Genre: Strategy
Developer: Intelligent Systems, Nintendo
Platform: Wii
Release: 2007
Rating: E10+
- Graphics -
OMG They fixed the horses' knees (a HUGE pet peeve of mine for Path of Radiance). The 3D sprites are much more detailed, and the graphics more stylized. The full cutscenes are beautifully done, with extremely detailed, yet smooth, models.
Graphics: 9/10
- Story -
I honestly think this game wins first place for story in ANY game I've ever played. The real-life themes are even more apparent than in the prequel, and includes such an in-depth, realistic-yet-surrealistic take on things that anyone with enough patience to play the game is rewarded a thousandfold.
Story: 10/10
- Gameplay -
Easily the most difficult Fire Emblem game ever to reach the US, and quite possibly ever. One of the problems in my opinion is the vast difference between difficulty settings; Easy is almost too easy, while Normal becomes a serious challenge. Hard mode is so difficult that the one time I played through it I was forced to sacrifice almost an entire army just to keep my lords alive. Other than the difficulty issues, however, the gameplay is fun and intuitive, and improves on some of the new features in the prequel, such as being able to unequip skills and not lose them permanently, a special shop that travels with you (as opposed to the hidden ones in the GBA games), and the ability to forge more than one weapon per level.
Gameplay: 8/10
- Music -
Many of the best Path of Radiance tracks have been reused, and many of the new themes are simply awesome!
Music: 9/10
Total Score: 9/10
Not available for other systems.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Genre: Adventure
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Gamecube
Release: 2003
Rating: E
- Graphics -
Wind Waker's graphics, while widely criticized for not following Ocarina's legacy, were in my opinion a welcome change. Nintendo has finally brought us back to the series' roots in terms of the intended design, and the comical animation worked well for the game.
Graphics: 10/10
- Story -
Once again, Ganondorf is after the Triforce. Once again, Zelda is kidnapped. Once again, Link must save her. However, the overall aspects of this version are much different than before: for one thing, Zelda isn't even introduced properly until about halfway through; Link only begins his adventure in the first place to search for his kidnapped sister.
Another interesting fact is that Ganondorf seems to somewhat regret his past, and even purposely doesn't try to kill Link at first. The first real battle with Ganondorf is merely a test, and Ganondorf even chooses to merely knock Link out during a cutscene.
For a good (and funny) description of this, I'd recommend Hiimdaisy's Comic, however the images are currently broken. I'm providing the link anyway in the event that her site updates are fixed soon :)
Story: 7/10
- Gameplay -
While the rest of the game was great, the plot-related gameplay was somewhat lacking. Only 5 big dungeons, most of which were not highly puzzle-based as was the previous standard, and very easy bosses. The second half of the game consisted of running around looking for 8 Triforce shards, which tended to be a huge hassle for players who didn't have an extensive amount of patience.
Exploring Hyrule's seas was an amazing journey, however, and the absence of loading times made it that much better! There are always new things to discover on the 49 different islands of the Great Sea!
Gameplay: 6/10
- Music -
Wind Waker's soundtrack is probably my favorite out of the entire series. The choice of instrumentation (although obviously synthesized) is very fitting for each area, and almost every theme is fun and memorable (the exceptions mostly only being main dungeon themes)
Music: 10/10
Total Score: 8/10
Not available for other systems.
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Gamecube
Release: 2003
Rating: E
- Graphics -
Wind Waker's graphics, while widely criticized for not following Ocarina's legacy, were in my opinion a welcome change. Nintendo has finally brought us back to the series' roots in terms of the intended design, and the comical animation worked well for the game.
Graphics: 10/10
- Story -
Once again, Ganondorf is after the Triforce. Once again, Zelda is kidnapped. Once again, Link must save her. However, the overall aspects of this version are much different than before: for one thing, Zelda isn't even introduced properly until about halfway through; Link only begins his adventure in the first place to search for his kidnapped sister.
