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, April 8, 2010
12:29 PM - April 8, 2010. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
It is pretty easy to become cynical about the increasing reliance on downloadable content. Infamous examples, like "horse armor" and EA optimizers, make even the smallest charge seem pretty egregious. Sometimes even free items hide an ulterior motive (see: driving up pre-order sales or discouraging the second-hand market).
So, sure, it could be argued that FIFA's Ultimate Team mode is just a gimmicky way to make you hold on to the game longer. But if you let go of the cynicism, you will find a mode that is a worth a lot more than $5.
Read More - FIFA 10 Ultimate Team Review
So, sure, it could be argued that FIFA's Ultimate Team mode is just a gimmicky way to make you hold on to the game longer. But if you let go of the cynicism, you will find a mode that is a worth a lot more than $5.
Read More - FIFA 10 Ultimate Team Review
Monday, March 22, 2010
01:23 PM - March 22, 2010. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Last fall, I lauded the 2K development team for providing a fleshed-out and fully realized NBA experience for Wii owners. While the graphics in NBA 2k10 for Wii were a bit of a handicap, its feature set was just as deep as the one found on the 360 and PS3.Unfortunately for baseball fans, the same cannot be said for MLB 2K10. It shares the graphical problems of NBA 2K10 but lacks anything that will reward gamers over the long haul. For those Wii owners dedicated to the 2K line, MLB 2K10 cannot be seen as anything but a step back after NBA 2K10's two steps forward.
Read More - Major League Baseball 2K10 (Wii) Review
Monday, March 8, 2010
12:29 PM - March 8, 2010. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
It's hard to believe that it has been 10 years since I bought World Series Baseball, the game that practically sold me on the Xbox. Features like controlling the managerial staff and a truncated minor-league system made Sega's early effort a standout (ignoring those Dreamcast versions).Since then, the WSB/2K baseball games have made their slow descent into mediocrity, managing to outlast other titles that did not make it out of the "golden age" of console hardball. Then the 2K exclusive license effectively killed superior titles, including MVP and All-Star Baseball. And, after the dust settled, MLB 2K itself became every critic's punchline.
When taking everything into account, MLB 2K9 was the worst game in the series to date (sans pre-patch MLB 2K6). It concluded the downward spiral for a series that had been to the top of the mountain during the last generation, fallen on its face, made big promises when the "next-gen" era started, then failed to deliver. In a decade, this series went from selling consoles to rumors of it causing 2K's impending demise.
But MLB 2K10 has been talked about as the make-or-break year for the franchise. So with that in mind, has this year's version done enough to resuscitate the MLB 2K line? Well, it's still not a reason to buy an Xbox 360, but it is certainly worth purchasing if you already own one. More importantly, if you gave up on MLB 2K a long time ago (as I had), 2K10 is certainly deserving of a look.
Read More - Major League Baseball 2K10 Review
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
01:28 PM - February 24, 2010. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
I have played a number of sports games on the iPhone, and to some extent, they all feel "shoehorned" onto the platform. Since the iPhone does not have dedicated controls, most rely on either spotty "virtual" D-pads or creative touch controls. Regardless, sports game have not quite found themselves on the iPhone yet.One kind of sports game, though, would seem to be a better fit: text sims. They are perfect for short-term gaming sessions. They do not rely on non-existent controls. Even graphics are not an issue.
Surprisingly, despite the match, text sims are severely underrepresented in the App Store. Baseball Manager 2010 is trying to break that trend.
Read More - Baseball Manager 2010 Review
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
01:18 PM - February 16, 2010. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
As gamers we like to bemoan that fact that our choices in games are consistently dwindling, and for good reason. I would like to see more than one NFL title each year. College hoops fans are now completely out of luck. We have lost the wide range of quality arcade titles, like NHL Hitz or NBA Street. Essentially, your favorite sport now has one, maybe two, significant options each year to play.Baseball is not really an exception. I say "not really" because our sim-style choices have consistently been two: MLB: The Show or MLB 2K. But dig a bit deeper, and baseball, more than most sports, has recently offered a wider range of choices for fans. Games like MLB Power Pros, The Bigs and even Out of the Park Baseball offer more options for baseball gameplay than those that exist in the football and basketball genres (probably combined).
What if, though, these choices start to dry up as well? Well, here is what I would want to keep from these games if given only one option -- one "ultimate game" if you will.
Read More - The Ultimate Baseball Game
Friday, February 12, 2010
Read More - Blood Bowl Review
Friday, January 29, 2010
12:29 PM - January 29, 2010. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
With ongoing economic instability and a recent natural disaster taking place, you may hear some criticism directed toward the Winter Olympics. While the athletic competition and international camaraderie is certainly of value, some may see the Games as an unnecessary expenditure, taking money away that could be better used elsewhere.I will save the politics for other Web sites, but know this: This exact situation is happening on a much smaller scale at your local game store. If you buy Vancouver 2010: The Official Videogame of the Winter Olympic Games, you will wish that you had spent your own money on something more important. This game, despite some high points, is one of the most overpriced titles you will find during the next four years.
