Liberty City = America's New Playground... The Grand Theft Auto IV review

If anyone were to sum up gaming this decade, they would think of three words: Grand Theft Auto. These games that started with GTA III ushered a new era because of its open-world game design and pushed violence to a whole new level due to the amount of freedom provided. While some would say the series started to get a little stale, Grand Theft Auto IV is now the pinnacle of the series and open world gaming. Those who thought Rockstar Games could not top themselves after San Andreas, think again because GTA IV is the complete package with perhaps the best stories told in gaming, major improvements in gameplay, impressive graphics, amazing sound, and a multiplayer component that does not feel rushed. Grand Theft Auto IV is arguably my favorite game of all-time and why games are here to stay on our society today.

Grand Theft Auto IV returns to Liberty City, but redesigned for the current generation of games. The protagonist is Niko Bellic, an immigrant who was promised the American Dream by his cousin, Roman, with the money and the women. That promise did not come to fruition from the outset of the game and Niko's purpose in Liberty City becomes more personal and a revenge tale because his past is revisited. Rockstar's storytelling in GTA4 is more real and personal as previous games as you get an emotional attachment to Niko because you want him to succeed rather than be screwed. Of course, you run into a mix mash of wild personalities such as Little Jacob, the Jamaican you probably not understand what he is saying, Brucie, the genetically stacked dude that is hyped about exercise and cars, to various folks in the mafia. As the game progresses, Niko will face some tough decisions that are crucial to the overall flow of the game as well as leading towards different endings. These choices are sometimes hard to make because of that emotional attachment especially when deciding to kill one important character or another. These types of moments make GTA4's story shine to something special that can also lead to multiple playthroughs to experience the other side of a decision you made previously.

The overall gameplay in GTA IV is significantly improved to previous games especially when it was being heavily flawed by San Andreas. The gunplay received a major overhaul with the new cover system. Aiming still has lock-on, but you can switch to free-aim for a better opportunity for better shots. The cover system does make the shooting elements more of a stop and pop game as seen in Gears in War, which is heavily noticed in the single-player, but it is not a huge factor when it comes to multiplayer. Melee is also improved with a counter system that requires perfect timing to master, but the offensive maneuvers are not as deep as San Andreas's multiple styles system. Speaking of San Andreas, the experience system is removed so you don't need to worry about bad aiming or sprinting. Stealing cars (as well as bikes, boats, and helicopters) is still as easy as in previous games, but stealing locked cars is even cooler when Niko breaks the glass to open up the car and then starting it up by simply holding the accelerate button. The wanted level system also received major changes this time around as the cops will tend to start a perimeter within a circle (the size of that depends on how many wanted stars you have). While it is easier to escape the police because of that circle, the cops can still give a fight especially at three or more stars. While you don't really get a wanted star for speeding or running red lights, the cops tend to get picky like passing a toll booth without paying, stealing a car in front of them, and killing a set of cops can be an easy three stars. There are other many improvements to the overall gameplay of GTA IV as most of them are minor as they cater to more serious players and fans of the series.

The mission structure in Grand Theft Auto IV remains the same of going to mission contacts, watch a cutscene filled with amazing voice acting, and then doing the task (Two of the major islands are locked from the outset). Your cell phone is your best friend in this game calling up friends, getting calls from mission contacts, and taking photos. These missions follow the pattern of previous games of starting to slow and then ramps up as you get better weapons. Of course, there will be the epic missions of robbing a bank, long shootouts thanks to the cover system, and longer car chases (that might be too scripted for some of driving through narrow alleys and traffic accidents. The new autosave system is a relief for series veterans after finishing a mission rather than getting wasted or busted before saving at a hideout. Speaking of getting wasted and busted, you do not lose your valuable weapons if you die, but getting busted by the cops will along with the usual money penalty. Some of the major storyline missions start right away after completing some other ones, which is a relief that an autosave system is there.

Other than the campaign missions, there are plenty of side quests and activities to be completed throughout Liberty City. Most of these provide good distractions from the main storyline if you feel like not continuing the story right away and enjoy Liberty City as a whole. The side quests range from working for the police to hunt down the most wanted criminals, stealing specific cars for someone, being a hired assassin, driving in races throughout the city, and doing random character missions. The other element of activities are the management of relationships with some of the major characters and girlfriends. The variety of activities to take these people out to are astounding such as eating a simple meal, getting drunk, watching a stand up comedy show, getting lapdances at a strip club, or play various games like pool, darts, and bowling. Taking to specific locations will factor in to the relationship or whether or not they like it or not. Another factor is Niko's clothing, in which you can dress up him up to various styles of clothing like suits and street clothes. Then there are the collectable aspect of the activities which make a return in with the unique stunt jumps and the flying rats, GTA IV's version of hidden packages. These can be hard to find, but those who driven to 100% the game, it may take a while to get everything done.

If you're tired of being Niko in Liberty City, there is the multiplayer to mess with, which is a first in a console GTA (San Andreas had minimal co-op so it doesn't count in my book). Even though you have to play the single-player a little bit (not much) to unlock it, the multiplayer is surprisingly impressive and does not feel like a rush job as seen in other games. Once you create a character for multiplayer, you can cruise around Liberty City (all of it) with friends or random people online or test your skills in the various multiplayer modes. There is an amazing amount of variety of multiplayer modes in GTA IV ranging from deathmatch, races, Mafiya Work, Car Jack City, Turf War, Cops & Crooks, and some co-op missions. While kills matter in most of these modes, the most money decides the victor of these modes. Deathmatch (also can be played in teams) is what to expect from other shooters with respawn. Races are divided to normal races and GTA races, which it is a race with weapons added to the mix. Multiplayer races are not really that great especially in ranked matches when pile-ups are expected to happen at the first turn while GTA races have more opportunities to screw up your opponents. Mafiya Work and Car Jack City are objective based modes and also can be played with teams. Cops & Crooks is what it is with one team being the crooks trying to escape while the cops try to stop them. Turf War is another objective based mode of gathering the most money by holding on to as much posts as long as possible. Grand Theft Auto IV's multiplayer is filled with many modes and it is fun enough to be played for weeks and even months.

The graphics in Grand Theft Auto IV are definitely impressive for the amount of detail Liberty City has. While it is not as jaw dropping compared to other games this generation, GTA IV can hold its own being a good looking game. The major change to more real characters than cartoony ones seen in previous games is a great choice bringing out more emotion and charm from the characters. There are also a good amount of civilians throughout Liberty City and the amount of cars in traffic at the Triangle, the game's version of Times Square, is as accurate seen in the real New York City which makes the city seem more real and lively than it should be. The minor grip with the graphics is that there are instances of texture pop-in at various spots and rare cases of slowdown when things get way chaotic. The loading is kept down to a minimum with quick load screens between cutscenes. The city itself looks beautiful and the various engines of graphics and physics combined together is a technical feat for today's standards. The vehicles themselves look great along with the water effects and explosions. The weather effects are also impressive with the rain and sun effects with the glare not being a distraction like it was in San Andreas. While the graphics in GTA IV are not the best in this generation of consoles, the style and amount of detail makes it a good-looking game.

