New Games Alert!

I have recently acquired LittleBigPlanet for the PlayStation 3 and King's Bounty: The Legend for the PC. All I can say about LittleBigPlanet at this time is that it is an incredible experience that no gamer should miss out on. The latter has some weird bug that will crash the game in mere minutes when played on Windows XP 64-bit unless the dual core processing is disabled. A lot of people are experiencing this nasty problem, so I hope that a patch will be released to fix it soon.

Biggie and buggy.

Games Played 10/30/2008

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Demo - X-box 360*
Fable II - X-Box 360
Fallout 3 - PC
Tomb Raider: Underworld Demo - X-Box 360**
Triggerheart Exelica - X-Box 360

*The game retains the cheeky humor from the previous two games and the worlds look stunning, complete with an almost perfect view distance... But why did Rare turn what could be the best platform adventure game ever into a vehicle combat game??? I only have one word to say about the gameplay: clunky.


**Underworld has the potential to be the best Tomb Raider game with its classic and familiar exploration gameplay coupled with outstanding visuals all around. Lara Croft has never looked better.

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Jet Set Radio Future (2002)
Developer: Smilebit/Sega
Platform: X-Box
Purchase Date: 02/28/2002


Style and substance go hand in hand.

Jet Set Radio Future is a game with a very strong and unique personality. It's all about rollerblading through massive environments and spray painting graffiti on wall surfaces. The game is a good example that stylish graphics will always stand the test of time - the incredible cell shaded graphics were vibrant , distinct, and colorful then and they still have the same impact today. The soundtrack is also incredibly catchy with Scapegoat Wax's Aisle 10 (Hello Allison) being the best of the bunch: I just can' help but fall in love with songs that have a lot to do with unrequited love.

LIBRARY STATUS: 5 out of 5

Blood Curse On Sale

To celebrate Halloween '08, Sony has reduced the price of Siren: Blood Curse, the PlayStation Network Store exclusive horror title, for a limited time only. I have always wanted to download this game so I have less than a week to sort through my Purchase List and decide whether or not I will be getting it.

It doesn't take a math genius to figure out that buying
individual episode bundles is a waste of your hard-earned cash...
Like, why would you not want to get the entire game anyway?

Games Played 10/29/2008

Fallout 3 - PC

Games Played 10/28/2008

Fable II - X-Box 360
Fallout 3 - PC
Luigi's Mansion - GameCube

VI

Today is a very special day because it is the Japanese release date for Thunder Force VI - a 2D shooter with 3D graphics - for the PlayStation 2! Though I never played the first and never particularly enjoyed the second, the rest of the franchise have been nothing short of amazing. I was so close to ordering the game until I have heard rumors that there is a possibility that this game is going to get an eventual domestic release. A friend of mine has his pre-order shipped today and I am waiting to hear his input on the game before I finalize my wait-or-get decision. Welcome back, Technosoft.

It took 11 years for TF to resurface... I hope it's worth the wait.

Games Played 10/27/2008

Fable II - X-Box 360
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy - PlayStation 2
Streets of Rage 2 - X-Box 360
Triggerheart Exelica - X-Box 360

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Luigi's Mansion (2001)
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo GameCube
Purchase Date: 11/27/2001


Poor Luigi.

It's good to see Luigi stars in his own video game because a lot of attention has been given mostly to his fat brother. Though this game is not scary, it does manage to make itself spooky even with the colorful, cute graphics. Luigi is not the most masculine man out there and to see him being horrified by the haunted house is quite hilarious thanks to the brilliant character animations and voice samples. I consider this Ghostbuster meets Resident Evil a big success for Nintendo. When are we going to be able to play another epic Luigi adventure?

LIBRARY STATUS: 5 out of 5

New Game Alert!

I picked up the Collector's Edition Fallout 3 today. It's definitely packaged nicely and alongside the game, you get a nifty lunchbox that will never ever be used, a Vault Boy bobblehead, a small art book, and a "making of" DVD.

Can't resist the Vault Boy.

