REVIEW: Sonic Colors (DS)

A blue streak speeds by and it's too fast for the naked eye. If you're a kid born in the 80's then you'll know who I'm talking about. It's Sonic the Hedgehog and he's supposedly the fastest thing alive. It's been pretty rough for our spiny blue friend lately with a lot of his games that disappoint more than satisfy. Maybe Sonic Colors for the Nintendo DS can help whisk away all those bad vibes and fill it with color.

Sonic Colors Developer: Sonic Team Publisher: Sega Platform: Nintendo DS Rating: E for Everyone Release: 11/16/2010

Sonic Colors for the Nintendo DS is a "2.5-D" (2-D game with 3-D graphics) side scroller much like the classic Sonic games on the Sega Genesis. Although this one plays more like the Sonic Rush games also on the Nintendo DS. You control Sonic (and ONLY Sonic) and through each stage trying to reach the goal in the shortest amount of time possible while collecting rings and dodging / eliminating enemies.

Story:

Dr. Eggman is up to no good again. This time he opens "Dr. Eggman's Interstellar Amusement Park" in space which is made up of different planet sized zones. Of course this is all just a front for his grander evil scheme of using a mind control beam to manipulate others to do his bidding. Sonic and Tail check out the theme park and find out that Dr. Eggman is kidnapping aliens called Wisps, turning them into Nega-Wisps and uses their power to fuel the weapon. It's up to Sonic to visit each zone, free the Wisps and shut down the generators liking to the amusement park.

Gameplay:

Sonic still has all his basic moves along with new ones found in some of his previous 3-D titles. The new ones being the homing attack, a ground slide, and a air executed foot stomp. What really sets this game apart from other Sonic titles is his ability to merge with Wisps and change into different forms depending on what color Wisp he merges with.

Wisps:

White Boost - allow Sonic to use a speed boost which rockets him forward and knocks away any enemy in front of him.

Cyan Laser - turns Sonic into a thin laser that bounces of any solid surface, the surface of water, off mirrors that change the laser's path, and through power lines.

Yellow Drill - let's Sonic drill through soft ground or water. If you run out of power while still in soft ground, you lose a life.

Orange Rocket - blasts Sonic straight up and ends with a slow glide which can be cancelled by performing a homing attack, a boost, or a foot stomp. Ring hooks can change the direction of the rocket.

Red Burst - turns Sonic into a living fireball that can perform multiple jumps by blowing himself up by holding down and releasing any of the face buttons. Holding down a face button long enough before release can cause a huge screen clearing explosion.

Violet Void - transforms Sonic in a floating black hole that can suck up nearby rings and enemies, growing bigger in the process.

I love how the game announces what form you take when activated. Outside of white Wisps, the other colored Wisps appear when you need them or to allow you to access certain areas of a level. It's easy to spot when you need them due to signs in the background that show a picture of what form you need. The levels are vast and have many paths and short cuts to reach the goal. In my opinion, this game has some of the best level design to ever grace a Sonic game. It's frantic, fun, and not as frustratingly hard as the Sonic Rush or Sonic Advance games. Most of the time you're going at break neck speeds. If you do come to a screeching halt due to maybe some forced platforming segments or a hit by an enemy, one hit of the boost button can send you rocketing toward the goal in no time.

The sense of speed in this game is incredible, you can zoom through stages in an average of 3-4mins in your first run. The great thing is, even though you're hitting mach 2, you never feel lost. You feel like you are always in control. Sure you might run into a bad guy that sends your rings flying but it's easy to remember where that spot is and when you'll usually pass it in the next run. Cheap deaths are still present but are usually avoidable if you are paying attention.

Boss fights are also more forgiving here, they are also the easiest to S-Rank. You can also boost in boss fights which deal more damage and are sometimes essential in beating the boss.

There are red rings present in the game that you can collect. These unlock concept art that is viewable in the game's gallery mode. Collecting all the red rings unlocks Infinite Boost mode for Story levels. Special stages are also present which you control Sonic using the stylus and the reward for each special stage is a chaos emerald. Collecting all 7 chaos emeralds unlocks the game's secret boss.

