Happy New 360 Year..haha

Happy New Year Everyone!! Sorry for the late wish since this blog are very lacking in update! The reason is because I been very lazy, very very lazy to update it.

Anyway, I just got a new console, XBOX 360!!!!!!! Haha, so happy already now. I never plan to get it this fast also and still thinking about waiting it somemore. But after so many poison I get from people around me, I can't tahan and end up go get it. Actually not only people poisoning me to get it but also there is one game, one game that also make me go get the original Xbox last time. The game called.....DEAD OR ALIVE. Haha, eyup this game has done it again on me. Get Xbox 360 just to play this game. But enough with all this mumbling - lets start with the review of the console itself. This is my first time do a review on console.

Xbox 360 Review by me of course..hehe

So..the sequel of the Xbox..


Hardware: 8/10

The hardware for the Xbox 360 is good but as with all other systems it has its pros and cons. Some pros are first that it has good graphical capabilities. Some launch games have amazing graphics, and Microsoft said those games aren't even utilizing 20% of the 360's graphical power! Project Gotham Racing 3 has amazing realistic graphics already. Imagine it using 100% of the 360's power. Another pro is that there are many convenient accessories. Like the controllers. You can choose a wired controller which can be used on a 360 and a PC as well. Or the wireless controllers which can charge and play at the same time (if you buy an accessory that allows you to). You also have a remote that can access Windows Media Center and play DVDs as well as control many of the 360's functions. A third plus to the 360 is the way it's built makes many things easy. It allows wireless controllers with little fuss. It allows easy connection to the internet. It doesn't overheat easily (if you followed the directions). With the official remote you can access and control it with a click of a button. Another big thing is the harddrive. It can be removed so now you can carry your stuff over to someone else's 360 without the hassle and limited space of a memory card! The hardrive also has a whopping 20 gigs. The 360 also has its cons. One major one is that if the 360 moves, even an inch while a disc is in there, the disc WILL get scratched. That gets annoying and can also throw $60 down the drain. Another con is that it doesn't allow full BC of Xbox games and forces the developer of a game to create an emulator for their game if they wish for it to be BC. Another con is that it uses the same old fashioned disc format. That means many games may have multiple discs to play.

Controller: 10/10

The controller for the 360 is great. It's a size that's not too big, not too small. The buttons are conveniently placed and the controller has good grip. There's also a selection of wireless or wires. The Wireless can be charged and played at the same time by plugging the Play and Charge kit in one of the 360's USB ports or even a computer's. The Wired controller can be plugged in to a computer and used as a controller. The controller is very convenient and easy to use.

Graphics: 10/10

I'm not a very big graphics whore so I think the graphics of Xbox are fine. But when I saw some games for the 360, I was blown away. I saw a picture comparing Project Gotham Racing with the real life scene. The scene was made in almost exact detail. At first I couldn't even tell which one was the real life picture! Graphics on the 360 has amazing potential and can add greatly onto your gaming experience. Though I don't care too much about graphics, nice graphics is always a plus for me.

Games: 9/10

The 360 right now has a small library of games. But it still has great games such as Dead or Alive 4, Call of Duty 2, Perfect Dark Zero, Condemned: Criminal Origins and some others. The 360 now has even a wider variety of games coming to it, even Japanese RPGs. There is one Japanese RPG released for Xbox and two that were never made. Japanese RPGs coming to the 360 this early in its stage is promising. The Xbox was known also for some dominating action games such as the Halo series and Ninja Gaiden series. Both are exclusive to Xbox and both will make a return on the 360. Games have a large potential on the 360.

Online: 10/10

The online on Xbox is perfect. It works with a system called Xbox Live Silver and Xbox Live Gold. The Silver is free; Gold is not. On Silver you can chat, look at stuff and also download content for your game or the 360. Which lead to something else. The Marketplace. It's a place where you can download many things such as game content, demos, trailers, misc. objects and much more. There's also the Arcade where you can download games for points. These points can be purchased off of Xbox Live or in a card. You can also earn them through game achievements. Xbox Live Gold is where this feature shines. You can play multiplayer games online through this. Xbox Live Gold is organized, easy to connect to and fun. It also supports a headset so that you can chat while playing. Without online, the Xbox would have died long ago. Xbox Live Gold also supports custom music. Using Gold, you can play with 32+ players over the internet. Xbox Live takes "fun" to the next level.

