Sometimes, all that you need to take a mediocre game and transform it into a colorful, lively romp through time and space is a cast of memorable characters. Take Disgaea, for instance. On its own merits, that title wasn’t the perfect dungeon crawler, but once zany personalities such as Laharl and Etna were tossed into the mix, it became an entirely different monster. Trinity Universe, NIS’s latest offering, is a hodgepodge of that same brand of silliness and rambunctious dialog that has successfully transformed the company’s past efforts into such memorable affairs. Equal parts crazy-for-the-sake-of-crazy and rote grinding, Trinity Universe isn’t the most original offering, but it makes up for any shortcomings with endless charm and hilarious (if not always intentionally so) dialog.
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Archive for July, 2010
Review: Trinity Universe
Review: Blur
Traditional racers never truly impress me. I can appreciate raw speed, brilliantly designed tracks, and slick vehicles, but nothing really brings the “wow” factor for me. I simply coast through them and take the subtle variations in speed, control, and handling with a grain of salt. Another day, another racer. I find myself wishing I could instead fire up a rousing game of Mario Kart and take some scrub out with the dreaded blue shell. And you shouldn’t be fantasizing of another game when one’s already in your disc drive. Alas, the closest I could get to capturing the feeling I got when playing a “realistic” title short of simply running to Sega’s latest mascot offering was pulling off takedowns in Burnout. And Burnout Paradise just didn’t hit the sweet spot.
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Review: Earthworm Jim HD
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An earthworm donning a white and powder-blue spacesuit always did garner attention. Upon Earthworm’s Jim initial release, I was but a wee lass who shied away at any mention of insects, arachnids, or creatures of the creepy-crawly variety. However, I made an exception for this vintage Genesis platformer. This worm spoke. I could dig it. And from the very first level where I launched a cow into the air after taking aim to a refrigerator, I knew this was something I’d come back to again and again. Luckily for me, the title has seen its share of incarnations of the years, even spawning a sequel that continued the run-and-gun legacy. Shiny Entertainment had a hit on its hands, if you don’t count the terrible excuses for games created without their involvement. Now, in an age that heralds the rebirth of classics we knew and loved in our youth, the original Earthworm Jim returns to consoles via the good graces of Gameloft in Earthworm Jim HD.