Serious Sam Double D XXL Preview

David Brown 

We previously covered Serious Sam 3, now from Devolver Digital, Mommy's Best Games and Mastertronic comes Serious Sam Double D XXL. It is releasing on Xbox Live Arcade on February 20, 2013.  As far as the company is saying: 

"Serious Sam Double D XXL has been rebuilt and reloaded with all-new features, missions, and weapons with a wild campaign cooperative mode featuring titular Serious Sam and his brother-in-arms, Dan “Huff” Huffington. The revolutionary Gunstacker goes even deeper with over 30 new guns to mix and match for some of the most ridiculously awesome action ever to grace Xbox LIVE Arcade!"

Our friends over at Digital Devolver have been kind enough to give us a preview build and I want to share my impressions with you of the first 6 levels.

 

Action in the game is fast paced. You play from a 2D perspective and just have to get from the beginning of the stage to the end in true Serious Sam fashion it won't be an easy task, you have to compete with hundreds of randomly spawning enemies throughout each stage.  This makes for a very fast paced game.  One thing that helps this is the ability to adjust the level speed within each level from 50% to 150%. 

Along with the challenge of survival there are also many hidden collectibles throughout. There is much to explore and find, but we will cover that in our full review. I look forward to sharing more with you about the game, but lets just say that you will not be disappointed. Look for our review closer to release date and look for Serious Sam Double D XXL on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 MSP on February 20, 2013.

Karateka Review

David Brown

 Do you like games where you can save a princess? Do you like games with kung fu? Do you like games of precision?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should check out Karateka, released by D3 Publisher on the Xbox 360.   Karateka is a remake of the Apple II classic created by Jordan Mechner, the creator of Prince of Persia. You quest is to save Mariko from the evil warlord Akuma and reunite her with True Love.

The premise is simple, you are True Love and you must fight your way up the mountain to the stronghold of Akuma and defeat him to save Mariko.  To do this you must fight each and every one of Akuma's men (and one falcon) in hand-to-hand combat.  The controls are simple and allow for moving, blocking, a regular attack, a ki move and healing at certain locations along the way.  Fights consist of sparring with your opponent.  They attack, you block, you attack, they block...this is the rhythm that you will get in to.

Speaking of rhythm, much of the fights themselves take place to the rhythm of the soundtrack for the game.  My first time through I didn't realize this and played the game with the sound off, making things harder than they should have been.  The controls are responsive enough where you have a fair chance, although that doesn't mean everything is fair. There are moments when you think you have the enemy's pattern figured out, only to have them use a cheap attack and hit you off rhythm, ultimately knocking off your rhythm and leaving you wide open. 

The game is graphically pleasing with artwork by Jeff Matsuda, known for his work on The Batman, providing very colorful visuals.  There is however one double edged sword for the game, the length.  As I said, the first time through, I played without the sound on, making it harder on myself.  Even with this handicap, I was able to complete the game in less than 30 minutes.  While this is perfect for those of us who are busy, it does beg the question whether 800 points is too much? 

Length aside, this is a fun game.  If you are looking for a fun game with good controls, then I am sure you will find more than enough reasons to justify the price with three different endings.  While this game won't redefine gaming, it is a fun diversion for those who wish to pick it up.  If you would like to try it out, it is available on Xbox LIVE now.

Pool Nation Review

David Brown

If any of you are like me, you remember the game Yahoo Pool, it was a fun past time for me when I was bored at home or sometimes during my breaks in school.  The simple joy that comes from playing pool with others is fun.  There is a lot of skill involved and even a dash of math.  These are all things that make pool a great game.  With the release of Pool Nation by Mastertronic, we are seeing the reemergence of Pool.

Available now on Xbox LIVE, Pool Nation offers you a number of game modes including the traditional 8 ball and 9 ball modes along with a spattering of other game types.  Each of these game types has its own set of rules and play quite differently.  There are some modes where you can win quickly and others where the action is drawn out. Aside from the exhibition modes, there is also a tournment mode and an endurance mode.

In tournament mode, you play through a number of different tournaments each with a ladder of opponents to climb through. You always move forward by beating your opponent at the mentioned game, but you also have the option of completing extra objectives that will net you new skins for your stick, table and even the balls.  This is a fun little diversion and something that adds challenge to an already technical game.  I found that after playing through a few tournaments that there are a lot of unlockables.

The other mode that I mentioned is the endurance mode.  In this mode, you are tasked with keeping you table clear of 24 balls for an extended period of time.  You have to sink them as fast as possible if you want to last in this mode.  With each ball you sink you fill a meter which can then be used to pause time for a few seconds giving you the edge you need to get to higher time periods.  I found this to be a fun mode, even though I only made it to around 7 minutes on my best attempts. 

The biggest concern in a game like this is the controls. In my opinion they offer a nice amount of precision so that you can never say that the controls are the reason you have messed up a shot.  There isn't much in the way of sound aside from the background music and the sounds of pool balls, so this really is a moot point.  I will say that the graphics are quite impressive and have a good degree of photo realism to them, immersing you a bit more in the game.

I want to conclude by saying that this game isn't for everyone.  I loved it because I am a fan of pool and pool games, but I doubt that this will convert anyone into the game who hasn't played before.  If you don't care for pool then this is not for you. If you like pool then I say give this game a try.  It is worth the money that you will be paying for it and will give you a nice way to kill a few minutes here and there. Check this game out now on Xbox LIVE today.

WWE '13 Review

David Brown

If you are like me, you grew up in the 1990s as a fan of professional wrestling.  I would countdown the hours until Monday Night Raw every Monday and would get excited over Pay Per Views every month.  WWE was big business back in the day and it is a testament that it is still around today.  I have been a fan of the WWE series since its inception and have had lots of fun, but I have to say, this year with THQ’s release of WWE ’13, there is a lot more attitude!

For those of you whom have played these game before, much is still the same.  You still have the excellent stamina system and all of the customization in terms of characters, belts, pay-per-views, and move sets that have been a staple of the WWE games for many years now. There are many different match types available as well that will give you plenty of options when wrestling against the large roster or against friends online. 

 

The big difference this year is the attitude era story mode.  In this mode,  you relive many of the moments that defined the WWE in the mid 90s including the formation of Degeneration X and the infamous Austin, Michaels fight with Mike Tyson as a special guest.  Everything here brings you back to the days when wrestling was filled with intensity, showmanship and skill.  As you play through each match, you are given a number of primary and secondary goals.  Primary goals usually entail winning the match, wherein secondary goals help you to unlock various hidden characters, belts and even arenas.  You will want to put in the time to explore all of the unlockables that are available.  

The controls are still as tight as ever and the reversal system has been simplified to one button for strikes and grapples which may annoy some veterans, but makes it easier for newcomers.  As for the sound, the music and the voice overs do a great job in bringing you into the game and back to the attitude era.  As for replayability, there is so much to do and to unlock that you will be playing this game for months to come.  If you are a wrestling fan, I highly recommend that you pick up this game as it offers so much fun in one small package.