Author Bio
Caley RoarkHome Town: Lancaster, PA
Sports: Football, Baseball
Games: NFL 2K5, MVP 05, NBA 2k series, Civilization
Teams: Phillies, Eagles, Sixers
Usernames: OS: CPRoark
Tags: Live: Mr Rockit
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
12:13 PM - November 3, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
Two summers ago I finished my first reviewing assignment for Operation Sports, which happened to be for the official game of the Beijing Summer Olympics, Beijing 2008. Despite the fact that Beijing 2008 was on a much more powerful system and was supposedly an "authentic" representation of the Olympic experience, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is an infinitely more pleasing experience when compared to Beijing 2008.
Read More - Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Review
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
11:46 AM - October 20, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
Caley Roark is back with three new short reviews of iPhone Sports Game Reviews. We take a look at FIFA 10, Backbreakers debut, and Baseball Stars 2010. Do any of the games hold up and are they worth the download? Read on.Read More - IPhone Sports Game Mini Reviews Part II
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
12:58 PM - September 30, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
At an Apple event earlier this month, Steve Jobs called the iPod Touch “a great gaming machine.” While great may be a stretch, there is no doubt that the iPod Touch and iPhone have changed the way we view portable games.So what does the iPhone/iPod “gaming platform” hold for sports gamers? Well, that's somewhat hard to say, but here are three short reviews of some popular sports apps/games that are available now at the App Store.
Read More - iPhone Sports Game Mini Reviews
Thursday, August 27, 2009
11:48 PM - August 27, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
The Wii console has thus far been a conundrum for the sports gamer. On the one hand, some of the platform's most popular games fall within the sports genre: Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Punch-Out, etc. On the other hand, mainstream sports games are either non-existent or seemingly a developer's afterthought on the Wii.This year the 360/PS3 version of Madden received a ton of enhancements, improvements and press coverage. But while everyone was focusing on that version of the game, some pretty big changes were quietly taking place on the Wii side of things. A new graphical style was implemented, new modes were put in place, and some refined controls were adapted for the Wii to make Madden 10 the benchmark of team sports games on the console.
However, despite the fact that there is fun to be had, this game itself is a conundrum, a confusing mix of traditional and innovative ideas that don't always mesh.
Read More - Madden NFL 10 (Wii) Review
Thursday, July 9, 2009
While having nothing to do with chess boxing, The Bigs 2 requires the same skills. It demands continuous thought and lightening-quick reflexes, the first a rarity among arcade sports games.
And from first pitch to last out, this game is one of the most fun baseball games I’ve played in a long while. Unfortunately, some aspects are a bit flawed, which detracts from an otherwise stellar title.
Read More - The BIGS 2 Review
Thursday, July 2, 2009
01:13 PM - July 2, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
I recently reviewed Backyard Baseball '10, a cartoonish Wii baseball title aimed primarily at kids. I chastised that game for an overall lack of polish, including the embarrassing "World Champion Red Sox" video that seemed left over from 2008. It was almost as if the producers said, "eh, kids won’t know any better."This time around I’m offering my opinion on yet another Wii baseball game aimed at children, Little League 2009 World Series Baseball. Does it avoid the missteps, mistakes and laziness of Backyard Baseball? The answer, in my opinion, is decidedly mixed. Ironically, "mixed" is an appropriate word to describe this game overall.
-Review written by Caley Roark.
Read More - Little League World Series Baseball 2009 Review
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
To varying degrees of success, a number of games have made getting in shape comparable to playing games and earning achievements. In some cases, like Wii Fit, fitness is about having fun in a relaxed workout environment. But EA Sports Active, EA’s first foray into the fitness game market, is about a more intense workout experience.
Instead of mini-games that promote fitness, Active is more of a virtual trainer. It replaces mini-games and yoga with actual workout activities. Some come close to what we’ve seen before (inline skating, aerobic boxing), but many are mundane by comparison: biceps curls, lunges and even jogging.