Multiplayer:

Sonic Colors for the Nintendo DS actually has very good multiplayer support. You can connect with a friend either locally or online. You can compete against a computer controlled player, an actual living person or even game share to people who don't have a copy of the game. Opponents appear as glowing orbs so you won't have the satisfaction of seeing different colored Sonics unlike the Wii version. Online leader boards are also present so you can brag to the world how fast you completed a level.

I tend to get excited about Sonic games because I love the sense of speed it gives to the player. Dashing through colorful worlds at break neck speeds has always amused me since Sonic Adventure and the Sonic Advance games on the GBA. Let's be honest, the old Genesis game were great but Sonic couldn't run THAT fast back in the day. I had a blast with Sonic Colors on the DS. Though it's relatively short, it's a worthy addition to any gamer's portable collection. This game is a solid platformer and proves that Sonic can really move and that he's the fastest thing alive... in the video game world at least.

Score: 80/100

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IauLncV1048&feature=player_embedded]

(Original Post by Migoy)

Review: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars

Got that fighting game itch and either can't wait for Marvel vs Capcom 3 or own a Wii? There is something for that and it's called Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. Now you may not know what the heck "Tatsunoko" is or who these bird themed costumed heroes maybe but don't let that stop you from giving this game a try because this game may end up surprising you. Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars

Developer: Eighting

Publisher: Capcom

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Rating: T for Teen

Release: 1/26/2010

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars is a 2.5-D fighter where 2 teams, each team consisting of 2 characters from either the Capcom universe of the Tatsunoko universe, engage in 1-on-1 combat. This is the 7th installment in Capcom's Vs' series. Originally released in 2008 as a Japan exclusive "Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes", it was brought to North American shores by fan reception which convinced Capcom to localize it with help from Japanese animation studio Tatsunoko Production on international licensing issues.

Gameplay and Features: You could best compare this game to Capcom's more insane Vs. titles, mainly the Marvel vs. Capcom series. But unlike MvC2 and 3 with it's 3-on-3 tag system but instead goes a little old school with a 2-on-2 tag system. With this limitation, you have to choose your partner carefully as each character has a different assist move. Combat is also similar to the MvC series, though the pace isn't as fast as it's 2-D counter parts, it's by no means less frantic.

Yes, it says "Billion"

Strategy, timing, and psyche come into play very well as you'll be stringing insane combos, constantly pressuring your opponent, or confusing mix-ups forcing them to make careless mistakes. Each character bringing their own flair, especially with the very different and, for most of you, unfamiliar Tatsunoko characters. Multi hit combos, special moves, and hyper variable combinations are still present and are very flashy which is a good thing with it's cell shaded and colorful style. We also have 2 giants to mess around with and this

Controls: With the Wii able to support multiple control styles, you'll be happy to know that TvC: UAS has a setup for all of them (yes, even Wiimote sideways). Using the Wiimote / Wiimote + Nunchuk dumbs down the controls scheme a great deal but can be good shallow fun for people unfamiliar with the genre or series. The real charm comes from using either a Classic controller, a GameCube controller, or a Wii arcade stick as you have full control of every action your character can do. Baroque: The Baroque system is a form of cancel. By sacrificing whatever red life your character is recovering, you can extend your combo and string together a longer chain of hits and deal more damage. The length of the red life bar determines the amount of increased power your character receives. Using a Baroque involves a certain amount of risk and definitely adds a bit of depth to the combat. Mega Crash: A Mega Crash can get you out of a jam if you think you're getting beaten up a bit too much. It gives your character a burst of energy which interrupts your opponent's combo string and knocks them to the other side of the screen. Performing a Mega Crash uses 2 super bars and drains a bit of life so spamming isn't an option. This game isn't just a complete translation of the Japanese version as it also brings some new meat. With a loss of 1 character exclusive to the Japanese version, Ultimate All-Stars brings 5 new character to the fray along with more minigames and online play. There were balance tweaks done in Ultimate All-Stars that fixed some of the more exploitable moves like spammable infinites. Online: You can participate in ranked matches, have the system match you up against random opponents or exchange friend codes with people you know. It works well enough but you can experience some input lag depending on your connection speed and your distance with the other player. Online may not be the best way to experience this game, at least it's an option that should have been there from the beginning.

