had to force myself to go work while Philip played, because I would have sat on the couch the whole time and just watched it. I loved the characters and how they were portrayed. I love how they made them move within the world in such a way as it seemed like that's how they would really move. The game was fluid and fast paced, yet gave sufficient time for such a story to develop that it really was well-rounded. The cameo appearances and little side-world battles were well done and allowed the game to flush out some well-known, and not-so-well-known villains. Overall, it was great. My only complaint was that there wasn't enough Poison Ivy.

Review: Catherine

Played on PS3

The gamer anxiously awaited Catherine and then had a really hard time finding it, but he did prevail! Being from some of the people who worked on the Persona games, I was really excited about this game too. And let me just say, the decision-making storyline did not disappoint! Like the Persona games and those choose-your-own-adventure Goosebumps books, you play as the main character and make important decisions that affect the game play and decide which of the eight possible endings you will get.

You are Vincent, a regular guy with a regular life. Vincent is dating Katherine. (Pay attention to spelling, it makes all the difference!) Vincent is happy with his life, but his girlfriend is starting to drop the M-word: Marriage. (Dun dun dunnnnnnnn.) Vincent starts to freak out and looks to his buddies at the Stray Sheep (the bar) for help. Well, after a night of a few too many, Vincent wakes up with Catherine. (Notice the C.) Apparently he has a thing for Katherines/Catherines. Vincent doesn't remember meeting Catherine and is really freaked out about this encounter. Here's where your/his choices really start to change things... and I'll leave the rest up to you.

But wait! That's only the part of the game that takes place during the day! At night, Vincent is having these really strange dreams. He has to climb these towers of blocks and make it to the top before he wakes up. Remember that story you probably told your friends in middle school about how you die in real life if you die in your dreams? Well, that seems to be the case. Vincent doesn't know who or what has chosen him for these "trials" but each night Vincent, and other men, are faced with a series of towers to climb.

Got it? Maybe? Well, I promise I won't spoil anything.

Visuals: This game was really interesting. Most of the action of the game is very typical somewhat realistic video game graphics. However, for many of the cut scenes the animation is a mix of typical video game and drawing. The characters, particularly their faces, are often drawn in a typical animation style. Think American cartoons, not anime. The animation is maybe a little bit more stylistic in a Japanese watercolor/line drawing manner, but definitely not what you usually see in video games. This was a little odd to me, but once I really got into the game, I hardly noticed.

One thing to look for is the tie-ins to the other games from these creators. There's a Teddy and a Gekkoukan High School logo in the game. There are also a lot of really neat small details through out the game.

Audio: The soundtrack for this game is somewhat understated. The musical style is very similar to the Persona series and to many anime shows. It provides a good setting for the game without being too overpowering for a game that is so strong in its story. One thing I will mention about the audio is that the bells can get to be really annoying. When Vincent is climbing the towers in the nightmares, a bell begins to sound as he gets closer to the top. This is really encouraging as you play as its a sign that your almost there, but when you have to replay the last five levels of the tower because you just can't figure it out and all you hear is that bell going bong bong bong every few seconds, it gets to be a bit annoying.

Involvement: This game provides a huge opportunity for the non-gaming girlfriend to get involved. During the daytime story, you can help your guy to make decisions regarding how he's going to respond to text messages and conversations. Which, he might need. However, the nighttime tower levels are an even better chance to get involved. The tower puzzles are hard, and I mean hard. Having an extra set of eyes to think through which block to move where can be incredibly helpful. Just remember, as in games like Portal, know your gamer. Some gamers don't do too well with their girlfriend solving puzzles for them, while others love getting the extra boost.

Overall: This game was really pretty awesome. The story was great and kept me guessing how it would end. The game is really well developed and has great depth. There are excellent opportunities to get involved and the game is really engaging.

One thing I will mention, the whole concept of the cheating boyfriend might anger some girlfriends/wives. I found myself calling Catherine a little hussy a few times, maybe even more than a few. I also kept thinking that I'm really glad my gamer doesn't have friends like Vincent's. Just a little advice to remember that it's just a game and Catherine isn't real and therefore isn't a little hussy home-wrecker.