Fallout 3 Platform Decision

I am definitely getting the PC version of Fallout 3 because of the better overall performance in both loading time and graphics. What made the PC version sweeter is the fact that it is LIVE enabled. That means that I can connect to X-Box Live while playing the game, get achievements, and the X-Box 360 controller is optimized for usage in the game. So, how come the PC version of Far Cry 2 wasn't LIVE enabled again? Remember, the PC versions are always cheaper than the console games as well.

Winner!

Games Played 10/26/2008

The Eye of Judgement - PlayStation 3*
Fable II - X-Box 360
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Shienryu - SegaSaturn

*This game received a trophy update a couple weeks ago. The latest version patch took a long time to download though, which is the same exact thing that happened when I updated Burnout Paradise. I haven't played it in a long while and I am now thinking of buying the expansion packs... As soon as I am able to get my hands on the newer cards that is.

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001)
Developer: Naughty Dog
Platform: PlayStation 2
Purchase Date: 12/09/2001


Simple but whimsical storyline unlike the convoluted sequels.

This is my favorite Jak games in the series because it is a pure platform game when compared to its inferior sequels that are more action heavy. The game has amazing cartoon-quality graphics and they still look beautiful when I played it today. The spin attack move Jak uses to dispose his enemies is of course a throwback to Naughty Dog's previous pet project, Crash Bandicoot. Too bad the creation of this game also means that Crash crashes and burns at the hands of less talented developers.

LIBRARY STATUS: 5 out of 5

Games Played 10/25/2008

Fable II - X-Box 360
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Star Ocean: The Second Story - PlayStation
Triggerheart Exelica - X-Box 360

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Shienryu (1997)
Developer: Warashi Inc.
Platform: SegaSaturn
Purchase Date: 1999


The weird octopus boss.

Shienryu is a pretty generic shooter devoid of any real personality to call its own. There are three different weapons for the ship and to switch between them, the player must pick up the appropriate power-ups. For the most part, the game seems to be copying Raiden but then the flow of enemy patterns changed completely once the player reaches level 5, a stage that is obviously ripped-off straight from Truxton/Tatsujin. The game is good but it's not memorable.

LIBRARY STATUS: 3 out of 5

Games Played 10/24/2008

Fable II - X-Box 360
Triggerheart Exelica - X-Box 360

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Star Ocean: The Second Story (1999)
Developer: tri-Ace Inc.
Platform: PlayStation
Purchase Date: 07/10/1999


She loves the forest.

I really enjoyed this game's real time battle system, the captivating sci-fi-tinged storyline, and the incredible soundtracks from Motoi Sakuraba. When I played this for the first time through, I really didn't take advantage of the real time battle system and I did a lot of micro-management during the battles. It would be interesting to do a full run of the game again just for that reason alone. The game is slated to be re-released for the PlayStation Portable in the U.S. sometime next year. From what I can see so far, the PSP version will include character portraits during the text dialogues, new in-game cinematics, and a widescreen presentation.

LIBRARY STATUS: 4 out of 5

Games Played 10/23/2008

Culdcept Saga - X-Box 360
Dead Space - X-Box 360
Fable II - X-Box 360
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Saints Row 2 - X-Box 360
Soul Calibur IV - X-Box 360
Space Raiders - GameCube
Triggerheart Exelica - X-Box 360

Review: Saw V

Saw V (2008)
Genre: Horror
Format: Theatrical Release
Director: David Hackl

Reviewing Saw V is very tricky because its plot is so closely intertwined with the previous movies in the franchise that even explaining it in the most basic form could potentially lead to disastrous spoilers, especially for those who haven't watched the first four films. The funny thing is, without watching those films, one would probably be very confused by this latest entry. The Saw movies always put their fans first and this approach has really benefited the franchise well.

Basically, the movie contains two separate segments - the aftermath of the resolution of the Jigsaw murders and a new Jigsaw "game" in progress involving five strangers. The most interesting part of these movies have always been on the brilliantly morbid traps made by Jigsaw to test out his victims' will to live. It's interesting to see how his victims struggle to figure out how to escape his traps and that normally means that things will end with something terribly nasty. This one definitely has some of the best traps in the series... Just wait until you see the last two during the climax, they are absolutely brutal.

