Slick, minimalistic menus with bright, vibrant colors and simple design make the game one that’s indeed appealing to sight and sound.
Throw in hidden puzzles, item-collecting objectives, and a host of sub-games and you’re looking at a few weeks or so to clear from your schedule.
As with all rhythm games, song selection is paramount. Similar to many DDR installments of recent years, most of the available songs are super-processed teeny-bopper tunes.
First impressions: The graphics are rough. When we get close-ups of car grills, it looks like something out of Cruisin’ USA for the Nintendo 64.
Like a particularly well-coated Dorito, a few of the mini-games’ rather ingenious design is an unexpected treat in a familiar package.
A little bit of Super Mario Bros. and a lot of Elite Beat Agents, Rio for the DS combines elements of platformers with a rhythm game.
It’s a game that we’ve all played a million of times—if not with Yogi, then with Mario, Sonic, and everyone in between. Gameplay in Yogi Bear is occasionally shaken up though.
It’s bundled with a commemorative CD of 20 Super Mario tunes and sound effects, as well as a booklet filled with unreleased concept art and interviews with the high-bouncing, Italian-American plumber’s creators.
This installment seems a bit heavier on contemporary American hits than games past, which could be a good thing, depending on your tastes and who you ask.
This is the kind of gameplay that represents what the Wii is all about. Or, at least, what it set out to do back in ’07: provide fun, accessible, and short challenges that the entire family can enjoy, regardless of game knowledge or skill level.
There are a few orchestral-sounding pieces, another element reminiscent of Super Mario Galaxy, as well as the high-octane, foot-pounding beats we’ve come to expect from Sonic games.
In some ways, the Wii version feels much richer and filled with more espionage, suspense, and international intrigue.
The biggest drawback here is that the track count is downright puny compared to the game’s console versions.
If you (or those in your life with single-digit ages) are a fan of the MySims series, you’ll likely find the same presentation and type of gameplay you’ve grown used to.
The features, like gaining experience points at the end of each level and equipping your character with new items, offer no complexity, depth or strategic thinking, and feel quite tacked-on.
With the other crafts including dolls, earrings and other jewelry, not to mention all the pink and floral graphics, the target niche is obvious.
Plodding through the lessons can be a bit tiresome, especially when you consider the fact that you must progress through them in order before new ones are unlocked.
The characters and their moves you mimic might make you feel like an idiot, but isn’t that what dancing is?
An improvement over the first game is the tightened controls, and the ability to control your character with the D-pad.
Throw in annoyingly distracting voice acting and bad camerawork and you’ve got a game with a cool premise but frustrating execution.