TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 08 REVIEW

GAME: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
PLATFORM: PS2
DEVELOPER: EA Tiburon
PUBLISHER: EA

Imagine yourself as Tiger Woods with a 2-stroke lead at St. Andrews in the British Open. Suddenly, Vijay Singh makes a birdie to cut the lead to 1. Then, your fairway shot lands in the green but your impending putt is 30 feet away. Then, in expected fashion, you make the pressure putt and win the event.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08, one of EA's crown jewels of the Sports genre, let's you play pressure situations such as what the first paragraph stated. This game is definitely the king of all golf games and this version solidifies its reign as the king of all golf games.

Graphics-wise, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 looks good. The animations of all golfers look splendid. The courses are nice and sport out that golfing atmosphere that makes the game unique. However, the occasional glitch appears. In this game, the occasional glitch appears in the form of giving the player the wrong camera view when the next shot forces the player to stand next to a tree and the ball landed in the thick rough. Also, ball trajectory is shown in a great way and this makes this golf game good. Also included in the game are various real-life brand names of golfing merchandise such as Nike, Calloway, Ping, amongst many others.

The game lets you choose from 23 pro golfers from both the PGA and LPGA Tour - 19 from the PGA Tour and 4 from the LPGA Tour. You can play as Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Adam Scott, the list goes on and on. The game features 18 courses. From the Pebble Beach, St. Andrews, up to the Kiawah Island course, the game does have a good amount of realism included. However, there is still no "Create A Course" option so that somehow lessens the game's fun value.

With EA's fondness of the analog stick, it is evident that this game utilizes the analog stick a lot. You swing the golf stick by pulling down the left analog stick and then you subsequently pull it up. The harder you pull it up, the stronger the shot attempt. Meanwhile, you putt by pulling down the left analog stick and also pulling it up subsequently. Also, a feature coined as "Putt Preview" is present that lets you play a putt without affecting your score. However, beware that you only have limited time allotted for the "Putt Preview" feature. And in my opinion, the "Putt Preview" feature decreases the challenge of the game.

The game does have variable modes included and the one that stands out is the "Tiger Challenge" mode. In this mode, you make a new golfer from scratch and let this golfer partake on various matches and gain experience along the process. After defeating the various tasks, you will then face Tiger Woods in a one-on-one match. Also present is "The PGA Tour Season" mode wherein you participate in various tournaments and stamp yourself in the history of the PGA Tour.

Sound-wise, the game falters. The game does have sounds from the atmosphere such as the chirping of the birds but then, there is no commentary this time around. Sound is only the game's weak spot.

One lingering question does remain. Is this year's version better than last year's version? Aside from updated courses, updated golfers, and updated game modes, it is pretty much the same so I suggest that if you have never played a game out of this great gaming series, buy this year's version. It definitely is your money's worth. But if you are more of a golfing purist, buy last year's version essentially because there is no "Putt Preview" feature.

The game tends to be easy but if you do want a challenge, you can always toggle the sliders located in the Options menu.

The game is great but it is not meant to be played on 6-hour sessions. My suggestion is that you play this game on a spurt-setting like allotting an hour or two for this game.

If you want to play a golf game on your consoles, buy this game as soon as possible and see the magic that this game provides.

Graphics 4/5: The golfers look great. The golfers almost perfectly match their real-life resemblances. Watching the animations is a joy. The courses look like their real-life counterparts as well.

Gameplay 4.5/5: The analog controls make this game fun yet challenging. This is one golf game that sports out a good control system and the analog control system definitely pays off. However, the "Putt Preview" feature decreases the fun factor of the game.

Sound 3/5: The weak spot of the game. However, crowd noise adds realism to the game. Atmospheric sounds add a nifty touch.

Replay 5/5: You can go online and challenge players all over the globe. Or you can invite a friend and have a 1-on-1 match or compete together in the "Team Tour" mode. Multiplayer options are many and this adds value to the game itself.

Overall 4/5: A good golf game that lets you play your modern golf heroes in real golf courses. What else could you get? Definitely, a must-have game in my opinion.

NBA LIVE 08 REVIEW

GAME: NBA Live 08
PLATFORM: PS2
DEVELOPER: EA Canada
PUBLISHER: EA
ESRB RATING: Everyone

Imagine yourself buying something that you really want but when it's time for you to use it, you get pissed off. This is what EA has done with NBA Live 08, a game that was expected to be the one to rule basketball games but due to some shortcomings, it all ended up as crap. First impressions usually result to something good in terms of previewing videogames. A first look at NBA Live 08 gives a person that improvements are finally about to be done by EA on its once dominative franchise but as soon as you play it . . . your expectations are turned into disappointments.

