The Video Game Critic's
Xbox 360 Reviews S

I love me some SNK, but this may be the single most unsatisfying fighting game I've ever played. Sen attempts to bring SNK's venerable Samurai Shodown series into the 3D realm, much as Capcom did with Street Fighter 4. Needless to say, this is a lot less successful! The intro is a remake of the classic opening from the original Samurai Shodown, but it's all downhill from there. You select between 24 weapon-equipped martial artists, including some new faces like a dwarf wielding an axe and a black guy wielding an Afro. The stages are 3D renderings of the tranquil scenes from old Shodown games, but they look bland. The story mode begins with painfully slow text crawl as a flashing prompt practically implores you to "PRESS START. SKIP EVENT". The fighting engine is rough and feels very outdated compared to the latest crop of fighters. The animation is choppy and the fights lack a natural flow. The convoluted controls include a horizontal slash, vertical slash, kick, horizontal power slash, horizontal vertical slash, special action, and more. As you can imagine, this set of moves doesn't map well to any controller on this planet. A typical special move combination goes something like this: left-down, vertical slash, horizontal slash+vertical slash, special. Got that? Each round's intro is needlessly long, and the replays shown afterwards are nothing you'd ever want to watch. There's minimal gore during the course of the battle, but the finishing moves are big on dismemberment followed by fountains of blood. Instead of a score, your performance is judged on how fast you finish the game. The problem is, you probably won't be inclined to finish it. I could criticize Sen's replay value, but that would imply the game had any play value to begin with. SNK seems to have lost their way with regard to their classic franchises. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

As one of the few critics with an unexplainable appreciation for the full-motion video (FMV) "phase" of the early 90's gaming scene, I gravitated towards this oddball title. Scene It is a movie trivia game for up to four players. Each contest is a series of mini-games, and four small controllers are included to make it easy to answer the multiple-choice questions. At the top of the controller is a large "buzzer" which is rarely used and hardly necessary. Your controllers need to be in range of a sensor that runs from a USB port, and they can be flaky in terms of responsiveness. When the game begins you watch a short movie clip and answer questions related to it. In subsequent mini-games you'll identify a movie from a prop, an audio clip, or a partial movie poster. There are literally dozens of variations, and they vary dramatically in terms of entertainment value. Most are fairly enjoyable, but a few, like the one that asks you to unscramble movie names, are unspeakably bad. Scene It's movie selection is respectable, covering all major genres from the black-and-white era to the present. Obviously you'll fare better with films you're familiar with, but sometimes you'll get stuck with an oldie. Unfortunately, after the first round you're penalized for wrong answers, which takes the fun out of making educated guesses. The idiotic announcer is another liability, spewing corny lines like "I hope you have a good memory because mine is... um what was I just talking about??" Har dee har har har. Worse yet, this jerk relentlessly ridicules players who are losing. He annoyed my wife so badly that she wanted to stop playing half-way through the game!! By all means, be sure to turn that sorry bastard off via the options menu. Even Scene It's scoring system is flawed. During the final round, the point values are multiplied by each correct answer. If you're familiar with the movie in question, it's possible to score more points on one question than you earned in the entire game! Bogus! Who was the bonehead who designed this thing anyway? There are some technical issues as well, like pause screens that won't let you select anything except "resume". As a movie lover, Scene It should have been a treat, but this botched title is more of a cautionary tale. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Unlike most critics who are bent on trashing the Scene It series, I like the concept of a movie trivia game and held out some hope for this "Bright Lights Big Screen" edition. The game has a glitzy game show format, allowing up to four players to participate in a series of rounds consisting of multiple-choice questions. The interface is very polished, and you're presented with clips from films like Evan Almighty, Cloverfield, Surf's Up, Uncle Buck, and the Karate Kid. There are no black-and-white oldies this time around. Scene It can be fun when movie buffs go head-to-head, but the game stumbles in the most confounding ways. Most of these clips aren't the least bit memorable, and the audio is entirely too low compared to the game's audio effects. It's critical to properly