New Movie Trailers!

Now I know these are not exactly "new" in the sense of time on the Internet, but if you aren't constantly keeping up to date with movies the way I am, then perhaps you have yet to see these trailers. Besides, watching these trailers isn't enough when you don't know what I think about them yet. :-P

This is the film I am most looking forward to next year. Bane can most assuredly be used better in The Dark Knight Rises than he was in Batman and Robin by Joel Schumacher.

Let's try to forget this version of Bane.

But I know what everyone is thinking. What are we supposed to watch in the year leading into TDKR? How about this?

Based on the Frank Miller graphic novel of the same name, Batman: Year One promises to deliver quality like the WB animated features have in the past. And so far, the trailer seems to show that the film is on the right track.

If you have never seen any of the straight-to-DVD/BD animated DC features, you're doing yourself a disservice. They have a very good track record. Batman: Under the Red Hood, and Green Lantern: First Flight come to mind as standouts. In fact, First Flight was more critically revered than the live action version of GL. Highly recommended films and I recommend you check out Year One when it releases this September.

But now onto something else.....

I was almost certain I wouldn't like anything new they'd do with Spider-Man. Primarily because I was upset that we couldn't see Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 (I think he's a great director and gets what needs to be done to redeem the franchise), but this trailer has won me over. It does look like a darker film and it will retell the origin story, but I like the idea of starting over with a somewhat different feel. I also like the inclusion of Peter Parker's original love interest from the comics, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). I'm going to be cautiously optimistic with this one but it does look good so far.

The next trailer is for a TV show, but I feel it needs recognition for being tied to my childhood.

I think it looks awesome. Looks like they expanded on the original story so that it has a feeling of being fresh and new while retaining what everyone loved from the old show. Look for the new ThunderCats to premier this Friday, July 29th on Cartoon Network.

There is another trailer that caught my attention recently, but for all the wrong reasons.....

I'm sorry you had to endure that but better you know now about this atrocity, lest you take a date to this film unassuming of the horrors that await you. And for those of you that enjoyed that trailer, and maybe even look forward to seeing this movie, well you cannot be my friend. Nor are you allowed to read my website any longer. Good day. :-P

Well those are just some of the films I'm excited about. Let me know what recent trailers you enjoyed. What films will you be excited to watch this year or next?

Sonic Generations Demo Impressions

by Dr. C-LOS

Actually, there are now only 10 days remaining for this demo.

Sonic Generations is the newest iteration of the long-running series (20 year anniversary) from Sega and the the Sonic Team. The story goes something like this: today's Sonic somehow gets blasted back in time and meets his younger self. Now both Sonics must fight whatever evil started this mess in the first place and set things right.

Past meets present in Sonic Generations!

Whatever. The point main is, the classic feel of Sonic is back! The demo lets you play the first zone in the game (Green Hill Zone), which is very similar to the first zone in the original Sonic game. Sonic can spin-dash his way through this familiar environment with loops and corkscrews, all while collecting rings. However, the graphics are much improved and there are some neat camera effects added in as a bonus. It is also worth mentioning that this game is compatible with stereoscopic television sets. Furthermore, this is definitely not a cut-and-paste job despite the similarities to the original Sonic. There is enough new to make it feel like a new game.

Old school Sonic goodness!

It's just too bad that the demo is over so quickly. You're having fun, speeding and bouncing around, when it's suddenly over. But that small amount of gameplay is a blast, and leaves you wanting more like a good demo should. And most importantly, unlike Sonic 4, the physics feel like Sonic should. I can see myself buying this game just based on that. The big question is, how good will the 3D modern Sonic levels play? Hopefully we get a chance to try out modern Sonic at some point before the game's release.

Prognosis: Great graphics and classic gameplay means you should keep an eye on this one. Definitely download this demo and try it out for yourself. But hurry up! This demo is a timed demo and will only be available to play for 10 more days! That means the demo will be disabled on July 12th! Sonic Generations will be available late in 2011 for the XBox 360, PS3, and 3DS.

