Sequels, Please! - New Installments I'd Love to See - Christmas Week Edition

The holiday season has kids and kids at heart coming up with wishlists for the season. I have a Christmas wishlist, but it's less about getting a shiny new PS4 and more about game sequels that I would love to see made. I've gotten some of my pleas for sequels answered with titles like Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby Canvas Curse, and Resident Evil Revelations. Let's see if I get lucky with any of these seven picks for potential sequels.

Dragon's Dogma

The first game on this edition of Sequels, Please! is Dragon's Dogma, a game that to me is a very Eastern take on a series like The Elder Scrolls. It has you playing as your avatar, venturing through a massive world, battling everything from packs of wolves to overpowering ogres and dragons. An expansion came out for the game in the form of Dark Arisen, but that wasn't enough to whet my appetite for a completely new Dragon's Dogma experience. The pair of titles did well enough for Capcom to express interest in doing a sequel, and this is one of those series that would get me very interested in a current gen console other than the Wii U.

Jak and Daxter

While Naughty Dog is apparently set in their ways as developing realistic titles only now, that leaves their old creations, Jak and Daxter, hung out to dry. We all saw a glimpse of the dynamic duo in the PSP entry The Lost Frontier, but what I'd personally love to see is a reboot of the series by a different studio. Whether it retains the "edgier" look and feel of Jak 2 and on or goes back to the series' roots with Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie style progression and tone doesn't really matter as long as a new entry gets released. (But seriously, more like the original Jak and Daxter, please.) All I know is that the 3D platformer genre has been mighty empty recently, and Mario and Ratchet & Clank alone isn't enough for me.

Rayman Legends

Between Rayman Origins and its sequel Rayman Legends, Rayman and Ubisoft hit players with a one-two punch of 2D platforming awesomeness. If you followed the game at all, you should recall that Rayman Legends was originally planned as a Wii U exclusive, but poor sales of Ubisoft's Wii U launch title ZombiU put the kibosh on that. That version was delayed to release with the all-new Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ports. Anyhow, Rayman Legends felt content-starved, even with the extra nine months of development time. (It says a lot when a good portion of your game's levels are recycled from its predecessor.) I'd love to see a sequel that gets enough time in the oven, but seeing as how Ubisoft loves putting out unfinished games, perhaps it's better that Rayman takes a break for now.

ModNation Racers

The ModNation Racers series has seen three entries released on three different platforms. The most recent of these was the PlayStation Vita launch title ModNation Racers: Road Trip, a game I greatly enjoyed. Not only is the series a great introduction to kart racers, throwing in a lot of personality, charm, and creativity, but it's also fantastic for veterans of the genre, especially those who have a creative bone in their body in order to concoct their own player avatars, vehicles, and tracks. Road Trip made it very easy to create something out of nothing, and a PlayStation 4 installment would get me to jump on Sony's mad-popular machine quite quickly.

Wipeout

This next game series may be hoping against hope, as the original developer, SCE Studio Liverpool has since been dismantled. Alongside F-Zero, it truly seems like the futuristic racer is but a fantasy for many gamers. However, it's a hole that cannot be replaced, even by the anti-gravity hijinks of Mario Kart 8. It's just not the same. Wipeout was a lot like F-Zero, obviously taking a fair amount of inspiration from the series, but it also threw in a combat aspect in the form of weaponry. Just thinking about an all-new Wipeout running on the PlayStation 4 has my eyes watering with anticipation. Is the anticipation for naught? Perhaps, but bigger miracles in gaming have happened in the past.

The Legendary Starfy

Nintendo gave folks outside of Japan a taste of The Legendary Starfy series with the fifth installment. The DS game of the same name was the only one released in the West, and it's also the latest entry in the series as of 2009. Starfy reminds me a bit of Kirby in its platforming simplicity and accessibility. Whether it be a new Nintendo 3DS sequel or heck, even a re-release of all five Starfy games in one nice package, it'd be great for us lowly non-Japanese gamers to get another dose of the princely star... fish. Star? Starfish? Eh, it doesn't matter!

Wario World

I mentioned Jak and Daxter as a 3D platformer before, but what about a return to the 3D platforming of Wario World? It's probably a fool's errand, but "fool" just so happens to be my middle name. Wario World was the garlic-chomping portly plumber's first starring role in a home console title, and while it was on the short side, it exuded with action and engaging platforming. It doesn't even need to be a joint effort between Nintendo and Treasure, who worked on the GameCube original. All it needs are gorgeous environments to jump, charge attack, ground pound, and run through and a funky soundtrack.

