system Index A-D
new 007: Everything Or Nothing
Grade: A
Publisher: Electronic Arts (2003)
Reviewed: 2021/3/28
Rating: Teen

screenshot007: Everything or Nothing (PS2, 2003) set the gold standard for James Bond games and I'm happy to report that its high level of quality carried over to this Game Boy Advance edition. This may be the most polished portable title I've ever played! The intro screen is very elegant with the familiar Bond theme playing over a digitized still of Pierce Brosnan and some attractive woman. I love that clean-looking, silver-colored menuing system.

The well-designed missions require you to perform a set of tasks, but there are a few optional secondary objectives as well, like clearing out all enemy guards. Each new location is introduced with a scenic photograph, setting the stage nicely whether it's a Cairo trainyard, a graveyard in New Orleans, or the Peruvian jungle.

You play via an isometric view of the action, and the realistic characters are impressively animated. It's so satisfying to sneak up on a bad guy and take them down, you'll actually prefer to use stealth! The action begins with Bond rappelling down the side of the Hoover Dam, picking off baddies along the way. Periodic car chase stages provide you with a slew of built-in weapons like machine guns, rockets, and oil slicks. The cars may be small but they look sharp and the explosions are nice.

There are limitations to the isometric format. Certain missions demand stealth, yet it can be hard to sneak around because by the time a guard appears on the screen you might already be in his line of sight. In addition, there's so much detail in the scenery that the visuals can be a little muddled, especially during hand-to-hand combat.

The saves are frequent and automatic. Between stages you can upgrade your gear to maximize your armor, damage, or speed. The orchestrated music is astonishing for a Game Boy title. Everything or Nothing is so elegant and sophisticated that you'll forget you're playing a portable system. © Copyright 2021 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player 

If you like this game, try: James Bond 007 (Sega SG-1000)
007: Everything or Nothing (Playstation 2)
James Bond 007 (Colecovision)
Captain Skyhawk (NES)
James Bond 007 (Atari 5200)

ATV Quad Power Racing
Grade: B-
Publisher: Acclaim (2002)
Reviewed: 2006/11/7


screenshotFor such a vanilla racer, ATV Quad Power Racing is surprisingly fun and engaging. The single-player "challenge" mode offers nine tracks, each with a distinctive color scheme and enough scenery to convey a unique flavor. From dusty desert roads to snowy mountains, you'll power-slide around sharp turns and plunge down steep hills. The impressive 3D objects and textured roads look like something out of a Playstation One title - pretty good! Your seven opponents are equally spaced out on each track, and you can employ power-ups to overtake them. Speed boosts are the most useful, and others give you extra "air" or allow you to "stick" to the road. My biggest issue with the game is its password save feature. It's bad enough you have to write down a password, but instead of letters, the passwords are composed of odd symbols! ATV isn't great, but its clean visuals and fair difficulty managed to hold my attention. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.
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1 or 2 players 

If you like this game, try: Pole Position (Vectrex)
Sprint Master (Atari 2600)
Rush Hour (Playstation)
Super Off Road (NES)
Sonic Drift 2 (Game Gear)

Advance Wars
Grade: A-
Publisher: Nintendo (2001)
Reviewed: 2003/10/25

screenshotAdvance Wars is turn-based combat the Nintendo way: Thoughtfully designed, easy to learn, and madly addictive. Despite its war theme, the visuals maintain a non-violent, cartoon-like appearance. You command an army of infantry, tanks, artillery, transport vehicles, and even helicopters as you attempt to wipe out opposing forces or capture their headquarters. The main screen displays both armies scattered over a grid/map. To manipulate your units effectively, you'll have to play to each of their strengths and use terrain conditions to your advantage. When forces engage, a split screen shows both sides and the damage that ensues (with minimal violence of course). There are a lot of subtle details in the strategy, and a nice tutorial illustrates the nuances by walking you through a series of sample scenarios. Advance Wars has a brilliant user interface and the action moves along at a nice clip. The graphics are somewhat plain and it can be easy to confuse different units since there are so many types. Advance Wars has a significant learning curve, and completing the "Field Training" mode is crucial to fully understanding the game. In terms of audio, the dramatic music is absolutely superb, although slightly repetitive. You can save your game at any time during a battle, which is useful since wars can take hours. Some variations let you manufacture new units with factories, but I prefer the pre-deployed unit variations because the game ends much quicker when you can't replenish your units. Up to four players can "hook up" to engage in a multi-front war. Advance Wars is an engaging strategy game, and it spawned a popular sequel. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.
1 to 4 players 