Rockstar delivers again in the sound department as well. The voice acting is among the best in gaming today with unknown voice talents now being known for being a certain character in this game. Niko's voice acting is perhaps the best I heard in all of gaming today. Other characters do shine with their voices thanks to their personalities. The amount of celebrities in this game are not much like Katt Williams doing stand-up comedy and various DJs on the radio stations. The music in GTA IV is another impressive list of old and new fitting in to the New York lifestyle. The mix of musical genres is astounding from rock, R&B, disco, reggaeton, hip-hop, and disco. Some of my personal favorites are the amount of today's music in the game like Kanye West's "Flashing Lights." Ne-Yo's "Because of You," and more. Most of these songs provide great, epic, and awkward moments during car chases in terms of sarcasm pending on which song is played. The other sound effects also sound impressive with the weapons sounding like weapons, rain being rain, and cars sounding like cars pending on how fast they go.

Grand Theft Auto IV is a representation of why gamers love video games, and the evolution of open world gaming in terms of story and gameplay. All the hype and the delays was worth it as this game delivers on what it promised. It is a great looking game and sounds great living up to the series' standards. Niko Bellic is the best protagonist Rockstar has put together in a GTA game being more real and emotional than previous protagonists in the series. The main storyline takes about 30 hours to beat especially if you are going for the "Liberty City Minute" achievement on the 360 version, but it can take longer because of all of the side quests and activities to do in Liberty City. The multiplayer is surprisingly good and addictive with the amount of variety in the modes. With downloadable episodes on the way this fall on the 360 version, Grand Theft Auto IV has legs to be a game you won't stop playing months or even years for now. As a complete gaming package, GTA IV is among one of the best games put together in a while. Liberty City is indeed America's new playground.

Score = 10/10

Music Video of the Day (5/31/08) - "Leave Out All The Rest"

Another new Linkin Park video is here, which is for "Leave Out All the Rest" from their Minutes to Midnight album, and it is another good one for the boys. I don't know if the whole spaceship theme fits the song for the video, but I guess it works. It will premiere on the televisions this week (well I got word of this video from MTV2 earlier today).

The New Resident Evil 5 Trailer...

This new trailer for Resident Evil 5 is just amazing. Being a RE noob with RE4 because of its critical success (I played and beaten the GCN version), I'm more excited for RE5 than ever since Capcom did the right thing making RE games relevant and modernized back in 2005. Now we know it takes place in Africa starring RE veteran Chris Redfield along with some new chick named Sheva that was revealed in this video. Also, some form of the Las Plagas parasite things return from RE4 as if this is just RE4 in a different setting and characters, but I don't mind because RE4 was awesome and still one of my favorite games in recent years. I have a feeling RE5 will be out early next year, but if it comes earlier, then it is fine by me.

Music Roundup for 5/29/08

This week's Music Roundup focuses on current hits out now I'm feeling or not rather than albums.

Let's start with the new G-Unit video for "I Like the Way She Do It" and I'm not impressed of this song (might as well plug their new album out in July since it is G Unit Ver1's World). I'm not a fan of the beat and the group has been going through some drama with the Young Buck being kicked out of the group. Yeah, 50 can do whatever he wants releasing the same old stuff with different beats because he is 50 having all that money. Their songs can be decent, but this one is a miss on my book (plus, they had crappy performances too).

Next up is my current banger, which is "Finer Things" by DJ Felli Fel w/ Kanye West, Ne-Yo, Jermaine Dupri, and Fabolous. This is not the official music video and they should do one because this song is pretty sick. Ne-Yo's hook is just nuts and Kanye's verse is crazy as well. Every time I hear this on the radio on the way to school, it feels it is a good start to the day ahead.

So I put up the wrong video for Coldplay's "Violet Hill" in an earlier post since that version was some viral one. The hype level is through the roof for their new album for people I know because it is Coldplay for crying out loud. My expectations for the new album is that it has to be way better than their last album X&Y even though that album was decent, but could of have been better (the hype got to them I guess).

I saw this video earlier today on MTV2 which is Atmosphere's "Guarantees" and while people say that they sold out of going to mainstream from the underground, it is about time more people realize the greatness that is Atmosphere. This video seems very chill as well as the song from their first single "Shoulda Known."

Lastly, I can't wait for N.E.R.D's new album, Seeing Sounds, and this is the song u hear during those Zune commercials while playing the NBA playoff games, Spazz. Honestly, I'm looking forward more to N.E.R.D.'s new one than Coldplay's new one and the word about the new Weezer album from the streets is it is not that good.

Come back next week on the Music Roundup for impressions of some albums like the N.E.R.D one and maybe Disturbed, which I don't know why I'm considering to check out their album (Maybe I just want to rock out to "Down with the Sickness" on Rock Band).

Another Street Fighter 4 Update

Famitsu rolled out new pics of new characters for Street Fighter 4.....

First up we have Rufus, which we already know about, but this pic is just funny just because of Ken's facial reaction (the facial expressions strike again!!). The storyline for Rufus is supposedly he is Ken's rival and still beats people up that looks like Ken. Of course there are comparisons of Rufus from Earthquake (Samurai Showdown) to Bob (Tekken 6).

Then we have Seth (likely the final boss of SF4), who I assume is the first versions of Urien and Gill (Street Fighter 3). The storyline for him so far is that he is involved in the weapons division of Bison's Shadoloo business. His only difference to Urien and Gill is the eye thing on his stomach, which is likely fires projectiles (pic below)If he plays like Urien in SF3 3rd Strike, get ready for lots of Aegis Reflectors (his likely normal super), his charge move (pic below), the knee dive, and those projectile shots. I don't want to call out his Ultra yet assuming he can use the Aegis Reflector (high-tier Urien players will like that!!).

Word from the streets say that Fei-Long and Dan are also confirmed for Street Fighter 4, but exclusive to the console versions. If that is true, expect them to be officially announced at Capcom's press event, CAPTIVATE, this week (actually next week when the embargo is up).

Music Video of the Day (5/29/08) - Usher's "Moving Mountains"

I finally found a legitimate version of this video since it adds the extra sound effects purposely designed for it. All I have to say that it is another great Usher video, which is for "Moving Mountains," his second single from the new album Here I Stand and it is one of his better songs in the album anyway, so might as well do a video for it. I like how it is a continuation from the "Love In This Club" video, him climbing up the mountain, and then breaking it. I have to put this video up there with similar videos like "U Got I Bad," "Burn," and "Confessions Part II." If I had to pick his next single, it would be "This Ain't Sex."

