It’s stats time!
Monster Roster
Storm Skyress Level 12 G Power 910
Griffon Level 11 G Power 860
Ultimate Dragonoid Level 10 G Power 900
Blade Tigerra Level 5 G Power 250
Hynoid Level 3 G Power 200
Bee Striker Level 6 G Power 340
Alpha Hydranoid Level 12 G Power 1100
Monarus Level 7 G Power 400
Warius Level 6 G Power 350
Ravenoid Level 11 G Power 850
Manion Level 8 G Power 560
Gargonoid Level 8 G Power 550
Terrorclaw Level 6 G Power 370
Fear Ripper Level 10 G Power 650
Centipod Level 3 G Power 190
LASERMAN Level 4 G Power 250
Stinglash Level 8 G Power 500
Falconeer Level 9 G Power 550
Saurus Level 2 G Power 70
Robotallion Level 12 G Power 860
Juggernoid Level 3 G Power 100
Harpus Level 3 G Power 250
Siege Level 3 G Power 110
Fortress Level 5 G Power 200
Sirenoid Level 3 G Power 80
Cycloid Level 4 G Power 300
Reaper Level 8 G Power 510
Hammer Gorem Level 9 G Power 600
Preyas Angelo Level 7 G Power 510
Training Records
Dexterity 700
Defense 157
Attack 387
Speed 140
Intelligence 390
Bakugan is pretty big franchise and it’s always looked exciting. I’ve never seen the anime or checked out any of the reading material, but I consider myself to be an experienced fan. Why is that? Well, I own the first PS3 game and I own the 2nd PS3 game, along with the next DS game. From the title of the review, we can also figure out that I own this one, meaning that I’ve got the whole collection. I’m pretty psyched to work on the PS3 one, but I have a lot of PS3 games on the back burner so we’ll see how quickly I’m able to get through it.
The first game in the series was pretty incredible so this game had some really big shoes to fill. The game started out at a quick disadvantage since they would be getting rid of most of the marble part of the gameplay and just keeping in the turn based system. After playing it, I can say that the gameplay hasn’t fallen too far. Getting rid of the marble gameplay is a little disappointing, but the turn based part is great on its own as well.
The gameplay in itself would probably net the game an 8. I was tempted to give the game such a high rating, but there just wasn’t enough content. The game has 25 levels which may sound decent, but the levels are over in a matter of minutes. I completed the entire game in about a day and it’s much less when you consider how long I was actually playing the game. It’s only a few hours long and did I mention that the game is ultimately easy? If you are not at a high enough level to defeat the enemy, just beat a minigame which will drastically increase your monster’s attack points. Each minigame ranged from around 30 seconds to a minute and a half. If you play the mini games enough, your monsters will easily be strong enough to win the battle.
The actual plot of the game is good and the Earth is in trouble. The main villain, Vector, has kidnapped all of the Bakugan from Earth. He is mind controlling them and he plans to create the ultimate Bakugan and take over the world! Maybe even destroy it when he’s good and ready. Dan (The Man) must use his new Bakugan to save his original Bakugan and also save the planet while he’s at it. The cutscenes are comprised of stills, but they have more variations than the average game so they’re still fun to watch.
The main problem is the fact that the villain’s will constantly say the same things over and over again. Nearly all of the dialogue is recycled footage and it can get a little repetitive. The soundtrack is leagues under the PS3 game and I miss the main character from the game as well. Dan is still solid and he can hold his own game so it’s not a very big loss. The supporting characters don’t really get to do anything in this game so I don’t really have any opinions on them. The animation is really good for the stills, but not so good for the actual gameplay. They look really weird and you may think that we’re back in the GBA era. (Some of those games had better graphics) Still, who needs good animation when the gameplay is so fun right?
The main menu is pretty bare bones and there is really nothing to do after you’ve beaten the game. You can replay the old levels and power up your monsters I suppose. It will certainly be easy enough since the levels go up really fast, but there isn’t much of a point in the long run. I just stuck with a Fire, Fire, Grass combo to take out all of my opponents. It’s a really solid roster to have, especially since the final villain uses dark types.
Overall, I definitely recommend this game. The main drawback is the fact that the game is so short and that’s why I’ve made sure to warn you about this. You will be done with the game in about a day and there may not be much reason to start playing it again. It may be destined to go back in the drawyer for all of eternity, but I still recommend that you buy the game. It may be short, but the gameplay is pretty great and I had a blast. Sometimes a game may be short, but the gameplay can still make it incredible. (Bleach for PS3. Although that one had a lot of other modes to help the length) Let’s not forget that LASERMAN is in the game as well! Also, watch out for the epic, twist ending. Let’s just say that things got real!
Overall 7/10
Sonic has had some very long comic series in the past and things have went up and down during the duration. The art can be pretty incredible at its best and below average to really bad during its worst. This is a compilation collection that brings several Sonic comics that show off the villain. Since we don’t have to worry about direct continuity or consecutive issues, let’s see if they really got the best issues in there!
Two of the comics involve Eggman’s big battle against Snively. I’ve never liked Snively and that is something that I doubt will change anytime soon. He attempts to rescue this magician who is able to control robots, but Eggman has some fighters of his own. Snively uses a really old robot type of guardian while Eggman brings in a really cool robot that can land a really good hit. Instantly we can tell who has the better robot at his disposal. Eggman also has Mecha Sally at his disposal and while Snively and the magician are able to control some of Eggman’s robots, it’s just not enough. The comic was decently good, but I think that Mecha Sally was a little under powered in the battle.
