Nintendo DS Review: The World Ends With You

9.0

By Pierst179

For companies like Square-Enix that have a huge group of gaming series that are known worldwide and generate incredible hype among fans whenever a new installment is coming, it is fairly easy to create a new game. All the developing team needs to do is to use most features and characteristics that make those critically acclaimed series so amazing and bring them to a "new" game that will present a new world, a different group of enemies and a nice storyline. The result will obviously be a great package that unfortunately won't contribute neither to the growth of the industry nor to the genre itself.

The true challenge behind the developing process is taking the risk to create something so fresh and authentic that even people who are supporting the project will doubt its success. And when Square-Enix is willing to take such a leap chances are fans all over the world will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the experience. The World Ends With You is exactly that, a game overflowing with a unique vibe that appears on a moment where titles that are way too similar dominate the market.

The game takes place in Shibuya, one of Tokyo's wards, a place filled with many young people where big brands are fashion centers are the most popular subject among the local dwellers. It is in this vivid and vibrating place where we first encounter the main character of the story. Neku Sakuraba is a teenager with the "I don`t care attitude" that has many doubts about the world and people who live around him.

He wakes up in the main area of the district unable to remember anything about his life besides his own name and a couple of minor details. He has no idea how he got there but a few minutes later his whole world will change dramatically once he discovers that he is part of a game controlled by The Reapers – a mysterious organization – where in order to survive the players have to accomplish each one of the missions that are received via a cell phone on a daily basis during an entire week. Failing on a mission will lead to erasure.

In order to survive on this game players need to team up in duos. Neku quickly meets a young girl named Shiki and both of them form a partnership despite the fact that Neku somehow refuses to befriend with anyone. Basically that is all the information you will get in the beginning of the adventure, so questions like: Who are the Reapers? What is this game all about? Who Neku truly is? And what is the backstory of some of the characters? will be constantly hovering over your head as you progress through the game. The storyline therefore is extremely compelling because of the mysteries the game presents to the player as soon as the game kicks off and will be one of the main reasons you won't be able to put the game down.

In order to get through the game Neku and his partner will have to advance through Shibuya to solve the missions. Most of them are pretty straightforward as you will be battling your way to certain locations until you reach a big bad boss but some others require some more investigation and exploration. In certain occasions – those are rare though – you will feel like you are simply moving from one place to another while fighting enemies because the game can get very linear sometimes.

The battle system is one of the highlights of the game. Players who dislike random battles will be glad to know that you will only face enemies in Shibuya when you want to. This is accomplished by using the "player pin" which is displayed on the screen as an icon. By touching it with the stylus Neku will use his senses to scan the area where you are located. When you do so you will be able to read the minds of people who are nearby – except for other players – and also locate the "noise", which are the enemies of the game. Touch the noise icon and battle will ensue.

In batlle Neku will take the botton screen while his partner will fight on the top one, to suceed you will have to control both of the characters. In the beginning you will be fumbling with the controls a little bit since fighting on two screens at the same time can be confusing but after a few missions you will naturally perform movements with both characters. For those who are not able to master the dual battles there is an option that permits the CPU to take control of your partner automatically.

Both of the characters have different battle controls. Neku uses different pins for attacks, each one of them has a different function such as sending bullets towards the noise, generating an earthquake or dragging objects on the screen to attack the enemies. There is an endless variety of moves all of them being activated by different actions with the stylus like tapping the enemies, slashing neku or scrathing the ground. Sometimes the system will not identify those actions properly causing the character to perform the move incorrectly which can become frustrating sometimes.

Another minor flaw is that when you equip two pins that are activated by the same move the game will randomly choose one of them to use first, and you will only be able to use the other attack once the other pin has alread been used to its limit and is recharging its power for another usage.

Meanwhile, the partner faces the same enemies on the top screen by atacking them with moves made by pressing one of the directions of the D-pad. Once you press one of the directions a combinations of arrows will appear on the screen and by following them correctly you will land a combo. By succesfully performing many combos you will activate the fusion move which is a powerful attack performed by the duo that will heavily harm the enemies and recover a little bit of your HP.

Another noteworthy detail during battles is a green light puck that is passed from one character to the other. Whenever you land a combo one character will hand the puck to the other one this will temporally increase the attack of the one that received it, kepp the combo going and the puck will keep being passed and its attack boost will subsequently increase.

The battle system is very solid and it creates some truly memorable battles. It has some minor setbacks that could have been fixed but overall it is very original and most importantly a lot of fun. During the battle your character will receive some EXP points and his level will raise, improving a few stats automatically.

As on most RPGs out there, on The World Ends With You your characters should be well equiped to conquer the challenges but in the modern Shibuya there are not swords or iron ammo. All you are going to find are many stores that sell clothes from certain brands, buying them may make your character stronger.

One of the most interesting aspects of the game is the fact that brand charts rule this place. Most of the pins and all clothes acquired during your adventure belong to a certain brand and if this brand is on the top-3 of the brand chart your stats will gain a very good boost – especially if the brand is on the top of the chart – however, if the brand is the least popular of the area your stats will be halved. So taking a look at the chart is always a good idea if you intend to enter a battle.

The presentation of the game is absolutely astonishing. Everything here transpires originality from the graphics to the stylish menus. The different locations of Shibuya are close to perfect reproductions of the actual place and when playing the game youi can actually feel how alive that corner of Japan is. The character models are very nice and the storyline is shown via text boxes and steady characters with a few impressive cutscenes appearing on some dramatic moments of the plot. You can easily see the producers were very careful when polishing this product to this level.

The only thing I think is missing is a map of the Shibuya. On most missions you have to visit some certain locations but since the world is pretty big sometimes is easy to get lost while looking for your destination, still a map is nowhere to be found and if you don not have a good memory chances are you will eventually go through the wrong path at least once.

The soundtrack is one of the things that makes this game so thrilling, you may not like some of the music genres that the game uses but truth be told you will probably end up enjoying them when you are caught up in a battle or simply because the songs perfectly capture the young and brand-new feel that the game has.

The World Ends With You also has an incredible replay value because during your first playthrough – which must take around ten to fifteen hours - you will find out the solution to all questions I listed in the beginning of this review but your curiosity about some details of the plot and some rather obscure characters will make you replay the game since some pieces of information can only be acquired by playing the game once again. Do not worry though, the first ending explain enough to satisfy all players who do not feel like going through an extra adventure.

In the end, The World Ends With you is as original as an RPG created by Square Enix can be. The game may have its share of problems but none of those will make you forget about how big of an accomplishment this game is truly is, because adventures with such a perfect storytelling and refreshing gameplay do not appear as often as we would all like nowadays.

Feature: Megaman 9: Hit or Miss?

By Pierst179

More than ten years have passed since the last Mega Man game was released. Mega Man 8 came out for both the Playstation and the Sega Saturn and its sequel has finally been announced. One would rapidly assume that the whole Mega Man fan base would be extremely thrilled because Mega Man 9 is currently under production and its launch may be just around the corner. But one quick glance at the recently released screenshots of the game will allow you to notice the aspect of the game that is bothering many fans: the graphics.

I will have to agree that the decision of using 8-bit technology on a game that is going to be released at a time where high definition and games that are so realistic they could as well be considered movies is very strange and daring. And that is one of the main why reasons you need to love what Capcom has decided to do with one of its main franchises. It will make the game stand out among other current platformers, and playing a new 8-bit game on the 21st century is unique experience.

Creating it as an 8-bit platformer was a decision made because Capcom knows that the best games of the Mega Man series were released during the eighties. According to one of the companies executives, when asking fans which one of the Mega Man games were their favorite most of them would say that Mega Man 2 is the absolute masterpiece among so many adventures. Therefore producing a game that would feature simple commands and just a couple of buttons to be used was a non-brainer.

