When I first downloaded (from WiiWare) and played Dr. Mario Online Rx I was with my sister in the house we grew up in. I can still remember playing the classic original NES version together upstairs in the same house almost 2 decades ago. As matured as my taste in games may have become, the game is still a whole lot of fun despite its being mostly unchanged.

For the uninitiated, the classic game mode seems a lot like Tetris but you’ll soon realize that the gameplay is markedly different. You drop dual-colored pills in to a bottle containing viruses of the same colors. Once you have at least 3 pill halves of the same color touching a virus of that same color, that virus is eradicated. At least 4 of the same pill halves together removes those halves from the bottle.

Making a match can also split pills in half sending those halves falling. Hopefully those halves cause chain reaction virus eradications. Planning ahead can aid in that and prevent them from falling where you don’t want them. As you progress in the game, more and more viruses appear. This is definitely a game that’s easy to learn and hard to master.

Another aspect prominent in Dr. Mario is multi-player. Dr. Mario Online Rx has both “classic mode” and a new “flash mode” (where only certain flashing viruses need be destroyed) for both single player and versus mode. Both versus modes can be played online with Nintendo WFC. When I played online, I faced an opponent more skilled than I, as well as an opponent not as experienced as I.

Neither time did I experience any lag or crashing at all, even after playing several times. The only complaint I have with versus mode is a lack of support for more than 2 players which previous versions have supported.

Typically, past versions of Dr. Mario have been focused solely on single and versus play. Dr. Mario Online Rx adds a cooperative mode, also playable alone, called Virus Buster. In this mode, you actually grab the pills using the Wii remote motion controls and drag the pills into place. As you do this, other players can grab other falling pills.

In addition, falling pill halves are now movable in this mode adding a sense of teamwork to the game as you can aid with each other’s potential chains or errors. This mode gets to be quite hectic yet addicting and you and your friends will have a lot of fun if you can avoid yelling at each other. Even then, it’s still pretty fun!

Atmospherically, the game is quite charming and has a cartoon-like hospital aesthetic. Dr. Mario Online Rx actually allows you to use your Miis dressed as doctors as characters in the game, though Dr. Mario does make his appearances as well.

The 3 classic virus characters also appear as in previous versions with a great fiendish but cute design. The music is quite cheerful and catchy and the classic Dr. Mario tunes make a return. The sounds are funny and satisfying and seem to go along well with the music. Despite only costing $10 in Wii points, the game doesn’t even look or sound cheap.

While the game may not have changed much, Dr. Mario Online Rx is a great update to a fantastic classic puzzle game and the new additions are quite welcome. This is another solid example of the countless games that will always be fun, further proving that “next gen” games can never kill the classics. If you’ve never played a previous version of Dr. Mario nows the perfect time to start.

No Comments Yet »

Even before the game was first released in the middle of October 2006, people around the world were already united in declaring The Bully a serious affront to the sensibilities of descent folk. So much so, that when it was released in the UK two weeks later the name was changed to Canis Canem Edit (which is Latin for ‘Dog eat dog’). Now, I’ll admit that this is not exactly wholesome family entertainment, but I can assure you that, in most cases, this criticism is most decidedly undeserved.

Despite what many have surmised, as is so oft the case, by judging from the cover, The Bully in fact carries quite a strong anti-bullying message. Much the previous Rockstar titles, however, this fact has been overlooked simply because of the name.

Speaking as a parent I, personally, do not feel that The Bully in any way promotes nor condones bullying in any way. Quite the opposite in fact, as a large amount of the multitude of tasks and quests you embark upon throughout the course of the games six chapters involve dealing with one of Bullworth Academy’s various cliques, culminating in a showdown with their respective leaders.

All in an attempt to stop the bullying which is rife when you first arrive. Rather, I would argue that anyone who complains about the negative influence this game may have on children should look a little closer to home before pointing fingers.

Having said that, I would still advise a certain amount of discretion. This is most decidedly not a game for children, as proven by the T rating the title was given in America, and 15 in the UK. However, the fact that now, two years later, the game has been reworked for both the X-Box 360 and Wii should go some way to proving the overall content is perhaps not so harsh as it may first appear.

