Reviews by Derron

I've always enjoyed the Metal Gear Solid series and this is no exception. Taking place before the events of the first Metal Gear Solid game, this game serves as a prequel to the series, introducing characters like (the god damned annoying) Ocelot (brace yourself) Raiden and Snake (not solid/liquid), and detailing how Snake become the Big Boss. Set in the Russian jungle during the cold war, the game includes all the classic MGS gameplay, including over the top bosses (guy who shoots lightning from his fingertips, another who controls bees etc.) and an intriguing story of romance, betrayal, courage and suprising twists that has obviously been inspired by a James Bond flicks. A thing thats new to the game is the camouflage system, where instead of hiding behind crates and shadows as in other MGS games, you don different camouflages to blend into the environment. This sorta reminds me of the original predator movies, as you can stalk enemies and lure them into booby traps (immensely cool, especially if you turn the enemy traps against them). One aspect that is both good and bad are the Hollywood style cut scenes, often clocking around 10 to 15 minutes in length are both annoying yet very fascinating. Despite this, I have to say this is the perfect stealth game, well at least until MGS 4 came out.

First of all, hats off to Hideo Kojima for this kick ass game. The Metal Gear games (had they been constructed chronologically) would appear in this order: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2), Metal Gear Solid (PS1), Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2), and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3). Sons of Liberty is a game filled with so many twisted plots that it will make you not want to skip through the cinematic scenes. This game gets so close to real life FBI/CIA shit that it isn't funny. You'd think that the government would have banned this game from hitting American shores. There are many points in the game that will make wonder "is this shit real"? You play between two characters, code names Snake, and Raiden. Snake is the 5 o'clock shadow, lone hero type of guy. He's made some mistakes, and he admits it. I like Snake because he's so real. He isn't a tough guy, he isn't some loner........he's just a man on a mission. Now, Raiden on the other hand......well.....let's just say he seems a bit too feminine for the job. Yes, folks, Raiden is indeed, a wimp. But, don't let that sack-chaser screw up your gaming experience. There's plenty of baddies to kill which include a fat guy on roller blades, an invincible female, an invulnerable vampire, and an old.........errr.....gunslinger. These characters (including Big Boss) make the game fun and interesting. The game is a big hit because it isn't the same old shit every time. It's a bit of a mix-match. You can shoot birds (real ones) and slip and bust your ass in their shit. I mean, come on, if that isn't a newbie, then I don't know what is. I'll leave the rest up to you to discover.

This is much more than a video game; it's an experience. With the intriguing story ever told on any medium, superb graphics that raised the bar for its console, ingenious gameplay mechanics that would influence a new genre for gaming, and the most interesting game character ever created, Metal Gear Solid is the most important thing to happen to modern gaming. Not since the release of Super Mario for the NES has anything had such an influential impact.

Best show I have ever seen in my life. It's not a kid show only teens more like emo teens but I'm not emo I just like the show. The funniest character I think is Gir because he is so clueless all the time and is random, also dresses like a dog. Most stupidest character is Dib I do not like him at all.

The gaming world was introduced to a hero a soldier that fought alone against impossible odds to save the world. Over time, the hero grew into a legend that changed the gaming landscape and redefined stealth action games with his epic battles. After more than two decades of service, Solid Snake is finally receiving an honorable discharge in the latest chapter in the Metal Gear Solid franchise. While this is Snake's final mission, he isn't going quietly into that good night, nor is he being constrained by previous titles. Indeed, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots shatters the proverbial bar, becoming a technical, cinematic and gaming standard that future action and stealth titles will be judged by. It's been a long time coming, but this game is a true classic and a masterpiece from Hideo Kojima.

"Never start a fight you don't intend to finish." Master Chief's pappy must have said something similar to him long before John-117 became a Spartan, because in Halo 3, the iconic action hero does indeed finish the fight. There is no cliffhanger ending that will have you screaming at your television, no doubting that this is Chief's tale and everyone else is along for the ride, and no question that it is a worthy conclusion to the most successful trilogy in videogame history. But just like that girl you dated in college, Halo 3 has some issues. Don't' worry; the good far outweighs the bad. This is Halo 3, and it is indeed the best game you will ever find.

Combat in Lost Odyssey is about as traditional as you will find in a modern-day game. It is completely turn-based with a menu system that seems taken straight from 1998. Everything you would expect is included. You can attack, use an item, cast magic, or activate a skill. Weapons in Lost Odyssey are pretty boring as none hold any special properties whatsoever they are merely an Attack rating and nothing else. And the magic is the same thing you've experienced for the past 20 years. It's based on the elements (earth, fire, wind and water) and uses classic nomenclature to signify more powerful versions of spells. On the surface, Lost Odyssey appears to do nothing new. That changes as you plunge deeper into the adventure. As you progress, an addictive system of micro-managing rings and skills turns what is a very traditional combat system into something interesting and exciting.

Gamers must for a moment forget that Wind Waker looks totally different from Ocarina of Time because in actuality these two games are very much alike. The GameCube adventure is clearly inspired by its N64 predecessor where design and play mechanics are concerned. Link once again travels through an immense world except this time not by horse, but by boat. The character is still called upon to solve countless environmental puzzles, to drudge through dungeons, to engage in fierce combat with enemies, to learn spells, to use a variety of weapons and items and more. It all still controls and moves along at a pace that will be d¿j¿ vu for anyone who's swung the Master Sword at Ganon in the past. In fact, everything from the way in which Link is maneuvered to the lock-on battle camera and the very way players can assign individual items like the boomerang and hookshot to specific buttons is all almost identical to Ocarina of Time

Just another day of highlights in NBA Street V3, a game that not only elevates Garnett's status to the elite levels of a polygonal Michael Jordan, but elevates the street basketball genre to new levels of competition. One second, you're LeBron throwing down on Shaq, the next you're creating your own baller, creating your own kicks, and even creating your own court complete with logos, cracked backboards, and graffiti.

Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man is far and away the most impressive title on the PS3 delivering on everything that it promised with a strong single-player experience, plenty of kick-ass multiplayer options, and awesome gameplay mechanics that equal those found in other elite shooter games. But being like "other elite shooter games" isn't what makes Resistance so compelling... it's what separates it from competitors that does. On the exterior, Fall of Man doesn't look all that different. Take a few steps away from your television with squinted eyes and you could mistake it for Call of Duty or Medal of Honor. But do yourself a favor, open those eyes and step towards the screen because Resistance doesn't pay homage to World War II... it attempts something on a scale of much larger proportions.