Overall though, this game was really awesome and we had a lot of fun playing it through. I would say that it easily passes the wifey-watchability test (but should not even be introduced to a child-watching test).

Review: Duke Nukem Forever

Played on PS3

So, I was not a Duke Nukem fan originally. In fact, not even sure I really had seen the game until Philip started playing it to get ready for Forever's release. That being said, I wasn't really buying into the hype. Then we went to the Gearbox Community Day. It was pretty cool. We didn't stay long, but we got to see some cool 3D stuff and listen to the Borderlands panel. The voice actor for Duke was there also and every time he spoke he reminded us that he had balls of steel. Anywho, that helped me to get a bit more excited for Forever's release. I watched Philip play the demo and I was offended, but optimistic. Then came the real game.

Ok so, from my understanding, Duke Nukem is loved because of his stereotypical machismo and the fact that his misogynistic tendencies get him laid by bimbos the world over. When not spreading his wild oats (and I would guess a multitude of viruses and bacteria), Duke fights aliens. Perhaps this is something from the old game that I don't get, but aliens? I suppose it just makes him more macho if he kills multiple species...

Visuals: I would genuinely like to applaud the makers of this game for their creative use of the female genitalia. The doors in several wilderness areas are modeled after the female organs and are opened by Duke using his finger. Further, some of the aliens hatch from vulva-shaped pods. I could go further, but they don't really try to hide these references, so you're sure to find them (or you need to review reproductive anatomy). The game itself isn't particularly pretty, but there are some interactive pieces to the environment that are kinda cool.

Audio: There's not much to say here. It's a shooter so there's a lot of gun noises. Duke's catch phrases can get a bit redundant and (at least to me) they loose their humor pretty quickly. The strip club had some catchy music (yes, I said strip club). That's really it...

Involvement: There really aren't many options for girlfriend involvement, and to be quite honest, if you are even close to a feminist, you will likely be offended at least once per area. There are some quests/trophies that you can assist in helping find certain objects, but for the most part this is very one-person.

Overall: Ok, even though I find a large portion of the game to be obscene and offensive, I do realize that that's what the game is trying for. They wanted to bring back the sleazy, outrageous Duke Nukem and put him in a new era of gaming. However, strippers are much less offensive as pixalated movements than they are in the new graphics. Anyone who has read any of my other posts knows that the fastest way to turn me off a game is to portray women as idiots who are only there to have large bouncing breasts. However, I have tried to watch this game and excuse it as the obsession of once-horny-college-freshman-computer-geeks, but I just haven't found much that I like about it. I don't think it's a bad game in and of itself, I just can't get in to it. Perhaps it is because I was not a Dukette to begin with and that I haven't been waiting 14 years for this game to come out, but to me it wasn't anything special.

I will say that Philip was a Duke fan with the original game and he has really enjoyed playing Forever. He finds the crudeness to be funny and even more funny in the context of the story of The Duke. In all honesty, it looks like it's probably fun to play, just make sure there aren't any children or feminists near by.

Review: Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4

Played on: PS3

So basically, it's Harry Potter but with Lego people. Just like all the other Lego games, but it follows the basic sketch of the Harry Potter series. It does a brief drive by of the book, and a decent skimming of the movies, in case you're a HP fan and wanted to know the extent the story was covered. But hey, they cover four books within one game. That's pretty good, and so far, they've done a better job of sticking to the story than what's-his-face did of sticking to the book in the 6th movie... but that's for another time.

Visuals:
Well, they're Lego people in a Lego world, so it's not very realistic, unless of course you are a Lego person and I just don't know it. O.o Anywho, it still looks really cool. I've thought all the Lego games look cool. The castle and all the magic looks rather awesome in Lego blocks and Lego Fang is adorable. Lego Cat Hermione is also pretty neat. It's not particularly movie-esque, but you can still follow the story line pretty well. There are some cut scenes, but they're still Lego people and they don't ever talk, just grunt which cuts down the movie-ness of the cut scenes quite a bit. Still, Harry Potter stories in Lego people are pretty freaking neat.

