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| Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition / PS2 : 4 of 5 | |
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4.11.2008
7:44 AM | Link |
 Since a steady supply of fresh music is essential to keeping me addicted to DDR, I decided to buy this special Disney Channel version of the game, even though I haven't watched many of the featured shows (why didn't they make this back when I was a Lizzie McGuire junky?). I knew this game would have less songs than the average DDR mix, and truthfully I was expecting a simple rehash of DDR Supernova, but surprisingly, they really gave this game a distinctive look, and I like it! Of course, most of the music is from Disney Channel shows and movies, such as High School Musical, Hannah Montana, and a few other things like the Cheetah Girls, That's So Raven and Kim Possible (which is one of my favorite themes to dance to, actually!). The game comes almost totally unlocked right out of the box, so you can play Endless Mode right away! The only challenge to overcome is revealing a second outfit for each of the characters, which you can do by beating that character in a three-song battle (unfortunately, the Battle Mode makes such annoying noises that you can barely follow the music). The game itself has unique graphics, with lots of Disney Channel logos and character photos, and all of the characters are pretty well-animated with new dance moves (so rather than my old favorite DDR characters Emi or Alice, I have to dance with Miley!). To fill out the Disney songs, there are a few Konami tracks which are mostly totally new to me - I never knew a DDR tango could be so much fun. I've been enjoying this game for a few weeks now, and I have to say that all those positive lyrics eventually make me feel like I'm dancing at a Disney park!
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| Back to socks | |
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3.26.2008
5:57 AM | Link | I've been cranking out 20-25 songs on DDR everyday for the past several days, and all of that stepping has made my failing RedOctane Afterburner start to really annoy me. The down arrow just doesn't register half the time, and I tried taking it apart to clean it, swapping arrow panels, and so on, but nothing really helped. I've used the Afterburner for so long that I thought I could never go back to anything else, but since I've been a little more frugal lately, I wasn't prepared to shell out the big bucks for a new one just yet! So in an act of desperation, I dug under my bed (where I have about four other old forgotten DDR pads!) and found my trusty RedOctane Ignition pad. I decided to give it a try, and I'm loving it! Maybe all the years of playing with shoes on has made me appreciate the feel of socks again, but I can't believe how light and free it seems. It took me about five minutes to get used to it, and suddenly I was hitting 800+ combos again with no problem. I could never do that with a bum down arrow! So, I'm happy to say I'm really enjoying Endless Mode on Supernova 2, and I went ahead and got the Disney Channel mix for a little variety, which I'll start playing soon. It feels great to be in control of my dancing score again! |
| The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters : 4 of 5 | |
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3.25.2008
10:50 PM | Link |
 This documentary received a lot of press in Austin, since it was shown at a special sold-out screening at the Alamo Drafthouse, so I've been anxiously waiting the DVD release, which I watched with my Sunday night pals recently, and we all loved it! The film is about classic video game high score record holders, specifically the well-known champion Billy Mitchell and his underdog competitor Steve Wiebe and their quest to hold the record on Donkey Kong. It turns out Donkey Kong is one of the hardest video games out there, and it's even more difficult because of the "kill screen" which ends the game (essentially a software crash!) after about 2-3 hours of play. The movie is jam packed with interviews with these two video athletes, along with just about everyone they've ever met, and even covers the quirky Twin Galaxies organization, which officially verifies and records all video game scores (and is even sourced by the Guinness Book of World Records). I can't begin to express how well this film is edited - it's certainly one of the best documentaries I've ever seen, and definitely among the most entertaining! It's incredible how much you begin to root for Steve, especially after observing what an arrogant jerk Billy is, and the ever-building tension is fantastic! I usually don't bother watching bonus features on a rented DVD, but I actually had to keep this disc an extra day to enjoy them all, including and incredible side-by-side Donkey Kong playing comparison with professional commentary! The King of Kong is fantastic on so many levels, and it made my pals and I so nostalgic that we had to play a few games of Donkey Kong on my Nintendo Wii afterwards!
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| Dance Dance Revolution Supernova 2 / PS2 : 5 of 5 | |
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3.14.2008
5:50 PM | Link |
 Fresh after my victory with DDR Supernova, I decided to buy DDR Supernova 2, which has been out a long time, so it's great to finally play it! I've been doing some major stepping lately, playing almost everyday, shooting for my usual goal of unlocking Endless Mode, and I'm happy to say that I unlocked it today! So, this is a good time to write a quick review, which can be easily done by saying that DDR Supernova 2 is essentially the same game as the original, with nearly all the faults corrected! The best improvement is that Hyper Master Mode is someone easier (and less stupid) than the old Stellar Master Mode, and better yet, you can actually unlock everything in the game by sheer determination, since eventually items unlock based on total hours of game play (thank goodness!). The song list is actually pretty great (for my taste), since there are plenty of Jpop songs to keep me happy, as well as some songs that I just can't get enough of - I could dance to Dragon Blade over and over (and I have!), and I love Freeway Shuffle as well. As usual, there are several songs with videos, but unfortunately they didn't bother syncing them up (but I guess it doesn't matter since I'm watching the arrows anyway), including some awesome anime videos - I love playing Baby Tears with the Sky Girls intro (it makes me want to watch that anime!). Another cool tweak is the quick manga style character drawings that appear after 20, 50, and 100 step combos - Emi looks so cute! In order to earn the points to unlock everything, I played just about every mode possible, even Battle Mode, which is kind of fun if you enjoy those crazy options. DDR Supernova 2 is definitely one of my favorite mixes, and now I'm excited about enjoying the joys of Endless Mode!
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| Guitar Hero III / Nintendo Wii : 5 of 5 | |
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2.20.2008
7:55 AM | Link |
 Even though I love my Nintendo Wii, I actually don't play very many games with it, since I'm either spending time with DDR or my Nintendo DS. But since I went so crazy for the original Guitar Hero on my PS2, my pals Chris and Barron knew I would enjoy this latest version of the game for the Wii, so they got it for my birthday! As expected, Guitar Hero III quickly took over all my free time, and I spent several days in a row playing until after midnight! I really love the wireless controller - it's cool how the Wiimote fits inside so I can rock out in my rocking chair with no cords to bug me. This version has lots of great songs (although I don't really know many of these rock anthems), plus a new battle feature that forces you to complete against some famous guitar players (such as Tom Morello and Slash, who actually wrote and recorded their battle music for the game) and even Lou the devil! Some of the songs are unexpectedly great - it may not be everyone's favorite, but it's really fun playing with Black Magic Woman, since the subtle licks really feel authentic on the guitar controller. It's funny how much brand sponsorship appears in the game (a testament to how popular this franchise has become) - even the store when you can buy new goodies for the game is a Guitar Center! So far I've completely beat the game (every song to the end) on Easy mode, and I only have the final battle left in Medium mode, and there's still plenty of unlocked lesser-known songs for me to play. Thanks to Guitar Hero III, my Wii has been getting a great workout again!