Green Lantern Movie Review

by Dr. C-LOS

Marvel has had a lot of success with their movie franchises, even with their lesser known properties. DC, however, has been content to use only their big two, Superman and Batman. That was true until now. Green Lantern, one of DC's biggest properties in comics today, finally hits the big screen. But does the film live up to the potential that the graphic novel iterations seem to imply?

For those not in the know, Green Lantern follows Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), an ace test pilot with the ability to overcome great fear. This ability is recognized by a dying alien and thus bestows onto Jordan a ring that is controlled by the green power of will. This ring can manifest green-colored constructs, limited only by the user's willpower and creativity.

Green Lantern's ring in action.

Jordan then joins an intergalactic group of aliens also chosen to be ring bearers. This group is called the Green Lantern Corps. Their biggest threat is an entity known as Parallax, a parasitic monster that feeds on the yellow power of fear.

This might sound a bit cheesy but this is based on a comic book after all. Green Lantern doesn't take itself too seriously except when needed, and has quite a sense of humor. My favorite gag being when Reynolds does his best impression of Christian Bale as Batman.

"Carol, I have a confession. I'm a green space cop."
"...................
Be serious Hal."

Overall, Reynolds does a great job as Hal Jordan though he may come off a bit more goofy than his comic book counterpart. Blake Lively, however, was not a great choice as fellow pilot Carol Ferris, but at least she is nice to look at. The best performances are by Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond and Mark Strong as Sinestro. Unfortunately, Tim Robbins was chosen as Hammond's father, which is unbelievable considering how close in age they look. Angela Bassett as Amanda Waller was a great choice but her scenes are short-lived. And Sinestro is underutilized, along with other interesting Green Lantern Corps members. Furthermore, some characters could have been better fleshed out, leading to a feeling that the story is being rushed through so they can just get to the sequel. 

As for the special effects, they were very well done and are one of the film's best assets. Thankfully, the film was shot in 3D as opposed to being converted. It really shows as the 3D effects look great. The planet Oa, where the Green Lantern Corps reside, looks marvelous. It is too bad then that we don't see much of it or its inhabitants.

Wish we could have seen more of this.

One of Green Lantern's biggest downfalls, however, is that the story has way too much going on. There just isn't enough time to cover Jordan's background. We learn enough about his father to care, but there is more behind the relationship between Jordan and Carol Ferris. There just wasn't enough time to explore that relationship within the film. Furthermore, Sinestro could have been fleshed out a lot better. Showing his dark side develop would have made a great story arc. The story is there but it's only touched upon enough to make way for a sequel. And the film goes just a little longer than it had to. It's not that I got bored from it being too long, it's just that they tried to cram too much into it. If they had focused on just one villain, and hadn't been so adamant about getting everything out of the way for the sequel, the story could have been tighter and more enjoyable.

Despite the flaws, Green Lantern still ends up being very entertaining. The special effects, action, and sense of humor add up to a very good, though not great film. Green Lantern doesn't quite live up to the lofty goals of Dark Knight or Iron Man 1, but it ends up about on par with Thor or better. It might help to be a Green Lantern comics fan so you can understand a lot of the smaller details, but it does not hurt the film otherwise. And now that they have the origin out of the way, I can see the sequel being much more focused, and having more time to tell a better story. In the meantime, Green Lantern is an enjoyable but bumpy ride.

E3 2011 Musings

Well E3 is done and enough time has gone by to contemplate what we've seen. Let's get into it shall we?....

Microsoft

I was sorely disappointed with Microsoft again this year. They focused on Kinect a lot but did not show anything that really wowed me. I'm happy another Dance Central iteration is on its way, but not much else caught my attention. Being able to customize your guns in Ghost Recon using the Kinect is a neat idea, but I'd rather do it with my controller. I just cannot see myself being very accurate with a gun using the Kinect instead of an analog controller.

They showed Gears of War 3 again, and a revamped version of the original Halo, which are both nice but nothing too exciting at this point. The only somewhat surprising thing was Halo 4 was officially announced.

