Crazed Over "Psycho's"
(Xbox, PS2; $49.99; Rated T for cartoon violence, crude humor, language; www.psychonauts.com)
(five stars)
This title comes from the brilliant mind of Tim Schafer who does to pixels, what Tim Burton does to celluloid- sweeping original stories that ooze creativity and uniqueness out of every poor. Like Burton, Schafer is a master in his field, bringing us critical successes like “Full Throttle,” “Day of the Tentacle,” and “Grim Fandango.”
Schafer’s latest work, “Psychonauts,” is a worthy addition to his past successes, and manages to combine colorful characters, an inventive storyline, and a full injection of laugh-out-loud humor. This game does everything correctly, and its amazing that it almost never got released (Microsoft dumped it as a first-party exclusive, and was homeless until Majesco picked it up.)
Players are behind the rose-colored goggles of Raz, a young boy who runs away from the circus and sneaks into Whispering Rock Summer Camp. But rather than archery, canoeing, and beaded keychain crafts, Raz learns to harness the powers of telekinesis, pyrokenesis, levitation and other psychic powers. Whispering Rock is a training ground for would-be Psychonauts- secret agents who hi-jack the minds of evil-doers everywhere.
Of course, this is still summer camp, so in addition to Raz’s newfound abilities, he’ll still have to deal with camp bullies and a summer romance, all while uncovering the mystery of who is stealing brains from the campers to further his own dastardly plan.
The creative storyline is complimented by its surreal look and feel. All of the characters in “Psychonauts” have their own distinct personality and look which make them feel like well-rounded characters in a narrative, rather than extra bodies in a video game. Eavesdropping on conversing campers or listening to the booming announcements over the camp loudspeaker provides a deliciously witty ambiance to feel as though the player has been transported to another world.
Camp is, however, only one environment Raz will explore. Each mind that Raz jumps into is its own unique landscape, reflecting the personality of the person that owns it. Sasha Nein’s logical and scientific mind appears with black and white minimalist settings, while a wannabe socialite Milla Vodello’s mind is a multileveled, psychedelic party. Each mind comes with its own figments of the imagination, mental baggage, and cobwebs which can be collected to upgrade your psychic abilities and earn new patches- this is camp, afterall.
The whacked-out landscape of characters and environments leaves the game wide open for hilarity. When Raz inhabits the mind of a lung-fish, the inhabitants see Raz as a 50 foot tall monstrosity with goggles. One of them tells Raz where he can find his “girlfriend.” Raz replies “Well I don’t know if you’d consider her my girlfriend, I mean we just met;” to which the inhabitant replies “I only meant that she is a girl, who also happens to be your friend, Goggelor.” Its wit that and humor that you can’t help but chuckle at.
Rarely is a game so rich in content and character that I desperately want to see it translated to film- “Psychonauts” fits the bill perfectly. If Tinseltown takes notice, it would only be fitting for Burton to direct, a collaboration between the Tims would be a match made in heck of a surreal heaven.
A must-have for any gamer who truly appreciates the art of game development.
Friday, July 8, 2005
Pac Pix- Review
Pollack-Meets-Pac
(Nintendo DS; $29.99; Rated E; www.namco.com)
(three stars)
The Pac’s back, but now with a much more Picasso feel.
“Pac Pix” utilizes the DS’s touch screen capabilities by challenging players to draw the classic icon using a stylus and complete the numerous stages of puzzles where Pac Man will do what he does best: eats up some rambunctious ghosts.
Drawing Pac is as simple as starting with the wedge for the mouth and circling around. A successful interpretation will spring the drawing to life with the familiar “waka-waka-waka” sound of old. But don’t worry about being too exact, whatever drawn shape that is even somewhat close to Pac Man will suffice- which is to say that there will be a lot of mutant Pac’s drawn in an effort to beat the clock and move onto the next stage.
Guiding The Yellow One is as easy as drawing lines on the screen to bounce him in other directions. The larger Pac Man is drawn, the slower he moves, so when time is of the essence, small gobblers are the way to go. Players can also draw multiple Pac Men to and juggle between them to keep them all on screen.
And that’s about it…
Sure there are some other challenges, like drawing bombs, or drawing arrows to shoot targets on the DS’s top screen, but that’s about where the inventiveness stops. “Pac Pix,” although a neat new twist on the Pac Man history, is nothing that is going to have you playing for hours like the original arcade of old. In fact, you may put it down after the first 25 minutes- all the stages look alike, and there’s no real variety anywhere in the game.
