Good ol' Target! They always seem to come through for those gamers who are watching their wallets. (I may be a little biased, seeing how it was Target who introduced me to my Wii!). Well, this week they have have over 30 Nintendo DS titles on sale for $24!!! All games that are $29.99 and above are on sale, and you better believe that I took full advantage of that. I picked up 3 brand spankin' new titles, all leading to the Mushroom Kingdom. I'm currently juggling all three titles, jumping from one to the other after a few levels. (So I'm impatient! Sue me!) And I must admit, that all three have proven to be thoroughly entertaining.
First off is Yoshi's Island DS. This game is completely fun, and, so far, has been my favorite of the three. (Only because I've been playing it the most. That may change once I give the other 2 games some more face time). If you've ever played Yoshi's Island before, than you know what to expect. It's fun, it's whimsical, and, at times, is just too cute for words. (You just gotta love all the baby versions, of the Mario gang!) Once again, those curious li'l Mario babies find themselves in trouble, and it is up to the Yoshi's to make things right. The game is very colorful, making full use of both of the DS's screen for scenery. The touchscreen does not really come into play as much as you would expect, but the game is so captivating that you hardly notice (or care!). 2 worlds in, I find myself anxiously awaiting a return to the game. All in all, I highly recommend this title. Definitely a welcome addition to my collection.
Next, I picked up Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. This game is much more of a puzzle-type than a classic side-scroller. It's the classic story of ape meets girl, girl likes plumber, ape kidnaps girl, plumber rescues girl. It's a story that dates all the way back to the first Mario Bros. video game. In this game, you control little wind-up toy versions of Mario as you guide them through various assorted mazes. Each has its own trick to solving it. The point is to get all your mini Marios through the maze unscathed. The levels are fun and inventive, progressively more difficult as you go along. The animation is great, and those little wind-up guys are just fun to watch. One cool feature of this game is the option to create your own mazes, and then upload them through Wi-Fi for others to solve. I've yet to try that feature, but I'm sure it'll be a blast. I've gone through to the first boss battle in this game, and have become addicted.
Next is Wario: Master of Disguise. Now, I had been excited for this title for a while. I've recently been exposed more and more to Wario, and come to appreciate the disgustingly lovable guy for all he is: greedy, self-centered, rude, and nasty. Both Warioware games that I own (Smooth Moves and Touched), have been fun collections of micro games that help to pass the time. Master of Disguise is the first time we see The Big W in an all out adventure of his own. The gimmick of this title is that as you progress through the adventure, you gain costumes that each endow Wario with special powers. Along the way you find that each costume has its advantages, and helps you to progress through the game. Each costume is attached to a specific stylus move on the touchscreen, and it is also used to play various mini games sprinkled throughout the game. So far the game has been enjoyable. It's definitely has the Wario brand of humor that we've all come to know and love. My only real concern is the sensitivity of the touchscreen when it comes to activating the costumes. Sometimes the strokes are read wrong, or sometimes it reacts a bit too late. But I'm willing to overlook that just for the sheer novelty of the game. It's pretty fun, and classic Wario.
On a side note, a few weeks back I picked up a game called Spectrobes for the DS. Now, I've been seen advertisements popping up for this game in Game Informer and on TV. I didn't really pay that much attention to them, though. I finally decided to research it a bit, and I gotta say, my interest was peeked. Billed as Disney's answer to Pokemon, the game has many layers to it. You're part of an intergalactic police force, sent to investigate these mysterious black vortexes and creatures that have been appearing on various planets. You learn that ancient, now extinct, creatures known as Spectrobes are the only known things able to fight this mysterious phenomenon. You must make your way through the galaxy, digging for Spectrobe fossils, reanimating them, building them up, and then using them in battle against the black vortexes and the creatures that lay within them. Like Pokemon, the point is to collect as many Spectrobes as you can. Also like Pokemon, your Spectrobes can grow and evolve. You use minerals that you also dig up to help build their stats. The fighting style is vastly different than Pokemon, though. It is not turn-based, and the animation is more dynamic. The game features a card input system as well, allowing you to import weapons, upgrades, and even Spectrobes. You can also download items through Wi-Fi. Every Friday you are awarded 10 DL points that can be used for downloading content such as videos, weapons, minerals, upgrades, and Spectrobes. Although the digging does get a little tedious, the game does have its charm. Like Pokemon, you get caught up in the rush of trying to build up your collection of creatures, which are both impressive and imaginative.It's a good time to be a gamer. Despite the Next-Gen and Portable console wars, Nintendo has consistently come up with fun and innovative games. My DS and my Wii have yet to let me down, and my Gamecube was the best console I had ever owned (It's spirit and games live on in my Wii). It provided me with countless hours of joy and entertainment. And in the end, isn't that what really matters? I recommend these games to anyone looking for some fun and distraction from the real world. When was the last time YOU visited the Mushroom Kingdom? (Isn't it about time you went back? I think it is!)
1 comment:
Well written article.
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