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| Endless fun (and exercise) | |
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2.19.2008
12:46 PM | Link | DDR Supernova is notorious for being difficult to unlock, since you have to be able to buy every single song before you have access to Endless Mode (which is always my Holy Grail when it comes to DDR). Since I've been playing more recently, I decided to read up on the game and get some tips, so I was able to get much further on Stellar Master Mode than I had in the past, which got me a few songs. I really didn't think I had them all, but a couple days ago I realized that I had actually done it - Endless Mode was finally unlocked! I was totally surprised and excited, and I've been playing it ever since then and really enjoying it! I've got a new DDR game on the way, so I'll be playing that one soon, but I think I want to have some epic Endless sessions with this game for a while longer to celebrate! |
| Back on the arrows | |
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2.09.2008
8:02 AM | Link |
 Lately I've been starting to get into Dance Dance Revolution again, since it's probably the best form of exercise that I've ever done regularly. I love walking, but when it's cold or windy (or my allergies are getting to me), it's much easier to play a few games of DDR, which usually makes me sweat more than walking anyway! Since I've played the game for so many years, I've been a little burnt out - you can only listen to those songs over and over so many times! I actually bought DDR Hottest Party for the Wii, but it was incredibly disappointing (I didn't even review it here since it was so craptacular). So I decided to brush off the old PS2 again and see if I could get my interest back. Since I've been on hiatus for a while, it actually seems a little fresh. Of course, I had lost my stamina (but not my technique!), so I played through every single song on DDR Supernova in Beginner mode, which was boring, but improved my timing. Since then I've done the same thing for Easy mode, and now I'm almost through with Expert (I still prefer calling that Trick mode like the old days!). My old RedOctane Afterburner dance pad is still hanging tough, even though the down arrow sensor is going bad - it really only affects freeze arrows, though, and I'm not as obsessed with perfect scores since my main goal is working out. I guess pretty soon I'm going to have to buy DDR Supernova 2 (and maybe the Disney Channel version, too), which is exciting since playing a new mix is always cool!
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| Picross DS / Nintendo DS : 5 of 5 | |
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12.23.2007
10:25 PM | Link |
 This was my first Christmas gift of the year, as well as the first of many new DS games, and I've played it every single day since I unwrapped it! I've always enjoyed puzzle games on my DS, especially when they are as unique as this one - I'm definitely glad all the positive reviews I read were so right. The puzzles in Picross DS are called nonograms (which of course I didn't know until writing this!) that I can only describe as "Sudoku with pixels", since the goal is to fill in the appropriate pixels in a grid using logic clues. Picross DS has different modes of difficulty, each divided into many levels, and I love how the levels are arranged in picture themes (such as animals, sea creatures, flying things, and so on). If you solve a puzzle within the time limit (which can be difficult since filling in an incorrect pixel adds penalty time), the picture transforms into an animated color version that looks like cool 8-bit video game graphics! I've been solving three or four puzzles a day during my vacation, so I'm up to 15x15 grids, which are displayed on the DS top screen in full, but zoomed on the lower screen. Once you get used to the interface it works very well, although I sometimes make a mistake by pressing the wrong direction! I'm still unlocking puzzles, so there's enough pictures to keep me playing for a very long time (and I think I can download additional puzzles from the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection!). Picross DS is extremely addictive and fun, so if you enjoy this game genre, I hope you got it for Christmas, too!Labels: games, nintendo ds |
| Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All / Nintendo DS : 4 of 5 | |
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12.14.2007
7:16 AM | Link |
 The original Phoenix Wright was the most addicting game I've ever played, and this sequel was definitely intriguing and tons of fun, but I kept getting distracted and taking breaks. But since I'm pretty sure Santa will be bringing me the next game in the series, I've been stealing every free moment to play, and now it's finished! Justice For All has all the same elements and lots of characters from the original game, but also introduces some new devices, namely the Psyche-Lock. When I first read about these I thought they would be confusing, but actually they are a pretty straightforward extension to the game play (even though their mystical nature stretched the tone of the game a little). Phoenix's new major rival is Franziska Von Karma, the tough daughter of one of the prosecutors from the first game, and she's pretty funny (and intimidating) with her whip cracks and attitude (although her dialogue gets a little ridiculous)! I definitely enjoyed the addition of Pearl, a cute little girl from a small village (and Maya's cousin) who provides the means to breaking Psyche-Locks with her special stone (it definitely sounds a lot less like a courtroom drama and more like a fantasy game when you try to describe it!). There are four cases this time around, ranging from a quick introduction case, to a bizarre circus murder, to the unbelievably huge final case with the special twist of Maya being kidnapped! I was hoping for a little more interaction (like the search for blood stains in the original game), but there was only one similar instance of sweeping for bugs. Overall, this is another fantastic "must play" game for the Nintendo DS, just as innovative and fun as the original, and I'm hoping this series continues for a long time!Labels: games, nintendo ds |
| Nodame Cantabile / Nintendo DS : 4 of 5 | |
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6.28.2007
5:40 PM | Link |
 I knew I had to get this import game after reading about it, since I'm a fan of just about any music game, and this one is focused on classical music! The story is based on the popular manga of the same name, which I haven't read (although Mikie recommended it to me, so I think I will starting reading it soon), but that hasn't kept me from really enjoying this game. The main object of the game is to follow a conductor by tapping and dragging on floating musical notes with precise timing, kind of like Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! with moving targets. The musical selections are all classical hits, including popular pieces by Mozart and Bach and even opera favorites, and the renditions sound pretty good on the DS, too. There are also a few extra mini-games, one of which is a nice version of Taiko Drum Master (although simplified), plus some funny things like cleaning up a dorm room (which can be a challenge since you kind of need to understand how garbage is sorted in Japan!) or helping cook dishes at a Chinese restaurant. All of this is tied together by the manga storyline about students at a music school and their various interactions. Of course, all of the dialogue is in Japanese, and even though I can read quite a bit of it, I actually just click through to the games pretty quickly. Nodame Cantabile is a great addition to my rhythm game collection, and it's definitely fun to tap along to some nice symphonies for a change!Labels: games, nintendo ds |
| Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 / Nintendo DS : 5 of 5 | |
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6.03.2007
7:17 AM | Link |
 As you may know, I have plenty of Nintendo DS games waiting for me to play, but since rhythm games will always be my favorite, I had to make the time to play this sequel to one of the best games ever, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! This new version of the Japanese game includes all of the cool features that were added when the game was Americanized into Elite Beat Agents, such as the incredibly important skip feature (which lets you keep trying to pass a stage without having to listen to the song intro over and over!). In addition to the regular Ouendan characters in their black uniforms, there's also a rival squad in blue uniforms - they divide up the city to help various people, and of course join forces for the big finale. I'd say the easy mode may be a little too easy, since I passed every song all the way to the end on the first try, and since then I've finished the medium and half of the hard mode. The song choices are cool, as usual, including some Jpop that I already knew, plus lots of great songs that I want to check out now! I thought it was cool that Sambomaster's Sekai wa Sore o Ai to Yobundaze is the final song - hearing it so many times as the closing theme of Densha Otoko really helped! The manga-style introductions to each stage are really funny, but unfortunately not as entertaining as the first version (although I thought the bedwetting stage was a total riot!). They could release a new version of the game every month and I would obediently buy it and enjoy it - it's just that good!Labels: games, nintendo ds |
| I Still Don't Know Jack | |
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5.16.2007
6:16 AM | Link |
 I've been a You Don't Known Jack fan from the very first version of the game, back when it came out for the Mac in 1995! I've always loved the crazy categories and questions (most of the fun of the game is figuring out what the "real" question is, since it's usually buried in some clever pop culture reference), and the game show style announcer Cookie is always hilarious. A few years later I picked up the Playstation version of the game, but for the past few years I had completely forgotten about it. Now there's a totally new online version of the game, ready for anyone to play on the You Don't Known Jack website! They have a full-blown episode of the game every week, and a new Dis or Dat mini-game every day, and you can even register to keep track of your scores (and mine are pretty awful at the moment!). I've always loved the text-centric design of the game, and now it looks even cooler since Flash animation has come so far. I'll definitely be checking in to play every now and then (and I need to try all the past episodes that I've missed)!Labels: games |
| Enjoying iQuiz | |
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4.29.2007
2:28 PM | Link |
 Yesterday I decided to try out iQuiz, Apple's newest iPod game available from the iTunes Store for only 99 cents, and it's really fun! It uses all of the information about the songs stored on your iPod to generate a random music quiz that cleverly uses sound clips and album art for a really cool game show experience. It's so much fun answering questions about your own music, but it can be funny since my music taste is so broad (with questions like "Who performed this song - Morning Musume or Beethoven?"). Each game has several rounds of questions and even bonus "lightning rounds" to keep things interesting, and the graphics are cool, too. iQuiz can also play general trivia quizzes, including custom ones you can make yourself. For only a buck, I'm really impressed with the game, and it' a fun way to enjoy all of my music in a new way!
