Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion (Rating: 6/10)
When I have first heard about Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion, I was curious. A game with the likes of Super Smash Bros AND features characters from Cartoon Network's glory days? Count me in! It seemed like a perfectly good way to escape from the newer CN shows like Ninjago (uh....) and Regular Show (Who thought this show was a good idea?). And then I finally got my hands on the game...
First off, the voice work for the characters was TERRIBLE. Most of the characters had different voice actors for this game, resulting in some pretty crappy voice work. We still have Tara Strong voicing Bubbles, and Mandy, Ben 10, and Bloo also have their original voices, but why does Dexter have to sound like a science-obsessed Timmy Turner? Why does Mojo Jojo have an aggressive voice and doesn't talk for days on end? Could they make Johnny Bravo sound any worse? At least new voices like Grim's sound accurate.
Another problem with the voices is that when the characters talk, they only talk through dialogue boxes, and reuse voice clips like "Hi frind!" (Flapjack), "I'm Blossom!" (Self-explanatory), "Hey." (Bloo), etc. But guess what? Apparently, the narrator gets to speak fully, saying everything shown in his dialogue boxes. What kind of sense does that make?
Actually, the narrator speaking and the new voices not talking much is a good thing. Why? Because the narrator of the game is GEORGE LOWE, the voice of Space Ghost (as in Space Ghost Coast to Coast)! That said, although the game itself doesn't reveal he is Space Ghost, he definitely behaves like so. Come on, game. There's no hiding it. He even says "I've been hosting so much I'm introing on my day off!" and makes some pretty funny jokes here and there in the story.
Now, let's FINALLY jump into the gameplay aspects: They are not exactly Smash Bros-esc. Granted, the fighting style is similar, but the combat feels different. It's not you get to play as Mario and use his cape to reflect stuff, or use his fist in mid-air to whack the opponents down gaps or pits. It just doesn't feel as fluid as Smash Bros. Plus, X is to jump instead of Up, making it a bit awkward at first glance.
While the game does have multiplayer, you can't play online, which kinda sucks. And even when playing mutliplayer, you'll have to know that you'll need to play through the game's Single Player adventure mode to unlock more characters.
The main game (aka adventure mode) is composed of huge levels filled with platforming and bad guys to beat up. While the game doesn't go incredibly far with the platforming mechanics, the game does try to offer more variety by putting the player into unique situations such as shooting things in FPS-style on a horse (Samurai Jack), or beating up guys to keep a character from dying (Chowder and Foster's), or shooting things in a Gradius-style perspective (Powerpuff Girls). Even then, however, there are certain times where I felt things were kinda repetitive.
While the fighting is fun, there are very few items to use. There are still health relievers, though, and collecting enough orbs from the ground allow the player to utilize his/her special attack (Which is like a Final Smash from Super Smash Bros Brawl). One item that always reoccurs is the CN substitute for an Assist Trophy. It allows a character to come in and help fight temporarily. Still, I would liked to be able to find more unique items to use, and not just the Assist.
The worst thing about this game is that it has a lot of glitches. Most of them are minor, yes, but there was this one glitch in the Dexter's Laboratory level that took away from the fun. As Dexter was slowly going downward, avoiding hazards, and once he reached the floor, he was stuck on the floor. Either I had to restart the whole level or wait for my damage to slowly reach 300%. Fortunately, I didn't encounter any other major glitch, but I still saw stuff like some enemies' feet being INSIDE the floors/platforms.
Overall, Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion is a fun game, but the voices were mostly awful, and the experience is not without glitches. But hey! At least we have our good buddy Space Ghost narrating the game's story. And there certainly won't be a Super Smash Bros game for the 3DS anytime soon (despite its announcement). Even then, this game is good for inexpensive Smash Bros-style play with the Cartoon Network characters you know and love.
(By the way, notice how this game was released before Cartoon Planet's revival on Cartoon Network. And this game's narrator is Space Ghost, whose show also featured Brak and Zorak, and they were also all in the original Cartoon Planet. Coincidence?)
First off, the voice work for the characters was TERRIBLE. Most of the characters had different voice actors for this game, resulting in some pretty crappy voice work. We still have Tara Strong voicing Bubbles, and Mandy, Ben 10, and Bloo also have their original voices, but why does Dexter have to sound like a science-obsessed Timmy Turner? Why does Mojo Jojo have an aggressive voice and doesn't talk for days on end? Could they make Johnny Bravo sound any worse? At least new voices like Grim's sound accurate.
