Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme with Rhythm Heaven Fever for Wii. Nintendo has released this game to the masses, so if you're in the mood to, head feverishly to a game retailer near you. The $30 price tag is quite appealing, and the over 50 mini-games available to play sweeten the deal. If you're on the fence, check out this launch trailer to see if the game is right for you.
Monday, February 13, 2012
SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Nintendo & Sega All-Stars Edition
We have reached that point in the week where I divulge more of my favorite themes from the annuls of video game history. Today is a special week as I have five songs from Nintendo games and five songs from Sega games. Before they were bitter rivals, but now they play nice like good companies should. This installment of my favorite VGMs has music from such franchises as Star Fox, Kirby, Super Monkey Ball, and Space Channel 5. Let's start with thing!
v36. Star Fox Assault (GCN) - Sauria
The Aparoid menace has invaded Dinosaur Planet, and it's up to Star Fox to clear them out. Fox takes on the threat by trekking through caverns, temples, and plateaus in this open-ended mission. Whether he chooses to go by foot, by Landmaster, or in the air via the Arwing, the mission is backed by this lovely orchestral theme. Star Fox Assault was one of Nintendo's first games with a full-fledged orchestra, and it sounds just heavenly. Many dislike Assault, but it's right up behind Star Fox 64 as my favorite in the franchise.
v37. Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii) - Lava Landing
This piece solely uses the piano for both its melody and accompaniment. The bass creates a sense of tension while the light piano melody creates a sense of wonder. Lava Landing was a level which had players turning into a fire truck to extinguish the volcano's fiery flames and progress deeper within the level. Kirby's Epic Yarn was originally going to be its own IP-- without Kirby at all. Nintendo opted to throw in Kirby to the gorgeous graphical engine where everything is made of yarn and patches, and their decision seems to have worked wonderfully as the game is in the millions sold.
v38. F-Zero GX (GCN) - Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon's theme is a poignant, rockin' one. Dai Kasho composed the various pilot themes of F-Zero GX. If his name is not familiar to you, he also did the original vocal songs from Gran Tursimo 4 on the PlayStation 2. Alan Brey lends his vocal talents as the main man singing. As for the game it puts your driving and racing skills to the ultimate test. There's 29 other racers gunning to take you out, so it's best to pull out all the stops and go mach speed and leave them in the dust!
v39. Wario Land: Shake It! (Wii) - Whoopsy Desert
Wario Land: Shake It! is yet another proficient project from Good Feel, the team behind Kirby's Epic Yarn. Another great graphical style with cutscenes from the terrific anime studio of Production I.G. I liked Wario Land's Wii entry as there was a lot to do such as finding treasures, completing challenges, and finding paths to exit levels quickly. Whoopsy Desert could be classified as what you get when you combine Arabian flair with pure, driven funk. All-in-all, it's a nice combination if I do say so myself.
v40. Animal Crossing (GCN) - 8pm
The game that took over my life the year it came out, Animal Crossing is a series that is near and dear to my heart. I greatly enjoy conversing with my fellow villagers, collecting furniture, sending out rude letters, participating in the various events and holidays, and making my town the best it can be. The GameCube version of Animal Crossing holds the greatest soundtrack of the three games that were released in the West. It seems more wholesome and tender. I anxiously await the Nintendo 3DS installment due out some time this year.
v41. Space Channel 5 (DC) - Blank TV: Ulala Support Chant
We begin our journey through the world of Sega music with Space Channel 5, a cult classic from the Dreamcast, Sega's final console effort. Though fans of the series won't have to wait long for action similar to the game as the upcoming Nintendo 3DS title Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure has a section of the game based off Ulala's antics. This song begins a capella before eventually building a crescendo with a bass guitar, brass, and heavy vocals. It is a reinvigorating track for sure.
v42. Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg (GCN) - Tumbling Xylophone
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg was Yuji Naka's (Sonic the Hedgehog's father) creation, and it was a GameCube exclusive. The game had players in the role of Billy Hatcher who rolled eggs over enemies, bounced to new heights, and took down evil pirates. All in a day's work for Mr. Hatcher. Naka would go on to form his own company, Prope, and would create such games as Let's Tap, Fishing Resort, and the in-limbo-though-completed Rodea the Sky Soldier. As for this song it is particularly peppy as is commonplace for the music of the game. Shocking news: there's a xylophone that plays prominently in this piece.
