Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools Of Destruction
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 3
Rating: E10+ — Everyone 10 and over
Game type: Action
Rating: ***** (out of five)
What’s the premise?
Everyone’s favourite Lombax and robot tandem make the leap to the next generation console world with the dazzling and epic Tools Of Destruction. Lead Ratchet and Clank on a galaxy-spanning adventure that delves deep into our wrench-wielding hero’s past and threatens to turn the whole universe upside down.
This game is most similar to…?
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, but y’know, waaaaay fancier looking.
Is it suitable for younger gamers?
You’ll spend a lot of time whacking and blasting robots and aliens, so you be the judge as to whether the kid in your life will or won’t take that to heart and start clubbing their siblings.
One player or more?
I eagerly look forward to the day when you can team up with a friend and each take control of either Ratchet or Clank on an adventure. Sadly, this is not that day.
The (not-so) secret to success is…?
Know your arsenal. The best part of R&T games is seeing what those wild developers over at Insomniac Games will come up with next for you to dispatch your enemies with. Tools Of Destruction has some instant classics, like the Groovatron, which makes your opponents break into dance while you wail on them and the Tornado Launcher, which you can fire and then control with your SixAxis controller. Take a second before charging into battle and find the right tool for the job.
What’s missing?
Stellar visuals? Check. Quick-paced and clever gameplay? Check. Humour and wit? Check. Nope, I think it’s pretty complete.
And in the end?
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools Of Destruction is outstanding and a must-own PS3 title.
Spider-Man: Friend Or Foe
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PSP, PC
Reviewed on: Xbox 360
Rating: E10+ — Everyone 10 and over
Game type: Action
Rating: *** 1/2 (out of five)
What’s the premise?
It’s the end of the world as we know it — unless your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, and some highly unlikely allies, can swing to the rescue. When meteorites like the one that created Venom (you saw Spider-Man 3, right?) fall from the sky, an unknown villain uses them to create an army of alien-hologram hybrids and then kidnaps many of Spidey’s worst enemies and enslaves them. Our hero’s job is to stop the hybrids, find the meteorites and free the bad guys — who then become allies on more missions.
This game is most similar to…?
The tandem fighting gave me flashbacks to Streets Of Rage for the Sega Genesis, but a more recent comparison might be Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer.
Is it suitable for younger gamers?
Not much beyond fisticuffs here. Granted they’re some pretty impressive looking fisticuffs, but that doesn’t change what they are.
One player or more?
You can team up with a friend and whip some hybrid butt or go head-to-head in the fairly unremarkable versus mode.
The (not-so) secret to success is…?
Upgrade your way to perfection. When you bash the bad guys you earn coinage you can use to upgrade both Spidey’s abilities as well as those of his allies. Max some of those out and you’ll be darned-near unstoppable.
What’s missing?
A little more variety would be nice. The levels are nice and varied in appearance, but essentially all you do is fight some bad guys, fight some bigger bad guys, fight a boss and repeat.
And in the end?
Spider-Man: Friend Or Foe would be a great game for a tween or young teen gamer, but may be a bit too simple for more advanced gamers.
FIFA Soccer 08
Publisher: EA Sports
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PSP, PC
Reviewed on: Xbox 360
Rating: E — Everyone
Game type: Sports
Rating: **** (out of five)
What’s the premise?
Boot your way to glory in the deepest soccer game ever — featuring 30 official leagues, 35 real tournaments, 620 different clubs — including Canada’s new Major League Soccer club, Toronto FC — and over 15,000 players.
This game is most similar to…?
FIFA Soccer 07
Is it suitable for younger gamers?
This game is more of a simulation than arcade action and could be a bit tedious for younger kids. All my four-year-old kept saying is: “Dad, why aren’t more goals going in the nets?” Kind of sums up soccer in general, doesn’t it?
One player or more?
Take on up to three other players in your living room or go online and lead your favourite club to the top of the table against gamers from around the world.
The (not-so) secret to success is…?
I’ll be honest, I played a pile of games in a bunch of leagues and modes and if there’s a trick to scoring more goals, I sure couldn’t find it. I’d suggest kick and pray.
What’s missing?
The new Skill Moves feature is supposed to allow you to pull of some all-star tricks like stepovers and pullbacks, but they’re really difficult to pull off in the heat of a game. If you’re going to add a new feature like that, add in the capability to be able to use them.