If you like this game, try: Advance Wars 2 (Game Boy Advance)
Military Madness (Turbografx-16)
Desert Commander (NES)
Armor Ambush (Atari 2600)
Civilization Revolution (Nintendo DS)

Advance Wars 2
Grade: A-
Publisher: Nintendo (2003)
Reviewed: 2004/7/18


screenshotThe first Advance Wars was a real sleeper. The media didn't pay it much attention, but hardcore gamers recognized the genius of this addicting strategy game. By the time this sequel emerged, video game magazines were revising history and hailing Advance Wars 2 as the greatest thing since Pac-Man. The truth is, Advance Wars 2 is really just more of the same. There are some new graphics, new head-to-head modes, and special "CO" commands that let you augment the abilities of all your deployed units. But most of the graphics, sound effects, and music have been recycled from the first game. The absorbing gameplay involves moving your army around a map, strategically positioning your troops and weapons in order to capture your opponent's headquarters. The main campaign mode explains the subtle nuances of the game through a series of increasingly difficult missions. It's fun, but boy is it verbose. After a while, I got really tired of reading all of that text (or should I say, skipping all of it!). Fortunately, the "Versus" mode offers more than enough options and maps to satisfy anyone's taste. As an arcade-minded player, I prefer the "pre-deployed" maps over ones that have you manufacture your own units. All in all, Advance Wars 2 is a great buy - unless you already own the first game. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.
1 to 4 players 

If you like this game, try: Advance Wars (Game Boy Advance)
Namco Museum (Playstation 2)
Jr. Pac-Man (Atari 5200)
Desert Commander (NES)
Pac-Man Collection (Atari 7800)

Altered Beast Guardian of the Realms
Grade: C
Publisher: THQ (2002)
Reviewed: 2003/8/31


screenshotAltered Beast was a popular arcade game in the late 80s, serving as the first "pack-in" game for the Genesis system. In it, you controlled a man raised from the grave to fight an army of monsters. As you progressed through each stage, power-ups made you bigger and more powerful until you finally transformed in a werewolf or some other creature. Guardian of the Realms is an updated and extended version of Altered Beast with similar hack-n-slash gameplay but superior graphics, sound, and control. The mythological theme is reflected well in the background scenery and monsters you encounter. The nicely rendered beasts include trolls, skeletons, centaurs, giant praying mantis, and grim reapers. The stages are difficult at first because you're just a normal man, but once you start pumping yourself up with power-ups, things start getting easier. And by the time you transform in a monster (which looks great by the way), you're practically unstoppable (until you reach the boss, that is). As a longtime fan of Altered Beast, I was really psyched up about Guardian, but my enthusiasm waned as the lengthy stages took their toll on me. The original Altered Beast was tighter, with shorter but more difficult stages. In this new version, you get sick of punching and kicking the same beasts over and over. In the forest stage, the regenerating bees drove me absolutely crazy. Considering the large number of stages, I appreciate how the cartridge automatically saves your progress. Guardians of the Realms is a not a bad game, but I think Sega overextended the old formula. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.
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1 to 4 players 

If you like this game, try: Altered Beast (Genesis)
Castlevania (Nintendo 64)
War of the Monsters (Playstation 2)
Skeleton Warriors (Saturn)
Legendary Axe (Turbografx-16)

Baseball Advance
Grade: B+
Publisher: Sega (2001)
Reviewed: 2003/8/12


screenshotAh yes, there's nothing like an old-fashioned Sega baseball game. This one brings back fond memories of the SportsTalk and World Series Baseball games for the Genesis. The graphics mimic the style of the Genesis World Series games, with large, realistically animated players. The behind-the-batter view gives you a close-up view of the strike zone, but you'll need to learn a whole new swing system to hit the ball. First, you move a circle around the strike zone in anticipation of where the pitch is coming. Then you hold the swing button before the pitch comes (even before the wind-up), releasing it to swing. It takes some getting used to, and can be maddening until you figure it out. But once you get it, it's not so bad. Actually, this is the most fun I've had with a baseball game on a portable. The pitching and fielding controls are perfect - playing defense is even more fun than batting! I love how you can dive for grounders and turn double plays. The players are supposed to look like they're breathing heavy, but it looks like they're all shrugging their shoulders - pretty funny. All the MLB teams are included, but only four stadiums: Safeco, Wrigley, Fenway, and Pacific Bell Park. It may come up a little short on features, but for pure fun, Baseball Advance is hard to beat. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.
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1 or 2 players 