I always thought we would see Halo 4 announced sometime down the line but not this soon. I suppose Microsoft might have put too many eggs into their Kinect basket. They needed something to get the core gamers excited. Not that there aren't plenty of quality games coming out for the 360, but not too many exclusives to get excited about. Gears 3 and Halo 4 should help MS out but hopefully they have more up their sleeves for the future. Anyway, Halo 4 is a buy for me but only because I know my friends will buy it too. Otherwise I'd pass.


Sony

I admit I was surprised by Sony this year. Similar to last year, not much caught my attention... except for their new portable, the Vita.

It actually looks like they are putting some effort into the Vita. It features some impressive graphics along with analog controls, motion controls, a touchscreen, and an odd touchpad on the back of the system. I'm all for whatever brings in some creativity and maybe that touchpad on the back might help. As long as they do not take the same approach they did with the PSP then I'm all for it. After all, what's the point of a portable that just has the same stuff I can play on my PS3 right now? Well unless it is like Hideo Kojima's "transfarring" system idea then it's not a selling point.

For those not in the know, "transfarring" allows you to transfer your current game progress from the console (PS3) to the portable (PSP or Vita). You can get further in the game on your portable and later transfer it back to the console. It sounds like a great idea though that alone won't get me to buy a Vita. And so far, it seems to only be an idea Kojima thought up without any hard info on any games using it either.

The price point is very smart. At $249.99 for a Wi-Fi model, it's a very competitively priced new portable. Now let's see something that makes me want to buy it Sony!


Nintendo

I admit I like Nintendo much more than Sony or Microsoft, but I was hoping they would show more new games. The Wii got no love, but at least they showed some 3DS games to get excited for.

Luigi's Mansion was a decent game, and I've been waiting for a new Kid Icarus since forever so I will likely buy those two sequels. I'm a fan of Mario Kart but the new version looks to have too many gimmicks. Once I saw the underwater and floating parts I actually lost complete interest.

Not interested in 3D versions of old games like Star Fox, but there is definitely a market for that and it will keep gamers happy while they wait for more games. But the new game that got my attention this time was the new 3D Super Mario game.

Super Mario on the 3DS looks like it's going somewhat back to its roots by mixing the 3D gameplay with some old 2D staples. Primarily, I'm excited to see the return of Tanuki Mario! Can't wait to see more on this game. Especially can't wait to get my hands on it!

But the one thing that got me really excited was the official announcement of the Wii U!

Unfortunately, they did not show any real games. They only showed a few minigames and an amazing-looking Zelda tech demo. Hopefully that tech demo turns into a full-fledged game. And I'm sure it will with time. They need to finish Skyward Sword first.

Regardless, the hardware definitely has loads of potential. Nintendo is finally embracing HD graphics and seems to be moving in a direction where they are servicing both to the core and casual gamers. The tablet controller will be perfect for casual gamers with minigames and such. But the tablet could also be used for core games as well. The tech demo showcased this well but there are certainly other applications such as being able to see a planted turret's POV during an FPS multiplayer match, or using it as a rear-view mirror during a racing game.

Once again, there were not any big games actually announced for the Wii U but they did show gameplay footage from new games running on 360/PS3 hardware. These games will be released on the Wii U as well and will likely have similar graphics to what was shown. I imagine that we will see something more substantial at next year's E3, but Nintendo made their point. They are always thinking about how to innovate and change the way we play games. And I'm definitely excited for the Wii U and its potential. Now, like I said to Sony, show me some games Nintendo! However, something worth noting is the next Smash Bros. game was announced for both the 3DS and the Wii U! Can't get here soon enough!


BONUS~!

I've never been huge on MMO's, or Star Wars for that matter, but this game is shaping up nicely and might just pull me over to the Dark Side...... of gaming. I've even decided to pick up Knights of the Old Republic just to get an idea of what it would be like. So far, I'm greatly enjoying KOTOR. Hopefully SWTOR turns out well. Actually, I'm sure it will be awesome. This was the only thing that really caught my attention outside of the big 3 conferences. Well the only thing besides this....

