Why Samba de Amigo is a great value: A Review

The following is an article of mine as it appeared in the March 11, 2009 issue of The Lariat, my high school newspaper.

Samba de Amigo may just be the craziest, zaniest, wittiest, and most charming game of all time. The idea behind it is simple: Wii remotes effectively become a set of maracas, which are shaken to the beat of various Latin/pop songs.

My first positive remark about this game is the song list. It contains a host of popular songs that have been given the energy necessary to make them fun for maraca-shaking. Some include Pon de Replay, Tequila, Theme Of Rocky, Mambo No. 5, Jump In The Line, Do It Well, Cha Cha, Livin' La Vida Loca, and Macarena. Upon playing through them, even some of the unfamiliar songs became my favorites. Every song has a good beat and is fun to play.

Though Samba de Amigo is a bundle of fun and charm, it has one glaring problem: its motion control. In the game, there are several rings representing different positions of the player's Wii remotes. Little circles fly across the screen to these rings, indicating when and where to shake the remotes. At times, this control scheme feels unresponsive and frustrating. It takes a large amount of unnecessary time to master it. Even then, there are many techniques that feel as if luck is required to accomplish them.

Despite such a terrible fault, Samba de Amigo is an incredibly fun game. Also, at only $19.99, it offers a great package of gameplay options, online functionality and pure joy. The score I give this game is 8.0/10.

Not bad for a high school Junior!

Metroid: Other M and a critical consensus

True, Samus does say a lot in many of her games. Usually, however, all her words are confined to text boxes only. That and much more is where Other M differs, simultaneously drawing in loads of flak. I must say, I agree wholeheartedly. Blah blah blah blaaah...that's what Samus's voice work seems to sound like for extended periods of time within Other M. Interestingly, most of the other voices are about twice as interesting as Samus's.

But hey! At least Other M's gameplay isn't compromised! Cut-scenes aside, Other M maintains a classic Metroid feel, which drives the desire to keep playing the game, to find the next answer...or even the next question.

This post has mistakenly turned into a review, but nothing particularly profound came to me as I played Other M. So what Metroid will it be next? Honestly, I don't know yet. Excuse me while I find one to play...

Why Sonic Colors should stick with Sonic fans: A Review

I may have played a Sonic game on the PC back in 1st grade or something. Other than that, Sonic has only been a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as far as I'm concerned (mind you, I like using Sonic in Brawl). Of course, I've had ideas of what Sonic games are like: high-speed platforming, to be concise. Though this idea has always frightened me away, the old-school Sonic formula must work. Look how popular it is!

So here we go with Sonic Colors for Wii. Some villain called Eggman has constructed a gargantuan amusement park in space, and it's composed of several themed planets. A great setting. Despite how grand it is, however, Sonic and his best friend Tails arrive on the scene to investigate. The story is punctuated with cut-scenes that, however witty, I would have preferred to see less of.

Now, the gameplay and control. What to say about gameplay and control in Sonic Colors? You know, I suppose there was a reason Mario and Sonic were rivals back in the day: their play styles differ greatly. Lets just put it this way: after playing Sonic Colors, I know where my allegiance lies...with Mario. Though much of the gameplay in Colors feels slick, some of it falls flat, and some of it is downright frustrating. Sonic fan? I'm sure this is just the game for you. Mario fan? You may just want to stay away.

Two features almost redeem the flaws in Sonic Colors: sound and graphics that lend the game a major cool factor. The music in Colors is catchy and memorable. As for the graphics, I thought that a giant, multi-planet theme park could potentially be an amazing visual wonder prior to playing this game: well, to put it simply, the game itself exceeded all my expectations. If you can endure the frustration, you'll find yourself with your mouth hanging open on more than one occasion while playing Sonic Colors.

So when it comes down to it, who should buy this game? I think it's undoubtedly a must for Sonic fans. The frustrations may not be worth it for those of you who enjoy the slower platforming pace of Super Mario games. Tread carefully.

Soul Calibur II: A Review

This is by far one of my favorite games ever! It's just so entertaining, which is a big suprise if you know me. I really dislike combat games. Why? Well because I think that they get too hard. It's just too difficult to find out how to use a character and it gets to repetitive. I mean half the time it's just like, "Okay fight this person for no real reason." They just don't have any storyline! That's why I love this game!

If you are playing on the 'Weapons Master' mode it has a wicked storyline! Of course you do fight the whole time. After all, it is a fighting game, but it's also much more than that. Soul Calibur II goes above and beyond in the storyline area. Even all the weapons you can get have backgrounds. It tells you where it came from, how they got it, and how it kicks trash! Awesome!

