Electronic Gaming Monthly articles from July 2006

Electronic Gaming Monthly archives from July 2006

Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
July 1, 2006... If you had to guess which franchise was the surest thing in Nintendo's arsenal, what would you say? Mario? Maybe Zelda? Nope--these days, the all-star beat-em-up Super Smash Bros. delivers the biggest punch (its GameCube entry, Melee, handily...

EGM's Opinionated Preview Guide.(electronic games)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... As the saying goes, "opinions are like a**holes--everyone's got one and they all stink." We disagree...about our opinions, that is. The recent Electronic Entertainment Expo--the industry's annual gamingpalooza--offered us not only a glimpse...

Rainbow Six.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: "24 is a big inspiration for us," says Maxime Beland, creative director on Rainbow Six Vegas, repeating the same line he delivered in our Vegas cover story just a few months ago. But now we can see what he's getting at, as a...

The Darkness.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: From the makers of The Chronicles of Riddick (XB) comes a first-person action-adventure that's based on Top Cow's gritty comic. Aside from the routine assortment of firearms, you'll also have Darkness powers at your disposal,...

Madden NFL 07.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... PS3/Wii/XB360 * EA Sports * Fall 2006 The basics: Loud (and somewhat loony) announcer puts his name on the box. An NFL superstar puts his mug on the box, then falls victim to some curse. One so-called revolutionary feature (in 07 it...

WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2007.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: This annual grappler returns to the ring to declare its dominance in virtual man-on-man mayhem. Forget about bumping around with girls--SmackDown! is all about the meaty men who get your palms sweaty. How Was It? Let's see: A...

Warhawk.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: The hammy full-motion-video actors of the original PlayStation shooter are out; mile-high mountains and ground-bound vehicle and infantry missions are in. This new Warhawk, cleared to land at or near the PS3's launch, is a...

Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... This action-RPG won't blow you away with its tremendous innovation, but it will, at the very least, look lovely. The gameplay is fairly derivative--hack-n-slash as one of three character classes with the usual combos, loot, and character...

Genji 2.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Fire rages across a feudal Japanese mansion as a tag team of warriors--one a lightning-quick samurai, the other a slow, pole-wielding strongman--take on pockets of armed resistance. What separates Genji 2 from other combo-heavy...

Heavenly Sword.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: It's a third-person button masher with the whole Crouching Tiger thing going on. Your hot, redheaded heroine kicks ass with her various weapons (such as knives on the end of chains for fast attacks, and a huge sword for more...

Resistance: Fall of Man.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: "[Resistance] is not a World War II first-person shooter," says Ted Price, president of developer Insomniac. "This is a very different world." And that's because, according the game's history books, WWII never happened. As U.S....

Singstar.(from Sony CEA)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Karaoke Revolution is about to find store shelves a little cozier, as SingStar is set to hit North American shores. The European hit features original music videos that accompany each song, and players will be able to download new tracks and...

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Shoot and destroy with a motley crew of mercenaries--just like you did in the PS2/XB original. How Was It? Although the graphics made the mindless mayhem look a bit nicer, it largely felt like I was playing a spruced up...

Gran Turismo HD.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... This is not Gran Turismo 5--it's an upscaled version of Gran Turismo 4 that Sony trotted out to show off the PS3's HD graphics. But even though it was running in 1920x1080 progressive scan (which very few current HDTVs can handle), it was...

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Link's long-awaited GameCube swan song (a back-to-basics quest featuring the return of a more realistic art style) will also be a launch title for Nintendo's innovative Wii. Surprisingly, Princess offers a lot of Wii Remote...

Super Mario Galaxy.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The basics: To all those gamers who thought GameCube's Super Mario Sunshine was too much of the same old butt-stomping stuff, here's a world of gameplay that's unexplored. Actually, make that worlds. Each stage is comprised of planetoids...

Warioware: Smooth Moves.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: WarioWare's microgame insanity meets the Wii's motion-sensitive controller--someone at Nintendo deserves a raise. Before each event in Smooth Moves, you get a brief note about how to hold the remote (waiter style: like you're...