Overall: 9/10

Definitely a good buy. It's early release also means a bigger library of games than the Revolution or the PS3. It can do MANY things from play games to watch DVDs to stream music from an iPod. It has great games, great graphics, good hardware and a good controller. It's capabilities aren't even at a fifth at the maximum capacity. The Xbox 360 has a very promising future. I suggest you buy one unless you plan to get a Revolution or a PS3. Buy all if you're rich enough. I know I will later.

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And now for Xbox 360 games review.

So far, I know own two games for 360 - Dead or Alive 4 and Perfect Dark Zero

We start with Dead or Alive 4 first.

Dead or Alive 4 Review - 9/10

Graphics: 9/10

The graphics are pretty good, the enviornments are photorealistic but the problems are constant clipping and overly smooth character models. First of all, there is next to no clipping with the first of the costumes (there are roughly 5-9 per character), so there are really no problems with that. The problem however comes during grappling, as most of the costumes will go right through you and your opponent. The other problem is that the skin is to smooth, there are few games that can avoid this however, but with a new generation of technology, the plastic look is fairly dissapointing.

Gameplay: 10/10

Throw escapes, counter holds, enviornmental interaction, full 8-way run, it's all here. If you played the old DOAs, it will seem a tad simillar for the first two hours or so, but then the combined impact of all of the changes will finally hit you. The biggest is holds that are harder to pull off and do less damage, but don't let that make you think that they are useless, holds can still stop large combos, do more damage than a strike to a dangerzone. Next would most likely be increased enviornmental interaction, now animals will attack you and you can kick people over fallen branches, benches etc. without them going down a tier. One of the best examples of this would have to be the Vegas level where cars will come careening down the road and can hit you and your opponent high in to the air and can even be dodged with a wwll timed hold. One dissapointment however is that the menu screens look no different than DOA2U and most of the modes are the same (movie theatre from DOA3 has been added), even the online modes are the same. What has changed however with the online modes is an even greater degree of polish. You will no longer start lagging as soon as someone with a bad connection enters, only when they play (don't worry, you should be fine with at least an average DSL connection). There are a host of other improvements as well, there are a total of 45 achievments, most of which is through online play.

Online play is really the biggest improvement when it comes to mechanics of the modes. It still has the same excellent ranking system as DOAU and has the same handicapped and streak system, but the improvements come from things like Zack Dollars (which allow you to buy new costumes and avatars for the lobby). Some improvements are small though, such as the lobby system which has you walking around where you can do gestures like a laugh and watch whatever match is going on on the television.

For those unfamiliar with the system, you obtain a new rank for every 500 ranking points you get (C, C+ then B- etc.), you get bonuses for beating someone with a higher rank than you and getting a winning streak. When you get in the game from the lobby, you watch the match going on, talking about it waiting for your turn. The modes are winner-only (classic arcade style, the winner is a champion that stays for the next match), Kumite (the champion stays, win or lose), Survival (choose your character, jump in to fight with half defense the champion who is fighting an endless wave of opponents, the one who KOs the champion becomes the new one), loser-stays (the loser will stay as the champion), team battle (everyone will join one of two teams and when one is KOed the next jumps in until everyone on one team is unconcious) and tag battle (you tag the next person to fight, and you can even continue combos when you are tagged).

At its core DOA4 is a one on one fighter, where you exchange blows, counters and throws until one falls unconcious. Where DOA innovates are counter holds, when an opponent uses a punch or kicking move, you can grab hold of it and reverse the attack on the opponent. There is now a 4-point counter system as opposed to DOA3's 3-point system. You now have to press forward and free to counter a mid-kick. Holds also do much less damage and you have a smaller frame of time for countering. Where balances this is that an opponent can't do a rising attack when knocked down (which avoids holding on rising attacks repeatadly and a countered opponent from opening a combo as a reward for the mistake).

Another place where DOA4 excels are its characters. You can chose an entire 16 to start with (Kasumi, Ayane, Christie, Hitomi (My Favourite DOA Girl), Hayabusa, Hayate, Elliot, La Mariposa, Kokoro, Bass, Tina, Brad Wong, Zack, Bayman, Jan Lee and Leifang) and from there you can unlock Helena, Ein, Gen Fu, Leon, Tengu and Spartan-458. This makes for a grand total of 22 characters, quite an impressive amount. The characters are also very balances, sure the faster characters are easier to master, but any character can be formidable in the right hands.

Overall, this is the best, fastest, most solid feeling DOA yet.

Sounds: 7/10

The sounds are all right, the voice acting is good even if there is no English language option. Fans will recognize old tunes from DOA and even one from Halo (played in a level ripped right out of the Cairo Station level in Halo 2). Also, for better or worse, Team Ninja's trademark Aerosmith licensing is back. This is a fairly average sounding game, the voice acting is excellent, but excluding the Halo theme song, none are that memorable.