The 50 Best Nintendo DS Games - Part Four

Once again we arrive at a Thursday night. That obviously means that it is time to list off ten more of the most fantastic Nintendo DS retail games the system has ever known. This list describes the best and the brightest of the library. Perhaps some of my picks will attract you to tracking down a game or two yourself that you never would have tried out. Regardless, remember that the games on this list must have launched in North America to be included. With that out of the way, let's get to the next ten titles!

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

The final of the two mainline Zelda games to reach the Nintendo DS, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks brought with it the same novel touch control gameplay of Phantom Hourglass with less of the headaches. No longer did players have to traverse an overly familiar Temple of the Ocean King after each dungeon, getting deeper and deeper inside each visit. Instead, players visited a tower after each dungeon, with no need to revisit past areas inside. The sea that players explored in Phantom Hourglass was replaced by a more modern means of transportation, a train. One of my favorite parts of Spirit Tracks was the new role Princess Zelda adapted to, a helper role. No longer was she captured by Ganon, sealed up - no, she could possess Phantoms to help Link solve puzzles. The relationship between the two characters was really genuine, natural, and felt fresh, something great for the series. If you have an open mind to different control schemes (i.e. you aren't an annoying type of gamer who is stuck in his or her comfort zone, won't try anything new, etc.), then The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a spirited pick.

The Legendary Starfy

After years of games being exclusive to Japan, Nintendo's Starfy character finally swam across the Pacific and into the West with The Legendary Starfy. It is actually the fifth game in the series, but the first for the West. Regardless, the game reminds people a lot of Kirby in its level design, ease of difficulty, and aesthetics. This DS release had 2D sprites and foreground objects while the backgrounds were full 3D renders. It was an interesting and diversified art style, for sure. Starfy could access one of many costumes to turn into a ghost, a seal, a dragon, and even a chicken. Yes, a chicken. How cool is that?! Another cool feature of the game was the ability to play cooperatively with a friend between two DS systems and only one copy of the game between each. Usually players needed two copies of the game for such a mode. Nonetheless, co-op could only be performed during certain areas and boss battles, and not the full game. I really hope that the rest of the Starfy series somehow makes its way to the West. I wish upon a star for such a miracle.

DK: Jungle Climber

One of the more overlooked and under-appreciated Game Boy Advance titles was DK: King of Swing. It didn't possess the same 3D rendering art style of the Donkey Kong Country series, replacing it with a more Saturday morning cartoon feel. In DK: Jungle Climber, the star of the show is, of course, Donkey Kong, but rather than going it alone like in King of Swing, he is partnered up with Diddy Kong. Just like King of Swing, DK: Jungle Climber has you holding down L and R to lea into the air, and cycling between the shoulder button to grab onto pegs, which make up the majority of levels. You're essentially using the L button to clinch the character's left hand, and the R button to clinch the character's right. Grabbing onto one peg at once allows DK or Diddy to spin, allowing them to move through each level. The game is a very atypical platformer, but it contains all of the features of the popular Donkey Kong Country series, such as bananas, bonus areas, bosses, Kremlings, and more. The game is constantly throwing new surprises into the gameplay. For instance, one level has DK being mirrored on the top and bottom screen. The player must watch both screens and navigate both Kongs through the area without hitting an object on either screen, or else the section must be redone. It's these clever ideas and gameplay elements that make for an exciting and challenging game.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin was a series of firsts for the franchise. If I recall correctly, it was the first Castlevania with some form of cooperative multiplayer component, and it was the first handheld Castlevania with English voice work. Portrait of Ruin consists of a setup similar to Dawn of Sorrow's Julius Mode. Players switch between two heroes on their quest to vanquish the vampire king once more. Many puzzles require changing between the two to solve them. The "portrait" in Portrait of Ruin refers to the paintings that both heroes can leap into a la Super Mario 64 to enter new worlds outside of the confines of Dracula's castle - regardless of how expansive it very well is. Like every other Metroid-style Castlevania title, Portrait of Ruin has players earning new abilities to reach previously inaccessible areas. There's a bevy of bonus modes such as Sisters Mode, Richter Mode, Old Axe Armor Mode, and a Boss Rush to relive all of the intense encounters of the game. Despite all of these features and quirks, Portrait of Ruin is probably my least favorite of the Castlevania trilogy on the Nintendo DS. It's still a sensationally worthwhile game to pick up, so don't get me wrong in the slightest.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