If you like this game, try: High Heat Major League Baseball 2003 (Game Boy Advance)
World Series Baseball (Game Gear)
World Series Baseball (Genesis)
World Class Baseball (Turbografx-16)
Realsports Baseball (Atari 5200)

Batman Begins
Grade: B
Publisher: Electronic Arts (2005)
Reviewed: 2020/4/10
Rating: Everyone

screenshotWhen I play a slick 2D platformer like Batman Begins, I wonder why games like this are limited to portables. Its side-scrolling style may seem old-fashioned, but Batman Begins boasts striking visuals and is actually quite sophisticated. The fluidly-animated characters appear digitized, and I love how Batman's cape bellows out as he glides through the air. The adventure begins in the snowy mountains of China, and like Bruce Wayne in the movie, this is where you'll learn the ropes. Eventually you progress to Gotham where you duke-it-out with crooks in industrial locations. A few of these thugs look like actors from the West Side Story, and I was expecting them to break into a dance number at any time. The rich scenery has a distinctive weathered look, and the rain and snow effects add atmosphere. Batman has a wide range of moves including a rolling kick and an uppercut that can take out three thugs at a time (now that's old school!) Fighting is extra satisfying thanks to the little health meter under each enemy. Batman Begins also incorporates stealth elements - for better or worse. I like the idea of getting "the drop" on enemy thugs, but certain stages require you to remain totally unseen and boy does that get tedious. Batman Begins features nicely illustrated cutscenes and a soundtrack worthy of a Hollywood action flick. The stealth elements tempered my enthusiasm, but it's still great to see an old-school take on a new-school film. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.
1 player 

If you like this game, try: Batman: The Animated Series (Game Boy)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System)
Batman: Vengeance (Game Boy Advance)
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (Jaguar)
Batman Forever (Super Nintendo)

Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu
Grade: C
Publisher: Ubisoft (2003)
Reviewed: 2020/4/10
Rating: Everyone

screenshotBatman: Rise of Sin Tzu has a unique visual style that some may find off-putting at first glance. Instead of the "clean" look, the characters appear somewhat pixelated and grainy. This is offset however by their fluid, motion-captured movements. There were animations in this game that actually made me sit up and say "wow!" The jumping and gliding controls feel effortless, and that's good because you'll be required to make a few "leaps of faith". I love the way Batman easily grabs onto any ladder and will quickly slide down the rails. The combat is a little repetitive, but mainly because you're fighting the same bald guy over and over. I once kicked that bastard in the shin 20 times straight! Whenever you're running across a ledge and see an open window, rest assured "that guy" is about to emerge. The fighting action looks good but tends to be a bit slow and laborious. I'm not sure if new moves unlock as you go, but at some point I began tossing these guys around like rag dolls. Even more satisfying is smashing wooden crates over their heads. The music is pretty badass and the sound effects are noticeably crisp as well. The stages however all look pretty much the same, whether it's downtown, China Town, or City Hall. You're always running across building ledges while jumping between fire escapes. I groaned whenever I reached a timed sequence, which requires you to pull a lever and quickly dash to some unlocked location before the clock runs out. The stages are relatively short and the game provides frequent passwords. In the end Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu looks good, but its high production values can't overcome its monotonous gameplay. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.
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Save mechanism: password
1 player 

If you like this game, try: Batman: The Animated Series (Game Boy)
Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu (Xbox)
Batman: Vengeance (Game Boy Advance)
Lego Batman (Xbox 360)
Xenophobe (Atari 7800)

