You must understand though that I grew up in the eighties and so for me GI JOE represents not only countless childhood cartoon watching, but also it’s a chance for the powers that be (studio heads and game makers) to redeem themselves after having already thoroughly destroyed the Transformers franchise.

After 30 minutes of playing:

After watching the game intro, I already knew I was in trouble. The graphics were dull, blocky and showed lots of visible jagged staircasing (and this is on my 60″ Sony with full 1080p). Just for fun I loaded up COD 4 and Killzone to compare quality and it was night and day. The difference is so glaring, but again I remind myself that I am comparing apples to oranges and reset my sights accordingly.

I do like how GI JOE the Rise of Cobra the game storyline follows where the movie just left off. Continuity there is noticeable and appreciated, but other than that, I am not too impressed. You basically play the character of Duke and shoot everything in sight as you navigate through the missions. There isn’t much to this game and it feels very familiar.

I am playing Advanced mode (medium) with a buddy.Casual (easy) mode and Hardcore (hard) mode are other options for gameplay. The game reminds us a little like Ikari Warriors or Contra from back in the days, but not nearly as fun. The only redeeming quality in the first 30 minutes of action is the Accelerator Suit feature which gives each player temporary invincibility and blares the familiar GI JOE theme song. We both laughed the first couple of times, but it quickly gets old.

After 1-hour of playing:

After passing a few of the 20 missions, I realize the game is going to be more of the same.  This game feels routine and the visuals seem like they keep repeating themselves over and over again. The levels all start looking all too similar.

There really is no strategy to the game, you basically just button mash your way through each level. An average player should have no problem passing the game in a day or so, but younger players might find the game more difficult at the Advanced mode (medium level).

I also notice the in-level checkpoints are a joke because you have to start at the beginning if you die…major flaw. What’s the point of even having checkpoints if you don’t go back to the checkpoint? It defeats the purpose of even having them and goes against the grain of many games out there.

After 3-hours of playing:

I barely even got this far. My buddy who I thought would at least stay for a few hours left after playing for only an hour so I had to keep playing by myself.

In single player mode, you can swap in/out other characters, but of course you have to unlock them first (which feels like a chore). After unlocking Heavy Duty and a few of the other characters, I realize it will take a little while before getting to all the characters and I just don’t feel compelled to keep going.

Overall, it’s safe to say GI JOE the game is a disappointment with very few redeeming qualities. The nostalgia factor made it worth a look, but it misses the mark in almost every basic game aspect. Graphics are uninspiring and not up to par with even lesser titles. Gameplay is unrefined at best with Advanced being too difficult and casual being too easy (don’t even bother with hardcore). If you happen to get this game as a gift from aunt Sally, you might be better off exchanging or getting store credit for it.

Official G.I.Joe The Rise of Cobra Site

With the latest incarnation by Atari, Ready to Rumble Revolution makes its way onto the Nintendo Wii console. If you were a fan of Midway’s original Ready to Rumble Boxing, or the follow up Ready to Rumble Round 2, there is definitely a striking resemblance. Both those previous games had a sizable following and accounted for countless hours of button mashing good times.

Here are my quick thoughts on the game.

Things we liked about Ready to Rumble Revolution

• As with many Wii titles, R2R is fun to play because of the shear fact that it begs you to stand up, move the coffee table a little and be a little physical. It requires you to be very active and is a different experience than sitting and button mashing on other consoles.
• Tons of outrageous special moves, combos and extreme knockdowns enhance the fighting experience while “Rumble“-Combos enable players to pull off moves from Kung Fu, Wrestling and other martial arts.
• I liked that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously.  From the parodied celebs, and the entertaining Las Vegas fight-night type sound, it makes for a fun atmosphere.
• R2R has 8 Different Game modes including Arcade, Quick Fight, Team Fight, Tournament, Championship, Mini Game, Tutorial and Create a Boxer mode so you’ll always have lots of variety.