v43. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Wii) - Monkey Island
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz for Wii was a launch title for the system, and it introduced a jumping mechanic and ill-fated boss battles to the game. Unfortunately the level design wasn't quite up to par, and the game suffered for it. What didn't suffer was the incredibly catchy soundtrack that accompanied the game's colorful worlds. Monkey Island is the first world in the game which was full of courses with railings and easy-to-navigate pathways. My favorite part of this theme just so happens to be between 0:33 and 0:58.
v44. Phantasy Star Universe (360, PS2) - Moatoob
Performed by the Hollywood Session Orchestra, Moatoob is the theme of the desert city that players frequent in the underwhelming Phantasy Star Universe. Coming off Phantasy Star Online, Universe was anything but impressive. The developers somehow managed to take something special in the Dreamcast original and bastardize it completely. The single-player story mode was tedious to trek through, the online was glitch-filled, but the only solace of the game was its sensational soundtrack as Moatoob proves.
v45. The House of the Dead: Overkill (PS3, Wii) - Get Funky
Before you click the link, just be forewarned that the content in the lyrics and words spoken is explicit. It is recommended for ages 17 and up. With that out of the way, The House of the Dead: Overkill was an unapologetic on-rails shooter with a grindhouse feel. Everything from the rude and crude story to the film reel filter given to the game's graphics gave off this sentiment. Get Funky is one of the better songs in the game, and it is not only catchy but it is definitely a comical one, too.
And just like that this week's worth of VGMs is complete. Since we've done music from Nintendo, since we've done music from Sega, why not do some music from another developer? Let's do Capcom next week! From Mega Man to Resident Evil, Capcom is home to lots of unique franchises. Stay tuned as it is sure to be captivating. Ooh, I made a pun!
v36. Star Fox Assault (GCN) - Sauria
The Aparoid menace has invaded Dinosaur Planet, and it's up to Star Fox to clear them out. Fox takes on the threat by trekking through caverns, temples, and plateaus in this open-ended mission. Whether he chooses to go by foot, by Landmaster, or in the air via the Arwing, the mission is backed by this lovely orchestral theme. Star Fox Assault was one of Nintendo's first games with a full-fledged orchestra, and it sounds just heavenly. Many dislike Assault, but it's right up behind Star Fox 64 as my favorite in the franchise.
v37. Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii) - Lava Landing
This piece solely uses the piano for both its melody and accompaniment. The bass creates a sense of tension while the light piano melody creates a sense of wonder. Lava Landing was a level which had players turning into a fire truck to extinguish the volcano's fiery flames and progress deeper within the level. Kirby's Epic Yarn was originally going to be its own IP-- without Kirby at all. Nintendo opted to throw in Kirby to the gorgeous graphical engine where everything is made of yarn and patches, and their decision seems to have worked wonderfully as the game is in the millions sold.
v38. F-Zero GX (GCN) - Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon's theme is a poignant, rockin' one. Dai Kasho composed the various pilot themes of F-Zero GX. If his name is not familiar to you, he also did the original vocal songs from Gran Tursimo 4 on the PlayStation 2. Alan Brey lends his vocal talents as the main man singing. As for the game it puts your driving and racing skills to the ultimate test. There's 29 other racers gunning to take you out, so it's best to pull out all the stops and go mach speed and leave them in the dust!
v39. Wario Land: Shake It! (Wii) - Whoopsy Desert
Wario Land: Shake It! is yet another proficient project from Good Feel, the team behind Kirby's Epic Yarn. Another great graphical style with cutscenes from the terrific anime studio of Production I.G. I liked Wario Land's Wii entry as there was a lot to do such as finding treasures, completing challenges, and finding paths to exit levels quickly. Whoopsy Desert could be classified as what you get when you combine Arabian flair with pure, driven funk. All-in-all, it's a nice combination if I do say so myself.
