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Rise to Honor (PS2)
by simon020187
== JET LI RISE TO HONOUR ==
Jet Li Rise To Honour is a 3D action adventure beat-'em-up game and revolves around Jet Li's character Kit Yun. This is one of the few beat-'em-up games that I like and the fact it features the likeness, voice acting and motion capture work of martial arts actor Jet Li makes the game really good. The game ... was published and developed by SCEA (Sony Computer Entertainment Of America). The game is also a PS2 exclusive and isn't available on anything else. Rise To Honour features a good storyline as well as non-stop action. Rise To Honour rarely features any loading screens, it features a lot of action, fighting and running after people and overall could be the best beat-'em-up on the PS2. The game was released back in 2004.
=== STORY ===
You are Kit Yun (Jet Li) who is an undercover Hong Kong police officer who is ordered to be the bodyguard of Boss Chiang who is an old friend of Kit Yun's father. Whilst Kit is trying to protect his fathers old friend a sniper shoots him and kills him leaving Kit upset. However Boss Chiang's final words are to Kit and he tells him that he must deliver an envelope containing some serious information about the crime syndicate to his estranged daughter, Michelle. After delivering the letter Kit finds that a mysterious gang are after his blood. Kit now must find a way to bring them down and stop anything happening to Michelle. The story is quite good but its English subbed so you must read everything or you'll most likely lose track of the story.
=== GAMEPLAY ===
You only control Kit Yun in the game who is of course Jet Li. The game plays like a scrolling beat-'em-up and its fairly simple to work out where to go in the game because there is only one way there could be some obstacles though and these include ladders, ledges, tables and much more than can be navigated. All you do is press the button displayed in the tutorial and you can climb ladders, walls, jump things and so on. The main part of the game is the fighting and Jet Li does the actual motion capture work to the game. Some of the fighting is brilliant and most of it is very different to what some martial arts games feature. There are numerous ways to defeat your opponents which include beating them to death with devastating combos, by throwing them into walls, through windows or off ledges.
There are a few different types of enemies that you will come up against. The average looking normal enemies that would only be tricky if you're surrounded, bigger enemies that seem to be quick and good at countering and even enemies which you need to use focus attacks to defeat them. The normal enemies can be beaten with routine combos which can be done with the right analog stick. All you do is slap the stick on multiple occasions in the direction the enemy is in and you will do some delicious looking combos and possibly finish your enemy off. This also works well with multiple opponents because all you do is twiddle the stick where the enemies are and you can unleash some smart looking multiple combos. Bigger enemies require you to counter their moves before you can pound on them with combos. Countering is simple and consists of you holding two buttons then twitching the right stick at the right moment. The much smarter enemies require you to use your focus attacks to defeat them. Under your health bar is a focus meter which you can use whilst attacking to make your attacks quicker, more powerful and more accurate.
The game also features some bosses but they're usually just normal enemies but a little harder to defeat. You can also use weapons to defeat your enemies and some of which include guns, chairs and other fantastic weapons all of which do a lot of damage. You will also come to some parts in the game that you will need to run and avoid things one of these is a guy with a machine gun. You have to avoid his bullets whilst you make you way to him so you can disarm him. There are a lot of characters that you will come up against and interact with which is okay. Overall the game only features story mode and a couple of options but nothing else worth mentioning.
=== GRAPHICS ===
The game isn't great for graphics but there are some parts of the game that look really good. Jet Li looks very detailed but that's because the real Jet Li did the facial expressions and everything else. Also the design layouts of the levels and places you visit are quite good but some do look a little dated at times. The fighting in the game is the best for graphical features because they look stunning. Overall the graphics are okay for a 2004 game.
=== SOUND EFFECTS ===
The sound effects are okay in places but the whole game involves you ready everything because its in a different language. This isn't at all a disappointment but sometimes the sound effects seem to fade and vanish for a number of seconds. Also the game sound effects are okay but sometimes they seem to fade a little as well. I also don't think too much to the music in the game. Overall the sound effects are a little disappointing and should be much better.