And in the end?
The addition of the Be a Pro feature, which allows you to control just one player on the field for a whole game, is really clever and overall FIFA Soccer 08 is very visually impressive and truly does justice to the “beautiful game”.
Jackass: The Game
Publisher: Red Mile Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 2, PSP
Rating: M — Mature
Game type: Mini-game collection
Rating: *** 1/2 (out of five)
What’s the premise?
Take all the risk of doing something tragically stupid like racing shopping carts on the rooftops of skyscrapers or demolishing a mini-putt course with a golf cart without the inevitable resulting death or arrest in this long-awaited adaptation of the hit MTV show.
This game is most similar to…?
As far as mini-game collections go, it’s a little bit closer to Fusion Frenzy 2 than Super Money Ball: Banana Blitz — except with more vomit and testicular injuries.
Is it suitable for younger gamers?
I’m keeping my copy on a very high shelf for the next 14 years until my eldest son is an adult. Just the sight of Party Boy dancing in his thong alone will land him in therapy.
One player or more?
Go head-to-head with up to four of your equally juvenile pals using the PSP’s Wi-Fi or try a little round-robin action on the PS2.
The (not-so) secret to success is…?
Don’t worry it’s just a game. Jackass: The Game is very much like Jackass the show, in that if you don’t try doing something truly ridiculous, you’re not going to get the laughs or “holy craps” you’re looking for. Be bold.
What’s missing?
A strong stomach for every gamer who plays this, not only because you’ll be trying not to be sick, but because you’ll be busting a gut laughing.
And in the end?
Jackass: The Game would have been a little more exciting if it’d come out a few years ago when the show or at least the theatrical film were out, but all in all it’s still some pretty goofy fun, especially when shared with friends.
Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Platforms: Nintendo DS
Rating: E — Everyone
Game type: Action
Rating: *** 1/2 (out of five)
What’s the premise?
It’s duck season (or was that rabbit season?) as you try to drive Looney Tunes fine-feathered fowl, Daffy Duck, into a rage by messing with him through a series of mini-games or gags in homage to the classic 1953 cartoon directed by Chuck Jones.
This game is most similar to…?
The mini-games are derivative of any number of games from over the years, but the concept of making this classic cartoon come to life is pretty original.
Is it suitable for younger gamers?
There’s a little bit of cartoon violence, so the rule of thumb is if you’d let your younger gamer watch a Daffy Duck cartoon, they’ll be fine with this game.
One player or more?
There are three gags that are exclusively for the DS’s Wi-Fi multiplayer mode.
The (not-so) secret to success is…?
Make the duck go Daffy. The whole point is to get Daffy to blow his top, so don’t be afraid to try any way possible you can think of to mess with him both in the home page and inside the gags.
What’s missing?
Some of the gags are better than others and none of them are as good as the idea of the game itself. A little more creativity might have helped the game reach great heights.
And in the end?
Duck Amuck is a great idea for a game that doesn’t quite live up to it’s classic inspiration, yet still manages to qualify as a good time.
Backyard Hockey
Publisher: Atari
Platforms: Nintendo DS
Rating: E — Everyone
Game type: Sports
Rating: ** 1/2 (out of five)
What’s the premise?
Partner up pint-sized versions of some of the NHL’s top talent with some up-and-coming neighbourhood kids and hit the ice for some fast-paced four-on-four hockey action.
This game is most similar to…?
Backyard Hockey for GameBoy Advance.
Is it suitable for younger gamers?
Kids might be the only ones this game is suitable for. It’s a little too far from reality from most adults to want to play for too long.
One player or more?
You can take on a friend using the DS’s Wi-Fi, as long as you each have a copy of the game.
The (not-so) secret to success is…?
Don’t expect NHL 2Ksomething or NHL some-year. Backyard hockey’s closest relative might be Ice Hockey for the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It’s basically about skating along the ice, taking a shot and seeing what happens. Sometimes the goalie stops it, sometimes he or she doesn’t.
What’s missing?
Speed, intensity and a challenge. The idea of making a hockey game for kids than isn’t about hitting and fighting is a great one, but it should still be quick-paced and slick.
And in the end?
If you’re absolutely dying to get a portable hockey game for a young person, Backyard Hockey is passable, but don’t be surprised if they switch back to Zelda faster than you can fire a slapshot.
jonathan.kuehlein@metronews.ca
