New Mario Wii Full Review - SUPER indeed

After doing a first impressions on the new Mario Wii game, this is much anticipated full review. Based upon first impressions I originally wrote that this game would be a slight disappointment if it didn't contain new features. Let me start by saying this is the most entertaining Mario game I've ever played. The multiplayer alone makes this game a must buy if you have at least one friend to play with. Come on, I know you can think of at least ONE person who likes you enough to play video games with you.

The multiplayer works exactly the same as the single player, which means there's no special controls or confusing add-ons that show up as a result of an extra http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifplayer (or 3). You can , but playing with just two was already becoming a challenge with certain courses. Playing along side myfiancee we smashed enemies, collected coins and conquered castles. It was a lot of fun working together to reach items in high places, and this collaboration made it possible to reach coins and power ups that aren't normally reachable in single player. Stacking players to reach high places, or saving each other from certain doom (sometimes accidentally) added a wonderful new dimension to this game.

Playing with two people creates some definite issues that restrict movement, especially vertical movement. If one player moves up too high and the other falls down, the lower player can lose a life if they fall off the screen, even if there is land beneath you that you cannot see. This creates a small amount of frustration at first, but it's generally not too difficult to manage. Playing together allows for collaborative coin collection, and power up items earned at Toad's hut work for both players when just a single item is selected. This means your power ups go twice as far, which is always a plus.

Traveling with two players through environments that have moving parts can be very tricky. The first world has a few courses with lots of rotating environment pieces which are tough to navigate with two people. There were a few times where one of our characters died and rather than allowing them to re-engage right away, we skipped through an environment solo before adding our comrade.

The farther into this game I progress the more I realize that almost all the Mario enemies you've come to know and hate are present. Hammer bros, koopas, flying turtles, they're all here! It's great to see all your old favorites make appearances, and they all look great with the Wii's graphics. I especially like Nintendo's attention to details in the environment. An example being that while playing a water level if you freeze an opponent, the ice cube then floats, which can allow you access to items that are too high above the water's surface to simply bob and grab. Mario Galaxy had similar fun treats that centered more around the astronomical feel, and I'm glad to see Nintendo continues this trend.

Overall, this game is exceptional. The more I play, the more I enjoy it. The multiplayer is terrific. That mode alone makes this a great family or party game. Single player keeps getting better, with new enemies, crazy moving environments, and combinations that require precise button mashing. This is my new favorite Wii game, and being able to share that experience with friends makes it that much better. Great game, very good value now that I've had a chance to dig a bit deeper. (10/10 for Wii games)

Game Reivew for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS)

As a GIGANTIC fan of the Kingdom Hearts (KH) series, I pre-ordered this game and now it's time for a review. Let's get started with some basics. I LOVE how the developers of this series give you great video cut scenes to explain story line and get you involved with the characters. This game puts you in the shoes of Roxas, a "Nobody" who is kind of like an alternate dimension version of the KH franchise main character, Sora. Roxas has his own personality, but doesn't know what it is, because he is not a full blown human being.

It may sound complicated (and it is) but if you played the original series this is a great chance to explore the realm of the evil Organization XIII. Organization XIII is a group of Nobody characters who are obsessed with collecting hearts to build Kingdom Hearts. This review isn't intended to be a story spoiler, so I'll keep that part as hush-hush as possible. This is a beautiful looking game with great video scenes, some voice acting and lots of fast paced action.

The actual game play is the same fast paced button mashing you've come to love with this series. You fight enemies using your Keyblade, and you are rewarded with items and hearts for destroying them. One visual issue is camera control. The default settings allow you to tap a shoulder button to center the camera, and once you reach a certain level you can tap each shoulder button to rotate the camera in a given direction (left button goes left, and right goes right). For an open world type game this can be a cumbersome activity. Especially considering you'll be attacking and defending very rapidly. Being able to see your foes can certainly come in handy.