Clip of the Day (5/28/08) - TNT vs. ESPN

An oldie but a goodie is this postgame bit on Inside the NBA last year with TNT's Reggie Miller issuing the challenge of TNT analysts vs. ESPN analysts (former players). If this ever happened, TNT would win... If I had to pick the teams, it would be (way similar to Reggie's picks)

TNT: Doug Collins as the coach

• Ernie Johnson
• Charles Barkley
• Kenny Smith
• Reggie Miller
• Chris Webber / Magic Johnson

ESPN: Hubie Brown as the coach (or Jeff)

• Dan Patrick (Yeah, no longer w/ ESPN - Mike Trico as the alternate I guess)
• Tim Legler / Jon Barry
• Mark Anthony
• Marc Jackson
• Jamal Mashburn

Yeah the TNT folks would win in a pickup game against ESPN (both on the court and off it based on the quality of their shows).

New Guitar Hero Ads = Ugh!!!!

I stumbled upon these ads for Guitar Hero and I'm like why are doing this?

First up we have "Risky Business" ads with the two American Idol 7 finalists David Cook (the winner!!!) and David Archuleta (the loser!!!). At least the Cook version I can deal with since he is a rocker, but the Archuleta version doesn't make sense to me as it doesn't fit his persona at all. Then again, these being Guitar Hero ads is bad enough and since the brand is so popular, ads like these are bound to happen anyway. It is just sad how the GH property is being treated these days.

This new video for the upcoming DS game is just a new low for me. I feel like puking after seeing this one especially who knows if this idea will work at all. Then again, it will sell a million copies because of the deadly combination of the GH name and the Nintendo DS alone. Just rather play the console ones instead and this is just a waste of time.

Now this trailer is something I can agree with, which is for World Tour aka GH4. This video that was out last week showcases the new drum kit. The folks of Neversoft are getting help from Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Travis Barker (Plus 44, Blink 182), and Stewart Copeland (The Police) to make the best drums possible for GH World Tour even though I don't want to pony up for the full band bundle (refer to my previous post on the possible death nail of the rhythm genre). Then again, if Blink 182's "Damnit" is in the game, I might as well jump in since that song one of Blink's best (also fun to sing too).

So the two GH ads = Ugh!!! The GH4 Drum Kit = Yes!!!

Trailers at Ubidays 08

The curtain is finally pulled for Ubisoft to show some stuff at their Paris press event...

The big bombshell from the event is the announcement of Beyond Good & Evil 2 along with a teaser of the game. This has been heavily rumored for a while and it is finally official since the first one of the forgotten critical darlings last generation (it didn't sell that well). This is likely a 2009 release and I'm curious how better it can be than the original.

Next up is the new Prince of Persia game and this trailer is CG or pre-rendered even though the game itself will look cel-shaded. This is the reboot to the franchise with a new look for the Prince and a female partner going along for the ride. I didn't play the trilogy of PoP games that were out last generation, but I did play PoP Classic for XBLA and it was good. The release is this fall and hopefully this new direction can be a good thing for the franchise.

Ubi finally enters the extreme sports game arena with Shaun White Snowboarding starring the Flying Tomato himself (or Senor Blanco). Finally a new snowboarding game to care about and the approach from the developers is "Assassins Creed and Snowboarding combined together," which is interesting. I hope this game is pretty good because I need to play a good snowboarding game again (Amped 3 was pretty cool). This remind me, where's next-gen SSX EA?

Next up is a new trailer for Tom Clancy's EndWar, which is indeed another Tom Clancy game, but a RTS. I'm not really a fan of this one since probably I realized I don't have time for RTS games (LOTR BFME II was okay and C&C3 I didn't play much of). With that and H.A.W.X., what else can Ubi whore out the Tom Clancy name to?

If you're wandering why Namco Bandai's Soul Calibur IV is at Ubidays showcasing the two Star Wars characters Darth Vader on PS3 and Yoda on 360, Ubi is publishing it at the European countries so there. In this new trailer as well, there is some new antagonist and the armor breaking is finally showcased along with the Critical Finishes. Who knows if the online will be good, but we may find out soon enough on its July 29 release at the States.

Lastly is Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, the long awaited and perhaps the last great World War II FPS. A different trailer showed up on XBL Marketplace today with this new one here being more story-driven. I don't know about the graphics yet for this game, but the gameplay still shines being it is Gearbox developing it. I don't expect myself to play this unless a demo is happening for it, so we'll see.

So that's it for Ubidays stuff with no Splinter Cell Conviction (likely delayed to 2009) and Assassins Creed 2 (probably announced at E3 with a brief teaser shown). I didn't put up some Wii stuff here like Rayman Raving Rabbids 3 and the Dogz sequel because I don't care for them with Rabbids 3 having Balance Board support. The next big press event is Capcom's CAPTIVATE which is going on now I think, but the embargo will be up sometime next week with some big guns.

A Street Fighter 4 update (now official for consoles and PC)

Looks like my most anticipated game is now official for consoles with Street Fighter 4 coming to the 360, PS3, and the PC. The press release from various sites mentions a late 2008 release, which I'm not sure it will happen, but I won't mind since the arcade version is still slated for the summer at Japan (no word on U.S. arcades yet, but likely not - maybe Super Arcade will buy a cabinet even though it is expensive like Tekken 6). With this official announcement, I'm curious if the console versions are at Capcom's press event, CAPTIVATE, to be previewed and whether or not it will make an appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con and Evo 2K8, the grand daddy of fighting game tournaments. Capcom still has more characters and stages to reveal (Akuma is surprisingly not revealed yet), so there is still time for them to make us happy or piss off the hardcore fanbase (even some tournament players with move frames).

If it is out this fall, I rather buy SF4 than Gears 2.

Some Vader and Yoda gameplay clips in Soul Calibur IV

IGN has put up gameplay footage of Darth Vader (clip above) and Yoda (clip below) in Soul Calibur IV. From each of these 30 second clips, I'm almost ready to call these characters "broken" especially with Yoda's small size advantage and Vader's force lift (probably counts as a throw - the commands are unknown yet how to do it). Other than that, they do look cool and obviously out of place since this is Namco Bandai's marketing excuse to rake in the money along with SC4 being a multiplatform release. Perhaps even the "increased boobage" will rake more money. I'm still looking forward to the actual game (I'm not hyped to play as Vader and Yoda compared to some people) to see if it was better than the last one, but there are SC4 pro tournaments, I expect these two to be likely banned and plus I rather stick to the normal characters anyway (even though I was decent as Necrid in SC2).

