ActRaiser

Developer: Enix
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: 1991
System: SNES
ESRB Rating: E10+
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Slash and build.

0:01 OK, I'm a god of some sort. "Now all types of monsters are in total control of the Earth." I fall asleep for FIVE MINUTES...
0:03 OK, so far I've figured out I can move my sky palace around over a bunch of deserted cities. Time to fight.
0:05 Apparently I'm not high enough level to fight in most cities. I guess and check until I find one I can actually battle in. "May luck be with you."
0:06 Remember when these rotation effects were the height of graphics technology? Ah, nostalgia.
0:08 Controls are decent. Gripes so far: Can't change direction in mid-air effectively, can't slash upward/downward.
0:09 Nice lightning effects from the boss centaur. Stands the test of time.
0:10 It's nice of the charging centaur to stop just before he tramples me. If he didn't, I'd be dead rather quickly.
0:11 My town has two tiny people now! Aww. They can't build homes because of bushes. I'm god, don't I have better things to do than clearing brush?
0:13 There are enemies attacking my angel/avatar as I try to build. SimCity would be so much better with this feature.
0:15 There, I cleared the freakin'; bushes. Now they can "work and be happy"
0:18 OK, so I've directed the people to build, now I'm sitting here waiting for something to happen...
0:20 I love the exclamation point after "Pause!" when you pause the game.
0:21 OH! I read the instructions and find I can fire arrows at the monsters. Once I do, the townspeople start building. Lazy bums. Do I have to do everything around here?
0:23 Now they can hunt. They seal a monster lair and find me some bow and arrows. Thanks, peons!
0:24 A bat just tried to carry off my people! Not on my watch!
0:26 There's a lot to keep track of. Killing pests, guiding development, razing land, all at the same time. Might be a bit much for turn-based sim fans.
0:27 Now I'm level 2, so I can move on to other cities, but I'd feel bad leaving my new citizens to fend for themselves. A god's work is never done.
0:32 The people want me to destroy a rock in the southeast, but I can't tell which one. Meanwhile, dragons are destroying my population. Crap!
0:33 Ah, finally found it. It was the smallish gray rock, not the huge red ones. Well why didn't you say so?
0:36 Final monster's lair is gone, but now some prophet guy has nightmares about "Minotaurus." You can't make these names up. Looks like time for a boss fight.
0:39 But first, a dungeon. I like being able to block projectiles with a sword swing.
0:40 Ooh, hidden passage. Interesting, classic level design. I keep dieing to an annoyingly swift skeleton knight.
0:42 Surprise, "Minotaurus" is a Minotaur. He comes flying in from the ceiling. Before I can figure out the pattern, I'm D-E-D dead. Time to try again.
0:44 Death from the skele-knight AGAIN. The difficulty's already ramping up a bit.
0:48 Die again at the minotaur boss. I can't seem to avoid the blue energy axes he throws. I'm at a loss.
0:50 A ha! The key seems to be jumping before the axes appear. I winz!
0:51 No more monsters, Fillmore is at peace. Some prophet died, blah blah. Cute little praisers at my temple. On to the not-ominously-named-at-all "Bloodpool"
0:53 Digging the Bloodpool music. Also, this action sequence is a lot tougher than the first ones. Falling platforms, etc.
0:54 I fall in to a bottomless pit DURING a boss battle. That's just not right.
0:57 Four times now I've died when the boss knocks me into a pit. GRRR!
0:59 Fifth time, I'm super careful to just avoid the pit. I still get knocked in with only one hit left to kill the boss! ARGH!
1:01 GOT HIM!

Would I play this game for more than an hour? Yes
Why? Perfect mix of action and sim. Neither section is transcendent, but both are decent enough to keep me going.

The review based on a copy purchased for the Wii's Virtual Console.

Surf's Up

Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: May 29, 2007
Systems: Xbox 360 (reviewed), practically every other one
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Another entry in the crowded penguin surfing genre.

