USA WiiWare Update: Bruiser & Scratch, Hockey Allstar Shootout

Wow, all of them are new... Not from Europe/japan at least..

Nothing for me today. Maybe next week
Looking forward to when Cave story comes out

Looks to be a cracking week for the Yanks, think yourselves lucky you didnt get Bang!

Not too sure about Hockey Allstar Shootout (when they put "all" and "star" into one word you kind of give pause), but Bruiser and Scratch is a buy.

Wow no Tiki Towers this week. I wonder what happened?

Tiki towers is dec 22 according to venturebeat.com

Bruiser & Scratch is a nice surprise. Gonna get it. Screw All-Star Shootout. It looks SO dull and boring.

"...so if you’ve recently purchased Sonic Unleashed and need something to remind you of a time when Sega’s mascot actually appeared in half-decent games, give it a download."

I was kinda offended by that. And plus, for a second, I thought you were saying discreetly that Sonic and Knuckles appeared on the VC. I was gonna be SO happy... But alas....

I'm happy we didn't get Bang. I was hoping we wouldn't today.

Most reviews did state that the Wii-version of 'Sonic Unleashed' was the best version to get. One of the few times the Wii port is better than PS3 or Xbox....
Anyway, Naughty Dog did the terrific 'Drake's fortune' so hope this Bruiser thing is good.

I see NoJ is playing their cards nicely.
And another two WW week, congrats!

I dont believe in bad Sonic games.

....or bad video games....

@Damo: Uhhh. No. It's not. <_<
I'm not gonna bother arguing. It's fruitless. I enjoy it and that's all that matters. And FTR, the Wii version isn't a "port". <_<

But I'm dying to try the 360 version.

I could go on a rant saying how the franchise is moving forward but I'll keep quiet. For now.

If the review is good, I'll probably try Bruiser and Scratch. It looks interesting. Nice change of pace for WiiWare...

Where is Cue Sports?

next week?

These are out in Canada today as well.

I may give the shootout game a try, simply because it's only 500 points. It has multiple play modes and leaderboards, so that must give it 500 points worth of replay value. VC-F folks can expect my professional opinion shortly.

Hi KS8! ^_

I've wanted to make a account here for a long time, today I have a reason to. Why is it that in two weeks, my cool small sites decide to bash Sonic? Over at WiiFanboy, they made a post talking about how awful Black Knight looks, and to my surprise (and probably theirs too) almost every comment was pro Sonic, Unleashed, and Black Knight. Here however, I think KS8 needs some back-up =P

If Secret Rings was a "step in the right direction" Sonic Unleashed was almost there. It's fun, the WereHog is NOT bad and plays very much like a old Crash game, and the music is amazing and top notch. All in all, Unleashed was one of, if not the best Sonic game I've ever played (and if the 360 version is so much better, than I might very well say it IS the best Sonic game). I look forward to what SEGA does next, I really think they can make a Sonic game again with the same amount of greatness as a Mario game.

And to stay on subject, I really hope Bruiser is good. Saying they are ex-Naughty Dog employees, makes me want it to be great.

"Where is Cue Sports?"

More importantly, where is Maboshi's Arcade? Still waiting for it.

I thought Tiki Towers and the last episode of Strong Bad was going to come out today.
Bruiser and Scratch looks interesting though. I think I'll make a purchase.

Heard reports that Bruiser and Scratch was developed by the same people who developed the early PSOne Crash Bandicoot games. And last time I checked, they were awesome.

I was hoping for Maboshi, but I wasn't expecting it. : )

And I haven't played a Sonic game I've really loved since Sonic & Knuckles.

@Versus22 & Corbie
What is this "Maboshi's Arcade" you're speaking of? It sounds vaguely familiar for some reason. Like some long faded memory. (I'm being sarcastic of course. I'm waiting for it as well.)

Elsewhere in the world, Sonic’s second Master System outing is now available on the North American Virtual Console, so if you’ve recently purchased Sonic Unleashed and need something to remind you of a time when Sega’s mascot actually appeared in half-decent games, give it a download.
Agreed.

