When Soul Calibur was released for the Dreamcast in 1999, it set a new standard for fighting games on home consoles. Subsequent entries in the series have changed very little as far as the weapon-based fighting mechanics are concerned, and have introduced new features and gameplay modes with varying success. Soulcalibur IV is no different in that respect; the series-first online play is a great addition, but though the visuals have improved and the gameplay has undoubtedly evolved, it still feels very familiar. And that’s no bad thing.
The majority of the characters on Soulcalibur IV’s roster will also be familiar if you’re a fan of the series, though only around half of the 30-plus combatants are available at the outset, including Yoda on the Xbox 360 and Darth Vader on the PlayStation 3. Others are unlocked by defeating them (more…)
Best known as Ratchet’s robotic Swiss Army sidekick, Clank has finally given up his role as the last surviving Lombax’s backpack to star in his own game. The diminutive hero isn′t the only playable character in Secret Agent Clank, but his enjoyable missions, in which light stealth mechanics are incorporated into the series’ traditionally gung-ho gameplay, are what distinguish this from previous games. When you′re not playing as Clank, there’s no shortage of all-out action as the imprisoned Ratchet defends himself against other inmates in arena-style levels. Humor comes courtesy of Captain Qwark, who’s playable in 3D for the first time and eager to take the credit for Clank’s heroics. Vehicular chases and puzzle-based Gadgebot levels add variety to the proceedings, and the end result is an adventure well worth embarking on.
Secret Agent Clank’s storyline gets underway with an unlikely scenario in which Clank witnesses Ratchet stealing the largest pristine gem in the universe from a museum. Convinced that Ratchet would (more…)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2: The Phantom Fortress is a mostly recycled fighting game placed within a hollow adventure. To lay its basic contents bare, this game contains a lengthy single-player campaign called The Mugenjo, a series of team battles called Heroes mode, a head-to-head battle, a bonus content area called Ninja Road, and finally, Naruto’s House, where you can view purchased bonus items. It’s a ton of content, and it would take you well over 10 hours to explore all of it. It will take you only about two hours, though, to get tired of it.
The single-player campaign, The Mugenjo, takes place in the Phantom Fortress. This floating palace of doom is 99 stories tall, and each story contains several rooms and stairs. For instance, when you take the stairs up from the third floor, you’ll find that there are two or three rooms between you and the stairs up to the fifth floor. In all likelihood, the two or three rooms in front of you will be blank. This means you need to “summon″ a room through which to travel. To do this, you need to use a room-summoning scroll. At any given time, you have four of these, and when you use one, it’s replaced by another at random.
Here are the types of rooms you will be able to summon: battle (a single match against a CPU opponent), pop quiz (a three-question quiz on Naruto lore), clone room (three-card monte), shadow possession (button-press mimicking), tree (more…)
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