My favorite part of the KH series is the addition of some role playing customization. This game is no slouch in that area. You are given tiles which act as place holders for items and spells. You can only carry a certain number of items with you into each level, meaning you have to prep for each level BEFORE entering. This is a bit of a difference from the original KH series in that your magic spells are connected with these tiles. If you only stock 3 fire spells, you can only use three for the entire mission unless you use an item to replenish your magic. While somewhat annoying, this does force you to plan ahead and use spells at the proper time instead of launching fire everywhere.

My favorite part of this game is the evolving story line. I won't give anything away, but it's great doing the semi-short missions (~10 min) and then getting a cut scene which tells you more about Roxas and Organization XIII.

I HIGHLY recommend this game to any DS owner who likes KH. If you're a fan of turn based role playing games this faster pace may throw you, but it's entirely worth the purchase price. I give this game a 9/10 (if you believe in such things).

New Mario Bros Wii - First Look

I recently came into possession of the new Mario Bros game for the Wii. I have only had the opportunity to play it for about an hour's time, but I'll dish on my first impressions. Also keep in mind this game was designed to be a multiplayer experience, and I will certainly touch on that later during the full review.

For starters the game seems nearly identical to the original super mario bros franchise in that it's a side scrolling 2D (with partial 3D features) linear level game. Each world is composed of courses, not levels, but don't let the name fool you. Just like Super Mario 3 this game has a world map with colored dots that act as courses you must beat in order to advance to the castle. It appears that Bowzer's minions are waiting for you in each castle (I have only seen the first castle, so I'll report back on deeper worlds) and there are several (approximately 5) courses before reaching the castle. Of these courses one or more are toadstools, which are bonus mini games that allow you to win prizes. These prizes can be power ups which are accessible from the map menu.

Now for the big question, how does it play? The game moves at a somewhat slow pace. Running doesn't seem as fast, but control seems almost identical to the old mario franchise. I was disappointed by this at first until reaching sections of each course which require the use of the Wii's motion sensing remotes. The player can shake the remote to cause propeller mario to fly, or to cause ice mario to spin and shoot multiple ice balls at enemies. Also you can tilt the remote at an angle to change the tilt of certain bridges you are standing on. These small inputs of motion sensing are a lot of fun and certainly add a new dimension to the side scrolling design. I never realized that I hold a control at odd angles until playing this game, because you can slide off certain bridges if you are not careful. While I've only played about an hour's worth of the game, I'm highly entertained by the vibrant colors, familiar foes, and new design aspects.

A couple of new power ups are present in this game. The aforementioned propeller mario wears a hat with a propeller and can fly and then float back to earth while shaking the wii remote. This is trickier than it appears and usually ended up getting me injured or killed, though reaching high altitude coins and power ups was a worthy goal. The mario bros franchise has the traditional fire flower, but this game has the new ice flower. This ice flower allows you to shoot ice balls, just like fireballs, except hit enemies are frozen solid. Mario can then pick up the cube and throw it at other enemies. The cube shatters once it hits a wall, so it won't come back to get you like those pesky turtle shells. There is also a penguin mario power up, which appears to allow sliding and other fun features, but I have no yet encountered this item so more details are coming.

All in all I was a bit surprised at how plain this game seemed. However, Nintendo does a great job of slowly introducing new features and then combining them into new obstacles. I can't wait to play more, and I certainly hope there are more new features than I've encountered so far. If not, this game could seem like a bit of a bust, especially at the $50 price tag. Stay tuned.

No response from the Arcade side yet?

What's the matter arcade gamers? You scared??? Bok, bok, bok (chicken sound effects). I'll be right here (figuratively) waiting for your reply.

Are sims stimulating or frustrating?

The game nerds and I were having a discussion the other day about racing games. I'm a hard core sim racing fan. I LOVE Gran Turismo and Forza as game franchises. My fellow nerds on the blog said that they prefer arcade racing, like Project Gotham or Burnout Paradise.

In response to this conversation I am going to write a quick post about why simulation games are great. For me, with driving being a passion, high gas prices have hindered my ability to enjoy this activity. However, buying a Logitech steering wheel and driving 200mph in my room, is a solid substitute. When I get stressed or bored I like to go for a drive, and sim racing games allow me to zip around exotic tracks, in exotic cars, against...well, less than exotic, competition. But even so, the thrill of mastering "real" physics of certain cars or tracks is a challenge I revel in.

