Archive for July, 2009

Pinball’s the name of this multiplayer wii game.  If you don’t like pinball I wouldn’t recommend you to play this game at all, because Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection is all about pinball.

Relive some of the oldest pinball games you have played in your childhood or just play them now with this pinball simulation game.

This will probably one of the closest thing one can actually get to a real Pinball game, with 10 pinball tables!  However if you want to try playing a pinball game online, go ahead, it’s not hard to find

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection Gameplay

Controls

Z is the left flipper, B is the right flipper, and the analog stick launches the pinball.  That’s about all there is for the necessary controls.

Shaking the Nunchuck will bump to the left, shake the Wiimote and you’ll bump to the right.  Don’t bump too much, because you can get tilt, which basically makes you lose the ball.  Bumping however is useful for moving the pinball to another direction.

Gameplay

Now just about every mode in the game has multiplayer with your friends.  There are 10 total tables for you to play with, but only a couple of them are unlocked.  You have to beat the other ones to unlock some of the new ones.

Each of the 10 different tables has open holes and long twists and turn for you to aim for.  Not only that, but all of the classic things from pinball like the bumpers are here.  By hitting just about anything in the pinball machine racks you in a lot of points.

The game itself is still fun, but sometimes it does get frustrating (especially if you’re in the middle of summer and have a bet to win).

It’s not the games fault.  It’s my fault.  Sometimes when you launch the ball it can automatically get into one of the sides giving you an instant death before you even get to touch it (of course it varies with how strong you launched the pinball).  You could solve this by bumping, but it takes practice.

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection Multiplayer

There are 2 modes you can play with your friends in.  They are tournament and arcade mode.  There really isn’t any different except that you get to choose which table you go to.

Arcade

Here you get to play any of the 10 tables (as long as you unlocked them) to your choosing.  Each pinball machine is very different, and some requires you to pay credits (yes there’s always a catch).  You start out with 20 credits.

If you play with more people you have to pay more credits (4 players max).  That’s a real downer, but there is a way to escape from this loop.  All you have to do is buy free play.  You’ll have to pay 100 credits, but think about all of the credits you could have lost paying for the games every time.

Tournament

4 players can play tournament mode for X amount of tables.  Don’t worry about Wiimotes, because you can just share one.  The game gives you points based off of your score so the better you do the more points you get.  If you get the most points in the end you win!

Conclusion

This is a great game with complex yet simple controls.  The game features a ton of flashing lights, so beware!  I personally find the first one (Taxi) The one I can score the most on (One million!).  Remember to utilize the tilt, and the ability to knock the ball left and right.

The game can be frustrating at times, but it can also be simplistic to the point of underestimation.  Do NOT underestimate the game, ‘cause if you do, you’ll find yourself crying over the game’s extremely hard high score that you just can’t beat.  Truthfully, it’s the whole “tilt” element and the “100%” deaths that will aggravate you. Seem easy?  Well, it ain’t!

if you’re interested, I recommend you to try renting this game first at Gamefly starting as low as $8.95 or Try For Free!

Go back to Home

Go back to Simulation Games

Even for a game that has just 3 stages, you can use some nifty tricks to get the upper hand.

As you get further into the game you unlock new areas, more areas means that at the end of the mission you can get more points.  If you want maximum points you have to play by yourself in the levels.

Boss Battles

Okay there are only 3 boss fights as there are only 3 stages.

The Grand Villa Rescue Boss

Beating this guy is easy.  All you have to do is target the plane, and wait for the cross to target on to the plane, shoot, and then quickly reload.  Don’t waste your time, or hopefully have a partner that has no clue how to shoot, and you’ll be fine.

Operation Air Force One Boss

This may be hard, but once you figured out the trick to him it could become easier.  You have to shoot the guy in the head.  No other shots will count, and you only have one chance.  So the best chance you have is during the last couple of seconds you have left.  He’ll stand there giving you the chance to shoot him.

The Jungle Break

Besides, the previous boss, this guy is also hard.  No, you don’t have to one hit him, but if only you could, it would have been so easy.  Anyways, this guy is covered in armor.  The way I find it to beat him is to throw the grenade slightly above him and then shower him with bullets, until you can throw the grenades again.

Experience

Quick Shots

If you want experience to level up you need to get as much points as possible.  To do that you need to shoot them quickly and the best way is to use guns that can penetrate walls and stuff, allowing you to quickly shoot the enemy.

Multiple Shots

Shoot an enemy multiple times, and you’ll get more points

Break Stuff

Break everything you can find.  Not only can you get points, you also have the chance of finding some items that can help you throughout the level.