Another interesting fact is that Ganondorf seems to somewhat regret his past, and even purposely doesn't try to kill Link at first. The first real battle with Ganondorf is merely a test, and Ganondorf even chooses to merely knock Link out during a cutscene.
For a good (and funny) description of this, I'd recommend Hiimdaisy's Comic, however the images are currently broken. I'm providing the link anyway in the event that her site updates are fixed soon :)
Story: 7/10
- Gameplay -
While the rest of the game was great, the plot-related gameplay was somewhat lacking. Only 5 big dungeons, most of which were not highly puzzle-based as was the previous standard, and very easy bosses. The second half of the game consisted of running around looking for 8 Triforce shards, which tended to be a huge hassle for players who didn't have an extensive amount of patience.
Exploring Hyrule's seas was an amazing journey, however, and the absence of loading times made it that much better! There are always new things to discover on the 49 different islands of the Great Sea!
Gameplay: 6/10
- Music -
Wind Waker's soundtrack is probably my favorite out of the entire series. The choice of instrumentation (although obviously synthesized) is very fitting for each area, and almost every theme is fun and memorable (the exceptions mostly only being main dungeon themes)
Music: 10/10
Total Score: 8/10
Not available for other systems.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Pokémon Red/Blue
Genre: RPG
Developer: Gamefreak, Nintendo
Platform: Gameboy Color
Release: 1998
Rating: E
- Graphics -
Wow. A COLOR game with only... a total of 8 colors in the entire palette. Not to mention extremely poor resolution for the rear-sprites, and most of the Pokemon didn't even look as they were supposed to.
Graphics: 2/10
- Story -
Generic Pokemon story. Beat Team Rocket and the Pokemon League. Congrats, you're a Pokemon Master! Not too bad considering it was the first in the series, but it could've been better.
Story: 3/10
- Gameplay -
Certainly not the greatest in the genre; the system is relatively innovative for its time, but it lacks true polishing.
Gameplay: 6/10
- Music -
The music has little more than nostalgia value for any of us, I'm willing to bet, but even so it began the basis for music for the series.
Music: 4/10
Total Score: 3.5/10
Also available for GBA in FireRed and LeafGreen (+ new content)
Developer: Gamefreak, Nintendo
Platform: Gameboy Color
Release: 1998
Rating: E
- Graphics -
Wow. A COLOR game with only... a total of 8 colors in the entire palette. Not to mention extremely poor resolution for the rear-sprites, and most of the Pokemon didn't even look as they were supposed to.
Graphics: 2/10
- Story -
Generic Pokemon story. Beat Team Rocket and the Pokemon League. Congrats, you're a Pokemon Master! Not too bad considering it was the first in the series, but it could've been better.
Story: 3/10
- Gameplay -
Certainly not the greatest in the genre; the system is relatively innovative for its time, but it lacks true polishing.
Gameplay: 6/10
- Music -
The music has little more than nostalgia value for any of us, I'm willing to bet, but even so it began the basis for music for the series.
Music: 4/10
Total Score: 3.5/10
Also available for GBA in FireRed and LeafGreen (+ new content)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Metroid Prime
Genre: FPS Platformer
Developer: Retro Studios, Nintendo
Platform: Gamecube
Release: 2002
Rating: T
- Graphics -
Prime's graphics, in my opinion, were the best of the entire Prime Trilogy, not just for the intense detail; the levels were surreal and a huge treat for exploration.
Graphics: 10/10
- Story -
Metroid isn't a very story-driven series; You have to actually seek out the storyline, in fact. However, the info we are given offers an entirely optional insight into the world and the happenings behind the rest of the trilogy.
Story: 6/10
- Gameplay -
It's true that the gamecube is usually not too suited for shooters. However, Prime pulls of an absolutely PERFECT mesh of platforming and shooting. The controls are easy enough to learn, and can be modified to some extent. As noted earlier, scenery is so intricate and alien that players cannot help becoming completely immersed in the world of Tallon IV
Gameplay: 10/10
- Music -
The music of Metroid has always been great, but Prime's soundtrack is probably one of the best in the entire series. The music perfectly fits the areas while conforming to previous themes in the series, whether enhancing the tranquility of Phendrana or the power of Magmoor Caverns.
