2011 Year in Review: Video Games

2011 was a big year in gaming for me. It was both a return to the games of yesteryear and an exploration of newer titles that, in some ways, made up for the lackluster feelings I had towards many of 2010's releases. The titles I played in 2011 present a wide range of genres, and a few I consider to be quite groundbreaking - two of the titles I played this year earned perfect '10 out of 10' scores. Without further ado, the play-by-play of every video game I reviewed in 2011.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: The Fate of Two Worlds: Presented through an art style very much reminiscent of comic books, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 pits characters new and old against one another. Each character is balanced to near-perfection, a welcome break from the unbalances found in some other fighting games. There are only a handful of stages presented, and while the single player arcade mode is pretty straightforward, most of the replay value comes in the form of training challenges (which is to say, the replay factor is somewhat limited). Still, it's a solid multiplayer experience, even if the online lobbies force players to stare at a semi-blank screen instead of a match in progress. My rating: 8

Beautiful Katamari: Not much has changed since the original Katamari Damacy, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The King of All Cosmos once again calls upon the Prince to roll up as much random junk as he can to replace planets and meteorites. This time, the world is much more open and expansive, preventing many of the collisions encountered in the first games. The soundtrack and art style are just as zany as ever, a perfect marriage to a game that has an intro scene which features dancing pandas and kaleidoscopic flowers. My rating: 8

Fallout 3: Arguably one of Bethesda's best games to date, Fallout 3 puts players in the shoes of the Lone Wanderer as he/she escapes from the confines of Vault 101. What lies beyond is a post-apocalyptic retro-future, where tunes from the forties and fifties carry across the rubble that was once Washington D.C. Combat is divided between real-time and the freeze-frame VATS, the latter of which allows players to take precise aim at specific body parts of an enemy to inflict greater damage. There are moments of inconsistency with regards to the game's difficulty factor, though a bevy of sidequests can help players level up and surpass these, so long as they're willing to put in the extra effort. The main story is well-developed, though rather short. That said, the simple act of exploring the Capital Wasteland can present plenty of adventure in and of itself. My rating: 8.5

DLC
- Operation Anchorage: 6.5

Devil May Cry 4: A hack-and-slash game with plenty of gothic imagery and religious undertones, Devil May Cry 4 destroys its competition by having one of the most involved combo chaining systems in the genre. Players can upgrade Nero and Dante's movesets as the game progresses, and revisit levels on higher difficulty settings. The boss fights place the most emphasis on strategy, and are often preceded by cutscenes that rival Hollywood action. The main game is a bit on the short side, but the finesse in sword and gun combat is unrivaled. My rating: 8.25

Portal 2: Chell returns to the Aperture facility, this time aided by robotic companion Wheatley, whose quirky nature rivals GLaDOS' dark humor. While the puzzle layouts in the original were mind-bending enough, Portal 2 adds new elements like Light Bridges, Aerial Faith Plates, and Speed and Propulsion Gels. The single player mode benefits from more narrative backing this time around, while cooperative play introduces some real head-scratchers. In the end, it's a brilliant mix of puzzles and platforming. My rating: 10

Sonic Rush: The story of two Robotniks from alternate dimensions is a sign of the inspiration drawn from new school Sonic games. The level design, on the other hand, is largely inspired by the original Genesis games. There are a few puzzles here and there that slow down an otherwise breakneck pace. Levels are unfortunately accompanied by what is possibly the most obnoxious soundtrack in the series. 3D boss fights are cleverly planned out, and serve as some of the game's highlights. It's not a perfect Sonic game, but it doesn't take itself too seriously either. My rating: 7.5

New Super Mario Bros. (DS): Sticking to the classic Mario formula from the NES and SNES, the DS version is quite nice to look at, with every enemy and environment rendered in 3D models. A nice variety of level design and lack of a story will certainly make this handheld Mario appealing to fans who want to revisit the plumber's roots. My rating: 9

Transformers: War for Cybertron: Unlike the movie-based games, War for Cybertron takes greater creative liberties, building its own origin story for the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. High Moon has done a great job with their new spin on the Transformers story, though they do slip in a number of references to Generation One. The multiplayer is a ton of fun to play, with character classes that are well-balanced. It's not a perfect, but still a great first entry that High Moon will no doubt improve upon with the sequel. My rating: 8.75

