Saw

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Zombie Studios

Saw is a game based on the movies with the same name....in case you couldn't tell from the close up of the little Saw puppet's face on the game's cover. It’s not an awful horror game, but it’s also not exactly a good one. The whole game just feels kinda "meh." If you love the Saw movies, then it may be a nice novelty to make your way through this game to see the credits roll, but otherwise, this just feels like a barely passable horror game. Revisiting it for this review, to remind myself of the gameplay, I didn’t necessarily dislike the hour or two that I spent revisiting it, but I also didn’t feel the need to play it through to the end again. The mini games can be mildly fun, and the atmosphere of the game is done fairly well…but it’s a game that all but the most hardcore Saw fans will play once, and then move on to something better. It’s passable for what it is, and it’s a decent game based off of a movie license, but that’s about all I can really say about it.

Review added: 10/07/2020

Silent Hill: Downpour

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Vatra

I have mixed feelings about Silent Hill: Downpour. Essentially, Downpour was an attempt to make Silent Hill more “open world” with side missions and such to discover and complete, or you could skip them all and just stick with the story. I've always liked Silent Hill: Downpour a bit more than most of the critics seemed to, but I've also come across plenty of glitches during my time playing it, which is why my score isn't higher. Some glitches were helpful like the glitch that causes enemies to flee from you, and others were irritating like the glitch I got that left a path locked in the subway after I had unlocked all routes. Also, I've got to add that I’m really not a fan of the "void" enemy. Whenever I had to deal with those sections, I just groaned. The void is not stressful or scary…just annoying. I wish I could simply avoid the void. All that aside though, I do enjoy this game as a whole...But I can't help but feel like it could have been better, and it feels like the franchise went out with a whimper with this game rather than going out with a bang.

Review added: 07/04/2019

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Sumo Digital

Mario Kart always sits atop the kart racing mountain…but every now and then, a solid game comes along that makes you think it may have a chance to knock that Italian plumber down a few notches. Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing isn't quite at that level, but it showed that Sumo Digital had the ability to get there eventually. In their rookie effort, they managed to make a very, very good kart racing game. I'd even say that for its time, it was in the top three non-Mario kart racers ever made up to that point. That doesn't mean much to folks with a Nintendo console, but for folks who moved away from Nintendo and got a Microsoft or Sony console (or went console-free and stuck with PC), if they had fond memories of Super Mario Kart when they were younger, then a game like this may be exactly what they wanted. And quite honestly, comparisons aside, if you're a fan of Sega games in general, then you'll probably find plenty to like here as well. Celebrating the history of Sega is a big part of what makes this game so charming. You'll find characters and tracks based off of games both popular and obscure. Think about how Nintendo celebrates their history in the Smash Bros. franchise - it's somewhat similar here. The racing itself is right on par with Mario Kart, in my opinion. It's good, solid racing with standard power-ups and drifting that most kart racers these days have, but it's done very, very well. The only thing really holding this game back is that, as good as it is, it does feel like a Mario Kart clone. An excellent one, that you'll probably have a blast playing, but a clone all the same.

Review added: 09/24/2024

Sonic Unleashed

Also known as:  Sonic World Adventure (Japan)

Developer: Sonic Team

I seem to be on the low-end of the spectrum when it comes to my opinion of Sonic Unleashed…I've actually seen people give this game some ridiculously high scores, and I'm fairly certain that those people did not pass the D.A.R.E. program in grade school. I absolutely hated Sonic Unleashed when it first came out. Now, almost 15 years later, I've revisited to see if its absence from my life had made my heart grow fonder…and I dislike it just as much now as I did back then. The game starts out promising enough, a decent, high-speed Sonic stage, which is what most fans of the blue hedgehog want…and then Sonic turns into a werehog. You see, a werewolf is half wolf and half man…a werehog is half wolf, half hedgehog, and all garbage. The levels with Sonic in werehog form are painfully slow-paced, incredibly tedious, and very well could be a cure for insomnia. I, personally, have insomnia, and those levels nearly had me passed out by the time I reached the end. Don't get me wrong, the high-speed, normal Sonic levels aren't exactly infallible game design…they're mildly fun while they last, but they are definitely not fun enough to force myself to suffer through a werehog level just so I can play another, new regular Sonic stage….Especially when the werehog levels take three times as long to complete as a normal Sonic level. Honestly, I like supernatural stuff. I like werewolves. When I first heard about this game, it had my interest….but it's just so poorly made that I have never been able to bring myself to stick with it long enough to complete it. A few werehog levels in and I just give up. The regular Sonic levels are decent, which helps bump my review score up just a tad, but honestly, I can't recommend this game at all. It's simply not good, and Sonic Team needed to not just keep the leash on Sonic Unleashed, but they probably should've thrown this game in a cage, chained a concrete block to it, and dropped it in a random location in the ocean. Then we could've called it Sonic Unbeached…since that concrete block would prevent it from ever washing up on a beach and boring us to death again.