The first mainline Dragon Quest to arrive on a Nintendo platform in over a decade, and the first mainline Dragon Quest to launch on a handheld, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies did a lot to evolve the franchise from its old school roots. For example, it brought with it the elimination of random encounters, a nuisance that was a terrific example of archaic game design in classic RPGs. It also brought forth local multiplayer and even some online functionality. A vast shift in philosophy regarding playable characters was also a part of the package with Dragon Quest IX. Players did not get issued a standard hero with no ability to customize his appearance. Instead, players could map out their hero's gender, race, hair style, and all the way down to their eye shape. But don't think that the ninth installment of this epic role-playing series changed for the worst or was indecipherable from the rest of the series. No, turn-based battles were still present and an important part of the game. In fact, Dragon Quest IX was noticeably more challenging than past Dragon Quest games, too, despite being on a Nintendo system. Generally developers get the idea that Nintendo owners want dumb downed experiences. Thankfully, Level-5 did not go this route, and they created a brilliant RPG for it, with tons (and I do mean tons) of quest to partake in. Dragon Quest IX was one meaty experience worthy of any RPG fan's time.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Many people were disappointed with how Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars wasn't in line with typical GTA games (i.e. fully 3D). The game was an overhead viewpoint with a camera that could be revolved around 360 degrees. However, to those who actually played the game, they found a delightful, coarse in content, and full of thrills GTA experience on the Nintendo DS. And finally no longer did I have to run out of a warning zone to lower my police notoriety; I could demolish as many police cars as possible instead. The more my wanted level was, the more cop cars I needed to destroy. No doubt at all that fans of current day GTA have no desire to return to the top-down perspective that Chinatown Wars holds onto. This old school approach to the design not only affected sales of the Nintendo DS version, but it hurt sales when the PSP port was released, too. It is a shame because Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is one of the DS's most expansive, ambitious, and wonderful games (from a Western third-party no less) on the Nintendo DS.

Meteos

What do you get when you partner up the man behind Rez and Lumines, and the creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros.? Why, you get Meteos, a daring puzzler for the Nintendo DS that arrived within the system's first year on the market. Generally a player will be fixated on the bottom screen where blocks tumble from the top screen to the player's viewpoint and form stacks of blocks. Sounds similar to many puzzle games like Tetris and Lumines, right? Well, the trick here is that the player is able to cycle blocks up and down in the stack with the desire to line up a minimum of three blocks in a row, vertically or horizontally. Once this feat has been achieved, the matching blocks will launch like a rocket and propel themselves into space (in battle mode, they will appear on the player's opponent's side). There are even more ways to manage to ignite even more blocks to create one large propulsion of blocks to clear most of the player's screen. The goal is to send as many blocks as possible into orbit. One of the only downsides to Meteos is that simple scribbling could make the game easier for players without much skill. The sequel to the game, Meteos: Disney Magic, would make efforts to eliminate such tactics. Nonetheless, the original game is still what I perceive to be the definitive version of Meteos.

Metroid Prime Hunters

If you recall back when the Nintendo DS first launched way back in 2004, it came with a rough demo of Metroid Prime Hunters called First Hunt. The full game would be released one-and-a-half years later by NST, a team within Nintendo. Metroid Prime Hunters was quite unlike any other Metroid before it. Its focus was not only just on the single-player experience, but it possessed a fully functionality and extensive multiplayer component. The campaign wasn't that revolutionary. Find keys, battle bosses, escape before the area explodes, rinse and repeat. It could be viewed as repetitive, really. But where the game truly shines is with its multiplayer. Taking 20 or so locales from the story mode, adding a host of weapons, and the bounty hunters shown in the game, and turning Metroid into a frag-fest made for an interesting and entertaining dynamic. Some might complain that the series was shoehorned into a genre that it doesn't fit, but many Nintendo fanatics proclaim that Metroid could be Nintendo's Halo. Regardless of whether or not this is an insane thing to say (well, a lot of Nintendo fanatics come off as insane and scare me deeply anyway), Metroid Prime Hunters and its innovative control scheme made for nights of intense fragging between friends and total strangers, online and off.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon

A remake of the very first Fire Emblem game (not that many Westerners played the original), Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon was the first Nintendo DS entry for the series, as the developers wanted to show off the system's touch screen and online capabilities. The latter made for the first Fire Emblem game with online functionality, allowing two players to hop online and battle it out. Shadow Dragon was comprised of twenty-five individual chapters of war and destruction. There are six difficulties to choose from, so everyone from beginners to Fire Emblem veterans could jump in and enjoy the game. Battles are turn-based tactical affairs where over twenty specialized units are available for combat. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is yet another capable entry in the well regarded franchise, and it helps illustrate just how far the series has come. From its earliest days on the Famicom to its latest and one of the most popular installments yet in Fire Emblem: Awakening, the fire burns bright for Nintendo's tactical franchise.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift

The final game of Part Four of tonight's article is another kind of tactical RPG, but this time it comes from the universe of Final Fantasy Tactics and the world of Ivalice. It is Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift. Many changes took place between this Nintendo DS installment and the Game Boy Advance's Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. For one, there are over 300 unique missions in the game. Some are story-related while others net the player's party with unique rewards. This means that if players want to see everything FFT A2 has to offer, they will have to devote a serious amount of hours to do so. Some enemies have gotten especially large and now take up more than one square on a battlefield. The amount of jobs and abilities has been expanded as well, allowing party members to equip weapons and armor pertaining to their jobs. Through gaining Ability Points, or AP, new abilities are learned. Like Tactics Advance before it, Grimoire of the Rift makes for a whimsical journey, a completely stark contrast to the war-torn version of Ivalice of the original Final Fantasy Tactics. What wraps up this fun-filled tactical RPG is the charming presentation, from the bright and detailed visuals (backgrounds, sprites, special effects, etc.) to the marvelous music. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift is quite the capable game for fans of the series and games where you need to plan your actions out thoroughly to enjoy.

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And just like that we have but one more part to The 50 Best Nintendo DS Games to travel through. Forty games have already been listed and adequately detailed. There's only ten more to go. Will your favorites be mentioned? If you somehow missed a previous part of the list of fifty, check out the various parts here:

The 50 Best Nintendo DS Games - Part One
The 50 Best Nintendo DS Games - Part Two
The 50 Best Nintendo DS Games - Part Three

More Desired Super Smash Bros. 4 Newcomers

Kid Icarus: Uprising releases for the Nintendo 3DS today in North America and Europe. The creator of this game is also the man behind the incredibly popular Super Smash Bros. series. Last week I listed seven hopeful newcomers for the next installment of the franchise. This week I have seven more Nintendo characters that I think would make great additions to the lineup of all-stars.

Little Mac (Punch-Out!!)


The pummeling pugilist Little Mac is due for some spotlight outside of the ring. He's KO'd the best of them: King Hippo, Mr. Sandman, and heck, even Mike Tyson! Little Mac could have an interesting variety of moves. He could obviously punch foes mercilessly, perhaps even use a ring bell to knock some sense into his opponents. For his Final Smash (pending they return in SSB4) he could summon Doc Louis to ride a bike while Little Mac chases, dealing serious damage to whoever is unfortunate (or stupid) enough to get in the way. This character was present as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, but it is time for Little Mac to get his chance to shine.

Starfy (The Legendary Starfy)


You will notice that there are a lot of characters I want in the next Smash Bros. game that were merely Assist Trophies in Brawl. Starfy is yet another one of these characters. The series this star is from is a long running series that only has seen one title released in North America, the fifth installment. It sold adequately, so I look forward to see if the starry hero will return in a new adventure. That said, Starfy's twirl ability gives him and edge over the competition as well as take the form of multiple animals via donning different costumes as seen in his games. Maybe he could even team up with his female counterpart Starly to dish out proper punishment.

Lyn (Fire Emblem)


I am a huge proponent of having more female characters to round out the Smash Bros. roster. Lyn is a young woman who knows how to get things done. Her blade is one force to be reckoned with, allowing her to cleave, carve, cut, and slice any opponent who dares come her way. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, she was-- you guessed it-- an Assist Trophy. Her entrance into the arena had her drawing her sword for a few moments before speeding across the battlefield, knocking out any unaware victim. My knowledge of the Fire Emblem franchise is limited, so do you think Lyn would be a capable character and addition to the SSB4 lineup? We need some Lynsanity.

