Making use of the criticism Sonic Colors garnered, Sega was capable of recreating an entirely new game for the current generation of consoles that literally takes Sonic back to his glory days, re-imagining what fans saw back in the early 90′s.  It’s great to see Sega treading back to Sonic’s glory days, and I’m proud to say that Sonic the Hedgehog is back to redeem himself after the many failures gamers endured through the years, this time with a little help from himself.

The Sonic universe is at a total stand still where past and present come together building up one of the best Sonic experiences we’ve had in a long while. While racing through a timeless world, Sonic encounters his younger self and must work together to restore time back to where it was. Blazing at high speeds, gamers will run through beautifully re-imagined areas of Sonic’s past once more to uncover the mysterious force that lurks through time and space.

The unoriginal plot will be forgotten by fans, and for good reason. Where the story lacks, the gameplay makes up for it. Players will take control of either Classic Sonic or Modern Sonic and blaze their way through many zones we’ve come to love as Sonic fans. Both Modern and Classic offer up different styles of play, each with their unique actions and perspectives and offering up hours upon hours of addictive gameplay elements.

Taking gamers back 20 years, Classic Sonic’s gameplay consist of fast-paced, addicting, 2D side-scrolling action that fans of the original Sega titles should be familiar with. The classic 2D side scrolling gameplay is kept intense as Classic Sonic makes his way through the lush areas of Green Hill Zone at his trademark blazing hot speeds, or shimming his way through a sky bound temple of the Sanctuary Zone while the Death Egg rises in the background giving gamers a great sense of nostalgia.  With the help of the Hedgehog Engine, players will be able to spin-dash their way through loops and corkscrews at invigorating speeds.

Classic Sonic is stripped away from Sonic’s boost abilities and stripped of his ability to utilize the homing attack against his foes throughout the game, although the homing attack can be unlocked and equipped via skill set later on in the game. The player will have to rely on speed, a simple jump button, and the spin-dash in order to get by in the classic levels. The intensity of Sonic’s speed varies on how the player is able to maintain a steady path towards the goal. There are multiple paths to be taken in each level. Depending on how quick the player’s eyes and thumbs correspond together, they can take higher paths that are much quicker, however far more demanding of the player’s skills. Or, if things are a little too difficult, they can take the lower paths that require a little less skill but ask for a little more time. At any rate, the Classic Sonic gameplay is an engaging experience for those who are nostalgic over Sonic’s Genesis days. Fans will savor the Classic Sonic levels, as they are a joyous stroll through memory lane, and a reminder as to why they’re Sonic fans to begin with.

In contrast, Modern Sonic changes things up a bit. The modern gameplay will place the camera behind Sonic at all times giving the player a completely different perspective of the world around them. The 3D perspective adds in a lot more flavor to the classic Sonic gameplay we’ve come to love by granting Sonic his signature homing attack and boosting abilities, as seen in the more recent title Sonic Unleashed. The boosting ability can be triggered using the square button and can be triggered whenever Sonic’s boost meter is filled up. When boosting, Sonic becomes nearly invincible, allowing him to ram into enemies without taking in any damage.  Boosting adds a lot more intensity to the Modern levels and feels extremely satisfying as he makes his way to the goal ring. There are also Quick Step sections throughout the modern levels. Quick Step gives Sonic the ability to quickly move to the left or right without losing any momentum, and it’s an awfully fun move when speeding through a level. Quickstep works beautifully as Sonic smashes into oncoming enemies by knocking them into other foes, or walls. Yellow boost pads only add to the fun, as it will allow Sonic to perform a few cool stunts while sustained in mid-air. Moving the left stick in any given direction can do this, then when the player is ready to end the combination of tricks, pressing the R1 and L1 buttons add in a finishing move. The more stunts Sonic can perform, the more boost will be added to his boost meter.

Playing as Modern Sonic in Green Hill Zone was an exciting venture for me all thanks to the blazing fast speeds and the opportunity of viewing Green Hill Zone in a way I never thought possible. Speeding my way through the rampant sectors of the fan favorite level filled me up with delight at every jump, turn, and loop. Grinding through Green Hill Zone was simply awesome.