@Vortex99: You are correct, but I believe it's not the full team - and they only made the first four PSone games, not Crash Bash. I'm certainly going to give it a go though, good reviews or otherwise, especially since the original Crash Bandicoot game wasn't exceptional, but still led to great things (Crash Warped is one of my young highlights), and some other fun games as well (Crash Tag Team Racing and Crash Twinsanity - here's looking at you) - even though later efforts have strayed from the originals quite a lot (which is also a similar reason to Sonic's current hate-bashing, Popyman - since devs always try to change the formula, and end up making a mess up - such as, with the new "werehog" features in SUnleashed).

Oh - and Hockey Allstar Shootout sounds naff.

Crash 3 Warped FTW. Twinsanity + CB3W were the best.

Series went downhill after that.

Hockey Allstar Shootout looks interesting. I'll get it if it gets a good review. Hopefully, we finally have the first good sports game on this service. Now if we can just get some beat-'em-up games...

I'm also offended about their Sonic Unleashed comment. I haven't played it yet, but the reviews I've read generally say that the Wii version is pretty good, especially the day levels. It seems like the best console Sonic game since the brilliant Sonic Adventure 2 (Battle). I'm definitely getting it early next year if I don't get it for Christmas.

@KS8: I agree. One of the best bits about Twinsanity though was the music - god, I love that soundtrack.

Oh, and British peeps who want to try Sonic Unleashed can currently get it from Gamestation for under £20 (thanks to Prosody on n-life for the tip-off).

I downloaded Bruiser and Scratch. First impressions -

-The game was clearly made by professionals. The graphics are nice and nothing dips, the "Channel" icon on the Wii Menu is cute and there is no slowdown.
-The tutorial is absolutely necessary. This is not an easy game. You push items into each other to create new items and eventually all items combine into one. Sounds confusing but it's actually a lot of fun and kind of addictive.
-The story mode has "cut scenes" but there's no real movement, just Bruiser and Scratch talking to each other and occasionally others.
-The music is very nice, relaxing and family-friendly.

I would definitely recommend this game. It's a breath of fresh air and it is a clear step up from other third party WiiWare titles. But be warned - it's very hard.

I also am not prepared to write Sonic Unleashed off completely. Not in the same sense that I've been prepared to write-off practically everything on WiiWare outside of the odd remake, simply because the whole service just reminds me of one big Flash fest. Out of all the games on WiiWare at the moment, I can probably count the games that make me proud of the service on one hand (and no - no-one in their right mind would be proud of the Strong Bad games).

What's worse is that most of the games that don't come across as browser-based crap-taculars suffer from exactly the same lack of imagination. Pretty graphics do nothing to cover up the fact that they suck. Period. All I can imagine is that the excuse must be something along the lines of being on a budget because everyone knows budget development teams have no imagination.

Even Nintendo is making it worse by releasing the Art style games which - let's face it - are about as challenging as picking your nose and just about as pretty too.

All in all, outside of the odd "wonder-game" that makes people sit up and look for all of five hours I doubt much will really come of the service. I'm actually more interested what state the service will be in on its anniversary.

As for this week's line line-up: I'd say no thanks to either of the above, but I'm sure Nintendo of Europe will seriously consider 'surprising' us with this tripe in 10 days time.

@SilentJ - The game is also known as MaBoShi: The Three Shape Arcade in Europe. It came out there on August 29 and in Japan on October 7.

Here is the game page:
http://www.wiiware-world.com/games/wiiware/maboshi_the_three_shape_arcade

@Wiiloveit: YEAH!!! Ice Lab Theme rocks!!! I miss the game...

Above poster: Thanks for your impressions! NOW I'm getting it!

I'll download Bruiser and Scratch when I get more Wii Points. I'm completely out right now after I spend it on the complete set of Space Invaders Get Even and Pit Crew Panic! last week (which was 2800 Wii Points).

When I first saw the screenshots from Bruiser and Scratch I thought it looked like an excellent game was coming!

@ Calculon

Hey! It's the generic internet cynic. Howyadoin?

BTW, I am proud of the Strong Bad games along with the Art Style stuff too.

You have pretty bad taste if you can't find more than 5 games on Wiiware worth playing.