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| Meteos / Nintendo DS : 4 of 5 | |
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4.03.2007
12:55 PM | Link |
 I've been having trouble keeping all my hobbies in balance lately, so my poor Nintendo DS and Wii have been getting lonely. I finally started making some time the past few days to play some games, though, and I since I felt like playing something I could get into quickly, I decided to give Meteos (which I got for Christmas) a workout! This is a really old Nintendo DS game, but if you read anything about it, you'll quickly see that it's a classic that everyone likes. Meteos is a great variation on the usual falling-block game, and the object is to get three blocks of the same kind in a row so they "launch" into the sky. The trick is you can only move blocks vertically, which took a while for me to get used to. The game has a really cool science-fiction style to it, including playing the game on various "planets" (which provides a lot of variation, since the block launching may work differently on planets with unusual gravity and so on). I really like the Star Trip mode, which lets you progress from planet to planet, and it's also fun to unlock different things, based on the number of the various types of blocks you've launched. Along with the fun gameplay, the game has some cool graphics, sounds, and different music for different planets. Meteos is definitely a game with tons of replay possibilities, and it's great for getting a five-minute DS fix here and there. Ah, it feels good to play something again - I'll have to move on to another game soon!Labels: games, nintendo ds |
| WarioWare Smooth Moves / Nintendo Wii : 5 of 5 | |
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2.17.2007
7:48 AM | Link |
 I've been playing WarioWare mini-games all the way back to my GameBoy Advance days, so WarioWare Smooth Moves was definitely the game I had to buy after waiting all night for my Nintendo Wii! In case you don't remember, WarioWare consists of tons and tons of tiny games, each only a few seconds long, that are thrown at you one after the other, and you generally have to figure out how the game works and complete it super quickly. WarioWare is perfect for the Wii, since using the Wiimote is so natural in most cases, and can definitely be used in creative ways. In fact, the game demonstrates several ways to hold the Wiimote (which are displayed and narrated just like Jack Handey's Deep Thoughts from the old Saturday Night Live), and each games flashes the position you'll need to use. Sometimes you hold it on your hip and actually jump to make a character jump rope on screen, or even put the Wiimote down and pick it up like you're answering a phone (and the built-in speaker actually says hello)! My favorite by far is the short driving game, since it feels so cool to use the Wiimote as a steering wheel. All of the classic WarioWare characters are back this time, but the quality of the cartoon segments is simply amazing - even better than the usual Cartoon Network standards (watching Jimmy T. dance with all the little kitties is just too cute for words)! The only drawback to Smooth Moves is that I enjoyed it so much that I pretty much played it all the way to the end in one long session, but now I can always go back and re-play my favorite segments. The Wii is amazing, and this game really shows off what it can do!
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| Miis in my Wii | |
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1.28.2007
9:06 AM | Link |
 If you haven't guessed from my Top Ten post, my replacement Nintendo Wii arrived this week, exactly on time just like Nintendo promised. I'm so glad that Nintendo customer service was efficient and took care of me, especially after I camped out for them! My new Wii is working great, and I'm really impressed with it! The whole concept of the Mii (little cartoon people you can create that represent yourself in the games) was strange to me when I read about it, but it quickly becomes one of the coolest features, especially since you can share your Miis with your friends. So, besides my WEBmikey Mii, I have my pals Chris and Barron, plus their families, wandering around in my Wii, which means when I play baseball, they are on my team, or when I play bowling, they are sitting in the background chatting and cheering for me. It's so amazing! (I also made Miis of Sayumi and Reina from Morning Musume, so they show up at the bowling alley sometimes, too.) The Wiimote continues to amaze me, especially after experiencing all the different ways it can be used while playing WarioWare Smooth Moves. I have a feeling the Wii is definitely going to force me to manage my time better!My Wii wasn't the only good news this week! After years of trips to Reno, Vegas, and their local casino, my parents finally scored a big win! Every time they go to Riverwind Casino, they enter a daily drawing that increases over time, since you have to be present to win. This week, they picked Dad's name, so he won a significant four-figure cash prize! Mom and Dad were so excited, and I'm excited for them! |
| Wii adventure | |
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1.21.2007
10:45 PM | Link |
 Since I'm a Nintendo fan and I love innovative games, I wanted a Nintendo Wii almost as soon as I heard about them, but I decided to let the Christmas rush go by. Since then I was just hoping to buy one on Amazon, but after my pal Chris and I read all of the rumors about this weekend's Wii "re-launch", we decided to camp-out and try to get one. Here's my good news, bad news, good news story about my Wii adventure!Chris and I decided to drive around and take a look at possible stores around 10:00 PM. The plan was to keep checking things out until a line formed, then get in the line. We expected this would happen sometime after midnight, but when we got to Circuit City, there were already two people planted in their chairs, with a cooler of drinks and a boom box! We sat in the car for a little bit, and a third camper showed up. So, we knew we had to stake our claim right away. After we setup our chairs, the five of us happened to notice that they had just posted a sign on the Circuit City door that said, "Number of Wiis at this store: 5". We couldn't believe it - only five Wiis were there, and there were already five of us waiting at 10:00 PM! So, we pretty much knew we were going to get one, and the wait began. Overall, the wait was pretty fun. Even though it had been raining earlier, we didn't see a drop during the whole night. However, we did have to make through a 35-degree temperature night! We played some Mario Kart on Nintendo DS - one of the other guys had a DS, so we had some a nice three-way races. Our fellow campers were really nice guys - definitely crazy college students (so crazy that they did some insane shopping cart acrobatics in the parking lot), but nice enough to offer us drinks and conversation. The music from their boom box was a tremendous help - it was an all night dance party! Shawn & Bernadette drove by to visit us, and a cop stopped and chatted with us, too. I only had to pee once "in the wild", and then Starbucks opened at 6:00 AM. The worst hour was 3:00-4:00 AM, which I spent wrapped in a blanket up to my eyeballs. When the sun came up, it was fantastic! However, that's when all the other Wii-hopefuls came by, and we had to tell nearly 100 people that the store only had five (and show them the sign), which got pretty old! But at 10:00 AM, after our 12-hour wait, we got our Wiis! We went back to Chris' house and hooked his up right away, then had a blast playing Wii Sports, especially baseball and boxing! Then I went home and zonked out. Later in the evening I got up to play with my Wii, and had fun for about an hour playing with the internet features. But when I tried to load the Wii Sports disc, it made terrible whining, grinding noises, and the disc became stuck in the Wii! I think the slot loading mechanism was just faulty, but it basically meant my hard-earned Wii was a dud. I tried to stay cool, though, and I called Nintendo right away. Almost immediately they offered to send me a new one via their replacement program, and I should have it in just a few days. So, the final happy ending to my story will be when the new Wii arrives, but regardless of my little setback, I enjoyed the camping experience, and I know I'm going to love my Wii! |
| Touch Detective / Nintendo DS : 3 of 5 | |
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1.18.2007
10:48 PM | Link |
 I've started to enjoy mystery games more than ever before, thanks to titles like the amazing Trace Memory and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. I like to think of them more as interactive novels, since you really just keep trying things until you follow the correct path that leads you to the one ending for the story. But this can be taken to an extreme, which is my only frustration with Touch Detective. There are plenty of times that the story won't progress just because you haven't made a certain character say a certain phrase in a certain location, which forces you to frantically try crazy things for the sake of the game, rather than by deductive reasoning. But enough minor complaints - I still really enjoyed this game! You play as Mackenzie, a girl detective with a pet mushroom creature who solves mysteries. The characters are really cute and funny, and the environments are colorful and unique - there's a 3D rendering style to everything, and some nice cut-scene illustrations, too. The setting is a bizarre fantasy world with cases about stealing dreams, a snow fairy in danger of melting, and treachery in a flea circus, mostly involving Mackenzie's silly friend Penelope. There's also a rival detective named Chloe who provides more craziness and help, and lots of other folks in the town you will get to know quickly. This game was addictive enough that I had to finish all four cases in a short time, and now I'll probably try some bonus missions. If you like mystery games even when they're goofy, you'll enjoy Touch Detective!Labels: games |
| Top Ten reasons I like Nintendo DS | |
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1.11.2007
10:06 PM | Link |
 It's time for another meaningless Top Ten list! It's no secret that I'm a Nintendo DS junkie, since I've become more addicted to it than any other gaming platform I've ever played. There's nothing new in this list that DS fans don't already know, but these are the things that come to mind when I think of my beloved Nintendo DS!