Another awesome thing is the moves list. If you go into practice mode you can see all of a character's moves. No messing around with buttons for hours to only find out one simple move. Come on you know that it totally sucks when you have to do that! Heck, I bet some of you even give up and look up the moves list online or something. The only thing that's bad about looking them up is the fact you didn't do it by yourself. You feel incomplete and like a total cheater.Well, you should.

Now you're thinking, "The moves list is practically the same thing! The only difference is you don't have to have the internet to look it up!" You're wrong. You see, the people who made the game wanted you to have it. Why would they do such a nice thing? It makes the game more fun, that's why! There are these parts in 'Weapons Master' mode where you have to do certain combos on the bad guy to be able to move on. The thing is you can't; that is unless you know the move! Of course you have to memorize how to do it and be able to do it in combat. Not very easy with some of the moves!

I have yet to beat this wonderful game, but I am getting better and better! Though some of those levels! They are just IMPOSSIBLE! I guess it would help if I knew how to use other people . . . I just love Talim so much! She's the one in the video who is really cute and has pigtails! SHE IS SO COOL! I can beat anyone with her! MAUAHAHAHAHA! Sorry, this game makes you a little insane at times. I do have a few other people I can play with, I just can't kick trash with these guys the way I can with Talim! 

Here is a list of the other characters and their weapons:

Astaroth - Giant Axe

Cervantes de Leon - Long Sword and Pistol Sword

Isabella "Ivy" Valentine - Snake Sword

Kilik - Bo Staff

Maxi - Nunchaku 

Heishiro Mitsurugi - Katana

Nightmare - Soul Edge

Seung Mina - Zanbatou 

Sophitia Alexandra - Sword and Shield 

Taki - Dual Kodachis

Voldo - Dual Katars

Chai Xianghua - Chinese Sword

Yoshimitsu - Katana and Sashimono

Cassandra Alexandra - Sword and Shield

Charade - Imitative Power

Raphael Sorel - Sword-Rapier

Talim - Dual Elbow blades

Hong Yunsung - Dao

Link - Master Sword and Hylian Shield

Necrid - Transforming Energy called Enigma

Assasin - Dao

Berserker - Double-Edged Axe 

Lizardman - Sword and Shield

If you want to read more about Soul Calibur 2 and the characters click here! To conclude, if I had to give this game a rating I'd say five out of five stars! Excellent story, character, weapon, and level design! So go play this game! You can get it on GameCube, Playstation 2, and Xbox! Yay!

How a remastering of a classic game improves upon perfection: A Review

I'm calling this a review, but there's no point in reviewing standard aspects such as gameplay, story, and control in regard to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. We all know the controls are spot-on. We all know the story is timeless and that it meshes with the gameplay seamlessly. So what more praise can I give this game? Keep reading, and you'll find out why this game is in a league of its own.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is about as traditional as Zelda games get. The player takes control of Link, who leads a simple life until he is thrust into a grand adventure. Link collects items and obtains special objects by exploring puzzle-rich dungeons, which usually end in larger-than-life boss battles. Two other characters join Link to complete a triangle of destiny: Zelda, princess of Hyrule; and Ganondorf, king of evil.

Get it. Got it? Good. Moving on: Ocarina of Time 3D is composed of nothing other than pure video game magic, and I'll tell you why over the course of this review.

Firstly, Ocarina of Time 3D captures a fantastic, adventurous feel, simultaneously capturing the gamer's imagination. Hyrule is a place unlike any other you'll ever visit in books or movies. Danger, friendship, and surprise all await.

I love music, so there's no way I can go without mentioning it. The sounds in Ocarina of Time 3D provide a unique, sensational feel for the whole game. From stepping out into Hyrule Field for the first time, to exploring the ultra-freaky Shadow Temple, brilliant music is a constant companion. Not to mention music actually plays a key role in the story and gameplay of Ocarina of Time 3D.

It's not enough for every aspect of a game to be great. All of those aspects must also fit together. The miracle of Ocarina of Time 3D is that everything just clicks. It's got an unrivaled balance of gameplay, story, and sound.

So what are you waiting for?! With this game and the recent Nintendo 3DS price drop, there are more reasons than ever to own Nintendo's latest handheld. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a must-own game.

Oh, I almost forgot! The extra features in this version of Ocarina of Time are pretty nice too. You know: the brand-new boss battle mode, the updated controls, the inclusion of the Master Quest, and the updated and 3D-ified graphics. Happy playing! And remember to take a break every 30 minutes while playing in 3D mode!