STU2
Reviews
Super Mario Land (Game Boy)
Mario's first experience on a handheld system
The Good
This was one of the first games I ever bought for the Gameboy, my first video game system. I've probably beaten the game half a dozen times, and even attempted to beat the challenging secondary mode.
Mario was a little different in this game than in any of his others. Alot of his enemies were based on real life characters, such as monks and statues. Another first for Mario was that he got to pilot two different vehicles: a submarine and a spaceship.
And hands down it has the best Mario boss: a fire breathing lion.
The Bad
Being one of the first games designed on this system, the platforming mechanic is very unforgiving. Mario is really small, and the blocks he needs to jump on do not have any extra room. Pinpoint jumping ability is needed in this game, and much frustration can come out of it.
The Bottom Line
While Mario's first foray in handhelds is not perfect, it is however a classic game. Not as good as it's followup, it nonetheless provides an excellent beginner game on Gameboy, as well as giving you a prime example of just how far video games have come in recent years.
By STU2 on April 19, 2006
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Xbox)
A far better game than the reviewers make it
The Good
A title long in development, it was something I had eagerly been anticipating even more so than the stellar Star Wars Battlefront.
SW:RotS is most similar in game design to The Two Towers or Return of the King, but not nearly as good as either. You go through the game's single player playing as either Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi or Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. The game is a third person action game, consisting of waves of enemies and situations that you need to fight your way through using either your lightsaber, the force, and any handy object that you can Force throw.
While many may consider it a typical hack and slash title, the Star Wars theme and it's nuances provide a fresh perspective on this genre. The single best feature of this game is the use of the Force (if you don't know what that is...so help you). With it, you can pick up enemies and toss them around; levitate them and stick your lightsaber into their guts; shoot lightning from your fingertips; throw your lightsaber into a group of enemies; or even unleash devastating attacks that clear the screen.
The combat in the game, while consisting of the standard light, medium, and heavy attacks, is upgradeable, and you will unlock new combos as you gain points for how well you destroy enemies. Many of the attacks would have been impossible to perform in real life; however, some classic moves like Obi-Wan's backward lunge is included.
The game ties into the movie of the same name surprisingly well, and even triumphs the movie at times. Scenes that were cut out from the film are included in the game, and provide some excellent character moments. Probably the coolest fight in the game is a duel between Anakin and Mace Windu, which would have been an amazing sight in the movie.
This game also includes one of the coolest unlockables I have ever seen: a different ending to the movie. It's the scene I wanted to see after watching the movie...but since Episode 3 will probably be the best of all the Star Wars movies, I'm not complaining.
The Bad
The game includes both a co-op and versus mode. However, unlike the one in Return of the King, it isn't a true co-op mode. Both players are thrown into situations and have to survive waves of enemies in a single room instead of actually working through the story together. The versus mode is actually pretty entertaining though, and always you to play as multiples characters such as Darth Vader, General Grevious, and ANH Obi-Wan.
The Bottom Line
Overall, this is a really fun game that works really well mainly due to it's Star Wars theme. While I made the mistake of buying the game the day it was released, anyone now can pick it up for a much more reasonable $20 or $30.
If you are a fan of hack and slash, or want to know more about the story of Revenge of the Sith, this game is for you. Easily one of the better movie based games released in recent years, on par with the excellent but flawed Enter the Matrix.
By STU2 on October 3, 2005