Audio:
If you love the Harry Potter theme song, and I mean LOVE, then boy do I have a game for you! You can hear the theme song slow and creepy, fast and cheerful, soft and romantic, or sweet and sincere. You can hear the theme song played by flute, harp, drums, cow bell, nails on chalkboard... Ok, maybe it's not that bad, and I do really like the HP theme, but my goodness that's a lot of one song. It's like having a song stuck in your head for days, because, of course, the song does get stuck in your head after hearing it for seven hours.

Another aspect of the audio that's a bit of an annoyance is that there are no voices. I get it, they're Lego people, but they have mouths, maybe they could talk? No voice box maybe? Well, they grunt and hmm-mmm every few minutes so they can make sounds. Did no one ever teach poor little Lego witches and wizards to speak? Harry can speak snake language, but not English. Maybe they just wanted to save money on translations...

Involvement:
There are some parts where you can help your guy in the game, and well, it's Harry freaking Potter, I know this story inside and out. Even if your boy doesn't want help, you can watch the game and find all the areas that are different from the books and movies! (Just a side note, if you haven't read the HP books, turn off your computer, go the nearest bookstore/library and start reading you uncultured Muggle!)

So yeah... you can play with two people. I have yet to try this out, but I'm sure I will one day. It looks like it would be fun to play together and the game is made for children so it should be a good starter for the less experienced gamer girlfriend.

Overall:
This game is really cute if for no other reason than it's Harry Potter in Lego form. It's alright to watch, but if you are one of the misfortunate diseased few that don't like Harry Potter (sadly, these people do exist) then you probably won't like watching this game. If, however, you are a sane and normal person you will easily be able to watch this game for hours, for no other reason than to relive the awesome power that is the world of Harry Potter.

Gotta go catch some garden gnomes... see you later!

Afternoon Quickie: Red Dead Redemption

XBox 260 and PS3

So, I really haven't watched much of this game, but I think I get the gist of it. You are some sort of cowboy type character. You run around and do missions and kill people. I assume there exists an overarching plot line, but I'm not aware of it.

Here's what stands out to me. It's a little like an old style western. Quite dramatic but rather rugged. It looks rather cool as far as the graphics go, but it's just not all that pretty to watch. As far as game play goes there are gunfights and whatnot that are common to games like this, but you get to watch the character ride a horse all over the place and that's pretty neat. Probably the worst thing I noticed in the game was the skinning of dead animals. You don't just skin the animal to sell the pelt, the game shows the corpse of the animal all fleshy and skinless and that's just plain nasty.

So, does it pass the Wifey Watchability Test? Eh, I guess so. It's a little gross, and it's a bit boring, but really nothing special to report from me.

Review: Bioshock 2

Played on Playstation 3

In this game you are a Big Daddy, but not a Big Daddy. You're like the extra special Big Daddy who's all special because you're a clone or something. To be perfectly frank, the story doesn't make a lick of sense to me. To read all about the history of the Bioshock universe and the story from the first game, read this.

Visuals:

There are two sides to the visuals in this game, gory and gritty, and then creepy and gritty. You live in this world under the ocean. It has a bit of a 1950's run down post-apocalyptic look to it (basically, everything looks cool but is falling apart). There are a bunch of neat little signs and posters that are pretty entertaining. The game has a really gritty feel, but being underwater, there are some parts like look really cool, particularly when you're able to look into the ocean and see sharks and giant squid swimming by. Ok, I said gory. There's a lot of gore. I mean, you run a giant drill through people, and there's no way around that kind of mess. Now for the creepy. You're trying to find your daughter/Little Sister (it sounds like inbreeding but I've been reassured that it's not). These little girls have bright glowing eye sockets, stick needles in people and then suck out what the needle collects. At the beginning of the game, there are lots of chalk drawings everywhere which adds to the air of weirdness.

