Bad News

If anybody reads this, I have moved over to my new website fully. If things don't work out, I may move back here. Go to for my new website.

Previews

Preview for Secret Agent Clank: http://boxgaming.blogspot.com/2008/06/box-previews-secret-agent-clank.html

Reviews

Review for Bully: Scholarship Edition: http://boxgaming.blogspot.com/2008/06/box-reviews-bully-schoalarship-edition.html

Review for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock: http://boxgaming.blogspot.com/2008/05/box-reviews-guitar-hero-iii-legends-of.html

Review for Super Mario Galaxy: http://boxgaming.blogspot.com/2008/05/box-reviews-super-mario-galaxy.html

Review for Mario Kart Wii: http://boxgaming.blogspot.com/2008/05/wroom-racer-acquired-star-he-whizzes.html

Review for Ratchet and Clank: http://boxgaming.blogspot.com/2008/06/box-reviews-ratchet-and-clank.html

Box Reviews: Ratchet and Clank

This is a break from my usual structure, as I am reviewing a PS2 game. Ratchet and Clank was the beginning of a franchise, spawning many sequels, and even the recently released Secret Agent Clank for the PSP. I'll get in to that one next time. RaC: ToD (I like abbreviations) was a critical success, gaining many high reviews, raving it for it's spot-on graphics. Unfortunately, I do not have a PS3, because I do not wish to file for a loan. But, I can bring you the original, creatively titled, Ratchet and Clank.

This game starts off by an alien thing (called a blarg), named Chairmen Drek whose planet is overpopulated and polluted, so he decides to build a new one. This mean that he will be destroying almost every planet in the galaxy. Meanwhile, at a robot factory that builds henchmen for Drek malfunctions, and a little robot is produced. He finds the plan, and immediately sets off in search of help. He crashes into the planet Veldin, and Lombax Ratchet finds him. The two immediately set off to find him.

This game is a 3d platformer, so that would normally mean finding Drek and jumping on his head 20 or so times. But Ratchet and Clank isn't a normal platformer. Ratchet's packing heat. So that means while you'll most defiantly be jumping all around, you will also be gunning down hoards of enemies while doing it.

There are an assortment of guns to be found in this game. The one you are first equipped with in the game is the bomb glove. This glove shoots out bombs. The weapon variety goes from a simple machine gun to a gun that turns your enemies into chickens. My favorite weapon goes to the pyrocitor which is basically a flamethrower. While not the most creative, it is the best weapon that I choose to use. There are upgradable versions of these weapons, available on the second play through. But these cost gold bolt, which are just hidden items in the worlds.

All of the worlds are not just levels, but worlds. Every one of the levels is actually a different planet. And you travel there by ship. Over the course of the game you can access many different ships, none of which are customizable.

Speaking of bolts, bolts are the currency found in the game. There are crates littered around the area. Brown wooden crates carry bolts, and crates with a 'G' on them carry ammo for the various weapons. Because the enemies are mostly robots, all of the enemies are bound to carry a few bolts on them.

And don't think that this game is all about jumping and shooting, as there are plenty of gadgets to help you on your way. The first gadget you come across is the Swingshot. Sometimes in levels there are green and yellow orbs. Green orbs, if you have the Swingshot, just pull you to them. Yellow orbs let you swing like an airborne swing set. Another memorable gadget is the Magneboots, which let you walk on slim metal catwalks.

Clank is a gadget all in himself. He has three backpacks he can wear. The heli-pack is the first backpack you come across. For some bolts, Clank earns Ratchet some very fancy moves. The first is a very high jump. The second is a very long jump. The third is the ability to glide in the air after a jump. The thruster pack has the same moves with just one advantage, the astroslam. This enables you to jump in the air, and slam into the ground hard. You use it twice in the game, but you can use it to slam enemies too. The hydro-pack is used to swim against currents and faster too.