Review added: 01/29/2021

South Park: The Stick of Truth

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment

I think the best way to describe South Park: The Stick of Truth is Paper Mario with mature and offensive content. It plays like the N64 classic, but instead of taking place in a wholesome  Mario adventure, The Stick of Truth takes place in the South Park universe with plenty of references to the show and comical moments...none of which are very wholesome. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some content here offends some players. Anyway, if you're a fan of South Park, you'll enjoy this game. If you're a fan of the Paper Mario gameplay mechanics, you'll probably enjoy this game as well. I have a friend that doesn’t really care for turn-based RPGs, yet even he enjoyed playing this. It's just a good, solid game that is well worth your time should you choose to give it a chance. I had just as much fun playing through it again for this list as I did the first time I played it about half a decade ago.

Review added: 04/20/2020

Space Invaders Infinity Gene

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Taito Corporation

Infinity Gene is an evolution of the Space Invaders concept…which is kind of ironic since the game itself is all about evolving. It starts out with you playing a variation of the original Space Invaders for maybe 10 seconds or so, and then you get a brief cutscene…and then from there, the action just gets faster and more fun. As you advance through each stage, you'll be collecting gene power-ups, that increase your skills. Eventually, you'll also be able to evolve your ship in other ways, changing up your firepower and the way that you'll play completely. As an example, when you begin to play, you'll be stuck only being able to move left and right, just like in the original Space Invaders….eventually, you'll evolve to be able to have free movement in the screen….and even evolving to battle in scrolling, 3D stages by the end. The end result is a very, very good 3rd person shooter with secrets to unlock and plenty of stages to master. If you're a fan of 3rd person shooters and haven't given this game a shot yet, I highly recommend doing so. I bet you'll be glad that you did.

Review added: 12/18/2024

Spelunker HD

Also known as:  Minna de Spelunker (Japan)

Developer: Tozai Games

Spelunker HD is kinda hard for me to score…on one hand, I appreciate the very retro gameplay. On the other hand, it’s extremely annoying when you die 2 seconds into your first play because you tried to walk off of the lift onto a platform, but not jumping over the tiny gap that you’d imagine you could step over caused you to die. Likewise, jumping from a ladder to the ground, if you’re too high up, you’re dead. Get pooped on by a bat? Death. Halfway across the screen from a bomb explosion? Too close. Death. I appreciate that they made the game similar to the original Spelunker, since everything meant death in that game, too, but when there’s nearly a 30-year gap between the original and this game, that’s a lot of progress that’s been made in how video games are made. SOME of those 30 years of progress could have been put into the gameplay to make this feel like it's more than just the original Spelunker with fancier graphics. Despite my complaints, once you get used to it all, the game can be fun…but even then, it feels like it could be so much better if they had refined the gameplay a bit to bring it more into modern times rather than simply duplicating what was popular back in 1983 and adding multiplayer.

Review added: 04/26/2020

Splatterhouse

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Namco Bandai Games

I had originally played Splatterhouse back when it was first released in 2010, but I never finished it. For whatever reason, I got stuck on one of the later levels and eventually moved on to other games and never got back to it. Oddly enough, attempting another playthrough now, to nab screenshots for this list, I had absolutely no issues getting past the area I had so much difficulty with before, and I found my way to the end of the game. Anyway, Splatterhouse was a decent effort to convert the 2D brawler franchise into three dimensions. Unfortunately, it still suffers from what a lot of brawlers suffer from – repetition. That’s not to say that Splatterhouse is bad. It’s not. It's passable. But it just may not be a game for everyone – specifically if you don’t have any nostalgia for the original games. But, if you were a fan, then you’ll likely enjoy splattering enemies all over the place in 3D just like you enjoyed it in 2D. Plus, as an added bonus, the original three games are available as unlockables here. So, even if you’re a Splatterhouse fan and find that the 3D gameplay isn’t to your liking, you can go back and play the classic trilogy and still feel like you’ve gotten your money’s worth.

Review added: 10/01/2021

Street Fighter IV

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Capcom

When I heard that Capcom was bringing back Street Fighter, but in 3D, I immediately thought of the Street Fighter EX games, which weren't terrible, but they weren't anything to get excited about, either. Then I played it and realized that even though the characters were all in 3D, the fighting still played like it was on a 2D plane...Which resulted in fantastic Street Fighter action that us old fogeys remember from the early 90's, but on a platform that allowed a brand new generation to fall in love with hurling fireballs across the screen at an opponent. The return of several beloved characters from the franchise (and the addition of a few new characters as well) add to the enjoyment here. This game also got the “Street Fighter II” treatment of getting several variations with everything tweaked and improved upon along the way, but Street Fighter IV was done so well the first time, that many of the gameplay tweaks are barely noticeable. If you’re a fighting fan, Street Fighter IV is still very much worth checking out today. It's excellent.

