Violent Lee's Published Reviews/Previews (Castlevania:PoR DS, Lumines 2, Viva Pinata)

Even my wife has a hard time keeping up with what I'm reviewing and for whom, so I'll use this as a way to track what I've been covering (online only). It'll also help me to easily grab links when it's time to invoice outlets.

This list will be from January 1, 2006 on, with the newest stuff added to the top. This latest update may be my last of the year. Worry not, it's a good haul: CastlevaniaoR, Fight Night PS3, Viva Pinata, and lots more. As always, I welcome comments and constructive criticism.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Review
Yahoo
4.5 out of 5

Fight Night Round 3 PS3 Review
Yahoo
4.5 out of 5

Motorstorm PS3 Preview
Games Radar

Viva Pinata 360 Review
G4's X-Play
4 out of 5

Kirby Squeak Squad DS Review
Yahoo
3.5 out of 5

Ratchet & Clank Size Matters PSP Preview
Games Radar

Need for Speed: Carbon Wii Review
GameSpy
3 out of 5

Star Wars Lethal Alliance Reviews
GameSpy
3 out of 5 for PSP
2.5 out of 5 for DS


Cars Wii Review
GameSpy
3 out of 5

Lumines 2 PSP Review
G4's X-Play
4 out of 5

Every Extend Extra PSP Review
G4's X-Play
3 out of 5

MLB 07 The Show PS2 Preview
Games Radar

Formula One PS3 Preview
Games Radar

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Review
Yahoo
4 out of 5

Sonic Rivals PSP Review
Yahoo
3.5 out of 5

Sonic the Hedgehog 360 Review
Games Radar
4 out of 10

Rayman Raving Rabbids Wii Review
Games Radar
8 out of 10

Splinter Cell: Double Agent GameCube Review
GameSpy
2.5 out of 5

Burger King Xbox/360 Games Write-Up
GameSpy

Mortal Kombat Unchained PSP Review
Yahoo
3.5 out of 5

Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception PSP Review
G4's X-Play
4 out of 5

Family Guy Review
G4's X-Play
3 out of 5

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 Review
360
PS2
Yahoo
4.5 out of 5

Tony Hawk's Project 8 360 Review
Yahoo
4 out of 5

SingStar Rocks Review
Games Radar
8 out of 10

Final Fantasy III DS Review
Yahoo
3.5 out of 5

Gitaroo Man Lives PSP Review
Yahoo
4 out of 5

Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Review
Yahoo
3.5 out of 5

Zelda Wii Hands-On Preview
Yahoo / 11.10

Splinter Cell: Double Agent Current-Gen Reviews
GameSpy / 11.02
Xbox: 4.5 out of 5
PS2: 4 out of 5

Killzone: Liberation PSP Review
G4's X-Play / 10.31
2 out of 5

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Xbox 360 Review
Yahoo / 10.28
4 out of 5

Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam DS Review
GameSpy / 10.25
4 out of 5

Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2 PSP Review
GameSpy / 10.25
3 out of 5

Justice League Heroes Review
Yahoo / 10.24
3 out of 5

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 DS Review
G4's X-Play / 10.24
4 out of 5

Splinter Cell Double Agent 360 Review
GameSpy / 10.20
4 out of 5

NBA 07 PS2 Review
GameSpy / 10.18
3 out of 5

Tony Hawk's Project 8 Next-Gen Hands-On
Games Radar / 10.12

Mortal Kombat Armageddon Review
Yahoo / 10.11
4 out of 5

Bomberman Act: Zero Review
G4's X-Play / 10.11
1 out of 5

NBA 2K7 360 Review
Yahoo / 10.10
4.5 out of 5

NBA Live 07 360 Review
Yahoo / 10.10
2.5 out of 5

NBA 2K7 Current-Gen Review
Yahoo / 10.10
4 out of 5

Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam Wii Hands-On
Games Radar / 10.09

Call of Duty 3 Next-Gen Hands-On
Games Radar / 10.06

Marvel Ultimate Alliance Next-Gen Hands-On
Games Radar / 10.06

Rainbow Six Vegas Preview
Yahoo / 09.28

NBA Live 07 PSP Review
GameSpy 09.27
4 out of 5

NBA 07 PSP Review
GameSpy / 09.26
3 out of 5

Just Cause 360 Review
GameSpy / 09.12
3 out of 5

Harvest Moon DS Review
Games Radar / 09.15
6 out of 10

Mario Hoops 3 on 3 Review
Games Radar / 09.15
6 out of 10

Star Fox Command DS Review
G4's X-Play / 09.12
4 out of 5

Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover PSP Review
Yahoo / 09.05
3.5 out of 5

Dance Factory Review
Yahoo / 09.01
3.5 out of 5

Enchanted Arms Review
Yahoo / 08.30
3 out of 5

Disgaea 2 Review
Yahoo / 08.29
4.5 out of 5

Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins Review
GameSpy / 08.29
3.5 out of 5

