David Tolin

Call of Duty 3

December 16, 2006

Ah, another console generation, another Call of Duty game. Call of Duty 2 really set the world on fire when it debuted alongside the Xbox 360 last November, and the sequel has been eagerly anticipated by armchair generals with itchy trigger fingers ever since. Now, Call of Duty 3 has been released on the Xbox 360 and PS3, and it’s bigger, prettier, and just as popular as ever before. But, what of the Wii version? Clearly, it won’t be able to stack up visually, but can Nintendo’s trusty Wiimote and a novel control scheme make up for this shortcoming? There’s no unequivocal answer to that question, since the control scheme can be just as frustrating as it is liberating, but Call of Duty 3 on the Wii packs enough great gameplay to rise from the trenches with honor, nonetheless. As with every Call of Duty game before it, Call of Duty 3 focuses on real battles fought during World War II, placing players in the shoes of various soldiers from different armies on the Allied Front. This third entry in the series focuses on a particular brutal string of engagements in France, where the Allies attempted to wrest control from the Nazi forces. Through the course of the game, players will play through the eyes of a soldier in the American, British, Canadian and Polish armies, respectively. Each stint is accompanied by its own storyline, but none of the passively relayed characterizations or plot developments are especially noteworthy. That’s not to say that the game is dull, however, as the overall narrative isA

At first blush, Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam for the Nintendo Wii may seem like a throwaway title. It certainly doesn’t stack up to the other next-gen Tony Hawk entry, Project 8. While Project 8 perfected the traditional mechanics of the seriesA

Viva Pi

November 24, 2006

You know, marketing synergy really sticks in my craw. I completely understand the need and desire to take a product and sell it to the widest audience possible. That’s the way money is made, and it makes sense for advertisers and companies to make as much money as they can. Still, I really have to work hard to suppress feelings of resentment when products are created with a clear intention to capitalize upon multiple marketsA

Ah, Tony Hawk… How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

…One…

Okay. I guess I have to admit it. I’m not the world’s biggest Tony Hawk fan. I used to have a passion for the series, but that faded quite some time ago. From sequels that sort of went nowhere, to A

Tony Hawk’s Project 8

November 20, 2006

Ah, Tony Hawk… How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

…One…

Okay. I guess I have to admit it. I’m not the world’s biggest Tony Hawk fan. I used to have a passion for the series, but that faded quite some time ago. From sequels that sort of went nowhere, to A