Jeff Miller's Big Idea Creativity seeking form

(This review has been adapted to fit CCGR's review standards from its original form as seen on Revolve21.)

Brawl is Nintendo's frantic, over-the-top take on the fighting game genre. Brawl throws 35 of the company's popular characters (and a couple of extras from other publishers) into a battle royale, equipping them with signature weapons, attacks, and a huge array of items from Nintendo's expansive game catalog. Though the game's appeal is greatest for those who have followed with the company's history, Nintendo masterfully brings its historical triumphs together in a game designed for today and tomorrow. Frantic and yet paced, accessible and yet strategic, simple and yet wildly addictive, Brawl is one of very few games that not only aims to please everyone, but also comes very near to achieving that goal.

For those of you just looking for another recommendation for Brawl, here it is: Brawl is an amazing game with more replay value than can be expressed. If you're not put off by the over-the-top violence, then this game absolutely belongs in your library regardless of your particular gaming preferences. If, however, you're looking for a more detailed review, sit down and buckle up; you're about to get what you're looking for.



Even from the opening cinematic of Brawl and its epic landscape and heroic cast, complete with a powerful score by Nobuo Uematsu, long time gamers can tell that they're in for a treat. Brawl is, in many ways, Nintendo's message to its devoted fans; the game is a huge piece of nostalgic fan service. From the wide variety of characters new and old to the massive collection of in-game collectibles based on an array of franchises, from the expansive soundtrack featuring most of gaming's great composers to the usable in-game items that pull from even more franchises, followers of Nintendo are left with hardly little room to ask for more. The title is not perfect, but it is practically a dream come true for fans of the included franchises, and is accessible and appealing enough for everyone else to enjoy thoroughly. However, since franchise fans have no excuse for not owning Brawl already, I'll now focus on discussing Brawl as a game entirely on its own merit instead of its value as fan service.

The main draw of the Super Smash Bros. series has always been its crazy multiplayer action. Though the game has expanded to include other modes since the series' first incarnation, the core of Brawl's experience is still in the high-speed arenas. Unlike conventional fighters, Brawl is about knocking your opponents into oblivion without actually killing them. In order to achieve this, opponents must first be dealt considerable damage. As opponents are beat up, they become more susceptible to being knocked off of the fighting arena and past the point of no return. Additionally, item usage is (generally) heavily emphasized in combat. In this, Brawl has much more in common with a competitive action game than a traditional martial arts simulation style of fighting game.

With the exception of a few clone-like characters, everyone in the cast is equipped with a unique list of attacks. Attacks vary in speed, power, and range. Some characters focus on a flurry of hand-to-hand strikes, some characters fight from a distance with blasters and bows, and some characters focus on strong, sweeping strikes with a sword. Though every character has a unique move set, actually using these moves is very easy. Characters have basic attacks, smash attacks, and special attacks, in addition to a shield, grab, jumping, item-using, and dodging skills. Each attack is executed with a simple combination of pressing a button and applying the directional pad or control stick.

I must detour for a moment here. Brawl supports numerous control schemes. Full support is given to the Wiimote, Wiimote and Nunchuck, Classic Controller, and, for fans of Melee, the Gamecube controller. All control schemes are easy to use and intuitive with no control scheme holding an intrinsic advantage. Nintendo has done a kind thing for gamers by giving them these options. However, the one thing that I should mention is that there is no motion control. There's no reason to complain about this, but the lack of IR support for the menus does seem a bit odd. Nevertheless, game controls are tight, responsive, and easy to use, no matter which controller style is being used.

Returning to the fighting system, in spite of the simplicity of using attacks, using them effectively is nowhere near as easy. As a rule, "button mashing" tactics won't help players overcome their opponents. Knowing exactly which attacks to use at which times is highly strategic. Moreover, the way it is implemented allows for gamers to learn at their own speed. Nintendo managed to balance the learning curve extremely well in Brawl. Even more strategy is brought into the game through the items that appear randomly in the arena throughout a match. Some of these items provide character alterations such as invisibility and weight, some of these items heal fighters, some of these items provide new melee or ranged attacks, and some of these items provide random effects.

Of particular note among the items are the Pokeballs and the new Assist Trophies. Pokeballs, when thrown, result in a random Pokemon appearing to use one of its attacks. Generally, these means damaging enemies, but it can sometimes result in healing effects or putting enemies to sleep. The Assist Trophies are similar in concept, but they are almost exclusively attack driven; they are also more effective than Pokeballs. Assist Trophies, when picked up and activated, result in a randomly chosen character from another game showing up and acting in a way signature of that character. An example would be a Metroid that attaches itself to an opponent, dealing damage in the process.

A feature that is truly new to the series is the Final Smash. The Final Smash is executed by acquiring a power up (represented by a glowing Super Smash Bros. insignia that floats around the playing field, requiring that it be attacked sufficiently in order to claim it) then using the special attack button. The Final Smashes are very big, very flashy, and very powerful. These attacks can result in a massive shift in match standing for the user. However, these attacks do not assure victory. Just as there is a strategy in using the standard attacks and items, the Final Smash must be executed at the right time in order to be effective. Some Final Smashes (such as Mario's, which damages nearly everyone on screen) are easier to use effectively than others (such as Captain Falcon's, which requires an enemy be standing right next to the player to be effective). Nintendo managed to balance the Final Smashes very well, and they are a most welcome addition. When the Final Smash sphere appears, all players typically race for it; this adds a new level of competition, and an occasional change of pace, to the game.

In regards to the core game of Brawl, the level of customization available in the main battle mode is ridiculous. The drop rates of every item can be adjusted, computerized players can be customized in their battle intelligence, gravity can be adjusted, and so much more. There are multiple ways to define the win condition of a match. It is possible to play to gain the most knock offs in a given amount of time, to play with a limited number of lives, to play for coins gained by dealing damage, and so on. The main battle mode is where most players will spend most of their time, but it is far from the only mode.

There are also a variety of survival modes that require players to face off against armies of enemies for as long as possible. Aside from modified battles, however, there are a few other options. A series of Break the Target levels are in the game. These levels involve running around a stage as a given character to destroy ten targets scattered about the stage in as little time as possible. However, the three newest additions to the series are the level creator, enhanced Adventure mode, Supspace Emissary, and the Wi-Fi Connection mode.

The level creator is far from being the most innovative or exciting level creator ever seen in a game. That being said, it is a nice gesture that should be appreciated for what it is. The level creator gives would be level designers a blank canvas on which they can give life to their ideas of amazing playing fields. The variety of design elements is not very exciting, but the basics are in place. Levels can be created in one of three level sizes, placed on one of three backdrops, and set to any of the songs unlocked in the main game. Once those decisions have been made, an empty grid is presented to the level designer. From here, designers can apply floors, slopes, stairs, a few structures, and a variety of interactive elements such as moving platforms. Perhaps the coolest feature of the level creator is that completed levels can be submitted to Nintendo's servers via the internet. And, in turn, a created level is chosen every day to be made available by an automatic daily download. Though it's uncommon for user-created levels to hold their own against the ones built into the game, this feature ensures continued newness and variety for a long time to come.

Subspace Emissary, the newly redesigned Adventure mode, is another nice gesture. The Adventure mode is a story driven sequence of platformer-esque levels involving the whole of the game's cast (Subspace Emissary being the easiest way to unlock the full cast). As far as the story narrative is concerned, it plays out in a series of cutscenes between each of the levels. However, the cutscenes are completely devoid of dialogue or verbal explanation of the events. The result is a flashy silent film without the slides of text. For those willing to get past the generally uninteresting (though very nice on the eyes) story, the platforming aspect of the Adventure mode can be fun. Generally playing out like a traditional 2D platformer with expanded moments of fighting, and leading to a normal brawl with a boss, the mode does offer a nice change of pace. Then again, the character handling for the platforming segments is identical to the fighting game, and it doesn't translate as smoothly or enjoyably as it could. Because of this, Subspace Emissary doesn't come close to being a game-seller, nor even all that great, but it is nice to have included.

The Wi-Fi Connection support is, possibly, the thing most likely to motivate fans of the series to buy Brawl. At its core, Brawl's multiplayer fighting translates well to internet play. It's easy to set up for a randomly matched online game. Friend codes are present for those who want to play with people they know. Unfortunately, the execution of online play does seem a bit troublesome. For me, and many others across the internet, actually getting into a random match is difficult. This could be a matter of overloaded matchmaking servers (which is very possible given the sales figures of Brawl). Whatever the case may be, it is not always easy to get into an online match. However, once in an online match, the game code seems pretty solid. If everyone in the match has a decent internet connection, lag is hardly present at all. On the other hand, a weak connection in the group could make the gameplay much less enjoyable. Because of these things, online play really does work best when playing with people on your friends list.

Games like Brawl are meant to last gamers a very long time. Having an enjoyable, accessible, deep, and, most of all, addicting, fighting system is central to the lasting value of a game. Nintendo has succeeding in creating such a system, but they didn't stop there in giving gamers more bang for their buck. The reality of the matter is that there is a ton of stuff to unlock in the game. Players can unlock characters, stages, usable items, songs, trophies, demos of Virtual Console titles, and even some more. The inclusion of the Virtual Console demos is a strong marketing move by Nintendo as it not only gives players a glimpse the characters' origins, but also turns players towards purchasing those games. Of all of the unlockables, the trophies are what will be most commonly acquired. These trophies include characters, items, and other things, straight out of Nintendo's past. Admittedly, the unlockables have a bit of nostalgic appeal, but those who enjoy unlocking everything in a game will get a great deal of play time from Brawl.



Of course, the fact that Brawl is a visual treat for the Wii hardware will make that time even more enjoyable. The visuals of Brawl are some of the best on the system at this point in time. Initial screenshots had some people concerned that the game wouldn't look much better than Melee did; however, once Brawl was seen in action, all concerns were relieved. In action, Brawl is beautiful. The character models are smooth, the environments are alive, the special effects are strong, and everything runs at a reported 60 frames per second.

First of all, the character models take the focus in Brawl, so why not start there? Given the variety of the source materials, few of the characters have an art style that is consistent with any other characters. Nevertheless, from the polygon counts to the high resolution texture maps, all of the characters are highly detailed. That, while well and good for screenshots, doesn't necessarily mean anything for gameplay; fortunately, every action of every character shows polish and fluidity. The animation portrays natural (or unnatural as the case may be) actions in a convincing manner. Heavy strikes look deliberate, quick jabs are lithe, and ridiculous maneuvers actually look plausible. Still, every action is animated in a fashion that remains true to the source material.

Next, the environments will definitely catch your eye while playing the game. With stages varying from serene outdoors to high speed space chases, all of which are inspired by the game's source materials, the variety of the locales will hardly get stale. The level of detail in the environments is also very impressive. For example, a space level inspired by Starfox contains a ship cruising through an asteroid field. The farthest reaches of the background have a decent starscape. Of primary interest is the astroid field itself. Each chunk of rock is well rendered and lit; each asteroid is highly detailed, spinning aimlessly through space. However, the environment doesn't end there. Other things happen in the background while fighting, including Arwings (the primary fighter ship of the Starfox games) flying through. Other stages include interactive environments, demanding gamers be on their toes to avoid attacks from the stage itself. Some stages have destructible environments, allowing the playing field to change throughout a match. Still, in all of this, the graphical detail never takes a hit while stages come alive. Instead, the way that the various worlds come to life causes Brawl to further impress on a visual front.

Beyond the characters and the environments are the special effects. Fortunately for those who like eye candy, Nintendo does not fail to impress. Though the life of Brawl is found in its characters and worlds, it is the special effects, from the subtle to the extreme, that really give the game the oomph it needs to be an eye-catcher, leaving very little to be desired. Lighting effects are implemented very well. This is especially seen in the Final Smashes where dimming and a great deal of glow effects take place. The energy burst and spark effects associated with the clashes add vibrancy to the fights. Likewise, explosion, fire, and smoke, effects give the combat a much bigger and more powerful feel. Unfortunately, the significance, and beauty, of the special effects can hardly be captured in words. Truly, this is one area where seeing is believing.