Labels: games |
| Brain Boost: Gamma Wave / Nintendo DS : 3 of 5 | |
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12.29.2006
10:25 PM | Link |
 I really didn't know much about the new Brain Boost games when I put them in my Amazon Wish List, but I always love thinking games (second only to rhythm games!). My pal Dae saw my list and sent me this game (plus a great CD) for Christmas, and I started playing it right away on the way to visit my parents for the holiday! This game is designed to develop your right brain, specifically your "photographic" memory, through five different activities. The idea is that images, colors, or numbers are presented to you at a speed that's too fast for your left brain to process them, so your right brain has to just "feel" what the right answer is! It's definitely interesting - at the slower speeds I tend to come up with a mnemonic (which is kind of cheating), but at the higher levels I have to try to do the right (pun intended) thing. Memorizing numbers is easiest (because I type a ton of ID numbers at work) and faces are fun, too, but color patterns can be tough! All of the games are presented with a little story including well-designed cartoon characters - they definitely add to the urge to keep trying to see how the game's story ends. Gamma Wave is a simple game, but still pretty interesting and fun - I wonder if my memory will really improve?Labels: games |
| Elite Beat Agents / Nintendo DS : 5 of 5 | |
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12.19.2006
9:04 PM | Link |
 Since I've played the amazing Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! for hours, I was thrilled to find out that a version was being created for the US called Elite Beat Agents. Of course, Santa gave it to me early for Christmas, and I've been having a blast playing it. I think they did a fantastic job completely re-imagining the game for American gamers, since the entire storyline and all of the graphics are completely new (along with all the songs, of course). Even though everything is new, the short manga-style stories still keep a nice Japanese feel (with super-deformed expressions and so on), but that's probably because 95% of the names on the credits are Japanese. The overall gameplay experience is great - I will always love rhythm games more than any other kind, and Elite Beat Agents is one of the best! The American song selection is pretty cool, and even songs that I'm not a big fan of are tons of fun to tap and drag with (Jumpin' Jack Flash in the game's finale is so fun!). The new characters are stories are nice and quirky, and include some cute anime girls, too. So far I've finished all the songs on the super-easy level, and I'm looking forward to playing the harder modes for more rhythm fun!Labels: games |
| Magnetica / Nintendo DS : 4 of 5 | |
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11.08.2006
10:22 PM | Link |
 I'm a sucker for puzzle games of almost any kind, especially if they look really cool, so I was ready to try Magnetica the moment I saw a few screen shots. I've read that this is a just a variation of a similar puzzle game, but it's definitely new to me! Basically, colored balls snake their way down a pathway, and the object is to fling other balls at the chain to keep them from reaching the end of the path, since groups of the same color go away. The "magnetic" idea comes into play because balls of the same color attract each other, so you can force portions of the chain to retreat if you plan things correctly. This all happens really fast, of course, but it's fun and addictive - at first it seemed nearly impossible, but soon I got the hang of it and started really enjoying myself. There's a basic Challenge Mode, where you have to complete 99 levels in a row, and also a Quest Mode, where you complete successive games, each with different pathway patterns and so on. Finally, there's a Puzzle Mode with specific mental challenges that really take some thinking. I really like the look of the game - it may be simple to animate colored balls, but the playfields have a cool metallic look. The music is nice, too, and doesn't get annoying (even when you are attempting to finish the same level over and over and over). Any game that makes me want to keep on playing it "one more time" is great, and that's a nice description of Magnetica.Labels: games |
| Clubhouse Games: 5 of 5 | |
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11.04.2006
8:36 AM | Link |
 I heard about this game several months ago when I was searching for new Nintendo DS puzzle games, so I've been waiting quite awhile for this one. I like to play quick card games on my Palm, so I thought it would be cool to have a collection of them for my DS, too. But soon after I started playing, I discovered that Clubhouse Games is so much more than I hoped for! This little cartridge has over 40 games on it, including lots of fun card games (of course), but also board games like chess and checkers, and also simple action games like bowling and billiards! The selection of games is really amazing, and it's fun to learn entirely new games (which is easy since the full rules for every game are included on-screen). Just about every little diversion game you can imagine is here, plus games that are "similar" (meaning knock-offs!) to other popular games. Besides having all these fun games available to play, there are also other extremely addictive ways to enjoy them by playing the Stamp and Mission modes. I absolutely love Stamp mode, which makes you play each game a certain number of times to earn stamps before you can continue to the next one, which is a great way to experience everything that's available. Mission mode has some difficult tasks to complete that unlock various icons in the game for some additional challenge. The graphics are really rich and fun (though these games aren't very fancy by nature), even though things seem a little small sometimes. For someone like me, Clubhouse Games is a Nintendo DS essential!Labels: games |
| Dance Dance Revolution Supernova / PS2 : 5 of 5 | |
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10.10.2006
10:32 PM | Link |
 At last the DDR drought is over with the latest official release from Konami, which is so much better than playing those lame knock-off games that I get sucked into! There's nothing like starting a fresh DDR release - checking out the new songs, new graphics, unlocking stuff, and trying to get A's on every song in every mode (even the boring easy stuff!). My biggest shock so far in DDR Supernova is the new dancers, who have all been re-created with really "human" moves - the new Emi character is so cute that I missed a bunch of steps the first time she was on-screen! There are also several songs with full motion video backgrounds, including old hits like Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles and Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper (and now I've seen that video at least 47 times). Several new concepts from DDR Extreme 2 have returned, such as the Shop where you buy (unlock) items with points you earn from dancing, but the new mission mode, now called Stellar Master Mode, is so much better. There are several tasks in checklists that you have to complete in each Stellar Joint (what a bizarre name), and then you can attempt to win a showdown for a VIP pass. The showdowns unfortunately include the weird tasks that I don't like - I hate being rewarded for playing "wrong" (such as complete this song, but never use the up arrow), but it's no big deal. Playing Stellar Master Mode puts new things in the Shop, and that's essential to keep unlocking new stuff. I can't wait to unlock Endless mode, but I think I have a lot of playing ahead of me! I don't think DDR will ever get old for me - I just hope Konami keeps it coming for years to come.