Red Steel.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: It looks like a Yakuza-themed first-person shooter, but it plays more like an old-school light-gun game. Stroll through the gritty streets of gangland, where supposedly badass gangsters act like automated shooting- range targets....

Wii Sports.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: It's a minigame collection--featuring baseball, tennis, and golf--for even the most casual sporto. Hold the Wii Remote like a bat and swing for the fences...or grab it like a racket and put topspin on the ball...or get all Tiger...

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Space bounty hunter Samus is on her third outing on the GameCube--oops, make that her first on the Wii (sorry, it's hard to tell with these graphics). The game's set up in a similar style to the last two first-person adventures,...

Excite Truck.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Imagine driving an off-road truck, only without an analog stick, steering wheel, or Calvin peeing on ______ sticker in the back window. Instead, you hold the Wii Remote horizontally (like an old NES controller) and tilt it left...

Crackdown.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Crackdown puts you in charge of a genetically enhanced supersoldier to combat wrongdoings in futuristic metropolis Pacific City. You complete various missions, either solo or with a partner in jump-in-at-any-time co-op, and can...

Too Human.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: "We've been thinking about this game for over 12 years," Silicon Knights President Denis Dyack says of this high-concept brawler/shooter hybrid steeped in Norse mythology and packing wee role-playing elements (you can upgrade your...

War of the Words!(game consoles market )
July 1, 2006... Late last year, Microsoft marched onto the battlefield, pumping its Xbox 360 in the air. Now it's time for Sony and Nintendo to rally their consoles for the upcoming war. But before the controllers clash, we sat down with the high rollers...

Playing for Keeps.(Kazuo Hirai of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.)(Interview)
July 1, 2006... Kazuo Hirai, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, is all smiles about the November launch of the PlayStation 3. Why so happy? This guy firmly believes the PlayStation brand will dominate for another generation. Find out...

Live Via Wii-Mote.(Interview)
July 1, 2006... Is Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo's executive vice president of sales and marketing, worried about launching the Wii? He says no. Why? Because he believes in you--the gamers. Are you going to let him down? Read what Reggie thinks.... EGM: We...

360 Ways to Win.(Shane Kim-general manager of Microsoft Game Studios)(Interview)
July 1, 2006... For months now, the Xbox 360 has enjoyed a head start in the next-gen console race. Shane Kim, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios, thinks this numbers lead will thrust his company to the top. And he won't let you forget it. Will the...

Nintendo DS.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Notable Exclusives: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Children of Mana Death, Jr.: Science Fair of Doom Diddy Kong Racing Elite Beat Agents Final Fantasy III Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles 2 Kirby DS ...

Playstation Portable.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Notable Exclusives: 50 Cent: Bulletproof G-Unit Edition Coded Arms: Contagion Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Hot PXL Killzone: Liberation LocoRoco Lumines II Metal...

Game Boy Advance.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Notable Exclusives: Final Fantasy V Advance Final Fantasy VI Advance Pokemon Dungeon: Red Rescue Team Super Robot Wars OG Report Card: Strengths: + You probably already own one Weaknesses: - Very few...

Playstation 2.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Notable Exclusives: .hack//GU Rebirth ATV Offroad Fury 4 Dawn of Mana Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII Disgaea 2 God Hand God of War II Guitar Hero II Final Fantasy XII Lumines Plus ...

Xbox.(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2006... Notable Exclusives: DDR Ultramix 4 Coming to both Xbox and PS2: Destroy All Humans! 2 FlatOut 2 Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Scarface: The...

Gamecube.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Notable Exclusives: Baten Kaitos Origins DK Bongo Blast The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (also on the Wii) Super Paper Mario Report Card: Strengths: + Cheap, available in purple + Nintendo still...

Halo 3.
July 1, 2006... Microsoft surprised everyone and no one when it introduced a short teaser trailer for Halo 3 at a conference briefing before this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. It's clear the publisher doesn't want to steal any momentum away from...