Another problem with the voices is that when the characters talk, they only talk through dialogue boxes, and reuse voice clips like "Hi frind!" (Flapjack), "I'm Blossom!" (Self-explanatory), "Hey." (Bloo), etc. But guess what? Apparently, the narrator gets to speak fully, saying everything shown in his dialogue boxes. What kind of sense does that make?
Actually, the narrator speaking and the new voices not talking much is a good thing. Why? Because the narrator of the game is GEORGE LOWE, the voice of Space Ghost (as in Space Ghost Coast to Coast)! That said, although the game itself doesn't reveal he is Space Ghost, he definitely behaves like so. Come on, game. There's no hiding it. He even says "I've been hosting so much I'm introing on my day off!" and makes some pretty funny jokes here and there in the story.
Now, let's FINALLY jump into the gameplay aspects: They are not exactly Smash Bros-esc. Granted, the fighting style is similar, but the combat feels different. It's not you get to play as Mario and use his cape to reflect stuff, or use his fist in mid-air to whack the opponents down gaps or pits. It just doesn't feel as fluid as Smash Bros. Plus, X is to jump instead of Up, making it a bit awkward at first glance.
While the game does have multiplayer, you can't play online, which kinda sucks. And even when playing mutliplayer, you'll have to know that you'll need to play through the game's Single Player adventure mode to unlock more characters.
The main game (aka adventure mode) is composed of huge levels filled with platforming and bad guys to beat up. While the game doesn't go incredibly far with the platforming mechanics, the game does try to offer more variety by putting the player into unique situations such as shooting things in FPS-style on a horse (Samurai Jack), or beating up guys to keep a character from dying (Chowder and Foster's), or shooting things in a Gradius-style perspective (Powerpuff Girls). Even then, however, there are certain times where I felt things were kinda repetitive.
While the fighting is fun, there are very few items to use. There are still health relievers, though, and collecting enough orbs from the ground allow the player to utilize his/her special attack (Which is like a Final Smash from Super Smash Bros Brawl). One item that always reoccurs is the CN substitute for an Assist Trophy. It allows a character to come in and help fight temporarily. Still, I would liked to be able to find more unique items to use, and not just the Assist.
The worst thing about this game is that it has a lot of glitches. Most of them are minor, yes, but there was this one glitch in the Dexter's Laboratory level that took away from the fun. As Dexter was slowly going downward, avoiding hazards, and once he reached the floor, he was stuck on the floor. Either I had to restart the whole level or wait for my damage to slowly reach 300%. Fortunately, I didn't encounter any other major glitch, but I still saw stuff like some enemies' feet being INSIDE the floors/platforms.
Overall, Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion is a fun game, but the voices were mostly awful, and the experience is not without glitches. But hey! At least we have our good buddy Space Ghost narrating the game's story. And there certainly won't be a Super Smash Bros game for the 3DS anytime soon (despite its announcement). Even then, this game is good for inexpensive Smash Bros-style play with the Cartoon Network characters you know and love.
(By the way, notice how this game was released before Cartoon Planet's revival on Cartoon Network. And this game's narrator is Space Ghost, whose show also featured Brak and Zorak, and they were also all in the original Cartoon Planet. Coincidence?)
Kid Icarus: Uprising (Rating: 10/10)
Already, the Nintendo 3DS has a very strong lineup, with games like Mario, Sonic, Metal Gear, Street Fighter, etc, already storming into shelves. But you know what's been missing since the Game Boy era? Kid Icarus. It's more than a surprise for everyone to see that there's finally a third installment! And the final product is no letdown, either. This is one of the best 3DS games as of this year!
The game's Solo mode is composed of HUGE levels (They each last around 10-15 minutes long). The first half of each level features an on-rails shooter experience in which you kill varieties of enemies while flying in the air. It's like that of Star Fox 64 (Which happens to be brought back to 3DS as well), except slightly more fun and addicting than that game already was (Plus there are some more cool gimmick!).
Then, the game's hero, Pit, eventually comes down to land on solid ground. The gameplay then slightly changes in which you roam around freely. Think a straightforward Zelda game with all enemies and no people to talk to, and it still plays similarly to the flying segments, which is great because then it just makes the overall experience just as awesome. Plus, the difficulty is much more fair than that of the first game. In fact, there's a great amount of difficulty choices here.
On top of it all, there's amazing graphics (I originally thought this would come out for the Wii!) and an epic soundtrack. Actually, the icing of the cake has to be the game's constant dialogue. I'm not sure how players would feel about characters having to talk throughout the game, but I love how Kid Icarus: Uprising utilizes that. The dialogue is clever and funny
(EX -- Palutena: You used to die a lot in the Underworld before, right?)
