Author Bio
Caley RoarkHome Town: Lancaster, PA
Sports: Football, Baseball
Games: NFL 2K5, MVP 05, NBA 2k series, Civilization
Teams: Phillies, Eagles, Sixers
OS Username: CPRoark
Tags: Live: Mr Rockit
Thursday, June 2, 2011
In the waning days of the Dreamcast, Virtua Tennis was my go-to sports game. It featured great graphics, compelling multiplayer, a surprising and varied career mode and, most importantly, simple and fun gameplay.
Now, roughly 10 years later, Virtua Tennis 4 arrives on modern consoles. I would claim that it contains all of the aforementioned components. Unfortunately, those are not quite enough to make it a game I would highly reccomend, especially if you’ve played a previous version of the game.
Read More - Virtua Tennis 4 Review
Friday, May 20, 2011
05:10 PM - May 20, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Caley Roark
I’ve been aware of Pro Yakyuu Spirits for a while, mostly through random YouTube videos and forum chatter. It wasn’t until this year that, given a chance to play this Japanese import, I realized how differently this game plays in comparison to American hardball titles.
However, to make it clear from the start, I can’t quite review this game because the vast majority of the game’s text is incomprehensible to me. However, I can share with you why I think PYS’ gameplay is unique, thanks largely to www.spiritstranslation.com. If you decide to purchase this game (and aren’t fluent in Japanese), this site will be a huge help.
Anyway, PYS tweaks the standard American baseball formula in some meaningful (and mostly good) ways. In some cases, these modifications actually make reference to things we have seen in past American games but were later lost in modern incarnations.
Read More - Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2011 Impressions
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
06:23 PM - April 27, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Last fall, I provided an overview of Dynasty League Baseball Online, a browser-based baseball simulation. Since then, the game has seen the addition of some new features; the biggest is a league mode featuring some of the greatest teams of all time.
Read More - Dynasty League Baseball Update
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
04:41 PM - April 26, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
MLB Manager Online (www.mlbmanageronline.com) is a new browser-based baseball management game from Sega. And while one might want to categorize it as a “text-sim,” it plays more like a Facebook game without the Facebook. Still, for a “sim-lite,” it’s a fun, addictive and quick way to experience the joy of managing a big league team.
Gameplay
MLB Manager Online reminds me a lot of a card game I played in college called MLB Showdown. In both games -- one paper, one virtual -- you collected player cards, organized a lineup and rotation, and simulated games, all while staying under a “salary cap.”
MLB Manager Online adds a lot to this formula though, too much in fact to mention completely in a single article. Layered on top are training cards, expiring contracts, a morale system and a neighborhood that grows based on your success.
Read More - MLB Manager Online Impressions
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
10:47 PM - April 13, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Shift 2: Unleashed drops the Need for Speed name, aggressive vs. precision points and collecting stars in favor of a more unified and sim-oriented experience. What remains is an exhilarating in-car experience surrounded by pretty basic options and features.
Gameplay
As a racer, Shift 2 captures the best of both racing game worlds. It shares the sense of speed and "edge of your seat" control with games like Hot Pursuit and Burnout. The racing is hyperkinetic, featuring outstanding visual effects that heighten the experience. The cars are appropriately overpowered, and the crashes bluntly visceral.
At the same time, it sticks to a pretty straight forward and realistic approach to driving, with actual cars and a ton of real and fictional tracks. Damage is brutal, and it tangibly changes your driving. You are rewarded, in a real and contextual sense, for clean driving, as opposed to knocking opponents off the track.
Read More - Shift 2: Unleashed Review (360)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
03:26 PM - March 29, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Mario and his compadres have a long history of participating in various sports games: baseball, tennis, soccer, golf, the Olympics, etc. It seems the quality of these games has varied as much as the sports themselves. The newest attempt at capturing sports the way they were meant to be played (at least in the Mushroom Kingdom) is Mario Sports Mix. Unfortunately, Mario Sports Mix will land amongst the worst of the icon’s athletic offerings.
Gameplay
Mario Sports Mix contains four “mixed-up” sports: dodgeball, hockey, basketball and volleyball. All of them are pretty simple in their control and execution -- almost to a fault. There is not a lot of depth or finesse to the control schemes; in fact, you can play using the “old school” method of turning the Wii remote sideways. Using this method, you usually are only using two buttons (with a third activating specials).
Read More - Mario Sports Mix Review (Wii)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
03:38 PM - March 16, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
If you have played an earlier version of The Show, you will feel right at home with the 2011 iteration. Things like the opening music and splash screen, or the commentary and in-game animations remain largely familiar. And to some, that will translate -- understandably -- to a feeling of staleness.
However, if you can remove that particular context from the equation, you will discover one of the deepest, most accurate and fun sports simulations available today.
Read More - MLB '11: The Show Review (PS3)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
01:03 PM - March 15, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Like vanilla and chocolate, Franchise and Road to the Show are different enough to be complementary. Sure, the focus is on two entirely different ways to play, but sampled together, they make for a pretty deep and authentic experience.
Except this year, the developers threw some nuts and caramel into Road to the Show’s chocolate, while Franchise mode remains the steadfast vanilla. Hungry? Let me elaborate.
Franchise Mode
Besides new backgrounds, Franchise mode seems largely untouched. It is still the great mode that it has been for the past couple of years, complete with advanced roster options like arbitration, waivers and a Rule 5 draft. The new weather adds some unpredictability to daily games, yet for the most part, this mode should seem familiar to Show veterans.