=== DIFFICULTY ===
The game isn't at all difficult. The controls are the easiest part of the game because you don't even use all the controls. The fighting in the game is very simple because you mainly only use the one button. Also navigating through the levels are simple and shouldn't cause too many problems. I did find the game got a little harder as I got further but overall it shouldn't cause too many problems.
=== LONGEVITY ===
The game isn't a massive game in terms of length but because of the type of game it is it can be played numerous times for fun. Also with the game only featuring one playable game mode the length overall seems a little disappointing too. The game took me only about 14 hours which I guess is okay for this type of game but should really be doubled. Overall it is a little disappointing but the game itself is still a lot of fun and has a lot to offer.
=== PROS ===
*Some fantastic fight scenes and combos.
*Lots of variety in the gameplay with numerous moves, weapons and much more being usable.
*The game features the likeness, voice acting and motion capture work of martial arts actor Jet Li.
*Non-stop action from start to finish.
*Its incredibly cheap for a decent game.
=== CONS ===
*Graphics look a little dated for a 2004 game.
*Some of the sound effects are weak and seem to fade when playing the game.
*Only the one playable game mode which is a shame.
*Such a short game overall.
*No multiplayer features or options available.
=== FINAL THOUGHT ===
Rise To Honour is a very reasonable game in my opinion and to be honest there isn't a lot of its kind. This is probably one of the better beat-'em-up games but it just feels its lacking something special to be classed as a great game. Rise To Honour is the type of game that is based on non-stop action and to be fair it works well, Also it does give the feeling that you're in a Jet Li movie. Overall its good but could do with a few more game modes or some sort of multiplayer mode.
I would recommend the game mainly because it features something new with the gameplay and the new combos and fighting techniques the game has. Also if you like a good action game then this could be for you. I would recommend the game to fans of games such as Streets Of Rage, Final Fight or even Urban Reign. Also if you like martial arts games you should try this out because I'm pretty sure you wont be too disappointed. The manual is quite good because it lists all relevant information about the game. Also the game has an age rating of 16+.
I bought the game a few months back because it was really cheap on Amazon. Wasn't 100% sure what the game would actually be like but to my surprise it wasn't all that bad. It cost me just £2 including postage which is fantastic value for money. The game is still on Amazon for roughly the same price and I would definitely recommend it for just how cheap it is. It is a great game and I'm sure you will like it too if you're a fan of these games and are looking for some new material for PS2.
So its a good game with good qualities. Okay the graphics and sound aren't particularly good but the gameplay features make up for that. I would give Jet Li Rise To Honour a very reasonable 7/10!
Review also on Ciao under the username: MrBrightside1987!
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Singstar Singalong with Disney (PS2)
by doomichelle
Genre : Sing a long
Target audience: One for the kiddies
Players: 1 - 8
Network play: no network play
Singstar Disney combines my two greatest loves in life Disney and computer gaming. Sold for the PS2 console you also need to buy yourself some Singstar microphones before you can play this game. Let the ... humiliation commence. Also compatible with the USB eyetoy but this is not a necessity.
Tracklist
* 101 Dalmatians - Cruella De Vil
* The Jungle Book - I Wanna Be Like You
* Peter Pan - You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!
* Aladdin - A Whole New World
* Lady And The Tramp - He's A Tramp
* Sleeping Beauty - I Wonder
* The Aristocats - Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat
* The Lion King - The Circle Of Life
* Sleeping Beauty - Once Upon A Dream
* Beauty And The Beast - Beauty And The Beast
* The Lion King - I Just Can't Wait To Be King
* Tarzan - Son Of Man
* Cinderella - Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo
* The Little Mermaid - Kiss The Girl
* Toy Story - You've Got A Friend In Me
* Cinderella - The Work Song
* The Little Mermaid - Under The Sea
* Winnie The Pooh - Winnie The Pooh
* The Jungle Book - Bare Necessities
* Peter Pan - Following The Leader
Singstar Disney has a wide range of tracks from popular Disney films for you to sing along to from ballads, to Randy Newman, Elton John and up tempo tracks. My issue with Singstar is that there are such a mass of Disney songs out there that the potential was huge, while they may have selected some great songs there are also plenty that they have missed. Twenty songs doesn't seem like much to offer when there are so many out there.