adjust the options. That means shutting off that irritating commentator and disabling the ill-conceived "star system" which tends to reward bad players. You'll also want to disable the negative points and set the game type to "short". Answering questions about movie clips is fun, but when the puzzles get creative things go south in a hurry. The anagrams and pictograms are headache inducing, as are the puzzles with pictures that materialize from liquid drops. Any puzzle that require players to "buzz in" is terrible. I hate how the game never bothers to tell you the name of the movie you just watched, and also fails to inform you of the correct answer when the players guess it wrong. Bright Lights Big Screen can be mildly competitive with some willing participants, but its high production values can't gloss over its many design flaws. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

I've been a fan of the Sega Rally series since it debuted on the Saturn in 1996, and this third edition effectively resurrects the franchise from a long sleep. Revo offers addictive off-road racing in a series of exotic environments ranging from tropical, to desert, to snowy mountains. This game has an easy-to-play arcade look and feel you don't see very often anymore. Initially the steering seems tricky, but with a little practice you'll be power sliding around corners with ease. You might expect the brake to play a vital role in the slippery conditions, but it's usually more effective to simply let off the accelerator to initiate a slide. Hell, even bouncing off a guardrail is better than using the brake! Like most arcade racers, an invisible wall prevents you from veering off the track, and you'll be grateful for it. Cars don't incur damage either, which is also a good thing. Mud and snow tends to get caked onto the bottom of your car, which looks cool. The left bumper of the controller lets you cycle between views, and although the "windshield" offers the most immersive vantage point, the "high" view is slightly easier. Vibration feedback also enhances the experience, along with the crisp sounds of gravel, mud, and snow under your tires. Your five fellow-racers are some sneaky bastards, trying to cut you off at every opportunity. As retribution, be sure to slam into them around sharp curves to minimize your turn radius. Sega Revo's scenery isn't spectacular, but the courses have a realistic quality that's appealing. They tend to be reasonably short so you can finish a race within five minutes. But my favorite aspect of the game is the snow. Not only do you plow through deep snow in the Arctic, but on Alpine tracks the snow becomes more treacherous as you climb a mountain, and gradually melts away as you approach lower elevations. Revo's packaging boasts about its "Geo-deformation" technology, but apparently that just means your tire tracks remain in the road over subsequent laps. They don't seem to affect your handling at all. Sega Rally Revo has an addictive single-player championship mode, despite an annoying number of menu screens that all look the same. The two two-player split-screen mode is exceptionally good. Sega Rally Revo is not great in any way, but very good in every way, making it feel like more than the sum of its parts. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

I was disappointed with the Wii version of Sega Superstars Tennis, and disgusted with this Xbox 360 edition. Superstars had a lot going for it, including loveable Sega characters, bright scenic courts, and familiar tunes from classic games. The action is fast and has an arcade quality. So why do I not want to play this? Well, first of all the controls are terrible. The swing controls are erratic, and your character doesn't even make an effort to hit a lot of balls that seem close enough. Two buttons are used to hit the ball (topspin and slice), but executing lobs or drop-shots requires you to hit combinations of these. Hello? There are two unused buttons on the controller! Poor AI is another problem. In the main "Superstar mode", the CPU is so unyielding that I couldn't even win the first match! It's impossible to get the ball past a speed demon like Sonic, so you only score when he inexplicably "gives up" on the shot! And couldn't Sega have programmed more than one reaction per character? Talk about repetitive! The two-player mode is better, but still mediocre. The music tends to "cut out" between points, and it's really annoying. I was expecting Sega Superstars to be shallow, but I wasn't prepared for such a complete meltdown. If you want to know how far Sega has fallen, look no further than this game. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Unlike the Wii version of Shaun White Snowboarding, which was shallow but fun, the 360 edition tries to convey a more realistic snowboarding experience. You can toggle between four locations including Alaska, Europe, and Japan. The mountains and scenery look quite authentic, and you can even ride the lifts. You can hop off the lifts in motion, or have a helicopter drop you off at strategic locations. Heck, you can even step off your snowboard and freely explore your surroundings. The sense of freedom is fine, but the game is missing one crucial ingredient, and that's speed. Even when going full bore you feel as if you're just plodding along. After being awarded "speed demon" bonus points, I was like, "You've got to be kidding me!" It's hard to accrue or maintain any kind of momentum, so stringing together tricks is a frustratingly proposition. The low camera angle doesn't help matters, making it hard to see upcoming cliffs and time your jumps accordingly. The controls are mainly limited to the thumbsticks and triggers, but the scheme is counter-intuitive and I never felt comfortable with it. Pushing up on the left stick increases your speed, but it also initiates a forward flip during jumps, and that's a problem. There are plenty of special challenges, and most involve performing tricks for points. The thing is, even when you do horrible you tend to win a medal, and that's not satisfying at all. The game has a plethora of customization options, letting you personalize every detail including your boots, backpack, and goggles (does anybody care?). The graphics are okay, but the mountains fail to instill a sense of awe, and they all look pretty much the same. The game's lively soundtrack is great, including heavy-hitting rock tunes like Cult of Personality (Living Colour) and Barracuda (Heart). For patient gamers who value realism, Shaun White Snowboarding offers tremendous depth and replay value, but if you just want to have fun, stick with the Wii version. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

Homecoming ushers Silent Hill into the next generation with style, reinvigorating the franchise with a fresh new look and feel. Previous Silent Hills were consistently scary but tended to be slow, plodding, and difficult. I like how Homecoming picks up the tempo and is generally easier to play. The basic premise is unchanged as you search a foggy, deserted town for some bratty kid while fending off twisted, deformed creatures. Spine-tingling sound effects and limited visibility create an intense atmosphere, but Homecoming eschews the grainy visuals of past Silent Hills and looks crisp and clean by comparison. The unnerving background music ranges from alarming cacophonies to melancholy pianos. The game keeps you on edge as you creep through a cemetery, hotel, police station, and prison. Among the evil hordes are hellhounds, hammerhead goons, and some smoking hot nurses (from the neck down, at least). Some of the more bizarre creatures have heads protruding from their crotches! Isn't that nuts!? Homecoming has its share of memorable moments including a flooded basement encounter and a harrowing elevator ride. Your character is surprisingly mobile, dodging attacks with ease and moving between rooms without having to contend with load screens. Combat is more sophisticated than past Silent Hills but not complicated. Homecoming is well programmed but a few design issues had me scratching my head. The inventory system is confusing, especially when items you just picked up don't show up in your inventory! Certain puzzles don't make much sense, like when you "use" an empty gas can to obtain gas from a truck. The graphics are sharp but uneven in quality. The lighting is terrific and the decrepit graveyard looks properly weathered, but the grass looks flat and standing water looks more like glass. The distribution of health items and save points could also be better. Homecoming could use a bit of polish, but it proves this franchise can still deliver the spooky thrills. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

This game is a trip! The Simpsons Game is the first I can recall to effectively break the "fourth wall". Not only does it constantly acknowledge the fact that it's a video game (and a TV show), but it mocks all of the standard video game conventions. There are breakable crates ("as seen in everything"), exploding barrels, invisible walls, pressure pads, enemy-spawning portals, and dozens of other hackneyed concepts we've come to expect in our games. I love how the invading aliens debate about exposing the "weak spot" of their saucer after every four laser bursts. Although the hub of the game lets you freely roam Springfield, the stages take you to specific locations such as a lumber mill, an aquarium, and a natural history museum. Two characters embark on each mission, and since they need to work as a team, the game is much more enjoyable when you play with a friend (via split screen). Each of the four main characters has special powers. Bart can transform into Bartman, Lisa can move items telepathically, Marge uses a megaphone to round up mobs to do her bidding, and Homer can assume odd forms like the destructive rolling "Homerball". Playing a game that pokes fun of every other video game does have a drawback - it also plays like every other video game! That means you'll engage in a lot