Kirby Mass Attack

I'm currently playing Kirby Mass Attack on my DS, I bought this awhile back, something to help tide me through this barren lack of any new games this year....

Holy CRAP I never thought I'd use the word "brutal" and "Kirby game" in the same sentence. What is developer  HAL Laboratory thinking here? It's *WAY* harder than most other Kirby games before it. I did play Kirby Canvas Curse, which is similar in that it uses all stylus to control Kirby, the control is actually more frustrating in that game... but it's also problematic here at times.

Kirby Mass Attack feels like it wants to be a Mario game in the challenge level. It ramps up the difficulty right away... I'm barely 10% in, and I've lost most of my 10 Kirbys-- which locks me out of being able to enter most of the levels. It even has the same big coins, except there are more per level. These coins are needed to unlock mini-games.

This is a game where you have to be brutally fast-- attack with savagery-- how bizarre is that, in a Kirby game?? But if you hesitate, the enemies will do their attack moves and you'll just get killed.  This is freakin' Kirby, HAL-- Kirby! The games are supposed to skew on the easier side.....

It is nice to have some challenge, but Mario hard is not called for here, nor is it appropriate. Is Kirby for younger gamers, or hardcores who grew up in the SNES generation? I'm not sure if this would be a good game for a young child.

It's not entirely the controls that frustrate, the big problem here is the lack of checkpoints. At least there is no time limit, and not too many regenerating enemies. But when you get the maximum 10 Kirbys, it is really hard to make them fit through areas that they NEED to fit through in order to, um, NOT DIE. I think there is a real lack of polish when it comes to the awkward stylus-only control.

Kirby Mass Attack even penalizes you for going between world levels-- if you do, you lose all your extra Kirbys! What is with the Mario-style punishment here?

Kirby Mass Attack has some really cute presentation & visual style... but the same can be said for the Mario games. It isn't unplayable, but it is annoying at times. I can only imagine the final boss will be stupid hard.

At least it's great to be playing my DS Lite again... when my 3DS needs to be charged-- since its battery dies SO fast-- I can use my DS Lite...


later
don

Club Nintendo coin values changes

Oh man... I just finished registering a bunch of Wii & DS Lite games on Club Nintendo because I read that starting July 1, 2012, most of the coin values for those games are going down. Qualifying (first party) Wii games are worth 50 coins right now, but starting July 1, they seem to drop to between 40/30 & 20 coins! What a rip. And many DS games are dropping from 30 to 20.

But here is the weird part... some first-party games coin values are going UP-- the Pokemon series all seem to be increasing as are the main Mario games-- excluding Super Mario Galaxy (1), the Selects version that is MSRP $19.99 is worth less coins that the original Super Mario Galaxy 1 sold at full price. But don't be fooled, there are far fewer games going up compared to the number going down.

Also incredibly annoying, many of the download games like classic Gameboy titles get cut from 10 coins to 5.

I was squirreling away a bunch of Nintendo game codes from games I'd bought awhile back.... but Nintendo has forced me to register them now if I want the full coin values. I'm now at Platinum status for the second year in a row, but I've almost spent my wad..... I'm holding onto a couple of Mario codes that will inexplicably go UP in coin value after July 1.....

I think it's really douchey of Nintendo to decrease coin values like this. Bad enough they have expiry dates-- some countries have made such practices ILLEGAL as in gift cards, and points slip through the cracks on the technicality that they aren't real money... but still. Expiry dates for gift points is an immoral practice.



later
don

All the Metroid games suck?

I've tried the Metroid franchise time and time again-- and it's overwhelmingly clear that they are simply AWFUL AWFUL games.

I can't believe how many Metroid games I have: Metroid Prime 3 (Wii), Metroid Prime: Hunters (DS), Metroid (Ambassador NES 3DS download), Metroid: Fusion (Ambassador GBA 3DS download) and Metroid: Other M (Wii)

Clearly I really want to like this franchise.... I even drew this pic when I'd just started playing Metroid Prime 3. Sci-fi is one of my favourite subjects, and the games look actiony. I keep thinking that the deadly combination of tedious action bits where it takes forever to kill everything crossed with obtuse backtracking will somehow not be a part of one of the Metroid games... when it's clearly a cornerstone hallmark of the series. Every Metroid game needs these 2 elements otherwise it wouldn't be Metroid, I suppose.

I just started playing Metroid Fusion half an hour ago. It's brutal how clunky this game controls... hell *all* Metroid games control like absolute shit. How is any of this fun?? I get that sometimes a game is "hobbled" in order to add challenge, and in rare cases it actually works well: Steel Diver is a good example of that. But there is still something unsatisfying about Steel Diver, knowing it's intetionally awkward to control... it's just never a good idea to intentionally make terrible/awkward controls for a game.

