• Jitterbug -- Clear the game in 60 minutes or less (20 Achievement points)

• Invincible -- Clear the game without dying (30 points)

• Almost Invincible -- Clear the game without continuing (20 points)

• No Coffee Break Clear the game without using any Energy or Mystery Tanks (10 points)

• Peacekeeper -- Clear the game by defeating the fewest number of enemies possible (20 points)

• Conservationist -- Clear the game by using the least amount of Weapon Energy possible (20 points)

• Gamer's Day -- Clear the game five times in one day (20 points)

• Whomp Wily! -- Clear the game once (5 points)

• Destroyer -- Defeat your 1000th enemy (20 points)

• World Warrior -- Defeat every type of enemy (5 points)

• Trusty Sidearm -- Defeat the eight Bosses with the Mega Buster (20 points)

• Blue Bomber -- Defeat a Boss without getting damaged (10 points)

If you've been waiting for a chance to snag a rare, event-only Pokemon for your copy of Pokemon Diamond or Pearl, now is your chance, as GameStop is going to offer a free download of the legendary Pokemon Deoxys.

Those interested in downloading Deoxys can bring their DS with a copy of Diamond or Pearl to GameStop from June 20-22 and June 27-29.

Following a news article in the Dallas Business Journal stating Duke Nukem Forever's release date as confirmed, 3D Realms has slammed the report and declared the claims that DNF is scheduled for a 2008 release to be false.

George Broussard, 3D Realms President, has issued this statement in response:

"The release date is still 'when it's done', and will be until the appropriate moment. Platforms have not been finalized or announced. You can rest assured that we are moving toward a goal and that the recently released teaser trailer is the start of that process and seeing more of the game, sooner than later."

Those that wish to read the full statement can do so here.

It's coming again! The Music And Games Festival, this time in alexandria, virginia. Like last year, it will be over 3 days of gaming goodness, with 2 full evenings of video game music concerts. You'll hear some of the best VG covers ever in the style of chip tunes, rock, and even hip hop. Bands playing include:

• The Advantage
  
• The smash brothers (featuring Jake "Virt" Kaufman)
  
• Select Start
  
• Powerglove
  
• WaveTheory/Planetskill
  
• Armcannon
  
• Shawnphase/Temp sound solutions
  
• This Place is haunted

The gaming room is 24 hours, and features near every gaming system imaginable (including PC engines, neo geos, saturns, and a ton of arcade machines), and there are tournaments running through the whole convention. A LAN room is there and also 24 hours, so feel free to bring your PC. There are panels as well. Some of the panel topics include: various topics of game industry discussion, music composition, gaming talk in general, and drunken nintendo karaoke is going to make an appearance in there somewhere.

The convention goes from thursday morning to sunday evening, so that's over 3 solid days and nights of gaming, music and partying. Tell the hotel when you're booking your room that you're part of the magfest block, and you'll get a discounted fee of only $100 a night!

Check out the website at http://www.magfest.org to preregister and find out more about the convention and what it's all about.

Where:
Hilton Mark Center Hotel
Alexandria, Virginia

When:
January 3-6, 2008

Pre-Registration fee: $35

Q Entertainment brought us the highly addictive and popular puzzler Lumines on the PlayStation Portable. The company is trying to make another hit by releasing a large variety of titles, including Every Extend Extra.

Unlike many other puzzlers, Extra is a completely different formula for the developers as it is an explosive puzzler, unlike Lumines. In EEE, players take on the role of a spacecraft. Your goal is to move it around and detonate it when enough enemy ships are close by. The main objective, of course, is to destroy as many enemy ships as possible. Although it’s a simple concept, it’s highly developed as later in the game you’ll be requested to make over 40 detonations at once, and that's a lot.

The game may only feature nine levels, but they are very challenging and require a lot of patience and skill especially when it comes to the boss fights. In those, players are required to put together various chain reactions of detonations that continue to get higher and higher. You’ll need to explode five ships, then eight, twelve, twenty, and so on. If that doesn’t make things difficult enough, each level features a time restraint. It certainly adds to the frustration by making the game even more difficult, but it also adds to the strategy once you get the hang of things.

As for the controls, they are very simple and easy for anyone to pick up and play. Gamers have the ability to move the ship with the d-pad or analog nub while any of the face buttons can be used to detonate your ship. The longer you hold down on the button, the bigger the explosion is. One other thing you are able to do is use the right or left triggers to separate the ship which allows you to obtain a higher number of enemies in a chain reaction.

Just like in Lumines, each level features unique graphics, animations and electronic musical tracks. To put it simply, the graphics are stunning and gorgeous. They do have that sort of Lumines colorful look to them, but it works in EEE. As for the sound, it’s not quite up to par with other games, but it has the same hypnotic techno beats you’re used to by now from Tetsuya Mizuguchi.

Really the only problem with Every Extend Extra is the modes of play and honestly it’s hardly an issue. As mentioned above, the single-player experience, while challenging, only has nine levels and that means the difficulty ramps up extremely fast while the experience is over rather quickly. There is the option to play arcade or the original version which is just the PC homebrew. Along with that there are the caravan and boss modes, but these are just repeats of what you’ve already done. Caravan lets you play any level you beat again and boss lets you battle the bosses again.

The only thing that really adds a lot to the longevity of the game is the multiplayer mode, which is very good. This will keep you busy for a long time so long as you have someone to play against. It is in ad hoc and lets you go head to head or play six-player vs. mode. Because it is such an unusual title, thankfully the developers included a game sharing feature to utilize the multiplayer option even more. The main problem is that after a few hours you’re probably not going to play EEE that much because it grows quite repetitive after that.

Every Extend Extra is a very different puzzler. The game features terrific visuals, audio and gameplay, but lacks slightly in longevity and modes of play. In the end, the game gets a bit tedious and repetitive after a bit of play and doesn’t take too long to beat. Considering it’s only $20, Every Extend Extra is a unique experience that is worth trying out by any puzzle fan. 

Controls are easy for you to pick up and play.

Although simplistic, the graphics are solid and impressive.

The hypnotic electronica is very well done.

Overall the game is fun, but not quite as much so as Lumines.

There’s a solid amount of play with single and multiplayer options, but it gets old quick.

]]> Tue, 02 Jan 2007 14:56:00 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/prince_of_persia_joining_the_wii_party http://www.gamebump.com/go/prince_of_persia_joining_the_wii_party http://www.gamebump.com/go/prince_of_persia_joining_the_wii_party#
 "I can confirm that a game based on the popular Prince of Persia franchise is one of many titles Ubisoft has in development for Nintendo's Wii. At this time we can not provide an official date for the game or any additional information about it."