The Modern Sonic gameplay is not perfect though. I found there to be many control errors throughout a few sections of the game where the controls were completely irresponsive. When I was making may way down a few straight paths, the R1 and L1 Quick Step buttons refused to work when trying to dodge oncoming walls, causing me to take in damage and lose a few rings. There are also sections where Sonic can use his Ring Dash ability. However, thanks to some control flaws, I was unable to execute the ability properly. I repeated this multiple times, specifically on Planet Wisp, and no go. After a few attempts, I got it through but that required the mashing of the triangle button multiple times. It became rather frustrating. The Modern Sonic gameplay also feels a bit floaty during platforming sections, but it won’t be much of a hassle as Sonic will mostly be homing in on enemies or boosting through the level.

The boss battles in Generations are all redone for the more modern Sonic fans. They’re extremely fun, but incredibly short. The first boss battle Sonic encounters will be the DeathEgg Robot from Sonic 2 in which only Classic Sonic can fight against. The Boss Battle, while fun in its many ways, can be taken down within a minute’s time. The same goes for many boss battles including the rivalry fights against Metal Sonic, Shadow and Silver. Again, each is incredibly fun, but incredibly short as well.  Had Sega made them a little longer, it would’ve made for a much more fun experience. I wish Sega had given the boss battles classic and modern versions rather than being locked in for one Sonic.

There’s no doubt that you’ll comeback to replay through all of the levels or boss battles out of pure pleasure and delight. There’s plenty to do in Sonic Generations including discovering an abundance of unlockable content within the challenge modes, or collecting the Red Rings from each individual level, or perhaps fighting through a rivalry battle between Metal Sonic, Shadow, or Silver.

The level designs are magnificent! The landscape across the map as Sonic jumps through a loop or accelerates through a jump pad can be a sight for sore eyes. The landscapes and scales of each zone become a jaw dropping adventure for the player. Flying freely through the skies of Green Hill Zone while looking off in the distance to see a lovely blue ocean glimmering in the sunlight, the far off loops and hills casting back in bright green, the small lakes and ponds in between the tracks, and the lovely white waterfall raining down as Sonic jumps through it redefines “re-imagination”.  The zones and locations in Sonic Generations are beautifully constructed be it through the temples of the Sky Sanctuary Zone or through the evergreen areas of Planet Wisp.

Attention to detail in the game is a key reason for its visually stunning success in such places as Speed Highway or the Perfect Chaos Boss fight. While riding away on a chopper in Speed Highway, I noticed Sonic’s reflection being casted back at him from the glass buildings, or perhaps during the Perfect Chaos battle, when Chaos sends Sonic a line of raging water to attack him, I noted a watery Sonic reflection within the water. Sure, it’s just a little reflection. Big deal, right?  It’s a very big deal. If Sonic Team went through all the effort just to cast a reflection in water or on a building, there was more emphasis in detail when developing each world, and it shows.

Much like most racing games, Sonic Generations is a visually stunning masterpiece when in motion; all that is done away with when everything comes to a complete standstill. The attention to detail is visibly present, however, there are a lot of textural flaws that make things look a little less beautiful. The annoyance of framerate drops can degrade the quality of some of the most stunning visuals present in Generations. All in all, the visuals are amazing with the exception of the frame rate drops and textural flaws.

Sonic Generations incorporates all of Sonic’s most memorable tunes into one by remixing each song, delivering a new refreshing tracklist fans will appreciate. Both modern and classic Sonic have their own unique remixes to their levels and not one track is the same. Personally, I found the Rooftop Run: Modern Remix to be amongst my favorites throughout the entire game. It’s absolutely wonderful. Jun Senoue takes an original Sonic Unleashed tune and mixes it with an upbeat, cheery, piano-orchestrated mix that goes well with the level design and atmosphere as Sonic beams his way up the walls of a clock tower and atop buildings of the Rooftop Run. While the Rooftop Run track is only a few years old, many of the songs in Generations go as far as twenty years. Green Hill Zone has it’s own mix, Chemical Plant has it’s own mix, and so on. Each mix is amazingly fun to listen to while playing through a level. Throughout a greater duration of my playtime, I was dancing in my seat or singing along to a song. It’s pretty crazy, to say the least, how these tracks add more of an affect to how awesome the game is, more especially for me, a Sonic fan. It’s without a doubt that most fans will nostalgically speed through levels happily because of the remixed tunes Sonic Generations has to offer.