Music Video of the Day "Pork and Beans"

Weezer's new video for their new Red Album is pretty funny taking a stab of Internet trends. This song seems enjoyable to be on Rock Band too. I love the Death Wing (whatever that crappy game is called) reference in the video. Now I can't wait their new album which is out next month.

Resident Evil 5 Blowout This Week

Get ready for a blowout of RE5 stuff this week on the interwebs and GameTrailers TV this weekend as they show an exclusive trailer. As for this week, Capcom's press event will likely have some RE5 stuff like the rumored, but seems official co-op play along with the return of the Mercenaries mode from RE4. Hopefully RE5 continues to blow my mind and creeps back to my top 10 most wanted list (likely since NG2 is out next week). As for this weekend's GameTrailers TV, why are u showing Golden Axe: Beast Rider stuff with the fanbase already giving out the "Do not want" signs?

Lets Play Doctor... The Dr. Mario Online Rx Review

Nintendo's first entry to their own WiiWare service is a classic updated for the current generation, which is Dr. Mario. As for their first game for the service, it is a good start revitalizing an established puzzle game with new modes and online play as seen in some games on Xbox Live Arcade. There are enough modes to satisfy its 1000 Wii Points (1o bucks) price while it looks and sounds good enough being a puzzle game. The online multiplayer is perhaps the only reason to buy this game if you're played the previous iterations to death to compete against players worldwide while running smoothly at the same time. Dr. Mario Online Rx is a good game to recommend for Dr. Mario fans and fans of the genre that can be played in short or long bursts.

Dr. Mario Online Rx's gameplay is classic Dr. Mario with the classic mode faithful to the original game of eliminating viruses by stacking four capsules horizontally or vertically. The controls are simple using the Wiimote sideways for movement of the capsules. A quick drop button is also added similar to the recent Tetris games to speed up the action. The goal is still the same of clearing all the viruses (the weird looking pieces) to proceed to the next level and produce the highest score possible. The later levels have more viruses to eliminate which makes the action more intense especially when the speed of the dropping capsules ramp up if the game gets long. The other classic modes are taking on a computer opponent on a race of eliminating viruses the fastest and a flash mode where is the same mode, but you only need to take out the flashing viruses only to win. Other than the classic mode, the Virus Buster mode is a new take on Dr. Mario using the Wiimote pointer to move capsules around. This offers a new challenge for veterans of the series of playing the game a totally different way of using the Wiimote rather than using a d-pad for movement. It is still the same goal of eliminating viruses, but the twist in this mode is more capsules come when the game gets longer, meaning two capsules will drop down as the game progresses and so on with three. The addition of more capsules make the action make hectic and will test your reflexes because not paying attention to the dropping capsules will result in a game over screen. The Virus Buster mode is surprisingly fun and addictive just like the classic mode being a new way to play Dr. Mario which makes me wonder if a WiiWare Tetris game will have a similar mode to this.

The multiplayer in Dr. Mario Online Rx is the main attraction with online play up to two players. The game uses Mii support for game saves and your avatar when facing people online. Other than playing it locally against another player with the classic modes, the online is where is at and it is a simple system. Rankings and leaderboards are similar to Tetris DS of a single ranking of wins and losses where winning obviously increases your rank and the opposite for losing. Performance-wise, the online runs smoothly by Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection with no lag at all from what I played against other players worldwide. Other than playing worldwide, online can be played with friends by having the infamous friend codes to play. Unfortunately, Virus Buster cannot be played online (can be locally up to four players) at all, which would have been cool to play this mode against other players worldwide. Another cool thing is that can send a demo of the game to a friend that does not have it if they are not sure of buying it. The online play is pretty good being it is in the title of the game compared to some games on other services.

Graphically, Dr. Mario Online Rx looks good enough being a puzzle game. The game screen for the classic mode might be too small for some people, but it is tolerable while Virus Buster mode has a bigger screen because of using the Wiimote pointer. The viruses now feel like actual characters as seen from when you boot up the game and so on. The sound is also tolerable for puzzle game standards with the background music the same as the what was in previous games. The limited selection of music however makes me want to listen to something else on iTunes or something like that since the music in Dr. Mario does get tiresome if you're playing it on long bursts.

As a WiiWare game, Dr. Mario Online Rx is another great example of revitalizing a classic game for the current generation with the smooth online play and the new Virus Buster mode. The classic gameplay still remains as fun and addictive it was since the original. Virus Buster offers a new take for the franchise, but still keeps that addiction the classic mode had even though it is not playable online. The online multiplayer is as simple as it gets with an easy ranking system to understand and quick to get in games, but playing it slow and steady online will likely not lead to victory as reflexes matter if you want to win. It looks and sounds good enough being a puzzle game for the Wii. This whole game makes you wish that Nintendo should have done a DS version like Tetris DS because of the on-the-go aspect and it can be played on short bursts along with the simple online system. Dr. Mario Online Rx is worth the 1000 Wii Points for fans of the genre and those who are looking for a competitive online puzzle game on the Wii.

Score - 8/10

Pros

• Addictive single-player and multiplayer gameplay
  
• Virus Buster is a great new take on the classic game
  
• Online runs smoothly along with the ability to send demos of this game to friends.
  

Cons

• Virus Buster can't be played online.
• Even though the sound is tolerable, might as well blast something else on iTunes or something familiar.

After playing it

• A DS version of this should happen and hopefully can be played against Wii players too (if this happens, the Wii version has to be patched).
• A WiiWare Tetris game should implement a similar mode to Virus Buster.

Note: If you clicked the text, they are the screenshots that are in this post since I haven't figured out what to do to get rid of it and I totally screwed up my site font-wise (I don't know what happened).

Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull... Some Thoughts (spoilers)

I just came back from watching Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and being a noob of the Indiana Jones flicks (didn't watch the first three), it seemed okay at best. It is a good movie filled with flaws, but it still did 100+ million in the box office. I'm going to go straight to the point that this week's 1up Yours podcast nailed it perfectly on the fact that most of the movie is like a video game. Nearly all the action scenes are CG to the extreme (my favorite being the whole jungle car chase scene). Actually all the chases can be played in a game in many ways as well as some of the puzzle scenes. Then again, if this movie was a game, it would be filled with cutscenes and quicktime events. Even some of the scenes just seem unreal like Indy surviving the nuke and when they were falling off three waterfalls and I was like how can they survive that?? (One example of the overblown CG).