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| Cooking Mama / Nintendo DS : 3 of 5 | |
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9.29.2006
7:54 PM | Link |
 I love incredibly bizarre games that really push the limits of the typical genre, and Cooking Mama is definitely one of those games! Of course, this is a US translation of a popular Japanese game, and in fact, most of the dishes you can make are Japanese cuisine (but with English names, so takoyaki becomes "octopus dumplings", for example). All you do is choose the dish you want to make, and then you go through a series of steps, each one kind of like a timed mini-game, all using the touchscreen to full advantage. You may have to chop up onions, crack eggs, knead dough, or even follow precise instructions for stewing (stir now, lower the heat to medium, add next ingredient, stir again, raise heat to high, and so on)! Some of the tasks are kind of tough (peeling potatoes takes practice!), and a few do require some thought for non-cookers like me. When you have to cook a bunch of things in a skillet, you need to add things in the right order so they all finish around the same time, so maybe I'm learning something here! Every step is watched over by Mama, who will either praise you, or (when you burn the meat to a crisp) give you a glorious passive-aggressive "Don't worry, Mama will fix it" with flames in her eyes. There's around 70 recipes to make, from super-easy (instant ramen or a sandwich!) to really difficult, with lots of ingredients and steps. The graphics are fantastic (though the music can be annoying at times), and playing this game can definitely make you hungry! I'm not sure how much I will keep playing after I finish all of the dishes, but for now I'm enjoying my virtual kitchen.Labels: games |
| Rhythm Tengoku / GameBoy Advance : 5 of 5 | |
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9.26.2006
10:25 PM | Link |
 I play my Nintendo DS almost every day, but I have pretty much abandoned all of my old GameBoy Advance games, even though I can play them on my DS just fine. I never dreamed I would be buying another GBA cartridge, but when I read the reviews of Rhythm Tengoku, I just had to give it a shot, because there will never be enough rhythm games in the world for me! This is a relatively recent Japanese game, and it's kind of like combining Wario Ware mini-games with DDR-style beat accuracy. A large number of the games really only use a single button, but it's all about pressing that button right on the beat (and precision definitely counts)! There are tons of hilarious games, ranging from punching flower pots being thrown at you to shooting ghosts with a bow and arrow, to dancing robots and monkeys, and of course, whacking demons with a sword. You don't have to know Japanese to figure things out, but it makes it more fun for me! Lots of the games feature some unique Japanese culture, too, like making girls dance during a summer festival, or responding to some Japanese rap with certain patterns (based on the words just said). The games are organized into groups that you have to complete to unlock the next group, and each one ends with a cool "remix" where you play tiny pieces of each game combined into one song - it's a blast (and the music is great, too). There are some unlockable bonus games, too - my favorite has you matching the cool beats from a bunny drummer, and many of these are patterns I would have trouble playing on an actual kit! I can definitely see myself enjoying Rhythm Tengoku for a long time to come.Labels: games |
| Point Blank / Nintendo DS : 3 of 5 | |
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9.19.2006
7:03 PM | Link |
 I'm always on the lookout for new Nintendo DS games, and sometimes I like games that are kind of quick, mindless and easy - fun to play for five minutes here and there. Point Blank definitely fits that description, since it's basically a kind of target shooting game where you simply tap the touch-screen to fire - there's no aiming or any other controls at all! I've had a lot of fun playing it, especially because there's lots of variety, since each round is a different type of mini-game. There are lots of different things you have to shoot within a specific time limit, like ducks, bees, skeletons, criminals (without hitting the civilians, of course), ninjas, and even fireworks! Some of the games require a little thinking, such as shooting the correct analog clock face to match a digital time (I'm actually pretty slow at that one!). Other games require some real precision, too - even though you're just tapping right on the place you want to hit, accuracy can be really important. You can play in Arcade mode, which picks four or eight games at random for you to complete, or Brain Massage mode, which just plays the same games and gives you a kind of intelligence score (which is pretty dumb). The graphics are really nice on most of the games, but definitely not spectacular - the whole thing seems just a little unpolished, but it's still pretty cool. If you're looking for something fun to play while you're waiting for your microwave dinner, Point Blank could be it!Labels: games |
| Dance Factory / PS2 : 2 of 5 | |
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9.14.2006
11:19 PM | Link |
 Such a tragic story - I remember seeing a magazine ad for Dance Factory back during the summer and instantly getting excited about every DDR maniac's "dream game". I'm sure everyone who plays as much as I do has hoped for the same thing - to be able to dance to any CD of music! Well, I survived the wait (including a couple of delays by the developers), and got the game - I had to buy it just to support the Bemani industry. Sadly, Dance Factory is more like Dance Frustration. There are some good points - the game does its job with generating dances for your own CDs, and the waiting time isn't too bad. Some of these dances are fun and the general graphic look of the game (which has to be fully loaded in PS2 memory) is fine with me. I really like Endurance mode, since it's fun to dance through a whole CD. OK, on to the bad stuff - the song analyzer is downright stupid (granted, I'm sure it's not an easy coding task). It tries to key off any prominent sound in the song, so anything with a syncopated beat can causing the timing to go wonky. Sometimes it guesses an incredibly slow beat for a fast song, and vice versa. It does an OK job with stuff like Kumi Koda and Heartsdales, but unfortunately can't deal with Morning Musume since their songs have so much going on that the waveform must be fairly even. But, even if I could forgive the bad dance timing, there's simply no accepting the switched arrow order - the up and down arrows are reversed from standard DDR, meaning that my well-trained brain who sees steps as pre-defined patterns naturally screws up. I can make the switch for the easier modes, but it's too much pain in Pro mode, which would be the most fun to play. Finally, I just have to say that the whole "creature" thing is a tremendous waste of code for the ugliest, most unnecessary feature ever included in a game. I would be twice as sad if DDR SuperNova wasn't just around the corner - I'll have some "real" fresh dancing soon!
