Here we are again with another brand new game for the black cat, while this is a re-release of a game that was released 6 years ago there is a lot to be excited about as not only is this that same game but including over 100 new levels. Thats a total of 280 levels to play through making this one of the most extensive new games in the last 2 years for the Jaguar and a homebrew to boot. Is this game a must play if you have a Jaguar? Hell yes. It doesn’t look like much you say? Well it won’t compare to next gen games but it has a lot of appeal and I’m going to tell why you shouldn’t pass this one up.

Graphics: 60/100
First off this game isn’t going to win any awards for graphic intensity as the graphics are very simple but for the most part they are crisp and as clean as you would expect from small sprites and lines on a jet black background. This game in essence is very retro sharing much in common with an old game called Qix. It’s bright and clean thats all that really matters.

Sound: 78/100
The first thing you will notice about this title is the music, it’s pretty damn good for PCM mods of yesteryear and they generally do not become repetitive or ear wracking which is a big plus as generally some homebrew games lack in the audio department. The sound effects are clean and appropriate for the game including the very satisfying cheers you hear when you complete a level.

Gameplay: 89/100
Now this is where the game really shines, it’s a blast to play. The game play is simple, you have to fill in the spaces by outlining the shapes that make up the levels (remember Qix?) while avoiding the blue monsters that chase you around the grids. The tension really builds in the later levels where you have to deal with 2-3 monsters and the clock, it definitely adds to the excitement.

Replay: 95/100
This game has a lot of re-playability because it is massive, 280 levels will have you playing for quite some time plus it’s also a game that relatively easy to just pick up and play and a password system makes sure that you can pick up where you left off.

Overall this is one of the best releases for the Atari Jaguar in 2008 and a welcome edition to any rabid Jag fans collection, even for those who never really got into the Jag if you have a friend with a Jag then I’d definitely recommend you tell them to get ti and try it out as you won’t regret it.

The game can be purchased on Jaguar Sector II Forums

Between the release of God of War 2 and Chains of Olympus there was a smaller adventure for the warrior Kratos in 2007 that explains how he had lost his godly status after he killed Ares in the first game and sets the stage for GoW2. A 2D adventure for the Mobile Phone, compared to most games available for cell phones this game is incredible in graphics and game play, does it stand up to a full blown 2D console release? Of course not but it feels like playing an entirely new God of War on an old 16-bit console.

The graphics are very nicely done for the small screen they are displayed on, with a very nice selection of colors and minute details. The backgrounds however get rather repetitive in design with a change of backdrop between 2-3 levels. Their are about 6 types of enemies and 2 distinct boss characters: Hera’s beast: Argos and Ceryx, the son of Hermes (the final boss). Theirs plenty of the red stuff you’d expect for a God of War game as well.

The sound is well.. what you’d expect for a mobile game. It does feature the God of War theme at the menu but that is the only music featured in this game. The sound effects are few and muffled but this is a mobile game were talking about.

The gameplay is solid though depending on your handset the controls can seem cumbersome, you have direction buttons and one attack button which you can use to attack with a combo. To use the few weapons and magic spells you get in the game, one of the phones soft keys is used. The biggest problem with the controls I noticed is it doesn’t read simultaneous button presses so that at times can cause problems in the heat of battle. The game’s difficulty seemed imbalanced for the first several levels up to the last 3 the enemies were pretty easy but then they seemed to get very hard to kill. As with the games big brothers, when an enemy like the minatour or a boss character has low health you can initiate a “mini-game’ to kill them in a gory fashion via a prompted button press.

Overall this is a very nice mobile game compared to the other poor offerings you find. It definitely lives up to it’s name and if you are a fan of the series or just want a decent mobile action game, I would recommend checking this one out.

Viking upon first glance is a hack and slash game with a Norse mythological theme, and it does it well. But, is this just another attempt at a God of War clone? In a way yes and no.. does it detract from the game? In that regard I can certainly say no. However, is it a killer app? Unfortunately I wish I could say yes but it has some flaws that definitely keep it from being up there.

