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Video Game reviews Read more video game reviews and share your own at TeenInk. com J 40 XBOX 360/COMPUTER/ PS3 Fallout 3 The name Bethesda Softworks makes many think of “Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.” This is about to change since the company released “Fallout 3,” which was voted best roleplaying game (RPG) of 2008 at the Spike Video Game Awards. This has quickly become my favorite game. The story begins with the main character’s birth in an underground vault. Many of these vaults are located around Washington, D.C., to protect people from the nuclear holocaust that occurred 200 years before the game’s setting of 2277. The player chooses his or her abilities and is thrown into some challenges to learn the controls. Soon the main character’s father leaves the vault, and you must find him. You venture into a wasteland where multiple quests await you. This game may turn some people off because it is an RPG, but it has as much action and speed as any other shooting or first-person game. I bought “Fallout 3” thinking I wouldn’t like it since I’ve never been a fan of the RPG gaming style, but after Connects five minutes you to the of play, I real history knew it was special. The quests never become tedious, and for shooter fans, there are guns. “Fallout 3” uses VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System), which freezes everything around you, allowing you to choose exactly how you would like to attack your enemy. You can watch in slow motion as the bullets fly or a knife or fistfight plays out. The idea of watching the action again and again in slow motion may sound boring, but actually, it’s the complete opposite. You are excited to see how the battle will go next time with a different enemy. Or, conversely, you can just aim your weapon and fire it like any other game. Now, a look at the problems. Honestly, there are few. While playing, at times the game would stop for a second. Another problem I had was the partner AI. The main character can have followers, but sometimes they become more of a hassle than an aid. The partner might run off and attack an enemy out of your sight, and they always have to take the long way around since they Teen Ink • APRIL ’09 cannot jump down or over obstacles. These problems are easy to overlook considering how much work was put into the game and how massive the whole playing experience is. I give “Fallout 3” five out of five stars. ✎ by Fernando Perez, Glendale, AZ COMPUTER/XBOX 360/ NINTENDO DS/WII/PS2/ PS3/MOBILE Call of Duty: World at War Hoping to expand on the success of Infinity Ward’s “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,” Treyarch has continued the series with “Call of Duty: World at War.” The WWII shooter game setting is overused, but somehow Treyarch made it fresh. They accomplished this through refining Infinity Ward’s features, such as the online ranking system and multiplayer, moving the theatre of the battles, and introducing some amazing new features. What I Loved Detail: Every room you enter in the campaign has something new to look at, without any that are empty or repeated. This shows the effort the creators put into making this game realistic and how much they respect the series and the gamers. Scale: Certain battles are huge; for example, the Blood and Iron level will blow you away with its size and the number of people shooting at you. This complexity takes time and effort to develop, not like simply placing 42 troopers throughout a level and letting them go. They programmed each individual trooper’s interactions with his environment and the player as he progresses through the game. New Settings: The past Call of Duty games (except “Modern Warfare”) were set during World War II. Once again, the series travels back in time but introduces a new setting: the Pacific Theatre. This game shows the struggles the U.S. Marines had against the Imper - ial Army of Japan. It makes for a fresh setting and fresh tactics, as you have to deal with a severely entrenched Japanese Army that has no qualms about rushing at you headfirst. Cut Scenes: These scenes between missions are amazing, showing a beautiful version of the experiences of troops, and how the mission is progressing. Actual video of the war is included, which is sometimes gruesome but connects you to the real history. Realistic Deaths: When it comes to video games, I’m all about realism, and this game delivers. The gory effects make it even more jarring and realistic. Multiplayer: Once again “Call of Duty” delivers with multiplayer. All Treyarch really did was update Infinity Ward’s version, but it’s still amazing. It encourages players to improve in order to unlock better guns. Treyarch added a plethora of new perks, weapons, and great game maps. What I Hated Enemy AI: AI, or artificial intelligence, is a major selling point in games today, and although Treyarch throws