Now we can all start wondering how they'll integrate the running jump, and standing around on pressure plates with the Wii controller. Originally written by Philip Palmer]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2006 23:43:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/neverwinter_nights_2_delayed http://www.gamebump.com/go/neverwinter_nights_2_delayed http://www.gamebump.com/go/neverwinter_nights_2_delayed# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.The original author is Nate Francis.

What else is there to write when the title says it all? I'll take a stab at it, anyway.

Per the title, yes. All of us gold-box-playing, old school geeks are going to have to wait a little bit longer for the sequel to BioWare's virtuoso performance. Originally scheduled for a late September release, NwN 2 is now being pushed back a month, to late October - although no official release date is yet confirmed by Atari.

Touting great improvements to both the single and multiplayer experiences as well as 50-60 estimated hours of playthrough time, a small delay shouldn't come as any surprise. Besides, it will serve to give all you really hardcore nerds that much more time to finish the storylines and encounter charts for your digital magnum opus. Sharpen those #2's and get cracking!]]> Wed, 19 Jul 2006 07:47:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/eve_online_chinese_beta_launches http://www.gamebump.com/go/eve_online_chinese_beta_launches http://www.gamebump.com/go/eve_online_chinese_beta_launches# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. It was written by Philip Palmer.

CCP Games has reported record breaking results for the launch of its popular space MMO, EVE Online, in its newest country, China. An amazing 30,000 users were reported to be playing at once, with nearly 200,000 registered on the first day of open beta. The Chinese version is run by Optic Communications, and is independant of its sister gameworld of the original EVE Online release.

“It was quite amazing to see the population of EVE China exceed the population of Iceland in the second day of open Beta testing,” said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games. “EVE China has been an exciting collaboration project and continues to be so, as we continue to refine the experience to accommodate for the steep growth rate of both our English and Chinese worlds.”

While the original launch of the game took place in 2003, several expansions have hit shelves in the last few years, the next in line being The Path of Kali, forecasted to release sometime this year.]]> Thu, 15 Jun 2006 14:40:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/duke_nukem_forever_rears_its_head http://www.gamebump.com/go/duke_nukem_forever_rears_its_head http://www.gamebump.com/go/duke_nukem_forever_rears_its_head# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.The original author is Nate Francis.

For those of you who appreciate a little T&A with your H&K, word has leaked out that Take-Two Interactive seems to be pressing for a 2006 release of the long-awaited Duke Nukem Forever. From a filing placed with the Securities and Echange Commission last week, the astute reader will note:

In March 2005, the Company renegotiated a $6,000 contingent obligation due upon delivery of the final PC version of Duke Nukem Forever through the payment of $4,250 and issuance of a promissory note in the principal amount of $500. The payment of the promissory note is contingent upon the commercial release of such product prior to December 31, 2006.

It's anyone's guess as to whether this kind of incentive will succeed in finally pushing this near-vaporware title out in 2006; how encouraged will 3D Realms really be about a 'bonus' after losing thirty percent of the original contract value? Numbers on a securities filing usually don't lie, though; Duke fans can take heart in knowing that the latest (and possibly last) offering may finally be on the radar.]]> Mon, 12 Jun 2006 13:50:00 -0500 Shiva Stella http://www.gamebump.com/go/eq2_fallen_dynasty_trailer http://www.gamebump.com/go/eq2_fallen_dynasty_trailer http://www.gamebump.com/go/eq2_fallen_dynasty_trailer# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

]]> Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:18:00 -0500 Shiva Stella http://www.gamebump.com/go/_curt_schilling_goes_evil_with_soe_for_charity http://www.gamebump.com/go/_curt_schilling_goes_evil_with_soe_for_charity http://www.gamebump.com/go/_curt_schilling_goes_evil_with_soe_for_charity# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

Echoes of Faydwer is the third expansion pack for EverQuest II, and introduces a new playable race, The Fae.  An enchanted race of winged creatures, the Fae dwell on the continent of Faydwer, in the arboreal city of Kelethin, the new starting city being added to this latest chapter in the EQII saga.  Echoes of Faydwer includes over 350 new quests, a new selection of profession hats, cloaks, armor, and new horse mounts available to players of all levels.  EQII players will encounter over 40 new types of creatures to face, more than 20 new zones and adventure areas, and will be able to compete against other players for new PvP (Player vs. Player) rewards, plus all-new items, equipment, spells and tradeskill recipes.  The Achievement system introduced in the Kingdom of Sky expansion has been enhanced to include additional sub-class abilities, allowing players to further customize their characters' abilities.

Developed in conjunction with SOE's Taiwan studio, The Fallen Dynasty Adventure Pack promises to deliver the same downloadable story-rich content seen in the previously released The Bloodline Chronicles and The Splitpaw Saga, but this time with Asian influenced adventure zones, weapons, tradeskill rewards, as well as all new quests. The Fallen Dynasty introduces EQII players to a mysterious city shrouded in secrets and once ruled by a powerful entity.  The Whistling Fist, an ancient order of monks, guard its veiled past, but seek adventurers brave enough to explore the mysteries of this forgotten civilization.

• New playable race - The Fae
• New starting location - Kelethin
• Over 350 all-new quests
• Content and zones available for players of all levels (1 - 70)
• Cloaks that can be worn by your player character 
• All-new Profession Hats and Armor
• Over 20 new adventure zones
• Over 40 new types of creatures
• New rewards for PvP (Player vs. Player) combat
• New player housing, items, equipment, spells and tradeskill recipes
• Levels for Guilds raised from 50 to 60

• Heroic and epic encounters available for players of level 55-70
• All-new weapons and items with a unique look and flair
• All-new quests and storylines
• Seven unique adventure areas
• Asian-influenced style and design
• Available via digital download only
• Station Access players with EQII will receive as part of their subscription

A full unveiling is expected at this years E3 in May. Be sure to bookmark Gaming Horizon for all your E3 needs.

"As we approach the seventh anniversary of EverQuest, players will be delighted with the variety of new features they will encounter in EverQuest Prophecy of Ro," said Chris Sturr, Sr. Brand Manager, Sony Online Entertainment. "EverQuest Prophecy of Ro continues the innovation of the world of Norrath with new features such as all-new player set traps, spheres of influence and destructible objects while advancing the fascinating story of EverQuest with the introduction of 30 new missions across seven new zones and a brand new Freeport."

The new expansion can be purchased and downloaded directly through the game or via the Station store at www.station.sony.com. ]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:48:00 -0600 Tim Grube http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_everquest_2_kingdom_of_sky_screenshots http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_everquest_2_kingdom_of_sky_screenshots http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_everquest_2_kingdom_of_sky_screenshots# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor.

Check out these first screenshots of EverQuest 2: Kingdom Of Sky for the PC. The expansion is due out on February 21.

