General Discussions

Awesome reviews Jackal. I can't wait for Brothers in Arms Hells Highway. Have you ever played Turok on 360? I noticed the quote in your sig, I might have to check it out if it's any good...

Thank you, and yes I have. It's actually a pretty good game, good not great but the main thing about the game is the Dinosaurs...so if your into a different kind of shooter and especially dinosaurs then you should definetly try it. I liked the unarmed combat most of all, Turok is exceptional with the knife. Its got a good voiceover cast too...Timothy Olyphant, Ron Perlman, Powers Boothe, Donnie Wahlberg, William Fichtner etc...


Another review to come in due time, feel free to comment...

Haven't played Road to Hill 30. But Frontlines: Fuel of War was awesome in my opinion. The remote-controlled vehicles, the weapons, good story, an overall blast for me.

I'd just like to post a little review I made myself a while back, on the arcade game N+. Tell me what you think, Jackal.

Genre: Adventure/Puzzle
Platform: Xbox 360

I first came across this game on AddictingGames.com, under the name of "N". The concept is simple - collect the golden squares to increase your original life-span of 90 seconds, and use your ninja-like abilities to find the key to the next room. As far as I'm concerned, the only difference between "N" and "N+" is the layout, a few graphical tweaks and an added multiplayer mode. But keep this in mind - whatever goes onto AddictingGames.com goes there for a reason, and this has a bloody well good reason to go onto there.

The sheer simplicity of the gameplay of N+ is not only addicting, but it is pure brilliance. It is yet another reminder that graphics really aren't everything, and you can be sure that this game will keep you hooked hours on end, with no breaks or let-ups. Again, like any game with great gameplay, it forces you to be creative, use your own ingenuity to escape various situations and tight spots. The added bonus of the whole range of enemies makes it all the more challenging, and in the latter stages of the game it really is a good test of your logic, creativity and reaction times all in one.

The multiplayer mode is a great addition, and up to 4 players on the same Xbox 360 console can attack the single player missions, race each other to finish the level, or survive the perils of the level till the last man standing. All of this can be done online, too, but most of the time there is little or no online activity, so you can rule that out for the time being. Other than that, it's great for playing ensemble, and the gameplay value just gets boosted higher.

And then there's the price - 800 Microsoft Points, which is the equivalent of $10. I cannot think of a better priced arcade game than this, and with amazing replay value as well. This is one of those future classics - if it does well, then it will be deeply remembered and acknowledged, much in the same way we all appreciate Crash Bandicoot or Earthbound, or even the Marathon series by Bungie. Simple, yet utterly and fantastically brilliant.

My verdict? The best $10 I've ever spent on anything in my entire life. It really is worth each and every single one of those Microsoft Points. And to be able to enjoy all of it on HD? Priceless.

Rating: 9.5/10

That's a good review, you covered everything pretty thoroughly...although I've never played the game it sounds good. Hell, I still like playing Hextic on the 360...

But for future notice please don't post your reviews here (or anyone else for that matter)...I couldn't very well call this 'Jackal's Game Reviews' if I'm not the one doing the reviews lol. Thank you, I'm sure you understand and respect my board But if you really wanted to you could make your own board with your reviews...you're a smart guy, you'd get plenty of hits I'm sure.

Another review to come soon...

Our next review...

Mario 64

Considered by many to be the greatest video game of all time, Mario took us out of the 2-D world and blasted us into 3-D...the holy grail of 3-D gaming, truly we wouldn't have any of the games we love today without Mario first paving the road for them all. It's generations Nirvana Mario 64 completely changed everything in the gaming industry forever. The game itself is packed with so much fun to be had its impossible to include everything in one review, or describe in words for that matter. It's truly is a game you must play to understand what everyone was talking about at the time...and I'm sure we all remember playing this a time or two in the past...ah the memories.

Exploration is the staple of this game, so much to do...so little time. You must leave no mushroom unturned, no door unopened and no gold star left behind. Mario himself has been given so many movements there's never a dull moment...from mastering wall-kicks to watching him fall asleep experimentation is an integral part of mastering the controls and environment. In a nutshell this game is all about the adventure, as Mario you must try to find and rescue Princess Peach from the evil Bowser who's turned her castle into a mass world of level paintings. Somewhat childish some would say to a teen or older person but their shooting for a young demographic here and it's gameplay will keep your little niece or nephew busy for hours.

As impressive as the game is for its time not everything is perfect, struggling with the camera angle in tense situations gives a new meaning to the word patience, eventually you get the hang of it but it'll take some time to master the camera. Newer gamers will cruise along until they reach one of the tougher levels, then, its all about the two P's of Mario 64- Practice and Patience. Or leave you asking "Where's Luigi when you need him!?" Experienced gamers will love the challenges and leave them coming back for more. Another area I'd like to touch on is the graphics and sound, graphically today its definetly outdated, but for its time Mario 64 was the best looking game ever...period! As for the sound it does a great job setting the player into the world, although some tracks become pretty annoying after awhile, especially listening to Mario's mannerisms (jumping, running and such). I still remember my Mom asking me when I was a kid "What's going on in there?" I'd just laugh in response lol...Bottom line- with its bright colors and cartoon animation it looks and feels like you've stumbled into Mario's world...