Replay Value: 10/10

There are 3 diffuculty levels (normal, hard and very hard), many characters (some with over 100 moves), and the online mode is excellent and very addictive.

Balance: 9/10

The characters are almost perfectly balanced, but the faster characters are harder to master.

Story: 8/10
Impressive when it comes to fighting games, after Ayane destroyed Genra, Helena somehow won and took her place as DOATEC's head and decides to set things right after Victor Donavan created his final project, Alpha-152. It is told through breathtaking CG cutscenes. It's a pretty good story, but great for a fighter.

Overall: 9/10

It's not perfect, but it's close. DOA4 is the fastest, most intense fighter out there and a good buy.

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Perfect Dark Zero Review - 9/10

I am a new fan to the Perfect Dark series since I never own a Nintendo 64 before.

Graphics: 10/10

This game is an excellent demonstration of the potential of the Xbox 360 graphics. Every little bit of detail is filled in and the result is amazing. As amazing as anyone could have hoped for on the Xbox 360.

Gameplay: 9/10

This is game can be compared to other FPS games very easily. It makes excellent use of the dual analog sticks. I love the fact how the developers integrated rolling and taking cover into the game. The cover makes some of the brutal fire-fights in this game more bearable. No lock on here people. In this game you must aim yourself. This also attributes to the rarity of achieving a head shot. The way the enemies die is very addicting because of how dramatically they die.

Controls: 9/10

This game makes excellent use of the Xbox 360 controllers. The controls are very easy to get used to. The weapon change system is very slick and all the controls are evenly spaced and very slick.

Campaign: 9/10

This game has a very interesting campaign that lets two people play at once. It also incorporates teamwork because the players may have to team up to turn on a switch or reach the evac. point. The mode of the mission varies deeply because some missions requires stealth while others may need you to go in guns blazing.

Multiplayer: 8/10

The mutiplayer is very good and the AI is very developed. There are many different gameplay elements that can be incorporated. There is capture the flag and killcount ect. The multiplayer is what you would expect from your average FPS game. Xbox live multiplayer is very fun with a small lag. This is where the darkopps games come into play. The games that require teamwork are the best.

This game is the best game of the launch line up and everyone who has an Xbox 360 should play this game. With solid gameplay this is an example of what we should come to expect from the Xbox 360 in the future.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

It's that time of the year again for us to celebrate Christmas. The wonderful and colorful time of the year. I been wonder around some of the KL popular shopping mall to see how they decorate their place, since after all I really love christmas decoration and the christmas song to especially 'Silent Night'..hehe. Anyway..here are some of the picture I took with my phone..so the quality not that good..sorry about that.

I got some review for my NDS games that I just got it lately. Currently I been addicted to NDS Animal Crossing Wild World. Actually I already addicted with the NGC version of this game last time, and now the NDS version come out and once again addicted to it and even more worst this time its portable and I can play it wherever and whenever I WANT! hehe. Here my review of two of my new NDS games.

Animal Crossing Wild World - 10/10

This game, as some will remember, existed on the N64, however we never heard much of it. It was later brought to the GameCube. Nintendo has decided to transfer it to the DS, and the transition was smooth and the game is as fun and enjoyable as ever..addicting too!

Gameplay: 10/10

The basis of AC, as with any game, is in the gameplay. However, with this game, gameplay is significantly more important than in some others. In Animal Crossing, you are dumped in town, damn near flat broke, looking for a new home. Luckily for you, the kindly town shopkeeper-Raccoon, Tom Nook is there to lend a hand. He helps get you on your feet, and the rest is up to you. You can talk and interact with your villagers, who live in town with you, on a daily basis. All of the villagers have a different personality which you can see develop as you talk to them more and more You can also go fishing, bug hunting, and fossil digging, all of which were present in the original, as well as design star constellations, for fun star-gazing at night. The bugs, fish, and fossils are all acceptable donations to the museum, although also a fine source of income to help cover the mortgage that raccoon dumped on you. You can also buy furniture and other fun nick-nacks for your house

Sound: 10/10

Clear, crisp, and enjoyable. You can set a "Town Tune", which plays whenever you talk to someone, and depending on who you talk to, the way the tune sounds is different, and it sounds really nice. There's also faint background music which helps to set that peaceful, "in the middle of nowhere" mood. Just love when animal talks..their mumbling so cute.

Graphics: 10/10

Almost as good as the GCN's, which is impressive for a hand-held. All of the brightly-colored animals and their equally as colorful clothing all stand out in this game.