0:01 When offered the choice to play a stoned-looking chicken, I always take it. I like the tropical background music.
0:03 "Stay tuned for wave by wave coverage." The walrus sports anchor has a fish on his fur. Cute.
0:05 I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm having a blast just surfing up the wave and jamming trick buttons. Tricks seem easy to pull off and land initially.
0:06 Screen cracks when you crash. Nice touch.
0:07 How ridiculous is it that there are grinds in a surfing game? Have you ever seen a surfer grind? No, I didn't think so.
0:08 I just did a trick called the Washing Machine. Wha?
0:09 I get the 15,000 points and clear the first objective on the first try. Easy peasy.
0:13 32,000 on second run... just short of 40,000 point goal. The ever-present wave means it's easy to just keep jumping and doing tricks -- no Tony Hawk-style exploration required.
0:17 43,000 this time, mostly by abusing the trick meter and "tweaked" tricks for 3,000 points each. Easy stuff.
0:18 Shiverpool, Antarctica. Cute name. "I'm looking for a coat. It's freezing down here." Ha.
0:20 The other penguins surfing around seem mostly like eye candy... until I crash into one. Ouch!
0:23 I stumble upon the magic of the right analog stick's freestyle tricks. Very responsive flips and spins... I feel like I'm always in control. Very important.
0:24 I swear if I hear my character say "Cock-a-doodle-don't" one more time I am throwing this game out the window. Or I could turn it off in the options. And I do.
0:25 Being pushed through the level by a wave causes some interesting problems. I keep missing important items because the water swallows them up in front of me. It pays to plan ahead.
0:28 Now that I'm not going for points I can use my trick meter for boost. Nice for getting through some obstacles, but it would work better in some sort of race mode.
0:32 I like how the pace never really slows. Even when you crash or mess a trick, you get going again relatively quickly.
0:35 Going for hidden statues now. For a straight linear on-rails game, they're pretty hard to find.
0:38 "Use your speed boost to break obstacles." OH! That would have been goo to know 35 minutes ago.
0:40 I love the organic level design. Icebergs and tiki huts on stilts don't look too out of place in the water.
0:42 The simplified controls are a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it's easy to pull off and land tricks. On other hand, you can't avoid doing the same tricks over and over. I miss the variety of Tony Hawk.
0:45 I finally figured out what the "floater" button does -- you can grind the top of the wave! Cool!
0:48 For the life of me I can't find these last two hidden statues. Completists will have their work cut out for 'em.
0:55 I give up on the statues and look for points instead. With all the points doubleing and grind lines I miss, I can see a lot of room for personal improvement.

Would I play this game for more than an hour: Yes.
Why? Simple responsive controls, interesting level design and an overall action-packed feel.

This review is based on a demo version downloaded from Xbox Live

Sonic and the Secret Rings

Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
Release Date: Feb. 20, 2007
System: Wii
Official web site

In a nutshell: Sonic runs forward and dodges things.

