Review Storm » Video Games

Nintendo Wii – Why You Need to Get a Wii

GuestPoster — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:47:31 +0000

These days it seems that almost everybody has a Wii – Nintendo’s insanely popular home video game console. And it’s no wonder. The Wii has transformed video games from the realm of kids and couch potatoes to that of families – and active ones at that!

The original name for Nintendo’s Wii video console was Revolution, which is exactly what the gaming giant managed to do: cause a revolution of sorts with a slim, white system that was ultimately given a little, quiet, slightly silly name – Wii.

Turns out that Wii was not a cute way of spelling the expression of exhilaration “Wheeee!” – like what you scream riding a roller coaster. The Japanese game maker actually derived it from the English word “we” to emphasize togetherness. And this is definitely something the wee Wii has accomplished more than any other gaming system.

Nintendo’s Wii turned video gaming from a butt-spreading time suck into a fun and effective fitness tool the entire family can enjoy. No longer is gaming just for anti-social teenagers and grown men who still think they’re teenagers. The Wii doesn’t encourage isolation but instead brings people together, old and young, and every age in between. You can, of course, play on your own, say to do a workout on Wii Fit or the new Wii title Your Shape, featuring actress Jenny McCarthy. But you can play with your spouse, your kids, your parents, your friends – even if they’re miles away!

There are loads of Wii games to suit every personality and loads of Wii accessories to go with them. It comes with a remote control and nunchuk. But for multi-player games you will need extra remotes, or Wiimotes, and nunchuks, not to mention Wii golf clubs and rackets and pistol-grip controls, to name just a few. And through the console, you can download classic Nintendo games, leave messages for the family on the Wii Message Board, surf online, browse the Wii Shop and check out the headlines on its News Channel.

And while you’re getting a Wii for yourself, get one for someone you love – the Wii is a great gift idea that can inspire even the most inactive of people to get off their behinds!

Kinect Sports Games: Will They Work?

GuestPoster — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:14:39 +0000

If you haven’t heard of the Kinect add on coming for the Xbox 360, then let me give you a brief run down. It is a camera that can track your movements, and that translates into the video games so that you can control your video games with just your body movements. This takes it a step further than the Nintendo Wii did since you will be able to control the game with your entire body, instead of just your hand and arm motions. it even has voice recognition, so that you’ll be able to speak out commands to the games.

When the Wii came out, it was bundled with Wii Sports, a bunch of different sports that you could play with the Wii remote. I am wondering how Kinect sports games will really go over. I think there will definitely be some good and some bad sports games that are implemented with Kinect functionality, but some Kinect games will be cool.

Football Games

It will be pretty awesome to control the quarterback, and to be able to toss passes out by throwing your arm in the direction of the receiver, and then to catch the pass. It will also be awesome to have the ability to call out plays and to dodge the defensive backs rushing at you. Though, if you have to run down the field, this could get old pretty quickly, so I don’t know.

Fighting Games

One of the promo videos shows a Kinect fighting game, that allows you to duck and dodge, as well as throw punches and kicks. This could be pretty awesome, since fighting games and button mashing go hand in hand. But, as one humorous Kinect parody video meant to mock the system portrays, it has a player just flailing their arms and legs around to throw punches and kicks.

I think Kinect will be pretty awesome and revolutionary, and a great new way to interact with video games.

Wii Shooting Games and the Wii Gun

GuestPoster — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:25:05 +0000

The biggest appeal of the Nintendo Wii console is how interactive it is with it’s players. Unlike non-video games like Battle Strikers where you have to get hands on, the remote is simply pointed at the television and it becomes in control of the movement and action in the game. The classic shooting games are blown away by the Wii gun accessories that can make a game feel completely new. A gun accessory is simply a hard cover in the shape of a gun that the Wii remote is inserted into. After the remote has been inserted inside, the gun can be pointed at the television and make the game much more realistic then with the remote alone.