I haven't tried Metroid: Other M yet. I bought it awhile ago for $9.99, and I'm betting it was a complete waste of $9.99, just as all the Metroid games have been a waste of money for me. If it's like any of the other Metroid games I don't know if I even want to try it.



later
don

Tetris Party Live

I was going back & forth over which version of Tetris Party to buy for my 3DS:

Tetris Party Deluxe, which is a cartridge that has more game modes, can be playable on my 3DS *or* my DS Lite... but costs $24.99(!) at Best Buy...

Tetris Party Live, which only has the basic Tetris game mode and online multiplayer (which I will probably never use), is downloadable & only playable on my 3DS... but costs $4.99.



Kinda easy to decide when you put it that way.


I figured if I somehow made a horrible mistake and wanted the version other than the one I first bought, I'd be out a bit over $5 bucks, but if I'd bought the cartridge first & realized I only wanted the basic game... that's $28 bucks (with tax) I'd have wasted.

So I've been playing Tetris Party Live for the last couple days. There are actually 2 modes in the basic single player: endless, and "clear 150 lines".

The problem is that I seem to TOTALLY SUCK at Tetris. I've been trying the 150 lines, but by the time I get to 70-80 lines, it simply gets too hard for me to get past. So every game I play ends around the 10 minute mark.

Compare that to Lumines/Lumines II, and while they get very difficult, the difficulty ebbs & flows, so there's a bit of a respite to the relentlessness of the pacing. And I can usually play a 30 minute session of Lumines. But Tetris Party Live, it just speeds up & up until you die (which in my case is very quick)

It's very annoying. Maybe I'll get better, but it just seems a bit, I dunno, harsh with the difficulty ramping up. I don't seem to make any improvement no matter how many games I play. They *ALL* end in about 10 minutes.

And the game generally is very plain. There is a little bit of customization with background & music, but overall it's not a great looking game. Plus, why does it not make use of both screens to play? The top screen is totally wasted, and you can't even choose to display the gameplay on the top rather than on the bottom. The top screen displays the computer when you're playing against it, but it would've been nice if it could've been used better for single player.

Consider yourself lucky, you Lumines PSP players who may've eyed Tetris with envy.... (though Tetris is available on the PS Store so if you were actually envious, you could just buy & download that...) even though Lumines could be considered a "Tetris rip-off", it's still has fairly well-balanced gameplay & great production values to give good gaming sessions, rather than the unrelenting chews-you-up+spits-you-out difficulty of Tetris Party Live.




later
don

Zenonia

So I've been playing tons of Zenonia the last few days. I bought it through the Nintendo eShop (DSiWare), downloaded it onto my 3DS.

It was $7.99 + tax, coming to $8.95 total. What's annoying about Nintendo's new eShop is that money can only be put into your virtual wallet in $5.00 increments. So there will probably always be some leftover amount that you can't spend.

I actually have Zenonia (free) on my HTC Legend, but I wanted to play it on a device with physical controls. It's available for both DSiWare and PSP download, but I've heard that it was badly ported to PSP-- that it's horribly laggy (search "Zenonia PSP" on YouTube for more info) but I've also heard that they might have put a fixed copy on the PS Store... still I thought the DSiWare version might be a safer bet, and ironically, using the 3DS allows the analogue nub to be used because I think movement controls are mapped only to the D-pad on the PSP. Since the 3DS automatically allows the analogue nub to do the same thing as the D-pad, Zenonia can be played using it. But it feels made for a D-pad (even though it was originally made for a virtual D-pad) so playing with the nub doesn't always feel right.

And I do think movement is slower even on the DS version of Zenonia, so maybe because it's a port, it will never be as good as the original?

Anyway, the gameplay is an action RPG with a charming Game Boy Advance artstyle. There's a lot of content, but I've had to do a whole bunch of grinding just trying to level up my character so I can progress to the next mission. Also, there's a lot of item management; it's easy to exceed weight carrying ability, and you just start slogging when you're overweight. Then there's weapons/armour losing durability points & breaking (so you need to repair them) and combining items... but there are little/no tutorials on a lot of this stuff so you either have to be really experienced with RPGs (that's not me) or you're just guessing....

I've already sunk a lot of hours into this game, though like I said, a lot of that comes from grinding. But the look & style of Zenonia make it stand out in the lower price-point range, even though the story seems pretty nonsensical.



later
don

Lusting for Tetris

Even though I'm playing the hell out of Steel Diver, I can barely contain my desire for Tetris Party Deluxe (DS).... I've been thinking about getting that game for awhile, and recently for some reason, I'm *really* wanting it. I know my local Best Buy has some copies for $24.99, which I believe is about $5.00 below the original MSRP. Not much of a price drop, I know, but it's Tetris, so I guess it doesn't really drop in price. I was reading about it online, apparently the original Tetris DS cartridge goes for high prices because it had a low print run.


