Mad Riders

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Techland

Mad Riders kinda looks like a generic ATV racing game…then you play it and realize that…well, it IS a generic ATV racing game. That’s not to say that Mad Riders can’t be fun in small doses, but I don’t really see it being the kind of racing game where any racing fanatics would line up in droves to play. There are also some interesting aspects to the game, like the need to collect specific power ups that allow you to unlock shortcuts during the race…The shortcuts aren’t accessible otherwise, so it adds a little strategy to the race, Not enough to really make up for any of the other bland racing, but enough to likely keep you playing longer than you’d probably intend to…which is nice. However, for the most part, this is a slightly passable racing game. It’s not necessarily bad, and if you’re a fan of ATV-style racing, you’ll probably have some fun here, but there are also plenty of better options out there.

Review added: 04/25/2020

Magus

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Black Tower Studios

My first thought when playing Magus was, “Hoo boy! This is gonna be a rough one.” In Magus, you control the most uninteresting, bland-looking main character in the history of video games. Using awkward controls, you play through various levels until you defeat everyone (man, creature, or god) that gets in your way. The movements of the characters are equally as awkward as the controls. As you see enemies enter the screen, you’ll think that they should be in their underwear and that the ground of the levels are made of hard wood flooring, as they slide in front of you like they’re about to lip sync the song “Old Time Rock and Roll.” Then you beat them up with magic…repeatedly. That said, Magus has a “so-bad-it’s-good” charm to it that ultimately won me over by the end. Let me be clear, Magus is NOT a good game…but it’s so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but enjoy my time with it enough to put in the extra work required to get a Platinum trophy. I can’t necessarily recommend Magus, but I’m sure that there are others out there that were, or will be, won over by the game like I was.

Review added: 09/19/2021

Mass Effect 2

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: BioWare

The original Mass Effect was more of an adventure-style game with an emphasis on exploration and interacting with people. Mass Effect 2 still has some of that, but a much larger emphasis is placed on action this time around. The end result isn't bad, but I don't feel like it's as solid as the original..at least not for my personal tastes. If a game with more action is your jam, as the kids say, then you may have the opposite opinion of me and prefer this game to the original. It all depends on your preference, I suppose. I will say that the choices in Mass Effect 2 do feel like they have greater consequences than they did in the first game, though…and the choices aren’t always easy to make. Sometimes there doesn’t feel like there is a good option, and you’ve gotta pick what you feel is the better of two bad choices. Anyway, regardless of your preferences, Mass Effect 2 is still a very good game, and well worth playing if you enjoyed the original to see where the story goes. From what I’ve seen, this is the game that most folks point to as their favorite in the trilogy, and while I do enjoy the first one a little more, I can definitely see why so many people consider this to be the best in the franchise.

Review added: 01/09/2021

Mass Effect 3

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: BioWare

Mass Effect 3 was kind of a disappointment to me. On one hand, I enjoyed the story quite a bit...On the other hand, the gameplay and lack of exploration left me wanting more. The choices made within this game also felt meaningless for the most part. It felt more like the “Mass Effect” of your decisions were how events in this game played out based on your decisions in the previous two games more than the decisions that were made in this one. It’s not an awful game by any means, but playing through all three games in the Mass Effect Trilogy in order for this list, I can say that this one is my least favorite of the bunch. That said, I’m a fan of exploration and enjoy more of the RPG-like elements in the games, and that stuff feels toned down a bit here. If you want action, though, Mass Effect 3 is probably the most action-packed of the trilogy, so I could see an argument for some folks that may consider this one to be their favorite. Still, if you enjoyed the first two games, then the third is still worth playing through to see some familiar faces return and see what the end result is regarding the Reaper threat to the universe.

Review added: 01/29/2021

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Kojima Productions

I love the Metal Gear franchise...And when Metal Gear Solid 4 came out, I was really looking forward to it. I had high expectations and this game completely shattered them and went far beyond what I was hoping for, giving me an experience that I enjoyed so much that I felt the need to play through the game nearly ten times since its release..and most recently, play through a few more times to obtain a platinum trophy. Video games rarely create such excitement within me these days, Metal Gear Solid 4 managed to create that excitement a few times throughout my time with it...most notably with the chapter where you battle Crying Wolf, which as a fan of the franchise, is a chapter that I hold near and dear to my heart. If you're a fan of the first three Metal Gear Solid games, then Metal Gear Solid 4 is a fantastic way to wrap everything up and bring it all together. It's over-the-top, as you may expect from the franchise, but it’s also a whole heckuva lot of fun.

