In the interest of padding site content, here’s a blast from the past: my very first review for DVD Verdict, published almost exactly two years ago, for The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3: The Complete Series. Not exactly cutting-edge content, but hey, it’s not like Super Mario Bros. 3 was brand-spanking new back in 2007, either.
Click here to read the review, and feel free to give me a belated hazing in the comments below.
Pardon the esoteric topic, but as any devotee of the legendary teen sitcom Saved by the Bell knows, there are few places in the world more conducive to claustrophobia, filthiness, anger and despair than the cramped boiler room at Bayside High School.
This is where, if you recall, Slater and Jessie were trapped while just above the prom was going on, thus depriving them of a seminal moment in their post-adolescent development.
If Jesse and Slater, the Romeo and Juliet of our time, can’t hack it, what makes you think that you and _________ could?!
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is by far my favorite PS3 game and in my top five for best of the next-gen–at least until the sure-to-be-bodacious Among Thieves lands later in the year.
Apparently it’s resonated with studio suits, too, as the Hollywood Reporter says:
Columbia has found “Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.”
The studio is developing the action-adventure video game for a feature film, setting Kyle Ward to pen the adaptation that would be produced by Avi Arad, Charles Roven, Ari Arad and Alex Gartner.
The story follows a descendent of explorer Sir Francis Drake, a treasure hunter named Nate Drake who believes he has learned the whereabouts of El Dorado, the fabled South American golden city, from a cursed golden statue. The search becomes competitive when a rival hunter joins the fray, then is racheted up several notches when creatures — actually mutated descendants of Spaniards and Nazis — begin attacking those hoping to learn the treasure’s true secrets.
While the game is probably the closest I ever got to actually playing an interactive summer movie, I wonder how this would do in front of audiences. Beloved by the gaming crowd for sure, the title never achieved icon status so the word-of-mouth isn’t there.
And who would play Nathan Drake? His surprisingly-not-annoying smart-assness primarily kept the game rolling along so smoothly. A casting misstep will spell doom.
I think the choice is obvious, though.
The Charge:
“Who will win and who will lose? Keep your eyes peeled, cause we’re in for a real treat!” … or are we?
Opening Statement:
The latest iteration of the anime phenomenon is on the Wii with Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Wheelie Breakers, a card battling racer that allows players to duel their way to the top of the pack and the deck.
Facts of the Case:
Based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s television show, Wheelie Breakers follows the ascent of an outsider (you) through the ranks of those who engage in “turbo dueling”—a sport in which two or more competitors race around a track on futuristic motorcycles called “Duel Runners” using spell, trap, and monster cards to slow down their opponents so they can reach the finish line first. Race well enough and you’ll face off against series hero Yusei Fudo for the title of Wheelie Breakers Champion.
The Evidence:
Wheelie Breakers is basically Mario Kart with a story. No matter how well you handle your cycle, winning depends on what items you get along the way and how you use them to demolish your opponent. The big difference is that Breakers is more card racer than kart racer. In Mario Kart, items are the same for every racer no matter when they’re used. In Wheelie Breakers, the effectiveness of the items (cards) you play depends on how well you’ve stacked your deck, which cards you’ve unlocked, and what cards your opponent has to play. Like the trading card game on which this is based, Wheelie Breakers (which comes packaged with a special three-pack of cards) has the “collect them all” spirit that enthralls kids and befuddles parents. Doing well depends on your ability to understand how and when to play items with complex rules and tongue-twisting names. Chances are, if you’re not into the card battle scene already, Wheelie Breakers won’t change your mind.
It’s a short and sweet podcast this week as Erich, Steve, Jon, and Dave jump right into discussions of Ghostbusters, Red Faction: Guerrilla, Assassin’s Creed, Battlefield: Bad Company, and the 1 vs. 100 Beta. Then, into this week’s Symposium Ad Nauseum topic: Favorite obscure NES games. You may be surprised by Dave’s definition of “obscure.”
Send your thoughts, questions, and outraged complaints to feedback@pixelverdict.com, add your comments below, or join in the discussion over at the DVD Verdict Jury Room forums.
You can listen to the show with the player below, download it here, or subscribe through iTunes or by adding our feed to your podcatcher of choice.
It’s no secret the hardcore Wii crowd has been itching for more serious third-party games. Ever since it was announced, Wii gamers have been holding their collective breaths, hoping that exclusive sci fi FPS The Conduit would be the system’s first real third-party hit that doesn’t have “Guitar” or “Hero” in the title, and show publishers that hardcore games really can sell on Wii. For many of those fans, the secret hope was that the game would usher in a new era of respect for their system of choice, proving once and for all that the Wii remote is the ideal console FPS control set-up.
That’s a lot of pressure, and it might be more than The Conduit can handle. The game hits most retail shelves today, a release preceded by a firestorm of angry messageboard posts by Nintendo fanboys expressing their outrage over a certain outlet’s less-than-glowing review. But do their complaints have merit? Is this the most important thing happening in the world today, or simply a tempest in an e-kettle?
Mother pus-bucket!
Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have your or your family ever seen a spook, specter or ghost? If the answer is yes, then don’t wait another minute. Pick up the phone and call the professionals…or know that I’ve just confirmed how big of a loser I am (my sister will love this); read on to find out if the Ghostbusters, twenty five years after the first film set the box office ablaze, FINALLY have a videogame worthy of wearing that unforgettable little logo.
