OliverG2002
2021
A charming little game that made an excellent addition to Xbox Games With Gold this month.
From the music and art style to the simplistic yet non-repetitive gameplay, this game is a wonderful and relaxing experience that can be enjoyed for brief, 10-minute play sessions or for hour-long sit-downs.
If there is one issue the game has it is that the controls can feel rather clunky from time to time, at least when played on a console using thumbsitcks. While playing on Series X I noticed that the left stick (used for sideways movement in the game) has a bit of an odd dead zone and can be a bit unresponsive compared to other platformers. However it didn't take that long to adapt to controlling the game, and it really is the only blemish on an otherwise wonderful little game.
From the music and art style to the simplistic yet non-repetitive gameplay, this game is a wonderful and relaxing experience that can be enjoyed for brief, 10-minute play sessions or for hour-long sit-downs.
If there is one issue the game has it is that the controls can feel rather clunky from time to time, at least when played on a console using thumbsitcks. While playing on Series X I noticed that the left stick (used for sideways movement in the game) has a bit of an odd dead zone and can be a bit unresponsive compared to other platformers. However it didn't take that long to adapt to controlling the game, and it really is the only blemish on an otherwise wonderful little game.
I really enjoyed this game back when my main console was my Wii U, and, after finally picking up an Xbox 360 in March of last year, knew I had to give the main version of the game a go when I found it for $6 in a used games store.
Overall, the core gameplay elements are exactly as enjoyable as I remember them being, with a good selection of cars at your disposal and a decently interactive open world to explore.
That being said, not everything here is perfect.
The racing gameplay is a lot more unforgiving than I remember from when I was younger. Races happen at incredibly high speed, especially against the Most Wanted boss cars, and with no rewinds available, one crash can completely ruin an otherwise great run. This issue is compounded by the fact that the Most Wanted opponents have a tendency to rubberband, never being more than a second or two behind you no matter how perfectly you drive.
Also, going back and playing this game after playing something with a higher framerate, such as Forza Horizon 5, can be a bit jarring as the framerate does stutter from time to time and the 30fps combined with the high speed of the races can lead to slow reaction times and annoying wrecks until you get the hang of things.
Overall though, once you adapt to some of the game's unique quirks, it is a very fun racer you can easily spend a good amount of time with.
Overall, the core gameplay elements are exactly as enjoyable as I remember them being, with a good selection of cars at your disposal and a decently interactive open world to explore.
That being said, not everything here is perfect.
The racing gameplay is a lot more unforgiving than I remember from when I was younger. Races happen at incredibly high speed, especially against the Most Wanted boss cars, and with no rewinds available, one crash can completely ruin an otherwise great run. This issue is compounded by the fact that the Most Wanted opponents have a tendency to rubberband, never being more than a second or two behind you no matter how perfectly you drive.
Also, going back and playing this game after playing something with a higher framerate, such as Forza Horizon 5, can be a bit jarring as the framerate does stutter from time to time and the 30fps combined with the high speed of the races can lead to slow reaction times and annoying wrecks until you get the hang of things.
Overall though, once you adapt to some of the game's unique quirks, it is a very fun racer you can easily spend a good amount of time with.
Coming complete with all the DLC as well as the ability to swap cars much quicker with the Wii U gamepad, puts this version ahead of its mainline counterpart.
Unlike some other games ported to the Wii U system, Need for Speed Most Wanted U makes great use of the gamepad's screen, allowing players to easily change or respray their car on the fly, check a much better version of the minimap, disrupt perusing cops with the tap of the touchscreen or even play the whole game just on the gamepad screen.
There are also some fun Nintendo-related eastereggs that are exclusive to this version of the game, such as hidden warp pipes that teleport you to secret underground locations as a reference to Super Mario.
Overall a good racing game and likely your best bet when it comes to a licensed-car racing game on the Wii U.
Unlike some other games ported to the Wii U system, Need for Speed Most Wanted U makes great use of the gamepad's screen, allowing players to easily change or respray their car on the fly, check a much better version of the minimap, disrupt perusing cops with the tap of the touchscreen or even play the whole game just on the gamepad screen.
There are also some fun Nintendo-related eastereggs that are exclusive to this version of the game, such as hidden warp pipes that teleport you to secret underground locations as a reference to Super Mario.
Overall a good racing game and likely your best bet when it comes to a licensed-car racing game on the Wii U.
2015
While the added variety in terms of vehicles and design options does help to make the game an improvement over its predecessor, there are still plenty of issues to be found in CSR Racing 2.