Even Nintendo is making it worse by releasing the Art style games which - let's face it - are about as challenging as picking your nose and just about as pretty too.
So you bought them? Not challenging. If you breezed through:
-Sprint mode of Rotohex
-The F stages of Cubello
-Every moon in orbiant
And still state "are about as challenging as picking your nose" either you are tying to do it without using your hands, feet or tounge. Or you're just being a troll.

@Versus22: (28) They were being sarcastic by making a joke about how it's been out elsewhere for ages and NOA seems to have forgotten about it.
@KS8: Worm Chase FTW!

I wanted Tiki Towers.

Bruiser & Scratch! YES!
Hockey Allstar Shootout! NO!
Maboshi for next week? YES YES YEEEEES!!!

I've said it once, and i'll say it every Monday until we get it, WHERE IS MABOSHI!!!!!!!!

@Mr. Cheez: MaBoShi next week? Where's your proof? We ain't givin' you nuthin' 'til we get our WoG.

Wow someone is a serious sourpuss (cough: calculon!) To cover both topics here, most of the WW games are at least as good as the tripe that was Sonic:Secret Rings. Talk about bad controls! I never liked sonic much, but in recent years it's really been bad. I liked the Dreamcast one, that was nice, but 3d has otherwise not been kind to him. Why is it so hard to just make a sidescroller that moves really fast with really modern graphics? Thats where Sonic shines, nowhere else.

face it, WW is a puzzlers playground and not much else, but that isn't really a bad thing. Simplicity doesn't = bad. So StrongBad looks like flash, so what? it's still funny and great for those that appreciate the old PC click adventure format. Someone needs a chill pill refill.

I'm not gonna rant on it but SatSR was really good and it really made an impact for future titles.

Bwaybuddy wasn't joking, this game IS very hard! I already feel like Toki Tori W3/4 material and I'm only on Stage 5!!! I can't believe it!

This is a GOOD thing though and I'm really enjoying it thus far. I'm a huge fan of Toki Tori and right now, B&S is putting itself in the same league as it as far as difficulty goes, if not higher!

@Wiiloveit: YEAH! Worm Chase was always one of my favs (Ice Lab is first though)! Glad we see eye to eye! Twinsanity FTW!

@KnuclesSonic8 - Glad I'm not the only one who thinks the game is really tough. I guess its difficulty is a good thing, though - at least the hardcore can't complain that it's too "casual"

Yes, Twinsanity was good, for the music at least. The style was odd, but enjoyable. It was actually released AFTER some of the worse Crash outings, you know (like Nitro Kart for example), and before Crash of the Titans (which is really good, even though they changed the character designs questionably). Anyway, Spiralmouth did an AMAZING job with the game.

I have to agree that most WiiWare games suck, though there are exceptions like Strong Bad (yes, I like it, and if that means I'm not in my right mind, then HUZZAH for being crazy!), Toki Tori, and Tetris Party (I really liked some of its unique modes). Bruiser & Scratch is sounding better all the time, though. Gotta check it out when I get some points.

People here hype MaBoShi a lot, I'd advise against that. While the game is good, fun and has plenty of extra features I wish more games had (how many games insist on name entries when they could just let you pick a Mii...) it's not the huge hit that people here seem to treat it as. If you keep hyping it like that you will be disappointed.

I really wish we'd quite getting so many puzzle games. We've got a ridiculous amount already, compared to anything else. I hope we start getting alot more variety soon. Be nice if it was more exploring or point and click, but it seems to be more about puzzles, from what I've read so far.

Still I hope they get out the review for B&S soon.
Also it's hard to believe that anyone would put out anything like shootout. There doesn't seem to be much to it at all. Sort of makes you wonder what some of these companys are thinking (or what they think of us.)

I see NoJ is playing their cards nicely.

And they get this Shootanto game tomorrow. Although it's just that game, they did get the 4 games last Tuesday.
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/wiiware/wsuj/index.html

@longtimegamer - I agree with you somewhat about puzzle games but I must say that they are surprisingly addictive. In the past year or so I've fallen in love with the puzzle genre. I appreciate puzzles with style and character, though - Toki Tori, Dr. Mario Online Rx, World of Goo, Tetris Party, and now Bruiser and Scratch. They offer the player a little something more than just falling blocks or putting things together.