However, some fans think such a simple game would be a step in the wrong direction. After all, instead of exploring new areas the franchise would be returning to the exact same place it had reached twenty years ago. Particularly I think that Mega Man 9 will be a homage to the series itself, a modern game with an old-school look that will make fans feel like they are once again experiencing Mega Man for the first time in their lives.

It will remind us, and show new gamers, that games like Mega Man don't need fancy effects or a deep storyline to be fun and entertaining for long hours. All it needs is some great level design, and a bunch of exciting tunes being played on the background to get players excited about the adventure that is unfolding right in front of their eyes.

At first it looked like the game would be available to all the current gen platforms, but so far Capcom has only confirmed the WiiWare version. According to them the Live Arcade and PSN versions are false. Sadly I don't think this game will remain a Wii exclusive because Capcom is aware that there are fans of the series supporting all the systems of this generation.

Once again Mega Man will have to deal with eight different robot masters. This time around he will have to prove that Dr. Light - who is being accused for all the confusion - is actually innocent. No release date has been confirmed for the US but I believe we will be playing it before the end of the year.

And what about you guys? Are the 8-bit graphics a bad or a good idea?

Feature: E3 2008 [Other Games]

By Pierst179

Nintendo does enjoy messing with their fans. If during the first hours of the day most fans were going through deep disappointment and some of them were angry enough to state that the company had betrayed them in order to seek immense piles of gold that casual fans hold a bright light started shinning on the horizon because Mr. Miyamoto had some pretty interesting things to say about a few games that are supposedly being developed on Nintendo's headquarters.

Matt Casamassina from IGN did a great job by asking the correct questions to the man who directs Nintendo's most important projects, and as a reward he had some good revelations to show the fans. Miyamoto hinted that new Zelda games are being produced both for the Nintendo DS and for the Nintendo Wii since he said the two Zelda teams were working really hard and exchanging some nice and new ideas between them since members from the teams keep moving from one game to another.

When asked about a new Kid Icarus game he said he was not the producer of any Kid Icarus games and therefore wouldn't be able to comment on that. It sure isn't a confirmation, but it implies that there is someone within Nintendo that is indeed the producer of a Kid Icarus game. Later on the same interview Matt told him he really wanted to see a new Super Mario Galaxy game, to that Miyamoto replied "Leave it to me" which must rank among E3's coolest moments.

As I have already said more than a thousand times I know many people will say that Nintendo is being lazy when and if they indeed announce a direct sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. But the truth is the only way we will get a new Mario platform this generation if it is called "Super Mario Galaxy 2" simply because I don't think Nintendo would have time to develop a whole new concept for yet another Mario game before this generation ends, as we know the Mario Galaxy gameplay was being tested since the Nintendo 64 days.

He also said they were thinking about what to do with the Pikmin series which is no big surprise since he stated the same thing a few months ago which leads me to think that the game is either not being developed yet, or it is initiating the development process.

Other interesting games that were being shown for the Nintendo Wii:

The Conduit - This is supposed to be the ultimate FPS game on the system and according to many impressions around the internet - a few framework problems aside - the game is close to perfect. The controls are great and I don't even need to say anything about the graphics since we all know this is bound to be the best looking title for the system so far. I'm looking forward to the online multiplayer which will feature 16 players and support Wii Speak.

Call of Duty 5: World at War - I just watched a video of the game and it looks very nice. I guess Nintendo Wii owners will get two pretty good shooters in a not so distant future.

Spore Creatures DS - It is going to be awesome but where is the Wii version anyway? I'm starting to get worried because I was sure EA was going to unveil it on E3 but they just showed us a DS version of the game. I would love to see this game heading to the Wii.

GTA Chinatown Wars - My expectations for this game are pretty high, I wonder if it is going to be a 3-D or 2-D game. Based on the website of the game I know it is going to use the Wi-Fi connection and I'm curious to know how they are going to use it. GTA games have always been great and this one will sure keep the same quality the series is known for.

Dead Rising - I'm surprised to see some people calling this one a port. It is a XBOX 360 title so I don't feel as if Capcom is trying to get some easy money from Wii fans. The game looks perfect for the Wiimote and I think that was one of the main factors that contributed for the development of a Wii version. From what I read the 360 game had some flaws let's hope they are fixed on this version.

Sim City Creator - I have always loved Sim City games and I think this version won't change that. The game seems to use the Wiimote in many different ways. My only concern is if the game will be simpler than other Sim City installments since games of the series have always been quite deep and challenging, and that's what I want to see on the Wii version.

Wario Land Shake It! - I have watched so many trailers of this game today and I think it is my most anticipated game right now. I'm just worried about how long it will be. Other than that the animations are gorgeous and so are the scenarios. The game seems to present a huge array of abilities to be performed by using all the Wiimote has to offer.

I hope I didn't forget to mention any games.

Wii Review: Zack and Wiki

Review by: Pierst179

The Nintendo Wii, throughout its life span, has seen lots of bad games, some companies are just too lazy to sit down and think about designing something new, something gamers have never played before. Fortunately, for us gamers, there a few companies that actually care and Capcom is one of them.

There is no way to describe Zack and Wiki in a few words, since it doesn't belong to any of the existing genres. One could say that it is a puzzle game, but those are usually too simple and don't have any kind of storyline and a main goal to be achieved. So, you can assume it is an adventure game or a platformer, but once again you would be totally wrong, because it is actually much more deep and puzzling as most games of these genres.



So, how can we describe Zack and Wiki? Particularly, I would say that it is a game on which you have to control Zack, a rookie pirate, and its mechanical golden monkey, Wiki, on an adventure filled with astounding puzzle, marvelous scenarios and a couple of interesting battles.

The storyline, not compelling by any means, takes us into a pirate world where there is a legend of a treasure. But this is not an average treasure, it is actually the loot of the most legendary pirate ever, Barbaros.

During your quest you will come across more than twenty stages. Each stage is a huge puzzle itself, and it is composed by lots of smaller puzzles, each one of them can be solved by using more than fifty cool items that will use most of the Wiimote's capabilities. It sounds complicated, but it isn't. The game concept is brilliant, you can looks everywhere you want to, but I assure you will never a game that can be compared to Zack and Wiki.

The puzzles are amazing and extremely creative. On games like Zelda for example, you already know what kinds of challenges you will find, there will always be a room on which you will have to light all the torches, a mirror room and a puzzle on which you need to throw your boomerang at a few targets in a certain order.

But Zack and Wiki's puzzles are unpredictable, some of them can be solved in two or more different ways. I could list at least thirty of them here, but it would completely spoil the game for you. So I'll just say that, you can't even imagine what kinds of challenges are waiting for you.

The gameplay is nearly perfect. The point-and-click controls work fine, but sadly there a few times when you will point desperately at a certain spot and Zack will just refuse to walk there, so you will have to pick another place on the stage for him to go if you want him to move. All the items work perfectly and the controls are extremely responsive, throughout the game I haven't encountered any problems when using them.



The graphics are flawless. If you were astonished by the Wind Waker's cell-shaded look then you had better be prepared for Zack and Wiki blows it away. There some really cool light effects and all characters are very well designed. The art concept is impressive and the textures look really good. But there is a minor shortcoming. On some stages, especially those where there are either lots of enemies wandering around or a huge boss performing massive attacks, the frame-rate drops from time to time.
The cutscenes are all very cool, and the cartoony look of the game makes some of them quite funny.

The sound effects are really nice, and there are lots of them since you will be using a bundle of different items. There aren't any catchy tunes, but all of the games' songs perfectly match the mood of the environment. There is no voice work, but since the game isn't driven by its plot than it is not such a big problem. The characters actually call each other by their names, but that's it.

Zack and Wiki is basically composed of lots of puzzles, and was we know puzzle games don't have such a big replay value because once you have solved them there is nothing else to do, and the second playthrough is usually very uninteresting. But we are talking about an awesome game and Zack and Wiki does a perfect job on this area.