Roger Craig Smith and Mike Pollock are back in this adventure to reprise their roles as Sonic and Eggman. The two voice actors, as well as the rest of the cast, improve upon the voice acting, making characters a lot less annoying than in previous Sonic games. Much like Sonic Colors, the dialogue is a little more child-friendly as Sonic sticks to his comedic puns and quirkiness. A setback with the dialogue is that there’s hardly any interaction between characters. For a game that has Classic and Modern Sonic in the same world, it doesn’t have much interaction between the two. I’m sure most fans will find the lack of dialogue disappointing as well.

Despite Sonic’s daunting past at many failed attempts to bring him back to his glory days, I believe Sega, and the blue hedgehog himself, should stand tall and proud with this accomplishment. Sonic Generations is the game that fans have been waiting for within the last few years. It’s a game that fans should take in with appreciation, and smile, for it has been a long rough road for our blue hero and the Sonic community. This accomplishment that is Sonic Generations is not only a game to be played for fun, it’s a tribute to the blue hedgehog’s 20 years.

As a Sonic fan, I feel a great sense of pride; I feel ecstatic; I feel absolutely wonderful.  To play Sonic Generations was an honor for me, as it took me back to my childhood reminding me what it’s like to be a kid filled with an imagination and a future with endless possibilities, and wishful thinking. The sense of nostalgia from Sonic Generations is intense for anyone who’s grown up with the blue guy.

With all this said and done, I’m happy to say Sonic Generations is the best Sonic title to be released within ten years. I’m not sure what that may mean to many of the Sonic fans out there, but it means a great deal for me personally. I’m proud to present Sonic Generations with a 9 out of 10 for it’s intense thrill ride, beautifully re-imagined arenas, and for staying true to Sonic’s glory days.

Stand proud, Sonic. And cue the ending credit medley.

I love the zombie genre, but only if it has to do with the slow-moving zombies created by George A. Romero and the late great Lucio Fulci. I still to this very day believe that Lucio Fulci’s zombies in “Zombie 2″ are the coolest-looking zombies ever to grace a movie screen.

As for the fast-moving undead, I never understood the concept of fast zombies. How can something dead move like a ninja? It makes no sense.

Candygun Games thankfully took the concept of the typical George A. Romero zombie and did something with it. Dead Block has a very unusual story, but for some reason it works for me (and hopefully for you too).

Rock ‘n’ Roll

Dead Block is set in the 1950′s when Rock ‘n’ Roll was starting to become mainstream. You had Elvis and his gyrating pelvis and the radio airwaves were changing. Basically Rock ‘n’ Roll is the reason why the undead are returning to eat the flesh of the living. That’s right, Rock ‘n’ Roll made the dead walk. It may sound odd, but the theme just works for this game.

Rock ‘n’ Roll is the ultimate weapon and it plays a huge part of the game. You will have to search for guitar equipment in order to complete level. Once you find all of the guitar equipment you will play a few chords using the controller buttons and the level ends. You have 10 different levels to play through. These levels range from a school, diner, radio studio and much more.

Dead Block features three characters. Jack is a construction worked. This character is basically the brawn of the three characters. The next is Foxy, a female police offices that has a gun at her disposal. The third is Mike, a plump boyscout that loves to suck on lollipops and set up poop traps. Each character has his or her own set of traps to use against the undead.

Traps are basically what you use to stop the undead. You can set these traps up at windows and doorways. Some of the traps will kill zombies while others can be used to slow them down. It all depends on how you want to play out the level. For instance, you can use Jack to setup the construction helmet trap. This trap makes the undead work on your side and break up furniture.

