PixlBit

It’s that time again for more links to game reviews I’ve written lately at GamerDad.com!  Please click on and read as many as you can, I’d really appreciate it!  Maybe you could leave a comment, too!  This batch seemed to be based on a lot of cartoon licenses, so hence the blog title.

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures (Wii U)

This is a 3-D platformer based on the new computer animated cartoon show airing now on Disney XD.  I wrote about the cartoon a few months back in a blog, you can check it out if you like.  Even though the game is based on a rather lackluster license, I have to begrudgingly admit that the game itself really isn’t THAT bad.  We really don’t get too many cute and colorful 3-D platformers like what we used to, so I kind of missed that.  If anything, it’s at least better than Pac-Man World 3.  Maybe even Pac-Man World 2. 

Speaking of which, that’s another reason why I kind of like the new game, because it reminds me of the Pac-Man World titles.  I have special memories regarding at least the first two games (the third was made by a different team), because those were kind of the first games I got to follow as a game reviewer from start to finish.  At the time I was writing for The Dallas Morning News.  Pac-Man World was in development for quite a long time, and went through a few name changes (first Pac-Man Ghost Zone, which was a cool name, I think, then it became Pac-Man 3-D before finally changing to World).  Anyway, I got to know members of the team there very well.  Brian Leake and Scott Rogers, I know you’ll never read this blog, but if you do, just know that I’ll never forget you. Anyway, a few of the members of the Pac-Man World team went on to work on Capcom’s Maximo games, which still makes me sad that Capcom shut them down.  When I was ‘let go’ from the Dallas newspaper, that was about the time that Pac-Man World 2 was going to be released.  I told the PMW team that they didn’t need to send me a review copy of it because I didn’t have an outlet to review it on.  Well, they sent me a copy of the game anyway and they all signed the front of the box!  I thought that was really nice.  The Pac-Man World games weren’t the best games out there, but they are still special games to me because of the reasons in this paragraph.

Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-bit Land (3DS)

Regular Show is probably my favorite current new cartoon show right now.  The game is a standard 2-D platformer, with some space shooter and top down shooter sections.  Unfortunately, it’s not one of WayForward’s best works, the Adventure Time game they made last year was a bit better.  Play control is a little floaty, which makes it needlessly hard since it’s a ‘one-hit-and-you-die’ kind of game.  But at least the 8-bit sounding chiptune music is cool.  I also really like what they did with the instruction booklet.  You’ll just have to check out the review to see what it is!

Skylanders Swap Force Swap-tacular Special!

I can’t believe how HUGE Skylanders has become!  I was at Toys R Us the other day and they had an entire section dedicated to it!  I’m glad I’ve been able to review all the games!  I’ve heard that Skylanders is the biggest selling action figure line in the US right now, and I’ve also heard rumors that Skylanders has made more money for Activision than their Call of Duty titles!  Wow!  I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a Skylanders cartoon soon.  As an adult, the game may seem kind of gimmicky, but I have to admit that if I was a kid, Skylanders would be the coolest thing around.  Admit it; you would think so, too, right?  In the new game, there are figures that you can swap their top and bottom halves to make new figures.

Skylanders Swap Force Strategy Guide (Book)

I also got to review the strategy guide that goes with the new Skylanders game.  Probably the first time I reviewed a strategy guide for a game I’ve actually played!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Wii)

This is based on the new computer animated cartoon on Nickelodeon.  It’s a bit too much like Teen Titans for my tastes (I hated that cartoon).  I’m happy to say that the game plays a bit like the old arcade game, but it’s just too slow paced.  If it were a bit faster, I’d be more inclined to recommend it to classic Turtles arcade fans.  I have a lot of good memories playing those.  I would play the SNES Turtles in Time game with my little brother Jeff when he was very young.  If I accidentally got the pizza, he’d cry to mom and say, “Moooommm!  Cary got the pizza!”  Hey, he was really little, don’t blame him!  We still joke about that to this very day, though!

SpongeBob Squarepants: Plankton’s Robotic Revenge (PS3)

I’m not a big fan of SpongeBob, but I do like the starfish in it.  Kind of like how I’m not a big Adventure Time fan, but I like BMO a lot.  Patrick and BMO deserve their own show.  Anyway, the new SpongeBob game is like a four player beat ‘em up, but you also shoot silly fast food condiment guns so it’s like a kiddy Ratchet & Clank, too.  The game is decent enough (I played it all the way through, so you know it’s not THAT bad), but I can’t help but think the developers just phoned it in.  It just feels like they just pooped out a game that’ll keep kids quiet for a while and that’s it.  I hate having that kind of attitude about kids’ games, but that’s how this one felt to me.

Asterix: Total Retaliation (iPad)

Asterix is a popular European comic book character.  I only know about him from the games I’ve seen and reviewed, but from what I can gather, Asterix is kind of like the European equivalent of Popeye.  This new game is a direct rip-off of Plants vs. Zombies, except a lot harder and less fun.

BeyBlade: Evolution (3DS)

I can’t believe they’re still making these battle top toys, but here’s another video game about it so I guess they are.  This one uses the motion controls of the 3DS to launch your tops, so needless to say, it’s not very good.

Batman: Arkham Origins Strategy Guide (Book)

I haven’t played any of the Arkham games (LEGO Batman is more my speed), but I do know more about Batman characters than other comic book heroes because I watched a lot of the 90’s Batman: The Animated Series cartoon when I was in high school.

Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2 (3DS)

And this is yet another match-three puzzler like Bejeweled, and it looks just like the other Jewel Master games I’ve reviewed on DS and 3DS.

Conclusions

And that’s all for now!  Next time on my blog, I’ll finally talk about my top five favorite Zelda characters, since the new 3DS game will be out soon by then.  And then after that, more game reviews!  Hey, it’s close to Christmas, so I have a lot of games to review right now!  Anyway, thanks for reading and commenting on my reviews, and I appreciate all your help and support!  --Cary