Controls: 10/10

Considering the few buttons of the DS, it's pretty hard to screw this up. You have a menu button, a basic action button, a button to run, and one to open up your item screen. This game isn't really about speed, so you never really need to do these things in a hurry, so it's never too awkward.

Final Thoughts

If you were a fan of this game in it's GCN version, or enjoy a slower-paced simulation game, you should totally pick this up. You enjoy it's virtually limitless replay value.

Mario & Luigi 2: Partners in Time 8/10

While this is certainly a good game, and is probably the best RPG on the DS so far, it lacks some of the things that made the original great.

STORY: 7/10 This is one of the weakest points of the entire game. All of the humor in the original game, from the hilarious animations and fantastic dialogue make a triumphant return. New enemies and characters are all reasonably interesting. The problem is is that there isn't enough of it. The game is terribly short, decent players will finish under 17 hours. The quest it self is way too linear, it's almost like Half Life 2 in RPG form. While in the original game you could explore on your own in the Bean Bean Kingdom, this game has you following a distinct path that is made obvious to the player. Very disappointing.

GAMEPLAY: 9/10 The gameplay in this game is stunning. In Mario's past RPG adventures, attack damage and player damage were based on the skill of the player. Until this game was released, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga had created the best iteration of it. Now that same system is improved tenfold. Although it is true that Bros. Moves are no longer available, the Bros. Items that replace them are much better. There are many more moves this time around.

Out of battle, there are plenty of puzzles to conquer. No longer is it necessary to switch brothers when performing different moves. The inclusion of two more characters make the moves more unique, you'll find yourself in many forms from ball form to mole form. There are a lot more puzzles this time around. A large problem from the previous game is also solved, you will no longer need Luigi's super jump to reach every single platform.

The meat of this game is the many dungeon and dungeon-type areas Mario and company must conquer. These dungeons are reasonably long, which would be great if it wasn't necessary to complete them one after another. It's best to take breaks between them to enjoy them fully.

GRAPHICS: 8/10 Looks exactly like its predecessor. The graphics are pretty nice, and fit the style well. Animations are fantastic in this game. I think it would have been better to see some more 3-D things implemented.

SOUND: 8/10 The battle music is forgettable. It's uninteresting and the second worst part of this game. That being said, everything else is great. You'll hear a lot of themes from past games, as well as new ones that sound decent. The sound effects work well with the animations, and sometimes they're amazingly hilarious. Hearing Mario say "Babies!" makes my day.

PROS:
-Battle system is near perfect, much better than last time
-Higher difficulty than the last one
-Great dialogue and humor
-Fantastic animations
-Bros. Items add variety
-Good usage of top and bottom screen
-Great puzzles

CONS:
-Battle music is forgettable
-The game is short
-The quest is way too linear with no exploration
-No DS functionality (Touch Screen, Mic, Wi-fi)
-No Mario Bros. game inclusion

FINAL SCORE: 8/10

Some catching up!

I really need some catching up to do with my blog. With all these lack of updates and all. I don't know if I been busy or just plain lazy!

OK, I'm going to start off with this update with some review of the game which I bought over this month. Mainly games for NDS this month.

Mario Kart
As some of you know, this is the first online DS game. I think that's awesome. And so is this game. Let start..

STORY --/--

Racing game. Irrelevant. Uhh... some racers race and the top three get Gold/Silver/Bronze trophies. Like in every Mario Kart game.

GAMEPLAY: 9/10

Not only is the game fun period, it's fun to play! The buttons are very responsive, and there are lots of different things to do. For example, there are a lot of different levels. There are levels for everything. There's even a level that's like a giant pinball level! That's a fun one. There's items and stuff too. Very fun. Also, online, there's little to no lag at all! And it's easy to play, too. All you need is any kind of router. And even if you don't have one, if you live near a hotspot, you can play anyway!
Soon, I heard that Nintendo will put in voice chat. If that's true, it'll be even better! I hope it is, because I want to talk to people when I'm playing.

GRAPHICS: 10/10

This game also has very clear graphics. When I was going to get it, I feared that the graphics would suck, because honestly, I was never too big on portable racing game graphics. But this is amazing! The colors and stuff wow! The map on the bottom actually helps, too, unlike on GBA, where it doesn't show you anything until it's about to hit you. And the faces are actually like faces, not just circles with various colored parts. Very nice. The stages have nice depth perception, too.

SOUND: 9/10

Besides some "retro" levels, this game also has some of the music from choice levels from SNES, N64, GCN, and GBA. I always did like the music for Yoshi Circuit on Gamecube, and now I can listen to it while beating people online! Also, there are some nice new tunes, and sound effects too.