Now wasn't that awesome? Rocksteady also recently announced that preordering at Best Buy will net you Tim Drake's Robin playable in a couple challenge rooms! A Red Robin skin is also available.

The Boy Wonder is looking pretty badass here.

A little research indicates that preordering only gets you Robin early and that he will be available later as DLC. I hope that is true because I am preordering with Amazon to use the $20 I'm getting from preordering Gears of War 3 with them. If not, no big deal.


So once again, I feel that if I had to pick a "winner" of E3, Nintendo would be it. A healthy showing of games for the 3DS and the potential of an innovative new console have won me over. But what did YOU think was most impressive from E3? What did you feel was lackluster? Maybe the Vita won you over? Or maybe playing Ghost Recon with the Kinect has you feeling goosebumps? Let me know your thoughts on what you saw from E3!

See you next time!

Best Movies of 2010

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis! It's been a little over a month since my last entry but here are my favorite films of previous year.

Honorable Mention
Scott Pilgrim vs The World

What looked like eye candy ended up being a very entertaining film with a great soundtrack. Kieran Culkin's supporting character is hilarious and the story actually has a message. The amazing special effects are just gravy. Definitely a big recommendation from me.


Honorable Mention
Kick-Ass

Another comic book inspired film, Kick-Ass lives up to its moniker. A very gritty and entertaining film, Chloe Moretz as Hit-Girl steals the show. Even Nicolas Cage is likable in this film as he does his best Adam West/Batman impersonation. The main problem is that the film goes from gritty realism with the titular hero, to butt-kicking fantasy with Hit-Girl. Despite this problem, Kick-Ass ends up being an entertaining film worth watching.


3rd Runner-Up
The Fighter

The Fighter tells an emotional story following real life boxer "Irish" Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg). However, Micky's relationship with his half-brother is what really makes this film. Christian Bale shows off his acting chops as Dicky Eklund, Micky's aforementioned half-brother. You will believe Christian Bale is a drug abuser when watching this film. Melissa Leo also does an amazing job as Alice Ward. It is no wonder that both Bale and Leo won supporting awards. Watch this film!


2nd Runner-Up
The Social Network

David Fincher does an amazing job directing what could have been an otherwise dull film. The Social Network delves into the people behind the formation of the social networking juggernaut known as Facebook. Great directing, acting, and a soundtrack by Trent Reznor equals one of the best movies of the year.

1st Runner-Up
Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky is one of the most consistent directors out there and this film proves no different. The acting is amazing in this film. Natalie Portman delivers an Oscar-winning performance as Nina, a ballerina who aspires to be the principal in her ballet company's upcoming production, Swan Lake. If you watch Black Swan, there will be no question why she deserves so much praise. The supporting actors are no slouches either. The ambience in this film is creepy throughout. Even during the now infamous girl on girl scene, there is a sense of creepiness that permeates the screen. Thus delivering one of the most amazing psychological thrillers I have ever seen. And that's not just hyperbole. Aronofsky has quickly become one of my favorite directors.


Best Film of 2010
Inception

It was really tough to choose the best film this year. If you ask me tomorrow, I might change my mind and say Black Swan. That is how close it was. But no film captured my imagination, made me think, and at the same time entertain me like Inception did. Christopher Nolan, like Aronofksy, is one of the most consistent directors out there today. Nolan gathered a great cast and created an entertaining film that features that "hyper realism" Nolan loves so much. Delving into dreams is a concept that has never been done quite like this before. Furthermore, Hans Zimmer's score is so fitting and helps tell the story musically. It really helps create this great atmosphere like you are in another world. A world that is similar to our own, yet fantastical at the same time.

It is also worth noting how detail-oriented Nolan is. He created some amazing scenes in this film. Just mention the hallway scene to anyone that has seen Inception and they will know what you are talking about. It is amazing to think how much time and effort must have been used to create scenes like that. That is why I must present Inception with The Doctor's Prognosis' coveted Film of the Year Award!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is my hero!

I hope you all enjoyed my latest entry. I'm sure you do not all agree with me, so please let me know what you think are the best films of 2010.

See you again soon!

3DS, RRoD, and Kinect GET!!

