by norm stovall normstovall@gmail.com
From EA Games, for Nintendo Wii
Some people say that the Nintendo Wii is the perfect platform for family friendly videogames, and I’d have to agree with those people. Sure, there are a few titles available with content on the level of R-rated movies, but for the most part, the Wii is a pretty friendly platform for people who love to play games and for people who don’t know much about games but still want to enjoy them.
MySims from EA fits this demographic with it’s colorful characters, simple control schemes and lighthearted humor. Basically a toned-down version of the PC megahit game The Sims, MySims starts of with the creation of your character, or “Sim.” You have a pretty broad selection of customizable features, including clothing, hairstyles, voice and skin tone. Once your Sim is made, you are off into the new neighborhood.
The opening tutorial shows you how to build homes, construct and customize items for your home, and interact with the town in which your Sim will be residing. The game is pretty simple to get into, and younger crowds and parents will appreciate the creativity the game allows. While more serious gamers may get tired of the cutesy graphics and simplistic gameplay rather quickly, MySims still has a lot to offer for people who like to create.
With the surge of below average and boring games coming out for the Wii that are geared towards kids, its good to know that games like MySims are out there. The game is pretty simple, but it’s never patronizing or insulting to your intelligence, and that is something that most games for kids fail at.
For PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, and PS2
Guitar Hero is one of those rare and amazing hits that has found its way into the homes of millions. While most music games are fun and well thought out, they tend to fall short of the big sales numbers that other genres bring in. While Dance Dance Revolution is great in small doses or in gym class, it’s hard to keep interest in jumping around in your socks in the living room in front of your family. Not to say people don’t do that, it’s just that MOST people don’t do that. With Guitar Hero, however, the interesting gameplay element of using a guitar shaped controller to accomplish perfectly-timed notes in harmony with on-screen elements is really hard to resist. The first three versions of Guitar Hero were a big hit, and with Guitar Hero 3, the series has only gotten bigger.
For some, the new development team behind the game and the subtle changes to the gameplay seem a little off-putting, but after 3 or 4 songs, it’s all water under the bridge. With multiple console versions released, it may be difficult to choose which one to get, so it’s important to know the strengths of each version.
With the Wii and the PS2 version, the graphics are not quite up to par with the PS3 and the Xbox 360 versions, but they do have their own benefits. All your old PS2 Guitar Hero controllers will work with GH3 on the PS2 (NOT the PS3, however). The Wii version of the game allows you to snap your Wii remote into your guitar, which provides rumble for star power and ‘plink’ sounds for missed notes. The Wii version is also 10 dollars cheaper, and allows for online multiplayer.
With the PS3 and the Xbox 360 versions you’ll also get online multiplayer, with the addition of downloadable content in the form of songs and hi-res graphics that pretty much leave the PS2 and Wii versions in the dust. I have to say, after playing the Xbox 360 version of the game; the Wii version looks pretty wacky, especially with the singer that looks like he came straight from the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are, and the drummer that looks like he came from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. The first one.
Overall, the game itself is great regardless. The developers at Neversoft somehow managed to make moves like hammer-ons much easier, but it seems that the songs are a lot more difficult and have more notes to hit. The new battle modes are an interesting improvement and allow for players to face off against videogame versions of real-life guitar heroes such as Tom Morello, Slash and Brett Michaels. I know you are wetting your pants over that last one.
All in all, Guitar Hero 3 is a great package with loads of great hits ranging from Kool Thing by Sonic Youth to more standard hits like Rock and Roll all Nite by Kiss. If you like rock music, video games and playing with electrical toy guitars (or any two of the previously mentioned things), you shouldn’t miss this one. It’s a whole lot of fun.
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