Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions is the newest Spider-Man game from Activision. In the past, most Spider-Man games have been well received but not exactly mind blowing, usually they fall right around the average range. In Shattered Dimensions, Activision changed the formula a bit from an open world game to a stage based game, and it is a welcomed change. I know, open world games tend to offer many more hours of gameplay, like GTA 4 for example, but the difference is in GTA4 you have a ton of variety to do, but in most Spider-Man games its the same five side missions over and over again. Until they take the time and money to develop a full fledged open world game, Spider-Man should stick to this new formula of stages instead.

The story is a little weak, basically some mystical artifact is destroyed into pieces and starts blending the different dimensions together and if the artifact is not put back together it could destroy the universe. The cool part about this story is you get to play different Spider-Man versions from different dimensions. There is the traditional Amazing Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, which is just like Amazing Spider-Man just younger, Noir Spider-Man, this one is a 1930′s version of Spider-Man, and Spider-Man 2099, which you guessed it a future Spider-Man.

Almost all play the same except for the Noir Spider-Man, these stages are in mostly black and white and use stealth. I f you have played Batman Arkham Asylum then you will be very familiar with these stages, they borrow heavily from that game. The 2099 Spider-Man has some cool falling scenes, think of the God of War when you get Icarus Wings.  The other two are your basic swing around and beat up the bad guy type stages.

The controls are fairly good, but the trouble with Spider-Man games is the character himself. He can basically can go anywhere and climb anything and at times the camera has trouble keeping up. One part that really bothered me, on one of the Noir stages, I couldn’t climb to a roof, there was an invisible wall holding me back.  The voice acting is really good, Neil Patrick Harris and Stan Lee lend their voices to the game and they do a great job.

What would a Spider-Man game be without bad guys? There are a ton to fight, and each level has a main boss, like Kraven the Hunter an others. I don’t want to spoil it for you so I wont list them here.  The graphics are very good, and each Spider-Man has his own art style which changes things up some and makes the game more enjoyable. There are a ton of unlockables throughout the game, so for all you diehard’s will spend hours playing.  But for most people, this game will take you a weekend, so unless you are a super hero fanatic or Marvel fanboy, just rent the game.

Game worth playing, 7 out of 10.

Super Mario Galaxy came out a couple of years ago for the Nintendo Wii. It was a critical success and a financial success, but anything with Mario on it, pretty much does that. Super Mario galaxy set the standards for 3D platform  games on the Wii. the graphics for the game pushed the boundaries of what the Wii could do. Super Mario Galaxy 2 picks up right where the original left off, in setting that same standard.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 has many new stages that are very unique and fun, like the Super Mario 64 level a small nod to us older gamers. Also along for the ride this time is Yoshi and new power suits, and Luigi can be unlocked for play much easier this time around. This game has every element that made kids of previous generations fall in love with Mario, bright colors, fun characters and wacky enemies. The sound is a blend of original sound effects and some new theme songs.

Considering the age group Nintendo is going for with this game, you would think they would make the controls a little easier. This is the most frustrating part of the games the controls,  my daughter is 6 year old and can play the 2D Mario games with no problem, but when it comes to this game she is lost. You use the Wii remote with the nun-chuck attachment and use the nun-chuck to navigate. This is really a hard concept to grasp, especially for younger kids, which again is where this game is targeted too. If they let you use the regular controller attachment it probably would resolve some of these issues.

Another draw back is the same story line that they have had for the past 20 years, princess captured, Mario save her. How about a game where you can be the princess? Or how about a game where you could be Bowser? This is a minor grip and I realize you don’t play them for the story line, but they are getting a little stale. With all this being said, I am sure Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be in the top sales for the rest of the year and is the best offering on the Wii.

Little complicated for younger kids.

We will still have great free games to play, and hopefully more in the future. Plus great deals on games. Coming up in the future, we will have a more in-depth look at the rest of the video game consoles and some of the AAA titles that have come out for it. Also we are going to have some more coverage on hand held systems as well.

Well that is all for now, check back with us soon. 

What can you say about the Wii? Is it different from the other consoles? Yes. Will it appeal to a more casual audience? Yes.  The Nintendo Wii is the hottest system of the three, try to find one on a store shelf, it still is almost impossible to find and this article is being written in late April of 2008.

Some debate is that Nintendo purposely shorted their shipments to drive demand way up. Whatever the case may be, they are selling like crazy. About a month ago my wife bought a Wii. She found one at a local Target. So what is it that drives the demand? After getting some hands on experience with the Wii, I have come up with two reasons that help sell the system.

The first reason is price. It is the cheapest of the three systems, at $250.00. When average parents want to buy their child a new video game system, the Wii at $250.00 or an Xbox 360 at $350.00, they are going to go with the Wii. Now there are some hidden charges that Nintendo really don’t talk about. If you do not have wireless internet in your home, you cannot plug an Ethernet cable into the Wii, you have to go out and buy a separate adaptor for around $30.00-$40.00.

Another thing, if you want a separate controller you have to buy one, now I do not hold that against them because they all do it. But the Wii remote with the system comes with the Nun chuck attachment. When you buy separate controller it does not have the attachment, which will cost you around $20.00. Also they do not come with rechargeable batteries for the controller that will also cost another $30.00. You could just use regular batteries but do you know how expensive it would be to keep replacing them.

When you add in the extras that puts your price around $320.00-330.00. Seems a lot closer in price now, also if you would like different controller attachments like the control pad or Wii sports attachments or Wii points, it will all cost you more money. Now Xbox and Playstation do the same thing also, but for some reason Nintendo always gets a pass on this I do not think they should, they nickel and dime their customers just as much as the other companies.

The second reason the Wii sells well, is brand recognition. Almost every parent will recognize Mario before Kratos or even Master Chief.  Most hardcore gamers would disagree, but it is the truth, Nintendo properties are far more appealing to the mass audience, which is somewhat of the problem with the Wii.

When it comes to games with their iconic characters they are great, Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Smash Brothers and the upcoming Mario cart. But once you get past the first party games, there is a huge drop off in quality. Most games end being a collection of mini games or old recycled arcade games (Pointing at you House of the Dead).

The virtual console has some old school appeal, but after playing some of these old games you realize you just paid ten bucks for a 15 year old game that was not as good as you remembered. There are newer games on there but very few are worth the money.  Xbox live arcade also has this problem.

The Wii is a good family oriented video game system. If you are like myself and love great high definition graphics, online multiplayer and have been gaming for years, then this system is not for you. If you are like my wife who enjoys very simple, fun, basic casual games you can play occasionally with your friends, then the Nintendo Wii is for you.