The best comic was easily Metal Sonic’s battle against Shard. Shard is the original Metal Sonic and he’s seen the error of his ways. Unfortunately, Eggman continues to build other Metal Sonics to cause some havok. Shard takes most of them down pretty easily, but then Eggman builds one with a Sol Emerald as its power source. The battle is definitely intense and while Shard knows how to make some pretty good puns, he’s also a very good fighter. Not only did the art help to make the battle fun, but things were much more exciting than the usual comic. This comic also leads into the crossover with Mega Man, which will also make you want to keep reading.
We also got a comic where Jet and the Babylon Rogues decide to go and have an adventure. There’s more of a plot then that, but this was easily the weak link in the comic. Jet isn’t a very exciting character, but he’s all right. His two partners are the main problem since they’re pretty boring. There isn’t really a sense of danger in the issue and you have to wonder about the point of it all. Maybe the plot will get more exciting in future issues.
Ixis Naugus and Bunny take on a giant creature in another comic. Bunny is definitely a lot tougher than I remembered and Ixis is tough as well. The people seem to think that he has turned over a new leaf and are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. It’s sad since Sonic tries to convince them, but to no avail. At this point, you would hope that they would have learned to trust the hedgehog a little more.
This is a collection about the villains, so it’s to be expected that Sonic doesn’t appear that much. The first comic is where most of his screen time is, but he was quickly dispatched by Mecha Sally. Her abilities are definitely formidable and Sonic didn’t seem to stand a chance against her. Sonic always seems to have a backup plan, but rescuing Sally could be very difficult. His friends aren’t much help so he may have to do this on his own.
Overall, this is a very good Sonic collection. There may not be many comics in it and the plot lines can rapidly change from one to the other, but that’s what makes it so fun. The art is consistently good in this one and the characters are mostly enjoyable. Shard, Metal Sonic, and Sonic are definitely the best characters, but Knuckles isn’t bad either. The comic is still mainly a comedy with some action, but that definitely doesn’t hurt the fight scenes. There is some very light romance in the comic, but it’s only there for a few pages at the most, so you can easily ignore it. I would usually say that this is the perfect jumping on point for the series, but it really isn’t. All the more reason that you should check it out! This way you can get used to the villains before seeing the main characters all the time.
Overall 7/10
It’s time to continue the Superman reviews as I move on to Smallville’s comic tie in! Since this comic continues the the TV show, many people were definitely thrilled about the announcement. I have not seen the show, which shows that I am perfectly qualified to review the comic. I can review it with a clear mind and won’t let the show influence me…although I think the show did drop the ball on some aspects. Of course, I would still be able to review the comic if I had seen the show.
I can safely say that the comic isn’t very confusing for newcomers to the franchise. It’s essentially your average Superman story that takes place during an early point in his career. Lois knows Superman’s secret identity and the world is pretty happy with their hero. Lex Luthor is plotting as per usual and Green Arrow gets his own subplot as well. Let’s focus on Superman for a second.
Superman is basically in character and while he doesn’t seem to be as smart as is usual comic incarnations, he’s smart enough. He lost his temper pretty quickly with Lex, but it’s to be expected since they were friends back in the day. Lex Luthor has gotten amnesia which happened during his clash with his sister. One of them didn’t live through the event and Lex also paid a cost, with his memory. Now his sister’s consciousness is inside of Lex as well, which has caused his brain to grow. Lex is now smarter than ever and just as devious. Superman believes that Lex is still a good guy deep down, but we shall see.
Green Arrow is getting ready to leave town, but he still make time to take care of the occasional villain. I don’t really care for his design in this comic and I actually prefer his new one from the Arrow tv show. The actual character is all right and it’s good to have a hero who is also rich to oppose Lex for once. A spaceship lands and Earth 2 plots start to come in, which means that he may have a much bigger role in future volumes.
There is only one fight in the volume, but it’s a pretty good one. After Lex sabotages a rocket and places someone’s mind inside of a machine. The machine man loses control and attacks Superman. It’s a pretty fun fight and many buildings are broken during the battle. There is never a doubt as to who will win the round, but it’s nice to see an opponent who can land a good shot on Superman.
The one complaint that I’d really have with the comic is the art. Superman in particular just doesn’t look right. It’s not just the fact that he looks really young, but he just looks off model for most of the comic. I believe that the art could definitely improve, but I am used to the amazing art that the New 52 contains. Art can definitely hurt the enjoyment of a comic, but it’s not awful so it won’t destroy the comic.
This comic will have a lot of references to the TV show, but it doesn’t take away from the experience. It just means that fans of the show will get an extra kick out of reading the comic, but it’s nothing that will prove to critically take you out of the issue. I found the Earth 2 plot to be interesting so I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for that. The government was cool with Superman for most of the comic, but thanks to Lex, they have started to trust him less as the comic goes on. I have a feeling that this is not a good sign for Superman and it’s only a matter of time until the Kryptonite gets involved. I recommend giving the comic a shot. Superman is the main character and he’s a character that is nearly always awesome.
Overall 7/10
