MIDWAY ARCADE ORIGINS REVIEW: GRAVE ROBBING

When Warner Bros. acquired much of Midway’s assets after their bankruptcy, the publisher didn’t waste much time on making use of its back catalog. Much like what Midway did in previous generations; Warner Bros. puts out yet another arcade classic compilation. This collection of games is one we’ve seen many times over, and it’s puzzling on why every Midway arcade game wasn’t thrown onto the disc, considering the amount of data a disc could hold. This is far from a “definitive” collection, and half the games on here would hardly be considered a classic.

NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED (ANDROID) REVIEW: IT MEANS WELL

If you had high hopes that this version of Most Wanted would be like the console (or even the Vita) version of the game, yeah, dash those hopes right now. While this may be an above average presentation for a smartphone game, it’s pretty basic and almost dull. The game lacks the open world environment like the other editions, so there are no drawn out chases, billboards to smash or cars to find and jump into. Everything must be unlocked and bought, and it’s hard to get to the good stuff when the game is so stingy on the cash awards for the events that are completed.

ROCK BAND BLITZ REVIEW: A DIFFERENT FREQUENCY

What do you do when you have a game series in which people are sick and tired of buying peripherals for? If you’re Activision, you could just can the series altogether like they did with Guitar Hero. Or, you could be like Harmonix and look back into your design history and make use of a back catalogue you already have. Rock Band Blitz isn’t an entirely new concept, but it’s a smart and fun way of keeping a brand alive while making a quick buck at the same time.

SSX REVIEW: WELL F*CK YOU TOO!

The developers of SSX must have had a real contempt for its audience. For years, fans of the franchise have been clamoring for an installment for this generation of consoles, and EA finally delivered a new installment, perhaps hoping it would be the last time we would ask for one.

007 LEGENDS REVIEW: LET THE SKY FALL, LET IT CRUMBLE

There was some real opportunity in 007 Legends. The idea of merging a few 007 films into a game sounds like a great idea, considering that there is a whole back catalogue of movies to pull some ideas from. But this was a clear cash grab on Activision’s part to get a product out not only for the movie, Skyfall, but also for the 50^th anniversary. 007 Legends is about as lazy of a licensed product you could get, and for fans of the 007 series, it’s a complete letdown.

FORZA HORIZON REVIEW: SHUT UP AND DRIVE

Remember when the creators of Gran Turismo decided to make a spin-off of sorts, under the name Tourist Trophy? It was basically Gran Turismo with motorcycles. It was also a spin-off that wasn’t exactly what we wanted from Polyphony Digital. Maybe they should take note with what Microsoft, Turn 10 and Playground Games did with the Forza Motorsport franchise, and notice what a proper spin-off of a racing franchise should be.