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Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai-Another Road (PSP)
by shaneo632
Shin Budokai - Another Road is a solid game in the DBZ franchise, and I will preface my review by saying I'm not a huge fan of the anime, but I do enjoy the games as a guilty pleasure of sorts. The game's story is the rudimentary battle of good and evil between a bunch of oddly named young men, but the story does well to offer an ... alternative story that doesn't disturb the mythos too much while offering some fun references for the diehards.
The gameplay is the weakest section; it's not bad, just a bit meagre. The game consists of performing a large volume of missions, such as stopping the baddies before they massacre a village, and it is quite challenging, especially when there is a time limit, but it is quite samey and after a while you'll probably become quite numbed by it. It is well balanced, though, and there's no way you can just run in and destroy everyone.
Visually, the game aptly recreates the style and tone of the games, and should be lauded for that. It looks great on the PSP, and while the visual style is going to irk some right off the bat, fans are no doubt going to love it. Aurally, the game is a different deal, though, and I tend to turn the volume low because the voice work is high-pitched and irritating, and the soundtrack doesn't fare a lot better either.
DBZ fan? You'll probably love it, or at the least have a lot of fun with it. If you're not a fan, like me, the results may vary, but on its own merits, it is a well-crafted actioner that delivers the goods and is oddly quite entrancing and addictive.
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Test Drive Unlimited (PSP)
by shaneo632
I love the old Test Drive games, from those old-school ones on the Amiga, to those newer ones on the likes of the PS2. When a new one was released for the PSP, I had to give it a go, yet as a long-time fan of the series, this felt like a hollow shell; a mere shadow of the original games, and a pretty dispiriting effort in ... all.
Visually, the game looks decent enough, but it's certainly not competition for the likes of the Burnout games on the PSP. There's not as much of a shine to the cars, and the draw distance isn't all that great. Still, it does a more than adequate job. Aurally, there's a good selection of music, but there's the pathetic provision that you have to stop the car to change the radio station! It in many ways is an indication of how, in every facet, this is a very limited game.
The game involves you living in Hawaii and attempting to amass a wealth of cars, using credits amassed from challenges to do so. You also have to buy a home in which to house the cars, and most of the game revolves around using your GPS to drive around, find challenges, and locate better homes. However, the game is marred by one chief flaw; some ABOMINABLE loading times, which hamper the experience and are absolutely distracting as you drive throughout the town.
This is a tedious and poorly designed game that had SO MUCH promise with its quirky concept and classic style. However, the gameplay is woefully underdeveloped, making this an often infuriating experience and not one you should bother with.
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Dragonball Z: Shin Budokai (PSP)
by shaneo632
I find the Dragon Ball series very strange, and oddly alluring. I am not a prototypical anime fan, but I gave this a go anyway upon the recommendation of a friend, figuring the slight style of the series might lend itself well to a handheld game.
I like my fighting games to excel in their multiplayer offering, and thankfully ... this one does. It's just as well, because the single-player experience is often frustrating, because the AI is horrendous, standing still while you beat them senseless, and then charging a super attack out of nowhere while you wonder "how the Hell did they do that!?". The multiplayer, with real humans, is a lot more fun, but sadly there's no WiFi option, and so you can only play with friends who have PSPs.
Shin Budokai certainly looks good, emphasising the cartoonish visuals with great fervour, and rendering both the characters and the levels with solid veracity to their animated counterparts. The fighting style seen in the series is well replicated here, and the regular issues plaguing fighting games, such as rubber banding are not present here. Ultimately they might seem a bit "bubblegum" for those who dislike cel-shaded graphics, but they will do the job for fans, surely. Aurally, the game's not so hot; some goofy songs and irritating voices remind me that this is so typical of anime, and while it's trying to be all "quirky" and "funny", it's more annoying to me.
Unless you're a fanboy or a completionist, this game won't last you too long; the single player is naff, and there's not a whole lot to unlock. Unless someone in your home or a friend you see regularly has another PSP, this is more frustrating than fun.
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