Of course Shooter takes its time working up to brilliance. The first few stages require players to navigate a ship through tight caverns to rescue stranded scientists. A few waterfalls may provide some pretty scenery and a quick way to cool down your missile launcher, but it isn’t until you discover your first lava-spewing volcano that the game really picks up steam. Suddenly, the impressive fluid physics aren’t just for show, as the lava and water combine to form a soft, destructible crust.

As paths that were once dangerous start to open up, more substances are integrated into the game. Ice, steam and a magnetic oil completely change the game in unexpected ways, forcing you to consider how all of these things will behave when combined. For instance, activating a water pump may clear out the scalding oil, but the resulting steam is fatal to exposed humans. The levels become increasingly industrialized as you progress, which may result in some careless deaths as you sit there marveling at the intricate machinery. Throw in some Super Mario Bros. 3 style suits, and you have a “shooter” with tons of explorations, experimentation and even puzzle solving.

Best of all, unlike Eden, Shooter doesn’t overstay its welcome. $10 might sound pricey for a five hour game - well, only if you’re really stingy - but every level forces you to approach an environment in a completely different way. None of it’s filler, and no matter how maze-like the caves become, it always makes sense. PixelJunk Shooter’s level designs are masterpieces, even after you’ve wreaked elemental destruction on them.

*Spoilers ahead! The following review assumes you’ve either completed most of the campaign or don’t care about the storyline.*

This and other provocative images helped define the original Modern Warfare experience, and they’re back in full force in its blockbuster sequel, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Odds are that you’ve already heard (and played) the horrific “No Russian” airport sequence, and I don’t wish to dwell on it. It remains difficult to sit through even when you know what’s coming when that elevator opens, but it’s hardly the only memorable imagery contained in the short but brutal campaign. This virtual world war takes you to war-torn Afghanistan, our nation’s capital and even an orbiting satellite, and you’re often required to watch through the eyes of dying or endangered soldiers. So with all of these stirring and occasionally disturbing sequences, why exactly did I feel so empty when the credits started to roll?

After four main contributions to the Call of Duty franchise, Infinity Ward has perfected the first-person action sequence. You’ll scale icy mountain ranges, speed down the same mountain on a ski mobile, fall to your near-death a half dozen times and - inexplicably - rescue hostages by taking out their captors in “bullet-time.” Though I still prefer Halo’s guns/melee/grenade trinity, Modern Warfare 2 has its sci-fi peer beat in terms of sheer excitement. The game’s variety of settings and set pieces result in a game that’s more fun to play than its acclaimed predecessor too.

But like a bloated summer movie - I’d go with Terminator: Salvation, but any dumb flick will do - it’s all style without narrative substance. Maybe Infinity Ward’s trying to “say something” about the realities of war, but I’m straining to remember anything besides impressive pyrotechnics.

I’m sure that civilians would evacuate in times of global conflict, but the levels in Modern Warfare 2 still feel lifeless. Running around through a burned-out Washington D.C. should rile up the blood or at least make me feel a little uneasy, but the empty suburbs and nearby monuments are too sterile. When I was paroling the halls of the White House, it felt like I was standing in a cardboard cutout. There are exceptions to this level, but the game never struck me as an honest portrayal of war, which I’m pretty sure was what Infinity War was trying to do.

They also need to figure out how to bring actual characters into the game. Sure, these guys have names. Soap, Price, Makarov…I know who they are and sometimes what their goals are. But because so much of the story is told through radio chatter and loading screen briefings, there’s never any emotional attachment. Now, your mileage may vary on this point. I thought that the cast of the previous game was paper-thin and would feel right at home in a recent Tom Clancy novel. I know plenty of folks who disagreed with me then, and will disagree now. But when I discovered that it was Price who was imprisoned in the gulag, I’m not even sure if it elicited a brief grin. Oh boy, it’s the British guy with a mustache! (?) I would love for someone to explain to me what I’m missing.

Luckily, in the new cooperative mode, you’ll find yourself actually caring about your brother in arms because he’s controlled by a fellow human being. There’s something quite stirring about carrying a wounded friend out of harm’s way with bullets Swiss-cheesing your cover. So much so that I wish the campaign had allowed buddies to team up to hunt down Makarov together.

