Game Reviews are Harsh and too Critical these days...

What do you think about reviews, do they influence your purchase, do they not, do you do something else to figure out if you should get a game? Vote in our poll on the sidebar (sorry its at the bottom of the blog though!)
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Game Reviews are something that many of us frequent to see if a game will be interesting to us, however, the problem with many reviews is their scoring and tactics, and they are really harsh these days (also their credibility is in trouble). Aren't games supposed to be about if they are fun or not? I mean Visuals, Music/Sound, all matter...but not as much as whether the game is fun or not, right?

These days I usually just check out reviews to see what other people out there have to think about games. I can't really take their word for it because everyone has different opinions. Recent controversy on reviews even being credible came up on GameSpot when one of their long time reviewers was let go. Many people believe that this was due to the advertising campaign on the site that was going on for the game...and that the company who made the game threatened to pull their ad campaign because the game was given a low score by the reviewer who was let go. I mean honestly, why even bother paying attention to big name sites out there for game reviews; their reviews could be influenced by companies giving them money to give their game a good review.

Now for my main story I'm going to discuss what I think about the reviews being given at big name sites and magazines out there. I'm starting to notice many games are getting lower scores just because they are a sequel. For instance, multiple times a reviewer at IGN has been deducting points from games just because they are a sequel in the series, even if it's better than one of the previous games. What gives? It's pretty foolish. I never played the first two Metroid Prime games, yet this reviewer decides to deduct points because it's a sequel. He has done this numerous times (I'm sure you readers know who I am talking about) and it's starting to make me lose faith in his credibility as a reviewer. I mean the game should be judged on its own, it shouldn't be judged based on a past game, this is one huge problem in reviews.
There are many complaints that make this review look like a waste of time.

Game reviews are pretty harsh out there, or at least most of the gamers out there would agree with me. I mean do you really give whether or not a game is in HD or has widescreen? That's not really important, what is important is that the game plays good and gives you a good time. If you buy games just because of their graphics then you should really find a better hobby. If you just buy a game based on what it looks like, then chances are you are missing out on most of the games out there. I mean graphics can only go so far.

Reviewers seem to critique games way too harshly. Sonic and the Secret Rings wasn't a bad game, so what gives with their scores? They shouldn't try comparing it to a past Sonic game because it's pretty worthless because many games in a series are different from eachother. I can say that the game was really short, but it was one of the most beautiful games on the Wii, and a step in the right direction for the Sonic series. The control wasn't perfect but it was still better than the travesties of Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog(360/PS3). The game still has awesome music, and even though the story was corny, it just wasn't that bad to be given that low of a score in the first place. These game reviewers need to judge a game based on whether you can play it without any huge errors (like a game ending glitch & control) and whether or not it's fun. They critique way too much on the technical stuff, only true gamers base a game on it's control and whether it's fun, so I guess most of the people who take reviews as if they fit them aren't true gamers, just posers.

Games are supposed to be fun, if they rag on every single game out there so harshly the videogame business would probably crash. Honestly, lets give a game a lower score "because it is a sequel". That'll just do the game companies good. I know that some reviewers out there are true to gaming, but if they pitter-patter around with all that technical crap in reviews, the game industry may cease to exist someday. Games should be judged on whether they are fun or not...gaming is about fun, not about being perfect in every way.

Game Reviewers, you really need to change...and if you don't want to, then find a new career based on reviewing TV's since the technical aspects is all you seem to be worried about.

Finished Super Paper Mario

Yeah I know, I should've finished back in April 2007 when I got the game. However, since my standards are if you finish the story you have beaten the game. Maybe someday I will go back and play till I have collected every little Card & Recipe, but for now I'm just gonna give it a rest. But yay for me finishing another game, I'm slowly diminishing the backlog of games I've built up. I know there are some I will probably never be able to finish (Guitar Hero III for instance). Next I think I may pick Metroid Prime 3 back up, I did make alot of progress on that game when I got it but I haven't played it in a while. Oh yeah, Nintendo has added an updated list of games being released in 2008 for the Wii & DS, however this is only a partial list, so don't think a game is canceled because it isn't on this current list! You can see that here! Anyways I'll see yall later!