First of all, when completing each stage you are given a score based on what you did and how quickly you figure out how to use a certain item and how you solved the puzzle, so there is always something to improve. Besides, there some stages that can be completed in two or more ways, so figuring out all of those paths can keep you going for some time after you have finished it.



You can't let this game's appearance deceive you. If you think all puzzles here are a piece of cake you will be really surprised when you play it. The games kicks off pretty easy but as you advance the difficulty sky-rockets. As you approach the ending there are some stages that will require your full dedication. It took me around five hours to figure out what to do on one of the late stages.

Be aware that while this level of difficulty may be good for some, it can also be frustrating to a more impatient gamer, because Zack and Wiki is full of traps, on certain stages you may have to start all over again because you did something wrong, or because you were killed by an enemy. So you will have to go back to restart the level and carefully retrace your steps so that you figure out what you did wrong.

For those who are not so patient there are two items that may help you, one allows you to restart the level from the part where you screwed up and there is another item that gives you some advice as to what to do next. But those items are kind of expensive so you had better keep your wallet filled with gold.

In a nutshell, Zack and Wiki is simply amazing, it is one of the few Wii games that presents so many novelties. On a system that has seem lots of ports and games that are gimmicky Zack and Wiki is a must buy. All I have to say is congratulations Capcom and keep those coming, because the Wii needs more games like this one.

Wii Review: Trauma Center: New Blood

Review by: Pierst179

Trauma Center is indeed one innovative franchise. Who would have imagined twenty years ago that we would currently be playing a game that simulates surgeries? Most people would think, and with some reason, that such a formula would never work because it has a need for extremely responsive and precise controls, and even short five years ago, having such controls seemed unlikely.

But Nintendo is an innovative company itself, and the creation of the Nintendo DS gave developers a massive amount of opportunities to build new games that wouldn't be so fun if they were played using a regular control scheme, and Trauma Center was one of the best games created because of this gameplay revolution.



The series was born on the Nintendo DS and it made full use of the Stylus during a huge variety of surgeries, when the Wii was announced it was obvious that a sequel for the DS titles would be only a matter of time, and as soon as Nintendo's new system was out so was the sequel, Second Opinion.

If you are not familiar with the gameplay then allow me to explain it to you. In Trauma Center you will control a doctor that constantly has to perform surgeries, during them you will have to use a set of tools to save your patient from an impending death. As I have previously mentioned, having a responsive control scheme is necessary on a game like this and Trauma Center New Blood is a complete success regarding this specific area.

There are six different tools to use during the surgery, each one corresponds to a certain direction of the analog stick, to use them all you have to do is to push the stick into the desired direction and use the tool by pressing the A-Button. This quick access may seem a tad complicated once you start the game, but when you get to more critical missions you will be thanking the producers for allowing you to continue the procedure while switching from one object to another.

Speaking of critical missions, the game's difficulty can be set by the player before all the missions – the only exceptions being the Challenge Missions where you can't change the difficulty – so anybody must be able to enjoy the game. If you are too lazy and just want to finish the game just play it on the easiest difficulty and cruise through most missions, if you are the kind of player who has been looking for a real challenge and thinks that games are getting way too easy then the Extreme Mode will probably change your mind.

The missions are increasingly difficult which helps the learning curve and more unskilled players. By the end of each mission you will be awarded a number of points based on your actions during the full procedure and also a rank that varies from C to S. The scores can be sent to Nintendo via Wi-Fi, so that if you are a competitive player you will always have a good reason to come back and play some more.



New Blood doesn't bring too many novelties when compared to its predecessor, it is basically the same game but with a bunch of new missions to be completed. This time around the characters start their careers on a small hospital located somewhere in Alaska, but as the storyline unfolds you will end up having to save the world from a dreadful disease called Stigma. The story involves so much drama, that you will feel like you are watching a medical series on TV.

This feeling is also perfectly captured by the game's soundtrack. During bad moments of the procedure, such as when an unexpected illness is discovered during what seemed to be like a routine surgery the music automatically changes, setting a mood of urgency, it is up to you – as a doctor – to stay calm and keep focused on your ultimate goal.

Before each surgery you will have to watch scenes where the characters talk to each other and deal with their daily problems, although these scenes are interesting their presentation is lacking. All you will see are motionless character models appearing on the screen and saying something in front of a scenario that is also still. Despite the nice voice acting I can't help thinking how it would be better had they produced some actual cutscenes.

Maybe the developers wouldn't be able to put so much talking into one DVD had they made the cutscenes given the huge quantity of dialogues, but since the story isn't the main factor of the game most people won't feel too bothered by it. In fact, for some people this presentation may give the game a unique feel.

One of the best aspects of this game is that, despite the looming threat of this extremely harmful and crazy disease, you will also be performing a lot of surgeries on which you will have to deal with tumors, massive internal bleedings, organs transplants and other procedures that often happen in real life, but according to the producers despite the real diseases, the procedures that are present in the game are not based on the actual procedure used by a true doctor, however the game doesn't lose its charm.

The graphics aren't very detailed because there isn't actually much to be shown. Since all you will be performing throughout the game are surgeries, all you will see is the patient's body that obviously has a cartoony look since there aren't many people who would buy a surgery game that has realistic graphics. The colors are well used and the organs can be quickly identified by most gamers.



The game also features a very nice Cooperative mode where you and a friend will be performing a surgery at the same time. During some surgeries you will clearly notice that the producers tried to make the Cooperative mode as enjoyable as possible, because from time to time you will come across a mission where you will need to perform two actions simultaneously, and with the assistance of a good friend they will seem less impossible. The Cooperative Mode is very nice especially when it is played on the harder difficulties, for some missions are way too easy when they are done by tow surgeons.

Finally, Trauma Center New Blood is not a franchise-changing game, it is pretty much the same as its predecessors. However, if you are a big fan of the series or if you have never played any of the previous titles it is definitely a must-have game. The most alluring factor is that, differently from a ton of other Wii games, Trauma Center is designed specifically for the system, it is one of the few true creative titles produced by third-parties, without a Wiimote and a Nunchuck, this game would be a major flop.

Wii Review: Mario Party 8

Review by: Pierst179

Mario Party has been one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises since its first version was released in 1999. The game was such an amazing and surprising success that Nintendo started creating new versions annually and although many of those versions didn’t see any positive feedback from the gaming press it was still very a popular game.

So 8 years and 3 different systems after the launch of the first instalment of the series, here we are, Mario Party 8 features all the main characteristics that made the series a big success and it doesn’t actually bring many novelties.

Mario Party 8 starts in pretty much the same way all its 7 predecessors did, Mario and his friends aren’t doing anything special but they wind up in a huge competition which involves winning boards to become the superstar. If you are not familiar with the series, do not worry the storyline isn’t important at all, the major point of Mario Party is to have lots of fun.

The game is divided in 3 distinct game modes, the Single-Player, which as most people know is not the biggest prowess of the series, the Battle Royal mode and the Mini-Game mode.

The Battle Royal Mode is where all the fun is. You and 3 other friends or CPUs will battle on a board on which your goal is to acquire lots of stars, to get those stars you will need coins that you will gain on Mini-Games that happen after each player has hit the dice and walked some spaces.

The boards, by the way, look really good, now you will be able to notice some nice details because the camera is zoomed into the action, so you will watch what your characters do much closer.

During the boards you can buy different items that will help on your way to the stars, they can either get you coins, steal something from your enemies or make you hit two dice so you can reach the star as fast as you can. The items add lots of strategy to the game as you will always be able to think your way out of a bad situation or trying to get to the star by using different methods, it is all up to you.

The Mini-Game mode is where you can play only the mini-games which have always been the best part of the series, without walking on any boards. I must say I was a little disappointed at some mini-games, while half of them made an excellent use of the Wiimote others used the D-pad to control your characters, I think Nintendo could have created some mini-games that would use the Wiimote with more creativity, such as the mini-games from Wario Ware. The only reason you are playing the Single-Player is that you will have to complete the six challenges in order to unlock some nice stuff such as characters and a new board. On the single-player you will face different challenges that take place on 6 different boards against a character. The goals may seem different but you will end up having to catch a star or two on every single challenge.