Ray MK III (Custom Robo)


Even toys can be fierce fighters as evident by the Custom Robo series. Ray MK III is the newest version of the main robo of the series. If the robust robo appeared as it did in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it would be too small to actually do battle. It wouldn't be fair, so a larger form of the toy would be more interesting. Custom Robos have a stockade of weaponry at their disposal such as bombs, lasers, missiles, and more. Ray MK III could utilize all of these to add one amazing adversary and addition to the Smash 4 roster.

Isaac (Golden Sun)


A boy from the town of Vale who would journey across the continent of Weyward, lighting the four elemental Lighthouses to save the world, Isaac is the main character of the original Golden Sun. He would appear in its sequel, The Lost Age, and return in older form in the DS' Dark Dawn. Issac's primary direct attacks would be with his sword, but his indirect assaults on foes could use Psynergy, or magic. A Final Smash could be one of many of Golden Sun's unique and intimidating summons. I was surprised and quite frankly disappointed that Isaac was relegated to only Assist Trophy status in Brawl instead of as an active fighter. Here's hoping this changes with Super Smash Bros. 4.

Jill (Drill Dozer)


A young girl who as a baby did not use a carriage but instead her Dozer vehicle, Jill from Game Freak's latest new IP (which was way back in 2006, by the by) punishes punks by driving her drill straight into their chest cavities. When she really gets cooking, her machine produces a whirlwind that can certainly mess adversaries up severely. I don't really know if a person in a vehicle like Jill would really gel with the Smash Bros. setting, but it would never hurt to try, right? Jill has enough maneuvers from her game to establish an interesting moveset.

Zoroark (Pokemon)


The bipedal Pokemon choice for the next Smash Bros. game, Zoroark would take the place of Lucario and Mewtwo before him. Zoroark has the ability to assume the appearance of any Pokemon it meets. It is also a master of Dark-type moves, so there you have a myriad of attacks at this Pokemon's disposal. A Final Smash could have this fox Pokemon using Night Shade on all comers, attacking with a strong intensity. Unlike the legendary Pokemon of Black and White, Zoroark is actually a reasonable-sized creature that could fit in-game.

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Do you like my picks for more wanted Super Smash Bros. 4 newcomers? If you haven't already, specify which Nintendo all-stars you'd like to see in the next Smash Bros. game.

The Legendary Starfy (DS) Review

Today is Sunday when I'm posting this since I'm behind, but this post is for Wednesday. I'm just going to call this a time paradox and move on. Where shall I be moving onto? How about a brand-new review? All right. Sounds good to me. It's close enough to call it summertime, so I think a game featuring majestic coasts and swims through coral landscapes is perfect to kick us off, no? Here's The Legendary Starfy for the Nintendo DS.

A Star is Born

Starfy... Starfy... That name rings a bell... er... star. Actually, it probably doesn't for most people. There's definitely a good reason for that as Starfy has had four past video games starting with his debut in 2002 on the Game Boy Advance. The only obstacle here is that no one outside of Japan got a retail release for it... or the sequel... or the sequel of the sequel.. or the-- you get where I'm going with this. Now up to its fifth installment, and Starfy has finally swam all that way into the Western world with The Legendary Starfy for the Nintendo DS. Hopefully after such a long period of time, the wait will be worth it. Is Starfy really legendary, or should this legend have just stayed in Japan?

The star spin is Starfy's main line of offense.

The legendary Starfy isn't just a hero-- he's the prince of Pufftop, a kingdom in the clouds. Napping one day in his royal chambers, a mysterious visitor, an amnesiac bunny in a space suit, crashed through the ceiling and rammed into our sleeping star. As if one unexpected guest wasn't enough, three more marched into the room. This dastardly trio had orders to capture the bunny. During the commotion, the startled bunny escaped with the shadowy trio pursuing. Starfy, alongside his best friend: a clam named Moe, leap into the sparkling ocean far below. The game has you collecting crystal shards from bosses and major enemies which bring back a piece of Bunston the bunny's memory. It's rather formulaic, and it's nothing we haven't seen before in a video game. The game has some heartfelt moments, but they just come off as cheesy.