It’s in this mode that differing perspectives take on significance. For instance, there’s one mission in which a human pilot handles the AC130 gunship from the first Modern Warfare, while the other player is pursued by enemies in a fenced off field. While the first AC130 appearance was positively chilling thanks to the unflinching voice over work, you now effectively become the “older brother.” For the guy on the ground, the gunship becomes god-like, raining down destruction from the heavens. It’s a unique dynamic that hasn’t been explored much before in other shooters, and a welcome change of pace.

Other scenarios include a sniper hunt through the snowy woods, a helicopter patrol through a D.C. suburb and a jog across a terrorist-filled suspension bridge. Though some are more familiar than others, all of them require communication between players. If both of you decide to aim for the patrolman on the left and leave the right one standing, the flesh-tearing attack dogs are sure to follow. And while there is an indicator to direct you to your fallen comrade, you’ll need to keep talking if you want to keep track of each other in the chaos.

And if chaos is your thing, you’ll want to dive into multiplayer immediately. With or without the Javelin cheaters, you’re never safe for too long. Enemy helicopters, UAVs, turrets and other perks ensure that you’ll take your fair share of bullets. But no matter how frustrating multiplayer can be - I die a lot - the leveling system always brings me back.

You’re rewarded for doing everything. Do you die constantly? Well, at least you can steal your killer’s class and earn some end-of-round experience as consolations. Do you find yourself constantly running from tough fights? Equip the Marathon skill and use that footwork to build towards something. The constant upgrades encourage endless experimentation, whether you’re a pro or a private (like me).

So do I have fun whenever I boot up Modern Warfare 2? Absolutely! The online stuff has even more hooks than the first game, and the moment-to-moment gun-play of the campaign is always intense. But in the end, they are just moments, explosive vignettes that never feel cohesive. If Infinity Ward can figure out how to make me care about these soldiers in their next game, then they will have a masterpiece on their hands. But Modern Warfare 2 is the video game equivalent of a flashbang - it leaves your senses overwhelmed for a little while, but it’s never able to go in for the kill.

This is not to say that the game fails to offer a compelling solitary experience. While playing alone can’t offer anything as thrilling as tossing your buddy into a swarm of enemies or using him as a go-go-Gadget personal helicopter, you’ll still appreciate the impeccable level design and nostalgic enemy roster. But NSMBW is most successful when it forces players to figure out a means to proceed forward together, even as they constantly push each other off into bottomless pits. Intentional or otherwise. (more…)

Since its debut last spring, Nintendo’s WiiWare service has scored a number of well-received hits: World of Goo, Bit.Trip Beat, Swords & Soldiers and a handful of others. But you may notice that the one thing missing from that brief list is Nintendo’s own lineup of beloved mascots. World of Goo’s bulgy-eyed globules are not without their charm, but they’re not going to move software like Mario or Donkey Kong can. This has been a deliberate decision, as the company higher-ups are trying to promote independent developers, whose games probably wouldn’t stand a chance against the plumber and company. That’s why it came as such a surprise last week when Excitebike: World Rally showed up.

Then again, the Excitevehicle series is almost tailor-made for WiiWare. The series is as active as it’s ever been, thanks to developer Monster Games. Their launch title Excite Truck had people turning their Wii remotes long before Mario Kart, and Excitebots ham-sandwiches-meets-transformers madness was great fun for anyone who bothered to pick it up. And as for the original NES game, Excitebike is particularly simple, making an update it a prime download. The name is still cherished but not a market killer.

For those of you who still fondly remember the side-scrolling tracks and overheating engines, you’ll find that not much has changed here. Though the default camera is now held from an isometric perspective, you’re still only moving between four dirt planes while climbing up dirt ramps and weaving between walls. The only significant addition is the wheelie. Now, rather than rear-ending someone else’s bike, you can tilt back the controller to hop over them, allowing you to maintain crucial momentum. It adds just enough strategy to keep the game interesting through the four main circuits.

As a single player game, the 10 dollar asking price would be a bit much. The off-road and beachside courses look slick compared to the NES game, but I can’t see anyone playing this alone for too long. Luckily, Monster Games has included robust multiplayer options, allowing you to play online with up to three other friends or strangers. You may have trouble telling your bike apart from the rest – most of the color options are too difficult to unlock – but other than that, it performs flawlessly. (We’ve all learned to put up with friend codes by now, right?) Not being able to share created levels is a boneheaded oversight though.