Things we didn’t like about Ready to Rumble Revolution

• Despite the hardy tutorial R2R offers, when it came down to actual gameplay, R2R suffers.
• The controller maneuvers took too much time, were a bit complex and just messed up the the flow of the game too much. It appears they went a little overboard with the amount of controller combinations. It felt like the Wii was unable to accurately pickup all the moves I was doing and in the end left me trying to just simplify my attack against the opponent.
• Trying to throw punching combinations was very difficult and seemingly impossible. Boxing games like this should be easier to play.

Overall

There are a lot of things to like about Ready to Rumble Revolution like the caricatured celebs and longtime ring announcer Michael Buffer saying, “Let’s get ready to rumble!”, but R2R falls short in the most important category and that is gameplay. It was fun initially and allows for an entertaining couple of hours, but the controls and moves proved to be too complicated to get the most enjoyment out of the game.

Although the game will be very familiar to fans of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (uses the same game engine), this version is anything but just a reskinning of its predecessor. There are new enemies, weapons, maps, modes, challenges and more.

Students of history know that the battles on the Pacific and European fronts were some of the most brutal in warfare history and Call of Duty: World at War reflects that. It’s a bit more grittier and altogether more chaotic. Having the likes of Kiefer Sutherland and Gary Oldman who lent their voices to the title yelling orders at you was great in a weird as well.

Things we liked about Call of Duty: World at War

• The ability to play the campaign in either single-player, two-player (split screen) or four-player (online co-op) mode was a very welcomed addition.

• Vehicle mode – Maybe it reminded us of playing Ikari Warriors back in the day, but there is something about being in a “tank” that will never get old.

• The flamethrower (aka blowtorch) was a nice weapons upgrade that we had heard a lot about.  It is indeed the signature weapon in this installment. It took a few uses to get the hang of it, but after that it was easily the weapon of choice. There are also molotov cocktails which were typical, but cool nonetheless.

• Zombie mode.  If you remember only one thing from this review, just remember that Zombie mode rules. You have to beat the game once on any level to unlock, but trust us, it’s worth it.  The first couple rounds you’ll think the zombies are dumb and slow (because they are), but as you progress the Zombies get faster, have more entry points and become that much harder to kill.  If you’ve ever had nightmares of being chased or attacked by zombies, you will find it pure entertainment purchasing new weapons and defending yourself against these zombies.

• If you are familiar with Halo’s “Skulls,” you’ll appreciate the Deathcards which are tucked away in the campaign which unlock certain modes and cheats.

Things we didn’t like about Call of Duty: World at War

• Split-screen was ok, but took up too much real estate on the screen. It might be better to just co-op online instead.

• There were times where mission objectives could have been a bit more descriptive and clear.

• Attack dogs were nice, but maybe were left a bit overpowered.  Having the pesky dogs take me out faster  than getting shot multiple times by gunfire was a unrealistic.

Overall:

Sure, the war genre is getting a bit overdone, but thankfully Call of Duty: World at War has enough enhancements and new upgrades which make it a win. If you are going to spend a month of your life trying to make commander, this is a good way to go. Now grab your M1 Garand and get in there and fight. Just don’t be surprised if you get a visit from the neighbors because of the constant roar.

Check out more reviews on Call of Duty: World at War.

Things to note about Call of Duty: World at War

• Enhanced Innovative Multiplayer: Call of Duty: World at War continues the addictive class-based multiplayer action the series is famous for. The addition of vehicle combat with tanks rounds out the highly-successful Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer experience, and features such as persistent stats, player rankings, upgradeable weapons, squad-based gameplay, customizable classes and Perks, have been further enhanced to set a new standard in Call of Duty online warfare.

• Harsh New Enemies, Environments and Tactics:  Face off against ruthless and tactically advanced enemies that will stop at nothing to defend their homelands, from swamp ambushes and tree-top snipers to fearless Kamikaze attacks.  Play as a U.S. Marine and Russian conscript across a variety of Pacific and European locations against the fearless Imperial Japanese and elite German soldiers in epic adrenaline-filled infantry, vehicle and airborne missions.

• Co-Op Campaign Mode, Call of Duty Style: For the first time in the franchise, Call of Duty: World at War introduces co-op play, bringing fresh meaning to “No One Fights Alone”. Campaign co-op features up to four-players online, or two-player local split-screen, allowing gamers to experience harrowing campaign missions together for greater camaraderie and tactical execution. Co-op mode incorporates innovative multiplayer components such as challenges, rankings and online stats for deeper re-playability and multiplayer experience bonuses. Co-op mode also features Competitive Co-Op that will show who is really the best player on your team.