For the right audience (read: very young), this is a game that is distracting enough to buy parents some quiet time on road trips, but I’d advise picking this up for anyone over nine or ten, it’s one-trick pony idea, just is not going to hold older audiences attention for long.
Neat concept, original use of an industry icon, but ultimately unfulfilling. This time, the ghosts’ win.
(Nintendo DS; $29.99; Rated E; www.namco.com)
(three stars)
The Pac’s back, but now with a much more Picasso feel.
“Pac Pix” utilizes the DS’s touch screen capabilities by challenging players to draw the classic icon using a stylus and complete the numerous stages of puzzles where Pac Man will do what he does best: eats up some rambunctious ghosts.
Drawing Pac is as simple as starting with the wedge for the mouth and circling around. A successful interpretation will spring the drawing to life with the familiar “waka-waka-waka” sound of old. But don’t worry about being too exact, whatever drawn shape that is even somewhat close to Pac Man will suffice- which is to say that there will be a lot of mutant Pac’s drawn in an effort to beat the clock and move onto the next stage.
Guiding The Yellow One is as easy as drawing lines on the screen to bounce him in other directions. The larger Pac Man is drawn, the slower he moves, so when time is of the essence, small gobblers are the way to go. Players can also draw multiple Pac Men to and juggle between them to keep them all on screen.
And that’s about it…
Sure there are some other challenges, like drawing bombs, or drawing arrows to shoot targets on the DS’s top screen, but that’s about where the inventiveness stops. “Pac Pix,” although a neat new twist on the Pac Man history, is nothing that is going to have you playing for hours like the original arcade of old. In fact, you may put it down after the first 25 minutes- all the stages look alike, and there’s no real variety anywhere in the game.
For the right audience (read: very young), this is a game that is distracting enough to buy parents some quiet time on road trips, but I’d advise picking this up for anyone over nine or ten, it’s one-trick pony idea, just is not going to hold older audiences attention for long.
Neat concept, original use of an industry icon, but ultimately unfulfilling. This time, the ghosts’ win.
Kirby Canvas Curse- Review
(Nintendo DS; $34.99; Rated E; www.nintendo.com)
(four stars)
Kirby, the androgynous pink ball, has always been a little too pre-school for me. Good for the younger crowd, not so much for the hard-core gamers. So it was with great reservation that I reviewed “Canvas Curse.” With more stars, rainbows, and pink than the Barbie aisle at Toys R Us, I was preparing for the worst.
Much to my thanks, I was very, very wrong- this is a great game.
“Canvas Curse” is probably the first game for the Nintendo DS that actually shows us the true possibility in the DS’s quirky design for making a unique playing experience. Players control Kirby by using only the stylus- guiding him through a traditional 2-D platform adventure which involves fighting enemies, collecting coins, and challenging end-level bosses.
Though a platformer for Kirby is nothing new, it’s the interaction that makes this game fresh and fun. Players have “ink” with which to draw pathways to lead Kirby over enemies and up to hidden levels. The ink is limited, but recharges over time- meaning that a skilled player can guide Kirby over all danger, collect all extras, and get to the exit without ever touching the ground. The ink is also used to change Kirby’s direction, as well as provide shields and other barriers in between him and enemy projectiles.
If you’re more of an aggressive type of pink blob, you can face enemies head on by striking them with the stylus, and then running over them with Kirby. Some enemies have powers which Kirby can absorb, which become especially useful in the boss battles.
The action is fast and smooth, the soundtrack is good, and the stylus control is fun to play around with. Unlike so many of the games that have been released on the DS which feel like (or are) direct ports of older games, or ideas that feel rushed to production, “Canvas Curse” is the first game that shows audiences, both young and old, the uniqueness and originality of the DS hardware.
(four stars)
Kirby, the androgynous pink ball, has always been a little too pre-school for me. Good for the younger crowd, not so much for the hard-core gamers. So it was with great reservation that I reviewed “Canvas Curse.” With more stars, rainbows, and pink than the Barbie aisle at Toys R Us, I was preparing for the worst.
Much to my thanks, I was very, very wrong- this is a great game.