The movie feels more like number IV because of its creative flow on narrative continuity and that is not a bad thing. Though it is intriguing to revisit past events and see things through a different point of view, it does get a bit overdone here. It would be more captivating to be able to see new games taking place for the most part of the movie instead of the focus on flashbacks. The other problem with the movie is that the two lead actors look alike. I am not sure if this is intentional but it is a bit of a distraction. In the end though, Saw V is the best entry in the series. Alongside the Final Destination franchise, the Saw movies keep getting better and better with each sequel! Bring on Saw VI!

RATING: 4 out of 5


Not all Saw films are equal to each other.
Here's how I rank them from top to bottom:

Saw V
Saw
Saw IV
Saw III
Saw II

Games Played 10/22/2008

Culdcept Saga - X-Box 360*
Fable II - X-Box 360
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks - X-Box
Triggerheart Exelica - X-Box 360

*Collecting all the cards is hard because they are rewarded randomly at the end of a match. I am determined to get them all!

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Space Raiders (2004)
Developer: Taito Corp.
Platform: Nintendo GameCube
Purchase Date: 2004


Don't let your eyes deceive you: This IS Space Invaders!

This year's release of Space Invaders Extreme was not Taito's first attempt to revive the classic shooter. In 2004, they released... Space Raiders. The game definitely plays like its predecessor, only much faster and much more varied. The whole thing seems a bit weird and forced - it's bewildering why they just didn't stick with the player controlling a ship... Taito did eventually come to their senses with Extreme. You can't blame them for sticking with a solid 2D gameplay design though.

LIBRARY STATUS: 3 out of 5

Preview: Dead Space

Dead Space (2008) 

Developer: Electronic Arts Inc.

Platform: X-Box 360

Purchase Date: 10/17/2008

Enjoy your last few minutes of peace and security.

I am really having a lot of trouble playing Dead Space... I just can't seem to make myself go through the next set of narrow corridors so that I could complete my current mission objective. With the same level of fear found within the particularly nasty Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, Dead Space has a lot of potential to be the scariest game ever made. I am not even halfway through it and my mind cannot fathom how much scarier it could get in the later chapters. Without spoiling anything, the game is extremely intense and it kept me on my toes almost the entire time within the first 3 chapters that I have played through. Though the game is hardly original - it heavily borrows the best horror elements from movies and video games of the past - what is presented is done so with a high degree of polish.

Cryptic messages abound.

You play as a mechanical engineer named Isaac Clarke who is visiting a mining starship called Ishimura on a repair mission. Instead of being greeted by the crew of thousands, Isaac and his companions found the ship seemingly abandoned. Just like all other great horror flicks, things start to go downhill from there. Now, watching a horror movie about a bunch of people trapped inside a haunted house or a ghost ship may be scary but actually being there as one of the characters really triples the dread factor. The game definitely benefits from the Silent Hill "sympathy syndrome" because Isaac is just a regular guy, a helpless engineer who just happens to be at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Even the space suit he wears screams out "Space Exploration!" instead of "Battle Ready!". Thankfully, the control is very responsive and I always appreciate the third person view versus the traditional first person mode found in say Bioshock. It really doesn't take the deep level of immersion away from the game because of the thick atmosphere of terror established and I just love seeing Isaac in his cool looking suit.

What's lurking around that corner?

I want to write a full review of the game soon and I am dying to know what is going to happen next. I just need to muster up the courage I used to have playing games like Silent Hill and the Resident Evil series on the PlayStation some years ago. Those looking for the next big horror game should look no further, Dead Space is it.

FIRST IMPRESSION: 5 out of 5

Vader-Yoda Complex

Soul Calibur IV fans are rejoicing because the eagerly awaited "special" moment has finally arrived! Darth Vader is now downloadable for the X-Box 360 version while Yoda is joining the PS3 cast. This good news does come with a hefty price tag:

Vader on the X-Box 360 dashboard.

Yoda love arriving on the PSN Store.