Breaking up furniture and items within each level is what help use the traps. If you break up items like wood you will be able to use the wood to board up the windows. If you find bolts while searching around, you can use them to set up the traps. The more advanced traps take a higher amount of bolts to set up. You can also find items like TV antennas and steaks to use. The TV antenna can be used to turn on a TV set and distract zombies. Each character also has what could be described as a finishing move that can be used once in a while. Once you use the finishing move, it takes a while for the finishing move to replenish.

The whole Rock ‘n’ Roll concept of Dead Block reminds me of the excellent zombie movie “Wild Zero” with Guitar Wolf. Wild Zero blended the undead with Rock ‘n’ Roll and the two concepts worked like a charm.  Dead Block uses those same two concepts and succeeds in many ways.

Dead Block simply oozes with charm. The game has a very unique look. The throwback to the 1950′s is enough for some cool nostalgia. The characters and zombies have a

The excellent soundtrack by Vampyre State Building adds to the game mood and atmosphere. I never heard of this group, but I was really impressed by the groups 1950′s  throwback sounds. You can check out one of the main songs featured in Dead Block right here.

My only disappointment about Dead Block is the lack of online multiplayer support. I honestly would have given the game an extra point (9 out of 10) if this game had multiplayer support. This type of game would have been a blast online with friends. In 2011 one has to wonder why this feature was left out? It just boggles the mind!

The Bottom Line:

Take George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” and the awesome Japanese zombie flick “Wild Zero”, throw them both in a blender and then pour the contents into a backdrop of the 1950′s with some Rock ‘n’ Roll and you have Dead Block.

I really enjoyed playing Dead Block, and I find myself going back to the game over and over again. I wish the developers would have added the option to play online with friends, and this is really missed!

Overall, Dead Block ends up being an extremely enjoyable game. It’s actually become one of my favorite Xbox Live Arcade/PSN games. Check it out today!

I had the benefit of growing up in the 1980′s. I consider those ten years some of the greatest years of my life. The 80′s was the birth of my beloved NES as well as the birth of one of my most beloved cartoons, Transformers.

But in all honesty, I HATE the Transformers movies. I believe that Michael Bay took a beloved franchise and ruined it. This is nothing really new, considering he did the same with A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

To put it plainly, I am not a fan of Michael Bay. The movies do not emulate the classic 1980′s cartoon at all. The original cartoon focused mainly on the Autobots and the Decepticons, while the movies seem to focus more on the humans.

With that being said, I have actually enjoyed the game versions of the movie. My problem always lies in the fact that the movies focus too much on the humans, whereas the games focus on what the original cartoon series did… the robots!

The latest is Transformers: Dark of the Moon from High Moon Studios, by the developers of the awesome game Transformers: War for Cybertron.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon takes place two years after the events of Revenge of the Fallen and well before the events of the upcoming Transformers movie. Humans believe that the Decepticons are no longer a treat to Earth. The Autobots and their leader Optimus Prime have been tracking the Decepticons and their movement all around the planet. The game starts off in South America and leads you all across the globe.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon plays much like War for Cybertron. Some things have been lost in this latest game while others things have been added to fit the robots vehicles. You will now have better vehicle movement thanks to Stealth Force. You can transform from robot to vehicle mode, but now with the addition of Stealth Force you can change your vehicle into a fighting machine. This mode allows much more fluid movement. The vehicle in past Transformers game had a straight and narrow movement because of the mechanics of the movement. Driving a vehicle with four wheels only allowed you to go forwards and backwards.

Stealth Force allows you to move around much like your vehicle is hovering, moving left and right as well as forward and backwards. It also allows your vehicle additional weapons. This addition gives gamers a more well defined experience while using your robot in vehicle mode.

The gameplay in Transformers: Dark of the Moon is much like War for Cybertron. The game is set in a third-person perspective. You basically complete objectives and tasks and blow up everything in your path. You will also have the ability to play as both sides. Each robot is unique with their own weapons, so you will not feel like you are basically using the same robot with just a different paint job.

The graphics featured in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I hate to keep bringing up War for Cybertron but while Transformers: Dark of the Moon does look great, it still does not match the detail of War for Cybertron. That game had some amazing levels, and it allowed the developers to take some artistic freedoms because it was set on a planet made of machinery. This game is set on Earth, so you have to make due with the limitations of the Earths surroundings. Some of the city levels (like a war-torn Detroit city) look awesome. The robots themselves look detailed and fans of the movie should be happy.