a lot of bad guys at you, they are about the stupidest bunch I’ve ever seen. The Banzai troops’ sole job is to run right at you, even though you can’t be attacked by more than one. Best RPG of 2008 So there are times when they’ll run past all of the troops in front of you and when they get to you, one will attack and the rest just keep running. Also some enemy soldiers don’t even shoot you when you get close to them. Storytelling: Despite the scale, detail, and cut scenes, the story isn’t all there. The character you play is never given a face or a personality, perhaps in the hope that you’ll see yourself as him, but that doesn’t happen. The story is also very scripted, and parts are predictable if you have played a Call of Duty game before. Despite Trey - arch’s attempts to realistically represent this horrible war that taxed all nations, you don’t fully connect to it. I rate it 8.5 out of 10. by Evan Witham, McDonough, GA PS3/XBOX 360/WII Mega Man 9 “M ega Man 9” looks like a game from the ’80s. While most might dismiss it because of this, the gaming community knows exactly why this game looks and plays the way it does. The reason is simple: newer is not always better. Over the past 10 years, Mega Man has been through many changes both in appearance and gameplay. After the release of “Mega Man ZX,” the blue bomber had produced four game series. Mega Man is now the gaming franchise with the largest number of games in the world, but when it comes to fun and quality, it’s always the original Mega Man that gamers turn to. Capcom, the creators of the series, apparently took note of this; after 10 years, they’ve created a true sequel to “Mega Man 8.” This release marks the beginning of Mega Man’s downgrade to a better series. Mega Man isn’t the only character to be downgraded, Wario, Mario’s popular nemesis, has returned to his 2-D roots with “Wario Land: Shake It!” the fifth installment of that series. Using an incredibly detailed animation style, the second-party developer Good- Newer is not always better Feel Games has created what is essentially a play - able cartoon. The visual style, merged with the motion controls of the popular Wii gaming console, make for a great combination of new and old technology. A third, more unsettling title has caught the attention of the gaming community. “Silent Hill: Homecoming,” the sixth in the series (eighth counting the arcade and cell phone versions), remains true to the previous entries, even though it is now developed by American com - pany Double Helix. To this day, the Silent Hill series remains largely untouched (with minor changes to the more problematic areas), and we can expect the series to deliver trademark symbolic and disturbing imagery along with the occasional scare. Though we live in a world of quickly progressing tech - nology, there is still a demand to return to simpler methods and styles. As long as this feeling exists within the gaming community, we can expect old to become new again in video games. ✎ by Brandon Turley, Akron, OH COMPUTER/PSP/XBOX/ WII/GP2X Cave Story Lately I have been searching for a good game. Many gamers believe this comes down to graphics. Techno - logical advancements continue to raise the bar, but even after playing games with spectacular graphics, I felt starved. Sure, games continue to evolve to more closely resemble reality, but graphics weren’t what I was hungry for. No, I needed story line and gameplay, which many games lack. “Cave Story,” by Daisuke Amaya (who goes by “Pixel”) and the company StudioPixel, is a free, downloadable sci-fi/ fantasy computer game that follows a mysterious cyborg boy suffering from amnesia. After a bit of adventuring, he finds a town inhabited by rabbit-like creatures called Mimigas. When the main character arrives, the town’s population has Free to download and play dwindled to six. As the story progresses, you uncover in- formation about their history and find out why you are there. You befriend Sue, and the mysteries start to build. Although the game is in Japanese, fans have made an English patch to translate it. Five years of work has resulted in a side-scrolling, 8-bit slice of nostalgia that reminds me of the old NES games. The gameplay is a mix of old-school Megaman and Metroid sidescrollers – basically, a 2-D world. The keyboard controls are easy to get used to. Since this game is freeware, it’s absolutely free to download and play. A run-through of “Cave Story” would take at least seven hours, which can triple (or even quadruple) when exploring the many secrets and different endings. The graphics are not topnotch and have been criticized. What many forget, though, is that Daisuke never intended them to be the best. Although the graphics aren’t wonderful, they serve the purpose. The soundtrack is also old-fashioned, resembling that of an arcade game. Even so, the composer made each song unique and catchy. The plus side is that since the graphics and sound quality are both quite low, most computers should be able to run “Cave Story.” This game isn’t famous for its graphics or music, but for its story. The game itself isn’t very hard, but it isn’t a stroll on the beach either. The quests are easy, and the comfortable controls won’t leave you frustrated. Once you submerge yourself in the plot, you will want to tear past levels and decimate monsters so you can learn more about the story. So what are you waiting for? Grab the Deluxe Package from www.miraigamer.net/cavestory. You are only a download away! ✎ by Derek Zhang, New York, NY COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE AT TEENINK.COM USING THE ADVANCED SEARCH