Censors are a notoriously fickle bunch and are not prone to allowing unsuitable material into the public domain. It must also be considered that, whilst the focus of the game is on ridding Bullworth of its bullies, both student and teacher alike, the necessary tools are still in place to wreak some serious havoc with the other pupils.

This latter issue has been addressed somewhat by the presence of ever vigilant Prefects within the school grounds, and not just Police, but any adult once you are able to leave. However, due to the use of the skateboard, or simply by running for long enough, it is rarely any real threat as you can almost always find some way to evade capture.

Either by hiding in a bin, in a school locker, or just by tiring out your pursuers and causing them to lose interest in catching you. And even should you be caught, you can usually break free by waving the Wii remote back and forth. Though this is not guaranteed, it seems to work more than sixty percent of the time.

I’ll admit, before starting Bully I was apprehensive. Now, in the past I’ve been a staunch support of the Rockstar lable, having played a number of their previous titles and seeing the way that their negative aspects have been highlighted whilst completely missing the underlying theme of the games (Grand Theft Auto anyone?).

However, having been told something about the game by a friend of mine I was beginning to wonder if, this time, the critics were right. Being phoned three or four times a day to have a grown man laughing and telling me “lolz, I got in detention again” seemed like a strong argument for being dubious. Even to the point that when he lent the original Playstation 2 release to me after he had finished with it, I played through only a couple of missions.

Now, however, almost two years later, I decided it was time to give it another try. And was thankfully proven to be correct in my early reticence. As I’ve previously said, Bully is not for children, even though if does revolve around them.

Many of the themes covered in the game are of a decidedly adult nature. Including, but not limited to alcoholism and improprieties between teachers and pupils. But, of course, Jimmy Hopkins, our erstwhile protagonist, is a fifteen year old, hormone fuelled boy.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but sex is an increasingly important part of your life during those years. And whilst I may not be entirely happy with the way Jimmy is allowed to throw his affections around willy nilly, a quick kiss in the school hallways is hardly going to qualify as a major taste and decency faux pas.

Now, to the meat of the issue. Putting aside all the parental concerns, Rockstar have, once again, delivered a strong, expertly written game about the trials and tribulations which are an inevitable part of coming of age. Bullworth is an unforgiving place, with corruption running all the way from the student cliques to the Head Teacher (not Principal interestingly enough, even though the game is set in an American school) himself. Our young Jimmy certainly has his work cut out for him.

The story focuses around Jimmy’s efforts to combat the bullying and clean up the school as a whole. As well as helping an old, drunken hobo find half a dozen transistors so that he c an build a radio to call for an alien spaceship to abduct him. Possibly the most bizarre mission of any Rockstar title to date. The hobo, in return, teaches Jimmy some fighting techniques he learned whilst fighting in the Korean war in the early half of the 1950’s.
I would say that the greatest strength of the game comes in the form of the classroom mini-games. Especially with the four new ones that were added for Scholarship edition (biology, math, music and geography). The most useful of these clearly being geography.

After successfully completing each of the five maps you are awarded with an upgrade to your in game map. Showing the locations of various odds and ends like the rubber band collection and gnomes. None of which have any significant impact on the plot, but are nonetheless a great boon for those of use who are not satisfied until we reach that mythical 100% completion.

Art is another useful class. Each successive lesson enabling young Jimmy to earn greater benefits, in the way of a health increase, from kissing one of the various female pupils you will come into contact with on the school grounds.

And, of course, the bicycles you can earn from shop class are useful for later missions outside of school and for the various bike races dotted throughout the game. On top of all that, each of the lessons is very simple and easy to get to grips with. And you just might learn something along the way as well.

All in all, The Bully was a solid game, that was only enhanced by it’s Next Gen revamp. Each of the unique characters has been given a more fleshed out personality, as well as adding a few new characters and eight new missions.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the script has also been tweaked in some places, there is an entire plethora of new items and clothing to unlock. There’s now a two player aspect which consists of competing against a friend in between three and nine of the in game classes. It doesn’t really add overly much to the game as a whole, but it makes good practice and opens up another set of party games to choose from when you have a few friends round.