Pretty much all of the issues have more to do with the mobile gaming industry as a whole but that doesn't stop them from negatively impacting this title. From paying for better cars to skip the endless grind to paying to refill your gas tank in order to avoid a cooldown period, this game is filled with microtransactions that greatly bring down what could otherwise be a pretty alright game
Pretty much all of the issues have more to do with the mobile gaming industry as a whole but that doesn't stop them from negatively impacting this title. From paying for better cars to skip the endless grind to paying to refill your gas tank in order to avoid a cooldown period, this game is filled with microtransactions that greatly bring down what could otherwise be a pretty alright game
2017
Fun little racing game to kill some time with but not much beyond that.
Overall, Gear Club Unlimited feels a lot like a mostly steering-based mobile racer (think Asphalt 9 Legends) but without the aggressive microtransactions.
While it isn't anything spectacular, the game has a good progression system and a decent amount of customization options to help keep players entertained.
Something that does bring it down a bit, however, is the lag and long loading times. While it doesn't show up during the actual racing portions of the game, there is often noticeable input lag in both the map screen as well as the garage-building hub. This can make the otherwise entertaining process of building and organizing your garage somewhat annoying.
Apart from that, however, Gear Club Unlimited is a fun little racing game to spend some time with while waiting to board a flight or killing time before your next class starts.
Overall, Gear Club Unlimited feels a lot like a mostly steering-based mobile racer (think Asphalt 9 Legends) but without the aggressive microtransactions.
While it isn't anything spectacular, the game has a good progression system and a decent amount of customization options to help keep players entertained.
Something that does bring it down a bit, however, is the lag and long loading times. While it doesn't show up during the actual racing portions of the game, there is often noticeable input lag in both the map screen as well as the garage-building hub. This can make the otherwise entertaining process of building and organizing your garage somewhat annoying.
Apart from that, however, Gear Club Unlimited is a fun little racing game to spend some time with while waiting to board a flight or killing time before your next class starts.
Even as made-for-kids kart racers go, Paw Patrol: Grand Prix is a truly shoddy product. Now while I will admit I am clearly not the target audience for the game, a 21-year-old with no attachment to the property the game is based on, I can confidently say that even as a kid, I would be bored by this game.
Compared to other kart racers like Mario Kart or the Sonic Racing series, Paw Patrol: Grand Prix feels incredibly slow and dull. The opponent AI is terrible on every level, and the tracks are so bland that the game practically plays itself.
While games like Sonic Racing or Mario Kart have a great variety of locations with unique visuals and memorable music, this game is a mess of reused assets and basic tracks that fail to stand out in any way.
On top of that, the cups themselves are brutally long slogs comprised of far too many races that take well over an hour to complete, meaning this game isn't even good for the achievement hunters out there.
Wether you are an adult or a child, I'd strongly suggest you steer clear of this game at all costs.
Compared to other kart racers like Mario Kart or the Sonic Racing series, Paw Patrol: Grand Prix feels incredibly slow and dull. The opponent AI is terrible on every level, and the tracks are so bland that the game practically plays itself.
While games like Sonic Racing or Mario Kart have a great variety of locations with unique visuals and memorable music, this game is a mess of reused assets and basic tracks that fail to stand out in any way.
On top of that, the cups themselves are brutally long slogs comprised of far too many races that take well over an hour to complete, meaning this game isn't even good for the achievement hunters out there.
Wether you are an adult or a child, I'd strongly suggest you steer clear of this game at all costs.
Let me tell you upfront that I only got this game because it was on sale for $0.99 during a time when my friend and I were competing to see who could rack up the most gamersore during a single month, and TrueAchievements.com said it had a lot of easy achievements. And while it is true that the achievements where hat brought me in initially, the game ended up not being half bad.
As spinoff of the RIDE series, a series I have a notoriously poor history with, I was expecting rebberbanding AI, a low-quality sound engine, and annoying-at-best controls. Instead, what I got was a great showcase celebrating 90 years of legendary motorcycle company Ducati.
From classic bikes to the superbikes of the 2010s, the game allows you to play through notable chapters pf the company's storied history and experience the bikes that came with it.
Despite being a spinoff of the aforementioned RIDE series, the controls are actually pretty decent this time around, with options available for the more casual type of player whop doesn't want to have to think about power-to-traction ratios every other second.
While the gameplay may start out slow with the older bikes, it quickly picks up the pace as you get closer and closer to the present day, with different types of challenges to keep you occupied along the way.