Batman: Vengeance
Grade: C
Publisher: Ubi Soft (2001)
Reviewed: 2020/4/10
Rating: Everyone

screenshotAfter playing through several marginal Game Boy Color (GBC) Batman games, Batman Vengeance feels like a shock to the system. Its frenetic intro features a first-person view of a camera whizzing around the buildings of Gotham City! Whoa! The first stage is set on rooftops with the Gotham skyline looming over a blood-red sunset. The lighting is terrific and those water tanks add realism. Batman looks heroic with his cape blowing in the wind, but the bad guys look a little silly running back and forth in the small areas they're guarding. Some goons are armed with missile launchers, but fortunately Batman can survive a missile directly to the face at point blank range. I know because it happened to me a lot! The platform gameplay includes a lot of jumping, gliding, grabbing a ledge, and pulling yourself up. Is it just me or do the controls feel backwards? I always attack when I mean to jump. Another annoyance are those ubiquitous steam vents situated in the most inconvenient spots. And boy oh boy is it easy to slip off of ledges. Walk within a foot of the edge and you slide right off. You only get one life but are equipped with several health packs. Spicing things up are overhead Robin stages and even vehicle stages! The overhead driving looks amazing, reminding me of Spy Hunter (Colecovision, 1984). Easy-to-remember passwords (like GOTHAM) are presented between stages. The problem with Batman Vengeance is that the stages are only moderately fun. It's interesting to see what comes next, but I was always glad to leave the previous stage behind. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.
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Save mechanism: password
1 player 

If you like this game, try: Batman: The Animated Series (Game Boy)
Spy Hunter (Game Boy Advance)
Spy Hunter (NES)
Batman Gotham City Racer (Playstation)
Spy Hunter (Playstation 2)

Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hands
Grade: C-
Publisher: Konami (2003)
Reviewed: 2011/9/20
Rating: Everyone


screenshotI can't resist a good gimmick, so I was intrigued when a friend told me about a Game Boy Advance cartridge that lets you harness the energy of the actual sun to destroy vampires. It sounds far-fetched but it's true! This anime-style adventure puts you in the role of "Solar Boy", assisted by a fairy named Otenko (Messenger of the Sun). Boktai is a mix of stealth, combat, exploration, and thought-provoking puzzles. You view the action from an isometric perspective while exploring outdoor trails, multi-tiered dungeons, and mazelike castles. Your weapons tend to be light-based and short-ranged. The cartridge itself has a small square sensor, and when it detects sunlight you can recharge your solar-powered weapons! Another innovative feature is the game's internal clock. The time within the game reflects the actual time of day, and this has a dramatic bearing on events. For example, zombies roam outside when it's dark, but they stay in their dungeons during daylight hours. The game has a lot of shambling undead creatures (including mummies), and you can often conserve ammo by staying out of their sights. This emphasis on stealth is understandable considering the game was developed Hideo Kojima, the mastermind behind Metal Gear Solid (Playstation, 1998). When you're caught, certain monsters release their purple blobs that cling to you, slowing you down and draining your health. What a drag! It's almost as bad as having to slowly drag a coffin from a castle tower all the way down to an outside area. Painful! Boktai annoyed me often, but I could appreciate certain aspects of the game. The characters are cleverly animated (despite their small size), the inventory system is easy to navigate, and you can save your progress at any time. While the game is much easier to play in direct sunlight, that's really not an ideal way to play your Game Boy! Not only is it probably bad for the system, but the glare on the screen makes it hard to see what's going on. The best arrangement I found was to sit near a window on a sunny day. The game is thoughtfully designed but it's light detection is more gimmicky than fun, and it's really hard to play at night. Boktai is interesting diversion for a while, but I found that its innovations were gradually eclipsed by its tedious nature. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.
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1 to 4 players 

If you like this game, try: Metal Gear Solid (Playstation)
Clock Tower 3 (Playstation 2)
Metal Gear (NES)
Critical Depth (Playstation)
Solar Quest (Vectrex)

Breath of Fire
Grade: C
Publisher: Capcom (2001)
Reviewed: 2007/6/14
Rating: Everyone

screenshotSubmitted by RPG correspondent Jonathan Hawk
This Breath of Fire port is much the same as the original Super Nintendo title (1994), except Capcom added two elements that greatly improve the experience. First, you can now save anywhere - a necessary feature for a portable title. Doing a "field save" lets you return to the exact same spot where you left off, and dying returns you to your previous save point. The graphics have been improved as well, with better-looking character sprites and menus, as well as brand new "still image" cut-scenes. Breath of Fire's solid gameplay hasn't changed since its SNES days, but the extra save feature and new glitz livens it up a little. Still, if you already have this game for Super Nintendo, this updated version might not be worth your while. See SNES review for further details. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.
1 player 