As for your comment on the Hockey Allstar Shootout "game," I agree that it looks pretty simple, even for a small WiiWare download. The thin looks like a tech demo.

I agree with Damo.
Sonic Unleashed + better level design - werewolf gimmick + focusing less on speed - stupid unnecessary characters + saving cute animals - Eggman + Dr. Robotnik = A GOOD SONIC GAME LIKE THE GOOD OL' DAYS!

As for today's releases...nothing interesting to me on wiiware or virtual console. HURRY UP ON CAVE STORY NICALIS! I downloaded it a week ago, and I just beat Balrog...I love it!

Hmmm B&S seems a possible buy, will await the review to see

@Bway- Yea some of them are good like Goo. I also like Cubelo. Be nice to know why all these people decided to do puzzles.

On the topic of Sonic, I think Sonic needs to do what Mega Man did; he needs to make a new game much like Mega Man 9 on a downloadable service. Basically all they'd need to do is make something like Sonic 1, 2, 3, or Advance/Rush and make it a DL game. Throw in some Challenges and Leaderboards for Time Attack, and you've got a hell of a Sonic game on your hands. Oh, and include the Super Peel-Out from Sonic CD. I always thought that was awesome. Don't forget to call the antagonist Ivo Robotnik and remove uneccessary characters (any characters since Sonic Adventure and beyond that wasn't around before SA), and it'll be even better.

Man, Rouge, Amy, Big, and Shadow sure aren't very popular! Wonder why... I don't give a fart about Silver or whoever they added for the Sonic Riders games, though.
I also don't see why everybody hates Eggman so much. He's not all that different from Robuttnic anyway, right? And I can't see them taking him out given the series storyline with the lineage and whatnot...

Wow, these came out of left field. Hell, I figured Bruiser & Scratch had been cancelled by now! Oh well, I'm not getting either of them, but for the rest of you, have fun.

From the comments Bruiser & Scratch seems to be on a winners list, shame I'm out of wiipoints for awhile, from now on I'll come to the site just to windowshop , but I'm still supporting the claim for MaBoShi!
I like Sonic a lot, and Sonic Unleashed is my favorite 3D Sonic game so far, I love the werehog and it's night missions as much as the day ones; I also liked SatSR too, because it is so diferent; still, Clayfrd is right a 2D Sonic for WW would be really nice.

@Stuffgame- I believe robotnik and eggman are one in the same. If I'm right, he was eggman in Japan when they were calling him Robotnic over here.

Personally I like the name Robotnic better. I wonder why they changed it back?

sonic adventure 2 battle for the GCN was the best sonic ever made!!! I loved and the whole thing was plainly spectacular!!

@shadows262- pshh... <chuckle>... huh... HAHAHA! You think SA2B is the best Sonic game ever made?!?! Everyone has the right to their own opinion, but in this one case, that's just plain wrong! I can't even begin to count the number of ways that game is terrible, especially when compared to stellar games like Sonic CD and Sonic 2. I'm going to have to go laugh that one off for the next 30 minutes.

@longtimegamer - Yeah, Eggman and Robotnik are the same guy, but I like the name Robotnik a lot better. As far as I know, Eggman is an insulting nickname given to Ivo Robotnik by Sonic and his friends. Oh, and Robotnik should be the only human in any Sonic game period.

IGN reviewed Bruiser and Scratch:

http://wii.ign.com/articles/936/936615p1.html

Not a favorable score. I was hoping for a more positive review especially from a game by some ex-Naughty Dog employees but so far, I'm not swayed into B&S.

The IGN review notes mainly that they don't enjoy the characters or the low production values. They say that the gameplay is very good. Honestly, I'm getting a lot of enjoyment out of the title. And no, I'm not a Steel Penny employee, before you all run a background check. LOL

Don't let their review sway you. ESPECIALLY not from IGN. <_<
The game is defniitely worth more than a 5.0.

@bwaybuddy: How far are you? I'm only on Stage 5! XD
The game is tough. I'm pleasantly surprised.

And yeah, I'm enjoying this game too. YMMV (Your mileage may vary) I guess...
But trust me, it's challenging. Better than I expected.

I love the way IGN quickly reviews the bigger name titles and just gets to the others whenever they feel like it.