Graphics: 85/100
Viking certainly has some breathtaking visuals but they are far from perfect. The game uses the now common place normal mapping technique to give objects in the game the illusion of light and dark and dynamic textures that reflect light in a somewhat realistic fashion. We first saw this technique in games such as Doom 3 and Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay which back then were visually stunning. The technique has come a long way since then but in Viking it still has that glazed over look thats not all that realistic but it doesn’t mean the eye candy isn’t still good. Though you will notice a lot of textural glitches and hiccups now and again, while they can be rather noticeable they don’t detract too much from the overall experience. The character models are nicely rendered with a somewhat authentic period dress for the plethora of viking warriors and the undead legions of Hel, however the animation of the character models suffer from hiccups here and there, you’ll notice a jarring of your character as the sometimes jumpy camera tries to keep up. Now, the water in this game is the least appealing aspect of this game’s graphics.. now we’ve seen some pretty nice water in BioShock (hell.. we havn’t seen water that great since BioShock..) however, at least in other games it looked like water, in this game it looks more like a undulating fog with no defined edge as it rolls around and onto the shore, they could have put a little more work into the design.

Sound: 75/100
The sound in this game is pretty good however it’s nothing special: clangs, slashes and typical sounds associated with this genre, the sounds from the gore are pretty entertaining though. The music is great, it fits with the epic nature of this game however the developers decided to only have the music cue in at certain times and certain situations so most of the time you’ll be traversing the wilderness in silence but when the music does kick in it does really convey the mood very nicely. The dialogue is pretty good, with accents that somewhat fit the theme (however.. I don’t get why some speak in a Scottish accent while others have a Norwegian accent).

Gameplay: 77/100
I was really hoping this game would have a diverse fighting system, which it does to some degree but however, it does feel like it’s lacking at times. You start out with a Fast attack and a Slow attack which vary in speed and most importantly the amount of damage they do. These can be chained into combos which you learn from the spirit of a soldier in the Battle Arena for a nominal fee of course. This adds to the experience as you can upgrade your character as you progress and what is also nice is once you have purchased a new move the soldier will fight you to show you how to use the new move which makes learning them a snap. In addition to the usual hack and slash moves you have thrown weapons including an Axe and a Napalm like Fire Pot weapon, you are also armed with Runes that give you elemental powers that enchant your sword and enchant the swords of your comrades in your vicinity. These runes require energy which you can only get from slain enemies which is a pain in the ass as whenever you die you lose all the energy you’ve accumulated and the amount of energy you get from an enemy is determined by the way in which you dispatched them.. either by normal attack or a special finishing move which are a very nice touch. My major gripe however is the lack of diversity in weaponry because you don’t get any other weapons besides the sword and axe you start the game with, it’s not really a big deal I guess but it does get a little boring to use the same weapons over and over again, however the combat is fast and intense so that is forgiving. One of the best features in this game is the final battles in the several areas you must liberate from the Goddess Hel. They are huge epic battles with hundreds upon hundreds of enemies and ally warriors, however these scenes will at times cut the frame rate to a crawl but it’s not so bad that you can’t play the game. But these parts are one of the really redeeming qualities to some of the less then stellar aspects of this game.

Replay: 67/100
This game doesn’t have much going for it in the replay department, pretty much once you’ve liberated a large portion of the area in which you are in next to no random legion show up. There are hidden skulls in the major areas to find for some achievements but pretty much thats about all there is to do after you’ve beaten the game on all the difficulty settings. The game is fun but it can only hold up for so long when you’ve beaten it.

Overall I have to say the game is a fun departure from the usual hack and slash games that have been on the market as the Norse Mythos hasn’t been visited in many games in recent years with the PS2 game Rune being the only other one that comes to mind. While the game tries pretty hard to be like God of War it doesn’t quite match up but it is unique in it’s own respects. I would suggest renting it first to see if you like it, otherwise wait for the price to go down before embarking on this quest.

This is probably one of the few games with such a bizarre premise to make it state side, especially back in 1993 when most of the weirder Japanese titles stayed over in the land of the rising sun. However with the Turbo Grafx 16, having very little 3rd party support in the US market, Atlus brought this eccentric game to us. Somer Assault (AKA Mesopotamia) is an action title where you play as a sacred slinky like creature with guns mounted on it that hatches from a pink polka-dotted egg dropped by god.. bear with me.. it sounds very odd but the game plays surprisingly well.