If you like this game, try: Punch-Out!! (NES)
Super Street Fighter 2 (Super Nintendo)
Spiderman vs. the Kingpin (Sega CD)
Capcom Vs. SNK 2 (Playstation 2)
Super Mario World (Super Nintendo)

Breath of Fire II
Grade: B+
Publisher: Capcom (2002)
Reviewed: 2007/6/14
Rating: Everyone

screenshotSubmitted by RPG correspondent Jonathan Hawk
Much like the GBA Breath of Fire port, Breath of Fire II features revised graphics and the addition of a quick-save option. The fine audio of the SNES version has been preserved pretty much intact, and the sprites have been modernized. New character art, backgrounds, and an overhauled menu system are among the key revisions. Like Breath of Fire, Capcom has incorporated some nice looking static cut scene images. Newcomers should consider buying this simple and fun RPG, but owners of the SNES version can probably bypass it. See SNES review for further details. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.
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1 player 

If you like this game, try: Breath of Fire (Guest Review) (Game Boy Advance)
Defender II (NES)
Capcom Vs. SNK 2 (Playstation 2)
Breath of Fire 2 (Guest Review) (Super Nintendo)
Punch-Out!! (NES)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wrath of the Darkhul King
Grade: B-
Publisher: THQ (2003)
Reviewed: 2008/9/30
Rating: Teen (mild violence)

screenshotAlthough cut from the same cloth as its predecessor (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Game Boy Color, 2000), Wrath of the Darkhul King offers a far more interesting brand of hack-n-slash action. The characters are rendered in a slick psuedo-3D style, and Buffy herself looks a lot like she did in the TV show! This girl has a slew of weapons at her disposal, including axes, crossbows, crosses, holy water, and of course, wooden stakes. Since each weapon is limited in supply, you're forced to experiment with whatever's available, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Just be sure not to accidentally hit that poorly-placed "quit to main menu" option when perusing the weapon selection screen! Oddly enough, the worst part of the game is its unforgiving training stage, which forces you to execute some unreasonably difficult jumps towards the end. The game gains traction after that, offering a nice balance of combat, puzzles, and secrets to discover. I really like how you have to stab a vampire directly in his heart to kill him - just like in real life! The cemetery, museum, and forest locations are mildly interesting, but the city areas tend to be repetitive and dull. Likewise, the underground crypts look like every platform game you've ever played, with their maze-like layouts and spiked pits. The production values are commendable, with a foreboding soundtrack and impressive cut-scenes. Not only do these scenes feature still photos of the show's actors, but there's a lot of funny text dialogue to go along with them. It's not for everyone, but fans of the television show may be pleasantly surprised. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.
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1 player 

If you like this game, try: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Xbox)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Game Boy Color)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Game Boy Advance)
Mystery Science Theater 2600 (Atari 2600)
Mansion of Hidden Souls (Sega CD)

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Grade: A
Publisher: Konami (2003)
Reviewed: 2005/7/26

screenshotDamn! I should have played this game a long time ago, because the other two Castlevania games for the Gameboy Advance suck by comparison. Do the words "Best Gameboy game ever" mean anything to you?? Aria of Sorrow achieves a perfect balance of challenge and playability, with phenomenal graphics and a top-notch symphonic musical score. Its gameplay is your standard Castlevania hack-n-slash platform jumping action, but this chapter is far more forgiving and has ample save points (dare I call it "easy"?) Indeed, this is the first Castlevania game I've played where I did not reach some hopeless point of frustration. The storyline involves a lunar eclipse in 2035 that causes two people to be transported to Dracula's castle, where a "new evil" has assumed the deceased vampire's powers. Here lies my main complaint: is the lead character ("Soma Cruz") a guy or girl? If there's one thing I hate, it's androgynous characters. Also, the corny dialogue is more akin to two chicks chatting at the mall as opposed to warriors on an epic quest. Aria's graphics are brighter and easier to discern than "dark" titles like Circle of the Moon. Besides the usual suspects, you encounter witches that transform into cats, killer dolls, and waltzing ghosts (a la Disney's Haunted Mansion). Bosses include the grotesque "Creaking skull" (a giant Skeleton torso) and the "Headhunter" who swaps heads to assume different identities. I like how when you attack a monster, the damage points are displayed right on the screen. Acquiring the abilities of defeated foes is a cool feature, and I even enjoyed perusing the "enemy database". Overall, Aria of Sorrow is the most polished, well-rounded Castlevania adventure to date - including Symphony of the Night (Playstation). © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.
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1 player 