of routine platform jumping, button-mashing fighting, tedious item collecting, and lever-pulling puzzles. Some stages, like the "Cheatrix", are almost unbearable. Even so, the game's wicked sense of humor keeps it afloat. The jokes and quips come early and often, and the game is genuinely funny. In one scene the mayor decrees: "I have decided to ban the game Grand Theft Scratchy from minors - the only ones who want to play it!" Some of the best lines come from the aliens, who exclaim "Killing humans is like sex to us" and "I was Dick Cheney all along!" You'll also play Simpson-ized versions of many classic games including Joust, Gauntlet, Metal of Honor, Space Invaders, and Missile Command. One stage relentlessly mocks Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, effectively exposing that game for how ridiculous it really is. Unfortunately, while these send-offs are fiercely entertaining, they aren't particularly fun to play. The Simpsons also has its share of technical issues. The control scheme is surprising unintuitive, although constant hints are provided to prod you along. The controls are erratic, which is truly evident in the Frogger stage, which should be simple but is absolutely frustrating. The camera often provides lousy angles and requires constant adjustment. There's lots of stuff to collect, but only specific characters can collect certain items, and that absolutely stinks. On the surface, the game looks absolutely beautiful, with crisp visuals, bright colors, and smooth animation. The Simpsons Game may be guilty of style over substance, but die-hard fans can probably bump up the grade by one letter. NOTE: I have been advised that the Xbox 360 version has better graphics and more content than the Wii version. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Just what the world needs - another stealth game! Talk about a concept that's been beaten to death! Still, there's something appealing about freaking people out as "the King" with his creepy plastic face. Or maybe I'm just a sick bastard. Anyway, at first I couldn't figure this game out, until my buddy Steve pointed out that you could only scare "hungry" people with burgers in "bubbles" over their heads. Once you get a feel for it, Sneak King is actually a fun little game. The wandering people sport Metal Gear-like "vision cones" that are clearly visible on the main screen (no need to check the radar display). This makes it easy to avoid detection, and once you begin to recognize their movements, you can pop out of barrels, crates, and bales of hay. Upon successfully surprising a person, King breaks into a little dance before presenting the sandwich. While comical at first, you'll soon grow weary of these animations and find yourself tapping buttons in a vain attempt to expedite the process. The first stage takes place in a sawmill (odd!), but later stages include a neighborhood cul-de-sac and a city at night. The missions become trickier as you progress, and it can get pretty intense as you attempt to deliver a certain number of sandwiches within a short time limit. Sneak King has a certain charm and an addictive quality the other Burger King games lack. At $3.99, this one really took me by surprise. NOTE: This game also plays on a regular Xbox, with slightly degraded graphic quality. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Sega has proven quite adept at mishandling its classic franchises in recent years, but with Sonic & the Sega All-Stars Racing, they finally got their act together. This arcade-style title harkens back to the good old days when playing a video game was easy and fun. Sonic Racing brings together characters from such beloved Sega franchises as Space Channel 5, House of the Dead, Super Monkey Ball, Crazy Taxi, Samba De Amigo, Billy Hatcher, Jet Set Radio, and naturally Sonic the Hedgehog. The gorgeous high-def stages take you through tropical lagoons (Sonic), snowy castles (Billy Hatcher), dark graveyards (House of the Dead), festive villages (Samba De Amigo), and modern cities (Jet Set Radio). Not only is each track a visual treat, but the soundtrack leverages toe-tapping tunes from past titles like Sonic Adventure and Samba De Amigo. The lush tropical locations are loaded with references to classic Sonic titles, including the crabs and fish from the very first Sonic game! I love the eye candy, but Sega could take some pointers from Nintendo regarding course design. The Monkey Ball tracks have one 90-degree turn after another, and the House of the Dead courses are too dark to follow. Yeah, I know Sega's just trying to stay true to the subject matter, but running into walls is not fun. Otherwise this game is a blast! The control scheme rewards drifting with a speed burst - a nifty concept used effectively back in Crash Team Racing (PS1, 1999). The races are ideal in length and the split-screen mode is terrific. In the single-player tournament mode, you only need to place in the top three to advance. The commentator is annoying and unnecessary, but you can easily shut him off via the options screen. Credits earned can be used to buy additional characters, tracks, and music. Yes, for once there is actually useful stuff to buy! Amazing! I'm really happy to see Sega finally able to capitalize on their substantial catalogue. Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing may not be as good as Mario Kart Wii, but it's awfully close. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