My biggest gripe against this game is that it's too darn hard. For the most part of the game, you get four health orbs. Each time you get hit, you lose an orb. You can find crates that have health in them, and those orbs are a big help. I should also mention that these health orbs are called Nanotech. You can buy more Nanotech at one of the levels, but the most Nanotech you can have is 8 Nanotech. With no leveling up of the weapons until challenge mode and the enemies getting harder every level, this makes for a rather challenging game. I should also note that when you die, you get push back a good bit of the level.

The graphics in this game are good, not fantastic, but good. But the animation is rather well done. Bravo for animation Insomniac. The sound is the same way. There is no memorable music but the sound FX are great.

Graphics: 7/10 Good graphics but awesome animation.

Gameplay: 8/10 Would be 10/10 if it wasn't too darn hard.

Sound: 7/10 Good soundtrack but awesome FX.

Multiplayer: N/A
Charm: N/A I'm going to stop this category.

Replay Value: 8/10 Challenge mode gives you a bolt multiplier, harder enemies, and upgraded weapons.

Overall: 8/10 This would be the perfect platformer, but the presentation and difficulty bring it down a notch.

Guitar Hero Metallica

Besides Guitar Hero Aerosmith, there is a new Guitar Hero game coming out. It isn't Guitar Hero On Tour or Guitar Hero World Tour, but a new game. Guitar Hero Metallica. This will be just like Guitar Hero Aerosmith. It will have songs by Metallica and songs that have influenced Metallica. It is due for a Q1 2009 release.

Box Previews: Secret Agent Clank

Secret Agent Clank is the newest Ratchet and Clank game for the PSP, following Size Matters. This installment has the robot sidekick all on his own, with his secret agent persona.

The story: Clank is breaking into a museum for who knows why when he sees a figure getting arrested. After a DNA test, Clank finds out that it is Ratchet. Clank knows Ratchet didn't commit any crime, and goes off to clear his good name. Meanwhile, in jail, Ratchet must compete in arena challenges, much like Anhialation Nation in RaC 3. He also meets all of his enimies from the previous games(I think. Don't quote me on that. Gamespot said he meets all of his arch enimies, so that's what I assumed.)

Clank gets an updated melee move set and an assortment of spy weapons. The spy weapons can be upgraded much like all of the weapons could be in the previous games. For the first time ever, you can play as Captain Quark. Not like in RaC 3, where you just played the Quark Comics,but in full 3D, or as much 3D as the PSP can handle.

There is also the option of stealth kills. This game is a lot like Hitman, where you can take the sneaky way out, or you can take the gunnery. But I think the game awards you for sneakiness (I think). Now the way stealth kills work is that you go up behind the enemy, repeat a four button code, and he kills him. The game will also have some rhythm minigames in them, sort of like the GTA SA thing like the dancing and the low-riders. Buttons roll in from the side, and you have to press them when they hit the line to the right.

So there is my preview of Secret Agent Clank. The release is scheduled for June 17 this year.

Box Reviews: Bully: Schoalarship Edition

Bully for the PS2 was released 1-2 years ago, and it was a critical but not a commercial success. The game caused controversy, as it basically said, "Kids are allowed to be violent and sexual in high school." But others said that the game promoted good things, like sticking up for bullies, and self defense. No one knew who was right, but nobody cared, because it was an awesome game. And two years later, it arrives on the Wii and 360. And I'm here to tear it apart. (note: pictures are from 360 version)

Let me be the first to say that the Wii version is considered the best, because even with highly superior graphics, the 360 version is notorious for being corrupt with glitches and bugs. Speaking of graphics, the Wii version looks no different than that of the PS2, witch isn't saying much. But the animation is the best animation I've seen in a while. Sometimes I just pause the action just to look at the graphics and animation. It's just that good.

The actual game play is no different than that of the PS2 version. you still jump and punch and kick and beat up kids, prefects, and cops. You still use your slingshot and marbles and spud gun and stink bombs. You can take pictures and go to class, which is really just one of many mini games used to get items and skills.