“Canvas Curse” is probably the first game for the Nintendo DS that actually shows us the true possibility in the DS’s quirky design for making a unique playing experience. Players control Kirby by using only the stylus- guiding him through a traditional 2-D platform adventure which involves fighting enemies, collecting coins, and challenging end-level bosses.
Though a platformer for Kirby is nothing new, it’s the interaction that makes this game fresh and fun. Players have “ink” with which to draw pathways to lead Kirby over enemies and up to hidden levels. The ink is limited, but recharges over time- meaning that a skilled player can guide Kirby over all danger, collect all extras, and get to the exit without ever touching the ground. The ink is also used to change Kirby’s direction, as well as provide shields and other barriers in between him and enemy projectiles.
If you’re more of an aggressive type of pink blob, you can face enemies head on by striking them with the stylus, and then running over them with Kirby. Some enemies have powers which Kirby can absorb, which become especially useful in the boss battles.
The action is fast and smooth, the soundtrack is good, and the stylus control is fun to play around with. Unlike so many of the games that have been released on the DS which feel like (or are) direct ports of older games, or ideas that feel rushed to production, “Canvas Curse” is the first game that shows audiences, both young and old, the uniqueness and originality of the DS hardware.
Smart Bomb- Review
This One's Gonna Blow!
(Sony PSP; $39.99; Rated E10+ for violence; http://www.eidos.com/)
(one and a half stars)
Puzzle-based games are a good fit for the portable market. Their quick to get into, easy to get out from, addictive format are great for those who have only a few moments to spare. Plus, they transcend gender an age- which is why games like “Tetris” or “Bejeweled” are so popular.
“Smart Bomb,” however does not fit this mold.
It’s a puzzle-based game, sure. Players, under the guise of an agent from the “Bomb Disposal Unit” proceed through the storyline attempting to track down a mad bomber, while diffusing the explosives he plants along the way. Each bomb/level has a series of puzzles that must be solved in the limited time, or else it’s kaboom!
The story mode adds no environment to the game and only serves as a vehicle to connect puzzles. It’s worsened by the fact that loading sub-par cutscenes slows down a game that should be able to jump into.
The puzzles themselves are uninspired and are variations on classic puzzles we’ve seen before. Whether it’s a Simon-like matching puzzle or connecting gears in order to activate a cranking mechanism, most of them are less than intriguing and there is just not enough variety to keep my interest.
The biggest criminal of “Smart Bomb” is it’s the excruciating time limit in the story mode which, in combination with horribly unforgiving controls, makes solving the puzzles an effort in frustration. Truly, this is a race against the clock, but not in any exciting way- in more of a “I’m going to hurl my PSP through a window because I have to keep replaying the same level” way.
I’d recommend it for hardcore puzzle fanatics, but you’ve played this game already in one form or another. Ultimately, this “Bomb” is a dud.
(Sony PSP; $39.99; Rated E10+ for violence; http://www.eidos.com/)
(one and a half stars)
Puzzle-based games are a good fit for the portable market. Their quick to get into, easy to get out from, addictive format are great for those who have only a few moments to spare. Plus, they transcend gender an age- which is why games like “Tetris” or “Bejeweled” are so popular.
“Smart Bomb,” however does not fit this mold.
It’s a puzzle-based game, sure. Players, under the guise of an agent from the “Bomb Disposal Unit” proceed through the storyline attempting to track down a mad bomber, while diffusing the explosives he plants along the way. Each bomb/level has a series of puzzles that must be solved in the limited time, or else it’s kaboom!
The story mode adds no environment to the game and only serves as a vehicle to connect puzzles. It’s worsened by the fact that loading sub-par cutscenes slows down a game that should be able to jump into.
The puzzles themselves are uninspired and are variations on classic puzzles we’ve seen before. Whether it’s a Simon-like matching puzzle or connecting gears in order to activate a cranking mechanism, most of them are less than intriguing and there is just not enough variety to keep my interest.
The biggest criminal of “Smart Bomb” is it’s the excruciating time limit in the story mode which, in combination with horribly unforgiving controls, makes solving the puzzles an effort in frustration. Truly, this is a race against the clock, but not in any exciting way- in more of a “I’m going to hurl my PSP through a window because I have to keep replaying the same level” way.
I’d recommend it for hardcore puzzle fanatics, but you’ve played this game already in one form or another. Ultimately, this “Bomb” is a dud.
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