Unfortunately, the music of Brawl also needs to be experienced first hand to fully understand how masterful it is. As mentioned at the beginning of the review, Brawl's soundtrack consists of a great number of songs pulled from the various franchises represented in Brawl that have been rearranged by some of the finest composers in the industry. From Koji Kondo, who has written most of Nintendo's most well-known songs, to Nobuo Uematsu, known especially for the Final Fantasy soundtracks, to Yasunori Mitsuda, responsible for the masterpiece soundtrack of Chrono Trigger, few game soundtracks have ever dared to be so ambitious. Even more important than ambitions in this case are results. The bottom line is that Brawl's soundtrack is moving, diverse, and completely beautiful. Even without the nostalgic factors, it is clear that this soundtrack was a labor of love for all who worked on it. The expansive list of unlockable songs, combined with the game's jukebox-like mode, nearly warrants Brawl's purchase on its own; the music is simply that good.

Likewise, the sound effects and voice samples are nothing to scoff at either. Signature voice samples are present, fitting, and polished. From Mario's victory cry to Ganondorf's evil laugh, the spirit of the characters carries over in the sound department just as well as it does in visual department. Beyond the sampled voices, attacks and items carry a range of sound effects with them, as well. Many of the sound effects are remastered versions of sounds from the various source materials, such as Mario's jumping attack, which has a sound based on what was heard in the first Super Mario Bros., but not all sounds come from older games. Regardless of source, the sound effects are always spot-on.

The only thing left that really demands attention is Brawl's moral fiber. Given the very nature of the game, violence is a central element. The violence in Brawl is almost always over-the-top in a cartoonish way. Even in the more realistic characters like Snake, the result of the violence is never a bloody mess or broken bone. Instead, the violence leads to sending opponents soaring through the sky. To clarify, players do not fight to the death, in that sense; players gain victory by knocking opponents out of the playing field. Beyond the violence, there is some mild crude humor seen in Wario's passing gas. Additionally, the new Zero Suit Samus (seen in the second screenshot) and Shiek (Zelda's alter-ego), wear form fitting outfits. These outfits are no more revealing than a wetsuit, however. On the positive side of things, the game's barebones narrative gives emphasis to heroic virtue and self-sacrifice.

To sum things up, Super Smash Bros. Brawl may not be the most original game ever made, but it is a very solid title. Easily in the running for one of the best games released this year, as well as one of the best games to hit the Wii so far, Brawl offers more bang for your buck than nearly any game on the market. The game is an absolute must have for fans of Nintendo's long list of franchises, but Nintendo's ever-present desire to make games that involve everybody ensured that Brawl can be enjoyed by nearly everyone. With the only room for complaint being in the mediocre Adventure mode and sometimes troublesome online play, the game gets every else extremely right. If the over-the-top violence and other moral factors do not turn you away, Brawl is one game that absolutely belongs in your collection.

-Kenny Yeager (kenny@revolve21.com)


Second Take by IBJamon
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a fun, accessible title that has loads of replay value. Coming at this game from the perspective of someone mostly new to the series, I bought it because of a recommendation from others. It did take me a while to warm up to it. At first it seemed kind of like mindless button mashing, which was disappointing. After playing a few rounds with some friends whose skill wasn't too far from my own, I started to see a glimmer of what made this so fun (verses playing it against someone who punished me for grabbing a controller). The more I played, the more of that hidden depth to the seemingly simple fighter started to emerge. Once you start to get into it, it's a blast. While it's definitely not for everyone (my wife just won't see what's supposed to be fun about it) it's easy to recommend to fans of the Nintendo characters, as well as those who enjoy beat 'em ups. I think that the ESRB rating of Teen is very fair, perhaps even a little conservative. It by no means pushes the T rating, which is nice to see.

(This review has been adapted to fit CCGR's review standards from its original form as seen on Revolve21.)

Brawl is Nintendo's frantic, over-the-top take on the fighting game genre. Brawl throws 35 of the company's popular characters (and a couple of extras from other publishers) into a battle royale, equipping them with signature weapons, attacks, and a huge array of items from Nintendo's expansive game catalog. Though the game's appeal is greatest for those who have followed with the company's history, Nintendo masterfully brings its historical triumphs together in a game designed for today and tomorrow. Frantic and yet paced, accessible and yet strategic, simple and yet wildly addictive, Brawl is one of very few games that not only aims to please everyone, but also comes very near to achieving that goal.

For those of you just looking for another recommendation for Brawl, here it is: Brawl is an amazing game with more replay value than can be expressed. If you're not put off by the over-the-top violence, then this game absolutely belongs in your library regardless of your particular gaming preferences. If, however, you're looking for a more detailed review, sit down and buckle up; you're about to get what you're looking for.



Even from the opening cinematic of Brawl and its epic landscape and heroic cast, complete with a powerful score by Nobuo Uematsu, long time gamers can tell that they're in for a treat. Brawl is, in many ways, Nintendo's message to its devoted fans; the game is a huge piece of nostalgic fan service. From the wide variety of characters new and old to the massive collection of in-game collectibles based on an array of franchises, from the expansive soundtrack featuring most of gaming's great composers to the usable in-game items that pull from even more franchises, followers of Nintendo are left with hardly little room to ask for more. The title is not perfect, but it is practically a dream come true for fans of the included franchises, and is accessible and appealing enough for everyone else to enjoy thoroughly. However, since franchise fans have no excuse for not owning Brawl already, I'll now focus on discussing Brawl as a game entirely on its own merit instead of its value as fan service.

The main draw of the Super Smash Bros. series has always been its crazy multiplayer action. Though the game has expanded to include other modes since the series' first incarnation, the core of Brawl's experience is still in the high-speed arenas. Unlike conventional fighters, Brawl is about knocking your opponents into oblivion without actually killing them. In order to achieve this, opponents must first be dealt considerable damage. As opponents are beat up, they become more susceptible to being knocked off of the fighting arena and past the point of no return. Additionally, item usage is (generally) heavily emphasized in combat. In this, Brawl has much more in common with a competitive action game than a traditional martial arts simulation style of fighting game.

With the exception of a few clone-like characters, everyone in the cast is equipped with a unique list of attacks. Attacks vary in speed, power, and range. Some characters focus on a flurry of hand-to-hand strikes, some characters fight from a distance with blasters and bows, and some characters focus on strong, sweeping strikes with a sword. Though every character has a unique move set, actually using these moves is very easy. Characters have basic attacks, smash attacks, and special attacks, in addition to a shield, grab, jumping, item-using, and dodging skills. Each attack is executed with a simple combination of pressing a button and applying the directional pad or control stick.

I must detour for a moment here. Brawl supports numerous control schemes. Full support is given to the Wiimote, Wiimote and Nunchuck, Classic Controller, and, for fans of Melee, the Gamecube controller. All control schemes are easy to use and intuitive with no control scheme holding an intrinsic advantage. Nintendo has done a kind thing for gamers by giving them these options. However, the one thing that I should mention is that there is no motion control. There's no reason to complain about this, but the lack of IR support for the menus does seem a bit odd. Nevertheless, game controls are tight, responsive, and easy to use, no matter which controller style is being used.

Returning to the fighting system, in spite of the simplicity of using attacks, using them effectively is nowhere near as easy. As a rule, "button mashing" tactics won't help players overcome their opponents. Knowing exactly which attacks to use at which times is highly strategic. Moreover, the way it is implemented allows for gamers to learn at their own speed. Nintendo managed to balance the learning curve extremely well in Brawl. Even more strategy is brought into the game through the items that appear randomly in the arena throughout a match. Some of these items provide character alterations such as invisibility and weight, some of these items heal fighters, some of these items provide new melee or ranged attacks, and some of these items provide random effects.

Of particular note among the items are the Pokeballs and the new Assist Trophies. Pokeballs, when thrown, result in a random Pokemon appearing to use one of its attacks. Generally, these means damaging enemies, but it can sometimes result in healing effects or putting enemies to sleep. The Assist Trophies are similar in concept, but they are almost exclusively attack driven; they are also more effective than Pokeballs. Assist Trophies, when picked up and activated, result in a randomly chosen character from another game showing up and acting in a way signature of that character. An example would be a Metroid that attaches itself to an opponent, dealing damage in the process.

A feature that is truly new to the series is the Final Smash. The Final Smash is executed by acquiring a power up (represented by a glowing Super Smash Bros. insignia that floats around the playing field, requiring that it be attacked sufficiently in order to claim it) then using the special attack button. The Final Smashes are very big, very flashy, and very powerful. These attacks can result in a massive shift in match standing for the user. However, these attacks do not assure victory. Just as there is a strategy in using the standard attacks and items, the Final Smash must be executed at the right time in order to be effective. Some Final Smashes (such as Mario's, which damages nearly everyone on screen) are easier to use effectively than others (such as Captain Falcon's, which requires an enemy be standing right next to the player to be effective). Nintendo managed to balance the Final Smashes very well, and they are a most welcome addition. When the Final Smash sphere appears, all players typically race for it; this adds a new level of competition, and an occasional change of pace, to the game.

In regards to the core game of Brawl, the level of customization available in the main battle mode is ridiculous. The drop rates of every item can be adjusted, computerized players can be customized in their battle intelligence, gravity can be adjusted, and so much more. There are multiple ways to define the win condition of a match. It is possible to play to gain the most knock offs in a given amount of time, to play with a limited number of lives, to play for coins gained by dealing damage, and so on. The main battle mode is where most players will spend most of their time, but it is far from the only mode.

There are also a variety of survival modes that require players to face off against armies of enemies for as long as possible. Aside from modified battles, however, there are a few other options. A series of Break the Target levels are in the game. These levels involve running around a stage as a given character to destroy ten targets scattered about the stage in as little time as possible. However, the three newest additions to the series are the level creator, enhanced Adventure mode, Supspace Emissary, and the Wi-Fi Connection mode.

The level creator is far from being the most innovative or exciting level creator ever seen in a game. That being said, it is a nice gesture that should be appreciated for what it is. The level creator gives would be level designers a blank canvas on which they can give life to their ideas of amazing playing fields. The variety of design elements is not very exciting, but the basics are in place. Levels can be created in one of three level sizes, placed on one of three backdrops, and set to any of the songs unlocked in the main game. Once those decisions have been made, an empty grid is presented to the level designer. From here, designers can apply floors, slopes, stairs, a few structures, and a variety of interactive elements such as moving platforms. Perhaps the coolest feature of the level creator is that completed levels can be submitted to Nintendo's servers via the internet. And, in turn, a created level is chosen every day to be made available by an automatic daily download. Though it's uncommon for user-created levels to hold their own against the ones built into the game, this feature ensures continued newness and variety for a long time to come.

Subspace Emissary, the newly redesigned Adventure mode, is another nice gesture. The Adventure mode is a story driven sequence of platformer-esque levels involving the whole of the game's cast (Subspace Emissary being the easiest way to unlock the full cast). As far as the story narrative is concerned, it plays out in a series of cutscenes between each of the levels. However, the cutscenes are completely devoid of dialogue or verbal explanation of the events. The result is a flashy silent film without the slides of text. For those willing to get past the generally uninteresting (though very nice on the eyes) story, the platforming aspect of the Adventure mode can be fun. Generally playing out like a traditional 2D platformer with expanded moments of fighting, and leading to a normal brawl with a boss, the mode does offer a nice change of pace. Then again, the character handling for the platforming segments is identical to the fighting game, and it doesn't translate as smoothly or enjoyably as it could. Because of this, Subspace Emissary doesn't come close to being a game-seller, nor even all that great, but it is nice to have included.

The Wi-Fi Connection support is, possibly, the thing most likely to motivate fans of the series to buy Brawl. At its core, Brawl's multiplayer fighting translates well to internet play. It's easy to set up for a randomly matched online game. Friend codes are present for those who want to play with people they know. Unfortunately, the execution of online play does seem a bit troublesome. For me, and many others across the internet, actually getting into a random match is difficult. This could be a matter of overloaded matchmaking servers (which is very possible given the sales figures of Brawl). Whatever the case may be, it is not always easy to get into an online match. However, once in an online match, the game code seems pretty solid. If everyone in the match has a decent internet connection, lag is hardly present at all. On the other hand, a weak connection in the group could make the gameplay much less enjoyable. Because of these things, online play really does work best when playing with people on your friends list.

