Mediocre fighting games, satisfying retro downloads, and enthralling racing experiences round out this week’s reviews on GameZone. Also, we take a look at some upcoming games and provide coverage of F.E.A.R. 3, Spider-Man: Edge of Time, Wakfu, and more. Don’t forget to check out our exclusive interview with Portal 2 writer Erik Wolpaw. All this and more in GameZone’s Weekly Wrap-Up!
Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive Review
The latest entry in the Naruto Shippuden franchise has launched for the PSP. Kizuna Drive offers arena combat for up to four players. Sadly, the experience isn’t as enjoyable as it would seem, providing lackluster mechanics, weak multiplayer modes, and an unfitting PSP experience.
Hard Corps: Uprising Review
Having just hit the PlayStation Network, Hard Corps: Uprising is the latest entry in the legendary Contra franchise. Although it may feature a new look and a different name, this is Contra through and through. Gamers searching for a stylish, tough-as-nails shoot ‘em up need look no further.
Moon Diver Review
Like Uprising, Moon Diver offers plenty of old-school gameplay that’s increasingly challenging. Unlike Uprising, however, the game gets overly repetitive fast. That’s not to say it’s a bad game. It just fails to deliver enough variety to keep it entertaining as long as Uprising.
Shift 2 Unleashed Review
Shift 2 Unleashed proves that a name change doesn’t mar the satisfying fast-paced gameplay of the Need for Speed franchise. With improved handling over its predecessors, beautiful visuals, excellent track design, and stellar gameplay, Shift 2 Unleashed is a dream for racing game fans.
The Tomb Raider Trilogy Review
Have you missed out on Lara Croft’s latest adventures? If so, The Tomb Raider Trilogy includes all three of the video game heroine’s latest explorations. There’s nothing here to justify a purchase for gamers who already own the titles, but anyone who wants to catch up on the series should definitely give this compilation a look.
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars Review
It may suffer from a lot of the issues that drag down most Lego games, but with impressive visuals and plenty of gameplay variety, Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars is quite possibly the best game to come along in awhile. Due to its Star Wars theme, fans of the franchise are sure to get a kick out of this title.
Wakfu Preview
Are you into cutesy MMOs with tons of things to do? If so, then be sure to check out our Wakfu coverage. The game is so engrossing that it took writer Cassandra Khaw longer than she expected to publish the preview!
AMY Preview
Can AMY bring back horror in the survival horror genre? It’s still unknown whether this upcoming PlayStation Network title will deliver, but so far, it’s on the right track. Check out the full preview of AMY right here on GameZone.
Dragon Nest Preview
Though Nexon America’s Dragon Nest suffers from some weak customization options, there is certainly a lot on hand for fans of MMO games. Will the game’s charming appearance, decent amount of variety, and interesting character classes be enough for gamers to overlook its somewhat archaic design choices?
Spider-Man: Edge of Time Preview
Now that Beenox is the sole developer of Spider-Man games, they’ll have to put a lot of effort into crafting an enjoyable web-swinging experience for fans of the franchise. So far, Spider-Man: Edge of Time means to improve the formula of Shattered Dimensions. Will this be the Spidey adventure fans have been waiting for?
Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters Preview
Speaking of superheroes, the Green Lantern will be heading to consoles in Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters. Will this DC Universe hero be good, bad, or simply average when he makes his rounds on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and 3DS?
F.E.A.R. 3 Multiplayer Preview
F.E.A.R. 3 is easily one of the most anticipated titles of 2011, but how well does its co-op mode hold up as the game nears release? Will the lack of cooperative mechanics hinder the two-player experience in this horror FPS?
The Fancy Pants Adventures Preview
After presenting two outstanding Flash entries, developer Brad Borne is bringing The Fancy Pants Adventures onto consoles via Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. How is this side-scrolling platformer looking as it nears launch?
Pre-Launch Portal 2 Interview
Check out our exclusive interview with Portal 2 writer Erik Wolpaw. He discusses the game’s characters, the challenges in expanding on the original game, and the impact that cake will have in Portal 2.
Big in Japan: Catherine
GameZone’s Richard Eisenbeis gives his thoughts on Atlus’s strange puzzle platformer Catherine. How does all the puzzle gameplay, running and jumping, anime style, and constant talking fare in this surreal title?
