Review: Metroid Other M

Nintendo fans have been frothing at the mouth ever since Nintendo announced at this year’s E3 that a new Metroid would hit store shelves in the fall. Well fanboys and fangirls, the time has come. After months of anticipation, Samus Aran has returned to the console–this time bringing with her a very different game. Yes it’s Metroid; yes it has many familiar characters; and yes it features our favourite heroine. But, mark our words, this is not the Metroid of yesteryear.

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Review: HTC Desire

There has been no shortage of Android phones hitting the Canadian marketplace as of late. Some stellar handsets have popped up like the Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant this past month, and now we have yet another. Telus has released the highly anticipated HTC Desire with its sharp 3.7 inch touchscreen and 1Ghz Snapdragon processor. But does it hold its own in the flooded Android market? Read on to find out.

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Review: Mafia II

Hollywood has always glamorized the gangster lifestyle. Hot women, fast cars, and dirty money. Throw in some gratuitous violence and the storylines are virtually endless. The model would make for a great videogame don’t you think? 2K Czech is releasing the follow-up to its 2002 hit Mafia. All the signature (and cliche) trademarks are here. The game is filled with loose women, paid hits, family favours, and zoot suits. Yet Mafia II seems to lack something…

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The Future Of School Is Now–Cool Things For Higher Learning

Perhaps you were like me: all giddy with the anticipation of the first day of school, savoring the sweet smell of fresh paper and looking forward to using the mini-stapler for the first time. No?

Whether you’re giddy or not, going back to school continues to be a tradition of new gadgets to fill your backpack. There’s still a notebook in there, but the newest ones have keys and not coils.

Over the past year, I’ve come across a handful of cool things that would totally be in my school bag should I be hitting the books in the coming weeks. There are still pencils, but these aren’t your father’s HB2s. Read on, and let me know if my backpack is cool or needs a bit more awesome.

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Review: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

The Tomb Raider series has had its share of ups and downs. What started out as a strong franchise eventually became watered down with ho-hum release after release. While the series slowly returns to what it was, Crystal Dynamics is releasing something quite unexpected. It’s an arcade-inspired platform action adventure with isometric fixed camera.

So different is this game that Crystal Dynamics has omitted Tomb Raider from the title because it doesn’t want fans to confuse this game with the next release that’s still in development. Does that mean Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light doesn’t live up to fan expectations? Read on to find out.

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Review: Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is a good sequel for those who enjoyed the first game in the series (those gamers are in short supply to be sure) with its over-the-top violence and gritty portrayal of anti-heroes Kane & Lynch. For everyone else starting with Dog Days though, the overall package will seem a bit slim and repetitive with some confusing control choices. That only means that this newest entry is better than the first one to be sure, but still lands on the mediocre side of the fence.

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Review: Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant

There’s no denying the popularity of Android phones as of late. Google’s operating system has taken on a life of its own becoming more popular each month. Part of that may be due to the fact that a new Android handset seems to hit the market each and every week. Samsung’s Galaxy S Vibrant is the latest to hit Canada, with it’s snazzy Super AMOLED screen. Sure it looks sharp, but is this Android phone you’ve been waiting for?

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Review: Castlevania Harmony of Despair

Castlevania is a series that has its highs and lows. It’s been around since the mid ’80s in one form or another with varying success across different platforms. We’ve seen sidescrollers, third person adventure titles, and sadly, even a fighter. Some of the attempts have been good, others forgettable. Now we see yet another incarnation of Castlevania, a multiplayer version.

Konami is testing the waters of Xbox Live Arcade with the downloadable title Castlevania: Harmony of Despair. While appears to be a simple old school sidescroller, Konami has taken the game down a different path. Some will like it, others will hate it, and some will ask “What happened to the Castlevania I remembered!”

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Review: Hydro Thunder Hurricane

Ten years ago Midway made waves with Hydro Thunder. The speedboat racer was not only a hit in arcades, but in living rooms everywhere after getting ported to the Dreamcast and ultimately to the N64 and Playstation. Now, more than a decade later, Vector Unit is breathing new life into the classic with a full-fledged sequel.

The original was well-known for its high tech boats and zany tracks (arctic circle, flooded New York City). Vector Unit is promising to bring back what fans loved “with top-notch visuals, brand new over-the-top themed environments and dynamic water-based racing”. Does it deliver?

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Hands On: Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X10 Mini

Sony Ericsson is trying to build on the successful launch of the Xperia X10. The follow-up? A smaller, more elegant version of the popular handset. We got our hands on the X10 Mini to give you an idea of how it compares to the original.

As the name would suggest, the X10 Mini is significantly smaller than the original Xperia X10. At 3.3 x 2.0 x 0.6 inches it is slightly smaller than a credit card. Sony Ericsson claims it’s the world’s smallest smartphone. In fact, the original Xperia X10 seems giant when you place them side by side! The phone fits nicely into the palm of your hand. Yes, it seems small, but not too small that it seems unusable. As for weight, the X10 mini (88grams) weighs almost half as much as the Xperia X10 (135 grams).

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