Spartan Review: Trouble Witches Bewitchingly Old-School

 

I love “shmups.”

No, I didn’t just try sneaking in some deviant, juvenile word past my editors. “Shmup” is how gamers in the know call “shoot-em-ups,” classic games where you pilot a ship or character and shoot enemies while moving sideways or vertically.

“Shmup” is also used by gamers to demonstrate their cool inside knowledge. That or shift precious brainpower resources from speech faculties to whatever part of the brain lets them dodge the insane amount of bullets shot by enemies in shmup games.

Which brings us to the charming, little shmup, “Trouble Witches Neo.” A cross between Cotton and Deathsmiles, “Trouble Witches” puts you in control of a squad of barely competent witches (and some non-witches) tasked with saving the world from an evil menace. Yeah, it sounds cliched. But if you like wacky anime plotlines, then you’ll love this game.

Just be warned that “Trouble Witches” falls under the infamous “bullet hell” category of shmups. That means your screen will be filled with a gajillion bullets for you — or a companion — to dodge. Fortunately, you have a shield that slows time and turns bullets to coins if you dispatch their source. If you don’t, well, then you’ve got that many more bullets headed for your likely soon-to-be-dead witch once your shield runs out.

The game also has power-ups you can purchase and a Boss Mode. English voice acting is comically bad but you can switch to the Japanese track if you like.

I heartily recommend “Trouble Witches” to shmup fans.

Recommended if you like: Cotton, Deathsmiles 

Cost: $10, Xbox Live Arcade

SNK-Playmore USA   

*This review originally ran in the Reno Gazette-Journal's Sunday Tech page.

New Shooter Just On 'Brink' of Goodness

In an industry flooded by shooters, it’s always nice to see a game that tries to be different.

 
“Brink” certainly strives to break the mold and deserves praise for that. But while the concept behind it sounds quite neat, the execution has some rough edges that leave the game just on the brink of total gaming goodness.

 
At the risk of sounding like an “It’s not you, it’s me” speech, lets enumerate the positives first. 

Character customization is definitely a strong point, providing plenty of options to edit your character. People who like options besides running and gunning will like the extra classes like medic, spy and operative. There’s also heavy emphasis on group cooperation, a boon if you’re a team player like me. The ability to pick sides in a civil war also adds extra variety.

 
On the down side, campaign mode is short and lacking in story, a bummer for campaign fans especially given the interesting setup for the game’s civil war. The AI also can be maddeningly inconsistent. Imbalances in mission design can heavily favor one team over another. Class-based load outs could use more diversity a la Team Fortress. “Brink” also lacks team death match and other classic shooter modes, relying primarily on “8 vs. 8” team objective missions.

 
Overall, “Brink” is a game loaded with potential but just falls short of hitting the sweet spot. It certainly has its high points and some gamers will, undoubtedly, love this game. But I recommend “dating” it first before committing to it, just in case.

Recommended if you like: Team Fortresss

 
Cost: $59.99; PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Official Brink Site

*This review originally appeared in the Reno Gazette-Journal Sunday Tech page.

 

Tron Legacy: The Complete Story App is Quite Complete

Remember Tron for Atari?

If that comment just gave you flashbacks of an old dude yelling at you to get off his lawn, then you’re likely too young to remember.

But if you do remember, my how times have changed from those old blocky days, eh? Granted “Tron Legacy: The Complete Story” app for the iPad isn’t a game but a digital book. But I’m severely jetlagged and can’t think of any better segways so you’re stuck with that analogy, buster.

A retelling of the “Tron: Legacy” movie in storybook form, this app trumps all other previous Disney storybook apps in sheer size. You’re basically looking at 150 illustrated pages for the main story -- practically a novel for little ones. Maybe that’s why it’s for ages 9 and up. You also get a slideshow of more than 30 stills from the actual movie, which can also be accessed via interactive icons in some of the storybook pages.

A pretty neat feature is the “Episode 1” motion comic that’s included, which features animated comic panels. If your wallet just shrieked and jumped out of your pockets from the thought of paying for extra episodes, the remaining five will be available by winter this year for free.

It would be nice if mini-games were also included. The app is also a bit pricey. But with its sheer breadth of content, the Tron Legacy digital storybook is worth a read. Now, seriously, get off my lawn.

Cost: $8.99, $3.99 for limited time 

Official Tron Legacy App Site

*This review originally appeared in the Reno Gazette-Journal  Sunday Tech Page

'Lego Pirates' Connects With Families, Lego Fans

The Lego video game franchise gets another block in its ever growing Lego pile as Lego Pirates of the Carribean swings into most video game platforms.

Swashbuckling is the name of the game this time around as swordplay replaces the wizardry from the last Lego video game installment (i.e. Lego Harry Potter). Lego Pirates reaps the benefits from being the latest installment in the series, showing a nice amount of polish in the gameplay. Neat features include a treasure-finding ability via Jack Sparrow’s compass plus the ability to switch more quickly to your character of choice via a character wheel. Cut scenes should earn laughs from the kiddies. Jack also eerily sounds like Jack, despite being limited to the typical Lego grunting sounds.

Like past Lego games, though, platforming can still be frustrating at times. It’s still easy to fall off ledges and miss jumps, robbing you of some of your precious booty. While the retention of coop play is nice, the lack of online coop is a bummer, especially if you happen to be a certain cool, video-gaming uncle who happens to have a niece who just adores the Lego video game franchise but lives hundreds of miles away.

Even with the new Pirates angle, the Lego game franchise might be getting repetitive for some players. But if you still can’t get enough of Lego gaming then you’ll love Lego Pirates. Families looking for a fun game both young and old can enjoy will especially like this one.

Cost: $29.99-$49.99; PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii, DS, 3DS, PSP

Lego Pirates Site

*This review originally appeared in the Reno Gazette-Journal Sunday Tech page.