Pads & Panels

Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up

Platform: Wii (PS2)

ESRB Rating: E

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Game Arts

Rating:

Review by: Dan Braun

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up is a perfect example of cashing in on a popular franchise without having to do anything creative or fun. The game unabashedly flaunts itself as a game in the same fighting vein as the Smash Bros. series, but it is clearly an inferior title, due to lame voice acting, muddled animation and just a poorly-executed fighting system.

The game offers an array of modes, ranging from arcade beat-em-up to a convoluted story. Unfortunately, it all plays relatively the same, save for the addition of some terrible cutscenes that provide an abhorrent plot and an earful of some of the crappiest dialogue performances one would ever want to sit through. (more…)

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Title: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

Platform: 360 (PS3, PC)

ESRB: T

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft

Rating:

Review By: Eric Stuckart

After what was considered by popular opinion to be a misstep in the series’ canon, the Prince of Persia series has been brought back to its platforming roots. That can be taken with a grain of salt, for by going back to its roots the series is also going back to the insanely unforgiving traits of past games. (more…)

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Title: Rabbids Go Home

Platform: Wii

ESRB: E

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier

Rating:

Review by: Dan Braun

The adorably maniacal Rabbids from the Rayman series have finally emerged in their own epic platformer/adventure game, Rabbids Go Home. Fans of the Rabbids’ mischievous mini-games series Raving Rabbids will be disappointed, but following these freaks through their misguided efforts to reach their home is an entertaining and endearing effort, albeit a bit boring after all of the comedy and action starts getting looped. (more…)

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Game of the Month – April

Splinter Cell: Conviction (360, PC)

Publisher: Ubisoft – Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

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Splinter Cell: Conviction is arguably the best installment in the series, and definitely the most accessible. It allows players to tackle it as an action game, but rewards them for stealth execution. And Conviction is a case of the entire package being greater than simply the sum of its parts, with campaign, co-op and competitive multiplayer offering plenty of value.

–Bill (more…)

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Title: Splinter Cell: Conviction

Platform: 360 (PC)

ESRB: M

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Splinter Cell: Conviction is not only the best Splinter Cell title to date, but also the most accessible entry in the covert ops series. Sam Fisher, the series’ protagonist, is old and graying, out of the game (officially) and fed up with his old agency, but that’s not stopping him from looking for answers to a series of betrayals. It’s this backdrop that allows the game to be a lot more action-oriented and less overly-complex stealth-focused as its predecessors. It’s a great balancing act Ubisoft Montreal pulls off. Those looking to shoot their way through can get through it on Normal difficulty in most instances, but skilled players employing the stealth tactics present are rewarded through a great upgrade system. The campaign is also presented in a super-stylish manner, and keep things fresh throughout. The single-player is good, but what makes Conviction great is the total package. There’s a robust co-op prologue, and a number of great “Deniable Ops” modes for extended play, such as Hunter, Infiltration, Last Stand and Face-Off, which buck recent trends by being offered both in online or split-screen modes. These modes are also created with great care, extending the Conviction experience, and allowing a friend to get in on the action with another campaign that doesn’t feel tacked on, but integral to the game. (more…)

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Title: Academy of Champions Soccer

Platform: Wii

ESRB: E

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Vancouver

Rating:

Review by: Jason King

Soccer, the most popular sport around the globe, is today played by more children in America than baseball. The World Cup, which will be watched in a few short months by more than a billion people around the globe, will halt the season of Major League Soccer, which draws nearly as many fans as the NBA. The stars are aligned and the timing could not be more perfect for an exciting, well-designed, family-oriented soccer game for Nintendo’s Wii.

Sadly, Ubisoft’s watch is broken. This game might as well be Red Carded and kicked to the curb with cleats. Academy of Champions has very noble aspirations – Academy clearly attempts to build a soccer game in a Harry Potter world – but instead of combining peanut butter and chocolate to build something wonderful, Academy combines dentist appointments and looking into the sun with binoculars* to give the player the worst of both worlds. It has plot as engaging as router instructions, in an uninspired world with cardboard characters and a bad soccer game. (more…)

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Title: No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

Platform: Wii

ESRB: M

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

After becoming the #1 ranked assassin in the world and retiring, stylish protagonist Travis Touchdown is looking to do it again in No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. But this time the competition is tougher and Travis will have to mow down 50 other assassins to avenge the death of a friend…or so the game teases. The story progression turns out to be a little more reasonable in scope, providing roughly 10 more hours of extremely bloody swordplay. Suda 51 and his team at Grasshopper Manufacture still march to the beat of their own drum, with a style unlike any other – grindhouse meets samurai meets professional wrestling in this case. But even with an evident love for the 8-bit era, a new playable character and weapons, and the great decision to do away with the half-assed open world environment of the first title, No More Heroes 2 also makes some missteps, leaving Travis’ victory bittersweet. (more…)

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Title: Assassin’s Creed II

Platform: 360 (Also PS3)

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The original Assassin’s Creed was a polarizing game, no doubt about it. While the vast, open world with an incredible vertical landscape to scale like a crazed parkour athlete was enticing, the story was shaky at best, the environments always looked like more of the same doused in a heavy coat of bluish-white, and the combat was a tedious mess that slowed things down but could always be won by simply hitting “counter” at the right time. That said, the game showed promise of being a foundation for Ubisoft Montreal to build upon.

And build they did. (more…)

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#4 – Assassin’s Creed II (360, PS3)

Publisher: Ubisoft – Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

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Assassin’s Creed II is the best example one can give of a developer listening to the criticisms of its first game and addressing the problems, adding compelling elements and continuing a tradition of innovation. For an open-world game, Assassin’s Creed has purpose in all of its actions and activities, creating a sense that even when running around jumping and climbing it is all part of a larger, grander scheme. This interconnected nature lends thematic credence to Ezio and his revenge quest through Italy during the Renaissance.

The first Assassin’s Creed was a successful title that sold extremely well, but turned out to be a polarizing game, dividing its audience for a number of reasons. It is a testament to Assassin’s Creed II that it can easily bring back the wayward souls that abandoned the first title and create passionate fans who will anticipate the inevitable third game. Assassin’s Creed II is a stunning achievement that should not be missed. –John

And the “Best DLC of 2009” is… (more…)

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Trailer Madness turns 10 today, in a manner of speaking. Lots of exciting new trailers. Capcom released a new Super Street Fighter IV trailer featuring the characters Guy, Cody and Adon. The Beatles: Rock Band has a new holiday commercial. Marvel sent new Astonishing X-Men and Super Hero Squad Show trailers our way. Ubisoft sent a Just Dance video our way, while Delicious Vinyl sent a smattering of DVDJ videos. And Machines Studios finishes things off with a few new bittos videos.

“Guy, Cody and Adon” Super Street Fighter IV Trailer

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