If you like this game, try: Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Game Boy Advance)
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)
Castlevania (Nintendo 64)
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES)
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (Nintendo DS)

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Grade: D+
Publisher: Konami (2001)
Reviewed: 2004/12/19


screenshotAs the first Castlevania title available for the Gameboy Advance, Circle of the Moon is flawed and highly overrated. Yes, the visuals are quite nice with its gothic scenery and imaginative undead creatures, but the stage designs are a nightmare. Each has one or more huge open areas with diagonal "stairways" running up each wall. While these central corridors often branch out to other zones, they are awfully repetitious. After aimlessly hopping around several of these, you'll find yourself pining for the more linear gameplay of the NES Castlevanias. Another flaw is the poor control which makes it hard to jump and attack at the same time! The annoying first stage is crawling with poisonous "worms" that are all but impossible to avoid (hint: slide). Circle of the Moon's save points seem randomly placed. The first time I defeated the first boss (which was surprisingly hard), I frantically searched for a save point, but there were none in the vicinity, and I soon succumbed to a frustrating death. The gameplay mechanics are standard Castlevania, except now you can collect "cards" and combine them for various effects. In terms of presentation, Circle of Moon is high quality as you might expect. A gorgeous full moon shines through the windows of the castle and outstanding organ music plays a haunting refrain. Sometimes when you look out the windows you can get a glimpse of a boss you'll eventually encounter. Circle of the Moon should have been a slam-dunk, but it's unbalanced, lousy stage designs suck the enjoyment right out of it. Fortunately its shortcomings were addressed in the two subsequent Castlevania games for the Gameboy Advance. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.
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1 player 

If you like this game, try: Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (Game Boy Advance)
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Game Boy Advance)
Castlevania (NES)
Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood (CD) (Japan) (Turbografx-16)
Metal Slug Advance (Game Boy Advance)

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Grade: A-
Publisher: Konami (2002)
Reviewed: 2003/10/25


screenshotIt took some time to win me over, but Harmony of Dissonance is one of the more enjoyable Castlevania games I've experienced. It's very similar to the highly-acclaimed Symphony of the Night (Playstation), and every bit as good. The graphics are gorgeous as you would expect, and the music is amazing (for a handheld system). You assume the role of a vampire hunter exploring a huge, mysterious castle - nothing new there. Armed with your trusty whip, you'll acquire all sorts of weapons, spellbooks, and artifacts as you progress. Typical of Castlevania, there are plenty of memorable animations, like lizard men lunging with their swords, barely missing you with the tips of their blades. Skeletons raise their dukes to taunt you. Subtle details like a floating eyeball lingering behind a curtain or a corpse hanging in the background are examples of the game's rich visuals. Each stage is a work of art, decorated with ornate architecture and huge sculptures. Initially I got lost in the endless corridors and stairways, but once I obtained the map, the gameplay improved dramatically. The more powers you amass, the more enjoyable Harmony of Dissonance becomes. This game is a winner, and it's one of three Castlevania games available for the Game Boy Advance. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.
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1 player 

If you like this game, try: Castlevania (NES)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Playstation)
Castlevania Chronicles (Playstation)
Castlevania (Nintendo 64)
Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood (CD) (Japan) (Turbografx-16)

Crash Bandicoot: N-tranced
Grade: B
Publisher: Universal (2003)
Reviewed: 2005/6/30


screenshotAs the second Bandicoot game for the Gameboy Advance, Entranced succeeds on some fronts but fails on others. On the positive side, Entranced is a lot quicker to get up and running compared to the first game where you needed to wade through endless intro screens. The action itself is the same fun side-scrolling mayhem you'd expect, but this edition features fresh new stages including a remodeled jungle that's less lush and more open. There are also Prince of Persia-inspired stages and Super Monkey Ball-inspired "Atlasphere" sequences. While the new scenery is nice, the game has some problems. The position of your large Bandicoot sometimes makes it hard to avoid jumping right into lava or other dangers. The skinny natives you encounter tend to be hard to discern on the small screen, and I sometimes I even ran right smack into them. The vine-climbing controls are poorly devised and nearly impossible to navigate. Had the developers possessed any knowledge whatsoever of old school gaming, they would have adopted the same mechanics that Donkey Kong Junior perfected over 20 years ago! Sheesh! And then there are the "Atlasphere" stages - the one bright spot in Wrath of Cortex (PS2, Xbox). Unfortunately, these ball-rolling stages do not translate well to the Gameboy, thanks to lousy collision detection and bizarre physics. The 3D Jaws-inspired water skiing stages feature remarkable water effects, but don't play as well as they look. Entranced has its problems, but if nothing else, it offers some fresh and exciting new environments for this Bandicoot to roam. Let's face it, there's a Bandicoot in all of us, and he must be unleashed. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.
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1 player 