The graphics are very nice, with color mixing used very nicely with the Turbo Grafx 16’s 512 color palette used to create a vibrant world with a mythological theme, as the design of the game follows the Astrological Zodiac for each level and it’s boss character which are a mechanical manifestation of their respective animals/figures. The animation of the slinky is pretty fluid however the enemies have only a few frames of animation and the bosses are pretty static but it doesn’t detract much from the presentation. While a late contender in the US on the cartridge media, the graphics actually show just how much the TG-16 could compete with the much more powerful SNES and the Genesis back when NEC was a contender in the 16-Bit War.

This game came out late in the era of the Turbo Chip (AKA Hucard), the credit card sized cards that they stored their games on before the Turbo CD, so it had the space limitations of any other cartridge media. Hence forth you wouldn’t expect much in the sound department but surprisingly Somer Assault’s soundtrack is steller and very catchy. The sound effects are clever but not all too impressive.

What sets this game apart from a lot of other action platformers from the early 16-bit days is that gravity works very differently, in that there is none. You move along the tops and bottoms of the platforms only jumping to attach to another surface. You start out with one set of turrets and rather slow but killing the enemies which include Knight Chess Pieces, Spiked Lanterns and other odd contraptions yield power-ups to increase your speed, make your bullets ricochet, increase your max vitality, give an extra life and increase your turrets to a set of 3 for killing on the move. There is also an negative power-up that reverses directions as well. The only thing about this game that is especially irritating is the timer, in the later levels you’ll find yourself losing lives to it because the developers gave you just barely enough time to get to the boss chamber in each level, it starts to make the game lose it’s appeal as it’s such a trivial way to lose a life when some key factors in the game play is finding your way through a maze with blocks that either teleport you, expand a bridge or flip you to the otherside. So more time is required to traverse the levels then is provided. Also you lose your gun and speed upgrades when you die..

The game has some replay, it’s fun, it’s challenging and the music is good. But once you beat it there isn’t much else to do but play through again. But then again, that was how most of the games from the early 90’s were.

Somer Assault is one of those obscure treasures from the golden age of gaming and if you ever find a copy at a flea market or online you could probly snap it up pretty cheap. So I would say keep an eye out for it if your looking for a bizarre but good time.

If you’ve got Half-Life 2 for PC, you may not be aware that you could qualify for a free download of Half-Life 2: Lost Coast.  This is a “missing level” that was originally going to take place within the original Half-Life 2 game, but didn’t make the final cut.  The level, however, is available for free (via Steam) for owners of Orange Box, Half-Life 2, or people with new Radeon video cards.  It’s also available for purchase as part of several Half-Life 2 packages, for as low as $9.95 in the Episode One Package.  This is a good technology demo, and is worth playing especially if you can manage to pick it up for free.

Graphics: 100/100

This is a tech demo, and as such, it is extremely beautiful to look at.  The game features high dynamic range lighting (HDR) which gives a new level of realism to the environment.  The lighting is superb, with a warm glow peering through windows or reflecting off the surface of the gorgeous water.  The character models are the same as Half Life 2, with the same impressive weapons and explosions.

Lost Coast also features a video stress test, which does a flyby of the area to determine what your average frames-per-second is.  It’s a nice feature that more games should include.

Sound: 90/100

The impressive graphics are complimented by quality sound effects.  You can hear the Combine troops in the distance, and you know immediately to turn to that side and prepare for a fight.  Headphones or a good surround sound system are a must for this game.  The soundtrack doesn’t really stand out here, although it presented a strange ambiance when you enter the church level.

Gameplay: 90/100

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast is, at it’s core, just a single level that would fit right in the middle of Half-Life 2.  As such, it’s extremely short.  If you’ve played the original HL2, you will have an idea of what’s going on, but it’s not really essential to the enjoyment of this game.  However, Lost Coast presented me with the same feelings I get with the rest of the Half-Life games.  I always feel like I’m stuck.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  In fact, this is what makes the Half-Life series stand apart from most first person shooters.  Unlike a game where you must simply blast your way down a path, Half-Life constantly throws you into an area where you are stuck, and you must figure out how to move forward.  These puzzle elements make Half-Life games a much more intelligent game than the Quake or Halo series, but it can be frustrating to some gamers who just want to keep blowing stuff up.