• Enhanced Innovative Multiplayer: Call of Duty: World at War continues the addictive class-based multiplayer action the series is famous for. The addition of vehicle combat with tanks rounds out the highly-successful Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer experience, and features such as persistent stats, player rankings, upgradeable weapons, squad-based gameplay, customizable classes and Perks, have been further enhanced to set a new standard in Call of Duty online warfare.

• The Authentic Call of Duty Experience: Built using the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War utilizes cutting-edge technology including highly-detailed character models, self-shadowing, environmental lighting and amazing special effects to deliver jaw-dropping visuals.  Depth of field, rim-lighting and texture-streaming technology bring the adrenaline-pumping combat to life, while physics-enabled battlefields and fire that spreads through environments realistically immerses players into the harrowing and dynamic combat.

• Play through Call of Duty: World at War, watch the credits roll, then try to survive the intense fanatical onslaught of the Nazi zombies. Accumulate points to open new sections and purchase weapon upgrades and ammo – which will be needed to fight off waves of Zombies that gain strength as the action escalates.

Portal: The Flash Version

Portal: The Flash Version

If you’re familiar with Valve’s famously popular puzzle shooter game Portals (available through Steam and Orange Box) you’ll feel right at home with Portal: The Flash Version.

Portal, pits you against a series of constantly changing puzzles that either require you to out think or out pace your obstacles. You’re equipped only with a gun that allows you to shoot two holes in certain areas of your environment and then walk, fall, or propel yourself through them. You can also push, pull or drop objects such as cubes, or deadly drones through the portals as well. Play Portals

VR Defender Y3K

VR Defender Y3K

Desktop defense games in and of themselves deserve their own article because there are so many out there. So I asked one of my good friends which was his favorite and he immediately pointed me to VR Defender Y3k. This game puts you in a cyber world where your enemies (viruses) are trying to attack your computer, hence Y3K… I think.

The game requires you to build a series of towers to fight off the enemies, each tower is equipped with a special type of weapon that increases in firepower and cost as the levels advance. The game is very addicting and doesn’t have a steep learning curve, but guarantees hours of frustrated fun for even the most honed Real Time Strategy junkie. Play VR Defender Y3K

Pandemic 2

Pandemic 2

Pandemic 2 is a strategy game that allows you take the control of a virus, bacteria or parasite and try to infect the whole world. As you infect more people you are able to unlock more powerful and deadly attributes to your sickness. The objective essentially is to kill the entire human population, but don’t worry this game is totally safe for work if no one knows what you’re doing.

The makers of this game have chosen to leave the violence off screen, instead just showing you a view of the world with the countries you’ve infected. As you infect more of the countries, they start to turn a sickly shade of brown until they’re red. Pandemic 2 has a very high replay value, and can be very long and drawn out or very short and concise game depending on how you want to play it. Play Pandemic 2

The Fancy Pants Adventure Series

The Fancy Pants Adventure Series

The Fancy Pants Adventure Series is a fast paced platform that takes elements from Super Mario Brothers and Sonic the Hedgehog to make a very addicting game. With rumors of a third game coming out, this is one series that is hard to pass up.

Adventure 1: Play The Fancy Pants Adventure Series #1

Adventure 2:Play The Fancy Pants Adventure Series #2

I’m In Like With You

I'm In Like With You

I’m In Like With You is a massively multiplayer gaming site that features 5 free online games where you bust, shoot or guess your way through short gaming sessions which can allow up to 7 people (including yourself). IILWY currently offers:

Blockles - a game similar to Tetris with power ups.
Hamster Battle – which allows you to blast your opponents with acorns, gernades or rockets.
Draw My Things – a Pictionary like game.
Dinglepop – a game where you shoot like colored bubbles.
Gemmers – which is similar to bejeweled.

