There’s been a lot of buzz about Acitivision’s newest action game Prototype and I’ve really been trying to ignore as much of it as possible so I could formulate my own opinion on the game. I finally got a chance to play it last night and I’ve got quite a few things to say about it.
First and foremost, this is not a game for kids. Yeah, lots of bloody games carry the M rating, but Prototype earned it easily. The language and dialogue in the game makes extensive use of words of the the adult variety. I lost count of the number of F bombs I heard after we hit about 20. As a parent I cringed everytime I heard one because I tend to associate games with wholesome kid friendly entertainment, but as a mature gamer I was glad it was there because that’s the type of dialogue I’d expect to hear if there was a horde of infected zombies running amok in NYC and there was a shape shifting freak killing everyone. So I’m riding the fence on that topic. READ MORE
The Gamecube version of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, released in 2005, was interesting in a lot of ways. It was one of the few games to use the DK Bongos (and the only one that wasn’t a music game), it was the first DK adventure after the departure of Rare,
and it was also a training exercise for EAD Tokyo, the studio formed to create Super Mario Galaxy. Unfortunately, it was overlooked by many that considered it gimmicky.
So the Wii re-release is meant to make the game more accessible. It eschews the bongo controller for a remote-nunchuk setup, and retails at a cheaper $29.99. Rather than have the controls mimic the original scheme, the game has been reworked to use an analog stick and buttons. It actually feels like a much different game as a result.
The game now feels a bit more like Donkey Kong Country. Bananas are now the main currency instead of being converted to “beats,” and there’s a small life meter now as well. Besides that, the game does feel almost as streamlined as the original.
It seems like the original could also have been included for those who still have DK bongos sitting around, but that’s not an option. For good or bad, though, the Wii controls also feel somewhat gimmicky. It was charming in 2005, but not so now after years of games with “waggle” gameplay.
Still, DKJB is a fun game. It just may not be for everyone.
ESRB: E10+– You punch stuff. That’s why it’s not just E.
Pros: Platforming action from the team that made Galaxy.
Cons: Gimmicky controls aren’t as cool as they used to be.
I’m not very good at tennis in real life, but I do quite enjoy the idea of playing tennis. Last week, EA sent over a copy of Grand Slam Tennis for Wii and I spent my friday night engaged in battle with the world’s best tennis superstars. READ MORE
Harmonix and MTV have announced 2 new track packs that will be made available next week. The track packs include a 4 song pack from Spinal Tap and a 3 song pack from Evanescence. Hit the jump for the full details on which songs are included and pricing for these tracks. READ MORE
EA announced today that Dwight Howard would be the cover athlete for NBA Live 10. Considering 2K Sports recently announced Kobe Bryant as the cover athlete for NBA 2k10 it only seemed fitting that the other superstar in this year’s NBA Finals would grace the cover of the competition’s game. READ MORE
