MEMBER PROFILE FOR marmalito
Average Overall Score Given: 9.66667 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 13
Reviews
Ninja Gaiden
Overall: i got the game today... haven't opened it yet, but already i can tell it's the slickest video game ever, just from the cover. Gameplay: the gameplay looks awesome as described on the back of the case... hold on, i'm gonna open it... WOW! the gameplay is even better than i thought, based on the instruction manual.
Graphics: the graphics thus far are the best ever... still haven't fired up the actual game, but the package art is absolute top-notch
Audio: this game sounds awesome. Too bad I can't elaborate, I just don't know that many words.
Suggestions: if you can create more hype around the sequel and package it as nicely as this one, you won't hear any complaints from me! awesome! keep up the potentially top-notch work!
!!!!EDIT!!!! I finally played the game... i was right, it's friggin' awesome.... the word slick was right on. my thumb is sore, cuz in the first fifteen minutes i was slightly disappointed -- i thought it was just a button masher... but it's so much more. the difficulty is high, but with strategy and knowledge of ryu's moves, i can already see that you can pull off some amazing battle tactics against multiple enemies. the most underrated aspect of this game throughout all the hype was the battle skills involved. for example, i was running towards a white ninja in front of me, and there was one behind, both about to attack, so i ricocheted off the wall knowing that the one in front was almost dead, stabbed him in the head from behind and was ready just in time to parry the other dude and slice him up. that's when i realized the game surpasses my expactations. intense game. in fact, probably the most intensest game i ever played, i was completely immersed in it, trying to improve my reflexes and strategy. gonna go back now, it's calling me.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
Halo: Combat Evolved
Overall: beyond amazing. the level of detail... the gun models in your hands are the actual models you see on the floor, are the actual models you see in your enemy's hands or in your troops' hands. on the machine gun you can see the number of rounds in the clip on an lcd... even when the gun is on the floor or in a troop's hands. pick it up and the number stays the same. THAT is detail.Gameplay: first i beat it on heroic, then i started again on the easiest setting just to get the extra little bit of training on the first stage... that's how immersive the gameplay is, i just wanted to BE the master chief...
Graphics: top-notch. i personally wish the covenant wasn't so colorful, but i guess the washed-out, dark, geiger-est alien thing is overdone.
Audio: great sound. the aliens speak english tho... that threw me off a little. whatever.... the sound of the chain gun on the warthog is too sweet. the music kicks ass.
Suggestions: this is how great this game is... i have total confidence in the developers for halo 2 except for ONE LITTLE PIXEL. just put one little tiny pixel in the center of the aiming reticules and the game is perfect for me. don't change the way the bullets can miss the exact center, but put the pixel in for reference.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Overall: great, super, fun, addictive, very sleek and cool. has its flaws, and some are pretty disappointing. fortunately, the stealth genre is an idea whose time is approaching, and splinter cell has the heart and spirit to be it's flagship title. replay value is a problem, ubisoft cannot come out with downloadable content soon enough. an echelon above metal gear solid 2, and 95% of all other games.Gameplay: the style and ambiance mesh with the physical controls flawlessly. a little linear, but not at all boring first time through. not an easy game, so can get frustrating for softcore gamers. enemy ai could be enhanced, but that'll be the case for a long time in this genre.
Graphics: the realistic, dark political intrigue style mixed with merciless stealth action is too sweet. beautiful graphics, has some rough edges.
Audio: honestly, sound could be better. bad guys need to have more credible soundclips... they can only say variations of "where'd he go" in so many ways before it becomes unrealistic. also footsteps, breathing, etc, need to be more realistic. the more subtle sounds should play a bigger role. and the voice-acting has to be more believable.
Suggestions: just enhance this version in every conceivable way for the sequel, or some other game will... splinter cell is a great game, but it's more of a prototype of things to come in my opinion.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Project Gotham Racing 2
Overall: This game has style. Big, bold and beautiful. The level of realism simply sucks you in the moment you power on. Truly a unique experience in a genre full of clones and carbon copies.Gameplay: Fantastic controls. kudos system works great and adds so much if you don't let it frustrate you from the beginning... don't worry about racking them up, just learn to drive first. this game does have a relatively steep learning curve. xbox live features should set the standard for all future games.