REPLAY VALUE: 9/10

Well, since this is an online game, there's a lot of replay value there. Playing against new people, new places, etc. There's a lot of different characters you can bee, too. Each has their own special car, and stats. Like Mario is Balanced, Yoshi has High Acceleration and Low Top Speed, while Bowser is the opposite, etc.

OVERALL: 10/10

Seriously. BUY THIS GAME. I'm not a big fan of racing games, but this is still a great game to play, even if you don't want to go online.

2nd Review - Sonic Rush

Sega's back for another crazy and fast Sonic adventure - packed full of new features and gameplay ideas, it aims to please. Here's the rundown...

Graphics - 10/10

Now some may disagree with me here, because the graphics aren't REALLY perfect, but Sega's interesting use of 3D cel-shaded characters which blend seamlessly from 2D to 3D gameplay and back makes this game a real work of art. I have honestly never seen a game pull off an idea like this with so much style, the character models are actually very well done, and really gel with the music and gameplay elements.

Sound/Music - 8/10

Ahhh...the music, some love it, some hate it. I personally love it, save for a few tracks. 90% of the tracks use some random voice sampling (Back 2 Back!) to kind of enhance the music style. Some people hate this, but I never paid it much attention, the music really brings the game to life. Aside from Leaf Storm's track, Sonic Rush has some really fast-paced stylish music, and it really helps you get into the trick system and story. The reason I gave sound/music an 8 is because the sound effects, while great, suffer at one point. They did bring back the old jump/spin dash sound effects, but at one point in Night Carnival (when you hit a switch and that green-light platform comes out in Act 1) the sound really kind of tears...it's not nice on your ears, but it only happens once.. so it's forgivable.

Gameplay - 9/10

DAMN, Sega! Nice job! Sonic and Blaze's movements are fluid and well-animated, the controls are spot-on as are Sonic and Blaze's physics, and the trick system is very entertaining. While the game DOES move fast, you do have to slow down and platform your way through some fun spots, very reminiscent of the Genesis days. Once again, one failing point lowers this sections score... and it really isn't a failing point, it doesn't affect the game at all... I just wish there was a bit more variety in the trick system. Sure, it's great and very fun, but they could have thrown the L button in there so you could chain grinding R combos, or maybe go B+B+L+A for a trick, just to change things up. Nothing shortcoming about the current one, I would just really love for them to expand upon it in the future.

Story - 8/10

The story is good! Obviously I don't want to tack on any spoilers here, so I'll just say this: It's definitely one of Sonic Team's best.

Extras/Other - 10/10

No real "unlockables" in this game... just a sound test. The "Tension Gauge" is VERY handy. I thought it would just be some tacked-on gimmick, but it comes through as a very fun element, handy in a pinch and an interesting thing to focus some gameplay elements on.

So, in conclusion, I would definitely recommend Sonic Rush as an addition to your DS library. Solid on every level, and a very fun game. Though if Sega were looking for things to add to Sonic Rush 2, I'd have to say add Tails and Knuckles (maybe Cream) as playable characters, maybe a total of 10~ ish levels for the fun of it, and an expanded trick system!

3rd Review- Trauma Center: Under the Knife

This is a review for Trauma Center for the Nintendo Ds developed by Atlus INC. Even though Atlus does not develop as many games as other companies, this is a must get for anyone who wants to experience something different. Here are the reasons why:

Game play: 10/10

I will start off with the game play, which in most cases is the most competitive and most important factor when it comes to video games. The game play elements in this game are just truly amazing. First of all, there are if any, just a few games on playing doctor and operating on people. Using a stylus as 10 different tools, which will help, save a patient is truly amazing. All of the gameplay is done with the touch screen. The upper screen is used for the storyline and briefing of the case.

Sound/Music: 7/10

The sound in Trauma center is somewhat well done considering Atlus is not known for music compositions like the Final Fantasy series from SquareEnix. At times the music gets really dramatic which will give you the feeling of fear while playing this game. It also changes from time to time depending on the situation. One thing that may bug gamers playing this game (including me) is the fact that there are almost no voiceovers in the game. From time to time, you may here the nurse (Angie Thompson) say a thing or two like "doctor!" but that’s basically all there is.

Graphics: 10/10

The graphics score that i have may not apply to everyone who reads this review. The reason being that not everyone likes Anime, which is what the style in the game, is. The body parts in the game are not truly detailed like they should of been. But it is still clear to distinguish one body part from another. (Sorry to disappoint the perverts out there...but there is no sexual pictures/parts in this game.)