Hello everybody and welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis!

I was going to write about movies but I was able to get my hands on a brand new 3DS! Actually, it belongs to my brother. But that didn't stop me from buying a few games and putting it to the test.

Also, my XBox died when some friends came over to play some games and hang out. It just froze suddenly during Dead Rising 2. When my brother restarted the system, it gave us the dreaded Red Ring of Death! Forced to buy a new one, we decided to go all out and buy one with a Kinect and Dance Central. Here are some impressions!

Dance Central

So far, the game has been very enjoyable. Which almost made me forget about the expense of buying a whole new XBox. Almost.

Now I admit to being skeptical about the Kinect but Dance Central is a lot of fun. I had some friends come over to try it out with me. Some were more rhythmically inclined than others. Fortunately, there is a "Break It Down" mode to teach you the moves before attempting the song. But most important of all, they all had fun. In other words, I found a new party game!

Dance Central can be as easy as you want, or extremely difficult. Harder songs have more complex moves, while selecting harder difficulties on the same song will change the routine up more often, with a wider variety of moves added to the routine. Generally, choosing a harder difficulty is more fun since it will be less repetitive, and a better a workout. But it might be a good idea to practice before tackling the harder songs. If more games like Dance Central come out for Kinect, we'll be in for a good ride.

The only downside I've noticed? I now have this song stuck in my head....

Prognosis: Dance Central is great but I don't see much more I want to play in the horizon. There is definitely potential there but hopefully some clever developers outside of Harmonix can come up with some good applications. But with the fun I'm having, Dance Central may be worth the price of admission alone. At least you know Harmonix will always keep their game updated with new content before releasing a Dance Central 2.

Nintendo 3DS

The first game I purchased was Super Street Fighter IV. The controls aren't too bad. What helps is that the touch screen has large pseudo buttons to perform a couple special moves along with a super move and your selected ultra. This was much appreciated considering how hard it is to press all punch or kick buttons at the same time. Don't get me started on double fireball or 360 motions.

Another really cool feature is an over-the-shoulder perspective called "Dynamic Mode." Although it does not sound like it would be intuitive, it works quite well and makes the 3D look even better. You might not want to switch back to normal view once you try it. The online mode also works really well whether playing with friends or battling random people online.

The graphics look amazing as well. Backgrounds are static now but still 3D. Character models look great. Especially in Dynamic Mode. Overall, it's a great port. SSF4 is worth checking out even if you already own the console version.

Pilot Wings Resort, while not as good a game as SSF4, is still a fun little diversion. It's easy to get into for the casual gamer. The 3D actually makes the game easier thanks to the depth perception. This makes it easier to judge how to adjust in midair as you play such as when flying your biplane through rings. Worth checking out for more casual gamers. And it helps that it shows off the 3D quite well.

Every 3DS comes with AR Cards to use for some simple games. I played one where you shoot arrows at targets followed by a large dragon-like boss. It is a simple but fun game where you must lay the AR card down on a flat, well-lit surface so the 3DS camera recognizes it, and move around the card to get a good shot at your targets. The 3D effects and warping of reality in the game comes off quite well. It's basically a fun little tech demo. There is definitely potential there.

Another great built-in tech demo game was Face Raiders. You use the built-in 3D camera to take your friend's picture to put them in the game. Similar to the AR Cards, the game uses the camera to warp reality as you turn and shoot your friend's face. Except this time, you're more stationary and just need to turn while you are surrounded by faces. The game will definitely make you laugh since it will warp your friend's face, making him or her laugh or putting disguises. I found this one very enjoyable. I hope to see more games using this kind of technology to enhance play.

Prognosis: I really liked the 3DS. There is a lot of potential I didn't see until I got my hands on it and began playing with it. I'm also happy to see that it is compatible with WPA routers as opposed to the WEP-only DS I own. The downside is that my eyes did start to bother me after a half hour of use. There is a handy slider on the side of the unit to minimize the depth of the 3D or just turn it off. I can't wait to play more games on it. I plan to buy my own eventually but buying a new 360 with Kinect puts that off a little longer. Hopefully, once I do get it, there will be a more steady flow of games coming out. In the meantime, I'll just borrow my brother's 3DS. :D

I hope you all enjoyed my prognosis on the Kinect and 3DS. Let me know your thoughts on the Kinect and 3DS too!

