Hi all, sorry for the extreme gap for reviews, gotta hate it when life gets in the way. Anyway, here is my next item up for review, the long awaited Pokemon 3ds game Pokemon Y.
The story is quite simple, you go on a journey to collect as many pokemon as you can while battling evildoers, gym leaders, and your friends (both in game and in real life). The game introduces around 60 new pokemon (including evolutions) and has many of the old ones catchable so there are some old favorites to be had. The game is also the first pokemon to be 3d on a handheld, taking a giant step away from the 2d pokemon we know and love and also allows you to customize your characters appearance, another first for Pokemon. However, I do have my complaints about it. They put effort into you and your rival with the battling and the occasional opponent you face, but the majority, including gym leaders, remains as 2d sprites which makes battling them a bit awkward when you see your hand fly out throwing the ball and all you see is a flat opponent to congratulate you when you win. The pokemon and their moves however are beautifully done and their moves and movements are fluid. To try to add a bit more strategy to the game they added Mega Evolutions, which gives me mixed feelings. It's a good addition, but some of the mega evolutions look absolutely ridiculous, which might make some wonder if they should put their pokemon through the change to get more power. Some pokemon go through a type change, such as Charizard and its X evolution, which gives it the Dragon type, adding to the strategy. However, once your Mega pokemon goes down and you revive it you can't evolve it again for the remainder of the battle. It's cool enough though to make me wonder why they don't give 2 evolutions to the other starters, Charizard and Mewtwo have an X and Y evolution but Blastoise, Venusaur and the others only have 1.
Similar to Black and White you don't have to use HMs to get around, allowing exploration without using an HM slave or putting unwanted HMs on your team. There are also new places to battle along the way, such as the Battle Chateau, you can grow berries and even customize what your character wears that give plenty to do in between gyms. Once you beat the game there are even sidequests,
allowing you to extend your journey besides trying to catch more pokemon. The game has memorable characters, namely the troupe you travel with, as opposed to traveling alone friends (npcs) travel with you making the journey a bit more lively, though it lacks challenge somewhat unless you impose restrictions on yourself to add challenge. Several times I found myself higher in level than the gym leader, a first compared to the other pokemon games I played moving at a similar pace.
The game has online like before, you can trade with friends or battle with them. Gamefreak also introduced a cooperative aspect of sorts, a set of powers you can use on yourself or on a friend to give them boosts, such as cheaper items to buy from the Pokestore. As you level them up they get stronger so they do have their uses. You can also gain acquaintances and can challenge random people if you connect online, so if you have an urge you don't have to go to the pokecenter, a nice change of pace from having to wait until getting to one.
Overall, the game is refreshing enough to warrant another round in the Pokemon world, and for newcomers it brings a lot to the table, however if you were hoping for drastic change, you will most likely still be waiting for the pokemon game to suit your tastes.
Overall I give Pokemon Y: 8/10
I didn't review Pokemon X as they are similar with the exception of small story sections, the legendary, and exclusive pokemon.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Fire Emblem: Awakening
The game we have all been waiting for, Fire Emblem. This game made me a fan of the series and genre, something no other strategy game has done, the characters are likable, you can choose the difficulty, and it retains the Fire Emblem feel along with being able to customize your character (known as Mu or FEMu from here on). Plus you get DLC of additional levels, making the game longer but it doesn't feel incomplete without it.
The story is your character is found with amnesia (yes story is a little cliche), and you and your war buddies fight to save a country and soon the world from evil. You have the option of marrying and are capable of having your child fight with you, subsequently you can choose to have your teammates marry as well to fight with their children as comrades. The gameplay is simple and if you played other Fire Emblems you will be able to catch on quickly with the exception of the pairing system. For gameplay, you pair up with a fellow ally to deal more damage, ending foes more quickly and it retains the feel of the old Fire Emblems, choose where to move your guys carefully or suffer the consequences. With old school difficulty (classic in the game), you lose your men if they die, permanently. With casual, you don't, but it can still be brutal if you underestimate your foe.
Multiple times I came close to losing because of a single misstep. To me, not only can that be frustrating, but also exciting, bringing an importance of strategy as opposed to just marching your men forward and overpowering your foes. That aspect of strategy I think makes the game more exciting, and you can pick and choose how much you sweat through a battle.