Music: 10/10
Total Score: 9/10
Also available for Wii in Metroid Prime: Trilogy
Developer: Retro Studios, Nintendo
Platform: Gamecube
Release: 2002
Rating: T
- Graphics -
Prime's graphics, in my opinion, were the best of the entire Prime Trilogy, not just for the intense detail; the levels were surreal and a huge treat for exploration.
Graphics: 10/10
- Story -
Metroid isn't a very story-driven series; You have to actually seek out the storyline, in fact. However, the info we are given offers an entirely optional insight into the world and the happenings behind the rest of the trilogy.
Story: 6/10
- Gameplay -
It's true that the gamecube is usually not too suited for shooters. However, Prime pulls of an absolutely PERFECT mesh of platforming and shooting. The controls are easy enough to learn, and can be modified to some extent. As noted earlier, scenery is so intricate and alien that players cannot help becoming completely immersed in the world of Tallon IV
Gameplay: 10/10
- Music -
The music of Metroid has always been great, but Prime's soundtrack is probably one of the best in the entire series. The music perfectly fits the areas while conforming to previous themes in the series, whether enhancing the tranquility of Phendrana or the power of Magmoor Caverns.
Music: 10/10
Total Score: 9/10
Also available for Wii in Metroid Prime: Trilogy
Friday, March 18, 2011
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Capcom
Platform: Nintendo DS
Release: 2011
Rating: T
- Graphics -
Wow, these are some really awesome character designs! The stylized art is perfect, and the animation is fluid yet cartoonish at the same time.
Graphics: 10/10
- Story -
The first game in a loooong time that's had me so hooked; the urgency and bizarreness of the plot is so intriguing it's nearly impossible to put down.
Story: 10/10
- Gameplay -
Wow, what a change of pace! Move the character while time is stopped, manipulate objects to save victims; If you come across someone who's dead, go back in time and alter events! Later in the game two more characters are added to your team with different abilities. Capcom seems to love exploring uncharted territory, eh?
Gameplay: 10/10
- Music -
The music was in no way bad, and in most cases brought out the story perfectly; However, perhaps due to the awesomeness of everything else, the music didn't stick with me too much.
Music: 7/10
Total Score: 9.5/10
Not available for any other systems.
Developer: Capcom
Platform: Nintendo DS
Release: 2011
Rating: T
- Graphics -
Wow, these are some really awesome character designs! The stylized art is perfect, and the animation is fluid yet cartoonish at the same time.
Graphics: 10/10
- Story -
The first game in a loooong time that's had me so hooked; the urgency and bizarreness of the plot is so intriguing it's nearly impossible to put down.
Story: 10/10
- Gameplay -
Wow, what a change of pace! Move the character while time is stopped, manipulate objects to save victims; If you come across someone who's dead, go back in time and alter events! Later in the game two more characters are added to your team with different abilities. Capcom seems to love exploring uncharted territory, eh?
Gameplay: 10/10
- Music -
The music was in no way bad, and in most cases brought out the story perfectly; However, perhaps due to the awesomeness of everything else, the music didn't stick with me too much.
Music: 7/10
Total Score: 9.5/10
Not available for any other systems.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Genre: Strategy
Developer: Intelligent Systems, Nintendo
Platform: Gamecube
Release: 2005
Rating: T
- Graphics -
Unfortunately, most of the graphics were actually sub-par for the system. The 5-6 full cinematic scenes were beautiful; however, the in-game 3D models on the "board" were hardly even N64-worthy, and the battle scene models were fairly dull, especially when compared to the 2D sprites in the earlier games. The 2D images of characters showed during dialogue sequences were about equal to the 2D games.
