CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
HollywoodChicago.com Video Games
Video Game Review: Sony Releases Wave of Games to Introduce PlayStation Vita
Submitted by BrianTT on April 4, 2012 - 5:44pmCHICAGO – When Sony finally unveiled their highly anticipated next generation handheld console in February it came with a wave of launch titles meant to show off the capability and potential of the PlayStation Vita. What’s the best one to buy with your new system? What is THE “day one” PlayStation Vita from Sony? We’ve played the first five from the company and offer this handy mega-review to guide the way.
Video Game Review: ‘Street Fighter x Tekken’ Enters Crowded Arena of Stellar Fighting Games
Submitted by BrianTT on April 3, 2012 - 2:47pmCHICAGO – It’s an amazing time to be a fight game fan. For years, it seemed like the genre was on life support, waiting for someone to unleash the fatality that put it out of its misery. There seemed to be a distinct lack of creativity in the arcade-based form that once gave us titles like “Mortal Kombat” and “Street Fighter,” games so popular that they even spawned movies.
Video Game Review: Spectacular ‘Mass Effect 3’ Provides Emotional End to Amazing Trilogy
Submitted by BrianTT on April 3, 2012 - 9:35amCHICAGO – The highly-anticipated “Mass Effect 3” has been devastating and dividing fans for about a month now while we played through our copy of the title and tried to figure out how to fully capture it in a review. It’s difficult to address a title this complex, this emotional, this epic, and this popular.
Video Game Review: Incredible ‘MLB 12 The Show’ Sets New Bar For Baseball Games
Submitted by BrianTT on April 2, 2012 - 3:31pmCHICAGO – Previous installments of Sony’s hit baseball series “MLB The Show” have shattered sales records and won dozens of awards. The new edition, “MLB 12 The Show,” is the best to date. With amazing graphics, an addictive new pitching mechanic, and the depth of play we’ve come to expect from this series, a new bar has been set.
Video Game Review: Congested, Glitchy ‘Blades of Time’ Not Worth Playing
Submitted by BrianTT on April 2, 2012 - 9:53amCHICAGO – Gaijin Entertainment is a gaming company known for their car racing games and flight simulators. With releases like “Adrenaline,” “Anarchy: Rush Hour,” “Apache: Air Assault,” and “Death Track: Resurrection,” it was interesting when they brought out “X-Blades” (a hack and slash adventure game) back in 2009. Now, three years later, Gaijin is back with a spiritual sequel to “X-Blades” called “Blades of Time;” a confused and convoluted adventure that will make you wish Gaijin had stuck to cars and planes.
Video Game Review: Disappointing ‘Silent Hill: Downpour’ Frustrates More Than Scares
Submitted by BrianTT on March 28, 2012 - 11:44amCHICAGO – I keep going back to “Silent Hill” even though I so rarely find the scares that made this one of the most beloved franchises in the history of games. There have been eight “Silent Hill” games (with a ninth in May for the Vita) in thirteen years and a hit movie (which I’ll defend to the death, and not just because I’m quoted on the DVD).
Video Game Review: ‘LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7’ Gets Standard Port to PlayStation Vita
Submitted by BrianTT on March 27, 2012 - 5:47pmCHICAGO – I have played many LEGO games on the Sony PSP and enjoyed how well the series translated to the handheld generation. There was something about the bite-sized nature of the LEGO versions of “Star Wars,” “Batman,” and “Indiana Jones” that made them a natural fit for smaller screens and smaller controls.
Video Game Review: ‘Tales of Graces f’ Excites with Fights, Stumbles with Story
Submitted by BrianTT on March 27, 2012 - 11:42amCHICAGO – Finally coming state-side after over a year in Japan on the Nintendo Wii, Namco Bandai and Namco Tales Studio brings us “Tales of Graces f.” The game actually fits as the twelfth release in the ‘Tales’ series out of thirteen, fitting in-between “Tales of Hearts” and “Tales of Xillia,” but is the first release in North America since the ninth game, “Tales of Vesperia,” which was released in 2008.
Video Game Review: ‘Unit 13’ Illustrates Strengths, Weaknesses of PlayStation Vita
Submitted by BrianTT on March 23, 2012 - 3:29pmCHICAGO – When I had my hands-on experience with Sony’s PlayStation Vita a few weeks before its release, one of the most interesting new games was Sony’s “Unit 13,” the first shooter for the platform. It seemed to make a perfect fit for the new system as it blended traditional expectations of the third-person shooter genre with touch screen functionality and an emphasis on online play.
Video Game Review: ‘Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 21, 2012 - 10:52amCHICAGO – The manga series Naruto has been around for over a decade in several different forms of media and entertainment. The story about a young fighter who aspires to be the greatest ninja in his village, Naruto is part of a manga cartoon series, an animated show, a series of films, three novels, a trading card game, inspiration for art and music, and several video games.