The marriage system can also have some importance to your playthrough, for instance, playing on the hardest difficulty, stats make all the difference, and who marries who does matter. On the other hand, playing on an easier difficulty allows you more freedom to choose who marries who, as stats doesn't matter much and you can put who you like together. Overall, I find it refreshing and a nice change of pace from what I call "forced pairings", nothing's considered set in stone and if you don't like one guy with that girl, or want that guy to live alone just because you don't like him, you can.
The story is typical, you move to save the day after discovering threat after threat. The surprises though, are what bring it to life. The twists and turns are plentiful and nothing is what it seems until the very end when it wraps it all up in a neat little bow. I sympathized with plenty of characters throughout the journey, and I loved the story as a whole, even if it's typical in the beginning.
Overall, it's a game I have to recommend, both to newcomers and to those who love the series. While the changes may not be well liked, I think they are well implemented, nothing is forced and you can choose how to play rather than how they think you should play.
I loved Fire Emblem: Awakening and I hope they make more just like it.
9.5/10
Multiple times I came close to losing because of a single misstep. To me, not only can that be frustrating, but also exciting, bringing an importance of strategy as opposed to just marching your men forward and overpowering your foes. That aspect of strategy I think makes the game more exciting, and you can pick and choose how much you sweat through a battle.
The marriage system can also have some importance to your playthrough, for instance, playing on the hardest difficulty, stats make all the difference, and who marries who does matter. On the other hand, playing on an easier difficulty allows you more freedom to choose who marries who, as stats doesn't matter much and you can put who you like together. Overall, I find it refreshing and a nice change of pace from what I call "forced pairings", nothing's considered set in stone and if you don't like one guy with that girl, or want that guy to live alone just because you don't like him, you can.
The story is typical, you move to save the day after discovering threat after threat. The surprises though, are what bring it to life. The twists and turns are plentiful and nothing is what it seems until the very end when it wraps it all up in a neat little bow. I sympathized with plenty of characters throughout the journey, and I loved the story as a whole, even if it's typical in the beginning.
Overall, it's a game I have to recommend, both to newcomers and to those who love the series. While the changes may not be well liked, I think they are well implemented, nothing is forced and you can choose how to play rather than how they think you should play.
I loved Fire Emblem: Awakening and I hope they make more just like it.
9.5/10
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Review:Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
This game is the latest numbered Dragon Quest on a handheld, and I think it's a good one. Like all Dragon Quests before it, it's a fun filled adventure with a ton of puns. The story is simple, but then again it's not supposed to be a super complicated mess, a breath of fresh air from all the cinematic games on the console market.
The story starts off with you as an angel, guarding your village in an attempt to go to a paradise through good deeds and the essence you receiving after receiving thanks. Well, we can't have that so after a disaster occurs you lose your wings and become *gasp* human. You then travel around the world in an attempt to get your wings back and save humans and angels alike.
Your character is somewhat customizable, leading to my first complaint, not enough options for customization. You also customize your party members like this, or you can take what the game gives you. However, what I like is that you can choose your profession. Not at first, of course, but if you wanna chuck fireballs or punch foes' lights out you can after you unlock the opportunity. Your party and yourself are silent so you simply watch as events unfold around you, seeing how it affects those you help and meet. Some like it, some don't, me I don't really have much to say about it. On one hand it's refreshing from hearing your protagonist whine or comment on situations, rather they get up and do something about it. On the other hand having a blank protagonist who simply nods can get annoying.
The combat is straightforward, it's like all other Dragon Quests, you choose what your party does to the foe or have them decide for themselves. It's turn based but can get complicated later on as your jobs and your foes become more extravagant and stronger. I do like the combat like with its predecessors.
The part that I love the most is the multiplayer and dungeons. You can go spelunking for good with buddies, or progress in the story with a friend. The only hazard is that your friends don't progress with you so it can get dull if you have to do the adventure 4 times. That's where the dungeons come in. In the game you get maps to take you to places with plenty of monsters, but you also get plenty of treasure in return. Such adventures can easily occupy your time and break up the monotony of the story. If you go online you can also download quests which can also take up lots of time to get stronger stuff (note: I'm not completely sure if it's still being supported, but it's always worth a shot).
