GameFocus

22 hours ago -

Rhythm Heaven Fever - 7.6
In 2009, North American gamers were introduced to a brand new concept by Kazuyoshi Osawa - who had previously worked on WarioWare titles - when Nintendo brought over Rhythm Heaven for the DS from Japan. The game was aiming for the same type of “pick up and play”, accessible fun that the WarioWare games offer. Three years later, Nintendo brings us the sequel, this time on the Wii, which gives us similar mechanics and a slew of new mini-games. Will it be enough to convince gamers to...

2 days ago -

Resident Evil Revelations - 9.0
Ever since Resident Evil 4 came out, Capcom has been looking to top the installment that reinvigorated its flagship series. While Resident Evil 5 was more action-oriented, this latest installment, Resident Evil Revelations, tries to find the perfect balance between the series’ horror roots and the more intense, action-packed approach. Does this handheld installment succeed at providing the best of both worlds, or will it scare players away from the franchise? We’re here to let...

1 week ago -

Soulcalibur V - 8.8
Fighting game fans have been served quite well lately with titles like King of Fighters XIII and Ultimate Marvel VS Capcom 3, but those who prefer fighters that take the 3D approach were probably eagerly anticipating the release of this brand new chapter in Namco’s SoulCalibur franchise. Does this fifth installment fight its way to the top or does it take a beating? We gave it a spin to find out… It’s no coincidence that SoulCalibur is one of the most popular fighting...

1 week ago -

(eShop) Zen Pinball 3D - 7.5
My love of pinball has been steady for the vast majority of my life. I certainly can’t even stand in the same room as the ‘Wizards’ out there, but my enjoyment of the game manges to transcend my skill level by far. These days, most of my pinaballing is done electronically, and Zen Studios has emerged as my favorite provider of video pinball. They really established themselves with Zen Pinball, honed their craft to a fine edge with Pinball FX 2, and is continuing to evolve...

1 week ago -

UFC Undisputed 3 - 8.5
UFC Undisputed 3 is the first in the series to be released following a decision by THQ and Yuke’s to move the fighting game to a lengthier development cycle. In theory, the additional time should have allowed Yuke’s to improve upon the game’s combat engine, game modes, and online features. Unfortunately, only a few improvements have been made since the last time Undisputed hit store shelves. While there’s still a very strong game at the core of UFC Undisputed 3, this...

2 weeks ago -

(PSN) Amy - 2.0
These days, encountering a game that can best be described as “difficult” is nothing new. Games such as Dark Souls and Super Meat Boy offer players an unrelenting and brutally difficult challenge that, once completed, leaves them filled with a true sense of accomplishment. More often than not, however, developers of games that are simply ill conceived, poorly designed and sloppily executed try to shield their creations behind the seemingly impenetrable label of...

2 weeks ago -

(XBLA) The Simpsons Arcade Game - 8.0
Those of you who used to drop quarter after quarter into the coin-ops at the local arcade, freely burning your Saturday afternoon away hanging out with your buddies as you try to gain digital infamy with your name on the leaderboards, will be thrilled to hear that one of the most cherished multiplayer side-scrolling brawlers of all time is about to make its way to your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. That’s right, The Simpsons Arcade Game is seeing a return to the limelight by way of Xbox...

4 weeks ago -

(PSN) NFL Blitz - 8.0
The return of quite possibly the most popular non-sim sports franchise ever was certainly met with exasperated anticipation. For the last year, fans of the sub-genre have been enjoying themselves some b-ball action with NBA Jam, though the question was always ringing across the Internet: When will we get another NFL Blitz title? While we had seen rumors indicating as such, the official answer didn’t come until the final months of last year and surprisingly, we had it in our hot little...

4 weeks ago -

(PSN) TNT Racers - 7.1
It has been about nine months since we last saw TNT Racers, appearing on Sony’s PSP after hitting Xbox LIVE Arcade about this time last year. While it proved to be an interesting take on the kart-racing genre, it did have a few things that held it back from reaching the upper echelon of racers. Most notably, the camera design and poor pacing placed this one firmly in the middle-of-the-road catagory (ok, upper middle of the road). Now that it has been ported over to the PS3 (again, via...

1 month ago -

(PSN) Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD - 8.7
If there’s one franchise that is in dire need of a new entry, it’s Oddworld. As we sit and watch annual releases of such high profiles properties as Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, and Need for Speed, we haven’t seen a new adventure in the Oddworld universe since 2005’s Stranger’s Wrath. We have seen a couple of the old titles re-released on PSN as PSOne Originals (Abe’s Oddysee and Abe’s Exoddus), but those were just straight ports of...