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| So many games | |
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8.22.2006
11:14 PM | Link |
 As usual, I wish I had more time for everything, and one of those things is playing my Nintendo DS! There are lots of cool games that I've got my eye on (many are American releases of Japanese games that I've been waiting for), and I still have plenty I already own that I like to play. I really enjoy games that kind of have an ending to them, not only because it's a great goal that's fun to complete, but also because it seems to give me "permission" to leave that game behind and focus on others! This week I finally finished Pokemon Trozei, which I had been neglecting for a while, but I finally just kept pushing through the hard levels over and over until I did it - I still think it's a fun game. I really want to get involved in Trauma Center and Advance Wars again - I started both of those and then got distracted, so I need to start over. In other DS news, I recently found some incredible Japanese storybook games on sale at Play-Asia! The series is called Kodomo no Tame no Yomi Kikase: Ehon de Asobou, and each cartridge has three stories that I can watch and listen to in Japanese, which is another fun way to study for me. I like the traditional stories, such as Momotaro, since it's fun for me to learn things that every Japanese kid grows up with.Labels: games |
| Big Brain Academy / Nintendo DS : 4 of 5 | |
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7.02.2006
12:38 PM | Link |
 My Nintendo DS game collection keeps growing, because there are always cool games coming out that fit my style. I love puzzle and thinking games, so I had to get Big Brain Academy. You might think that it's similar to Brain Age, but there are really quite different, and each is fun in its own way. Big Brain Academy has 15 kinds of puzzle games (unless there are more I haven't unlocked yet) where you try to solve as many questions as possible in a certain amount of time. Based on how many you solve (and how many you miss), the little professor character gives you the "weight" of your brain. You can also take a combined test that picks five games at random and gives you a combined brain weight and grade. Unfortunately, I can only score a C+ so far, but I've only been playing a little while! The puzzles are grouped into categories (my favorite is Memorize and my least favorite is Compute) and you can practice them as much as you want to try to get different medals (bronze, silver or gold). The graphics are really cute and very colorful, and while the whole game uses the touch screen, there is no handwriting recognition, which is kind of nice. The concept behind each of the puzzles is easy to figure out, but some of them can get tough once you get in the upper levels, especially since the clock is ticking! Big Brain Academy is a fantastic game to play when you have a spare five minutes here and there - it's quick, fun, and it's nice to improve your problem solving skills!Labels: games |
| Daigasso! Band Brothers / Nintendo DS : 5 of 5 | |
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6.29.2006
10:08 PM | Link |
 My DS Lite has really been getting a workout lately, and most of it has been from this incredible Japanese import game! As you know, I'm a huge fan of any music-based game, so I ordered Daigasso! Band Brothers from YesAsia based on solely on great reviews, and they were correct - this is one of the best music games ever. An easy way to describe the game is like DDR for your fingers - as songs play, lines move across the screen that tell you which buttons to press (this DS game rarely uses the touch screen), and as you press these you are actually playing an instrument in the song. For every song in the game, there are tons of parts - everything from keyboard to guitar, and even bass and drums! If you make a mistake, you definitely hear it, since you are really playing the part, which is so cool. It can definitely get challenging, not only rhythmically, but because you are dealing with 10 buttons at a time (four arrows, A/B/X/Y, plus the L and R buttons)! The song list is pretty incredible - it includes some great Jpop like Morning Musume's Renai Revolution 21 and some really clever medleys of classical music, Christmas songs, and some great Nintendo hits! It even has the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon theme! There are challenges you can take to unlock more difficult game levels, and a "bat girl" character to keep the game cute, but the real fun is just enjoying playing the music. I just ordered the expansion pack which has even more songs, so I'm going to be playing this game for a long, long time!Labels: games |
| Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! / Nintendo DS : 5 of 5 | |
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6.17.2006
10:06 PM | Link |
 I'm a total fan of music-based games - not only DDR, but just about anything that's based on rhythm is super fun for me. There was so much buzz about this Japansese game on the web, so I had to order it and check it out, and now it's become one of my favorite games! Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! is definitely unique because of its gameplay and story. Each chapter begins with manga-esque comic panels telling about someone who needs encouragement (a student studying for a test, a secretary trying to impress her boss, and really funny things like a guy stuck on a train who needs to use the bathroom!). When they are at the end of their rope, they scream "Ouendan!" (which basically means "cheering squad"), and three guys burst in and perform a cheering routine! That's where the game comes in - you have to tap on numbered circles and trace along lines to the rhythm of popular J-Pop songs (there's even a classic Morning Musume song level). The tapping and tracing get extremely complex at times - I was stuck on one level for days! Being an import game, all of the comics and things are in Japanese, but you can generally tell what's going on visually (but I love trying to read the text anyway). This game is coming out in the US sometime soon as Elite Beat Agents, but I'm so glad I bought the Japanese version, since the US game will have different characters and songs (but I will probably buy it also!). Combining a music game with Japanese humor and culture definitely makes this game a WEBmikey hit!Labels: games |
| A new DS | |
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6.12.2006
11:38 PM | Link |
 Since I love Nintendo DS games so much, I had to get the new DS Lite immediately! After all, I play at least a little bit everyday, so I might as well have the latest, right? I pre-ordered one as soon as I could, and I got it today, just after the release date, and I'm totally amazed! I already knew it was going to be great after seeing lots of photos and comparison videos, but I'm really impressed by the new screen brightness. Colors look so vivid now that it makes me want to play some older games to see what I missed! The smaller size is really nice, and they way they repositioned things like the power switch and the microphone make so much sense. The white finish is great, too - I like the layer of "gloss" that makes it seem so space-age! (I'm sure Nintendo will release other colors soon, but I probably would have gone with white anyway.) The DS Lite makes gaming even better than before, so now I want to buy more games!Labels: games |
| Pokemon Trozei / Nintendo DS : 3 of 5 | |
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5.17.2006
9:48 PM | Link |
 My favorite kind of game is easy to learn, but stays fun after lots of playing, and Pokemon Trozei definitely has those qualities! I was interested in this game before it came out, but after reading some so-so reviews I held off a while, but I had to use some Best Buy Reward Zone money, so I finally got it. Even though I'm actively playing a couple of other DS games, this one has still been getting a ton of attention (sometimes for up to an hour straight, which leaves me seeing little Pokemon heads whenever I close my eyes)! The puzzle aspect is really simple - you just slide rows of Pokemon to match four faces vertically or horizontally, which "captures" them. After you make a capture with four in a row, you can quickly make one with three in a row, and then two, so you can get multiple captures really quickly. All of this is under a time limit, and you have to worry about the playing field filling up (like Tetris). There's a story mode that provides a Pokemon background to the whole thing, and it's kind of fun infiltrating "storage facilities" to gather the Pokemon that the villains have captured, culminating in really hard boss levels where the bad guys mess with your game while you play! The graphics are pretty cool (I love the little iconic Pokemon faces), and the background music is a really nice techno soundtrack. I'm not too psyched about the cartoon quality of the characters in the story, but they still have a fun Powerpuff Girls look to them. I definitely want to keep playing to work on my list of Pokemon (I have about 30% of the possible ones so far), and I've got to beat all the bosses, too!