As far as watching the story-line goes, I'm just plain confused. There are a few cutscenes, but a lot of the story is told through voice messages. Even the parts that I do follow, don't really seem to clarify the situation. Perhaps I just missed something somewhere...

Audio:

There isn't much in the way of soundtrack. There is a pretty constant sound of running water so as long you have an empty bladder, it's pretty relaxing. The fights do get a bit loud as you run the drill through your enemies. The previously mentioned voice messages are pretty cool as the people have neat accents. To add to the creepy factor, the Little Sisters have creepy little horror movie voices.

Involvement:

The most involvement opportunity I see is for your boy to spend an hour trying to explain the story to you. There are some cool advertisements in the game for which you can be on the look out, but there's just not much for a second person to do.

Overall:

Ok so, the story line is my biggest hang up. I just don't get it. If you can, read up on the story before watching this game, and I would even suggest watching the first one before hand. So, does it pass the Wifey Watchability Test? Yes and no. Here's the deal, if you are a new gamer-girlfriend/wife, this game will probably be too much for you. However, if you are able to get past the gore (and have some knowledge of the story-line), an experienced gamer girlfriend/wife will be able to appreciate this game for what it is. It is a beautifully put together psychological suspense/horror movie made into game form. While creepy, the creepiness is also really cool! (Once again, for the experienced gamer gf, those without a history of desensitization will probably freak out if exposed to those game.)

SO, do I like it? Kinda. Could I watch it for hours on end? Probably not. Will you like it? Maybe.

Afternoon Quickie: Batman, Arkham Asylum

Arkham Asylum really surprised me. I assumed it would have some cool fights and I was pleased with the list of villains that were expected to show up, but as we got closer and closer to the release date, I got more and more excited. Once Philip brought the game home, I was not disappointed. In fact, this Batman fan was quite happy. I think the game did a great job combining the action hero that our generation has known with the original detective of the early comics. It is a very dark game, but has an interesting story line. The villains that are in the game span far and wide and include the big names like the Joker and Riddler. There are some areas where the girlfriend/wife can easily get involved and this game easily passes the Wifey Watchability Test.

Review: Uncharted 2

Played on: PS3

I never watched (nor had heard of) Uncharted 1. Ok, to be honest, Philip says I watched him play the first one, but I don't remember that at all... So anyway, in this game you are a treasure-hunter thief. You are searching for a treasure that you believe was found and then lost by Marco Polo. In the game you fight the other people who are searching for the same treasure and the occasional Yeti (yes, I said Yeti).

Visuals: This game is incredibly beautiful. The scenery is amazing and the weather effects are great. As you play the game, your character's clothing gets effected by the surroundings as well. For example, if you walk through high amounts of snow, snow builds up on your jeans. You also go through some lovely areas that are based off of real places in exotic locations like Nepal and Tibet.

Audio: The soundtrack is very nice. It's mostly soft instrumental music through out the game play. Of course, when a gun fight does erupt, the pretty music is drowned out by firing weapons. (Why can't guns just sound like flutes or piccolos or something...) Now the worst apart about the audio aspect of the game is the grenades. If a grenade goes off near you, the game plays that lovely high-pitched squealing noise. Now, this supposedly makes the game more realistic, but I have never had a grenade go off near me, nor do I plan to engage in such an activity, and would rather my eardrums not be assaulted.

Involvement: There are some aspects of the game that lend themselves to the seeking of help. Some of the puzzles will allow for some non-player involvement, but they don't occur too often. More oft than not, if a girlfriend wants to be involved, she can help point out the snipers and the gunmen attacking the player. Now, not all players will like receiving this help. Know your player, if he likes direction in times of video game crisis, then go for it, otherwise, just let him find them on his own (even if it takes him dying 19 times to do so). One thing that can be helpful, is trying to spot the treasures. There are 100 little treasures hidden throughout the game, and you can always help your player find these. (They look like little lights shining, so you know.)

