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ComputerConsoleHandheldGames
Anthony | Thursday, July 10, 2008 @ 1:26 AM
Guitar Hero: On Tour
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Platform: Nintendo DS
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Genre: Music
Number of Players: 1 - 2
Age Rating: Everyone 10+
Release Date:
Jun. 22, 2008
MSRP: $49.99
Gameplay: 7
Visual Appeal: 8
Audio Appeal: 6
Re-Playability: 5
Overall Rating: 7
Website: Connect
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Guitar Hero's first outing on a handheld gaming system is quite imaginative. This version of Guitar Hero uses the Nintendo DS' lower screen as the guitar you strum with a pick. The upper screen is where the notes appear. In addition, an attachable fret bar fits into the Game Boy Advance slot. The fret bar comes with an additional extender for people with larger hands.
The game looks good, even though the interface is rather basic. At the start of a song, the backgrounds zoom in to reveal the band on stage. The animation is good and there is no noticeable slowdown when a large number of notes appear at once. The concept is the same as the other Guitar Hero games. When a player sees a gem, they press the fret of the same color and strum. Strumming causes the strings on the guitar in the lower screen to vibrate. Also on the lower screen is a whammy bar that can be used to build up Star Power on long notes.
There are 25 songs ranging from the 1970s to the new millennium. Some noticeable clicks seem to be over modulation in a few songs. There are also a few occasions where the long notes seem to end prematurely. It is best to wear a headset while playing the game to get the full experience of the stereo music.
The re-playability of this game is lacking. There is no online versus mode, only local wireless. In local wireless mode, players can play songs or battle. With only 25 songs and no ability to download more, there is no real reason to play after completing a difficulty unless the player really likes a song or two. The hope is that future music collections will be released to utilize the fret bar.
There are a few final notes. Hold the Nintendo DS as instructed via the manual and the game's opening screen. After a while, playing the game while supporting the weight of the system may cause some discomfort. Also, find a comfortable position for holding the guitar pick stylus. If held the wrong way it may slip out of position.
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Anthony | Saturday, June 07, 2008 @ 6:29 AM
Pokemon: Mystery Dungeon Series 1 & 2
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Platform: GBA & DS
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: ChunSoft
Genre: RPG
Number of Players: 1
Age Rating: Everyone
Release Date:
Sep. 18, 2006 & Apr. 20, 2008
MSRP: $34.99
Gameplay: 8
Visual Appeal: 7
Audio Appeal: 7
Re-Playability: 6
Overall Rating: 7
Website: Connect
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Combined, there are four games in the Pokemon: Mystery Dungeon's two series. In the first series, there was Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team, on the Game Boy Advance, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, on the Nintendo Dual Screen. The second series came about a year and a half later with Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, both released on the Nintendo DS. Since the games are near identical in their execution, this review will cover the important points and differences between the first and second series before discussing the similarities.
The story in both games is that the player is a Pokemon who has lost his or her memory. The problem is that he or she was originally human. The goal of the story is for the player to discover who he or she is while investigating strange occurrences that may lead to their identity. In the first series, there are major earthquakes tearing the region apart. In the second series, a thief is stealing time gears and causing time to stop. In both series many Pokemon are turning bad and it is the player's job to stop the bad Pokemon and solve the mystery with the help of a partner Pokemon.
There are a few issues to keep in mind. In the first series, players can rescue each other using passwords if one uses the GBA version. If both players use a DS, rescues can be achieved either wirelessly or with passwords. In the second series players can rescue each other wirelessly, using passwords or via the Internet using friend codes. However, the games in series one and two do not interact with each other.
From this point on, everything will be combined. It makes sense seeing as how the games are all essentially the same with slight differences.
The game play is par for the course when it comes to a role-playing game. The difference is that fact the game does not change the top-down perspective to switch to a side view for battle, as some games have been known to do. The play is still turn based. The dungeons themselves are randomly generated. There is no way for anyone to memorize important locations. This feature adds an extra challenge.
Visually the game is nothing special. The sprites are easily identifiable and the backgrounds and rendering is done well. There is little difference between how the GBA and DS displays anything worth making mention of except the fact that the GBA only has one screen. The option menu allows the player to decide how to display the map, team and other items on the screens for both the GBA and DS versions.
The audio quality is also nothing special. None of the Pokemon has their well-known sounds. The music is standard fair; at least it is in stereo.
Re-playability is in the eye of the beholder. There is the option to save friends in the short time everyone still plays the game. In addition, Nintendo offers the ability to receive stranger rescue requests via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. After the main story mode there is the opportunity to evolve and discover new Pokemon and locations. Both series boast the ability to collect a majority of available Pokemon at the time of their releases.
Overall, the game is a decent RPG for fans of Pokemon. Hardcore role players may discover the game ends too soon. It takes a veteran player less than twenty-five hours to solve the main story if they do not go out of their way to do anything else.
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Anthony | Sunday, February 10, 2008 @ 3:16 AM
Jump Ultimate Stars
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Platform: NDS
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Ganbarion
Genre: Fighting
Number of Players: 1 - 4
Age Rating: Teen
Release Date:
Nov. 23, 2006
MSRP: $48.90
Gameplay: 8
Visual Appeal: 8
Audio Appeal:
Re-Playability: 9
Overall Rating: 8
Website: Connect
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This game is from Japan and its dialog is mainly in Japanese. American distributors will not sell this item because the licensing for the characters in the game is held by numerous companies in the United States. In Japan, licensing for all of the characters in the game is held by the Weekly Shonen Jump (WSJ) and Nintendo. You may only be able to buy the game via web sites such as eBay or Play-Asia.
This game is the second in what will become a series of anime fighters from between the covers of the WSJ magazine. The game opens with a movie showing a pirate taking Goku, Luffy, Naruto and other characters into an alternate dimension to fight a great battle. For a flashy opening on the Nintendo DS, there is none better. People often compare this game and its prequel to a handheld version of an manga-based Super Smash Brothers.
The game sports roughly, three-hundred characters divided by each of the 41 series, 3 natures, 8 levels and 3 types. The series are both a mixture of known and unknown manga in America, including Dragonball, Naruto, Yu-Yu-Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh, Ultimate Muscle and so much more. The natures are defined as power, knowledge and laughter. It works like rock, paper and scissors.
Levels range anywhere from one to eight and as players use the evolution feature, characters can grow to different types. Characters all start as level one help characters, they then grow into support characters and then into battle characters. The difference is based on their actual involvement in the game. Help characters normally provide items, support characters show up briefly to fight and battle characters are controlled by the players.
There are four main play modes. The story mode is known as J-Universe. The Battle mode is known as J-Arena. Anything Wireless or Wi-Fi is located via the J-Wireless mode. Once unlocked, there is a quiz mode. Unlike the prequel, players must build a 20-panel character page that they use during fights in a mode called the Deck Maker. Evolving characters from one level to the next is done via the J-Power mode. The Data options allow players to view unlocked content and the Options mode is to set the game options.
The game utilizes the voice, sound and music talents from each series, if available. Some manga in the WSJ magazine have yet to become television anime series. The artwork, design and sound are all top notch for a handheld game. It would be hard for anyone to claim that they had seen better.
Overall, if players are willing to read translated player's guides available over the internet and find the price acceptable, they will not be disappointed. This game is not quantity over quality; it is a nice balance of both. If players have no friends who own the game, single card support for up to three additional players is possible. The Wi-Fi adds extra value, but keeps in mind that the core player-base is in Japan and lag may occur the further players are from their opponents.
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