Resident Evil 5: A follow-up to the wildly acclaimed Resident Evil 4, RE5 puts players in control of Chris Redfield as he travels to the Kijuju region of Africa. He and his partner Sheva Alomar quickly discover the locals to be infected with Plagas, as well as longtime villain Wesker's plans for world domination. It's an intense experience from start to finish, trading out the classic horror for more action-packed segments. While the item management is less-than-stellar, the level design, lighting effects, and environmental ambience make the experience all the more engaging. The game serves as a fitting end to the main Resident Evil story arc that has been running for over a decade. My rating: 9

DLC
- Lost in Nightmares: 10

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask: Ocarina of Time is a tough act to follow, and while it might not be as wildly revolutionary as its predecessor, Majora's Mask brings plenty of new content to the Zelda series just the same. Easily the darkest story in the entire series, it's also one of the best told, as Link must stop Skull Kid from using the power of Majora's Mask to crash the moon into the land of Termina. The game puts more emphasis on pre-temple and post-temple tasks, while each of the four temples is brilliantly designed and presents a nice challenge just the same. Often overlooked when compared to other titles in the franchise, Majora's Mask is one of the most polished, most challenging, and most enjoyable games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. My rating: 10

Batman: Arkham Asylum: Part stealth game, part brawler, Arkham Asylum puts players in control of the Dark Knight as he attempts to return order to Arkham Asylum, after Joker has set all of the inmates loose. Aside from some very creative boss encounters with Scarecrow, Killer Croc, and Poison Ivy, players can seek out Riddler Trophies to unlock character models, and beat up baddies to their heart's content in the extra challenges. It has a few flaws, but by and large Batman: Arkham Asylum is a prime example of how to approach licensed material the right way. My rating: 8.75

Sonic Adventure: Twelve years after its initial release, Sonic Adventure still holds up as a solid adventure platformer. The story is one of the best in the entire Sonic series, and while it may look somewhat primitive by today's standards, the 3D graphics were a standout element for the 1999 release. The voice acting is downright terrible, and any mission involving Big the Cat will ultimately lead to frustration. while much of the gameplay feels like a test bed for what would come in the sequel, Sonic Adventure is still a lot of fun to play. My rating 8.5

Halo 2: A game that not only made a giant impact on online gaming, Halo 2 also had a huge impact on the way the series would be shaped through future entries. While some might not have been so keen on playing as the Arbiter for some of the game's missions, it certainly helped add depth to the Covenant and UNSC forces alike. The gameplay was much smoother than in the original Halo, and the graphics are some of the best on the original Xbox. There are a few hitches here and there, particularly with 'bump-in' objects during cutscenes, but it's a great gaming experience nonetheless. My rating: 9.5

Halo 3: ODST: The black sheep of the Halo franchise, ODST is an unusual FPS game. Chapters of the larger story are presented from the various squad members as they try to regroup, while the streets of New Mombasa act as an explorable overworld hub. The Rookie is the main character, and in the style of Master Chief, is left a shell of a character for player to imagine as whomever they wish. The rest of the cast fleshes out nicely, given the six/seven hours it takes to complete the campaign. The soundtrack is gorgeous and the voice acting top-notch. My rating: 8.75

Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition: Classic arcade fighting at its finest, Street Fighter III: Third Strike rounds out its roster with many new faces since Street Fighter II. All of the 2D character models are vibrantly colored and highly animated, while the levels and soundtrack make the game's atmosphere. Combos prove much easier to chain than in other games like Marvel vs. Capcom 3, though the element of strategy is not sacrificed in the process. Throw in online multiplayer and you have yourself one excellent recipe for a fighting game. My rating: 9.25

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: A Gamecube title ported over to the Wii, Twilight Princess takes on a darker tone than some other Zelda games. The story of the Twili presents a fresh and interesting spin on Link's story, though much of the game tries to identify too heavily with Ocarina of Time. The motion controls respond well enough, but there's nothing wildly revolutionary presented through the items or weapons. Most of the boss fights will prove quite simple for veterans of the series, but there's no denying that Twilight Princess is among the best adventure games on any console this generation. My rating: 9.0