As for the acting, I would say before watching this movie that Harrison Ford still has it in him like that wrestling chant "You still got it" when some wrestler returns to the ring after a long hiatus. Yeah Ford still has it after watching it, but all those action scenes are not designed for him specifically, so they had to CG it out as well as having stunt doubles. The dialogue seems mostly cheesy with Ford saying many variations of "This is not good" every time something bad happens. As for the supporting cast, I'm starting to hate Shia LeBouf even more if they continues to hog big summer movies that started with Transformers. I don't know if he was the perfect choice to be Indy's son, but he did okay I guess. Kate Blanchett as the antagonist seems weird at first and didn't really play one since she always had her goons ready. Even Mary's positive attitude during the action and near-death scenes is really awkward. Plus, how many times can Indy's long-time partner double-cross him in one movie?

Lastly, I like to rant about John Williams's score for the film. I know that theme song is very symbolic with the franchise, but it was way overplayed in many variations throughout the movie. Then again, that theme song is probably the only good song for the whole franchise compared to the many symbolic hits in the Star Wars flicks he made.

If I would score this, it would be a 7/10 at best. Steven Spilberg did some things right and wrong with this long-awaited flick. At least Indiana Jones is relevant again for people who appreciated it back in its day, but it is likely for the last time. I don't see any opportunity for the franchise to continue with Ford continuing to be Jones, but crazier things have happened in the movie industry.

More Street Fighter 4 Footage at Japan

This weekend was a 5th location test for Street Fighter 4 (my most anticipated game still) which didn't any new stages or characters, but changed some stuff for some characters, some for being nerfed or beefed up. Over at the Shoryuken forums for this game, Bison (Dictator) seems nearly god tier with Scissor Kicks and Slide Sweeps being way better again since u can't really get punished for it if they're blocked. Psycho Crusher is still the cheap move we know and love and the Head Stomp is still the Head Stomp, but imagine EX versions of Bison's specials (I haven't seen his Ultra yet).

Rufus, one of the new characters, is improved significantly and maybe high tier for the moment. Zangief is also considered nearly god tier especially in close range.

Here's Vega in action on this video and similar to what he plays in Super Turbo, which is good, adding along EX specials. That means u can fly around like crazy again as Claw (what the hardcore peeps call Vega these days) with those airborne specials even though Rolling Claw sucks now from what I seen in this video. All of the other characters seem the same with Chun-Li no longer having man hands as people complained about that, Crimson Viper still has the worst Ultra Combo in the game, and the combo system is getting towards Capcom vs. SNK 2 territory from what I read especially for Ryu and Ken. Anyway, here is some more footage from the latest location test for SF4 (Supposedly this is the last location test before its July release at Japanese arcades with more characters and stages still waiting to be revealed).

A Day in the Life of Liberty City (Beaten the game!!!)

Earlier today, I finally beaten the story in GTA4 and it felt really good doing the Revenge ending (no spoilers). So now I'm at 78ish precent after playing for 45 hours. I didn't really care about trying to beat it in less than 30 hours for 30 achievement points. Now I can play multiplayer without worrying about beating the story (I'll play it for a week). I still expect myself to do more of the side missions like car thefts and most wanted as well as find as many pigeons and stunt jumps as I can. Next week, might be my review for the game before Ninja Gaiden 2's release, so wait till then for that.

A pic from the Chun-Li Street Fighter Movie

Here's a pic of Kristen Kreuk as Chun-Li in the new Street Fighter movie. Who knows if the producers / directors are going to make Chun-Li faithful to the games, but likely they are not. Will we see the signature hair and big thighs Chun-Li is known for? I won't mind checking this one if it is any good.

Soul Calibur IV Direct-Feed Footage

This is like the first direct-feed footage I seen for Soul Calibur IV and one thing I instantly annoyed is that Namco needs to fix the health meter displays a little bit. They seem kind of bland to me, but I'll probably get over it if they don't change it. Other than that, the gameplay is pretty SC with the increased boobage that message boards have complained about with the majority of the female characters. This footage at least shows one of the new characters, Hilde, in action as well as Raphael, Sophitia, and Voldo. I still have high hopes that SC4 will be way better than 3 being back to what was great in 2 and even the first one on Dreamcast (which is still coming to XBLA).

Another Capcom crossover fighter, but not what u think..

Famitsu has revealed a new Capcom crossover fighting game, but it is not the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 we have been waiting for throughout this decade. Instead, Capcom stars will face off with characters from Tatsunoko like Gatchaman and others I don't know. For Capcom, only Ryu, Chun-Li, and Servbot (from the background) have been revealed. According to the first pics, the gameplay might be reminiscent of the Marvel vs. Capcom games with tag team fighting / assists plus super moves as seen in Ryu's Shinku Hadoken. I won't mind another Capcom crossover with Marvel and SNK done already (Mortal Kombat vs. DC out this year), so I'm curious how this one will turn out (That Sammy vs. Capcom game never happened and that Namco X Capcom was a decent Japan-only RPG) even though it may not make it here in the States because the Tatsunoko franchises are not known here.

Music Roundup for 5/21/08

This week is a biggie for the Music Roundup with three albums and more.

I'll start off with a highly anticipated album of mine for the year, which is Usher's Here I Stand. This one is out next week and for Usher, how can he really top his last album, Confessions? That is something tough to pull off especially and his new one is not as good as his previous hit album with all those banging hits from "Yeah," "Burn," and "Confessions Part II." Even though it is not Usher's best, it is still pretty good. Of course, his current hit single, "Love in This Club," is the jam these days and the remix, or Part II, featuring Beyonce and Lil' Wayne is actually better even though I don't know what is the big deal with Weezy and why everyone likes him. I'm currently a fan of the up-tempo stuff in Here I Stand with "This Ain't Sex," "Moving Mountains," "What's Your Name" featuring Will.I.Am, "Best Thing" with the Jiggaman, "Before I Met You," and "What's A Man to Do." I'm not so much on the slow songs yet, but "His Mistakes" is the decent one I like so far. Usher's latest album would likely not have the same success Confessions had with that platinum debut, but it is still pretty good to check this out and not as disappointing as others expected.

Next up this week is We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things by Jason Mraz. Sure, his first two albums had that mainstream appeal, but it is more Jason Mraz and that's fine by me. This is just a chill album to blast because of his style of sound still staying the same. Even though I listened to this one once so far, it is also a recommendable album to check out.

Lastly is Death Cab for Cutie's Narrow Stairs and it has received numerous critical praise. The album definitely lives up to all that praise being more Death Cab with their style of rock. This also is worth a download or purchase.

That's it for the Music Roundup and next month is going to be nuts with albums from Coldplay, Ne-Yo, and N.E.R.D. out at that time, so maybe music will be good again...

