UK, June 22, 2007 - If you're a Nintendo DS fan then it's a great week because there's a plethora of new titles all gunning for the cash in your pocket. Unfortunately, if you're not a DS fan then it's not so great - unless you like mediocre film tie-ins, clunky robot shooters and disappointing monster mash-'em-ups, of course.
So without further ado let's get the unfortunate games out of the way first. This week's only PlayStation 3 title is Armored Core 4, a mech-based battler that fails to live up to the long-running Armored Core heritage. It scored 5.9 and IGN US concluded that "although it delivers its usual, expansive customisation options, it isn't enough to overlook weak single-player missions and lacklustre visuals". We would have suggested that From Software 'mech' a better game. Baddum tish.
Anyway continuing the theme of disappointment is Monster Madness: Battle for Surburbia on Xbox 360 and PC. This should have been a fantastic horror-filled take on Super Smash TV. Instead it was plagued with sloppy control issues and a few bugs. So, scoring it 4.8, we said: "The numerous gameplay issues aren't helped by the fact that this is a full-priced title and there are more than a few multiplayer Xbox Live Arcade games that offer more fun."
Next comes this week's obligatory movie tie-in. Following in the footsteps of the mediocre Pirates of the Caribbean and Spider-Man 3 comes the equally mediocre Shrek the Third on DS, PC, Xbox 360 and Game Boy Advance (yes, they still make GBA games). We rated the 360 version a lukewarm 6.0 and stated "Shrek the Third isn't a bad game; it's an unpolished one. For the millions upon millions of movie-goers this summer, Shrek will work great as a compliment to the experience, though we can't endorse it any further than a weekend rental."
Finally, before we tackle all the DS games, is Hot Pixel on PlayStation Portable. Despite the fact this is a crazy minigame-filled title it lacked the innovation we expect, which ultimately resulted in it scoring a passable 6.9. We finally concluded that: "Admittedly there's no denying that at times Hot Pixel is fun and that its collection of mini-games is varied and interesting. However, the genre has been done better before, and many times too."
There are three main DS games vying for your attention this week - Kirby Mouse Attack, Metroid Prime Pinball and Mega Man ZX. All three scored decently, with Kirby sucking up 7.8, Samus flipping out with an 8.0 and Mega Man blasting to an impressive 8.4. If you're loaded our advice is to get all three, but if we were forced to choose one we'd recommend Metroid Prime Pinball, because it comes with a free Rumble Pak that makes your DS rattle about a bit.
Also out this week is The Sims 2: Pets on Wii, which sniffed out 7.2; FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage on Xbox 360; The Sims 2: Pet Stories, Hitman Triple Pack; RACE: Caterham on PC and Bratz Ponyz and Sim City DS on DS. That's it release fans, make sure you join us next week for the lowdown on The Darkness and Overlord.
Submitted by DANisCOOL
23/06/2007
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Source URL:
http://ds.ign.com/articles/798/798762p1.html