The Ratchet & Clank Collection (PS3) First Screens and Box Art

Announced today and known as the Classics HD: The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy in PAL territories, the lombax and robot pair's first trio of adventures (Ratchet & Clank, Going Commando, and Up Your Arsenal) end up in glorious 1080p and stereoscopic 3D on the PlayStation 3 this year. As an added bonus, players will be able to go online and duke it out in battle via 8 player multiplayer in Up Your Arsenal. As an avid fan of the series, this is a definite buy.

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PS3) Review

Let's end the work week right with an all-new review. Ratchet & Clank is one of my favorite franchises period, so I was mighty interested when Insomniac announced a four player co-op game in Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. Shall we see if it lived up to my expectations for the series?

All 4 One & One 4 All in Ratchet's Buggiest Adventure Yet

Insomniac certainly loves churning out sequel after sequel of the Ratchet & Clank series. Other series would have franchise fatigue by now, yet Insomniac chugs away and creates interesting and intriguing adventures each and every time (for the most part). This go around they're adding in a cooperative aspect to the gameplay for up to four players. The end result is Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. Is this unlikely alliance of brains, brawn, and bros worthy of your precious time and bolts... er... money?

Captain Qwark has now become a president, and he accepts an anonymous invitation to receive a special award from a faithful admirer. Ratchet and Clank are beside him. When it turns out that this "award" was merely a plot concocted by the sinister Dr. Nefarious, Qwark still doesn't quite understand. Before Nefarious can exact his revenge on the trio, a mothership floats in, abducting the four. Saved by a little girl, the four decide to temporarily form an alliance to work together to get off the mysterious planet they are on. Can this team coexist? All 4 One's story is told through gorgeous cinematic videos. The only problem here is that these CGs cannot ever be skipped. Not even if one has already viewed the video. This is unacceptable for a game in 2011. No question. It's a hassle when one is slogging through a part of the game they've already played only to be greeted by an endless barrage of CGs. Poor showing, Insomniac, even if the videos are entertaining and oftentimes comical the first time through.

The gang's all here in All 4 One.

At the start of All 4 One, players choose from one of four characters: Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, and Nefarious. The only differences between the cast is what lines of dialogue are heard while playing and what character-exclusive weapon can be purchased for said characters. Weapons cost bolts to buy. Weapons bought can then have their ammo, power, and extra ability upgraded. For instance, the Combuster, a pistol, can be upgraded to shoot three bullets that spread out instead of just one shot. Bolts are earned by smashing boxes and by completing levels with the most creatures collected, most bolts gathered, and most enemies defeated.

While there's no list of trophies for doing so, each of the four characters has to collect their own color of Hero Bolts. There are forty-something Hero Bolts in the game to collect. They're hidden just out of normal reach in areas where the camera doesn't normally focus on. Costumes are unlocked for gathering these. Ratchet can turn into a ninja, snowman, or even a robotic pirate. Shiver me timbers, Ratchet! Aside from Hero Bolts, skill points return. These unlock when a player accomplishes certain in-game tasks from leveling up weapons to beating a portion of a level without taking any damage.

All 4 One is divided up between areas which are then divided up between fairly linear levels. There's seldom any chance to go off the beaten path. Players are competing against one another to collect the most bolts as well as helping each other clear the levels. One level has players running from a giant monster stalking them in Luminopolis while another has players grinding on rails, leaping over electrical charges, and avoiding gaps. Then there's using a jet pack to slowly descend an obstacle-laden mine shaft. Levels are about ten-to-twenty minutes long, and it takes anywhere from seven-to-ten hours to beat the game.

Nothing like the daily grind to keep things going.

All 4 One can be played solo with a computer-controlled partner or with friends, strangers, or a combination of the two. When playing alone the computer helps out as one would expect it to. Cooperative puzzles are the norm in All 4 one, and they range from sucking up a partner with the Vac-U device and shooting them across an otherwise uncrossable chasm, using a mortar slam on an enemy (using the Vac-U gadget to suck up a friend and then launching them on top of a foe), and smashing down a series of buttons that cannot be hit by someone by their lonesome as they're spread out too far. When the computer dies (which happens annoyingly a lot), they will respawn after about five seconds. If both players die at the same window of time, they must start at the last reached checkpoint. Thankfully, there's a decent amount of these checkpoints, so there's not much in the way of redoing large portions of a given level. When two or more players use the same weapon on the same foe, a circle enlarges over the enemy, causing a huge energy reaction called Overload. This attack does more damage than an attack by someone by themselves. Overloads are key in taking out giant enemies more quickly.