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 Xbox 360 Preview
Yahoo / 08.23

Ninety-Nine Nights Review
Yahoo / 08.17
3 out of 5

Test Drive Unlimited Xbox 360 Preview
Yahoo / 08.01

Tony Hawk Project 8 Preview
Yahoo / 07.26

Tony Hawk Downhill Jam DS Preview
Yahoo / 07.26

Disgaea 2 Preview
Yahoo / 07.25

Enchanted Arms Preview
Yahoo / 07.13

Ninety-Nine Nights Preview
Yahoo / 07.13

Flatout 2 Preview
GameSpy / 07.11

MotoGP '06 Xbox 360 Review
G4's X-Play / 07.05
4 out of 5

Avatar: The Last Airbender Wii Preview
GamesRadar / 07.02

The Sporanos: Road to Respect Preview
GamesRadar / 06.29

Saint's Row Preview
GamesRadar / 06.29

SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 Preview
GamesRadar / 06.28

Crusty Demons Xbox Review
GameSpy / 06.27
2.5 out of 5

Street Fighter Alpha Anthology Review
Yahoo / 06.16
4 out of 5

GTA: Liberty City Stories PS2 Review
Yahoo / 06.09
3.5 out of 5

MLB Slugfest 2006 Review
GameTrailers / 06.09
7.5 out of 10

And1 Streetball Review
GameTrailers / 06.08
5.3 out of 10

Race Driver 2006 PSP Review
GameTrailers / 06.08
8.7 out of 10

Street Fighter Alpha Anthology Preview
GameTrailers / 06.07

Magnetica DS Review
Yahoo / 06.05
3 out of 5

Def Jam Fight For NY PSP Preview
GameTrailers / 06.05

Rockstar Table Tennis Review
GameTrailers / 05.27
7.8 out of 10

The Da Vinci Code Review
GameTrailers / 05.25
5 out of 10

Painkiller: Hell Wars Xbox Review
GameTrailers / 05.24
7.4 out of 10

Fight Night Round 3 Xbox 360 Review
G4's X-Play / 05.22
4 out of 5

SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 Interview/Gameplay
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Sony Booth Tour
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Day 2 GameTrailers Roundtable
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Rob Van Dam (WWE Wrestler) Interview
GameTrailers / E3 2006

IGArashi Castlevania Interview
GameTrailers / E3 2006

EA Booth Tour
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Codemasters Booth Tour
GameTrailers / E3 2006

THQ Booth Tour
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Atari Booth Tour
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Sony Online Booth Tour
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Alone in the Dark Interview
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Vivendi Booth Tour
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Coded Arms PS3 Interview
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Koei Booth Tour
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Coded Arms PS3 Interview
GameTrailers / E3 2006

World of Warcraft Expansion Interview
GameTrailers / E3 2006

Wii/ATI Graphics Interview
GameTrailers / E3 2006

New Super Mario Bros.
Yahoo / 05.16
4.5 out of 5

Beatmania PS2 Review
G4's X-Play / 05.12
2 out of 5

Rumble Roses XX Xbox 360 Review
G4's X-Play / 05.08
3 out of 5

Rampage: Total Destruction GC/PS2 Reviews
Yahoo / 04.27
GC: 3 out of 5
PS2: 2.5 out of 5

Get Off The Couch Feature
Yahoo / 04.25
Feature on games that inspire activity

Name That Tune 2.0 Mobile Review
GameSpy / 04.25
4 out of 5

Music Qubes Mobile Review
GameSpy / 04.24
3.5 out of 5

Hitman: Blood Money Video Preview
Game Trailers / 04.20

MLB Slugfest 2006 Video Preview
Game Trailers / 04.20

Driver: Parallel Lines Review
G4 X-Play / 04.16
3 out of 5

Ice Age 2 Review
G4 X-Play / 04.15
3 out of 5

WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2007 Preview
Yahoo / 04.12.06

Odama GC Review
Yahoo / 04.12.06
2.5 out of 5

Tomb Raider: Legend 360 Review
Yahoo / 04.11.06
4 out of 5

Final Fight Streetwise Review
G4 X-Play / 04.05.06
2 out of 5

Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift PS2 Review
G4 X-Play / 04.05.06
2 out of 5

Tourist Trophy PS2 Review
Yahoo / 04.05.06
4 out of 5

Naruto GC Review
G4 X-Play / 03.28.06
2 out of 5

Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires 360 Review
GameSpy / 03.28.06
3 out of 5

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X PSP Review
G4 X-Play / 03.23.06
4 out of 5

