CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Xbox 360
Video Game Review: ‘Tekken 6’ Punches Way to Fighting Game of 2009
Submitted by BrianTT on November 16, 2009 - 10:54amCHICAGO – What do you look for in a fighting game? A fluid control scheme is key - players don’t want to struggle to figure out the basic moves like kicking and punching and want to feel like they will eventually master the more complex combos from first play. Graphics are important.
Video Game Review: Activision Gets Poppy With Catchy ‘Band Hero’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 13, 2009 - 1:36pmCHICAGO – No one can accuse Activision and Neversoft of allowing their music game franchise to get stale. In fact, some might argue that they have flooded the market with too many similar products including “Guitar Hero: Metallica,” “Guitar Hero: Smash Hits,” “Guitar Hero 5,” “DJ Hero,” and, now, “Band Hero” in just this year alone (with “Guitar Hero: Van Halen” dropping before Christmas as well).
Video Game Review: ‘NBA 2K10’ Dunks Over ‘NBA Live 10’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 22, 2009 - 11:42pmCHICAGO – It’s the same story every year. 2K Sports and Electronic Arts release their basketball video games at the same time and it’s impossible not to contrast and compare. This critic was looking forward to writing something like a scorecard, choosing which title wins in different fields like graphics, gameplay, presentation, etc.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: One ‘Brütal Legend’ PlayStation 3 Video Game With Jack Black
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 18, 2009 - 10:06pmCHICAGO – In our latest extra-special edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Video Games, we have one PlayStation 3 video game up for grabs to the new video game “Brutal Legend” with Jack Black! This video game retails for $60!
Video Game Review: ‘Brutal Legend’ Rocks, But Misses a Few Chords
Submitted by BrianTT on October 16, 2009 - 12:49amVideo Game Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Can a game be clever and beautiful to look at but not be fun? EA’s highly anticipated “Brutal Legend” tests this theory with some amazing design, a unique concept, and very funny storytelling, but with actual gameplay that can be remarkably frustrating. To paraphrase something a friend recently said about something else that seems appropriate here, I liked everything about “Brutal Legend” except actually playing it.
Video Game Review: ‘Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2’ Delivers Amazing Action
Submitted by BrianTT on October 15, 2009 - 4:27pmVideo Game Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – For every “Iron Man” or “The Dark Knight,” there are a half dozen movies like “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” or “Elektra” littering the marketplace. Naturally, those of us well-versed in the world of superhero entertainment consider ourselves lucky if every other product featuring caped men (or women) actually works.
Video Game Review: ‘Heroes Over Europe’ Frustrates More Than Flies
Submitted by BrianTT on October 13, 2009 - 11:21pmCHICAGO – The concept of Ubisoft’s “Heroes Over Europe” immediately intrigued this player, one who has grown a bit weary of the onslaught of sports and shooter titles this season. Maybe this game would offer a unique alternative, recreating the experience of WWII over London, Berlin, the French Alps, and more. Sadly, far too many gameplay issues keep this plane grounded.
Video Game Review: Pound the Boards With Excellent ‘NHL 10’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 8, 2009 - 11:56amCHICAGO – Perhaps the biggest praise I can pay EA Sports’ excellent “NHL 10” is this - despite being a sports nut in general, I’m not much of a hockey fan and yet I found this trip to the ice completely entertaining, challenging, and in-depth. The best sports games not only preach to the choir by satisfying people who are already fans of the actual game but also can bring in people who don’t own a hockey jersey. “NHL 10” could actually increase the popularity of the sport.
Video Game Review: Get Behind the Wheel With ‘Need For Speed: Shift’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 4, 2009 - 7:51pmCHICAGO – Not being a huge fan of car racing games, I was stunned at how addictive and engrossing I found EA’s excellent “Need For Speed: Shift”. A complete left turn from last year’s failure “Undercover,” “Shift” represents the beginning of a new line of games for the “NFS” franchise, one that focuses on authentic racing over its ancestors more arcade style. The only problem for driving fans may be that it’s unclear where the “Shift” line can go from here.
Video Game Review: Adaptation of ‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs’ Tastes Rancid
Submitted by BrianTT on September 29, 2009 - 1:24pmCHICAGO – Even with the long history of awful video game adaptation of hit films, shouldn’t “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” be a slam dunk? The clever family comedy plays like a video game already with a very fun story that should be easy to turn into something playable with a controller. But the video game version of “Cloudy” has already his stores well past its expiration date.