Games like Brawl are meant to last gamers a very long time. Having an enjoyable, accessible, deep, and, most of all, addicting, fighting system is central to the lasting value of a game. Nintendo has succeeding in creating such a system, but they didn't stop there in giving gamers more bang for their buck. The reality of the matter is that there is a ton of stuff to unlock in the game. Players can unlock characters, stages, usable items, songs, trophies, demos of Virtual Console titles, and even some more. The inclusion of the Virtual Console demos is a strong marketing move by Nintendo as it not only gives players a glimpse the characters' origins, but also turns players towards purchasing those games. Of all of the unlockables, the trophies are what will be most commonly acquired. These trophies include characters, items, and other things, straight out of Nintendo's past. Admittedly, the unlockables have a bit of nostalgic appeal, but those who enjoy unlocking everything in a game will get a great deal of play time from Brawl.



Of course, the fact that Brawl is a visual treat for the Wii hardware will make that time even more enjoyable. The visuals of Brawl are some of the best on the system at this point in time. Initial screenshots had some people concerned that the game wouldn't look much better than Melee did; however, once Brawl was seen in action, all concerns were relieved. In action, Brawl is beautiful. The character models are smooth, the environments are alive, the special effects are strong, and everything runs at a reported 60 frames per second.

First of all, the character models take the focus in Brawl, so why not start there? Given the variety of the source materials, few of the characters have an art style that is consistent with any other characters. Nevertheless, from the polygon counts to the high resolution texture maps, all of the characters are highly detailed. That, while well and good for screenshots, doesn't necessarily mean anything for gameplay; fortunately, every action of every character shows polish and fluidity. The animation portrays natural (or unnatural as the case may be) actions in a convincing manner. Heavy strikes look deliberate, quick jabs are lithe, and ridiculous maneuvers actually look plausible. Still, every action is animated in a fashion that remains true to the source material.

Next, the environments will definitely catch your eye while playing the game. With stages varying from serene outdoors to high speed space chases, all of which are inspired by the game's source materials, the variety of the locales will hardly get stale. The level of detail in the environments is also very impressive. For example, a space level inspired by Starfox contains a ship cruising through an asteroid field. The farthest reaches of the background have a decent starscape. Of primary interest is the astroid field itself. Each chunk of rock is well rendered and lit; each asteroid is highly detailed, spinning aimlessly through space. However, the environment doesn't end there. Other things happen in the background while fighting, including Arwings (the primary fighter ship of the Starfox games) flying through. Other stages include interactive environments, demanding gamers be on their toes to avoid attacks from the stage itself. Some stages have destructible environments, allowing the playing field to change throughout a match. Still, in all of this, the graphical detail never takes a hit while stages come alive. Instead, the way that the various worlds come to life causes Brawl to further impress on a visual front.

Beyond the characters and the environments are the special effects. Fortunately for those who like eye candy, Nintendo does not fail to impress. Though the life of Brawl is found in its characters and worlds, it is the special effects, from the subtle to the extreme, that really give the game the oomph it needs to be an eye-catcher, leaving very little to be desired. Lighting effects are implemented very well. This is especially seen in the Final Smashes where dimming and a great deal of glow effects take place. The energy burst and spark effects associated with the clashes add vibrancy to the fights. Likewise, explosion, fire, and smoke, effects give the combat a much bigger and more powerful feel. Unfortunately, the significance, and beauty, of the special effects can hardly be captured in words. Truly, this is one area where seeing is believing.

Unfortunately, the music of Brawl also needs to be experienced first hand to fully understand how masterful it is. As mentioned at the beginning of the review, Brawl's soundtrack consists of a great number of songs pulled from the various franchises represented in Brawl that have been rearranged by some of the finest composers in the industry. From Koji Kondo, who has written most of Nintendo's most well-known songs, to Nobuo Uematsu, known especially for the Final Fantasy soundtracks, to Yasunori Mitsuda, responsible for the masterpiece soundtrack of Chrono Trigger, few game soundtracks have ever dared to be so ambitious. Even more important than ambitions in this case are results. The bottom line is that Brawl's soundtrack is moving, diverse, and completely beautiful. Even without the nostalgic factors, it is clear that this soundtrack was a labor of love for all who worked on it. The expansive list of unlockable songs, combined with the game's jukebox-like mode, nearly warrants Brawl's purchase on its own; the music is simply that good.

Likewise, the sound effects and voice samples are nothing to scoff at either. Signature voice samples are present, fitting, and polished. From Mario's victory cry to Ganondorf's evil laugh, the spirit of the characters carries over in the sound department just as well as it does in visual department. Beyond the sampled voices, attacks and items carry a range of sound effects with them, as well. Many of the sound effects are remastered versions of sounds from the various source materials, such as Mario's jumping attack, which has a sound based on what was heard in the first Super Mario Bros., but not all sounds come from older games. Regardless of source, the sound effects are always spot-on.

The only thing left that really demands attention is Brawl's moral fiber. Given the very nature of the game, violence is a central element. The violence in Brawl is almost always over-the-top in a cartoonish way. Even in the more realistic characters like Snake, the result of the violence is never a bloody mess or broken bone. Instead, the violence leads to sending opponents soaring through the sky. To clarify, players do not fight to the death, in that sense; players gain victory by knocking opponents out of the playing field. Beyond the violence, there is some mild crude humor seen in Wario's passing gas. Additionally, the new Zero Suit Samus (seen in the second screenshot) and Shiek (Zelda's alter-ego), wear form fitting outfits. These outfits are no more revealing than a wetsuit, however. On the positive side of things, the game's barebones narrative gives emphasis to heroic virtue and self-sacrifice.

To sum things up, Super Smash Bros. Brawl may not be the most original game ever made, but it is a very solid title. Easily in the running for one of the best games released this year, as well as one of the best games to hit the Wii so far, Brawl offers more bang for your buck than nearly any game on the market. The game is an absolute must have for fans of Nintendo's long list of franchises, but Nintendo's ever-present desire to make games that involve everybody ensured that Brawl can be enjoyed by nearly everyone. With the only room for complaint being in the mediocre Adventure mode and sometimes troublesome online play, the game gets every else extremely right. If the over-the-top violence and other moral factors do not turn you away, Brawl is one game that absolutely belongs in your collection.

-Kenny Yeager (kenny@revolve21.com)


Second Take by IBJamon
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a fun, accessible title that has loads of replay value. Coming at this game from the perspective of someone mostly new to the series, I bought it because of a recommendation from others. It did take me a while to warm up to it. At first it seemed kind of like mindless button mashing, which was disappointing. After playing a few rounds with some friends whose skill wasn't too far from my own, I started to see a glimmer of what made this so fun (verses playing it against someone who punished me for grabbing a controller). The more I played, the more of that hidden depth to the seemingly simple fighter started to emerge. Once you start to get into it, it's a blast. While it's definitely not for everyone (my wife just won't see what's supposed to be fun about it) it's easy to recommend to fans of the Nintendo characters, as well as those who enjoy beat 'em ups. I think that the ESRB rating of Teen is very fair, perhaps even a little conservative. It by no means pushes the T rating, which is nice to see.

System Requirements
Windows VISTA/XP/2000
* 1 GHz Pentium 3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* Supported T&L capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* Direct sound 9.0 compatible sound card
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)
Mac OS:
Mac OS X v10.2 or later
* 1 GHz G3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* 32 MB Video RAM
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)

Contemporary Hits Pop/Alternative Rock is the first expansion pack designed for the Dance Praise 2 engine. It offers 35 new songs and a new arcade game. It’s nice that the original Dance Praise can play the new tracks from this expansion, though you’ll miss out on the Simon Says game.

How to play

As the music plays, arrows trickle down the screen. As they line up with the arrow grid on the bottom, you have to press the corresponding arrow on the dance pad. As you play on harder difficulty levels, the number of arrows and complexity increases. The arrow grid on the bottom shrinks as well, requiring you to be more accurate.

There’s a new game mode called Simon which offers a new way to play Simon Says. You have to follow the pattern as it gets more complex to remember. One wrong move or lapse in memory ends the game.

What new songs are there?

The Real – Nevertheless
He Reigns – Newsboys
Something Beautiful – Newsboys
Brave - Nichole Nordeman
Big Enough - Ayiesha Woods
Blush – Plumb
Harder Than the First Time - Barlow Girl
Alive - Rebecca St. James
Sunshine Girl - Brit Nicole
Forward Motion - Relient K
If We Are The Body - Casting Crowns
Awesome God - Rich Mullins
Made to Worship - Chris Tomlin
Undo - Rush Of Fools
God Of Wonders - City On A Hill
I'm Not Alright - Sanctus Real
Wholly Yours - David Crowder Band
Procrastinating - Stellar Kart
Searchlights - Falling Up
One Girl Revolution – Superchick
One Of These Days – FFH
Pure – Superchick
Love is a Beautiful Thing - Group 1 Crew
Ignition – tobyMac
Franklin Park - James Clay
Look What You've Done - Tree 63
This Man - Jeremy Camp
Join The Song - Vicky Beeching
What I Hear - Jessie Daniels
What If - Nichole Nordeman
The Beauty of Grace - Krystal Meyers
Yes You Have – Leeland
Only You - Mandisa

Graphics

The expansion pack does not enhance or change the graphics of the Dance Praise 2 engine. The max resolution this game supports is still 1024x768; it looks decent being stretched by my wide screen monitor.

Sound

The music selection is great; there’s a wide variety of music styles. The sound quality is good and the announcer isn’t annoying, so that’s a plus. The Simon games have various themed sound effects which adds a nice touch.

Stability

I have not run into any problems or glitches playing this game. If you want to play Dance Praise 1 songs/expansions it will prompt you for the CD which is a bit annoying.

Appropriateness

This is a game that has God honoring songs; I find no fault here. It’s a great game for families, churches and youth groups.

Final Thoughts

This expansion adds over thirty songs to your collection. There’s a wide variety of music genres and there’s something to please everyone. The asking price of $24.99 is fair. The Simon game is a nice throw in but I don’t see myself playing it much. The dance steps weren’t super challenging so hardcore DDR players may be disappointed. This is a good addition for the casual player who owns either Dance Praise 1 or 2.

System Requirements
Windows VISTA/XP/2000
* 1 GHz Pentium 3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* Supported T&L capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* Direct sound 9.0 compatible sound card
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)
Mac OS:
Mac OS X v10.2 or later
* 1 GHz G3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* 32 MB Video RAM
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)

Contemporary Hits Pop/Alternative Rock is the first expansion pack designed for the Dance Praise 2 engine. It offers 35 new songs and a new arcade game. It’s nice that the original Dance Praise can play the new tracks from this expansion, though you’ll miss out on the Simon Says game.

How to play

As the music plays, arrows trickle down the screen. As they line up with the arrow grid on the bottom, you have to press the corresponding arrow on the dance pad. As you play on harder difficulty levels, the number of arrows and complexity increases. The arrow grid on the bottom shrinks as well, requiring you to be more accurate.

There’s a new game mode called Simon which offers a new way to play Simon Says. You have to follow the pattern as it gets more complex to remember. One wrong move or lapse in memory ends the game.

What new songs are there?

The Real – Nevertheless
He Reigns – Newsboys
Something Beautiful – Newsboys
Brave - Nichole Nordeman
Big Enough - Ayiesha Woods
Blush – Plumb
Harder Than the First Time - Barlow Girl
Alive - Rebecca St. James
Sunshine Girl - Brit Nicole
Forward Motion - Relient K
If We Are The Body - Casting Crowns
Awesome God - Rich Mullins
Made to Worship - Chris Tomlin
Undo - Rush Of Fools
God Of Wonders - City On A Hill
I'm Not Alright - Sanctus Real
Wholly Yours - David Crowder Band
Procrastinating - Stellar Kart
Searchlights - Falling Up
One Girl Revolution – Superchick
One Of These Days – FFH
Pure – Superchick
Love is a Beautiful Thing - Group 1 Crew
Ignition – tobyMac
Franklin Park - James Clay
Look What You've Done - Tree 63
This Man - Jeremy Camp
Join The Song - Vicky Beeching
What I Hear - Jessie Daniels
What If - Nichole Nordeman
The Beauty of Grace - Krystal Meyers
Yes You Have – Leeland
Only You - Mandisa

Graphics

The expansion pack does not enhance or change the graphics of the Dance Praise 2 engine. The max resolution this game supports is still 1024x768; it looks decent being stretched by my wide screen monitor.