While the graphics might be on the lower end of things for the time, the sound engine perhaps not the best, and multiplayer being almost completely dead at this point, the game is a pretty decent experience if you can get it dirt cheap like I did, especially if you're looking for some super easy achievements to boost your gamersore.
As spinoff of the RIDE series, a series I have a notoriously poor history with, I was expecting rebberbanding AI, a low-quality sound engine, and annoying-at-best controls. Instead, what I got was a great showcase celebrating 90 years of legendary motorcycle company Ducati.
From classic bikes to the superbikes of the 2010s, the game allows you to play through notable chapters pf the company's storied history and experience the bikes that came with it.
Despite being a spinoff of the aforementioned RIDE series, the controls are actually pretty decent this time around, with options available for the more casual type of player whop doesn't want to have to think about power-to-traction ratios every other second.
While the gameplay may start out slow with the older bikes, it quickly picks up the pace as you get closer and closer to the present day, with different types of challenges to keep you occupied along the way.
While the graphics might be on the lower end of things for the time, the sound engine perhaps not the best, and multiplayer being almost completely dead at this point, the game is a pretty decent experience if you can get it dirt cheap like I did, especially if you're looking for some super easy achievements to boost your gamersore.
2017
What Nintendo doesn't seem to realize is that the whole point of repackaging or remastering a game for a new system is that you include all current and future DLC for free. That's what the word "deluxe" in the title implies. However, someone at the Mario company didn't get the memo and simply ported the existing game from the Wii U to the Switch and still expects players to pay for the lackluster DLC content.
On top of that, because Nintendo only likes releasing one mainline Mario Kart game per system, it's likely this will be the flagship Mario Kart game for the Switch era.
Because of this, despite having slightly more content than its Wii U counterpart, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe loses some points overall.
On top of that, because Nintendo only likes releasing one mainline Mario Kart game per system, it's likely this will be the flagship Mario Kart game for the Switch era.
Because of this, despite having slightly more content than its Wii U counterpart, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe loses some points overall.
2010
Whoever came up with the concept of flying spirit orbs can die in a hole.
2010
Don’t get me wrong, Fallout New Vegas is still an excellent video game and a shining example of creativity when it comes to the open world genre, but some elements haven’t aged brilliantly. The controls are clunky at times and, especially in the beginning, this is a very slow game. Also, even given the style and the time period it was made in, some of the graphics and elements in the game look atrocious. The story is a bit weak in places but fairly strong overall making for a good experience for most gamers.
Just a quick heads up, although the listing for the game here only shows it was available on the PC, the game was available for quite a few platforms including the Wii U which is how I played it.
Kind of a weird experience when it comes to these kinds of games. While it’s obvious that the idea behind it was “what if Harold and the Purple Crayon was a game?” the execution holds it back from being better than it is by limiting the creative freedom of the player quite a bit.
Not bad by any means, but you aren’t missing anything by not playing it either.
Kind of a weird experience when it comes to these kinds of games. While it’s obvious that the idea behind it was “what if Harold and the Purple Crayon was a game?” the execution holds it back from being better than it is by limiting the creative freedom of the player quite a bit.
Not bad by any means, but you aren’t missing anything by not playing it either.
This game is so stylistically different from its predecessor, Max and the Majic Marker (2010), that quite a few player probably didn’t realize they were even connected despite the naming of both games.
Beyond that though, Max and the Curse of Brotherhood is a much more polished game than the first installment, giving the player more creative freedom when it comes to puzzle solving as well having a much more interesting art style.
The gameplay is also pretty good, not exactly groundbreaking but easy to understand but deep enough that it doesn’t get repetitive too quickly. While there hasn’t been any announced follow up in the near decade since the game’s release, it’s a property that could really grow if given the chance.
Fun little game, especially if you can pick it up for cheap or play it on Xbox Game Pass.
Beyond that though, Max and the Curse of Brotherhood is a much more polished game than the first installment, giving the player more creative freedom when it comes to puzzle solving as well having a much more interesting art style.
The gameplay is also pretty good, not exactly groundbreaking but easy to understand but deep enough that it doesn’t get repetitive too quickly. While there hasn’t been any announced follow up in the near decade since the game’s release, it’s a property that could really grow if given the chance.
Fun little game, especially if you can pick it up for cheap or play it on Xbox Game Pass.
This review contains spoilers
NOTE FOR XBOX OWNERS: This game currently has a free trial available on the Xbox Marketplace that gives you access to the full game for free for a couple of hours. This includes the ability to unlock Achievements.