Witness the awesome power of the Overload technique!

Speaking of giant enemies, there's a myriad of mighty bosses to beat and take out. My personal favorite encounter has everyone riding on jetskis, avoiding the chomps of an underwater behemoth as well as leaping over mines. This goal here is to charge up several electrical rods in order to electrocute the aquatic annoyance. Other encounters are more traditional in their design, but they allow for some serious teamwork, hectic action, and cooperative combat.

Bosses have an insatiable thirst for destruction 24/7.

Additionally, players can hop online (pending they have a PSN Pass. Thanks, Sony). When playing online, one can opt to host or find a game. When finding a game, players can select if they want to find games by which character they want to use, by level, by difficulty, and by games already in progress or not. When someone joins a game, the host can decide whether to let them join immediately, thus transporting everyone back to the last reached checkpoint, or whether to have them wait. Hosts can kick unruly guests out of their games during gameplay. As everyone shares the same screen, teams must work together to move at the same time. Transporters, cannons, and launchers that blast players to new areas of levels will only function when all teammates have pressed the triangle button on the aforementioned mechanisms.

Unfortunately, not all is well when playing with more than one person. I've experienced cheap deaths from imperfect camera angles, been pushed off cliffs by the camera, and even saw someone die in the shop screen. This made it impossible to continue, and I had to quit the game and go to the PlayStation 3's XMB. How does that even work? Sometimes one's hookshot wouldn't grab onto the correct character, meaning certain death for the player, and other times players got caught on enemies. To say All 4 One is buggy is doing the game a disservice. It's way worse than that.

Each players gets four hits before they die. Collecting Nanotech restores lost health, and those who lose all their vitality perish. When a player dies, they lose a portion of their bolt total. Those who are down can be revived by another player's Vac-U, but there's a strict ten second time limit. If the player is not revived by then, all players must start at the last checkpoint they arrived at.

Players share the same screen,
so they must stay together at all times.

All 4 One is one graphically impressive game. The lighting is phenomenal, the art design is astonishing, and the animations of every creature, critter, character, and monster is marvelous. That's not to say that the title is technically sound. Far from it. When the action gets heated and there's tons of explosions happening all around, the game slows to a crappy crawl. Online play can occasionally be plagued with lag, and in a game where precision jumping is required, this makes for some serious frustration. On the sound side of the spectrum, the orchestral score is appropriate for every level and sounds superb. The voice acting is well done as one has come to expect of the Ratchet & Clank franchise. All-around, a mixed bag when it comes to the presentation of All 4 One.

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One is bittersweet for me. On one hand, playing with four people against insurmountable odds is appealing. That said, the execution isn't as great as it should be with cheap deaths, a confounding camera, and glitches galore. This might just be the worst Ratchet & Clank game in a long line of excellent titles which is unfortunate. I had high hopes for a cooperative Ratchet & Clank, but these technical issues keep it from being anything other than just slightly above average.

[SuperPhillip Says: 6.5/10]

High-Definition Hijinks: Games That Should Go HD

With the advent of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, gamers the world around have been able to play their favorite games in all their high-definition glory. However, there are a handful of games that haven't made the jump to HD which I think is a missed opportunity of sorts. The following are just a sampling of those titles. Whether you agree or not, let your opinion be known in the comments section.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater series (PS2, GCN, XBX, PS1, N64,)


There would be nothing better than manualing and reverting in glorious HD. Activision could have the perfect moment to reboot this once-popular and now-faltering franchise with a downloadable game that remixes the very best levels of the original Tony Hawk titles. Throw in drop-in/drop-out online play, and you're golden. Even the later games in the series which introduced the ability to get off your board in order to reach otherwise difficult-to-access areas provided some fun to this dulling series. Who wouldn't want to see the birdman in crisp and clear HD?

Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)


There were rumors that this retail Wii game was coming to the downloadable services of PSN and XBLA, but it was just that-- a rumor. The game already looks gorgeous running on Wii hardware, but just imagine how colorful and marvelous it would look in HD. Muramasa had players exploring the Japanese countryside, taking down mythical bosses like the giant Oni and Kraken. From the makers of Odin Sphere, Muramasa had little in the way of slowdown unlike its predecessor, so that wouldn't even have to be fixed. What we'd wind up with is a game that's exemplary in art design and as an art form.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN)


The art style of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker would lend itself well to the HD capable Wii U. A port with Wii controls or the Wii U tablet would be wonderful all to itself. Imagine exploring the Great Sea, seeing islands with the game's massive draw distance, weathering impressive storms, and sailing from place to place via the King of Red Lions boat. The cel-shaded style of the game is already breathtaking, so putting it in high-definition only seems like the next step in making for a scrumptious package.

Super Mario Galaxy series (Wii)


Imagine traversing planets and planetoids alike in and HD version of the Super Mario Galaxy franchise, the Wii's most graphically competent game series yet. With the Wii U, fans could play through these games either with a dual retail release on one disc or through downloadable means. Whichever the way, Mario would never have looked so brilliant and vibrant. Nintendo has already made two of the best reviewed games this generation, so why not share them with the HD crowd? It makes too much sense to this superhero!

Ratchet & Clank series (PS2)


What is the hold up for a Ratchet & Clank HD collection? We've seen Kratos in HD, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, soon to be Silent Hill and Metal Gear, so how about everyone's favorite lombax? With the addition of trophies, all four (or three depending on your view) classic Ratchet titles would simply look grand in HD and have oodles upon oodles of longevity and lasting life. Whether he's taking out Dr. Nefarious's half-baked plans or taking down Megacorp, Ratchet and Clank is one team you don't want to mess with!

Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii)


This Wii-exclusive fighter took the worlds of anime company Tatsunoko and game lords Capcom and shifted their worlds on their heads. The mechanics (in my opinion) outclass Marvel VS. Capcom 3 easily. It's just a more fun game with two-on-two teams as opposed to the triple threat teams of MvC3. Regardless, just picture the colorful cast and characters in brilliant and vivid high-definition graphics and online that works much better than it does on the Wii. It's a game that deserves to be played by as many people as possible, it's Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS, WiiWare)


Hold it! We've seen Phoenix Wright in SD form enough already, so now it may be time for him to shine in heavenly high-definition. Objections and being out of order would never be so delicious to look at. The character models would stay in 2D and animate even more beautifully than they already do. All the courtroom drama on a giant well-formed screen would make for a brilliant-looking game-- more so than it already looks. With rumors (and a leaked character list) from Ultimate Marvel VS. Capcom 3, we won't have to wait long to see a 3D model of Phoenix Wright in HD.

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That's but a small sample of some of the games I'd love to see in HD. What about you? There must be other games or trilogies that you'd love to see get the high-definition treatment. List any and all such titles in the comments section.

Best Boss Battles in Gaming History - Part Three

This article features spoilers, so please tread carefully. Warning given.

It's time for five more classic boss encounters with this installment of Best Boss Battles in Gaming History, and what a way to end the week! If you missed out on past entries, check out Part One and Part Two at their respective links. With that out of the way, let's get to kicking some boss butt!

Big Baby Bowser - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES)


After the primary battle against Baby Bowser in his playpen, the sinister magician Kamek uses his magic to transform his master into the gargantuan you see in the picture above. The quickly matured Bowser slowly marches forward, and if Yoshi does not stop him, Bowser will smash the platforms Yoshi is on, immediately killing the green dinosaur.

So how do you defeat this giant koopa king? Large red eggs fly in from side-to-side over the bottomless pits. Yoshi must collect these, aim carefully, and target Bowser, chucking them far into the background, hoping they connect. Hitting Bowser with one causes the tumultuous turtle to fall into the background more, giving Yoshi and Baby Mario some more time to work with. Meanwhile, the team must watch out for falling rocks and other debris. After enough eggs have smashed into Baby Bowser, he'll be defeated, Kamek will scamper off, and Yoshi and Baby Mario will rescue Baby Luigi and the stork that was transporting him. All in a day's work for one of our heroes, even in diapers.

Wizpig - Diddy Kong Racing (N64)


Wizpig is a tyrannical interdimensional pig who travels from planet to planet, laying waste to each once he's had his fun of them. Arriving on Donkey Kong's planet, Wizpig arrives on Timber Island, puts a spell on some of the inhabitants, kicks the island's genie from his mountain home, and turns anyone who goes against him into frogs. Timber the Tiger has had enough. He enlists the help from his friend and nearby neighbor, Diddy Kong, to collect four pieces of the Wizpig Amulet to open the way to face Wizpig.