Replay: 40/100

The level can be run through in probably 15 minutes, so if you’re looking for a lengthy experience you’re not going to find it here.  However, the game does feature a commentary track, which allows you to listen to the developers describing different facets of the level and why they made them as such.  It is a great feature that Valve is incorporating in all of their games (it was also included in the Orange Box titles), and more developers should really follow their lead.

Overall, Lost Coast is a good game to show off your gaming rig, and is pretty fun while it lasts.  If you can nab it for free, or missed out on Half-Life 2, it’s definitely worth a look.

Soltrio is what it is, it’s Solitaire. A single player card game that is played the world around, is it true to the real life game? Why yes it is, but is it good? I would say so.

Graphics: 80/100
First off for a card game this game is beautifully drawn. You have painted backdrops to add a little atmosphere to the otherwise plain game that Solitaire is, also the artwork on the cards is nicely done with the option of choosing between several different art sets for the cards. As with it’s pseudo-prequel Hardwood Solitaire III, the cards are fully animated when they are moved or shuffled which is really nice compared to some of the more mundane PC Solitaire games with static cards. Some visual effects are added for when you score points, But it also causes a problem. The cursor is made up of sparkling dots which can sometimes make seeing which card your actually on in a column of cards difficult at best.

A noticeable issue in this game is how it looks on a Standard Definition TV. For games that have a lot of cards on the play field it gets really eye straining if you do not have either a large TV or an High Definition set, other then that there is not much else to complain about.

Sound: 58/100
The sound is not the best, the biggest flaw in the audio department is the music. While the in game theme is magnificently done along with the menu theme as well the other music is horribly generic MIDI.. now in the days of compressed MPEG3 and other lossless digital audio formats why do they choose to use MIDI in a next gen game? It’s a real mystery. Unlike it’s cousin Hardwood Solitaire III, there is only ONE in game track. Now it is catchy and I find myself humming it when I’m not even playing the game but the monotony of it after an hour or so of playing makes you want to use the 360’s media player to add a little zest to the game.

The sound effects are nice, clean and never annoying. The sounds of the cards are realistic. The sound effects are just what you would expect from a relaxing game of cards.

Gameplay: 72/100
The fact is its Solitaire so if card games appeal to you then you will enjoy the way it plays. To mix it up a bit the developers included a Voyage mode which includes a treasure chest for each step on the journey around the Soltrio map. After completing 3 games of Solitaire you unlock a card graphic which can be used to create a custom card deck of your own. What makes this mode different then the Classic mode is that when you score points it fills in a power up bar that includes adding one reshuffle to games that have limited Stock Reshuffles, The ability to pick up any card from the Tableau, and the ability to pick up whole columns of cards in games that don’t allow it to name a few. This addition not only helps make some games with low chance percentages winnable but also adds an element of strategy as you have to use these power ups wisely.

Soltrio also features a Multiplayer mode which allows you to either play against another player or play along with a friend to complete a game of Solitaire, a rather fun addition though the game is really meant to be a single player game but it is a welcome feature none the less.

Replay: 77/100
Soltrio isn’t for everyone but if your a fan of card games then it does have a lot to offer since it does come with a decent amount of solitaire variations. Though unlike Hardwood Solitaire III which came with 100 variations, Soltrio requires you to purchase additional 9 Game Packs to expand upon the 18 that come with the game to reach that magic 100. While it is kind of a ripoff considering the base game costs 800pts it is well worth it if you want to get the most out of this great Solitaire game.

Overall, Soltrio is a great game for those who just want to sit back, relax and use their brains instead of killing things and blowing your friends up.

Konductra is one of the multitude of puzzle games for the Nintendo DS. Does it do anything to stand out in the crowd?

Graphics: 40/100

Konductra features a very simple design, with the game using the touchscreen for gameplay, and the upper screen for the score and information about the upcoming pieces. It is functional, but really not impressive. The graphics are extremely basic, with repetitive animations for clearing lines. It really doesn’t advance beyond this. One feature I liked very much was the high score list. Rather than being restricted to the classic 3 initials, or even a typed out name, you are given a box to write your name.