Graphics: flawless. i'm in awe. close to photo-realism. environments are gorgeous, reflections on cars are too sweet, and the fluidity of the animation is great. no slow-downs anywhere.
Audio: what can i say? great sounds. no complaints... well, just one. bouncing off the guardrails produces an annoying 'boing.' this is the only problem i have with the game, that is how close to perfection pgr2 comes.
Suggestions: just get rid of the boings, and add more cars to download.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
Brute Force
Overall: this game is excellent. much more depth than a lot of reviews i've read seem to realize. in my mind, it ranks on the exact same level as splinter cell, which was second only to the chief's little adventure there. the controls are sexy, the graphics are trance-inducing, the sounds are in harmony with the overall style, the gameplay is engaging, and even the voice acting has a delicious cheesy flavor to it. the control system is remarkably well-implemented for 4 characters.Gameplay: it's strange. this game is intense, but fluid. my desire to play it is different, like no other game. i could play Halo or splinter cell for 5 or 6 hours straight. with this game, i fluctuate in my desire to play... but that's a good thing somehow!! i sit there and strategize throughout the level and when i'm done with it after about an hour, half-hour i take a break. the game strongly encourages you to use your head to avoid restarting 50 times, and the constant concentration causes your attention to naturally wane. so you leave it, but you strongly enjoyed the experience and you look forward to playing again soon. it's not frustrating!! there's a strong feeling of reward and a unique addictive quality to it.
Graphics: some of the best graphics on a console ever... friggin shadows pass as clouds move overhead. only thing missing is the grass should have moved when walked through. that's it, i promise.
Audio: excellent sound effects.... haven't hooked the xbox up to my dolby 5.1 yet, but what i've heard is great. music's not quite up to par. for such a good action game, it needs some serious ass-kicking music... halo wrecks b.f. in the music department.
Suggestions: yeah, uh, make some levels for us to download. and make em so that it's easier to get through them if you use the characters's strong points in a certain way.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
The Sims
Overall: highly recommended. though not as open-ended as the pc (no expansion packs and downloads), the console version of the sims ultimately holds its own as a different game, not just a port. it is easily as addictive as the pc version... if not more so, since you'll be playing it on your sofa instead of computer chair... so that ups the comfort rating to about a 7 instead of a 3, and if you have a nice big tv, the fun rating is about 9... throw in the ability for two to play at once and the social rating goes up too! yeah, i know, i'm a herb... but even the most cynical have to admit that there's something morbidly wrong and yet friggin hilarious about watching a little virtual you curl up in the fetal position and die of pneumonia in a puddle of his own urine because of your neglect.Gameplay: the controller takes some getting used to, but the button layout is well thought-out in the end. build mode is more of a pain than on the pc, but there are lots of exclusive features that make up for it. in "get a life mode" you have a series of challenges to complete, which basically train you and hone your skills, but are funny and entertaining. i haven't unlocked multiplayer mode yet, but playing the sims split-screen mode adds a whole new dimension to the banal appeal (i know it's an oxymoron) of micromanaging little virtual people.
Graphics: graphics are great, i can zoom all the way out on my 32" tv and still be able to select an object the size of the phone... and the level of detail in the textures on the completely 3D polygonal environment is as smoothly implemented as on the pc version's bitmapped 2D objects. for the small objects when zoomed far out, i recommend investing in s-video or component video cables for your xbox.
Audio: same great sound as the pc... the sound is the unsung hero of the original versions of this game, as its unique charm and light-hearted tempo really sets the atmosphere... the music is perfect for the game, and there's always something making noise in the house, rap on the radio, soap operas on the tv, flies on the dishes... the quantity and variety of effects and voices is impressive.
Suggestions: i can not stress this enough.... maxis, if you're listening, what were you thinking not making this game live enabled!!!! jeezus h!!! if only for the ability to download content and expansion packs... i hope against reason that somehow it's not too late... otherwise the appeal of this game long-term is only a fraction of what it could be...
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