They also have a sixth game in development called Balloono. IILWY guarantees you’ll never be bored as long as you have an internet connection. Play I’m In Like With You

Mark Condon is an avid online gamer, and has been since back in the days when all there was were stickman shooters and yahoo games. If you’d like to find him on I’m in like with you his username is condonm.

photo by ilovemypit

Right now the Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) Role Playing Game Industry is a battlefield, filled with screaming Orcs, caped super heroes, and Majestic Elves setting fields a flame and other such creatures buying for your attention and ultimately for your checkbook. But in this fast paced world where, you, the player can make a fortune looting dungeons and defeating enemies you should know which game is right for you.

In order to figure out what MMO is right for you we need to assess what type of gamer you are, or think you will be. Most current MMO’s are based strongly on teams, these teams are primarily made up of other gamers. So if the game heavily relies on you going on quests with real people, I’ll make a note of it. The second element you need to take into consideration is whether or not you’re willing to pay a monthly or yearly fee for your gaming fix. Whether or not you’re willing to pay and ultimately how much you’re willing to pay will greatly affect which game you eventually pick up. The third element you need to take into consideration is how much time you’re willing to invest on the game. If you’re a freshmen in college, or better yet still in high school you no doubt have more free time to spend than someone who’s working 40 hours a week and this will affect which games you will be playing.

Granted each one of these games have many more elements to them than what I could even begin to go into here. And most certainly this article is not a be all end all list. Instead it’s a suggestion, if you disagree, feel hurt or angry that your favorite MMO was left out or want to suggest a game that we haven’t even heard of yet feel free to do so in the comments. Of course the games I mention here are not the only MMO’s out there either (WarHammer Online and Conan the Barbarian Online are the new kids on the block), but hey, these are great starting places for this conversation.

Everquest

Everquest is one of the the grand daddies of mainstream MMORPGs, it’s been around since the late 1990s, and because of that it’s graphics are a bit dated compared to more modern games. Putting that aside, Everquest has one of the most loyal user bases, Sony reports to have 450,000 users currently playing this game, considering that the average shelf life for a video game is 3 months. Everquest is your average hack and slash style adventure MMORPG that involves leveling your character, and fighting monsters in a medieval fantasy setting. The areas that are available for adventuring are quite large, and are essentially a free for all. There are no convenient roads or paths that take you directly to the dungeons or monsters instead you have to strike out and find them.

Pros: Loyal User base; 15 expansion packs (as of October 21st); Most areas are perfect for solo play as well as groups; No hand holding from adventure to adventure.
Cons: Dated Graphics; You will need to group up in order to get any good items for your characters.
Platforms: Windows, Mac OSX
Cost Per Month: $10

Dungeons and Dragons Online

To say that I had high hopes for what the Dungeons and Dragons MMO would be is a bit of an understatement. Like most awkward adolescents my teen years were spent in my friends basement eating Doritos, drinking Mountain Dew and having epic Dungeons & Dragons sessions that would rage well on into the wee hours of the morning. Once I pulled Dungeons and Dragons Online out of the shrink wrap and installed it on my computer I quickly knew that I would be abandoning this game. Dungeons and Dragons Online is very adamant about playing with a group. Though Dungeons and Dragons Online does have the option for solo play, don’t expect to gain as much experience or get as many items as you would even if you just tagged along with a group through a dungeon. Also Dungeons and Dragons Online currently has 0 expansion packs released, but the D&D Online team have been quite adamant about updating and patching the game. Though Turbine had not released a total number of subscribers at the date of this publication it has been estimated that there are 100,000

Pros: The instanced dungeons can be a lot of fun under the right circumstances; Very easy for D&D players to get acclimated.
Cons: Only a few dungeons really stick out as being remarkable; Not solo friendly at all; Not much going in the endgame.
Platforms: Windows
Cost Per Month: $13.95