The music and sounds featured in Transformers: Dark of the Moon are also good. The great Peter Cullen returns as the voice of Optimus Prime. Lets face it, he is the voice of the Transformers franchise. Not having him in any Transformers game would be a huge mistake. Maybe it is also the nostalgia factor, but hearing the booming voice of Peter Cullen really sets the tone to this game.

But to be honest (and this is just a personal gripe), with the exception of Peter Cullen I personally do not care for any of the other voices in the game. Don’t get me wrong… The voices are well done, but being a fan of the original 80′s cartoon I really miss the likes of the late great Scatman Crothers (Jazz), the late Chris Latta (Starscream), Dan Gilvezan (Bumblebee), and the very talented Frank Welker (Megatron, Soundwave, etc). It is almost like having someone give Mickey Mouse a dark raspy voice. It just does not work for die-hard fans of the original series.

Multiplayer is also a plus for Transformers fans. The game itself is very much like its War for Cybertron counterpart. Actually its almost identical to its multiplayer and game modes. This is not a bad thing, because its a fantastic ride that5 allows you to level up and edit your robots. You have various classes to choose from and as you progress you will be able to unlock perks and weapons to use. Sadly there are not as many maps as there are in War for Cybertron.

The Bottom Line:

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is without a doubt the best of the “movie-based” Transformer games.I totally despise the movies, but I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoy the game adaptions. Transformers: Dark of the Moon is by far the best of the 3 game versions released since the first movie.

High Moon Studios uses the great Transformers: War for Cybertron game engine, and while the game is not as polished as War for Cybertron it still manages to be a very good game with a good storyline leading up to the movie. The gameplay for Transformers: Dark of the Moon is solid and the online modes featured allows gamers some good replay value well after they beat the single player mode.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon does what the Hollywood movies don’t do… Focus on the robots, not the humans! Check out this game!

Hail to the King baby!

I am going to be honest, I had no intentions of reviewing Duke Nukem Forever.

I usually just try to review all of the games that I have in my review queue from various game companies because each review is time-consuming.

But after the flow of recent negative Duke Nukem Forever reviews on the internet I felt it was time someone actually stepped up to the plate and threw some support behind Duke and the game that’s been in development hell for over twelve years.

Hell, I remember having this game originally on pre-order many years ago when I lived in Baltimore. I was excited to finally see Duke return, no matter what system he would be on. This time around I purchased Duke Nukem Forever on the Xbox 360 and also for my OnLive account. This will be a joint review for both Xbox 360 and OnLive/PC versions.

Now let me make one thing perfectly clear, I was a huge fan of the original Duke Nukem series. I always enjoyed the B-Movie feel of the character. So I knew exactly what to expect when I dove into Duke Nukem Forever. The thing is you either get Duke Nukem or you do not get Duke Nukem. I get Duke Nukem, I always have and I always will. So that is why I am giving you an honest take on this game.

I like Duke Nukem Forever. I like the game a lot! Go ahead and sue me for liking such a game, but damn is it a fun game to play. Duke Nukem Forever is funny, its raunchy, its hilarious, its cheesy and its over-the-top in so many ways. I am an avid fan of B-movies and old-school cheesy horror flicks. Playing Duke Nukem Forever is the equivalence of having a Bruce Campbell movie marathon. You have to have the love for this kind of stuff before you take the proverbial dive, otherwise you will hate it from start to finish.

I’m Back baby!

Duke Nukem Forever marks the long awaited return of an old friend. Duke is still up to his old ways. He still has some kick-ass one liners, he still has babes falling all over him. The Duke Nukem character is a character that you can’t take seriously. If you try to take him serious then you miss the whole point of his character and of what he is about.

Duke Nukem Forever feels a lot like the original Duke Nukem 3D (which launched in 1996 for the PC). If anything, Duke Nukem Forever feels like a totally revamped edition of the original first-person shooter game. I would even go as far as to say that the multi-player modes also feel the same. Things are almost simplistic at times. You will have to think at times and solve small puzzles to advance. These problems could be as easy as tossing a explosive device onto a launch pad and setting the device off in the next room to gain access.

