GemLil's Games > Game reviews by GemLil

How gay was Robotnik?

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 14 July 2008 12:09 (A review of Sonic the Hedgehog)

Sonic the Hedgehog is perhaps one of the most iconic games in video game history. I recently played a game with a friend of mine, I sang the theme to a Sonic Zone, he guessed what one it was...video games can bring people together, even if he's a Scrap Brain kinda guy and I'm more of a Green Hill kinda girl.

This type of everyday reference is not achievable for every game, the game must have wide fan base of people with a biblical knowledge of the game, you can do this with Sonic because it has become ingrained into popular culture and the mind of the pro gamer.

I recently downloaded Sonic the Hedgehog on my Wii, after all these years it is still a pleasure to play. It is unbelievably easy compared to modern platforms, and its charm is perhaps reliant on the nostalgia factor, but each zone is different enough to ensure you're never bored, and playing the game well can give you an immense feeling of satisfaction. For the more seasoned gamer, I suggest once through without dying, or setting a time limit to complete it all.

Sonic the Hedgehog should be in the arsenal of every gamer, it’s important to remember your roots and a bit of easy/non-violent game play will always be periodically required to calm you down after some particularly bloody grand theft or allied assault.


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New lamps for old

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago on 7 May 2008 03:53 (A review of Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven)

There is absolutely no point buying this game; it is too close in price to, and utterly dwarfed by the 'Godfather' game.

Mafia was clearly brought out to cash in on the gangster game craze; and is almost identical to the layout and theme of the Godfather game.

I found the controls, awkward and the graphics sub par.

This is like buying crystal for the same price as diamonds. Really, very disapointing.

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Do we even need the Gym anymore?

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago on 7 May 2008 08:31 (A review of Wii Fit (with Wii Balance Board))

This 'game' is just like having your own personal trainer.

It will calculate you BMI, tell you what type of excercise/routines to take and what level to start them. It allows you to pick a weight loss 'goal' and marks your progress toward it.

Perhaps, more interestingly it measures your posture and centre of gravity; with an array of games to improve and moniter your balance skills.

The main categories covered are:

Aerobics
Muscle building
Balance and posture and
Yoga

You can choose which area you focus on, the more time spent on the game; the more levels and games made available in each category.

I highly recommend this, not just for the body conscious or the fit freaks. Its a great way to measure your fitness progress. Its similar to Brain training in many ways; but be prepared to work up a sweat!

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Cooking Mama: Cook Off review

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 25 April 2008 07:16 (A review of Cooking Mama: Cook Off)

I had to babysit my 10 year old cousin the other week; she bought this game to my house. After about five minutes I had to throw down the wii stick. The object of the game is to cook a meal; ironically my cousin was too busy playing this game to help me cook the actual meal we were going to eat that night.

This type of game is so vapid and dull and damaging a young generation of women, who will think that this is as good as it gets. I have said before, the point of a video game is to do the things you cannot do. This game is just the un-doing of hundreds of years of feminism.

I have a programme for women who want to get into real gaming:

Mario>Spyro>Zelda>Tomb Raider>Call of Duty.

It certainly doesnt involve this farce of a game.

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A firm favourite

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 25 April 2008 06:34 (A review of Call of Duty)

My favourite FPS, I must have played COD a thousand times. The maps are outstandinding, each an important real-life location for the allies in WWII, detailed and full to the brim with nazis.

The scenes are awesome and in places create a real sense of tension and fear. In one particular epic level, which requires the player to blow up oncoming german tanks with a set of badly damaged panzerfausts, the wait for reinforcements is genuinely tense and wearing (I'm obviously not real war material).

Each level is so different, requiring different skills. Some are machine gun based, some require a stealthy crawl into enemy territory, some say hello with a grenade in the face.

Anyone who like FPS should love Call of Duty; and there is no better platform to play it on than the PC. It also offers an epic multi-player/online link-up mode.

