Culture

Ninja Gaiden BlackMicrosoft XboxWhether you’re a real ninja or not, you’ll agree that Ninja Gaiden Black is the best fighting game for any console. You’d be hard pressed to improve on the frantic action and precision required to succeed. For these reasons, NGB is also arguably the most difficult game to master. The controls are […]

Resident Evil 4Nintendo GamecubeResident Evil 4 transcends the horror action genre with its cinematic approach. Considering your number-one kill tactic is a bullet to the brainpan, this game is not for the weak of heart. There are some human (not always zombie) targets, so it takes a little mental rewiring to get comfortable. The game […]

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2006Sony PlayStation 2Wrestling fans are like the NDP: You have to throw them a bone every once a while to keep them pacified or they’ll take it to the streets. Finally, there’s a wrestling game that mimics the TV production values of the wrestling environment. The entrance, the lights, the glitz, […]

SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals Fireteam BravoSony PlayStation portableSOCOM is the first legit shooter for a handheld unit. The widescreen really helps, but it’s the approach to the shooter genre that clicks. The controls are 100 percent intuitive and despite a “lock-on” targeting feature, aiming and connecting are anything but a sure thing. In single-player mode, […]

Excite TruckNintendo WiiWe went out at 7am and bought Wii the day it came out. Thing is, it’s a birthday gift from my girlfriend’s mom and her birthday isn’t until December 20. What we were supposed to do was bring it home, play it for a few days, box it back up, and give it […]

Guitar Hero 2Sony PlayStation 2Man, I’ve come so far since last year. In 2005 I was playing crappy dive bars and doing Franz Ferdinand covers. This year I’m doing Danzig and Suicidal Tendencies songs on the freaking Vans Warped Tour! How sweet is that? Used to be that people couldn’t get out of the club […]

New Super Mario Bros.Nintendo DSI had some friends visit from “The Big City” recently, and when they weren’t eating or getting drunk, they were hanging out in my living room playing this game. At first I didn’t get it—you’re on vacation, why are you just chilling and playing Mario? Then I took a look and […]

NHL ’06Sony PlayStation 2I have this friend. His name is Pothead. He doesn’t smoke weed and he hates when you call him that, but that’s what we call him when he’s not around. Anyway, Pothead is stupidly awesome at this game. Every time he gets the puck he comes skating up the ice and you […]

One Piece: Pirates’ CarnivalSony PlayStation 2The only copy of this game that we have is the Japanese version, so we pretty much make everything up as we go. It’s a really fun multiplayer full of mini-games. Our favourites are a dodgeball game we call “Goose and Gander,” and another one that we call “I’ve Got […]

Rayman Raving RabbidsNintendo WiiDon’t you just hate cute little bunny rabbits? I know I do. Have you ever just sat around and fantasized about zapping them with car batteries, pricking them with cactuses, burning them in a campfire, feeding them cinderblocks, snagging them in bear traps, shooting them in their stupid little jerk faces with […]

Battlefield 2PCIn 2002, Battlefield 1942 became the paradigm for all action games, with its seemingly limitless detailed environments—whether running, driving or flying about. Set in the present day anda near future, Battlefield 2 has no storyline. Rather, players choose to fight as the European Union, China, a Middle East Coalition or the US, imposing will […]

Red SteelNintendo WiiThe thing that bugs me about games where you’re a gaijin (what is a gaijin?) and they steal your lady is how you keep catching up with her, but the Yakuza (it’s always the Yakuza) keep whisking her away in a plane or a cargo van. Can I take a rest and eat […]