1 month ago -

(WiiWare) Zombii Attack - 2.0
It was almost eriely timely when this review showed up. I was Tweeting about the Wii being essentially dead (beyond 1st party, of course) just as Zombii Attack, a WiiWare title, showed up in my Inbox. Now, my stance hasn’t changed, mind you, but I did think it was a bit coincidental as I haven’t reviewed a WiiWare game in well over a year (it was And Yet It Moves, if you are curious). But I digress... Zombii Attack is about...well...a zombie attack. The apocalypse has finally...

1 month ago -

Fortune Street - 6.8
Board-game style video games can often be a kind of hit or miss thing. Titles such as the popular Mario Party find itself in great success, releasing sequel after sequel and continuing to be a series that is loved by gamers to this day. However, games that try to bank off that success could easily be a failure. Yes, I’m looking at you, Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt. The conflict that remains with any game of this genre is the question of "why should I put away the board in favor of the...

1 month ago -

(Kinect) Yoostar on MTV - 5.0
Snooki. The Situation. Snoop Dogg. LMFAO. The Real World. Are any of these names synonymous with video games? MTV seems to think so. Yoostar on MTV is now available for the Xbox 360, exclusively for play with its Kinect motion sensor. It is the second Yoostar title released for Kinect, with Yoostar 2: In the Movies coming out last year. Yoostar is best described as “video karaoke”, with Kinect technology superimposing your body into music videos, television shows, and movies....

1 month ago -

Bejeweled 3 - 8.0
Almost every gamer in the world knows the name “PopCap Games”. For those of you (yeas, both of you) who are unfamiliar with the game developer, they are the makers of such obscure titles as Bejeweled, Zuma, Peggle, Bookworm and everybody’s favorite tower defense game, Plants Vs. Zombies. Which brings us to this review. Yes, they released another entry in the Bejeweled franchise. Released last year on PC, this follow-up to the massively successful Bejeweled 2 has now made its...

1 month ago -

(XBLA) Joe Danger: Special Edition - 9.5
Danger is his...er...last name? That’s right, Joe Danger is on the comeback trail, now fully recovered from his debilitating accident, and looking to regain the fame he once had...again. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because this isn’t Joe’s first comeback. Releasing back in the summer of 2010, Joe Danger took PSN by storm, garnering a tank full of praise from consumers and critics alike (we gave it a 9.1). Now, Joe is back, taking his gravity-defying motorcycle...

1 month ago -

I Heart Geeks! - 7.3
While many of us were (and some still are) belittled for our geekdom during our youth, as adults, geeks are the new cool. So when I Heart Geeks, the first game to come from SevenOne Intermedia, hit my desk, my initial thought was some kind of Japanese dating-sim import. After sliding it into my DS, I quickly found that I was a bit off. Ok, I was WAY off. I Heart Geeks is almost the polar opposite, where geekdom is celebrated in the most obvious way we know how: stereotyped revenge... ...

1 month ago -

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection - 9.0
The recent surge of compilation packs can be considered an ideal win-win situation as far as I’m concerned. It can be a nostalgic blast to go back and play some of our beloved stories of the past, and it can provide an opportunity for the many who never had the chance to experience some of the great games of yesteryear. Some of these re-releases do a better job than others in terms of content. Some are just the games themselves, while others pack in Making-Of videos, themes, and so...

1 month ago -

(Kinect) Disneyland Adventures - 7.5
Disney has been ingrained in humankind’s psyche for a very long time. Kids of all ages have grown up with Mickey, Donald, Goofy and the rest of the gang with cartoons, books, toys, and the theme parks. Video games are now enjoying full acceptance as a mainstream form of entertainment, and where there’s mainstream entertainment, there’s Disney. So, with the Kinect being geared towards the family demographic, it is only natural that Microsoft Studios jumps in with Kinect...

1 month ago -

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The - 9.4
The Legend of Zelda is one of gaming’s most cherished franchises. Nintendo’s iconic adventure series is not only beloved by fans and critics alike, but it’s also influenced dozens upon dozens of other gaming franchises. With The Legend of Zelda: The Skyward Sword, Nintendo shows that there’s still plenty of room for innovation in the series, as well as the fact that gameplay mechanics devised twenty-five years ago are still relevant and engaging today. Though the...

