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Sonic and the Secret Rings – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Cartoon Violence

Sonic and the Secret Rings Screenshot

Parents have nothing to worry about. While players do attack enemies (none of which resemble anything in real life), there is no actual killing. Overall, the action comes across as playful and cartoonish. Even small children should be fine, provided they can figure out the controls.

Fans of Sonic the Hedgehog will certainly enjoy the parts of the game that showcase Sonic's speed, but they will likely be turned off by the unwieldy platforming (much more cumbersome than in previous Sonic titles) and the unnecessarily complex RPG-inspired ability system.

HDTV Owners will appreciate that the game runs in 16:9 widescreen and 480p.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers should have no difficulty playing the game. There are no essential audio cues, and the dialogue can be subtitled.

Brandon Erickson
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Wii Sports – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Violence

Wii Sports Screenshot

Parents have nothing to worry about. This is about as family friendly as videogames get.

Fans of sports games should enjoy this game initially, but may ultimately be disappointed by the scant number of options and the lack of room for growth and achievements.

Multiplayer is definitely the preferred way to play Wii Sports; however, there is no online multiplayer, so those who want to play against others will have to buy at least one extra remote and nunchuk.

HDTV owners will appreciate the presence of widescreen. However, to play the game in the maximum resolution of 480p requires the purchase of separate component cables.

While much has been made of reports of people losing the grip on their remotes and smashing their windows and TV screens, this shouldn't be a concern as long as people attach the wrist straps and don't let go of the remote.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers should have no trouble playing this game as there are no essential audio cues.

Brandon Erickson
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Guitar Hero II – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Lyrics

Guitar Hero II Screenshot

Parents don't have much to be concerned about. None of the songs contain any explicit lyrics, and none of the visual content is inappropriate for teenagers.

Fans of the original Guitar Hero will certainly enjoy the sequel, although the song list is perhaps not as broadly appealing.

HDTV owners will appreciate the addition of widescreen and progressive scan modes.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers could play the game in principle by following the notes that appear on screen, but since the fun comes from hearing what is being played, I wouldn't recommend it.

Brandon Erickson
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Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King – Consumer Guide

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According to ESRB, this game contains: Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Simulated Gambling, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes

Dragon Quest VIII Screenshot

Parents have little to worry about. Some scenes might scare very small children, but kids over age 10 should be fine.

Fans of Dragon Warrior/Quest will appreciate how well the game has made the transition into 3D while keeping with its distinct art style.

Fans of RPGs should be warned that compared to most modern RPGs, the pacing in Dragon Quest VIII is leisurely, progress is relatively slow and gradual, and the storytelling is sprinkled sparingly between long stretches of exploration and leveling up. This is not the sort of game that lends itself to playing sessions of shorter than a couple of hours, and all in all it takes around 100 hours to fully complete.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing gamers should have no trouble since all the dialogue is subtitled, and there are no important audio cues with the exception of a part near the end in which the player can use a sound-producing sensor to locate some items. However, the locations of these items can be easily inferred without using the sensor.

Brandon Erickson
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