All Star Cheer Squad 2 Wii Review - www.impulsegamer.com -

All Star Cheer Squad 2

This game has been designed for girls and if you're a male gamer, you probably have no interest in All Star Cheer Squad for the Nintendo Wii, howerver if you have some younger female gamers, than this might be the game for them. At it's cutesy gaming heart, All Star Cheer Squad is an interactive cheerleading game that uses the motion sensitive controls of the Wii to recreate some interesting and at times challenging cheerleader manuevers. Although the game is probably more suited to the American market due to the popularity of this sport, I'm sure it will also find a niche market in Australia, especially considering the demographic of the title. It should be noted that this game is more on the realistic side of cheerleading like comparing Wii Sports to EA Sport's Active which is definitely a step in the right the direction. With that said, All Star Cheer Squad is like Bring it On meets gaming!

When you put the game on, you'll notice how slick the game and before embarking on your cheerleading career, you need to pick and modify your avatar which includes both male and female cheerleaders. The customisation features are rather indepth and you could get really lost in creating your perfect cheerleader or attempt them to make them look like you. As mentioned, the game is also reminiscent of those great cheerleading movies and the first level in the game are the tryouts which is also like a tutorial level as it teaches you the basic manuevers of the cheerleading and using the Wii controls. Once you have finished your tryouts, it's time to engage in some competitive cheerleading sport and I must admit that some of the manuevers can be quite complex but best of all, the control system of the Wiimote and Nunchuck works remarkable well. The game even supports the Wii balance board as you stand on and off the board and really adds to the workout experience but if you don't have this, you can still enjoy the game.

As you do play, it's hard not to get involve in the game, especially if you have a few friends around as you dance your way to victory with some great background ambience. As you make all the classic cheerleader letters and shapes, as you progress, the developers make it a tad more chalelnging by speeding things up and allowing for additional manuevers but thankfully it's all displayed on screen, just think Tetris! The accuracy is rather impressive and there's only a few times that I messed up, albeit on the harder levels, it does get more challenging.

Graphically, for a Wii title, it looks rather impressive with well designed characters, environments and a slick menu system. The colour palette is quite vibrant and all in all, the game is rather apt in this department. The music suits the game perfectly with its over the top style of music and really brings out the inner cheerleader in you, provided you are into this style of game.

At the end of the day, All Star Cheer Squad is an interesting attempt at recreating the Cheerleading world and dare I say that developers YYY have almost perfect it. The controls are quite, although at times the accuracy is lacking and if you're looking for a mini-workout, than this game can also do just that, provided you have the Wii balance board. Although it has a particular gender and age group, some kids will definitely appreciate this under their Christmas tree this year. Check it out!

0-0-0-0-0-0

Please Note: As a franchise organisation, titles and prices may vary between the physical stores and this website.

This is a Blu-ray Disc (BD) movie and is not compatible for play in a normal DVD player. For more information, view our Blu-ray Information Page.

A blowout Las Vegas bachelor party turns into a race against time when three hung-over groomsmen awaken after a night of drunken debauchery to find that the groom has gone missing, and attempt to get him to the alter before his wedding day. In 48 hours, Doug is scheduled to walk down the aisle, effectively ending his reign as a rowdy bachelor. Realizing that this is their last blow out with their best friend, Doug's groomsmen organize a Sin City bachelor bash he'll never forget. The next morning, the groomsmen come to in their Caesar's Palace suite to find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby tucked away in the closet. Unfortunately, Doug is nowhere to be found. With no memory of the previous night's transgressions and precious little time to spare, the trio sets out on a hazy attempt to retrace their steps from the previous night, and discover exactly where things went wrong.