Final Fantasy XIIIS.
July 1, 2006... Square Enix dropped a role-playing bombshell at E3--not only will Final Fantasy XIII be exclusive to the PlayStation 3, but two related titles, Final Fantasy Agito XIII (for mobile phones) and Final Fantasy Versus XIII (also for the PS3),...

Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.(Interview)
July 1, 2006... One year after announcing MGS4 exclusively for the PS3, series creator Hideo Kojima arrived at E3 with a stunning 15-minute trailer (get it at www.metalgearsolid.com) showcasing several characters, deadly new enemies, and lush environments....

EGM Internatinal.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Boku no Natsuyasumi Portable A recurring reality sure beats a final fantasy. Boku no Natsuyasumi (which means "my summer vacation" in English) may not sound like the quintessential American game, but in Japan, this simplistic...

Viva Pinata.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The designer of this garden sim claims to have never played Animal Crossing. Whether or not you believe him, Viva Pinata sure resembles the Nintendo classic, what with all the planting of fruit and darling little animal-like pinatas. It could...

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: A cold wind blows through this futuristic third-person shooter from the makers of the Onimusha and Devil May Cry series. And this cold wind is as much an enemy as the swarming bug baddies or evil "snow pirate" army. The...

Dead Rising.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: It may be made in Japan, but Dead Rising--a zombie hack-em-up set in a mall, also from Lost Planet Producer Keiji Inafune--is formulated for We the People. Just impale any of the zombies with the construction drill, one of the...

God of War II.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: You probably have a decent idea of what's going on here: Man kills a god and assumes his throne. Unfortunately, peace of mind still eludes him, so players once again take control of Kratos in this third-person action game that...

Destroy All Humans! 2.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Humans return as the foolish fodder in this novel alien-action sequel. Along with the necessary new weapons and areas to annihilate, a co-op mode brings two players closer through the maiming of mankind. How was it? Like...

Guitar Hero II.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: The reigning rocker returns for an encore, this time adding co-op play, 40 new guitar-lickin' hits, and, well...that's about it. How was it? If you jammed to the first game, you won't have a hard time picking up the notes...

Final Fantasy XII.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: The first all-new traditional Final Fantasy in five years finally arrives stateside in fully localized form. Do we still care now that we've seen...uh, the Final Fantasy XIIIs? (How weird does that sound?) How was it? Even...

Socom: U.S. Navy Seals Combined Assault.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Sick of reviewers griping about bad guys that have been too brain-dead in past installments of its military-shooter series, SOCOM developer Zipper "has definitely taken the blinders off them for this sequel," says Senior Designer...

Okami.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: A Zelda-style action-RPG where you play a wolf-god on a mission to restore beauty and life to a fairy-tale version of ancient Japan. How Was It? "O god!" isn't just a (very) rough translation of the game's title ("kami" being...

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Like every Zelda before it (well, excluding the crappy CD-i games), lovable Link gets on his knees for some deep-down dungeon-crawling. Only don't expect to fight off fiends by hammering away on buttons--the stylus controls all...

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Because we really can't get enough of Konami's brilliant Metroid-vania adventures, here comes yet another variation on the established Symphony of the Night (PS1) concept. This time, you play an American whip-slinger who must face...

Lumines II.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Maybe you've played the first Lumines to tears, maybe you haven't--either crowd can pick up and appreciate this not-too-different sequel. It has a new soundtrack and goes on for 99 glorious levels--which is really all that...

Killzone: Liberation.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Things have changed in the Killzone universe in this sequel set just two months after the original PS2 shooter. Just look at the perspective, now set to a third-person, top-down view rather than tricky-to-control-on-PSP...

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: The age-old rivalry between Mario and Donkey Kong--and DK's forbidden love of human females--has yet to go cold with this "find the exit" action-puzzler sequel. The stylus is your new best friend as you wind up legions of toy...

Locoroco.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Weird--it's a DS game on the PSP! LocoRoco is a platformer that you control using the L and R buttons to "tilt" the screen and cause your bubblicious little blobs to fall, bounce, or slide through the levels. How Was It? The...