]]> Fri, 06 Jan 2006 17:14:00 -0600 Tim Grube http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_burnout_revenge_3601 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_burnout_revenge_3601 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_burnout_revenge_3601# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

At the annual CES show here in Las Vegas, Electronic Arts and Dolby had a great surprise for us when we entered the Dolby booth. Once entering the booth, you’ll see various stations showing off many of the fantastic surround sound speakers that Dolby manufactures. Well, positioned on the far left is a station with an Xbox 360 featuring Burnout Revenge. This is the very first showing of the game and it seems to be shaping up quite well.

The demo features two levels and about a dozen vehicles to crash your way through the course. To say right off the bat, the graphical improvement from the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions is just jaw-dropping. You can tell Electronic Arts redid all of the textures and made them much sexier especially on an HDTV. One thing that also made a difference was the fact that the game was running at 720p widescreen and Dolby 5.1.

If you have played Burnout in the past, you should know all about the time change and burnout explosions. Well, going 150mph down the track and hitting a wall will result in a rich clear explosion that will blow you away. Unlike past versions, the draw distances are much better here. You can actually see much farther into the distance and have an idea on where the next turn is.

Throughout all the courses there are many opportunities for you to jump into several sub sections which will cut off a little bit of your time. For example, you could hit your nitrous and drive up on an angle plane then fly into the air where you will crash through a building, making you end up on the other side. This is something that isn’t new, but the level of detail and experience on the 360 makes you feel like you’re really there.

One thing that I did notice was the fact there isn’t much traffic on the roads to hinder your performance in the race. If there is, you could still do the traffic checking which enables you to hit the back bumper of an opponent’s vehicle and push him aside. Sliding around corners and hitting the crash-breaker button is what Burnout is all about.

Overall, Electronic Arts is doing an exceptional job here. I’m looking forward to the final product and also checking out what the online component has to offer.]]> Fri, 06 Jan 2006 13:06:09 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_gauntlet_seven_sorrows_xbox http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_gauntlet_seven_sorrows_xbox http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_gauntlet_seven_sorrows_xbox# This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Eric Dayday.

The universally known Warrior, Valkyrie, Elf, and Wizard make another trip through hoards of enemies in the new Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows. Choosing one of the four, you’ll take him or her along with up to three other players through a number of different stages to defeat the titular seven sorrows left behind by the emperor that betrayed them. The four player co-op action is a blast and the game’s main draw, unfortunately, the rest of it is a snooze-fest.

The four player co-op play is obviously Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows’ greatest strength and selling point. There is nothing more fun than hacking through swarms of ogres and shielded knights with three of your buddies, though be warned that the “co-op” part is a bit of misnomer. Though you are fighting as one unit you’ll be competing with each other for gold to purchase new moves as well as enemies to slaughter to gain experience. Of course, if you’re a series vet, this is not new to any of you and in fact is par for the course. Expect tons of trash talk to occur amongst your teammates, especially when one dies because the others stole all the food, and then refuse to hike back to a regeneration point to revive the fallen one. I shared plenty of laughs with my friends doing that.

If, however, you can’t physically collect three other able bodies to join you on your quest to vanquish the emperor’s seven sorrows, you could always hop onto Xbox Live. Here you can jump into a quick game, create your own, or hook up with a cross country buddy – you know the usual Live stuff.

The ease of which this game allows for co-op is refreshing. You can join in (or leave the game) at any time you wish. Even better is if you’re intent on sticking to one character every time you play either by yourself or with a group, you can load them up at any time as well. Though I’m warning you now that if you’re playing with other lower level characters, you’ll notice how much stronger you are than them and may anger them by stealing quite a bit of their precious experience and gold.

Unfortunately, the novelty of having four players beat up on every thing that moves gets old very quickly because the game itself cannot sustain the fun for very long.

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows can be summed up in one word – boring. Each level consists of destroying generators to keep enemies from spawning as you make your way from point A to point B. There may be some obstacles like puzzles involving switches or activating crystals that get in your way, but for the most part, it’s mindless monotonous button mashing to get from the beginning of the stage to the purple warp point that marks its end. The stages are rather lengthy though, so there’s a positive, but the environments look bland and lifeless thus making the trip through them all a drag.

The differences between the four characters are miniscule. They play in almost the same fashion which eliminates any kind of replayability by going through the game again as another character. Yes the Elf is a tad faster than the others, the Warrior a little stronger, but other than that and the different animations, they play the same. They all have close-up melee attacks, crowd clearing moves, and ranged attacks. Some of the moves you buy are also the same. For example, one combo with the Wizard invokes a large forward moving pillar of fire - a fitting move for a magic user. I buy another move for the Warrior and lo and behold it’s the same exact attack as the Wizard. Come on, at least give the characters something that differentiates them from the teammates besides the aesthetics.

Speaking of buying new moves and gaining experience, in the larger picture, this is quite useless as well. You really only need about 600 gold to buy the moves you really need. Once you have those, you can just spam the moves over and over again to get the job done on any difficulty. And the leveling up thing doesn’t feel like it makes any difference - at first. When you play on higher difficulties, wisely distributing the one stat point you get at each level up amongst damage, mana regeneration, and health will play a significant part in how well you can survive in the up coming levels.

However, I’ve found that finding the golden boxes that upgrade your weapons and armor (five upgrades each for a total of ten) makes more of a difference than the bonus points do. But, again, this is when starting out. If you’re on a multiple playthrough, the points will add up.

With all this talk about the multiplayer aspect of the game, I forgot to mention how the single-player portion of the game is like. Quite frankly, if the multiplayer game can get boring after about a level or two, single-player gets boring almost as soon as you start. There’s little enjoyment to be had fighting off wave after wave of baddies. And, unlike the Dynasty Warriors franchise - another mindless brawler – the levels don’t have any engrossing or changing goals like capturing a base, defeating an enemy general, or leading an escape. And the characters are devoid of any kind of personality, which is another reason why the monotony of the DW series is easier to swallow than this pill.

The technical side of the game really doesn’t do much to redeem itself as well. I mentioned the bland environments already, and unfortunately the characters don’t pop out either. This is a huge problem when playing a multiplayer game as it is very easy to lose sight of your player. It would’ve been nice had there been some player marker at the avatar’s feet. That option is in there, but only when there are two similar characters (e.g. two Warriors, two Valkyries, etc.) to help distinguish between them. Other than that, it’s hard enough trying to keep track of oneself when the screen is flooded with loads of peons.

The audio isn’t anything to write home about. The soundtrack isn’t bad, but isn’t memorable either. The character voices are sufficient but get tiresome since they repeat the same line or grunt every time a certain combo is performed or whenever one of them takes a hit. At least the disembodied voice that announces when one of you needs health or is about to die is helpful.