Special Features:

Bonus Digital Copy
Includes Theatrical Cut and Extended Versions
More Photos from the Missing Camera
The Dan Band performs "Fame"
Ken Jeong's Non-stop Hilarious Improv
BD Live - "Cursing Mash-up" with all the cursing in the film!
BD Live - Mike Tyson's hilarious rendition of "In The Air Tonight"

Released: Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Actors: Bradley Cooper Ed Helms Zach Galifianakis Justin Bartha Heather Graham Sasha Barrese Jeffrey Tambor Ken Jeong Rachael Harris Mike Tyson Mike Epps Jernard Burks Rob Riggle Cleo King Bryan Callen Matt Walsh Sondra Currie Nathalie Fay Todd Phillips
Director: Todd Phillips

0-0-

Okay, I'll admit it. When I was first asked to check out Inferno Pool, I didn't really know what to expect. Sure, I've played plenty of pool games in my life, and I've also played around with plenty of games trying to recreate the experience to varying degrees of success. Of course, when you tack on a word like "Inferno" to the title, there's an expectation that this game has got to be hot, right? Well, it's time to rack 'em up and see if this pool game can run the table, or if it's going to leave gamers behind the 8-ball.

There are three main types of games available in Inferno Pool. You've got your standard 8-Ball and 9-Ball games, as well as the titular "Inferno" matches. Inferno matches are fast paced games which pit two to four players not only against each other, but also against the clock. Each player is given his own table racked with nine balls. The goal is to try and clear your table, or at least pocket more balls than your opponents, before the clock hits zero. While this seems cut and dried, there's a twist. Every time you sink a ball, you can launch it over to one of your competitors' tables, dropping more balls for him to try and clear while blocking some of his best laid shots. Of course, your opponents aren�t the only ones with targets on their backs. While you're busy clearing your table and dumping on other players, they're going to be racing to do the same to you. Inferno games are a fun new twist on the classic pool experience, and it would be great if not for the problematic gameplay.

Not exactly a competition- quality table.

The controls in Inferno Pool leave a lot to be desired. The basic controls are fairly simple, with the left thumbstick used to aim your shot and the right thumbstick used to make the shot. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of issues with lining up those shots accurately. The controls are just too sensitive. It's bad enough to have to keep adjusting and re-adjusting your shot because the aim drift too far left then too far right, back and forth, time and again. But when you add the fact that the bulk of the gameplay has you fighting the clock, time isn�t really on your side to line up that perfect bank shot. Even when you use the D-pad and bumpers to switch over to an overhead view and fine tune your aim, the controls still feel way too loose.

On the upside, Inferno Pool is built on a pretty good presentation. The game's got a solidly polished look. The pool table looked pretty rugged, but that's actually by design. I had to stop playing once while I stared at the table and wondered to myself exactly what seemed to have spilled on the blue felt ? and whether or not I really wanted to know. Through gameplay, you can get other table and ball designs, each of which plays to the grungy style. Oh, and props have to go out to the announcer, how sounds like he's auditioning for the next Mortal Kombat game. I half expected to hear "Fatality!" after finishing a match.

For the 8 and 9 Ball games, you can either go it alone against a computer opponent set to one of five difficultly levels, or you can take on up to three friends either via split-screen play or online over Xbox LIVE. You can play Inferno matches against other players as well, or you can try to tackle it solo in an ironman like endurance match, where the game constantly drops balls onto your table while you try to last as long as possible before the table gets reaches a preset ball limit. Online games seem to play smoothly enough so far, and two player matches on one system aren't bad. However, once you split the screen up between three or four players, things become too small to really play effectively.

Inferno Pool had all the makings of a great pool experience. Plenty of gameplay options, a presentation with some real personality, and full support for up to four players, teamed together with an interesting new twist on the same ol' game of 9-Ball all add up to a game that could have been the definitive pool game on the 360. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the developers forgot that a pool game is only as good as its controls, and ended up with a scratch before the first break.

