Eric Caoili

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Stories By Eric Caoili

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    Entertainment By Eric Caoili

    Scribblenauts Unmasked review: Super speller

    Seeing over two thousand comic book heroes and villains drawn in Scribblenauts' distinctive style is bonkers. When the sandbox series debuted in 2009, I remember fans caricaturing hundreds of pop culture figures in the same charming, squat style, imagining their favorite characters dropped into Scribblenauts' colorful world. Aside from a handful of licensed characters in previous Scribblenauts games, there haven't been many cameo opportunities for the famous figures fans have dreamed of, at least not in any official sense. That's why it's nuts to see Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure injected with icons like Batman and Superman, along with thousands of other characters from the DC Comics universe, and all of them drawn just like the game's rooster-capped star, Maxwell. They're flying and swooping around as if it's no big deal, as if it isn't an amazing feat that you can now summon them effortlessly with Maxwell's magic notebook by just typing their name, and then interact with them in ways you'd never see in the comic books.

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    Reviews By Eric Caoili

    Scribblenauts Unlimited review: Limitless tomfoolery

    5th Cell's Scribblenauts Unlimited brought out the worst in me.Available for 3DS, PC, and Wii U -- I played the Wii U version for this review -- the game begins with series star Maxwell pranking a hungry beggar, as he feeds the fellow a rotten apple conjured by his magic notebook. It's a useful pad that can summon any manner of objects players type into the Wii U's GamePad, or alter the properties of whatever it targets. Maxwell could have just as easily transformed him into a "satiated beggar" or pulled a "delicious steak" out of thin air, but we're dealing with a "cruel protagonist" here.So that beggar returns Maxwell's favor by casting a curse on his sister (we're introduced to Lily and the many members of Maxwell's family in this game) that slowly turns her into stone. Our jerk of a hero is sent off to collect Starites that will save Lily from permanent petrification, but Maxwell can only gather them by helping others with his notebook.Though it's meant to be a redemption quest, one that forces Maxwell to examine the way he's mistreated others and abused his notebook's powers, I was having none of that. It's a game filled with characters dropping their wishes at Maxwell's feet, and I wanted to be the venomous djinn, the nefarious wishmaster that only granted them with a terrible twist. I became the devil on Maxwell's shoulder, goading him into silencing my counterpart with his notebook by writing out "absent conscience."%Gallery-165296%

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    Reviews By Eric Caoili

    Tekken 3D Prime Edition review: Far from prime edition

    We've raised our expectations for portable fighting games in the last decade, especially in the past year.The last time Namco brought Tekken to a Nintendo handheld, it produced 2002's Tekken Advance, which received praise from reviewers at the time but in hindsight was a poor facsimile of the console and arcade experience -- like the Kid Cuisine version of spaghetti and meatballs, fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, but, c'mon son, that ain't a proper meal.Another Tekken Advance (that is to say another handheld port that's far from arcade perfect) wouldn't stand today, not when releases like Super Street Fighter IV 3D and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 set the standard for fighting games you can play on the go. Those releases don't stop at just emulating the big screen experience; they raise the bar for what all portable titles can accomplish, online and off.That is why Namco Bandai and Arika's Tekken 3D Prime Edition will disappoint both new and casual Tekken fans. Because while the core game -- the parts in between "Round One, Fight!" and "K.O. You win!" -- are just as great as the Tekken 6 I've played on consoles and in arcades, everything else is lacking.%Gallery-130929%

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    News By Eric Caoili

    Editorial: Lay of the 3D Land

    Eric Caoili loved the stereoscopic effect in Super Mario 3D Land. In this article, he explains why it was so good -- and why it shouldn't be a priority for other 3DS games. Since the 3DS's launch, many gamers and reviewers have complained about the lack of titles that use the handheld's stereoscopic 3D features in a meaningful way capable of affecting or improving gameplay -- new experiences unavailable elsewhere, something to justify early adopters' expensive purchases. Some unaccommodating people would act as if 3DS games failing to meet this standard aren't worth their attention. The gimmick of an image that really looks like a dog's tongue is coming out of the screen to lick their face is not enough, not if the novelty ends there. "These puppy kisses mean nothing to me," they will sneer. "Take him away and drown this contemptible creature in a river." If there's a title that will please those demanding more depth to 3DS releases, as well as those puppy drowners, it's Super Mario 3D Land. This platforming masterpiece is the Avatar of 3DS games, proof that 3D in this medium isn't crap when it's thoughtfully planned and executed, evidence that it's worth the (potential) literal headaches because you just might see something you've never seen before.

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