Nuff said

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars a very solid fighter and is a great addition to the Vs. series. Don't let you lack of knowledge of obscure anime scare you away from this game as it is, in my opinion, one of the best fighters out there on the Wii. Score: 86/100 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMj_lam6_g4&feature=player_embedded] On a side note: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1p3Dd4y_Y4&feature=player_embedded] Zero. Need I say more? :D

Thanks to DToid for some of the screenshots.

(Original Post by Migoy)

REVIEW: Just Dance

Wondering why there is a sudden boom in dance games recently? Why developers are going gaga for something so simple and "not for the hardcore audience"? This is the game that started it all and if you've heard about it, I bet you already hate it without even taking a crack at it. Let's think for a moment, maybe this game isn't for you. After all there is a "casual" market out there. But don't be afraid to tread unfamiliar waters cause I gotta say, this game is just good clean fun.

Just Dance Developer: Ubisoft Paris Publisher: Ubisoft Platform: Nintendo Wii Rating: E for Everyone Release: 11/17/2009

We all know not everyone is born with the ability to dance, myself included. However this game doesn't require you to be The Next Dance Crew.. member. Just Dance just asks you to do is don't be shy and shake your groove thing to some classic and modern pop hits.

"Bird bird bird! The bird is the word!"

Gameplay and Features:

The premise of this game is very simple. Pick a song, hold the Wiimote on your right hand, and copy the moves of the dancer on screen as if you are looking into a mirror. Up to 4 players can dance at the same time and anyone can easily jump in before or during the song. You are rated by points based on movements tracked by the Wiimote. Scoring is done in 3 ways, Bad, Ok, or Great and the player with highest score by the end of the song wins. You cannot fail in the game so aside from the game tell you who has the highest score, I guess everyone is a winner. Simple as it is, the game isn't good at recognizing your movement at times. In Quickplay this is a minor issue but in every other game mode it's a pretty big deal.

Strike a Pose mode requires you to freeze at random points during a song and the person with the stillest pose supposedly earns more points. No matter how still you stand, more often than not the game fails to recognize if you are in fact standing still or not.

Last One Standing mode gives you 7 lives. You lose 1 for every Bad you get and gain 1 for every 5 consecutive Greats. This could be imbalanced at times and there are some portions of a song where I just can't figure out how the game wants me positioning the Wiimote for the respective dance move.

"Groove to the beat that you can't touch!"

Quickplay may be the only real option to choose if you want to play this game as you just have to dance. All 32 songs are available from the get go and includes some tunes as "Who Let the Dog's Out?" by Baha Men, "Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry, and even U Can't Touch This by MC Hammer with my personal favorite from all the tracks being Jerk It Out by The Caesars.

The dances are choreographed well with the dancers phased out to look like a living vector animation of themselves with bright and vivid colors. It's hilarious fun watching your friends whirling an imaginary lasso to "Cotton Eye Joe" or watch em wiggle to "Surfin' Bird" by The Trashmen. No dance is too difficult and most will definitely make you sweat so you could probably this is more of a "exercise game" than a "music game".

"Caution; you may look stupid while playing this game."

Just Dance is a simple but fun game. The hardcore gamer might not appreciate this as there is no noteworthy mode outside of Quickplay, no online multiplayer, and no unlockables. But for a party game with having your friends over then this game takes the cake. Great for a laugh, mindless fun, and a great way to work up a sweat. If you don't want to shell out for this game then at least give it a rent if you're throwing a party cause I guarantee it'll be a blast.

Score: 60/100

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7zoqluKRuc&feature=player_embedded]