These Wii accessories have become so popular because there is such a large variety of different weapons that can be purchased for different games. For shooting games, there is a wide selection of types of the Wii gun, perfect for any game. The Wii shotgun and Wii rifle are some of my favorites because look great while playing any hunting games. The Wii magnum is used in many games, easily making it the coolest Wii gun. Wii shooting games are improved greatly when equipped with a Wii gun because it can make the player feel much more into the game.

There are other Wii accessories that are very popular, although they are not guns. The Link/Zelda Crossbow training game can be even better when you add in the Wii crossbow. The crossbow can actually be used in many of the shooting games as well. The top Wii shooting games are: Resident Evil 4, Ghost Squad, Medal of Honor 2, Call of Duty: Reflex, Call of Duty: World at War, and Cebela’s Big Game Hunter. Using a Wii gun with any of these Wii shooting games can make the players experience much better and realistic.

Whatever Wii gun is used, it is said that the game will be enhanced greatly. After trying out the Wii gun, it is sure to quickly become your favorite of the Wii accessories.

Best RPG PC Games of the 1990s

GuestPoster — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:27:29 +0000

In terms of RPG games, the 1990s is when they really took off. The water was well and truly tested by games like Final Fantasy, Ultima and Might and Magic during the 1980s. The beauty of RPG PC games was that they did not need to look fantastic to be interesting and exciting.

The RPG was more about the level of depth that the developers has put into characters and the story line. Players wanted to feel like they were the hero’s and could choose their destiny, rather than just follow the narrow story lines of most other genres at the time. Here are, in my opinion, the top 3 RPG PC games of the 1990s.

1. Diablo

The year is 1996 and unbeknown to gamers around the world, they are about to have their minds blown! Blizzard had had some success with their Warcraft RTS games, but this was to be their first RPG and man did they nail it. The goal of the game, find all the bad dudes and kill them. As you level up you can unlock new ways to kill them, often killing several bad dudes in one go. The mindless mayhem is held up by a terrific back story that keeps you strapped to your seat the whole way through and makes this a best RPG PC game of the 1990s.

2. Baldur’s Gate

RPG PC games originally stemmed from pen and pad style RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. Baldur’s Gate was the first game to cross this barrier. Taking the rules from DnD version 2, Baldur’s Gate was game in which you led around a group of mages/warriors/priests/etc on a quest to kill the bad dudes (as per usual). Combat was turn based which meant you had to be strategic in your battles and turned out to be super popular with PC gamers.

3. Fallout 2

Taking a futuristic approach to the RPG genre, Interplay answered gamers calls with this sequel to Fallout. Set in a post-nuclear war world, Fallout 2 brought a new level of depth to NPC conversations and reactions. Decisions made early in the game could have serious implications down the track. The turn base combat allowed you to strategically take down your opponents one at a time.

These three games were what inspired the RPG’s we play today. If you haven’t played them, I highly recommend picking a copy up as they are excellent fun.

Finding The Best PS3 Bundles Deals Online

GuestPoster — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:17:07 +0000

Gaming equipment is never cheap. Especially when you go for the good stuff. If you have your eyes set on a brand new Sony Playstation 3, then you might feel your wallet getting lighter by just thinking about it. And then there’s the games. I mean, you’re not just going to get one, right? Between the console and the games and a few accessories, you’re talking about a major bill getting racked up before you can blink.

One great way to cut down on the expenses is by going for a bundled deal instead of just buying each item individually. PS3 bundles deals can save you tons of money. Obviously not as much as if you were getting a free PS3, but we know just about how likely that is. Plus, if you do have the money to begin with you can get a lot more bang for your buck by buying a bundled package of games and accessories along with the console.

You can find Playstation 3 bundles available in just about every combination imaginable. Do you want the Playstation 3 “Fat” or the new Playstation 3 “Slim” console? Are you looking for the classic black design or a fancier white model? Do you want special gaming accessories, or are you just looking for the biggest collection of games you can find?