Overall: I really like watching this game, for a while. It's a lovely game and can be quite entertaining, but there's not much for me to do and I get a bit bored with gunfights. This would be a great game if your player is relaxing on the couch while you're up and about getting things done. It passes the wifey-watchability test but it doesn't meet the commercial's claim of being so movie-like that you won't know the difference.

Article: Top Ten Starter Games

The Top Ten Starter Games:

The Gamer Girlfriend's top games for the girlfriend who wants to start playing...

10. Virtual Villagers (PC) tied with Endless Ocean (Wii)

9. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)

8. Wii Play/Sports/Sports Resort (Wii)

7. My Sims (Wii and DS)

6. Guitar Hero/ Rock Band (PS3, XBox 360, Wii, DS)

5. Mario Kart (Wii)

4. Mario Party (Wii and DS)

3. Spore (PC)

2. My Life as a King (Wii Downloadable)

1. Persona 3 (PS2)

Gamer Speak: Game Systems

This article is a brief overview of the six current major game systems. The information provided is based on fact, but is indeed my opinion. I don't know much about all the technical workings of the machinery. What I do know is that I have seen games played on each of these systems, and sometimes I have seen the same game played on different systems. With the exception of the PSP and XBox 260, I have played games on the other four systems.

This isn't meant to be the end all be all of system reviews. Like all Gamer Speak articles, this is intended to give a little bit of insight into the world of the gamer. Hopefully, this helps some non-gamers out there to understand these systems a little bit better.

The six major game systems right now are the Wii, the Playstation 3, the XBox 360, the DS/DSi, the Playstation Portable, and Personal Computers.

Wii:

Created by Nintendo and originally released in 2006

My favorite Wii game: Mario Party

My Gamer's favorite game: Wii Sports Resort

Pros:

The Wii has a host of family-friendly and casual games. The system can also play Gamecube games and you can download several older Nintendo games for the virtual console. The Wii also excels in the new craze of fitness games. Nintendo's reputation for being easy to use right of the box is still seen with the Wii. The unique control system allows for people of all ages and skill levels to be able to play, and they offer a classic style controller for playing the virtual console games.

Cons:

The Wii has mostly casual games, therefore the serious gamer may have difficultly finding games that would interest them. You will need to find an appropriate place for the Sensor Bar and the controls do take some getting used to at first. Also, there have been several instances of people letting go of the Wii-mote and it flying into their television and causing damage. Also, the Wii can only play games. It cannot double as a cd, dvd, or blu-ray player.

Playstation 3 (PS3):

Created by Sony, originally released in 2006.

My favorite game: inFAMOUS

My Gamer's favorite: Metal Gear Solid 4

Pros:

Sony is known for creating high quality electronics and the PS3 is one of them. The PS3 can also double as a Blu-ray player and is one of the cheapest blu-ray players on the market. PS3 games come in the Blu-ray format. The PS3 can also play PS2 and PS1 games. The Playstation 3 also has far superior graphics. There are also opportunities for online play.

Cons:

The PS3 is expensive. While the PS3 can play older games, not all of the older accessories will work and memory cards will need to be converted. Sony has released accessories that will compensate for these downfalls, but they must be purchased separately.

XBox 360:

Created by Microsoft, released in 2005.

My favorite game: Fallout 3

My Gamer's favorite: Left 4 Dead

Pros:

This system is cheaper than the Playstation 3 and plays DVDs. The system can also be set up to receive movies from Netflix. The Xbox 360's greatest advantage is the amount of opportunities brought about through the internet connection. Online play is very popular with 360 owners as is XBox Live. 360 games also tend to receive more downloadable content and the 360 does have some exclusive games such as Halo.

Cons:

The fail rate is enough to make most people reconsider buying another system. Depending upon who you ask there is between a 30-80% fail rate. Microsoft does offer a warranty, but once the system shows the red-ring-of-death, game play usually must be halted until the system can be repaired. And here is where we enter the realm of my opinion... The 360's graphics are obviously worse than those of the PS3. The experts would disagree with me and say that it's a matter of priorities, but I have watched the same game (Fallout 3) on both the 360 and the PS3 and there is an obvious difference. Some may prefer the 360's look, but the PS3 has a sharper and more realistic image.