Medals

Getting medals gives you great amount of EXP.  So what do you to get them?  Automatic weapons that can penetrate things.  Only fast moving enemies that stay in the screen for a short while will have automatic weapons.  So once you get one, you’ll already know the enemies locations, so then, happy shooting!

Go back to Home

Go back to Tips and Tricks

In Help Wanted, a multiplayer wii game you’ll find yourself in a house staring at a meteor that’s coming right at you. You have to find jobs to buy junk to get points so you can buy even MORE junk to destroy a meteor.  Go junk!

Well, it’s not really junk, but the items you buy from your part-time jobs have no use, but to somehow have enough power to cause mass mayhem in the world.

There are numerous part time jobs you can take, each involving some sort of job that you have to do.  This makes you really wonder how a kid can get such high paying jobs…
This multiplayer party game features no Nintendo WFC, but a lot of offline multiplayer. You play a huge amount of jobs for a select amount, with a selected goal, from saving up, to getting a certain amount of wins.

Help Wanted: 50 Wacky Jobs Gameplay

Controls

The game mainly uses the wiimote to swing. The game also adds buttons to push, as sometimes, swinging and moving is not enough.

Warning:Getting pictures and playing with one hand can endanger other peoples life.

Gameplay

In the story mode, you can also go to the store to purchase several useful items that help you improve your job performance, or just for plain collection. That’s about all for this party game.

Now, the story is hilarious.  A meteor is headed towards Earth.  A group of scientist and the presidents are the only one that knows what’s going on, but then…

…the president decided to pursue on trying to get his secretary on a date, and somehow the only defense against meteor building blew up.

Now I know what you’re thinking “we’re screwed”.  Well, you’re right, because the last hope for mankind rests on the shoulders of 2 children and a shopping network.

It’s up to you to gather money via jobs you are too young to do, and then blow it on random junk on a network that somehow has enough power to stop a meteor.  I don’t know how that works, but hey, it’s funny.

There are far too many mini games to describe, so I’ll just explain one. In fishing, for example, you move the nunchuck on a high speed chase with the fish, and you swing the wiimote to throw a net to catch them.

Help Wanted: 50 Wacky Jobs Multiplayer

As a multiplayer party game you should expect what type of multiplayer you would have: mini games.  It’s not just mini games here though, because you can

Cows are evil!

play mini games in many different ways here.

Job Battle

• Free For All: You play a selected game to see who the best is
• Goal Money: You choose a goal amount of money, and then you and your friends battle it out to see who gets that goal number.
• Total Money: You compete for a set amount of rounds. Who ever has the most money wins.
• Wins: Whoever reaches a set amount of wins, wins.

Conclusion

The game is indeed shallow, however, the large amount of mini games will easily make up for it, cause, come on, it’s a game based on mini games! Mini, being the keyword, signifies the fact that it is particularly small, so, if it’s quantity you want, this game is your dream, ‘cause the mini games are deeper then most others.

If you’re interested I recommend you to try renting this game first at Gamefly (it’s pretty short/easy) starting as low as $8.95 or Try For Free!

Go back to Home

Go back to Party Games

Racing with Excitebot: Trick Racing is slightly similar to Mario Kart Wii or some other racing games.  However this multiplayer game lets you do it to the extremes.  Extreme or not here are some hints and tricks.

Getting Stars

Drifting

Whenever you are making a tight turn you could try turning even more (not to the point of doing a 360), but just enough so you can get more drifting points, getting the maximum of 5 is perfect.

Air Time

Whenever you get the chance you should you your turbo, and point your wiimote upwards like you’re going to jump to get time in the air.  The longer you’re in the air the more points you can get.

Air Tricks

While you’re up in the air it would be the perfect time for you to do some spinning tricks.  The more spins you do the more points you get.

In the air there are some other things for you to consider such as should you just do tricks all the way, or get a nice landing boost.

Forest Runs

If your Bot is small (or you’re just skittles like that) you could consider running in and out of forests to quickly accumulate some points.

The Red Bar

The red bar can be your best friend or your worst enemy in this game.  In one hand if you know how to use it you can get 10 stars maximum, and a super boost.  On the other hand you can be stuck slowly spinning in circles while your opponents catch up and take your lead.

Yellow Bars

Do you know the yellow bars that you find in the stages?  Well if you grab on to it you start spinning around it, eventually launching yourself through the sky.  You could be flipping around or you can be straight, either way if you land correctly you get some stars, not to mention you survived the super boost!