If you are looking for a game that has aim assist then you need to look elsewhere. Duke Nukem Forever is all about old-school gameplay and I believe this is what turned off so many modern day gamers. They just do not get it. They are so used to the Call of Duty and Battlefield games that a game like Duke Nukem Forever comes along and they don’t know what to think.

The game is pretty long, and consists of a ton of different levels. After twelve years I would hope the game would have some longevity. Load times can be a pain, and some levels seem a bit short. Duke still has his same weapons from the past. You can still use the shrink ray and stomp your enemies. Duke also has a 4×4 truck that he will drive on various levels.

You will also find a ton of Easter eggs and in-game jokes throughout Duke Nukem Forever. These range from old characters to items from various video games. And what is a Duke Nukem game without some great Duke-isms? Duke has some great new lines as well as a ton of classics.

The raunchy factor is still here, yet the developers really took it up a notch. This is the first game that I can remember where you can pull a turd out of a toilet bowl, throw it around and gain an achievement. The game is also packed with nudity and cheesy over the top humor. Duke Nukem Forever also has a ton of mini games within the game itself. You can play pool, play pinball, play a game of air hockey or just play some slot machines to boost your ego. The ego bar is basically your life bar. Gain ego during each level and Duke’s life bar expands.

Duke Nukem Forever feels a lot like another favorite of mine, Prey for the Xbox 360. I will be honest here, the graphics in most of the levels look dated, but I am never one to judge a game just on graphics. Some levels look good while some look downright dated and last generation. Textures look pixelated and sometimes they take a few seconds to load. I overlook these details because this game started development twelve years ago so I honestly was expecting to see this.

Technically the PC/OnLive versions of Duke Nukem Forever look better when compared to the Xbox 360 version. I found that the 360 version had lower texture resolutions and jaggy edges while the PC/OnLive version had smoother textures. While many would crucify a game for such things, I really do not have an issue with the dated graphics on some levels. In my opinion graphics do not make or break a game, its all about the gameplay. If anything, the dated graphics gives you a nostalgic feel that not many games possess these days.

The OnLive version also played great on the OnLive Console (which I use on a 42 inch HDTV). The OnLive controller feels much like a Xbox 360 controller and I had no issues with gameplay or game feed. The game looked great (for being Duke Nukem) and I never had a drop in game stream. I must also note that the OnLive version has Achievements.

Multiplayer in Duke Nukem Forever is a pretty fun experience. Sadly the games are user hosted matches so you may find yourself going into some guys match with a disadvantage. The guy with a “0″ Ping may have 20 kills while you have to suffer with your 180 ping connection. The game has your typical Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch as well as Capture the Babe and Hail to the King. You have ten maps to choose from. They even went back and redesigned the first level from Duke Nukem 3D (Hollywood).

The Bottom Line:

The graphics may look dated and people may not like the game the game plays, but at the end of the day I had a blast with Duke Nukem Forever. After all, isn’t that what gaming is all about? Playing a game that you enjoy? I’ve waited 12 years for Duke Nukem to return, and he did in typical fashion.

I think a lot of people out there just do not get who Duke Nukem is. They just do not get the humor and they also do not get the game style that Duke Nukem has always had. Would it have been better if the developers make Duke Nukem like Halo or Call of Duty? Duke Nukem marches to the beat of his own drum. And if you have a problem with that beat then you really don’t need to be playing a Duke Nukem game to begin with.

Duke Nukem Forever is not for everybody. The game is like a roller coaster ride into a hilarious hell of old-school shooters and humor.

Some people will be turned off by the graphics while some people will be turned off by the gameplay. I personally had a blast from beginning to end, and I continue to have fun playing Duke Nukem Forever online.

You either love the game or you hate the game… I am in the camp that loves the game. Duke Nukem Forever is not perfect, but the game is also not as bad as what some out there are saying…

Zen Studios knows pinball much like Vincent Van Gogh knew art. They are pretty much the premier company when it comes to developing pinball games. They know how to not only capture the looks of a pinball table, they also know how to capture the feel and excitement.

