The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Phantom Hourglass is the first Zelda game to hit the DS. The game is a sequel to it's cell shaded partner on the Game Cube, Wind Waker. Fans of Wind Waker will be familiar with the style of game and the characters. Going into this game I was very nervous, I feared the controls. You control everything with the stylus and touch screen. I was convinced that this just wouldn't work, until I played it...

The controls in this game are perfect. They fit this game to a tee, it's a lot of fun controlling young Link with the touch screen. To attack you just tap the screen on the monster you're attacking, it's that simple. Moving around feels smooth, sailing is fun and throwing the boomer rang is really neat. Being able to draw on the map on the top screen is a nice addition, it makes for dungeon searching a bit easier.

Graphics in this game are just great, Phantom Hourglass pushes the DS to it's limits. Scenery is unique, dungeons aren't repetitive, and the ocean is vast. Creatures and bosses are oddly cool looking and the whole cell shaded art thing really works. Sounds in the game are fun and the music is stellar. The plot is another great story in the legend of Zelda.

This game is fun to play and will keep you busy for a while. For any Zelda fan this is one you've got to play.

Pros: Great Graphics
Great game play
Come on, it's Zelda

Cons: May cause you to become addicted

From the Christian perspective you don't have anything to worry about playing this game. This is one that both kids and adults will enjoy. There's some monster killing but other than that no language or other questionable stuff. And hey whats wrong with a little monster killing any way, right?

Rating: 10 out of 10

Would Jesus play this game? Yes

Skate

For so long Tony Hawk has ruled the skateboarding video game genre, now we're finally getting some competition. Skate is a lot different then the competition, it takes a more realistic approach to the sport. Where Tony Hawk goes the way of huge combos and over the top skating, Skate involves doing things that you would actually see people doing in real life.
First let's start with the graphics, they are great. The world looks really cool, it's very detailed and feels like it's alive. The skateboarding animations are very well done. Doing an ollie or grind or even when you bail, every thing looks different and the physics are great. I personally liked having everything done with in game graphics, for example in Tony Hawk you get skate videos that are actual demo videos but in Skate real life skaters' videos are virtual. I think that this is something that immerses you in the world of Skate. I've got to say that the very first scene of the game is really funny and entertaining to watch.

Now let's talk about game play, it takes some getting used to. As a player of Tony Hawk it took a while to get used to the control scheme of Skate. Everything is done with the analog sticks, when you want to ollie you've got to move the stick a certain way then move it another way to do tricks and so on. While this is frustrating at some points it is kind of cool once you get the hang of it. This game really takes some skill to pull off big combos and tricks. Missions in the game are just like Tony hawk games in which you do certain tricks or compete. I did like the filming missions and the film editor thats in the game. Although I didn't do much with the editor I like being able to cut and edit segments of my run and even add effects. One thing that was constantly annoying was not being able to get off my board and running into curbs or walls (why can't I just hop off and switch directions?).

Multi player is just the same old skate boarding game multi player, which isn't a bad thing, it's just stale. The customization in the game is really nice, just about everything about your skater can be changed. Boards and clothes can also be edited which makes it another thing that immerses you into the world. The soundtrack is nice and the sound effects are very realistic, theres nothing like hearing your bones crunch as you bail a grind or get hit by an oncoming vehicle.

Pros: Innovative controls
Great graphics
Unique experience

Cons: Huge learning curve
Frustrating controls at times
Stale multi player

As a Christian theres not much to be scared about here. There are a few curse words here and there buts its no GTA. And unless your worried about being subjected to your skater falling and breaking lots of bones then you should be fine. If you're a fan of Tony Hawk then you should try this game, if you're more of a beginner then stick with Tony Hawk.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Would Jesus play this game? Yes

Assassin's Creed

Today I'm reviewing Assassins Creed for the Xbox 360. I heard some very mixed reviews for this game before I played it, which sort of made me want to play it more so I could decide for myself. First off the game looks amazing. The graphics in this game will blow you away, character models are amazing and the cities are incredible detailed. You will find yourself wandering around just looking at how cool stuff looks. A great way to take in amazing views is doing eagles eye missions, you climb to high points and just look around. I know that sounds kind of lame but its really cool to see cities beyond the walls of the one you're currently in.
Game play wise the game is very innovating. You use different face buttons to control different parts of your body. Again this is something that sounds like it might be cumbersome but it is pulled off very well. Combat is also very cool especially sword play. Saving citizens from some crazy guards is very satisfying and it's great when you get to counter their attacks into a really cool finisher. Another very fun aspect of the game is riding your horse from town to town. As I rode around exploring on my horse it brought back great memories of playing The legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
As far as story goes, well there is a huge sci-fi aspect of the game that gives it a modern twist. Even when game play slows down a little you will still want to continue just to advance the story. The main character is pretty relatable, all be it dumb at times. Historically this game seems pretty accurate, and you might even learn a few things about the time period while playing it (like why there are carts of hay under every tall thing you should jump off of).
The sounds and ambiance are very cool. Voices are well done and no one seems like they are pushing it. It definitely won't take you very long to get the hang of this game, its great to pick right up and be able to jump around the entire city and take out anybody you would like to (just like a true assassin). I think thats one thing that makes this game very fun to play, it does give you a great feel of being an assassin at that time.