Still, familiarity is not a bad thing, and the mode is probably one of the deepest in sports gaming. However, with that familiarity comes some nagging issues that seem to have plagued the mode for the past couple years as well.
Read More - MLB '11: The Show Franchise and Road to the Show Impressions
Monday, March 14, 2011
05:40 PM - March 14, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
After spending the past half week with MLB 11: The Show, here is list of “small” things that I’ve come to appreciate -- and a few that have become an annoyance.
The Small Things, Both Good and Bad
First, I love the lighting in this game. Day games look like day games, even when it is overcast and the lights are on. I also like the shadows creeping across the batter's box and how they really have a slight affect on picking up the pitch. Night games look fantastic as well.
The new weather effects are also wonderful. Rain looks good without being overdone. I have not seen any specific weather-related animations yet, but to be truthful, I have not been playing in the rain a ton. I did, however, get to hear some commentary related to the weather.
Read More - MLB '11: The Show Impressions at the Seventh Inning Stretch
Thursday, March 10, 2011
05:37 PM - March 10, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
We recently changed our review process. Read all about how we do our reviews now.
Day One: Initial Impressions
I will admit that online play is usually not at the top of my priority list, at least when it comes to baseball games. I would rather spend my time wheeling and dealing within the confines of a franchise mode than battle it out with unknown opponents.
Still, I jumped into a couple Play Now games last evening, looking for something that might encourage me to devote more time to online baseball. Unfortunately, in my limited online time, I have not seen anything that’s going to addict me quite as much as the great offline gameplay -- the new XP system is not going to do it.
It is hard to judge an online game in its first few days of existence -- this is even more true when considering my relative inexperience. However, during the couple of games that I played, I did not have a good time.
Read More - MLB 11: The Show Online Impressions
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
02:25 PM - March 9, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
We recently changed our review process. Read all about how we do our reviews now.
I love going to Walt Disney World. I got hooked as a kid, and since then it has become my family’s favorite vacation destination. And after many trips, it’s easy to feel a sense of familiarity if there’s no groundbreaking new attraction on a subsequent visit. Yet, it’s still Disney World.
MLB 11: The Show is similar. The new thrill ride is analog controls. Beyond that, it’s pretty much the same place since my last visit. Still, however, it’s The Show.
Read More - MLB 11: The Show Reviewer First Impressions
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
02:32 PM - February 23, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
I don’t think I have played a crazier sports game than Test Drive Unlimited 2. Yes, it’s primarily a racing game. However, you could also classify it as an open-world game, sort of like Grand Theft Auto minus the gun play. It’s also a Sims-ish lifestyle simulation, with dressing up and real estate goals. Then it also has MMO elements as well, with a lot of people exploring and racing in a unified world. On top of all of this is a story, a leveling system and a nearly "unlimited" amount of things to do.
Unfortuately for Test Drive Unlimited 2, the driving is perhaps the game’s biggest weakness.
Read More - Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review (360)
Unfortuately for Test Drive Unlimited 2, the driving is perhaps the game’s biggest weakness.
Read More - Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review (360)
Friday, January 28, 2011
07:03 PM - January 28, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
The library of Kinect games has not strayed too far from the obvious: mini-games, kids games and fitness games. Fitness games seem to be especially commonplace, so picking the right one can be difficult and is somewhat a matter of taste. However, I think Ubisoft’s Your Shape: Fitness Evolved will please many -- though not all -- fitness enthusiasts with its wide range of activity types and quick in-and-out style.
Gameplay
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved takes a unique approach to in-home fitness, especially when compared to the competition. Instead of replicating any "real life" activity, like riding a bike or shooting hoops, this title focuses on pure fitness activities. Depending on your goals, you may be doing jumping jacks, stretches or dance-like aerobics. The game can also incorporate your own hand weights.
Read More - Your Shape: Fitness Evolved
Thursday, January 20, 2011
05:13 PM - January 20, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
We recently changed how we do reviews! Read here to get more info about the changes!
The best way to describe MotionSports is to paraphrase Dennis Green: It is what I thought it would be. It checks all of the required boxes to be a member of the burgeoning motion-sports genre, but that’s about all it does. There are very few surprises, little style and zero reasons to get excited.
Gameplay
MotionSports is yet another mini-game collection designed for motion gaming, which follows in the wake of Wii Sports Resort, Sports Champions and Microsoft’s own Kinect Sports. I will give the game some credit for eschewing some of the more traditional mini-games (e.g., bowling, Frisbee, etc.) in favor of new ones, such as skiing, football, hang gliding and equestrian events. In addition to those, you do get more standard offerings like boxing and soccer.
Read More - MotionSports (Kinect) Review
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
05:05 PM - January 12, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Now that the Playstation Move and Xbox Kinect have been out for a bit, it seems like the right time to evaluate the motion-control systems out there on the market. With that in mind, here is a categorical breakdown of the motion-control offerings from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.
Accessibility
One of the selling points of any motion-controlled system is the ability to jump in and play while reproducing natural movement as a form of input. People of all ages and gaming experiences can jump into a properly developed motion-controlled game with little difficulty. For all three of these platforms, this holds true.
And when the games and systems are working correctly, the Kinect, with its lack of controllers, is the easiest to get into because you don't have to pick up and play anything to have a motion-control experience.
Read More - The Motion Controller Showdown -- Who Wins?
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