Metroid Prime Hunters DS Review
Yahoo / 03.22.06
5 out of 5

Metal Gear Acid 2 PSP Review
GameSpy / 3.21.06
4 out of 5

College Hoops 2K6 360 Review
GameSpy / 03.20.06
3 out of 5

Tomagotchi Corner Shop DS Review
G4's X-Play / 3.20.06
2 out of 5

FIFA Street 2 PSP Review
GamesRadar / 03.20.06
6 out of 10

FIFA Street 2 DS Review
GamesRadar / 03.20.06
4 out of 10

FIFA Street 2 PS2/Xbox/GC Review
GamesRadar / 03.18.06
6 out of 10

Shadow Hearts: From The New World PS2 Review
GamesRadar / 03.17.06
8 out of 10

MX vs. ATV: On The Edge PSP Review
Yahoo / 03.15.06
3.5 out of 5

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence Review
Yahoo / 3.13.06
4.5 out of 5

Daxter PSP Review
GameSpy / 3.13.06
4.5 out of 5

Fight Night Round 3 360 Review
G4's X-Play / 03.08.06
4 out of 5

Torino 2006 Review
G4's X-Play / 03.08.06
1 out of 5

Pursuit Force PSP Review
Yahoo / 3.07.06
3.5 out of 5

Mortal Kombat Armageddon Video Interview
GameTrailers / 03.07.06

Tales of Phantasia GBA Review
GameSpy / 03.06.06
3 out of 5

State of Emergency 2 Review
GamesRadar / 03.05.06
3 out of 10

Black Review
Yahoo / 03.03.06
4 out of 5

Unreal Tournament 2007 Video Interview
GameTrailers.com / 03.03.06

MLB 06 The Show PS2 Review
GameSpy / 03.02.06
4 out of 5

MLB 06: The Show PSP Review
GameSpy / 03.02.06
4 out of 5

Strangehold Video Interview
GameTrailers / 03.02.06

NBA Ballers: Phenom Preview
GameSpy / 03.02.06

Driver: Parallel Lines Preview
G4 X-Play / 02.28.06

Sonic Riders Review
Yahoo / 02.28.06
2 out of 5

Tales of Legendia PS2 Review
Yahoo / 02.22.06
3.5 out of 5

The Best of Xbox Live Arcade Feature
Yahoo / 02.22.06

TOCA 3 Race Driver Review
Yahoo / 02.22.06
4 out of 5

Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll DS Review
Yahoo / 02.21.06
3.5 out of 5

Full Auto 360 Review
Yahoo / 02.15.06
3 out of 5

Grandia III PS2 Review
Yahoo / 02.14.06
4 out of 5

True Crime New York City Review
G4 X-Play / 02.13.06
3 out of 5

Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX PSP Review
Yahoo / 02.10.06
4 out of 5

MLB 06 PS2 Preview
GameSpy / 02.08.06

Chibi-Robo GC Review
Yahoo / 02.07.06
3 out of 5

25 To Life Review Xbox/PS2
Yahoo / 02.06.06
2 out of 5

Sonic Riders Preview
Yahoo / 02.06.06

High Seize N-Gage Review
GameSpy / 02.01.06
4.5 out of 5

Karaoke Revolution Party Review
G4 X-Play / 01.31.06
4 out of 5

Marvel Nemesis PSP Review
G4 X-Play / 01.31.06
2 out of 5

Ridge Racer 6 360 Review
G4 X-Play / 01.31.06
3 out of 5

Pursuit Force PSP Preview
Yahoo / 01.30.06

Tourist Trophy PS2 Preview
GameSpy / 01.27.06

Super Princess Peach DS Preview
G4 X-Play / 01.24.06

PQ PSP Review
Yahoo / 01.19.06
3.5 out of 5

Rifts: Promise of Power N-Gage Review
GameSpy / 01.19.06
4 out of 5

Syphon Filter PSP Preview
Yahoo / 01.16.06

Daxter PSP Preview
GameSpy / 01.16.06

Soul Calibur III Review
G4 X-Play / 01.10.06
4 out of 5

Mile High Pinball N-Gage Review
GameSpy / 01.05.06
4 out of 5

Bravo on revewing the shitty games that most people won't touch with a 10-foot pole.

[quote name='the ender']Bravo on revewing the shitty games that most people won't touch with a 10-foot pole.[/QUOTE]

It's much easier playing crap games when you're getting paid for it, rather than paying to go through the digital abuse -- though I've had my share of those, too.

I've been curious about your reviews. Good work.

Where has some of your printed work appeared?

Lucky. I've been dying to try Daxter.

Good stuff, I like your writing style.

[quote name='Brak']I've been curious about your reviews. Good work.

Where has some of your printed work appeared?[/QUOTE]

He worked for game informer for a good stint a couple years back.

[quote name='Brak']I've been curious about your reviews. Good work.

