The Downfall of the Wii

Alas it has come. The Wii will very soon become obsolete. Microsoft has finally introduced the technology formerly known as "Project Natal." It is called the Xbox Kinect. For more info on that, please read my previous article on Project Natal. And, not surprisingly, Sony has unveiled their new product Playstation Move, which features technology very similar to the Wii, except that the Playstation Move will probably be more accurate than Wii because Sony has been working on it since about the same time Nintendo began research on the Wii. Also, the Playstation 3 has far better graphics than the Wii and a better game selection so they obviously come out far better than Nintendo. Microsoft on the other hand is in the same position as Nintendo was when it released the Wii: brand new technology no one has seen in an uncontested market. Only thing is, Microsoft will not be able to tap into the lucrative shooting game market with the Kinect, as you will still need a controller to run around. That not only defeats the purpose of the Kinect, but nobody wants to be on their feet doing weird motions with a controller in their hands (ahem Wii). So in my view, Sony is going to come out on top with this deal. The only thing Nintendo has going for them is that everybody and their uncle already has a Wii, so Nintendo has already raked in the cash from the Wii. Smart Nintendo... sort of.

Pokemon Black and Pokemon White Announced for DS

Pokemon Company recently announced on their Japanese site that there will be a new Pokemon game out soon: Pokemon Black and Pokemon White. Not much information has been released about these new games, but they have told us that it will fully reveal two new Pokemon named Zorua and Zoroark. Both are Dark type Pokemon. We do not know if they will be god Pokemon or companion Pokemon. Zorua is on the left, and Zoroark is on the right.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare [Reflex] - 9.5

He he. I'm almost giddy with excitement when i think of Modern Warfare Reflex. The experience is almost identical to the Xbox 360 or PS3 game play, the only difference would be the graphics. Activision really delivered with this one. The game play is exactly how an FPS should be: fast paced (but not hectic and chaotic), realistic, FUN, and challenging. [Reflex] allows you to take a break from the pastel colored world of all the hundreds of kiddy Wii games, and drop yourself into a world of explosions and m4's (there are plenty of both). The single-player is amazing and varies in type. One level may be a 'run n' gun' kind of mission and the next you may be crawling beneath tanks unnoticed to snipe an enemy. It has something for everyone (except for little kids). The Wiimote is very responsive and is seldom inaccurate. The controls are easily mastered, though I do not recommend playing with a Wii Zapper. Too many turns and jerks and buttons in weird places with the zapper. The online play is astounding. It keeps you motivated all the way up to Level 55. New guns, perks, and customizations will keep you fighting to the next skill level. Also it has more than the stereotypical Team Deathmatch. You can play capture the flag, try to blow up the base, or do a 1 on 1 match in close quarters. The graphics are lacking, but for a Wii game they're pretty good. Here comes the parent section: In terms of gore, there isn't much to complain about. In one scene an arm is sniped off (you see this from a distance), and in another scene a dog is shown eating a person (there is blood all over, but no gore). I haven't heard any language to complain about. The violence in and of itself isn't that graphic but keep it away from the littler ones. Kids 14+ should be able to handle this.Overall it is the best shooter for any wii owner out there.

Graphics: 8

Normal Gameplay: 10

Online Play: 10

Controls: 10

Sound: 9

Overall: 9.5

*Offensive Content: 7

*Difficulty: 8

*Difficulty/Offensive Content is rated as 1 being the easiest/ok for toddlers and 10 being the most difficult/ adults only. It is not factored into the overall score.

Christmas

Oh Christmas, time for the indulgence of our obsession with material possessions, which ironically originated from the birth of Jesus but whatever. Whoever you are you're probably wondering what video games your little video gamer is obsessed with this year. Well here is the run down. If you have a small rug rat who watches Nickelodeon 24/7 you might want to consider a game with one of those characters in it such as Spongebob. Other ideas could be Guitar Hero (despite it's T rating its not offensive), Super Mario Bros (Galaxy or New Super Mario Bros. Wii), or Dance Dance Revolution. If you have a teenager who watches MTV 24/7 then chances are he would love something like Call of Duty 4 or 6, Left 4 Dead, or Assassin's Creed. Even something like Halo 3 is good if he doesn't have it. Halo 3 is always good. If you have kid who is in college, for the most part the same games as teenagers will be good.