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Streets of Rage 3 review

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 22 April 2008 06:34 (A review of Streets of Rage 3)

I recently purchased this game on the Wii and am happy with it. It cost 800 points but was worth the spend. Fight your way through streets full of bad guys, sword wielding she-killers and henchman galore.

Half the fun is discovering the specific special moves of your character; you have a choice of 4 characters, but anyone whose anyone will choose Axel or Blaze (the characters with the best all-round stats). Pick up weapons and health along the way for that extra little something. After a few kills your power bar will max, allowing you to perform a more damaging move.

This game provided a well needed nostalgic trip to megadrive heaven and amazingly has somehow improved with time. Nothing to complex about it; just kill everyone who gets in your way.

If you do find yourself with some spare wii points; this is a good purchase. Although Street Fighter is definately a better choice for an old school fighter game.


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Tony Hawk's Proving Ground review

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 22 April 2008 06:16 (A review of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground)

I was a fan of the Tony Hawk's series until this came along.

The tricks are far too complicated to orchestrate on the Wii wand; and the game is too complicated in general.

There is no real tutorial level; and I found the game very difficult to get a grip on.

Proving ground is too complex for its own good. The map is reminiscent of a poor man’s GTA, while the tricks themselves are no more spectacular than the earlier PS versions. This is not a patch on the earlier Tony Hawk's games such as Pro Skater 2; it’s not worth the £30 ($60) price tag.

Very dissapointing.

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So much better that 1!

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 28 March 2008 12:10 (A review of Zoo Tycoon 2)

I played Zoo Tycoon 2, before the original. When I got round to seeing the original game; it seemed prehistoric compared to its sequel.

The game hasn't changed in fundementals, build a zoo, more expensive animals generate more visitors and money. There has been an astounding leap in graphics though. Each animal has to be built a personalised enclosure, with its correct biome and fencing...a wire fence wont keep in a tiger; as my visitors learned the hard way.

The detail of each specfic biome is impressive, tundra, temperate, rainforest; all have specfic trees; plants and even rock formations. The most notable change from 1 to 2, is the 'keeper mode'. This mode allows you to walk around the zoo and interact with visitors and animals like a keeper, feeding, bathing and sometimes healing them..the animals that is, not the visitors; that another game entirely.

A wide range of themed kiosks and amenities are available for purchase or to download. Safari like jeep rides and sky trams are also incorporated and can be ridden from the perspective of the visitor. I particularly enjoy taking the safari rides around large savanha enclosures.

Each of the expansion packs add a new type of animal, I most recommend the 'Africa' and 'Endangered Species' packs.




Be wary though, the larger the land you choose, and the more you build up your zoo, the slower the game becomes. You really do need quite an impressive computer to run this game with its expansions for any length of time.

Impressively detailed and by far the best of the 'Tycoon' series.

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Wii Sports review

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 27 March 2008 05:43 (A review of Wii Sports)

Wii Sports is not a game to go out and buy, luckily it comes free with all new Wii Systems.

Once you've got over the initial excitment of the Wii wand/sports bat movement, it soon grows tedious. What makes most games good is the ability to do something you wouldn't or couldn't ordinarily do; scale cliff walls, drive a Forumala 1 car, be in World War II.

Wii sports is fun for about five minutes, and is in no way a contender in the current game race. However it does provide an oppertunity to get used to gaming with the wand and nunchuck.

More of a training level than a game.

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Pro Skater II Review

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 9 March 2008 01:49 (A review of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)

Special skill was involved with this game; specific stunts had to be executed to meet the level goals. Similarly, items had to be collected and a certain high score reached.

There is an astounding array of stunts to perform in this skate-boarding game. Air stunts, jumps, grinds can all be given their own variations with a choice of different buttons. The more complex moves involved manipulation of all the control buttons as well as the L&Rs. These had to be negotiated to gain maximum points but insure a safe landing.

This game is so addictive and has many different scenarios and game types to play to unsure you are never bored. I hate skateboarding, I hate skateboarders...but I love this game.


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