Halloween Video Game Review: Dead Space Extraction(Wii)

***SPOILERS AHEAD!***

A rail shooter game released for the Nintendo Wii in 2009, Dead Space Extraction is one of the best horror games around! Extraction is actually a prequel to the original Dead Space for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. It takes place several days before the original game and eventually leads in to the opening of Dead Space. The story takes place on the colony planet Aegis VII. During routine mining operations the colonists discover a mysterious artifact known as the Red Marker. As the miners attempt to transfer the Red Marker to the planet-cracker class ship, the USG Ishimura, the Marker activates sending strange ear-piercing signals throughout the colony. You play as P-Sec officer Nathan McNeil throughout most of the game as you witness the colony's strange and terrifying decent into madness, as well as the emergence of the deadly Nechromorph creatures. As you progress you will encounter(and play as) several interesting and plot-important characters such as the P-Sec officer Sgt. Gabe Weller, the strangely Marker immune woman Lexine Murdoch, and the "mining executive" Warren Eckhardt. Many twists and turns abound in this great story as you try to discover the cause of the colony's madness and the source of the Necromorphs while discovering dark secrets relating to the cult-like Church of Unitology.

The gameplay to Extraction mat be simple, but it is just as polished and fun as the amazing story and characters! Being a rails-shooter all one has to do is point the Wii remote at the screen, aim with the reticle and shooting with the B trigger. Shacking the nunchuk allows you to use a mining pick as a melee weapon. Useful for pushing away Necromorphs that get a little too close. Like in the original Dead Space you also have use of kinesis and statis. Kinesis is a tool used in the series to pick up objects like crates or ammo and pulls it towards you. Some objects like flame canisters and crates can be used as make shift projectiles to use against your enemies instead of wasting ammo. Stasis as another useful tool, shooting a ball of energy at any enemy instantly slows them down giving you ample time to line up perfect shots! This is useful as unlike most enemies in the video game world Necromorphs can only be killed by strategic dismemberment! Cutting off the arms, legs or other limbs of the Necromorphs is the only way to kill them, head shots are completely useless! And believe me Necromorphs are very tough and sturdy adversaries!

The weapons in Extraction are returning favorites from Dead Space. Most weapons are basic mining tools like the ever reliable Plasma Cutter, Arc Welder, Flame thrower, and Line Gun. The only military grade weapons in the game are the P-Sec pistol, and the Pulse Rifle. All weapons and guns come with a useful and unique secondary fire which is activated by twisting the Wii remote side ways. All weapons are effective and useful but you still may find yourself favoring some over others.

As with Dead Space there is a fair bit of exploration to be done in Extraction. At some points if the game you are given the chance to look and aim with the Wii remote. Doing so gives you very little time to scour an environment  for health, ammo for your many different guns, and audio and written log books. These logs are used to shed more light on the back story of the Dead Space universe and are fun and challenging to collect!

Now on to the most important aspect of Dead Space Extraction: the horror! I am happy to say that Extraction is just as terrifying as the original game! The top notch graphics(for a Wii game anyway) and perfect lighting help make for an intense and unsettling experience as you traverse the ruins of the Aegis VII colony and the dark confines of the Ishimura! There were at least a dozen times when I jumped at the game! >.<  Then there are the memorable and disturbing moments, such as having to crawl through the Ishimura's cramped, Necromorph filled vents! But the one moment that really stands out for me is during the games last boss fight. I will never forget having to use your mining ax to cut off your own arm to escape the boss monster, all the while your character screaming bloody murder at the excruciating pain! This is horror gaming at its finest! :D

Extraction also comes with a fair bit of extras. There are timed attack modes where you and a co-op partner fight against hordes of Necromorphs. The entire story mode can be played with a friend at any given time, adding a bit more relief to the hordes of enemies in the game! The best extra comes in the form of a digital version of the comic book Dead Space. Taking place even before Extraction the comic follows new characters as they deal with the threat of the Red Marker and the Necromorphs! It also helps that the comics are fully voice acted!

All in all Dead Space Extraction is one fine game! Not only is it one of the best Wii games around it is an all around outstanding horror game! This is a game that must be played by fans of Dead Space and horror games in general! Do not miss out!

Dead Space Extraction(Wii) Score: 9/10

---------------FanBoy

Happy Halloween from FanBoy and FanGirl!

 Hello readers! FanBoy here just wanting to wish you all a safe and happy Halloween! :)
I myself have no real plans for this holiday other than to pass out candy. T.T But i hope all of you are having fun! don't rot those teeth with all that candy in one day! Also in spirit of the holiday i have a special extra review of one of my favorite horror games ever! I will also continue with my scheduled review of Metroid Prime 3 as well as Strike Witches! That will be coming in a short while so please look forward to it! Also anyone sound off if they are dressing up! If so, as what? Please post your comments below! Everyone take care now and be safe! :D

--------------FanBoy

Video Game Review: Metroid Prime 2 Echoes(Wii)

Sorry if anyone was expecting a yuri review! I am still watching Strike Witches season 1 on Blu-Ray so until I finish it the review for it i delayed. I apologize to all our readers for this inconvenience, but i promise to have a yuri review up very soon! Please look forward to it! :) And as for you FanGirl I will deal with you later! >D Now here is the review for Metroid Prime 2! Enjoy!