Sound

The music selection is great; there’s a wide variety of music styles. The sound quality is good and the announcer isn’t annoying, so that’s a plus. The Simon games have various themed sound effects which adds a nice touch.

Stability

I have not run into any problems or glitches playing this game. If you want to play Dance Praise 1 songs/expansions it will prompt you for the CD which is a bit annoying.

Appropriateness

This is a game that has God honoring songs; I find no fault here. It’s a great game for families, churches and youth groups.

Final Thoughts

This expansion adds over thirty songs to your collection. There’s a wide variety of music genres and there’s something to please everyone. The asking price of $24.99 is fair. The Simon game is a nice throw in but I don’t see myself playing it much. The dance steps weren’t super challenging so hardcore DDR players may be disappointed. This is a good addition for the casual player who owns either Dance Praise 1 or 2.

System Requirements
Windows VISTA/XP/2000
* 1 GHz Pentium 3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* Supported T&L capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* Direct sound 9.0 compatible sound card
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)
Mac OS:
Mac OS X v10.2 or later
* 1 GHz G3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* 32 MB Video RAM
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)

Contemporary Hits Pop/Alternative Rock is the first expansion pack designed for the Dance Praise 2 engine. It offers 35 new songs and a new arcade game. It’s nice that the original Dance Praise can play the new tracks from this expansion, though you’ll miss out on the Simon Says game.

How to play

As the music plays, arrows trickle down the screen. As they line up with the arrow grid on the bottom, you have to press the corresponding arrow on the dance pad. As you play on harder difficulty levels, the number of arrows and complexity increases. The arrow grid on the bottom shrinks as well, requiring you to be more accurate.

There’s a new game mode called Simon which offers a new way to play Simon Says. You have to follow the pattern as it gets more complex to remember. One wrong move or lapse in memory ends the game.

What new songs are there?

The Real – Nevertheless
He Reigns – Newsboys
Something Beautiful – Newsboys
Brave - Nichole Nordeman
Big Enough - Ayiesha Woods
Blush – Plumb
Harder Than the First Time - Barlow Girl
Alive - Rebecca St. James
Sunshine Girl - Brit Nicole
Forward Motion - Relient K
If We Are The Body - Casting Crowns
Awesome God - Rich Mullins
Made to Worship - Chris Tomlin
Undo - Rush Of Fools
God Of Wonders - City On A Hill
I'm Not Alright - Sanctus Real
Wholly Yours - David Crowder Band
Procrastinating - Stellar Kart
Searchlights - Falling Up
One Girl Revolution – Superchick
One Of These Days – FFH
Pure – Superchick
Love is a Beautiful Thing - Group 1 Crew
Ignition – tobyMac
Franklin Park - James Clay
Look What You've Done - Tree 63
This Man - Jeremy Camp
Join The Song - Vicky Beeching
What I Hear - Jessie Daniels
What If - Nichole Nordeman
The Beauty of Grace - Krystal Meyers
Yes You Have – Leeland
Only You - Mandisa

Graphics

The expansion pack does not enhance or change the graphics of the Dance Praise 2 engine. The max resolution this game supports is still 1024x768; it looks decent being stretched by my wide screen monitor.

Sound

The music selection is great; there’s a wide variety of music styles. The sound quality is good and the announcer isn’t annoying, so that’s a plus. The Simon games have various themed sound effects which adds a nice touch.

Stability

I have not run into any problems or glitches playing this game. If you want to play Dance Praise 1 songs/expansions it will prompt you for the CD which is a bit annoying.

Appropriateness

This is a game that has God honoring songs; I find no fault here. It’s a great game for families, churches and youth groups.

Final Thoughts

This expansion adds over thirty songs to your collection. There’s a wide variety of music genres and there’s something to please everyone. The asking price of $24.99 is fair. The Simon game is a nice throw in but I don’t see myself playing it much. The dance steps weren’t super challenging so hardcore DDR players may be disappointed. This is a good addition for the casual player who owns either Dance Praise 1 or 2.

 

The Ant Commandos make third party music game accessories (guitars, drum sticks, microphones) for the popular Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. This review is on the universal Playstation 2 to Playstation 3 USB adapter. This handy adapter allows you to use your PS2 Guitar Hero guitars on the Playstation 3 for RockBand and Guitar Hero 1 and 3 for PS2, as well as Guitar Hero III for PS3. Thank you The Ant Commandos for providing us with this review sample!

Features:

* Enable the use of PS2 Guitar Hero controller on PS3
* Enable the use of PS2 gamepads on PS3
* Controller assignment number LED for easy identification
* Power On LED indicator
* Easy Plug and play installation
* Supports multiple PS2 to PS3 Converters on one PS3 allowing you to use multiple PS2 controllers on PS3
* Simple, low cost solution lets you re-use the old PS2 controller.


How does the adapter work?

Installation is pretty easy. All you need to do is connect your PS2 device into this converter and then plug the USB end into your Playstation 3. There are 3 modes on the adapter. There's GP mode, or GamePad mode, which is what you need to set it to for Guitar Hero 1/3 for PS2. To play Rock Band you need to switch it to RB mode. Finally there's GH mode for Guitar Hero 3 for PS3. It was nice to be able to play Guitar Hero 1 & 3 on our PS3. Some other brand adapters have problems with timing, tilt or whammy bar usage but the TAC adapter works flawlessly.

Why not Guitar Hero 2 or Rock the 80's?

Guitar Hero 2 (and Rock the 80s) has proprietary code that detects whether or not the controller is an original one and so only works with the original guitars. This was Activision's way of sticking it to 3rd party accessory makers. Although this proprietary code has been worked around for PlayStation 2, there are no adapters to date allowing the use of 3rd party guitars for that game on the PlayStation 3, and it may not be possible without some cooperation from Sony.

So what doesn't work?

Even though this device works like it says it does, we wanted to test a few things with the other hardware we have laying around. We tried two different PS2 extension cables with no luck; in order to extend, we had to use a USB hub and that worked great. I tried using DDR Dance Pads with this adapter and it cannot handle multiple arrows being pressed at the same time, which is required for jumps and some holds. Some people claim to have had success in this department. I wonder what difficulty they play DDR on; I play Heavy mode, but beginners may not see this problem. Lastly, rumble does not work with these converters. If you want rumble, you'll have to pony up for a Dual Shock 3 controller.

Final Thoughts

This product is great if you invested in a Playstation 3 and you want to re-use your guitars from your Playstation 2 versions of Guitar Hero. As promised it allows you to hook up PS2 guitars allowing you to play PS2 versions of Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 3 and also to use a PS2 guitar in the PS3 version of Rockband or Guitar Hero 3 (for those who like the clicking strummer or need a second guitar). My husband found that his score in Rock Band is a lot better with the older style guitars, so I expect that it will get a lot of use when he's not playing drums. Do not expect this to work with DDR pads and it WILL NOT work with Guitar Hero 2. If you are looking for a great PS2 to PS3 guitar adapter, this one works really well. The price is around $20 which is reasonable. We have already recommended it to a few family members and friends.

 

The Ant Commandos make third party music game accessories (guitars, drum sticks, microphones) for the popular Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. This review is on the universal Playstation 2 to Playstation 3 USB adapter. This handy adapter allows you to use your PS2 Guitar Hero guitars on the Playstation 3 for RockBand and Guitar Hero 1 and 3 for PS2, as well as Guitar Hero III for PS3. Thank you The Ant Commandos for providing us with this review sample!

Features:

* Enable the use of PS2 Guitar Hero controller on PS3
* Enable the use of PS2 gamepads on PS3
* Controller assignment number LED for easy identification
* Power On LED indicator
* Easy Plug and play installation
* Supports multiple PS2 to PS3 Converters on one PS3 allowing you to use multiple PS2 controllers on PS3
* Simple, low cost solution lets you re-use the old PS2 controller.


How does the adapter work?

Installation is pretty easy. All you need to do is connect your PS2 device into this converter and then plug the USB end into your Playstation 3. There are 3 modes on the adapter. There's GP mode, or GamePad mode, which is what you need to set it to for Guitar Hero 1/3 for PS2. To play Rock Band you need to switch it to RB mode. Finally there's GH mode for Guitar Hero 3 for PS3. It was nice to be able to play Guitar Hero 1 & 3 on our PS3. Some other brand adapters have problems with timing, tilt or whammy bar usage but the TAC adapter works flawlessly.

Why not Guitar Hero 2 or Rock the 80's?

Guitar Hero 2 (and Rock the 80s) has proprietary code that detects whether or not the controller is an original one and so only works with the original guitars. This was Activision's way of sticking it to 3rd party accessory makers. Although this proprietary code has been worked around for PlayStation 2, there are no adapters to date allowing the use of 3rd party guitars for that game on the PlayStation 3, and it may not be possible without some cooperation from Sony.

So what doesn't work?

Even though this device works like it says it does, we wanted to test a few things with the other hardware we have laying around. We tried two different PS2 extension cables with no luck; in order to extend, we had to use a USB hub and that worked great. I tried using DDR Dance Pads with this adapter and it cannot handle multiple arrows being pressed at the same time, which is required for jumps and some holds. Some people claim to have had success in this department. I wonder what difficulty they play DDR on; I play Heavy mode, but beginners may not see this problem. Lastly, rumble does not work with these converters. If you want rumble, you'll have to pony up for a Dual Shock 3 controller.

Final Thoughts

This product is great if you invested in a Playstation 3 and you want to re-use your guitars from your Playstation 2 versions of Guitar Hero. As promised it allows you to hook up PS2 guitars allowing you to play PS2 versions of Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 3 and also to use a PS2 guitar in the PS3 version of Rockband or Guitar Hero 3 (for those who like the clicking strummer or need a second guitar). My husband found that his score in Rock Band is a lot better with the older style guitars, so I expect that it will get a lot of use when he's not playing drums. Do not expect this to work with DDR pads and it WILL NOT work with Guitar Hero 2. If you are looking for a great PS2 to PS3 guitar adapter, this one works really well. The price is around $20 which is reasonable. We have already recommended it to a few family members and friends.

 

The Ant Commandos make third party music game accessories (guitars, drum sticks, microphones) for the popular Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. This review is on the universal Playstation 2 to Playstation 3 USB adapter. This handy adapter allows you to use your PS2 Guitar Hero guitars on the Playstation 3 for RockBand and Guitar Hero 1 and 3 for PS2, as well as Guitar Hero III for PS3. Thank you The Ant Commandos for providing us with this review sample!

Features:

* Enable the use of PS2 Guitar Hero controller on PS3
* Enable the use of PS2 gamepads on PS3
* Controller assignment number LED for easy identification
* Power On LED indicator
* Easy Plug and play installation
* Supports multiple PS2 to PS3 Converters on one PS3 allowing you to use multiple PS2 controllers on PS3
* Simple, low cost solution lets you re-use the old PS2 controller.


How does the adapter work?

Installation is pretty easy. All you need to do is connect your PS2 device into this converter and then plug the USB end into your Playstation 3. There are 3 modes on the adapter. There's GP mode, or GamePad mode, which is what you need to set it to for Guitar Hero 1/3 for PS2. To play Rock Band you need to switch it to RB mode. Finally there's GH mode for Guitar Hero 3 for PS3. It was nice to be able to play Guitar Hero 1 & 3 on our PS3. Some other brand adapters have problems with timing, tilt or whammy bar usage but the TAC adapter works flawlessly.

Why not Guitar Hero 2 or Rock the 80's?

Guitar Hero 2 (and Rock the 80s) has proprietary code that detects whether or not the controller is an original one and so only works with the original guitars. This was Activision's way of sticking it to 3rd party accessory makers. Although this proprietary code has been worked around for PlayStation 2, there are no adapters to date allowing the use of 3rd party guitars for that game on the PlayStation 3, and it may not be possible without some cooperation from Sony.