(Pit: Yeah...The difficulty level was brutal!)
and Palutena gives pretty helpful hints!
Aside from a cool online Versus mode and the game's "Treasure Box" feature, it also allows you to toy around with AR Cards specifically created for the game! Face two cards at each other (Depending on the "Army" the character on the card is in), and you can actually may the characters pop out of the cards and (automatically) fight each other! It may not be controllable, but it certainly is amusing! You know..Nintendo should probably do this kind of thing for a 3DS Pokemon game.
Anyway, overall, this is an absolute must-have. Do not miss out on this outstanding gem! Maybe we can expect another Kid Icarus game in less than 25 years later.
The game's Solo mode is composed of HUGE levels (They each last around 10-15 minutes long). The first half of each level features an on-rails shooter experience in which you kill varieties of enemies while flying in the air. It's like that of Star Fox 64 (Which happens to be brought back to 3DS as well), except slightly more fun and addicting than that game already was (Plus there are some more cool gimmick!).
Then, the game's hero, Pit, eventually comes down to land on solid ground. The gameplay then slightly changes in which you roam around freely. Think a straightforward Zelda game with all enemies and no people to talk to, and it still plays similarly to the flying segments, which is great because then it just makes the overall experience just as awesome. Plus, the difficulty is much more fair than that of the first game. In fact, there's a great amount of difficulty choices here.
On top of it all, there's amazing graphics (I originally thought this would come out for the Wii!) and an epic soundtrack. Actually, the icing of the cake has to be the game's constant dialogue. I'm not sure how players would feel about characters having to talk throughout the game, but I love how Kid Icarus: Uprising utilizes that. The dialogue is clever and funny
(EX -- Palutena: You used to die a lot in the Underworld before, right?)
(Pit: Yeah...The difficulty level was brutal!)
and Palutena gives pretty helpful hints!
Aside from a cool online Versus mode and the game's "Treasure Box" feature, it also allows you to toy around with AR Cards specifically created for the game! Face two cards at each other (Depending on the "Army" the character on the card is in), and you can actually may the characters pop out of the cards and (automatically) fight each other! It may not be controllable, but it certainly is amusing! You know..Nintendo should probably do this kind of thing for a 3DS Pokemon game.
Anyway, overall, this is an absolute must-have. Do not miss out on this outstanding gem! Maybe we can expect another Kid Icarus game in less than 25 years later.
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D (Rating: 9/10)
This review's probably gonna be short, because I never played a Metal Gear game before this (With the exception of the NES version of the original MG). When I heard about this game coming for 3DS, it was actually quite a promising thought. I never would've imagined Snake returning to Nintendo systems, really, after Metal Gear Solid for Game Boy Color (Which is a tempting purchase). But after trying this out, I'm starting to wonder why I missed out on this series.
The game is all about stealth, something that not many games follow. Sure, you are equipped with a gun that can kill a soldier, but if you are spotted by one, a whole bunch will bunch and go kill you (Fortunately, you could still be able to hide somewhere)! It's frustrating at first glance, but it's actually pretty interesting and fun. It also makes for some nice strategy, as you gotta plan your way through certain situations.
Along with the cool gameplay, the largely detailed graphics (especially in 3D), awesome soundtrack, and exciting presentation all around make for a fabulous package. And to top it all off, it has a very dramatic and gripping storyline. In fact, the stealth and everything makes it seem like as if you were really involved within it.
If this review isn't enough to convince you to go buy this game, try out a demo of this game by going onto the Nintendo eShop and download it. The download may take a while, but it'll all be worth it once you play it. And for a much bigger experience, buy this game.
The game is all about stealth, something that not many games follow. Sure, you are equipped with a gun that can kill a soldier, but if you are spotted by one, a whole bunch will bunch and go kill you (Fortunately, you could still be able to hide somewhere)! It's frustrating at first glance, but it's actually pretty interesting and fun. It also makes for some nice strategy, as you gotta plan your way through certain situations.
Along with the cool gameplay, the largely detailed graphics (especially in 3D), awesome soundtrack, and exciting presentation all around make for a fabulous package. And to top it all off, it has a very dramatic and gripping storyline. In fact, the stealth and everything makes it seem like as if you were really involved within it.
If this review isn't enough to convince you to go buy this game, try out a demo of this game by going onto the Nintendo eShop and download it. The download may take a while, but it'll all be worth it once you play it. And for a much bigger experience, buy this game.