It’s a real shame that Bully received such negative press, though I will admit that it’s not entirely without grounding. Don’t let this put you off, however. It takes only a moment to look past the misleading façade and see that there is a real sense of morality to the game which cannot be so easily ignored.

The only real friend that Jimmy has is a small, quite young man named Petey. Who, inspite of some ribbing, Jimmy genuinely seems to care for. Even going so far as to have him elected Head Boy at the end of the game.

In closing, The Bully proves that old adage once again. Looks really can be deceiving.

Graphics 8/10
Gameplay 9/10
Audio/music 9/10
Plot/Scripting 9/10
Overall 8.5/10

No Comments Yet »

What is this yearning to destroy that we, as humans, have even from a young age? The more pessimistic among us would imply a rebellious or evil nature. I would say that, at least in our childhood purity, we are simply curious.

Sure a child may want to knock over a stack of blocks but once they’re down there’s no joy in the haphazard pile. “I don’t wanna clean that up!” The joy is in the brief moment that those blocks tumble in a somewhat predictable yet always chaotic and colorful way.

The prediction is often close but the chaos always takes over, keeping us on our bare little toes in our hypothetical playpen. Every child is actually a tiny little scientist, whether or not they’ll ever admit it.

The Wii’s unique motion controls compelled Steven Spielberg to create a game based on that visceral childhood instinct that most adults never actually lost. That is the heart and soul behind Boom Blox, the fact that it’s fun to make stuff fall over. It’s even fun in a physics simulation of toy blocks. Thankfully, there’s much more to the game’s design than that-but not so much more that we still have to clean up after ourselves.

The concept of melding what is essentially a physics simulation with motion controls is not as prominent as one may think in Boom Blox. The motion controls are more akin to a mouse pointer with the exception of moving the remote in a throwing motion when throwing objects at blocks.

While the in-game throwing does seem to successfully gauge how hard each “throw” is, this is about where the complexity of the controls ends. Fortunately, the game doesn’t suffer from this simplicity and probably even benefits from it. Bad controls can break a game. These controls may be simple but they work.

Aesthetically, Boom Blox has a charming cartoon style much like the kind of world a child might imagine is around his or her toy blocks. The cute block-shaped animals had me smiling and sometimes laughing out loud with their antics and, yes, even storylines.

The music occasionally got repetitive but it was varied and entertaining enough to have me picking favorite tracks. The sound was just sufficient but, believe it or not, the voice work gave me lots of laughs as I’m sure they intended. Have you heard a baby cow moo approvingly before? You will.

Some have compared Boom Blox to the classic block stacking party game Jenga. While there is a gametype in the game like Jenga, it’s just one of several different gametypes. Most of the gametypes are just refreshingly different enough to keep you coming back for more.

There’s more than one way to knock over a pile of blocks, my friends, and this game will purposefully have you trying several methods attempting to do just that. Other times, you’ll actually be trying to avoid that. The important thing is that you’ll be surprised just how much fun it is.

Thanks to the consistency of the in-game physics you’ll be able to use trial and error on the more difficult stages and strategize your way closer and closer to the solution. The presence of new types of blocks that you never had in your toy box as a kid helps keep things fresh. Vanish blocks, chemical blocks, cloud blocks, bomb blocks, etc.-each has unique traits and reactions that make things much more chaotic, interesting and just plain fun to mess with.

In addition to many single player stages of varying objectives, the game includes multiplayer modes so friends can join in on the destruction either cooperatively or competitively. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, kindergärtner or engineer.

You will find fun in this game, most likely in both singleplayer and multiplayer alike. While I do wish the multiplayer included a bit more reconfigurability as well as four player support for all modes and not just some, the choices available are quite adequate.

Even when playing single player I found it was quite enjoyable to have one person playing while others

expressed what they felt “might work” to complete each stage. As if several gametypes in both single and multiplayer weren’t enough, a complex yet user-friendly edit mode is also included with the game.

Not only can you knock them down but you can build them up. Just don’t try to act like you won’t still want to knock them down again! Boom Blox’s mission is simple but it absolutely succeeds with flying colors and blocks.