-=-=-
Tinkerbell is back for a whole new season of adventure in Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure. Pixie Hollow is all abuzz with preparations for autumn and Tinkerbell is hard at work on her latest invention when she is unexpectedly summoned by Queen Clarion and the Minister of autumn. Tinkerbell fears that she's in trouble again, but is instead delighted to find out that Fairy Mary has recommended her for the important job of creating a one-of-a-kind scepter that will focus the light of an unusual blue harvest moon through a rare moonstone in order to replenish the pixie dust tree's supply of pixie dust. Tinkerbell gladly rises to the challenge, accepting her dust-keeper friend Terrence's offers of help, but as the days fly rapidly by, pressure begins to build and Tinkerbell becomes annoyed by Terrence's constant attention. Sending Terrence away on an errand seems like a good idea, but what he brings back inadvertently causes the almost finished scepter and the incredibly rare moonstone to break into pieces. Tinkerbell lashes out at Terrence and then departs alone on a desperate quest to fix the moonstone. What Tinkerbell learns on her journey is that she must take responsibility for her own actions and that the power and value of true friendship is much greater than she'd ever imagined. Like the first Tinkerbell, the colors and clarity of animation are simply breathtaking in this production, but the story lags somewhat thanks to a lengthy set up and a general lack of suspense in the first half of the film. Still, it's a perfectly entertaining movie that will delight children ages 3 and up as well as satisfy most parents. Returning voice talent includes Mae Whitman, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Horrocks, Anjelica Huston, Jesse McCartney, and Raven-Symone. --Tami Horiuchi

The tale of Disneys favorite fairy, Tinker Bell, continues in an all-new magical adventure beyond Pixie Hollow! Discover how the Pixies make their magic dust! Let your imagination soar as Autumn comes to Pixie Hollow. Take off in a hot air balloon with Tinker Bell and her new friend Blaze, a lightning bug who lights her way, on an enchanting secret journey to find a new moonstone, the source of the Pixies mystical dust. But hold on tight! There ll be amazing encounters, some close calls, and a daring rescue by her old friend Terence! In her biggest adventure yet, Tinker Bell not only learns a lesson in responsibility, she discovers the true meaning of friendship. From the creators of Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell And The Lost Treasure is a captivating journey of self-discovery everyone will want to take.

Bonus Features include: Fairy Bloopers: Fairies Make Mistakes Too, Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow: Explore the magical Guide Ths Time in the Autumn Area of Pixie Hollow, Pixie Preview: Exclusive Animated Vignette featuring Tink and her friends, Deleted scenes with filmmaker intros, Pixie Hollow comes to Florida: Discover how the filmmakers help transform Epcot Center into Pixie Hollow, BD Live
See all Editorial Reviews

I'm going to be honest here. If you'd come up to me on the street 5 years ago and told me I'd end up owning a bunch of Tinkerbell movies, there would have been trouble. I've always had a problem with Disney's dual tendencies to 1) exploit -- er, "franchise" -- seemingly marginal elements of its classic films (resulting in everything from Cinderella II to the Jungle Book 2), and 2) warehouse/archive its wonderful originals such as Snow White for blocks of time to create additional demand and buying frenzies. It all seemed a little too cold and calculating, particularly for a company that I want to love, and that is responsible for greats like Cinderella as well as underappreciated gems like the Sword in the Stone. Plus I'm, you know, a guy.

Then I had a daughter.

See, a funny thing happens when you have kids. You just want them to be happy -- and to hold onto that childish wonder as long as they can. What seemed like (and may well be) a cynical approach by Disney to mine the "resources" of its older films dissolves away when you realize how happy they still make your kids. The first Tinker Bell spinoff got bad press for similar reasons, but when kids actually watch it they LOVE it. And you know what? It's actually not that bad of a show for adults either.

The follow up, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, finds Tink back in Pixie Hollow on a brand new adventure and with some new friends to boot. Along the way we'll see some quite impressive animation effects, and even learn a lesson about personal responsibility as well. My young daughter was completely mesmerized by the story (at one point I actually snapped my fingers to get her to blink), and it was even fairly (ahem!) engrossing from my perspective as well. In a world that seems determined to make children grow up as quickly as possible, you have to give Disney credit for putting together some products that simply let them be kids. If you stop me on the street now I'll still deny ever owning these movies, but at home I'll be holding my daughter as she giggles her way back to Pixie Hollow for the umpteenth time.