Let's do the Warrior Pose!!! (I caved in for Wii Fit)

So I bought Wii Fit today at my nearest GameStop (didn't pre-order it) and let's just say I fell into the mainstream hype. Yeah, this thing is selling bonkers right now at the United States and we have to wait till probably next week for Nintendo to give out sales numbers, which is likely in the millions if they shipped out a lot of them even though there were rumored shortages. With all that coverage in talk shows, advertising in buses, and the above average reviews from some sites, Wii Fit is not that bad.

Keep in mind I only played it for a hour, so I had to try at least one of each activity. So far, I'm digging the strength exercises and yoga for now rather than the mini-games. It does suck I have to play more and more of these activities to unlock the other stuff as in Wii Play, but it seems better this time with the Balance Board. At first, I was skeptical that this thing would work, but it surprisingly does and it is pretty accurate with the balance obviously (I don't know about BMI and weight yet). Sure, you can BS the exercises to a certain point and they do a good job of keeping stats for everything u have done so far. Of course, I don't want to reveal my stats such as BMI and other things, but it does want to motivate u to keep doing this on a consistent basis. I'm not a fan of the mini-games yet since I suck with them and the aerobics, but it does put the Balance Board to good use other than the yoga.

Personally, when I bought Wii Fit, it felt like an impulse buy because of all the mainstream hype and the fact being a first-party game on the Wii. I'm not sure if trading three 360 games (Orange Box, Mass Effect, and DMC4) seemed worth it for this one, but I do see the potential in the Balance Board being a special peripheral while alpha-moms go crazy buying this today and the rest of the week. A review might happen for this one next month since I have to beat GTA4 first (Assault Heroes 2 review is still pending too), if I do write one, expect it before Ninja Gaiden 2's release.

Oh I love Europe!! (This Week's Rock Band DLC Impressions)

Keep in mind I only bought six of the nine songs that are out this week for Rock Band, which are European exclusive tracks slated for the Euro version of the game, but available as DLC here at the States. Here's the rundown of my top 5 picks.... (Only Guitar mostly)

My #1 pick this week is obviously "Hysteria" by Muse because this song is just awesome and the Rock Band charts did live up to its greatness. All instruments provide great fun while playing this song, but good luck on bass, because it is hard (hence the video below) but very fun. I won't mind doing this on vocals since Muse has become one of my favorite bands now. We'll see about that....

My #2 pick is "Rock 'n' Roll Star" by Oasis (chart above) because well it is Oasis for crying out loud. Another great song for RB on guitar especially the final solo that I didn't expect.

My #3 pick this week is quite surprising, which is "New Wave" by Pleymo (chart below). I bought this because this is quite unique to have on Rock Band and Pleymo is like the French version of Limp Bizkit. For vocals, good luck on this one trying to rap this one out.

Juli's "Perfekte Welle" is my #4 pick this week because a female is signing it and I won't mind another one of these songs. Guitar is pretty easy for this one, so buy it for the vocals. It is kind of a chill song to play anyway.

#5 this week is Blur's "Beetlebum" which is a cover, a rarity these days on Rock Band, but it is a Blur song so I bought it. This is also the easiest song on guitar this week as well. Getting Blur on Rock Band reminds me for Harmonix to get their obvious hit "Song 2" soon (music video below to remind u and I don't care if it is only two minutes long). 

Since this post is getting way long with all those YouTube videos, I'll leave out the last song I bought, "Countdown to Insanity" by H-Block X, to be searched elsewhere. That's my top 5 picks for DLC this week for Rock Band and buy Muse's "Hysteria" as soon as possible.

Music Video of the Day (5/19/08) "Violet Hill"

Coldplay's new video for "Violent Hill" is pretty crazy. I have nothing else to say about this now so enjoy it.

We're dropping the deuce..... (Skate 2 Teaser)

Last year was the beginning of a new era in skateboarding games with EA's Skate. An unique control scheme along with the satisfaction of nailing tricks never felt so good, which is why Skate is on my top 10 of my favorite games of 2007. It was inevitable for EA to announce the sequel, Skate 2, because of its success and finally dethroning the Tony Hawk series. Here is the teaser at IGN, which isn't much, but this story they also provided has some details about the storyline being five years later after Skate 1 where the cops have San Vanelona on lockdown of skaters going everywhere and it is up to you, a created skater, (hopefully u can import the same look of your character from the first game) to shake up the city again. No gameplay footage has been revealed yet or any new moves (people want inverts and flatland moves) either. I also hope that multiplayer gets improved with more fun modes (Spot Battle is the one I'm good at and play other than races) as well as the skate. TV options. As long as they don't go Tony Hawk syndrome on us, EA's Skate 2 can be the skateboarding game we have been waiting for even though it seems like it is going more of a storyline direction.

Music Video of the Day (5/16/08) "Everyone Nose"

N.E.R.D's new song is pretty funny and I'm looking forward to their new album, which I don't know when it is coming out (next month?). Look out for cameos from Kanye West, Lindsay Lohan, and more. I should check out that remix soon too.

Expensive Rhythm Games = The Genre's Death Nail

I have been wanting to rant about this since the confirmation of Guitar Hero 4 being a full band game like EA and Harmonix's Rock Band. Today, I finally got my Game Informer issue (pictured above) featuring the first official details and pics of Guitar Hero 4, which is coming out this fall. With Rock Band out, its competitors now want to have a piece of that pie and then nearly ripping off its ideas at the same time. I'll use Konami's recent announcement of their new rhythm game, Rock Revolution, as an example which is also a full band game being a Rock Band wannabe. Yeah, Konami and Benami pretty much started off the rhythm genre with Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Freaks, Drummania, and Beatmania, but returning to the genre is almost like a mistake with only having cover songs while your competition has now master tracks at this point due to their success and putting out another drum kit (pictured below) just to piss off consumers.

Back to Guitar Hero 4, the cover story on Game Informer pretty much announces the full band kit with a new drum kit (with a extra cymbal), a new guitar will likely be revealed at E3, and likely a new mic for vocals. I just don't know if originality would even exist in this genre now since Guitar Hero and Rock Band have taken over while over companies like THQ and Konami struggle to find their own rhythm game to compete. At least what separates Guitar Hero 4 and Rock Band (and maybe its sequel), is the opportunity to create songs. Mentioned in the GI story, Neversoft was aware of the mod community making their own note charts to various songs in the first GH games and wanted to make something that would cater to those peeps who do that. Even though vocals are not happening for these created songs, this could be something big if the competition does not rip it off within a year. Other than Create-A-Rocker, similar to what was seen in Tony Hawk's Create-A-Skater, a Band World Tour style career mode for all instruments (even bass), and a soundtrack of only mastered tracks that are not revealed due to the possibility that the competition will use it their own game, Guitar Hero 4 is looking pretty good so far even though they have to rip off Rock Band in some aspects.