0:01 What's with the heavy metal flames everywhere? I thought this was Sonic, not Kiss: Pinball Party. Also: the first level is called Paragraph One? Really?
0:02 Genie: "You are the blue hedgehog" Duh! Also: Sonic has never read Aladdin. Or seen the movie. Or, y'know, lived on this planet?
0:03 The bad guy is named Erazor Djinn. Oh... like Eraser Djinn. HA! I get it.
0:04 The story is still chattering on. I stopped caring about 30 seconds ago. I like the art style though.
0:05 "Now rub the ring." Dirty! Sonic wishes for handkerchiefs. What the hell?
0:06 On a flying carpet, Sonic says "Now this is first class." Um, no, not really.
0:07 The first level takes 24 seconds. After five minutes of cut scenes. I hope the game-to-story ratio gets better.
0:09 Pushing the remote forward for the jump dash has a nice feel to it.
0:11 I don't like having to hold down the jump button before I jump. It throws off my rhythm and slows things down way too much.
0:14 For a guy known for running fast, Sonic sure takes a while to get up to speed. Like more than other Sonic games even.
0:17 I never understood why Sonic could grind on rails. When did he become an extreme skateboarder?
0:18 "Talk about a close shave" Oh, Sonic. You ham.
0:20 The bad guy is going on about nonexistent rings. Sonic is sacrificing his body for a genie who basically kidnapped him. "I shall collect the life of king Sharhyar" Dum dee doo.
0:25 In the middle of my first real, non-tutorial level. The controls are pretty responsive, but large sections make me feel like I'm being pulled along rather than really in control of things.
0:27 Finished the level. Got a bronze medal... not sure why. Unlocked all sorts of missions and skill points and what not. It's a regular unlock-fest.
0:29 It's Dr. Eggman. AKA Dr. Robotnik. But he thinks he's King Shahryar. Then a pterodactyl comes and takes him. "Guess it's time for a little action." Thank god.
0:31 The info. message for the next level: "Don't Get Defeated." Thanks, game!
0:32 After a six-minute level, a one-minute level seems... short. And what the hell's with the background music. "So many things need a push or pull to begin." Wow. Deep.
0:34 The camera keeps changing perspective slightly, making things tough to control.
0:39 Falling in the water and drowning leads to a reset from just before jump. Breaking a pot, though, leads to "mission failed." Wha?
0:43 The speed is constantly going from blazing to stalled when you have to stop and jump/attack. Very disconcerting.
0:45 I hate to say it, but this game could use a time limit. I know your completion time affects your grade, but without a countdown it's too tempting just to take things slow.
0:50 It's fun throwing the controller forward to attack, but it requires practically zero skill. Get the lock on and then ATTACK!
0:51 Level design seems extremely basic an repetitive so far. Show me something interesting!
0:53 I got an item that increases my acceleration, but really it seems just as slow as ever.
0:55 Tails is Ali Baba. Sonic saves him. OK!
0:57 A section where Sonic is chased by three triceratops shows promise, but frequent, random perspective changes ruin everything.
1:01 Neat little section with a T-Rex that you have to lure around to destroy boulders. I take back what I said about the level design.
1:03 The level ends with an extended section where I barely have to touch the remote. Is this a game or a movie?

Would I play this game for more than an hour? No
Why? Interesting concept, but the execution is way too loose. I barely feel like I'm controlling things most of the time.

This review is based on a retail copy provided by Nintendo.

Armored Core 4

Developer: From Software
Publisher: Sega
Release date: March 20, 2007
System: PS3 (reviewed), Xbox 360

In a nutshell: Mech-on-mech violence.

0:01 Quick, straightforward tutorial that seems to be set inside Tron.
0:02 Tutorial #2 asks me to jump without telling me how. I figure it out eventually.
0:03 "Firing weapons expends ammunition." Really? How intriguing. Tell me more.
0:05 The weapons are mapped to the face buttons, meaning no aiming and shooting at the same time. Thank god for auto-aim.
0:08 The enemies blend in well with the background in the tutorial, which is annoying. It's lots of fun turboing around, though.
0:10 The story so far, as I hear it: "Blah blah blah blah Gryphon blah"
0:11 I like the zoomed in, picture-in-picture view that shows if you're actually hitting a far off enemy.
0:13 The "boss" of mission one kind of jumps up and down and stands in place. Good training, but not very convincing as an enemy.
0:14 "You did brilliantly. Emil is ecstatic." That's great. Who's Emil?
0:16 I like gliding on the water in mission 2. Much more fun than lumbering on land.
0:17 I'm all for realistic graphics and all, but it's near impossible to see enemies until you're right on top of them. Everything kind of melds into a dark, gray blob.
0:20 You know what's fun? Getting knocked back and damaged by a huge cannon from a far-off enemy and then getting hit again and again before I can recover. Fun!
0:23 The lighting on the water is really beautiful, but it makes it impossible to see what's happening. I don't even know where my aiming reticle is half the time.
0:28 Most of the time my main attack is a single shot. Occasionally it changes into a barrage of missiles. I haven't the foggiest idea why.
0:30 After being walloped by these freakin' death cannons five times straight, I try another mission.
0:31 I don't understand a good half the word's in the mission intro. Not because I have a small vocabulary. Because they are made up.
0:40 With the enemy jumping around the field like a Mexican bean, I can't tell if I've targeted him or not. Other things I can't tell: How much damage he has left, what weapon I'm about to fire, why I'm still playing.
0:50 I somehow win this time by staying in close. Still can't tell what's going on most of the time.
I get a C ranking... OK.
0:54 I finally figure out how to avoid the death cannon by getting in close. Still die though.
0:57 If the long range cannons don't get me the short range guns do. I'm at my wits end.