Read More - Vancouver 2010 Review
Friday, December 11, 2009
10:31 PM - December 11, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
This holiday season, kids in your family will undoubtedly ask for games as gifts. Some extremely gifted kids who are "with it" may even ask for sports games.However, it’s a dangerous world out there for gift-buying parents and grandparents. Beyond the “pre-order” intimidation tactics and strategy guide rip-offs, astute consumers need to watch out for budget titles: those games which look attractive, but in reality will most likely become eggnog coasters.
Two recent sports games fall into the budget category, but have decidedly different approaches with the way they function, look, and treat kids: Backyard Football 10 and Academy of Champions: Soccer.
Each game features real life sports stars, arcade action, and a pricetag of around $30 for Wii owners. Beyond these three main similarities, both games are worlds apart.
First up, a review of Backyard Football 2010.
Read More - Backyard Football 2010 Review
Monday, November 30, 2009
02:09 PM - November 30, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Over the past couple of years, I have reviewed a number of Wii games for Operation Sports. During this time, I have noticed that most of the games fall into one of two categories: those that are built from the "ground up" to take full advantage of the Wii (Wii Sports, EA Active, etc.), and those that are reworked versions of 360/PS3 counterparts, like the All-Play series of games from EA.The point is, when games are ported to the Wii, very few of them retain all of the features and modes from the "main" iterations. Which is what sets NBA 2K10 apart from the rest. Yet, frustratingly, it leads to the game's share of problems, too.
Beyond this point, the phrase "...for a Wii game" seems to sum up this basketball experience. The graphics are not great, but they are not bad "for a Wii game." Commentary and presentation are top notch, again "for a Wii game." Controls and frame rate, online functionality and just about all elements of this game can be categorized with that same phrase. Some people may view that as positive, others may not.
Read More - NBA 2K10 (Wii) Review
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
12:13 PM - November 3, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Two summers ago I finished my first reviewing assignment for Operation Sports, which happened to be for the official game of the Beijing Summer Olympics, Beijing 2008. Despite the fact that Beijing 2008 was on a much more powerful system and was supposedly an "authentic" representation of the Olympic experience, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is an infinitely more pleasing experience when compared to Beijing 2008.Read More - Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Review
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
11:46 AM - October 20, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Caley Roark is back with three new short reviews of iPhone Sports Game Reviews. We take a look at FIFA 10, Backbreakers debut, and Baseball Stars 2010. Do any of the games hold up and are they worth the download? Read on.Read More - IPhone Sports Game Mini Reviews Part II
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
12:58 PM - September 30, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
At an Apple event earlier this month, Steve Jobs called the iPod Touch “a great gaming machine.” While great may be a stretch, there is no doubt that the iPod Touch and iPhone have changed the way we view portable games.So what does the iPhone/iPod “gaming platform” hold for sports gamers? Well, that's somewhat hard to say, but here are three short reviews of some popular sports apps/games that are available now at the App Store.
Read More - iPhone Sports Game Mini Reviews
Thursday, August 27, 2009
11:48 PM - August 27, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
The Wii console has thus far been a conundrum for the sports gamer. On the one hand, some of the platform's most popular games fall within the sports genre: Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Punch-Out, etc. On the other hand, mainstream sports games are either non-existent or seemingly a developer's afterthought on the Wii.This year the 360/PS3 version of Madden received a ton of enhancements, improvements and press coverage. But while everyone was focusing on that version of the game, some pretty big changes were quietly taking place on the Wii side of things. A new graphical style was implemented, new modes were put in place, and some refined controls were adapted for the Wii to make Madden 10 the benchmark of team sports games on the console.
However, despite the fact that there is fun to be had, this game itself is a conundrum, a confusing mix of traditional and innovative ideas that don't always mesh.
Read More - Madden NFL 10 (Wii) Review
Thursday, July 9, 2009
While having nothing to do with chess boxing, The Bigs 2 requires the same skills. It demands continuous thought and lightening-quick reflexes, the first a rarity among arcade sports games.
And from first pitch to last out, this game is one of the most fun baseball games I’ve played in a long while. Unfortunately, some aspects are a bit flawed, which detracts from an otherwise stellar title.
Read More - The BIGS 2 Review
Thursday, July 2, 2009
01:13 PM - July 2, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
I recently reviewed Backyard Baseball '10, a cartoonish Wii baseball title aimed primarily at kids. I chastised that game for an overall lack of polish, including the embarrassing "World Champion Red Sox" video that seemed left over from 2008. It was almost as if the producers said, "eh, kids won’t know any better."This time around I’m offering my opinion on yet another Wii baseball game aimed at children, Little League 2009 World Series Baseball. Does it avoid the missteps, mistakes and laziness of Backyard Baseball? The answer, in my opinion, is decidedly mixed. Ironically, "mixed" is an appropriate word to describe this game overall.
-Review written by Caley Roark.
Read More - Little League World Series Baseball 2009 Review
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