So what doesn't work?

Even though this device works like it says it does, we wanted to test a few things with the other hardware we have laying around. We tried two different PS2 extension cables with no luck; in order to extend, we had to use a USB hub and that worked great. I tried using DDR Dance Pads with this adapter and it cannot handle multiple arrows being pressed at the same time, which is required for jumps and some holds. Some people claim to have had success in this department. I wonder what difficulty they play DDR on; I play Heavy mode, but beginners may not see this problem. Lastly, rumble does not work with these converters. If you want rumble, you'll have to pony up for a Dual Shock 3 controller.

Final Thoughts

This product is great if you invested in a Playstation 3 and you want to re-use your guitars from your Playstation 2 versions of Guitar Hero. As promised it allows you to hook up PS2 guitars allowing you to play PS2 versions of Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 3 and also to use a PS2 guitar in the PS3 version of Rockband or Guitar Hero 3 (for those who like the clicking strummer or need a second guitar). My husband found that his score in Rock Band is a lot better with the older style guitars, so I expect that it will get a lot of use when he's not playing drums. Do not expect this to work with DDR pads and it WILL NOT work with Guitar Hero 2. If you are looking for a great PS2 to PS3 guitar adapter, this one works really well. The price is around $20 which is reasonable. We have already recommended it to a few family members and friends.

Thanks to Sierra for sending us the Wii and PS2 versions for review.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a movie based game which is basically a retelling of the recently released movie of the same name. Jared and his twin Simon, as well as their older sister Mallory, endured a tragic parental split up. Their mom has inherited a large, old house where they go to live. Their mother's uncle Arthur Spiderwick used to live there and disappeared long ago. Jared, being the restless one, decides to explore this old, mysterious house. After exploring and finding some secret rooms, he discovers the Field Guide. Once opened, the magical world around them comes to life, as they are now being hunted by the ogre Mulgarath, who wants the Field Guide for himself, so he can rule the world. He's willing to stop at nothing, including killing Jared and his family.

In the early part of your adventure, you play as Jared for the most part, with only occasional changes to his brother or sister. The player has a 3D, third person view of the game world, with a manually adjustable camera. At this point, it's rather non-violent and is of the classic adventure style, where you collect a broom to make a weapon to break open a loose wall to discover a dumbwaiter which leads to a secret area with a workbench and so on as you piece together puzzle after puzzle which helps progress the story. The Field Guide, which you can access with the press of a button, helps a lot as it lists all of your current quests, your character's capabilities, what sprites you have, and more. If you are stuck on a quest, often times the guide will have a helpful hint to get you through, though sometimes too helpful if you like to figure things out on your own.

After a certain event, things take a turn for the worse and get violent. A newly found friend Thimbletack, who is roughly the size of a mouse, helps you gain the ability to see the magical world around you, after which you have to engage the enemy. You can also control Thimbletack in a few unique missions inside the walls of the house. Jared is the first character you control, and he whacks the many goblins you will face with a baseball bat. Later on, you control Simon with a tomato juice squirting contraption that he creates, and Mallory who is a trained fencer, so you utilize her sword. Each character has their strengths and weaknesses, with Jared being the most well rounded, though several quests require each character in turn.

As you defeat enemies, they leave behind goblin teeth. Each one is similar to an experience point, and as you collect them as each character, you unlock more attack abilities. Basically, each character has a few different attack motions, as well as a charge attack. After collecting fifty teeth, you have every move available for that character, and after one hundred and fifty you can attack with the charge move in an unlimited fashion; otherwise you are forced to stop after a time.

A major part of this game is sprites. During the early part of your quest, you will find a sprite net. As you explore the world around you, you find many small flying, hopping, or walking sprites. As you try to capture each one, you perform a small mini-game to complete it. You are given a paintbrush, and you have to paint onto a canvas within the time given to reveal the sprite on the canvas. This task is not very difficult, but it does serve to help you remember what you capture, and also takes time, so that if there are goblins in the area, your capture may be canceled by their attack. I found this task to be much easier and quicker with the Wii remote than with the PS2 analog stick. Each sprite has a unique name, and there are quite a few to collect as you go on your adventure.

Each sprite has one of several abilities depending on the type of sprite they are. The more of each type you have recorded in the Field Guide, the more effect it has. One type heals you, another makes you run faster, while another increases your damage, and so on. You can also hold only three at a time, so you do have to be selective when heading out for battle. I often found that one or two of them would be the healing ones, with the third spot being open, since you cannot collect new sprites, even ones you have not caught before, without a free slot.

Most of the action is pretty much button mashing. A few of the character moves require timing, but it's mostly mashing. The Wii controls do offer a freestyle mode where you swing the Wii remote to activate each different style of attack, and it is interesting that way, but I found the button much more effective. I played the game on hard difficulty and found it pretty manageable for the most part. When goblins are nearby, they make one of a few distinctive noises to give you a clue where they are coming from and how close they are. For the most part it works pretty well. If you rush into an area, enemies can swarm you, and come from several directions, but I rarely found it too overbearing. The only thing I found tricky is that in certain places you will find enemies throwing rocks at you, and if you are a character that cannot retaliate like Mallory, or one who does very little ranged damage like Jared, it can get rather hairy quickly. And annoying if you are trying to catch a sprite. This is also one area where the camera control is a little annoying. On Wii, camera control is done by holding the C button and tilting the nunchuck. This works okay, but at times it can be a little slow when you are trying to find your opponent, especially when those rocks are whacking you. The PS2 version is slightly better with camera controls as the second analog stick is arguably easier to use than tilting the nunchuck, but for painting and aiming it is much, much worse without the remote, so I would say overall the Wii controls are much better.

Having undoubtedly good source material, the mood and atmosphere are well set and enjoyable, especially early on in the adventure. The voice acting is absolutely excellent, and really improves the feel a whole lot. I also found myself really starting to like the characters as well. I will most likely look into the movie when it is out on DVD. In my opinion, the biggest disturbances to the flow and storyline are ironically the movie cut scenes. They most likely come right from the movie, but they just don't fit. Their main purpose is to explain what happens between where you just were and where you are right after the scene, and some scenes work adequately well, while others barely do so. For those familiar with the story anyhow it's probably not a big deal, but for someone who has not seen the movie or read the books may find it a little jarring like I did.

The graphics are decent, though not spectacular. The frame rate is a little hit or miss at times, but nothing that makes the game frustrating to me. Both the Wii and PS2 versions support 480p and 16:9 widescreen, which is nice, and not always common for PS2 games. The Wii seems to have slightly more detail and texture quality than the PS2, but not strikingly so. There is a decent amount of variety in the environment, with quite a few trees visible, as well as grass and other bits of business around. An overhead map would have been nice, as there are a couple of areas with somewhat confusing or repetitive terrain, but it's not that bad overall. Inside the house, you have a very good feeling you are in an old house with a lot of history, with old style lamp stands, curtains, furniture, and a large piano adorning various rooms. I wasn't really wowed from what I saw, though I wasn't too disappointed either.

The music score is very atmospheric. I enjoyed that it contributed to the experience and did not take away from it, though I don't think I'll be ordering the soundtrack. The sound effects are very good and appropriate, and the voice acting is fantastic, as it's from the same folks who were in the movie. I always enjoyed hearing each character as they described the world around them in their own words. It helped give the game a higher quality feel that I appreciated.

For a game targeted for children, it is rather violent in the latter half. Fortunately, you are always attacking goblins, and there is no blood or remains, as bodies disappear immediately. You never fight because of revenge or anger; it is always because of defense or rescuing those you care about. There is some magic, mostly in the form of the sprites. Your characters never use any other kind of magic themselves. In my opinion, it's pretty harmless fairy-tale style magic that is no worse than Narnia or similar children's stories. In my opinion, the ESRB rating of 10+ fits just fine.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a fun game with a good atmosphere, though the main adventure is a bit short. I got almost everything (only two sprites left to find before completing this game), and I have clocked in around eleven and one half hours according to the in game clock. To complete just the main quest is a bit less than that; if you skipped all side quests or were just really efficient you could probably do it in six to eight hours without too much trouble. It's too bad, because more of this game would have been fun. There are simple multiplayer options, where you and a friend can compete to catch sprites, with or without the interference of goblins, but I doubt most would spend a whole lot of time playing them since it is fairly shallow. Sadly, there is no co-op, which would have been fun considering there is more than one family member available much of the time. But with all that said, for fans of the movie, or someone looking for something a bit different, I found it to be fun, and if the price is right, you probably will too.

Thanks to Sierra for sending us the Wii and PS2 versions for review.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a movie based game which is basically a retelling of the recently released movie of the same name. Jared and his twin Simon, as well as their older sister Mallory, endured a tragic parental split up. Their mom has inherited a large, old house where they go to live. Their mother's uncle Arthur Spiderwick used to live there and disappeared long ago. Jared, being the restless one, decides to explore this old, mysterious house. After exploring and finding some secret rooms, he discovers the Field Guide. Once opened, the magical world around them comes to life, as they are now being hunted by the ogre Mulgarath, who wants the Field Guide for himself, so he can rule the world. He's willing to stop at nothing, including killing Jared and his family.

In the early part of your adventure, you play as Jared for the most part, with only occasional changes to his brother or sister. The player has a 3D, third person view of the game world, with a manually adjustable camera. At this point, it's rather non-violent and is of the classic adventure style, where you collect a broom to make a weapon to break open a loose wall to discover a dumbwaiter which leads to a secret area with a workbench and so on as you piece together puzzle after puzzle which helps progress the story. The Field Guide, which you can access with the press of a button, helps a lot as it lists all of your current quests, your character's capabilities, what sprites you have, and more. If you are stuck on a quest, often times the guide will have a helpful hint to get you through, though sometimes too helpful if you like to figure things out on your own.

After a certain event, things take a turn for the worse and get violent. A newly found friend Thimbletack, who is roughly the size of a mouse, helps you gain the ability to see the magical world around you, after which you have to engage the enemy. You can also control Thimbletack in a few unique missions inside the walls of the house. Jared is the first character you control, and he whacks the many goblins you will face with a baseball bat. Later on, you control Simon with a tomato juice squirting contraption that he creates, and Mallory who is a trained fencer, so you utilize her sword. Each character has their strengths and weaknesses, with Jared being the most well rounded, though several quests require each character in turn.

As you defeat enemies, they leave behind goblin teeth. Each one is similar to an experience point, and as you collect them as each character, you unlock more attack abilities. Basically, each character has a few different attack motions, as well as a charge attack. After collecting fifty teeth, you have every move available for that character, and after one hundred and fifty you can attack with the charge move in an unlimited fashion; otherwise you are forced to stop after a time.

A major part of this game is sprites. During the early part of your quest, you will find a sprite net. As you explore the world around you, you find many small flying, hopping, or walking sprites. As you try to capture each one, you perform a small mini-game to complete it. You are given a paintbrush, and you have to paint onto a canvas within the time given to reveal the sprite on the canvas. This task is not very difficult, but it does serve to help you remember what you capture, and also takes time, so that if there are goblins in the area, your capture may be canceled by their attack. I found this task to be much easier and quicker with the Wii remote than with the PS2 analog stick. Each sprite has a unique name, and there are quite a few to collect as you go on your adventure.

Each sprite has one of several abilities depending on the type of sprite they are. The more of each type you have recorded in the Field Guide, the more effect it has. One type heals you, another makes you run faster, while another increases your damage, and so on. You can also hold only three at a time, so you do have to be selective when heading out for battle. I often found that one or two of them would be the healing ones, with the third spot being open, since you cannot collect new sprites, even ones you have not caught before, without a free slot.