Fortunately, you do get some extra goodies with the download which include a new stage and soundtrack. Still, the whole deal is just a shameless way for Namco Bandai to further milk the game and gain themselves a nice chunk of profit for nothing. If they truly care about giving the rivaling consoles the best Soul Calibur experience, why not devise a way to enable X-Box 360 players to battle it out with PS3 players online?

Further proof that light sabers are not as dangerous as we thought they were.

Since I own the X-Box 360 version, this is my first time using Darth Vader. He definitely plays better than Yoda but can still be a bit overpowered like his green friend. It is unforgivable that Vader's cape looks like something that was made for a first generation PlayStation 2 game...

Games Played 10/21/2008

Fable II - X-Box 360
Freaky Flyers - X-Box
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
SingStar- PlayStation 3

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005)
Developer: Midway Amusement Games, LLC
Platform: X-Box
Purchase Date: 09/24/2005


Visiting a very familiar place.

This game is much more fun than all the Mortal Kombat 1-on-1 fighting games combined. Midway successfully infused all the familiar MK elements into an incredible side-scrolling beat-'em-up experience with a role-playing-game-influenced character progression to boot. The game contains a whole lot of violence. The only thing that made it less than perfect is the sudden cut-scenes when performing character specific fatalities on the enemies instead of having them performed on the actual battlefield.

LIBRARY STATUS: 4 out of 5

Games Played 10/20/2008

Culdcept Saga - X-Box 360
Fatal Fury Special - X-Box 360
Galaga Legions - X-Box 360
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Rock Band 2 - X-Box 360

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Freaky Flyers (2002)
Developer: Midway Home Entertainment Inc.
Platform: X-Box
Purchase Date: 08/17/2003


More cute than freaky.

Freaky Flyers is half Diddy Kong Racing and half Ace Combat-lite. You could probably guess which half of the gameplay didn't turn out so well for the game. If it was focused more on the racing, the game would have been a guaranteed winner because it has an incredible amount of charm when it comes to the graphics and character designs. The end product is hardly enjoyable because of the silly sub-goals implemented within the races.

LIBRARY STATUS: 2 out of 5

New Games Alert!

I prefer my "Limited" Collector's Editions packaged in a metallic case but whatever...
I would have picked up the regular edition if not for the bonus in-game contents.
Be careful when getting this edition though: Don't let this happen to you!


Saints Row 2 was on sale and it came with a cheesy XL t-shirt for extra bagginess.

Games Played 10/19/2008

Burnout Paradise - PlayStation 3*
Culdcept Saga - X-Box 360
Dead Space - X-Box 360
Fatal Fury Special - X-Box 360
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 Arcade Classic - X-Box 360
The Witcher - PC

*I finally got the game updated with the motorcycle gameplay and trophy support. The download took forever though.

Games Played 10/18/2008

Dead Space - X-Box 360
Fatal Fury Special - X-Box 360
Galaga Legions - X-Box 360
Streets of Rage 2 - X-Box 360

Games Played 10/17/2008

Dead Space - X-Box 360
Fatal Fury Special - X-Box 360
Galaga Legions - X-Box 360
Poker Smash - X-Box 360
Streets of Rage 2 - X-Box 360
Tom Clancy's End of War Demo - X-Box 360
Trizeal - Dreamcast

Games Played 10/16/2008

Fatal Fury Special - X-Box 360
Galaga Legions - X-Box 360
The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age - X-Box
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift Demo - PlayStation 3*
Omega Five - X-Box 360
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - X-Box 360
Samurai Shodown II - X-Box 360
Streets of Rage 2 Demo - X-Box 360
Tom Clancy's End War Demo - X-Box 360**

*Plays and looks the same as the first game. I am disappointed that there's hardly any progress in this series. That cockpit view where you could see the windshield gets splattered with mud in real time from the fake trailer of the original is still missing in the sequel. I guess the PlayStation 3 is just not powerful enough to accomplish that.
**This would have been another typical military real time strategy game if not for one twist: The ability to control your units using voice command that works perfectly. It is fun even though I get owned repeatedly playing it against other people online.