I don’t know if first-party WiiWare is a trend. A new Pokémon game released on Monday might suggest that is the case, but I’ve been wrong about Nintendo’s online plans before. But Excitebike: World Rally is a fun revival that feels right at home on the service

Believe it or not, Midnight Carnival is actually really tough, especially in the later stages when you’re required to perform wall-jumps into chasms full of spikes, or swing from ropes suspended above bottomless pits. I’ll be the first to boast about my Super Mario skills, but this game was a perpetual kick to my behind. While previous LocoRoco games allowed you to move at your own pace, rubbing up against each wall in search of hidden passages, Midnight Carnival is a punishing obstacle course that’s constantly funneling the player into doom. This new difficulty coupled with the ever-adorable art direction creates an interesting dichotomy.

And while I miss the exploration, the LocoRoco takes on the feel of a rolypoly Sonic the Hedgehog whenever your speeding down a tube or using the game’s new “Boing” counter. The latter allows you to string together jumps to gain points and extra hangtime. High score seekers will be able to spend countless hours going for perfect runs, while eating all of the fruit along the way. And if you know other competitive PSP owners, there’s a new head-to-head race mode in which you can see their shadows on your screen. (Not tested for this review.)

The new emphasis on old-school challenge means that current fans may be alienated, but I think it’s smart to reach out to a different audience. As much as everyone can get behind the fluid animation and sunny world,* the first two games have been known to bore some in the past. As long as this is a spinoff from the other games and not Japan Studio’s future direction, I’m pretty happy with this game…even I’m tempted to chuck my PSP against the wall.

*I know some macho Halo fan is shaking his head right now, but trust me - you love it.

From the treks through steamy jungles to the endless wisecracks, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has a lot in common with its 2007 predecessor. You’re still controlling the rugged everyman Nathan Drake in an Indiana Jones-inspired adventure, and he hasn’t learned many moves since his first outing. But while the sequel may sound by-the-books on paper, the actual results are astonishing. While the original was competent and easy on the eyes, Uncharted 2 is a game that should sell consoles. I cannot believe how well the final project came together.

Uncharted 2 wastes no time throwing you into the action, as Nathan awakens in a wrecked train dangling from the Himalayan cliff. After a harrowing climb back onto the snowy ground, the game flashes back to a tropical beach. Here, he and new “friends” Chloe and Flynn discuss how to steal a lamp that may hold Marco Polo’s secret directions to Shangri La. From this initial meeting, you’ll be struck by how well-written and delivered the dialogue is. Not that the first game was a dramatic slouch, but because you’re more familiar with Nathan and company, their actions have much more resonance.

After the beach rendezvous, Uncharted 2 whisks you away to Nepal, where you’ll explore temples, a mountain village, a militarized city and a heavily armed train. The level variety puts the original to shame, as if Naughty Dog was trying to address a complaint nobody even had in the first place. And more impressive, every inch of the additional real estate is populated with tons of furniture, fauna and other assorted knickknacks. Though it’s hard to stop to look at the rooftops when a missile-launching helicopter is pursuing you, a quick glance at the Nepali skyline will astound with its level of detail.

The presentation has received the biggest boost, but there have been subtle improvements to the combat as well. Melee combos are much more forgiving, so that you can mostly get away with mashing the punch button instead of needing split-second timing. Enemies also absorb fewer bullets than before and are now susceptible to stealthy attacks from behind. The sneakier options and smoother controls mean that combat zones suddenly become Nathan’s playgrounds, letting you pick and choose how you want to dispose of your enemies.
Unfortunately, while Nathan’s fighting skills have improved, I do wish there were more footholds when it’s time to climb. To go from a sprawling arena to a single, linear path can be frustrating, especially when this path is obscured by plants and debris. The game always gives you hints if you’re stuck, but I think giving the player a few more entry points would have been the way to go.

The main adventure’s 20-plus chapter journey is riveting. It delivers all of the thrills that we had hoped from Indiana Jones last summer, and Nathan’s band of sidekicks exudes warmth that other story-driven games lack. But if video game storytelling isn’t your thing, the new multiplayer options may hold your attention for a little while. You have standard death match and capture the flag variants, but the real treat is co-op, where up to three players can team up to score some treasure. I don’t think the gunplay is going to lure anyone away from holiday biggies like Halo 3: ODST and Modern Warfare 2, but there’s some to be had for casual shooter fans.