Sonic Generations: Drawing some of the best levels from the Sonic series, Sonic Generations delivers to both old-school and new-school fans. Each level is tackled twice - one as side-scrolling retro Sonic, and again as third-person view new age Sonic. The boss fights are cleverly designed, while the challenges present players with plenty of replay material. A few level choices seem a tad uninspired, but if this is a sign of things to come, SEGA's mascot hedgehog might just be on the fast track to a great revival. My rating: 8.5

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword: The greatest Zelda game in over a decade and the single best Wii title, Skyward Sword is one game not to be missed. It's super-precise controls respond like a dream, while the gameplay mechanics as a whole draw from the tried-and-true methods of previous entries, while adding some new-school flair to round out the package. The game is quite lengthy, offering up 35 to 40 hours depending on the number of sidequests players choose to tackle. The storytelling is phenomenal, providing a great precursor for the rest of the series. My rating: 10

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: With a vast world to explore and a variety of character classes to choose from, the Elder Scrolls IV has something to offer every RPG fan. The level up system is a bit awkward, and the Cyrodill seems a rather generic medieval realm. But for an early release on the current-gen systems, The Elder Scrolls IV looks and plays pretty solid, with sidequests going the extra mile to flesh out the experience. My rating: 8

DLC
- Shivering Isles: 9.25

Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver: DS remakes of the Gameboy Color releases, Heart Gold and Soul Silver retain their identities by placing emphasis on the Pokémon from generations I and II, while utilizing the generation IV engine (Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum). The result is a beautifully-rendered Johto region that is as colorful as it is teeming with quirky characters. The gym layouts have been updated to incorporate puzzle mechanics, and the soundtrack sounds fantastic to boot. Heart Gold and Soul Silver showcase the improvements to the user-friendliness in the Pokémon games, the primary reason that the DS versions are improvements over their Gameboy predecessors. My rating: 8.75

Xbox 360 review: Beautiful Katamari

Katamari Damacy was released for the Playstation 2 as a strange yet creative title that didn't exactly fit into any single category or genre. While it wasn't the most commercially successful game during its initial release, Katamari Damacy saw many favorable reviews and a buzz started about this game that would fuel a more successful release for the second title, We Love Katamari. Skip ahead a few years, and Namco releases Beautiful Katamari for the Xbox 360, a title with plenty of familiar aspects and some new inclusions sprinkled throughout that make for an enjoyable - if not a tad predictable - next gen release.

The levels that are included on the disc follow a similar format to those included on the original PS2 Katamari Damacy - each level is an expansion of the previous and will allow players to gradually explore more and more of the world around them. While the world of the original game proved to quite large, the world players are allowed to roll around in Beautiful Katamari is massive. Part of this extension is due to how much more developed each level feels. The chance of players getting stuck in tight areas is dramatically lower than with its predecessors, and overall the levels feel much more open and inviting to the whole concept of rolling wherever you want to. Another major improvement is the increased amount of smaller objects spread throughout the game, meaning players don't have to waste precious time desperately searching for that one item they need to increase their Katamari to the next size.

While the constellation missions of the original Katamari Damacy had players searching for specific objects to roll up, the majority of the first game's missions simply asked for Katamaris of varying sizes and was not overly concerned with what materials went into each. In Beautiful Katamari, the King of All Cosmos specifies what objects fit the primary theme at the start of each mission. This could have been made a bit more challenging, but the majority of the items in a level will generally correlate to said theme. However, just because a player is able to roll up a Katamari to the specified size with the correct items doesn't mean that he/she will receive a high score - the King of All Cosmos also takes into account what percentage of the items therein fit the theme, adding an extra challenge to those more competitive.

