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Arun SubramanianReviews
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of SkyAt this point, Pokémon is less a franchise than it is a media juggernaut. [18 November 2009] 
Brütal LegendBrütal Legend might actually be the best use of Jack Black yet, affording him a starring role that caters to his comedic roots and sensibilities while allowing everything around him to be more over the top than he is. [6 November 2009] 
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside StoryAs much as is possible in this cartoony world, it's difficult not to sympathize with Bowser. [26 October 2009] 
Space Bust-A-MoveThe fundamentals of Bust-A-Move have yet to wear out their welcome, but it might serve future titles well to explore ways in which to present those fundamentals in a fresh context. [23 September 2009] 
G.I. Joe: The Rise of CobraA necessary adherence to the world depicted in the film renders The Rise of Cobra utterly forgettable. [26 August 2009] 
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceAlthough experiencing student life at Hogwarts is somewhat interesting, it misses the core of what the story in this chapter of the saga is about. [7 August 2009] 
Ninja BladeThe merits of cutscenes aside, games that do have them traditionally employ them to further the plot of the game. A game that requires the player to focus their attention on consequential, reflex-oriented tasks does so at the disservice of a title's narrative. [24 June 2009] 
StokedFor a free form game to function as a virtual playground, there have to be toys in it. [1 June 2009] 
Resident Evil 5Though Resident Evil 5 had the difficult task of following its critically acclaimed predecessor, it largely succeeds by changing relatively little. [15 May 2009] 
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown WarsChinatown Wars is not just a compromise for those that want Grand Theft Auto on the go. Rather, it is a legitimate entry to the series in its own right. [27 April 2009] 
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and DamnedWhat this expansion really points to is the undeniable fact that the star of the Grand Theft Auto IV universe is Liberty City itself. [3 April 2009] 
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2The reality is that both American Idol and karaoke are conceptually voyeuristic endeavors for the audience. But for the participants, the competitiveness of a contest like American Idol doesn't necessarily translate. [18 March 2009] 
SPRayWhile plenty of games have been very clearly inspired by Super Mario 64, SPRay might be the first that's drawn so directly from the underrated Super Mario Sunshine. [25 February 2009] 
Castlevania JudgmentMany of the characters in Judgment seem like caricatures of themselves, their designs clearly influenced a bit too much by Soul Calibur. [19 January 2009] 
Mirror’s EdgeMirror's Edge clearly treats parkour with a good deal of respect and admiration. [15 December 2008] 
Castlevania: Order of EcclesiaWhile there is much familiar about Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, it is not content to exactly follow the established mold of its forebears. [1 December 2008] 
Dead SpaceWhile Dead Space's influences are easy to spot, it is extraordinarily smart about cohesively assembling key elements from these influences into a compelling experience. [7 November 2008] 
Bangai-O SpiritsBangai-O Spirits shines because it's not easily classified as any given kind of game. [29 September 2008] 
Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for BootyPerhaps Quest for Booty is meant to serve as a spiritual analog to the PSP title Secret Agent Clank, in which Clank was the star, but Clank's absence is certainly felt. [15 September 2008] 
BraidThe organic, malleable gameplay that Braid offers is refreshing in the context of a game that superficially looks to be a platformer. [29 August 2008] 
HazeTopics at the heart of Haze include the futility of war, torture, enhancement drugs, and the notion of private military corporations. [2 July 2008] 
Boom BloxThe different weights of blocks and projectiles alike are so well realized, they are almost tactile. [20 June 2008] 
Okami (Wii Version)Not only does it not make sense for Okami to look any other way, but moreover, it makes no sense for any other game to look like Okami. [13 June 2008] 
Dark SectorThe combat mechanics of Dark Sector are undeniably fun, due almost solely to the glaive, a bladed boomerang that can be used to eviscerate enemies, solve puzzles, and generally cause mayhem. [11 June 2008] 
Grand Theft Auto IVThe insane brilliance on display is exemplified in the microcosm of the in-game television. [30 May 2008] 
The ClubThe Club encourages replay in an effort to find what, in a racing game, would be the best possible lines through a course. [21 May 2008] 
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2Vegas 2 almost serves as a companion piece to the original, with its events occurring before, during, and after those of the first game. [11 April 2008] 
Lost: Via DomusMeet Elliot, one of the few heretofore faceless survivors of the ill-fated Oceanic Flight 815. [31 March 2008] 
Professor Layton and the Curious VillageProfessor Layton and the Curious Village succeeds because of the way it marries puzzles and adventure gaming while packaging the combination in a unique and aesthetically pleasing way. [14 March 2008] 
Burnout ParadiseBurnout Paradise strives to be more than traditional, and in many ways it succeeds, but some of the design choices may prove unappealing for people who simply wanted a modest update to the franchise. [11 February 2008] 
Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of DestructionTools of Destruction excels in squeezing personality not just from ancillary characters, but from the levels and environments themselves. [5 February 2008] 
Contra 4Games like Contra presented a sort of difficulty that, while extremely demanding, was what offered those games longevity to begin with. [17 January 2008] 
