The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)
Sorry for the blog shutdown, guys, I'll be back for a bit.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is the successor to the first Zelda DS, Phantom Hourglass. PH was fun, but it required you to revisit the same temple about, what, 4 or 5 times? That's too much. Spirit Tracks takes everything bad about PH, and takes it to a whole new level.
Since Zelda games are heavy on story, I'm just gonna give you the rundown. Link is now a train conductor, and is on his way to get his official certificate in Castle Town. He meets Zelda, and they set off for the Spirit Tower, a creepy huge tower looming in the center of Hyrule. It's certainly seen better days, and it's the cause of the Spirt Tracks' (railroad tracks) disappearances all about Hyrule. When they get there, they are ambushed and some dude kills Zelda! That's right. Kills her. Link brings her soul to life at the Spirit Tower, with help of an old lady, and she tells them a big long story.
Spirit Tracks follows a linear format, but with added twists throughout. First, you must retrieve the Spirit Maps from different floors of the Spirit Tower. You get these with the help of your pal Zelda, who's soul is in disguise in a Phantom's costume. Then, you set out to the realm's sanctuary, learn a song, and clear the zone's temple and restore the power to the tracks, then repeat.
The graphics looks great, one of DS's best, and are a step-up from the 2007 predecessor. Control is simple, use the stylus to move Link, just tap and he'll come running. Double-tap to roll, and swipe to slash your sword. The train is one of the biggest additions to Spirit Tracks, and it is incredible. Much better than any of his old boats, the Spirit Train is a great new addition to the Zelda Transportation Library. You trace your route on the map, and off you go, controlling your speed, firing enemies with your cannon, and avoiding enemy trains.
It's a Zelda game, and what's a Zelda game without new items? Spirit Tracks boasts some old favorites, such as the boomerang, bow and arrow, and bombs, all which use great stylus control (especially the boomerang). New items include the Deku Fan, which you blow into the microphone to send a gust of one flying. Perfect for stunning enemies, activating fans, and getting items. The other new item is the Whip Snake, a Indiana Jones-esque whip. Link uses this to attack enemies, swing over pits, and access new areas. Both are great. I would've liked to see the Clawshot somehow incorporated into the DS, but that's just me.
There's a lot of depth and replay value to ST. Spawnning 5 incredible dungeons, tons of villages and places to explore, and fun addictive minigames such as hunting rabbits, stamp collecting, and collecting treasure. The bosses in ST once span both screens, like in PH, but these are much interesting. Each have unique ways to beat them, usually using the item you aquired, and are very tough.
The biggest new addition, in my opinion, is the Spirit Flute, which may even beat the Ocarina in best Zelda Instrument Category. Playing is simple, just drag along the bottom screen to move the flute to its respective holes, and then blow into the DS microphone. You use the flute to restore the Spirit Tracks's power with duets from the Lokomos, access new hidden items, and much more.
That about wraps up the ST review. It beats Phantom Hourglass in every way imaginable, and is one of the best DS games out there. Buy it.
Pros:
Great Zelda Adventure
New Items, Dungeons, and Quests
Spirit Flute
Cons:
Linearity
Overall: 9.5/10
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Friday, October 23, 2009
New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis
Mario Power Tennis (Wii)
Originally a Gamecube title, Mario Power Tennis was one of the first good Mario sports games. It featured a lot of content for your money, and was a lot of fun. In the New Play Control (NPC) series, Nintendo brings old Gamecube classics to life on the Wii with new control, better graphics, and more ways to play. But does Mario Power Tennis hold up?
Of course, being a Mario game, there's a sheer amount of characters to play as. You've got Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Waluigi, Bowser, Boo, the list goes on and on. That's not a bad thing, as there is a lot of variety for you and your friends to choose from. There's also a big amount of courses, ranging from classic, to just plain wacky, and filled with traps!
While being called New Play Control, Nintendo changes from good ol' Gamecube controller, to new Wii motion control. This works for the most part, but a lot of the time it is very unresponsive and doesn't become fun at all.