Even if you never go online, Uncharted 2 arguably offers the most PS3 fun this holiday season. The set pieces are exhilarating, the scenery is gorgeous and the characters play off of each other beautifully. Like Marco Polo in his quest for Shangri La, the industry will release an impressive fleet of games this fall, and only a handful will survive on the shelves. Make sure that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one of them.

As far as I know, this is the first game that allows users to instantly upload videos. Expect more video reviews if this feature is made available in future releases.

Just to reiterate, I don’t dislike Pixeljunk Eden. Just look at the final verdict. I know that the above video has a negative spin, but that’s only because the few missteps are so glaring in a game that gets almost everything else right. Eden is so often transcendent, with one of the few virtual worlds that truly feels alive (one of the few instances in which “organic” is not at all pretentious). Not even the vomit stained walls of Garden 6 can take that accomplishment away from Q Games.

Easily worth $10!

Overall: 4 Stars

Revisionist history

Backbone Entertainment’s revival of Capcom’s 194X series does many things well. Decent graphics (much truer to the original inspiration than their Commando retread), responsive controls, and smooth online play are always welcome, while the slower pacing makes the second-player wingman easier to keep track of than in your typical “Bullet Hell.” However, even though this 30 minute tour through the Pacific Theater will keep your trigger fingers busy, your mind will wander elsewhere – perhaps to the lush jungles and crumbling cityscapes of Assault Heroes or the monochromatic skies of Ikaruga.  Joint Strike just cannot compete in terms of clever level design and enemy variety (TWO boss palette-swaps?!).

1942: Joint Strike is a decent time waster, but the game’s value hinges almost entirely on nostalgia. And as much as I revere 1944 (and the Strikers 1945 homage), this remake does nothing to evolve the series. Don’t let the name brand lure you away from games more deserving of your 800 space bucks. ESPECIALLY during this August!

Overall: 3 Stars

Then again, Square isn’t ripping anyone off. The 129 MB download features an extensive campaign, a fully localized story, 50 different troops, and enough other bullet points to entice even the most skeptical fan. Rather than cashing in on the Final Fantasy name, the developer sought to create a new IP, a fantasy take on “The Matrix” with a pervasive music theme (seems like the starting point for a bad rock opera). The “mechanical assimilation” angle may not be entirely original, but the world is fully realized and the dialogue is competently written. Song Summoner follows a standard SRPG rule set, with the familiar grid layout and five distinct classes. Fans of Final Fantasy Tactics will know exactly what to expect.

This sprite may look cool now, but wait ’til you see her other frame of animation!

Unfortunately, that’s also the game’s biggest shortcoming. If you’re reading this review, it’s safe to assume that you have a half dozen similar titles scattered about your game room, begging to be played. Hell, you may even have one or two still in their shrink wrap. These games are notorious for being huge time investments, and I found it hard to justify my time spent with this Strategy 101 approach when Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is lodged in my DS. The game has a basic Fire Emblem inspired weapon hierarchy and a few other twists such as the power-boosting Groove meter, but this is about as by-the-books as you can get.

All of these problems are compounded by the prosaic presentation. The iPod may not be a graphical champ, but I have to believe that the game could have been much further optimized. Song Summoner is rife with slow down, long loading times, and anemic animation. Whereas a round of FFTA2 can be completed within twenty minutes, there were later missions in this game that were pushing the hour mark, simply because of this constant sluggishness. The art direction fairs no better. The games color palette is depressingly muted and the character designs are uninspired at best, with many looking surprisingly mundane for a game with a David Bowie reference as a protagonist. What I wouldn’t do for a Tetsuya Nomura belt buckle or two to spice things up.

Whether you like Mr. Electrochemical or not, he’ll be dead after five missions. Each troop can only be deployed a handful of times before they’re stolen from you, so try not to get too attached.

By now, hopefully I’ve done enough to deter you from a purchase, but you may still be curious about the game’s much touted “Tune Trooper” feature. Using mp3s, you can create randomly generated soldiers to fight alongside Ziggy, presumably encouraging players to use their entire music library to see who they can generate. But even this idea is poorly executed. After dozens of trials at the Hip-O-Drome (where these Tune Troopers are born), there was no discernable pattern or logic to how characters were produced. Furthermore, using the same song twice usually produces different characters entirely, essentially negating the value of the game’s sole interesting feature.