Call of Duty 4Call of Duty 4 is a game that warrants its "Mature" rating for far more complex reasons than simply the degree of violence present. [11 January 2008] 
Rockstar Games Presents Table TennisAlthough the Wii version of Table Tennis offers players three separate control schemes, none seem to take full advantage of the Wii remote. [5 December 2007] 
Manhunt 2The issues surrounding Manhunt 2's release make it more interesting as an example of game editing and censorship than as a game. [30 November 2007] 
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom HourglassWhile it's easy to view Phantom Hourglass as the successor to The Wind Waker, in reality, it's just as much a direct descendant of A Link to the Past, due almost solely to perspective. [9 November 2007] 
BioshockThe implications of spliced human beings going insane with addictions for genetic material are enough to sit with you long after you're done playing. [8 October 2007] 
Metroid Prime 3: CorruptionMetroid has always been akin to waking up in the eye of a storm. [17 September 2007] 
Hot Shots TennisHot Shots Tennis is really only disappointing in the face of how reliably enjoyable the Hot Shots Golf franchise has been. [27 August 2007] 
OverlordOverlord exudes humor from many angles, not least of which is the fact that the moral choices you make vary only in how evil they are. [15 August 2007] 
Forza Motorsport 2Forza Motorport 2 succeeds on all levels because it is the racing game you choose to make of it. [27 July 2007] 
Wario: Master of DisguiseWario: Master of Disguise might have been more successful had it evoked platformers of old, particularly the well-regarded portable Wario Land titles. [31 May 2007] 
God of War IIThe God of War franchise is as over the top as an action movie -- there's no point in warning you not to try this at home, because you can't. [20 April 2007] Hotel Dusk: Room 215Hotel Dusk is essentially an interactive mystery novel, and is really meant to be enjoyed as such. [7 March 2007] 
GunpeyRarely has the same game, by the same developers, been so different from platform to platform. [23 February 2007] 
Lumines IIThis is clearly a Tetris for the electronic age, and the basics of the gameplay are so elegant that minor missteps cannot completely ruin the experience. [1 February 2007] Call of Duty 3"Why would you want to play a war game?" It's a fair question. [8 December 2006] Every Extend ExtraThe player is, in essence, attempting to be a suicide bomber, a kamikaze pilot in a wall of sound and elegant graphics. [27 November 2006] 
Klonoa 2: Dream Champ TournamentAs with the best games based on environmental puzzles, level design is paramount. [24 June 2005] 
Twisted Metal: Head-OnThe first Twisted Metal games were equal parts sunshine and mayhem. While colorful, they possessed a morbid sense of humor and were addictive gameplay experiences. [2 June 2005] 
Ape Escape: On the LooseDepending on how you look at it, the game rerelease trend that we've been seeing these past few years may or may not be a good thing. [27 May 2005] 
LuminesLumines succeeds largely because it is both very similar to and yet completely different from any falling block puzzle game before it. [20 April 2005] 
Wario Ware Touched!Wario Ware Touched! remains something of a demonstration of the unique properties of the DS. [30 March 2005] 
Prince of Persia: Warrior WithinThe enemies, no longer Middle Eastern sand demons, are now largely populated by females with a bondage fetish. [16 March 2005] 
Jak 3If 'Jak 2' was a little too much like 'Grand Theft Auto', the third game in the series wisely turns the adoration down a notch. [16 February 2005] 
Ratchet and Clank 3: Up Your ArsenalThe perfect blend of humor that was actually funny, running-and-gunning action, and platformer puzzles and timing was almost more than I could handle. [5 January 2005] 
Super Mario 64 DSThe ability to see where games like Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Daxter evolved from is a wonderful opportunity. [15 December 2004] 
Grand Theft Auto AdvanceIf I were asked why Grand Theft Auto 3 was such a phenomenal success, I would likely avoid a discussion of freeform gameplay. [17 November 2004] 
Mortal Kombat: DeceptionAt first, the violence ruffled feathers, but with time the uproar over violence began to focus on other games, and Mortal Kombat became increasingly irrelevant. [5 November 2004] 
Katamari DamacyAs the industry becomes more mainstream and the costs of development increase with each new hardware cycle, it seems like game creators are beginning to try to follow proven formulas out of fear of poor returns. [20 October 2004] 
Astro Boy: The Omega FactorAstro Boy as a mythology is apparently a metaphor for race relations, with robots being despised by some humans and championed by others. [7 October 2004] 
Mario Kart DSI can't think of another Nintendo franchise that's so readily adaptable to online play. [1 January 1995] 
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City StoriesOccurring three years prior to GTA III, Liberty City Stories gives players the same sort of criminal storyline and felonious side missions of other GTA games. 
Guitar HeroAlthough it's easy to pass off any game with a custom controller as a gimmick, that is clearly not the case here. 
Burnout RevengeThe game is still about the white-knuckle intensity of finishing a race first combined with the visceral thrill of causing an opponent to crash into oncoming traffic. BlogsMoving Pixels: Need for Speed Undercover [21 January 2009]Moving Pixels: Rock Revolution [19 December 2008]Consuming Consumables: LittleBigPlanet [12 December 2008]Consuming Consumables: Mirror’s Edge [9 December 2008]Consuming Consumables: Dead Space (Xbox 360, PS3) [24 November 2008]Moving Pixels: Mega Man 9 [30 October 2008]Moving Pixels: 1942: Joint Strike - Arcade Nostalgia in HD [14 August 2008]Moving Pixels: iPhone gaming is here [16 July 2008]Moving Pixels: Sega Bass Fishing Returns! [22 May 2008]Moving Pixels: £s of Flesh [10 April 2008] |
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