Review added: 04/08/2020

Street Fighter X Tekken

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Capcom

I'm torn with Street Fighter X Tekken…it's not technically a bad game. The combat leans more towards Street Fighter, so if you were hoping for Tekken combat, you'll be disappointed, but it's easy to pick up and play, while also being deep enough where it takes time to master. The visuals are nice and there's a large cast of characters that you can play as to keep the fun going to a degree. The reason that I'm torn after saying all of that is that despite the actual fighting being solid, it feels like this game is missing a lot of content. The roster, for example, while large, is also made up of a lot of DLC…some of it is free, but a quick look on the Playstation Store, and Street Fighter X Tekken didn't even show up - game or DLC. I could access them both from my personal library still, but if someone purchased the disc and popped it in for the first time today, much of that reliance on DLC to add substance to this game will likely be obvious. It also doesn't help that there aren't really a ton of modes for you to play…at least, not modes that I found interesting. It feels like the focus was more about playing against other people online…which, if you're into that sort of thing, is great. I've never been a huge fan of playing games online, so I felt limited in my options - I mostly just played through Arcade mode a few times. Anyway, if you don't care about content, and you just want a solid fighting game, then Street Fighter X Tekken is solid. If you're the type that may get bored after a few times of going through Arcade mode, then your enjoyment here may be short-lived.

Review added: 12/18/2024

Super Mega Baseball

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Metalhead Software

Super Mega Baseball, at first glance, just looks like a generic baseball game. It’s not. It’s actually very, very well done. The interesting art design, the unique gameplay mechanics, and solid controls all result in a very well made baseball game. The only thing really holding Super Mega Baseball down, aside from the lack of an MLB license, which may cause many to overlook this game, is that for a game with “Super Mega” in the title, the number of game modes is underwhelming. Basically, an exhibition game is playable, or a season…that’s about it. Still, for what it is, Super Mega Baseball is really good. If you want a solid alternative baseball game, and a throwback to days when baseball games had generic players and teams, and were all about having fun more than building a career, then Super Mega Baseball is definitely worth checking out.

Review added: 04/20/2020

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Backbone Entertainment

Super Street Fighter II Turbo, in my opinion, was the best Street Fighter game ever made. It tweaked the already near-perfect gameplay of the other Street Fighter II games to perfection. So, when I saw that Capcom was going to release an HD version of the game, with fancy, new graphics and a fancy, new soundtrack, I was completely on board…and it was only $15? Well, as the kids say, "Sign me up, cowboy!" Unfortunately, while Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix isn't bad, it's nowhere near the quality of the original, non-HD variation of the game. Maybe I'm just an old fogey that likes how things were back in my day…but I've never really been fond of the new graphics. They're less pixelated, but they don't look nearly as nice as the original graphics, in my opinion. Likewise, the music, while not bad, isn't as charming as the original songs were. The gameplay should have been just as solid…but even the gameplay feels like a mild step backwards. That's not to say that this is a bad game…it isn't. But, there's a reason that it came out at $15, digital only, instead of at a higher price with a physical copy. It's a solid fighting game, but it's not an improvement on the game that it's the "HD Remix" of…but still, if you're a fan of the Street Fighter II games and want a unique art direction for the series, mixed with a remixed soundtrack, then you may find some enjoyment here. I, personally, have always played this wanting to like it, but always wound up wanting to turn this game off and pop in one of the original Street Fighter II games instead.

Review added: 10/14/2025

Super Street Fighter IV

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Capcom

I really liked the original Street Fighter IV. It felt like Street Fighter II from when I was a young'un, but with fancier graphics It was just as easy to pick up and play, too. So, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Super Street Fighter IV made its way to store shelves following the success of that game. Some folks consider this game to be the definitive Street Fighter IV game, while others just think that it's Street Fighter IV with extra characters and more of an emphasis on online player versus player. I'm a little on both sides. I do feel like the combat was tweaked a bit here, and it's nice to see some familiar faces join the fray and return to Street Fighter….but I've always been more of a single player or local multiplayer kinda guy. So, with so much focus on online competition, I found myself spending some time playing arcade mode…and then running out of things to do. I didn't bother trying to play online to see if the servers are still up for a game that came out in 2010…I did, however, try to access the replay area, and that wasn't able to connect, so I'm assuming that the same goes for actual fighting. I'm sure that someone likely has dedicated servers for playing this to keep it alive for the most devoted players, but for the average player, these days Arcade mode is all you'll get. Still, for its time, it was a solid fighting game. The actual fighting still holds up well today….but if you're looking for more content to go with the excellent fighting, unfortunately, you won't find it here.

Review added: 10/14/2025