Some of the mini games are really neat. My favorite is the music class. You pound on the Wiimote or nunchuck when the corresponding notes drop down. It's sort of like DDR for dummies. The least inspired ones are math, geography, chemistry, and shop. Math and Geography just make you pick a choice. Shop and Chem are just simple movements. Photography really isn't a mini game. You whip out your camera, go around town, and take pictures. Wow.

The soundtrack is the best original soundtrack ever. In the Guitar Hero review, I mentioned that that video game had the best soundtrack, but this one is too, in a different kind of way. The music really has a charm to it, like SMG. The jingly tune of the bike, to the hard theme of fighting, it all makes me happy. I give this best original soundtrack of 2007. You just have to hear it.



The dialog in the game is also as superb. It is actually a hybrid of comedy and seriousness. It's like a tomato. It's a fruit and a veggie, two totally different things, and yet it is still great. My favorite line in the game is Gary. When Jimmy asks, "What's your problem man?" Gary goes, "ADD primarily, but also my parents, life, and western civilization." It's funny stuff.

The story goes like this. Spoiler Alert! Young Jimmy Hopkins is forced to go to boarding school while his mother and father go on a yearly honeymoon. Jimmy Hopkins meets Gary, Gary helps him, Gary tries to thwart Jimmy. Jimmy takes over the school factions. Gary corrupts the school. Jimmy saves the school after being expelled. End of Spoilers.

The factions are really neat. You got the bullies, the nerds, the preps, the jocks, and the greasers. There are only 60-some kids in the school and town, so you'll get to know everyone you pass. In most missions, you either earn respect for one faction, or decrease it for another. If you come across a person for a faction you don't have respect for, they'll pick a fight with you. At the end, you'll get all factions respect +100.

And lastly is the control. For the Wii, you run with the stick, punch with the Wiimote and Nunchuck, and pause with 1, view objectives with 2, switch weapons with + and -, and the rest is motion control. It all works together nicely.

Graphics: 9/10 Great animation but also nice graphics.
Game play: 8/10 Short game. Fun while it lasts, which isn't vary long.
Sound: 10/10 Music is wonderful, and the dialog offers a chuckle or two.
Multiplayer: 3/10 This game has multiplayer, but all it is is classes.
Charm: 7/10 The music is the only charm.
Replay Value: 5/10 You won't want to play it after you finish it.
Overall: 9/10 With great game play and a gripping storyline, Bully is defiantly a game you should pick up.

A Note on Previews

I haven't posted a preview yet, but I'd like to give some info. I do not have any access to any pre-release games, nor E3 or any press conference. I have to wait and spend my hard-givin money on games, just like you. But I gather communilative previews from sites such as IGN or Gamespot. Then I take all of that information and put it into my own words. I will give credit to those sites, and note any direct quoting.

Box Reviews: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Guitar Hero III and Rock Band were the two hottest choices for games back in October. Fans everywhere were deciding which game to get. Wii owners had the easiest choice, as that was the only platform not supporting Rock Band. So here is the first official Box Review.


Now the story is kind of whack. I don't demerit or complement scores based on story, but I thought it would be kind of neat to point out. The way the cutsceens work is that pictures appear on screen, kind of like Pokemon. The story goes that you are a backyard band that gets popular and tours all over the place before getting sucked into Hell. Yeah.....


Now the actual gameplay hasn't really changed much. You still hit the five buttons on the guitar in unison to when that color note on the screen hits the bottom. One thing of note is now the game keeps track of your streaks, popping little messages here and there.


The guitar is really neat. Instead of black, you use a white guitar to shred. You pop the Wiimote into the guitar directly. Now you don't have to take the Wiimote out before you play the game, as you can easily use the included analog stick to act just like a classic controller. And the motion sensors control star power. The whammy bar is just as good as all of the others, but sometimes it fails to calibrate correctly, and I'm stuck with a whammy bar that is always in the down position.