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| Brain Age / Nintendo DS : 3 of 5 | |
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5.15.2006
8:45 PM | Link |
 I bought Brain Age soon after it was released, which was an easy decision since it's been a super-popular seller in Japan, and it's priced at only $20! I've been playing it almost everyday since then, and I really like it, but it's not something that I really crave or can't wait to play, like other games I've been obsessed with. The idea is that by working puzzles you can "exercise" your brain just like any other muscle, and each day you can take a serious of three tests which are used to compute the "age" of your brain (with 20 being the best or "youngest" brain). There are lots of interesting puzzles, from rapid-fire math problems to word memory, and of course the infamous Stroop Test, where you are shown the word "Black" written in yellow letters (for example), so you have to say "Yellow" (which can get really difficult at times!). Obviously, the game uses the DS microphone as well as the touch screen for handwriting recognition (but that can be a little rough at times, especially because I have to un-train myself from writing Palm style!). Each day you can practice lots of different mini-games, but I don't really enjoy all of them (Speed Counting is just silly if you ask me). There are also tons of Sudoku puzzles built-in, and I've been playing those like crazy, even though I think the Sudoku game on my Palm is a little better. Overall though, Brain Age is a fun mini-obsession to play with, and I definitely think it's improving my basic math skills! By the way, my brain is only 27 years old, which is a pretty good score for a geezer like me.Labels: games |
| The Rub Rabbits / Nintendo DS : 4 of 5 | |
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4.14.2006
6:35 PM | Link |
 This game is the sequel to the incredible Feel the Magic, which I enjoyed playing so much, and the style of these games is the main reason that I love owning a Nintendo DS! Once again, the plot of this game involves trying to impress a girl to fall in love with you, and so you have to complete tons of mini-games (around 40 this time) to keep the plot moving. The story has a fun twist this time around, since there's another girl after you as well! The graphic design is just as cool and colorful as before, all of the animation is incredible, and the music is nice, too (although one particular song does get really old after a while). The games are all clever, and lots of them involve holding the DS sideways or upside down - there are a few repeats from Feel the Magic (here come the bulls again!), but lots of clever "love" games, too (like wooing the girl with roses, putting together some sea-shell clothes for her on a remote island, and don't forget the massage in the dark). I think all of the charm of the original game is here, but my only complaint is they actually made it a little too easy. The original game made me work for it several times, but there was really only one game that was tough this time around, so I finished it too quickly. There's a fun mini-story that you get to play when you finish (where you get to be the "loser" girl who makes a robot guy to keep her company), so at least that's a nice bonus. It's fun listening to the main title song, too, since it still sings the original Japanese title, which is Where Do Babies Come From? Pretty funny!Labels: games |
| Guitar Hero / PS2 : 5 of 5 | |
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3.02.2006
9:15 PM | Link |
 Most fans of music video games have heard of Guitar Freaks, which is a popular guitar simulation arcade game in Japan (they show a guy playing it in Lost in Translation). RedOctane has transformed this Japanese classic into an affordable US release called Guitar Hero, which has been an instant hit! Recently it was nearly impossible to find the game in stock (I tried to buy it for myself for my birthday, but everyone was sold out), but now it's easier to find, so I bought it. The amazing thing about this game is that it comes with a guitar controller - it's a plastic half-size guitar, complete with strap, that's just big enough to feel like the real thing. There are buttons on the frets, a special "strum button" on the body, and even a whammy bar! The game has tons of classic rock hits (most of these I don't know, but they are all fun to play!), and works like DDR for your fingers - you have to press the correct fret button and strum on the correct beat. As the difficult increases, it's amazing how much it actually feels like you're playing guitar (my pal Ernesto totally felt like he was rocking out when he tried it!). The graphics are amazing - lots of excellent artwork, details like "posters" for your band (which you get to name - mine is Kagaku Ninja), and cool character performances (made by the same folks who did Karaoke Revolution). Plus, your band gets paid, and you can buy new guitars, songs, and so on. Guitar Hero is addictive and fun, and I'm going to go shred some more right now!Labels: games |
| Animal Crossing: Wild World / Nintendo DS : 4 of 5 | |
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2.27.2006
6:53 PM | Link |
 Yes, I've finally joined the countless DS geeks who are obsessed with this crazy game! My pal Barron has been playing it for quite a while, which got me interested, so my pal Melinda gave it to me for my birthday - I've been enjoying my time in this alternative world ever since. If you haven't read about Animal Crossing before, the game is really unique because there's no real object - you are simply living in a little town where all your neighbors are talking animals, and what you do with your time is up to you. It's kind of strange to get used to, because when you start up the game, you have to decide, "What am I going to do?" You can walk around and pick fruit, which you can take to the local store to sell, since you have a mortgage to pay off (of course!). Or, you can walk down to the beach and gather shells or do a little fishing, and if you catch something interesting you can donate it to the museum, where they have an aquarium! You can also donate fossils (which you can dig up) and bugs (which you can catch), and have a quick cup of coffee in the cafe while you're at the museum. And you can definitely stop by your neighbors home for a visit, and even write them letters that you can mail at the post office, and they will write back! The incredible thing is that the game works in real time, so when you play, it knows the time of day and the date (for example, if a character tells you their birthday, you can stop by on that day and go to the party!). I've barely touched the wi-fi features, but it's enough for me to just hang out and live a peaceful little life in my animal town. Isn't it funny that a game can be such a relaxing diversion?Labels: games |
| Mario Kart DS / Nintendo DS : 5 of 5 | |
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1.11.2006
9:36 PM | Link |
 I got this fantastic DS game before Christmas, and I played lots of it in Oklahoma City (before I got my new games for Christmas, of course!). I was a fan of Mario Kart for Nintendo 64, and I also had a GameBoy Advance version, but I think it's the most fun on a DS! The use of dual screens is really cool, with the standard behind-the-driver view on the top screen, and your choice of a moving map or a course overhead map on the bottom screen (which really comes in handy when you can't see through your windshield). I've never been very good at steering with my left hand (I was really bad on my GameBoy), but for some reason I'm pretty good on the DS, and I can still use the other controls, including the top buttons, to handle things like dropping obstacles and the all-important power sliding! There are lots of courses, including exact replicas of the old Nintendo 64 courses, and lots of drivers and vehicles to choose from (I like to play Toad, for some reason). The Nintendo WiFi Connection is truly amazing - it takes no time to get online and suddenly you're racing people you've never met, sometimes from different countries! It's hard to explain, but it just feels more exciting knowing you're racing real people rather than computer characters. This is definitely one of the best games for the DS so far (even though it's not a touch-screen game), and it's great to play in spare moments since it doesn't take long to get in three laps!Labels: games |
| Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney / Nintendo DS : 4 of 5 | |
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1.04.2006
10:05 PM | Link |
 I had to get this game from the moment I heard about it, just because it's another example of the incredibly bizarre and unique games that keep coming out for the Nintendo DS. I seriously doubt there are any other lawyer games on the market! This is basically a role-playing game, similar to Trace Memory in a lot of ways, which means you are guiding your character through a pre-determined story to get to the right outcome. You become Phoenix Wright, a new defense attorney who starts working on murder cases right away! There are only five cases in the game, but each case gets longer and more difficult, so that's plenty - I'm about to finish the third case, and I've been working on it for several hours of gameplay! You guide your character around to interview people and collect clues, and these use these in the courtroom, where you listen to witness testimony and try to expose the lies. It's possible to lose the game, since if you present evidence that doesn't apply to the witness statement, the judge will give you a strike - one too many mistakes and that's the end. The graphics are really cool, with great anime-style characters and awesome backgrounds, too. Speaking of characters, there are tons of them, including your sexy lawyer partner and her cute sister, your evil nemesis lawyer, and lots of supporting characters (I like the gross otaku film director in the case I'm working on). There's lots of reading and facts to remember, but it's all a great puzzle that's really fun to play!Labels: games |
| Metroid Prime Pinball / Nintendo DS : 5 of 5 | |
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12.30.2005
7:13 PM | Link |