If it weren’t for the enjoyment you get from playing with the people you’ve gathered around you or hopping online to meet up with other Live users, this would be a game that I’d recommend you stay far away from considering its repetitive mindless gameplay and rather lackluster presentation. However, there are some hours to be had here even if the rest of the game isn’t up to par. Unfortunately, that fun will last only a handful of hours and barely more than two or three sittings. The Gauntlet series is a classic and was one of the first of its kind to encourage cooperative but at times competitive gameplay, but Seven Sorrows falls way short of moving the franchise into the modern era.

Mindless, repetitive button mashing to kill droves of enemies gets boring fast. Co-op saves it.

Nothing spectacular and losing sight of your character on-screen is frustrating.

Forgettable soundtrack; repetitive voices grate on your ears after a while.

4-player co-op is a blast, but only for so long.

Four difficulty settings, RPG leveling can’t overcome the monotony and short quest length.

]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2006 22:59:00 -0600 Tim Grube http://www.gamebump.com/go/gauntlet_seven_sorrows_ships_to_stores http://www.gamebump.com/go/gauntlet_seven_sorrows_ships_to_stores http://www.gamebump.com/go/gauntlet_seven_sorrows_ships_to_stores# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

"The Gauntlet franchise has been making gamers’ thumbs blister and ache for years with its 4 player co-op and intense hack-n-slash combat, and Seven Sorrows absolutely takes the addictive core gameplay to the next level," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. " While staying true to the franchise’s roots, Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows also features a deeper gameplay mechanic that allows player progression, all-new combos and attacks, and for the first time ever, takes it all online."

Look for a full review soon on Gaming Horizon.

 ]]> Mon, 12 Dec 2005 13:20:00 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/rose_online_goes_live http://www.gamebump.com/go/rose_online_goes_live http://www.gamebump.com/go/rose_online_goes_live# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.The original author is Matthew Call.

The R.O.S.E. Online official site has announced that the game is now available for public download and that the game’s official servers are live.  New users will be given a 7 day free trial upon registering and downloading the game.  Players who were in the beta are also able to transfer their accounts over to the official game.  Happy hunting! ]]> Sat, 03 Dec 2005 03:21:00 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_rose_online_rush_on_seven_episodes_pc http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_rose_online_rush_on_seven_episodes_pc http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_rose_online_rush_on_seven_episodes_pc# This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Matthew Call.

R.O.S.E. Online, which stands for Rush On Seven Episodes, is a new MMORPG which will soon hit the market in North America. Currently the game is in an open beta phase, which means that anyone who wants to can register for and download the game for free. The game is being developed by Korean developer Gravity, the maker of Ragnarok Online. It's important to note that this review covers the European version of the game, and was conducted on ROSE's European server.

The storyline of ROSE centers on a war between two gods. Arua, the goddess of Good, created seven worlds which were good, happy places until Hebarn, god of Evil, took control of the seventh world and caused everything to go amok. Players are thrust into the middle of this conflict and must restore order to the seven worlds.

The star feature of ROSE is the graphics engine. The visuals have an anime look to them, which is distinctly unique to the genre. Cartoony visuals are nothing new to MMORPGs, but anime style cartoon graphics are unique. The graphics are certainly the game’s most appealing feature, as they greatly enhance the atmosphere of the game and help to slightly make up for its shortcomings in other areas.

Since the game features seven worlds, players are also able to travel between the worlds; each is quite large and features a unique set of environments and enemies. This enables players to have a large amount of freedom and leaves much to be explored within the game. If players tire of an area it is relatively simple to travel to a new world and get a fresh start.

The party system in ROSE is also slightly different than in other MMORPGs. In ROSE the number of players allowed in the party is determined by the level of the players in the party. The higher the level, the more players are allowed in the party. This encourages small groups in the beginning but opens up the possibility of huge groups later in the game. The guild system enables large numbers of players to group together and even attempt to take over entire worlds. When a guild owns a world, it gets a cut of all financial transactions that take place on that world, creating a massive cash flow for the guild. While this is innovative, the developers will need to ensure this feature doesn’t lead to price gouging in the game.

Last but not least of the good features is the style. While I’ve already mentioned the unique graphics in the game, they’re only part of the overall experience. The characters in are, for lack of a better word, cute. Also the game doesn’t limit itself to medieval-type weapons and equipment. In addition to the typical staff or sword, players can also use guns and other hi tech equipment like dune buggies. Controlling a sword-wielding, buggy-riding cute anime character as he (or she) drives around the world is an entertaining experience.

While ROSE’s look is unique, that is unfortunately about all that sets it apart from other MMORPGs on the market today. ROSE’s greatest weak spot is the lack of a well developed storyline. There is little in the game that gives the player a reason to feel motivated to play it. Quests are few and far between and are usually of the “kill-seven-enemies-of-this-type” variety. There often is not a reason to kill the monsters, other than the fact that the game said the player should. This means that instead of feeling like part of a greater story, players often resort to power-leveling and exploration for their gaming.

The game’s combat system also needs some work. Combat is simply point and click, then sit back and watch. Until the player reaches level 10 he only has one attack to choose from and watching the same combat animation over and over again for ten levels gets tiring. The enemies also leave a little to be desired. Some of the first enemies the player encounters are giant jellybeans. It’s one thing to be wasted by a cute little bunny rabbit or something, but a jellybean? That’s just embarrassing.

The sound in the game is neither good nor bad. There is little to set it apart from other MMORPGs and the music repeats often enough that it becomes annoying after a while. The combat sounds are decent, but could use more variety and power behind them.

Last of all, the character creation feels a little flat. There are only four character classes to choose from: soldier, muse (magic user), hawk (ranger), and a dealer. Each class has a few different looks to choose from, but the only real customization options the player gets to use control the character’s hair, gender and face. This leads to several players using the same or very similar models in the game.

ROSE is a decent MMORPG, especially since it is in beta and currently available free of charge. The anime look makes the game worth checking out for fans of anime RPGs and sets it apart in what is now a crowded genre. Unfortunately the game is not groundbreaking, and players can easily feel disconnected as there is not much of an overall storyline. The game is still in beta, so there is a chance that the developers will fix many of its flaws before its official launch in North America. If you like anime ROSE may be worth checking out, however there are plenty of other MMORPGs out there that offer a more engaging and entertaining experience. If you'd like to try the game out for yourself, feel free to give it at go by clicking here.
 

Not very original and the game needs some kind of engaging storyline.

Not state of the art, but the anime style is impressive.

Decent, but nothing that really stands out. Music repeats too often.

It is an MMORPG, so much of the fun comes in grouping with other players.