v40. Animal Crossing (GCN) - 8pm
The game that took over my life the year it came out, Animal Crossing is a series that is near and dear to my heart. I greatly enjoy conversing with my fellow villagers, collecting furniture, sending out rude letters, participating in the various events and holidays, and making my town the best it can be. The GameCube version of Animal Crossing holds the greatest soundtrack of the three games that were released in the West. It seems more wholesome and tender. I anxiously await the Nintendo 3DS installment due out some time this year.
v41. Space Channel 5 (DC) - Blank TV: Ulala Support Chant
We begin our journey through the world of Sega music with Space Channel 5, a cult classic from the Dreamcast, Sega's final console effort. Though fans of the series won't have to wait long for action similar to the game as the upcoming Nintendo 3DS title Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure has a section of the game based off Ulala's antics. This song begins a capella before eventually building a crescendo with a bass guitar, brass, and heavy vocals. It is a reinvigorating track for sure.
v42. Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg (GCN) - Tumbling Xylophone
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg was Yuji Naka's (Sonic the Hedgehog's father) creation, and it was a GameCube exclusive. The game had players in the role of Billy Hatcher who rolled eggs over enemies, bounced to new heights, and took down evil pirates. All in a day's work for Mr. Hatcher. Naka would go on to form his own company, Prope, and would create such games as Let's Tap, Fishing Resort, and the in-limbo-though-completed Rodea the Sky Soldier. As for this song it is particularly peppy as is commonplace for the music of the game. Shocking news: there's a xylophone that plays prominently in this piece.
v43. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Wii) - Monkey Island
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz for Wii was a launch title for the system, and it introduced a jumping mechanic and ill-fated boss battles to the game. Unfortunately the level design wasn't quite up to par, and the game suffered for it. What didn't suffer was the incredibly catchy soundtrack that accompanied the game's colorful worlds. Monkey Island is the first world in the game which was full of courses with railings and easy-to-navigate pathways. My favorite part of this theme just so happens to be between 0:33 and 0:58.
v44. Phantasy Star Universe (360, PS2) - Moatoob
Performed by the Hollywood Session Orchestra, Moatoob is the theme of the desert city that players frequent in the underwhelming Phantasy Star Universe. Coming off Phantasy Star Online, Universe was anything but impressive. The developers somehow managed to take something special in the Dreamcast original and bastardize it completely. The single-player story mode was tedious to trek through, the online was glitch-filled, but the only solace of the game was its sensational soundtrack as Moatoob proves.
v45. The House of the Dead: Overkill (PS3, Wii) - Get Funky
Before you click the link, just be forewarned that the content in the lyrics and words spoken is explicit. It is recommended for ages 17 and up. With that out of the way, The House of the Dead: Overkill was an unapologetic on-rails shooter with a grindhouse feel. Everything from the rude and crude story to the film reel filter given to the game's graphics gave off this sentiment. Get Funky is one of the better songs in the game, and it is not only catchy but it is definitely a comical one, too.
===
And just like that this week's worth of VGMs is complete. Since we've done music from Nintendo, since we've done music from Sega, why not do some music from another developer? Let's do Capcom next week! From Mega Man to Resident Evil, Capcom is home to lots of unique franchises. Stay tuned as it is sure to be captivating. Ooh, I made a pun!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Mario Party 7 (GCN) Retro Review
As promised, here is the first review of February. I have more planned for the month, but I believe there will be less than January which had nine. Regardless, our first taste of judgment comes from the last entry on the GameCube of this popular franchise. It's Mario Party 7.
The GameCube was kind to the Mario Party series back in the day. Hudson Soft was pumping them out faster than people could buy them. Then came the criticisms that the games were rehashes even though each installment introduced new gameplay concepts. This tradition continues with the final Mario Party released for the GameCube, Mario Party 7. Is this a pleasure cruise, or will you get seasick from the action?
After a seemingly infinite amount of times saving the day, the princess, and various Nintendo systems from failure, Mario needs a break. Even his vacation in Super Mario Sunshine was marred by cleaning up after Shadow Mario. That's no vacation-- that's work! Toadsworth greets the portly plumber and asks him if he will grace him with his presence on a nice relaxing cruise along the ocean. Mario agrees and the entire Mushroom Kingdom cast joins in on the fun. However, Bowser was not invited, and he seeks vengeance for this oversight. His plan is to completely ruin Mario and company's ocean tour through any means necessary.