 I'm becoming a true Nintendo DS fan, and now there are lots of games that I love to play, and tons that I can't wait to get! This Christmas I got three fantastic DS games, so it's time to start reviewing. You probably already know that I love pinball games - I have just about every kind of pinball game that was made for GameBoy Advance. So, I was super-happy to see the first Nintendo DS pinball game, and it's totally fantastic - I really don't see how it could be any better! I don't know a thing about the Metroid game series, so whatever backstory there is to the game is lost on me, but it doesn't matter a bit. All that matters is this is a kick-ass pinball game, probably a tie with Pokemon Pinball Ruby & Sapphire, my all-time favorite. There are two main tables available, and at least two other mini-tables that you can transport to during the game. The action is really nice, and definitely has a great, realistic feel. There are plenty of ramps and all kinds of bonus modes, but also several kinds of moving monsters that you can battle (kind of like Pinball of the Dead, but much more intelligent). There's even Battle Mode where your ball becomes a laser-firing turret that you can rotate with your flippers to shoot enemies! The graphics (which use both DS screens to make a tall vertical table) are beautiful and the sound is great, complete with a computer voice that announces bonuses and things. I can easily play this game for hours without getting bored!Labels: games |
| Trace Memory / Nintendo DS : 3 of 5 | |
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10.26.2005
5:30 PM | Link |
 I usually don't have the patience for adventure games, because I tend to get stuck on some puzzle which puts an end to my interest (or I end up reading a cheat book!). Trace Memory seemed really intriguing, though, because the images I had seen looked so cool, since all of the characters are drawn anime-style. I had also heard from my pal Barron that the game was easy to navigate, and more like "reading a novel" than puzzling through a difficult game. I ended up buying it a few weeks ago, and recently I finished it! I really enjoyed the experience, and Barron was right - the game definitely directs you, so you can't really go the wrong way. You do have to solve several puzzles, some of which are really interesting, and make great use of the DS touch screen and dual screen features! (Sorry for the spoiler, but I thought it was amazing that you had to "close" the DS to simulate pressing an ink stamp on paper!) The plot is pretty intense, since you play a girl who witnessed her mother's murder at a young age, and during the game you're wandering around Blood Edward Island looking for your father whom you haven't seen in years. There's a parallel plot involving a ghost that you meet and befriend, but I wish the two plots had been more connected. My only real complaint is that the game won't let you pick up any object until you already know what to do with it! Otherwise, this is a fairly simple, yet really enjoyable, mystery adventure, filled with great illustrations and music - it's lots of fun!Labels: games |
| In the Groove / PS2 : 4 of 5 | |
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7.02.2005
4:54 PM | Link |
 All of you know that I'm a DDR junky, since I play nearly everyday. There's nothing better than playing a fresh mix of tunes, since it's so much fun learning new steps and unlocking new songs, so I was really excited when I heard about In the Groove, a DDR "clone" financed by RedOctane (who makes the Afterburner platform that I love so much). On the surface, In the Groove is just like DDR, but essentially is designed by experts with experts in mind. So, there are lots of high-difficulty songs, and new inventions such as mines (steps you have to not make!) and hands (three steps at once, meaning you have to bend down and hit the arrow with your hand!). There are also tons and tons of arrow modifiers, which are all sorts of ways to make the arrows do tricks to confuse the player (such as spinning, accelerating, or waving and drifting around). I've never been a fan of modifiers in DDR, but they actually are pretty fun on In the Groove! The bad news is that this game has some of the slowest load times I've ever seen, and that can be a real pain. The solution is to play Marathon Mode, which includes a large selection of 4-6 song courses with smooth transitions (and also include random arrow modifiers). There are definitely some great songs in the mix, but overall, I think DDR is just more "fun", since it has a sense of humor - In the Groove seems to be a little too stoic, which sounds funny, but it's true. However, that's not going to keep me from playing it, and I hope they come out with more mixes in the future!
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| Taiko Drum Master : 4 of 5 | |
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1.30.2005
1:54 PM | Link |
 This awesome rhythm game from Japan finally made it to the US just before Christmas, so I decided to get it as one of my birthday presents from my parents. I knew this would be a fun game, but I never expected it to be so wonderful, mainly because the graphics and characters are so cute that it's criminal! The first time I started it up and the opening music and animation began, I swear I was laughing out loud for so long I couldn't even play (it's a funny little cartoon that has the characters of the game getting ready for a festival, all set to a funny Japanese song with subtitled lyrics). The game itself is like Dance Dance Revolution with a drum, and the drum controller itself is pretty cool. You have to hit either the head or rim of the drum, with one or two sticks simultaneously, based on icons that move right to left on-screen (while cartoon squid, dogs, and even takoyaki dance around!). The song selection is pretty good, featuring some US pop hits and a few anime themes, plus several classical music tracks, which are actually my favorite (you would be amazed at how fun it is to drum with the march from Carmen!). I've passed every song on the first two difficulty levels, but the next level will be tough. I'm ready for the challenge!Labels: games |
| American Idol / PlayStation 2 : 2 of 5 | |
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8.06.2004
8:26 AM | Link |
 I bought this game on a whim for a few reasons. It was really cheap, it claimed to be playable with a dance mat, and it helped me get free shipping on an Amazon order (I buy lots of stuff for that reason alone!). I've only played through the whole game a few times, and it's kind of fun, but there's one major complaint that gives it a low rating for me. The dance mat works fine, and I can even get used to the unusual way steps are displayed, but what I hate is that "extra" steps are penalized! I couldn't believe it. In Dance Dance Revolution, extra steps don't matter, as long as you hit the right steps. With the American Idol system, you have to stand still when you aren't stepping, which is boring and hard to do on a dance mat. Well, with that aside, there are good points to the game. Of course, you play through the whole show, from auditions to heats to the studio and then to the final. You get to hear all the goofy comments (by CG versions of Simon and the others) and see a few live clips. The music you dance/sing to is really great - they did a good job getting songs everyone knows and likes! The really funny thing is that the "dancing" controls your skill of singing. When you make good steps, the voice is on pitch, but when you mess up, the singing is awful! I spend most of the game cracking up at the bad singing - it's really funny! I'm sure I would play much more often if they got that stepping system right.Labels: games |
| Pinball of the Dead / GameBoy Advance : 4 of 5 | |
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6.09.2004
12:10 PM | Link |
 As I said before, pinball is Mikey's game of choice for GameBoy Advance, so even though I generally don't like gross zombie games, I thought this would be fun for the pinball aspect, and I was right! Using the same characters and style of the House of the Dead arcade games, this weird game puts tiny zombies walking all over the pinball playfield - run them over with the ball, and they go splat with a splotch of green blood! (There's actually a preference setting for the blood color - green is so much less disgusting than red.) Like any good pinball game, there's lots of combinations you have to make to get to special levels, including boss levels where you combat a single demon armed only with your flippers. There are three different table layouts, all of which are pretty interesting and diverse, and some truly bizarre things can happen during play (like a giant decaying head filling half the table until you pop it enough with the ball). The sounds are super weird, too, including all different kinds of zombie death screams. This is a really creative and unique game, and I'm surprised how much I enjoy it - I guess my pinball fever is stronger than my distaste for zombie games!Labels: games |
| Muppet Pinball Mayhem / GameBoy Advance : 3 of 5 | |
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5.30.2004
10:16 AM | Link |
 Since I love playing Pokemon Pinball so much, I've decided that my absolute favorite type of game for the GameBoy Advance SP is pinball simulation! Thankfully, there are several pinball games available, so I bought a few several months ago, and I've been playing them off and on. I think that's why pinball is so great - I can get into a game with very little commitment, so I can play a ball or two in just about any random moment of the day. Anyway, this game has three Muppet-themed tables (plus a fourth that I haven't unlocked yet) - one for Kermit, one for Miss Piggy, and one for Gonzo. The Kermit table is the easiest, but I still have yet to get a score high enough to let me move from one table to the next in the middle of a single game. I think I like the Gonzo table best - the graphics are really cool on that table. The sounds are pretty fun, with a few samples of the Muppet voices, but the background music can get annoying (especially on the Miss Piggy table!). I have to say that the pinball action is a little weird - I don't think the motion of the ball has enough friction, or maybe too little gravity, but it can be unpredictable at times (unlike Pokemon Pinball, which has very lifelike action!). All in all, this is a fun game - I just need more practice!
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| Disney Princess / GameBoy Advance : 3 of 5 | |