NBA Live 08 graphically looks lame. Players still have large heads just like last year. A choppy and slow frame rate doesn't give help to the game either. The coaches of teams look lame too as if they are afterthoughts. Heck, some of the players just don't look like their real-life counterparts. A lingering problem since NBA Live 2005 was released, which is the players aren't running very well on the court, is again present. It just really looks that EA didn't exert a lot of effort for this game.

You might ask yourself "Is there anything new to this year's reincarnation of the Live franchise?". The answer is yes, there are things that are new to the Live franchise but they don't add anything that can spice up the game's declining value. One of those new things is the scrapping of the superstar abilities. This just means that gameplay is definitely simplified. However, star players of a team perform superstar abilities; this time though since the gameplay is pretty much simplified, you don't have to press L1 together and a face button to perform them. In short, just give the ball to your star player and press Circle to shoot and your star player will do the job. Another new addition is the feature named as "Player Hot Spots". This feature, through a shot chart, depicts the spots wherein a player is hot, represented by the color red ,or cold, represented by the color blue. In my opinion though, this feels like an afterthought since the feature doesn't really help a lot since an open shot from a cold spot will result to a made shot. Also, apparently because of this year's various FIBA Tournaments, a new mode entitled as "FIBA Tournament" is added. However, the mode features inaccurate rosters, that is in terms of the U.S roster, and doesn't therefore add appeal to the game. There is also a scenario mode wherein you only take control of your team in game-changing situations. Again, this doesn't add any appeal since it won't even help you expand the amount of time you will spend for this game.

With new versions of basketball games subsequently comes updated rosters. However, in NBA Live 08, no player ratings have changed(especially that of the Lakers squad). Disappointingly, some ratings are just really unexplainable like that of Greg Oden and Kevin Durant's.

One of the best modes of the NBA Live franchise, the Dynasty Mode, returns in this year's reincarnation. However, if you have played last year's version, you will be definitely disappointed. There are no changes from last year's Dynasty Mode. It all starts with the NBA Draft and again, ESPN analysis is present. It really is just the same Dynasty Mode we saw last year. EA just felt that their franchise has been peaked into the highest possible form so they probably felt that changes shouldn't be made.

Sound-wise, it is also poor. What stands out though is . . . still the tandem of Marv "The Czar" Albert and the GM of the Suns, Steve Kerr. The soundtrack is not bad but it is not great either. If last year's version featured some hip-hop tunes, this year's version offers more dance hits. However, some of the tracks are just really unfamiliar. Timbaland, Joss Stone, and LCD Soundsystem stand out from the rest of the pack though.

The camera angle might puzzle the gamer during the actual game. The camera angle transition just looks like awkward. Play the game to see it for yourselves.

The game is pretty much the same. My advice is you better buy NBA 2K8. It is definitely the best of the basketball games this yeat.

Graphics 3/5 : The players still have large heads. A change of graphics engine is definitely needed. The stadiums are laughable too because they just don't look right.

Gameplay 3/5 : Yes, it offers high-scoring action and it is simplified but it just doesn't feel good. It just gets too boring quickly. Dynasty Mode hasn't been tinkered so say goodbye to experiencing happy times with NBA Live 08.

Sound 3.5/5: The sound doesn't stand out. The soundtrack is not that bad and it is not great. The commentary saves the sound department from shame.

Replay 2/5: It will disappoint you. The lifespan of this game is just low. The additions in the game appear more of as afterthoughts and don't broaden the appeal of the game.

Overall 3/5: A disappointing end for the Live series in the PS2. No changes or innovations have been made and this definitely contributed to the game's shortcomings. If you really want to play a basketball game on your consoles, better buy NBA 2K8.

The Bigs by 2K Sports Review

The Bigs
PS2
DEVELOPER: Blue Castle Games / Visual Concepts
PUBLISHER: 2K Sports
ESRB RATING: Everyone

Graphics: 3.5/5 How will I say this? The character models are pathetic! Big Play Moments were meant as a "cover-up" of the game's poor graphics. Nevertheless, this game was stretched to its limits on the PS2 graphics-wise. The stadiums look splendid though just like its real-life counterparts. So if you play in Fenway Park, the left field wall, known as Green Monster, will just amaze you by its huge size.

