Game Reviews: Godzilla, DDR, Golden Compass

The Virginian-Pilot

The Arcade

Godzilla Unleashed

$50 for Nintendo Wii from Atari

Rated Everyone

It might seem challenging to mess up a game that features giant monsters beating up each other and wreaking havoc on cities, but "Godzilla Unleashed" does just that. Despite a premise tailor-made for video games, this game deserves to be squashed under the foot/ claw/tentacle of one of its monsters. Previously released for the PS2 and Nintendo DS to - at best - tepid reviews, it was retooled for the Wii.

Gamers were supposed to be able to dish out massive destruction with the usually fun Wii Remote, but they are just going to end up being annoyed. The Wii-mote's sensors don't do a good job of picking up the gamer's motion and the graphics are substandard even for the Wii. On the plus side, the game features a non-linear story, so it has some replay value, and there are 23 monsters available, including several different Godzillas and everybody's favorite, Mothra. The monster battles take place all over the world in places such as earthquake-ravaged San Francisco, flooded Tokyo and the unfortunate London, which has been sucked into outer space. The environments are almost fully destructible, so at least gamers can take out their frustrations about how bad this game is on a couple of skyscrapers.

Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2

$70 for Xbox 360 from Konami

Rated Everyone

"Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2" is one of a seemingly endless parade of video games that has gamers of all shapes and sizes hopping around on a plastic mat connected to their game console. Exclusive to the Xbox 360, this one lets you boogie all night long without having to deal with smoky clubs and watered-down drinks.

The game has several modes, including one geared just for working out. The updated Quest mode is the most interesting as it lets gamers create their own dancer then take him or her on a dancing career. However, dancing rhythm games like this are only as good as their soundtracks; otherwise, the "stepping in the right place at the right time" gets old quickly. The game's music includes tracks from the last four decades, notably "Walk Like an Egyptian" by the Bangles, "Rockit" by Herbie Hancock and Outkast's "The Way You Move." There are a lot more tunes, including those that can be downloaded via Xbox Live for a fee, but the cream of the crop has to be "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats - " 'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance, well their no friends of mine."

The Golden Compass

$30 to $60 for multiple systems from Sega (reviewed on the Xbox 360)

Rated Everyone

Anything that features an armored bear has to be good, right? Well, not so much. While "The Golden Compass" video game isn't a bad journey, fans of the Phillip Pullman book series will be disappointed in the interactive version. For those of you who aren't familiar with the books or haven't seen the trailers for the upcoming movie (opening Friday), the story focuses on the young Lyra Belacqua's quest to rescue her imprisoned uncle and kidnapped best friend. A shapeshifting animal companion, Pan, and the armored bear, Lorek, accompany Lyra, as does a the mysterious truth-telling device called the Golden Compass.

The result is inventive for a book, but we've seen this before in video games. There is adventure, but anyone who has played video games will recognize the familiar formulas. Plus, it's almost a given that a game based on a movie - no matter how good the movie - disappoints. That said, young adults will enjoy this game and fans of the movie can experience more of this alternate universe that the movie glosses over. All three characters - Lyra, Pan and Lorek - play roles in the game. It is fun to use the Golden Compass to solve puzzles, and the armored bear to beat enemies to a pulp. The game is a great gift for anyone already sucked into this universe, but the rest of us should stick to reality.

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Copyright 2012 by The Virginian-Pilot