No Comments Yet »

Image by Lady Madonna via Flickr

Ever since the success of the prepaid phone card, everyone seems to finding a way to tap into the idea. Now everywhere you can look, you can find prepaid cell phones, credit cards, and even prepaid game subscriptions. I suppose it is the nature of who we are as people, to follow trends that make sense.

I can’t say I have a massive problem with this, after all most of the time it makes my life simpler. In fact one of the newest developments going on right now is the Wii points card. This is a great idea in my opinion. I go find a points card, take the card to a counter, pay the amount of money I want for the amount of points I want, then I go home. Once I am home I fire up the old Nintendo Wii, go to the online section, select the games I want to download, input the card information, and now I have a whole new game to play.

The only real question I have about this whole concept is how long it will take everyone else to follow suit. I mean this is great, its like having a virtual game library that allows me to pick a game whenever I am in the mood to buy one without having to wonder if my local store has it.

In fact it is my opinion that this may be the new way to distribute even new games. Download speeds are getting faster, meaning that once would of taken days to transfer, now takes seconds. As this technology improves it may not be to long before we see the first prepaid console.

You simply by the console, hook it up to the internet, then pay a monthly fee, or a per game fee, and now you have a console with all the games it offers without ever having to leave your home. I really can’t wait, I think this is a great idea. However there is something nice about opening a game case for the first time as well. Who knows, I am sure it will all figure itself out.

No Comments Yet »

I’ve been hearing about Bleach for about a year now. Nothing concrete, just a lot of really good press. Which I must confess tends to bug me after a while. If it’s really that brilliant, then surely it shouldn’t be hard to tell me exactly why it’s great. Well, regardless, when the game was released for the Nintendo Wii I figured I may as well pick it up and see what all the fuss was about. Now, to be honest, I really wish I hadn’t.

Calling Shattered Blade a bad game would be a little too harsh. But that statement would be equally true of calling it a good game as well. It has enough elements in play that it could have been a good game, but they were poorly implemented.

Even on Hard it took me less than an hour to finish each of the story modes, with no real challenge apart from the odd bout where the console seemed to decide ahead of time that I wasn’t going to win regardless of what I did.

This was a real disappointment for me. When I was growing up, SEGA was always the company I looked to for gaming. Nintendo didn’t really come into their prime until the Gamecube in my opinion. Never a bad company, but very much a lot of potential rather than actual results. And now, after man years of both companies refining their methods I expected more. Much more.

Perhaps if I had watched the series before, perhaps then I could appreciate the nuance of the game more. But I very much doubt that. I’ve seen a lot of game tie-ins over the years. Some of them good, some of them great, and some of them just plain travesties (but reviews of Enter the Matrix are for another time, ahem).

Sadly, Bleach seems to fall a lot more closely into that last group. There’s no real plot to speak of, just a bit of a blurb at the beginning, and then again after the final battle. Different, of course, for each character, but tied loosely together because each of them is hunting for the same thing. The Sokyoku shards.

It might have been more enjoyable, perhaps, if there were some diversity between the playable characters. But for the most part the game just revolves around either waving the mote up and down or left to right a lot. And occasionally pressing the A button for a more powerful attack.

Even awakening the Bankai spirit within the character you choose adds little to the game. Though the cinematics of the summoning itself are rather nice. Explosive, but not dragged out so they don’t spoil the flow of the game.

However, it’s not all bad. It never is. There are a large number of unlockable gallerys or both pictures and voice samples, amongst other things. Which, whilst being not particularly difficult to obtain, they do add a certain amount of replay value for those of us who suffer from OCD (like myself).

And when you think about it, the ease with which the game can be played does add a certain juvenile charm. The very fact that it’s so simple gives it a great pick up and play value. Something that you can easily while away some spare time with if you don’t have the patience for something more involved.

In all though, I don’t think the game will really appeal to anyone but the most fanatical of Bleach fans. But even then, it would likely be more of a disappointment. A dirty little secret that you don’t tell anyone else about if they know the secret handshake of a true fan. Perhaps something to keep in your attic, so that you sneak upstairs in the middle of the night for you little fix of pure cheese.

If you really do plan to play the game, or even buy it, I suggest waiting for it to drop in price. It’s not going to be something you will come back to consistently. But it may keep you occupied for a half hour or so from time to time.