MARIO PARTY 8 (E)
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**
Nintendo
Wii
The greatest fundamental flaw in “Mario Party 8” (and by extension, every identical entry in the “Mario Party” series) is that even if Mario wins every single mini-game, Luigi can still win the overall game. It doesn’t matter who walks the tightrope faster or collects the most coins. If pure dumb luck has you land on all the right board game spaces, you’ll be warped to a totally cheap victory. I like to think that off screen somewhere, Mario beats the crap out of Luigi after every unfair “Mario Party” defeat.
Even though this is the first “Mario Party” for the Wii, it does little to differentiate itself from its predecessors. The motion controls are nothing special, and half the time you’ll hold the remote like a classic controller. The graphics look no better than GameCube, and the game’s curious lack of true widescreen makes me wonder if perhaps the game was developed for the older console. Between “WarioWare” and “Rayman,” there are already plenty of decent party games for the Wii, so you should probably give Mario and Luigi a break. I’m sure they’re as sick of these games as we are.
MORTAL KOMBAT: ARMAGEDDON (M)
***1/2
Midway
Wii
When I heard the Wii was going to have a “Mortal Kombat” with gesture controls, the demented, violent, 10-year-old sociopath inside of me giggled with glee. I would finally be able to realize my dream of pantomiming ripping someone’s spine out while watching it happen onscreen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way. The gestures are closer to “wiggle Wii-mote” and “rotate in semi-circle” than “decapitate” and “dismember,” but for MK newcomers (or newkomers), the motion controls should be quite intuitive.
SHADOWRUN (M)
***1/2
Microsoft
Xbox 360
Shadowrun for Xbox 360 bears little resemblance to the Super Nintendo RPG of the same name. In fact, it’s not an RPG at all but a first-person shooter -- a shooter featuring elves, dwarves and trolls, but a shooter nonetheless. Essentially, the game is like a “Counter-Strike” or an “Unreal Tournament” that takes place in the tech-meets-magic world of “Shadowrun.” RPG lovers will likely be outraged, but shooter-enthusiasts will be instantly hooked by the online multiplayer.
PONY FRIENDS (E)
***
Eidos
Nintendo DS
If you liked “Nintendogs,” and you’re a girl, you’ll love “Pony Friends.” Strike that. If you liked “Nintendogs,” you ARE a girl, and you’ll love “Pony Friends.” Like that puppy-petting sim, “Pony Friends” is little more than an overgrown Tamagotchi, which you’ll need to feed, wash, and dote on. But the DS hardware makes performing these tasks very user-friendly. During the horse races, you can even improve your pony’s performance by shouting words of encouragement … or threats about the glue factory.
When Las Vegas Weekly contributor Matthew Scott Hunter realized his career as a lab technician was seriously interfering with his gaming, he pink-slipped himself into a successful career as a freelance writer. Bug the hell out of him at [email protected]