My Month in Games Jan./Feb. 2015

Meme Run - Wii U

I like memes. As bite-sized internet timewasters go, they're generally pretty great. I especially like how the popular ones often morph and change as more and more people connect with them. Yet despite the lasting popularity of a few choice selections, memes are essentially ephemeral, and it's not uncommon to see a new one go from creation to evolution to total abandonment in a matter of weeks. I suppose it's fitting then my enjoyment of this title lasted a very short time... I'd say all of about 30 minutes. This game is hot garbage. It's a weak endless runner with floaty controls that just happens to have a bunch of mid-tier to lesser known memes slapped onto it. It had one of the best trailers I have ever seen for a video game, and I chuckled once or twice at some of the imagery, but this is not what you'd call a fun game. Here, watch this video, laugh at the 52% bonus (skip to 1:12 to see what I mean) and be done with it.

Grade: D+

Vanquish - PS3

Being a huge fan of Resident Evil 4, and having just finished The Evil Within, I decided it was high time I take a look at some of director Shinji Mikami's other work. A quick scan of his Wikipedia page told me that I had missed out on Vanquish, another highly rated third-person shooter for the Playstation 3. What a treat this was! Tight controls, blistering firefights, and a brisk pace come together seamlessly in this polished little gem of a game. As is seemingly always the case with Mikami's stuff, the story is mostly trash, though I daresay that this one is maybe the most forgettable of them all. Macho space Marines spouting unfunny one-liners, a setting ripped straight from Halo (seriously, they weren't even trying to hide their thievery), the half baked future cold war plot...you get the idea. But to miss out on the incredible action in this game because of its weak plot would be a real shame, because the gameplay in Vanquish is top notch and an awful lot of fun.

At its heart, Vanquish is a well oiled cover-based third person shooter. You have your standard array of weapons (assault rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, etc.) and a suit of space armor that regenerates health. Where Vanquish really shines, however, is in its pacing. Movement is swift (and gunplay swifter) so a good strategy is important to virtually every encounter. In combat you'll often find yourself dodge rolling out of the line of fire, power sliding to a piece of cover, and firing on your enemies from their flank. Bolder players can dash right into the heart of the battle and use the game's bullet time feature to slow things down and do some heavy damage before hastily boosting back to cover as bullet time expires. It's this versatility coupled with smart level design and some memorable boss fights that make Vanquish more than worth your time. I loved it.

Grade: B+

Punch-Out!! - Wii

I had long heard that this version of Punch-Out!! was not something to be missed. Alas, by the time of its release in 2009 my Wii was already in storage. However, thanks to Wii software compatibility with the Wii U hardware, I finally have my chance to check out this update to the NES classic. And...it's Punch-Out!!, alright. If you've enjoyed any of the earlier games in the series you'll probably dig this one too. I tried playing with the motion controls for a little while, and they work pretty well, but before long I switched to the controller as the timing needed to do well in this game is better suited to that setup. Well, that and my forearms were beginning to hurt! I was a little bit surprised to see that Nintendo left all of the cultural stereotypes from the NES version of the game intact. In fact, in some cases the characters are even MORE offensive than they were in the 80's! Example: Glass Joe, the series' Parisian punching bag, now sees croissants instead of stars when you land a knockout blow. Still, despite a little insensitivity, Punch-Out!! for Wii is another solid entry in Nintendo's long running boxing franchise.

Grade: B

Donkey Kong '94 - Game Boy

How am I just finding out about this wonderful little game? Released over 20 years ago for the original Game Boy, this version of the classic Donkey Kong features greatly expanded gameplay and a whole slew of new levels! So yeah, you know how the original Donkey Kong only had about three stages that just repeated endlessly? Well, in this version there are over 100 unique stages! Not only that, but the gameplay also incorporates moves and mechanics from Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario 64, as Mario can now perform backflips, high jumps, and even pick up and throw some enemies. Folks, if you have a 3DS and you have any love for the original Donkey Kong (or the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series) you really should give this sweet little game a look.

Grade: B+