The Energon Pub

Write a review, but, please, unless you're doing a rebuttal, or a review for a different system, don't review the same game twice.

Here's one to kick it off:

Grabbed Gundam SEED: Never Ending Tomorrow, only because I didn't have enough for Leader Class Prime. (Prime was $40, and that's exactly what I had, but I didn't have enough for sales tax.)

The game is good, very much so, but I've been spoiled by Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam's simplicity. Like the lock-on is done by L1 for manual lock, L2 is for auto-lock. Rather than circle being for universal lock, which is what I'm used to.

But there's a few bad points:

1. The camera doesn't like looking up or down too long, and you're generally preoccupied with the X button to get a hold of R3. This can make it difficult to tell where other enemies are.

2. For Zero-G missions, you use R1 to ascend and R2 to descend. Quite frankly, this is a pain in the ass.

3. Collision detection is a bit off. I got hit by a beam, even though it just barely missed. This time, I'll pass it off as being side-swiped. (Which, in anime, is just slightly less horrible then actually getting hit by the beam) Next time, I might not be so accepting.

4. The difficulty (Which is partially based on the above) is insane. Yes, I know you're play as and against people who are better at fighting, decision making, etc. than you. (Coordinators) But I'd like to actually PASS a mission.

And a few good points:

1. Graphics are INSANE! Mobile Suits exploding are much nicer than in GvsZG. And the FMV's are excellent. Speaking of which...

2. It has actual cutscenes, which puts it a step above GvsZG.

3. Action is very stylized, and, dare I say, "Pretty."

Super Paper Mario (Wii)

Mario is the big name in gaming, no doubt about it. With this stardom, Nintendo has room to experiment with Mario. The Wii's example of this is Super Paper Mario.

What is it? Is it a platformer, or an RPG, or action-adventure? Whatever it is, Super Paper Mario is great. The game plays like a regular 2D Mario game, except with some differences:

-"Pixl" fairies that follow you around and give you new powers, such as Boomer who lets you make bombs.

-The paper art style.

-Multiple characters to switch between.

-RPG elements such as leveling up and item collection.

-2D and 3D gameplay.

Naturally, 2D-3D is the big thing here. Unlocked in the first level, the flip action can let you change the 2D world into a 3D one when playing as Mario. This leads to some of the biggest puzzles the Marioverse has ever seen. For example, there's a huge chasm in 1-1. How do you cross? Well, flip to 3D and that hill in the background turns out to be a bridge. This is the most basic example, and the system is used heavily throughout the whole game.

The game is loads of fun to play through, but there are some minor bad points:

-Switching between characters just to flip gets inconvenient.

-A whole lot of reading. Most NPC's never shut up.

-3D landscapes look much more basic and boring than 3D ones.

But these are minor flaws in such a great game.

Overall Score:
9 out of 10 (AWESOME)

My Review of Rumble Roses XX in glorious Pros & Cons format!

Since I've spent considerable time with this game, I thought I'd lay out it's strengths and weaknesses as I see them. Here goes:

Pros:
Excellent detailed graphics and lighting effects.
The goofy "tongue-in cheek" style is well done, and it never gets too goofy for it's own good.
Characters control quite well, and have a feeling of substance that comes across nicely, especially in strikes and throws.
A greater variety of match modes than the PS2 original; Tag Team, Queen's Match, and Battle Royals are quite well implimented.
CAW mode is a welcome addition, albeit a bit limited.
Double X moves and special weapon-based Lethal Moves.
4-Way Battle Royals are pure insane fun.
The voice work is, for the most part, well done with a nice variety of new taunts and insults.
Good selection of unlockables.

Cons:
Random fights are a bit of a drag, making the game feel repetitive.
Quite time consuming if you wish to unlock everything.
The game almost requires the player to have played the PS2 original; to unlock certain things, one must understand the relationships and rivalries between certain girls (Ex: Aisha and Dixie) making it more difficult on series newcomers.
Counters seem more difficult to pull off consistantly than in the first game.
Frequent Loading screens.
Mud Matches are M.I.A.

The Verdict: A good, solid wrestling title that isn't without it's flaws. It's vast strides from the PS2 game, most notably in the 360's graphics muscle, but it's issues keep it from being truly great. Playable, and in it's own way addictive, and good groundwork for the next game in the series.

Score (out of 10): 7.5