This week we have a sequel to the Tales RPG-saga, Demon’s Souls, Excitebots: Trick Racing, and the latest installment in the Zelda series, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. We’ve also got another take on the hit FPS Borderlands as well as classic reviews of Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, New Super Mario Bros., and a great Mega Man collection. Finally, we look at a new Xbox Live title that’s not only cheap, it’s the size of the universe.
So set down that Christmas ad for saving 80% on underwear and enjoy the best reviews the Bitmob Community has to offer.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks — Spirited Change
By Suriel Vazquez
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a direct sequel to Phantom Hourglass, and the strategy is much the same — use the stylus to control Link through dungeons crawling with all-new phantoms. With regard to using the stylus to control Link, Suriel points out that, “When you’re simply walking around areas and using and grabbing items it works just fine, but when the need for quick, precise control arises, the touch screen comes up short.” The good news for fans is that a new element has been introduced. The ghost of Zelda can inhabit phantoms after they have been defeated. “Controlling multiple characters allows for a higher degree of creativity in the tower sections in the game…” Read on to see if these changes are enough to make this Zelda title stand out.
Tales of Mediocrity
By Cody Winn
Tales of Symphonia is a widely regarded RPG that was released on a system that desperately needed such a title: the Gamecube. Now that this spin-off of the fifth flagship Tales entry has finally been released, does it live up to its predecessor? “I finally got to play Symphonia’s sequel, Dawn of the New World. Sad to say, my dreams of a game as good as the original have been crushed.” Not a good start to be sure. Part of Cody’s problem with the game is the protagonist. “Seriously. He is terrible, mind-numbingly terrible, the kind of terrible that makes you want to go bash your head into a wall.” In a role-playing game, characters can make or break your experience.
A Wacky Racer That Definitely Belongs on the Wii
By Brian Shirk
Excitebots is the sequel to Excite Truck, the 2006 arcade-style racer that used motion-controls to flip oversized vehicles around crazy tracks. This game seems much the same, except this time, no trucks. “Instead, you’ll drive bots that represent various creatures of the animal kingdom. In Excitebots, you’ll find a sizeable collection of bots ranging from frogs to grasshoppers.” Besides the strange-sounding bots you control, what’s different than the first game? “Unlike Excite Truck, tricks are just as important as obtaining first place, and there are numerous obstacles to help you rack up points.” For people that enjoyed waving their arms wildly to control a large truck, it sounds like they’ve added plenty to make the sequel even more fun.
Solar Review
By Eric Majkut
Solar is an Xbox Live game where you control a star as it floats through the galaxy. As strange as that sounds, there is quite a bit of strategy involved: “Objects each have a certain mass and inertia, and things can quickly get tricky when one complex solar system is trying not to collide with another.” It’s definitely original, but it seems it’s somewhat limited. “Solar’s sandbox style of play is a double edged sword, allowing you to explore the complex results that can arise from its simple reactions, yet leaving you with little to do once you’ve exhausted those possibilities.” According to Eric, this fun and unique $3 title can hold its own against quite a few of the $60 titles on shelves right now.
Demon’s Souls: A Demon That Should Be Exorcised
By David Matos
David says right off that Demon’s Souls has some great scenery. “From the ambient modest background tune in the Nexus to the varied ambience of each of the worlds really give the player a sense of dread.” Unfortunately, it seems this is pretty much the only thing the game does well. “The game lacks a certain level of polish that we have become accustomed to in recent generations.” As for Demon’s Souls gameplay, David says this: “[For a game] touted as an intense action-RPG, the actual RPG elements are weak.” Read further for an in-depth explanation as to why Atlus’ new title misses the mark.
Borderlands: A Review
By Sean Haas
We’ve heard how Borderlands is all about guns and action, and Sean says the game focuses on one main principle: “This game is about guns: lots of guns; lots ways and places to obtain guns; and lots of locales wherein to shoot things…with guns.” In a market where there are 1000s of first-person shooters available, how does Borderlands stackup against games like Modern Warfare 2 and Left 4 Dead 2? “All in all, Borderlands does enough things differently and successfully to set it apart from most of the other ‘point at thing and shoot it until it dies’ shooters on the market today.” If nothing else, the game gets points for originality.
For What It’s Worth — Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
By Ryan Conway
Sonic is one of the most recognizable video-game characters ever created. Usually platformers, the Sonic games have been both 2D and 3D, but none have gone the RPG route like Nintendo’s plumber — until now. The story is not quite on par with Bioware’s other titles, but as far as the graphics are concerned, “This is where the game really shines. Bioware has done it again. The characters and backgrounds are done in fantastic fashion. All of the original Sonic characters are designed as well as ever, but I must say the new characters of the Twilight Cage are simply stunning.” Read more to see how the gameplay of this RPG makes for the most original Sonic title in years.
For What It’s Worth — Mega Man: Anniversary Collection
By Ryan Conway
Most video-game fans are familiar with Mega Man at this point, and as Ryan says, “…there may be eight games in this collection, but with the exception of a few minor tweaks, story-wise they are pretty much the same.” Killing the bosses, upgrading your suit, and taking on Dr. Wily is what this series has always been about. What has been added to Mega Man: Anniversary Collection to make it a worthy purchase (beyond having some of the greatest platforming games ever made)? “If you have the Navi Mode selected as you are playing 1-6, you can get assistance from Dr. Light, Roll, Proto Man, Kalinka, or Dr. Cossack (depending on the chosen game).” If you love the Blue Bomber, this updated collection is worth it.
Review: New Super Mario Bros.
By William Figueroa
As William says at the start of his review, New Super Mario Bros. is a lot like the latest installment on the Wii. “It’s not as good as past Mario games, or as revolutionary, in fact it doesn’t add anything new at all, but this game is a quality title.” Obviously, this game was more of a remake than its all-new Wii counterpart. Nintendo seems to have put most of their effort into making the game look good. “The graphics have been altered a bit as well. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser and most enemies are now in full polygonal 3D. Doesn’t do much for gameplay, but it improves the visuals a lot.” If you haven’t played it yet, and you are a fan of oversized digital plumbers, this game is a must-buy.