Like I said, I really want Tetris Party Deluxe DS..... but I'm holding out for Canada Day, because Future Shop/Best Buy usually have sales on stat holidays where they'll have games for 10% off. Though lately, they've been pretty chinzy about it; offering just a select type of games for sale & all that. At the time of this writing, Canada Day is about 1 week away.... but man, I could really use some Tetris Party Deluxe DS right now, know what I'm sayin'.... I'm trying to appease my Tetris hunger with a GBA Tetris Worlds rom on my HTC Legend phone, but with the touchscreen D-pad, it just does not suffice.

And I know that a 3DS Tetris is on the way, maybe by late 2011... it's stupid for me to buy a DS version when there will be a 3D version coming. But I *really want* to play some proper Tetris right now.... can't explain it, just need it.


later
don

3DS pre-order madness

So I am completely nuts, right? I think I established that when I bought 4 freakin' PSPs (recap: 1 PSP-1001, 2 SW white PSP-2001s, 1 PSPgo)

Not crazy enough? How about 2 Game Boy Micros-- 1 with a black faceplate, 1 with a gray faceplate. And YES, I *know* that the GBA Micro faceplates are replaceable..... I dunno. Just crazy, I am.

So in late January 2011, I get all whipped up into a frenzy for the 3DS. I preorder the Cosmo Black one online from Future Shop.

But then... I really wanted the Aqua Blue one. So I preorder that one from Best Buy's website. I wait a couple weeks before deciding that I really want the blue, so I cancel the black preorder from Future Shop's website.

But then... Future Shop offers a free case & extra styluses (stylii?) with preorder. Best Buy gives me nuthin' extra with my preorder. Hmmm.


So today... I went into Future Shop & checked to see if they had an in-store preorder. Turns out they do; you buy a little cardboard 3DS voucher thing that looks just like a PSN card or game card, and put down either a $25.00 minimum deposit or all the way up to full purchase price. I only put down the $25.00, because I want to be sure I get a receipt dated the release day for warranty purposes. I asked the guy about the free case & stuff, and he assured me that they'd include it, and I made sure that if I pre-ordered a 3DS in the store, that I would get it.... he said I would, that one would be set aside for me until I picked it up.

Buying it in-store seems better because then I'll get it the first day (it comes out on a Sunday, March 27,2011) I'm betting that online orders are shipped March 28.... meaning it could be a week before I'd get it in the mail.....


So yeah-- I pre-ordered from Futureshop.ca, pre-ordered from Bestbuy.ca, cancelled my pre-order from Futureshop.ca, cancelled my pre-order from Bestbuy.ca, and pre-ordered in store at my local Future Shop. Got all that?

At least I'm only buying one......

... but I'm *still* really liking the black one too.....

... like I said, crazy.


Oh yeah-- and I bought Plants vs. Zombies DS (cartridge format).


later
don

DS games on 3DS

As we get closer to the 3DS release, my enthusiasm for it is waning a bit.

The launch games lineup is not that strong. Currently I have 2 day-one game purchases in mind: Ridge Racer 3D and Pilot Wings Resort. I love the first Ridge Racer on the PSP. And Pilot Wings Resort looks very "Wii-ish" in a good way... that and I'm *itching* for a good flying game.... but I have to admit that neither game looks groundbreaking; Ridge Racer is one of the most conservative franchises out there-- it barely changes anything from game to game... I didn't even buy Ridge Racer 2 because it looked like the exact same game as the first one. I've never played a Pilot Wings game but from what little I've seen of Pilot Wings Resort-- which is VERY LITTLE-- it also looks a bit light in content. Plus I'm not sure either of these games are for sure available at launch.

Then the browser & online 3DS game shop aren't coming until May I think?

So I'm thinking that I'll be playing a lot of DS games on the 3DS for the first few months. But a couple of disturbing details are creeping out about that too.

Gamespot reports that DS games take a bit longer to load on the 3DS. According to their charts, it's about 5-7 seconds longer, which doesn't seem like much but I'm wondering if there are going to be other inconsistencies with DS software.

A more disturbing observation was made by Joystiq that DS games on the 3DS are upscaled and fuzzy. So they don't look as good as they would played on a DS Lite.



I don't really see it on the video myself. But I credit it to the poor quality of the video, the guy didn't even turn off the 3D-- the slider is still on full. Sheesh. But seen in real life it may be more noticeable.


This is somewhat understandable given the higher resolution of the 3DS screens.

I play Gameboy Advance games on my HTC Legend smartphone, and the games are upscaled to fit the screen for it.... and I have to say, they look GREAT. Some look better than others, but in general I'm quite happy with how they look on my phone. How they PLAY, using onscreen controls, is another matter...

So if DS games look as good as GBA games look on my phone, I'd be ok with it. But my HTC Legend has an AMOLED screen which looks really good. I even prefer the screen quality of it over my PSPgo for watching videos, it's just brighter & crisper... I don't know.