In Diddy Kong Racing, the player faces off against Wizpig twice. The first time features a daunting kart race in the rain where following the perfect racing line above speed-boosting zippers will barely guarantee victory. The second race takes place in Future Fun Land, Wizpig's home, and it takes place in air. Through avoiding flying meteors, zooming through caverns, dodging dangerous lasers, and hot-stepping it through the final stretch, Wizpig's heavily-guarded throne room, Diddy Kong and friends defeat the evil porker, saving Timber Island from the brink of extinction.

Ultimate Bowser - Super Mario 64 (N64)


Players battled Bowser many times in the past, but in Super Mario 64, this was the first time they had done it in three-dimensions. Mario previously beat down Bowser in the Dark World and over the Fire Sea. Now it's time for the final showdown in the sky. The same concept works on Bowser as it did in the previous battles-- run around to Bowser's backside, grab his tail, rotate the analog stick quickly, and chuck Bowser into one of the various scattered mines around the arena. It's harder than it sounds. You need to time it just right.

Bowser's no slouch this time around either. Mario needs to chuck him into a mine thrice in order to finally put the king of the koopas in extended vacation. Every time he is slammed into a mine, Bowser smashes part of the arena apart, eventually turning the arena into a star-shaped platform. There's little room to maneuver, to run around Bowser and grab his slimy yellow tail, and Bowser spins much faster than in prior encounters. The koopa king also breathes out fire in battle which can cook the portly plumber's hind parts in an instant, making this one dangerous fight. After three throws into the mines, Bowser surrenders, Mario puts on his wing cap, and flies off into the sky, back to Peach's castle for his reward-- some cake.

Sigma - Mega Man X (SNES)


After dishing out damage and defeating his dog and taking out Sigma bot-to-bot, Sigma will literally become a-head of himself and enter the large, ominous machine in the background. The battle to restore peace to the world will begin. Sigma's weakness is Armored Armadillo's Rolling Shield weapon. Players can either wait for one of Sigma's hands to come down to leap upon, or they can time it just right and scale up the wall as X, dodging the hand completely. X can't stand on the hands willy-nilly as they will shoot out thunderbolts from the center. X can either jump off or take damage. By far the most deadly move Sigma can deliver is a fire breath attack that sweeps the floor. This move does a lot of damage to X, so fill up on sub-tanks definitely if you're not that confident in your abilities. Deal damage to Sigma's head as that is the giant robot's weakpoint. Once his life meter trickles down to zero, the leader of the Mavericks will be defeated, and Dr. Light's dream for a world where humans and robots can live together in harmony will be one step closer to fruition. ...Until Mega Man X2 and the ensuing sequels, of course.

Dr. Nefarious - Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS2)


The dynamic duo of Ratchet and Clank have had a grand adventure together. Sure, they've explored perilous planets and had to tolerate that dolt, Captain Qwark, but now they've reached the climax-- the battle against Dr. Nefarious! The battle begins with Nefarious leaping around the arena, chucking bombs at the pair of heroes. He also spins around and shoots out a purplish beam that Ratchet must hop over. This is all the while doing damage with some high-powered weaponry of the awesome kind. Once Nefarious is downed, he'll beg for mercy. This, however, is merely a ruse as he retreats. Ratchet and Clank must pursue, dodging Nefarious' purple laser and stampeding through blockades of big bots.

Once the two reach the second platform of the fight, Nefarious will go back to his old tricks... with some new ones, too. He'll create multiple images of himself which will charge toward Ratchet as well as have the images claw at the heroic lombax. Jumping into the air is a beneficial way of dodging this assault. The mad robotic doctor will also shoot out bombs that once they hit the ground will produce massive shockwaves that must be hopped over to avoid massive damage. As Nefarious' health bar disintegrates into nothingness, the final stage of the fight will commence.

Dr. Nefarious will summon his butler, Lawrence. The pair will enter a gigantic robot and begin blasting at Ratchet and Clank. Luckily there's a ship nearby with one-hundred health points to save the day. A simple strategy is to circle 'round Nefarious' robot, never releasing the trigger to fire shot after shot into the bot. This allows Ratchet's ship to escape the barrage of missiles being fired at it, and enables Ratchet to finally take down Dr. Nefarious and Lawrence, restoring peace and order to the galaxy.