Every Extend Extra.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: It's obvious from the start that Every Extend Extra is the work of Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the guy behind music fusion favorites Lumines and Rez (PS2). Visually, EEE revisits the stark, wire-frame computerscapes of Rez: simple...

Metal Gear Solid: Portable OPS.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Sure, strategy card games and digital comics are all well and good, but this is the Metal Gear that PSP fans have been waiting for. Set in 1970, six years after the events of MGS3, Portable Ops is a full-fledged new addition to...

Yoshi's Island 2.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Basics: Nintendo finally answers fans' cries for a follow-up to the Super NES classic Yoshi's Island. It wasn't broken, so developer Artoon wisely opted not to fix it--expect the same mix of quirky graphics, egg-tossing action, and...

The Big One.
July 1, 2006... Wow, Americans really like war," Atsushi Inaba, the Japanese president of Viewtiful Joe and Okami maker Clover Studios, says as he surveys all the virtual battlefields at this year's E3 game show. No kidding. Bombarding players with dozens of...

This Month In Reviews...(computer games)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... This is getting ridiculous. To put it bluntly: The length of the reviews list below is embarrassing. Fortunately, E3 coverage helps mask the problem, but why is it that summer months give us so little? Every year we hear publishers bitch that...

Final Fantasy XI Online.(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2006... Greg S: Outside of widescreen support and a slight resolution upgrade (you can play the game in 720p), Final Fantasy XI Online on 360 is the same game we've been playing on PS2 for years. (This makes some sense, since you share the game...

Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis.(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2006... Good: Simple, intuitive, addictive gameplay Bad: Light on features Character We Could Most Do Without: Jesper G. Ford: Whether it's Virtua Tennis, Mario Tennis, or even Pong, I just find something soothing about these games'...

X-Men: The Official Game.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Good: Playing as Nightcrawler Bad: Cut-scenes, controls, camera... Practically Useless: The block button G. Ford: Though X-Men: The Official Game features a decent enough concept--you take control of Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and...

Urban Chaos: Riot Response.(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2006... Good: Unlockable weapons are worth the extra work Bad: As bland online as it is off Note to the Developers: "Head shotted" isn't a viable phrase Jon: I had to double-check to make sure the same guys who did PS2's execrable...

And 1 Streetball.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Good: Sweet dribbling mechanics Bad: Story mode is weak Strangest Nickname: The Pharmacist...wha--? Bryan: Tune in to ESPN late one night and you'll surely catch a game of AND 1 Streetball. You know, these are the guys who...

Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover.(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2006... Good: Pretty port of the console version Bad: Hardly anything new, cheap enemies Too Legit for This: MC Hammer Michael: At this point in the PSP's life, I was hoping we'd finally start seeing some original titles--you know, like...

The Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch.(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2006... Good: Old-school RPG flavor Bad: Nothing about it is exceptional Battles Similar To: Those in the Lunar games Greg S: The RPG landscape right now on the PSP is similar to that of the original PlayStation, pre-Final Fantasy VII....

Lemmings.(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2006... Good: Tastes just like the Lemmings your mom used to make Bad: As stale as the Lemmings your mom made 10 years ago Overkill: Editor lets you make new levels, as if you needed more Robert: You've got to hand it to the mind behind...

New Super Mario Bros.(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2006... Shane: Weird...it's as if some unreleased sequel to Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) has traveled to the future to remind us all that it's perfectly OK to run from left to right. Oldsters weaned on classic NES Mario fare will instantly dig this...

Big Brain Academy.(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2006... Good: Minigames are fun, visual, and challenging Bad: Still a bit on the short side Practice: Before entering multiplayer sessions Jennifer: By now, you've probably aced Brain Age, the first game in Nintendo's brain training...

Reviews Wrap-Up.(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2006... Tomb Raider: Legend PSP * Eidos * ESRB: T -- Picking the right port of Lady Lara's return to greatness is a cinch if you own every system: The Xbox 360 game shines the most. But if you must take her with you, the PSP game crams in her...