Another thing I'm excited about is that we can use the 3DS analog nub to play DS games! I am looking forward to playing my fave DS game MechAssault: Phantom War using the analog nub! But I'm trying not to get my hopes up, I know that it won't offer levels of sensitivity normally characteristic of an analog nub, it will simply operate the same as the D-pad.


later
don

Wii games to get rid of

Man.... I need to free up some space. I've been going through my games stockpile, and there are a bunch I think I simply need to get rid of. Some of them I've played, enjoyed, but I'm pretty sure I won't play again-- like Deadly Creatures-- others I've played, did not like them nearly as much as I thought I would-- like House of the Dead: Overkill-- and others are games that I just couldn't really get into.... I don't think I'm an RPG fan (Jeanne D'Arc) or an RTS fan (Field Commander)

So here's my pile of games to get rid of... there are more PSP games not pictured.



This is just maybe 1/4 of my game collection? I don't know. All I know is I keep my Wii/Xbox games in a cabinet, and this pile are games that can't fit in there. I need to sell off some games before I can buy more....

There are 2 must-buy games on my list for the rest of this year: Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii) and Ace Combat: Joint Assault (PSP). Hopefully I'll keep my games impulse-buying to a minimum before then....


later
don

Dementium: The Ward

I'm playing Dementium: The Ward.... first off, the production values for this DS horror game are terrific. This is a really nice looking and sounding game that pushes the system near to its limits the way few other DS games seem to do.... games like this and MechAssault: Phantom War show that even though the DS is not as powerful as the PSP, it's still capable of quite a lot with 3D-graphics gameplay.

Dementium also has smooth controls: the D-pad controls your movement; you can double tap & hold up on the pad to run... and the stylus & bottom screen controls your look/aiming. What's cool is that the bottom screen doesn't require a display or "space" your stylus has to sit on to aim properly, it feels fairly precise & smooth and the bottom screen shows info so as to maximize efficiency of it. My big beef with the controls is that there should have been an option to control look using the DS face buttons. Holding the stylus makes it difficult to support the DS with 2 hands and it gets tiring playing because of it. If I could use the face buttons to look it would be a lot more comfortable to play.

But as great as the production and controls are, the game is nearly *ruined* by the absolute craptastic save system. You can spend 30 minutes to 1+ hours going through a level, die at a boss battle or a tough enemy... and then you have to start the level (called "Chapters") from the beginning-- losing everything you collected or puzzles you've solved.

Another major problem is respawning enemies: you go through a room, kill off some zombies or whatever, then go through a door. If you go back through the door you came in, to the room you just cleared, guess what? Yup, all those enemies are back. That is an antiquated, outdated form of game design that should have died off about 25 years ago. It's inexcusable to have such a crap feature unless it's important to gameplay; some games need to have respawning enemies because you need to get something from them or whatever. In those cases, then it makes sense. But that is NOT the case here.

Developer Renegade Kid needs to read my post about the art of save points... like seriously, what were they thinking with this kind of save design? They clearly worked very hard to craft a really nice game... it's like smearing ketchup over a beautiful painting.... what a waste.

The awful save system & their *stubborn* refusal to allow face button look/aim control... I can tell it's *stubborness* because they could have revised their oversight with their followup game Moon, but they didn't; it controls this exact same way too... with no option for face buttons to control aiming... but it's the moronic save system that really ruins the game; making what would otherwise be a fun creepy experience... instead becomes a repetitive chore with much of the fun sapped out of it.



later
don

Retro Game Challenge

I've really been loving my DS lately. It's just been such a fun little gaming machine (part of that may be due to *cough*)

I just started playing Retro Game Challenge. It's a collection of old pseudo-classic games from the mid-80's. What sets it apart is how they present the collection: you (the player) are "trapped" by some insane gamer guy, who makes you play all these old "retro-style"games. But what's weird is that you are transported to this guy's past, and you're in his living room sitting beside a version of him as a child. He talks to you, and shares his game collection, magazines, etc. But then there are screens with the grown-up version of him where he's like this Matrix-style guy crossed with the professor-head-guy from Brain Age, and he sort of mildly taunts you... it's all very weird, but actually quite a cool way to package this collection.

There are about 8 retro games that are knockoffs of actual '80's videogame genres; like there's a total Galaga clone, an platforming game series, another shmup (space shoot-em-up) like Galaga, a racing game much like Rally-X, there's even an old-style RPG game.... and you'd think these knockoffs would be throwaway versions without much thought to them. But they are actually quite good games in their own right. To progress in the overall game you need to complete challenges in the retro games, like do some obscure action in a game or score a certain number of points. The challenges can be challenging, but they haven't felt cheap so far. That's what makes Retro Game Challenge a step above other compilations-- the games are pretty solid. And there's the overall story arc of being transformed back into a kid playing these games in front of an old TV with a "frienemy" (on the lower screen) who not only talks to you about things like "shovelware", but also shares new issues of a video game magazine you can read in game... and you want to read them because they contain cheat codes and hints about the games you play. Not to mention the funny little digs at '80's gaming. It's terrific stuff.