See you next time!

Best Album of 2010

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis!

In case you were all wondering, I have been busy with college and work. If I'm not busy with one, it's the other. :P

I was planning on doing a best films entry but I am going on vacation for a week so I decided to do a quick entry on my favorite album of 2010 instead. I will do a best movies entry when I return from my trip.

Best Album of 2010
The Wild Trapeze by Brandon Boyd

For those that do not know, Brandon Boyd is the lead singer of Incubus, and The Wild Trapeze is his first solo album. Boyd purposely goes for a raw sound here, eschewing the highly digitized, over-produced sound we hear so often today. Therefore, The Wild Trapeze sounds like it was recorded at home. Sometimes the tracks can sound unclear, as if the mic was turned up far too much, but that lends to the uniqueness of the sound. Furthermore, Boyd plays nearly every instrument you hear. So despite its flaws, The Wild Trapeze succeeds as an album made for the love of music, or "music for music's sake" as Brandon Boyd himself put it.

Now I would like to share a couple tracks. But first, to get a feel for the music, listen to 30 second samples from every track in the album.

Thanks to an old friend, I was introduced to Brandon Boyd's first single, Runaway Train. I loved the feel of the song, and the lyrics really spoke to me. I made a decision to buy the album right there and then. Furthermore, the music video was really well done. Boyd shows off some of his artistic abilities other than just his music.

With such a strong album, I found it difficult to choose a favorite. However, I found myself listening to Mirror of Venus the most. I feel like there is a hint of romance and adventure, but also a sense of urgency at specific points. Take a listen and see what you feel the music tells you.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Doctor's Prognosis! While I have shared music in the past, I have never made it the sole focus. I plan to share more music in the future. Especially if I think it is music that is easily overlooked like Brandon Boyd could be. And hopefully I can make a few of you new fans.

See you next time!

Best Games of 2010

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Doctor's Prognosis!

This is how the year in review is going to work: Every game mentioned will get a short review and will be in order leading up to the Game of the Year. I will also include a few of my favorite music tracks from some of these games. First up are the best downloadable games of the year starting with a review I meant to do earlier....


Downloadable Honorable Mention
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

Unlike previous 2D Castlevania games, Harmony of Despair focuses on multiplayer. Very little story to it but you can play as several characters from previous games such as Alucard from Symphony of the Night, and Shanoa from the more recent Order of Ecclesia. Each character plays differently enough to be interesting such as magic users and melee based attackers. However, HD eschews the old leveling system for an equipment based one. So in essence, HD plays a lot like a Castlevania/Diablo hybrid. This is supposed to help with balance but more often than not, a newbie will have trouble keeping up with veterans. So it is recommended to do a little single-player action to learn the ropes and earn some better gear before trying online multiplayer.

Up to 6 can play together through Live.

There are only 6 levels but each one is made up of enemies from previous games and sometimes not even the best looking ones they could have used. The levels themselves are mishmashes of areas from previous games and must be completed within 30 minutes. At the end of each level is a boss from a previous game which will net you a gold chest with nice loot. This can get addicting but can also be repetitive. Thankfully there is some DLC to help with replayability with some more characters and levels available for purchase. There are also some extra song tracks available for purchase to be used in the level of your choice. The music, while terrific, is also remixed from previous games. But seeing as the music has always been one of the series' hallmarks, this is not a bad thing.

Overall, Harmony of Despair is a fun game that can provide several hours of gameplay, but strays a bit from the old formula. It can be confusing for new players since many of the game's mechanics are not straightforward, and therefore may give a bad first impression. If you can stick it through, HD is a flawed but rewarding experience for Castlevania fans. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair gets a 7.5 out of 10.