The main game mode is "Tournament Mode" where you play a set of events to unlock new characters. It can be finished with doubles or singles. Another mode is "Special Games" where you play a set of fun minigames which bring something new to the table of tennis, and they range from painting to defeating baddies! Of course, there's also standard "Exhibition Mode" where you choose the character, you choose the rules, and you choose the course. You can play with 1, 2, 3, or 4 people, and it's a ton of fun.
Pros:
Mario Fun!
A lot of characters and courses
Cons:
Weak Control
Overall: 6/10
Originally a Gamecube title, Mario Power Tennis was one of the first good Mario sports games. It featured a lot of content for your money, and was a lot of fun. In the New Play Control (NPC) series, Nintendo brings old Gamecube classics to life on the Wii with new control, better graphics, and more ways to play. But does Mario Power Tennis hold up?
Of course, being a Mario game, there's a sheer amount of characters to play as. You've got Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Waluigi, Bowser, Boo, the list goes on and on. That's not a bad thing, as there is a lot of variety for you and your friends to choose from. There's also a big amount of courses, ranging from classic, to just plain wacky, and filled with traps!
While being called New Play Control, Nintendo changes from good ol' Gamecube controller, to new Wii motion control. This works for the most part, but a lot of the time it is very unresponsive and doesn't become fun at all.
The main game mode is "Tournament Mode" where you play a set of events to unlock new characters. It can be finished with doubles or singles. Another mode is "Special Games" where you play a set of fun minigames which bring something new to the table of tennis, and they range from painting to defeating baddies! Of course, there's also standard "Exhibition Mode" where you choose the character, you choose the rules, and you choose the course. You can play with 1, 2, 3, or 4 people, and it's a ton of fun.
Pros:
Mario Fun!
A lot of characters and courses
Cons:
Weak Control
Overall: 6/10
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Deca Sports
Deca Sports (Wii)
There are a lot of sports compilation games out there, folks, a lot! After the success of Wii Sports, many developers tried to follow in their footsteps, and most of them have failed. Hudson tries with Deca Sports, and, as the name implies, features 10 different sports. Let's jump into the review!
Deca Sports, as I said before, features 10 sports. While Wii Sports includes 5, you're certainly getting more here, but it more always better? Games include archery, volleyball, curling, motorbikes, and more, and most of these have been done better in Wii Sports Resort. Deca Sports features a number of game modes. Open Match allows you to open up any sport and play it, while in Tournament Mode you tackle an event to become the champion. Deca League lets you take on each team in each different sport, and Deca Challenge lets yourself at each sport.
Instead of Miis, Deca Sports uses little "avatar" characters that look bland, and are pretty lame. Hasn't Hudson learned that everything is better with Miis!? And who doesn't want to play curling with their own self? 8 teams are also set up for you, which range from average joes to super jocks.
Of course, motion controls is probably the main reason that 2 million people bought this game. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Obviously, it's limited to just waving it around or flicking your wrist in a few boring sports like badminton, but archery and curling feature unique controls which don't grow old right away.
You are treated to an awfully bad Japanese tune at the beginning title, and this is just hilarious!
Pros:
Probably the best Wii Sports copy
Hilarious Theme Song!
Cons:
Pretty Bad Controls
NO MIIS!!
OVERALL: 4.7/10
There are a lot of sports compilation games out there, folks, a lot! After the success of Wii Sports, many developers tried to follow in their footsteps, and most of them have failed. Hudson tries with Deca Sports, and, as the name implies, features 10 different sports. Let's jump into the review!
Deca Sports, as I said before, features 10 sports. While Wii Sports includes 5, you're certainly getting more here, but it more always better? Games include archery, volleyball, curling, motorbikes, and more, and most of these have been done better in Wii Sports Resort. Deca Sports features a number of game modes. Open Match allows you to open up any sport and play it, while in Tournament Mode you tackle an event to become the champion. Deca League lets you take on each team in each different sport, and Deca Challenge lets yourself at each sport.
Instead of Miis, Deca Sports uses little "avatar" characters that look bland, and are pretty lame. Hasn't Hudson learned that everything is better with Miis!? And who doesn't want to play curling with their own self? 8 teams are also set up for you, which range from average joes to super jocks.