My complaints are minor ones, the biggest being the lack of variety for this collection.... only 8 games I think, and some are sequels of earlier games in the collection-- so technically there's only 6 or so different games. Doesn't sound like much but at least they're good. And the overall story arc of the 2 kids (one of them being you, the player) talking about video games in the '80's can sometimes be corny and tedious, though it's worth it because it really reminds us of the fun & wonder of the early video game era.

It's clear that the developers of Retro Game Challenge love video games, and their nostalgia of the 8-bit era really shows through in this collection. If you like those old classic compilations, this is one to check out. It's got a lot of primitive charm that keeps me hooked.


later
don

New Super Mario Bros. DS

I bought New Super Mario Bros. DS a couple days ago, it's on sale at Future Shop for $30.00.... basically the game features the old-school, cheap, stingy kind of outdated gameplay that should be extinct in this day & age. It is fun to be sure, but "deliberate brokeness" really keeps this game from being nearly as good as the reviews claim it is. Highly overrated.

It's a stubborn throwback to the games of 1992, even though it came out in 2006. One of the biggest problems is the save system. The game is broken up into 8 worlds, and each world has a bunch of levels that need to be completed to advance. But there are only 2 ways to save progress in the game: you can save after completing a tower or castle; there's 1 of each in each world. Or you can spend Star Coins to open up areas, and it will ask if you want to save after spending them. You can collect up to 3 Star Coins during each level.

Because of the sparse save points in the game, you can do quite a few levels between castles & towers that are lost because you can't save unless you do a castle or tower (Boss levels) ... or spend a limited amount of Star Coins (provided you have enough) EACH TIME you want to save without having to finish a castle or tower.

What's particularly galling is that this is not an accidentally flawed system; it's completely deliberate. Because once you beat the game, you can THEN save at any time. In typical Mario game fashion, they give you what you need ONLY after you don't need it.

Then of course there's the archaic & outdated use of limited men. I think the game starts with 5 Marios, but you can increase your Mario count by collecting 100 coins, and bonus men powerups, etc. Still, it's not like Super Mario Galaxy where they're fairly generous with the men; New Super Mario Bros. DS is very stingy, and it remembers how many men you have when you save. So if you're down to 2 Marios when you save, that's how many you start with when you next play. There is a "glitch" where you can get up to 99 Marios, but you have to play through a level, and it's not easy to time it properly, meaning that sometimes you may not even get it... so you have to replay that level until you do.... again oldschool & outdated.

The powerups are very limited, there's only the fire Mario, and a few new ones. The new ones, like being a giant, should be hella cool, but instead result in a premature death for the most part, which makes them not all that useful.

Couple that with the way Nintendo games hardly ever go down in price.... this game came out 3 years ago, and has gone down maybe $10.00 since it came out. What a ripoff. And yet, suckers like me will still pony up the $$$.

Between this, Wii Sports Resort & WarioLand Shake It!, I've been spending way too much on games lately....



later
don

de Blob, Slide Adventure: Mag Kid

Yesterday I picked up de Blob (Wii) from Rogers Video Rogers Plus... it's currently on sale there for $14.99! My nephew really likes the game... when his parents rented it for him, I only got about 5 minutes of play time on it.... I don't know if I'll have a chance to play it before I see him, if not I'll probably pass it along to him when I see him....



I also ordered this week's Play-Asia weekly special: it's a DS game called Slide Adventure: Mag Kid. I don't know too much about it except it's Japanese, and it uses a peripheral that hooks into the DS Lite's GBA slot and lets you slide the DS around a flat surface; basically like a mouse. What with the DSi removing that slot, it's such a waste that weird add-ons like this and the Arkanoid paddle are now incompatible.

It'll be interesting to see what it's like.



later
don

Peggle Dual Shot (DS)

I picked up Peggle Dual Shot from Real Canadian SuperStore for $14.99 a few days ago... gotta love how they use the DS initials in the game title.... err, yeah mebbe not......

Anyway, it's a pretty casual but addicting puzzle game. I've been playing it a lot over the last few days.

I'd never played Peggle before, but I know there are prior iterations for iPhone(?) and PC. The DS version is developed by Q? Entertainment, the makers of Lumines for the PSP (and Xbox Live)... but I suspect that the presentation & feel of the game is very much from the original, PopCap games.