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Trizeal (2005)
Developer: Triangle Service
Platform: Sega Dreamcast
Purchase Date: 2005


Flying through the clouds.

Trizeal is one of those situational-weapon type of shooters where the ship can transform into 3 different forms, each with its own upgradable firepower. Just like Radiant Silvergun and Contra: Shattered Soldier (but hardly as fun as those games), to play the game successfully is to know when to switch between the available weapons. This is an arcade port and its release on the Dreamcast came with a rather pathetic announcement on the developer's website about the danger of them having to close down if the game doesn't sell well. Well, apparently they survived and they even released the sequel, Exzeal, in the arcades last year - it is also slated for release in Japan for the X-Box 360.

LIBRARY STATUS: 3 out of 5

Games Played 10/15/2008

Bladestorm - X-Box 360
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom - X-Box 360
SingStar - PlayStation 3
Star Fox Adventures - GameCube

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (2004)
Developer: Electronic Arts Inc.
Platform: X-Box
Purchase Date: 2004


Surrounded by dirty orcs.

On the front cover, EGM claimed that this game is "The most exciting RPG since Final Fantasy". Though this claim is hardly true, The Third Age is a rare title because it is a western-developed game that uses traditional Japanese role playing game structure. The battles are turn based and occur randomly. Instead of retelling the story from the epic trilogy, Electronic Arts introduces original characters in the game to keep everything fresh. What I love the most here is that you can change the look of the characters when they are equipped with new armor pieces, something that is severely lacking in traditional JPRGs. Japanese developers should have taken note of this feature because it is truly revolutionary for the genre.

LIBRARY STATUS: 4 out of 5

Games Played 10/14/2008

Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom - X-Box 360
SingStar - PlayStation 3

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Star Fox Adventures (2002)
Developer: Rare
Platform: Nintendo GameCube
Purchase Date: 09/27/2002


A Star Fox adventure game.... Who would have thought that it would work?

Originally planned to be released as Dinosaur Planet on the Nintendo 64, the game went through a major change when it incorporated elements from the Star Fox series. The flying sections seem rushed but overall, this Zelda-inspired adventure is epic in its scope and is still one of the best looking games ever released on a Nintendo console thus far. This is one of Rare's finest moments.

LIBRARY STATUS: 5 out of 5

Games Played 10/13/2008

Cho Aniki - Wii
Cold Fear - X-Box 360
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom - X-Box 360
Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X - PSP
My Aquarium - Wii
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - X-Box 360
Raiden III - PlayStation 2

Games Played 10/12/2008

Assault Heroes 2 - X-Box 360
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - X-Box 360
Tales of Vesperia - X-Box 360

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Cold Fear (2005)
Developer: Darkworks
Platform: X-Box
Purchase Date: 04/09/2005


You know something bad just happened...

About 10 years ago, I used to be able to survive watching horror movies alone, late at night, while it's raining outside, in the dark. I am not sure what caused it but recently, I absolutely cannot do that anymore. I would not be able to watch a horror movie without knowing that there is someone else in the house with me. Maybe all of this is the result of getting traumatized by games like the Fatal Frame, Resident Evil, and Silent Hill series? Gameplay wise, Cold Fear is definitely not as polished as those titles mentioned but when it comes to horror atmosphere, it's really top-notch. There is just something about being on board a large ship in the middle of a storming sea that evokes the feeling of total dread...

LIBRARY STATUS: 4 out of 5

Games Played 10/11/2008

Castle Crashers - X-Box 360
Catan - X-Box 360
Daytona USA - Dreamcast
Galaga Legions - X-Box 360
Golden Axe - X-Box 360
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Raiden III - PlayStation 2
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - X-Box 360
Tales of Vesperia - X-Box 360

Söldner-X Release Confusion

One of the most highly anticipated games on the PlayStation 3 for me is Söldner-X: Himmelssturmer, a side-scrolling 2D shooter that was originally scheduled for release last Thursday on the PlayStation Network Store but was apparently delayed. I remember being so excited last week visiting the PSN Store only to get disappointed by its absence. The game is still rumored to be released this week. I contacted EastAsiaSoft/SideQuest Studios last week in regards to the release date and this is the response I received:

"Thanks a lot for your e-mail.

