Ready 2 Rumble Boxing

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Midway Studios San Diego

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing aimed to bring back the addictive, arcade-y fun of legendary boxing titles Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! (which had been sorely missed since Super Punch-Out!! was released, 5 years prior), but in three dimensions. While Ready 2 Rumble Boxing falls way short of that goal, it does show promise. With lots of goofy, zany characters and decent boxing action, Ready 2 Rumble was still a refreshing change of pace from more traditional boxing titles. I think the thing that holds this game back is that it doesn’t go far enough into the ridiculous side of things when the bell rings. It mostly feels like a traditional boxing game, just with goofy characters…though each character does have their own punching style and attacks. A little more craziness and/or wackiness may have gone a long way. Or even a Punch-Out!!-like weakness for each character to exploit (or defend if those weaknesses also applied to you, the player) could have helped quite a bit. But it’s okay for what it is. That said, if you like boxing games, Ready 2 Rumble is a decent alternative…it just feels more like a jab than the knockout blow that many of us were hoping for.

Review added: 04/21/2019

Resident Evil - Code: Veronica

Also known as: N/A

Developer: NexTech

I've always been someone that enjoys the bizarre. The more odd something is, the more likely I am to find enjoyment in it. Likewise, I also enjoy horror games, especially when the story is somewhat cheesy. Resident Evil - Code: Veronica delivers on all ends. Not only did the story provide some of the most bizarre moments in the Resident Evil series up to that point, but it's also delightfully cheesy. I will say, though, that like many, I really disliked Steve Burnside. I'm convinced that between how the character is written, down to the English voice actor for the character, Steve HAD to be designed for the player to dislike him…even if it also looks like they try to make you like him at the end…that attempt failed on me, though. Sorry, but Steve Burnside “burned” all bridges that would lead to me finding anything likeable about the guy. Anyway, gameplay-wise, if you've played the first three Resident Evil games, you'll know what to expect here…so while Code: Veronica innovated a bit in terms of Resident Evil stories, it didn't really innovate a whole lot in terms of Resident Evil gameplay. But, fans of the original games, like myself, will likely be just fine with that. If you enjoyed the original three Resident Evil games, but would like a little more over-the-top, bizarre story tossed in to compliment the already-established gameplay, then Code: Veronica is a game that you'll likely fall in love with like I did.

Review added: 04/04/2019

Rez

Also known as: N/A

Developer: UGA

Rez was unique in a variety of ways…its visual style, for example, made Rez unique all by itself. However, the most notable and memorable aspect of Rez, for me anyway, is that it managed to blend the gameplay of a rail shooter with aspects of a music game to create a game that was almost as fun to watch as it was to actually play. And if you do play it, while it initially appears to be complicated, it's actually very simple. Aim and shoot. That's it. Yup, UGA used a visual style, soundtrack, and game concept that was very unique for its time, but decided to keep it basic and simple with the actual gameplay. And it works very well. It's essentially Panzer Dragoon, but set in a colorful, gorgeous cyber world. One could argue that the gameplay could have or should have been modified a bit to really make this game a completely unique experience…while I agree to a point, since everything else about Rez made it stand out, I felt like it was a nice touch to have the gameplay be something familiar so the game could be easy to pick up and play without having to think too much. Players can just sit back, relax, and enjoy without having to figure out how to play. Though, if you're looking for something more complicated in the gameplay department, I could understand if you didn't think as highly of Rez as many of us do. If Rez sounds like something you'd enjoy, then definitely give it a shot. Some games have tried to emulate Rez to a degree since it was released, but not a single one has been able to surpass the original in my opinion.

Review added: 12/07/2022