Most of the action is pretty much button mashing. A few of the character moves require timing, but it's mostly mashing. The Wii controls do offer a freestyle mode where you swing the Wii remote to activate each different style of attack, and it is interesting that way, but I found the button much more effective. I played the game on hard difficulty and found it pretty manageable for the most part. When goblins are nearby, they make one of a few distinctive noises to give you a clue where they are coming from and how close they are. For the most part it works pretty well. If you rush into an area, enemies can swarm you, and come from several directions, but I rarely found it too overbearing. The only thing I found tricky is that in certain places you will find enemies throwing rocks at you, and if you are a character that cannot retaliate like Mallory, or one who does very little ranged damage like Jared, it can get rather hairy quickly. And annoying if you are trying to catch a sprite. This is also one area where the camera control is a little annoying. On Wii, camera control is done by holding the C button and tilting the nunchuck. This works okay, but at times it can be a little slow when you are trying to find your opponent, especially when those rocks are whacking you. The PS2 version is slightly better with camera controls as the second analog stick is arguably easier to use than tilting the nunchuck, but for painting and aiming it is much, much worse without the remote, so I would say overall the Wii controls are much better.

Having undoubtedly good source material, the mood and atmosphere are well set and enjoyable, especially early on in the adventure. The voice acting is absolutely excellent, and really improves the feel a whole lot. I also found myself really starting to like the characters as well. I will most likely look into the movie when it is out on DVD. In my opinion, the biggest disturbances to the flow and storyline are ironically the movie cut scenes. They most likely come right from the movie, but they just don't fit. Their main purpose is to explain what happens between where you just were and where you are right after the scene, and some scenes work adequately well, while others barely do so. For those familiar with the story anyhow it's probably not a big deal, but for someone who has not seen the movie or read the books may find it a little jarring like I did.

The graphics are decent, though not spectacular. The frame rate is a little hit or miss at times, but nothing that makes the game frustrating to me. Both the Wii and PS2 versions support 480p and 16:9 widescreen, which is nice, and not always common for PS2 games. The Wii seems to have slightly more detail and texture quality than the PS2, but not strikingly so. There is a decent amount of variety in the environment, with quite a few trees visible, as well as grass and other bits of business around. An overhead map would have been nice, as there are a couple of areas with somewhat confusing or repetitive terrain, but it's not that bad overall. Inside the house, you have a very good feeling you are in an old house with a lot of history, with old style lamp stands, curtains, furniture, and a large piano adorning various rooms. I wasn't really wowed from what I saw, though I wasn't too disappointed either.

The music score is very atmospheric. I enjoyed that it contributed to the experience and did not take away from it, though I don't think I'll be ordering the soundtrack. The sound effects are very good and appropriate, and the voice acting is fantastic, as it's from the same folks who were in the movie. I always enjoyed hearing each character as they described the world around them in their own words. It helped give the game a higher quality feel that I appreciated.

For a game targeted for children, it is rather violent in the latter half. Fortunately, you are always attacking goblins, and there is no blood or remains, as bodies disappear immediately. You never fight because of revenge or anger; it is always because of defense or rescuing those you care about. There is some magic, mostly in the form of the sprites. Your characters never use any other kind of magic themselves. In my opinion, it's pretty harmless fairy-tale style magic that is no worse than Narnia or similar children's stories. In my opinion, the ESRB rating of 10+ fits just fine.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a fun game with a good atmosphere, though the main adventure is a bit short. I got almost everything (only two sprites left to find before completing this game), and I have clocked in around eleven and one half hours according to the in game clock. To complete just the main quest is a bit less than that; if you skipped all side quests or were just really efficient you could probably do it in six to eight hours without too much trouble. It's too bad, because more of this game would have been fun. There are simple multiplayer options, where you and a friend can compete to catch sprites, with or without the interference of goblins, but I doubt most would spend a whole lot of time playing them since it is fairly shallow. Sadly, there is no co-op, which would have been fun considering there is more than one family member available much of the time. But with all that said, for fans of the movie, or someone looking for something a bit different, I found it to be fun, and if the price is right, you probably will too.

This game has been rated M for Mature for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, and Use of Drugs by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

Daniel Lamb and a friend named Leo are both prisoners at an asylum where the staff makes sport of abusing the inmates. One night turns violent when a thunderstorm causes all of the electronic gates to malfunction and open, setting the infuriated prisoners free. In the ensuing chaos, Daniel and Leo escape and are soon involved in a massive citywide manhunt as they traverse moody and dangerous environments to evade the Project, a twisted program that experimented on their minds. They must also try to piece together their fractured pasts and figure out just how deep the Project really runs. The storyline is really terrific and rivals many of the storylines in recent video games.


Gameplay (15/20)

Players control Daniel and sometimes Leo in 3D stealth action gameplay. The two friends must traverse the environments and avoid getting killed by members of the Project (called hunters) as they race to uncover the dark secrets behind the Project and their own convoluted pasts. Avoidance is not an option; killing the hunters is absolutely necessary to progress, although unlike the first game in the series, not everyone necessarily deserves to die (as many characters are simply security guards and not malicious villains). When Daniel or Leo approaches an enemy unseen and is holding a weapon, his arm will raise. Players must then hold down the attack button to prepare for a kill. The longer the button is held down, the more brutal the kill will be (indicated with a color coded target: white for normal, yellow for brutal, red for gruesome). There is a wide variety of weapons with which to kill enemies, including new environmental kills. The game focuses a bit more on action a short ways through the game as guns are introduced.

While there was nothing really terribly wrong with the gameplay, it wasn’t all that great, either. It doesn’t bring anything new to the stealth table, and enemies are hopelessly stupid (you can run into shadows and if the enemy doesn’t see you, they simply forget you were there). When you retreat into the shadows and the enemy is nearby, you simply need to input an onscreen prompt to “hold your breath” so the enemy misses you. Overall, the stealth mechanics feel very dated and while they work fine, don’t expect polish and finesse of Sam Fisher caliber. Gunplay, however, is a basic yet exciting experience where you must take cover but wait to fire until your enemy is reloading. It’s a refreshing change from the generic “run and gun” mechanics that are so common today.

Graphics (10/10)

On the PSP, Manhunt 2 is one fine looking game. The presentation of the whole package is terrific. The game has the feel of being filmed with a handheld camera, with some static effects and a slightly moving camera that shakes more when Daniel or Leo runs. During executions, the camera gets even shakier and blood sometimes splatters on it. The other graphics are also some of the best on the PSP. The shaky camera is not likely to cause any sort of sickness or irritation, but the static can be disabled. The shadows and details are very nice, as are the character models and movements.

Sound (10/10)

Once again, Rockstar does not disappoint in the sound department. For the full effect, the game really must be played with headphones. Like Silent Hill: Origins, it makes a huge difference and really helps in setting the mood. The voice acting is excellent; every actor’s voice fits his or her character well, and little static bursts, echoes, and ambient music (including a great score) prove that Rockstar is still one of the leaders when it comes to audio in video games.

Control (3/5)

The control is passable. The actions were fairly responsive, but it took a tiny bit of getting used to holding down the two shoulder buttons to target enemies. Combat feels a tad sluggish, but I think this was intentional in order to contribute a slightly more brutal and guttural feeling to the combat. Turning, however, can get a little ugly since the shoulder buttons are already taken. Turning involves pushing the analog stick to the left or right and is not very comfortable at all. The mechanic that involves sticking to walls can be temperamental at times but is still functional.

Stability (5/5)

The game boasts manageable load times, a smooth and steady framerate, and no instances of crashing. I had no problems with the stability whatsoever, even in areas of intense action.

Appropriateness

You may recall that Manhunt 2 was initially labeled with an AO (adults only) rating by the ESRB. Rockstar was able to cut it down to a very hard M. What you see here is the edited version.

Violence (0/10)

-People killing other people in cold-blooded murder (-5 pts)
-Blood sprays on the wall and everywhere else (-2.5 pts)
-Gruesome details (-2.5 pts)

The game is all about gruesome kills. As I said before, the length of time the button is held down determines the intensity of the kill. And some of the kills here even made this weathered critic wince and almost turn away. Rockstar applied a filter to the kills that makes them difficult to see, but the realistic sound effects are intact and it is still very obvious what it going on. Blood splatters the screen and everywhere else, heads can be severed and used as weapons, graphic gunshot wounds are clearly visible, and there are scattered scenes of torture and animal cruelty. This is one truly depraved game.

Language (3/10)

-R-rated language (-5 pts)
-Occasional sexual references (-2 pts)

It’s not over-the-top, rampant swearing, but Manhunt 2 has its fair share of colorful language that you won’t hear on primetime anytime soon. F-words and s-words pepper the script here, along with nearly every other profanity you can think of (though I think it shied away from the taboo c-word). The scene in the club has a few sexual references, but they don’t run thick through the entire game and are, surprisingly, not very common.

Sexual Content (1/10)

-Partial nudity (-4 pts)
-Characters seen having sex (-5 pts)

An early level in the game involves a visit to a steamy nightclub that is not all it seems. It is here that the poisonous combination of sex and violence emerges, and the level is permeated with scantily clad characters and videos with explicit audio and video (we see the body movement and hear groaning, but graphic nudity is obscured).

Occult content (10/10)

-None

The game is free of any supernatural content, which is good.

Cultural/Moral/Ethical (4/10)

-Active rebellion required to play (-2.5 pts)

There are areas of the game with police, but the level of rebellion never rises above what is seen in, say, Grand Theft Auto (another Rockstar game).

-Poor value decision making required to progress (-2.5 pts)

“Gee, there is a man here in front of me, oblivious to my presence! Shall I kill him or not?” Actually, the game never lets you choose. Killing is a necessity to survive in the twisted world. The real choice here is whether to use the plastic bag, the wire, or the nearby manhole cover.

There was not much wrong with the actual gameplay for Manhunt 2 besides some dated mechanics, and the presentation was excellent. However, the quality is marred beyond recognition by horrific and pervasive violence, rampant profanity, strong sexual content, and mandatory depraved behavior. Those are things that are impossible to wade through with a clean conscience and will most likely weigh down a Christian soul. I am very glad to finally be done with it.

This game has been rated M for Mature for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, and Use of Drugs by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

Daniel Lamb and a friend named Leo are both prisoners at an asylum where the staff makes sport of abusing the inmates. One night turns violent when a thunderstorm causes all of the electronic gates to malfunction and open, setting the infuriated prisoners free. In the ensuing chaos, Daniel and Leo escape and are soon involved in a massive citywide manhunt as they traverse moody and dangerous environments to evade the Project, a twisted program that experimented on their minds. They must also try to piece together their fractured pasts and figure out just how deep the Project really runs. The storyline is really terrific and rivals many of the storylines in recent video games.


Gameplay (15/20)

Players control Daniel and sometimes Leo in 3D stealth action gameplay. The two friends must traverse the environments and avoid getting killed by members of the Project (called hunters) as they race to uncover the dark secrets behind the Project and their own convoluted pasts. Avoidance is not an option; killing the hunters is absolutely necessary to progress, although unlike the first game in the series, not everyone necessarily deserves to die (as many characters are simply security guards and not malicious villains). When Daniel or Leo approaches an enemy unseen and is holding a weapon, his arm will raise. Players must then hold down the attack button to prepare for a kill. The longer the button is held down, the more brutal the kill will be (indicated with a color coded target: white for normal, yellow for brutal, red for gruesome). There is a wide variety of weapons with which to kill enemies, including new environmental kills. The game focuses a bit more on action a short ways through the game as guns are introduced.

While there was nothing really terribly wrong with the gameplay, it wasn’t all that great, either. It doesn’t bring anything new to the stealth table, and enemies are hopelessly stupid (you can run into shadows and if the enemy doesn’t see you, they simply forget you were there). When you retreat into the shadows and the enemy is nearby, you simply need to input an onscreen prompt to “hold your breath” so the enemy misses you. Overall, the stealth mechanics feel very dated and while they work fine, don’t expect polish and finesse of Sam Fisher caliber. Gunplay, however, is a basic yet exciting experience where you must take cover but wait to fire until your enemy is reloading. It’s a refreshing change from the generic “run and gun” mechanics that are so common today.

Graphics (10/10)

On the PSP, Manhunt 2 is one fine looking game. The presentation of the whole package is terrific. The game has the feel of being filmed with a handheld camera, with some static effects and a slightly moving camera that shakes more when Daniel or Leo runs. During executions, the camera gets even shakier and blood sometimes splatters on it. The other graphics are also some of the best on the PSP. The shaky camera is not likely to cause any sort of sickness or irritation, but the static can be disabled. The shadows and details are very nice, as are the character models and movements.