***SPOILERS AHEAD!***

Originally released for the GameCube back in 2004 this amazing follow-up to the original Metroid Prime is everything a sequel should be and then some! Now its even better with the new Wii controls! The story follows Samus Aran as she travels to the planet Aether. She is sent by the Galactic Federation to search for a lost Marine Corps patrol ship which had become damaged near the planet after battling a Space Pirate supply ship. During her mission Samus will once again encounters the radioactive substance known as Phazon, which has split the energy of Aether in two creating a light and dark version of the planet! Along the way Samus meets the local inhabitants of Aether, the Luminoth. The Luminoth are a technologically advanced race of insectoids who went to war with the brutally violent inhabitants of Dark Aether, the Ing. The Luminoth task Samus with retrieving the Light of Aether from the Ing in order to save Light Aether and defeating the Ing, and destroying the Phazon meteor that caused all the trouble. But an even more sinister enemy stalks Samus. Echoes marks the introduction of Dark Samus, a pure-Phazon clone of Samus born of her Phazon Suit and the Metroid Prime in the original game!

 Dark Suit Samus

 Dark Samus

 Luminoth

Ing

From a gameplay standpoint not much has changed between Prime and Echoes. Not that anything needed to be changed! When controls for a Metroid game were that good why bother fixing them! :P

You still scour vast and varied environments for Energy Tanks, Missile Expansions, new Suits and Suit upgrades. The major difference this time around are some of the suits and upgrades and abilities themselves. The new Light and Dark beams allow Samus to activate portals which allow her to travel between Light and Dark Aether. Doing so allows for some of the best puzzles the series has ever seen! These beams also effect enemies of the opposing spectrum! The Dark Suit protects Samus from the damaging atmosphere of Dark Aether, which is just as amazing(and treacherous) to explore as its Light counterpart. Echoes also marks the return of the fan favorite Screw Attack(sadly not the FUN type of screw :P)! The graphics are just as good as Prime's but several sound effects were changed. The new Wii controls also make the game much easier play. The original GameCube release got flak for having an awkward control scheme, making the game much more difficult than intended.

Combat is just as fun as ever! There are no recycles here, all the enemies are new and unique to Echoes! Even the Space Pirates get an overhaul! Almost all enemies require use of the games many weapons and upgrades to defeat, making for some great and challenging battle. But its the boss battles where Echoes truly shines! While there are not as  many bosses as in Prime all of the major villains are some of the most challenging, epic, creative, and longest boss fights the series has ever seen! They all require skill, patience, and devoted use of at least two of your weapons or gear. Stand out boss fights for me though are the Ing Emperor and Dark Samus!

As in Prime most of the story is told through scanned turminals or information written in ancient Luminoth language. Once again getting 100% logbook completion, as well as finding all Missile, Energy and Bomb upgrades nets you additional and secret scenes in the endings.

As far as games go they don't get much better than Metroid Prime 2 Echoes! From the use of a Nintendo staple in the Light and Dark worlds, to some of the most amazing boss fights in the entire Metroid saga, this game does so much right! My only complaint is that there is no Ridley
 this time around and again with the back tracking! But make no mistake! Metroid Prime 2 Echoes is is a rare thing, a game sequel that is better than the original! A must play! :D

Ing Emperor

Metroid Prime 2 Echoes(Wii) Score: 10/10

-----------FanBoy

Yuri Anime Rant: Kannazuki no Miko

FanGirl here!

If you are a Yuri Fan then I have no doubt you've heard of Kannazuki no Miko. (If you haven't...go watch it first and don't come back till you do.)

So, because I know you've watched the series, there's no point in me telling you all about it. I've watched it like...maybe 15 times...already and the first two times I watched it, I was like... yeah! But then the third and so on made me wonder...why in the world am I compelled to watch Kannazuki no Miko?

I'm going to brace myself for FanBoy's wrath here..

I know I'm going to hit angry Yuri Fan nerves when I say...the series isn't even that good. It was horrible! Really! The drawing, the plot, and WTF mecha? Seriously...why mecha? What the hell? (note: I have nothing against mecha, but that theme was soooooo way off, it hardly fit into the whole story. Not a Gundam fan either, but again, nothing against mecha.) The animation and drawing sometimes looked like it was just a really bad porn. The story should have been good, but the execution was so poor, it came out more like a very bad fanfiction of an otherwise awesome story.


And the characters? Oh gawd...
Kannazuki no Miko is supposed to be about two priestesses trying to save the world from the Orochi. Or at least I thought it was. It turned out more like a story about how one supposed-to-be-Orochi fought and defeated almost all of the other Orochis by screaming at them...Oh yeah and there were two girls... one was an obsessed, closeted (and apparently sociopathic) lesbian, and the other one cried a lot and was mostly confused throughout the series. (Although I have to give credit to the voice actors. They were awesome! ^^,)

So why did I watch it 15 times despite its...shortcomings?