Downloadable First Runner-Up
Limbo

Limbo is a fun and challenging puzzle-platforming game. It is a game of trial and error where you must go from one challenge to the next as you travel through a bizarre and unsettling world. The art style really makes the game stand out and helps set the disturbing mood along with the soundtrack. What makes the soundtrack stand out is actually the lack of music, which is kept to a minimum. When music is used, it is used effectively and helps keep the dark mood going throughout.

Think and act quickly to survive.

The main downside to Limbo is the short playtime. You can finish the game in only a few hours. There is some replayability thanks to some of the achievements which encourage you to play a second time. But there is little incentive to play it much more than that. Despite that, Limbo is fun and will make you think as you try to overcome each challenge the game throws at you. Limbo is not only one of the best downloadable games of the year, but one of the overall best games of the year! That is why it was so difficult to choose between this game and the winner. Limbo earns a 9 out of 10.


Best Downloadable Game of 2010
Super Meat Boy

This was a tough choice but Super Meat Boy won due to its simple but fun platforming gameplay, great level design, wicked sense of humor, and a surprisingly amazing soundtrack. Each world in SMB has several levels to complete before the final boss fight. You, as Super Meat Boy, must complete the level by simply rescuing your girlfriend Bandage Girl from the evil Dr. Fetus. You simply walk, run, and jump to complete each level. And each level, when completed with an A+ rating, will unlock a "dark world" level to complete as well. There are also several playable characters to unlock which all play differently. There is no shortage of things to do in this game.

This game is hilarious!

The only downside to this game is the punishing difficulty. While challenge is good, SMB can get frustrating at times and may discourage some from playing any further. Thankfully, this is a game of trial and error, and you can try each level as many times as you like. And when you finally do finish that level that gave you so much trouble, you get to see a replay of every attempt of the level at the same time so you can watch all your errors and deaths at once.

Despite the difficulty, SMB is still a lot of fun and reminiscent of games like Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. And like a Mario game, if you die it is your own fault as the controls are very precise. Furthermore, it is not just the best downloadable game of the year, but one of the best pure platformers ever! That is why Super Meat Boy earns a 9 out of 10.


And now the best in console gaming!


Console Second Runner-Up
Super Street Fighter IV

Super Street Fighter IV took what made vanilla SFIV great and expanded on it. Two great new characters were introduced with Juri, a Tae Kwon Do master from Korea, and Hakan, a Turkish oil wrestler. Furthermore, many old favorites have returned such as Adon and Guy. Even a few SF3 characters were included and tweaked to match the fighting system such as Ibuki and Dudley.

SSFIV could have stopped at adding new characters and new stages but the game has been further balanced and now features more modes than ever before. The online component was ramped up for further replayability and fun. With so much added to the game, and a lower price point than vanilla SFIV, Super Street Fighter IV earns a 9 out of 10.


Console First Runner-Up
Halo: Reach

What can be said about Halo: Reach that hasn't been said before? It is just a more refined version of what made the old Halo games so great. It helps that the graphics were finally revamped. This helps make this the grittiest Halo ever. The single-player component is still strong but is more fun with friends like usual. And the online is better than ever. The addition of special abilities to choose from before each online match helps ramp up the strategy in the gameplay. If this is indeed the last Halo developed by Bungie, it is a great swan song that shooter fans will be playing for a while. Halo: Reach earns a 9 out of 10.


Overall Game of the Year 2010
Super Mario Galaxy 2

Is anyone really surprised? No game I played this year was both as fun and as challenging as SMG2. It really is difficult to think of anything wrong with this game. Like I mentioned in my complete review, the developers could have been lazy but instead expanded on what made the first game so great: the power-ups, the music, the precise controls, and the pure fun factor. Oh yeah! And Purple Coins!

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is what every game aspires to be. It just oozes quality and never feels hackneyed despite being a sequel to an equally large game. That is why Super Mario Galaxy 2 earns not only a 10 out of 10 but also The Doctor's Prognosis' coveted Game of the Year Award!

One of the best games ever!

I hope you all enjoyed my 2010 year in review for games! Make an appointment for my highly anticipated year in review for movies as well!

See you again soon!