Sound (10/10)

Once again, Rockstar does not disappoint in the sound department. For the full effect, the game really must be played with headphones. Like Silent Hill: Origins, it makes a huge difference and really helps in setting the mood. The voice acting is excellent; every actor’s voice fits his or her character well, and little static bursts, echoes, and ambient music (including a great score) prove that Rockstar is still one of the leaders when it comes to audio in video games.

Control (3/5)

The control is passable. The actions were fairly responsive, but it took a tiny bit of getting used to holding down the two shoulder buttons to target enemies. Combat feels a tad sluggish, but I think this was intentional in order to contribute a slightly more brutal and guttural feeling to the combat. Turning, however, can get a little ugly since the shoulder buttons are already taken. Turning involves pushing the analog stick to the left or right and is not very comfortable at all. The mechanic that involves sticking to walls can be temperamental at times but is still functional.

Stability (5/5)

The game boasts manageable load times, a smooth and steady framerate, and no instances of crashing. I had no problems with the stability whatsoever, even in areas of intense action.

Appropriateness

You may recall that Manhunt 2 was initially labeled with an AO (adults only) rating by the ESRB. Rockstar was able to cut it down to a very hard M. What you see here is the edited version.

Violence (0/10)

-People killing other people in cold-blooded murder (-5 pts)
-Blood sprays on the wall and everywhere else (-2.5 pts)
-Gruesome details (-2.5 pts)

The game is all about gruesome kills. As I said before, the length of time the button is held down determines the intensity of the kill. And some of the kills here even made this weathered critic wince and almost turn away. Rockstar applied a filter to the kills that makes them difficult to see, but the realistic sound effects are intact and it is still very obvious what it going on. Blood splatters the screen and everywhere else, heads can be severed and used as weapons, graphic gunshot wounds are clearly visible, and there are scattered scenes of torture and animal cruelty. This is one truly depraved game.

Language (3/10)

-R-rated language (-5 pts)
-Occasional sexual references (-2 pts)

It’s not over-the-top, rampant swearing, but Manhunt 2 has its fair share of colorful language that you won’t hear on primetime anytime soon. F-words and s-words pepper the script here, along with nearly every other profanity you can think of (though I think it shied away from the taboo c-word). The scene in the club has a few sexual references, but they don’t run thick through the entire game and are, surprisingly, not very common.

Sexual Content (1/10)

-Partial nudity (-4 pts)
-Characters seen having sex (-5 pts)

An early level in the game involves a visit to a steamy nightclub that is not all it seems. It is here that the poisonous combination of sex and violence emerges, and the level is permeated with scantily clad characters and videos with explicit audio and video (we see the body movement and hear groaning, but graphic nudity is obscured).

Occult content (10/10)

-None

The game is free of any supernatural content, which is good.

Cultural/Moral/Ethical (4/10)

-Active rebellion required to play (-2.5 pts)

There are areas of the game with police, but the level of rebellion never rises above what is seen in, say, Grand Theft Auto (another Rockstar game).

-Poor value decision making required to progress (-2.5 pts)

“Gee, there is a man here in front of me, oblivious to my presence! Shall I kill him or not?” Actually, the game never lets you choose. Killing is a necessity to survive in the twisted world. The real choice here is whether to use the plastic bag, the wire, or the nearby manhole cover.

There was not much wrong with the actual gameplay for Manhunt 2 besides some dated mechanics, and the presentation was excellent. However, the quality is marred beyond recognition by horrific and pervasive violence, rampant profanity, strong sexual content, and mandatory depraved behavior. Those are things that are impossible to wade through with a clean conscience and will most likely weigh down a Christian soul. I am very glad to finally be done with it.

This game has been rated M for Mature for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, and Use of Drugs by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

Daniel Lamb and a friend named Leo are both prisoners at an asylum where the staff makes sport of abusing the inmates. One night turns violent when a thunderstorm causes all of the electronic gates to malfunction and open, setting the infuriated prisoners free. In the ensuing chaos, Daniel and Leo escape and are soon involved in a massive citywide manhunt as they traverse moody and dangerous environments to evade the Project, a twisted program that experimented on their minds. They must also try to piece together their fractured pasts and figure out just how deep the Project really runs. The storyline is really terrific and rivals many of the storylines in recent video games.


Gameplay (15/20)

Players control Daniel and sometimes Leo in 3D stealth action gameplay. The two friends must traverse the environments and avoid getting killed by members of the Project (called hunters) as they race to uncover the dark secrets behind the Project and their own convoluted pasts. Avoidance is not an option; killing the hunters is absolutely necessary to progress, although unlike the first game in the series, not everyone necessarily deserves to die (as many characters are simply security guards and not malicious villains). When Daniel or Leo approaches an enemy unseen and is holding a weapon, his arm will raise. Players must then hold down the attack button to prepare for a kill. The longer the button is held down, the more brutal the kill will be (indicated with a color coded target: white for normal, yellow for brutal, red for gruesome). There is a wide variety of weapons with which to kill enemies, including new environmental kills. The game focuses a bit more on action a short ways through the game as guns are introduced.

While there was nothing really terribly wrong with the gameplay, it wasn’t all that great, either. It doesn’t bring anything new to the stealth table, and enemies are hopelessly stupid (you can run into shadows and if the enemy doesn’t see you, they simply forget you were there). When you retreat into the shadows and the enemy is nearby, you simply need to input an onscreen prompt to “hold your breath” so the enemy misses you. Overall, the stealth mechanics feel very dated and while they work fine, don’t expect polish and finesse of Sam Fisher caliber. Gunplay, however, is a basic yet exciting experience where you must take cover but wait to fire until your enemy is reloading. It’s a refreshing change from the generic “run and gun” mechanics that are so common today.

Graphics (10/10)

On the PSP, Manhunt 2 is one fine looking game. The presentation of the whole package is terrific. The game has the feel of being filmed with a handheld camera, with some static effects and a slightly moving camera that shakes more when Daniel or Leo runs. During executions, the camera gets even shakier and blood sometimes splatters on it. The other graphics are also some of the best on the PSP. The shaky camera is not likely to cause any sort of sickness or irritation, but the static can be disabled. The shadows and details are very nice, as are the character models and movements.

Sound (10/10)

Once again, Rockstar does not disappoint in the sound department. For the full effect, the game really must be played with headphones. Like Silent Hill: Origins, it makes a huge difference and really helps in setting the mood. The voice acting is excellent; every actor’s voice fits his or her character well, and little static bursts, echoes, and ambient music (including a great score) prove that Rockstar is still one of the leaders when it comes to audio in video games.

Control (3/5)

The control is passable. The actions were fairly responsive, but it took a tiny bit of getting used to holding down the two shoulder buttons to target enemies. Combat feels a tad sluggish, but I think this was intentional in order to contribute a slightly more brutal and guttural feeling to the combat. Turning, however, can get a little ugly since the shoulder buttons are already taken. Turning involves pushing the analog stick to the left or right and is not very comfortable at all. The mechanic that involves sticking to walls can be temperamental at times but is still functional.

Stability (5/5)

The game boasts manageable load times, a smooth and steady framerate, and no instances of crashing. I had no problems with the stability whatsoever, even in areas of intense action.

Appropriateness

You may recall that Manhunt 2 was initially labeled with an AO (adults only) rating by the ESRB. Rockstar was able to cut it down to a very hard M. What you see here is the edited version.

Violence (0/10)

-People killing other people in cold-blooded murder (-5 pts)
-Blood sprays on the wall and everywhere else (-2.5 pts)
-Gruesome details (-2.5 pts)

The game is all about gruesome kills. As I said before, the length of time the button is held down determines the intensity of the kill. And some of the kills here even made this weathered critic wince and almost turn away. Rockstar applied a filter to the kills that makes them difficult to see, but the realistic sound effects are intact and it is still very obvious what it going on. Blood splatters the screen and everywhere else, heads can be severed and used as weapons, graphic gunshot wounds are clearly visible, and there are scattered scenes of torture and animal cruelty. This is one truly depraved game.

Language (3/10)

-R-rated language (-5 pts)
-Occasional sexual references (-2 pts)

It’s not over-the-top, rampant swearing, but Manhunt 2 has its fair share of colorful language that you won’t hear on primetime anytime soon. F-words and s-words pepper the script here, along with nearly every other profanity you can think of (though I think it shied away from the taboo c-word). The scene in the club has a few sexual references, but they don’t run thick through the entire game and are, surprisingly, not very common.

Sexual Content (1/10)

-Partial nudity (-4 pts)
-Characters seen having sex (-5 pts)

An early level in the game involves a visit to a steamy nightclub that is not all it seems. It is here that the poisonous combination of sex and violence emerges, and the level is permeated with scantily clad characters and videos with explicit audio and video (we see the body movement and hear groaning, but graphic nudity is obscured).

Occult content (10/10)

-None

The game is free of any supernatural content, which is good.

Cultural/Moral/Ethical (4/10)

-Active rebellion required to play (-2.5 pts)

There are areas of the game with police, but the level of rebellion never rises above what is seen in, say, Grand Theft Auto (another Rockstar game).

-Poor value decision making required to progress (-2.5 pts)

“Gee, there is a man here in front of me, oblivious to my presence! Shall I kill him or not?” Actually, the game never lets you choose. Killing is a necessity to survive in the twisted world. The real choice here is whether to use the plastic bag, the wire, or the nearby manhole cover.

There was not much wrong with the actual gameplay for Manhunt 2 besides some dated mechanics, and the presentation was excellent. However, the quality is marred beyond recognition by horrific and pervasive violence, rampant profanity, strong sexual content, and mandatory depraved behavior. Those are things that are impossible to wade through with a clean conscience and will most likely weigh down a Christian soul. I am very glad to finally be done with it.

System Requirements
Windows VISTA/XP/2000
* 1 GHz Pentium 3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* Supported T & L ‚capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM.
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* Direct sound 9.0 compatible sound card
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)
Mac OS:
Mac OS X v10.2 or later
* 1 GHz G3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* 32 MB Video RAM
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)

Digital Praise has re-written their Dance Praise engine from the ground up and it’s a vast improvement. The interface is now 3D and has a much smoother look and feel to it. If you have the original Dance Praise, you can play all of the previous songs and expansion packs. Also, it’s nice that the original Dance Praise can play the new tracks from Dance Praise 2 as well. You can now have up to four people playing provided that you have enough USB ports.

How to play

As the music plays arrows trickle down the screen. As they line up with the arrow grid on the bottom you have to press the corresponding arrow on the dance pad. As you play on harder difficulty levels, the number of arrows and combo moves increases. The arrow grid on the bottom shrinks as well, requiring you to be more accurate.

There’s a new game mode called Dance-Tris which offers a new way to play Tetris. Just like Tetris, various shaped blocks come down and you have to rotate and move the pieces with your dance pad. Your goal is to align the blocks to fit together without leaving spaces. As you get rows covered, they will disappear. Leveling up occurs when you clear multiple rows, and the difficulty increases by having the blocks come down faster.

So what’s new in Dance Praise 2?

Other than the new look and backgrounds, Dance Praise 2 comes bundled with fifty two songs. Ten of the songs are “locked”; you can unlock them by playing songs at their hardest difficulty. You can choose between choreographed and computer generated steps; the computer generated steps will be different every time you play a song. DP2 has player profiles which track high scores and work out mode progress. There’s also a new difficulty level called “super easy” which may help my grandma out.

What songs are there?