With my thoughts on Guitar Hero 4 out of the way, let's begin the rant about these rhythm games being hella expensive. Assuming the full band bundles for Guitar Hero 4 and Rock Revolution being in the 150 - 200 dollar range when they are released, that is almost like buying a new console at this point if you are buying both (if Rock Band 2 is actually coming out this year with new instruments, this would be worst). I just don't know if the casual audience are ready to shell out more money for new instruments for their specific games. The same question can be raised for the hardcore audience specifically GH and RB fans, are they also willing to waste more money on new instruments? The whole compatibility issue between all these games is just pure BS and sooner or later, these companies have to eventually accept each other's instruments to be worked in the game to make fans happy. Then again, it all comes down to money and with EA and Activision especially, they just want as much of it as possible. If this trend keeps up of multiple full band games with separate band kits, I think this would be the death nail of the rhythm game genre.

Eventually, people like me will get tired of wasting money on more instruments of these full band games just because they want the money and the success that Guitar Hero and Rock Band had. The first Guitar Hero brought me to the rhythm genre and could possibly take me out of it. This is just another reason that gaming is expensive these days and publishers are willing to get back the money they spend on for developers to make these games. I guess I have to stick to one side rather than being on both (referring to Guitar Hero 4 and the inevitable Rock Band 2), but it will likely come down to the soundtrack that will be out on retail and the quality of downloadable content (which Neversoft claimed they will have a better strategy for DLC with GH4). Maybe I should buy a PS3 instead of wasting money on rhythm games this fall.

This demo's power level is over 9000!! (DBZ Burst Limit Demo Impressions)

A demo for Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit came out today on Xbox Live Marketplace and likely later on Playstation Network with the final game coming out on June 10 for 360 and PS3. It is less than 500 MB, so the amount of what's there to play is not much which is two fights from the Saiyan Saga (Goku vs. Raditz and Yamcha vs. the Saibamen - spelling??). Right off the bat, this game brings it back to the Budokai 1-3 style of game as I wasn't a fan of Tenakachi games because of the free-form movement. Sure, fighting games suck on 360 because of the awful d-pad, but since the DBZ fighting games are not as hardcore as Virtua Fighter and Dead or Alive, it is more user friendly to attract even the causal fans of the anime. I used the left stick and yes, it plays like Budokai 3. Even though it is still about mashing the X and Y buttons for various punch/kick combos, pulling off the flashy stuff and avoiding attacks is not as easy as u think at first. Once the Ki meter is built up, you can pull off the crazy moves like the ping-pong punches and kicks after bursting (left bumper on 360). At the end of each fight, you will be ranked on specific challenges and how many dramatic cutscenes u ran into (Highest is Z rank, but I can at least get a S since these challenges want you to do nearly everything in a limited time. I'm happy that the gameplay is back to what it used to be in Budokai 3, but these fights on the demo tend to end pretty quickly.

It is also safe to say this is the best looking DBZ game now, but that seems obvious since it is on 360 and PS3. It is also to a point that looks better than the anime itself even though Budokai 3 to Tenakachi 3 had the style spot on. The glowing effects look great and the characters themselves look pretty accurate to the cartoon. As expected, the voice acting is from the U.S. version of the cartoon, so it is love and hate thing on which style of dialogue u like (If Vegeta says "Its over 9000!!!!" just like the cartoon, then I'm sold!!). Since this is not the show, the dialogue is different and mostly cheesy and the facial animations when they speak is a little poor, but what do u expect for a DBZ game.

After playing the demo, I would give DBZ Burst Limit a chance and it is okay that it only goes up to the Cell Saga just like Budokai 3. The gameplay has gone back to its roots, Budokai 3 mostly, and it is the best looking DBZ game out now. I don't know if I would buy it when it comes out next month, but a good rental at best. Hardcore DBZ fans should buy this in a heartbeat even though it is more of the same (with online play too) from the previous generation of DBZ games.

UPDATE - Its over 9000!!!

Platinum Games ready to return to critical greatness

Platinum Games, originally some of Clover Studio, has announced their slate of games with publisher Sega. One of them is MadWorld (pics above and below), exclusively for the Wii and perhaps the goriest game for the system taking over the title No More Heroes has. According to these screens, it has a Sin City vibe with the black and white along with red blood. This is made from the guy that brought us Okami, the best game no one ever bought even though it starts pretty slow which made me gave up on it. For now, it is like an action brawler (Their last similar game was the underrated God Hand for PS2, which I liked but didn't beat it). No gameplay footage has been revealed yet (wait till E3), but a trailer was leaked to YouTube before being taken down. I'm always willing to support what Platinum Games will do next (They have a PS3/360 game called Bayonetta coming soon and looks pretty good being a combination of Devil May Cry and Bullet Witch) like their past efforts as Clover Studio like Viewitiful Joe and Okami. For more on MadWorld and Bayonetta, check out 1up's preview for MadWorld as well as IGN's thoughts and the teaser trailer for Bayonetta on Gamevideos (below).

UPDATE - Post now updated with MadWorld trailer, its really that bloody.

Clip of the Day (5/14/08) - The return of Botchmania!!

YouTube user Maffew returns with Botchmania 43 and as usual, it is pretty funny if you're into wrestling to watch people mess up both in the ring and out of it as well. Key highlights of this one are from Wrestlemania 24, WWE's Backlash PPV, and of course Mike Adamle of ECW.

The King of Rubberband A.I. is Back.... The Mario Kart Wii Review

Nintendo's tradition of rehashing games every generation continues with the latest entry in the famed Mario Kart series, unoriginally titled Mario Kart Wii. From the get go, the case of deja vu sets in as it is the same old game maintaining the core gameplay of Mario characters racing each other while using shells, bananas, and other items for victory with some twists. It has the has the same flaws the series has suffered through recently of insane rubberband A.I. and some new ones with this release on the Wii with missing modes. The trade-off is exceptional online play and perhaps the best online Nintendo themselves has done on the Wii. New additions like the bikes and the introduction of a new peripheral, the Wii Wheel, make this entry worthy of the series. Mario Kart Wii is still fun to play especially with multiple people and online, but the core gameplay not receiving a significant overhaul makes it another Nintendo rehash for the latest console.

Mario Kart Wii's single player is mostly unchanged in terms of structure. The Grand Prix mode is still consisted of 50 cc, 100 cc, 150 cc, and the unlockable Mirror modes for players to race alone, but the twist this time is that 50 cc is only for karts, 100 cc is only for bikes, and 150 cc is allowed for both vehicles. The character depth of Double Dash is gone when choosing a team matters because of special items, so picking a character in this Wii version does not really matter since special items are just in the normal rotation now and weight is the only factor to consider. The obvious roster of Mario characters is here along with some obscure ones, specifically the hidden characters along with Mii support I won't spoil and lots more babies this time. The only other significant single-player mode is time trial, where you can race staff ghosts for more unlockables other than putting a fast time and bragging about it online. Standard races and battles are also playable alone in case for practice against the opposition.

