Epinions Recent Reviews for billservo

Storytelling Gaming Perfection

Mon, 4 Nov 2002 16:28:03 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - Puzzle games are hard to dress up. Even the best puzzle games never get the respect or attention they deserve. And while Ico certainly isn't the kind of game everyone imagines when they hear me say puzzle, it's a game more deserving of a second look...

The Best Gets Better On Gamecube and PS2

Tue, 8 Jan 2002 19:45:12 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - Note: This review covers both the Gamecube and PS2 version of the game. Both games were actually played side by side in writing this review. Differences are minor and noted within.

Last year’s Madden was nothing less than...

EA Brings NHL Back To Good

Fri, 4 Jan 2002 13:07:53 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author billservo -

Last year's NHL installment was the first on a next-gen system. While that fact alone made it palatable for most gamers, NHL 2001 wasn't the best sports game in town, although it remained the PS2's best hockey game for that year. Compared to PS2...

All Tricked Out

Wed, 2 Jan 2002 14:38:58 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - Last year SSX helped launch the PS2 as one of the best games for the system and the first game for EA's new "Big" label. At the time SSX broke new ground featuring some over the top tricks, insane tracks and cool characters. This time around EA brings...

Less Trek, More Armada

Tue, 1 Jan 2002 17:12:38 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author billservo -

Star Trek games have been given a bit of a rebirth lately, thanks in large part to games like Voyager: Elite Force, and Star Trek Armada. Both were excellent entries into established gaming genres. Elite Force faithfully recreated the feel of...

Almost There...

Wed, 26 Dec 2001 13:28:08 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - Rogue Squadron 2 (RS2) is a lot like the old sex and pizza adage: even when a Rogue Squadron game is bad, it's still pretty good. In truth, that analogy is a little harsh, RS2 isn't a bad game, but the force isn't quite as strong with RS2...

Weak...

Wed, 26 Dec 2001 10:52:49 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - One of the toughest game genres to pull of on the PC has to be the game show genre. It's hard to capture the feeling of the host and contestant interaction that you get by watching the actual show. Then the limitations of the PC make most game show...

Crazy Simpsons Take On Sega

Sun, 2 Dec 2001 10:52:56 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author billservo -

Fans of the Crazy Taxi series have no shortage of gaming this holiday season. The original Crazy Taxi has been available on the Dreamcast for over a year with its sequel recently released. The PS2 got its own rendition of the original Crazy Taxi...

A New Era For Handheld Gaming

Fri, 30 Nov 2001 08:50:23 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author billservo -

Most games come into your life, hang around for a few weeks, and disappear. But then there's some that stay with you, having changed your outlook on games forever. For me, one of these games is the original Doom. I remember back in 1993 being...

It's Not A Jedi Mind Trick- An Excellent Star Wars RTS Is Finally Here

Tue, 27 Nov 2001 20:54:27 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - I'll go ahead and blame this on my console upbringing, but I could never get into real-time strategy (RTS) games. I have a hard time waiting for that "perfect moment" to unleash fury on enemy bases then in the heat of the battle I never feel I have the...

Run, Rabbit, Run!

Tue, 27 Nov 2001 10:56:55 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - Ever since the console market fully bought into 3D we've seen almost as many bad racing titles as bad movie licenses. Not that we haven't had some stand-outs, Gran Turismo 3 pretty much defines the ultimate video racing experience across all platforms...

A New Era For Handheld Gaming

Tue, 27 Nov 2001 09:42:56 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - Most games come into your life, hang around for a few weeks, and disappear. But then there's some that stay with you, having changed your outlook on games forever. For me, one of these games is the original Doom. I remember back in 1993 being totally...

A Few Games Shy Of Domination

Mon, 19 Nov 2001 16:41:12 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - With the release of the Gamecube (GC) yesterday, the final salvo against the PS2 has been launched. Having lost their first battle with Sony this is an important console for Nintendo. The Gamecube finally abandons Nintendo’s highly lucrative cart...

One Year Too Late

Mon, 12 Nov 2001 16:22:20 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - In a world where every console racer produced is going to be held up to the Gran Turismo watermark, you'd have a hard time introducing anything worth a second look to most gamers. Today's racer has to have realistic physics without sacrificing gameplay,...

Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force: The Trek Anomaly

Wed, 7 Nov 2001 17:52:44 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - Star Trek games aren't typically held in high-regard. They're generally associated with the worst that movie licensing brings to the game industry: bad plots and worse gameplay. But it's a trend that's been steadily turning around for this...

Your Game Is Calling

Tue, 6 Nov 2001 15:09:57 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - Can a game seem so real that you can not distinguish between it and real-life? The short answer is no. Although Majestic attempts to do just that, and it certainly is a noble effort.

That's not to say that Majestic is a failure straight out...

Your Own Worst Enemy

Mon, 5 Nov 2001 16:00:57 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - Few games define the console multiplayer experience like the Bomberman games. Its simple approach makes it accessible to all while its fast paced gameplay keeps its repetitive nature from boring players.

Since its NES inception it's had...

Oh, The Horrors You'll Kinda Vaguely See

Mon, 5 Nov 2001 13:51:52 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - I forget where I heard it, but some horror producer said, "It's not what you see, but what you don't see that scares the hell out of you." Well, After 15 hours of Castlevania: COTM, consider me terrified.

COTM is a good game. It just has one...

If This Kind Of Thing Is Your Bag...

Thu, 1 Nov 2001 13:38:24 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - I've only recently become something of a sports fan. So when I got a copy of EA's Rugby 2002 I knew I'd have a tough job ahead of me. Like most Americans I didn't know quid about the sport, which kind of had me wondering what EA was thinking bringing...

Basketball, SSX Style.

Wed, 1 Aug 2001 12:53:36 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - Sometimes I know I'll hate a game before I even play it. Then something like NBA Street comes along and makes me question everything I know.

I hated basketball. In fact, the only good thing I ever got out of basketball was a pair of Air...

Dino Deja Vu All Over Again

Thu, 19 Jul 2001 03:02:20 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - As any good drug addict will tell you, the more drugs you take, the more you have to take. Likewise with digitally synthesized dinosaurs. What blew us away way back at the original Jurassic Park doesn't do much for us these days. The answer, of...

Zen And The Art of Game Design

Fri, 13 Jul 2001 12:17:59 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - As a first generation gamer, Zelda holds a special place in my gaming memories. The first one, which many consider to be the best, showed the potential gaming had as a valid entertainment medium early on.

Successive installments (with the...

You Had Me At "It Has Monkeys"

Thu, 12 Jul 2001 19:19:07 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author billservo -

I've got a couple confessions to make today. First, I have a thing for monkeys in games. I don't know what it is, but I tend to find monkey games pretty amusing. Anyone who played Turok 2's Monkey Mode can attest to the power of monkeys to evoke...

OK, But Don't Make Us Wait Another 11 Years...

Wed, 11 Jul 2001 00:26:00 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - In case you didn't know, we've been playing Gameboy for OVER 11 YEARS. The original Gameboy was released in 1989, and somehow Nintendo's managed to keep us glued to it ever since. Sure it's gone through a few incarnations (Gameboy Light, Pocket, and...

If Mega Man Were A Bee...

Fri, 6 Jul 2001 18:17:58 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author billservo - The 16-bit era was definitely the golden age of platformers. With the Gameboy Advance we can certainly expect to see something of a platformer renaissance since Nintendo, arguably the winner of the 16-bit war, has put forth what's shaping up to be a 2D...