I was on the bus with B. the other day and we decided to swap DS games. It was a welcome relief for me because I haven't really purchased a new one in a little while. I decided to try out Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. I was slightly curious how gameplay would be. When you are dealing with the Mario franchise, you can expect innovation and finesse.
I fired up the game and a rather long introduction prepared me for a trip into Bowser's body. Controlling Mario and Luigi at the same time takes a bit of skill—especially when you are in Bowser's bodily fluids (yes, I know that sounds disgusting)—but it's not impossible. The fighting sequences follow the Paper Mario style. You have turn-based combat with the opportunity to dodge enemies (and sometimes inflict more damage).
Yet, it is not this that makes the game exciting. It is the control of Bowser. Mario's enemy of old is finally in your hands and boy does he pack a punch. You not only get to explore the world, you also are able to explore Bowser's body. During some situations, Bowser ends up needing the bros. help to gain strength and stamina. So, whether they like it or not, Mario and Luigi are helping Bowser get the bad guys. It's a fun idea and a very fun game. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for little kids because they won't really feel like reading the dialogue and they could get frustrated with some of the enemies. I say this is good for ages 10+. Also, this means that I think this game is worth the money, even though it's not brand spanking new.
So, since I've been stingy with my money in anticipation of Epic Mickey (Wii only; release: Q3 2010) and Sonic 4: Episode 1 (Playstation Network; WiiWare; XBOX Live; iPhone/iPod Touch), games haven't necessarily accounted for much of my spending. However, I wanted to try the DS game Again after watching a video about it. The game seemed like a good diversion for my commute. How I wished I had looked at those videos again and chosen not to purchase this game.
Again, like so many detective style games, has no replay value. For some reason, I assumed that with a name like "again," that might not be the truth. Alas, it is and even if it weren't, I'm certain I'll never play it again. While it starts out fairly well, the game quickly takes a turn for the absolutely annoying. The basic gist is that you are a detective in the FBI and the lone survivor of the "Providence" murders. Nineteen years later, another series of murders occur that are almost identical to the originals. You and your partner reopen the past cases and join forces with the local police department to discover the truth of the recent and past murders. Hit the jump for the full breakdown.
Ah, the "inbetween-quel". How wonderful is that? It's like a 1/2 game. You remember how Disney released The Lion King 1 1/2? Well, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is to the Kingdom Hearts series what The Lion King 1 1/2 was to the Lion King series—only a video game. It starts out a bit slow. Lots of tutorial (not fun for people who are familiar with Kingdom Hearts from games I and II), but it is necessary for the switch from PS2 to DS (or DSi). Not too much touch-screen action thus far, but lots of regular D-pad and A,B,Y,X combos. Graphics are okay, you can expect as much from Square Enix. Of course, there is the storyline as well—slightly vague, but still intriguing. Would I recommend buying it? At the moment, I'd say wait for my game review. I haven't played enough to be certain. But it's $35, if you have cash to waste, why not?
Studio Ghibli—amazing Japanese animation studio whose works include Princess Mononoke,Spirited Away and the recent release, Ponyo. Nintendo DSi—portable gaming goodness. Game developer Level 5—the creators of the Professor Layton series. Now put them all together and what do you get? A visually stunning RPG (that's role-playing game for my non-video game playing people) called Ninokuni: The Another World. Check out the trailer below. It's in Japanese, but you can kind of get the gist from the visuals. It's not slated to come out until next year, but for a great game like this one seems it will be, I can wait.
So, the Nintendo DSi is now being sold in white and pink (in addition to blue and black) in the United States. Honestly, I wish that Nintendo would release all of the colors at one time. Why be so selective? Maybe more people would want it if they had it available in their favorite color. I would like for it to be available in red or green. Check out my color preferences after the jump!
I previously recommended Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box and I promised a review once I had a chance to play it. Instead of waiting for two more weeks until I completely finish it (and possibly add spoilers), I decided to review it now that I have played it for half a week. In case you don't know, the Professor Layton series consists of casual games depicting a mysterious plot that gamers unravel by solving brainteasers. While most of them are fairly intuitive, you will come across several that will really have you thinking.
So, my thoughts? Well, I'm pleased to say that the sequel to Professor Layton and the Curious Village is much better than I even imagined it would be. They really pulled out the stops on this one. Not only do you have regular brainteasers, but they have also littered the game with minigames. There are also several updates to the interface that make this a really great game. In the previous installment, you were only able to use your memo function on specific puzzles, but now you can open a memo section whenever you like. However, to fully enjoy and understand these games, I would suggest an audience of 13 or older because they are content heavy.
Enough with this. I know you just want the skinny. Would I buy it again? Y-E-S! And there you have it!
Sources say that Nintendo will be bringing black Wiimotes to the US, but alas, not black Wii consoles. Talk about a letdown! On the bright side, the DSi is getting more colors—pink and white. Read on Engadget for more.
I know that not everyone in the world has a DSi, but I do. I have discovered that I am happy with casual games. They keep me from becoming too addicted (like I am to k-dramas). Anyway, if you have a DSi (or a DS), I recommend getting Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. It comes out on August 24th and it is going to be good. This is a sequel to the charming and challenging Professor Layton and the Curious Village. If you haven't played the first one, you should pick it up along with the Diabolical Box. If you don't have a DSi, you should consider getting one.
The first installment of the Professor Layton series was enough to have me spending hours trying to decipher and solve puzzles and other mysteries. The soundtrack was okay and you could easily play while listening to your own music or in silence. The controls are easy to pick up and the gameplay is paced very well in terms of moving from easy to tough puzzles as you progress through the game.
In short, go to the site and give the demos a whirl. If you don't like it, that's on you. I will definitely get this at some point, so look out for my game review to come soon.
