Reviews

Dr. Mario World Review

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The original Dr. Mario is game that I like, but don’t love. The theme of having Mario cure viruses by smacking them with pills is great. Mechanically, you can create some interesting combos with the two-part pills splitting in half. However, that game becomes a slog the moment you have to put a pill in a bad spot. From there, you spend much of the level in a negative mindset, stressing out over the mess you made and how difficult it is to clean it up. It makes me feel more like a first-year med student rather than a world-renown professional such as the game’s namesake.

Dr. Mario World takes quite a few liberties in adapting the classic puzzler to mobile devices. Purists may raise an eyebrow at how much the game has changed at first glance, and I don’t blame them for that. However, I don’t think its gameplay is this title’s biggest cause for concern.

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Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego Review

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Educational gaming’s most elusive thief is at it again! Carmen Sandiego and her gallery of rogues are stealing some of the world’s biggest landmarks, and it’s up to you gumshoes to throw them all in jail. Two-to-four players take part in this competitive deduction game where you’ll arrest members of her crew while aiming to be the one who wins the game by arresting Carmen herself. Can you track her down before she slips away again?

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A Look Back at Wave Race 64

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Before Nintendo put all of their racing eggs into the Mario Kart basket, they were rather adventurous with their forays into the racing genre. One of those Wave Race 64. At the time, I vividly remember the game wowing me with its realistic water physics and simulation of Jet Ski racing. Does it still float after all these years?

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Contra Anniversary Collection Review

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Who needs an army when you have one-or-two shirtless heroes with big guns? Though it doesn’t make sense that the protagonists in the Contra franchise can’t find any backup (or clothing) on the planet to help them protect the Earth from an alien invasion, the circumstances made for some great action games in the 80s and 90s. Contra Anniversary Collection compiles most of the games released during the franchise’s peak years, including the long-absent NES original and a few international versions with a few unique twists.

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Tune in at 7pm EST for the In Third Person Board Game Talk Marathon!

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Though I’m somewhere across the pond, the show must go on!

Game night! Tune in for a special marathon featuring every episode of Board Game Talk tonight at 7pm EST!

Never miss a stream by following my channel and turning your notifications on! You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram for stream updates and other cool stuff posted daily!

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Verti-Go – The Card Game of Balance and Chaos Review

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The sub-genre of tabletop games where you stack things until they fall over goes deeper than Jenga. I’m not throwing any shade at the classic, but it’s so ubiquitous that I feel like many don’t know anything else beyond it. For example, Animal Upon Animal is a fantastic alternative, where players stack animal-shaped blocks on top of each other. Another game that’s attempting to topple the Jenga empire is Verti-Go. Does it have what it takes to carve some time out of your schedule to give it a chance?

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Early Impressions of Mortal Kombat 11

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[NOTE: I’ve sampled a little bit of everything that the game has to offer, but I’m not gonna be able to spend enough time with some of the game’s more involved single-player content to provide a thorough judgment on the game. As such, I’m keeping the scope of this piece just to the parts I’ve played so far.]

Ever since the release of Mortal Kombat 9, NetherRealm Studios has set the gold standard for what a complete fighting game should be. Sharp visuals, tons of single player content, and combat – er, kombat – that’s appealing to casual and competitive players. They’ve never rested on their laurels either, as the Mortal Kombat and Injustice games have introduced a number of innovations to the genre, from a Variation system where different versions of the same character will have altered move set and costumes, to the ability to leverage background objects as weapons or jumping-off points in battle.

Based on NetherRealm’s glowing track record, Mortal Kombat 11 should have been as close to a guaranteed home run as one could get in the genre. Based on what I’ve played, it reaches or exceeds those lofty expectations.

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Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar Review Review

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During my childhood, the original Fireball Island board game made quite the impression on me. Unlike many games of its time, this one was played on a 3D board, complete with pathways, hills, rickety bridges, and an ominous fireball-shooting mountain at the top. You could steal treasure from other players by passing them on the board. Of course, there was also the fireballs. Strategically positioned on the map, you could send one crashing into your rivals, knocking them down while causing them to drop their treasure. This level of adventure and treachery was beyond cool at the time.

Though the original has been long out of print, the game returns as a modern remaster from Restoration Games. Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar certainly looks the part when you set it all up, but does it maintain the essence of the original while making the game play well for modern times?

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First Impressions of the PlayStation Classic

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Classic? Hardly. Panned by critics and gamers for falling well short of their expectations, the PlayStation Classic has failed to find an audience. Even after the price drops and promotions, these mini consoles continue to collect dust on store shelves.

But is the PlayStation Classic truly worth dodging at all costs? Once I saw the console on sale at 75% off its original retail price, I decided to buy one. Figured at that price, it’s at least a functional mini console with a few all-time greats, such as Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid. With greatly-reduced expectations and purchased at a price that won’t break the bank, I skim what it has to offer to see if the unit has any merit.

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Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire Showed Me How Cool VR Can Be

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From the blocky pixels of Star Wars on the Atari 2600, to the large-scale combat of Star Wars: Battlefront 2, video games have continually evolved in order to bring players closer to the action. Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire is a VR experience that raises the bar for immersion to an all-time high.

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