SKA Streetlight Manifesto Somewhere in the Between This album has been a long time coming. Streetlight Manifesto is known for its perfectionism, which explains why this 10-track disk took four years to make. While a bit on the short side, it’s one of the best albums ever made, certainly the best that ska fans have heard in years. Ska bands are known to be generic; 90 percent of them sound almost identical, with The horns are the driving force offbeat guitar parts (similar to those of reggae), fast tempos, and horn sections with short interjections. Streetlight Manifesto transcends this mold with a rare combination of ska/punk and Eastern European genres like nothing listeners have heard before. The only features that tie this band to the ska scene are its fan base and horn section. Featuring Matt Stewart on trumpet, Mike Soprano on trombone, and Jim Conti on alto and tenor saxophone, the group is one of the best ever assembled in a non-jazz environment. And these guys can play; the horns are the driving force. Much of the credit also belongs to Tomas Kalnoky, the madman at the controls of this musical freight train. He writes the lyrics and composes the majority of the instrumentation on an acoustic guitar at odd hours of the night. As Kalnoky has said in album liner notes and interviews, he writes a chord progression on the guitar and hums a melody, which he then gives to the horn section to flesh out. While this may seem like a strange way to write music, it certainly is effective. There is never a dull moment on this album. I have noticed that the average musician struggles with the art of transition. When changing tempo, key, or dynamic (or all three at once), most musicians tend to run astray. This is not the case with Streetlight Manifesto. Their tightness can be attributed to the band’s four years of touring. On “Somewhere in the Between,” every transition is executed perfectly. In fact, most listeners barely notice the changes. Even more impressive, their transitions are just as perfect live, a feat that few bands can boast. While every track is strong, the highlights are “Would You Be Impressed?” and “What a Wicked Gang Are We.” The hypnotic breakdown in the former keeps the listener entranced as the tension builds from barely audible guitar riffs and quiet vocals to wailing horn lines and screaming vocals that declare, “I looked around, I stood alone, I knew what I had to say, I said it’s all my fault!” In the other song, the contemplative lyrics inspired by Shakespeare and soulful melodies of the horn section draw the album to a beautiful conclusion, leaving listeners wanting more. This is one of the most talented groups out there. It is nearly impossible to find a weakness in this album. It is the modern equivalent of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” a masterpiece filled with subtle intricacies that become more apparent with each listen. The best word to describe this music is “intense.” It is by no means easy listening, and it may seem loud and annoying at first, but I promise, once you get into Streetlight Manifesto, you will never get out. ✎ by Christos Schrader, Wyckoff, NJ POP Portishead Third After a 10-year hiatus, Portishead is back with the release of “Third.” The band combines jazz, hip-hop, and experimental music to produce a unique sound. This album definitely is not their best, but that doesn’t stop me from loving it. Portishead picked up exactly where they left off and came back as strong as before. Beth Gibbons’ vocals seem Haunting and mesmerizing part of the instrumentals at times, with her English ac- cent tinged with a bluesy feel. But often there is an obvious concentration on vocals, which illustrates her great imagery. The perfection of lyrics is ripped apart by electronic beats and trippy riffs. Gibbons’ voice tells a story like no other, becoming a part of it and you. As someone who spends most of her time paying attention to the instrumentals, I was surprised by the lyrics. Gibbons grabbed my attention with her riveting tone. The songs are spooky but inviting, with influences from Radiohead, Hendrix, Joy Division, and Howlin Wolf. The riffs provide a labyrinth for your mind to spiral into. Songs like “We Carry On” have methodic, sinking