New Super Mario Bros. 2 (Rating: 6/10)
Gosh...I feel like I jinxed Nintendo with my Super Mario 3D Land review. I stated that every time Nintendo makes a Mario game, it turns out to be pure gold (no pun intended). New Super Mario Bros 2 is a sequel to the 2006 smash hit that revived classic Mario action on the DS. However, I can't tolerate the fact that it doesn't offer new music, graphics, or even different environments anymore. New Super Mario Bros Wii differed from NSMB enough to be worthy of a sequel. NSMB2 isn't.
New Super Mario Bros 2, like I just said, lifts the same environments, graphics, and music from New Super Mario Bros Wii. That said, the territory sure is rather familiar, considering the fact that I've seen these same grasslands, deserts, icelands, and lava areas for three games in a row in the same series. The objects are also mostly the same. We've got the average enemies (Now with skeletal Piranha Plants???), the average obstacles, and the average Red Coin Ring.
Although the lack of originality is astounding, the level design is still brilliant (for the most part), and that alone is why I gave the game 3 stars. The classic Super Mario gameplay is intact and plays as well as ever. If you don't consider the coin-collecting Goomba-stomping platforming fun to be a winning formula, then you are just plain heartless. And although the Racoon Leaf, the Mega Mushroom, and Reznor boss fights are techincally rehashes, their inclusions in NSMB2 are welcome.
But now comes another problem with the game: The coin-grubbing gimmick it promotes. I know, I know. Everyone loves collecting coins in the Mario games, but Nintendo took this WAY too far. Coins are EVERYWHERE you go, and there are even new power-ups specifically designed to give Wario a run for his money! A block that Mario wears on his head spews coins as he runs, a new type of Fire Flower turns crap into coins, and there's also a power that gives the enemies a golden makeover.
You'd think this would make for an awesome new premise if done correctly. Unfortunately, it WASN'T done correctly. Apparently this time around, Nintendo didn't look too much into the fact that collecting 100 coins rewards you with a 1up. So guess what? You'll end up getting hundreds of extra lives BEFORE YOU EVEN KNOW IT. It's nice to see that there's a Coin Rush mode for going on a rampage for coins, but why the heck is it like this for the actual game?! Why couldn't the coin opportunities be ONLY for Coin Rush mode? So basically, the game becomes a lot easier, and the challenge depletes.
But wait...How could the challenge go away? You'll never know what kind of challenge the levels could offer, right? Well, the levels certainly are fun and challenging, but the loads of opportunities with the coin-collecting affect the overall difficulty. No level could be a total bother because you have a lot of lives to spare. You could just simply learn the level by trial-and-error to get through.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL. If you die a lot of times on a level, you'll be offered a White Racoon Leaf, which basically gives you invincibility for the rest of your time in the level. I tolerated this in Super Mario 3D Land, but in a game that's already easy, this is BULL. The challenge is totally ruined! Players could just lazily romp through the levels this way. They have a million lives left, so you could just beat all of the main 6 Worlds this way.
Overall, this is classic Mario made unnecessarily easy and unoriginal. If you want to buy a Mario game for on-the-go play on 3DS, get yourself Super Mario 3D Land or, for a less expensive title, the first New Super Mario Bros! Both games are much better in every way, really. As much as I hate having to bash on the game series I love the most, New Super Mario Bros 2 is only worth playing for the new levels and/or if you're not that great at Mario at all.
New Super Mario Bros 2, like I just said, lifts the same environments, graphics, and music from New Super Mario Bros Wii. That said, the territory sure is rather familiar, considering the fact that I've seen these same grasslands, deserts, icelands, and lava areas for three games in a row in the same series. The objects are also mostly the same. We've got the average enemies (Now with skeletal Piranha Plants???), the average obstacles, and the average Red Coin Ring.
Although the lack of originality is astounding, the level design is still brilliant (for the most part), and that alone is why I gave the game 3 stars. The classic Super Mario gameplay is intact and plays as well as ever. If you don't consider the coin-collecting Goomba-stomping platforming fun to be a winning formula, then you are just plain heartless. And although the Racoon Leaf, the Mega Mushroom, and Reznor boss fights are techincally rehashes, their inclusions in NSMB2 are welcome.
But now comes another problem with the game: The coin-grubbing gimmick it promotes. I know, I know. Everyone loves collecting coins in the Mario games, but Nintendo took this WAY too far. Coins are EVERYWHERE you go, and there are even new power-ups specifically designed to give Wario a run for his money! A block that Mario wears on his head spews coins as he runs, a new type of Fire Flower turns crap into coins, and there's also a power that gives the enemies a golden makeover.