Bot Smashing

This is my favorite part.  Smash into your friends and enemies for some stars!  What’s more satisfying then mashing into people?  The problem here is that if you’re in the lead the chances of smashing people becomes nil.

Crashing and How to Cut Restart Time

Sometimes crashing is unavoidable, but on the bright side you get 1 star.

If you want to recover out of the shaking part I find it easier to just shake it with one hand, instead of shaking up and down with two hands.

Go back to Home

Go back to Tips and Tricks

Are you ready for mind boggling head aches, mystery, Genghis Khan, murder, and action?! Well, not as much action then adventure game! The game starts kindly, but then, after a “cat attack”, throws you into the harsh world of Paris.

Play through a world of lies, deceit, and secret, but beware it’s a dangerous place in Paris, with danger around every corner.

Danger is not the only thing, you must solve the mysteries going around Paris.

If you need help you could always go to the hint screen, or you could invite a friend to come help you solve the mysteries going around.

Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars Gameplay

Remember the days of Monkey Island? Well, the point-and-click gameplay comes all the way there. Relax your extremely trigger happy “Bang-Bang” finger by using it to slowly, and CALMLY finding that little sweet spot and clicking.

Point with the Wiimote’s pointing ability, use/get/talk/almost everything else with the “A” button, examine with the “B” button.

Solve puzzles by pointing and clicking on every little millimeter in search of items and little holes in walls so that you may solve a puzzle.  It may sound dull, but you’ll be into the game at one point or another whether it’s the story or the joy of figuring out what to do.

Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars Multiplayer

The multiplayer is exactly like single player, but one player has all the controls, while the other points and looks around. The players switch the main controls with the 1/2 button, respectively.

Is it a scam of multiplayer? Yeah, well, two heads are better then one, I suppose. Specifically when one uses the left side of their brain for logic, and the other uses the right for creativity, like Josh and me (I’m a lefty).

That and having someone to make fun of the characters and solve the game is always better then being by yourself.

Conclusion

The simple point-and-click may not appeal to some, but rest assured, that the game is plenty entertaining; it has a special charm to it. Some games just got that special little charm. While the multiplayer isn’t super-awesome-tabulious, the story itself is quite awesome.

The game is totally worth the extremely awesome plot, the neat and complex little puzzles (That usually aren’t little, by the way!).

if you’re interested, you should try renting this game first at Gamefly starting as low as $8.95 or Try For Free!

Go back to Home

Go back to Adventure Games

How does one win in Mario Kart Wii?  Well I don’t have guarantees that you’ll win, but I have some tips and tricks that can help you do a lot better racing.

Boost Tricks

Mini Boost While Starting Out

When you start in a race you’ll have a countdown.  To get a mini-boost press the A button when the number 2 becomes solid looking.

Turning Corners…Drifting

Drifting is when you break and turn another direction.  Not only does it help you maintain you speed and help you cut across those tight corners it can also give you a mini boost if you’re driving on manual.

Air Tricks

When ever you have the chance to get launched into the sky you should shake your wiimote to do a trick in the air.  Now besides the fancy look it also gives you a speed boost once you land.  Use it whenever you get the chance.

When You Fall…

If by some chance you fall from the road you’ll waste time recovering.  Now that’s a downer as everybody will catch up to you, but it’s not the end of the world.  When you get picked up and dropped to the ground, the moment you drop press the A button to get a mini boost.

Catching Up To Someone, The Gravity Pull

When you are behind someone you’ll get these blue sparks flying.  If you stay behind them long enough, and the blue spark stays you get a boost that’ll send you flying past them, and maybe even people in front of them.

Don’t Go The Extra Mile

Now you don’t get a boost for this trick, but it is common sense.  However it doesn’t really always work.

• If you were on the left side of a straight rode
• Your opponent is on the right side
• And you have to make a right turn

Who has to go extra?  You do, because now you have to go the extra distance to turn right while your opponent gets even more ahead of you!

Item Tricks

When you are last place (or just close) you can get items that can help change the tides of the game.  Some items like the bullet bill can help you get from 12^th to 4^th in one go

When You Are Winning

You should get things like bananas or 3 turtle shells that stays with you and protects you from enemy turtle shells, or other attacks.

Red Turtle Shells

Red shells are one of your best friends and worse enemies.  They follow you, and there’s no way to lose them, except for one.  To evade it you have to have a banana, or other turtle shells to get in the way and get hit to lose it.