Call of Duty: World at War

The Call of Duty has been ringing in our ears since its debut in 2004, but what do we really love about it? The fact that we can convince our parents that it is historical lessons? The actual gameplay? The honor associated with fighting for your country? I don't know thats not my job. However it is my job to review games, and I think Call of Duty: World at War is a fairly popular game that deserves to be reviewed. Let me start off with a little note to parents: The only reason that this game is rated M is the very first scene. It is from the perspective of a man behind enemy lines and shows a man being beaten with canes and then having his throat slit. There is not that much blood, but I don't think that a kid under 12 could handle that kind of realism in a video game, and should stick to Viva Pinata. On a lighter note... this game is possibly the best FPS for the Wii. The online play is addictive and (surprisingly) doesn't get old. There is always a new perk or a new attachment to work toward. Or for that matter a new gun to work toward. The campaign follows the story of Pvt. Peter Ptrenko from Russia, and Pvt. Miller from America. Personally I find the American missions to be more fun because they are set in the jungle (and because you can stab Japanese people in the neck when they banzai attack you). The HUD is nice and neat. The online also has different modes: Barracks (for inexperienced players), Team Deathmatch (TDM), Free For All (FFA), Veteran (basically TDM for more experienced players), Hardcore TDM (no HUD, team kills on, and 1 shot 1 kill), Hardcore FFA (no HUD and 1 shot 1 kill), and Survival (Ultra freaking super hard TDM). This game is very, very fun.

Graphics: 9

Normal Gameplay: 8

Online Play: 10

Controls: 9

*Difficulty: 8

*Difficulty is rated as 1 being the easiest and 10 being the most difficult. It is not factored into the overall score.

Halo: Reach

We love Halo. Everybody loves Halo. Always have, always will. The first Halo was released on November 15, 2001. Halo 2 was released on November 9, 2004. The "final" chapter in the Halo trilogy, Halo 3 was released on September 25, 2007. Anybody noticing a pattern? Every 3 years Bungie treats us to a new Halo game, except for Halo Wars... 'cause nobody liked it but me. I really didn't have to go through all that to tell you that there was a new Halo coming out in 2010, but it was fun. The new Halo coming in 2010 is to be named Halo: Reach. This new Halo will be an FPS like most of it's predecessors (Halo Wars is such an outcast), and will cover the events prior to Halo: Combat Evolved. It will most likely carry the almost normal M rating (stupid Halo Wars), although there have been some rumors floating around about Bungie aming for a T rating. Of course that really doesn't matter because everybody knows that Halo does NOT deserve the M rating that it is given (seriously parents, listen). I hardly think shiny blue blood is going to turn your 12 year old into a repressed psycho. In fact I have played T games with far more objectionable content than Halo. ESRB, if you place games like Bioshock and GTA IV on the same level as Halo, you are seriously flawed. But enough of that little rant. As I previously said, it will cover the events prior to Halo: Combat Evolved. This means that it will probably be mostly on an entirely new planet, which should be exciting. So, check out wherever you like to buy from and see if you can preorder Halo: Reach. PS: There are also rumors that it will be on the Project Natal console, so keep on drooling for that.

Madden 10 (Wii) - 7.5

*Sigh...* Sorry about the lack of posting in the past two weeks. Unfortanetly us poor Wii owners were invited to the party, but left out in the cold if you get my metaphor. With cartoonish graphics and a cluttered HUD, Madden 10 comes to Wii. Now the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions were just as good as the Madden 08 that we all loved, but the Wii was given a game that just doesn't work. Where are the realistic graphics that we love? Where are the simple and fun controls? Where is the simple football? I don't know but it sure isn't in Madden 10. While it is fun, it doesn't live up to some of it's predecessors. It seems like more of a cross between Mario Party 8 and the NFL. If you are a hardcore NFL fan do NOT buy this, but if you like a fun party game with football flavor this is for you.

Graphics: 7

Controls: 6

Gameplay: 9

Realism: 8

*Difficulty: 6

*Difficulty is rated as 1 being the easiest and 10 being the most difficult. It is not factored into the overall score.