Graphics: 4/10
- Story -
The story of Path of Radiance was easily very different from anything we've seen so far in the series. Unlike most games, in which a royal character seems to be looking for a missing family member, the game involves a simple mercenary group escorting a de-throned princess around the continent to gain support for her rebellion against the king of the neighboring country who invaded and killed her parents. Throughout the game, real-world problems are identified and overcome, such as racism and genocide.
Story: 10/10
- Gameplay -
A vast improvement from earlier games in the series is the inclusion of a merchant group that travels with the player after a certain point in the game. This group provides storage of items, the ability to buy weapons and items before every battle, and even the ability to forge weapons. While this takes away from some of the earlier urgency to preserve weapons, it does allow for more freedom in strategies. Another huge difference is the addition of Laguz, or beings that appear to be part animal. These units have a transformation gauge, that, when full, allows them to transform into a beast, bird, or dragon, depending on the unit. However, they cannot attack or counter-attack at all in their humanoid states. The third huge difference is the fact that all units have special abilities, or the potential to have them. These abilities are gained in the form of "scrolls" which are given to characters during the "base" phase before battle.
Other than these significant changes, the gameplay remains roughly true to the classic Fire Emblem formula, and in general all of the new aspects are improvements.
Gameplay: 10/10
- Music -
Not the most amazing music in the series, unfortunately, but there are definitely several jewels in the soundtrack. It's certainly not a bad soundtrack by any means, either.
Music: 8/10
Total Score: 8/10
Not available for other systems.
Developer: Intelligent Systems, Nintendo
Platform: Gamecube
Release: 2005
Rating: T
- Graphics -
Unfortunately, most of the graphics were actually sub-par for the system. The 5-6 full cinematic scenes were beautiful; however, the in-game 3D models on the "board" were hardly even N64-worthy, and the battle scene models were fairly dull, especially when compared to the 2D sprites in the earlier games. The 2D images of characters showed during dialogue sequences were about equal to the 2D games.
Graphics: 4/10
- Story -
The story of Path of Radiance was easily very different from anything we've seen so far in the series. Unlike most games, in which a royal character seems to be looking for a missing family member, the game involves a simple mercenary group escorting a de-throned princess around the continent to gain support for her rebellion against the king of the neighboring country who invaded and killed her parents. Throughout the game, real-world problems are identified and overcome, such as racism and genocide.
Story: 10/10
- Gameplay -
A vast improvement from earlier games in the series is the inclusion of a merchant group that travels with the player after a certain point in the game. This group provides storage of items, the ability to buy weapons and items before every battle, and even the ability to forge weapons. While this takes away from some of the earlier urgency to preserve weapons, it does allow for more freedom in strategies. Another huge difference is the addition of Laguz, or beings that appear to be part animal. These units have a transformation gauge, that, when full, allows them to transform into a beast, bird, or dragon, depending on the unit. However, they cannot attack or counter-attack at all in their humanoid states. The third huge difference is the fact that all units have special abilities, or the potential to have them. These abilities are gained in the form of "scrolls" which are given to characters during the "base" phase before battle.
Other than these significant changes, the gameplay remains roughly true to the classic Fire Emblem formula, and in general all of the new aspects are improvements.
Gameplay: 10/10
- Music -
Not the most amazing music in the series, unfortunately, but there are definitely several jewels in the soundtrack. It's certainly not a bad soundtrack by any means, either.
Music: 8/10
Total Score: 8/10
Not available for other systems.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Genre: Racing
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Gamecube
Release: 2003
Rating: E
- Graphics -
Despite the rendering power of the gamecube, the game really didn't have much to boast about here. The overly-cartooned effects were sometimes emphasized to the point of being overdone, and the faces on literally EVERYTHING gets both annoying and creepy.
Graphics: 3/10
- Story -
Not Applicable.
Story: --/10
- Gameplay -
Gameplay is the most prominent feature of the game, with intuitive controls, and most importantly, the 2-player karts. The game can be extremely challenging depending on who your partner is. Some abilities, such as shoving, are only available when you have two players controlling a kart, while most can be done by one player controlling both characters.