You'd think this would make for an awesome new premise if done correctly. Unfortunately, it WASN'T done correctly. Apparently this time around, Nintendo didn't look too much into the fact that collecting 100 coins rewards you with a 1up. So guess what? You'll end up getting hundreds of extra lives BEFORE YOU EVEN KNOW IT. It's nice to see that there's a Coin Rush mode for going on a rampage for coins, but why the heck is it like this for the actual game?! Why couldn't the coin opportunities be ONLY for Coin Rush mode? So basically, the game becomes a lot easier, and the challenge depletes.
But wait...How could the challenge go away? You'll never know what kind of challenge the levels could offer, right? Well, the levels certainly are fun and challenging, but the loads of opportunities with the coin-collecting affect the overall difficulty. No level could be a total bother because you have a lot of lives to spare. You could just simply learn the level by trial-and-error to get through.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL. If you die a lot of times on a level, you'll be offered a White Racoon Leaf, which basically gives you invincibility for the rest of your time in the level. I tolerated this in Super Mario 3D Land, but in a game that's already easy, this is BULL. The challenge is totally ruined! Players could just lazily romp through the levels this way. They have a million lives left, so you could just beat all of the main 6 Worlds this way.
Overall, this is classic Mario made unnecessarily easy and unoriginal. If you want to buy a Mario game for on-the-go play on 3DS, get yourself Super Mario 3D Land or, for a less expensive title, the first New Super Mario Bros! Both games are much better in every way, really. As much as I hate having to bash on the game series I love the most, New Super Mario Bros 2 is only worth playing for the new levels and/or if you're not that great at Mario at all.
Sonic Generations (Rating: 9/10)
Is it better than the console versions? No.
Is it shorter? Yes. (By 2 zones)
Do these questions matter? Nope.
You know why we were all hyped for this game? Because it is a flashback of nearly the blue blur's whole history, with familiar environments that cast all new levels! To top it all off, you finally get to play as Sonic's original design again, as well as compete with other players via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
This version stands out from the Xbox/PS3 game due to its different worlds (With the exception of Green Hill Zone) and said online play. Players get to romp through the greatness that is Green Hill (Sonic 1), Casino Night (Sonic 2), Mushroom Hill (Sonic and Knuckles), Emerald Coast (Sonic Adventure), Radical Highway (Adventure 2), Water Palace (Sonic Rush), and Tropical Resort (Sonic Colors).
Classic Sonic plays nearly exactly like in the original Sega Genesis games! While the Genesis-era levels for him are duplicates of the originals (Without the miniboss for Mushroom Hill, though), the rest of the levels (Dreamcast-era and so on) are all-new, yet they fit with the classic platform-orientated gameplay amazingly! Eventually, Classic Sonic gets the Homing Attack, which locks onto enemies for Sonic to hit. People may not like this addition, since people recognized it from the Adventure games, which were way after the Genesis games (Although it was first in Sonic 3D Blast as you could use it when receiving the Golden Shield). The console versions of Sonic Generations also had this attack (As an optional feature), but players could enable or disable it. Personally, I think it adds to the gameplay nicely, but in case if you just don't want to use it, I suggest you just try not to press B twice in a row.
Modern Sonic, on the other hand, is more focused on speed. Like in the Sonic Rush series and Sonic Colors for DS, Modern Sonic is equipped with a Boost bar to go extremely fast, as well as the Homing Attack. While it's still somewhat platform-orientated, Modern Sonic is best defined by his much faster pace, as well as certain in-your-face surprises (Whoa! A giant totem pole is falling towards Sonic!).
Also exclusive to the 3DS version is the Special Stage. Special Stages are for rewarding a Chaos Emerald after completing obstacles where you must collect orbs to be able to Boost to dash to collect the emerald. The gameplay here is like that of Sonic 2's or Sonic 3D Blast's Special Stages.
Remember when Sonic had to race Metal Sonic? Or when he was chased by that killer whale? How about when he was venturing through the neon Casino Night Zone? You can relive those moments in this game, and they fit perfectly with the new level layouts!
The graphics are hugely lush and very colorful and detailed. Heck, since you don't need a 3D TV to see it in 3D (obviously), you can just go and gaze at the visuals at their finest with ease and awe. The music is from the respective Sonic games that the worlds represent, but the soundtrack is still pretty robust and catchy.
Online play is a very nice addition. You can race another player worldwide through any level that you have beaten in the main game. Like racing games such as Mario Kart Wii, there are points rewarded to you as the other player loses those amount of points. The result is well done and adds to the replay value greatly.