If you like this game, try: Donkey Kong Junior (Colecovision)
Donkey Kong Junior (Atari 2600)
Donkey Kong Jr. (NES)
D2K Arcade (Intellivision)
Crash Bandicoot Wrath of Cortex (Xbox)

Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure
Grade: B
Publisher: Universal (2002)
Reviewed: 2005/6/30


screenshot"Oh how I love me some Bandicoot action!" Those profound words ring as true today as they did 10 years ago. And who would have expected that the Gameboy Advance could duplicate the same Crash Bandicoot action seen in the old Playstation games? These stages look like they were practically lifted straight from those classic titles! The original three Crash Bandicoot games were a combination of 3D "into the screen" action and 2D side scrolling stages. Huge Adventure consists of mainly side-scrolling stages, although some well-executed 3D "chase" sequences are included as well. This is the kind of old-school Bandicoot action I thrive on, and the nostalgia factor is through the roof! Getting started however, can be a chore. You'll have to sit through about five annoying logo screens, and each is animated. That [expletive] has got to stop right now! After that, you have to page through the ridiculous intro detailing how the evil Cortex has shrunk the world to the size of the grapefruit. Stop him? I think it's a little late for that! You'll be tapping buttons like there's no tomorrow just to get the game started, only to accidentally select "New Game" (instead of Load) on the main screen. When will the hurting stop?! Should you persevere through all of that nonsense, you'll discover that Huge Adventure is quite good. The scenery consists of dense jungles, mysterious ruins, and even shipwrecks - what more could you want? With a few exceptions, the controls are finely tuned, and the new double jump is superior to the clumsy slide-jump used in old Crash games. The bongo-driven musical score sounds fantastic. Naturally, I do have a few reservations. For one thing, the stages are so familiar that the word "rehash" crossed my mind a few times (not that young kids will notice). Also, the snow and swimming stages, which held great novelty value in the original games, tend to bog down the action. Control in the snow stages sucks, and the swimming stages are just plain slow. Still, brimming with nostalgia and irresistibly fun, Crash Bandicoot's Huge Adventure is one worth undertaking. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.
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1 player 

If you like this game, try: Crash Bandicoot The Wrath of Cortex (Playstation 2)
Crash Bandicoot (Playstation)
Metal Slug Advance (Game Boy Advance)
Crash Bandicoot: N-Sane Trilogy (Nintendo Switch)
King of Fighters 98 (CD) (Neo Geo)

Cruis'n Velocity
Grade: F
Publisher: Midway (2001)
Reviewed: 2020/7/16
Rating: Everyone

screenshotThere was always something appealing about the shallow arcade fun of the Cruis'n series, and that something is conspicuously missing from Cruis'n Velocity. Instead of blazing through colorful stages you're racing boxy little cars around dull, angular tracks. You only get two cars and two tracks from the outset, and the eye candy is basically non-existent. A girl shouts "Las Vegas is exciting!" before the first race, but you'd never know from the bland graphics. Who is his right mind would render Las Vegas as a bunch of gray and brown buildings? The other tracks aren't much better. Mars (as in "the planet") is a bunch of tunnels and red canyons, and the Ireland track is best described as "pixel soup". You can't even tell where you're going in that one. The racing action is certainly challenging - I'll give it that much. Other cars will block you from passing and when you hit one you'll hear crunching metal before practically grinding to a halt. The lack of a power-slide is glaring considering how many hairpin turns there are. You've got a limited number of turbo boosts, but double-tapping the accelerator to use them is problematic. It's too easy to accidentally blow through them, and you'll want to keep at least one handy for that final lap. The more I played Velocity the more I realized this wasn't a Cruis'n game at all. Velocity is just a tech demo bent on proving the Game Boy Advance can handle 3D graphics. I'm not impressed. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.
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1 player 