Of course, motion controls is probably the main reason that 2 million people bought this game. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Obviously, it's limited to just waving it around or flicking your wrist in a few boring sports like badminton, but archery and curling feature unique controls which don't grow old right away.
You are treated to an awfully bad Japanese tune at the beginning title, and this is just hilarious!
Pros:
Probably the best Wii Sports copy
Hilarious Theme Song!
Cons:
Pretty Bad Controls
NO MIIS!!
OVERALL: 4.7/10
Friday, October 16, 2009
Update
Hey guys, sorry for the lack in posts. I've been very sick lately, and on top of that I've got to handle my homework and all my activities when I stay home. I'm feeling a bit better each day, and by this weekend, I'll probably have recovered. I may be able to get a review out today or tonight, so stay posted!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Tuesday Quickie - October 6th
Today's episode of the Tuesday Quickie will be, promptly named, quick. I'm in a rush but I will still deliver quality info!
Tuesday Quickie - October 6th, 2009
Mini Ninjas:
Publisher - Eidos Interactive/WB Interactive
Developer - IO Interactive
Release - September 8th
Genre - Action/Adventure
Rating - ESRB E10+
Platform - Wii
Quick Glance: In China, you play as 6 cunning ninjas, as they take down the evil Samurai Warlord. You progress through levels in a linear fashion, and there are many different ninja moves and spells for you to experiment with. This fun action game may be Fall's sleeper hit!
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky:
Publisher - Nintendo
Developer - Chunsoft
Release - October 12th
Genre - Action RPG
Rating - ESRB E
Platform - DS
Quick Glance: You once again play as a human transformed into a Pokemon, but what makes Explorers of the Sky stand out from its two predecessors is the added gameplay. There are background quests, where you can play as other Pokemon and progress through stories to learn more about the past, and like the first two, you can send SOS to friends via Wi-Fi to save you from dungeons. Sounds fun!
Tuesday Quickie - October 6th, 2009
Mini Ninjas:
Publisher - Eidos Interactive/WB Interactive
Developer - IO Interactive
Release - September 8th
Genre - Action/Adventure
Rating - ESRB E10+
Platform - Wii
Quick Glance: In China, you play as 6 cunning ninjas, as they take down the evil Samurai Warlord. You progress through levels in a linear fashion, and there are many different ninja moves and spells for you to experiment with. This fun action game may be Fall's sleeper hit!
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky:
Publisher - Nintendo
Developer - Chunsoft
Release - October 12th
Genre - Action RPG
Rating - ESRB E
Platform - DS
Quick Glance: You once again play as a human transformed into a Pokemon, but what makes Explorers of the Sky stand out from its two predecessors is the added gameplay. There are background quests, where you can play as other Pokemon and progress through stories to learn more about the past, and like the first two, you can send SOS to friends via Wi-Fi to save you from dungeons. Sounds fun!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Before 2008, when Mario Kart and Brawl came out, the only Wii game worth getting was The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. 2007 was a slow year, but in November, it all changed with the release of Super Mario Galaxy, the newest 3D Mario platformer, hot off the heels of Super Mario Sunshine.
This newest 3D platformer stars Mario, as Bowser once again tries to take over Mushroom Kingdom. He literally uproots Princess Peach with her Castle, and Mario in hot pursuit. However, Kamek blows him back and he lands on a weird planet, where he meets bunnies. They then take him to meet a strange galaxy girl named Rosalina, a princess who lives in an observatory up in the sky, called the Comet Observatory. As you try to get 60 stars and save Peach, you'll unlock different HUBS.You have the terrace, fountain, kitchen, etc. and these are all part of the observatory. This is where you enter the Galaxies, and you can choose from 3 different missions, and you'll later unlock 3 side missions.
This is true videogaming. What I mean by that is that it doesn't have to make sense, it's just there to have fun. In Super Mario Galaxy, there's no real sense of danger. You can't die by falling off a level, only by enemies. Obviously without this, there'd be no challenge. Thankfully, Nintendo put in a few non-gravitorial levels, and black holes throughout some levels.