It's most likely that the game will be pushed to a November release as we are still doing some final testing at the moment. Please check our site for an update during the next few weeks.

If you further wish to contribute, please feel free to make your feedback public in our official forums or drop us a line.

Regards,

Team Söldner-X
www.soldner-x.com"

No specific date was mentioned in the email but it sure looks like we are not going to see the game this month, which is a total bummer.

Games Played 10/10/2008

Assault Heroes - X-Box 360
Assault Heroes 2 - X-Box 360
Geon Emotions - X-Box 360
Linger in Shadows - PlayStation 3
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - X-Box 360
Raiden III - PlayStation 3

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Daytona USA (2001)
Developer: Sega/Amusement Vision
Platform: Sega Dreamcast
Purchase Date: 2001


Blue... Blue skies!!!

This is not the first home version of the arcade classic. The game's first arcade-port was released on the SegaSaturn with horrendous result - slow gameplay and some of the most horrible graphics imaginable. The game is even better than the arcade version on the Dreamcast, spotting improved graphics - with no pop-ups, resulting in a number of magnificent view distance - as well as the addition of 3 completely new tracks to race on. One of Sega's most polished works.

LIBRARY STATUS: 5 out of 5

Games Played 10/09/2008

Aegis Wing - X-Box 360
Assault Heroes 2 - X-Box 360
Galaga Legions - X-Box 360
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - X-Box 360
Side Meier's Civilization Revolution - X-Box 360
Raiden III - PlayStation 2

Review: Linger in Shadows

Linger in Shadows (2008)
Developer: Plastic
Platform: PlayStation 3
Induction Date: 10/10/2008

Beautiful and surreal.

Linger in Shadows is the first fully satisfying "interactive art" to be found on the PlayStation Network Store. Derivative of the "demoscene" subculture, something that is thoroughly explained in the game, LIS is part hardware demo, part mini game, and a form of high art as a whole. It's quite a sight to behold and it is evident that a lot of love was put in behind its creation.

Villain?

Just like the other "interactive art" on the PlayStation 3, there is little gameplay involved here. You mostly watch a strange scenario involving a desolate cityscape, animals, and mystical creatures in real time 3D and during certain parts of it, you can enter command inputs using the Sixaxis controller to alter what is happening on screen. This actually made the product more of a "puzzle game" where you have to find things within the scenario that you can interact with. Because of the grandiose nature of the graphical presentation, the level of interaction given to the player is involving and pleasing enough without being intrusive. The ability to take screenshots saved to the HDD is a blessing and it should be a common feature for all of PSN's future "interactive art".

Dog versus the world.

Most surprising is the fact that LIS contains trophies to unlock! These are not mere afterthoughts either and they all come with their own unique trophy icons. This feature provides LIS with quite a bit of replay value. For $2.99, there is no reason why anyone would skip this title, especially the fact that there are secrets to unlock and truly artistic vision to enjoy from it.

RATING: 4 out of 5

Games Played 10/08/2008

Aegis Wing - X-Box 360
Bionic Commando: Rearmed - X-Box 360
Crazy Taxi - Dreamcast
Ikaruga - X-Box 360
Pac-Man Championship Edition - X-Box 360
Samurai Shodown II - X-Box 360
Tales of Vesperia - X-Box 360
Undertow - X-Box 360

RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:


Raiden III (2007)
Developer: Moss, Ltd.
Platform: PlayStation 3
Purchase Date: 05/19/2007


Big bosses, big explosions.

The Raiden games have always been simple in terms of their gameplay and number III is no exception. Except for the score multiplier system based on how fast the enemies are destroyed, the game is gimmick free thus it retains a purely classic appeal. The game is now presented in 3D but the gameplay stays 2D - delicious! This U.S. version is a real shocker the fact that it was released in 2007 for the PlayStation 2. Hopefully UFO Interactive will be releasing Raiden IV for the X-Box 360 that was just out in Japan earlier this month.

LIBRARY STATUS: 5 out of 5