Aramation Games

Once upon a time, back in the days of PS1, Crash Bandicoot was almost the mascot for Sony’s new console. Nowadays, just like Sega’s Sonic, it is relegated to mediocre games and Crash of the Titans for PSP unfortunately doesn’t do much to change his luck. This game is actually a port of Xbox 360 version, and features mostly the same content except for multiplayer.

Deep down, Crash of the Titans is a platformer with minor puzzle elements. You’ll fight countless minions, and “jack” bigger enemies who each has unique powers such as ranged attacks, ground smashing attacks and even shockwaves. Jacking enemies is crucial to your success as big enemies are immune to your puny attacks and need to be taken care of by jacked enemies.

Action is decent, and the jacking idea shines through in the first hour or so… then it becomes evident that is the only concept that this game has going for itself. Controls are a bit sluggish, and camera angle makes it hard to see upcoming gaps in the level. Worse, it makes jumping, double-jumping and gliding difficult for no particular reason.

Production value is ok, the graphics aren’t the best on the console nor the worst, voiceover and sound effects are pretty good at times, but the music feels uninspired. In the end, this is a good entry in this tired franchise. With other action platformers such as Dexter and Ratchet and Clank series doing so much on the PSP, this traditional Crash game feels dated.

Rating: 65%

The Simpsons Movie released last year was a faithful adaptation of the venerable series for the big screen. The Simpsons Game is not a game based on that movie, but it is instead a standalone game based in the universe, full of in-jokes and humor that made the series great. The game features all major Simpsons family members as they discover they’re game characters and acquire powers. They must use those powers and visit game worlds to collect keycards, which is the key to preventing the game from becoming obsolete (whenever Xbox 720 and PS4 come out). To collect the key cards, they must visit games as they’re being produced such as Katamari Damacy and Pokemon inspired world, EverQuest inspired fantasy world, Grand Theft Auto inspired crumbling city and World War II based France.

Each character’s superpowers fit the family member’s characteristics: Bart and become Bartman, Homer can eat food to become a gigantic rolling ball, Lisa has the power of Buddha and Marge can get the crowd to do her bidding. There are several puzzles where family members must work together to solve. The biggest asset of the game is how faithful it is to the Simpsons universe. Featuring original voice cast, plenty of animated cutscenes that look just like the TV show and the movie, and many recurring characters return such as Sideshow Bob. It even has guest appearances by Will Wright, the creator of The Sims and SimCity Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons and even God.

The PSP version of The Simpsons Game suffers from pretty horrific camera angles that do not adjust well to the action, and the lack of second analog nub means the camera gets in the way of fun. You can attempt to manually control it but it isn’t an easy thing to do when you’re in the middle of platforming or fighting enemies.

In the end, this game is better enjoyed on home console versions for Xbox 360 and PS3 as you can wrangle the camera easier. The game is perhaps one of the best Simpsons game ever made, and it is a must play for all fans of the animated series.

Rating: 65%

Lost Odyssey (X360)
Producer of Final Fantasy releases his second RPG. Shedding the cute anime style of Blue Dragon, Xbox 360 exclusive Lost Odyssey seeks to outdo the venerable FF franchise.

Wipeout Pulse (PSP)
Wipeout series continues with Pulse, latest racer on PSP. Read my review of the European release here.

Other releases (exclusives in bold):

• DS: Barnyard Blast, Dungeon Explorer: Warrior of the Ancient Arts, Professor Layton and the Curious Village
• PC: Carrier Strike Force, Conflict: Denied Ops, My Horse and Me, Penumbra: Black Plague, RPG Maker VX, Space Force: Captains, XIII Century: Death or Glory
• PS3: Conflict: Denied Ops
• PSP: Dungeon Explorer: Warrior of the Ancient Arts
• X360: Conflict: Denied Ops, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements, Jumper
• Wii: Jumper

Konami’s long running football franchise has always been called Winning Eleven, but only in the United States. Starting from the next entry, Winning Eleven name will disappear and the game will be internationally known as Pro Evolution Soccer 2008. This is unfortunate since the next version would be called Winning Eleven 11, but you can’t argue with international marketing consistency…

The original Red Faction will always hold a special place in my heart as that was the first game for which I was involved in a clan. That only lasted 1 match, but it was my entry into the ultra-competitive world of multiplayer clan gaming. THQ has now officially announced the third entry in the franchise, to be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC this time.

Volition is once again working on the title: Red Faction was the first title to use a limited form of terrain that can be deformed. It remains to be seen if the next-generation entry will make it even more destructive and dynamic.

Look for this title in THQ’s 2008 fiscal year (which ends March 2009 calendar year).

EA has seen fit to release this game on the PC, and the result is a lot better than its previous attempts on the PSP or the DS. Built on the platinum-selling The Sims 2 game, The Sims Castaway Stories offers a more structured gameplay instead of build anything, do anything philosophy of the original game. You play as a shipwrecked character who winds up on a tropical island. As you cope with survival, you encounter natives (who speak fluent English), find other shipwreck-mates, fall in love, build furniture and even cure diseases. All this is done in a truly Sims fashion. You gather resources by cutting branches, gather food by fishing and picking fruits, you have jobs to go to, promotions to deal with and of course increase your skills.

The storyline is pretty silly, and you have no branching paths so you must do what the game wants you to do. But once you finish the storyline, you can partake in a traditional Sims game without any story objectives.

In the end, your mileage will mostly vary depending on how much you have played previous Sims games. If you aren’t already sick of the franchise, and are still charmed by the Simlish and all antics of a Sims, then this game is great. This doesn’t have any revolutionary features, nor evolutionary upgrades. Settings are slightly changed, available furniture options are different but that’s about it. Still, this game is inoffensive, occasionally charming and open-endedness will give you plenty of game time if you’re into that. You can easily play this game until the next variation of the Sims franchise comes along.

Rating: 65%

Devil May Cry 4 (PS3, X360)
Capcom’s DMC series finally escapes Playstation with the latest entry. Featuring an all-new character Nero, the game seeks to redress a lot of concerns that were raised in the previous 2 sequels.

Culdcept SAGA (X360)
This Monopoly-like board game infuses magic and combat to make board game a lot more exciting. First entry in the franchise to be released on a non-Sony console, it will feature online battles.

Other releases:

• DS: Assassin’s Creed - Altair’s Chronicles, My Horse and Me, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Zoo Tycoon DS 2
• PC: Carrier Strike Force, Sins of a Solar Empire, Spaceforce: Captains, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Turok
• PS3: Turok
• PSP: Downstream Panic!
• X360: Karaoke Revolution Presents - American Idol Encore, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Turok
• Wii: Karaoke Revolution Presents - American Idol Encore, My Horse and Me, The Spiderwick Chronicles

Here is another color combination available for Nintendo’s uber-popular DS Lite: Cobalt/Black. Internally, nothing has changed and it remains the same Nintendo DS Lite… just available in a different color. It will be released on February 10th, and all you 5 people without a DS can get it.