Gameplay: 10/10
- Music -
Unlike Most Mario-series music, Double Dash didn't really stand out as anything special.
Music: 2/10
Total Score: 5/10
Not available for any other systems.
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Gamecube
Release: 2003
Rating: E
- Graphics -
Despite the rendering power of the gamecube, the game really didn't have much to boast about here. The overly-cartooned effects were sometimes emphasized to the point of being overdone, and the faces on literally EVERYTHING gets both annoying and creepy.
Graphics: 3/10
- Story -
Not Applicable.
Story: --/10
- Gameplay -
Gameplay is the most prominent feature of the game, with intuitive controls, and most importantly, the 2-player karts. The game can be extremely challenging depending on who your partner is. Some abilities, such as shoving, are only available when you have two players controlling a kart, while most can be done by one player controlling both characters.
Gameplay: 10/10
- Music -
Unlike Most Mario-series music, Double Dash didn't really stand out as anything special.
Music: 2/10
Total Score: 5/10
Not available for any other systems.
Super Mario 64
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo 64
Release: 1996
Rating: K-A
- Graphics -
While not the best the system has seen, certainly one of the better examples. While not everything is well-defined, all of it is fully-rendered as 3D objects, and the lack of high-res textures gives the game a light, comical feeling.
Graphics: 6/10
- Story -
Story? In a Mario Game? Same as always: Bowser kidnapped Peach, Mario has to save her: this time by collecting Power Stars to access new areas of the Castle.
Story: 2/10
- Gameplay -
The Worlds are all unique and challenging in a good way. The progression from easier to harder levels is usually fairly smooth, and allows players to get used to things easily. A total of 120 stars can be found throughout the game, 7 in each of 15 different worlds and 15 in the Castle. Each is fun to obtain, and most are challenging enough to keep players returning, but not too difficult to turn players away.
Gameplay: 10/10
- Music -
Fun and catchy music as is usual for the series, most of the music in the game is memorable and in some cases, almost addictive.
Music: 10/10
Total Score: 7/10
Also available for
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo 64
Release: 1996
Rating: K-A
- Graphics -
While not the best the system has seen, certainly one of the better examples. While not everything is well-defined, all of it is fully-rendered as 3D objects, and the lack of high-res textures gives the game a light, comical feeling.
Graphics: 6/10
- Story -
Story? In a Mario Game? Same as always: Bowser kidnapped Peach, Mario has to save her: this time by collecting Power Stars to access new areas of the Castle.
Story: 2/10
- Gameplay -
The Worlds are all unique and challenging in a good way. The progression from easier to harder levels is usually fairly smooth, and allows players to get used to things easily. A total of 120 stars can be found throughout the game, 7 in each of 15 different worlds and 15 in the Castle. Each is fun to obtain, and most are challenging enough to keep players returning, but not too difficult to turn players away.
Gameplay: 10/10
- Music -
Fun and catchy music as is usual for the series, most of the music in the game is memorable and in some cases, almost addictive.
Music: 10/10
Total Score: 7/10
Also available for
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Wasn't planning to do another Zelda review so soon, but "the cookie knows best!" I will probably be writing much shorter reviews from now on in order to get all of them finished.
Genre: Adventure
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Gameboy, Gameboy Color
Release: 1993, 1998
Rating: E
- Graphics -
The graphics are above-average, certainly. The intricate textures, amount of various objects, and high quality character sprites (keep in mind the size of these guys) give a very full and immersive experience.
Graphics: 7/10
- Story -
Honestly one of the weaker plotlines of the Zelda series, it doesn't even fully make sense at times. Unique, yes, which is a welcome change, but the fact of how little sense it can make means I need to take off quite a few points.
Long version: Link is shipwrecked and finds himself on a mysterious island. He must battle the evil Nightmares to wake up the Wind Fish, so that he can leave the island. Along the course of the game, the Island is revealed to be part of the Wind Fish's dream, and if Link wakes him up the dream will end.
tl;dr version: Link is shipwrecked and spends the entire game trying to wake up from his coma. Or something.