Mario has some new tricks up his sleeve, thanks to some great new controls. He can now use a new Spin Attack, where he spins around twirling his fists. You simply shake the Wiimote, and it feels really good. You control Mario with the Nunchuck, and use the Wiimote for new things. What's cool is that Super Mario Galaxy uses the Wiimote, but doesn't abuse its powers. You mainly use it to collect Starbits, sort of the currency in SMG. You use these to unlock secret levels, and feed Lumas (Rosalina's star buddies) throughout each galaxy.
Also new are some really cool outfits and powerups. These are some of the best in the series, and I hope to see them return. New is Bee Mario, exclusive to Honeyhive Galaxy. Mario turns into a Bee and can hover briefly to access new areas. Also new are Boo Mario, where Mario is literally a Boo and can float and travel through walls, but watch out for light! Another fun one is Spring Mario, and it takes some doing to master. Returning are Fire Mario and Ice Mario, and Mario ditches F.L.U.D.D. if you guys didn't know :D
There are a few interesting Wiimote heavy levels, where Mario is in a strange situation and you must use the Wiimote to help him maneouver. In one he is in a race and you must race on....Manta Rays? In the sky? With the Wiimote to control your balance, controlling him is a snap. My favorite is when Mario is atop a glass ball, and the star is trapped inside. He must move around the rube-goldberg esque level, and break it open. There's also a level where Mario is in a bubble, and you must blow it and keep it away from danger!
Music: The music in Super Mario Galaxy is, to say the least... Magnificent! With great composers like Koji Kondo and Mahito Yokota, they have created a wonderful soundtrack filled with brilliantly orchestrated music. Each track is crafted with care, and composed to fit the level, whether you're atop an intense volcano, or in mid-space, they've got you covered.
There are hundreds of galaxies to explore with 120 stars to collect. This is a huge game, and one of the Wii's finest. You owe it to yourself to check it out, you won't regret it.
Pros:
Amazing Mario Platforming
Good Control
Marvelous Music
Cons:
Same Ol' Story!
Overall - 9.7/10
Before 2008, when Mario Kart and Brawl came out, the only Wii game worth getting was The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. 2007 was a slow year, but in November, it all changed with the release of Super Mario Galaxy, the newest 3D Mario platformer, hot off the heels of Super Mario Sunshine.
This newest 3D platformer stars Mario, as Bowser once again tries to take over Mushroom Kingdom. He literally uproots Princess Peach with her Castle, and Mario in hot pursuit. However, Kamek blows him back and he lands on a weird planet, where he meets bunnies. They then take him to meet a strange galaxy girl named Rosalina, a princess who lives in an observatory up in the sky, called the Comet Observatory. As you try to get 60 stars and save Peach, you'll unlock different HUBS.You have the terrace, fountain, kitchen, etc. and these are all part of the observatory. This is where you enter the Galaxies, and you can choose from 3 different missions, and you'll later unlock 3 side missions.
This is true videogaming. What I mean by that is that it doesn't have to make sense, it's just there to have fun. In Super Mario Galaxy, there's no real sense of danger. You can't die by falling off a level, only by enemies. Obviously without this, there'd be no challenge. Thankfully, Nintendo put in a few non-gravitorial levels, and black holes throughout some levels.
Mario has some new tricks up his sleeve, thanks to some great new controls. He can now use a new Spin Attack, where he spins around twirling his fists. You simply shake the Wiimote, and it feels really good. You control Mario with the Nunchuck, and use the Wiimote for new things. What's cool is that Super Mario Galaxy uses the Wiimote, but doesn't abuse its powers. You mainly use it to collect Starbits, sort of the currency in SMG. You use these to unlock secret levels, and feed Lumas (Rosalina's star buddies) throughout each galaxy.
Also new are some really cool outfits and powerups. These are some of the best in the series, and I hope to see them return. New is Bee Mario, exclusive to Honeyhive Galaxy. Mario turns into a Bee and can hover briefly to access new areas. Also new are Boo Mario, where Mario is literally a Boo and can float and travel through walls, but watch out for light! Another fun one is Spring Mario, and it takes some doing to master. Returning are Fire Mario and Ice Mario, and Mario ditches F.L.U.D.D. if you guys didn't know :D
There are a few interesting Wiimote heavy levels, where Mario is in a strange situation and you must use the Wiimote to help him maneouver. In one he is in a race and you must race on....Manta Rays? In the sky? With the Wiimote to control your balance, controlling him is a snap. My favorite is when Mario is atop a glass ball, and the star is trapped inside. He must move around the rube-goldberg esque level, and break it open. There's also a level where Mario is in a bubble, and you must blow it and keep it away from danger!