The latest table addition to the excellent Pinball FX 2 Xbox Live Arcade game is the Fantastic Four table. The new table is based on the classic Marvel comic book series and NOT the movie.I personally dislike the films but I really enjoy the classic comic book characters. Its hard to believe that the Fantastic Four series has now been around for 50 years. I remember my brother (who is now 40) would always read Fantastic Four comics when we were kids back in the 1980′s.

Basing this latest table on the classic series was an excellent choice. The classic main characters are all here complete with voices. There’s actually a pretty extensive amount of dialog in this table for each character, which brings the classic franchise to life.

Even my favorite classic character “The Thing” is sitting right in the middle of the table, smashing the pinball with every chance he can get. Characters on the table can pull off moves to help you gain additional points. As you play the new table, each of the characters within the table animate and move as your pinball glides around. The characters interact with every movement of your pinball.

The table also has its share of bad guys, as Dr. Doom and Galactus try to make things not so easy for your trusty pinball. The thing I really enjoyed about the new Pinball FX 2 pinball table was the throwback looks for every character. Dr.Doom looked his best in the comic books and its great to see his comic book ego on here (as well as the rest of the Fantastic Four cast).

The Fantastic Four pinball table is a welcome addition to the Pinball FX 2 family. The latest table clocks in at 240 Microsoft points, which is roughly $3. The DLC also adds an additional set of Achievements (50 points).

Overall, the Fantastic Four Pinball Table DLC is an excellent purchase that is sure to satisfy gamers and pinball lovers for many months. The detailed animated graphics & sound based on an excellent comic book franchise makes this DLC a must-have for Pinball FX 2 owners.

Another amazing job from the folks at Zen Studios.

SUMO Entertainment went back to the drawing board, asked the fans what they wanted and they also had to go about each development team to place their characters in a new game.  End result? A racing game titled, Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing.

Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing has a collection of the most memorable Sega Character featuring True Blue himself. Many of the characters can be remembered from the good ol’ Sega days: Beat, Alex Kidd, AiAi, Amigo, Billy Hatcher, Ulala, and many others also made the cut.

How can I put this in a basic way for you to understand?

I LOVE THIS GAME!

Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing is everything you need in a cartoon racer! I have no clue where to begin this review! First off, the competitive racing is intense! The game drops 8 players to a track to battle it out for first place. Yeah, the typical racing idea, however, the game features some intense ways of winning with special power ups, rockets, Speed-boost and, my favorite, the All-Star Move.  The All-Star Move unleashes each player individual power. For example: If I were playing as Sonic, he would transform into Super Sonic with the power of the Chaos Emerald. Or if  the player controls AiAi, he will dominate the track with his Monkey Ball ramming players off to the curb. Each character has a unique All-Star move at their disposal each with a different feel. I highly suggest that everyone test each character out to suite their style.

If I have to compliment SASASR on one thing, it would have to be the fast paced action! This game doesn’t slow down unless the player wants it to, yet even that is difficult. The player will be able to execute drifts that will enhance the speed of the player’s car and it will also give each character a certain kind of speed boost depending on how long the drift is held. When racing, the player will come across many jumps that can be used to keep the action alive. Jumping off ramps will allow the ability to perform tricks with the left triggers. Much like drifting, if a certain amount of tricks are performed correctly without problems the player will be rewarded with a boost. On each track, there are boost pads to help the player gain the lead. Boost pads can also help by knocking players off of the road in a bumper car-like fashion.  Knocking into cars will slow down enemy drives and it may also cause them to spin out if done right. I found this to be extremely satisfying in many ways because of how competitive it can get when one is battling it out with someone for the next place in the race.

Another thing about Sonic and Sega All Stars is how uncomplicated it is. Unlike other racing games, if you find yourself in last place for a minor mistake you may have done, it is very easy to redeem oneself and find a way for the player to be placed back into the race using power-ups. This can be both a good or bad thing, depending on how one looks at it. I see it as a great thing, not that I always end up in last place, but it increases the competitive feel.  Thankfully, the power-ups used to help the player back into the race are balanced well enough, so the track won’t be filled with someone constantly using an All Star Move.