Whoever is responsible for this ill-conceived mess has no business being in the video game industry. Sonic Unleashed looks like a million bucks, but plays like a $1.98. The early press on this game suggested it would mark Sonic's long-awaited return to his classic 2D roots. In fact, this has more in common with the universally despised Xbox 360 Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Unleashed introduces a one highly unoriginal and completely unwelcome new element: the ability to transform into a werewolf at night. The combat-heavy, puzzle-centric werewolf stages are always tedious and frequently unbearable. The jumping and grabbing controls are so counter-intuitive that it feels like you're playing a first-generation 3D game. It's as if the developers tried to reinvent the wheel and it turned out square. You'll contend with regenerating robots that linger on the screen after you defeat them, making it hard to determine who's left to attack. The camerawork is jerky, the controls are touchy, and the checkpoints aren't nearly frequent enough. The werewolf stages are a veritable chore, but even the lightning-fast Sonic stages barely register on the fun meter. There's no shortage of raw speed and lush scenery, but controls are so limited you feel as if you're having minimal impact on events. Expect a lot of confusing button prompts that are impossible to react to. Is there anything good about this game? Well, I like the idea of collecting rings to replenish your life gauge, and the island stages feature some absolutely breathtaking scenery. Too bad you don't get to enjoy any of it! In addition to its fundamentally-flawed gameplay, Unleashed seems to go out of its way to irritate the player. The ability to walk around a town and chat with people ("Nice weather today") was never fun in the past, and never will be, no matter how pretty the scenery may be. The epic storyline is inappropriate for a Sonic title, and the endless, unskippable cut-scenes are torture to watch. The boss battles are too frequent, too long, and often too difficult. Was this game even play tested? Irritating tightrope-walking sequences, confusing objectives, boring slide-the-block puzzles, frequent "you can't go here yet" messages, cutesy sidekicks, vomit-inducing voices, and fatal water are just a few of the torments Unleashed inflicts upon the player. Bad games happen, but to create something as supremely unlikeable as Sonic Unleashed, you really have to make the effort! © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

Sega's famed mascot has had his ups and downs over the years, but there's simply no excuse for this outrageously bad game. The fact that it bears the same name as the original Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis, 1991) is a slap in the face to long-time fans. Presented in high definition but unplayable at any resolution, this ill-conceived debacle is structured like Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast 1999), but lacks the charm, polish, control, and element of fun. As if the developers were trying to emphasize the worst aspects of previous Sonic titles, you'll endure pointless chatting with townsfolk, brainlessly "bop" the heads of countless robots (just keeping pressing A), and barrel through stages while almost completely out of control. The idea of integrating the cartoon-ish Sonic characters with realistic human figures is as creepy as it is idiotic. The "touching" cut-scenes between Sonic and the shapely female character are so utterly embarrassing that they had me reaching for a barf bag ("All I need... is your smile"). Back in the day, the Sonic games featured light-hearted themes, imaginative stages, crisp controls, and simple gameplay. This new Sonic, on the other hand, is bogged down with pointless dialogue, confusing objectives, idiotic stage designs, and abysmal control. The "hub" of the game is a little town where you buy items from LL Cool J and chat with people who have nothing interesting to say. The "action" stages aren't much better, thanks to a spastic camera that makes it impossible to keep your bearings. In the desert stages, you instantly drown when you touch the sand!! Think about how stupid that is! Still, it was quite amusing to hear a friend yell, "Oh no!! SAND!!" The new "ring attacks" are a confusing mess, and the boss battle with "Silver" is the worst ever ("Take that! It's no use!!"). The ill-advised new "super speed" stages have you whizzing through long stretches so fast that you can't properly steer or anticipate obstacles. Evidentally, Sega fired their entire Quality Assurance department, because the game's obvious bugs and general lack of polish is astounding. Besides the jumpy camera, there are collision detection glitches, inexcusable pop-up, clipping problems galore, and kung-fu quality lip-syncing. It's not unusual to suddenly lose control of your hedgehog as he momentarily moonwalks in place. The loading screens are so excessive that I had to sit through a 15-second load screen just to watch a lame, 5-second clip. The graphics are high-definition, but no more detailed than the Dreamcast titles - only sharper. I find it hard to believe that somebody at Sega thought this game was a good idea. This is a disgrace. Sonic the Hedgehog has been defeated. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

Sega released a terrific compilation of 28 old Genesis games for the PS2 in 2006, but Sonic Ultimate Collection eclipses that with over 40 titles! Designed with high definition in mind, these games offer a degree of visual and audio clarity far beyond what a Genesis system could muster. On a wide screen, the games are "framed" to retain their original 4:3 proportions, with colorful (and appropriate) scenery filling the unused space. While playing Streets of Rage with my wife, I noticed many subtle details undetectable in the original version, such as the reflections of buildings in store windows. My wife noted that the colors are much deeper. When you stop to savor all of the artistic details in the scenery (like posters blowing in the wind), you gain a whole new appreciation for these old games. The Sonic titles look brighter and more inviting than ever, and memorable 16-bit soundtracks like the one in Ecco the Dolphin have never sounded better. The collection contains a few marginal titles like Flicky, Alex Kid, and Bonanza Bros., but most of these games have aged extremely well. I personally rediscovered a few obscure gems like the action-packed police shooter E-Swat and the macabre platformer Decap Attack. The action/adventure Beyond Oasis boasts lush tropical scenery and impressively large animated characters. Role-playing game (RPG) fans will flip over the inclusion of rare titles like Phantasy Star 1 thru 4 (!) and Shining Force 1 and 2 (!!). You can save any game in progress, and in some cases high scores are retained as well. Unlockables include interviews and arcade-perfect hits like Congo Bongo, Zaxxon, Space Harrier, and Shinobi. And no, they are not hard to unlock (thankfully). Does this collection have any faults? Well, the 360 controller is not ideal for these kind of games, and after a while your fingers will long for a Genesis control pad. The emulation is not perfect, but it's very close. I noticed some subtle slow-down and slight control lag, but it's barely worthy of mention. Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is a treasure trove of fun from the 90's. With so many games, you could play this all night, and that's really not a bad idea. I just hope this isn't the last Genesis collection, because there's a lot more where this came from! © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

The last time we saw Soul Calibur, it was a Playstation 2 exclusive in the form of Soul Calibur III (2005). As the first edition for this new generation, Soul Calibur IV (SC4) delivers exactly what you would expect but nothing more. It's an intense, one-on-one 3D brawler with fantasy themes and majestic backdrops. The gameplay has changed little the years - for better or worse. SC4 has a nice pick-up-and-play vibe, with intense action and minimal load times. The basic controls are simple enough, but the string of movements required to perform certain attacks borders on the extreme. Button mashing isn't always a bad option. Being aggressive gains you the momentum, and your opponent's guard move is only partially effective. Most battles take place on raised platforms, and it's annoying how you can pummel an opponent teetering on the edge, yet they refuse to fall off! The roster includes martial artists, knights, jesters, and of course some scantily clad females. I think the developers have finally went over the edge with Ivy - it looks like she has two bowling balls hanging off her chest! She's gone from a sex goddess to a freak! Sometimes landing a blow it will break off some of your opponent's armor. "Hey look guys, her clothes are coming off!" "Quick, hit her again!!" Besides the new on-line modes, the biggest news is that Star Wars characters have been introduced, including Vader, Yoda, and a Jedi Apprentice. This may add some variety, but they seem oddly out of place, and I don't appreciate how they use the force to toss me around like a rag doll. The stages are diverse, but if you've played Soul Calibur before, areas like the cathedral, volcano, and floating raft will seem awfully familiar. My personal favorites are the bright, exotic pirate ship stage and the moonlit glacier. The story mode spices up the action by incorporating power-ups and pitting you against three opponents in a row. But the storylines themselves are crap. They begin with a text crawl (and I mean crawl), and end with an incomprehensible cut scene. The melodramatic dialogue tries to sound profound but it means absolutely nothing. "Her resolution gives her the strength to face her destiny." Whatever! The arcade mode lets you play for points, but sadly, they aren't recorded unless you're on-line, and that sucks. A rich create-a-fighter mode is included, which may appeal to some. Soul Calibur IV is still a quality fighter, but unless you want to play on-line, this edition has little new to offer. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

