TwiddleGeek

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Samus starts the game without most of her abilities, but regains most of them and several new tricks throughout the game. Some are simple but well though out, like the ability to automatically grab ledges and pull yourself up. Other abilities are newer and cooler, like charging freeze missiles that freeze a room at a time.

The difficulty of the game is pretty much spot on. Early in the game things will flow smoothly, not too tough and not too easy. As the game progresses though, the challenges get harder and harder until things really heat up. By the end of the game, you’ll be fighting for your life. Unlike previous Metroid adventures, you won’t be running around aimlessly this time. You’ll almost always have a near complete map, and an idea where to go thanks to your new AI commander.

The downside to this however is it severely shortens the game’s length. I finished the game my first time through in about 4:33 play time. That translates to a few days counting replaying saves, breaks, and such. It’s not a very long game. A casual player would probably take a week or maybe two at the most to finish the game. A hardcore player could do it in a day if they really wanted to.

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If you like good music, good fun, and a good challenge, it’s hard to go wrong with Jet Grind Radio. It’s fast paced, unique and very hard to put down. The first thing that will grab you is the style of the game. The graphics are very nicely cel shaded and the music will keep you jamming along nodding your head. The music isn’t all golden, but for the most part, it’s cool.

The gameplay is rather simple but very fun. Skate around, find red arrows, spray paint your tag. All the while avoid cops, tear gas, dogs, even missile launching helicopters. It’s hard and frustrating at times, but it’s oh so worth it. You’ll keep coming back for more and more.

The game stands up to repeat plays, and the style never wears thin. The story is entertaining and well told by DJ K. Unlike so many games where the story between levels is the dull part, you’ll be jamming along with DJ K all the way through. It’s quite hard not to be brought into the Jet Set Radio universe. It’s very well done.

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As far as light gun shooters go this is one of the better games on any system. The graphics are just plain cool. The backgrounds and environments are a little simple, but the zombies and the way they react to being shot is insane.

The first time I saw this game I couldn’t believe my eyes. The sheer amount of enemies, the fast pace, the gruesome look. You won’t really notice the bad when you’re looking through the sight of a gun blasting down anything that moves trying to stay alive.

The way zombies react to being shot is amazing. You’ll have to pump several rounds into the body to kill one, usually blasting a hole clean through them. Even a well placed headshot may not do the trick though, as some zombies will keep coming at you even with half their face blown clean off. Others are armored and armed to the teeth and know how to use tools for protection. It makes it quite interesting.

Story wise however, it fails so hard it hurts. The script and voice acting is just atrocious. One of the worse in video game history. I don’t know if it’s meant to be some kinda B movie joke, but it’s not funny. It’s just, plain, awful. Thankfully you can skip it all and save yourself the headache.

Sadly, you can beat it in a single 30 minute sitting or so, but these games are never really all that long. If you can still find it, it’s real cheap these days. Great game to play with friends and after Trigun marathons. Well worth the sub $15 range.

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Final Fantasy VII is easily one of my favorite games of all time. No game before it and no game since then has managed to pull me so deeply into the story and have me hanging on every word like this one did. The characters, the music, the graphics, the story… it’s all golden.

The characters are simply unforgettable. Cloud, Aeris, and Yuffie were my favorites of the bunch. Each character has such wonderful design, half realistic half cartoonish, full detailed backgrounds, and such personality and potential to develop that I enjoyed following everyone one of them.

The music and graphics sticks in my mind like nothing else. They worked so well together. From simple cut scenes to the most glorious of FMV. And unlike today’s games that throw long boring FMV in just for the sake of filling 2 DVDs, this game used FMV to make a point so poetically you couldn’t help but feel like you just watched an epic film.

I wish I could sit here and just ramble on and on about the beautiful story and the twists, turns, and major events, but obviously that would ruin it for any who still haven’t played this masterpiece of a game. I see many, many people today who have never played a game like this and are simply enthralled by today’s crop of PS2 RPG wanna-be’s and it really irks me. They simply don’t know what they’ve missed and 9 times of 10 simply don’t care.

It may not have the 200 hours of today’s games, but unlike today’s games it’s not freaking simulated boredom. It’s 30 hours of FUN and story like you’ve never seen before. This game changed my perspective of how videogames could be, and is guaranteed a lifetime place in my favorite collection.