There is always more to see or do, and players will make friends with other players online.

]]> Fri, 04 Nov 2005 10:07:00 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_tim_burtons_the_nightmare_before_christmas_oogies_revenge_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_tim_burtons_the_nightmare_before_christmas_oogies_revenge_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_tim_burtons_the_nightmare_before_christmas_oogies_revenge_ps2# This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Brian Mohr.

In 1993, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas came to theatres. Twelve years later, Capcom has followed up on the movie by coming out with a partial sequel for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. The game looks and sounds great, like another version of the innovative movie, but as far as a translation to games, The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge doesn’t completely make the cut.

In this game, players take on the role of our hero Jack Skellington one year after the events of the movie. Jack must not only save his love, Sally, but he also has to reclaim Halloweentown from Oogie and stop him from taking other holidays like Easter and Christmas.

The first thing you’ll notice in the game is that Nightmare stays close to its roots from the movie. This is wonderful as it really puts you in the environment with all the characters you’ll recognize. Some of the actual storylines from the movie were continued in the game and others were developed by Capcom, but either way they fit the game well.

This point directly reflects the graphics which are solid as Jack, Sally, Oogie, Lock, Shock and Barrel all look great. They actually move well too, although Jack doesn’t move very fast in battles. The actual environments suit the game too, but are pretty limited as to where you can go and don’t they have a lot of depth to them. Also the other enemy minions you’ll mostly battle throughout the game are quite generic.

Besides keeping with the storyline, the music and voice-acting is wonderful in Nightmare. Capcom brought back all the voice actors to make the experience authentic and it really does show. The music is also well done as Danny Elfman was involved in the project and helped in 10 songs for the game including new and memorable classics from the film. Sadly, music like “This is Halloween,” and quotes like “Soul Robber,” are way too repetitive and become irritating after a bit.

As for the actual game, Oogie’s Revenge has Jack using a weapon in his action battles called the Soul Robber. The weapon is pretty good and works well as you can hit, grab and slam enemies. The Soul Robber is also handy for swinging across ravines and grappling walls amongst other things. Another nice advantage of the weapon is that it sucks souls from the dead which allows you to accumulate unlockable rewards like art, cut-scenes and more. The controls for the weapon are simple and intuitive. One other wonderful feature in relation to Jack and weapons is that our hero can change and acquire new skills when he becomes Pumpkin King Jack or Santa Jack.

Finally, the game features a great boss fighting situation as the enemies sing to you while you battle it out. You can either fight the old-fashioned way by hacking and slashing or push specific button patterns to defeat the bosses through the power of rhythm. Although this battle sequence is a delightful change from other titles, every boss in Nightmare fights the same way so the novelty wears off.

The most noticeable problem with Oogie’s Revenge is the camera angles. In every area, the camera is locked into one specific location and you walk around - this doesn’t put you in the action at all. This is a very old technique in games and found in PlayStation One and early PlayStation 2 games; it’s surprising that this far into a gaming cycle Capcom is still going back to the olden days.

Another key problem is that the fighting action is very repetitive as you are constantly hitting and slamming generic enemies with the Soul Robber. A problem that correlates to this is that Nightmare has you constantly backtracking in the game to continue your quest as well. Many times characters will have you search out an item and then it is up to you to go back into previous levels to get it and fight the same enemies over and over again. Once you retrieve the item, you have to make your way back to where you were in the first place. This gets especially frustrating and tiresome over the 25 levels.

Finally, the game has some puzzle problems and doesn’t really give you any guidance on what to do or where to go. Occasionally you’ll have doors that are locked or webbed and you have to figure out without any guidance how to open them. They aren’t the most difficult, but you’ll find yourself wasting time for no apparent reason. This problem combined with the camera and a terrible map that doesn’t mark anything causes frustration for gamers.

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge is an interesting action game even if it’s 12 years too late as it looks and sounds great, following in the movie’s style. The game features fun and innovative boss fights and your Soul Robber weapon is nice too. Those elements are solid, but Capcom didn’t perfect key aspects of the game including the terrible camera angles and repetitive fighting that causes the game to be irritating. Nightmare is decent and works well, but in the end has obvious drastic faults. The question now becomes will it be another 12 years until we see The Corpse Bride come to the consoles?

The controls are simple, the game moves slow. Lots of backtracking.The camera angles are bad.

The game looks and feels just like the movie with attractive characters and average environment

Original film’s cast and Danny Elfman give magnificent performances. Some bits are repetitive.

Tedious and repetitive fighting gets tiresome, but boss fights are fun and innovative.

25 levels, new abilities, and other unlockables, but once you beat the game that’s it.

]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:01:00 -0600 Shiva Stella http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_sly_3_honor_among_thieves_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_sly_3_honor_among_thieves_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_sly_3_honor_among_thieves_ps2# This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves is Sucker Punch’s third installment in its successful cell-shaded platformer series, Sly Cooper, on the PlayStation 2. The game marks the return of Sly and his gang after the final trouble with Clockwork, and sets the stage for additional members and fresh, varying gameplay styles. While not a lot was drastically changed, the overall product feels as though Sly has finally come of age, abandoning some of its extremely childlike, boring, and overly simplified content that, while functional in its predecessors, really kept the series from moving forward. If you’ve ever played a Sly Cooper game before and found it lacking, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.

Sly 3 begins with the typical storyline introduction presented in the series’ famous comic-book style. The game opens with only two available characters – Sly, everyone’s favorite agile raccoon, and Bentley, the outfit’s brains in a shell. Murray, the big pink hippo, has fled the scene to embark upon a spiritual quest after Bentley’s accident in the Clockwork episode that landed him in a wheelchair. Shortly after, Sly and Bentley determine that if they ever want to get inside the Cooper family vault, which is now guarded by a madman and a deadly fortress, they need to find Murray and work on extending the gang, inviting world-class thieves to help break in and share in the Cooper loot. Of course, such specialized talent isn’t going to join automatically, and so the gang travels from locale to locale, aiming to impress enough candidates with varying abilities. It’s not the usual Sly Cooper plot setting, but that’s a good thing.

With the scene set, the player guides Sly’s gang across the globe in search of thieves, even encountering old enemies. Each episode is compacted into three days, such that the day one is spent gathering information/figuring out a plan, day 2 attempting the plan, and day 3 completing an entirely different plan due to the unforeseen difficulties experienced in day 2. What’s refreshing is that that’s as truly linear as it gets; every location gives gamers a different, more unique goal and hence different ways to go about hitting the mark. For example, in the second episode the initial aim is to free Murray’s spiritual guide from evil miners who have taken over land in Australia; this changes to finally running the miners out and destroying a corrupt mask. In another episode the gang has to convince an old nemesis to leave behind his days of zen and return to the thieving crowd, but this potential ally won’t budge until Sly rescues his daughter from a forced marriage. In yet another episode, perhaps the largest one yet, Sly’s got to retrieve old loot in a pirate town for another enemy, and players will sail the seven seas, engage in naval battles, and search for buried treasure.