Unlockables aside, there isn’t much to do in this mode, since you will exclusively rely on the number you will get on the dice because differently from the Battle Royal mode, there aren’t any mini-games when the turn finishes, so to get coins you will have to be really lucky. The single-player can be often very frustrating because of that, as sometimes you will have to play through a challenge more than 5 times because somehow the CPU managed to defeat you.

The graphics are nice, they may seem similar to the ones from the GC version, but if look carefully you will notice that they have been slightly improved, there are some nice effects, the characters are really smooth and the boards look really cool with some great textures.

The sound isn't remarkable, yet it works fine for a game like Mario Party that while playing with your friends you won't be able to care about the songs as everybody will be screaming and laughing about what's happening on the TV.

Mario Party 8 doesn't bring anything new to the series, but it is another solid Mario Party game that when played with friends will last for long hours, days, months and even an year, until the next version comes out. The gameplay could have been better as some mini-games don't use the Wiimote as smartly as they could.

If you are not a fan of the series and has already played many versions of the game then stay away, you will probably not be satisfied and will start complaining about how the game should have improved, but if you are looking for a nice multiplayer experience and doens't own any of the previous version then you definitely need to buy this game.

SNES Review: EarthBound

Review by: Pierst179
Edited by: Pikaboo

Earthbound is an RPG where you take control of a normal boy that suddenly becomes a hero, the chosen one. It all happens when a meteor crashes into the peaceful town of Onett in the middle of a scary night and he decides to explore. And is here in the beginning of the game that you start to realize that you are not playing an average RPG.

As you advance to check out what has happened, with one of your friends, the music gets creeper, when you get to the top of the mountain a strange bee comes out of it, and tells you that in the future, 10 years later, Earth had been transformed and dominated by aliens and that he is not a bee he is actually human!!



An intelligent storyline that keeps EarthBound away from any game. The battle system is turn-based, and while battles happen you will get strange information about what your friends are doing and how they are reacting to the battle, which is really funny as they can cry or pass out. The battles, as expected from a turn based RPG, can be really slow paced because everything you do the information appears written on the screen, so it takes quite a while for a single turn to end, but if you are fed up with the slow pace you can press AutoFight and battle will just happen. The most interesting and innovative aspect of the battles is that your HP or Health doesn't just go down automatically. It uses a "rolling counter", a feature where your HP rolls down however you can still continue your turn while it is rolling down. Because of this, if you're fast enough you can heal before your HP hits zero, thus saving your life. However, because of this, this makes the game much easier, a double-edged sword. During the battles you will be able to equip lots of different items and use many Psychic powers.

But the game isn't all about battles, there is also lots of exploration on Eagle Land, you will need to communicate a lot to discover what to do next or where is the problem. While speaking to the characters, which are magnificent and full of personality, you will see some lines that are just the funniest things ever.



Graphically the game is just great, there are many different scenarios to go through, and you will always be amazed by the huge and colorful view, it doesn't matter where you are. The best thing about the visuals is that it gives the game its own style.

Sound is just great, all songs are awesome and could easily make it to the top of any hit parade. During battles an alien-like song will be played, and the game is filled with electronic sounds that give you the feel that we are being struck by aliens.

Replay value is something that this game would have a lot if it wasn't for its long battles, when you finish it you will think about doing it again, but I believe you are going to be a little bored just to think of defeating all those bad guys again.

Earthbound is one of the best RPGs ever, its humor, its creepiness, everything is just awesome, and while some SNES game struggle to keep in shape and up to date EarthBound manages to still be looking good after such a long time. A timeless game.

Nintendo DS Review: Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Review by: Pierst179

Every once in a while a game that creates no hype appears and turns out to be one of the most likable gaming experiences you could have ever imagined. What's really rewarding in playing games like that is that you can clearly see that despite the whooping amount of shooters that dominate the industry nowadays there are still some developers bold enough to try to produce titles that explore unknown realms, with no assurance that their product will succeed and be accepted by the gaming community. It is a huge leap to be taken, but if performed correctly you can instantly gain lots of fans.

And that's what happens with Professor Layton and The Curious Village is. While it may seems like a polished Brain Age – a puzzle game with a better presentation and characters – once you try it for the first time you will notice that it goes beyond the puzzle genre, sucking you into one of the most well-written adventures that videogames have ever seen.



On this adventure your hero doesn't showcase any clear superpowers, all he has is his endless curiosity, his willingness to help people and his uncanny ability to solve puzzles that are constantly thrown at him. Because of those famous abilities, Professor Layton ends up invited by a wealthy family to visit a strange village. What looked like a simple trip to find the treasure that was hidden by a rick baron will quickly become a mysterious journey filled with surprises and quirky villagers that for some reason will give you a puzzle to solve whenever you want to get some information.

The exploration is quite simple. The scenario will appear on your DS screen and by touching it you will interact with objects and people from the village. If you want to move to another location all you need to do is press the "shoe" icon on the bottom of the screen and pick the direction that you want to move.

When it comes to games like Professor Layton – where the most fun part lies on solving the puzzles and where there is lots of exploration to be done by talking to people and gathering information – developers need to be extremely careful not to bore gamers. On some games the huge amount of text eventually turns out to be boring since the player will only want to enjoy the game, not read a bunch of nonsense.

Professor Layton could have easily gone towards this path, but the storyline is so deep and entertaining that you will be compelled to talk to every character in the village and read carefully what they have to say to you. Reading the text won't be simply a compliment or an addition to solving the puzzles, it will be an important part of the experience, you will deeply enjoy it.

The puzzles are brilliantly crafted and well-thought. There are 120 of them hidden in the village and another 15 that are unlocked once you perform certain actions. Some of them are already famous, but it doesn't mean that you will cruise through the game. Every single one of the puzzles is very entertaining and while some are easy, once you approach the end of the game you should be mentally prepared to be stuck for almost thirty minutes, trying to figure some of them out. If you think that 135 puzzles are already enough to make you happy, then you should know that Nintendo is releasing a new puzzle per week that can be downloaded using your Wi-Fi connection.



The presentation of the game is absolutely spectacular. There are over ten cutscenes throughout the adventure and you will be impressed with what the Nintendo DS can do, you will feel like you are watching a cartoon. Due to its graphics and unique style the game has a European feeling that is quite charming and different from anything you may have seem before.

Perhaps, another factor that adds to the European feel is that all of the characters have a British accent – yeah, you heard it, this game has voice acting and it is awesome, as the actor's voices perfectly fit the characters. It is really nice to see how much the developers cared about the whole presentation of this title.

However, the voice acting doesn't prevent the game's sound from being annoying. The songs that are played during the adventure and the puzzles are overly repetitive and boring, once you reach the halfway mark of the adventure you will probably feel like turning the volume down to avoid getting crazy. But there are some nice exceptions such as the songs that play during more tense parts of the storyline or when something mysterious is about to happen.

Depending on how good you are with puzzles this game may last between 10 and fifteen hours which is quite a good length for a Nintendo DS game. The replay value may not be too high since we are talking about game based on puzzles, but the 135 riddles plus the ones available for download are sure to keep you busy even after you are finished with the game.

Overall, Professor Layton is one of those games that is hard to put down, you won't be able to stop playing it until you have discovered all the mysteries hidden within this peculiar village, get ready for some serious surprises along the way. It is a must-buy for everyone who has a Nintendo DS and is into some puzzle solving.

Nintendo DS Review: New Super Mario Bros.

Review by: Pierst179

Nearly twenty years have passed since Nintendo released the last of the three Super Mario Bros games, and during this long span the gaming world has went through some big changes therefore it is inevitable that once you start planning to bring an old series back to life you will need to adapt this game to the current requirements of the market. That can be considered a risky move, but when it comes to the most successful gaming series ever – that is loved by both old-school and new gamers – the chances of failure are close to null.

