Weekly Highlight – Everything Edition

Posted by ASandoval on November 17, 2009 under Games | 2 Comments to Read

It’s been a while since we did a ‘weekly’ highlight. To make up for it, I figured I’d try something a bit different this time and cover all the major releases this week in a paragraph or so. And there’s plenty coming out this week, to boot! So let’s get started:

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

The first New Super Mario Bros. on DS was alright, but nothing special. Ultimately, it was more of a nostalgic look at what made Mario games cool, but it didn’t really add anything new or feel like much more than a greatest hits. The reviews have said that the game now feels like a much more full experience, and that’s awesome! Beyond that, it adds the ability to play on the same game board with up to four players. My original fear is that this would put restrictions on the single player; make some worlds and bonuses unaccessible to solo players, or even making some levels nigh impossible or comparitively boring. After seeing some video, I know this is not the case; NSMBW is a single player game that lets you play with four people. The thing that makes this fun, then, is seeing just how uncoordinated four people can be when put in limited space, which sounds more like something I’d see as a novelty; something I’m pop in for five minutes at a party before moving on to a truly fun co-op experience like Rock Band. However, I know some people, my girlfriend included, get a real kick out of this kind of thing. That, and I’m fine with playing by myself if the single player really is up to par with the former Mario games.

Assassin’s Creed II

Just picked this one up today, in fact! Haven’t had a chance to play, but I’m excited. Apparently it takes the original, fairly mediocre game, and actually makes it alot of fun. Considering every review has used the same phrase “makes the original seem like a proof of concept” despite being written by three entirely different people, they must be right!

Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines

The portable variant of AC this time around for PSP, Bloodlines is supposedly more of a sequel than ACII is because it features the main character from the first game. And also favors boss fights instead of assassinations. Wait, what’s the name of this game again? But you can unlock exclusive content for ACII if you own the PS3  version and this game, and that’s cool I guess. Still got the 360 version myself though.

Assassin’s Creed: Discovery

Rounding off (Priming up?) this trifecta of awesome, Assassin’s Creed: Discovery is the other portable entry for the DS and iPhone. I don’t actually know much about this game other than it’s a sidescrolling platformer, and that it uses the DSi camera to post wanted posters of you all over 15th century Spain for… some reason or another.

LittleBigPlanet PSP

Speaking of four player platformers… actually, that’s the one thing LittleBigPlanet lost when moving from the Playstation 3 over to its little portable brother. Considering that you’re still able to make full levels with ridiculous amounts of customization over the internet though, this seems like a rather fair concession to make.

Tony Hawk: The Ride

Like spending 150 dollars to play yet another rehash? Neversoft seems to think you will! Admittedly, I’m tempted to play the game if not only for the novelty of trying out the skateboard controller. Not for 150 dollars, but I’m sure I’ll know some poor fool who is.

Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues

Not content with just one lego Indy game, Telltale games made another one. And it doesn’t just add content from “The Crystal Skull” (Although it does that too), it has both new levels based on scenes in the movies not used in the original game AS WELL AS new levels based on scenes in the movie that WERE used in the original. I’m told this actually works, but I’m willing to wait as long as I did to play the original game; when I can get it on clearance for a dollar.

Left 4 Dead 2

So a bunch of people were boycotting this game for being so close to the original’s release, right? And then Valve FLEW OUT the people who were holding the boycott to play the game early, then they promptly said that the game was alright, and then people shut up. If this doesn’t prove Valve’s devotion to the fans, I don’t know what does. Also; I hear the game actually IS alright.

Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles

A weak rehash of an already weak story, put in a format that is strictly linear as opposed to the original’s open ended adventure roots. And I can’t wait to play it.