The story itself is told through comic book-styled cut-scenes as well as in-game speech bubbles for ordinary conversations. These can all be skipped with a press of the start button for those not caring for prose when it concerns a cute spinning star. As for the in-game visuals, The Legendary Starfy uses an impressive mix between 2-D foreground walls, ceilings, floors, and character sprites and 3-D backgrounds which really show off the DS's power, moreso than other platformers on the system. While most of the enemies are 2-D, a couple bosses are actually rather well-done 3-D models. The music is largely forgettable, but don't be surprised if you come off humming a tune as you play.

2-D foregrounds and 3-D backgrounds
create a wonderful effect for the eyes.

The Legendary Starfy has two types of gameplay in it. The first is your traditional run and jump platforming that is synonymous with games of the genre. The second displays Starfy's sensational swimming prowess. Swimming is fast, fun, and easy to do. This isn't Mario taking a plunge in Super Mario World. No, no. Starfy can turn on a dime underwater, boost to gain speed, and use his star spin attack to smash various baddies out of the way as well as bust through walls and other breakable blocks. Use the spin attack too many times in too swift of a succession, and Starfy will become momentarily dizzy and vulnerable to enemy attacks. At the beginning of the game, Starfy doesn't have all of his abilities available to him. As you progress through the game Moe will help the forgetful starman remember his moves one at a time, from the ultra helpful double jump to the slow descent glide move plus many more. If you want to uncover every hidden treasure in the game, you'll need to return to past levels to utilize a move you didn't have when you originally ventured there.

There's plenty of bonus goodies to be had in The Legendary Starfy. There's eight worlds throughout the duration of the game's story with two bonus worlds, one of which features Starfy's precocious sister, Starly. Each world has a different theme from haunted pirate ships, great glaciers, and hot springs to sky high hijinks, a lush tropical lagoon, and even outer space. A map, similar to what you'd see in Donkey Kong Country, ties together all of the levels, although much less detailed. In each world there's four main levels with three secret levels that can be unlocked by finding a special door in a given level and completing a challenge. You'll never do the same type of challenge twice whether you're racing someone to the top of a room, counting bad guys in the background, or taking down all of the enemies in a room. There's also treasure chests in each level to plunder, 102 in all to be exact. Some levels have three while others only have one to find. Some house notes while others hold costumes for Starfy to wear in the pause menu or give Starfy more health or a new bonus to one of Bunston's abilities.

Some levels you'll slide on ice while
others you'll ride on a mine cart.

Speaking of Bunston, once you catch up with him and he finally tags along with you, you'll have multiple opportunities throughout the game to transform into one of four animal forms. You'll only get to transform when Bunston is thinking of transforming, and you'll only get to transform into what Bunston is thinking of. Selfish little wascally wabbit. Each transformation has a different use. The red dinosaur can breathe a heavy wall of fire out at enemies while the white seal-like creature can swim through water at a break-neck pace. There's an animal upgrade for each of the four transformations. Collecting these is a must to reach secret areas within the game.

Something that is a must for a good game is good control, and The Legendary Starfy delivers that in spades... er... stars. The control is very accessible to younger players without feeling dumbed down for the older gamer. Just the control pad and face buttons are generally used. B and Y are primarily used in tandem with the control pad in order to perform most of Starfy's moves while the X button enters doors and the like. The touch screen is relegated to changing the HUD where you pearl total (used to purchase new costumes from Moe's shop in the pause menu as well as get character figures from the toy machine) and the options menu is located.

Two players can co-star in the game via local play.

I think the largest problem someone going into The Legendary Starfy will face is that the game is on the easy side. Those who are looking for a serious challenge should stick to Yoshi's Island DS as we're talking Kirby-easy here. Bosses rarely put up a challenge, gaining back health is as simple as picking up five pearls which are generously placed throughout the game, and the levels, while a joy to play, rarely pose a problem for an experienced gamer. Is that to say this game isn't worth playing or owning for someone older? Of course not. Just don't expect your gaming skills to be put through the ringer.... well, until you reach World 10.

The Legendary Starfy is a wonderful platformer that any open-minded DS owner will fall in love with. There's enough content to last upwards of fifteen hours with eight story worlds to complete plus two bonus worlds, multiple treasures to track down, seventy levels to explore, a boss rush mode to tackle, and an adventure that's worth going through over and over. Here's hoping we won't have to wait for five more installments until we get another one of Starfy's adventures.

[SuperPhillip Says: 8.5/10]