Replay ability: 6/10

The replay value in Trauma Center may disappoint people because there is not much to do. An option called "challenge mode" is available to players after they beat a surgery to replay that operation to score higher points and get an S class ranking. There are also 4 extra missions available when you beat the game once. It may not seem fun to people who don’t like replaying things but is still there and is worth trying out.

Conclusion - For those of you wondering if this game is any good or if it's worth buying, I think that you should buy it for a new experience that you may come to like and enjoy if you didn't already. There is always room for improvement on every game but this is definitely a good game and is worth your while for the time being. Don't worry for those you scared of blood, you feel sick when playing this game since all looks so anime-style. Trust me since im sick when seeing blood also.

More Holidays! Those who currently fasting will soon end, end of this month. And then Raya comes and also Deepavali that comes earlier 2 days. It's that time again to enjoy some kuih raya, lemang, ketupat, muruku, masarodey..hehe. So, I update my blog today to wish Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all who celebrate it and also Happy Deepavali to all Indian. Happy Holidays! =D

OK, time for another review on some of the game I got this past few weeks. Both for PSP and DS. We start with X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse first.





X-Men Legends: Rise of Apocalypse Review Overall 9/10

Gameplay 9/10
Anyone who has played either of the previous XML titles will feel right at home here, this game looks and plays as well as it's cousin on the consoles. In fact, it's amazing how much they were able to cram on this UMD and still keep load times down! The story plays out over five acts as you unite the X-Men with their most unlikely allies, The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. >=D Best described as a comic book Diablo, each character contains a plethora of powers that can be unlocked and customized to your liking as you fight your way through the levels. Any character can be customized as a ranged caster, or a heavy melee hitter, it's all up to you. The controls are definitely tight, all buttons are mapped out, and feel very smooth. It would have been nice to have camera control, but since the camera angles are fantastic, it's not missed at all.

Story 8/10
Total comic book experience here. Some moderations have been made, but any fan of comic book movies knows that's a bitter taste we just have to get used too. No spoilers here, but I was definitely impressed with the cutscenes and voice overs which help flesh out the story as you play, very nice touches.

Graphics/Sound 10/10
Graphics are awesome, cutscenes are easily comparable to it's console brethren, and the cell-shaded gameplay is looking just as good on that small 16 x 9 screen. There are some hiccups after saving/loading games, but they are certainly bearable, and don't draw away from the X-Men experience, especially not when you realize that this is the full console game on a portable system. Sound is equally as good, music is not either annoying or unnoticeable, it compliments the settings nicely. As I've said before the use of voice acting I believe is a first in a PSP game, and hopefully not the last. Patrick Stewart does well in his portable debut, as does the rest of the cast, completely enriching how easily this game sucks you in.

Playtime/Replayability 7/10
Playtime all depends on how you like to play. If your the type that likes to march through the game, let the AI level up your characters for you, and forget about the unlockables, then this could be a short game. However, if your not then there is more than enough to keep any fan of this type of RPG busy. Levels are easy to jump back into to search for unlockable content(ie levels, items and art). You can also take some new characters for a spin after the first completion of the game.

Final Recommendation
This is definitely THE PSP action game to have. It's taken a few months to reveal that the PSP can turn out games of this caliber.

Second review, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for DS Overall 10/10

First before I start the review, I have to say this..HOLY CRAP!! IT'S CASTLEVANIA AND IT'S PERFECT

This is just one of those kickin' games the DS needed. Take an established and hugely popular franchise like Castlevania and couple it with a gimmicky system with unlimited potential and you have success.

Graphics: 10/10

The 2-D graphics are very reminiscent of past Castlevania games such as Symphony of the Night(The GREATEST Castlevania among all). I must say that they are indeed detailed and colorful. There are numerous enemies designs (both old and new), and they look incredibly fluid and rich. Every inch of the labyrinths and locales of this game are covered in a rich glaze of shine and design. It's really cool, even if it is 2-D.

Gameplay: 10/10

Three litle words..WOW! WOW! WOW! The gameplay is stupendous thanks to the awesome level design. With the whip and an assortment of other goodies, you can control your character to do all types of acrobatics. It is quite exquisite thanks the amount of moves you can simulate. And let's not forget the combat! Combating legions of ghouls and whatever else populates decaying castles is a hell of a lot of fun. There are just so many awesome things about the fighting. It's just....FUN....!