	Gameplay		8.5
	Graphics		8.0
	Sound		8.0
	Value		9.0
	Distributor: SEGA Classification: G Reviewer: Michael Marsh	8.8
All Star Cheer Squad 2 This game has been designed for girls and if you're a male gamer, you probably have no interest in All Star Cheer Squad for the Nintendo Wii, howerver if you have some younger female gamers, than this might be the game for them. At it's cutesy gaming heart, All Star Cheer Squad is an interactive cheerleading game that uses the motion sensitive controls of the Wii to recreate some interesting and at times challenging cheerleader manuevers. Although the game is probably more suited to the American market due to the popularity of this sport, I'm sure it will also find a niche market in Australia, especially considering the demographic of the title. It should be noted that this game is more on the realistic side of cheerleading like comparing Wii Sports to EA Sport's Active which is definitely a step in the right the direction. With that said, All Star Cheer Squad is like Bring it On meets gaming! When you put the game on, you'll notice how slick the game and before embarking on your cheerleading career, you need to pick and modify your avatar which includes both male and female cheerleaders. The customisation features are rather indepth and you could get really lost in creating your perfect cheerleader or attempt them to make them look like you. As mentioned, the game is also reminiscent of those great cheerleading movies and the first level in the game are the tryouts which is also like a tutorial level as it teaches you the basic manuevers of the cheerleading and using the Wii controls. Once you have finished your tryouts, it's time to engage in some competitive cheerleading sport and I must admit that some of the manuevers can be quite complex but best of all, the control system of the Wiimote and Nunchuck works remarkable well. The game even supports the Wii balance board as you stand on and off the board and really adds to the workout experience but if you don't have this, you can still enjoy the game. As you do play, it's hard not to get involve in the game, especially if you have a few friends around as you dance your way to victory with some great background ambience. As you make all the classic cheerleader letters and shapes, as you progress, the developers make it a tad more chalelnging by speeding things up and allowing for additional manuevers but thankfully it's all displayed on screen, just think Tetris! The accuracy is rather impressive and there's only a few times that I messed up, albeit on the harder levels, it does get more challenging. Graphically, for a Wii title, it looks rather impressive with well designed characters, environments and a slick menu system. The colour palette is quite vibrant and all in all, the game is rather apt in this department. The music suits the game perfectly with its over the top style of music and really brings out the inner cheerleader in you, provided you are into this style of game. At the end of the day, All Star Cheer Squad is an interesting attempt at recreating the Cheerleading world and dare I say that developers YYY have almost perfect it. The controls are quite, although at times the accuracy is lacking and if you're looking for a mini-workout, than this game can also do just that, provided you have the Wii balance board. Although it has a particular gender and age group, some kids will definitely appreciate this under their Christmas tree this year. Check it out! 0-0-0-0-0-0 Please Note: As a franchise organisation, titles and prices may vary between the physical stores and this website. This is a Blu-ray Disc (BD) movie and is not compatible for play in a normal DVD player. For more information, view our Blu-ray Information Page. A blowout Las Vegas bachelor party turns into a race against time when three hung-over groomsmen awaken after a night of drunken debauchery to find that the groom has gone missing, and attempt to get him to the alter before his wedding day. In 48 hours, Doug is scheduled to walk down the aisle, effectively ending his reign as a rowdy bachelor. Realizing that this is their last blow out with their best friend, Doug's groomsmen organize a Sin City bachelor bash he'll never forget. The next morning, the groomsmen come to in their Caesar's Palace suite to find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby tucked away in the closet. Unfortunately, Doug is nowhere to be found. With no memory of the previous night's transgressions and precious little time to spare, the trio sets out on a hazy attempt to retrace their steps from the previous night, and discover exactly where things went wrong. Special Features: Bonus Digital Copy Includes Theatrical Cut and Extended Versions More Photos from the Missing Camera The Dan Band performs "Fame" Ken Jeong's Non-stop Hilarious Improv BD Live - "Cursing Mash-up" with all