There's only one thing more satisfying that racing fast cars, and that's blowing them up. Split Second looks like a million bucks, and plays like it too. Its adrenaline-soaked action, photo-realistic graphics, and devastating mayhem are a joy to behold. While racing against seven other cars, you fill a power gauge by executing drifts, jumps, drafts, and near-misses (shouldn't those be near-hits?). Most games let you earn turbo, but here you earn the ability to wreak havoc on the course, systematically knocking out your competitors. You'll trigger incidents like helicopters dropping girders, trucks backing out into traffic, cranes swinging out of control, and buildings collapsing. Blue or red icons appear over opponents who are properly positioned to be the target of your carnage. Just be sure to keep some distance or you might just plow into the mess you've made. The captivating action combines the thrill of an arcade title with the richness of a simulation. The cars are not particularly easy to drive (it's easy to over-drift), but that just adds to the challenge and realism. The season mode mixes normal races with elimination events, survival races, and special challenges like helicopter showdowns. A split-screen mode is also included, and it's superb. Split Second also offers a number of clever innovations. As a race begins you're immediately off to a rolling start. There's no countdown, and you won't miss it one bit. I also love how your power meter and vital information are displayed on your back bumper, allowing you to glance at them without taking your eyes off of the road. If there's one area where Split Second does not live up to its name, its the load times. It's like playing a PS3 game for crying out loud! My friend Scott complained that they "take you out of the moment". Fortunately it's worth the wait. And in an era when companies routinely release buggy games, I have to commend Disney's quality control department. This game is so smooth and polished, I can only assume they play-tested the hell out of it! My friend Jonathan even raved about the menus! The freakin' menus! Boldly original and perfectly executed, Split Second elevates racing excitement to a whole new level. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

Stoked feels like a snowboarding game designed by snowboarders, and that's part of the problem. If terms like indy, mute, or stalefish are second-nature to you, Stoked delivers a pretty hardcore snowboarding experience. Otherwise you're in for a substantial learning curve. And even when you do learn what the hell these wacky terms mean, memorizing their controls is another ball of wax. The big selling point of Stoked is the promise of skiing freely down a huge open mountain. Most snowboarding titles limit you to narrow courses, and if you're like me, you've been tempted to travel off the beaten path. Stoked allows you do that, but sadly, there's not much to see! Yes the wide-open powdery hills look inviting at first, but there's little sense of speed even as you careen down the steepest slopes. Worse yet, some mountains have immense slushy sections and bare spots that send you tumbling head over heels. I struggled through the game's tutorial and was frustrated by my lack of progress on the first mountain. Each mountain offers a series of "challenge points" which require you to perform specific tricks while meeting a scoring threshold. They are not easy at all, especially when you're asked to pull off chicken salad/backside 360 combinations at the drop of a dime. Many of the moves are never explained anywhere. Okay, I'm supposed to perform a hucked or styled landing?? Ummm... how?? Little help here!! The controls are mainly limited to the two triggers and thumbsticks, but there's little room for error, and concept of "winding up" a jump is hard to wrap your mind around. Even when I knew exactly what I had to do, I struggled to find a ramp that would give me sufficient air to complete the trick. Probably the best aspect of the game is its diverse, eclectic soundtrack. While none of the songs sounded familiar, they all had a nice, laid-back groove. Soundtrack aside, Stoked is a major letdown. Some may appreciate its realistic slant, but the game is entirely too inaccessible to recommend to the casual player. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