How does he accomplish this? Every five turns in a regular Party Cruise game (the Classic mode of Mario Party) is Bowser Time, an occurrence where the king of the koopas interferes and causes trouble for players. Sometimes he opens a shop where a player is forced to purchase a worthless item for an exorbitant amount of coins, other times he might just blatantly steal a star from first place. While this new gameplay mechanic might sound interesting, it quickly grows tiresome and makes an already unpredictable game even more so... sometimes just cheap as all get out. For instance, in Grand Canal, the first board of the game, Bowser can place a bunch of his spaces on the bridges that intersect the various islands of the game. When a player lands on his space, either a single-player or multiplayer mini-game takes place. These have players avoiding the shots of fire from Koopa Kids, leaping from platform to platform, trying not to fall into the lava, and trekking boldly through a deadly obstacle course while being chased by a fire-breathing machine. For every player that loses the game, Bowser will steal half or all of their coins or even a star. The problem with these games is that they go on way too long to complete them.
Another error comes with the microphone-compatible mini-games. Instead of just being limited to 1vs3 games, they have been expanded to all types. There's even a space players can land on where they can bet coins, memorize cards, and speak out which card was located where. After playing this game, saying the obvious correct answer only to be told I was wrong, I promptly turned all mic mini-games off. Your mileage may vary.
There are several types of mini-games: a 4-player, 1vs3, 2vs2, Battle, and Duel mini-games. I don't like how Duel games work either as the person who lands on the space no longer gets to make the bet. Instead the winner stops a slot machine and either takes all of the loser's coins, half of the loser's coins, 1 or 2 stars, or get unlucky and win nothing from their opponent.
The actual mini-games played are the shining grace of Mario Party 7. There's games where you try to punch your opponents out of a floating bubble arena, games where you leap over hurdles (some of which are electrified) while running along a treadmill, games where you snowboard through alternating gates, games where you team up to take down web-shooting spiders in an attempt to rescue Flutter (an enemy from the Mario universe), and games where you ground-pound tiles with the goal of making them your team's color. The games are for the most part enjoyable, and thankfully only one or two can be considered luck-based, the types of mini-games that are true pet peeves of mine.
The single-player mode this go around is called Solo Cruise. You choose a board, go up against one computer or one friend, and try to complete the board's objective before the other player. For instance, on Pagoda Peak the goal is to gather 100 coins and reach the top first while on Pyramid Park the object of the game is to retrieve a stolen star and give it to the Bowser sphinx which sits near the center of the board. Solo mode is an entertaining diversion and it is the only way to unlock the final board which belongs to Bowser.
Likewise, the meat and potatoes of Mario Party games is the multiplayer action, and Mario Party 7 does not disappoint here. You can play free for all, 2 on 2 (a pair of players roll dice blocks numbered from 1-5 and their rolls add up to how much they move), or with four controllers, four teams of two. Of the six boards of the game, each one has different means to win the game unlike past titles in the series. Grand Canal is your standard Mario Party rules of buying a star for twenty coins which then moves to a new location after it has been purchased. Meanwhile, Neon Heights houses three treasure chests. Only one contains the star while the other two either contain coins or a Bob-omb that will explode, sending the unfortunate player back to the start of the board. Each time a star is found, three new chests materialize on the board at new locations.
Returning from Mario Party 5 and Mario Party 6 is the concept of orbs. You can either pick these up from spaces on the board or buy them from shops. There's over twenty different types. Some transport you to the location of the star, some allow you to roll two or three dice blocks, some allow you to throw them onto spaces where if a player lands on it, a myriad of different effects can happen such as stealing coins, stealing orbs, or even stealing a star. Proper and strategic use of orbs is key in deciding between victory and defeat.
At the conclusion of each game (and if they have been selected to be awarded or not), bonus stars are presented to players. Unfortunately, Mario Party 7 was the start of random awards. What I mean by this is that in the past Mario Party games, you knew which bonus stars were going to be awarded, so you knew what to gun for. Not so with Mario Party 7. Three bonus stars are handed out either by winning the most coins in mini-games, landing on the most red spaces, landing on the most action spaces, using the most coins at shops, moving around the board the most, or using the most orbs in a single game. This makes Mario Party 7 even more based on chance than past entries in the franchise.