So, in my opinion, Dragon Quest IX is a journey worth taking, the laughs at the ridiculous puns, the multiplayer, and the sheer amount of content from the dungeons and story overtakes most lacking features the game has.
8/10
The story starts off with you as an angel, guarding your village in an attempt to go to a paradise through good deeds and the essence you receiving after receiving thanks. Well, we can't have that so after a disaster occurs you lose your wings and become *gasp* human. You then travel around the world in an attempt to get your wings back and save humans and angels alike.
Your character is somewhat customizable, leading to my first complaint, not enough options for customization. You also customize your party members like this, or you can take what the game gives you. However, what I like is that you can choose your profession. Not at first, of course, but if you wanna chuck fireballs or punch foes' lights out you can after you unlock the opportunity. Your party and yourself are silent so you simply watch as events unfold around you, seeing how it affects those you help and meet. Some like it, some don't, me I don't really have much to say about it. On one hand it's refreshing from hearing your protagonist whine or comment on situations, rather they get up and do something about it. On the other hand having a blank protagonist who simply nods can get annoying.
The combat is straightforward, it's like all other Dragon Quests, you choose what your party does to the foe or have them decide for themselves. It's turn based but can get complicated later on as your jobs and your foes become more extravagant and stronger. I do like the combat like with its predecessors.
The part that I love the most is the multiplayer and dungeons. You can go spelunking for good with buddies, or progress in the story with a friend. The only hazard is that your friends don't progress with you so it can get dull if you have to do the adventure 4 times. That's where the dungeons come in. In the game you get maps to take you to places with plenty of monsters, but you also get plenty of treasure in return. Such adventures can easily occupy your time and break up the monotony of the story. If you go online you can also download quests which can also take up lots of time to get stronger stuff (note: I'm not completely sure if it's still being supported, but it's always worth a shot).
So, in my opinion, Dragon Quest IX is a journey worth taking, the laughs at the ridiculous puns, the multiplayer, and the sheer amount of content from the dungeons and story overtakes most lacking features the game has.
8/10
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
3DS: Monster Hunter 3U
Okay, so I admit I love Monster Hunter. I may not be the best hunter but I certainly taught a few people about the game and even got a couple hooked. When I saw Mh for the 3ds I squealed my fan girl squeal and picked up both the Wii U version and the 3ds version. For the sake of fairness this review is for the 3ds version ONLY due to not everyone wanting two copies.
Okay, so it's considered an expansion by many due to it sharing the same "story" as Tri (and being called 3U), that's how I would sum it up. However, it's a darn good expansion. The game added the bow, gunlance, and dual swords while keeping the ones from Tri around, increasing your weapon choices, and it also adds new monsters, from oldies like Plesioth and Pink Rathian to new ones like Duramboros and Zinogre from 3G (which was Japan only). It even tacked on a kind of lock-on for your convenience of knowing where your target is, my only complaint is that the lock-on seems to be there for those without the circle pad pro, as it just temporarily locks on. That being said I highly recommend the circle pad pro otherwise you could have trouble moving while moving the camera to keep up with that large monster trying to eat you. It is more of a convenience rather than a necessity so it's up to the individual there.
The gameplay is a sharp as ever, your character is responsive (despite the motion reactions to eating, potion drinking, etc), the hit boxes are accurate and they even fixed the horrible Plesioth hit boxes from his psp appearance. The visuals are gorgeous and the 3d is very well done as well. The touch screen makes customization very nice. You can either keep it traditional, or clean up the main screen by putting your health and map on the touch screen, or do a mix, or whatever floats your boat.
Now, there are bad points to the game, for one, no online for the 3ds version. A hazard if you're like me and you want to play with people but no one's nearby. Not a deal breaker but it does make online a wee bit harder. You do get an additional shakalaka pal Kayamba, so it's not all bad, but it does get irritating when you go g-rank and they can't take hits, making it pretty much a solo experience. My other issue is that there is a lack of control customization. That makes some weapons, like the bow, a difficult thing to get used to due to not being able to customize the buttons to make it a comfortable weapon. A minor issue, practice makes perfect.
Overall, I would recommend this to many people, mh fans and newcomers alike. It's different enough from Tri that it very much feels like a fresh experience with plenty of additional content. I just wish it had online multiplayer.