1 month ago -

Rayman Origins - 9.0
Let’s take a moment to look at our video game collection for this generation. The large majority of us have at least one or two multiplayer-heavy shooters that we pick up every so often. We also have the third person action adventure games such as Uncharted, Batman, and The Legend of Zelda series. Now let’s wind the clocks back to the age of the Nintendo and Super Nintendo Entertainment systems. The difference is of no surprise, and understandable. While the platforming genre is...

1 month ago -

Heavy Fire: Afghanistan - 4.2
One of our biggest complaints around the GameFocus halls has always been overpriced games. No, I’m not talking about the jump to $60 that this console cycle ushered in. I’m talking about games that may have been looked at more favorably had they been released with a price tag that is more in-line with the quality they carry. My go-to example is always Iron Man 2 (sorry SEGA). Not a terrible game, although it is not a good one either. And ultimately it was an extremely bitter pill...

1 month ago -

The Adventures of Tintin: The Game - 6.9
While the level of quality entertainment provided by Steven Spielberg’s latest animated blockbuster, The Adventures of Tintin and the Secret of the Unicorn, doesn’t need to be established, the inevitable video game adaptation tied in with the release of the film does have a lot to prove. Knowing that these adaptations don’t always rhyme with quality, where does this version of Tintin’s adventures stand in the grand scheme of things? Let’s find out! One thing...

1 month ago -

2 months ago -

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary - 8.1
Love it or hate it, the Halo franchise is one of the reasons for Microsoft’s success in the console market. Beginning as a Mac title, the first game evolved from an RTS to a third person action title, then after Microsoft bought Bungie, it shifted to the FPS we are all so familiar with and made its way to the original Xbox. While there were several other factors that contributed to the rise of the Xbox, such as Xbox LIVE and franchises like Project Gotham Racing and Knights of the Old...

2 months ago -

Need For Speed: The Run - 6.5
When one thinks of long-standing franchises, some obvious ones come to mind: Castlevania, Mario Bros., Zelda. Halo is the most recent franchise to enter the Decade club with its anniversary this year. One tends to forget that the Need for Speed series has been around since 1994, when “The Need for Speed” was released for the 3DO. That’s almost 18 years of arcade racing goodness. Publisher Electronic Arts has one of those formulas that has enjoyed sustained success. This...

2 months ago -

Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi - 6.0
When a game franchise has reached it’s third or fourth iteration, players typically have good idea of what the next entry in the series will involve. When players drop in a disk labeled “Call of Duty”, they know to expect fast-paced, frenetic action with over-the-top, Michael Bay-esque cinematic explosions.With a franchise like Dragon Ball Z, which has seen more than fifty games over the last twenty-five years, players have little doubt what type of game they are purchasing....

2 months ago -

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - 9.7
If there is a single attribute that can be associated with every primary Elder Scrolls title (not including Redguard, Battlespire, or the Travels games), it’s ambitious depth. Beginning with Arena - which introduced us to the world of Nirn, and specifically the land of Tamriel - the franchise grew by leaps and bounds with each subsequent sequel. Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion (and all their expansions), each pushed the boundaries of sheer volume in terms of player activity....

2 months ago -

(PSN) Hydrophobia Prophecy - 6.8
On September 29, 2010, developer Dark Energy Digital released the first of an intended three episode series for the Xbox Live Arcade, called Hydrophobia. Unfortunately, due to a lot of negative criticism and complaints (including some from us), the developer released an update for the game on December 21 of the same year titled Hydrophobia Pure. In an attempt to improve the game, the update made some major changes, such as revamped controls, improved physics and graphics, a more detailed HUD,...

2 months ago -

Lord of the Rings: War in the North - 6.3
Bringing the Lord of the Rings to film, especially with the level of quality that Peter Jackson achieved, was perhaps the one of the best things to happen to the property. While many of us have been fans of the novels for many years, there is a whole generation of young people who may not have given the franchise a second glance had it not been for the films bringing Tolkin’s work into mainstream pop-culture. We’ve seen the property cross every imaginable media line, from...

2 months ago -

Rayman Origins - 9.5
Ahh, the platformer. During this generation of consoles, the genre has been kept on life support by the likes of Mario and LittleBigPlanet, while Master Chief and Marcus Fenix sprint past them on the financial flow chart with first- and third-person offerings. Shooters are most definitely the flavor of the day, so playing Rayman Origins was a welcomed breath of fresh air, and one that brought me back to the heyday of platform gaming. Developed and published by Ubisoft, Rayman Origins was...