An interesting throwback to a much simpler era of gaming, The Adventures of Elena Temple is designed to replicate the simple style of lower-end games from the 90s, particularly Game Boy platformers.
It is clear from the very start that a lot of love has been put into this game by its creators, as there are a bunch of unique, retro-themed game cabinets you can use to play the game themed after 90s computers and consoles. The game also does a good job of recreating the feel of a lot of those bargain-bin Game Boy titles. However, this does bring with it its own set of issues here and there.
Like cheap 90s games, the controls are incredibly stiff, and movement can be unpredictable at times. If you are on a console or plan on playing this with a controller on your PC, I'd certainly recommend using the D-Pad, as the thumbsticks often won't move the character in the way you think they would. While you can get used to these controls as you play, the movement speed and acceleration of the character can cause precise platforming to become a bit of a headache. If the game had an option to turn on more fluid, modern controls, my main gripes with it would be solved, as almost everything else works just as it should.
A nice little dose of nostalgia that is also a good source of easy Achievements and Gamerscore for Xbox One/Series S|X Owners.
An interesting throwback to a much simpler era of gaming, The Adventures of Elena Temple is designed to replicate the simple style of lower-end games from the 90s, particularly Game Boy platformers.
It is clear from the very start that a lot of love has been put into this game by its creators, as there are a bunch of unique, retro-themed game cabinets you can use to play the game themed after 90s computers and consoles. The game also does a good job of recreating the feel of a lot of those bargain-bin Game Boy titles. However, this does bring with it its own set of issues here and there.
Like cheap 90s games, the controls are incredibly stiff, and movement can be unpredictable at times. If you are on a console or plan on playing this with a controller on your PC, I'd certainly recommend using the D-Pad, as the thumbsticks often won't move the character in the way you think they would. While you can get used to these controls as you play, the movement speed and acceleration of the character can cause precise platforming to become a bit of a headache. If the game had an option to turn on more fluid, modern controls, my main gripes with it would be solved, as almost everything else works just as it should.
A nice little dose of nostalgia that is also a good source of easy Achievements and Gamerscore for Xbox One/Series S|X Owners.
2017
Played On: Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, iOS
Run Sausage Run! is another one of those simple infinite runner games that were designed with mobile platforms in mind but have made its way to home consoles as well. A good source of easy Achievements for Xbox owners, especially when its on sale for $1.99 as it is right now, the game has a simple yet effective art style that works decently well with the different types of environments it includes.
While not amazing, the gameplay falls under the catagory of being easy to learn but somewhat challenging to fully master as you'll have to memorize the timing of obstacles in your path.
Overall it probably isn't a game you'll go out of your way to pick up but can offer brief, 5 - 20 minute sessions of fun if you do decide to go for it.
Run Sausage Run! is another one of those simple infinite runner games that were designed with mobile platforms in mind but have made its way to home consoles as well. A good source of easy Achievements for Xbox owners, especially when its on sale for $1.99 as it is right now, the game has a simple yet effective art style that works decently well with the different types of environments it includes.
While not amazing, the gameplay falls under the catagory of being easy to learn but somewhat challenging to fully master as you'll have to memorize the timing of obstacles in your path.
Overall it probably isn't a game you'll go out of your way to pick up but can offer brief, 5 - 20 minute sessions of fun if you do decide to go for it.
PROS:
Very cool styalistic choices for the environments, levels, and characters. The music is good and the roster of both Plants and Zombies feels very unique and filled out. Battles can feel very rewarding, especially when overcoming a particularly difficult fight and the large amount of content means there is quite a bit of depth to the game.
CONS:
A potentially great sequel to a fantastic game brought down quite a bit by microtransactions that disrupt the game's pacing and difficulty.
The game can also be weirdly difficult at times, especially when compared to its predecessor, and requires a constant internet connection meaning it isn't a great option for plain flights or road trips if you have limited data.
Very cool styalistic choices for the environments, levels, and characters. The music is good and the roster of both Plants and Zombies feels very unique and filled out. Battles can feel very rewarding, especially when overcoming a particularly difficult fight and the large amount of content means there is quite a bit of depth to the game.
CONS:
A potentially great sequel to a fantastic game brought down quite a bit by microtransactions that disrupt the game's pacing and difficulty.
The game can also be weirdly difficult at times, especially when compared to its predecessor, and requires a constant internet connection meaning it isn't a great option for plain flights or road trips if you have limited data.