Also, there's more good news in the gameplay department! The DS touch-screen function is implemented into the game. Using the stylus, you can rub away ice blocks that otherwise impeded the main character. It may sound a little lackluster, but trust me, this game is even cooler thanks to the ability to rub away blocking ice blocks.

Sound: 10/10

The music and sound effects in Dawn of Sorrow are top notch. I cannot really describe them other than by saying that they're catchy, moody, mysterious, and foreboding. There is obviously a wide variety of things to listen to in this game, and each little bit does its job just right using the correct chime and most sublime sleekness.

Overall: 10/10

What??!! Still reading this blog??!! Go out now and buy Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. This is the game to get not only if you like this hallowed franchise, but also if you just enjoy the platforming genre in general. I swear that if you have never even given thought to purchasing a DS, this game will change your mind on that. So go out there and use your whip to grab a copy of this game. It's that good!

Last, but for sure not the least, are my newset addition to my toys collection.

More Toys Please!

Still lack of my blog update. Don't know why I am so lazy this few days. Anyway, I been collecting more toys for these past few month like crazy and now end up really really broke. I'm focusing more on collecting Evangelion Girls figure now. Last week, I just got this "Bandai - HGIF Evangelion Gashapon" from XL Shop at Bejaya Time Square. A nice addition to my Evangelion collection. I was planning to get "Neca - 20 inches Gandalf Epic Figure" next but not sure when. Still thinking where to put it since my room are so limited in space(meaning very tiny room =P). I need to move my 20 inches Legolas for sure if I want to get another 20 inches figure. I need to move into a bigger house!!

Burnout Legend = FUN!!

Long time didn't update this blog already. So, it's time for another update and also time for another PSP reivew. Im going to review Burnout Legend for PSP this time, which I just got it last week Sunday.

Front Case


Rear Case


Consider I'm a fan of Burnout and any other racing games that are really fast. So, of course, my expectation were very high.

Graphics: 8/10
Definitely you cannot compare this version to it's console cousin graphics. The graphics are GOOD, for the PSP that is. Try to think as Wipeout Pure graphic. I've heard comparisons that the graphics look PS1 graphics, but honestly, the graphics are fine and PS1 is waaayyyyy uglier. It's on par with games like Wipeout Pure. Loading times aren't that long, which is good. And the blur effect when you do the boost are not in the PSP version. So meaning when you boost, the graphic are still the same only your car going faster. So no PSP's Rigde Racer style boosting over here. Sorry.

Sound: 9/10
I was glad that they had real songs in the game and not substitute noises to save on loading times or memory. Sound is better when wearing your earphones so you can hear all the sound effects and music.

Controls: 8/10
There are only two pre-set controls, Type A or B. I wished I could have customized my controls a bit. But I'll just have to get used to what's there. It's not a bad setup, but the option to change would have been nice.

Gameplay: 10/10
This game is just plain FUN and FAST!. Plain and simple. I love the Burnout games so much because the game isn't really about the racing. It's about crashing and taking out opponents. The crashes may not be as detailed as on the console version, but this is the PSP and crashing is still fun as can be. Taking racers out is also really satisfying.

Consider it as Burnout: Lite or Burnout: To Go.

Finally!

Finally I got my hand on PSP Konami's Death Jr.! Just got it a few minutes ago from TNL Imbi Plaza, so not much time spend on the game yet. But I manage to come out with the review of the game already. Check it below.

Death Jr. is the long awaited PSP title from Konami and it's a platformer type of game. This game have a cute and cartoonish character. It's Mario with a scythe =P. The game have a nice graphic(for a handheld). The game's video is nice and also fully voice. You played as Death Jr. or they called him as DJ who happen to be the son of Death(Grim Reaper). I game was cheaper than I expected it would be and that's why I grab it straight away just now even that I really really broke for this month. Even that most of the review said bad things about this game and also give it just an average rating, but I think I'm going to love this one. Well, I don't really trust people's reviews anyway. Here are some rating this game get from internet gaming site.

Gamespot - 6.5 / 10
IGN - 7.0 / 10
GamePro - 2.5 / 5
GameDaily - 3 / 5
1UP - 6 / 10
Game Freaks 365 - 7.5 / 10

Well then, I guess I can give a full review of the game right now.

Death Jr.

The story of Death, Jr. is fairly simple. Death, Jr. and pals are at the museum for a fieldtrip. Pandora finds a box that she just can't resist opening. However, she tries and tries but can't get it open. DJ (aka Death, Jr.) uses his trust worth scythe to open it. Now he's gone and unleashed Menoch and he has taken the souls of DJ's friends! Now DJ needs to get those souls back and put Menoch back into that box before his dad finds out. I may have gotten the villains name wrong but oh well. The plot is along the lines of The Nightmare Before Christmas, being that it has a twisted sense of humor. The characters are neat and I think the creator just had funny (Stigmartha is great also and I love the scene of her hiding her eyes when her soul is taken). The plot isn't deep and never really goes anywhere but it's just fun and entertaining.