Bullet Bill

Now there’s no way you can counter this, but just get out of the person’s way, but there is one way you can use this  efficiently.  In stages where things move slowly (like Mushroom Gorge), or dangerously use it to go full speed, while everybody has to be slow.

POW Block

The much hated block that can stop everyone, except the person who uses it.  This can be easily avoided just by shaking your wiimote when it’s about to strike.  Then go and enjoy being one of the few people that didn’t get stunned.

Blue Shell

Now we all hate the blue shell, especially if you’re first place so how do we avoid it?  You can, but it’s going to be hard.  The easiest way is to use the super star to protect you, but being first place that might not be always possible.  The only way you can avoid it is to use a mini boost, just as it’s going to drop down on you.

Go back to Home

Go back to Tips and Tricks

You know him from the PS1 now he’s finally on the Wii: it’s Crash Bandicoot: Crash of the Titans!

This multiplayer wii action game makes you play as the title character Crash.  If you have a friend over you can call for the help of Carbon Crash.  He’ll appear in Crash’s backpack.

This is where the multiplayer parts come from.  You and your friend brawl against each other throughout the stages, and whenever you suddenly feel serious you can continue your multiplayer adventure.

Take over giant creatures called Titans and let to fun begin!

Crash Bandicoot: Crash of the Titans Gameplay

Once again the main villain of this multiplayer wii game, Dr. Neo Cortex, executes his evil plans to defeat Crash.  He has mutated the animals in the Wumpa Islands, and he’s planning to do use them for…evil!  It’s up to you as Crash to save the day!

Long gone is the jumping on enemies head or spinning around, instead you have combat in this wii game.  B will be your quick, but weak attack, and Z will be

It may be hard to tell, but Steve here is getting a lesson on: not picking a fight with something bigger then himeself!

your slow, but powerful attack.  You can jump and hover in the air.  Pressing A twice will make you hover and pressing it multiple times will make you hover down.

Aside from the combat you also have a health bar and 3 lives.  The moment they run out you have to start the level all over again.

In stages you can find these gigantic monsters called Titans.  Once you have beaten them, you can ride them and use their powers.  Every titan has their own moves.

With-in each level you can collect Mojo and other items.  Mojo can be used to buy upgrades for crash.

Crash Bandicoot: Crash of the Titans Multiplayer

Who's that handsome hiding in the backpack?

Crash of the Titans has a local multiplayer mode for 2 players to play in.  First of all you have to start the game.  Then on another wiimote your friend press +.  Then he’ll appear from you backpack.  There are two ways you can play like this.

Switch-A-Roo

Like the name suggests you switch with your friends.  How is this switch triggered?  Every time you or your friend jumps you automatically switch to the other person.  This way you can be lazy in the backpack while your friend does all the work J

Act As Individuals

By pressing down on the D-pad, you can come out of the backpack.  Here you can do anything you want as long as you don’t die.  You can both take over titans so theirs no problems with who get the gigantic monster that can destroy everything.

Unfortunately for me this gameplay is too much of a luxury for me.  Apparently my wiimote is broken, so whenever my character comes out of the backpack he instantly jumps right back into it. Or it could just be a glitch. I have no idea if it is or isn’t.

Conclusion

Except for the fact that I lost control on one of my controllers, I still managed to play this action wii game (apparently you don’t jump back into the backpack if you’re on a titan).

Speaking of titans they’re one of the biggest hits to this game.  Jacking one of the 15 titans (that’s right I just said the J word) and then using your enemies strength against them is a really epic adventure of mini proportions.  Each titan are different in their own way.

I would recommend you to try this game first with Gamefly (since it won’t take too long to beat if you play a lot) Starting as low as $8.95 or Try For Free!

Go back to Home

Go back to Action Games

Okay we all know decimating giant mobs of enemies are fun, but some games like Geometry Wars: Galaxies, it is not so easy.  Here are some tips and tricks to survive the onslaught from hoards and hoards of enemies.

You might or might not know this, but there is a way that can help you succeed in this game and just about anything you do.  You have to focus, ignore everything else that is not related.  By doing so, you do everything else related better, I’m not kidding.  However you might not feel any excitement what-so-ever

In The Battlefield

Now some tips don’t guarantee victory, but it can help you survive better.

Collecting Geoms

It’s very important to collect Geoms, because they will multiply the score you get when you kill a enemy.  Sure 5 times isn’t that big of a number, but what about 100 times, or even 200 times?

Don’t Be Afraid

If you’re surrounded or just running into mobs of enemies, don’t worry, if you just shoot the direction you’re moving, everything in your way will be destroyed.  Now don’t go over confidence, but just know that it has the power to clear a straight path for you to escape to.