After each Solo or Party Cruise round, every player (including the CPU) has their amount of spaces moved tabulated. These turn into mileage points which can be used at the game's shop to purchase a plethora of items such as new mini-games, new characters like Birdo and Dry Bones, taunts, souvenirs, higher difficulties for the computer, and much more. There isn't a shortage of activities to be found on Mario Party 7's cruise ship, and thankfully, shuffleboard ain't one of them.
Mario Party 7 is a decent looking game based on the era it came out. It could pass as a low-level Wii game even, but that isn't saying much about either the GameCube or Wii hardware. There are plenty of jaggies to be found on characters, and the various texture work in the game is passable at best. Most games run without any signs of slowdown, and the framerate of Mario Party 7 is steady, too. The compositions of the game are mostly forgettable besides some short victory fanfare themes. Other tunes like Grand Canal and Pagoda Peak are just grating on the ears and nothing else.
Overall, Mario Party 7 might be one of the lesser installments of the franchise. The amount of chance that is involved is at an all-time high. Nothing is for certain in Mario's seventh fiesta. You can play the best, win every mini-game, and you could still be messed over by bad dice rolls and unlucky events. Bowser Time is cute at first, but it slows the game down to a crawl, especially Grand Canal's "let's put Bowser spaces all over the board with games that last a minute or more." There is probably a reason why the option was made to allow players to have the minimum amount of turns be ten instead of the series standard twenty. Mic mini-games may be a dud, but the non-mic games are mostly a blast to play. While not a full-fledged pleasure cruise, there is some fun in the sun to be had with Mario Party 7.
[SuperPhillip Says: 6.0/10]
Mario Party's Lucky Number Seven?
The GameCube was kind to the Mario Party series back in the day. Hudson Soft was pumping them out faster than people could buy them. Then came the criticisms that the games were rehashes even though each installment introduced new gameplay concepts. This tradition continues with the final Mario Party released for the GameCube, Mario Party 7. Is this a pleasure cruise, or will you get seasick from the action?
After a seemingly infinite amount of times saving the day, the princess, and various Nintendo systems from failure, Mario needs a break. Even his vacation in Super Mario Sunshine was marred by cleaning up after Shadow Mario. That's no vacation-- that's work! Toadsworth greets the portly plumber and asks him if he will grace him with his presence on a nice relaxing cruise along the ocean. Mario agrees and the entire Mushroom Kingdom cast joins in on the fun. However, Bowser was not invited, and he seeks vengeance for this oversight. His plan is to completely ruin Mario and company's ocean tour through any means necessary.
Juggling is fine and all, but can you breakdance?
...Yeah, I didn't think so.
...Yeah, I didn't think so.
How does he accomplish this? Every five turns in a regular Party Cruise game (the Classic mode of Mario Party) is Bowser Time, an occurrence where the king of the koopas interferes and causes trouble for players. Sometimes he opens a shop where a player is forced to purchase a worthless item for an exorbitant amount of coins, other times he might just blatantly steal a star from first place. While this new gameplay mechanic might sound interesting, it quickly grows tiresome and makes an already unpredictable game even more so... sometimes just cheap as all get out. For instance, in Grand Canal, the first board of the game, Bowser can place a bunch of his spaces on the bridges that intersect the various islands of the game. When a player lands on his space, either a single-player or multiplayer mini-game takes place. These have players avoiding the shots of fire from Koopa Kids, leaping from platform to platform, trying not to fall into the lava, and trekking boldly through a deadly obstacle course while being chased by a fire-breathing machine. For every player that loses the game, Bowser will steal half or all of their coins or even a star. The problem with these games is that they go on way too long to complete them.
Race to the top of Pagoda Peak to purchase a star.
Another error comes with the microphone-compatible mini-games. Instead of just being limited to 1vs3 games, they have been expanded to all types. There's even a space players can land on where they can bet coins, memorize cards, and speak out which card was located where. After playing this game, saying the obvious correct answer only to be told I was wrong, I promptly turned all mic mini-games off. Your mileage may vary.