Where has some of your printed work appeared?[/QUOTE]

As onetrackmind said, I used to write for Game Informer -- from October 99 to November 03 (though I was on the old site for the first year or so). I did the sports page and a few reviews in GMR. I do stuff every issue for Newtype USA and Mean Magazine, and random stuff for Wired, InQuest, and Complex.

GamesRadar, which is the UK's biggest site, is going to be relaunching a US branch soon, and I also did quite a few things for them already.

[quote name='WebScud']Lucky. I've been dying to try Daxter.

Good stuff, I like your writing style.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the compliment.

Daxter is looking great. It's about time PSP got an awesome platformer. Sony just released a demo UMD of it -- not sure where you'd wrangle a copy, though.

For Wired do you contribute to those little one paragraph blurbs they do on books, movies, and games each issue? (You'd do the games of course.)

[quote name='ViolentLee']As onetrackmind said, I used to write for Game Informer -- from October 99 to November 03 (though I was on the old site for the first year or so). I did the sports page and a few reviews in GMR. I do stuff every issue for Newtype USA and Mean Magazine, and random stuff for Wired, InQuest, and Complex.

GamesRadar, which is the UK's biggest site, is going to be relaunching a US branch soon, and I also did quite a few things for them already.[/QUOTE]

Haha, thats a trip.... I thought I reconized that name from somewhere. How'd you get into game reviewing?

[quote name='Mookyjooky']Haha, thats a trip.... I thought I reconized that name from somewhere. How'd you get into game reviewing?[/QUOTE]
I was living in Richmond, Virginia, working for the heavy metal band GWAR. I had been doing their website for a while, and was doing merch and other "slave" duties. GI was looking for someone to work on their new site, and I applied. Editor-in-chief Andy and I talked a bunch of times. I sent a bunch of samples, filled out a game-related test they gave prospective employees, and was hired -- before I even had a face-to-face with the editors.

They paid for me to move from Richmond to Minneapolis. It was a tough choice leaving GWAR, but the GWAR guys were very encouraging and it seemed like a gig that I could A) enjoy, and B) make enough money to live off of.

[quote name='wubb']For Wired do you contribute to those little one paragraph blurbs they do on books, movies, and games each issue? (You'd do the games of course.)[/QUOTE]
Exactly. Reviews used to be 100 words without scores, but now they're 50 words with a score.

Hell Yeah. I love Gwar. Womb with a View is in my opinion their best song ever, though Immortal Corruptor is a close second. I started listening to them when i was in high school. This Toilet Earth was the first album i got by them. Great stuff. Were you working for them around that album?

[quote name='schuerm26']Hell Yeah. I love Gwar. Womb with a View is in my opinion their best song ever, though Immortal Corruptor is a close second. I started listening to them when i was in high school. This Toilet Earth was the first album i got by them. Great stuff. Were you working for them around that album?[/QUOTE]

Naw, I'm not THAT old. I started doing web stuff for them around Carnival of Chaos, then was working at the Slave Pit a little after We Kill Everything came out. If you look in the WKE liner notes, I'm listed as Taint Monger. I also had a few parts in It's $leazy, and was responsible for putting old props on Ebay.

Immortal Corruptor is one of my faves, too. When I wrestled, I came out to Biledriver. I'd say Wargoul is my favorite GWAR song of all time, though. This Toilet Earth was my first GWAR album. Did you know there's a rare version that has an extra song? It's called BDF, and Warner dropped them for refusing to remove it from the album. Then they got a different deal, and the song still didn't make it. It's only on a small portion of CDs.

Bumped for updates

If you don't mind me asking, how did you hook up with X-Play?

[quote name='WebScud']If you don't mind me asking, how did you hook up with X-Play?[/QUOTE]

A friend was doing some stuff for X-Play, and passed my name on for something -- Phantom Brave, I think. I've been working for them regularly ever since. The G4 studios are only about 2 miles from where I live -- which makes things easier for both them and me.

[quote name='ViolentLee']A friend was doing some stuff for X-Play, and passed my name on for something -- Phantom Brave, I think. I've been working for them regularly ever since. The G4 studios are only about 2 miles from where I live -- which makes things easier for both them and me.[/QUOTE]

Nice, but in the words of Professor Farnsworth, "Tell them I hate them!". I don't dislike your reviews but that show is terrible IMo and G4 in general hit rock bottom a long while ago.

[quote name='ViolentLee']A friend was doing some stuff for X-Play, and passed my name on for something -- Phantom Brave, I think. I've been working for them regularly ever since. The G4 studios are only about 2 miles from where I live -- which makes things easier for both them and me.[/QUOTE]

That's awesome. It seems like that would be a fun place to work. I met Adam and Morgan once at a TechTV(!) meet-up in Boston and they went ape shit on my friend when he asked him what thier favorite Final Fantasy game was. Haha. It was a sight to be seen.

I just finsihed the latest batch of reviews. Good stuff as normal.