And this is one key to the game’s success – it presents varied goals and varied ways of meeting them. In Sly 2, fans well remember the content formula: steal something as Sly, explode something as Bentley, and smash something as Murray. This same formula was encountered about a hundred times, and no matter what an episode’s goal (usually to defeat this or that bad guy), there was only one way to get there – steal, explode, and smash. Having opportunistic photo shoots, while interesting, didn’t add much to the content. Fortunately Sucker Punch has taken two large steps to combat this problem, and the first is that they’ve modified the objectives to keep everything enlivened. Gamers engage in aerial dog-fights, feed foes to giant animals, levitate objects for platform fun, blow up vampires with fireworks, compete in a pirate cursing battle, sneak around in disguises, and tackle bosses in style, thanks to uniquely presented boss fights that all have a little trick to them and should spruce things up.

Sucker Punch then went a step further and, finally taking the franchise’s criticisms to heart, integrated the gameplay. Yes you can steal, explode, and smash, but with the inclusion of new characters you can also possess baddies, pilot RC vehicles, go for a swim, and target multiple enemies at once for a lovely fireworks display, and you can do all this extra stuff by having characters work together. No longer does a particular job involve just one character; in one mission Murray’s desperately trying to bring the gang’s original van back to camp, but he can’t do it alone. One character has to drag it to shore while another has to cover Murray’s back as he pulls it to camp. This kind of integration makes the game much more fun and interesting, and presents a believable plot.

Some other additions were nicely made. While Sly’s in disguise, gamers have to input a password if caught by patrolling guards. There are also some intriguing dialogue-only scenarios in which gamers have to choose correct responses that prompt the other character to do something. Bentley’s grapple-cam is a great inclusion that isn’t just a neat trick or way to distract guards – it’s actually used in real missions, like leading the blind back to base, or Carmelita to the scene of the crime. Another fun addition is Sly’s safe-cracking talent, which gamers use to crack special safes; you simply turn the analog stick in one direction, wait for a vibration, and then turn it in the other direction until the safe pops open. Bentley’s hacking magic is back, with shielded opponents, and Bentley is also quite talented at locating important codes hidden in artwork. Players can still steal loot off guards and purchase power-ups through thief net if they’re so inclined, and some of these power-ups are utilized in missions. Add these goodies to the integrated gameplay and abilities of new characters and you’ll see why Sly 3 is a definite step up from its predecessors.

The game’s graphical quality is of the same level that you experienced in Sly 2, which was of the same level that you experienced in Sly 1. It’s cell-shaded, very cartoon-like, has a fun comic-book style to it, and some flash during combat maneuvers. The lighting isn’t as much of a problem as it was in Sly 2, and environments look as detailed as you’d expect. Sly 3 won’t win any graphical awards, but it features the intricate environments and playfully designed characters that fans love. The musical score is quite entertaining and befitting of each locale, and even has an Indiana Jones feel to it at times. Voiceacting, which the franchise has always done marginally well at, is again presented adequately in Sly’s latest adventure, although Carmelita’s voice has changed once more. All characters in Sly 3 have believable voiceovers and unique character traits, which adds to the game’s great presentation. All the other ambient noises – picking up coins, hooking onto rocks, jumping from platform to platform – are intact and suffice.

For more replay value, Sucker Punch added a co-op and versus mode for those who really enjoy soaring through the levels. It won’t keep you coming back for more, but it’s entertaining.

As always, even with the improved character integration, Sly does have his drawbacks. The game is quite short and simplified, aiming for children as its target audience, but isn’t nearly as easy as its predecessors and comes with more adult dialogue. Experienced players will fly through it, though, making it much too short and lessening the replay value, despite the inclusion of co-op and versus play, which most gamers won’t even give a second glance.

The character depth that was seriously lacking in Sly 2, as when Sly was betrayed and displayed absolutely no emotion toward the betrayal whatsoever, is much more present in Sly 3, although I’d like to see more of it. Idly stopping to portray one character’s inner thoughts here, and then an hour later another character’s inner thoughts there, doesn’t beat consistent character depth.

As noticed in the preview build, Sly old friend, Lag, is back, and he makes himself known at almost random intervals. Sometimes lag pops up when there are three bad guys on-screen, and other times, when you’ve got eight and you’re blowing stuff up, it’s not present at all. You’ll experience some minor lag even while sneaking around to snatch loot off guards, and that’s without any fast-paced action on-screen at all – you’ve got a guard, the environment, Sly, and a flashlight beam. Now someone tell me how one guard and one character naturally equates to lag?

One thing I must say about Sly 3, in comparison to Sly 2, is that while better, the content is starting to get outdated. Hopefully Sly’s PlayStation 3 endeavor (and I’m assuming there is one) will revolutionize the series and lead it more toward the adult market. The game currently walks a tightrope between adult content (with more mature themes and integrated gameplay) and child content (with still simplified gameplay and characters that never shut up). At the very least, Sucker Punch should pick one audience and go for it entirely.

And finally, characters talk too damn much, the 3D gimmick hurts my eyes, and the glasses make me look stupid. Don’t bother picking up Sly 3 for the 3D, because just like Jaws 3D, it’s not worth it.

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves is a big improvement from its predecessors, with added character integration, varying objectives, new playable allies, a touch more emotion, and larger environments. Now if Sucker Punch could upgrade the visuals, grant us some real character depth, spare us the obvious dialogue (tap the square button to do this, then hit R1 to do this), and add online play, we’d have a much better winner. As it stands, don’t bother with Sly 3 if it’s the 3D alone that’s interesting you, because that portion (which is thankfully optional) will just hurt your head. Pick up the game if you’re a fan, or if you’re looking to fulfill a craving for platform action, but rent first if you’re leery of simplified gameplay and poor replay value. It’s just that easy.

Not as big a leap as Sly 2, but more enjoyable. Still easy, though.

Getting a tad outdated, but good visuals and nice cell-shading.

Like the musical score and adequate voiceovers.

A lot more fun thanks to more refreshing gameplay.

You’ll like it enough to finish, but you won’t go back. Co-op/versus exists.

]]> Wed, 12 Oct 2005 13:01:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_burnout_revenge_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_burnout_revenge_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_burnout_revenge_ps2# This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by John Godfrey.