There are several types of mini-games: a 4-player, 1vs3, 2vs2, Battle, and Duel mini-games. I don't like how Duel games work either as the person who lands on the space no longer gets to make the bet. Instead the winner stops a slot machine and either takes all of the loser's coins, half of the loser's coins, 1 or 2 stars, or get unlucky and win nothing from their opponent.
Track and Yield is certainly one
dangerous way of staying in shape.
dangerous way of staying in shape.
The actual mini-games played are the shining grace of Mario Party 7. There's games where you try to punch your opponents out of a floating bubble arena, games where you leap over hurdles (some of which are electrified) while running along a treadmill, games where you snowboard through alternating gates, games where you team up to take down web-shooting spiders in an attempt to rescue Flutter (an enemy from the Mario universe), and games where you ground-pound tiles with the goal of making them your team's color. The games are for the most part enjoyable, and thankfully only one or two can be considered luck-based, the types of mini-games that are true pet peeves of mine.
In Target Tag, players fly through targets of
different point values, aiming for the top score.
different point values, aiming for the top score.
The single-player mode this go around is called Solo Cruise. You choose a board, go up against one computer or one friend, and try to complete the board's objective before the other player. For instance, on Pagoda Peak the goal is to gather 100 coins and reach the top first while on Pyramid Park the object of the game is to retrieve a stolen star and give it to the Bowser sphinx which sits near the center of the board. Solo mode is an entertaining diversion and it is the only way to unlock the final board which belongs to Bowser.
Likewise, the meat and potatoes of Mario Party games is the multiplayer action, and Mario Party 7 does not disappoint here. You can play free for all, 2 on 2 (a pair of players roll dice blocks numbered from 1-5 and their rolls add up to how much they move), or with four controllers, four teams of two. Of the six boards of the game, each one has different means to win the game unlike past titles in the series. Grand Canal is your standard Mario Party rules of buying a star for twenty coins which then moves to a new location after it has been purchased. Meanwhile, Neon Heights houses three treasure chests. Only one contains the star while the other two either contain coins or a Bob-omb that will explode, sending the unfortunate player back to the start of the board. Each time a star is found, three new chests materialize on the board at new locations.
Share a controller to play these eight-player mini-games.
Returning from Mario Party 5 and Mario Party 6 is the concept of orbs. You can either pick these up from spaces on the board or buy them from shops. There's over twenty different types. Some transport you to the location of the star, some allow you to roll two or three dice blocks, some allow you to throw them onto spaces where if a player lands on it, a myriad of different effects can happen such as stealing coins, stealing orbs, or even stealing a star. Proper and strategic use of orbs is key in deciding between victory and defeat.
At the conclusion of each game (and if they have been selected to be awarded or not), bonus stars are presented to players. Unfortunately, Mario Party 7 was the start of random awards. What I mean by this is that in the past Mario Party games, you knew which bonus stars were going to be awarded, so you knew what to gun for. Not so with Mario Party 7. Three bonus stars are handed out either by winning the most coins in mini-games, landing on the most red spaces, landing on the most action spaces, using the most coins at shops, moving around the board the most, or using the most orbs in a single game. This makes Mario Party 7 even more based on chance than past entries in the franchise.
After each Solo or Party Cruise round, every player (including the CPU) has their amount of spaces moved tabulated. These turn into mileage points which can be used at the game's shop to purchase a plethora of items such as new mini-games, new characters like Birdo and Dry Bones, taunts, souvenirs, higher difficulties for the computer, and much more. There isn't a shortage of activities to be found on Mario Party 7's cruise ship, and thankfully, shuffleboard ain't one of them.
Mario Party 7 is a decent looking game based on the era it came out. It could pass as a low-level Wii game even, but that isn't saying much about either the GameCube or Wii hardware. There are plenty of jaggies to be found on characters, and the various texture work in the game is passable at best. Most games run without any signs of slowdown, and the framerate of Mario Party 7 is steady, too. The compositions of the game are mostly forgettable besides some short victory fanfare themes. Other tunes like Grand Canal and Pagoda Peak are just grating on the ears and nothing else.