Pokémon Ranger 2 Screenshots, Art, and Info

• Missions are obtained at the Ranger Bases or Ranger Union. These are vital for progressing in the game
• The Sub-Missions, or Quests if you will, are obtained from members of the public in various areas. These do not progress the game but do encourage the Ranger Union to give you upgrades for your Capture Styler as well as many other possible items
• Not only can you Surf on your Pokémon, but Riding them is more common in this game rather than just in the Challenges in the first game. For example:
• Running on a Doduo
• Riding through Lava on a Torkoal
• Surfing on an Empoleon
• Flying with a Drifloon
• Diving Underwater with Mantine
• The Pokémon above have these as their Pokémon Assists so these are in addition to the Pokémon with Assists that effect Physical objects in-game

Brawl delayed till March 9th, WTF Nintendo!?

Okay Seriously,

Nintendo delayed Brawl a month more, and what really ticks me off, the Japanese version was delayed a freaking week, but the US version a whole MONTH!? What the hell, that is so messed up. What have they been doing the past freaking year, screwing in the computer chairs...I swear. What is with you Nintendo, you delayed it twice, and then shortchange the rest of the world. You jerks!

GoNintendo's Bionic Commando Wii Petition

Well GoNintendo is up to it again, this time with a petition to get the Bionic Commando sequel that is currently scheduled for Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 on the Wii. When Ben Judd was asked about the possibility of the game coming to the Wii, he said the following:

"It will largely depend on what the fans want for the future of Bionic Commando. If the interest is there, of course we want as many people as possible to appreciate this great franchise."
Ben Judd - Capcom

Click here to see the petition information:

I have also added the petition to the sidebar! Thanks to all of you who sign it!!!

Sonic Rush Adventure: Finished

Well I collected the last Chaos Emerald while I was at the Doctor's Office with my mom. Then when I got home I went to all of the Hidden Islands which unlocked the missions to get the Sol Emeralds playing as Blaze. After that it unlocked the final battle sequence, which I can say was actually kinda easy compared to just the main story boss, which was very difficult. If you are one of those Sonic fans who doesn't have this game and wants to see the final battle, you can check out a youtube video here. The missions are ridiculously hard, such as do 30 tricks in like 40 seconds, it's freaking hard! Anyway, I really did enjoy this game and I hope for those of you who do get it will enjoy it as well. Thanks SEGA for making another good handheld Sonic game, can't wait for another game in the Sonic Rush series!

"Pokémon Ranger: Batonnage" Sequel Confirmed!

Yay!!!

A Pokémon Ranger sequel has been confirmed, and it will be released on March 20th, 2008 in Japan. I remember the first Ranger game was released in March 2006 in Japan, and we got it later that October, so I guess we should expect it. I know this isn't a news site, but I am a die-hard fan of Pokémon, so you can expect posts like these coming from me every once in a while. Here are the two scans below and a bit of translated info from the scans:

• It is set in a region called Arumia with a male protagonist named Hajime, but you can play as either a Male or Female as before; and they have both just graduated from Ranger School.
  
  
• This game features a number of 4th gen Pokémon and seems to have Darkrai as an ominous Pokémon and Lucario, Heatran & Cresselia in support roles
  
  
• You seem to be able to select your partner in this game out of 17 possible combinations. The 17 Pokémon displayed in the magazine which are likely to be the partners are; Munchlax, Kricketot, Mime Jr., Cranidos, Croagunk, Machop, Shieldon, Chimchar, Piplup, Turtwig, Pachirisu, Starly, Snover, Misdreavus, Hippopotas, Sneasel & Gible
  
  
• As well as the missions you get to do in the game, there are optional missions for helping people around in the towns. These are known as Quests
  
  
• There are also cards that boost up your Capture Styler, for example an Electric one which lowers Electric Damage to your styler by 3
  
  
• You seem to be able to Surf on Pokémon in more controlled environments
  
  
• The game will utilize the Nintendo WiFi Connection in some way. (My guess would be for either scores or capture challenges over WiFi.)
  


• Game mechanics match the previous game

Please post comments on what you think of this game!