Sound: 76/100

I enjoyed the techno soundtrack of the game, but it can get repetitive quickly. The tutorial of the game has a spoken walkthrough, which should really be standard on every puzzle game (or any other game, for that matter), regardless of whether the platform is the DS.

Gameplay: 65/100

Gameplay is where puzzle games are best judged, and Konductra features a rather dull experience. You must place a 2-square block down on the board, and form lines from one edge to another. Once a line is placed, you must trace the path to clear the blocks. There are wildcard pieces which act as hubs to connect different colors, but the gameplay doesn’t stray much from this formula. There are high score modes and a vs mode, but if this simple gameplay mechanic doesn’t sound appealing to you, this might not be your game.

Replay: 50/100

It’s unfortunate to say this about a puzzle game, but I felt bored with Konductra extremely quickly. It doesn’t hold up well when compared against Tetris or a Bejeweled clone like Puzzle Quest. However, if you are hooked by this game, it offers a lot of replay value as you try to wrack up the highest scores. It does offer wifi play, but shockingly no single-cart multiplayer. If you want to play with a friend you both need a copy of the game. (Developer Ian Dunlop claimed that the single-cart gameplay was cut in favor of wifi.)

Konductra’s simple gameplay and dull graphics may appeal to some puzzle fans, but I think most people will just find it dull and boring after a few minutes.

Prism: Light the Way is a simple, yet fun puzzle game for the Nintendo DS that stands out from this very crowded field by making excellent use of the DS touchscreen. The game is easy to learn, but can become very difficult at later levels. While it might be a bit much at $30, this title is definitely one to consider picking up when the price inevitably drops.

Graphics: 70/100

Prism: Light the Way features a gameboard with several little aliens of various colors. Some emit light, while others must have light shone on them. They are simple animated sprites that don’t really make great use of the DS’s graphical prowess, but are clear and functional. Large blocky stars cascade behind the game board to reflect the space alien theme. “Simplicity” could really be a main theme in this game.

Sound: 60/100

There is a small catchy soundtrack, but it gets very repetitive after a while. In the small doses you’ll likely play this game, it probably won’t become a problem. There are little blips when you move a piece on the board, but nothing really stands out in this area.

Gameplay: 90/100

Prism’s gameplay has a very simple premise. You must organize your pieces on the board, so the Bulboids (who shine light) can get their beams pointed on the Glowbos. The Glowbos are white, blue, red or yellow, and must have the correct color of light shining on them. To make things interesting, you have mirrors, T-junctions, filter blocks, and prisms to manipulate the light on the board.

The earlier levels mostly require only a single move, and really just prepare you for the more difficult puzzles later in the game. These will often require you to place each piece precisely at the correct location to allow all the Glowbos to have light on them. The DS Stylus is used to perfection here, allowing you to easily slide the pieces to the proper locations, with the ramifications of your movements happening in real time.

Replay: 90/100

There are four different singleplayer modes, with the normal Puzzle mode featuring 120 different puzzles of increasing difficulty. There is a timed mode, a hyper mode (where the Glowbos explode if you don’t get light on them after a while) and an Infinite mode, which generates random game boards. There is also a single-cart multiplayer mode, which allows competitive and co-op play. Competitive play is like the timed mode, where you race the clock. The co-op mode however, is interesting in that it gives only half the board to each player, and you must work together to get the pieces arranged properly.

Prism: Light the Way is a fun puzzle game that is perfect for short periods of play. The simple gameplay and graphics may grow tiresome after a while, but it is still a worthy game for puzzle fans.

Back before Rare was making games such as Banjo Kazooie and the cult classic Golden Eye, they were a small time game developer called Ultimate Play The Game, making games for the ZX Spectrum, an 8-bit computer that was very popular in the UK. In 1983, they released a game called Jetpac, where you played as a stranded astronaut fighting off hordes of aliens to grab enough enough fuel to get your ship off the planet. 24 years later Rare releases Jetpac Refueled, a totally upgraded version of the game with spectacular graphics, new gameplay and a helluva lot more.