Problem: During the credits, Link is seen sitting on a piece of driftwood. He is never rescued on-screen, so how do we know he didn't just die of starvation/dehydration anyway? Maybe it's the end of the series story-wise? I have no idea.
Story: 3/10
- Gameplay -
Unfortunately, due to the fact that the Gameboy lacks the L and R buttons from the SNES, the gameplay isn't quite as fluid as A Link to the Past. However, the designers got around this problem quite easily by allowing the player to unequip the sword and equip any two items at the same time, one on both A and B. While it can be annoying to keep switching out Roc's Feather and the Power Bracelet, this incorporation of the controls into the primitive system does allow the player much more freedom. One issue was saving: In order to save, the player must press Select, Start, A, and B all at the same time. This is most easily done by pressing them one at a time and holding them, in that order. However, in the game itself the most direct instruction you get is "press all the buttons at once", which can lead to players trying to press all four directions on the D-pad in addition, or trying to time it properly and having trouble.
Gameplay: 7/10
- Music -
Honestly, Link's Awakening has some of my favorite unique themes in the entire game, such as Tal Tal Heights, Ballad of the Wind Fish, and even some of the dungeon themes. None of these were ever reused in the series. In addition, the quality of the music for that tiny little monotone-speaker is absolutely incredible. The music makes the game more memorable than perhaps anything I've covered so far.
Music: 10/10
Total Score: 6.5/10
Also available for Gameboy Color with the name "Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX" (1998)
Genre: Adventure
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Gameboy, Gameboy Color
Release: 1993, 1998
Rating: E
- Graphics -
The graphics are above-average, certainly. The intricate textures, amount of various objects, and high quality character sprites (keep in mind the size of these guys) give a very full and immersive experience.
Graphics: 7/10
- Story -
Honestly one of the weaker plotlines of the Zelda series, it doesn't even fully make sense at times. Unique, yes, which is a welcome change, but the fact of how little sense it can make means I need to take off quite a few points.
Long version: Link is shipwrecked and finds himself on a mysterious island. He must battle the evil Nightmares to wake up the Wind Fish, so that he can leave the island. Along the course of the game, the Island is revealed to be part of the Wind Fish's dream, and if Link wakes him up the dream will end.
tl;dr version: Link is shipwrecked and spends the entire game trying to wake up from his coma. Or something.
Problem: During the credits, Link is seen sitting on a piece of driftwood. He is never rescued on-screen, so how do we know he didn't just die of starvation/dehydration anyway? Maybe it's the end of the series story-wise? I have no idea.
Story: 3/10
- Gameplay -
Unfortunately, due to the fact that the Gameboy lacks the L and R buttons from the SNES, the gameplay isn't quite as fluid as A Link to the Past. However, the designers got around this problem quite easily by allowing the player to unequip the sword and equip any two items at the same time, one on both A and B. While it can be annoying to keep switching out Roc's Feather and the Power Bracelet, this incorporation of the controls into the primitive system does allow the player much more freedom. One issue was saving: In order to save, the player must press Select, Start, A, and B all at the same time. This is most easily done by pressing them one at a time and holding them, in that order. However, in the game itself the most direct instruction you get is "press all the buttons at once", which can lead to players trying to press all four directions on the D-pad in addition, or trying to time it properly and having trouble.
Gameplay: 7/10
- Music -
Honestly, Link's Awakening has some of my favorite unique themes in the entire game, such as Tal Tal Heights, Ballad of the Wind Fish, and even some of the dungeon themes. None of these were ever reused in the series. In addition, the quality of the music for that tiny little monotone-speaker is absolutely incredible. The music makes the game more memorable than perhaps anything I've covered so far.
Music: 10/10
Total Score: 6.5/10
Also available for Gameboy Color with the name "Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX" (1998)
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