Would I buy this game based on the demo? No
Why? Beautiful graphics, but a mess of an interface and overly-complicated controls.

Super Stardust HD

Developer: HouseMarque
Publisher: SCEA
Release Date: June 1, 2007
System: PS3
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Asteroids: the Next Generation

0:01 The online user agreement is 15 pages! Who's gonna read that?
0:02 I feel guilty playing a game with HD in the title on a non-HDTV
0:03 Concept seems simple enough -- shoot rocks, get power ups.
0:05 My first two deaths come because I'm too busy staring at the beautiful spinning rocks. They're really mesmerizing.
0:06 Phase one is over? But there were still asteroids left. I think.
0:07 Ah, the rocks stay around for phase 2.
0:08 Game over already. 21,395th place on first try. Oh yeah. I'm the man.
0:10 Now that I know what I'm doing I go two phases without dying. Gotta be less timid.
0:13 I continue to be amazed at the exploding rocks. They just look so organic as they break apart and spin.
0:15 Up to phase four now, and while the action is pretty frenetic, it doesn't reach the fever pitch of Geometry Wars. This is a good thing and a bad thing.
0:17 I die just as the first Asteroid-sucking boss appears. 8,722th place this time. Moving on up in the world.
0:20 The music is nice and catchy without being repetitive.
0:25 I get to phase three this time without losing a ship. I'm playing in a trance. Then I snap out of it and die four times in a minute. You're either in the zone or you're not, I guess.
0:27 I love the edgeless sphere playfield. Makes it easy to find a way out and impossible to get caught in the corner.
0:29 Whoa! I stumble on a mega-bonus rock by hitting some rocks with countdown numbers. Little surprises like this are key to making a game like this last.
0:32 I just noticed my ship is always in the center of the screen and the whole planet rotates around it. Cool beans.
0:34 Gripe #1: It can be hard to tell the different power ups apart.
0:36 There's nothing worse than losing your last life with four bombs left
0:38 Gripe #2: There are power ups for the ice- and gold-destoryers despite there being no ice or gold to destroy.
0:41 I take back what I said about Geometry Wars. It does get that frenetic, just not as consistently. There are large portions of calm, which is nice.
0:43 Just as I'm hitting my stride and work up to a 5x-multiplier, bam, something lands on me.
0:49 The asteroid sucking boss gets a lot less scary with no asteroids around.
0:50 It took me the better part of an hour to beat the first planet. This is gonna take a while.
0:52 Finally, a chance to use the ice splitter weapon! I die as a I switch. D'oh! 7262th place.
0:54 OK, the ice crusher sucks, mainly because I haven't upgraded it. Also, how can an icy meteor dodge a laser? I ASK YOU!
0:59 I just now realized that some of those rocks are gold. The two types look way too similar.
1:01 Spinning the gold melter around not only looks cool, it's a great way to fend off practically everything. Cool!

Would I play this game for more than an hour? Yes.
Why? Great controls, mesmerizing graphics and a simple, fun concept.