The song list is the best song list I've seen ever for any game ever. Songs include Paint It Black by the Stones, When You Were Young by the Killers, and One by Metallica. But the thing that ruins the whole game is that the songs it comes with are the only songs you'll be playing. Yes, that's right, no downloadable content available for Wii owners. That brings the game down two whole points right there.


The graphics are cartoony, punk, and give an all-up-in-your-face kind of vibe to them. There is certainly no graphical spectaculars to be had. But the environments are lively, and serve great purpose to what they are, backdrops.




Multi-player is a real letdown. Not only do you have to find a friend and a separate guitar, there is also no co-op free play. The only co-op mode is the co-op career mode. And some songs can only be unlocked by playing them in the co-op career mode. The online play though is awesome! You can rock out in two to seven session play with friends and random people!


Now the thing is that there was a developer flip-flop in the system. Red-Octane, the previous developer of Guitar Hero, has now moved over to Rock Band. So that means that Activision, most famous for their Tony Hawk franchise, has taken over. They added new stuff, like online and better graphics, but they took away other stuff too. For one thing, no downloadable content on Wii! That was the thing that ruined the game for Mii, I mean me.



Graphics: 6/10 You can do better on Wii. But for what they are, they are good.
Gameplay: 9/10 Shred the guitar! But they aforementioned whammy bar isn't so hot.
Sound: 10/10 The soundtrack in this game is the best ever.
Multiplayer: 7/10 It is fun, but lack of a co-op free play brings it down.
Charm: 3/10 Just pick a song and go, nothing to look at.
Replay Value: 8/10 You could keep playing if you wanted to.
Overall: 7/10 Solid online gameplay and a plethora of songs can't make up for lack of downloadable content.

Rock Revolution

With all of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band commotion, we almost forgot about Konami. Yes, they are joining the bandwagon (pun not intended) with its own rhythm game called Rock Revolution. It will support guitar, bass, drum, and microphone peripherals. The Wii will have air guitar and drums, but I doubt any vocals. The DS has stylus instruments, and vocals using the built in microphone. It is slated for a fall release.

Breaking News

I just found out 2 min. ago that Guitar Hero IV will now offically be called Guitar Hero World Tour. Just thought I'd let you know.

Box Reviews: Super Mario Galaxy

Remember the days of Super Mario 64? The excitement you got from the first time playing as Mario in 3d? I sure don't, seeing as I was just being born around that time. If I would have gotten hold of that cartridge, I probably would of thrown it against the wall. Remember that in your mind, you knew Super Mario Sunshine wasn't the sequel, even though you loved it. Well now, the true sequel has shown up everywhere under the title Super Mario Galaxy!

The first time loading this game, I was so excited. I've read every preview there was to read. But now onto the meat of the review. This game is a lot like Super Mario 64. No water sprayer. But instead of punching or kicking, you get the spin attack. You give the Wiimote a small shake and Mario spins like a ballerina. But the ballerina packs a punch because this is most of what you'll be doing most of the game. You can't solve a puzzle without some sort of spin attack thingy. This isn't a bad thing, as I love it.

Speaking of the Wiimote, you will be ponting at the screen for most of the game. You can collect tiny objects called star bits by just pointing at them, no matter how far away you are. This is the game's currency, which is used to buy items, levels, and secrets. You can also shoot them at enimies, as long as you have them. If you choose to have a second player, they are basically just a star that can shoot and stop enimies. It's pointless.

So this isn't all just small planetoids in a row, as most areas are HUGE! Beach Bowl Galaxy being my prime example. There isn't any launch stars, just you and the bowl. The running upside, downside, leftside, rightside effect is nauseating a first, but soon you'll be doing it like a pro.

The hub area in this game is called the observatory. It's a hub. That's it. It isn't as much fun as roaming around the castle or the playground of Isle Delfino. But it is the only place you can use the star. This is a power up that lets you fly. Kind of like the wing cap in Super Mario 64.
Some of the power ups are really cool, but others are not. The highly acclaimed bee suit is one of the better power ups, as it enables you to fly. Even if I finished all of the stars in the galaxy, I would still go there to bee a bee (pun intended). The slinky suit (that's what I call it) is really hard to control, and thankfully only one of the galaxies have it. That's really my only big gameplay complaint.

