Daxter: Now with 100% less Jak!

Daxter is great portable platforming fun. The game has loads of personality; Daxter is consistently funny and interesting to listen to. It's a shame the writers didn't come up with a story to match the witty dialog. As far as I can tell, Daxter's stranded in this city and stumbles upon a job exterminating bugs.

The story isn't the focus here, though. Top notch platforming is what Daxter is all about. Very linear, jumping and timing based levels keep things focused. This essential aspect of a portable game is something too many PSP developers forget.

I'd be yawning if all the game had to offer was platforming, though. Daxter's spray gun starts out as just a way to stun bugs before squashing them dead. By the last level, it's become a flame thrower/energy gun/jetpack that really opens up the level design. These upgrades could have been given earlier; the last few levels have much more creative situations due to the variety of tools you've accumulated.

One look will show you that this is one of the best looking PSP games yet. I especially enjoyed the animation of the characters and enemies. You'll probably never even give the controls or camera a second thought; they feel very natural and allow you to play without complications.

All of the levels are tied together by a large city that feels quite empty and purposeless. A menu or map to choose locations from would have served just as well. As with any platformer, there's the optional trinkets to collect. The problem is even if they're precariously placed, your unlimited lives encourage you to dive in without restraint. These orbs unlock bonus minigames with Daxter in movie parodies of Braveheart, the Matrix, and Lord of the Rings. These games sound like fun but are little more than simon-says button mashing, and won't compel you to play more than once.

Daxter has another issue that is becoming too common lately. A great game with an epic end battle that has just the right amount of challenge leads into an unsatisfying 15 second video ending. It's a small mark on an otherwise polished game, but you can't deny the bad taste it leaves as you put the game back on the shelf.

I can't recommend Daxter enough to any PSP owner. It can be had for less than $20 now and you'll surely get your money's worth.
8/10

Virtual Console Love

Virtual Console goodness does come at a premium, but who could argue with the excellent games that have been available in the past few weeks? Here's a few I've been putting my rose-tinted glasses on for.

Super Mario Bros. 2
A game that's much bigger, more colorful, and more fun than I remember. I played the hell out if it back then, of course. The memory of it's successor just dwarfs this classic. Unique mechanics, interesting characters, and great control-what's not to like? Many complain because of the changes made or the questionable pedigree here; I welcome the variety here and say today's Nintendo could learn a bit from their own past.

Devil's Crush
This is the best videogame pinball I've ever played. The ball behaves naturally, there's a great variety of challenges, 3 levels to the table, and great depth to be found. Devil's Crush is also very addicting; you'll want one more play to get that bonus round you barely missed. One of the top 10 VC games released yet- go get it now.

Ninja Spirit
I'm always fascinated at how a 15 year old game like this can absolutely capture what makes videogames great, while even today we have games that struggle with basic things like smooth control, variety in weapons, and enemies with personality. Ninja Spirit is a very polished action game. Controlling your ninja is smooth and accurate. I had fun using the 4 different weapons, and giving them upgrades gives you incentive to stay alive and keep your uber-powerhouse status. Think gradius with ninja stars and grappling hooks. Bosses are large, detailed, and numerous. Ninja Spirit's one frustration is the strange way in which one enemy will merely deal damage, while certain enemies will kill you with one hit. Trial and error is the only way to discover these 1-hit threats. Ninja Spirit is worthy of standing tall alongside Ninja Gaiden.

That's all for now. I'm purposely not writing about sure thing downloads like Paper Mario, Super Mario World, and Link to the Past. Nobody likes reading about games they know are good. I'd like to give dynamite headdy a try this week. Look for impressions soon.

Last Gen Gaming is so underrated.

It could be my lack of broadband, the $60 prices, the massive hardware failures, or the 10 hour "epics", but my 360 is gone, turned into a cool $250. I'm proud considering I kept the hard drive, and the $50 price cut is coming in a week or two. The mounting guilt every time I saw the mess of unplayed systems sitting in my gaming area became too much. Call it a wallet protecting measure for the absurd number of titles coming in the next few months.

I've got to admit though, I'm enjoying the duller polish of the last gen. Focusing on the Wii and PS2 has given me a welcome appreciation for the backlog. Okami, FFXII, Ace Combat 5, and Metroid Prime 2 all were tragically overlooked in former christmas release clusterfucks. Next time you're sitting down to enjoy a game, take a look at the collection. Find those unfinished gems, and remember a time before achievement points and when games shipped in their complete version (most of the time).