And that's what happened with New Super Mario Bros. Mario's newest DS adventure brings the timeless side-scrolling formula to the 21st century with success. On the surface the game may look simply like a graphically updated version of the NES titles, but deep down there have been some big changes and additions while keeping the nostalgic feeling and simple formula intact.

Once you turn on your Nintendo DS you will clearly notice that Nintendo has opted to keep everything as simple as possible. While the DS hardware would allow them to create a long boring opening cutscene they decided to give you the minimum of information possible, all you will see is Baby Bowser appearing and running away with Princess Peach, that's all you need to know in order to go through eight worlds and tons of stages avoiding endless pits, squashing Goombas and killing Koopas.

The gameplay is as straightforward as possible. Take control of Mario and jump around stages to reach the goal and advance to the next one. Get to the world's castle, defeat a boss, and chase Bower Jr. into the next world. But it is noteworthy that some small surprises have been added.



Now on each stage you will find three hidden Star Coins that can be used to open locked paths. These paths can either take you to another stage, to a Toad House – where you can get some power-ups. So if you don't want to miss a single secret of the title you had better be ready to look for those coins, but if you don't care about secrets and just want to have some fun then you can just ignore them. Some stages also present a feature that made many gamers lose many nights of sleep during the SNES era. The secret exits are back and they are once again necessary if you are looking for full completion. Clearly the replay value has increased a lot due to those additions.

The graphics are really good. The character models are on 3-D and since this is basically a side-scrolling title it gives the game a unique look. The scenarios gained more colors and life due to this upgrade, but it may be disappointing to some players to know that most worlds and their themes are mere copies of Super Mario Bros 3's worlds, for example: there is the Desert world and the feared Water World. But don't worry there a few ones that have original themes. The soundtrack is composed of remixed old songs and new pieces.

Although it is a great Nintendo DS game, New Super Mario Bros also has some minor flaws that will be noticed by more experienced gamers. Some stages are way too short when compared to the current standard, they would probably be quite good if the game was released over ten years ago, but nowadays they are not lengthy enough.

Speaking of length, New Super Mario Bros is indeed a short title. The problem here is that difficulty used to be what made old games long, and while this game kept the same gameplay as its predecessors, the challenge level has not been maintained, therefore you will cruise through the game in less than six hours, especially because you won't need to cross all of the eight worlds in order to beat the game – two of the worlds are secret. This has probably been done to please Nintendo's growing casual audience. However, as I mentioned before, the replay value has been increased, so once you finish you will feel compelled to go through this amazing adventure once again.



Overall, New Super Mario Bros is a great game for both old gamers that miss the side-scrolling Mario adventures and new gamers that would like to know the origins of the world's most famous mustachioed hero. But keep in mind that the former group may feel that difficulty is lacking in this title.

NES Review: The Legend of Zelda

Review by: Pierst179

The Legend of Zelda is one of the most revolutionary game ever. It was released at a time where most games where short, linear and had a simple goal, but as they did with Super Mario Bros in 1985, Nintendo decided to take a risk and when The Legend of Zelda arrived at the stores a new genre of games had been created.

By the time you start playing this game you will be overwhelmed by the huge overworld you will have to explore. It is something you will not find in any games of the NES era, you will just go exploring, you can head to wherever you want.

This game is also the first one to give players the chance to save their progress in order to keep playing it at another time, this is a proof of how lengthy is this game’s adventure.

The storyline is simple yet compelling, the evil Ganon was chasing Princess Zelda trhough all Hyrule in order to get her part of the Triforce, fearing that the king of evil would succeed our Princess decided to shatter her piece of the Triforce and hide it in dungeons spread through the overworld, so it is your duty as a hero to explore and find all pieces to save the kingdom from Ganon's evil hands.

You will play as Link and as you advance through the vast land of Hyrule you will find some pretty familiar items such as bombs and the boomerang. During your adventure you will find many enemies, fighting them is really nice and all the controls are responsive and simple. Hyrule has many hidden caves and shortcuts, finding them is another amazing challenge that gamers will encounter in the first installment of the series. If you are a Zelda fan you are probably now wondering how many dungeons there are on this game. There are eight of them, it is fun to go through them and see where everything started, how were the puzzles made 20 years ago, actually some of them may seem really stupid if you compare them to Twilight Princess’s ones, but in 1987 those dungeons were challenging and compelling.

The best thing when it comes to these dungeons is that you can enter them in any order you would like to, of course finding the first one is much easier than the others, but if by any chance you encounter the third one first you can go in without worrying, you will eventually have some problems with the enemies as they will probably be much stronger than Link but as every Zelda fan likes a good challenge such as finishing a game with three heart containers, this option to explore the dungeons out of order sounds attractive.

The sound is amazing, although the quality of the NES sound isn’t great when compared to nowadays’ standards, most of the songs are really addictive and you will catch yourself humming them while walking on the street or taking a shower. Another fact that shows how perfect is this soundtrack is that up to now most of these songs can be heard at any Zelda game the only difference is that those songs are usually remixed versions.

The graphics are nice. However they are not the best in the system, I believe that this game world is so big that Nintendo couldn’t do much more for the graphics, but they are amazing anyway, some enemies could have been better designed and some textures could be more detailed, for example, the only thing that changes when you go from a forest to a mountain is the color the scenario has, although it sounds nice for that time this game's graphics just feel outdated when compare to the ones in Super Mario Bros 3, a game that was released only 2 years after this one.

In a nutshell, The Legend of Zelda is indeed a revolutionary game that set the bar for any game that would follow in its footsteps, it changed the game world in many different ways and it was the first installment of one of the best series ever created. With a huge overworld and many hours of challenge, thrill and exploration you will be amazed by everything Nintendo managed to do such a long time ago, and believe me this game isn’t getting any old, it will still be a classic when our children start playing videogames.

Wii Review: Okami

Review by: Pierst179

The gaming world is not a fair place at all. While uninspired titles with shallow gameplay that were initially developed to get some easy money from a few casual gamers bask on the spotlight of success, some games that can be best described as epic masterpieces struggle to sell a few copies due to bad timing and poor advertisement. Unfortunately, Okami belongs in the last category.

The game was produced for the Playstation 2 and won awards all over the media. Sadly a new generation of games had already hit store shelves and most gamers seemed too caught up in excitement to pay attention to a new game that featured a wolf as its starring character, had cell-shaded graphics and had a storyline based on Japanese folklore.

Developers usually joke that "Games with a cartoonish look are produced to die" and that applies to this game. As the title sold poorly the talented group of professionals responsible for this modern masterpiece had to close their company - Clover Studio - and look for new projects. Meanwhile, Okami seemed destined to fade and eventually disappear as time passed. However Capcom still believed in the potential of the title and wanted to give it another chance to shine, and so Okami Wii was born.



The game starts at a small village located in the outskirts of Nippon - a huge continent where the game takes place. With a flash back you are transported 100 years to the past where history is about to happen. Yearly an eight-headed serpent, called Orochi, that lurks in the Moon Cave sends a silver arrow directly towards the village, the arrow is aimed at a maiden's house. The maiden then needs to be sacrificed and offered to Orochi.

However, on that year 100 years in the past that silver arrow hit the house of a maiden that was deeply loved by the village's warrior. In order to save his damsel from such a terrible fate the warrior heads to the cave with a white wolf. Inside the beast's lair they fight an epic battle and manage to seal the serpent with a sword. The legend of the warrior and the brave wolf is still told over and over again in Kamiki Village. Unfortunately, the seal has broken and Orochi dangerously waits for the time where he will once again fire his silver arrow.

The storyline is one of the main factors that contributes to the amazing experience you will have with this game. As impossible as it seems, the plot is very well developed throughout the adventure and your journey will gain urgency as you approach the end of this long adventure.