Story goes as follows. Mario goes to meet Peach. Bowser kidnaps Pea and her castle and takes them into outer space. What!? A story. Maybe Nintendo will make better stories from now on. Don't count on it.

The variety of galaxies in the game really surprised me. It's not all space. Wow some galaxies such as Space Junk and Battle Rock Galaxies are, some like Beach Bowl Galaxy and Loop De Loop galaxy are the farthest thing from it. It just goes to show how much Nintendo loves us :p. With 120 stars and over 40 galaxies to chose from, you'll never be asking yourself what to do.

As for graphics, these are the best graphics on Wii period. This picture describes better than words how awesome this game really is.

The soundtrack in this game is really better than any other Wii game to date, even better than Brawl's soundtrack (I'll get to that one sometime). Just listen to this song.
http://www.imeem.com/people/VNUUWY/music/R1DoGqFi/super_mario_galaxy_main_thememp3/

Graphics: 10/10 You won't find graphics like these anywhere else on Wii, except maybe Brawl, which has a completely different art style.
Gameplay: 10/10 This is the true sequel to Super Mario 64, not that stupid watered down version of a sequel (pun intended)Sound: 9/10 Best original soundtrack you will find on Wii period.
Multi player: 3/10 Great for your mom, bad for your best friend.
Charm: 10/10 With cute graphics and umm... Mario! Yeah!
Replay Value: 5/10 There is a little something for you once you get all 120 stars that will make you want to replay it. Once
Overall: 9/10 Best title on Wii. But just don't break this one out at parties.

My Poll

For all of my nonexistint readers, I have a poll to the right. This lets viewers decide what game I should review next. I wright about 2 reviews a week. I have a limited number of Wii games right now, only about 10, and the games I sold I can review. Then I got a lot, and I mean a lot, of PS2 games I can review, but only when I run out of Wii games. So don't forget to vote in my poll.

Box Reviews: Mario Kart Wii

Wroom! A racer acquired a star! He whizzes past you. You're thankful he didn't touch you. You are in 11th place. You hit an item box and what do you get. A bullet bill! You use it, and race ahead of the pack and into 5th place. What is this? A dream? No, it's Mario Kart Wii!

Now when Reggie said at E3 that this isn't your father's Mario Kart, he was wrong. Even though it has 12 player online, and motorcycles, underneath this is the same Mario Kart we all grew up with. Now this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you've gotten tired of the same old Mario Kart, nothing here will change your mind.

Now the biggest addition to the Mario Kart franchise in a while has been motorcycles. These control pretty much like karts, only they have more sensitive steering and wheelies. Now how these work is that you pop the Wii Wheel up and you're on one wheel. This gives you a speed boost at the cost of steering. Also if you get hit during a wheelie, you are basically going to stop.

Speaking of the Wii Wheel, it is basically just a plastic shell to stick your Wii Remote into. It works pretty nicely, kinda like the Wii Zapper, which was also just a plastic shell. But this is way better, as any driving game so far is compatible with it, as long as the control is forgivable, as for the zapper, only four games are compatible. RE Umbrella chronicles, Link's Crossbow Training, MoH: Heroes 2, and Ghost Squad. The Wheel works great, but for veterans, you might want to stick to the classic or Gamecube controller.

The way the Grand Prix works is also a little different. In 50cc, you can only use your karts. As for 100cc, you can only use bikes. 150cc, you can use both. Once you complete a whole Grand Prix class, you can do that class with both karts and bikes. Why they made the decision to do this, I have no idea. But it works out a little better than you might expect. This game comes with 32 tracks, 16 of them being brand-spanking new. There are some real gems in there, like Bowser's Castle and Rainbow Road, but some are ones that are not so good. Examples are being Coconut Mall and Wario's Gold Mine, which slow you down at every turn, and just aren't fun to play. Classic courses are back, with tracks like Bowser's Castle from N64, and Ghost Valley 2 from SNES.