DS/DSi:

Created by Nintendo, the original DS was released in 2003, the Lite in 2005, and the DSi was released in 2009.

My Favorite game: My Chinese Coach

My Gamer's Favorite: (tie) Trauma Center or The World Ends With You

Pros:

The DS/DS Lite can play Gameboy Advanced games. There are also a slew of family- and kid-friendly games available. Many of the DS games are very unique, as is the Pictochat feature. The DS line is the only line of handhelds that currently has a touchscreen and some games are equipped with voice recognition software. The DSi also has a camera and internet capabilities. Like the Wii, the DS line also holds to the Nintendo ease of use.

Cons:

While serious games do exist for the DS, they are often drowned out by all of the children's games. The DSi does not play any Gameboy games, and none of the DS's can play Gameboy Color games. The touch screen needs to be properly protected or it will scratch and many people have trouble with loosing the stylus.

Playstation Portable (PSP):

Created by Sony, the original PSP was released in the USA in 2003.

My favorite game: UMD movies

My Gamer's favorite: Crisis Core

Pros:

The PSP has much better graphics than the DS line. The PSP also has more of a serious gamer set of games and can receive downloadable content. The PSP can also play UMD movies and if the owner chooses the void their warranty, the system and can be modified to perform other tasks and play older games.

Cons:

Some people have experienced slow loading times and there aren't a lot of UMD movies available. The PSP only has one screen compared the the two found on the DS.

Personal Computer:

Created by various companies and originally released sometime in the 1980's.

My favorite game: Spore

My Gamer's favorite: World of Warcraft

Pros:

Personal computers can perform a variety of tasks and there are computers in every style and price range. Many PCs are now portable and some PC games can be accessed by any PC, not just one. Online play is a very big selling point, and many PC games receive regular, or semi-regular, downloadable content. Also, some games from older systems can be accessed.

Cons:

Some games will require large amounts of memory. In order to play a game, you must have the system requirements and this is not guaranteed as it is with other systems. For Mac users, many games are not Mac-compatible, but the newer Macs can run Windows and games can be played that way.

Each system has its merits and its downfalls. While I can say which systems I like the best, not every gaming need will be met with any single system. There is no consensus about which system is better than the others and there never will be. The best thing to do is to evaluate the system based on the gamer's priorities and go from there.

Review: Blaz Blue

Played On: PS3

Blaz Blue is your classic arcade-style fighter brought into your home so that you can play in your boxers without getting fined. There is a story and it's a bit different for each fighter that you can play as... but my guy wasn't too into the story; he just wanted to kick some tushy.

Visuals:

The backgrounds for the fights are very well done. Some of them are cute and entertaining, and others are serene and relaxing. The fighters are very colorful and some of the special moves are rather unique to watch. In story mode, there are cut scenes after every fight, but the people don't move. Well, if they are talking, their mouths will move, but that's it. As a friend commented yesterday, "It's like watching a comic book."

Audio:

Blaz Blue has great background music, if you can hear it over the sounds of the two fighters. This is the downfall of all classic fighters if you ask me. Not only do we get to see the two characters fight, but every move comes with its own sound-bite, and only the special moves get their own sounds. Be ready to hear lots of "Attack!" "Counter!" "Ugh!" and "Noooo!" If the fight is well on its way and the two characters are really going at it... the background music can't even be heard. What's the point in having beautiful, amazing background music if you are going to drown it out with crappy one-word sound-bites that don't even matter?

Involvement:

Break out your pompoms girls! Unless you want to pick up the second control and fight your guy... there is no chance for involvement. In fact, most gamers have played so very many fighters in their lifetimes, they don't even need a cheerleader. So if you have a big assignment due tomorrow, or a ton of paperwork you need to finish, let your guy play and go do your work in the next room.