Psssh, yeah. You know how IGN works. >_>
IGNorant for sure.

@Knuckles - I'm at level 10 so far... I can't imagine how hard it gets at level 20!

@Clayfrd - For SA2B, let's see...1/3 outstanding gameplay (Sonic and Shadow) + 1/3 very good gameplay (Tails and Robotnik) + 1/3 not so good gameplay (Knuckles and Rouge) + great boss battles + epic final level + very good graphics for the time + incredible music + best Sonic story ever written + great multiplayer + tons of extra missions + kart racing + the incredibly addictive chao = the best Sonic game ever made!

I wonder which would be more fun B&S or Boingz?

Anyone tried both? I'm guessing B&S takes awhile to beat. Does anyone know how long Boingz is?

@Bulbasaurus Rex - You miscalculated: 1/3 decent Sonic gameplay + 1/3 clunky screwing around in robots w/ Tails and Robotnik + 1/3 terrible (Knuckles) + bland bosses + completely unblanced and ridiculously stupid final boss & level + horrible cheese metal + WTF? Story + meh multiplayer + shallow chao side game = Sub-par contender for WORST Sonic ever made. I am apalled that you could even consider comparing SA2B to the likes of the amazing Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

As good as Bruiser and Scratch looks, I think I'll pass. I'm just burned out by the glut of puzzle titles on WiiWare at the moment. Hockey Allstar Shootout looks...okay (would be a lot better if it would let you play the actual game of hockey instead of minigames based on certain elements of the sport). For 500 points, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and wait for a review. In the meantime, I have a Tetris tournament to win.

I'll probably take a pass on these games since neither genre really appeals to me.

Boy, IGN is really disliked on this site and not just from this comment board. I'll admit they have some bias, but I would assert they have no more than any other site. Oh well, each person appreciates their own reviewer.

As for those who are a bit cynical towards WiiWare, I question why so many of you consider most of the games on it crap. According to this site, 39 of the games released so far in both regions are worthy of a six or higher rating, 19 of those scoring an eight or higher. While I admit I haven't played pratically any of these games and don't know the caliber of games on the other gaming services offered on the other consoles, I still am confused to why WiiWare's services are awful. Yes, it could use better games, but is it really awful?

I love the way IGN quickly reviews the bigger name titles and just gets to the others whenever they feel like it.

Like every other site on the internet?

I'm not sure anybody said, "Hey guys, let's review that Madagascar game everyone's been talking about because Gears 2 can wait!"

Heck, even this site had the Tetris review up before the Incredible Maze.

I am apalled that you could even consider comparing SA2B to the likes of the amazing Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
I think by court order we might have to be enemies then seeing as how I enjoyed both of those titles. And pretty much the rest of the franchise.

@ AlexSays - Yes but IGN seems a bit more blatant about it as far as the WiiWare releases go. They don't even have a review of Pit Crew Panic up yet and it's been over a week since its release, yet they scrambled to get out a review of Bruiser & Scratch.

Oh and I like IGN. I've been reading the site since it first popped up many years ago. I just thought their prioritizing of the WiiWare releases was kinda funny.

Wow, that ign review is horrible. This game is worth AT LEAST a 7/10.The graphics are pretty good for a wiiware title. The gameplay is amazingly challenging (i can't get past level 10!). The only thing that needs a little help is the music, that said, the music isnt "bad" its just unexistant which is sort of a positive because the last thing i need is over the top music distracting me on a very frustrating puzzle. As far as i'm concerned, this is a good, worthwhile title. buy it!

Let's see, article is: wii-kly update. Responses are: wiiware sucks, wiiware is great, I love sonic, no you don't, this sonic game is the best and why, no this one is and why, grr, debate, etc. I love how these things start.

@Comment 38 (Ren): SatSR was a much better game that the set-peice fest that was the original Sonic Adventure on Dreamcast. Whilst I agree non of the 3D Sonic games are much to write home about, Secret Rings is still the best of them by far.

As for Strong Bad being funny. I'd rather just go and laugh at the Flash stuff on the website and get what little entertainment the creators are willing to prescribe for free. Modern point and click adventures are fine as long as they're not bland, ugly and slow and suffering from largely forgettable characters - sadly, Strong Bad suffers from all of those.