Characters contribute a lot to such a solid plot development. Okami is overflowing with charming characters with different personalities, and during your adventure you will notice how they change their behavior based on a few facts that may have happened on their lives. It is simply amazing how the producers were careful with every single one of the people you encounter.

The highlight of the game goes to Issun which is a small mysterious being that will be your partner throughout the game. He will tell you what to do, and will always talk with other characters in the game since you will be controlling a wolf. He is responsible for some of the funniest moments in gaming history as he hits on beautiful ladies by commenting on a few features of their bodies in a naughty manner, or as he loses his mind and gets mad at a certain situation or a at some characters.



On the game you take control of a wolf that is actually the sun Goddess, Amaterasu. The game plays on a similar way to The Legend of Zelda as you will be constantly exploring vast areas or trying to figure out creative puzzles that are hidden inside dark dungeons filled with enemies. What really makes those two games different is that Okami focus more on the exploration than in dungeon exploring. What makes Okami such a special game is the fact that you can draw different things on the screen as if it were a canvas.

During the gameplay when you press the B-button the action will stop and your Wiimote will become a huge pencil. By using it you can draw lines, circles or other objects that will be interpreted by the game's engine and translate into moves that are magically performed by the starring character. On the adventure you will learn a vast array of techniques such as restoring missing objects, laying bombs, cutting enemies as if you were using a sword or using elements like fire and water to your advantage. With the Wii's motion controls those actions become very intuitive and quick, therefore the game won't lose its flow simply because you had to slay an enemy or make a tree bloom.

The battles are one of the most unique aspects of the game. While on most adventure titles you would find your enemies wandering around freely in this game they will appear on the field as some cursed signs, if you would rather keep on going on your adventure you can simply avoid them but if you feel like engaging in a frantic battle to earn some money you can walk directly into those signs and you will be transported to a restricted battlefield as it would happen on an RPG.

Inside a circle of fire you will battle a large group of enemies using your techniques of beating them up by shaking the Wiimote. Unfortunately your movements will occasionally not be correctly interpreted by the game and you may end up taking some damage or missing an attacking opportunity because of that. But it doesn't affect the gameplay deeply because battles are not the main part of the game. Once you beat all the enemies you will get an amount of money based on the time it took you to finish them all and the damage you received. Afterwards the fire barriers circling the place will disappear and you will move on with your adventure.



The boss battles are simply amazing and they will make a great use of all the techniques you learn. There isn't an impressive amount of bosses since there aren't many dungeons in the game, but all of them are very creative and unique. The game also has a bunch of lengthy side-quests that will keep you entertained for a long while. The prize on most of those quests is called "praise" which ca be compared to the exp points you will find on most RPGs. By using praise you can increase your life bar, or your ink that will allow you to use more techniques within a certain period of time.

There are not many differences between the two versions of the game. Obviously the Wii version makes good use of the motion capabilities that the system posses, but apart from that you can't really tell one version from another. Graphically they are similar - although the Wii version is slightly better. If you are worried about purchasing a two-year old game, fearful that it may look outdated you should erase all those thoughts from your mind because Okami looks as colorful and vivid as ever.

One of the biggest advantages cell-shaded titles have over games that attempt for a realistic look is that the former group - when it is well executed - will never look old or unpolished. A good example of this timeless effect is The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, a game that was released five years ago and it can still be considered one of the best looking titles available on the market. If you were stunned by The Wind Waker's visuals you must be prepared for the things you are going to find here in Okami. The continent of Nippon spreads through a vast area with very different landscapes. Forests, rivers, valleys, mountains, temples and beaches are some of the outstanding scenarios you will find in this game.

One of the biggest prowesses of the title is that the game flows naturally and you will actually feel like you are in an old museum looking at an ancient Japanese painting when all of a sudden the animals and trees on the background start moving and gain life. During your play through you will naturally stop at certain locations simply to admire the way things were drawn and how attentive with the details the art designers were.



During some moments on the game you will restore huge portions of the map that had been previously cursed by the villains. As you make things bloom with your special powers you will watch a dark and sinister landscape become a green field with singing birds and with a beautiful sun shinning upon the land. While this may sound like a simple cutscene, I can tell you that there aren't many games that fill you wit such a rewarding feeling as Okami does when you restore life to vast area, feed animals or make a tree bloom with its full splendor.

Overall Okami is one of the best titles available on the Wii despite the fact that it is a two-year old title. The game is still as strong and fresh as possible and it will please Zelda fans and gamers that have been waiting for a new series to appear for a while. It is a beautiful game, both visually and conceptually. Ultimately it is a story about faith and belief, and one of the most rewarding games that has ever been created.

SNES Review: Super Metroid

Review by: Pierst179

Super Metroid was released when the SNES was already fading, and most people were already wondering how would the next-gen consoles and their 3-D graphics look like, still it turned to be one of the most remarkable games ever, how did the game managed to do that? Read below.

Samus' SNES adventure picks up exactly where Metroid II left of, after defeating all Metroids that lived in SR-388, a baby Metroid followed her, instead of terminating him and consequently all Metroids forever, she decided to take him to a Galactic Federation lab so that scientists could do different researches on Metroids.



While looking for a new bounty she picks up a distress signal coming from Ceres, the place where the baby Metroid was being kept, after heading to Ceres she discovers that a Space Pirate attack had taken place there, when she walked into the room where the baby Metroid was supposed to be she finds out that Ridley is there, after a battle the Metroid is taken by him.

So now our favorite Bounty Hunter has to rescue the Metroid to stop the Pirates from using him. Super Metroid works basically in the same way as Metroid, even the planet to be explored is the same.

During the game you will have to search for updates for your suit while exploring the place, while playing you will have to do loads of backtracking in order to find the missing upgrades, sometimes you can even go through a long path until you get to a dead end where you discovered you missed an item.

Inside this big puzzle you will find many others, such as Morph Ball mazes, hidden passages and enemies that are not so easy to be defeated. The boss battles are really straightforward and simple, yet some of them are pretty tough.

That's how the game works, the whole planet itself is a huge puzzle that has got to be figured out little by little, patience is required and if you have got it you will be rewarded with an unique experience.

Sometimes the adventure can get a little bit frustrating because it doesn't matter if you killed every single enemy in a room, when you go back there they will be all still alive.



The graphics are great, unfortunately they can't be compared to some of the games that were released less than one year later, still Super Metroid has a great variety of scenarios that are very compelling and interesting, the textures look good and all enemies, especially the bosses look really outstanding. Light effects are also very nice, during more intense battle you will see lots of explosions and they look good.

The sound is really immersive, some themes are really catchy, and you should not be surprised when you start humming some of them while walking on the street. The sound effects are pretty good, I oftenly use Samus' plasma beam just to hear that sound.

The game itself isn't too long, but there are so many things to collect that I'msure yo will be spending a lot of time just wandering around looking for a door that hasn't been open, or for a hidden path to a secret room that may contain a Missile Expansion, or some more Power Bombs.



The replay value therefore is very high, playing this game is enjoyable and fun, despite some minor flaws like irresponsive controls while performing some moves and the fact that as you advance the game gets easier instead of harder, because by the time you get to the end you can have so many energy tanks and such a powerful suit that enemies will slightly damage you.

Super Metroid is an unique game, it is the installment of the series that determined the style for the three Prime games that would keep the series going.

Nintendo DS Review: Elite Beat Agents

Review by: Pierst179

Rhythm games were born during the Playstation era and since then have gained a enormous popularity due to titles like Guitar Hero and Rock Band that are constantly on the top of any sales chart that is released. As it happens on most genres, developers try to be as creative as possible with those titles in order to provide gamers a different experience and the Nintendo DS is the platform where one of the best and most uncanny musical games takes place.

Elite Beat Agents' mechanic is as simple as possible, by using the Nintendo DS touch screen you will have to tap circles that appear on the screen to match the rhythm of the song. If your timing is extremely precise then you will get lots of points, but if you touch the wrong button at the wrong time your Agent Bar will decrease, once it gets to its lowest level is game over for you and you will need to restart.