8/10 stars
Monday, May 13, 2013
Review: Dragon Quest: Rocket Slime
My first review is of a 2007 game called Dragon Quest Rocket Slime. It's a DS game with a top-down camera view about a slime named...well...Rocket. You start off in a kingdom named Slimenia where you get attacked by a gang of platypunks called the plobs and it's up to you to stop them and save Slimenia, along the way you'll meet several faces (most only temporarily), and become the hero of Slimenia.
The gameplay is divided between you on foot and another being you controlling a tank. Both are quite simple, on foot you charge into enemies and can either destroy them for items or cash, or plop them onto a cart for delivery to the town where they become inhabitants and eventual helpers for your tank. On certain occasions you'll run into boss fights requiring some effort but not too much. While on foot you collect items (almost anything, from fruit to bombs) that will be your cannon fodder for your tank battles. That's pretty much it, other than to move on in story and save your fellow slimes.
If it sounds boring, well, it kinda is, at least on foot. My main complaint with tank combat is that from what I've seen, it can become a simple endurance contest. One enemy tank loaded so much ammo on me that I just couldn't keep up counter-attacking, so my hp saved me until I could keep up. Helpers help somewhat, but depending on the helper it's best to launch them out of the cannon as well (which, sometimes has its uses actually). Otherwise the tank melees can become quite deep, ammo have different speeds, alchemy can give way to bigger, better ammo, and you can even use some to defend the tank, like turrets and bear traps. For tank fights you have one objective, beat them up until the tank hear is exposed, then destroy it for total victory.
I will give it props for charm, each character has their own personality, uses, and as always for a dq game, lovely puns throughout the wazoo. I loved the vibes it gave off, the colors were bright and
vibrant, and I felt sorry for the slimes of Slimenia when they got invaded if only because they are adorable. The story is somewhat absent otherwise, most characters have no reason to anything if only "just because", so don't look for anything deep.
Overall, I would recommend it for fans of the Dragon Quest series, those who want a strategy-esque games, and those who are looking for something fresh, I have yet to see anything similar to Rocket Slime. It was a fun ride for me while it lasted.
7/10 stars
The gameplay is divided between you on foot and another being you controlling a tank. Both are quite simple, on foot you charge into enemies and can either destroy them for items or cash, or plop them onto a cart for delivery to the town where they become inhabitants and eventual helpers for your tank. On certain occasions you'll run into boss fights requiring some effort but not too much. While on foot you collect items (almost anything, from fruit to bombs) that will be your cannon fodder for your tank battles. That's pretty much it, other than to move on in story and save your fellow slimes.
If it sounds boring, well, it kinda is, at least on foot. My main complaint with tank combat is that from what I've seen, it can become a simple endurance contest. One enemy tank loaded so much ammo on me that I just couldn't keep up counter-attacking, so my hp saved me until I could keep up. Helpers help somewhat, but depending on the helper it's best to launch them out of the cannon as well (which, sometimes has its uses actually). Otherwise the tank melees can become quite deep, ammo have different speeds, alchemy can give way to bigger, better ammo, and you can even use some to defend the tank, like turrets and bear traps. For tank fights you have one objective, beat them up until the tank hear is exposed, then destroy it for total victory.
I will give it props for charm, each character has their own personality, uses, and as always for a dq game, lovely puns throughout the wazoo. I loved the vibes it gave off, the colors were bright and
vibrant, and I felt sorry for the slimes of Slimenia when they got invaded if only because they are adorable. The story is somewhat absent otherwise, most characters have no reason to anything if only "just because", so don't look for anything deep.
Overall, I would recommend it for fans of the Dragon Quest series, those who want a strategy-esque games, and those who are looking for something fresh, I have yet to see anything similar to Rocket Slime. It was a fun ride for me while it lasted.
7/10 stars
Friday, May 10, 2013
Welcome to my handheld POV!
Hello and welcome to my handheld POV. Basically all throughout this I will be discussing Nintendo 3ds and ds games and the system itself, through reviews and possibly news on Nintendo's latest handhelds if I can find anything juicy enough (most likely just reviews though heheh).
This is in no way affiliated with Nintendo, it's just a fan thing for fans. However, it is a partnered with Nintendo Frontier, so check it out for news and more reviews.
This is in no way affiliated with Nintendo, it's just a fan thing for fans. However, it is a partnered with Nintendo Frontier, so check it out for news and more reviews.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)