Dumpster Diving: Perfect Dark Zero

Year Released: 2005

Price Paid: $7.99

Time Spent: 2 hours

Expected Rating: 3/10

Overall Rating: 6/10

Value For Price: B+

Comments:

Definitely not the worst game I've come across, but Perfect Dark Zero lacks something to be desired.  The controls feel somewhat stiff and the game-play uninspired to do anything new, but I really dig the look and soundtrack of the game. I don't feel sorry for getting this one at all but don't know how much I really want to continue playing it.

Dumpster Diving: Vampire Rain

Year Released: 2007

Price Paid: $1.99

Time Spent: 15 minutes

Expected Rating: 4/10

Overall Rating: 2/10

Value For Price: F

Comments:

Think about everything you loved about Splinter Cell and Syphon Filter.  Now take it all away and you get this piece of crap.  Whole game seems pointless and just trying to hone in on whatever money could have been made by releasing another third-person shooter.  Controls and writing is terrible and should be avoided at all costs.  What a waste of two fucking dollars.

Dumpster Diving: John Woo presents Stranglehold

Year Released: 2007

Price Paid: $3.00

Time Spent: 4 hours

Expected Rating: 4/10

Overall Rating: 6/10

Value For Price: A

Comments:

Pretty much get what you think you will from the cover of this one.  Lots of dudes with guns, lots of firing wildly while performing stylish moves (slow-mo and all).  I can't see paying more than what I did for this but I could see it being somewhat of a guilty pleasure for those times you just need to shoot something.

Dumpster Diving: Fuzion Frenzy

Year Released: 2001
Price Paid: $1.99
Time Spent: 2 hours
Expected Rating: 6/10
Overall Rating: 8/10
Value For Price: A+

Comments:
Probably holds more value for me based on nostalgia but for the price of a small cup of coffee I was able to find one of the funnest party games I remember playing.  Only downfall is that all the fun revolves around other people being around (obviously).

Dumpster Diving: Prey

Year Released: 2006
Price Paid:  $6.99
Time Spent: 6 hours
Expected Rating: 4/10
Overall Rating: 7/10
Value For Price: A+

Comments:
I think the only thing that could have made my experience with this game any better would have been to have played it when it came out as the graphics are pretty nice and any problems I had with any technical aspects were due largely to the fact that since 2006 first-person shooters have been refined to an art. All in all, fun time had as I didn't take it too seriously and enjoyed it for what it was. Easily well worth the price paid and I look forward to more time with it.

Dumpster Diving: Ninja Blade

Year Released: 2009
Price Paid:  $4.99
Time Spent: 4 hours
Expected Rating: 6/10
Overall Rating: 6/10
Value For Price: A

Comments:
Hope you like quick-time events and ninjas because both are rampant in this game. Story is stupid, character designs are laughable but the game plays well, looks good and can hold your attention well enough. Definitely worth the price I paid.

Dumpster Diving: Bullet Witch

Year Released: 2007
Price Paid:  $6.99
Time Spent: 2 hours
Expected Rating: 6/10
Overall Rating: 3/10
Value For Price: C-

Comments:
Terrible enemies with shitty voice acting, too easy in parts and too hard in others, repetitive and all around boring. Fuck this shit... if you want a game about a witch then splurge the extra $15 and get Bayonetta.

Dumpster Diving: Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit

We all see them, the bins full of games forgotten, used or too terrible to be paid full price for littering the aisles of game stores.  Although they tend to bring a crowd, little other than the sports titles of years passed can be found that are recognizable to many people.  As an experiment, I have decided to purchase a game a week and do a brief write-up of my findings.  Check back every Monday as I attempt to find a lump of gold in a pile of shit.



Year Released: 2008
Price Paid:  $2.99
Time Spent/Completion: 3.5 hours, unlocked everything
Expected Rating: 3/10
Overall Rating: 4/10
Value For Price: B

Comments:
I don't know a lot about the universe, so I had a friend who is a big fan play with me and give me insight as to how true it was to the source.  Aside from some liberties taken with the chronological order of the fights involved in each saga, I am to understand that there is a rough symmetry to the animated series with the characters and story. Of course, if you are looking for a story-based game this is definitely not it;  I couldn't follow what the hell was happening half the time with the characters or their motivations.  This being said, the game has neat fighting mechanics, beautiful HD animated scenes and characters and a smooth flow of movement.  Some work could have been done to better the experience and give some sort of replay value but if you are a fan of fighting games, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal than this at this price.