2 months ago -

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - 9.1
The Uncharted franchise is one that I won’t ever lose sight of. While I didn’t jump on board the Drake train until just prior to the launch of Uncharted 2, I did make the journey across both titles consecutively...and loved every second of it. Equal parts Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones, Uncharted, as a series, offered a wonderful combination of 3rd person action-adventure gamplay, puzzling, and a summer blockbuster film presentation, and I just couldn’t get enough of it. As...

2 months ago -

Disney Universe - 6.0
As the holidays roll around, we can all agree that it’s important to think about the kids. Taking this into consideration, developers would be wise to release wacky, kid-friendly games as the season of giving draws near, and as usual, we have those titles that stand out, those that are rushed out, and those that are just merely okay. As October came to a close, publisher Disney Interactive Studios worked with developer Eurocom to give us Disney Universe. While children are easily...

2 months ago -

(Kinect) Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012 - 9.0
Let’s turn back time for a moment and take a look at November 2010. Prior to this point, gaming homes all around the world were full of Nintendo Wiis. Moms and Dads, Granny and Gramps, and kids of all ages were still excitedly plopping down on the ground and turning on Wii-Fit. It was pretty cool! It measured your weight, it told you how (im)balanced you were, your family had a good laugh as the game gave you your “Wii-Fit Age”, and then you were off to the races, wielding...

2 months ago -

The King of Fighters XIII - 9.0
2D fighting games have been making a comeback over the past few years. Long-time gamers that have spent a lot of their time at the arcade will most likely remember SNK’s flagship fighting series: The King of Fighters. After a long stretch of near-perfection, the series hit a small bump with the last episode, King of Fighters XII. The game was still very good, but it failed to achieve the same kind of greatness fans of the series were used to. Does this new entry finally raise the bar...

2 months ago -

James Noir's Hollywood Crimes - 6.4
Puzzle games on portable devices are as plentiful as oxygen. However, finding a good puzzle game that not only challenges the player, but also presents a new and unique twist on the genre is a more rare occurrence. While the Professor Layton series may have set an impossibly high bar for every other developer, there’s still plenty of room in the market for another stellar puzzle game. James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes for the 3DS is not that game. First and foremost, there’s...

2 months ago -

(XBLA) Voltron: Defender of the Universe - 6.5
Well, the fans have been asking for it for many years now, and as of last week, it finally came to fruition. A video game adaption of the classic robot-battling, universe-defending franchise, Voltron (no, I don’t count last year’s now-MIA iPhone game). Based on the 1980’s cartoon series, Voltron: Defender of the Universe brings the Lions and the titular hero to XBLA and PSN, covering multiple events in the continuity, from the first discovery of Voltron, to the defense of...

2 months ago -

(Kinect) Rabbids Alive & Kicking - 8.0
Those wacky, mailable bunnies have returned to home consoles yet again; this time arriving on the Xbox 360 via Microsoft’s motion sensor, Kinect. Beginning as a supporting player for Rayman (making their first appearance in Rayman: Raving Rabbids, a launch title for the Wii), the Rabbids have become so popular that they spun off entirely from Rayman, running away with their own franchise, and even leading into an upcoming animated television series. Given how essential motion controls...

2 months ago -

GoldenEye 007 : Reloaded - 7.6
The movie GoldenEye, starring Pierce Brosnan, was a ho-hum experience, as far as the James Bond franchise is concerned. However, GoldenEye 64, the video game adaption, was certainly not, and for many people it was the game that took the FPS genre to new heights. It’s genre predecessors only controlled well on PC, and lacked a form of solid storytelling. But Rare’s GoldenEye 64 functioned well on consoles and offered a massive single player campaign with a cohesive story, all the...

2 months ago -

(Kinect) Motion Sports Adrenaline - 3.5
It is rare for one to find a video game that is completely devoid of any redeeming qualities. The majority of games have at least one or two positive things about them. “Graphics and sound are terrible? Bah, at least the gameplay is passable.” “Not fun to play? Well, at least it’s nice to look at!” With some games, you just have to take the good with the bad, or the bad with the ugly. MotionSports Adrenaline from Ubisoft falls into one of the above categories,...

2 months ago -

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record - 5.0
There are numerous design concepts that can be incorporated into top level video games. These include items such as a compelling, well-crafted story; smooth combat mechanics with tight, precise controls; stunning visuals; intense audio; deep character customization; enemy AI scaling to respond to the skill level of the player and realistic damage detection so that wounded enemies accurately respond when attacked in different body areas; just to name a few. Unfortunately Dead Rising 2: Off the...