I actually didn't know until the 15th time.

Music.

If there was one awesome thing about Kannazuki no Miko, it would have to the be its Soundtrack. The entire thing was beautiful and masterfully made, it draws you to watch the series again and again. Listening to the characters' theme music gave you an eerily exact personification of the characters themselves. I actually listen to the Soundtrack when I'm writing their fanfictions. (Advertise)

I don't know about you, but music affects me personally, and it is what drives me to keep watching this series. And its maybe because the series is so flawed that fans keep wanting to write a good story for the characters. (And keep bashing Kaishaku for never getting it right.) The characters were vague, but left room for people to love them...and make good stories out of them. As I said, Kannazuki no Miko really should have been an awesome story, had it been done right.

Oh of course, there's this reason why you should watch it!

And this is your reward for being patient! XD

Seriously though..listen to it...

Bring on the Yuri Fan hate...

FanBoy's Favorite Tunes: Metroid Prime

Best theme in the game! Really fits the mood of Prime! :D

------FanBoy

Video Game Review: Metroid Prime(Wii)

*Note that this review is for the Nintendo Wii version found in the Metroid Prime Trilogy set. Once i have given individual reviews for all three games in the set I will review the package as a whole. Also I could not find images for the Wii version so game play screenshots are from the GameCube version. Just wanted to clear that up!

***Spoilers Ahead!***

The Metroid series has become one of my favorite Nintendo franchises of all time and Metroid Prime is one of the best and most innovative entries the series has to offer! Originally released in 2002 for the GameCube, Metroid prime revolutionized the entire franchise with its excellent controls, fun combat, amazing graphics, and immersive and atmospheric 3D environments! Now the new control scheme for the Nintendo Wii makes an already amazing game even better!

The story takes place shortly after the original Metroid on the NES. After defeating Mother Brain and the Space Pirate presence on Zebes, intergalactic bounty hunter, Samus Aran, receives a distress signal from the Space Pirate frigate Orpheon in orbit around the planet Tallon IV. On board she discovers an insidious plot by the space pirates to create super soldiers and war beasts using a new and deadly substance called Phazon from Tallon IV. Samus's mission will take her from the derelict corridors of the Orpheon, to the diverse and dangerfilled landscapes of Tallon IV all the while battling vicious Space Pirates, energy hungry Metroids, and vicious challenging bosses!

Samus Aran

Like other Metroid games before it, Metroid Prime features dozens upon dozens of upgrades littered throughout Tallon IV. Finding each and every single one is a fun and lengthy challenge in its own right as all upgrades prove useful to completing the game. Some upgrades increase your health and missile count such as the Energy Tanks and Missile Expansions. Others grant Samus new suits with special abilities like the Gravity Suit and Phazon Suit. The best thing about Metroid Prime however is how it transitioned the sense of exploration in mysterious and atmospheric alien environments from past Metroid titles into 3D. Tallon IV is a vast world littered with nooks and crannies to explore, ancient ruins to traverse, and deadly creatures to battle. Combat is another great thing about Metroid Prime, made better with the new Wii controls. The old GameCube controllers were never made for first-person action games but using the new motion controls to just point and shoot makes combat MUCH more manageable! The basic creatures you encounter, like Beetles, offer nothing more than a distraction from exploration and puzzle solving. It's when you are fighting the Space Pirates and the amazing bosses that the combat truly shines! Pirates come with varied weapons and gear of there own and often require various different weapons and visors to defeat, but can display some pretty cunning tactics to keep you on your toes. Bosses offer an even bigger challenge as they are just as much puzzles as they are boss fights. You need the right equipment to find each boss's weak spot and hit it with the right weapon to cause sufficient damage. These battles never come across as unfair or TOO difficult but present a great challenge for true Matroid fans, especially the powerful Meta Ridely and the Metroid Prime itself(these two are the most challenging bosses in the game)! 

Meta Ridley(still an awesome boss)

Metroid Prime Final Form

Metroid Prime's way of presenting the story and the world is also interesting. While there are still cutscenes, most of the plot can be deciphered by scanning ancient text in Chozo ruins, or from computer consoles inside Space Pirate bases. Each entry into your logbook offers insight into the history of the ancient Chozo, Tallon IV, Metroids, Space Pirates, Phazon and Samus herself. Finding all these data entries, as well as scanning all enemies and bosses to get 100% completion on the logbook also adds extra incentive to explore as completing the logbook(as well as finding all weapons and upgrades) helps to unlock additional scenes for the ending! There is just too much fun to be had in this game! :D

Metroid Prime is one of the greatest games of all time and is certainly one of the best(and innovative) entries in this storied franchise! Experiencing this outstanding game is made even better with the new and improved motion controls for the Nintendo Wii! DO not miss out on this amazing game!

Metroid Prime(Wii) score: 10/10

-----FanBoy