Aside from the tapping circles there are also some tap-and-drag circles that you will encounter, although they are not as frequent. On those you will need to tap the circle and keep your stylus in contact with the screen until a rolling ball appears, when it happens you will need to follow the ball with your stylus. This gameplay makes the game easy to be enjoyed by any kind of person of any age.

Differently from most games of this genre, Elite Beat Agents features main characters and plot. The heroes are three dancing Agents that are summoned by people going through difficult situations such as being close to losing a job, or being lost on a tropical Island. Before each chapter of the game – that is represented by a song - you will watch a HQ-like cutscene that will present you the problem, the cutscene will always end with a person shouting out loud for help and the Agents appearing to save the day by dancing their way to victory.



Obviously a game that features heroes that dance and sing in order to save other people from doom doesn't make sense, and that's where the actual charm of the title lies. It was really bold of the developers to create a storyline for a game like this and fortunately it works, since you will find yourself laughing while watching cutscenes that are shown on the top-screen while you are tapping circles insanely.


The presentation of the game is close to flawless with its cartoony characters and HQ stories, it blends perfectly with the exaggerated drama of the plot. It is a clear sign that the game never takes itself too serious. The graphics are really sharp, and the simple fact that the developers even bothered to come up with animations that are displayed on the top screen while the song is played – a time where the player wouldn't even be able to watch it – shows how careful they were when trying to make the game look good.

The soundtrack is really good, but as it always happens on most rhythm games there is always a good chance that you will end up being disappointed with the music selection, but even if you don't like some of the choices you will still be able to enjoy the game. However, the fact that there are only eighteen songs available may diminish the replay value when you put this game against its console peers, there is always a good reason to come back and play the songs on four different levels and try to improve your best score.



I still feel that the game lacks some online features such as the ability to upload your scores and see how you rank among the world leaders of dancing. Perhaps the addition of downloadable songs would also be possible.

In a nutshell, Elite Beat Agents is one of the most unique rhythm games out there, its main shortcoming is that its replay value isn't as high as you would expect from a musical title. But while you are going through the single-player mode for the first time you will be experiencing one of the best games that the Nintendo DS has to offer.

Wii Review: Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

Review by: Pierst179

Resident Evil 4 was the biggest success among all games of Capcom’s famous thriller series. Perhaps because of its outstanding graphics, that even one generation later still look as sharp and overwhelming as they can be, which made every single dark corner, locked door and unexplored forsaken house even more real and for a game like Resident Evil that’s one characteristic that is definitely necessary.

It seems very reasonable that such an amazing game united with the Wii’s inventive controls would compel developers to produce a remake that would keep all of the original game’s prowess. Resident Evil 4 Wii edition is exactly that, a classic game compiled with new controls and a few extras for those who had only played the Gamecube edition.

The storyline is kind of different from all previous games, although you will still have to deal with a virus that has been infecting people. Instead of exploring Raccoon City and its outskirts while blasting some zombies Leon S. Kennedy will set to a remote Spanish village to rescue the kidnapped daughter of the president of the United States, what seemed like a piece of cake because what problems would you encounter in such a small village, turns out to be an ordeal in which you will find infected villagers that are really willing to stop you.

The game plays very different from its predecessors. In all past Resident Evil games you had to get used to that unpredictable camera that could not be controlled by any means, that camera did help when it comes to hiding enemies who are just around the corner waiting for you to pass or inside a room that you can’t see inside unless you actually enter it, but I must confess I was a little bit annoyed by that since you have to change the way you control your character every time the cameras shift.

This time around you will have a third person vision exactly behind Leon and whoever you are playing with. You can aim by simply pointing your Wiimote at the screen, which will make your accuracy skyrocket because it is much smoother than trying to headshot an enemy with an analog stick. In spite of that fact, the game’s difficulty is still enough to make you get killed around 70 times during your first playthrough.

Another fact that makes this game’s gameplay so awesome is that during part of the game you will play as a pair, you will control Leon while Ashley the president’s daughter follows you, in most games she would probably make you mad by standing in front of you when she is not supposed to, get stuck in walls or run towards enemies just to get killed, but in this game it doesn’t happen. You can control what she will do just by pressing a button, you can tell her to either follow you or to wait so that you don’t get annoyed, just don’t forget her.

One would quickly assume that the game is not quite scary as usual due to the fact that the zombies are nowhere to be found, but do not believe that. The Spaniards, despite not being as ugly as zombies, will make you pretty tense this is all made possible because of the game’s atmospheric graphics and sound that match so beautifully.

The graphics are impressive, obviously they don’t deserve to be called perfect since this is a last gen game and the graphics have not been improved, but anyway they still work quite well, especially because we are talking about a game produced for the Wii that is not such a powerful system. The main characters are all amazing, they look very real, and so does the scenarios that won’t actually vary much as you go through the game. The same can’t be said about the enemies, bosses aside, the Spaniards aren’t quite polished models but that can be understood since too polished enemies at the screen at the same time would cause massive frame rate problems. The cutscenes are also damn cool. The music is also very nice, if you agree with me that in a game like this one the music’s goal is to make you feel creepy whenever you are walking in a dark hallway or exploring a dark sewer then you will have no complaints here. It can be noticed when you are inside a house entering different rooms and then all of a sudden a strange music starts playing, you sure get scared and start exploring the place in a more careful way knowing that you are going to have some problems.

The sound effects are very close to real, the gunshot sound, thunders, squeaking stairs, box breaking and many other sounds. Voice acting is also done with perfection, the actors are good and their voices match the movements of the character’s mouths, the Spaniards scream whenever they see you, they call for help and warm other villagers that there is a “Forastero!” in the village.

Besides the regular adventure there are also a bundle of nice extras that are unlocked once you beat the game for the first time, those extras were available on the PS2 version of the game but were excluded from the GC version probably due to lack of space in the Mini-DVDs. So, for those who have been following Nintendo and didn’t play the PS2 version, such as me, will enjoy those extras for a long while and that’s just another reason to buy this game.

The extras are Assignment Ada, Separate Ways and The Mercenaries. The first two are missions to be completed as Ada it is interesting to play both since they will fill some voids that were left in the regular adventure’s story. While the latter is a mini-game where you can select from 5 different characters, 4 of them are unlockacle, in this mini you will find yourself in a scenario where you have got to kill as many enemies as you can in a certain amount of time.

Besides that you can also replay the whole adventure in a more challenging difficulty, you can also buy new guns from the merchants. All that considered Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition is a game with loads of replay value, perhaps one of the most “replayable” games ever.

Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition is a definite must buy for Wii owners that like this genre. It has amazing graphics, great gameplay and tons of extras. It is a good game for either people who have already tried one of the last gen versions and are allured by the Wii’s controls being used in a shooter or people who have never played it.

Nintendo DS Review: Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Review by: Pierst179

When first announced, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was expected to be the big sequel for Ocarina of Time that most gamers had been waiting for since 1998, but disappointment struck almost everybody who watched the first minutes of footage from this game, instead of the mature Link presented some years ago we had the cell-shaded Link and Shigeru Miyamoto quickly went from a genius to a stupid guy.

But time would prove us all wrong and Wind Waker turned out to be an astonishing game, it is nearly impossible to find a game with such a unique and beautiful style, the huge overworld was hiding tons of sidequests, and the main quest, despite not being too long was still really fun. Nintendo had shown once again that they always know what they do, it doesn't matter how wrong it seems to be.

The success was so big that many fans of the franchise started to claim for a sequel. But not a sequel that would finally present the adult Link, what people really wanted was the cartoon graphics once again, the sea, the pirates and all that overwhelming feeling contained on the Wind Waker. Fortunately Nintendo heard everybody's pleas.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was developed to be this sequel. The game starts exactly after the ending of the Wind Waker, and it is one of the most blatant sequels of the whole series since the main characters have all been maintained, which is awesome since the Wind Waker characters are really nice, and so Link is sailing with his pirate friends.