Speaking of replay value, like the console versions, this game has a whopping 100 missions. However, you'd need to unlock said missions, but once you do, be thankful that there's even more to the game than it shows to begin with. The game is actually very short. You can beat the game within perhaps a couple hours. But even if you did beat the game with its minimal requirements, there is absolutely no doubting that you had enjoyed the thrillride throughout, from beginning to end. While it wasn't better than the console versions, it certainly was close. Besides, whether you have the console version or not, this game is still a must-buy.
Happy Birthday, Sonic...
Is it shorter? Yes. (By 2 zones)
Do these questions matter? Nope.
You know why we were all hyped for this game? Because it is a flashback of nearly the blue blur's whole history, with familiar environments that cast all new levels! To top it all off, you finally get to play as Sonic's original design again, as well as compete with other players via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
This version stands out from the Xbox/PS3 game due to its different worlds (With the exception of Green Hill Zone) and said online play. Players get to romp through the greatness that is Green Hill (Sonic 1), Casino Night (Sonic 2), Mushroom Hill (Sonic and Knuckles), Emerald Coast (Sonic Adventure), Radical Highway (Adventure 2), Water Palace (Sonic Rush), and Tropical Resort (Sonic Colors).
Classic Sonic plays nearly exactly like in the original Sega Genesis games! While the Genesis-era levels for him are duplicates of the originals (Without the miniboss for Mushroom Hill, though), the rest of the levels (Dreamcast-era and so on) are all-new, yet they fit with the classic platform-orientated gameplay amazingly! Eventually, Classic Sonic gets the Homing Attack, which locks onto enemies for Sonic to hit. People may not like this addition, since people recognized it from the Adventure games, which were way after the Genesis games (Although it was first in Sonic 3D Blast as you could use it when receiving the Golden Shield). The console versions of Sonic Generations also had this attack (As an optional feature), but players could enable or disable it. Personally, I think it adds to the gameplay nicely, but in case if you just don't want to use it, I suggest you just try not to press B twice in a row.
Modern Sonic, on the other hand, is more focused on speed. Like in the Sonic Rush series and Sonic Colors for DS, Modern Sonic is equipped with a Boost bar to go extremely fast, as well as the Homing Attack. While it's still somewhat platform-orientated, Modern Sonic is best defined by his much faster pace, as well as certain in-your-face surprises (Whoa! A giant totem pole is falling towards Sonic!).
Also exclusive to the 3DS version is the Special Stage. Special Stages are for rewarding a Chaos Emerald after completing obstacles where you must collect orbs to be able to Boost to dash to collect the emerald. The gameplay here is like that of Sonic 2's or Sonic 3D Blast's Special Stages.
Remember when Sonic had to race Metal Sonic? Or when he was chased by that killer whale? How about when he was venturing through the neon Casino Night Zone? You can relive those moments in this game, and they fit perfectly with the new level layouts!
The graphics are hugely lush and very colorful and detailed. Heck, since you don't need a 3D TV to see it in 3D (obviously), you can just go and gaze at the visuals at their finest with ease and awe. The music is from the respective Sonic games that the worlds represent, but the soundtrack is still pretty robust and catchy.
Online play is a very nice addition. You can race another player worldwide through any level that you have beaten in the main game. Like racing games such as Mario Kart Wii, there are points rewarded to you as the other player loses those amount of points. The result is well done and adds to the replay value greatly.
Speaking of replay value, like the console versions, this game has a whopping 100 missions. However, you'd need to unlock said missions, but once you do, be thankful that there's even more to the game than it shows to begin with. The game is actually very short. You can beat the game within perhaps a couple hours. But even if you did beat the game with its minimal requirements, there is absolutely no doubting that you had enjoyed the thrillride throughout, from beginning to end. While it wasn't better than the console versions, it certainly was close. Besides, whether you have the console version or not, this game is still a must-buy.
Happy Birthday, Sonic...
Steel Diver (Rating: 8/10)
This is going to be a short review, so don't expect me to go into further detail.
Steel Diver was originally a tech demo for the original Nintendo DS. What was unexpected was that this was actually going to be a full-priced game. But it wasn't released for the DS. It was released for the 3DS.
Steel Diver is supposed to be a game that should be enjoyed within small chunks of gameplay, not under one sitting.
The basic gameplay is that you control a submarine. Not by using the D-Pad or the buttons, but by the stylus, of course (After all, it DID start life as a tech demo). There are controls on the bottom screen that you must slide or tap using the stylus to move the submarine or shoot torpedoes at enemy subs.
While it does kinda simulate taking control of an actual submarine (or so it appears to be), it is actually a pretty fun experience. The only problem that I have is that when you try to battle an enemy ship, you still have to control your ship to restrain yourself from bumping into anything, and the enemy may attack after you get yourself ready. At least you can avoid getting hit and prepare yourself once you master it.