Bombs Are There For a Reason

Bombs may seem useless at first, but it’s there for a reason you know.  I mean who would want to clear a map from monsters, and not get any geoms or points?  No one, but the bomb does protect you from dying.  It’s always better to use the bomb then to die and drop from a multiplier 200 back to 1.

Run Around

Now usually running around in circles don’t help you much in most games, but in this game it can help you.  Since the enemies can only kill you from physical contact they have to chase you.  So all you have to do is go around in circles and they’ll follow you, giving you the chance to gun them down.

Go back to Home

Go back to Tips and Tricks

I’ve always been a great fan of Mario and Sonic games.  However if I was given a choice I would take Mario games (I prefer the old sonic adventure styled games compare to what it is now).

In this multiplayer Olympic game one would expect sonic to dominate every running event being able to move at the “speed of sound”, but that’s not happening here.

In this multiplayer party sports game you play Olympic events with characters from both Mario and sonic games.  You can also bring in your mii if you want.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Gameplay

Playing through the events in the Olympic Games is easy.  First you start off by choosing a game single match mode or circuit mode…

Late starts can screw you up real bad.

…and then choose a character from 4 groups: power, speed, skill, and all-round.  If you want to you can even bring in your mii to battle against these licensed heroes.

In the events you just have to swing your wiimote like you’re swimming, running, or whatever other events you’re doing and press buttons for whatever reason like charging up for a super dash in a race.

If you’re really confident you’ll do well in an event you can challenge the event and double your score, but make sure you chose right, because you only get to use it once.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Multiplayer

Like you expect from a sort of multiplayer party game you can play through all of the events and circuits with your friends.  However there is no Nintendo WFC involved.

You can play all of the events with 4 people.  Of course you all need your own wiimote and nunchuck.

Ready...Aim...Fire!

Single Match Mode

In this mode you play with any event of your choosing, that is, as long as you unlocked them.

You can only unlock new circuits by playing through circuit mode 1-player and win.

Circuit Mode

Here you can battle in groups of events with your friends.  You don’t choose what they are.  They are grouped together in a circuit so what you choose is what you get.

Note: You can only unlock new stuff by playing one player

Conclusion

Also, being a multiplayer sports game has made me come to conclusion.  I’ll put it in both the multiplayer party and sports game section.  Anyways…

…The game is an interesting one, as well as slick.  You get to choose characters from Mario and sonic (title characters might I mention).  Not only that you get to compete in the Olympics with a whole lot of events to play with.

if you’re interested, you should try renting this game first at Gamefly starting as low as $8.95 or Try For Free!

Go back to Home

Go back to Sports Games

Winning in chance base games may not always be easy, but sometimes if you really look at it you’ll realize something, chance is for beginners who still don’t know the game too well.

In Mario Party 8 that is sometimes part of the case.  You can’t control where you go, you could try mastering the arts of rolling 10’s but there are easier ways of accomplishing what you want.

In The Game

Using Candy

By using candies like the twice candy or thrice candy you can get yourself way closer to your goal.  Now you might land on the spot exactly, or worse pass it, but that’s up to you to decide how to use.

By using the Slowgo candy you can definitely you can practically go anywhere you want as long as you’re in a 5 space range.  There are plenty of candies you can use that’ll help you climb your way to getting stars.

Denying People Coins

As they say money make the world go around.  Now that saying isn’t true, but it’s true in this game.  By taking every opportunity to get coins in this game you can deny your opponents the ability to buy stars or any other luxury they want.  After all, what’s the point of getting to a star if you can’t buy it?

You can deny coins by trying to win all of the mini-games, stealing their coins with candies, and challenge them into duels (which could backfire back at you).  Of course this is still very hard to do, even if you’re a master in the game

Getting What You Want In Darts

Do you want to master the darts?  Well it’s not impossible to master it. To get what you want you have to throw the dart the moment what you want is at about 9 o’clock (to the left).

DK Spaces

Get these if you can, because Donkey Kong can give you some nice things.  That and by doing so you can change all of the DK spaces into Bowser spaces!  Likewise if you step on a Bowser space, they all become DK spaces.

Other

Getting the Mini-Games You Want (With a Cost)

First of all you have to beat the single player mode, Star Battle Mode.  When you do this you unlock the mini game wagon.  Here you can buy all of the mini games you’re too lazy to find with you your hard earned carnival card.

Go back to Home

Go back to Tips and Tricks