The Street Fighter franchise has returned with a vengeance, successfully coupling its classic 2D gameplay with lush 3D graphics. The colorful anime set-up screens are a joy to behold, and the fighters are rendered with amazing polish and artistic flair. Street Fighter IV (SF4) plays as well as its looks, thanks to its perfectly responsive controls. Think you can find a better head-to-head fighter than this? Good luck! Hell, this makes 3D fighters like Soul Calibur and Dead or Alive look like garbage! SF4 adopts the classic Street Fighter 2 format, from its colorful selection screen, to its best-of-three matches, to the obligatory winner's quote ("What's up with that outfit? Did you lose a bet or something?") The new "focus attacks" add depth, but the new "Ultra" moves (grab your opponent and jump a mile in the air) are just overkill. SF4 really should come packaged with a full-sized joystick, because the 360 controller is not conducive to button tapping. Unfortunately, from what I hear the official SF4 joystick won't be widely available until late 2011 (did Capcom outsource to Nintendo or something?!) I congratulate Capcom for nailing SF4 in the style and gameplay department, but they really messed up on a few important details. I'm glad they brought back the old characters, but Chun Li is saddled with the same enormous thighs she picked up during her Alpha days (not to mention man-hands). Rose's hard facial features prompted my friend Steve to do his best Austin Powers impression ("She's a man baby yeah!") As for the four new characters, could Capcom possibly come up with a more unattractive group? Not likely! Viper is a lesbian with red braided hair and a bigger package than the guys! Abel is a generic muscleman, Rufus is an overweight biker, and El Fuerte is a short Mexican wrestler who hops around like a flea. Equally devoid of imagination are the backgrounds, most of which are instantly forgettable. The jungle and diner scenery is probably the best, but that's not saying much. The music on the character selection screen has a sweet 1992 vibe, but the overall soundtrack is a mixed bag. Is that Justin Timberlake singing the title track? One tune sounds like that annoying Six Flags commercial (ugh). An irritating (and unnecessary) commentator is always tossing out platitudes like "The weak lose and the strong win! Who will prove the axiom today?" Each character has a short animated intro, and you'll get really tired of skipping them. Playing this game with friends is a total blast, but the one-player experience rings hollow. In the arcade mode, the final boss (the shape-changer "Seth") is so damn cheap you'll have to play on the "easy" difficulty just to unlock characters. The challenge mode is not very exciting, and the arcade mode only records your high scores if you're on-line! For a game that prides itself as old school, that just plain sucks. Sorry, but I have no desire to compare my scores with some 17-year-old in Boise Idaho! I suspect Capcom is just trying to force people on-line in the hopes they'll shell out a few bucks for a new Chun Li outfit. No thank you! Street Fighter IV definitely has a lot of muscle under the hood, but ill-advised design decisions prevent this one from attaining classic status. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

With this Super edition, Capcom rectifies most of the issues I had with the original Street Fighter 4. Although the game still caters heavily to the on-line crowd, it does now record off-line statistics like high scores for each character (as well as an all-time high). I would have preferred a traditional top ten screen with initials, but I'll take what I can get. As a fighting game, Super Street Fighter 4 is superb, combining the simplicity of 2D controls with the rich visuals of 3D graphics. It feels exceptionally polished and well tuned. The fighting action is intense, and if you haven't invested in a good joystick yet, now is the time. Playing with a normal 360 controller is not kind to your hands! There are ten new characters to select from, bringing the grand total to whopping 35. Newcomers include old favorites from Street Fighter 2, less familiar faces from Street Fighter 3, and a few brand new characters. You can now play as Dee Jay the Jamaican, T. Hawk the Native American, Adon the Kickboxer, Dudley the English boxer, Cody the handcuffed convict, and the ever-so-generic Guy. Juri is a sexy Asian chick, Ibuki is a schoolgirl, Makoto is a kid, and Hakan is a Turkish dude who enjoys rubbing himself down with oil. I was hoping for a lot of cool new stages, but only a few stand out like the diner scene and the elephant stage. The arcade mode now incorporates classic bonus stages including the one where you beat the hell out of a car. The commentator has been dramatically upgraded and the glossy instruction manual is first-class all the way. I'd stop short of calling this a mandatory upgrade, but Super Street Fighter 4 clearly represents the current state-of-the-art for fighting games. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.