The homeworld of the Prince acts as the main menu, allowing players access to split-screen multiplayer, online multiplayer, the Xbox Live marketplace, a photo album, the memorial (host to the game's various cutscenes and soundtrack pieces), a complete item collection list, the various presents that can be found and subsequently used to decorate the Prince and his cousins, sound options, and the ability to save/load the game. It is here that players can also look back on the planets and stars they've made and the scores the King of All Cosmos has assigned to each, and even check out the high scores set by the Katamari community. The outlying planets and space stations are host to the actual levels, and can be increased in number if players choose to purchase new levels from the Xbox Live marketplace, adding more replay value to the game for a very reasonable sum of 60 points per level.

Split-screen multiplayer hasn't changed much since the PS2 titles. Versus mode will have players competing to pick up the most of a specific item in a relatively small area. Cooperative mode, while more akin to the core gameplay of the single-player mode, takes some time to get used to and feels a bit clunky with two players trying to roll the same Katamari. Online is where the multiplayer experience is best, as players will compete against both the clock and each other to gather the most of a specific item. The winner is awarded cookies in lieu of actual points, and players can monitor their rankings within the community on the Katamari leaderboards.

The soundtrack of Beautiful Katamari is host to many themes that will undoubtedly be familiar to veteran fans. With most of the pieces, if they aren't directly taken from the previous games, they are a variation. A few new tunes manage to sneak in and flow very well with the upbeat catchiness of the soundtrack. The art style is exactly the same, though it is now presented in HD - which isn't a particularly noticeable leap, considering the blocky nature of characters and items in the Katamari universe.

Beautiful Katamari isn't as wildly inventive as the first in the series, but it certainly feels like Namco gave this title plenty of attention and delivered a more rounded-out gaming experience (no pun intended). If you're new to the franchise, Beautiful Katamari is a great representation of what Katamari is all about. If you've played through other Katamari titles, this is a nice addition to the series, but don't expect any inclusions to be major game-changers.

My rating: 8.0 (out of 10)

25 Days of Christmas - #19: Katamari Damacy

The intro to Katamari Damacy makes one question what sort of substances the creators may or may not have been using when designing the game. Somewhere between the peppy music, dancing panda bears, and choir of ducks, you realize that this is going to be an odd experience. Quirky and creative are the two words I feel best describe Katamari Damacy. The game has the Prince, son of the King of all Cosmos, cleaning up his father’s mess of knocking every star out of the sky. To fix this problem, the prince must roll up various items from Earth on his Katamari ball, which will in turn become a new star.

The controls are fairly simple: both analog sticks determine the speed and direction of the Katamari ball. The ball can receive a short boost of speed by spinning the ball. The player is challenged to make the ball reach a certain diameter before time runs out. While the game takes place in one single overworld the entire game, it is divided up into different sections that correspond with the size Katamari you are trying to create and the time allotted. The first few missions have the Prince scouring a house for paper clips, batteries, dominoes, and fruit. The early missions are generally set with shorter time constraints, but the objectives are more easily achieved in that time frame. Later missions will have the player picking up people, cars, airplanes, buildings, and even entire landmasses, all with tight time limits.


While the main story makes up the bulk of the game, there are other modes of play available. Players can revisit levels to try and make their star bigger than before, as well as scour levels for hidden presents from the King and Queen. These include a guitar, a camera, a chef’s hat, and even a mask of the King of all Cosmos himself. Players can also attempt to recreate the constellations by collecting more specific items. For Cancer, players must roll up as many crabs as possible. For Taurus, players must roll up the largest cow they can find into their Katamari ball. Some of these constellation challenges are much more difficult than others, and require the player to be more thorough and cautious. A multiplayer mode is also available, wherein the Prince can challenge any one of his many cousins to see who can make a larger Katamari. Though this multiplayer mode certainly could have used some polishing, it was a decent start for multiplayer modes in later Katamari games.

The art style of Katamari Damacy is full of color and meant to be appealing to a broad audience. While the character models are not very complex, their comical antics around each level and their reactions upon being picked up by the Katamari ball are very entertaining. The soundtrack is upbeat and varied, with funk, technopop, ska, and jazz all part of the ambience.

While Katamari Damacy may not be the most difficult game to master, it is a gaming experience unlike any other. The odd cast of characters coupled with catchy music and appealing visuals draw the player in. The simple yet ingenious controls allow gamers of all ages and skills to jump in and play. The culmination of all of this is where the game truly shines: being just plain fun.