It’s been almost two decades since a 2D platformer starring Mr. Mario has appeared on a console, his last traditional outing was Super Mario World which launched alongside the Super Nintendo in 1991. Until this day Super Mario World remains to be my favorite game of all time so it should come as no surprise that my excitement for New Super Mario Bros.

Wii has been through the roof ever since it was announced at E3. As the title suggests New Super Mario Bros. Wii is essentially a sequel of Mario’s DS outing but on the Wii. The art-style is identical, the progression structure is the same and it even borrows music and sound effects directly from the DS game so if you’re a fan looking for the next evolution of the Mario Bros. franchise you’re not going to find it here. Continue Reading

So then, Modern Warfare 2 – after all the hype, are you any good?

The first thing you need to know about Modern Warfare 2 is that the single player campaign is utterly fantastic and provides a rollercoaster ride that, while on fairly obvious rails, is so exciting you’ll blow through it in no time.

The second thing you need to know about Modern Warfare 2 is that the multiplayer isn’t as good as it used to be – on the PC version, at least – thanks mainly to the introduction of a new multiplayer framework. Dubbed IWNet, the new system has replaced dedicated servers with P2P match-making, zero mod support and far fewer customisation options. Continue Reading

LEGO and developer Traveller’s Tales have had a good relationship, partnering with LucasArts for brick-and-stud renditions of the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” film franchises, with Warner Bros. on a “Batman” game and most recently a version of Rock Band with MTV, Harmonix and Warner Bros. The various releases are all entertaining on various levels—it’s funny seeing popular movie characters made up of little LEGO pieces, but they also feature cute animations and often hilarious cutscenes that are reminiscent of the original films, and there’s entertaining gameplay revolving around breaking up myriad LEGO structures, then often building them back up into other creations.

It’s a tried-and-true formula that has charmed gamers of all ages over the past five years. The games have been so successful that they’ve inspired yet another “Indiana Jones” adventure, entitled LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues. Does this new one hold up? Continue Reading

Tales of Monkey Island brings the adventures of pirate Guybrush Threepwood into a new era with an explosive storyline that becomes deeper and more entangled during the course of the five-episode saga. While battling his nemesis, the evil pirate LeChuck, Guybrush accidentally unleashes an insidious voodoo pox that threatens to transform the buccaneers of the Caribbean into unruly pirate monsters. Continue Reading

Few against many

Men of War: Red Tide is the sequel of Men of War that was released earlier this year. Like the original, Red Tide will place you in control of vastly outnumbered units going against the German war machine. But instead of the cooperative gameplay possibilities of the original, Red Tide features a single-player campaign of over 20 missions in which the player follows a group of Soviet commando’s called ‘The Black Coats’ during the Black Sea campaigns of World War II. Continue Reading

A hauntingly sad adventure that will have you talking about it months after you’ve seen both endings. by Vaughn Smith

Genuinely one of the most unique games I’ve played this year, Rule of Rose defies convention in terms of gameplay and story. You play as Jennifer, a recently orphaned girl due to the tragic deaths of her two parents. Set in the 1930’s Jennifer is sent to the Rose Garden Orphanage by bus, Jennifer befriends a small boy along the journey who disappears into the night once they reach their destination. This sets the stage for a creepy, atmospheric experience which is part survival horror and part adventure set within the confines of a story that would perplex famed film noir director David Lynch. Continue Reading