One minor complaint that may be major for those who crave huge titles is that this game may not really be extremely lengthy.
But overall, this is a pretty good game, and I assure you that your undersea voyage will be very enjoyable.
Steel Diver was originally a tech demo for the original Nintendo DS. What was unexpected was that this was actually going to be a full-priced game. But it wasn't released for the DS. It was released for the 3DS.
Steel Diver is supposed to be a game that should be enjoyed within small chunks of gameplay, not under one sitting.
The basic gameplay is that you control a submarine. Not by using the D-Pad or the buttons, but by the stylus, of course (After all, it DID start life as a tech demo). There are controls on the bottom screen that you must slide or tap using the stylus to move the submarine or shoot torpedoes at enemy subs.
While it does kinda simulate taking control of an actual submarine (or so it appears to be), it is actually a pretty fun experience. The only problem that I have is that when you try to battle an enemy ship, you still have to control your ship to restrain yourself from bumping into anything, and the enemy may attack after you get yourself ready. At least you can avoid getting hit and prepare yourself once you master it.
One minor complaint that may be major for those who crave huge titles is that this game may not really be extremely lengthy.
But overall, this is a pretty good game, and I assure you that your undersea voyage will be very enjoyable.
Super Mario 3D Land (Rating: 10/10)
It's amazing how when Nintendo makes a Mario game, it would turn out well. There's no bad Mario game that Nintendo has ever created! But have you ever noticed that other than Super Mario 64 DS (Which is a remake), there's no original 3D main Mario game on a portable system? Well, now that Super Mario 3D Land has arrived, I can easily say that this is the best 3DS game by far.
Don't let the videos fool you. The game is incredibly fun, like any other Mario game. While the environments aren't as wide to roam around as games like Mario 64 or Mario Sunshine, they still triumph in level design and enemy/obstacle variety (Goombas on top of each other, floors that flip when jumping, etc). The game also feels a bit like a combination of New Super Mario Bros, Mario 3, and Mario 64.
The power-ups are also very handy. The Tanooki Suit, while you can't fly anymore (Sad face...), you can still flutter and whack enemies with your tail, making for some very fun platforming moments. The Boomerang Suit and Propeller Suit also adds to the fun, as you can hit enemies with boomerangs and be able to fly upward for a bit, respectively.
The graphics are extremely colorful and crisp. The 3D makes it look all the more better. The music is not unlike the other Mario games, yet some tunes are all-new and manage to fit well with the existing ones!
At first, the game would seem fairly short, as it appears to be only 8 Worlds long with about 5 levels in each. Fortunately, it turns out that there's much more to it. You would actually have to go find Star Medals (Which are somewhat like Yoshi Coins in Super Mario World) in order to unlock certain levels (50 Star Medals for World 5's castle level). Furthermore, special levels are unlocked once beating the 8 worlds. It's surprisingly long when you want to do everything.
But overall, this is a very awesome game, and it is definitely up there with the other greats Mario has to offer.
Don't let the videos fool you. The game is incredibly fun, like any other Mario game. While the environments aren't as wide to roam around as games like Mario 64 or Mario Sunshine, they still triumph in level design and enemy/obstacle variety (Goombas on top of each other, floors that flip when jumping, etc). The game also feels a bit like a combination of New Super Mario Bros, Mario 3, and Mario 64.
The power-ups are also very handy. The Tanooki Suit, while you can't fly anymore (Sad face...), you can still flutter and whack enemies with your tail, making for some very fun platforming moments. The Boomerang Suit and Propeller Suit also adds to the fun, as you can hit enemies with boomerangs and be able to fly upward for a bit, respectively.
The graphics are extremely colorful and crisp. The 3D makes it look all the more better. The music is not unlike the other Mario games, yet some tunes are all-new and manage to fit well with the existing ones!
At first, the game would seem fairly short, as it appears to be only 8 Worlds long with about 5 levels in each. Fortunately, it turns out that there's much more to it. You would actually have to go find Star Medals (Which are somewhat like Yoshi Coins in Super Mario World) in order to unlock certain levels (50 Star Medals for World 5's castle level). Furthermore, special levels are unlocked once beating the 8 worlds. It's surprisingly long when you want to do everything.
But overall, this is a very awesome game, and it is definitely up there with the other greats Mario has to offer.
Wreck-It Ralph (Rating: 2/10)
Wreck-It Ralph has to be one of the most beloved Disney films of recent times. It's a movie that's directed straight to people that have grown up in the 1980s (although it appealed to kids as well), and seen how the arcade game industry has changed overtime. The movie was full of laughs and references, but featured a really deep and thrilling tale of a video game bad guy who wants to get a new name for himself. So what does this game based off the movie based off of games have to offer? Absolutely none of what I just described.