Guild Wars

Guild Wars is the product of NCSOFT, a company that seemingly makes only MMOs. Guild Wars allows users access a vast environment with minimal hand holding, instead there’s a lot of helpful nudging in the right direction. Saying the map is huge is a drastic understatement. Guild Wars game play is extremely similar to Everquest and Dungeons and Dragons Online, except for Guild Wars is accepting of users who both want to play by themselves or with others. Guild Wars has a system in place that increases the max amount of players in your group, it starts out at 2, then goes to 4 and finally caps out at 6. Guild Wars allows for you to create a party out of AI characters, that you don’t control, instead they follow you around help you out in the battles. As you progress in level you then are given the option to have “heroes” which are AI characters that you can control, selecting what their class will be, what items and skills they have. And added element of Guild Wars is an arena where you can create a player already at level 20 and equip them with items you have collected through out your adventures and then battle them with other players. You can not use your primary character you have been adventuring with in the arena though. If you’re interested in playing alone through most of the game, which is okay and won’t affect the quality of items that are dropped by enemies in the adventuring part of the game. Guild Wars also allows a certain class to acquire an animal as a companion that will follow them and fight for them. Guild Wars is currently sitting at 5 million users. Making it one of the key powerhouses in the MMO world, of course having no subscription fees helps out a lot. Guild Wars Currently has 3 Expansion packs released.

Pros: Large user base; Huge Maps; No monthly subscription cost; Solo and Group Play both supported.
Cons: Level 20 cap; Number of people in groups is limited at first; no player-created items; No mounts.
Platforms: Windows
Cost Per Month: $0

City of Heroes & City of Villains

City of Heroes & City of Villains are two MMO’s created by Cryptic Studios (now purchased by NCSOFT). City of Heroes/Villains is currently the Super Hero MMO on the market, and because of this the dynamic of the game is quite different from Everquest, Dungeons and Dragons Online and Guild Wars, though it certainly does have many of the same pitfalls that the other games have. City of Heroes/Villains allow you to design, create, and then play as a Super Hero (City of Heroes) or a Super Villain (City of Villains). While most of City of Heroes can be played alone, you may find yourself being overpowered by enemies that would be easily vanquished in a group of three or four. City of Heroes/Villains key advantage over most other MMO’s on the market is the fact that it’s set in a comic book world. So if you’ve always wanted to fly, fight crime, or jump over tall buildings, then hands down City of Heroes is your best choice, alternatively if you’ve ever dreamed of bringing down spandex wearing heroes or have wanted to create a doomsday device that would take over the world, City of Villains is definitely the game for you. As of June 2008 NCSOFT reported City of Heroes/Villains has 137,028 Users.

Pros: Play as Super Heroes/Villains; Lower level characters can be sidekicks to higher level characters; Battle player created heroes against players with villains
Cons: Currently no expansion packs released; Solo play is more difficult than group play
Platforms: Windows
Cost Per Month: $14.99

World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft is currently the best selling MMORPG of all time. World of Warcraft is yet another type of a Hack and Slash Fantasy MMORPG. The game has received high ranks by most critics, and it is often cited as causing addictions to it’s players because the game is so enjoyable. World of Warcraft currently has a Level 70 cap for it’s players levels. World of Warcraft has an Auction house that allows players to sell items they’ve collected on quests and dungeons, as well as sell custom items they’ve created. World of Warcraft not only allows you to have a personal mount but the game also has a number of transportation systems in check that can take you from major city to major city, as well as seemingly remote areas of the maps. Each class and Race has specific benefits, and different starting locations, so depending on which race you choose you can have a completely different experience with the game. World of Warcraft allows you to take your character into an arena where you can battle with other players, but you can also duel other players outside of the arenas though there is no real benefit to this. World of Warcraft’s large maps are very clearly laid out with roads for you to follow and people along the way to help you out and point you in the right direction. When you reach a certain area you are greeted with a huge list of tasks you can do in order to level up and get items. Though some quests you are assigned recommend you to join a group, you don’t necessarily have to, you can play through most of the game by yourself and won’t suffer and XP penalty or not be privy to higher level items, though group play is certainly not discouraged as well. World of Warcraft currently has 10 million users, and is scheduled to launch it’s second expansion pack on November 13th.

Pros: Expansive maps; Easy transportation; User created items; Mounts; Solo and group play encouraged; Level cap is raised with each new expansion pack.
Cons: Lots of hand holding and explaining what you need to do; Childish comments by other users.
Platform: Windows, Mac OSX
Cost Per Month: $14.99

photography by chanchan222