When you’re ready to shop, you’ll want to do two things. The first is to go online and search for all of the bundle deals that you can find. The next is to compare your options and make an educated decision about what the best deal for you is.

Don’t forget about extra expenses like shipping and sales tax. You’ll want to read the fine print on whatever site you order from to make sure that you won’t be spending more that you’re planning on. Many sites offer free shipping on larger purchases such as this, and if you order from a site that is not based in your state you probably won’t have to pay sales tax, so those are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Ben 10 Protector of Earth Game For The Nintendo DS

GuestPoster — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:08:37 +0000

For Ben 10 fans over 7 years old the Ben 10 Protector Of Earth Nintendo DS game is a good buy. As in the cartoons Ben has to save the Earth from the villains but he finds that some of his alien powers have been stolen from the Omnitrix. Playing as Ben, you have to recapture the lost pieces of the Omnitrix by battling the baddies that you meet. As you find each piece you will unlock the related alien heroes and will eventually be able to play as five of the popular characters being Four Arms, Cannonbolt, Heatblast, XLR8 and Wildvine. There are 14 different levels to get through as well as four challenge locations. A great feature of this Ben 10 game is the two player co-operative mode where two Bens can play together to battle the baddies. WiFi functionality also means that two players can play against each other in challenges. The DS microphone can also be used in mini-games.

So is it any good?
The resounding answer from pre teen Ben 10 fans is yes. It is primarily a platform game and the game play and graphics are better than average. It starts off being quite easy so you can get used to the controls and then it gets harder and more challenging. Some of the villains are quite tough to defeat. It is very focused on the Ben 10 theme and by tapping your stylus on the centre of the Omnitrix you can select the aliens you want Ben to transform into. The fact that you can only turn into 5 of the 10 aliens from the cartoon is probably the biggest downside. You can only be in alien form for a limited amount of time without recharging the Omnitrix so you need to choose your alien wisely with reference to their special ability before trying to defeat a baddie or accomplish a challenge. Even younger children will have lots of fun Ben 10 adventures and probably won’t need much, if any, help to get going as there are handy on screen hints for them.

You can also buy Ben 10 PS2, PSP and Wii games.

Final Fantasy XI

Arthur — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:08:32 +0000

Final Fantasy XI is the first online Final Fantasy Game to be released and is also one of the few cross-platform MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role playing games) on the market. It has been released for the PC, the Sony Playstation 2 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Players from across the globe can access the game through a single international host. This means there are no local hosts or region locks that would limit a player’s access into the game world.

As the first Final Fantasy game without set characters, players are given the task of creating and customizing their own character. This enables a player to determine the name, gender, physical features and other facets of the character they will play in the game. Characters then live and fight using skills and abilities determined by a player-selected job class. Progress in Final Fantasy XI is marked by character levels which raise through experience points and doing story line advancing missions and accomplishing in-game quests for rewards.

Like most MMORPGs, Final Fantasy XI features real time combat, deviating from the original turn-based action of previous games in the franchise. True to its Final Fantasy origins, the game allows players to access the different magic, skills and summons seen in other Final Fantasy Games. The in-game currency is Gil, which is the traditional Final Fantasy currency. Items such as Hi-Potions and Phoenix Downs also appear in game.

The job class system of the game is similar to the one used in Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy Tactics. Players may choose to change their job classes at any time in certain game locations. Also, players have to option of selecting a secondary job to compliment the main job of their character. This allows players to access a larger number of skills and abilities and greatly enhances the variety of character customization options in the game.

The main storyline focuses on a characters quest to unit three kingdoms against the Shadow Lord who was defeated in the Crystal War. This sets off players into the game world as they explore new lands and gain in strength as they accomplish their goal.

Being a cross-platform online game, Final Fantasy XI’s releases have been geared towards ensuring that the game and its new expansions continue to run smoothly on all platforms. There are constantly new patches and fixes aimed towards fixing known bugs in the game. These new updates not only keep the online game running, but is constantly expanding it with new quests, events and items that will further enrich the playing experience for the gamers.