5 Stars - Amazing, a must buy game

Come forth, ye JRPGers, for Dragon Quest has arrived! Finally reaching stateside, Dragon Quest IX: The Sentinels of the Starry Skies is the first of the long-running franchise to be developed primarily for hand-held. That means that this entire experience is designed, unlike the ports, with your Nintendo DS in mind. In short, this is a game that promises much. The question is, does it deliver?

Price: $9.99 | System: PC, XBLA, PSN | Release: October 22, 2008 | ERSB: M (Mature)

3 Stars - Pretty good mini-RPG

On The Rain Slick Precipice Of Darkness: Episode One is an episodic, side-scrolling, turn based RPG from Hothead games and Penny Arcade. Rain Slick follows the adventures of the well known Penny Arcade characters Gabe and Tycho and your created character as you try to save the world from destruction. Your character joins in with Gabe and Tycho’s detective agency after your house is crushed by a massive robot. You of course are pissed about this and agree to join in the hunt for this robot and remove it from the face of the earth, along the way you discovering a sinister plot by mimes to destroy the world. This game doesn’t change anything from the well worn end of the world RPG plot. However it does add a layer of humor we don’t usually get in our RPGs, did I mention the world is in dire trouble because mimes are resurrecting an ancient god?

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4 Stars - Fun in the sun!

Developed and published by Nintendo, Wii Sports Resort showcases the new MotionPlus hardware. Building on the reputation of the original Wii Sports, Nintendo aims to provide a family friendly title that attracts both casual and hardcore gamers. With enhanced sensitivity and a firm starting point, Nintendo are not only aiming to push their hardware in new ways, but display, like they did with the original, what the Wii is capable of. What follows is a rundown of each sport on offer.

Price: $14.99 | System: PS3 | Release: June 9, 2010 | ERSB: E (Everybody)

5 Stars - A true indie gem on the PSN.

If you're old enough to remembre Excite Bike on the NES, then Joe Danger will strike a familiar chord. If you have no idea what I am talking about, the best way to describe Joe Danger, is to imagine Little Big Planet on motorbikes, with a variety of objectives between you and end of the level.

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4 Stars: A well oiled title!

Following the sudden revival of the point and click adventure game, many titles have looked to bring the forgotten genre up to date. Developed and produced by Amanita Design, Machinarium is an independent title and one of the best attempts at an update. It aims to take the core aspects of point and click games and then simplifies them, hopefully resulting in a more streamlined and modern finish. The story it offers is unique, and its setting original, but you’re left to find your way after only a short tutorial and no back-story. However, could it be this simplicity that will mark the start of a new age for point and click games?

Price: $49.99 | System: 360, PS3 | Release: October 13, 2009 | ERSB: M (Mature)

3 stars: Worth a rent.

Dante’s Inferno is a strange beast of a game. On one hand it’s a very nicely polished and fun little action game. On the other hand it’s a giant clone of God of War. So much that at times it feels like they took God of War 2, slapped different HD paint on it and released it. That’s not really a knock on Dante; Visceral Games knew it wanted to be a God of War clone and why not? God of War is a good game: some consider it the best at what it is – a next gen hack and slash. Heck (excuse the pun) tons of war games copy Modern Warfare … and a lot more FPS feel very similar. Why not make a game that plays like another game that plays really well?

Price: $15 | System: 360 | Release: June 3, 2010 (360), July 6 (PS3, PC)

Hey NMGB fans! This week, we’ve got a late review coming to you in the shape of the most current map pack released for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 entitled the Resurgence Map Pack. Once again, Activision has reached dirtily into our pockets and made us fork out another 1200 Microsoft Points or 15 dollars for this map pack. But then again, this high price has worked once before with their previous map pack: Stimulus, which apparently didn’t stop over 1 million players from buying it on the first day of its release.

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2 stars: Dosent even deserve the bronze.

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4 stars: Best light gun game ever.

The original Dead Space was quite a surprise. For EA games to take a chance on a dying genre and make a new survival horror game was a bold move. Even bolder was to bet on a brand new IP and a brand new development team. Visceral Games hit it out of the park: it was a reinvention of the survival horror genre as we knew it. Like Resident Evil 4 to the genre, Dead Space took it one step further with next-gen sound, graphics, and control. You could dodge, and not feel like a tank while walking. You could also individually aim at different body parts like RE4 but it took to the next step with dismemberment – and of course different enemies had different weak spots. Shoot off one enemies head and it may still come after you because its arm is where its heart is, for example. It was a cool concept and the game was a giant hit for EA. Of course they wanted to spread the franchise with a mediocre anime, semi-cool comic and finally a surprise first person on-rails shooter for the Wii.

Price: $59.99 | System: 360 | Release: May 14, 2010 (EU), May 18, 2010 (US) | ERSB: T (Teen)

4 stars: This and Dead Space are keeping Survial Horror alive.

It's been more then five years but Alan Wake is finally out. Does it push the boundaries of narratives in games? Does it feature new, exciting, innovative gameplay? Is it fun? I would say yes to all of these questions. Alan Wake is fun, features a great story, and it is innovative but I don't know if it was six years worth the wait. I love this game, for me it's a 5/5 but putting personal taste aside this is a 4/5 game. It definitely is not perfect.