The goal of the game is to shoot a ball down a peg filled screen, and try to get all the orange pegs before you run out of ammo. You can use the buttons, but the preferred controls are completely stylus. Swiping the stylus side to side turns the cannon, and pressing on the center of the cannon fires it. For the most part, the control scheme works well, but there are times when I tap the fire button only to find it suddenly turned the cannon, wrecking my shot.... that's annoying. And it's very hard to predict how a shot will bounce, so there's still a lot of chance & blind luck involved with the game, which can be a frustration.

But most of my issues with the game are small ones. This may seem nit-picky, but the look & presentation is pretty cheesy. I'm sure some of it's intentional-- when you hit the final peg, I'll just say that the game makes a big deal out of it, hehe. It's pretty funny. But the character designs are pretty bad, and their text dialogue is corny. It's also annoying that it drops the text down over the gameplay screen when you just want to get in and play.

The overall gameplay is very simple and there are a few modes, but it's still a very basic game that's worth a budget price.

GameSpot Peggle Dual Shot gameplay video:





later
don

Feel the Magic XY/XX

I love my DS Lite... but I have to admit, I don't play it that much. It's like one of those friends who blows into town every couple of years, you go out & have a great time with them, but you just don't see them that often.

The last time I played my DS was early January, after getting Custom Robo Arena as part of Roger's 2/$20.00 deal. I've been meaning to review that game, will get to that eventually.

Last week I saw Feel the Magic XY/XX at EB games "new" for $4.99! For $5.00, it's worth a shot. Especially with that cover!

Feel the magic XY/XX is a collection of minigames wrapped up in a "dating sim" type of theme. You're this guy who wants to attract the attention of a girl, and you perform all these minigames as part of trying to get close to her... it's pretty wacky, and very Japanese in its wackiness.

The look is great. The people are silhouettes, similar to the game Exit (PSP/DS) and overall the art direction is very stylish. Yes, the DS is not as powerful as the PSP. But games like this show how to do more with less.

I think Feel the Magic came out with the launch of the original DS, it's ©2004... but it really is innovative; its control scheme makes full use of the DS specific features. The controls are entirely stylus-based or using the built-in DS microphone. And I have to say, it (mostly) uses the controls fairly well. Doesn't seem overly gimmicky. There's one minigame where you have to blow a sailboat close enough to rescue the girl, and I'm really impressed how well it works. But there are some problems with the stylus controls, like lack of precision that makes a few minigames much less fun than they should be.

Like most minigame collections, there are a few clunkers. And it is a pretty short game overall. The replay value comes from re-doing the story mode in HARD, or replaying individual games to collect starts or rabbits to unlock more costumes for the girl.

It's weird that Sonic Team developed this game... to see the "Sonic" logo on a non-Sonic game.... but at least it doesn't suffer from the problems of that franchise. If you have Sonic GBA cartidges in your DS with Feel the Magic, it will unlock some bonus outfits for the girl. I (unfortunately) have Sonic Advance 3, so I was able to get a new hairstyle I think? In any case, take that, DSi! Ironically, having Sonic GBA games doesn't unlock ANYTHING if you have Sonic Rush in your DS. Okay... so this non-Sonic game uses a Sonic game to unlock stuff, while an actual SONIC DS game doesn't....... huh??

The game options have English & Japanese, and if you switch the language to Japanese and go back to the title page (same image as cover except cropped at the title), the girl doesn't have a bikini top... she's still in silhouette so it's not like you see anything...

There are a few little things like that; little bonuses that are kinda cool. On the player's birthday, the girl on the main menu screen will say "Happy birthday". Apparently there are also Xmas & New Years messages too. That's another thing I like about the DS, even the startup music changes a bit on your birthday. Like my PSP would ever acknowledge my birthday, or Xmas, or New Years.....

Feel the Magic is a pretty fun, stylish-looking, but short mingame collection.


Feel the Magic GameSpot review:





later
don

Sonic Rush sucks

Man... why do I even bother with the Sonic franchise.... oh yeah-- my 8 year old nephew thinks he likes Sonic. What with the incredible kid-friendly appeal, why does developer Sonic Team make the Sonic games so impenetrable?

I can't speak about the new ones, but the older games with the "good" reputation... basically the 2D Sonic games.... are old-school hard.

I bought Sonic Rush during Boxing Week, as part of a 2 for $20.00 deal at Rogers Video Plus. I still paid too much.

The DS & GameBoy Advance games look great. They move pretty well too. But they are so caught up in having to know in infinitesimal detail about the world and gameplay of Sonic... you probably have to be a Sonic fan from waaay back to be able to play a Sonic game. They cling like maniacs to the outdated gameplay mechanics like set number of lives and time limits. But they also want to pretend they belong in the decade of 2000, so they try to offer diverse paths & hidden treasures. The thing is, the gameplay inherently PUNISHES exploration & trying new directions because there are so many things just off-screen that can kill you. Hell, how are you even supposed to know when you can drop down a level and when it will be an instant kill? Or what's movable & what's not? Or what's a pickup & what's not.....