The amount of tracks in this new Mario Kart is a staggering 32, where 16 of them are original ones for the Wii while the other 16 are retro tracks from previous games. The selection of the retro tracks are pretty good with personal favorites Sherbet Land and Bowser's Castle from Mario Kart 64 as well as two others from the SNES original. While some retro tracks did not receive any major graphical changes, specifically the ones from Double Dash, the SNES and N64 are updated significantly with the current engine along with the GBA and DS tracks. Most of the new tracks are designed for the new tricks system in mind with more jumps and obstacles to avoid. Usually, the new tracks do not really shine until the Star Cup and Special Cups, but the courses in the Mushroom and Flower Cups provide a good warmup for what is come and a good ramp up in difficulty.

The core gameplay is unchanged from what is seen in Mario Kart DS since Double Dash is a big departure from the traditional Kart action which the fans were not pleased with. The return to form was the right decision in the end, but the same flaws are still here and very noticeable. The obvious flaw is that the insane rubberband A.I. makes the single-player Grand Prix very frustrating especially in the 150 cc and Mirror modes where luck plays a huge role. These races are filled with dirty comebacks and the agony of defeat, specifically getting blasted by a spike shell in the end of a race being in first and then finishing like fifth. Their balance of getting the power items when at the back of the pack and getting defensive items like bananas and fake item blocks is still here and well, which gives the A.I. opponents a chance to catch up to even up the playing field. The increased count of racers from eight to twelve make the action more chaotic and increase the chances for disappointing finishes if a barrage of lightning bolts, opponents with stars or Bullet Bills, and red shells comes your way. New items like the POW block and the lightning cloud, where you have to bump it to someone to give it away otherwise you turn small like a lightning bolt, are okay additions to the assortment of items at your disposal. Karts and bikes play similarly, but my personal preference is bikes because you can wheelie for more speed in a limited one. The trick system is a new gameplay addition and another reason to boost after jumps.

There are plenty of control options at your choice in Mario Kart Wii. The choice for new comers is obviously the Wii Wheel being packaged with the game. The setback to using the wheel is there is a learning curve to get good with it, which means oversteering will likely happen. Power slides still matter when turning, which is changed significantly to prevent snaking as seen in the DS game as the longer the slide will get you a boost. You have to shake the wheel to do tricks during a jump, but another drawback to the wheel is items being mapped to up on the d-pad on default. The highly recommended choice for control is the Nunchuk and Wiimote combo where analog control is perfect and everything else is mapped pretty well on default settings while still shaking the Wiimote to do tricks. There is also support for Gamecube and Classic controllers, but the only setback is tricks being mapped to up on the d-pad. If you ever want to perform consistently well and compete online, the Nunchuk and Wiimote is the controller of choice, while the Wii Wheel offers a learning curve, but came be mastered.

Mario Kart Wii's multiplayer is surprisingly executed well with online play up to twelve players while the local multiplayer is a pure disappointment. Locally, a maximum of four players can face other in various races and battles. The races this time on multiplayer are structured like the single-player Grand Prix mode where eight other A.I. opponents will also compete if four players are playing. It would have been nice if the exhibition option seen in single-player is available on multiplayer, but it is not there as well as only having the human players racing each other rather than worrying about the other A.I. opponents. The lack of two player grand prix like previous games is disappointing to fans of the series if they want to unlock more vehicles and characters with another player. A bigger disappointment is the battle mode, which is only team-based with different modes. Relying on A.I. teammates is the not the best thing to consider now with battles, but at least it is a little better online. Speaking of online, Nintendo has finally pulled off satisfying online play on the Wii with minimal lag, leaderboards, and a scoring system. It still uses a specific friend code if you want to face off with friends, but worldwide and regional play is surprisingly fun when stealing wins pulling off the dirty comeback with barely no lag at all. The lesser amount of players in an online match does not make it as competitive as it should have, but the more in one match equals more fun. Courses are randomly chosen by the player choices, which makes the flow go smoothly. The Mario Kart Channel is there but in-game and downloadable for use in the Wii menus.

Mario Kart Wii is not a huge improvement graphically over Double Dash to a point they nearly look the same. The only difference is there is more chaos and lighting in the Wii version compared to the previous iteration on Gamecube. The 32 courses made that sense of variety ranging from volcanoes, jungles, snow summits, and the tradition of a Bowser's Castle and Rainbow Road, which is perhaps the best Rainbow Road since Mario Kart 64. The retro courses other than the ones from Double Dash look way better now especially the SNES tracks going from Mode 7 graphics to this current engine. The characters also look nearly the same from Double Dash except for the new ones that debut in this game. Performance-wise, it runs great on single-player at a solid 60 frames per second and online as well. The framerate, however, takes a huge dip when playing local multiplayer with three or more people dropping to 30 frames per second. That flaw is a total distraction from the overall look, but it is disappointing for a Nintendo game since their games always have a consistent framerate.

The sound in Mario Kart Wii is expected for series standards with catchy tunes from the later courses like Rainbow Road's theme that reminds you of Super Mario Galaxy as well as the retro tracks for nostalgic reasons. The voice acting on the other hand can be annoying at times, with annoying voices from the babies and every effect having a vocal reaction. Even the Wii speaker on the Wiimote can be annoying at times if it is loud, but it helps out if a power item like a red shell or a star is coming behind you. Playing this game will give the speaker a total workout when nailing tricks and bumping other opponents.

Mario Kart Wii is basically Nintendo checking off another title to put out on Wii at least once. The core gameplay is still fun of throwing shells, getting shrunk by lightning, despite feeling like deja vu if you played the previous games like Double Dash and Mario Kart DS to death. This is still the king of rubberband A.I. as if it was ramped up a notch with more spike shells and lightning bolts. Sometimes, it is better to pull off the dirty comeback with a star, golden mushroom, or a bullet bill rather than staying in first place praying to not get hit by a spike shell. Multiplayer locally is a big disappointment with missing modes and bad decisions, but online is surprisingly executed well like an online game on 360 and PS3 despite still using friend codes. The graphics are marginally improved since Double Dash while the sound is what to expect from the series with the occasional annoyance of various characters. The Wii wheel bundled with the game offers a different take to the game along with a learning curve while the Nunchuk / Wiimote combo is the best way to play this game. Fans of the series should buy this in a heartbeat for the awesome online play, but those who wanted a big overhaul, you are not going to find it in this one.

Score = 8/10