Music: The music in Super Mario Galaxy is, to say the least... Magnificent! With great composers like Koji Kondo and Mahito Yokota, they have created a wonderful soundtrack filled with brilliantly orchestrated music. Each track is crafted with care, and composed to fit the level, whether you're atop an intense volcano, or in mid-space, they've got you covered.
There are hundreds of galaxies to explore with 120 stars to collect. This is a huge game, and one of the Wii's finest. You owe it to yourself to check it out, you won't regret it.
Pros:
Amazing Mario Platforming
Good Control
Marvelous Music
Cons:
Same Ol' Story!
Overall - 9.7/10
Friday, October 2, 2009
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Animal Crossing: City Folk
This is my first Animal Crossing game, so don't get mad at me if I don't say things that are correct or whatever :D
City Folk, the sequel to Wild World, which is the sequel to Animal Crossing (GCN), is Nintendo's attempt at The Sims. With animals. Basically, you are a new neighbor (a human), who's moved into a town full of animals. There is no actual plot, but it's more of a day-to-day activity thing. There's something going on a lot, such as holidays, a birthday, or a weird day Nintendo decided to celebrate. Talk Like a Pirate Day, hmmm.....
There's no limit to what you can do in Animal Crossing. You can fish, catch bugs, dig up treasures, go shopping at the local stores, such as Tom Nook's or the Able Sisters Clothes Store. Also, you can visit the City Hall, visit neighbors' houses, get a cup of coffee, or check out the many cool exhibits at the Museum.
Since you could pretty much do all this in previous games, you're probably wondering, "Why is City Folk different from past AC games." Well, as the title City Folk implies, your character can now take a bus to the city, and look at all the stores there. There's a theater, a department store, an auction house, even a salon. There's also a secret shop and a fortune teller. This wasn't a huge change for me, but this was:
You can now use Nintendo Wi-Fi and visit your friends' towns, or have them come here. This was a lot of fun, provided you have some friends. This is also the first game to use Nintendo's new WiiSpeak, promptly named, for a microphone to talk to friends. It basically sits in your room and picks up anything anyone around it says. It worked and sounded very well.
Pros:
Good Replay Value
Wi-Fi Connectivity
Cons:
No Real Change
Overall - 7/10
This is my first Animal Crossing game, so don't get mad at me if I don't say things that are correct or whatever :D
City Folk, the sequel to Wild World, which is the sequel to Animal Crossing (GCN), is Nintendo's attempt at The Sims. With animals. Basically, you are a new neighbor (a human), who's moved into a town full of animals. There is no actual plot, but it's more of a day-to-day activity thing. There's something going on a lot, such as holidays, a birthday, or a weird day Nintendo decided to celebrate. Talk Like a Pirate Day, hmmm.....
There's no limit to what you can do in Animal Crossing. You can fish, catch bugs, dig up treasures, go shopping at the local stores, such as Tom Nook's or the Able Sisters Clothes Store. Also, you can visit the City Hall, visit neighbors' houses, get a cup of coffee, or check out the many cool exhibits at the Museum.
Since you could pretty much do all this in previous games, you're probably wondering, "Why is City Folk different from past AC games." Well, as the title City Folk implies, your character can now take a bus to the city, and look at all the stores there. There's a theater, a department store, an auction house, even a salon. There's also a secret shop and a fortune teller. This wasn't a huge change for me, but this was:
You can now use Nintendo Wi-Fi and visit your friends' towns, or have them come here. This was a lot of fun, provided you have some friends. This is also the first game to use Nintendo's new WiiSpeak, promptly named, for a microphone to talk to friends. It basically sits in your room and picks up anything anyone around it says. It worked and sounded very well.
Pros:
Good Replay Value
Wi-Fi Connectivity
Cons:
No Real Change
Overall - 7/10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