@Ren: Sonic at the Secret Rings was a damn good game in single player mode, even though the songs and party mode were a load of tripe. Plus - there was nothing at all wrong with the controls.

RE: IGN
I don't like the way that their review scores are all over the place. One day, they'll highly overrate something. The next - they'll slag it off completely. It's almost as though their review scores reflect a teenage girl experiencing mood swings for the first time.

@Wiiloveit-I liked your IGN comment. Made me laugh. Funny.

On another note, I was expecting the review for B&S to be out when I woke up today. Must be doing a thorough review. Hope it's almost done.

Hasn't anybody here PLAYED Sonic Adventure 2? With all the debating about its quality, I'd assume they have, yet people still think Robuttnic (the joke name Sonic DID make up for Robotnic) and Eggman are the same person. Look at the story: Robotnic is Eggman's GRANDFATHER! It's very clearly stated. It also does much to explain why the world of newer Sonic games is so much different from the Robotnic days.

For my money, the entire series is horribly flawed with the drop-all-your-rings deal (though if this one doesn't have that problem, I'm intrigued). Even so, I like Sonic Rush best of all the Sonic games I've ever played (and I've played both Adventures, every Genesis game, some Sonic CD, and more). It's what ALL new Sonic games should be, I think. Though I've been meaning to check out the Unleashed demo on Xbox Live...

ook at the story: Robotnic is Eggman's GRANDFATHER!
Robotnik was is the last name. So his son and Grandson would also be Dr.Robotnik assuming they got their doctorate. It makes no sense Robotnik becoming old and dying if Sonic and his friends are the same age. What makes sense is Robotnik and Eggman being the same person. In fact the first scene with Eggman in Sonic Adventure 1 agrees with me as he says he is Dr.Robotnik to which Sonic responded by nicknaming him Eggman, much to his anger.

@Objection_Blaster. Could be worse. We could be moaning about not having enough blocks

So who's doing the B&S review? I hope they post it soon.

@Corby-You guys usually play most games to the end before you review right? What If they take awhile to beat?

@Clayfrd - I guess we'll have to disagree on SA2B, but Sonic 2 isn't even the best Genesis Sonic game. That distinction goes to Sonic 3 & Knuckles (the complete lock-on game).

Sonic and the Secret Rings is pretty good, but it's control issues (not to mention the terrible multiplayer mode) keep it out of the same league as the Adventure duology.

@stuffgamer1 - Eggman's grandfather was Gerald Robotnik, while Eggman is the one and only Ivo Robotnik, Sonic's arch enemy. Eggman is the Japanese name for the character, and it was brought over to the west as a nickname for him in SA1. By the way, they did fix the "drop all your rings on 1 hit" problem in Unleashed.

Also, I like IGN. They're at least a lot better than GameSpot.

Since we haven't got a review yet, I'd like to ask the ones who have played this something. Besides the story, is there more to do than just puzzles?
Also anyone know how long boingz takes to play? How do these games compared to each other?

I'm hoping Bruiser & Scratch is good and makes up for the awful Hockey Allstar Shootout. Nintendo have got to realise the difference between awesome and awful when it comes to WiiWare releases.

I love the way IGN quickly reviews the bigger name titles and just gets to the others whenever they feel like it.

How about Hockey Allstar Shootout?
http://wii.ign.com/articles/936/936990p1.html

@General Discussion on Sonic Story - I don't even care about the story anymore. Sega needs to get the gameplay back on track before I'll worry about that. There's one critical flaw in the story anyway. Sonic's games have inexplicably gone interplanetary; Sonic has, without any explanation, moved from planet Mobius to planet Earth. I know it's about as significant to the gameplay as if the Mortal Kombat games were to move from Earthrealm to just plain Earth, but it is still a continuity error. There is no reason why every Sonic cast member would decide to move to another planet simultaneously and without warning. I know I'm nit-picking, but I just felt like doing so .

@SatSR Discussion- I liked SatSR, but I only rented it. Since it's pretty cheap now, I might check it out again. It was just functional enough to warrant buying at bargain pricing.

