Reviews

Mario Golf: World Tour Review

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While I couldn’t care less about the real-life sport, Mario Golf has been a passion of mine ever since it’s debut on the Nintendo 64 in the 90s. With the perfect mix of fantasy elements and a rock-solid gameplay engine that is easy to grasp with a ton of depth for hardcore players to master. I actually played so much of that game that I was able to score birdies on every single hole.

Mario Golf: World Tour marks the long-awaited return of Nintendo’s iconic characters to the links. It’s also the first in the series to introduce online functionality. Should you be booking your next tee time in the Mushroom Kingdom?

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X-Men Vol. 2: Muertas Review

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Thought to have been dead for quite some time, Lady Deathstrike makes a mysterious return in X-Men Vol. 2: Muertas. This time, she and her new Sisterhood are out to modify their bodies into the ultimate killing machines. Can Jubilee, Storm and the others put an end to their devious plot before it’s too late?

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Trials Fusion Review

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Red Lynx’s brand of motorcycle stunt racing is a seemingly bottomless pit of enjoyment. With both Trials HD and Trials Evolution, I spent many hours thrashing through the easy courses, followed by rage-inducing grinds through the tougher ones. The core motorcycle gameplay is so good that you only really need more quality tracks and updated graphics to keep things fresh. Trials Fusion does just that, as it provides a whole new set of tracks to work through, as well as sharp visuals on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game. However, it also introduces some logical new wrinkles to the mix, such as freestyle tricks.

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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Review

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Over the years, Batman has overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. But in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, he faces his most imposing challenge yet: Father Time. No, that’s not the name of a B-list villain, but the actual passage of time itself. In this book, a 55-year-old Bruce Wayne dons the cowl for the first time in a decade in order to protect Gotham once again from evildoers. Does he still have any gas left in the tank?

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Ultra Street Fighter IV Review

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Almost six years ago, Capcom ushered in the silver age of fighting games with Street Fighter IV. Along the way, Capcom has kept the game fresh with a steady flow of free balance patches and paid updates. Currently sold as a $15 update the existing game and later as a standalone disc, Ultra Street Fighter IV is latest – and quite possibly last – of the major updates planned for this modern classic. Adding in 5 new characters, new modes, new gameplay systems and another round of character balancing, Capcom is hoping to end the IV era with the definitive version of the game.

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The Walking Dead: Season 2 – Episode 3: In Harm’s Way Review

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Carver is a messed up dude. While the concept of overlords is not new to The Walking Dead universe, Carver’s twisted brand of compassion separates him from similar figureheads. Some are able to see through his front, but a surprising number of his captives have clearly binged on his Kool-Aid. With Clem and the other survivors now captive in his compound, they must find a way to escape without getting lulled into a false sense of security.

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Mario Kart 8 Review

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Maintaining pole position in the kart racing genre isn’t as easy as it used to be for Mario and friends. Mario Kart 7 was a lackadaisical cruise around the block, while Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing: Transformed ate its lunch through the use of dynamically-changing tracks that required your vehicle to transform between a go-kart, jet plane and hovercraft. Sure, it’s framerate could have used some work and it doesn’t fully execute on all of the ideas it brings to the table, but it was built with a level of passion and innovation that Nintendo’s 3DS kart racer sorely lacked. Mario Kart 8 may not pack enough fresh ideas to completely close the gap, but it makes up for it with great track design, quality online play and a level of polish that makes this game sparkle.

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Sex Criminals Vol. 1: One Weird Trick Review

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I don’t know if “courage” is the right word here, but it surely took some effort on my part to give Sex Criminals a chance. Despite the fact that it’s not a story that exists for the sake of arousal, and the fact that it’s nominated for best ongoing comic series of the year, overcoming the stigma that comes with the subject matter wasn’t easy. Even after buying the book and deciding to read it on the train, it got immediately weird to read this when Steff left my side and a stranger sat beside me. Going forward, I’ll probably read this at home, but I’ll gladly keep reading the series if it can sustain this level of quality.

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Mad Catz Killer Instinct Arcade Fightstick TE 2 Review

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Sporting a new and improved d-pad, The Xbox One controller is the most viable Microsoft controller for fighting games yet. However, for those who would prefer to fight the old-fashioned way, Mad Catz has you covered. If this was simply a standard Mad Catz Tournament Edition fightstick with new art, that would be great. However, they’ve gone the extra mile to evolve this fightstick to the point where this is their best one yet.

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New X-Men Book 5 Review

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For a series that has made its mark by bulldozing its way through conventions that have defined Marvel’s mutants since their inception, Book 4 in the New X-Men series was kind of a letdown. By spreading the team out across the world to handle different missions, the end result was a book that wasn’t very cohesive, meaningful or entertaining. Maybe cognizant of the way the last installment played out, Grant Morrison’s New X-Men Book 5 is not only a return to form, but is also one of the most outside-the-box X-Men tales I’ve read yet.

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