It’s a shame too, because further music integration could have worked wonders. You’re rewarded for listening to songs outside of the game (via Groove points), but why can’t I customize the soundtrack to my own liking? Battle fanfares, village themes, even the game over screen could have all had a personal touch. And why are there no rhythm-based or record scratching attacks? I know that these ideas are within the realm of possibilities.

Even though Song Summoner has a lot of factors working against it, Square-Enix could have made it work if the product had its own identity. Harmonix proved last year that a successful iPod game only requires a little ingenuity and vision, so it’s a shame to see this SRPG experiment stumble so badly. Even though this game offers plenty of missions at a very attractive price, it’s hard to recommend when there are so many better ways you could be spending your time.

Overall: 2 Stars

*I cannot attest to the quality of any of these titles, but it’s common knowledge that cell phone gaming in Japan is light years ahead of what we have here.

Everyone knows Space Invaders: one turret, four shields, and fifty-five alien ships whose only strategy is to “increase speed, drop down, and reverse direction” (thanks, Futurama!). Well, this “extreme” version adheres closely to the feel of the original but has abandoned the defensive structures and tight formations of the original. Shields are apparently obsolete in this day and age, so Taito saw fit to arm your turret with several new power-ups, including screen-filling lasers, bombs, and a broad shot. The alien armada also kept busy during the cease fire. Gone are the days of “trembling in terror” at their three kinds of ships. Expect to fight an updated panoply of powerful foes, including suicide bombers, teleporters, bouncers, and shielded enemies that can reflect your shots back at you.

These odds don’t seem fair…perhaps the upcoming Space Invaders Get Even is a bit redundant.

All of these new enemy types of course require new strategies, but the true genius of this production is realized when you start seeing three or four types of ships stacked together. All of the sudden, new layers of strategy come into play as you try to figure out how to take out the exploding troops without setting off the suicide bombers, or how to remove the reflective shields of some smaller baddies while a huge mother ship is besieging the stage with a tree-trunk-thick laser. Each subsequent wave forces players to adjust. Your special weapons certainly pack a punch, but what good does that do when precision is of the highest priority?

However, the game still finds opportunities for you to cut loose even in the later stages. By shooting four enemies in a row of one color, and then four of a different color (again, another wrinkle), you’ll be launched into a brief mini-game with some randomly generated task. Quick! Shoot the right ships to trigger domino-styled explosions! Collect 100 golden items from a retreating UFO! All of the sudden, this becomes the WarioWare Inc. of 2D shooters, constantly forcing you to be quick on your feet. Your reward for succeeding is “Fever Mode,” a roughly ten-second window in which you’re given obscene amounts of firepower.

Just leafing your way through the instruction manual reveals almost endless facets to what at first appears to be a simple shooter. Dual screened boss battles, roulette rounds brought to you via golden UFOs, score multipliers, a leveling up system, and branching paths à la Starfox…this game’s straightforward appearance truly belies almost limitless depth.

That screen gap is a slight annoyance during boss fights but rarely results in death.

Perhaps “straightforward appearance” isn’t fair either, because while the graphics are simple (aside from the pre-rendered background flybys through neon drenched Tokyo), there’s a musical component to the game that is reminiscent of the sublime synesthesia of Rez. There isn’t just a driving techno beat and some strobe lights here. Whenever you shoot an enemy, collect a power up, or deflect an enemy attack, the game produces a distinct musical sound that always fits to the beat. There may be a hidden component to this as well, since the top screen mysteriously keeps track of your “bass” and “chord” among other things. Speaking of bass, be sure to play with the Rumble Pack. I know that many of our readers will opt instead for the import-only paddle accessory, but the rumble here serves as a thumping bass to complement the slightly tinny musical arrangements. Fans of Rez will know how much this vibration can enhance the game play experience (and no, I’m not talking about the risible Trance Vibrator). The developers should be commended for making the most of a usually worthless feature.

So at twenty bones, you shouldn’t even be asking yourself whether or not this is worth it. This game will capture your attention in the same way that fellow throwback Geometry Wars did several years ago. With online leader boards and multiplayer*, this game will have you dropping virtual quarters for a long time to come. This is as close to an arcade revival as you are going to see.

Overall: 5 Stars

*This review focuses on the DS version. Apparently, the PSP’s multiplayer doesn’t support infrastructure mode.