The graphics in the game are rather good. Enemies are a tad bland looking at a distance but up close, they look rather good. Fair amount of variation on them also. The levels are full of stuff and a lot of it can be destroyed and they want you to destroy it because you get more points, but more on that later. I really liked the designs of the characters. I never ran into any jaggies or anything like that, it all runs smoothly, looks smooth and is nicely detailed.

The sound in the game is a bit of a mixed bag. The weapons all sound good, and I just love the sounds of the hamsters as they run to just be blown up within seconds. Enemies let out different types of screams so it's varied there. The music is just wow...great! It's really good and it actually adds a bit of fun to the game. I really love the music for Seep's levels. The voice acting is a bit err..how should i said..not really that nice. Not great but it does work but a few voices were just really bad. All in all though it isn't that bad and it's nice to have voice acting, even if it isn't used all of the time.

Now for the control where people complaint most. Now, most complaints are based on the control in this game. Let me just state one thing quickly. The camera is horrible when you're doing bad run and gun. It's perfectly fine during scythe action. For some reason the targeting system goes haywire during the run and gun moments but it isn't that bit of a problem, except in hall ways and that’s only in the 3 school levels which isn't too bad. Of course the camera still isn’t perfect but it's more manageable when you know that. The L button centers the cam, it doesn't work well while having a gun out and you must tap to center because holding L goes into stand still look around mode, which is good for using the electric gun on power stuff. You jump with X, use scythe with square, circle is gun and triangle is dodge. It all works well. The R button is used for strafing which I found myself using a lot during the run and gun stuff but it also targets enemies for you.

The game play is a lot like that found in the Ratchet and Clank series. There are 17 levels in the game(I think). Not all have bosses. While I'm on the subject of bosses, let me tell you about them. They are large and provide a challenge until you figure out what to do. I found the later bosses to be rather hard, even when knowing what to do.

The enemies are rather varied. They attack in different ways and require different methods to be killed. Some are a pain, like the blue slug ones. The kamikaze ones are hard to fight because they run at you and instantly blow up. The larger enemies need to be taken out from a distance. I enjoyed scythe action over the run and gun game play but guns are needed in certain spots. Oh and the guns are fun. Some of them stink at first, like the shotgun, but after a while they each have their own purpose. I really liked the upgraded electric gun, great for combos.

On to the Power Ups. There is the Pandora icons which when you collect four adds an extra special attack thing. Just fill up the Pandora meter and it stocks an attack. You just hit circle and triangle together to use it, deals massive damage and slows down time. I rarely used it but it's neat. There are little heads of DJ which when you collect four give you more life. There are also weapon widgets which at first are used to buy new moves and then later sued to upgrade your weapons into even cooler machines of destruction. The widgets are a must find I found because it makes the larger swarms of enemies easier and the later bosses are a major pain.

The platformer moments in the game do provide a bit of challenge, due to the camera mainly. It does break up the action a little and keeps the game from getting dull. There isn't a ton of platforming though, but there is enough. Just think Ratchet and Clank, with less platforming and more melee fighting. I think the game like this will only last for 10 hours. There is plenty to do like find all of the power ups. After that, you can always replay the levels, which I actually did a few times. Another complaint is that the game does not give you a check list of the levels and how many power ups you have gotten. So, as a warning, make your own list when you get a report card and keep track. The game does deliver a lot of action and the levels are fairly long if you search them for everything.

My final rating for the game
Story - 8/10
Graphics - 8/10
Sound - 9/10
Control - 7/10
Game play - 9/10
Replay Value - 8/10

Final Score - 8/10

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OK, next best thing. I just own a new figure today..hehe. My first ever 20" Figure and also the most biggest figure I ever own for my collection. It's a figure of Legolas from The Lord of the Rings of course. This figure been manufacture by NECA and huge 20 inch tall. The figure comes with actual audio from the motion picture trilogy and it's has motion sensor so that when you walk in from of it, then it will start to talk. The figure are very detail and also come with some accessories which includes White Knife, Lorien Quiver w/ Knife Scabbards and Lorien Arrows. To tell the truth, I really have a problem when buying this one. I have a problem choosing either Legolas or Gandalf. But gandalf have a few accessories comes with it. So I decide to go with Legolas.