App Review: Scribblenauts Remix IOS review

        Few Games on the app store have accomplished the ability of having a gamer, like me, invested. Often I will play a game on the iPhone for roughly ten or so minutes until I become bored and decide to move on to the next one. That's not the case with the "Scribblenauts", a game originally released on the Nintendo DS which has now gotten a port onto IOS devices. I never had the opportunity of trying out the original "Scribblenauts" on Nintendo's dual screen handheld, so I really didn't know what to expect. Often I am intimidated by puzzle related games because I normally like to have an experience in which I can just kick back and relax. "Scribblenauts Remix" was a different story as it provided both addicting gameplay and an overall rewarding experience for just the price of $1.00.
        The gameplay is "Scribblenauts" greatest achievement. There are a total of five stages and within those five stages are ten puzzles. Each of these puzzles require the player to type a specific word or adjective in order to complete the puzzle. The word the player types in becomes a part of the world. For example, there is a puzzle that requires players to find an alternative way to extinct the dinosaurs (discarding the use of weapons or meteorites). Simply type in the word "Dragon" or "Tsunami" and the game will spawn these "ideas" on the screen to complete the puzzle. This is the reason why I kept coming back to "Scribblenauts Remix", making the  game highly replayable by going back to previously completed levels and simply taking a different approach.

        My only complaint with "Scibblenauts Remix" is the use of the camera. The game often requires the player to move the camera to the left using two fingers. Many times I would do this and it would start to move my character into a pit or run him into spikes. This becomes frustrating at first but it doesn't hinder the experience too much.
        Overall "Scribblenauts Remix" is one of the most addicting and enjoyable experiences in which the App Store has to offer. If you are looking for a game that will keep you invested, don't pass this up, as you may miss out on one of the app stores' hidden gems.

Video Game Review: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary for Xbox 360

        With the release of the 10th anniversary title "Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary" for Microsoft's Xbox 360, I think it is the perfect time for me to give my two cents on this HD re-release. After all, this is the first Halo title developed by 343 Industries because of the end of Bungie's 10 year contract with Microsoft. So is the Halo franchise safe or is it a step backward? Well I am happy to say that the game is going in the right direction and it's great to play the game that defined Microsoft's original Xbox all over again.
        With Anniversary, players get a remastered version of Halo's original campaign as well as hints to the upcoming release of "Halo 4" later this year through skulls and terminals. Players will also receive the "Anniversary Map Pack" which carries seven remade maps that span from the original Halo to it's later release on PC and a few from it's sequel. The best part about this package is that it only costs $40 dollars and for any fan of the Halo franchise, this is a must-own.
        Now that's all said and done but how does it make Anniversary's overall package? The campaign is pretty much the same as it was ten years ago but players have the option to switch between both the 2001 and 2011 graphical outlook on the fly, making it playable for those who want to relive the experience as it was intended and to see how much progress we have come over the past ten years. I will say though that it's HD look is a little below that of last year's graphical presentation of "Halo Reach" but either way, the game looks good. One of the new inclusions to the game is the ability to play two player online co-op of xbox live, which fans of Halo have been wanting to see for a long time. The campaign is a blast to play through but there's not a whole lot of incentive to go back unless you're in to finding easter eggs and earning achievement points.
        Flipping over to the multiplayer side, players will get to enjoy Halo Reach's multiplayer, whether you own a copy of Halo Reach, or not. I can see the respect 343 Industries has for Reach's multiplayer fan base but there's a lack of innovation as it's the same experience I had last year. However, all is not bad as the design of the Multiplayer maps are great. Developer Certain Affinity returns to give us the maps we  have enjoyed over the years, each of which are well crafted with the addition of added details to the environment. Each of these maps bring a sense of nostalgia and are redesigned for the Reach multiplayer format.
        Overall, "Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary" brings gamers back to the game that changed how we play first-person shooters today. The campaign may not offer a whole lot of fresh content to veterans and the multiplayer is familiar, but for $40, this is an offer no Halo fan should pass up.

PROS

- Great Campaign

- Nostalgia

- Multiplayer + Maps

CONS

- Lack of Innovation

- Replay Value

OVERALL SCORE

8/10

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below! And if you liked this review, please follow.

-ColeTrain

War Horse - Movie Review

      
        I thought I would start off my first review with a film I saw just recently called "War Horse", released on December 25, 2011 for America. The film tells the story of a boy by the name of Albert, who lives in England during the early 1900's. His father decides to purchase a horse at an auction for a high price. Albert starts to grow a connection with the horse overtime and names the horse "Joey". However, things go astray as the horse becomes a financial burden for the family and as an act of desperation, Albert's father decides to sell the horse to the British Army in preparation for WWI. Though Albert and Joey are separated, it highlights all of Joeys' time during the war through secondary characters and also captures WWI from 1914-1918. I won't go any further with the plot because I want to keep this review as spoiler free as possible but that's pretty much the basic plot structure of "War Horse".


    

        Overall, the film turns out pretty decent but not without some flaws. First off, I just want to say the the cinematography in "War Horse" is amazing and it's pretty apparent that Steven Spielberg put a lot of thought and effort into it. Some of the opening battle sequences capture the scope and action that WWI brought. I also think that showing the war through the lives of different characters seemed to work out well as it showed the audience both the English and German perspectives of the war.
        However, I do think they might have used too many of these characters to tell the story. I can see that Spielberg wanted to show his audience the whole course of the war but it is part of the reason why the film drags on for about two hours and 26 minutes (146 minutes total). If a  minor character were to die in the film, I really wouldn't care because of how many of these secondary characters were introduced. It helps span the whole period of WWI but it makes the film twice as long. If they decided to focus on the three major stories, then it would have made it more condensed and would include further character development. I also want to say that this film tries to pull at you're heartstrings and takes a somewhat family approach by showing the sufferings of certain characters and some of these are either a hit or miss.
        Overall, I found "War Horse" to be somewhat enjoyable in my opinion. If the film didn't have such a long run-time, a plot structure similar to other war related films, and cheesy attempts at making the audience cry, then I probably would have enjoyed it more. If you're willing to look past these problems, give "War Horse" a shot. If not, there are just as good, if not better, films in theaters now.

PROS

- Cinematography

- Historical Depiction

- Story Telling

- Setting

CONS

- Length

- Cheesy

- Too Many Characters

OVERALL SCORE

6.8/10

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below! And if you liked this review, please follow.

-ColeTrain

Introduction to ColeTrain Reviews

Hello, and welcome to ColeTrain Reviews. My name is Cole Miller but others may refer to me as "Coletrain", hence the name of this blog. I am 18 years old and a very laid-back guy but I have had some rough patches. However, I found light within movies/films and I hope to further obtain a career in this industry.

I am also very interested in science fiction, graphic novels, anime, and sports. This blog will be primarily used for reviews of movies and video games, both old and new. This will also be used as a discussion of movies/videogames where people can give their insight on the topics within these posts. Be sure to give me feedback (positive or negative) as I always appreciate your opinions. If you like my reviews, please follow and enjoy!

You can also find me at youtube.com/thecoletrain94 where maybe in the near future I will post audio reviews.