Items like the banana peel and turtle shells are back, but they also incorperated new items into the mix. The thundercloud gives you a short speed boost, but if you don't pass it along, you'll get shrunken like you got hit with the lightning bolt. The Mega Mushroom is back from New Super Mario Bros. It makes you giant, impervious to all in your path, except for star people. The POW block is from the original Mario Bros. arcade game. It spins out everyone on the track in front of you. Now let me give you some advice. When you see a POW block, spam the stunt button like crazy. You'll still drop your items and spin out, but you won't lose any momentum.

Speaking of stunts, that's the second addition to Mario Kart Wii. Coming off a jump, you can waggle the Wheel or remote, and you'll do a stunt. Landing the stunt earns you yet another speed boost.

Mini Turbos were also reworked. It used to be that you drift and waggle the analog stick back and forth until orange flames come out. Now, if you drift long enough, only then will the flames come out. You can let go at blue and get a boost, but if you're riding a kart, you can drift longer for orange flames. That gets you a bigger speed boost. Bikes don't have this feature of orange flames, because of the aforementioned wheelies.

Battle mode is the same as always. No. Wait a minute. No it's not. Balloon Battle now consists of how many balloons you can personally take out. Losing your three balloons has no effect what so ever, except for the drop-off.

Multi player is where Mario Kart has always shined, and this is no different. Graphics really take a hit when playing for player split screen, but the gameplay is still marvelous as always. Online play is like no other in Mario Kart Wii. You can race or battle with up to 11 other people, and unlike Mario Kart DS, on any track. With things like the Mario Kart Channel, available from the Wii or the actual game itself. It tracks your records in time trials, and you can actually race the record holders ghost.

The graphics in this game are stunning. Nothing like Brawl or Super Mario Galaxy, but the best so far out of the series. It's' cartoony, just like it's supposed to be. That's all I can say.Wow. This is long. I should end it before I get started on something like Super Mario Galaxy. Oops. Too late.

Graphics: 7/10 Not as great as SMG or SSBB, and take a huge dive in 4 player split screen, but still a joy to look at.Gameplay: 9/10 It's Mario Kart. Same old Mario Kart.
Sound: 8/10 Not a memorable soundtrack, but not a bad one either.Multi player: 10/10 Mario Kart was always a party game. Online play is also a huge success. Bring this out during parties.
Replay Value: 9/10 With online play and a great versus mode, this game will be in your disc tray for months to come.
Charm: 10/10 There's something about Mario that makes him almost teddy bear like. Cute and cuddly.
Overall: 8/10 (not an average) With engaging gameplay, superb online play, and the Wii Wheel, this Mario Kart is sure to appeal to everyone of all ages.

Guitar Hero IV

I can't wait for Guitar Hero 4. It's going to be awesome! It is going to have not only guitar, but bass, drums, and vocals. Sounds like another game we know, doesn't it?(Rock Band :p) Now I think that Guitar Hero will come out victorious because they have not only four drums and a bass pedal, but two extra cymbals that will make any Rock Band drummers sweat because of the intense battle. But I'll have to wait untill more information pops up. C ya!

Giant Bomb

I am sooooo happy! As you may or may not know, Jeff Gerstman recently was released from Gamespot. Because of that, Alex Navarro and Ryan Davis quit. I missed them and was saddened for a little while. But then I found out they started a new website, http://www.giantbomb.com/. It is awesome! Now it is in early stages, and in blog form, but this summer it will boom completely (pun intended). It has podcasts, videos (5), and 5 or 6 reviews. It is just mind-blowing to see them all exclusively. Well, I gotta go. See you later.

ps. I just moved here from another blog site. That's why I'm posting so many posts today.

Welcome to The Box

Hello! And welcome to The Box! This is my gaming blog and all my previous posts from Strongba1's gaming blog will be here. Enjoy!