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That wraps up Part Three of Best Boss Battles in Gaming History. Do you like my picks? Let me know in the comments section. We'll see you in the coming weeks for Part Four!

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PS3) - Gamescom Trailer

Ratchet & Clank, alongside the Hot Shots Golf franchise, are my favorite Sony properties, so you can bet that I am hotly anticipating the upcoming multiplayer Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. Who doesn't want to control the sinister Dr. Nefarious, team up with Captain Qwark, and take down some intergalactic baddies? Not I, for one. Check out this trailer from Europe's Gamescom event.

Direct Link Here

Best Levels in Gaming History - Volume Four

We've already reached the fourth installment of Best Levels in Gaming History where we examine a series of five stages that I consider to be some of the best that the world of gaming has to offer. We're going for a more of a Mario approach with three of the levels coming today from Mario titles. If you missed out on past volumes, you can always click on one of the following links to be instantly transported to your intended destination:

Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three

World 1-1 - Super Mario Bros. (NES)


The game that may have single-handily revitalized an industry started out modestly. Getting acquainted with the simple physics of the game was easy. Mario could jump and change direction mid-air, something that game designers and programmers of that era had a tough time grasping the concept of. At the start of World 1-1, a lone goomba stood in the way between Mario and a series of item blocks, one of which containing a mushroom power-up. Following that were a series of pipes, one of which took Mario into a hidden area full of cool and crisp coinage. With this shortcut Mario could bypass a could chunk of the level. If Mario opted not to skip out on the fun, he could uncover a hidden 1-up concealed in an invisible item box located between the end of the pipe section and just before the first bottomless pit. A run up a staircase of blocks and a leap of faith made Mario cling against the level's ending, a flagpole. Entering the castle his work was done for the time being. Until World 1-2, that is.

Green Hill Zone - Sonic the Hedgehog (GEN)


As soon as players booted up their copy of Sonic the Hedgehog and passed by the title screen, they were propelled into the Green Hill Zone, filled with art deco loop-de-loops, badniks like ladybugs and mechanized monkeys throwing coconuts, and palm trees. This was all set across a background filled with a majestic and sparkling lake, mountains, and a bright blue sky. If only all of Sonic the Hedgehog's zones were so inviting! The three acts in the zone could be sped through within minutes if the player was really cooking, and the final challenge was Dr. Robotnik. The boss flew from side-to-side in the arena with a ball and chain that moved back and forth, ready to slam into the blue blur. With the aid of two side platforms, Sonic had enough height to strike into the nefarious scientist's first machine, and with enough hits it would be destroyed. The next zone would slow down the pace of the game considerably yet still be enjoyable.

World 8-7 - New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)


This level is an intense and wild ride as you cross a deadly sea of lava, boarding bone snake platforms as they slither their way along a track. They dip in and out of the lava, so timing your jumps is key unless you want to lose a life. Soon the bone snakes leap off the track directly into the path of lava geysers. It's Mario and the gang's job to leap over these. The final stretch has three bone snake platforms alternating tracks all the way to the goal. This is an exhilarating level that puts the player's reflexes to the test. A secret level, it's definitely one of the more challenging ones in the game.

Tubular - Super Mario World (SNES)


After accessing Star Road and finding your way into the Special World, the second stage, Tubular, awaits Mario and/or Luigi. It's a relatively short level, but pending how you go about it, it could either be really easy or really hard to complete. The beginning of the level starts with the player jumping on yellow pipes while defeating Charging Chucks. Then the real fun begins. The real way to play through this level is to hit the item block, revealing a P-balloon. Hitting this item will fill Mario with air for a limited time, allowing him to float carefully between enemies and over a dangerous and bottomless pit. Getting nicked by the smallest enemy will cause Mario to fall into the pit. Mario must hit item block after item block, getting more and more P-balloons to have enough steam to reach the goal before deflating to normal. The easy way to complete this stage is to have a blue Yoshi, gobble up a koopa troopa, and fly your way over the level. The flying ability of Yoshi will run out just as the player reaches the goal.