Gameplay: 4/5 This is where the game absolutely shines. If you are used to MLB 07: The Show, prepare for something that is new. The pitching interface is beginner-friendly. You just select the location of the pitch then press the button of the pitch then release the button once the bar reaches the desired level in the meter. Batting-wise, you can use the Swing Stick, much like the Shot Stick of its outstanding basketball counterpart, NBA 2K7. Doing important plays such as striking out your opponent, inducing a double play and the like will net you some points for your Turbo Meter which when filled up, will grant some infinite stat boosts to your team. There's a huge bummer though. And that is there is pitching lag. When you pitch, the game hangs for some time. What's great though is that the game is fast-paced since you only play 5 innings rather than the normal 9 innings. A note to remember: Every play is big. Hence, the name of the game "The Bigs."

Sound 4.5/5: Commentary-wise, it is superb considering the fact that Damon Bruce does a good job helping out Miller and Morgan. Soundtrack-wise, well, Motorhead is featured with its song, Ace From Spades. Also worth mentioning is that Stone Temple Pilots and Primus contributed in the soundtrack also.

Replay 3/5: There is nothing to expect here. It doesn't feature Season and Franchise Modes unlike MLB 07: The Show. Rookie Challenge is just really limited and it just made the game look more pathetic. But then there is the multiplayer option but the problem is that few people play baseball in gaming consoles.

Overall 3.5/5: A game that has its shining moments but still it just needs an improvement. MLB 07: The Show outshines it and in baseball terms, this game struck out.

Loco Roco Review

GAME:Loco Roco
DEVELOPED BY: Sony Computer Entertainment
PUBLISHED BY: SCE Studios Japan
ESRB Rating: Everyone

Well there are certain games that say that they utilize innovative gameplay and controls, they fail to deliver their promises just like the game named "NBA Live 07" which stated that Freestyle controls will definitely improve the game. Well, it botched up the series even more!

Enough NBA Live talk for now. Well, there was really this innovative and revolutionary game that really piqued my interest. That game was Loco Roco. Loco Roco really relied on the gameplay for it to be successful. It really used innovative controls in a sense that you only use the L and R shoulder buttons to tilt the game world and control your adorable Loco Rocos. Using the L and R shoulder buttons at the same time causes the Loco Roco to jump. If you can't fit into a small space, use the circle button to arouse some lightning to make your Loco Roco separate into smaller ones to fit into the said small space. You increase your Loco Roco count by eating those fruits, which can be obvious and at times, hidden in the stages. It's much like that popular brick game called Tetris. It's easy to learn but hard to perfect. It's not exploration all the way mind that. There are also nasty monsters called the Moja. If it successfully squeezes one Loco Roco away from you, say good bye to that one Loco Roco of yours. And boy, the game really did amaze me and left me astounded.

Well, it's also one of the best games in the PSP format graphics-wise. Sound-wise, the sounds that the Loco Roco make are really cute. Also, you might even sing along with them and memorize what they say.

Lifespan-wise, it really lasts a long time. If you were done with the story mode, there are still lots of secrets to be found in every world like those Mui Mui and those secret Loco House parts. Also, if you want to improve your past performances, you can do so by replaying the stages.

Now the lowdown of the review:

Graphics 5/5 - This is a game that runs smoothly considering the fact that the PSP can slow down if the graphics are really lush. All I can say is that the PSP really flexed its muscle for this game. This game is eye candy and a luscious treat to all those PSP users.

Gameplay 5/5 - Using only the L and R shoulder buttons to tilt the game world and subsequently control your Loco Roco, this is really an innovative game. If you get tired with the story mode, there are also mini-games which can be unlocked and also you can build your own Loco House using the parts that you acquire in the main game.

Sound 5/5 - Games usually don't have a good sound attached with it but exempt this one from that description. The Loco Roco's voices are really cute and top-notch. Since I've mentioned that, you might be able to talk and sing like a Loco Roco! Believe me on that sentiment.

Replay 4/5 - The story mode ends just before you get bored. Well, there are really lots of unlockables and secrets like those rare Loco House parts, hidden Mui Mui and those mini-games which really add up to the game's replayability. If you get bored with the story mode, you can also build your very own and unique Loco House!

Overall 5/5 - If you have a PSP and you don't have this game, you are totally missing all the fun that the PSP can supply you. This game is one of the PSP's top-rated games and you better not miss this.

MLB 07: The Show Review

MLB 07: The Show
PS2
ESRB Rating: Everyone

Graphics: 4/5 This is a sports game that takes pride in its gameplay. The graphics are still nice. In a baseball game, weather elements play a role and it's obvious in this game. If it's a day game, the sunlight really is present. Players look realistic but some players are really different from their real-life counterparts. Another problem is that the audience are really just cardboard cutouts. When you hit a home run, the camera switches into a view wherein you get to see the expression of the batter. All in all, this is better than the MLB 06: The Show.