You've just released a game that's praised by critics and fans alike across the board, hailed for breathing an invigorating new breath into the at-times stale genre of the arcade racer, what do you do next? If you're anything like Criterion, you develop a sequel that tops its predecessor, followed by another... and another, each tweaking and enhancing the formula for the must-have arcade racer until it's all but perfect, which the release of Burnout 3: Takedown, the crown jewel of the franchise, managed to achieve. Now that you've got a virtually perfect arcade racer on your hands, you ask the same question again: what do you do next? Criterion's answer is Burnout: Revenge, the ambitious new title which will attempt to do what previous games in the series have and kick it up a notch.



The basic concept of the Burnout series is incredibly simple: risk equals reward. Which means speeding into oncoming traffic fills your "boost meter" (read: nitro), slamming opponents or traffic off the road gains you cash, and detonating your once multi-million dollar exotic car into a heap of scrap metal via a "crash breaker" in the middle of a busy intersection during rush hour gives you a spot on the rich list that would make Donald Trump blush.

Such is the premise of Burnout; race, destroy, get rewarded, and all at blindingly fast speeds resulting in frequent crashes of your own vehicle and others; rendered with a hot plate full of painstaking realism from the physics of the actual crash animations to the detail of the pieces flying off of your car, scratches on the paint, cracks in the windshield, unhinged doors and after-market parts, with a heaping helping of dazzling spark effects as garnishing.

To start off, the single player game known as World Tour sends you globe trotting through 169 different events. Each event features one of a few different race modes, some of which have been in previous Burnout games and a few new additions: there's race, in which you try to place first against AI opponents; eliminator, where the vehicle trailing the pack gets cut every 30 seconds until the winner is left on the road; road rage, the fan favorite in which you smash a never-ending barrage of opponents out of the race with takedown maneuvers; traffic attack, a new addition wherein you must barrel through traffic destroying as much as fast as possible before the timer runs out, the more you destroy the more the timer refills; burning lap, where you try to beat the best time for a certain course; and crash, where you set out to destroy as much dollars worth of traffic as you can by launching into a crowded street. The better your perform on each level, the better the medal you score and the higher your completion percent gets, unlocking more.

Visually, Burnout Revenge appears quite similar to Burnout 3 Ð and believe me, that ain't bad. The textures are crisp and varied in the environments, and the range of effects interacting with them further enhance the look. On levels with a low-lying sun, the sunlight reflects off the ground ahead of you with almost the same intensity as the sun in the sky, creating a dazzling shimmering effect that could be a driving hazard if you don't pay enough attention. Sides of buildings facing the sun glow from the sunlight and wash out the texture a little but, much like reality. The high-polished bodies of the cars create some excellent reflections and sharp looking highlights from surrounding light sources. After effects like a shaking camera and blurred vision when you reach top speeds enhance the sense of speed, and the sparks flying from every collision makes for sweet eye candy.

Once again, these cars are not licensed, but many are very closely "inspired" by the real thing,  while others are too cool for school, the caliber of what you'd expect at something like the Detroit Auto Show. And speaking of Detroit, the locations are also inspired by real cities, including Detroit, dubbed "Motor City." Miami, Rome, Los Angeles and Tokyo are some of the other locations. The realism of the tracks are increased by a bit more gritty details this time around, and more branching areas and short cuts to either get a head up on the competition or wind up at the back of the pack, depending if you can handle some the turns or obstacles in some of the hidden paths.

The sound is once again used extremely effectively to simulate that overwhelming sense of speed and danger that can only be experienced when barreling down a busy highway in the wrong direction at top speed. As you pick up speed the sound of the wind pelting your car and flying by gets louder and louder, you hear your engine at a high pitch whine, the sounds of other cars and distractions street-side quickly come and go as fast as you pass them, the rattling of all the parts of the car straining to stay together in such extreme conditions, and in an instant it all culminates in a satisfying smash as you collide with a pillar or cross-traffic and left with the twinkling sound of glass landing on the concrete.

The music has definitely been improved. With Burnout 3's soundtrack line up was pretty much comprised solely of alterna-rockers, punk, crying emo kids, and a few rock classics, Revenge broadens its predecessor's narrow sonic range with the addition of some high-tempo electronic tracks to the rock foray. Artists include Fall Out Boy, Junkie XL, MxPx, Thrice, The Chemical Brothers, The All-American Rejects, Timo Maas,Yellowcard and over 2 dozen more which round out a soundtrack of roughly 40 tracks worthy enough to road rage with.

Online play was a fun diversion in Burnout 3, but like the majority of titles that don't have a huge cult online following, it was sometimes hard to pop in the game and have some online competition at any moment. Revenge's online mode will give you that competition that you may of been starting to miss in Burnout 3's later months, and breathes some new life into the experience with the single player game's new modes.



Though the addition of new modes and features have always been a great thing in the Burnout series, continually evolving the franchise further and further, the major addition of Burnout: Revenge, the traffic check, is somewhat of a mixed bag. The traffic attack mode which was crafted solely around this new feature is fun at first, rear-ending cars and sending them flying across the road, trying to accumulate as much damage as possible when you start slowing down on the damage tally the clock starts to run out, only to be replenished by creating more havoc, until you reach the highest quota to get the gold medal or run out of time; whichever comes first. The first time I played traffic attack the novelty wore off after about a minute; it's simply too easy to just ram traffic, and after reaching triple the amount of damage for a gold medal I ended up just putting the control down for the time to run out because it simply wasn't challenging enough to fail at. Later traffic check levels are a bit more challenging but I don't think there's enough there to merit a whole mode of gameplay, as whenever traffic check is next on the World Tour event list it's more often than not greeted with a sigh.

What's a bigger issue in my opinion, however, is when traffic checking is implemented into the core gameplay of all modes. It used to be such a rush to weave between traffic squeezing between narrow openings between cars, nearly crashing into the rear of a slow Sunday driver, or having that sigh of relief when you've just nudged a car in front of you instead of completely colliding with it. Now that you can check all traffic that's traveling in the same direction as you, it kind of kills the thrill of racing with traffic on the street. How fun would an action game be if all the enemies were deaf and always had their back turned to you? The Burnout series definitely lost a little something with the inclusion of traffic check, though it's not a total loss if you learn to use it in new strategies against enemies, checking traffic into opponent cars and so forth.

With the street racing videogame market booming and expanding with new games wherever you look, one feature seems to be consistent in most of the better titles: the ability to modify your car with after-market parts, custom decals, and so on. It doesn't really add that much to gameplay, but it's a cool feature nonetheless that boosts the fun factor considerably for creative gamers. Even games that aren't strictly racing, like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas feature such customization, so it's a shame the latest incarnation of Burnout's only offering of customization is a handful of pre-selected colors per car model.