So VL, does Sonic Riders really look like a pretty good game? In what capacity did you preview it (full game or demo, which system?). I have it preordered at GR (for the Gamecube). It will mostly be for my boys, who enjoy playing the multiplayer races in Sonic Adventure 2. So I'm sure they'll have fun with it. It will be a bit of a bonus if the story mode is good though and maybe something I can play through to unlock other characters for them to use.

Good news on Daxter. Maybe I'll have a reason to turn my PSP on for only the second time since June (I played SW Battlefront on it for 2 days when it first came out).

And I also just picked up Grandia III at GR. Sounds like it might be a better game than Legendia (which they still have "on order"). I appreciate your reviews, though I like Chibi-Robo a bit better than you did .

[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']Nice, but in the words of Professor Farnsworth, "Tell them I hate them!". I don't dislike your reviews but that show is terrible IMo and G4 in general hit rock bottom a long while ago.[/QUOTE]
They may stray a little far sometimes (they don't always have a choice, as they have to make shows whether there's stuff to cover at the time or not), but I truly like the show. Adam does self-loathing comedy better than most, and Morgan knows her stuff.

G4 is still new, still trying to find itself. I'd personally rather watch Filter or that old Starcade game show than The Man Show or Fastlane, but maybe the ratings tell a different story. I hope they keep getting original, game-related content. The more video game shows that are on TV, the more legitimacy our hobby gets -- so long as they're done reasonably well.

[quote name='io']So VL, does Sonic Riders really look like a pretty good game? In what capacity did you preview it (full game or demo, which system?). I have it preordered at GR (for the Gamecube). It will mostly be for my boys, who enjoy playing the multiplayer races in Sonic Adventure 2. So I'm sure they'll have fun with it. It will be a bit of a bonus if the story mode is good though and maybe something I can play through to unlock other characters for them to use.

Good news on Daxter. Maybe I'll have a reason to turn my PSP on for only the second time since June (I played SW Battlefront on it for 2 days when it first came out).

And I also just picked up Grandia III at GR. Sounds like it might be a better game than Legendia (which they still have "on order"). I appreciate your reviews, though I like Chibi-Robo a bit better than you did .[/QUOTE]
I try to remain neutral with previews for several reasons. I've been bitten in the butt more than once by a game that looked good only to have the finished product be a disappointment. On the other hand, first impressions aren't always accurate.

As for Sonic Riders, I had a full game preview disc, I believe for Xbox. I'm a little iffy on it, though. It's a lot more complicated than I think it should be, making it a tough call for your little ones (whose enjoyment of Chibi-Robo I totally respect). I'm hoping Sega will do it right, but they haven't treated their mascot too well in the last few years. It's got potential to be better than Kirby Air Ride, though I didn't like that game too much, either. It's probably not in Mario Kart's league.

I hope you like Grandia III. It's funny how it doesn't do anything amazing, but is still really good. It did edge out Legendia for me, though that too isn't shabby. Reviewing RPGs is really tough, because there's no way you can play through the entire game. If I had to work 50 hours to make what I do for each review, I'd be better off burger-flippin'.

[quote name='ViolentLee']They may stray a little far sometimes (they don't always have a choice, as they have to make shows whether there's stuff to cover at the time or not), but I truly like the show. Adam does self-loathing comedy better than most, and Morgan knows her stuff.

G4 is still new, still trying to find itself. I'd personally rather watch Filter or that old Starcade game show than The Man Show or Fastlane, but maybe the ratings tell a different story. I hope they keep getting original, game-related content. The more video game shows that are on TV, the more legitimacy our hobby gets -- so long as they're done reasonably well.

[/QUOTE]

I was with you til you said Adam Sessler did comedy well. Sessler is not the least bit funny IMO (seriously not even remotely). Morgan Webb is kind okay I guess and she probably is fairly knowledgeable. Still she strikes me as being there for "human decor" more than her knowledge, which to be honest some of the things they mention in reviews/previews on occasion I can't even fathom where they get it from. Though that does beg a question, do they write their own reviews or just sort of paraphrase the ones you guys write?

[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']I was with you til you said Adam Sessler did comedy well. Sessler is not the least bit funny IMO (seriously not even remotely). Morgan Webb is kind okay I guess and she probably is fairly knowledgeable. Still she strikes me as being there for "human decor" more than her knowledge, which to be honest some of the things they mention in reviews/previews on occasion I can't even fathom where they get it from. Though that does beg a question, do they write their own reviews or just sort of paraphrase the ones you guys write?[/QUOTE]

Comedy is a very subjective subject, I suppose. The show takes my reviews and rewrites them for TV production. I'm not sure how that part of the process works. Sometimes they'll use direct quotes; other times only the score remains.

Bump for Monkey Ball DS review

I have to disagree with your Cons for Karaoke Revolution Party.