Graphics: 95/100
The graphics are beautiful. Vibrant colors, cool lighting effects and a seamless mix of beautifully rendered 3D models and high definition 2D sprites creating one of the best looking games available on the Arcade. My only problem with the visuals though is that it zooms out as the screen fills up with enemies and for someone with a standard definition TV, it gets a little straining on the eyes. Other then that there is nothing to complain about when it comes to the eye candy Rare has produced in this remake.

Sound: 90/100
The music is pretty good and the sound effects are loud, crisp and add to the overall character of the game. Rare optimized the sound for 5:1 surround sound so those with a nice setup are in for a treat.

Gameplay: 87/100
The game is very easy to pick up, you use the triggers to use your jetpack to gain height and the B button to fire your lasers. What is so great about this update is that they did not only overhaul the graphics, they added many new additions to the game play. You have weapons upgrades to upgrade you laser in several stages from your standard laser, to an L beam,and a 3-way beam. Also their is a wide variety of enemies each with their own style of getting around and trying to kill you so it never gets repetitive. However, the longer you take to clear a level the more crowded the level gets, if you do not keep the enemy population in check you’ll find yourself knee deep in space squids, fortunately Rare has added a bomb to your arsenal which clears the screen of uglies giving you time to get your remaining fuel and hightailing it out of there.

There is an Multiplayer mode where you go head to head with another player in a race to construct and fuel your ship first. It is a fun addition to an already great single player game.

Replay: 76/100
The game is a blast with a total of 128 levels to blaze through but after that there is not really much to do, but the increasing difficulty may keep you from actually reaching that high. Thankfully the game does include a level select of sorts, unfortunately it’s only on the levels that you built a new ship. So you can’t start from any level you like and are required to get to a certain point to be able to return, it can get a little annoying when your in the higher levels.

As an added bonus Rare included a very faithful recreation of the original Jetpac but compared to the beautifully done Refuelled you may not return to it other then to unlock the achievement for beating it.

Overall this is a top notch game especially if you never even heard of the original it is a great game on it’s own and at 400pts it is a must have.

Sonic the Hedgehog is a classic from the golden age of 16-bit gaming and even by todays standards it is still a blast to play, the 2nd game in the series topped the first and gets a slight upgrade for it’s XBLA debut. How is it? Let me tell you.

Graphics: 84/100
The crisp cartoony graphics we remember are all here along with an option to smooth out the edges and make the dithering less apparent, but for those of us who remember it best, by all means it’s an nice improvement. The fast scrolling is all there with no slowdown nor any graphical glitches, while the game has been optimized for HD sets, their might be a bit of artifacting when your blazing across the screen. Nothing big really.

Sound: 90/100
All the memorable tunes are there along with all the classic sound effects all in stereo so it sounds particularly nice blaring through a stereo system.

Gameplay: 84/100
It’s a classic game, it plays like it should. Theres not much to the control scheme as you only really need to use the Analog stick or the D-pad along with any action button for jumping. It was not complex back then and neither is it complex today.

The speed is exhilarating but it can also be a pain as more often then not your gonna run into an enemy, spikes or a bumper that will bounce you into an enemy or some spikes.. Fun stuff.. But whatever, the game is still a blast.

For a 2D game on the 360, the controller doesn’t really become an issue which is a surprise since the Analog stick can be too sensitive for 2D games, here it is perfect for the simple control scheme.

Another great aspect of this game is that you can now play a versus match on Live for added enjoyment, unfortunately 2 player co-op play is local only.

Replay: 80/100
The 2D Sonic the Hedgehog series has always been a favorite among older gamers, here it should be no different though there is nothing new added which isn’t a bad thing but if you’ve played through this game many times back on the Genesis it’s gonna all be the same. The graphics may be dated but they are not too dated that people who have never been exposed to the older Sonic games wouldn’t want to take a look. The ability to play Versus matches online is a nice touch but the lack of online Co-op makes it take a hit in replay value as the original game had local Co-op so thats nothing new.

Overall, it’s one of the best games that Sega had to offer back when they were still supporting the Genesis and it’s still a great game today and at 400pts it’s quite a steal.