@Sonic Unleashed discussion - I have yet to try it. With professional reviews ranging from 3.5 (GS) to 10/10 (actually 5/5 is the highest I've seen, but I think it is psychologically easier to give a product a 5/5 than a 10/10 despite their equal value... oh and I forgot the website), with reviewers favoring the Wii version. I've seen videos of the day stages that look good to brilliant, depending on whom you ask, so I'm definitely going to rent it. Anyone have any thoughts on it? Bulbasaurus, I'm not sure I can trust you after your judgement on SA2B . Just kidding... There are some games that I like that most people don't. I can't think of any off the top of my head, though. Oh, and I love Sonic 3 (& Knuckles), but I think that Sonic 2 just barely edges it out. I usually don't fully appreciate a game until I've beaten it (I thought Ocarina was just good while I was progressing through it, but I thought it was amazing after beating it), and Sonic 2 is the only Genesis Sonic I've beaten (I'm up to Robotnik on S3), so I may be a little biased.

@Topic - To come slightly back on topic, I called the score on HAS. I predicted a 2 or 1 after I saw the video. It looks like something I could make in VB (Visual Basic, a Visual Studio programming language with a drag and drop interface that allows users to create windows, buttons, etc. without need for cumbersome and repetitive creation code, which I haven't learned in Java yet... I've made a Luigi game in VB... okay so all I've done is the physics so far, but I'll finish it eventually).

@ Versus22 - What the ...? Did Hudson forget to pay their IGN advertising money or what? That's a hardcore Pit Crew Panic diss if you ask me.

@Corbie - I guess they did!

Back on topic: Are you doing the review of Bruiser & Scratch, Corbie?

Nope, I'm not reviewing this week. I'm being used in a more administrative capacity. (That means I'm not doing much of anything)

Ok, still no review.

@Ack- I know, but it'd be nice to know how it's going, at least. Guess I'm used to Corbie's feedback.

Just chill. The review will be done when it's done. It shouldn't matter how long it takes as long as it provides a reasonable, thorough perspective on the game.

Personally, I almost never even start writing my review until I've completed a game. Otherwise my opinion has little value because it was formed prematurely. So give Paul a chance to see everything Bruiser & Scratch has to offer and then, once his review is published, bask in the knowledge that you're getting sound advice from someone who gave the game every chance it deserves.

EDIT: If you want my poorly formed opinion, there are much better puzzle games available on the service. Bruiser & Scratch has some decent puzzles, but the execution is so abysmal that it leaves a pretty sour aftertaste.

@Ack- Thanks for the info. I wanted at least SOMEbodys opinion. I had asked for info earlier from people who'd played it. Wasn't getting any answers though.

I read about boingz and how it ended suddenly. What'd you think about that game?

Wish I could help, but I haven't played Boingz yet... And don't take my rather early impressions regarding Bruiser & Scratch as the final word. There is definitely some fun to be had here as it's not a really a bad game... Though also not a very appealing one.

Otherwise, may I recommend Toki Tori? Or one of the Art Style games (particularly Orbient or Cubello)?

EDIT: And pardon me for prying, but have you given World of Goo a shot yet? If not, it's absolutely a must have.

@Clayfrd:.... and breath.

@Ack-Actually, i have everything you mentioned but toki tori, that and the other artstyle game that you didn't mention.
Is there only one solution for each level on toki tori. I heard it was good, Wasn't sure if it was for me.

@Bulbasaurus Rex: A-HA! It's another case of Princess Peach syndrome... Gotcha. I just assumed differently because Gerald looks more like the classic Genesis Robuttnic than the current Eggman, imo. Just a kink in the changed visual style of the series, I guess...

@Clayfrd: Yeah, that's kinda what I meant by this:
"It also does much to explain why the world of newer Sonic games is so much different from the Robotnic days."
I just forgot that they're actually called different worlds, too. Due to these considerations, it's hard to even consider post-Sonic Adventure games to actually be related to the older ones story-wise at all.
Y'know what else is weird about the worlds thing you mentioned? The Master Emerald is there regardless, and its part of Earth always seems more like Mobius than the rest. I think Sonic X did the best job of explaining the apparent lack of continuity overall, though.

Well it looks like I lied. Paul got busy so I'm going to have to take this review. I'll try to hurry it up.