In Sphere Factor, see if sphere is not a factor for you.
Overall, Mario Party 7 might be one of the lesser installments of the franchise. The amount of chance that is involved is at an all-time high. Nothing is for certain in Mario's seventh fiesta. You can play the best, win every mini-game, and you could still be messed over by bad dice rolls and unlucky events. Bowser Time is cute at first, but it slows the game down to a crawl, especially Grand Canal's "let's put Bowser spaces all over the board with games that last a minute or more." There is probably a reason why the option was made to allow players to have the minimum amount of turns be ten instead of the series standard twenty. Mic mini-games may be a dud, but the non-mic games are mostly a blast to play. While not a full-fledged pleasure cruise, there is some fun in the sun to be had with Mario Party 7.
[SuperPhillip Says: 6.0/10]
Help Support SuperPhillip Central
Within a few years SuperPhillip Central has grown from a hobbyist blog to something more. It has almost turned into a second job for me, and with that comes certain responsibilities. May I call your attention to the sidebar? There you will find a brand-new section called Amazon Links. You can peruse a series of upcoming and recent titles I have selected, and if you click on them, you will generate money for the site. I'm hoping to use the funds provided to continue to get new games to review for SPC and also maybe use a game for a contest on the site. (Let's face it-- the economy sucks.) Additionally, you can always support my work and show that you really care by donating money via Paypal. My Paypal is superphillip32[at]yahoo[dot]com. If you don't want a fee, send it as a Gift.
Your continued patronage is truly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
Your continued patronage is truly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games - Part One
The Nintendo 3DS has almost been out for a year in Japan, and next month the system will have been out in the wild for a year as well. Over the past eleven months, we've seen many titles get released for the handheld. Some shine while others are dull as can be. Some sell well while others bomb for different reasons. This first edition of the Most Overlooked Nintendo 3DS Games checks out the latter of these titles.
Dead or Alive: Dimensions
What could be considered to be a greatest hits collection of the Dead or Alive universe, Dead or Alive: Dimensions takes all of the fights, frills, and thrills the franchise is known for and puts them for the first time onto a handheld device. In this case the action occurs on the Nintendo 3DS. The battle arenas are multi-tiered, offering the opportunity to knock your opponent off, onto a new battlefield, inducing damage to them. Collectible figurines add to the replay value and longevity of the game as does the entertaining online mode, allowing fighters from around the world to duke it out against one another. Throw in some free downloadable content in the form of costumes, and you have one knockout of a game.
Sonic Generations
While not as full of content as its console brethren, the 3DS version of Sonic Generations has seven unique zones from past Sonic games. From the original 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog all the way to 2010's Sonic Colors, many major Sonic games are present and accounted for. Zones like Green Hill, Casino Night, Mushroom Hill, Emerald Coast, Radical Highway, Water Palace, and Tropical Resort are all faithful to the source material and give off huge nostalgic vibes. Then there's returning boss battles remade for this 3DS version like Sonic the Hedgehog 3's Big Arms Robotnik battle and Sonic Adventure 2's Biolizard. Also included with the game is an assortment of missions to complete for unlockable artwork and music. Not a perfect game as most Dimps efforts aren't, but still worth checking out for any fan of the blue blue.
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy
Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy takes flight onto the Nintendo 3DS with all of the high flying action, intense dogfights, and Top Gun-esque aerial maneuvers that you have come to expect from the franchise. The addition of touch screen targeting makes combat all the more intuitive and simple to pull off. The mission structure expands and trails off to a number of different scenarios depending on decisions you make in combat. The missions themselves have a wide range of objectives to make each one vastly different from the last. Little marketing for this title doomed it for failure. In Japan, the game works with the newly released Circle Pad Pro, but Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble (as it is known there) did little to soar up the charts in the land of the rising sun either.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor OverclockedEssentially a port of the DS original, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked adds a whole slew of voice acting to accompany the intriguing story the game possesses. Along with the multiple secret endings players can uncover, Devil Survivor Overclocked introduces a new epilogue at the end of the game. Those are not the only changes to the game. Higher resolution character portraits and awesome remastered artwork have been included to further enhance this 3DS game, one of the rarest, most hard-to-find titles in the early life of Nintendo's stereoscopic wonder. Those hankering for an RPG tailor-made for the system need to look no further than
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked.