Bottom line is that the Sonic games SUCK, and I have to try to accept that-- maybe find some way to get rid of the crap ones I stupidly paid $$$ for.... it's just such a shame that such a great-looking franchise is actually so awful.



later
don

Die Videogame industry, Die! - part 4 - movie videogames

Part 4 of a 10 part series about why I want the video game industry to implode, causing massive layoffs & putting most devs out of business so that the industry can come back much better than it currently is.

It's common knowledge to gamers that "movie-based videogames suck".

To quote Battlestar Galactica: All this has happened before and all this will happen again....

Here's a bit of history of comic books: In the late 70's Marvel Comics published comic book adaptations of Star Wars & Empire Strikes Back. They were pretty successful, spawning an ongoing monthly Star Wars title. Followed by comic adaptations of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Bladerunner, etc. These adaptations tried to be exact to the movie, basically in comic book form. Sometimes they showed scenes cut from the final version of the movie. Way before DVD, this was the only way you'd ever get to see these scenes.

When they first started, the comic adaptations were fairly good... they had really good art that looked like the characters, and the dialogue was all lifted straight from the script. But by the late 80's through the 90's, Marvel and other comic companies had really worn out the "comic adaptation of the movie" formula. Fans were tired of picking up a comic that was supposed to "be the movie", but instead was just a tired, cheap, quick cash-grab.

Does any of this sound familiar to gamers?

I can't figure out what game was the FIRST based on a movie, but one of the earliest I can think of is GoldenEye for the N64. I've never played it, but it's highly-regarded for it's FPS format & dual-wielding gameplay.

Fast forward to the present, and movie-based video games clog the shelves. Most--hell, ALMOST ALL of them-- are considered to be shovelware.




I don't consider games like Star Wars: Battlefront or games like that to be "movie games", because they're not meant to be straight adaptations where you're "playing the movie". Star Wars: Battlefront is more like a game that sets itself in the universe of the movies. That's different. It wasn't timed to release right before a movie, nor did it seem like a quick cash-in. It felt like the devs thought, "Hey, I have an idea for a twist on the Star Wars universe...." Which is how games SHOULD be made: based upon GREAT IDEAS FOR A GAME. That's probably how GoldenEye was made.

Movie games are more like, "if we have a game to go along with this upcoming movie it'll act as advertising for it". A lot of movie games come out weeks before the movie does. It's pretty obvious that the deadlines are tight, because they have to coincide with the movie release. Is it a surprise then, that the games seem like they're rushed through development? To get it done in time, publishers like EA Games, THQ, Ubisoft, etc. probably use a basic game engine, and wrap it with the "feel" of the movie they're adapting. So movie games all feel generic & the same.


What really pisses me off is that it seems like most of the games scheduled to come out are games based on movies. It's true that the Wii has some of the saddest video game offerings of all the consoles, but even for the others, I'm sure movie games make up the bulk of their releases. It's just that anyone who's bought & played games for a time has learned to ignore them.

Look, I'm not against the idea of games based on movies. But the genesis of them has to be "here's a great idea for a game based on this movie". Instead, what we're getting is, "Ok, we need a [movie of the week] game, and we need it in 6 months". There's so much money being made from videogames, and people who make that crap have no business being in the biznizz of making videogames. From companies on down to the individual creators of this junk, they need to be disolved/fired/whatever and find something other to do-- NOT create videogames.



later
don

2009 video game resolution - pay less for games

If 2008 taught me anything about videogames, it's that I don't want to pay full price for the majority of my game purchases.

May 2008 was the killer EB Games "Games Days" sale, where they had massive markdowns on 1 or 2 games for just about every console each day of the sale. I picked up 3-4 Wii games, 1-2 DS games, and 1-2 PSP games for $10.00 each.

And that's about how much I want to pay for games. My sweet spot is $20.00, but $10.00 is my snap-it-up price if it's a game I'm at all interested in.

For 2009, I want most of my game buys to be in the $20.00 or $10.00 range. A few games I will pay full price (or close to it)... I know I will when Loco Roco 2 (PSP) comes out in Feb 2009. I'll try to wait for a few weeks to see if it goes on sale, but if it doesn't, I'll pay.

It's just that even 1 full price game will set you back over $50.00. That's a lot of money for only 1 game. If it's one of the best games you'll ever play, it's totally worth it. But the chances of that are statistically very low.... there are too many crap and overrated games coming out in this current state of the industry.

What I want this year:

Kirby Superstar Ultra (DS) --got it (???)2009
*Loco Roco 2 (PSP) --got it Feb. 10, 2009 ($24.99)
Star Wars Clone Wars Lightsaber Duels (Wii) --got it Oct(?)2009
Boom Blox (Wii) -- got it Feb 5, 2009 ($19.99)
House of the Dead: Overkill (Wii)


What I am possibly interested in:

Resistance Retribution (PSP) --got it March 30, 2009 ($34.99)
*The Conduit (Wii)-- got it March 24, 2010 ($24.83)
Moon (DS)
Okami (Wii)
No More Heroes (Wii)
New Super Mario Bros (DS) --got it Aug, 2009 ($29.99)

*= I'll pay full price for it.