If you like this game, try: Cruis'n World (Nintendo 64)
POD Speedzone (Dreamcast)
Cruis'n Exotica (Nintendo 64)
Speed Devils (Dreamcast)
Metal Slug Advance (Game Boy Advance)

DK: King of Swing
Grade: B+
Publisher: Nintendo (2005)
Reviewed: 2006/4/5
Rating: Everyone

screenshotLeave it to Nintendo to take a remarkably simple idea and parlay it into a thoroughly enthralling game experience. In King of Swing we find Donkey Kong moving hand-over-hand across pegs and pegboards, subduing enemy creatures while collecting coins en route to the exit. Amazingly, this game can be played using nothing but the two shoulder buttons! Pressing either one causes Kong's respective hand to grasp a peg, rock, lever, or whatever else it's positioned over. When one hand is free, Donkey Kong swings continuously, and releasing the button sends him sailing through the air. You press both buttons to jump, and holding them both in initiates a "charge" attack. As usual, Nintendo gets a lot of mileage out of this simple concept, with advanced levels that let you toss rocks at enemies and turn levers to open doors. King of Swing's gameplay doesn't really lend itself to fancy effects or scenic backdrops, but the understated visuals are clean and attractive. In addition to the main story mode, there are a slew of mini-games you can play alone or against friends. High scores are saved within the cartridge. So if you're looking for an old-fashioned platformer with a unique twist, King of Swing offers wholesome and addictive fun. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.
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1 to 4 players 

If you like this game, try: Donkey Kong 3 (NES)
D2K Arcade (Intellivision)
Donkey Kong Junior (Atari 2600)
Donkey Kong Jr. (NES)
Mario Vs. Donkey Kong (Game Boy Advance)

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 3
Grade: C-
Publisher: Acclaim (2002)
Reviewed: 2006/1/13


screenshotPicture Tony Hawk on a bike and you'll have a pretty good idea of what Freestyle BMX is all about. Dave Mirra is all about catching the "big air", punching buttons like there's no tomorrow, and praying to God that you come down on two wheels. You can pull off some amazing maneuvers in mid-air, but nailing the landing is extremely difficult because it's so hard to judge your orientation. Stages include a skate park, construction site, and skyscraper, but the highlight of the game is its impressive digitized soundtrack, which sounds remarkably clear. As with any "extreme" selection of tunes, yes, you get the obligatory Limp Biscuit track. Green Day's "Basket Case" is also included, but I can't get over how censored it is. In the end, Dave Mirra was very much what I expected, but the small screen proves to be a major hindrance. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.
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1 player 

If you like this game, try: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (Playstation 2)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (Nintendo 64)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (Dreamcast)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (Dreamcast)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 (Playstation 2)

Defender
Grade: C
Publisher: Midway (2001)
Reviewed: 2003/9/28

screenshotThis updated version of the 1982 arcade classic further illustrates how graphics and sound alone cannot carry a game. Despite its large aliens, 3D ships, photographic backgrounds and digitized sound, this Defender pales in comparison to the original. But that doesn't mean it's a bad game. In fact, compared to most Defender incarnations (the recent Xbox version comes to mind), this is pretty good. The 2D gameplay is familiar as you fly across a side-scrolling screen while shooting aliens that attempt to abduct humans from the planet surface. For some reason, you can't catch the falling humans, but that's okay because they always survive the fall. The terrific backgrounds include a tropical paradise, but the aliens tend to blend into them. As a result, I spent most of the game staring at the scanner on the top of the screen to locate approaching aliens and gauge their positions. Each planet stage consists of three rounds followed by a fun vertical bonus round where you catch floating people in space while avoiding debris. Defender gives you a choice of ships, but their firepower is weak compared to the awesome streaming lasers of the arcade game. Like any respectable Defender game, hyperspace and smart bombs are also at your disposal. Defender can't live up to the legacy of the original game, but it's still a nifty little shooter. Note: The original Defender is an unlockable bonus. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.
Our high score: 12450
1 player 

If you like this game, try: Defender (Atari 5200)
Defender II (NES)
Victory (Colecovision)
Space Ranger (Philips CD-i)
Defender (Atari XEGS)


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