Cons: Dancing and singing simultaneously is a mess; angry neighbors; could've been a cheaper expansion

For one, adding dancing to the singing adds an interesting element to the game. Either you can have someone else dance while you sing or you can go for the ultimate challenge and do both. Just because you might have two left feet doesn't mean there's not a million American Idol wanna-bes training for their auditions with this. I actually prefer the horizontal scrolling arrows to DDRs vertical scrolling.

In your review, you gave them props for adding extra content to the game, but then you dock them for not just making it a cheap expansion? I think you were stretching to look for a reason not to give this a 5/5. Just because it's the 4th game in the series and it's geared toward the mainstream doesn't make it any worse of a game.

[quote name='radjago']I have to disagree with your Cons for Karaoke Revolution Party.

Cons: Dancing and singing simultaneously is a mess; angry neighbors; could've been a cheaper expansion

For one, adding dancing to the singing adds an interesting element to the game. Either you can have someone else dance while you sing or you can go for the ultimate challenge and do both. Just because you might have two left feet doesn't mean there's not a million American Idol wanna-bes training for their auditions with this. I actually prefer the horizontal scrolling arrows to DDRs vertical scrolling.

In your review, you gave them props for adding extra content to the game, but then you dock them for not just making it a cheap expansion? I think you were stretching to look for a reason not to give this a 5/5. Just because it's the 4th game in the series and it's geared toward the mainstream doesn't make it any worse of a game.[/QUOTE]

Ooh, some constructive criticism! About time. I appreciate your input, radjago.

I think when you try to dance and sing at the same time, you just get the raw end of both. It's true that many people memorize both aspects and like the challenge, but I don't think it translates to the majority. If they integrate them into one game (DDR/KR), like Japan did with GuitarFreaks/DrumMania, I'd be more into it. This was more an experimentation designed as a mode, to me.

It's true I was stretching it a bit with the cons. However, there's no way this is a 5 out of 5 game. Guitar Hero, yes, but not this. It's still my favorite Karaoke Rev game, but I'm getting a little tired of having to spend $40 for each update. Granted, this is the first one to really warrant that price, but I'm still a little bitter over KRs 2 and 3 -- which could've just been expansions instead of more expensive stand-alone titles.

For the record, I gave the first-ever Karaoke Revolution an 8.5 in Game Informer.

[quote name='ViolentLee']Ooh, some constructive criticism! About time. I appreciate your input, radjago.

I think when you try to dance and sing at the same time, you just get the raw end of both. It's true that many people memorize both aspects and like the challenge, but I don't think it translates to the majority. If they integrate them into one game (DDR/KR), like Japan did with GuitarFreaks/DrumMania, I'd be more into it. This was more an experimentation designed as a mode, to me.

It's true I was stretching it a bit with the cons. However, there's no way this is a 5 out of 5 game. Guitar Hero, yes, but not this. It's still my favorite Karaoke Rev game, but I'm getting a little tired of having to spend $40 for each update. Granted, this is the first one to really warrant that price, but I'm still a little bitter over KRs 2 and 3 -- which could've just been expansions instead of more expensive stand-alone titles.

For the record, I gave the first-ever Karaoke Revolution an 8.5 in Game Informer.[/QUOTE]

What makes Guitar Hero a better game in your mind? Is it the tactility of the controller vs a using your voice as a controller? Is it the song selection? Is it the difference in difficulty levels that actually requires you to do more dancing with your fingers on the frets vs singing the same material more accurately?

If KR had the option to download songs from a library of hundreds or more for a nominal fee, would it be a better game? Does the $80 for Guitar Hero vs the $60 for KR entry level factor in at all?

I think a 5 point scale is too restrictive, but that's just my opinion. It seems like for a game to get a 5/5, it has to be the best example of a game in its genre or do something well that no other game does. It skews the average on sites like Game Rankings as well. Game Rankings would be a lot better if they included some measure of the diversity of scores for a game, like a standard deviation or a range.

There's a roundtable discussion about games journalism up at Fat Pixels Radio that covers a lot of issues with game reviews. It's pretty interesting to see everyone's point of view and the differences in opinion about how they should be done.

[quote name='radjago']What makes Guitar Hero a better game in your mind? Is it the tactility of the controller vs a using your voice as a controller? Is it the song selection? Is it the difference in difficulty levels that actually requires you to do more dancing with your fingers on the frets vs singing the same material more accurately?

If KR had the option to download songs from a library of hundreds or more for a nominal fee, would it be a better game? Does the $80 for Guitar Hero vs the $60 for KR entry level factor in at all? [/QUOTE]
My Guitar Hero Review

Guitar Hero makes the player feel cool -- something no other music/rhythm game accomplished before. The guitar controller is near perfect, unlike a dance pad that doesn't really resemble real dancing. I also think the song selection has a better balance than its peers, and the little gameplay additions are better. It makes you feel good to do well, and the skill progression is smooth. Tweaking it is also more user-friendly; messing with pitch and things in KR can be both over-complicated and not very useful.