Planet Metropolis - Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2)


The bustling commuter planet where Clank spends his days, Planet Metropolis is where Ratchet obtains the Grind Boots as well as other pertinent items of great use. There's no time for sightseeing, however, as there's a factory to infiltrate with block puzzles to boot. Activating the crane will allow Ratchet to move explosive crates nearby doors to destroy them, allowing the pair to move forward in the level. The other path features heavily-armed robotic drones who will spin around with deadly red lasers and Ratchet and Clank in their sights. One skill point includes destroying everything in the level. With the special move that allows Ratchet to smash his wrench into the ground, obliterating all nearby perishables, this task isn't so tough. A busy level and one of the early ones in Going Commando, Planet Metropolis goes heads and shoulders above the rest in the game.

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Once again we've come to the conclusion of another article here at SuperPhillip Central. If your favorite level hasn't yet been represented, speak up! Let everyone know your favorites in the comments section. Until then, stay tuned for Volume Five of Best Levels in Gaming History!

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3) Review

TGIF. Remember that block of shows? Now Family Matters gets on my nerves. Where was I? Oh, yes. It's Friday, so let's end this week in style with a brand-new review. It's Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time for the PlayStation 3. Apparently, I haven't been capitalizing the "S" in PlayStation. I apologize, and I hope we can still be friends.

Old Lombax, New Tricks

The Ratchet & Clank series has to reach its decade anniversary, and already the franchise has had six main installments with roughly the same formula. The one that did change things up, Ratchet: Deadlocked, didn't receive as much in the way of commercial success. With the second edition of the franchise on Sony's hi-tech Playstation 3, is this old lombax ready to be put down or has he finally learned some new tricks?

A Crack in Time follows directly to the conclusion of Tools of Destruction and The Quest for Booty. Clank has been transported to the evil Dr. Nefarious' lair by the mystical entities known as the Zoni, and it's up to Ratchet and bumbling superhero, Captain Copernicus Qwark, to go on a mission to save Clank as well as the galaxy from Nefarious' sinister plans-- whatever they might be. Meanwhile, Clank escapes from Dr. Nefarious' control, and this is where the action begins. You take Clank through a series of halls and platforms as Nefarious' henchmen pursue, blowing everything up in their chase of the wily little robot, Clank.

The majority of the game splits off between players taking control of Ratchet and playing as Clank by his lonesome. Clank gets about four levels to himself throughout the duration of the game, and for the better half of the game, the two stay separated. Clank gains new abilities this time around. No longer can he just float and hover in the air for a short time. The resourceful machine can now use the power of time. He can toss time bombs that slow down fast-moving platforms, giving Clank enough seconds to move across them. He'll also earn a temporal staff that will allow Clank to reflect enemy attacks back at baddies as well as fix broken down machines. To save the temporal state of the universe, you will participate in mini-games where the goal is to travel around a planet with your laser, shooting away anomalies until they return to normal. This is all the while watching out for time rifts which will turn those fixed anomalies back into something dangerous.

No Ratchet? No problem.

Then there's the special time puzzles sprinkled throughout Clank's levels. These are rather clever as they have Clank recording himself performing an action such as stepping on a button to open a door. Meanwhile, you can record and playback the recorded Clank opening the door for the player. It's very ingenious how later puzzles work, and yes, they can be very maddening later on. It'll take a sharp wit to conquer these puzzles as they are some of the most difficult the series has ever known. Regardless, they're also rewarding when completed-- no matter if they slow down the pace of the game to a crawl.

Ratchet on the other hand is without Clank until late in the game. This means you start out with just a double jump and no hover abilities this time around. Not only is the near and dear to our hearts swingshot back and ready for more swinging and action, but there's several new gadgets available to Ratchet. The hoverboots allow Ratchet to race along platforms much faster than normal walking. He can rocket off ramps with ease as well as hover-- an ability he would otherwise need Clank for. The other new gadget is the omnisoaker. This tool sucks up liquids which can be used to water plants that will turn into catapults for Ratchet to leap off from, to take oil and put it on rusty switches to make them usable once again, and to grab nectar from certain plants as a treat for Ratchet-eating infestations of bugs. What's cool about the gadgets in A Crack in Time is that they're designated to the d-pad instead of inside the traditional weapon wheel. It makes things so much more intuitive and stream-lined.

No Clank? Run away, run away!