beats and guitar riffs that remind me of Sonic Youth’s prime. Portishead can go from beautiful melodies to gut-wrenching riffs instantly – not the stuff you can dance to. “Machine Gun” features hard-hitting electronic beats that stay with you, and are both haunting and mesmerizing. This interesting blend allows for short break from the intensity with “Deep Water,” which brings you back to reality. You’ll be compelled to give “Third” a second listen. No wonder website last.fm proclaimed it the second-best album of the year. ✎ by Emily McKinstry, New City, NY METAL Judas Priest Painkiller Imagine my utter shock and dismay when I took a stroll through the archives of Teen Ink to find a disappointing lack of reviews of British heavy metal band Judas Priest. “Pain - killer,” acclaimed as one of the band’s most prodigious offerings (and my personal favorite) was Judas Priest’s twelfth studio album. Despite its having been released in 1990, this album remains one of the greatest “complete” metal albums. You can hit play on any track and be thunderstruck by the simple yet hard-hitting lyrics, electrifying riffs, and of course the breakneck finger-melting, mind-numbing solos that metal VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLES ON TEENINK.COM AND TEEN INK RAW fans crave. Things kick off from the getgo on the title track. Lead singer Rob Halford’s octavedefying vocal range gets you fired up for the impending march of the Painkiller (a fictional creation of Judas Priest that the song revolves around). Even though it’s doubtful any- Top of the heavy metal regime body could replicate Halford’s astounding vocals (somewhat akin to King Diamond), you can’t stop yourself from singing along to the chorus: “He … is … the PAIN-KILL-ER! This … is … the PAIN-KILL-ER!” And did I mention the drum solos? Scott Travis, following the departure of Dave Holland, takes his craft to a whole new level. He sets the groundwork for what makes this album a true classic. Guitarists K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton are bloody madmen (I had to squeeze in a bit of British lingo). If you don’t believe me, go check out the tunes “Metal Meltdown” and “Hell Patrol.” To see these guys playing live must be a real treat, as I’ve ascertained from watching a few of their scarce concert videos. However, don’t assume their songs are all expeditious for the sake of speed; they slow things down at the album’s end with the oft-underrated “Living Bad Dreams,” which brings a smooth rhythmic close to this breathtaking album. In my opinion, “Painkiller” takes its place at the top of the heavy metal regime alongside such greats as Metallica’s “Master of Puppets,” Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast,” and Megadeth’s “Peace Sells – But Who’s Buying?” Unfortunately, I can only recommend this album to those Photo by Bianca Azcuy, Damascus, MD who have delved into metal’s roots, as I have found that Halford’s vocal styling can be off-putting to those unaccustomed to the genre. That said, if this album has somehow slipped by you, take a moment and give some serious thought to purchasing this unsung hero of heavy metal. After nearly two decades, “Painkiller” is still the favorite of many a metalhead, and I can almost guarantee you’ll find yourself unable to part with it. ✎ by Corey Patton, Kamuela, HI POP David Archuleta David Archuleta David Archuleta’s self-titled debut album is one of those discs that never get old. If you are a fan of pop, soft ballads, or just good music to rock around your bedroom to, you will be starstruck. The album opens with the chart-topping song “Crush.” If Archuleta’s voice hasn’t captivated you after that number, the next few will most certainly leave you wanting more. Archuleta really brings “teen life” to his songs and speaks to Brings “teen life” to his songs his listeners about falling in love, the confusion of breaking up and, of course, “crushing,” which any teen can understand. Archuleta closes with the phenomenal “Angels,” originally sung by Robbie Williams. Slower tracks on the album (“You Can” and “To Be With You”) fit perfectly with the faster, more upbeat “Touch My Hand,” “Running,” and “Don’t Let Go.” What makes us fall headover-heels in love with this 17-year-old rising star? Is it his voice? His talent? His charm? Normally, I listen to classic rock radio stations; I grew up with the music my dad played in the car. I love bands like America and The Rolling Stones, so I never imagined I would love a pop singer like Archuleta. But his fantastic voice, upbeat attitude, and conservative values really draw teens – and their parents – to this sensational new album. It doesn’t matter whether you are eight or 78: you will be able to relate to any song on the album. It’s worth your while to pick up a copy today. ✎ by Jillian Langford, E. Grand Rapids, MI APRIL ’09 • Teen Ink Music reviews 41
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