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

10 free GBA titles for 3DS Ambassadors available now

Crazy morning today, not only did I get the Super Mario shoelaces, but the 10 GBA titles became available in North America! They are:

• F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
• Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi’s Island
• Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
• Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
• Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong
• Metroid Fusion
• Wario Land 4
• WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames

Downloading them is a bit of a non-intuitive process to say the least. I had to remember how I did it with the NES titles. You go into the Nintendo eShop, then to Settings/Other, then Your Downloads. Then scroll down-- what screwed me up was that I had to go to the next page to find the 10 GBA games on my list. Once you find the above titles, tap Redownload, then Download, then it gives you a choice to either Download Now or Download Later. If you pick Download Later, then Continue shopping, you can go through all 10 titles, then close the eShop, close the 3DS (put it into sleep mode) and it will download all the titles while it's closed. if you choose Download Now, you'll have to repeat the process for each game.

Also something to note: You can get the original GBA screen resolution using the same method as for DS games-- hold down either the START or SELECT button (you don't need to use both) while loading the game-- make sure to hold down the button until graphics pop up onscreen. Some games just look much better in their native resolution like Yoshi's Island. Though Kirby looks good using the full 3DS screen, I bet GBA games made later in the GBA lifespan look better in general.....


All these free games, man... there's so much to play and so little time....





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

Sims 2 GBA

Man.... way back when I started this blog I fully intended to talk about GBA games & my Game Boy Micro. I don't play it all the time but I've had some intense few weeks of gaming on it here & there. But I bet that if I clicked on the Game Boy Micro link tag under the site header I'd find very few posts about my little Micro. I think I played it more just before I started Handheld Addict & for some reason not much since.

So right now I am playing the hell out of The Sims 2 on it. It was actually part of the bundle when I bought my Game Boy Micro from Future Shop in 2007(?) They packed in 2 GBA carts: Sims 2 and a Pokemon movie cart which I think is actually 2 episodes from the tv show. I still haven't watched that yet. And back then I tried out Sims 2 a bit, just to make sure it worked but then put it away until I was in the mood.

So fast forward a few years to a couple days ago, and I'm rooting through my box of GBA game carts looking for something to try. "Hmmm, Sims 2? I have no idea what this game is like... oh what the hell-- let's give it a shot!", I said.

And I've been playing it like crazy ever since.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned that I have also been playing tons of Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town on my phone. I have the GBA cart of that game too but I loaned it to my nephew & he's been completely addicted to it for months. I'm probably not getting it back, so I acquired a ROM of it for my phone. Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town is a slow-paced game but it is surprisingly addictive... I'm really getting into the sim-genre right now.
The Sims 2 is a nice fit in that genre, and I'm really surprised now good the graphics are. It's a huge ROM; most are like 3MB, but this one is like 24MB!

I forgot how nice the d-pad on the Game Boy Micro is. I tried playing it on my DS Lite, and the mushy d-pad really turned me off, so I went back to my Micro. But I am just not a fan of the tiny TINY Micro screen. Even though it makes GBA games look good.... it's still damn small.

So I have it on my phone and have been playing it on both devices, basically just playing the same levels on each.

It's a weird game... basically you're an actor on a sort-of reality show? But the others don't know they're on a show? I'm not sure. But you directly control your sim & complete levels which are episodes on this show.

To me it's fun in the some of the same ways that Harvest Moon is, that you can wander around I explore/discover things. The graphics are better but the exploration is much smaller than Harvest Moon.

I'm using this game to help me wait out the final week before the 3DS release on Sunday....



later
don

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land

Picking up my DS Lite again got me trying out some GBA games... I'd pulled out my Ewin Rumble Pak out of my DS Lite's GBA slot-- it's a tight fit, so I've been rocking my DS with the slot exposed, no cork...... I thought I'd get some GBA games play time before I cork the slot back up since it's not easy to pull that thing out once it's in.

Been catching up on Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land... bought this awhile back, I think used off of eBay?

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land is a pretty cool platformer. The Kirby series of games have a reputation of being on the easier side of the platformer scale, but I'm finding Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land to have a few challenging, even frustrating moments. The campaign seems pretty long, I've read reports that it can be done in a few hours, but there seem to be alternate paths & doors to try out, so I think there are a lot of different areas to explore. I really like Kirby's gimmick: he swallows his enemies, and can either spit them out or absorb their powers (if they have any) it's a great gameplay mechanic.

Overall, Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land is pretty fun if you're new to the platformer genre of games.

Yesterday I picked up Kirby Super Star Ultra (DS) and I've played an hour of that... maybe it's early but I'm finding that one to be MUCH EASIER than Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land... I'm wondering if there's much main game to Kirby Super Star Ultra (there are a few minigames) and it seems like Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land has more game to it. So right now I have both DS slots filled with Kirby games, but I'm more compelled by the Kirby GBA game.......



later
don