Hello again, friends, and welcome to another fun filled week here at Game On! We’ve got reviews of classic shooters, an anime-inspired game, as well as a look at the demo for an upcoimg title, and a quick word on a gaming tournament too. Let’s get started.

GRAD-ITUDE

One of my favorite genres for games has always been the twitch-shooter. fast, frantic gameplay, quick deaths, skill and strategy, and trail and error have always been the earmarks of a great twitch-shooter. None have done this better (argueably) than the GRADIUS series, which is now collected on the PSP’s aptly named GRADIUS COLLECTION. Here we’ll see the first four games from the series, as well as the unreleased (on US shores, anyway) GRADIUS GAIDEN collected onto one disc for the first time ever.

These games are presented in thier full arcade forms, so everything is intact, and the aspect ratio of the screen size can be adjusted to your liking, from filling the PSP’s wide screen, to normal size, to stretched out. Everything from the powerups to different shielding possibilities are included from the originals, and thakfully, as “save anytime’ feature has been added too, to alieviate strain on the eyes and thumbs when blasting in short burts of time (especially helpful for a handheld collection).

The collection also includes music and video from the series history, as well as some unlockable cinematics and tunes as you progress through the various stages of the games. Of all the titles, the first and GAIDEN seem to be the best and most well-rounded shooter experiences here, but each game is a testament to the genre, and this collection is a great one for fans and newcomers alike.While it would have been nice if they inclused Konami’s other shooter LIFEFORCE (which was called SALAMANDER in Japan, as evidenced in the opening of GRADIUS III) this is still a robust and well-done compilation. Now, let’s get a CONTRA one going and we’ll be all set for shooters.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

NARUTO, NOISY NINJA

Licensed games are usually a mixed bag when it comes tothose that are based on anime properties. Usually quality control is sacrificed for fan service, but on occasion, you’ll find a quality title out there for folks who may not be too familiar with the series to still enjoy with the fans. NARUTO: ULTIMATE NINJA aims to be one such of these titles, and succeeds in many ways, though it’s shortcomings are a bit obvious as well.

As it usually happens with these titles, NARUTO is a fighting game. Thankfully, it’s not a boring one, with the action occuring on several different planes, as well as the ability of the characters to teleport around the arenas, and even switch locales mid-fight. There’s also a fairly intuitive combo system in place here, with attacks knocking opponents across screen in high velocity fight sequences.

The graphics fair well when compared to the look of the show, and many of the main combatants from the series make an appearance, with more unlockable. There’s a mild story mode here called “Scenario” which allows the player to follow a series of fights as one specific character. There’s not much story for the story mode, but none of the “story” elements are repeated for each character, so it’s a nice diversion from just the normal arcade mode (which is also included). There’s also a mission mode, in which fights have to be completed with certain perameters in order to move to the next.

My main problem with this title, however, is that there realy is only ONE attack button. Combos, while there are many, usually just occur with some variation of “attack, attack, attack, left plus attack” or “attack, attack, up and attack” and so on. I would have liked a little bit more variety there, but as it stands, it’s a little more than a single button masher, which i hate.The only other time you hit a button is the triangle to ready your special attack or “secret technique”. As you fight, you build up your special meter, up to three levels. You can cycle through these levels by pressing the triangle button (red for level one, purple for level two, and green for level three) and if you connect while glowing one of these three colors, you’ll begin your secret technique move. Here you can actually try some other buttons on the controller, as two meters appear on the sides of the screen. Press the apporpriate buttons as they reach the bottom of the meter, and your attack will be powerful, miss any one of them, and the attack is shortened. You opponent also has a meter, and if they time the button presses correctly, they can lessen the damage done to them.

While these elements thankfully break up the single button mash-fests, it still doesn’t help the times in between, when you’re pounding wildly on your foe to build up chakra to use your techniques. At least there are power-ups spread through the levels, gained by support characters (or beaten out of your oppoenents support characters).

All in all, however, fans of the series will certainly buy this in droves, and fighting fans who want something a little different than STREET FIGHTER will have something to enjoy. The combos, when done at all, are done well, and the attacks are cool, if with little variation in the buttons you press. One other thing i wouldn’t have minded if they included it would have been the original japanese voices for the characters, as the American voice dub for the character of Naruto is downright annoying. Believe it.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

DEMO REVIEW: PREY

This past week online and on Xbox Live Marketplace, the demo for 3D Realms’ and 2k Games’ upcoming FPS PREY was made availble for free download. I took advantage of it and played around iwth it a little bit, which seems to cover a good chunk of the opening of the game.

You play the role of Tommy, a cherokee mechanic who longs to pick up his best girl and get off the rez (that’s reservation to you palefaces) for a life more exciting. Just as he’s quelled the braying of some drunks at the local bar, wouldn’t you know it but ALIENS show up and capture everyone around. Yeah, it’s about to get seriously strange.

What sets this FPS apart from the rest of the pack is the downright wierdness it throws your way. The ship you wind up on has a few features not standard to our ways of living. What appear to be pipes extending over random areas of the floor from one side appear to be just that, but on the otehr act as portals to other sections of the ship. Portals also show up randomly and spill enemies out at you. Then, there’s the walkways. When turned on, you can actually walk UP the walls and on the ceilings, offering a new vantage point to the combat, and another wierd way of getting around this already crazy ship.

The weapons you find are fairly standard for an FPS (so far anyway) but when you shoot them at certain marks ofn the ship, it flips the orientation of the room…or where you can walk. This game has some serious fun with flipping the characters around, and will probably make a few players seasick from all the disorienting rooms.Add to that the fact that Tommy can leave his body and have his ethereal form move past obstacles and open doorways that he many not be3 able to get through from the side he’s on, as well as attcking with amystical bow and arrow, and you’re got one weird, spiritual shooter. Tommy is aided and abetted by his spirit animal Tallon (a haawk, of course) who flies around the levels and points out the parts where he can leave his body to advance.

While the demo offered up a good few missions, an d gave the main exposition of the story, it was still too little to form a full opinion on. What i played i liked, however, and the story driven moments in this FPS are a nice change, and the quirks it has offer a good deal of diversity for the FPS fan who may be tired on things on your normal solid ground. I didn’t have a chance to explore the multiplayer side of things, but from what i hear it’s fun for fans of the UNREAL series. Look for my full review of the game after it hits stores helves in a few weeks.

One Gamer’s Opinion:

GAMING NEWS

Here’s a bit that a loyal reader named Vincent sent me a few weeks ago and i initially forgot to post about it when he sent it, but thankfully, there’s still time left on it. It’s about a Half Life 2 tournament from Verizon and Valve where players have a chance to compete for $100,000 cash. It’s called the FiOS Grand Tournament. Players that register will get a free copy of Half Life 2: Deathmatch to play during the tournament (which runs from June 15 to July 29) as well as a copy of Half Life 2: Lost Coast to try out while competing in the tournament.More info on the FiOS Grand Tournament can be found below and by visiting http://www.fiosgrand.com/

Well, that’s it once again for us this week. See you all next time with more reviews and news…and hopefully, a smile or two. Or something like that.

Comments: None