Apart from cool and wacky gadgets, kick-ass weaponry has always been a major focus of the Ratchet & Clank series, and this go around, A Crack in Time does not disappoint. Just like in past games, by defeating enemies with a given weapon, that weapon gains experience. Gain enough experience for a weapon, and it grows stronger, giving the player more ammo to work with or firepower to blow baddies back where they came from. There's typical pistols, shotguns, and bombs, but the more entertaining weapons are those completely unrealistic. For instance, the Sonic Eruptor uses sonic belching to blow enemies to smithereens. Epic belch, dude! Meanwhile, Mr. Zurkon is the perfect tag-team partner. He's a robot who will shoot over your shoulder as you fire with your own destructive weapons. This is all the while spouting off lines like "Mr. Zurcon lives on fear". Finally, one of my favorite weapons is the Rift Inducer which is a vortex with green thorny tentacles hanging out of it which will pull unaware enemies into it, instantly destroying them.

Papa's got a brand-new bag!

Each time you purchase a new weapon, you get to see an entertaining cartoon version of Ratchet showing off the latest piece of technology to his arsenal in a brief tutorial. This tutorial show what the weapon does and its various uses. You can also find mod kits around the universe to unlock specific upgrades to your weaponry from bombs that unleash toxic fury to pistol shots that can be charged to become more powerful. Meanwhile, switching between weapons is as easy as cycling through the lifeline of Ratchet, the weapon wheel. This pauses the game while you quickly select your next pick of dastardly destruction.

This could get really bad really quick.

The universe of Ratchet is much different this time around. No longer do you just select a planet and get a cut-scene showing his ship transporting to it. Now there's a whole galaxy to explore with moons, other ships in need of help, and planets to discover. While most of the story levels in A Crack in Time are more action-focused, the majority of moons-- optional locations to survey and explore-- are pure platforming. Moons usually house a prize for conquering them from ship-upgrading Zoni to weapon mods to gold bolts-- the rarest of the rare in the Ratchet series. The moons borrow from Super Mario Galaxy in that they're totally 3-D. You can run along all 360 degrees of each cratered rock. While some have the goal of just defeating every enemy aboard the moon, others put Ratchet into platforming peril with plenty of obstacles and hazards to watch out for and jump over.

Spaceship travel is rather easy. One stick is to move around while the other is for the camera and quick evasive maneuvers. You travel on a flat plane, so the only axes to worry about are on the x and z. There's six areas of space to explore, and once a planet or sector of space is already visited or available, you can directly transport to it. Moons, however, must be approached regardless of whether they've been visited or not. Your ship has various weaponry on it from homing missiles to your standard lasers. As you collect Zoni, hidden throughout the galaxy on moons and on planets, you'll gain the ability to upgrade your ship with new weaponry and bonuses such as higher health and stronger thrusters.

For story missions, Ratchet heads through much more linear levels this time around. There's usually just one right way to follow on each planet. This isn't a bad thing as there are very much a ton of hidden items and goods tucked away in the most fiendish of locations. There's plenty of opportunities for action and platforming throughout A Crack in Time. For every level where you're in an epic struggle against Nefarious' forces, the next you'll be leaping from ledge to ledge and platform to platform. Those who have complained about a higher focus on action will find this installment much more enjoyable to play.

Half shooting, half jumping,
it's A Crack in Time.

A Crack in Time lasts about ten hours the first playthrough with a challenge mode, a more difficult version of the game with a bolt-multiplier (bolts are the currency of the series), unlocking afterward. There's also three difficulties to choose from-- a first for the franchise. Now any level of player can enjoy this game. There's also all the moons to discover, Zoni, weapon mods, and new skin-unlocking gold bolts to collect, and skill points to earn. Case in point, A Crack in Time will definitely make you lose time playing it-- about 25-30 hours to do everything there is to do.

A Crack in Time's presentation is what you'd expect from a Ratchet & Clank game. The hilarious Dr. Nefarious is always good for a laugh, and the story seldom takes itself too seriously. There's plenty of surprises in the plot to keep players interested and entertained. Small things like the R.Y.N.O. V playing Flight of the Valkyrie and the way characters are animated are just superb and make the game feel highly polished. The game itself is absolutely gorgeous. Meanwhile, the soundtrack is quite good with plenty of memorable tracks. The ability to change radio stations as you fly around space is an awesome touch. No matter if it's rock, funk, or classical, the soundtrack by David Bergeaud has you covered.

There's some tremendous visuals going on here.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time does a great job of mixing things up and improving on the formula. I was certainly worried that this installment of Ratchet would just feel more of the same after playing through the original trilogy just a little while ago. Thankfully, I can say that this edition of the series does enough to keep things fresh. I'm eager to see where Ratchet and Clank are going to go next. Apparently the old adage is wrong, you can teach an old lombax new tricks!