Thankfully Criterion heard my prayers and got rid of the radio DJ announcing each new area or event like a skateboarding vert competion; in his place is a female voice who gives a tutorial at the beginning of some levels on topics such as bonus pickups, after touch, takedowns, etc. This is informative, but not to-the-point enough. Veterans to the Burnout series will be hearing a lot of what they already know and will be tempted to skip the whole intro to the level, when there's usually a gem or two of new information that pertains to brand new features that they don't want to miss. A quick, wham, bam, just the facts ma'am approach would have been more of my cup of tea instead of this, which slows things down between some early levels.

Finally, getting online can be a major drag. I'd like to be able to start an online game just as fast as I start a single player game, much like how things are done on the PC. So far nothing on the PS2 throws you into the game quite as fast as you experience on the PC, verifying DNAS data and the like, but Burnout: Revenge can take especially long for some reason, and the various connection screens can last for almost four minutes at times. I'm not sure if this is a problem on my end, but Revenge is the only title that takes this long on my PS2. A fast login experience is undoubtedly a determining factor of how often people decide to play online and populate the rooms, and this isn't helping.



All in all, if you're a fan of Burnout 3, you're going to want to check out what Burnout: Revenge has to offer. It's the same tried and tested gameplay with some cool new cars and levels, and a few new features that may or may not be your cup of tea. Some people may find the ability to check traffic a great new addition, but Burnout purists will more than likely see it as taking an edge off the thrill of all those near-misses and traffic weaving that added so much tension to the earlier games. Burnout 3 will, for now, be the pinnacle of the Burnout series in my opinion, but Revenge is still an absolutely solid grade-A title that's worth your time and coin.

Feels like Burnout with the traditional mayhem for money and dazzling graphics.

Absolutely beautiful as usual for the series, excellent textures and lighting effects.

The audio really makes you feel like your going 120mph on your couch. Great soundtrack.

You can never get tired of battling opponent cars and traffic, the more destruction the merrier

A slew of medals to compete for and unlockables, and an online mode.

]]> Fri, 30 Sep 2005 14:48:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_burnout_revenge_xbox1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_burnout_revenge_xbox1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_burnout_revenge_xbox1# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Eric Dayday.

One thing you can always count on when a Star Wars movie comes out is lots and lots of movie tie-ins. Advertisements, toys, and of course videogames flood the market, all trying to make a few bucks by cashing in on the Star Wars name. Some of the products are good, while others, particularly the Episode I, II, and III videogames are generally pretty bad. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith for the Nintendo DS falls squarely into the “bad” category, primarily because it’s little more than a mildly enhanced version of a lousy GBA game.



Revenge of the Sith closely follows the movie’s plot, which as you most likely know follows the fall of the Jedi, and the downward spiral of Anakin Skywalker as he becomes Darth Vader. There’s no voiceacting to speak of, and the entire story is told through cutscenes. These don’t follow the film verbatim, but there are some quotes and quips straight from it. You can play as either Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi, each of which has his own path through the game. The game consists of 29 levels, 8 of which take place in spacecraft and are exclusive to the DS version. The rest are side-scrolling action affairs, each taking place in a location from the movie. A few of these overlap for each character, but each person also has his own unique levels, which in theory encourages you to play twice.

Combat is simple, but there are some combos and skill development aspects thrown in to make the game deeper. Hidden in every level are power ups that, when used in conjunction with skillful play (doing more than mashing buttons), result in new moves and improved skills being awarded. The amount that characters can be customized isn’t deep by any means, but it’s better than nothing.

Unique to the DS version of Revenge of the Sith are 3D space combat levels that can be played in both single and multiplayer mode. Similar to the old Wing Commander or Tie Fighter games, you’ll pilot your craft amongst asteroids and space junk while trying to take out enemy fighters. These levels are interesting and from a technical standpoint are very well done. They can be a bit challenging, however, which may frustrate people that bought the game for the fighting and not for the flying. Multiplayer is solid, but it’s something that not many people will play and begs the question of why wasn’t time spent making the rest of the game better instead of tacking on extra game modes.

There aren’t a whole lot of great things to say about the visuals, other than they are colorful and the fighting animation is well done. For 2D sprites, the sheer number of attacks that Anakin and Obi-Wan have is impressive. There are basic stabs and swipes, as well as some behind-the-back moves and an impressive upward stroke that’s particularly vicious looking.

A wonderful soundtrack is a given with any Star Wars game. John Williams’ score is faithfully reproduced, and is one of the best things the game has going for it.



Revenge of the Sith’s biggest problem is that it’s the latest game for a Nintendo handheld to cash in on a movie license with tired, played out side-scrolling action. Fighting endless waves of bad guys, enduring countless cheap laser blasts to the back, hitting walls and boxes looking for powerups… this type of game was played out ten years ago. It’s mildly entertaining for a while, but the level design is uninteresting and the combat is painfully repetitive, making the game get old quickly. Flying and dog fighting in outer space is much better than fighting on the ground, though repeatedly flying into unseen asteroids can be very annoying.

 It’s interesting how the Jedi can perform a wide array of moves, and even use the force to knock over enemies, but for some reason, they can’t jump and swing their lightsabers. The developers must have run out of time to program that into the game.

The graphics are no better than a Super Nintendo game, and it doesn’t appear like the game was spruced up in any way for its conversion from the GBA to the DS. There are no extra effects, animations, or any other ways in which the 2D action was improved. When Nintendo says that the DS isn’t a successor to the Game Boy, I don’t think they had “port average movie game” on their list of ways to back that statement up.



If you’re one of the people that keeps buying licensed movie games for the GBA and DS, there’s nothing that can be said in this review to stop you – you’re going to do it regardless. The side-scrolling portion is dreadfully boring, the flying levels are pretty cool, but to charge $40 for what is a mildly enhanced GBA game is pitiful.

Didn’t I play this game in 1992?

Didn’t games look like this in 1992?

John Williams always contributes an awesome score.

Flying levels = good. Rest of game = Zzzzzzzz

If you’re crazy enough to pay $40, you’re crazy enough to play it twice.

]]> Sun, 29 May 2005 15:02:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_myst_iv_revelation_xbox http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_myst_iv_revelation_xbox http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_myst_iv_revelation_xbox# This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Eric Dayday.

Simple, but the puzzles are great – most of the time.

The backgrounds are beautiful, but the fact that they can hinder puzzle solving is crippling.

Not all that memorable, but fits the moods and themes of the story.

If your idea of fun involves head-scratching puzzles, you’ll love this.

Every playthrough could be different, but there isn’t any incentive for repeat playings.

]]> Fri, 29 Apr 2005 15:39:00 -0500 Aaron Dunlap http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_sly_3_honor_among_thieves_ps22 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_sly_3_honor_among_thieves_ps22 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_sly_3_honor_among_thieves_ps22# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.