Pros: Awesome graphics
Great story
Cool controls

Cons: Repetitive missions
Easy to get lost

Play this game, you will have fun. The only thing to be wary about here is the violence but it's not over the top. There is hardly any language or other questionable material. Like I said in the review you may even learn something playing this game.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Would Jesus play this game?: Yes (He just might avoid the whole assassin aspect though)

Rock Band Vs. Guitar Hero

Today I'm putting Rock Band and Guitar Hero up against each other. Both these games are so similar that reviewing them would pretty much yield the same result. So to help you decide which one to buy I'll compare and contrast the two.
First off lets start with the game play, it's almost identical. The main difference between the two would be the songs that you can choose from. While both games share a number of songs they also have a ton of different ones. From my perspective Guitar Hero has a lot more metal/rock songs than Rock Band. I think that Rock Band has more of a variety of styles. Another difference in game play is the character customization. I really love Rock Bands customization aspect, you can change everything about your rocker. You can also change the color of guitars. Guitar Hero is a lot more linear where you can only choose a certain pre-made character and change only outfits. Playing the songs is exactly the same, the same buttons and techniques. Rock Band wins out game play wise.
Next let's compare the guitars/controllers. The obvious difference between these two games is that Rock Band has drums, bass and vocals while Guitar Hero only has the one guitar. So since we can only compare the axes, that's what I'll do. The Rock Band guitar has 5 buttons on the top of the neck and also has 5 buttons on the bottom of the neck. While I find these extra buttons to be tougher to use (mainly because they are so small) they do make for a cool looking solo. On the other hand Guitar Hero only has the 5 buttons on the top of the neck, but they are raised unlike the Rock Band guitar buttons which are flat against. I prefer the Guitar Hero buttons a little more because I found them easier to locate. A big difference for me is the whammy bar. The whammy on the Guitar Hero controller is nice and small and doesn't seem to get in the way, while the Rock Band whammy is long and is hard to keep out of the way. A perfect guitar for me would be a mix of both, but for choosing sake I have to take the Guitar Hero axe.
Finally let's compare multi player. Rock Band is a game that was almost made for multiple people to play (hence the name). Having friends over or online playing with you and your own band is a very fun experience, it's really entertaining watching everyone trying to play and be in sync. Guitar Hero's multi player is more on the competition side, while fun as well there's nothing quite like seeing your wife or mom trying to sing Bon Jovi. Rock Band takes my preference here.

Guitar Hero:
Comfortable guitar
Hardcore Songs
Competitive
Rock Band:
More instruments
Great Multi player experience
High price tag

In conclusion if you're looking for just a guitar playing experience and you don't want to dish out all the bucks for extra instruments then I recommend going with Guitar Hero. If more variety is something you like then definitely go with rock band, it's like 4 games in one. One thing that I didn't really enjoy with Guitar Hero was a lot of satanic sets and themes, I would have to say that Rock Band is more family friendly.

Winner: Rock Band

What Would Jesus Play? Rock Band

Grand Theft Auto 4

So this is my first review, it's a little daunting. Before we begin let me explain the rating system; games will be rated on a scale of 1-10, the rating will be based on a number of things from playability, graphics, sound, fun value and so on. At the end of the review I will then answer the question of "Would Jesus play this game?". So here goes...
First off let's get this clear, GTA4 is rated M. It's rated M for very good reasons, so if you are trying to decide whether or not to buy this game for anyone under 18 then you should just quit reading this review right now because you shouldn't. Now for anyone over 18 who is wondering whether this game is something you should play or not here we go.
GTA4 is a game of choices, you can almost do anything you want to in this game. If you want to play this game and play every mission you could, or if you play this game and just want to drive around and obey laws you could do that as well. Thats one thing that I love about this game, it's open world game play. There is so much controversy over things that you can do in this game but the thing is you don't have to do them.
The graphics in this game are pretty cool. Explosions are great, doing stunts in slow motion is really fun, the people are a little weird looking during cut scenes but thats pretty minor. Liberty City is amazing looking, the details are incredible. The developers put so much time into this game that you can't help but keep your eyes off the road. Landmarks are neat to see especially for people who have ever visited New York.
One thing that I would change about this game is the audio. I would love it if the publishers added an option to bleep out the cursing. If you don't like to hear swearing then this game is probably not for you because you can't go 30 seconds without hearing something. Of course there is the choice of turning the sound off or muting your television, but it's hard to hear whats going on if you do that. Most of your missions will be sent to you through your cell phone, which plays a huge part in this game. This is a cool idea, you can call people to get together or accept incoming calls to hear a new mission, you can even dial a certain number on your phone in the game if you hear a song you like and it will be downloaded to you on amazon.com for real. Another thing that is fun to do is surf the web. The game features its very own internet, which is used for e-mail and other interesting things, it's a fun side feature.
GTA4 is so big that you could play for hours on end and still be seeing and doing new things. The main character is intriguing and, at least for me, he is someone I can relate to. The other characters are a mixed bag of drug users, muscle heads, immigrants, criminals, and crazy people (most of which would probably be considered offensive). Driving is fun in fast cars but can be frustrating in bigger vehicles. Fighting has some new moves which are nice. Gun play is great, the aiming is easy and accurate and the new cover feature is a nice touch.

Pros: Huge world
Great graphics
Hours and Hours of stuff to do
Cons: Language, Language everywhere
Horizon pop up issues

As a Christian you should be very careful with this game, as I said at the beginning of this review this game is about choice. No one is forcing you to do anything in this game, even the cut scenes are skipable. I like the game because of this freedom. In the end you know yourself and you know whether or not this game will cause you to sin, because it's not the game thats a sin it's what you do with it.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Would Jesus play this game? No