Racing sims aren't the only sim games I enjoy. I played basketball all through high school and into college, and I thoroughly enjoy playing games like NCAA Basketball 2009, 2010, NBA Live, 2K, etc. I like having the ability to run plays, recruit players, sign rookies and develop a winning program. Franchise mode in college and pro games has quickly become my favorite new feature in basketball games. When the draft rolls around in NBA Live I compile PAGES of notes about made up players with ridiculous names (Jan Crisp, anyone?) and made up skill sets. Trying to put together a game plan for the team I construct is loads of fun. Calling plays, calling the RIGHT plays for the right situation is far more fulfilling for me than a game like NBA Jam or NBA Street.

All in all sim games are fun for me because they ask me to perform difficult, albeit somewhat real-world style tasks. I COULD drive a Dodge Viper around Laguna Seca (I probably never will) and I COULD call for a pick and roll with 2 seconds left in an NCAA tournament game (that WON'T happen). This reach for realism is something I really enjoy. It can be very frustrating when the "real world" causes you to lose traction or blocks your last second shot, but if I succeed it makes it that much sweeter.

Which side of the sim fence do you fall on?
(picture provided by Force Dynamics Motion Simulation)

Batman Arkham Asylum Review

(Written by Dan Milhous, aka "Comic Book Guy" ) I’m sure I’m not the first to suggest this, but I would like to nominate Batman: Arkham Asylum for Game of the Year. Now I realize the year is not over yet and there are still some great games yet to be released, but at least when it comes to the single-player experience, in the end I’m confident this one will still take the cake. And I’m not just saying that as a fan of the superhero genre. It’s true that this is by far the best comic book hero game to come out in a long time, but more than that it’s simply a great game for anyone who is a fan of games.

This game stands out for several reasons. The first is that there are very few if any aspects of this game that are not fun to play. Most games, even good ones, usually have one or two components that are either frustratingly difficult or annoyingly repetitive. That’s not the case with Arkham Asylum. Everything from the combat system, to the boss fights and exploration all work really well. Yes, you may have to revisit areas you’ve already been to find more Riddler puzzles after you’ve acquired new gadgets, but you won’t really mind because the environment is so well designed. And the free-flow combat system is only boring if you simply button mash and never try to learn new moves. Learning to chain moves together is relatively simple compared to other games, which is a lot of fun.

I think most of that quality can be attributed to my second reason, which is the fact that this game was not rushed. Usually games based on multi-billion dollar franchises end up being crap because they’re either rushed to coincide with the release of a film, or just simply aren’t taken very seriously at all since the studio is expecting to sell the game based solely on the movie hype. But that is not the case here. Before Arkham Asylum was announced, I had been excited about a rumored open-world sandbox game based on The Dark Knight, which got canceled and that’s probably for the best since we got this one instead. That’s not to say this game had no deadline (I imagine such a thing is extremely rare in the entertainment industry) but since they weren’t racing against a film’s production, I’m sure the developers had a lot more say in setting a time frame that was sufficient for them to do everything right.

Another thing that time gave them was the ability to pay extremely close attention to detail. They knew they didn’t want to just make a fun Batman game, but one that would appeal to Batman fans on an even deeper level. Throughout the beautifully designed environments are dozens of references to Batman’s large rogue gallery ranging from the well-known (Mr. Freeze, Penguin) to the obscure (Calendar Man, Humpty Dumpty). They even got the voice talent from the popular 90’s Batman: The Animated Series, which is awesome because while it may be voice only, I still think Mark Hamill is my favorite portrayal of the Joker yet.

Not to spoil anything, but in the end there appears to be a hint to a possible sequel which I hope happens. Although it might not be as fun if it takes place on Arkham Island again so hopefully they’ll move the setting to Gotham proper (fingers crossed).

So Batman fan or not, this is a game that I think every gamer will enjoy. I don’t really have the ability to play a game straight though, but this game sure made me want to try. And that’s why I think it deserves some consideration for Game of the Year.