Blisfully, rather than listening to yourself catcalling along to the Disney classics, the original versions are here too. In fact, in reality, you don't even have to sing the words. I've found it you just hum along for a while you still earn points, which I suppose is cheating a little but what can I say.
Gameplay
Pass the mic : up to eight players compete by you guessed it passing the mic so everyone gets a go. Not really much fun for the other players who have to sit around waiting for it to be their turn again.
Battle : Go head to head to score the most points and beat your opponent into the ground with your epic singing skills.
Duet : Combine your skills and sing together. Good fun for those who lack the competitive need to succeed.
A word of advice. Avoid playback. If you wish to retain any sort of dignity do not use this feature. Stripped of the comfort of the original vocals, playback allows you to listen to just yourself mumbling into the mic. It isn't pretty. The quality of the microphones isn't exactly brilliant and they do little to amplify your voice.
How you play
While clips from the movies play, the words come up on screen and you sing along with them. Your pitch is classed as either awful, bad, good or cool depending on how well you hit the notes and a bar on screen shows where you are in relation to where you should be. It's pretty simple stuff and is easy to pick up. The kids will love it and adults can have fun playing along too.
What I would have liked is a wider selection of songs to sing to as this selection certainly won't last long. Songs are available to play either in long or short version. There are also medleys on offer which are a selection of tracks mixed into one, not exactly seamless track.
Most of the appeal in this game comes from the entertainment value of hearing yourself belting out all the Disney classics, it's not meant to be hardcore gaming, it's just a bit of fun. Great for kids parties and a bit of family fun.
One feature missing from this version of Singstar is the ability to interchange disks while playing. Usually you can change to different versions without having to restart the system however in the Disney version this is not possible.
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Singstar Anthems (PS2)
by Whizz11
My favourite song of all time in the whole world is Whitney Houston I Wanna Dace with Somebody so it was no coincidence that I bought this Singstar Anthems game. I am a big fan of singing even though I know I am no good but that still doesn't stop me from belting them out on this game. I like the Singstar franchise because its the ... perfect party game. We often have friends round and either have Wii tournaments or Singstar competitions if the wine has been flowing well.
Singstar is a musical singing game which really encourages participation from everyone and to me is much more fun than a shoot em up game or games of that type. Thankfully lyrics are displayed on the bottom of the screen but I have to say with this version of the game I hardly needed them Anthems is a perfect name for this game as these songs are real belters that everyone knows the words to and are the type of songs that would feature heavily in a karaoke competition.
Singstar is a game where you use wireless microphones which I really like as it means there are no funny wires getting in your way and you can jump around and dance without worrying that you are going to pull the wire out of the socket. I do find though that you really have to sing into the microphone so it will pick up your voice so I have to hold mine quite close to my mouth, none of this moving it around like the pop stars do but it is quite responsive and I find that when you sing the notes it corresponds up on the screen pretty instantaneously which is good if you are in competition with someone else. The microphone is quite authentic feeling and looking so you actually feel like a proper singer with this in your hand. The microphones are made with technology that recognises your pitch, tone and rhythm so it does encourage to actually sing properly which I like.
As well as the lyrics on the screen you also see horizontal grey bars across the screen, one for each player. This indicates the pitch and if you hit the pitch correctly if you have the red microphone the grey bar will turn red and if you have the blue microphone the grey bar will turn blue, as simple as that. I like this colour recognition on the screen because you can really see how well you are doing and try and vary your pitch if you need to. If you hit this you collect points and if you get more than your competitor, you win!!
The songs on this game are as follows and includes classics that I think everyone will love. The game was released in 2006 but will stand the test of time just like these snags have.
Queen - Radio Ga Ga
Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart
Take That featuring Lulu - Relight My Fire
Cher - If I Could Turn Back Time
Steps - Deeper Shade of Blue
Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)
Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free
Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive
Bananarama - I Heard A Rumour
Pussycat Dolls - Dont Cha
Leann Rimes - Cant Fight the Moonlight
Donner Summer - I Feel Love
Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up
The Weather Girls - Its Raining Men
Ultra Nate - Free
Scissor Sisters - Laura
Kim Wilde - Kids in America
Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Girl Aloud - Biology
Charlotte Church - Crazy Chick
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