Gameplay 4.0/5 This is a game which offers lots of gameplay modes. The gameplay modes are: Exhibition(A Quick Game), Season(You get to play as your team without the managerial aspects), Career(There are two choices here: Road To The Show which is you only get to control your player. If it's a pitcher, you only pitch. The second choice is the Classic where you get to control the team all the time.), Manager Mode(The mode wherein you get to control the team with the managerial aspects. This aspects include prices of tickets, training your team, ball park improvements. . . the list goes on and on.), Home Run Derby(This is a mode wherein who hits the most home runs wins.) and the Rivalry Mode(You get to create rivalries between the teams.) In the game itself, you mostly press X when you pitch. You are offered pitch selections and you use the X, O, Triangle, Square and even R1 when you select the pitch. The gameplay is just really realistic. At times, there are glitches like you should have only hit a double but the game will consider it sometimes as a home run. Also, the ball should have gone deep but suddenly, it goes in the infield.

Sound 3/5 The weak spot of the game. The game soundtrack is poor. The only band that I consider as great is Jet, that Australian band who performed Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is. Another bad thing is that MCR is included in the soundtrack. Commentary-wise though, it's merely a rehash of last year's version.

Replay 4/5 With the Career and Manager Modes present, you can play this game for a long time. With that said, you can even invite your friends(Hopefully, they know baseball) to play with you on your homes. It can bore you at times when you play alone most of the time. If you are lucky enough, you can go online and play against the world's other baseball videogame players.

Overall 4.0/5 This is a sports game which is really good. It's an improvement from the original. In the end, you just get the best of all MLB videogames out there.

This is Jet's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is. This song was featured in the game MLB 07: The Show. This song is taken from the Jet's latest album Shine On.

Okami Review

GAME NAME: Okami
DEVELOPER: Clover Studios
PUBLISHER: Capcom
ESRB Rating: Teen

When I was strolling along the videogame shops in the mall, this game suddenly piqued my interest. And why is that so? It's because of the way the wolf is done in the cover art. Nifty cel-shaded graphics is what I expected and that's what I received. Being a game developed by Clover Studios, the guys who developed Viewtiful Joe, I expect this game to be loads of fun and I wasn't wrong! Now the review shall we?

The game starts off with a long introduction presenting the game's strongest point: "cel-shaded interactivity". The prologue might be long but it is essential to the story. The prologue is about a peaceful town which went berserk thanks to this dreaded 8-headed monster, Orochi. Then, a wolf named Shiranui with the help of a mortal named Nagi, klled Orochi and peace was observed in the town again. 100 years have passed and then someone set the cursed monster, Orochi, free again and the whole Nippon continent is in darkness again. Shiranui's dead body(He died due to a disease), was enshrined and turned into a statue. Because of the turmoil caused by Orochi, Shiranui was encarnated in the form of another wolf whose name I won't divulge just yer. Then, Sakuya, a goddess of the forest, tells you your mission: To restore peace in the whole Nippon continent. This is the time you meet yuor sidekick, Issun who's kinda annoying and green-minded. Then, you get to do some early gameplay mechanics. As you see, I've said "cel-shaded interactivity" earlier, why is this so? It's because in the game Okami, you get to use "Brush Techniques" wherein you use a paint brush to progress in the game- even in the battles!

Now the name of the wolf. The wolf's name is actually Amaterasu or Ammy for short. Amaterasu is actually a sun god! The first Brush Technique you will do(There are 13 of them) is called Rejuvenation. It restores destroyed infrastructure like destroyed bridges.

So much for spoiling now. The exploration is one of the best that I've ever seen! It's the Zelda of PS2 mind that. Lots of secrets are about to be found. Also, a nifty Zelda touch is that you also have a sidekick in the person of Issun just like Zelda's fairy sidekick Navi. This game really is one of the best that I've ever seen.

Now the downsides, the battles are easy even the boss fights. Also, camera issues at times. But aside from these niggles, it's a game that you'll love and cherish!

THE BOTTOMLINE:
GRAPHICS- 91%
Nifty cel-shaded graphics everyone!
GAMEPLAY- 92%
One of the best that I've played!
SOUND- 80%
The dialogue sounds annoyed me but aside from that, it's atmospheric.
GORE- 30%
Beating monsters to a pulp sure looks nice but without blood that is.
OVERALL- 93%
One of the best PS2 games out there!