I'm beginning to see a pattern here. It seems that the big game of the week is assigned to a reviewer other than Corbie. Then all of the sudden Corbie ends up having to do it. I'm thinking this could be a conspiracy among the other reviewers to get Corbie to do all the work. Just something to think about.

P.S. I do like Corbie's reviews.

Not to discredit Corbie particularly here, but am I the only one who doesn't really pay any attention to who does the reviews on this site? Just curious, what with all the reviewer talk here lately...

Also, @Corbie: You didn't lie, you just didn't know the future. Just my view on lying, but I don't think it's a lie unless it's an intentional telling of an un-truth. Y'know, just in case you care or something...

I have to say that I enjoy every reviewer that's on this site. Everyone has such a unique style that's quite different from one another. And I try to pick up the slack when someone gets busy as some reviewers on this site actually have lives. I had one too at one time. I just can't remember what it was like.

Oh and the Bruiser & Scratch review is in the system and ready to be proofed so it shouldn't be too long before it's up. Enjoy!

I know life happens. Now if life keeps happening for let's say another consecutive week then we might have a conspiracy. Glad you like to pick up the slack.

Well it looks like I lied. Paul got busy so I'm going to have to take this review. I'll try to hurry it up.

It's okay. I forgive you.

I have to say that I enjoy every reviewer that's on this site. Everyone has such a unique style that's quite different from one another.

This is why all the reviews are interesting.

I played the Sonic Unleashed demo on Xbox 360. Predictably, it only had one day stage in it. That was pretty darn awesome, though. So to anybody who's played it: How bad are the night stages, REALLY? I've seen a few good reviews for the game, but they're mostly pretty bad...

Is there only one solution for each level on toki tori. I heard it was good, Wasn't sure if it was for me.
There is only one solution, but that doesn't make the game too difficult to play. Also: Toki Tori is for everyone, since just about anyone can enjoy it. I also wasn't sure about it at first, but when I bought it, I found myself spending over 2 hours on it, during the day of purchase (quite a lot for me). Highly recommended.

@Popyman -
WHOA!!!! Back up. There is not a chance in hell that Unleashed is better than Sonic 2, 3, or CD. No way.

@Stuffgamer1: Mine arrived today, and so far, the night stages are a bit poor. Going around the stages is okay - but there are too many occasions where you're left with a bunch of enemies you have to fight by swinging the Wii remote and Nunchuck around (a la Wii Sports Boxing). These sections are wrist-aching and pretty long compared to the day stages, which are much faster and fun.

@Wiiloveit - You don't have a GameCube controller or a Classic Controller?

@Wiiloveit: Well, I wanted to know how the stages were WITHOUT control considerations, as I had no intentions of getting the game on Wii anyway. I actually bought it on PS3 and have been enjoying it quite a bit. ALL of it. The Werehog stages are different, but fun, imo. Yes, the day stages are better overall, but the Werehog does in no way ruin the game experience as many reviews would have you believe.
Anyway, thanks for the response. I was starting to think nobody would even try to answer my question...
I didn't know that the Wii version supported Gamecube and Classic controllers until Clayfrd said so, and I double-checked on a GameFAQs walkthrough. I would recommend that method for sure if you're playing on Wii. I'd really recommend the game for Xbox 360 or PS3, though, as I'm sure the action is much nicer there (I find it hard to believe it can run as fast and smooth on Wii and PS2 as it does when I play it on PS3).

@Stuffgamer1 - I rented (well, I'm renting it now) it on Wii, and it runs fine. I also don't mind the Werehog stages. They're not great, but I'd compare them to an average beat-em-up. They don't feel like a chore like some reviews would make you think; they're just a little slow. The soundtrack is a breath of fresh air compared to other Sonics. I'm getting a 360 for Christmas, so I plan on getting Unleashed for 360 (if purely for the sake of adding to my library of games), so I'll tell you which I think is better. They are definitely different from what I've seen on Youtube. Some of the levels have entirely different structures during the day, but I can't find a good night time comparison. Either way, the Wii version is fun and looks good, so I'll see about getting the 360 version. Again, though, the Werehog stages really aren't bad at all, they're just the F.L.U.D.D. of the Sonic universe. Okay, they're not as fun as SMS, but they're still somewhat entertaining.