the cursing in the film! BD Live - Mike Tyson's hilarious rendition of "In The Air Tonight" Released: Tuesday, 24 November 2009 Actors: Bradley Cooper Ed Helms Zach Galifianakis Justin Bartha Heather Graham Sasha Barrese Jeffrey Tambor Ken Jeong Rachael Harris Mike Tyson Mike Epps Jernard Burks Rob Riggle Cleo King Bryan Callen Matt Walsh Sondra Currie Nathalie Fay Todd Phillips Director: Todd Phillips 0-0- Okay, I'll admit it. When I was first asked to check out Inferno Pool, I didn't really know what to expect. Sure, I've played plenty of pool games in my life, and I've also played around with plenty of games trying to recreate the experience to varying degrees of success. Of course, when you tack on a word like "Inferno" to the title, there's an expectation that this game has got to be hot, right? Well, it's time to rack 'em up and see if this pool game can run the table, or if it's going to leave gamers behind the 8-ball. There are three main types of games available in Inferno Pool. You've got your standard 8-Ball and 9-Ball games, as well as the titular "Inferno" matches. Inferno matches are fast paced games which pit two to four players not only against each other, but also against the clock. Each player is given his own table racked with nine balls. The goal is to try and clear your table, or at least pocket more balls than your opponents, before the clock hits zero. While this seems cut and dried, there's a twist. Every time you sink a ball, you can launch it over to one of your competitors' tables, dropping more balls for him to try and clear while blocking some of his best laid shots. Of course, your opponents aren�t the only ones with targets on their backs. While you're busy clearing your table and dumping on other players, they're going to be racing to do the same to you. Inferno games are a fun new twist on the classic pool experience, and it would be great if not for the problematic gameplay. Not exactly a competition- quality table. The controls in Inferno Pool leave a lot to be desired. The basic controls are fairly simple, with the left thumbstick used to aim your shot and the right thumbstick used to make the shot. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of issues with lining up those shots accurately. The controls are just too sensitive. It's bad enough to have to keep adjusting and re-adjusting your shot because the aim drift too far left then too far right, back and forth, time and again. But when you add the fact that the bulk of the gameplay has you fighting the clock, time isn�t really on your side to line up that perfect bank shot. Even when you use the D-pad and bumpers to switch over to an overhead view and fine tune your aim, the controls still feel way too loose. On the upside, Inferno Pool is built on a pretty good presentation. The game's got a solidly polished look. The pool table looked pretty rugged, but that's actually by design. I had to stop playing once while I stared at the table and wondered to myself exactly what seemed to have spilled on the blue felt ? and whether or not I really wanted to know. Through gameplay, you can get other table and ball designs, each of which plays to the grungy style. Oh, and props have to go out to the announcer, how sounds like he's auditioning for the next Mortal Kombat game. I half expected to hear "Fatality!" after finishing a match. For the 8 and 9 Ball games, you can either go it alone against a computer opponent set to one of five difficultly levels, or you can take on up to three friends either via split-screen play or online over Xbox LIVE. You can play Inferno matches against other players as well, or you can try to tackle it solo in an ironman like endurance match, where the game constantly drops balls onto your table while you try to last as long as possible before the table gets reaches a preset ball limit. Online games seem to play smoothly enough so far, and two player matches on one system aren't bad. However, once you split the screen up between three or four players, things become too small to really play effectively. Inferno Pool had all the makings of a great pool experience. Plenty of gameplay options, a presentation with some real personality, and full support for up to four players, teamed together with an interesting new twist on the same ol' game of 9-Ball all add up to a game that could have been the definitive pool game on the 360. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the developers forgot that a pool game is only as good as its controls, and ended up with a scratch before the first break. -=-=- Tinkerbell is back for a whole new season of adventure in Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure. Pixie Hollow is all abuzz with preparations for autumn and Tinkerbell is hard at work on her latest invention when she is unexpectedly summoned by Queen Clarion and the Minister of autumn. Tinkerbell fears that she's in trouble again, but is instead delighted to find out that Fairy Mary has recommended her for the important job of creating a one-of-a-kind scepter that will focus the light of an unusual blue harvest moon through a rare moonstone in order to replenish the pixie dust tree's supply of pixie dust. Tinkerbell gladly rises to the challenge, accepting her dust-keeper friend Terrence's offers of help, but as the days fly rapidly by, pressure begins to build and Tinkerbell becomes annoyed by Terrence's constant attention. Sending Terrence away on an errand seems like a good idea, but what he brings back inadvertently causes the almost finished scepter and the incredibly rare moonstone to break into pieces. Tinkerbell lashes out at Terrence and then departs alone on a desperate quest to fix the moonstone. What Tinkerbell learns on her journey is that she must take responsibility for her own actions and that the power and value of true friendship is much greater than she'd ever imagined. Like the first Tinkerbell, the colors and clarity of animation are simply breathtaking in this production, but the story lags somewhat thanks to a lengthy set up and a general lack of suspense in the first half of the film. Still, it's a perfectly entertaining movie that will delight children ages 3 and up as well as satisfy most parents. Returning voice talent includes Mae Whitman, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Horrocks, Anjelica Huston, Jesse McCartney, and Raven-Symone. --Tami Horiuchi The tale of Disneys favorite fairy, Tinker Bell, continues in an all-new magical adventure beyond Pixie Hollow! Discover how the Pixies make their magic dust! Let your imagination soar as Autumn comes to Pixie Hollow. Take off in a hot air balloon with Tinker Bell and her new friend Blaze, a lightning bug who lights her way, on an enchanting secret journey to find a new moonstone, the source of the Pixies mystical dust. But hold on tight! There ll be amazing encounters, some close calls, and a daring rescue by her old friend Terence! In her biggest adventure yet, Tinker Bell not only learns a lesson in responsibility, she discovers the true meaning of friendship. From the creators of Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell And The Lost Treasure is a captivating journey of self-discovery everyone will want to take. Bonus Features include: Fairy Bloopers: Fairies Make Mistakes Too, Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow: Explore the magical Guide Ths Time in the Autumn Area of Pixie Hollow, Pixie Preview: Exclusive Animated Vignette featuring Tink and her friends, Deleted scenes with filmmaker intros, Pixie Hollow comes to Florida: Discover how the filmmakers help transform Epcot Center into Pixie Hollow, BD Live See all Editorial Reviews I'm going to be honest here. If you'd come up to me on the street 5 years ago and told me I'd end up owning a bunch of Tinkerbell movies, there would have been trouble. I've always had a problem with Disney's dual tendencies to 1) exploit -- er, "franchise" -- seemingly marginal elements of its classic films (resulting in everything from Cinderella II to the Jungle Book 2), and 2) warehouse/archive its wonderful originals such as Snow White for blocks of time to create additional demand and buying frenzies. It all seemed a little too cold and calculating, particularly for a company that I want to love, and that is responsible for greats like Cinderella as well as underappreciated gems like the Sword in the Stone. Plus I'm, you know, a guy. Then I had a daughter. See, a funny thing happens when you have kids. You just want them to be happy -- and to hold onto that childish wonder as long as they can. What seemed like (and may well be) a cynical approach by Disney to mine the "resources" of its older films dissolves away when you realize how happy they still make your kids. The first Tinker Bell spinoff got bad press for similar reasons, but when kids actually watch it they LOVE it. And you know what? It's actually not that bad of a show for adults either. The follow up, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, finds Tink back in Pixie Hollow on a brand new adventure and with some new friends to boot. Along the way we'll see some quite impressive animation effects, and even learn a lesson about personal responsibility as well. My young daughter was completely mesmerized by the story (at one point I actually snapped my fingers to get her to blink), and it was even fairly (ahem!) engrossing from my perspective as well. In a world that seems determined to make children grow up as quickly as possible, you have to give Disney credit for putting together some products that simply let them be kids. If you stop me on the street now I'll still deny ever owning these movies, but at home I'll be holding my daughter as she giggles her way back to Pixie Hollow for the umpteenth time.