I like KR just fine, but I find Guitar Hero to be more fun to play. I dig metal more than R&B, I'm a guy, and I find guitars cool -- it's made for my demographic. I must say I've liked all of Harmonix's games: KR, Guitar Hero, Freq/Amplitude.

I'm all for song packs for a nominal fee. The one problem I forsee is that it may motivate publishers to skimp on the initial song selection.

[quote name='radjago']I think a 5 point scale is too restrictive, but that's just my opinion. It seems like for a game to get a 5/5, it has to be the best example of a game in its genre or do something well that no other game does. It skews the average on sites like Game Rankings as well. Game Rankings would be a lot better if they included some measure of the diversity of scores for a game, like a standard deviation or a range.

There's a roundtable discussion about games journalism up at Fat Pixels Radio that covers a lot of issues with game reviews. It's pretty interesting to see everyone's point of view and the differences in opinion about how they should be done.[/QUOTE]

I agree that a 5-point scale is too restrictive, but I have to go with what my outlets want. It forces you to be more decisive, which can be a good thing. I've given games 3 out of 5 that I probably would've awarded a 7 elsewhere. Does it bring down the GameRankings score? Yes, but I think too much emphasis is placed on that site's overall rankings (especially by publishers). Most, by the way, go for what ammounts to a 10-point scale.

Some places go for every number out of 100, or do quarter-points. I don't agree with that, because then you agonize between a 7.25 or a 7.5, rather than making a clear decision of, "This game is a 7 or 8." If I had my druthers, I'd probably do 1-10, allowing for half points. I think there are enough differences between an 8 game and an 8.5 to warrant it.

Of course, what really should matter is the points made in the review text itself, but it always ends up being about the bottom line score. Kind of a shame, in my opinion.

Good stuff this thread needs more love.

Thanks, Graystone. New additions are TOCA 3 review and my feature on Xbox Live Arcade for 360.

Bump for 3 new additions.

[quote name='io']So VL, does Sonic Riders really look like a pretty good game? In what capacity did you preview it (full game or demo, which system?). I have it preordered at GR (for the Gamecube). It will mostly be for my boys, who enjoy playing the multiplayer races in Sonic Adventure 2. So I'm sure they'll have fun with it. It will be a bit of a bonus if the story mode is good though and maybe something I can play through to unlock other characters for them to use.

[/QUOTE]

Well, now that your Sonic Riders review is out (2 out of 5) I guess I have my answer . I had read similar reviews a few days back after picking this up at GR. The key element in all the reviews is how difficult and frustrating the game is. Since this was intended for my 6 year-old and 3 year-old to play, out the window it goes. They should have made this an easy pick up and play title with perhaps additional challenges (such as acquiring medals and the like) for more hardcore gamers. This is what makes Mario Kart DD so great. The kids can play it and feel like they are accomplishing something but I had to go through and work at it to get everything unlocked.

I could have simply returned it to GR for my $39.99 credit (though I actually got it for $29.99 using the preorder deal). But with eBay's 10 cent listing day I decided to chuck it up there for $33 and see what happened. It was sold in less than a day . So I'll end up making some money on it (as my GR credit costs me about half that in cash) and I'll pick it up again when it is a bargain bin title.

keep those reviews coming. Two other games I just picked up yesterday - Super Princess Peach for DS, and Y's for PSP. Any chance you'll be reviewing those? Y's, in particular, seems very sparsely reviewed so far. I'm kind of surprised at that.

[quote name='io']Well, now that your Sonic Riders review is out (2 out of 5) I guess I have my answer . I had read similar reviews a few days back after picking this up at GR. The key element in all the reviews is how difficult and frustrating the game is. Since this was intended for my 6 year-old and 3 year-old to play, out the window it goes. They should have made this an easy pick up and play title with perhaps additional challenges (such as acquiring medals and the like) for more hardcore gamers. This is what makes Mario Kart DD so great. The kids can play it and feel like they are accomplishing something but I had to go through and work at it to get everything unlocked.

I could have simply returned it to GR for my $39.99 credit (though I actually got it for $29.99 using the preorder deal). But with eBay's 10 cent listing day I decided to chuck it up there for $33 and see what happened. It was sold in less than a day . So I'll end up making some money on it (as my GR credit costs me about half that in cash) and I'll pick it up again when it is a bargain bin title.

keep those reviews coming. Two other games I just picked up yesterday - Super Princess Peach for DS, and Y's for PSP. Any chance you'll be reviewing those? Y's, in particular, seems very sparsely reviewed so far. I'm kind of surprised at that.[/QUOTE]

I agree 100% with your concerns about Sonic Riders. I had hoped it would turn out a lot better. It's getting higher scores from other outlets, but nobody's being very positive. I just maybe score a little harsher when I don't like something. It's definitely NOT for kids, as it's super hard.