Review added: 11/30/2018

Mighty No. 9

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Inti Creates

Mighty No. 9 was highly anticipated…It was basically expected to be a new Mega Man game, but without the Mega Man license. I was one of the many hoping for the best with Mighty No. 9. Unfortunately, instead of simply sticking with the beloved Mega Man formula, Mighty No. 9 tried some new things…and while I usually applaud the effort to bring something new to the table, I don’t really feel like most of the new features worked. Granted, if Inti Creates hadn’t done anything new, there’d be critics of the fact that the formula hadn’t changed, too…so I guess they were better off just taking the chance, even if it didn’t really work in the end. Anyway, the end result is that Mighty No. 9 wound up being a pretty bland game and a huge disappointment to Mega Man fans everywhere…It’s passable, but that’s about all the praise that I feel I can give it. I think the plan was to have this game have sequels and make this a series…unfortunately, if that was the plan, those plans were trashed after this game was released. It’s not terrible, but if you asked a German if this was one of their favorite games, they’d likely tell you, “Mighty No. Nein.”

Review added: 05/09/2020

ModNation Racers

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: United Front Games

ModNation Racers, at first glance, didn't really look like anything special. It basically looked like a Mario Kart clone with an odd art design...Then when you played, you quickly found out that ModNation Racers was basically the LittleBigPlanet of kart racing games. The tracks and creations that were once found within the game only scratched the surface of the game's content, as you could create and download an infinite number of tracks, racers, and vehicles to enjoy. Unfortunately, as I type this, the servers are no longer online so unless you’ve played this in the past and still have the downloaded content on your PS3, then you’re out of luck with any downloadable content from other creators...unless a community is keeping user-created content alive on a private server somewhere that I’m unaware of. Even with a lack of user-created content, it’s still a solid racer, but admittedly, much of the replay value when this first came out was from the community-created courses. Anyway, ModNation Racers wasn’t a perfect game, but it was still pretty dang good and if kart racers are your thing, you can’t really go wrong with this game.

Review added: 11/11/2021

Monster Jam: Battlegrounds

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Team6 Studios

When one thinks of what would make a monster truck game fun, you’d probably think to simulate what you’d see during a monster truck rally held in an arena or stadium…If you’re Team6 Game Studios, however, you’d think “Why do all that? People who like monster trucks don’t want to pretend that they’re monster truck drivers themselves…they want to treat the monster trucks like they’re dirt bikes and do stunts with awful controls!!” I think the 6 in Team6 stands for the number of hallucinogens that they were on when they came up with that idea. Anyway, Monster Jam Battlegrounds is basically split into 3 parts – 2 of the parts are basically just side-scrolling challenges. The last part is actually competing in arenas…with some of the most horrific controls that I’ve ever experienced. Doing good in an arena race? Well, after you hit that hill or run over a car, you’ll spin out of control, usually leaving the track for a disqualificatiion. I really don’t understand why Monster Jam Battlegrounds couldn’t just attempt to give players a full-fledged monster truck simulation…Ironically, the bits in the arena are the worst part of the game due to the controls, but at least they’re what a monster truck fan would want. The rest of the game is mildly fun, but it also gets old quickly…and it’s a disappointment if you got a Monster Jam game and was hoping for some sort of monster truck simulation. When it comes to this game, Monster is definitely not my Jam, yo.

Review added: 04/03/2020

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Midway

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was the first Mortal Kombat game to be released on PS3 and Xbox 360, and while it’s not necessarily a bad game, it largely felt like a rehash of the PS2/XB Mortal Kombat games, but with fewer features, and with DC Universe characters added in. Obviously, the big selling point here is for fans of DC Comics, who can see many of their favorites battling against favorites from Mortal Kombat. The novelty of that combination will likely give you a few hours of entertainment, but unfortunately, once you’ve made your way through the story modes, there isn’t a whole lot left to do as far as single-player modes go. So unless you’re willing to battle through Arcade mode repeatedly or if you’ve got friends to play against locally or online, there isn’t much to keep you coming back for more. That said, the story mode is very well done - it’s split into two separate stories, one for Mortal Kombat and one for the DC Universe. When playing both of them, you quickly realize that you’re playing the same story, but from a different perspective, and playing one story fills in some gaps from the other story. It’s not the greatest storytelling in the world, but it entertained me all the same. Overall, if you’re a fan of the PS2/XB Mortal Kombat games, you’ll still enjoy this one. If you had your fill of those games, unless you’re a DC Universe superfan, you probably won’t find a whole lot to make you feel like playing this would be worthwhile.

Review added: 01/29/2022

MotorStorm

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Evolution Studios

Motorstorm was one of the first titles released for the Playstation 3 and it did a decent job of showing off the HD graphical power of the system while also providing a solid, arcade-style, off-road racing experience. There’s actually some strategy to the game, both in selecting your vehicle (when you can) and finding the best route around the course for that vehicle. Another aspect that requires some strategy is the use of the turbo boosts. You have unlimited turbo boosts – the meter will always fill back up. However, it takes a few seconds to fill back up and if you hold the turbo on for too long, your vehicle will overheat and explode. So, you’ve got to pick your spots to use the turbo boosts and time it right otherwise you may find yourself zooming ahead of the pack in the final stretch, trying to push that turbo for too long, resulting in your vehicle overheating, and watching everyone pass you by right before the finish line. Motorstorm isn’t the greatest racing game of all-time by any means, but it was fine for what it was – a fun arcade-style racer with an interesting look and interesting game mechanics.

Review added: 01/09/2021