2 months ago -

(Move) House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut - 8.0
The ZOM..er...I mean MUTANTS are back!! Yes, the much-loved House of the Dead franchise once again has a new (well, sort of new) title on store shelves, and being the zombie fan that I am, I just had to take this one for a spin, especially since I missed it when it hit the Wii a couple of years ago. My biggest question was whether or not this 15 year old franchise still has enough bullets in the chamber to hang with today’s HD gaming generation? I quickly discovered the answer is a...

2 months ago -

Assassin's Creed Revelations - 7.6
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise has not only been an annual standard for the past few years, but it’s also been one of the more intriguing ongoing narratives in gaming today. With a story loaded with mystery that spans centuries, it’s no wonder fans turn out in droves each and every time a new Assassin’s Creed title releases. From the very first Assassin’s Creed to last year’s Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, the franchise has seen a lot of...

2 months ago -

(Kinect) The Black Eyed Peas Experience - 7.0
The Black Eyed Peas. Whether you love them or hate them, there’s no denying their popularity, or success. Garnering more than fifty million albums sold and numerous awards and accolades, the pop/hip hip group has accomplished a lot in the sixteen years they have been together. As such, it comes as little surprise to find them headlining their own dance game. Coming from Ubisoft, the publisher who is probably the most deeply involved in the genre, with Just Dance, Just Dance Kids, and...

2 months ago -

(Kinect) Dance Central 2 - 9.0
This has been a big season for the dance genre. We’ve had everything from ABBA to the Black Eyed Peas, from Just Dance 3 to Just Dance Kids 2, and many more, on all platforms. Naturally, a sequel to Dance Central, arguably the best of Kinect’s launch titles, was expected. Given how well received the first game was, a lot of pressure was doused upon Harmonix’s shoulders. Not only did they need to find ways to improve an already well endowed package, but also exceed the...

2 months ago -

Professor Layton And The Last Specter - 9.0
Mr Layton and I had yet to have been formally introduced until just recently. Not having a tremendous amount of time to game on my Nintendo DS (or now days, my 3DS), I have simply not had the opportunity to meet up with the esteemed Professor. He is known to me though, as I’ve spent a lot of time reading about his previous three adventures and how well the fans and critics have received them. So when the opportunity arose for me to assist Professor Layton in solving his latest case, I...

2 months ago -

The Black Eyed Peas Experience - 3.9
It can be hard to imagine a better fit than the hit dance/music group sensation, The Black Eyed Peas, and party-style dance games. The two go together like peanut butter and jelly. What’s even harder to imagine is how this concept can turn out so poorly, or not be fun for people into the genre in general. Casual gamer or not, take a moment to think about how enjoyable it could be to have friends over, dancing to the catchy tunes of the Peas, along with the stars themselves right on your...

2 months ago -

Super Mario 3D Land - 9.0
Let’s face it. The 3DS has been waiting for a premiere exclusive title since its launch earlier this year. Nothing injects life into a Nintendo console like the company’s mascot, Mario. You put those two ideas together in the same equation, and you not only end up getting a true reason to own a Nintendo 3DS, but you also get a fresh new take on one of gaming’s most storied franchises. Super Mario 3D Land infuses modern day technology with concepts and ideas more than two...

3 months ago -

(Kinect) Just Dance Kids 2 - 7.8
Remember Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and all of their iterations and off-shoots in between? Remember being beat over the head with song lists, plastic instruments, and and a constant stream of downloadable content for said games? OK, that’s a bit harsh. I’ll admit, I fell headlong into that genre and it took me a couple of years to get my head out of the sand. With the trend of instrument-based games seemingly over (the sublime Rocksmith notwithstanding), what better to take over the...

3 months ago -

Dark Souls - 9.0
Those of you who started gaming during the PlayStation era (or later) missed out on the heyday of gaming. It was a time of experimentation and creativity. A time when today’s design principles, which we often take for granted, were still being developed and established. It was also a time when games were made to take you to task. A high level of challenge was commonplace in the 8-bit generation (“easy” games were typically kiddie titles). Let me stress this, what I mean by...

PS3 :: (PSN) Amy

X360 :: (XBLA) The Simpsons Arcade Game

PS3 :: (PSN) NFL Blitz

PS3 :: (PSN) TNT Racers

PS3 :: (PSN) Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD

WII :: (WiiWare) Zombii Attack

WII :: Fortune Street

X360 :: (Kinect) Yoostar on MTV

NDS :: Bejeweled 3