Tetra and her crew are looking for the fabled Ghost Ship, an evil vessel that according to the local tale is kidnapping sailors and villagers that live in that region of the Great Sea. Tetra thinks that this story is a big lie and that the Ghost Ship's crew is actually a bunch of pirates trying to threat their domain over the sea, so in order to stop their plans they need to find the ship.

Not surprisingly they succeed on their mission and a few minutes after the game starts the Ghost Ship is spotted. Tetra quickly jumps of her ship and swims toward the haunted boat that suddenly vanishes, Link tries to follow but he doesn't make it and he ends up on the shore of some mysterious island, then your adventure finally kicks in and you get to control Link for the first time.

Using the touch screen instead of the D-pad to move him soon proves to be not such a smart move. The overall result is pleasant, but there are some minor shortcomings when it comes to the gameplay.

For example, if you are right-handed then every single time you need to head to left your hand will stand right in between you and the screen therefore completely blocking your vision of what's going on, and if you are left-handed going to the right will be a problem. And this can be a tad annoying, especially if you are running away from some enemies.

Generally the touch screen is very responsive to most commands, but sometimes when trying to move while holding an object Link may decide to drop it on the ground when you touch the screen intending to make him walk. Rolling can also be a problem, to activate this action you need to draw a circle at the edge of the screen but sometimes the game just doesn't get it, but since rolling is not so important it won't bother you so much.

It is also very important to say that this is the first 3-D Zelda that doesn't make any use of the famous lock system that has been used since Ocarina of Time. This makes the battles harder, especially when you encounter armored knights, because you will spend most of the time just running away from them waiting for a chance to use your sword. Fortunately there aren't many of those enemies during the game.

The classic items of the Zelda franchise are all back. But this time around they have some new twists, because in order to use them you will have to perform some actions with the stylus on the touch-screen. The items itself are the same, but the way you use them makes the whole game feel more fresh.

In a nutshell, the gameplay is good but I definitely think Nintendo should have given us the option to control Link with the D-pad if we felt like it, because the items work very well with the touch screen while the movement is not so sharp.

Sailing from one island to the other is not as boring as it used to be. This time the wind isn't so important because you will be controlling a motorized boat, I love technology don't you? So if you want to travel you just need to draw a path on the map using the stylus, and the boat will follow the exact same path, just don't leave your DS while doing that because the sea is filled with enemies that can sink your boat.

Speaking of which, the boat can now be customized, you will collect some new parts as you advance on the game and you can head back to a shop at one island where they will add those parts to your ship for a steep price.

The soundtrack is good, you obviously can't compare it to the console games, but it does justice to the franchise, as usual there are some remixed tunes, most of them based on Wind Waker's songs. The sound effects are also very well done.

The graphics are outstanding. I thought it would be nearly impossible to translate Wind Waker's amazing world and feeling to a handheld, but I was wrong. Link and all other characters remain very expressive and funny. All the islands have their own unique characteristics, the textures are good and there are some nice effects.

Now off to the most important part of any Zelda game, the dungeons. Some may be disappointed and some may be happy with the fact that there is no backtracking at all involved on the process of finishing the dungeons. You will solve a puzzle, open a door and head to the next room where you will basically do the same thing until you get to the boss key that's usually very close to boss room.

While the dungeons are extremely linear the puzzles within them are creative. I have to say that out of my favorite puzzles of the franchise quite a bundle of them belong to this game. The use of the stylus adds a lot to the solving of the puzzles, sadly they are not hard enough, and if you enjoy getting stuck on a temple for a while trying to figure out what to do next you can just forget it because it won't happen on this game. Another quality of this game is the bosses. Believe me, they are all absolutely amazing. They make full use of all DS capabilities and on some battles the developers have used the hardware power to the absolute edge. You will be surprised when you discover a way to defeat them, they are all very inventive. Once again the main problem is the level of challenge.

Finally, the replay value. Zelda games have always been famous by its dozen of sidequests and Phantom Hourglass is not different. There aren't nearly as many here as in the Wind Waker for example, but you will have some fun exploring the Great Sea, discovering uncharted islands and strange creatures.

Phantom Hourglass is a Zelda game, what else can be said. With awesome puzzles, bosses and dungeons it stands out from most other DS titles therefore this game is a definite must-have. While a little bit too easy, it is still a lot of fun, the whole adventure can be finished in around 20 hours, which is quite a good length for a handheld adventure.

Most of its characteristics set the bar for every DS title that's still to be released.

Nintendo DS Review: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl

Review by: Pierst179

The Pokémon franchise has been on the top of every single list featuring the best sellers of the past 25 years. Since 1998 many different versions were released and not much has been changed. It is still the same old RPG that looks silly and childish at first glance, but once you give it a try you discover it is one of the deepest.

The game starts almost in the same way as its predecessors. You are a boy or a girl who lives in a small town somewhere in a region ridden with amazing creatures called Pokémon. One day you are wandering around when you are attacked by a wild Pokémon, you then find a bag with three Pokéballs, you pick one and suddenly you are engaged in a battle. After that you are given the Pokémon by an expert and your journey starts.

Once again over 100 new Pokémon have been added to this game making a whopping sum of 493 creatures. Many of them may seem strange at first glance, but from a strategical point of view it creates many new different ways of assembling your team.

The game visuals are great. While battling, you will notice the sprites have obviously been improved, unfortunately the game doesn’t push the DS graphical capabilities as far as possible. Still everything looks quite smooth. Both the Pokémon and the Attacks gained new animations, most of the effects are really cool and needless to say the battles got more thrilling.

Out of battle the game presents a pleasant mix of 3-D buildings with 2-D terrain. All cities now have their own particular characteristics. Some of them are small and at the middle of nowhere, while others are big cities with sidewalks, roads and poles that will light at night. You will also find some routes with quite different scenario than you are used to, a foggy mountain, a city covered in snow and other new environments.

The night and day periods are back so obviously there are Pokémon that can only be caught at a certain time of the day. The time is also important when evolving some Pokémon that need to be trained at the evening or during the morning.

Sound effects are great. During your adventure you will surprisingly hear many great tunes, unfortunately you will also find some annoying recycled songs that had to be improved or remixed for a new version of the game.

The point where Pokémon Diamond fails is when it comes to the gameplay. It is pretty much the same as in all other versions, the battle starts you choose and attack and try to defeat the foe, with the DS you would expect some improvements but the only thing that has been changed is that now is easier and faster to use the menus.

Despite new Pokémon, animations and attacks, the battles are still the same and you have got to once again beat 8 gym leaders to enter the Pokémon League and become the champion. There are also some contests but we all sure agree that battles are much more compelling.

What makes Pokémon Diamond stand out is obviously its online features which are great.

First of all there is the Global Trading Station (GTS) where you can search for any Pokémon you have already seen during your journey. This makes easier to complete your Pokédex and improve your team the way you want to. Most of the trades succeed when they are not too absurd. By using the GTS you will get creatures from different countries, different natures and movesets.

Besides the GTS there is also the option to battle and trade with your friends. It may seem like and awesome idea, but truth is the FCs kind of ruin the whole experience since you can't battle anyone unless you have their FCs.

There is also the Underground which can be explored using the Wifi. You can go there and search for treasures and rare items. Once you get enough treasures you can trade them for special items and build yourself a secret base. It is a great place to explore specially if you have your friends around since you can play some great games such as trying to break into one's secret base.

Like Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald there is still lots of things to do once you are done with the game. You can try to catch all Pokémon, use the Pal Park to transfer your creatures from a GBA version of the game to Diamond/Pearl, and explore a new big island that is only avaiable once you defeat the League Champion.

To sum it up. Pokémon Diamond/Pearl is a great challenging game. Its main flaw is that it doesn't present any changes when compared to the last versions, but the online mode, despite some problems, is great to use and it sure adds a lot to Nintendo's most successful franchise.