Thursday, July 25, 2013

Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games - Part Four

While it'd be like shooting fish in a barrel to select Nintendo Wii U games that were overlooked (anything but New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendo Land, we guess), we decided to once again spotlight our favorite platform of the year so far, the Nintendo 3DS, for Part Four of our Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games series. These five games didn't sell to potential, didn't get much buzz, or they simply fell through the proverbial cracks. Regardless of their reason for not doing well in the market, we would like to highlight these games. Perhaps we'll get you interested enough to try a couple out!

For past Nintendo 3DS games that we felt were overlooked, check out these three links!


Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate


A followup to the Castlevania reboot, Lords of Shadow, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate attempted to bring back the Metroid-vania style gameplay to the series. The jury's still out on whether it succeeded or not. What we do know is that the game features some excellent combat, really impressive visuals and some vicious enemies to take down. While it isn't in the league of older Castlevania games like Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow or Super Castlevania IV, Mirror of Fate should scratch the itch of those looking for a more traditional Castlevania title.

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D


Pretty much doomed to failure when the announcement of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection with a price that matched the 3DS game, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D was initially shown off in prototype form with glorious graphics. The final product doesn't have the impressive visuals of that prototype, but Snake Eater 3D is still a looker. The end game is something that is worth playing for those without a Vita or an HD console and access to the HD collection. Snake Eater 3D contains some interesting additions, such as an over-the-shoulder third-person view, crouch-walking, Yoshi dolls replacing the hidden Kerotan frogs of the original game, as well as the ability to create your own camouflage. The game is imperfect, with sudden framerate drops, but those willing to put up with them will find a worthy addition to their 3DS library.

Project X Zone


An unprecedented crossover game, containing characters from three of Japan's big-time publishers, Namco Bandai, Capcom and SEGA, Project X Zone is a game that many believed would never reach the West. The stars must have all aligned or at least hell must have frozen over, as the game reached our side of the world. The primary focus of the game is a strategy RPG, with battles taking place in real time, similar to a very simple fighting game. Characters from series such as Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Gods Eater, Valkyria Chronicles, Mega Man X, Sakura Wars, Tekken and many more make up the roster of both allies and enemies. You can look forward to Phil's review of Project X Zone sometime in the near future, as it is quite a lengthy game!

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers


Goodness gracious, what lengthy titles some of these games have! Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers is an upgraded port of the original Soul Hackers game, which released in 1997 on the SEGA Saturn. With this 3DS port, it is the first time the game has been available in the West. With it, comes the series's usual occult-based story, a more relaxed difficulty to invite beginners to play, faster loading times, thirty new demons, voice acting for every scene and much more. A severely niche series in the West, Soul Hackers did not light sales charts on fire, and most stores did not carry the game. One would have to shop online or head to GameStop to pick up the game. That said, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Sum-- you get the idea-- is a game that is deep, complex and ultimately really fun.

Style Savvy: Trendsetters


Up until now, we've focused on titles more befitting of a hardcore player. This final addition to the Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games list is a game that we didn't think we'd enjoy. However, we gave Style Savvy: Trendsetters a try, and we absolutely adored it. Starting as an assistant at a fashion shop, and then making your way as the owner, being able to satisfy clients' clothing preferences, keep up with stock, as well as enter fashion contest made for a game that has a lot of content to it. No, it's not epic like the other games listed here today, but it's really worth looking into if you love customization and having a lot of options open to you. Unfortunately, the 3DS is currently not as appealing to the casual gamer as much as the Nintendo DS was, making the sales for this casual-oriented title less than desirable in the West. But don't get us wrong-- you can play through Style Savvy: Trendsetters and enjoy it even if you're hardcore gamers like us.

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We have concluded another installment of Most Overlooked Games. Perhaps next time we will return to looking at one of the HD consoles. Until then, keep up to date with SuperPhillip Central by visiting us on a daily basis. Thanks for your continued readership!

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