The game is supposed to take place straight after the movie's plot, but it IS possible to avoid spoiling the movie, right? Unfortunately, Activision refused to try. Within the first seconds after starting a new game, the ending of the movie is instantly spoiled. But since I'm so nice, I won't spoil it for this review. However, I will have to mention that the Cybugs, one of the few conflicts in the movie, is THE WHOLE CONFLICT here in this game for some reason. I don't want to think of Wreck-It Ralph as a series about hideous bugs. I want to think of the series as a love letter to gamers!
Anyway, that was all presented in this cute little CGI-animated intro which has mistakes such as a lack of textures in one scene and Felix having miscolored hair. Activision sure rushed THIS out the door. BUT GUESS WHAT? Wait til you see what the actual game looks like!
Oh GOD did things go downhill! The graphics look like they were created for the Sega 32x. They are downright awful, and the music totally accompanies them by playing a short loop of a song that would only sound nice the first few times. And now for what we've been waiting for: The gameplay mechanics.
Let's just say this is one of the most uninspired platformers I've played yet. Throughout, I am treated with really generic levels that only make the already not-so-great gameplay just plain boring and repetitive. Nothing in any of these levels truly stand out (Other than that one and only Super Mario Bros reference in the "Hero's Duty" world). The combat in the game is clumsy. It feels very tedious when it takes some time for Ralph to throw a punch or Felix to wield his hammer (Which, by the way, somehow kills enemies instead of fixing them). By the way, you know how I mentioned that the Cybugs are the main conflict in this game? Well, they are the ONLY ENEMIES IN THIS GAME, so there's no enemy variety, really.
Not to mention, even with the clumsy combat, the game is beyond easy as a whole. During my first run through the game, not once did I get a Game Over, but rather did I get over 13 lives. The bosses didn't help the difficulty. They were incredibly easy as well.
To think this goes for as long as...an hour and a half?
Yup. This is one of those games with a pretty short length. However, after what you've been through after playing this monstrosity, beating the game in such a short time is rewarding enough.
If you want to see a video game do Wreck-It Ralph justice, play the game that's available on iOS devices for THE PRICE OF A COKE CAN. It's $39/29 less, but 100 times more fun.
The game is supposed to take place straight after the movie's plot, but it IS possible to avoid spoiling the movie, right? Unfortunately, Activision refused to try. Within the first seconds after starting a new game, the ending of the movie is instantly spoiled. But since I'm so nice, I won't spoil it for this review. However, I will have to mention that the Cybugs, one of the few conflicts in the movie, is THE WHOLE CONFLICT here in this game for some reason. I don't want to think of Wreck-It Ralph as a series about hideous bugs. I want to think of the series as a love letter to gamers!
Anyway, that was all presented in this cute little CGI-animated intro which has mistakes such as a lack of textures in one scene and Felix having miscolored hair. Activision sure rushed THIS out the door. BUT GUESS WHAT? Wait til you see what the actual game looks like!
Oh GOD did things go downhill! The graphics look like they were created for the Sega 32x. They are downright awful, and the music totally accompanies them by playing a short loop of a song that would only sound nice the first few times. And now for what we've been waiting for: The gameplay mechanics.
Let's just say this is one of the most uninspired platformers I've played yet. Throughout, I am treated with really generic levels that only make the already not-so-great gameplay just plain boring and repetitive. Nothing in any of these levels truly stand out (Other than that one and only Super Mario Bros reference in the "Hero's Duty" world). The combat in the game is clumsy. It feels very tedious when it takes some time for Ralph to throw a punch or Felix to wield his hammer (Which, by the way, somehow kills enemies instead of fixing them). By the way, you know how I mentioned that the Cybugs are the main conflict in this game? Well, they are the ONLY ENEMIES IN THIS GAME, so there's no enemy variety, really.
Not to mention, even with the clumsy combat, the game is beyond easy as a whole. During my first run through the game, not once did I get a Game Over, but rather did I get over 13 lives. The bosses didn't help the difficulty. They were incredibly easy as well.
To think this goes for as long as...an hour and a half?
Yup. This is one of those games with a pretty short length. However, after what you've been through after playing this monstrosity, beating the game in such a short time is rewarding enough.
If you want to see a video game do Wreck-It Ralph justice, play the game that's available on iOS devices for THE PRICE OF A COKE CAN. It's $39/29 less, but 100 times more fun.