Overall:

Well, I'm not a big fan of the classic fighter game. (Which you could probably tell by now.) However, I liked this one quite a bit more than Street Fighter or Punch Out. In fact, I was able to watch Blaz Blue for about 30 minutes before I started to get bored enough to want to the dishes.

I wish I had more to say about this game, but there isn't that much more to it. Your guy picks a character and then fights other characters. He might play with the non-moving cut scenes in the story mode, or he might play in the arcade and skip the story all together. Either way... I just can't get all that excited about this one.

Review: Portal

Played on: PS3

You wake up in the Aperture Science testing facility. GLaDOS directs you through a series of tests, gives you a portal gun to use in completing these tests, occasionally "enhances" the truth, and promises you cake. The game is basically the result of a bunch of game developers wanting to play with Physics. You use your portal gun to shoot at parts of the testing chambers. You can then travel through your portals and must do so with some skill to complete the game. Each test chamber poses a new portal puzzle that you must solve to get your yummy cake.

Visuals:

The cake looks really good. You just have to get through several not-so-colorful test chambers to reach it. There aren't any movie-like cut scenes and the game play isn't always very fluid as it will take most players a few tries (or a few dozen tries) to complete the task at hand. The physics are a lot of fun to observe and as much as I love cake, I am also a bit nerdy (understatement) and was really interested in how the portals work. I have two words for you: Terminal Velocity (chocolate cake). Have your player shoot a portal directly above his/her head and one right at his feet. Have fun watching him fall through the portals over and over again as your cake bakes.

Audio:

Occasionally you might come across a radio playing, but there isn't a soundtrack. GLaDOS's voice gets really creepy as the game goes on, but she doesn't top the little robots that shoot at the test subject. Are you still there? Good, because the little robots will say some really awkward things. (Don't worry little robots I don't hate you.) It gets to be pretty comical to listen to the robots and play tricks on them; no hard feelings.

Involvement:

Two heads are better than one, but that does mean you will have to share your cake. Some of the later test chambers will require a bit of creative thinking and you can help your player to find a way to complete each task. (And if you do get bored, or he gets annoyed that you can solve the problem first, bake him a cake!)

Overall:

This is a very addictive game to play. Be prepared for your player to sit on the couch and play for several hours. (Then make him go outside and take a walk to burn off all that cake.) It can be equally addictive for the girlfriend who likes to solve the puzzles and make fun of the little robots. Warning: If your player doesn't like to receive help (you know the type, takes five hours doing the crossword because he won't let you tell him what a four-letter word for a woman's heeled shoe is), you might want to leave him alone as he plays the game. You can spend the time practicing your icing techniques so you can draw a portal gun on his cake. You can also put robot quotes on the cake, he'll like that.

Now, this might not be the game to watch for all gamer girlfriends. Some girls will simply not get into it and will be bored. Start such a girlfriend with a more appealing game and help her gain girlfriend XP so she can be the proper level for such a game.

Good-bye...Oh! and don't forget the cake!

Shutting Down.

Afternoon Quickie: Flower

Played on PS3 (Downloadable game)

Ok, so... if you ever wanted to experience the sensation of being stoned without all the law-breaking and health-risking behavior... watch your guy play Flower. It is filled with scenes of hilly landscape and wildflowers.

Now, you might be thinking... this doesn't sound like a very manly game. Get over it. The game is incredibly addicting (my guy played for hours on end, sometimes playing the same level over and over again trying to get all the flowers) and the physics of it are intense, especially considering the type of game it is.

I'm not really sure what the premise or point of the game is, or even if it has one, but it is quite enjoyable. The player is basically a breeze that goes around and blows into various flowers. As it hits the flowers a long Pocahontas style stream of petals begins to follow it.

The game is really pretty and the soundtrack is incredibly peaceful. It reminds me of those meditation DVDs where they play soft music and show you pictures of landscapes, but so much neater. The scenery flies by as the game is played and the level where it's storming is really just gorgeous (though the lightening might cause a seizure or two). I don't think I can do it justice. Buy the game for your guy. He will enjoy the physics of the game (it is very well done) and you enjoy watching the game.