Notice how most of the games on those lists have been out for awhile already. I'm hoping that they will drop to my sweet spot in pricing this year (in the case of No More Heroes which is already at the $20.00 mark, obviously I don't want to pay more than $10.00 for it.)

The problem with waiting for the $10.00 deals is that rarely is it something I was totally searching for. In 2008, the best $10.00 deal I got was Star Trek: Conquest (Wii) because out of the $10.00 deals I got, it was the game I most wanted. I still play the hell out of it.



later
don

Boxing Week 2008... slightly better

So maybe I succumed to Boxing Day sales after all.


I did go back to Toys R' Us & picked up Raving Rabbids TV Party for $29.99. On Boxing Day I wasn't sure if it was on for that price as the sign still said $49.99, and the only way to ask a clerk was to get in line. When I got home, I checked the website, and confirmed, I trekked back down there the next day.

I found that lot of Boxing Day/Week sales are unmarked, as if the store clerks were too lazy/didn't know what the sale items were. So you have to know what the sale price is before you go there.


Today I went to Rogers Video Rogers Plus & picked up Super Mario Galaxy for $29.99..... sigh... I don't want to pay that much for games, especially 2, but unlike Microsoft or Sony games, Nintendo is *SUPER STINGY* with their game prices. First-party Nintendo games rarely go on sale, nor do they go down in price very much-- Mario Kart DS, which came out years ago, is still MSRP about $40.00-$45.00.... I think it's dropped a WHOPPING $5.00 since it was first released. Jerks.

Raving Rabbids TV Party is a game that I do think will drop in price, hell in a year it'll probably be $20.00, I find that a lot of UbiSoft games (& EA Games) get big price cuts, both companies are so big & put out so much product I guess they can afford it. I was hesitant to pay $30.00 for it, but I know my nephew is a big fan.... so I shelled out for it.


Also at Rogers Plus were some good Nintendo DS games on 2 for $20.00. I bought Sonic Rush DS and Custom Robo DS. $10.00 a game is not bad, but I hope I don't regret buying another Sonic game.....

And at HMV I bought Counter Force (Wii) for $9.99. This is a shovelware game, and I feel guilty for buying it, but it's a mech game and as bad as it sounds, I think there might be some good dumb fun to be had in it.



later
don

Boxing Day 2008 sucked

Wow. How awful was this year's Boxing Day? PRETTY DAMN AWFUL.

There weren't many great deals to begin with. I sort of suspected there wouldn't be... I went out hoping for the "privilege" of buying Raving Rabbids TV Party for "only" $29.99. And WarioLand Shake It! for $34.97. Oh boy.

The only other thing I was somewhat interested in was a 16GB flash drive for $23.00.


All a whole load of meh. And I didn't manage to get ANY of the stuff I was looking for. I got out there in the afternoon... a lot later than I usually go (if I go out to sales on Boxing Day) and it was INSANE. The entire city was in gridlock, mobs of people EVERYWHERE on the street-- I couldn't believe it. I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS TOWN SO CROWDED. Seriously, even when The Queen comes to town, there aren't this many people out. It was stupid. After missing out on *everything* I was looking for, I just gave up & tried to get out of town ASAP.

Shitty deals compared to what I got earlier in the year... hell, a week ago I paid $20.00 for Jeanne D'Arc (PSP) , which isn't an awesome deal, but it's not bad. At the same time I also bought Wipeout Pure (PSP) for $5.00... yes, *$5.00* ( I used that one for a gift) Both from The Source @ Circuit City... I just scoured their clearance lists, and made sure that a local store had any in stock.

Nothing compares to the EB Games Days sale they had, I think it was last Spring... where I got Star Trek: Conquest (Wii), Trauma Center: New Blood (Wii), Metroid Prime 3 (Wii), Chibi Robo: Park Patrol (DS), Socom: Fireteam Bravo (PSP)... all for $10.00 each! Now *THAT* is a sale. And there weren't lineups out the door for it (because nobody knew about it) and it wasn't on Boxing Day.

People lined up for shit that wasn't even on sale.... EB had crap deals, and it was still a mob in there.


This... this was just a whole lot of AWFUL. Add to it the huge mobs of people, which I didn't have to contend with during those other, actual sales, and I may have to swear off of Boxing Day from now on. Sucked so bad.

I've been meaning to cut back on just buying crap, so that's the one good thing about it... I didn't add to my CC bill. I'm hoping that in the spring we'll see another killer EB "Games Days" sale.


later
don