[SuperPhillip Says: 9.25/10]

Rank Up! - Ratchet & Clank

Originally it was my plan to review every single Ratchet & Clank game from start to finish. Unfortunately, I became ill during this mission, so that obviously didn't happen. Regardless, the newest adventure in the Ratchet & Clank series, A Crack in Time just released this past week. I don't think there's any better time to take a look at the various titles from the Ratchet & Clank series and rank them from best to worst.

Here are the games we'll be ranking:

Ratchet & Clank (PS2)
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2)
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS2)
Ratchet: Deadlocked (PS2)
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (PSP/PS2)

Like Naughty Dog before it, the team at Insomniac sold off their first mascot to another company. The company had previous worked on Spyro the Dragon, a character now a mere shell of his former self. Insomniac moved from purple dragon to yellow lombax as they came out with Ratchet & Clank. Since then seven mainline titles have been released in less than a decade. We will list from the very first Ratchet game all the way up to the very first portable entry of the series. To make a point, there's really no horrible game on this list. Every Ratchet has had something special to offer to the series. Without further ado, let's get to the rankings.

6) Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (PSP/PS2)

Apparently size truly does matter as this Ratchet & Clank, while not bad by any means, suffers from a lack of two analog sticks, a short single-player mode, and a game not developed by Insomniac themselves. Instead High Impact Games (who worked on Daxter and the upcoming new PSP Jak & Daxter game) took on the job and did a rather decent job. Size Matters is a forgettable adventure, but it's still much fun.


5) Ratchet: Deadlocked (PS2)

It's funny-- I argue that the Ratchet series has become complacent with same-old, same-old gameplay, yet when one tries to change the formula around, I don't like it as much as the original! This is the case with Ratchet: Deadlocked, the only game in the series that isn't an action-platformer or features Ratchet and Clank teaming up together. What the game is-is more of an arena battler, combat-centric shooter. Despite the change of genre, Deadlocked is quite enjoyable, but those expecting traditional R&C action should look elsewhere.


4) Ratchet & Clank (PS2)

This is where it all started. This may be the most difficult game of the series solely based on the fact that you have a limited supply of health to work with. The option to increase your health wasn't available simply by taking down foes. Essentially it was six hits or less, and you were S.O.L. Another problem with this game is the lack of checkpoints. Don't misunderstand me, there are checkpoints, but they're so few and far in-between that dying can be quite frustrating. Overall, the premier installment of the franchise is still quite a good one.


3) Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)

The first current generation installment of the Ratchet series, Tools of Destruction, follows Ratchet on his path to find out what happened to his race all the while dealing a power-hungry despot who wishes to eradicate every last lombax. The game starts off with an action-packed level full of wonderful set pieces and explosions. Tools of Destruction looks exceptionally beautiful. It's not so much that there are any major problems with this game-- it's just that the next two are just a bit better.


2) Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS2)

In Up Your Arsenal, we were introduced to the most entertaining main villain of any bad guy in the series, the nefarious Dr. Nefarious. Most of his scenes were comedic gold. The tried and true action of the Ratchet series was present and accounted for, but after playing the game before it, Going Commando, things felt samey straight down to the arena battles and looking for sewer crystals in one of most boring levels in series history. This time around, weapons could be upgraded four separate times, growing stronger with each new level of increased power. One of my favorite parts of Up Your Arsenal is a series of five 2-D side-scrolling platformer/shooters starring everyone's lovable idiot, Captain Qwark. Heck, I'd spend good hard money on a PSN game full of levels of this type! That's how good they are.


1) Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2)

The best of the best, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, combines the perfect amount of action with the perfect amount of platforming. Unlike the original Ratchet, weapons can now be upgraded to become more powerful simply by using them frequently. Apart from the traditional run, gun, and jump action the series is known for, there's several bits of variety thrown in for good measure including space dogfights, fast-paced hoverbike races, coliseum battles, and fights with you controlling Giant Clank. The levels are some of the best designed, there's a heavy focus on both platforming and shooting, and the polish of the game is amazingly apparent. Going Commando certainly is my favorite Ratchet & Clank game.


And that does it for this list. My worries with the Ratchet series is that Insomniac has busted out seven games in less than a decade. Many of which feel the same gameplay-wise. Here's hoping we don't get burned out on this excellent series!