Nano Assault
From the team behind the excellent Iridion games on the Game Boy Advance, the enjoyable Jett Rocket and FAST - Racing League on the WiiWare service, and the fun Nanostray titles on the Nintendo DS comes a new shoot-em-up from Shin'en. Traveling through cells and participating in germ warfare, players blast their way through approximately thirty-something individual levels. Depending on how well or how poorly a player does in the game, the level will become either easier or harder in difficulty. With gorgeous 3D visuals, multiple modes and unlockable items, and an online leaderboard to boast to all of your friends, Nano Assault is a great shmup for fans of the genre. It's also only $19.99 MSRP.
We have reached another conclusion to another article here on SuperPhillip Central. Tomorrow I have in store the first review of February. It's about time, don't you think? We'll see you then.
Dead or Alive: Dimensions
What could be considered to be a greatest hits collection of the Dead or Alive universe, Dead or Alive: Dimensions takes all of the fights, frills, and thrills the franchise is known for and puts them for the first time onto a handheld device. In this case the action occurs on the Nintendo 3DS. The battle arenas are multi-tiered, offering the opportunity to knock your opponent off, onto a new battlefield, inducing damage to them. Collectible figurines add to the replay value and longevity of the game as does the entertaining online mode, allowing fighters from around the world to duke it out against one another. Throw in some free downloadable content in the form of costumes, and you have one knockout of a game.
Sonic Generations
While not as full of content as its console brethren, the 3DS version of Sonic Generations has seven unique zones from past Sonic games. From the original 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog all the way to 2010's Sonic Colors, many major Sonic games are present and accounted for. Zones like Green Hill, Casino Night, Mushroom Hill, Emerald Coast, Radical Highway, Water Palace, and Tropical Resort are all faithful to the source material and give off huge nostalgic vibes. Then there's returning boss battles remade for this 3DS version like Sonic the Hedgehog 3's Big Arms Robotnik battle and Sonic Adventure 2's Biolizard. Also included with the game is an assortment of missions to complete for unlockable artwork and music. Not a perfect game as most Dimps efforts aren't, but still worth checking out for any fan of the blue blue.
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy
Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy takes flight onto the Nintendo 3DS with all of the high flying action, intense dogfights, and Top Gun-esque aerial maneuvers that you have come to expect from the franchise. The addition of touch screen targeting makes combat all the more intuitive and simple to pull off. The mission structure expands and trails off to a number of different scenarios depending on decisions you make in combat. The missions themselves have a wide range of objectives to make each one vastly different from the last. Little marketing for this title doomed it for failure. In Japan, the game works with the newly released Circle Pad Pro, but Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble (as it is known there) did little to soar up the charts in the land of the rising sun either.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor OverclockedEssentially a port of the DS original, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked adds a whole slew of voice acting to accompany the intriguing story the game possesses. Along with the multiple secret endings players can uncover, Devil Survivor Overclocked introduces a new epilogue at the end of the game. Those are not the only changes to the game. Higher resolution character portraits and awesome remastered artwork have been included to further enhance this 3DS game, one of the rarest, most hard-to-find titles in the early life of Nintendo's stereoscopic wonder. Those hankering for an RPG tailor-made for the system need to look no further than
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked.
Nano Assault
From the team behind the excellent Iridion games on the Game Boy Advance, the enjoyable Jett Rocket and FAST - Racing League on the WiiWare service, and the fun Nanostray titles on the Nintendo DS comes a new shoot-em-up from Shin'en. Traveling through cells and participating in germ warfare, players blast their way through approximately thirty-something individual levels. Depending on how well or how poorly a player does in the game, the level will become either easier or harder in difficulty. With gorgeous 3D visuals, multiple modes and unlockable items, and an online leaderboard to boast to all of your friends, Nano Assault is a great shmup for fans of the genre. It's also only $19.99 MSRP.
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We have reached another conclusion to another article here on SuperPhillip Central. Tomorrow I have in store the first review of February. It's about time, don't you think? We'll see you then.
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