Read More - EA Sports Active Review
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Read More - Backyard Baseball '10 Review
Friday, May 8, 2009
02:38 PM - May 8, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
This summer, gamers will have the chance to grab 2K's second iteration of its arcade baseball title, The Bigs. The sequel has been getting some media attention as of late, so here is how it is doing so far.Read More - The BIGS 2: What's Hot and What's Not
Thursday, April 23, 2009
04:21 PM - April 23, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
If baseball management simulations were players, Out of the Park might be your team’s superstar -- the player all the kids want to be. Front Office Manager would be the highly touted, yet extremely disappointing rookie who has nowhere to go but up. In this analogy, Baseball Mogul would be represented by a quality journeyman, a solid player who performs consistently, though with little flourish. Never too exciting, but never too disappointing either. The player your team trades for once the elite players have been snatched up.
What makes Baseball Mogul 2010 so ordinary? To be honest, there is not much technically wrong with this game. It does everything it sets out to do pretty well. It is just that there is nothing too exciting here that you have not seen in other games, both console "action" baseball games and PC sims.
Read More - Baseball Mogul 2010 Review
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
10:53 AM - April 7, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
For baseball purists, one of the biggest additions to MLB 09: The Show has been the inclusion of authentic professional transactions within the franchise mode. No longer are virtual owners stuck with the limited options of trades and free agency -- now the full spectrum of rosters moves are available to budding Billy Beanes.However, within this new framework there is a slight problem. Since video games have ignored realistic roster handling for a long time (outside of Acclaim’s All-Star Baseball), many users do not know what all of the new moves mean. The developers of The Show have tried to help by including a handbook on the disc, but for those interested in reading a less "textbook" approach, here is a primer for getting a grip on your roster.
Read More - Noob Guide to Transactions in MLB '09: The Show
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
11:21 AM - February 18, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
Most news headlines serve as a daily reminder of the current economic crisis. So, it can be hard (and expensive) to be a gaming enthusiast. It may be even harder for sports gamers, as the genre features annual titles that retain very little value. To help, here are five tips to help maximize your gaming dollar.1. Game and Trade
For years, I traded games at my local Gamestop and did not care how much I got back. I figured that any money I got in exchange for a game that I would never play again was worth it. While this may be technically correct, I soon figured out it was hardly fair. I once witnessed an employee take my game, credit me with $10, print a new sticker with a used price of $55, and stick it on the shelf. Thus, 30 seconds of work resulted in a potential Gamestop profit of $45.
Read More - Five Tips to Keep you Gaming Through the Recession
Monday, February 9, 2009
01:30 PM - February 9, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
Fair or not, MLB: Front Office Manager is going to be compared to NFL Head Coach 09. Both are a part of the relatively niche market of console sports "text" simulations; each places "on the field play" behind managing contracts and executing trades; and both of these games invariably and critically depend on their user interface and realistic simulation results.These areas, in my opinion, are unfortunately where Front Office Manager (FOM) fails.
Read More - MLB Front Office Manager Review
Monday, January 26, 2009
10:32 AM - January 26, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
If you have been browsing Operation Sports during the last few weeks, you may have noticed the occasional ad for "Baseball Boss" (baseballboss.com), which is billed as an online trading card game with hints of fantasy baseball. Like other "free" online games, such as whatifsports.com or goallineblitz.com, this might not take time away from MLB: The Show or NCAA Football 09, but could serve as a fun distraction now and again.Once registered, Baseball Boss invites you to select a "starter pack" of cards. You can choose from historical players, modern players, a mix or a pack heavy on players from your favorite team. One neat aspect is that you can actually reveal the cards one at a time, preserving the fun of ripping open a physical pack of cards.
Read More - Baseball Boss; What is It?
Friday, December 19, 2008
12:45 PM - December 19, 2008. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Caley Roark
For the past few Christmases, one of my personal Yuletide traditions has been to browse YouTube for random '80s commercials in an attempt to awaken my inner child. Between Barney sliding down the chimney to steal Fred’s Fruity Pebbles and a creepy voice hawking the Clapper, I recently stumbled on a classic Super Mario Bros. 3 ad. I was hit with an extra wave of nostalgia because unlike cereal and geriatric gadgets, this game was something I actually wanted. Somehow, this commercial had lodged itself in the the recesses of my mind, and seeing it instantly transported me back to elementary school.
Following that bit of classic advertising, I took pause to reflect on just how much video games, specifically sports games, have affected my almost-30-year lifespan.
Read More - Looking Back in Time at 30 Years
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