You’re Worthy Of My Praise – Big Daddy Weave
There You Go – Caedmon’s Call
Believe-Britt Nicole
LifeSong (Hall)-Casting Crowns
Voice Of Truth-Casting Crowns
How Can I Keep From Singing-Chris Tomlin
Love-Day of Fire
Jesus Freak-DC Talk
Nostalgiotopia-Eleventyseven
Foreverandever Etc-David Crowder Band
Wake Up! Wake Up!- Everyday Sunday
Waiting-Fireflight
Who Can Compare-Foolish Things
Can’t Go On-Group 1 Crew
Undo Me-Jennifer Knapp
Tonight-Jeremy Camp
Word of Mouth-John Reuben
FatherSong-Jonah33
Hide-Joy Williams
Fire-Krystal Meyers
Only the World-Mandisa
I Am the Way-Mark Schultz
Shine-Matt Redman
Here I Am-Michael W Smith
Awaken-Natalie Grant
Live Like We’re Alive-Nevertheless
I Am Free-Newsboys
River-Out of Eden
When Tomorrow Comes-Pillar
I Can’t Do This-Plumb
God-Rebecca St. James
Already Over-Red
Mood Rings-Relient k
Don’t Give Up-Sanctus Real
Missing Pages-Seventh Day Slumber
Open The Eyes Of My Heart-Sonicflood
Don’t Look At Me-Stacie Orrico
Stand in the Rain-Superchick
We Live-Superchick
Going Under-This Beautiful Republic
Boomin’-tobyMac
I’m For You-tobyMac
This Fragile Breath-Todd Agnew
Blessed Be Your Name-Tree 63
My Heart Goes Out-Warren Barfliek
About You-ZOEgirl

Graphics

I love the new interface and the animated 3D backgrounds look cool. The option to display the song lyrics is nice but I honestly don’t pay attention since my focus is on the arrows. However, I couldn’t help but notice the cheesy dancer in the box which fortunately can be disabled. The max resolution this game supports is 1024x768; it looks decent being stretched by my wide screen monitor.

Sound

The music selection is great; there’s a wide variety of music styles. The sound quality is good and the announcer isn’t annoying, so that’s a plus.

Stability

I have not run into any problems or glitches playing this game. If you want to play Dance Praise 1 songs/expansions it will prompt you for the CD which is a bit annoying.

Appropriateness

This is a game that has God honoring songs; I find no fault here. It’s a great game for families, churches and youth groups.

Final Thoughts

The first thought that comes to my mind is that I wish they did this in the first place. Granted the original Dance Praise will run better on older systems, but it’s definitely rough around the edges compared to DP2. Hardcore DDRers will be disappointed by how easy this game is, even at the hardest difficulty. Now they made a super-easy mode, how about super hard? This is a great game for beginners, kids and family. The four player support is great and the Tetris mode is fun to play too. I recommend this game for the casual Dance Dance Revolution player, or those who enjoy DDR and popular Christian music.

Final Score

Gameplay: 17/20
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Stability: 5/5
Interface: 4/5

Appropriateness: 50/50

Overall: 93% 

{gallery}dp2{/gallery} 

System Requirements
Windows VISTA/XP/2000
* 1 GHz Pentium 3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* Supported T & L ‚capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM.
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* Direct sound 9.0 compatible sound card
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)
Mac OS:
Mac OS X v10.2 or later
* 1 GHz G3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* 32 MB Video RAM
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)

Digital Praise has re-written their Dance Praise engine from the ground up and it’s a vast improvement. The interface is now 3D and has a much smoother look and feel to it. If you have the original Dance Praise, you can play all of the previous songs and expansion packs. Also, it’s nice that the original Dance Praise can play the new tracks from Dance Praise 2 as well. You can now have up to four people playing provided that you have enough USB ports.

How to play

As the music plays arrows trickle down the screen. As they line up with the arrow grid on the bottom you have to press the corresponding arrow on the dance pad. As you play on harder difficulty levels, the number of arrows and combo moves increases. The arrow grid on the bottom shrinks as well, requiring you to be more accurate.

There’s a new game mode called Dance-Tris which offers a new way to play Tetris. Just like Tetris, various shaped blocks come down and you have to rotate and move the pieces with your dance pad. Your goal is to align the blocks to fit together without leaving spaces. As you get rows covered, they will disappear. Leveling up occurs when you clear multiple rows, and the difficulty increases by having the blocks come down faster.

So what’s new in Dance Praise 2?

Other than the new look and backgrounds, Dance Praise 2 comes bundled with fifty two songs. Ten of the songs are “locked”; you can unlock them by playing songs at their hardest difficulty. You can choose between choreographed and computer generated steps; the computer generated steps will be different every time you play a song. DP2 has player profiles which track high scores and work out mode progress. There’s also a new difficulty level called “super easy” which may help my grandma out.

What songs are there?

You’re Worthy Of My Praise – Big Daddy Weave
There You Go – Caedmon’s Call
Believe-Britt Nicole
LifeSong (Hall)-Casting Crowns
Voice Of Truth-Casting Crowns
How Can I Keep From Singing-Chris Tomlin
Love-Day of Fire
Jesus Freak-DC Talk
Nostalgiotopia-Eleventyseven
Foreverandever Etc-David Crowder Band
Wake Up! Wake Up!- Everyday Sunday
Waiting-Fireflight
Who Can Compare-Foolish Things
Can’t Go On-Group 1 Crew
Undo Me-Jennifer Knapp
Tonight-Jeremy Camp
Word of Mouth-John Reuben
FatherSong-Jonah33
Hide-Joy Williams
Fire-Krystal Meyers
Only the World-Mandisa
I Am the Way-Mark Schultz
Shine-Matt Redman
Here I Am-Michael W Smith
Awaken-Natalie Grant
Live Like We’re Alive-Nevertheless
I Am Free-Newsboys
River-Out of Eden
When Tomorrow Comes-Pillar
I Can’t Do This-Plumb
God-Rebecca St. James
Already Over-Red
Mood Rings-Relient k
Don’t Give Up-Sanctus Real
Missing Pages-Seventh Day Slumber
Open The Eyes Of My Heart-Sonicflood
Don’t Look At Me-Stacie Orrico
Stand in the Rain-Superchick
We Live-Superchick
Going Under-This Beautiful Republic
Boomin’-tobyMac
I’m For You-tobyMac
This Fragile Breath-Todd Agnew
Blessed Be Your Name-Tree 63
My Heart Goes Out-Warren Barfliek
About You-ZOEgirl

Graphics

I love the new interface and the animated 3D backgrounds look cool. The option to display the song lyrics is nice but I honestly don’t pay attention since my focus is on the arrows. However, I couldn’t help but notice the cheesy dancer in the box which fortunately can be disabled. The max resolution this game supports is 1024x768; it looks decent being stretched by my wide screen monitor.

Sound

The music selection is great; there’s a wide variety of music styles. The sound quality is good and the announcer isn’t annoying, so that’s a plus.

Stability

I have not run into any problems or glitches playing this game. If you want to play Dance Praise 1 songs/expansions it will prompt you for the CD which is a bit annoying.

Appropriateness

This is a game that has God honoring songs; I find no fault here. It’s a great game for families, churches and youth groups.

Final Thoughts

The first thought that comes to my mind is that I wish they did this in the first place. Granted the original Dance Praise will run better on older systems, but it’s definitely rough around the edges compared to DP2. Hardcore DDRers will be disappointed by how easy this game is, even at the hardest difficulty. Now they made a super-easy mode, how about super hard? This is a great game for beginners, kids and family. The four player support is great and the Tetris mode is fun to play too. I recommend this game for the casual Dance Dance Revolution player, or those who enjoy DDR and popular Christian music.

Final Score

Gameplay: 17/20
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Stability: 5/5
Interface: 4/5

Appropriateness: 50/50

Overall: 93% 

{gallery}dp2{/gallery} 

System Requirements
Windows VISTA/XP/2000
* 1 GHz Pentium 3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* Supported T & L ‚capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM.
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* Direct sound 9.0 compatible sound card
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)
Mac OS:
Mac OS X v10.2 or later
* 1 GHz G3
* 300 MB available hard disk space
* 512 MB RAM
* 8X CD-ROM drive
* 32 MB Video RAM
* Speakers or headphones
* USB compatible dance pad (included)

Digital Praise has re-written their Dance Praise engine from the ground up and it’s a vast improvement. The interface is now 3D and has a much smoother look and feel to it. If you have the original Dance Praise, you can play all of the previous songs and expansion packs. Also, it’s nice that the original Dance Praise can play the new tracks from Dance Praise 2 as well. You can now have up to four people playing provided that you have enough USB ports.

How to play

As the music plays arrows trickle down the screen. As they line up with the arrow grid on the bottom you have to press the corresponding arrow on the dance pad. As you play on harder difficulty levels, the number of arrows and combo moves increases. The arrow grid on the bottom shrinks as well, requiring you to be more accurate.

There’s a new game mode called Dance-Tris which offers a new way to play Tetris. Just like Tetris, various shaped blocks come down and you have to rotate and move the pieces with your dance pad. Your goal is to align the blocks to fit together without leaving spaces. As you get rows covered, they will disappear. Leveling up occurs when you clear multiple rows, and the difficulty increases by having the blocks come down faster.

So what’s new in Dance Praise 2?

Other than the new look and backgrounds, Dance Praise 2 comes bundled with fifty two songs. Ten of the songs are “locked”; you can unlock them by playing songs at their hardest difficulty. You can choose between choreographed and computer generated steps; the computer generated steps will be different every time you play a song. DP2 has player profiles which track high scores and work out mode progress. There’s also a new difficulty level called “super easy” which may help my grandma out.

What songs are there?

You’re Worthy Of My Praise – Big Daddy Weave
There You Go – Caedmon’s Call
Believe-Britt Nicole
LifeSong (Hall)-Casting Crowns
Voice Of Truth-Casting Crowns
How Can I Keep From Singing-Chris Tomlin
Love-Day of Fire
Jesus Freak-DC Talk
Nostalgiotopia-Eleventyseven
Foreverandever Etc-David Crowder Band
Wake Up! Wake Up!- Everyday Sunday
Waiting-Fireflight
Who Can Compare-Foolish Things
Can’t Go On-Group 1 Crew
Undo Me-Jennifer Knapp
Tonight-Jeremy Camp
Word of Mouth-John Reuben
FatherSong-Jonah33
Hide-Joy Williams
Fire-Krystal Meyers
Only the World-Mandisa
I Am the Way-Mark Schultz
Shine-Matt Redman
Here I Am-Michael W Smith
Awaken-Natalie Grant
Live Like We’re Alive-Nevertheless
I Am Free-Newsboys
River-Out of Eden
When Tomorrow Comes-Pillar
I Can’t Do This-Plumb
God-Rebecca St. James
Already Over-Red
Mood Rings-Relient k
Don’t Give Up-Sanctus Real
Missing Pages-Seventh Day Slumber
Open The Eyes Of My Heart-Sonicflood
Don’t Look At Me-Stacie Orrico
Stand in the Rain-Superchick
We Live-Superchick
Going Under-This Beautiful Republic
Boomin’-tobyMac
I’m For You-tobyMac
This Fragile Breath-Todd Agnew
Blessed Be Your Name-Tree 63
My Heart Goes Out-Warren Barfliek
About You-ZOEgirl

Graphics

I love the new interface and the animated 3D backgrounds look cool. The option to display the song lyrics is nice but I honestly don’t pay attention since my focus is on the arrows. However, I couldn’t help but notice the cheesy dancer in the box which fortunately can be disabled. The max resolution this game supports is 1024x768; it looks decent being stretched by my wide screen monitor.

Sound

The music selection is great; there’s a wide variety of music styles. The sound quality is good and the announcer isn’t annoying, so that’s a plus.

Stability

I have not run into any problems or glitches playing this game. If you want to play Dance Praise 1 songs/expansions it will prompt you for the CD which is a bit annoying.

Appropriateness

This is a game that has God honoring songs; I find no fault here. It’s a great game for families, churches and youth groups.

Final Thoughts

The first thought that comes to my mind is that I wish they did this in the first place. Granted the original Dance Praise will run better on older systems, but it’s definitely rough around the edges compared to DP2. Hardcore DDRers will be disappointed by how easy this game is, even at the hardest difficulty. Now they made a super-easy mode, how about super hard? This is a great game for beginners, kids and family. The four player support is great and the Tetris mode is fun to play too. I recommend this game for the casual Dance Dance Revolution player, or those who enjoy DDR and popular Christian music.

Final Score

Gameplay: 17/20
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Stability: 5/5
Interface: 4/5

Appropriateness: 50/50

Overall: 93% 

{gallery}dp2{/gallery}