This passes the wifey-watchability test without even trying.

Review: Ghostbusters the video game

Played on the PS3

Ghostbusters picks up where the last movie left off. You are the rookie Experimental Equipment Technician. You are attempting to capture ghosts and restore order to the world at large.

Visuals:

The graphics are just real enough, and yet keep a little of the video game feel. The characters are easily recognizable and much of the scenery and props through out the game are realistic. Parts of the game can play smoothly and the cut scenes are quite nice. During high activity scenes, however, the game can be somewhat hectic, and if you don't know what you are looking at, the screen looks rather messy. Players can get certain achievements from destroying property, and that can be somewhat entertaining.

Audio:

Comparatively to the noise during fight scenes, the dialogue is rather quiet. The dialogue can be rather funny and is a great throw back to the movies. While subtitles are available, players will want to have the TV turned up a bit so that they can hear the dialogue over the sound of their slime gun. This poses the greatest problem with the game. The sound of the slime gun can quickly become irritating, but as stated earlier, the volume on the TV needs to be up to hear what the other characters are asking the player to do.

Involvement:

There really is not much opportunity for girlfriend involvement. Perhaps, if she was a fan of the movies she might naturally be more involved in the story line.

Overall:

In the end, the slime gun gets on my nerves, but the rest of the game is fine. That's just it, fine. My husband is having a blast chasing down ghosts and spraying them green slime, and for that I am glad. The characters are funny, but that slime gun is just so noisy. If the slime gun came with a silencer, I would be a much happier camper.

Review: FallOut 3

Played on: PS3 and XBox 360

FallOut 3 is the story of a person from Vault 101. The player can chose to be a male or female. They were born and raised in this vault (think the 1950's bomb shelters), and when they finally leave they enter into a world that has been devastated by nuclear war. The player goes about the world fighting off mutants, feral ghouls, mercenaries, raiders, and animals that have been mutated by the nuclear waste. The player completes missions given to them by the people they meet and try to figure out the story of his or her past while attempting to restore the land.

Visuals:

FallOut 3 has very realistic graphics and some of the gameplay can come across movie-like. The graphics are superior on the PS3. The game can be somewhat gory. If a shot is aimed just right, the enemy will be decapitated, but there is generally not a lot of blood and guts. While it is not exactly "pretty," FallOut 3 is visually quite interesting, particularly when the game brings you to areas that are modeled after modern day urban centers. The concept of a world after nuclear war is interesting to watch and keeps the viewer's attention.

Audio:

The sounds of shots being fired, super-mutants grunting, and enemies crying out is a small price to pay for Three Dog. While there are other radio stations available in the game, Three Dog beats them all. The fictional DJ's sarcastic news reports and the station's old-time songs create an amazing soundtrack for the game. If there was a Three Dog radio station in real life, I would be a faithful listener. The only downside is that during sneak attacks, the player will often need to turn off the radio, but do not fret, these moments are not usually long lasting.

Involvement:

Generally speaking, there are not a lot of opportunities for girlfriend involvement. During the Pitt downloadable content, she might be able to help locate ingots, and occasionally she might be helpful in finding enemies, but they are marked on the compass.

Overall:

FallOut 3 might not be the best game for a girlfriend who is new to the gamer lifestyle (I found it a bit disturbing when I first saw my husband beat a giant mole rat to death, but I soon got over that. Plus, he now has the animal friend perk), but with Three Dog playing, most gamer girlfriends would find this game to be interesting enough for an afternoon of watching on the couch. The girlfriend who wants to be involved, might be a little let down by the game, but with some encouragement from her player, will find ways to help out.

Personally, I love FallOut 3. I haven't played a single second of the game, and have no desire to, but I will gladly sit next to my boy as he kills off the Talon Company and will sing-along to Three Dog.

"I'm as corny as Kansas in August, I'm as normal as blueberry pie."