January 1, 2008Review: 'Crash of the Titans'By Bobby Brokaw | Hidden Valley High School What if your sister was suddenly captured by an evil scientist, and the only way to save her was by battling your way through hordes of mutated beasts? Well then, you would be in the same boat as Crash Bandicoot in the new Sony PSP game “Crash of the Titans.” In the latest installment of this game saga, Crash is pinned against Dr. Neo Cortex yet again in an explosive melee of monsters and mayhem. As expected in Crash Bandicoot games, you are given a variety of melee and aerial attacks to use on your many foes. A new feature in this game is the ability to take control of Cortex’s mutants and use them to make your game easier. Another plus to the game is PSP’s online, multiplayer mode, which provides hours of play and training if you are having trouble beating the game. So, whether you are a Crash fan or new to the game, “Crash of the Titans” is fun for all ages. December 26, 2007Review: 'The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night'By Charlie Clark | Hidden Valley High School “The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night,” is the second game in “The Legend of Spyro” trilogy. The first game, “Spyro the Dragon,” was a huge hit in 1998, and has inspired many sequels and spinoffs. The plot of “The Eternal Night,” centers around Spyro bringing back his friend Cynder and ultimately saving the kingdom from the invading Ape Army. The beginning stages of the game are a kind of tutorial, which must be completed and can become tedious. Once done, however, you are able to explore more freely and gain new attacks. For the Nintendo Wii system, the game is very interactive and makes it hard to stay on the couch while you play. There are arm movements, thrusts and button pushes that all combine for different purposes. Though the plot is somewhat childish, the game-play is both interactive and fun for almost every age. The game has been released for PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii systems. — Charlie Clark is a sophomore at Hidden Valley High School December 11, 2007Review: "BioShock"By Patrick Mahaney | Giles High School  Patrick Mahaney writes about video games for The Edge. “BioShock,” for the Xbox 360 and PC, has been well-received by critics and has won several awards. After playing “BioShock” for almost 13 hours, I have to agree — this is one awesome game. “BioShock,” according to the official Web site, is a “genetically modified” first-person shooter game. The basic premise is that after surviving a plane crash your character is taken to an underwater city called Rapture by way of a rusty bathysphere, an underwater vessel. Tentatively stepping from your vessel after watching a brutal murder, you are soon forced to start defending yourself against genetically mutated enemies, called “splicers,” who are intent on your death so they can get Adam. Adam is the substance that everyone in Rapture literally kills to get their hands on. Luckily, you aren’t completely alone. While there isn’t direct contact with most of the supporting cast, you definitely start feeling a connection with the characters, especially a mysterious man named Atlas who guides you through the city by radio. Several features also add to the game’s appeal. First, “BioShock” is well designed. The city, Rapture, was originally intended by its creator to be a haven for scientists. It was supposed to be a place where politics and religion would not interfere with scientific discovery. Rapture seems to be frozen in the 1950s, so everything — the environments to the appearance of in-game menus —conforms to this design. Environments in “BioShock” are huge and detailed. The game boasts an incredible soundtrack, which varies from upbeat swing music to the eerie and dangerous. 
“BioShock" is available for the Xbox 360 and PC. One of the main components of the battle system is its use of genetic mutations, such as a fist full of fire, electricity that shoots from your fingers and the ability to create decoys of yourself to draw away enemies. You can also strengthen your skin and build your muscles. Sometimes, plasmids (the devices used to change your DNA) are lying around the environment, but most of the time, plasmids are found at “gatherers gardens.” There, they can be bought using Adam, a substance whose requisition requires you to hunt down “little sisters.” “Little sisters” are genetically altered little girls who find and collect Adam. To get your hands on one of these girls, you must defeat a “big daddy” — their overly powerful guardians — and the motif of the games. After defeating the big daddies (not an easy feat) you have two options: Freeing the little girls from sea slugs, after which you get the warm feeling of saving a little girl’s life, but only a minimal amount of Adam; Or, you can harvest her slug for all the Adam possible. But that, in turn, kills the girl. While this choice may seem easy, freeing the little sisters gives so little Adam that you can barely get though the game. So, unless you have excellent gaming skills, a couple of little girls will probably have to … well, you know. On the bright side, however, the little sisters’ mysterious creator will eventually begin to give rewards for saving them, so harvesting is a necessity only some of the time. Of course, if you want, you can harvest every little girl, which could bring you huge power. The rest of the game features excellent voice acting and powerful sequences which are really well done. “BioShock’s” story is full of demented logic, but still has interesting characters with histories and reasons for their actions. Even your guide, Atlas, can exhibit questionable traits. In the end, “BioShock” has above-average gameplay and a wonderful story. These two qualities alone — plus the quality music and graphics — make “BioShock” an excellent game. — Patrick Mahaney is a junior at Giles High School. November 9, 2007My Top Five Favorite Video GamesBy Patrick Mahaney | Giles High School Yes, I am a nerd. Which is why most of my favorite video games just happen to be role-playing games. But, only one of these is from the publisher Square-Enix (a large, sometimes overrated, video game producer) so at least I’m not totally lost. Yeah, nongamers probably won’t understand. Here’s my top five. 5) “Pokemon Blue Version” (Game Boy Color) 4) “Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army” (PS2) 3) “Kingdom Hearts” (PS2) 1) “Shadow Hearts: From the New World” (PS2) — Patrick Mahaney is a junior at Giles High School October 29, 2007Welcome to Gaming on the EdgeBy Patrick Mahaney | Giles High School The “Halo” series can be called the Harry Potter of the gaming community. According to GameSpot.com — a site that has news and reviews for gamers — “Halo 3,” the latest game in the series, had more than $170 million in sales in the United States on Sept. 25, its first day. This figure, if correct, would not only make “Halo 3” the best-selling video game in history, but also one of the top-selling items in the entertainment industry. The game may be bested only by “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the final book in the best-selling series. Much of Halo’s success can probably be attributed to Microsoft’s huge marketing campaign, which included putting an image of the game’s protagonist, Master Chief, on soda cans and even producing an X-Box 360 theme around the “Halo” game. The special X-Box 360 featured a “spartan green and gold” color scheme and was priced at $399.99. For those who may not be in touch with the gaming world, the “Halo” series has won several awards and is known for being one of the best and most influential video games. The games have also flourished in the form of books, graphic novels and a movie. “Halo 3” has received high ratings among game critics, and provides some conclusions to the previous games’ mysteries. The “Halo” games have often been praised for their stories. Here is a condensed version: A group of alien species known as “the collective” perceives humanity as a threat to their religion. As they destroy Earth, one of the world’s super-soldiers (clad in the characteristic green suit) escapes, along with a few others. They find a mysterious halo, one of several ring-shaped giant super-structures in space. Meanwhile, the alien collective has gone through a civil war, after some of its higher-level solders, known as “elites,” learned the true function of the halos. Instead of leading the collective to the “Great Journey,” activating the halos will instead destroy all sentient life in the galaxy. These soldiers, the elites, broke away from the collective to join humanity’s struggles and stop the collective. However, in addition to all this, a group of parasitic aliens labeled “the Flood” are slowly taking over the universe, turning any sentient beings they encounter into mindless slaves. Thus, “Halo 3” begins. While the final verdict for the game ultimately rests in the hands of the players, Microsoft has surely “finished the fight” in terms of sales and advertising. — Patrick Mahaney is a junior at Giles High School |
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