GYG Blog

In Battle of the Bands available on the Nintendo Wii, you have the ability to select from a few genres of music: rock, marching, latin, country, and hip hop. After choosing your genre you play your first song against a different genre. This is interesting because you and your opponent are playing the same song but in different genres of music. Based on how many attacks you or your opponent launch your song changes between the two genres. You have to hit a certain number of correct notes to be able to launch an attack on your opponent. You do not choose the song you play unless you are in “vs.” mode. To do this you don’t have to have someone there playing with you, instead you can choose “vs.” mode and make the console player 2. You also have to contend with “face-offs” which require you to block your opponents notes because their notes will turn into attacks. To block these you must press the “B” button as they come at you.

Overall I thought this game was really fun. It has a pretty good song list with: Feel Good Inc, Blitzkrieg Bop, and Coming Undone being my favorites to play. It is an interesting change of pace having the song you are used to hearing as a rock song being played as a hip hop song although The Ramones do not sound particularly pleasing as a country group but Feel Good Inc kicked some serious trash as a marching tune!

This game is not for everyone and it can get a bit annoying having to block attacks when really you just want to play a song, but it is definitely worth a rental. It won’t replace Rock Band but it is a fun little distraction.

Hola party people… it’s your old pal Grant back atcha, and this time we’re looking at Mario Kart Wii, available for all the consoles including the Turbografix 16 and the N-Gage.

Nah, just seeing if you’re paying attention.  It’s a Wii title, so go meet that creepy guy on Craigslist and buy one… ’cause it’s go time.

Mario Kart is 15 years old… anybody else feeling really old now?  Well, if you’ve never played one before, it’s your basic race driving game against all the Nintendo icons like Mario, Donkey Kong, Bowser, and that one metro sexual mushroom-looking guy in the short-shorts.  The question is, does it hold up to the new console, or should you go dig out your old SNES for some old-skool action?

The answer, just like getting kicked in the junk, is a mixed bag.  The game itself isn’t vastly different from what you remember from previous incarnations, but where it really shines is the online component.  Forget Smash Bros — This is truly the game you want to swap Friend Codes with your buddies to play.  The game itself adds on some sweet new rides, including bikes this time, but ultimately this is a case of “if you like this sort of thing, then this is the sort of thing you’ll like.”  Don’t try getting a die-hard Gears or Halo fan into this kind of game, but if you’re into a fun little diversion without too much seriousness, you’ll really dig it.

Personally, this IS the sort of game I like.  It’s challenging but not “throw your controller” difficult.  I can play it for 15-20 minutes and then stop without feeling like I didn’t get anywhere.  And damn it, the game is just plain ol’ fun.

Anyway that’s my time, and the name’s Grant.  Want to check out more of my reviews?  Then drop by Get Your Gamez dot com.  That’s gamez with a Z, kiddos.

Hidey-ho gamers! Uncle Grant back this week with another big gaming release… Deca Sports for the Nintendo Wii. So blow the dust off your Wii-mote and sit right back… because it’s go time.

Lately there’s been a real backlash against the poor little Nintendo Wii, and I think that’s a damn shame. Sure, it might not load up your new-fangled Call of Grand Theft Gears Hero 3. Sure, it’s better at so-called “casual gaming” than it is at quote-unquote “serious gaming”, whatever THAT is. But for the fun factor, the Wii’s like your good-time buddy that always stops by with a 12 of Miller High Life. Cheap and fun. So what’s wrong with that?

Hudson Soft agrees, and that’s why we’ve got Deca Sports, which is an almost ridiculously fun ten-pack of sports games ideal for people that have Wii Bowled themselves out of gaming entirely. This edition brings you such sports as volleyball, basketball, snowboarding, kart racing, and a slew of others. And while you won’t have to worry about whether or not the players faces are photo rendered and accurate down to the nose hairs… you will be relieved to know this is the most damn fun I’ve had Wii-ing since I unboxed the thing. Seriously, this game is pure joy wrapped up in a thirty dollar box.

Alright, you say, it’s a Wii game — it probably looks like crap. Well, yes and no. Honestly, the biggest problem with Deca is the controls are sometimes a little difficult to get used to, particularly in the curling and figure skating categories. Some stuff you’ve just got to let go.

All in all, though, if you like Wii Sports and want more variety, give this game a hard look. Deca Sports isn’t going to blow you away with its realism, but it’s a more than suitable successor to the Fun Crown.

Later, gamers!