Regarding Princess Peach and Y's, I don't think I'll be reviewing either of them. I'm kneedeep in stuff at the moment -- Black, Tales of Phantasia, MGS 3 Subsistence, etc. However, I previewed Peach for X-Play, and it seems really fun. It's a good taste of what the new Super Mario Bros. game will be like. As far as Y's, I reviewed the PS2 version. It's a decent action/RPG, though nothing too spectacular. Speaking of that genre, I'm really loving X-Men Legends II for PSP.

[quote name='ViolentLee']Regarding Princess Peach and Y's, I don't think I'll be reviewing either of them. I'm kneedeep in stuff at the moment -- Black, Tales of Phantasia, MGS 3 Subsistence, etc. However, I previewed Peach for X-Play, and it seems really fun. It's a good taste of what the new Super Mario Bros. game will be like. As far as Y's, I reviewed the PS2 version. It's a decent action/RPG, though nothing too spectacular. Speaking of that genre, I'm really loving X-Men Legends II for PSP.[/QUOTE]

I have both the PS2 and PSP Y's now - haven't played either and probably won't for a while .

I'd be interested in what you think of Tales of Phantasia - I have that on preorder as well. Hopefully GR will get that in - they STILL haven't gotten my copy of Legendia!

Four more stories added.

Man, you are quite prolific! Where aren't you working?
Nice job on the Gt.tv gig, although you forgot to ask the UT2007 dude about all that metal in his mouth. That must have been very distracting! For a moment, I thought he had a tongue piercing.

[quote name='CheapyD']Man, you are quite prolific! Where aren't you working?
Nice job on the Gt.tv gig, although you forgot to ask the UT2007 dude about all that metal in his mouth. That must have been very distracting! For a moment, I thought he had a tongue piercing.[/QUOTE]

Hmmmm... I'm not working for Better Homes & Gardens yet. They turned down my pitch for a feature called, "Video Game Bitches In Heat."

I didn't even notice the Mark Rein's metallicness. I think I was captivated by his piercing eyes.

The MK Armageddon interview is up on GameTrailers now. I had a fun dialog with Ed Boon where I ask him about individual characters being in the game, but unfortunately it didn't make the cut. Still, the piece shows just how much they're packing into this MK game.

I finally reviewed some good games for once: Daxter and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.

One of the worst games I've reviewed all year -- Torino 2006 -- is up on X-Play. See OP for link. Also, Fight Night Round 3.

Another good game reviewed -- Metal Gear Acid 2 -- and another bad one -- Tamagotchi DS.

My Metroid Prime Hunters review should be up on Yahoo pretty soon, too.

Added Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires 360 and Mega Man Maverick Hunter X PSP reviews.

Bump for the latest additions: Naruto GC and Tourist Trophy. Was out for WrestleMania most of last week, so updates will likely be slim this week.

[quote name='ViolentLee']A friend was doing some stuff for X-Play, and passed my name on for something -- Phantom Brave, I think. I've been working for them regularly ever since. The G4 studios are only about 2 miles from where I live -- which makes things easier for both them and me.[/QUOTE]So, they read your reviews on the tv show? Or you only do it for their website?

[quote name='XxFuRy2Xx']So, they read your reviews on the tv show? Or you only do it for their website?[/QUOTE]
The reviews get published verbatim online, and adapted to scripts for the show. It varies how much of my actual stuff they quote on air.

Tomb Raider for 360 added, and a few crappy games reviewed for X-Play.

[quote name='ViolentLee']The reviews get published verbatim online, and adapted to scripts for the show. It varies how much of my actual stuff they quote on air.[/QUOTE]Very nice. Hopefully you'll be hearing about my reviews soon enough.

[quote name='XxFuRy2Xx']Very nice. Hopefully you'll be hearing about my reviews soon enough.[/QUOTE]
Where are you looking to get published?

i saw you on g4tv's "icon" tv show yesterday! i don't remember which episode it was though. when i saw your name on tv i thought to myself, "that name sound familiar.... oh yea! he's the guy who posts his reviews on CAG!" did you record that episode? it's pretty cool knowing that they value your opinion enough to put you on tv!

i cant wait for RvsS07... excellent preview article VL. Have you heard anythign about possible unlockable wrestlers yet?

[quote name='onetrackmind']i cant wait for RvsS07... excellent preview article VL. Have you heard anythign about possible unlockable wrestlers yet?[/QUOTE]

Naw, unlockable Legends are usually something they do late in development, and probably the last thing they tell us about. It'd be sweet to see Sherri Martel, though, since she was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.