Final Verdict (Mario 64)-

Mario lives up to his touted Nintendo reputation exploding into 3-D with a mighty high fist jump. Everything an adventure should be- fun, long and challenging, Shigeru Miyamoto deserves a heavy pat on the back for pulling this all together into a perfect game. He and Nintendo should be remembered in the history books for this masterpiece of gaming, yes, one of those few games that come along and completely 'wow' their audience and change everything. Who thought being a plumber could be so fun!

9.7 (Masterfully and Superbully Excellent)

Absolutely Recommended.

Feel free to question or comment, another review to come...

[Edited by Jackal, 1/1/2009 8:57:38 AM]

I used to play Super Mario 64 on the N 64 for more than 8 hours at a time. That game was addictive!

This will be the last one for awhile...

Grad Theft Auto IV

The series that would make Jack Thomson miscarry and even the most hardened gamer blush...since its announcement everyone was up-in-arms waiting for GTA IV's release, somebody even got stabbed for it in the UK. Well I guess it couldn't be a GTA game if someone wasn't stabbed, shot or beaten to a pulp with a crowbar lol. The story kicks off with Bosnian War veteran Nikko Bellic coming to the US in search of the American Dream...and as you soon find out to escape from the many skeletons in his closet. Like CJ and Tommy before him Nikko is soon thrown into the dangerous world of organized crime after finding out his cousin Roman has been lying to him the whole time about his life of luxery...yes, like the others it's start from the bottom and work your way up with the core elements of driving, shooting and killing. Eventually the story begins to flesh out and you discover the real reason why Nikko came to Liberty City and what he's looking for...making plenty of enemies along the way.

Everyone (including its most critical reviewers) seemed to love this one right out from the gate, it really is quite astounding at the games depth and what your able to actually do with Nikko. Watch some TV, Surf the Web, Go on a Date, Take one of your friends out, Go on the Heli Tours, etc...the free-roaming is almost endless and keeps you busy for weeks before you even finish the campaign. But fear not, its many additions aside the over-the-top action and tongue-in-cheek humor of GTA we're all familiar with is still intact...infact elevated to a level yet seen in the franchise. For the first time in the campaign of the GTA series the story itself actually looks, feels and unfolds like a motion picture movie, previously unheard of from the linear storylines of previous titles. The more absurd the action becomes, the greater we feel the very real pathos of Niko Bellic. Even introducing a little RPG element called 'morality' checks, giving you the option between good or bad choices and everything inbetween forcing you to make some very hard, tough choices in which Nikko must live with...a very intricate new piece of the GTA puzzle driving the storylined gameplay full speed ahead.

Everything unfolds in the city that started it all, Liberty City. This time modeled to a detail that would make any GTA III veteran weep with joy. Everything, from the smallest pothole to the tallest skyscrapper has been ran through with a fine tooth comb giving us for the first time in GTA an actual believable city on our hands...Rockstar set out to create 'The City that never Sleeps' but don't fool yourself, Liberty City isn't a New York City clone, its inspired by NYC but not to beholden it...the handlebar mustache, coffee clutching Statue of Happiness evidence of this lol. Liberty exists in its own universe and rightfully so. Many open-world games have cities that feel as if they existed only from the moment you first turned on your console, but Liberty City looks lived in. From the beaten up, rough streets of Dukes or Bohan to the well-dressed metropolis of Algonquin it's an old city and each block has its own vibe and its own history. The idea of a "living, breathing city" has always been somewhat of a pipe dream in gaming. Every city in the past has felt artificial in some way, but Liberty City feels like a real place...even the DJ's blend into the city. I know some didn't like the city because they thought it was too small, it's really not just efficiently cut-down from San Andreas. (In my opinion) San Andreas was much too big, spending 20 minutes driving from mission start point to mission start point isn't my idea of fun. And I know you're thinking, just take a cab...well, cabs costs money and when your not cheating moneys sometimes hard to come by.

The key dynamic to GTA IV is undoubtedly its startling NPC's that roam the map without the faintest idea that Nikko Bellic is wandering around the corner into their lives. People in LC do what anyone in a major metropolitan city in America would do, they go about their day blissfully unaware you (the player) have come across them...to homeless people wandering about aimlessly, criminals preying on the weak, or fatcat lawyers chatting on their cellphones. A good example would be one occasion where I caused quite the accident in the middle of a busy intersection, motorists got out and some started argueing and dueling while others began swapping insurance info lol...a few moments later the police followed by an ambulance showed up, police broke up the fight while paramedics helped some poor bastard of a bystander into the ambulance. People go about their day in Liberty, constantly driving home the reality that you are immigrant Nikko Bellic in 'The Worst City in the World' Liberty City.


Continued...