Undoubtedly, the most refreshing thing about Sonic and Sega All Stars is the speed! I absolutely love it with the mixture of competitive gaming and power ups to help one boost up in a race! I know it doesn’t sound like anything new, but it was executed so properly.

Modes

Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing features a wide set of modes. One of which is the mission mode. Mission mode places the players in a set of small missions on each track for certain characters. Usually these missions relate the each character in some way, but the backstory behind each mission will be ignored in some way. The style of each mission is mixed resulting in variety and less repetition. Missions have the player collecting rings as Sonic, racing through the tracks before time runs out, shooting targets, or holding out boost for long as possible. There are many other missions to choose from with each giving the player some form of fun, depending on ones style.

Grand Prix is the games key mode. The player will be put to the challenge by completing a series of races to earn the gold cup. What I liked is how you’re able to choose a difficulty setting before you start Grand Prix mode. This will either help you or destroy you on the track, but it helps along the way to improve your skills.

Online Multiplayer

For most of the time I owned this game, I played the Online Multiplayer a lot. I’m surprised at how well the online works and functions with SASASR! There is absolutely no lag and the game is taken to a deeper level of competitive intensity. If anything, the game is more destructive and feels quicker online than you would offline. The biggest drag about the online, however, is how players can only choose one character. For example, if someone chose Sonic, I wouldn’t be able to select him because he’s taken by this other jackass. See how much of a drag that is? That’s as worst as it gets for me. If you enjoy the offline multiplayer as much as I did, you will love the online even more.  I only wish they added their battle modes to the online multiplayer. My cousin and I had much fun with the offline multiplayer as well.

Visuals

Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing has some nicely built tracks each with their own loops, jumps and cork screws. The tracks contain nice, vibrant, colors that keep the game looking crisp at all times. Surely, the details in the game may look somewhat out of tune, but it doesn’t mater in a racing title like this one. The game is so fast paced, it’s unnoticeable. The graphics don’t offer anything mind blowing compared to many of the games we see today, however, it does have some of the best visuals I’ve seen compared to cartoon racer like it.  I especially love how the entire track is visible while racing. It doesn’t matter when the location the player is in, the landscape of the track is visible from any side of the track. This makes it look unique because usually in other Racing titles, the landscape will go away after a certain distance. SUMO made it so its more realistic in a sense that you can see the giant loop from one side of a track.

My only complaints about the tracks for Sonic the Hedgehog were the fact that many of them were based off of the video game, Sonic Heroes. I want some older theme tracks from some of the better Sonic titles. Major disappointment here if you’re a mega Sonic fan like me.

I’m not sure how to explain this game graphically, but it looks good nonetheless. The colors are what make this game look amazing. But of course, it’s a Sonic Game and that’s what they usually consist of- a crap full of colors.  One will not be disappointed with what this game has to give.

Sounds

If you’re a Sega fan such as myself, you will be either disappointed, happy, or both. I’m in the ‘both’ section. Sonic:ASASR has tunes from previous Sega games. Each character has a track/set of 7 songs each from their games. This can be A) Great because I love many of the songs from old Sega games such as one’s form Billy Hatcher, Jet Set Radio, Sonic the Hedgehog, etc or B) The songs are good, but they don’t spread throughout an IP’s universe. For instance, I am a MEGA Sonic fan but I thought they could have added some of the older tunes into this game. The Sonic Setlist consist of the more recent Sonic games and I found this to be alright, but I wanted more.

The voice-overs in the game are also as disappointing as Sega  SuperStars Tennis’. They are all ripped samples from old games that don’t fit in to well when they talk. If they had recorded some new material it would have been far better.

Judgment

Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing is a racing title done right! It’s fun, fast paced, and extremely intense online multiplayer. It may not be the most polished game in the world, but it’s most certainly worth the price.  Veteran SEGA fans will love it and incoming fans will cherish is. Despite it’s minor flaws regarding the music and poorly ripped voice samples; it can all be ignored. Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing beats out the “best” kart racer in my opinion, and you can all assume what the “best” kart racer is.  Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing scores a well deserved 8 out of 10